So it begins

Shenron doesn't like me very much and I'm not sure if I should consider it an achievement or great wrong, but when he appears above us and notices my presence, his mood is immediately soured. He's quite the petty creature if he's still salty about the way I had summoned him. He cannot fault me for not knowing the correct summoning chant, now can he? It's a bit childish if I'm being honest, that this over a hundred-year-old creature could be mad at a mere mortal - ignorant one at that. However, upon seeing his master and creator he acts quite a bit differently, more respectful and less impatient. When Kami speaks his wish, even Shenron appears offended by the mere implication and I ignore his accusing glance in favor of appreciating the fact that we somehow convinced the god of earth to consider our offer. It took an hour of groveling to get to this point, but it was well worth it. When the wish has been granted and the balls rise up to be scattered across the globe, Kakarot and I act fast to claim one of the balls for convenience. He snags the four-star while I have claimed the two-star. I remember Bulma saying that was the one she had found in Mr. Brief's lab.

Kami is quiet as he observes his new body, moving this way and that and flexing every now and then to test his restored body. His previously yellow patches of skin have now become a healthy pink and his dark green color is now the green of fresh leaves that decorate trees in the summer. It's a pleasant color and makes him look quite respectable. His antenna stand a bit straighter and his smile is less unsettling now his face is smooth and clear of wrinkles.

"This feels quite relieving," he says, smiling just a bit and losing his umbrage for the situation. He had been a bit against it, but went along when he realized we made some good points and it seems like he's quite pleased. "I feel quite well"

He stretches, hums, and looks down on himself. Within moments his attire has changed to a gi of matching color with the same kanji broad and proud on his chest. The cane is put aside now he won't need it and he faces us with a serious expression.

"Before we proceed much further I must tell you my reason for accepting you two," he says and Kakarot and I share a look that says the same thing. We're not surprised that he has his own reasons for even glimpsing us. "I don't think either of you know anything about King Piccolo"

King Piccolo? Demon King Piccolo that Master Lao used to talk about with a rather amused smile? Kami looks at me, reading my expression as well as my thoughts and he nods.

"Not surprising that you would be familiar with the name. That Lao liked to stick his head in other's business. A terrible habit that proved to be helpful in the end" he says. "It was centuries ago that I came to see the Kami before me in hopes of succeeding him before his demise. But he would not allow it. I thought myself worthy, a skilled martial artist, and surely worthy. There was evil deep within my heart and Kami knew it and after extensive training, I was able to expel it. That evil became the demon King Piccolo. I took Kami's place and Piccolo ran off"

"Oh, wait, I think grandpa Gohan had mentioned something like this" Kakarot recalls with a look to the sky. "There was a battle with him some centuries ago and Master Roshi with the help of some other martial artists had attempted to fight him and eventually sealed him"

"Yes that is correct" Kami confirms.

"He's a problem again?"

"Not yet"

"You worry he'll escape the seal" I realize. He's not dead, simply put away, and should someone locate him and interfere, he can be set free.

"Yes, precisely"

And that's when we come in to play.

"You are already stronger than I" he points at me. "And you are quickly working your way to that level. I intend to train you two for when the time comes to battle him and you must put an end to him once and for all"

"Kill him?" Now, this is unexpected. Is he giving me the order to kill? Ah, that's my purpose to him then.

"Yes, he is simply irredeemable, and should he resurface many will die once more," Kami says gravely.

This sounds quite hypocritical. Was he not the one who stated something about having to right to kill? What, does this mean that he alone has such a right?

But that brings up an issue.

"You and he had been one and the same" Kami nods. "You expelled him, a part of you" another nod. "Does that not mean that you're connected in some way?"

"She's quite clever," says Popo, chuckling.

Kami sighs, exasperated, defeated, I'm not sure.

Kakarot looks between the two of us with realization slowly dawning and then he adopts a look of consideration.

"So, if he dies, you die" his assumption is correct and Kami doesn't need to say anything to confirm this. "But if you die, the dragon balls disappear"

"Do not concern yourselves with that" he says quickly and firmly. "It will be taken care of"

"How?"

"It is not your place to question me"

Okay then, I suppose he does not want to continue this line of conversation.

"You will accept my terms"

"Of course, Master" Kakarot and I bow and rise to a pleased Kami.

"Good"

~~~~~~~~

Mr. Popo is someone wrapped in mystery and I'm determined to understand his existence. His power cannot be sensed which makes our task of fighting him that much harder. He moves faster than I can command my body to and I'm done just as I realize where he is. Even when I work with Kakarot to face him, we don't make much progress and through it all, I'm attempting to get used to the thin air this high up. It tires me out too quickly, my great stamina is quite useless in this situation if my performance is half of what it normally would be. Minutes become hours as we go up against the ever-smiling Popo who takes us down with no show of effort. I feign a kick to spin around with a jab and end up on the ground. Kakarot makes his attempt even before Popo is done with me and he still ends up flat beside me, panting to the point of hyperventilating.

"I can't breathe" he wheezes out which calls for a well-needed break. He struggles to sit and shakes his head when he sways and almost falls. When I offer him a bottle of water it is emptied within seconds and he's asking for another.

"You must be as calm as the sky and as fast as lightning," Popo says to us after we catch our breath.

"That's not very easy," Kakarot says, breathless.

"You must first empty your soul" he couches and taps my forehead. "Not just the mind as you're so used to"

How does one empty the soul? I've been taught to move on instinct rather than thinking too much in the heat of battle. It has become as natural as breathing and Kakarot seems to have the same skill. But emptying the soul sounds a great deal harder than simply clearing the mind.

"Is that why I can't sense you?" I wonder and he smiles.

"One of the reasons, yes" cryptic. "Next you move as fast as lightning"

He moves and within a moment he's behind us, Kakarot looks behind him with raised brows.

"It seems you both understand the need to see without your eyes," he says, sounding pleased. "One a bit more than the other"

"I guess your blindfold training paid off" Kakarot jests.

Well, it seems so.

Alright then, we have to clear our souls as the first step. That will bring us closer to defeating the assistant god and build our strength and technique.

A quick search has me producing a senzu and Kakarot is quick to accept the offer. I should really learn how to farm these beans, as useful as they are.

"Ohohoho, ready for more I see"

Our next attempt isn't much better than the last but there is progress. Kami doesn't join for whatever reason, having disappeared into his house once he had assigned Popo to start training us. I'm curious as to what he could be doing in there, but not enough to voice it. Kakarot has gotten faster over the time I have known him but he pales in comparison to Popo. My only relief is that I know where he is when he moves, but can't react fast enough to block or counter. I succeeded in this attempt but once, mind cleared and nerves settled after I took a deep breath. I blocked his punch only to go stumbling back by the impact. It hurt far more than I had expected and distracts me enough for him to land a clear shot. He restrains me by the tail once and attempts to do the same with Kakarot which does not work as well as it had on me. Kakarot has had a tail all his life and has been training it far longer, his tail is far more durable than mine.

Popo realizes this and I suffer through countless tail grabs after this revelation. As much as it pains me and after almost collapsing from the paralysis I know it's a good thing in the end so I don't complain. I'll get used to it. I have to. My tail is my weakest link currently.

"Would you not rather get rid of it" Popo wonders when he grabs me again, holding on so tight that I'm a pathetic thing on the floor. "It's a great weakness as well as a danger, so I've heard"

"No way, our tail is the source of our power" Kakarot protests.

"But that power is only gained through that terrible transformation of yours" Popo shoots back, calmly. "You're mindless and destroy everything in sight. Even if you learn to control this form, it's a big problem still"

He has a point and that had been my exact reasoning for wanting to rid myself of the new feature to my body.

"Then" Kakarot pauses, thinking. "We'll just find a way to harness that power without transforming"

A great idea, only the problem here is; how do we do such a thing?

A concern on our list then.

In the next instance, we are no longer being beaten by Mr. Popo, rather he sits us down to meditate, something I'm well familiar with. He understands that I have a good grasp of my ki so he focuses more on Kakarot who just cannot stay still for too long. I had long since attempted to meditate with him and only had such results. He'll have to get used to it if he wishes to excel.

"I feel like I might fall asleep" is his concern after his third attempt lasted a bit longer than the last. "It feels like I'm about to fall asleep"

It's going to be a long journey for him

~~~~~~~~~~

"You were gone for hours"

There's something about how calmly she says this that makes me pause in my place. Yes, Bulma is not pleased seeing as we promised not to stay away for long only to return when the sun has retired. See, usually, when Bulma is annoyed or mad, she yells or gets physical, but she has never been calm. Even Kakarot notes the difference and halts his current activity - eating - to regard me with raised brows. I feel as if a calm angered Bulma is more of a threat than the usual angered Bulma and I'm sure my concern is not as ridiculous as it sounds.

"An apology wouldn't serve much, would it?"

Korin shakes his head from where he sits with his cane to lean against. Bulma sighs, says nothing, and packs her things.

"Yeah, I didn't think so" what now then? "I'll apologize anyway"

She could have left if she was tired of waiting. She has ways of leaving with all the planes she carries in her capsule container.

"Let's just go"

When I get on the nimbus I absently wonder if I'm safe with her as she is now. Who's to say she won't push me off the cloud and watch me fall to my death. Unlikely seeing as she's constantly scolding me about almost getting myself killed, but there is a possibility. Dad liked to say that when a woman is angry and calm it is quite the dangerous thing. And the last time I had been in such a state, I had killed a man or two, or three.

"How was it?" she asks after minutes of silence, resting against my back. I'm not dead yet, that's good.

"We got beaten up" an embarrassing thing to admit and the way Bulma chuckles lets me know the thought lessens her annoyance.

"That so? The all Mighty Durian has met her match"

"Looks like it" there's always someone stronger after all. "I'll have to work hard then"

Yeah, I intend to partake in the tournament in three years since my last had ended without getting the chance to face Kakarot. I would also like to be the winner even if just one time. And I won't let master Roshi beat me with that technique again.

"You're training under Kami, which means he listened to you" she mumbles and I wonder if she's falling asleep. It's not that late and not like Bulma to sleep this early so she could just be tired.

"Yup"

"How long will it take then?"

"We have no clue," Kami says he'll know when he's strong enough but currently he's not sure how much he would need to improve.

"Can I come up there next time?"

"Maybe, I'll ask" I don't think he would mind, Bulma is harmless. "The air up there is thin though"

"What does he look like"

"Unlike anything I have ever seen" and again I wonder where he originated from. "He's green and has pink patches on certain parts of his body. He has two antennas and generally doesn't look like he originated from earth"

"Oh wow, another alien" Bulma sounds amused. "And he hates humans, sounds questionable"

"I've learned why" and it's understandable when you know the reasoning behind his contempt. "He created the dragon balls after an incident that ended with many dead. He hoped it would give people hope and better the world overall. Turns out people are selfish and often used the balls for selfish and vain desires"

Bulma isn't surprised if her unimpressed little hum is anything to go by.

"Well, when you get the chance to wish for your greatest desire, it's no wonder such things happen. Pilaf wanted power, he realized the dragon ball would be the only way. Red ribbon wanted power, dragon balls could make it a reality. Should one want money, well, what do you know we have magical balls that can grant your wish"

That and living creatures are just naturally selfish in their ways.

~~~~~~~~

When we get back, Bulma makes a beeline for the kitchen and busies herself with preparing coffee and warm cocoa. I don't get the appeal of coffee and Bulma has stopped trying to win me over to her side a long time ago. I much rather drink cocoa or milk tea. She's munching on a slice of bread while she waits for everything to heat up, pealing off the crust to eat separately, and walking around with the whole bag. She loves fancy food, yet when night falls she eats the most simple of things.

She eats bare bread while I take the time to make a quick and proper sandwich with the boar meat I still have. It's bound to last me a couple of days.

"What are we doing tonight?" She asks and the obvious answer would be sleep, we should go to bed and rid ourselves of our terrible habit.

"I've got an android to work on"

And that is the only answer she had been expecting - I'm sure - because that smile is nothing short of excitement. Suppose she won't have to go all the way to snow village to learn more about android when I have everything right here.

A mug of cocoa is placed in my hand and I don't recognize the mug. Usually, I drink in a smaller one, dark in color with no design on it. This one is white with a single letter on it in blue and it's around half a size bigger than the one I had been using before.

"What happened to the other mug?"

"I got you your own mug, you idiot" Bulma grumbles. "It has your initial on it. It's your cocoa mug"

"You got me a mug?"

"That's what I said"

Bulma has went out of her way to get a mug just for me. With my initial on it and everything and it's white and blue like my gi.

Heh, it's my cocoa mug.

"You're smiling like some little kid" Bulma interrupts my joyous thoughts with a very deadpan look aimed at me.

"You got me a special cocoa mug" why should I not be happy? Yes, it is a very simple and insignificant thing, but it's my thing that she got for me specifically.

Bulma either doesn't understand why this makes me happy or she doesn't want to admit that she does understand because she simply sips her coffee.

"Thank you"

"Don't thank me for a mug" it sounds like she's scolding me for basic etiquette.

"It's a nice mug"

"It'll keep your cocoa warm for longer," she says abruptly, as if just remembering that fact.

It just gets better and better.

"I'll get you something too"

At this, she seems almost offended before she reddens

"It's a gift, you don't need to get me anything in return"

"Yes, but I want to, so I will"