Another Life A Second Chance Ch. 3

The Shin Dragon Ball Saga
Another Life a Second Chance: Chapter 3

The three figures spoke not a word as they awaited help's arrival.
Gokou relaxed himself and lay down on the flat surface of a nearby rock. His broken bones and many wounds cried out, but he had no choice but to bear his pain. The only thing he could do now was rest. And he needed it. His eyes closed.
Kurilyn watched his friend carefully, checking to see if any assistance was needed. When he saw that it clearly wasn't, he let his eyes focus back on their previous target. Back to the lifeless corpses of his allies.
He bit back tears that never seemed to end, and breathed heavily, remembering the battle before, his mind trying desperately to accept everything that had just happened.
At least the sacrifice of his friends had not been in vain. Earth would see at least one more sunrise before some other threat plagued her world. Kurilyn pulled himself up from his seat of rocky ground and walked towards Gohan.
The boy was sitting quietly on a large stone which was covered in a damp carpet of moss. He was staring at the two unconscious bodies that had been uncovered not long ago. They were rested side by side, against a damaged yet sturdy boulder.
The first body, a rotund man, was wounded but didn't seem to be suffering any serious injury. The man dozed deeply now, large snores rumbling from his mouth and throat. However, the second body, the small girl Gohan's father had called ‘Arale' did not make a sound.
Her head was drooped down to her chest, singed and dirty hair hanging down, hiding her expressionless face. Gohan wondered briefly how a mere child without Saiyan roots such as his, had survived whatever the Saiyajin Prince had dished out at her.
He examined her closely. Her eyes were lined with a clear liquid that trickled down the cracks in the corner of her eyes and her face was covered in deep cuts and scratches. She was completely soiled with dirt, and on her face, arms and legs, where skin had once been, were nothing more than burned and broken patches of scarred tissue. There was not one spot on the girl's body that wasn't smeared with blood.
As he moved closer Gohan then realized that the girl's entire being was unmoving. Not even any signs of breathing could be seen.
But then... How could she be alive?
He stepped closer and leaned down. Her glasses were cracked and broken, just hanging off her small nose. Gohan slowly reached out to fix them.
"Careful boy. She's not normal."
Gohan nearly jumped out of his skin. Kurilyn leapt up to the boy's side and assumed a fighting position.
"Hey Patinko-Head, didn't think you'd be alive too."
A man who was about just as large as Senbe, if not rounder, stood before the two remaining warriors and grinned at Kurilyn with amusement. His mane of black hair hung below the shoulders and he clutched the sheath of his sword which was attached to his belt, casually.
"Ya-... Yajirobee!" Kurilyn shouted the name with mixed joy and scorn. "I was sure that after you cut off Vegita's tail, he'd made sure you received a slow and painful death."
Yajirobee touched his nose lightly where it had been bloodied before. Now all that was left to remind him of his one courageous deed was a brown, dried up crust on his upper lip. That, and a sharp stinging every time he touched his nose.
"Don't sound too disappointed," he grumbled. "The little bastard didn't exactly leave me unscathed." Reverting his attention back to Gohan, the round warrior glanced at Arale's body and then back at Gohan who gazed back timidly.
"Listen to me kid--"
"Gohan," the boy barely whispered.
"Gohan. That girl, she's different. Something about her doesn't seem right. I don't think she's real."
Gohan looked quizzical. "What?"
The man gave an awkward laugh that surprised both Gokou's son and friend. In a mocking tone he said, "What I mean is... Your father has befriended 3-eyed warriors, flying midgets, and even Kami-sama himself. Don't think that girl would be an exception."
The boy shook his head.
Yajirobee laughed again. "Never mind."
Kurilyn stared at him. The self-centered swordsman had never acted this way before. It was strange. Usually when he wasn't eating, the man was either complaining or cowering in the bushes after meeting an opponent, stronger than himself. Still, the monk ignored the unusual behavior of his friend and asked wether there were any more senzu seeds.
"Nope." Yajirobee snorted inwardly and crossed his arms. "And just when I need them the most too. Dammit! That stupid Saiyajin bastard injured me!!!"
Kurilyn shook his head. It hadn't taken the man long to revert back to his surly ways.
Yajirobee paused from his rant a minute, looking around the area and then back at Kurilyn. "Are they all..."
"Dead," the monk finished. "Yes, everyone..."
"Everyone..." Yajirobee parroted. "Even the devil-guy."
"Piccolo-san," Gohan said, with a faint hint of tension in his voice. The older man just shrugged.
"Whatever. The fact is he's dead. And good riddance to that too."
He turned away from the group looking beyond the horizon towards the view of endless land. "Hmph!" he snorted, "that guy was damn evil. I guess some good did come out of this battle after all. Let's just be sure that when we do restore our friends, to leave him off the list. Hell, I remember the time he himself had nearly killed Gok–"
"Dame da!!" Gohan's shriek caught everyone's attention. From where he lay, Gokou opened his eyes.
The boy stared into the larger man's eyes, his fists were clenched tightly and the beginnings of tears welled up in his eyes. "His name is PICCOLO! And he wasn't evil! He fought to protect Earth! He trained me to be strong like Otousan and... and..." Gohan began to cough, choking on his words.
Yajirobee stared at the boy with shock. This boy who seconds ago had barely managed to find the courage to speak to him, was now confronting him with as much ferocity and anger as the Saiyajin Vegita had displayed earlier on.
"He saved my life..." Gohan finally managed through a fit of sobs. "He saved my life... At the expense of his own. Is that really evil?" He looked up to Yajirobee as though he was expecting an answer, but the man didn't say a word.
"Gohan..." Gokou croaked from where he lay. "It's alright. Yajirobee... He doesn't know Piccolo like you do. None of us know..."
"Otousan..." Gohan's lips trembled. Slowly he made his way to his father but stopped when he reached the distance which left him standing just a few feet away from the broken body. Only when the man shakily opened his arms to his son, did Gohan dare to move forward.
When he reached Gokou, the boy threw his small body over the man's chest and wept freely. Gokou weakly rested an arm on his son's back and stroked the child's tussled hair gently with a bleeding hand.
"Gohan... I know how you feel," he spoke truly and with compassion. "Even I could sense that Piccolo was changed. Ever since he killed me with the Makankousappou, I knew... He no longer had evil in his heart."
From where he was, Kurilyn chuckled nervously. "Umm... Right... Gokou? I think you hit your head a little too hard during the battle. Maybe you should--"
"And do you know how I knew he was no longer evil?" Gokou asked his son, completely ignoring Kurilyn.
The boy wiped the tears from his eyes with both arms and shook his head, sniffling shyly.
"Because he took you in." Gokou smiled. "I sensed him. He took you in because he felt responsible for killing me, your father. Now would a truly evil guy, care the least bit about what would happen to his arch-nemesis' son right after he killed his arch-nemesis?"
Gohan stared at his father with large round eyes.
"Don't worry Gohan, Piccolo will be alright. He's with Yamcha, Tenshinan and Chaozu now. And when we wish them back, they'll all be together."
The comforting tone of his father's voice and the gentle caress of his hand on Gohan's head was enough to hush the boy's crying. Soon, they fell asleep locked in each other's embrace as Kurilyn and Yajirobee sat side by side, a short distance from them. The bodies of Arale and Senbe were silent through it all.
******
Bulma wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead as she stared downwards, eyes searching. When she found what she was searching for she raised her voice to a shout so that everyone could hear what she had to say.
"I've spotted them! Everyone back in your seats and prepare for landing!!"
******
Kurilyn's ears perked. "What's that?" he said aloud.
Yajirobee looked at him and then in the direction the monk was staring. "What? You hear something?"
They stood up together and took a few steps forward in the direction the noise was coming from. A cold wind blew from that direction and the noise grew louder with each moment. Soon the sound was made comprehendible.
"Footsteps?" Kurilyn asked.
"Someone's running this wa--"
Then they both heard it. The most frightening sound in the whole world.
"GOHAN-CHAN!!!"
Kurilyn panicked. "Its-its-its-ITS CHICHI!!!"
Chichi charged at them, the full fury of mother boiling in her. With a glow of insanity in her eyes and the force of a train building up in her body, she targeted herself in Kurillen's direction.
"Chichi! P-Please! Don't kill me!!" he pleaded, shielding himself with his arms.
The woman ignored him and continued her rampage. Kurilyn braced himself for pain but was surprised when he saw Chichi leap right over him as though he was just a common obstacle and continue running her path. Towards the sleeping forms of Gokou and Gohan.
"GOHAN-CHAN!!!" Her scream woke Gokou with a jolt. He barely had any time to think before looking down to see that Gohan was missing from his arms.
He looked up to see Chichi, cradling her son's sleeping form in her arms, tears streaking down her face as she babbled out promises of how she'd never let him out of her sight again.
"Chichi." Gokou smiled expecting his wife to nurse him with the same care as their son. Especially since she hadn't seem in a year and all.
Chichi stopped a moment from catering to Gohan and glowered at her husband. She looked over all of him, glancing over his wounds. The worst she had ever seen in her life. He would live... But he was still hurting and needed medical care soon.
She ignored him and focused on her son.
Gokou's warm smile faded into confusion. He stared at her with pleading eyes which begged Chichi to give him the comfort and love he needed at the moment. Still she ignored him.
With a heavy sigh, the strongest warrior lay his head back down, wondering what he had done wrong. Kurilyn approached him with Bulma, who had followed behind Chichi shortly along with the rest of their friends. The others stood with Yajirobee as he filled them in on what happened.
"Son-kun..." Bulma bit her lip. She couldn't stand seeing her friend hurt like this. No matter how many times she'd seen blood she would never get the hang of it. Kurilyn was about to say something, but his thoughts were distracted by the wails of the nearby mother.
"Chichi-san?" he asked.
"Gohan-chan... Gohan-chan..." Chichi payed attention to nothing but the resting form in her arms.
"Chichi-san, Gohan is fine. He's just sleeping that's all."
The woman inspected her boy and glared back at Kurilyn. "He's INJURED baka ne!!" she spat. Kurilyn took a step back from her with scared eyes and Chichi returned her attentions to Gohan again.
"That woman..." the monk said shaking his head, then turned to face Bulma. "Bulma-san. I'm sorry... everyone's dead... Including Yamcha."
Her face paled slightly, and a shiver coursed through her body, then stopped. "Th-The Dragon Balls," she said shakily. "I'll wish Yamcha-san back with them. Everything will be fine." She forced an unsure smile to her lips.
"Iie, no more Dragon Balls," Gokou gurgled. He stopped a second to spit out a mouthful of blood, and turned to meet Bulma eye to eye. A trickle of red painted the corner of his mouth. "Piccolo's dead... So's Kami-sama..... No more Dragon Balls... No more wishes..."
Kurilyn stared at his old friend sadly. "No more hope."
"No!" Bulma shook her head, disbelieving. "I don't... understand what you're saying. Yamcha can be wished back. The Dragon Balls, we'll find them and... and..." She quivered, moving away from the two warriors.
"Hey toots, it's alright." Yajirobee had finished explaining the recent turn of events to Kamesennin and the others and now walked up to the distressed woman. "I'm still alive after all." He grinned narcissistically.
Bulma couldn't take it anymore and broke down on her knees sobbing madly.
******
Kamesennin stared at the unconscious pair.
"Who're these two?" he asked, while the healthy began to carefully transport the wounded to the aircraft.
"Oh them?" Kurilyn answered. "I dunno. Gokou seems to know who the little girl is and the fat guy seemed to know who Gokou was. The girl was about to be killed by one of the Saiyajin, but we stopped him in time."
"I see..." The Muten Roshi examined Arale's body carefully before asking, "then why isn't she breathing?"
Kurilyn was at a loss for words. "Not breathing? But that guy said she was alright... I... Oh! I don't know anymore!!..."
"Never mind," the wise old cat, Senpyou interrupted. "Let's just gather the bodies first and THEN worry about what to do with these two. There are no more senzu seeds so we must set our coordinates towards the nearest hospital. And quickly."
******
"Tenshinan's body..."
"Where's Chaozu's?"
"He self-destructed. There's nothing left."
"Such noble people... We never realized how lucky we were to have them as friends."
"Here's Piccolo."
"The green bastard... I never thought there would be a day I actually missed him."
"War can do that to you."
"Yamcha..."
"Bulma-san. Don't be sad. There may still be a way to revive the dead."
"H-Honto!?!?"
"I'll tell you as soon as we're all aboard the aircraft."
******
Warm arms around him, holding him close. Too close. He could barely breathe.
Gohan's eyes slowly opened. He blinked several times to adjust himself to the light and was shocked to see the blurry visage of his mother just above him. He rubbed his eyes hard to make sure they weren't playing tricks on him. "Okaasan?"
Chichi's eyes darted downwards to her son. Joy overwhelmed her when she saw that he was coming too and she showed her happiness by drowning the child in a wave of motherly love.
"O-Okaasan!! *gak* Cuh-Can't, buh-reeeethe...." Gohan's words were smothered in Chichi's death-trap embrace.
"Gohan-chan don't worry! Everything's alright. Okaasan's here now!" She didn't even hear her son's pleading as she crushed him in her arms.
Everyone just stared at the comical scene and finally after what seemed like hours, Chichi let Gohan breathe. The boy looked around the aircraft and called. "Otousan?"
"I'm here Gohan, don't worry." Gokou responded, tiredness lacing his words.
"Chichi-san, don't you care about what happens to Gokou?" Kurilyn asked finally. He had been wondering why the woman was acting so hostile towards Gokou. And of all times now, when he needed her the most.
Chichi harumphed and turned her head in the opposite direction of her husband. "That man is irresponsible! He let Gohan-chan get hurt! He's not fit to be a father!!"
Her words hurt him deeply and he tried to understand why she was being this way. Gokou wondered, Chichi... Isn't the fate of the world more important than a few scratches on your son?
"Kurilyn," Bulma's voice came out suddenly. "What were you saying before about being able to restore the dead?"
"Hmm? Oh yeah!" He had nearly forgotten.
******
"Nurse we have an emergency here!" Bulma's instincts led her to immediately assume total authority. "We have three seriously injured, two unconscious and one fractured nose."
"FRACTURED NOSE?!" Yajirobee nagged. "Why that little runt nearly took out my face! And all you can call it is a simple ‘Fractured Nose'?!"
Bulma payed no notice of him. "The first five need medical care as soon as possible."
"Right this way young lady." The nurse led Bulma and the others to stretchers where the bodies were placed. They were then told to remain in the waiting room as their friends were then sent off to the emergency rooms. Chichi practically had to be pried from Gohan but it was eventually done and all injured were soon on their way.
"What now?" Someone asked.
Bulma sighed. "We wait."
******
Her doe-brown eyes opened. She could sense something. Someone.
Using her bandaged arms to roll the wheel chair towards the open door, she looked outside.
Doctors were rushing trough the halls, abandoning their current affairs to deal with a new problem. Five stretchers on wheels were being rolled down the hallway. She moved closer to peek at them.
The first was a young, well-muscled man, who looked somewhat familiar and had uncountable amounts of bruises and cuts, on the surface of his skin. His clothes were torn and covered in blood. It was as though he had just been sent through a slaughter house.
She pulled here eyes away from him to two other forms closing in behind him. One was a man with no hair and six dots on his forehead. He too, was in bad condition although not as bad as the first man. Next to the hairless man was another man who was larger, and had a short mustache on his round face. She couldn't believe it... It was him.
Soon two more forms came into view. A young boy and girl. Her eyes widened as she saw the purple-haired girl.
"They're all here..." She breathed. How could they have survived? At the moment she didn't really care.
As one of the attendants passed by, she quickly grabbed onto his arm and spoke quickly. "Who were those people passing by just now?"
"I'm sorry Ma'am. I can't reveal that information to y--"
"I know two of them!" she explained.
"They're... family."
******
"The doctors say we're allowed to visit now. Let's go."
Bulma led the others through the crowded halls to the room number the nurse had given her. She was relieved that everyone would be alright. But that still did nothing for Yamcha...
"What room number was it?" Kamesennin asked.
"Room #21A. It should be somewhere..." Bulma trailed off turning to read the number on the door ahead of her. "Here," she finished.
She opened the door quietly and it pulled open with surprising ease. The group moved inside the room to look around and froze when they saw Gokou covered from head to toe in bandages.
"He'll be in here for another four months," Kurilyn said, catching everyone's attention. "But Gohan and I'll only be in here for three days." He was almost gloating, but since there was nothing to be serious about, he saw no reason not to. "Heh.. Gokou. You look like a mummy!"
The monk laughed as his friend muffled out words to him which were uncomprehensible.
Bulma looked around the room, Gohan was sleeping with Chichi now at his side. But the two others. The girl and man.
She walked over to him and looked down, scrutinizing. "I've seen him somewhere before..."
"Hmm?" Gohan had woken up and now peered around his mother to look at Senbe.
"Yes, I've seen him before!" Bulma thought hard. "His name is..."
"Norimaki. Senbe Norimaki."
Everyone looked up. The stranger was awake and now sat upright to inspect his curious guests. "Umm... Hello?"
"Norimaki?... Dr. Slump!" Bulma clapped her hands together gleefully. "I knew I'd seen you somewhere before! You're the genius that made all those spectacular inventions for the Science Convention sponsored by Capsule Corp ten years ago!"
Senbe laughed. "I made those inventions, yes. But I'm no genius." He stopped a minute. "Then again... If you really think so... Just maybe I am..."
"Modest as always... Eh Senbe?"
Everyone turned at once to see a young, wheelchair-bound woman. She pushed her blonde hair back, over a bandaged forehead and smiled at Senbe knowingly.
"M... Midori-chan!"
Senbe's words didn't seem to ring a bell in anyone's head as they watched the woman move in with an attendant at her side.
"Mr. Norimaki, you know this woman?" the man asked as he pushed her up to Senbe's bedside.
"Yes, she's..." he looked at her and smiled. "She's my wife."
"His wife?" A hushed murmur filled the room.
"Very well then," the attendant spoke. "Then I'll come fetch you when visiting hours are over."
After he left Senbe looked at Midori. "It's your own fault for keeping your last name Mrs. Yamabuki," he grinned.
"Can't help it if I value my family name cracker-boy."
They both laughed and Midori moved up to hug him tightly, as the others just looked on confused. Nonetheless they remained silent, watching the happy couple and listening attentively to their story.
"How did you survive the blast that... Saiyajin used to destroy Penguin Village?" Senbe asked.
Midori's smile widened. "Gachan... She saved me. I don't know how, or remember what happened but what I do know is that when I woke up, she was with me. Medical teams were with her too. It seems that they had come searching for survivors and Gachan had led them to me. If it weren't for her I'd probably be..." Everyone understood.
"Gachan!" Senbe chuckled aloud. "Kami-sama bless her!"
Kurilyn coughed to himself. What would these people have think if they knew Kami-sama was no more?
"Where is she anyhow?" wondered Norimaki.
"Ga-Ga-Ga!" came the immediate response. Gajira flew in fancy-free causing everyone new to her, to gasp. She latched herself onto Senbe's face and began chirping, "pikka pa pipa!!"
"Amazing..." Senpyou spoke softly. "After all this time... She's still here."
Kamesennin pretended not to hear, but secretly wondered.
The whole room seemed to stand frozen in time a moment as the group watched the happy family chatter amongst themselves.
"Whoa," Yajirobee whispered aloud as he noted Midori's curves. "Who'd have thought a fatso like that could hook up with a babe like her!?"
"Looks like there's hope for you yet," Bulma retorted down at him.
"Norimaki?" the turtle hermit suddenly said and moved up to the other side of Senbe's bed. "What were you doing out there in the first place? And who is that girl?" He gestured towards Arale, who was still unconscious.
"Eh? Oh, this is Arale. And the reason we were out against the Saiyajin was because we were trying to stop them using our own special forces. Me with nitro-bombs and she with pure brute strength." He laughed nervously after seeing the baffled expressions on everyone's faces.
"Obasama?" Gohan looked at Midori with dark eyes. "Will your daughter be alright?" Chichi observed her son.
"Daughter?" Midori's smile was gentle. "No, Arale-chan is not my daughter. She's--"
"My little sister," Senbe finished.
Midori was about to say something but then closed her mouth.
"Little sister eh?" Yajirobee looked from the girl to Senbe. "I should've known! You two look just like each other."
Sweat beads appeared on everyone's forehead.
"Umm... right." Kurilyn seemed to groan. "But anyway, how could your ‘little' sister take on the Saiyajin? She's just a kid!"
"So is that boy," Senbe pointed at Gohan.
"Exactly! He should never have been there in the first place!" Chichi shouted, suddenly joining the conversation. Midori blinked, amazed at how much she smothered the child.
"The point is he did. And if he's still alive I'd take it that he's very strong too. Sometimes children are just born with this gift and sometimes wether we like it or not, we have to use it to our advantage." He was surprised at how easily the words were rolling off his tongue, but still stood by them.
"Mmph!" Gokou muffled, nodding enthusiastically.
"I think he's agreeing." Kurilyn grinned.
"Pikku kapa!" Gachan chortled, still hanging on to the back of Senbe's head.
"In fact," the monk continued, " I think we all know what it's like to be with people who are ‘unnaturally' powerful."
Every person in the room nodded, knowing it all only too well.
"Norimaki-san?" Bulma asked.
"Please, call me Senbe."
"Okay Senbe-san. I just thought I'd let you know that your sister doesn't seem to be showing any progress. I don't even think she's breathing. The only reason the nurses didn't pronounce her dead was because earlier on, they saw her move and say something about playing with unchi."
Senbe began to sweat. He had to find a way to cover up the jinzouningen's identity at all cost. "Although she's strong, Arale has a very weak heart and needs umm... This to survive."
He carefully reached into one of his pockets and pulled out a capsule. Handing it to Midori, he told her to decompress it. She did and a small can with R-2 labeled on it appeared in her hands. Understanding Midori wheeled herself over to Arale's bed and pulled off the lip, bringing the drink under the girl's mouth.
She tilted Arale's head back carefully and let the energy-giving elixir flow into the girl.
"Norimaki..." Muten Roshi questioned with a curious tone. "If she has such a weak heart, then why did you pit her off against people as dangerous as the Saiyajin?"
Senbe's heart pounded faster. "Well, umm... I didn't realize back then just how powerful they were," he lied through his teeth. "If I knew, I'd never put Arale-chan in a situation like that... Not unless all hope was nearly gone," he spoke the last part more loudly.
Kamesennin seemed to accept the explanation and Senbe wiped his forehead. I hope Arale's circuitry isn't ruined, he prayed. Otherwise I'll need to get her to a workshop to be repaired.
Luck seemed to shine down on him that day, and Arale's eyelids slowly lifted as the last of the fluid went down her throat.
Then they snapped wide open.
"YAMABUKI-SENSEI!!!" Arale hurled herself into Midori's unwilling arms, and knocked the poor woman, along with her wheelchair, flat on her back.
"Sensei! Sensei! Sensei!" Arale cried happily into the shoulder of Senbe's wife. But at hearing Midori give a pained moan she stopped.
"Oops!" the girl laughed apologetically and helped the Midori up to her feet by lifting the teacher up into the air and then down... Along with the wheel-chair... Using only one hand.
Everyone stared with their mouths open in disbelief. This girl had been unconscious not long ago and had just lifted a wheelchair and woman above her head. Sweat began to form on Kamesennin's brow. Just who were these people?
Gohan was wowed to say the least. "Sugoi!" he cheered her on. "That's great! How do you manage to do that?" Chichi looked strangely at him.
"I dunno," Arale grinned cheerfully at him, "I just do!"
"Those must be some strong antibiotics," Oolong whispered to Puar.
Senbe sweated again, praying she wouldn't say anything foolish.
As though sensing his thoughts, Arale bounced up to the man's bedside. "Hakase! You're alive too!" she said happily.
"Paka pa!"
"You too Gachan!" the robot grinned. "But how... how is everyone still alive?"
"Well, Gachan saved Midori's life somehow..." Senbe explained. "And well... It seemed these people saved ours." He waved his arm around, at the people in the room.
Arale looked around at everyone gratefully but then her sight fell on the bandaged man towards the end of the room.
"GOKOU!!!"
Before anyone could recover from the ear-piercing squeal Arale was already all over the mummified warrior. She hugged him hard laughing about how long it had been since they had last seen each other.
"Okaasan?" Gohan asked. "How does Otousan know Arale-chan?" He had been waiting to ask that question a LONG time.
Chichi frowned. She had noticed all this time how interested Gohan had been with the strange girl. And how did her husband know her anyway? "I don't know Gohan-chan," she said truthfully.
"Mmph mmh mph!" Gokou's words made no sense to anyone. With the exception of Gachan maybe.
"Paku kappippa," she said to Arale.
"Gachan says Gokou want the band-aides on his mouth removed," and without another word, the girl ripped off the tape, liberating Gokou's mouth.
Chichi was shocked. The child's behavior was not appropriate for a little girl. And she didn't like that she addressed Gokou without proper respect either. The child had to be taught manners.
"Arale-chan!" Gokou laughed. "Arigatou tomadachi-chan!" He then spoke to all in the room. "Arale-tachi and I met a long time ago," he sighed and went on to explain how he chased General Blue of the Red Ribbon army into Penguin village. He also explained how Arale had stopped the Red Ribbon official and saved his life.
"And you haven't seen each other since?" Yajirobee asked. "I'm surprised you guys still recognized each other!"
"We can sense each other somehow..." Gokou tried to explain, Arale sat near his side and nodded. "I can't explain how but we can."
"A kindred spirit?" Bulma smiled.
"Probably," the fighter chuckled.
"Well I should hope so! If you can remember her, head to toe and still not have the faintest idea who the heck I am!" Senbe said with false scorn, remembering what had happened earlier on. Gokou laughed innocently and placed his hand at the back of his head.
"Wait a sec..." Kurilyn said, eyebrows knitting together. "After all that time, why hasn't Arale grown up?"
Senbe paled. Midori bit her lip and looked at him with panic in her eyes. Gachan just clung to Senbe's head and chattered to herself happily.
"Umm... You see, Arale-chan has a slight disorder..." He said nervously, trying to keep a steady face. "She, er... is vertically challenged?"
"Ah well we can all understand that," Yajirobee broke through. "Just take Patinko-head here."
"Hey!" Kurilyn shouted.
"Really." Chichi didn't look convinced. "Then why does she act like such a child?"
Gohan was surprised at the unfriendly tone in his mother's voice.
"Well, she umm..." Senbe found himself back in his previous state of fumbling for an explanation.
"She also has a slight behavior disability and can act quite childish." Midori helped Senbe out.
Everyone looked skeptical but Yajirobee.
"Wow... This kid sure has a lot of problems," he said scratching his head. "Ever think of getting her the professional help she needs?"
Arale looked at the swordsman with large confused eyes. She had no idea why Norimaki was acting this way, but he would probably explain it to her later. So she said nothing.
Senbe didn't like the silence that had become present in the room, so he turned to Bulma and said, "so what were you guys talking about before. About ressuructing your friends?"
"How did you know? Weren't you unconscious when we were discussing that?" she asked him.
"I could hear things while I was knocked out. And I recall hearing about Dragon Balls. I believe Gokou had been searching for them last time we met." Gokou smiled.
"Right, did he bother to explain to you what they were?" Bulma pulled up a chair and sat. Her feet were tired of standing and she'd had a long day.
"Actually he didn't."
"Figures... Well, where should I begin?"
******
"...and now we plan on using the remaining Saiyan space craft to reach our destination, Namek. There we can gather the Namekian Dragon Balls and make the wish to restore our friends."
Senbe and Midori sat wide-eyed at the amazing tale. Arale listened too. She had truly enjoyed the story as though it were a common fairy tale and now wondered about the possibilities of being able to be granted wishes.
Midori gave Bulma an admiring smile. "You must really care about your friends to go through all that trouble to save them."
"One of them..." Bulma said quietly, "was my boyfriend... Yamcha-san." She felt herself breaking up again and wiped away her tears quickly before they could start.
Puar, standing behind Oolong turned away to hide his saddened face.
Midori put her hand and Bulma's shoulder and spoke comfortingly. "He'll be fine Bulma-san. You said yourself you were going to all collect the Dragon Balls right?"
From the back of the room Gyuma-Ou spoke to Bulma. "Be happy things turned out the way they did. We have some fighters left, meaning there is still hope. This mission can be completed. We have the strongest warrior here after all, right?"
Kurilyn coughed loudly, pretending to look hurt.
"And of course we have Kurilyn too." The cow king added.
Bulma wiped her eyes again and nodded, heart once again hopeful. "Well come on! We'd better get straight to work if we're ever going to wish our friends back."
She stood tall and asked Muten Roshi to turn the television on to the local news. It was said that the police would be doing some investigating on where the Saiyajin's ships had landed.
Kamesennin turned the TV on and the rumors were confirmed as they all saw the unmoving Saiyan pod being surrounded by the police cars.
"Now..." Bulma said taking out the controller Kurilyn had given her. "Let's just see if this baby will work."
She entered a code and the ship exploded, disappearing from existence and taking with it, all hope.
******
"No..." Bulma breathed. "No! No! NO!!!" Disgusted, she threw the controller to the floor and crushed it beneath her feet. It had no purpose anymore.
No one could think of anything to say and it seemed like Bulma had said all there was to say.
The turquoise-haired woman nearly broke down to tears again when a voice told her not to. "There may still be a way to reach Namek."
Everyone stared up to see a man with skin blacker than night, large, round, unblinking eyes and a strange desert-style outfit.
"Mr. Popo!" Kurilyn recognized the jinn, as did Goku and a few others in the room.
"Kami-sama..." Popo began, "a space ship. I believe I've found his space ship."
"Kami-sama?" Senbe whispered to Midori. She just shrugged and listened on.
"I didn't know Kami-sama came in a space ship," Gokou said childishly.
"I'm pretty sure it's a space ship anyway," Popo said.
"Bulma-san would know," Kurilyn helped out. She shot him a dirty look, not wanting to have to speak with the strange toothless man with big eyes.
"Would you please come to inspect it?" Popo asked politely.
Bulma was quiet a moment. If she were to save Yamcha and her friends she would have to be brave. Even if it meant trusting things like that Popo thing. "I... guess so..." she gave in.
After hesitating a minute, she nervously stepped up next to Popo and before she could even think to change her mind again, the two disappeared from the room.
******
The group all awaited Bulma's return. In the meantime they had gathered around their friends, talking about the battle they had just endured and the new mission to come.
Senbe, Midori, Arale and Gachan had all gathered in their own corner. Arale was asking why the two adults had been acting so strange before.
"Don't they know I'm an android?" she asked them.
"Arale-chan..." Senbe said softly so the others wouldn't hear. This isn't penguin village anymore. People aren't as accepting as they were back home. Who knows how everyone would react if they found out you were jinzouningen, but we can't take that risk. We have a second chance now. We can start over a new life, and I want you to be happy Arale-chan. I want you to make friends. Just wait a bit and I'll see if I can find the right time to tell the people here, our friends, about you."
Arale nodded without enthusiasm.
Their discussion was interrupted as a small figured moved in next to Arale.
"Hello," Gohan said in a friendly way.
"Hi," Arale responded in a similar manner. Midori and Senbe smiled and began talking to each other solely, leaving the kids to themselves. "What's your name?" Arale asked.
"Gohan," Gohan replied. "I'm one of the people who helped stopped the Saiyajin." He spoke with a faint hint of pride in his voice. Arale grinned.
"Wow! You must be strong! You actually remind me of Gokou a lot..."
The boy wondered why Arale called his father that way. "Well actually, I'm his son," he said smiling.
"His... son?" Arale's shock didn't go unnoticed. Senbe frowned.
"There you are Gohan-chan!" Chichi rushed over to her son. "You should let me know where you are at all times!"
Gohan groaned. "Demo Okaasan... I just went across the room..."
"It doesn't matter! You should always let me know what you're doing at all times. And with all these injuries... You shouldn't even be moving at all! I--"
"Hello!"
Chichi looked at Arale oddly. Lifting a black eyebrow she replied dryly, "hello."
"What's your name?"
The woman was once again caught off guard. "Chichi."
"Hi Chichi! I'm Arale!"
Chichi was beginning to get annoyed. The child was ill-mannered and she wasn't afraid to let her know it. "You're being awfully rude you know."
"What?"
"You should address me as Chichi-‘SAN'"
"Why?"
"Because that's my name."
"Isn't your name Chichi?"
"Yes."
"Then what's the problem?"
"It's not polite, that's what!" Chichi was beginning to find the girl an extreme nuisance with her bubbly attitude. Too much like her husband's...
"What's so impolite about calling you by your name?"
Chichi growled. Gohan gulped and tried to step in between them. "Okaasan, it's alright. I'm sure Arale-chan meant no harm. She just comes from a different place than us. Penguin Village, right?"
The mother snorted. Her son barely knew the vulgar girl and he was already defending her? "Senbe-san! Can't you do something about her?" she asked at a last attempt at dealing with this in a civil way.
Senbe paused his conversation with Gyuma-Ou briefly to look at the woman and two children.
"What can Hakase do?" Arale asked, not understanding.
"Why on EARTH does she call you Hakase?!" Chichi nearly screamed. Everyone in the room stopped there conversations to watch the unpleasant situation.
"Well... I am a doctor I suppose..." Senbe said, unsure of himself.
"I don't believe this!" Chichi fumed. "This girl has no manners at all! And her only parental figure doesn't even think there's anything wrong with it!!"
"I can't decide the way Arale has to act. She has the right to make her own decisions," he said gently. Kurilyn was surprised that the man didn't seem mad at all.
"What kind of mumbo-jumbo philosophy is that!?" Chichi was getting annoyed with just about everyone at this point. "Children need rules! Boundaries! A sense of what's right and wrong! Proper and improper! This girl is--"
"YAMERO CHICHI!" The room silenced at Gokou's commanding voice. "Leave Arale-chan alone! Just because she doesn't do some things the way you would or would like to be seen done, does NOT make her a bad person!"
Chichi swallowed hard. Her own husband was against her! And from the looks of things, so was everyone else in the room, including her father. She shut her mouth and crossed her arms, looking away from everyone. Her cheeks reddened Never had she felt so humiliated in all her life.
Suddenly Bulma appeared in the room with Popo.
Right on time... Gokou sighed to himself with relief.
"Okay guys we have a ship!" Bulma cried out to all, and they responded to the news with loud cheering. She signaled them for quiet. "But, it will take one month to reach Namek so we have to get ready and leave as soon as possible. The ship will be ready to leave in five days."
"I can't go," Popo said suddenly. "I have duties to watch over Earth until Kami-sama is revived."
Bulma stared at him, not believing what he had just told her. "No way!"
"Bulma-san, this means you have to go yourself," Kurilyn said, speaking the exact words she didn't want to hear.
"Well you'll have to come with me!" Bulma quickly said, making it clear that she wouldn't accept ‘No' for an answer.
"Al-alright..." Kurilyn gave in. "But we need more than just two people."
"Well don't look at me!" Yajirobee snorted.
"I'd be willing to be with you for two months Bulma..." Kamesennin grinned, drool visible at the side of his mouth.
"Wonder who he reminds me of..." Midori chuckled, giving Senbe a nudge in the arm.
Senbe just grinned back at her. "I like that guy's style..."
"No thanks," Bulma said to the old man, disgusted. "Well who else can go? Son-kun?"
"I need to stay and rest, remember?"
"Right... Well then, what do we--"
"I... I'll go," Gohan said, his voice barely a whisper.
"WHAT!?" Chichi shrieked. "No way mister. The minute you're ready to leave the hospital, you're going straight home to study!"
"Now Chichi..." Gokou tried to reason. "Everyone needs Gohan's help. And who knows? This trip may be educational for him too!" But his attempts to convince her were futile.
"No!" was the repeated answer.
"Demo Chichi!"
"Don't you ‘Chichi' me! First you let our boy get captured by that green monster and then he's forced to nearly risk his life against these killing-machine aliens!! And now--"
"Urusai Okaasan!!" Gohan couldn't stand the arguing anymore.
Chichi stared at her boy. Now even he was against her. He who she cared the most for in the world and wanted nothing but to have a happy life. He had been gone a whole year from her and now that she had him back he was going to leave again. Chichi couldn't bear the aching of her heart anymore and began crying.
"Go-gomen nasai Okaasan." Gohan stuttered and went his mother, hugging her. "I didn't mean to say that, I just want to help Piccolo-san. He saved my life. And I at least owe him this much. Everybody else too. Yamcha-san, Tenshinan-san and Chaozu-san too. Please don't be sad Okaasan. I'll be back soon."
Chichi actually found herself smiling slightly and hugged her son back.
Gokou smiled proudly at his son. The boy was turning out just fine.
Bulma distracted herself a moment from the scene and turned to Midori and Senbe. "What will you two do in the meantime?"
Senbe looked thoughtfully a minute.
"Well..." he said finally. "Midori and I still need to recuperate here. After that I guess we'll try to find a new home in the city."
"Where will Arale-chan stay while you guys rest here?"Gokou asked Senbe
"I hadn't thought of that actually..."
"Great! She can stay with Chichi in the meantime!"
"NANI!?" Chichi, Senbe and Midori all spoke at once.
"Well, I don't want my wife to be all alone while we're gone," he said with consideration. "And Arale needs a place to stay after all, right?"
"Kippa pu!"
"Gachan too," Gokou added gesturing towards the little thing, which was up to this point, still wrapped around Senbe's head.
"Well, it's up to Chichi-san." Midori said.
Chichi knew what she was going to say. NO! A thousand times NO! She would never accept that awful child into her house. But then she looked up. She saw the pitiful, pleading expressions on Gokou's, her father's and even her little Gohan's face. They looked so funny to her that she gave a short laugh and then said something which surprised everyone.
"Alright."
"Really?!" Gohan asked happily.
Chichi nodded and Gohan hugged his mother once again, more tightly than before.
"BUT!" she added sharply, "Arale's going to have to follow some rules as long as she's staying in my house. And she can't question my authority either!"
She turned to Arale, her dark brown eyes staring into Arale's blue ones. "Do you agree to these terms Arale?"
"Hai," Arale smiled obediently.
"Alright then, everything's set," Bulma announced. "We'll all meet again in ten days at Kame house."
Everyone nodded.
***End of Chapter 3***