Dragon Ball: Paradise Lost

Scavenger Hunt

Chayote stared long and deep into the yet another failed attempt to perform the Kamehameha. One that split the oceans for a short while and then just darted off into the sky like a dropped firecracker. So much freedom and not a lick of an idea of what to do with it...

"Still no luck, huh?" Krillin sat down. The tiny warrior had band-aids stuck all over his head and one half of his face was still swollen. He looked far worse a few hours in his beating than he did shortly after but that was the case with beatings, it seemed.

"No. I played nice, just like the old man said." Chayote collapsed onto the sand and stared out into the distance. "Helped Launch turn back too. Granted, that was just because I was hungry but still..."

"I don't think you quite got it what Roshi-san meant." Krillin dragged his bottom closer to the rippling waves hitting the island shore. "Just flipping the switch won't do."

"Then how? How am I supposed to act?" Chayote looked at the brat who may have looked half her age despite being only a few years younger in actuality. And yet he had it all figured out. This martial arts gig really did stick to the Earthlings better than everyone else. Then again, it was kind of the signature craft of their planet after all, at least as far as Chayote knew the universe.

"You're not supposed to act like anything. You're just supposed to be honest. Think and behave as you feel like. Live your life to the fullest, that's what Kame Sennin Ryu is all about." Krillin pointed out.

"So what are we going to do tomorrow?" Chayote wondered. "Maybe the old-timer is actually going to teach us martial arts? That's what Korin told me to do, he said that this would be an essential martial arts training but the bag of bones isn't teaching us anything."

"He's not going to." Krillin shook his head. He looked up ahead at the horizon with nostalgia gleaming through his eyes even if what he was recalling didn't even occur that long ago. "Don't you still get it? Sharpening your body and mind, learning about the true meaning of martial arts is the entirety of the training."

"So I'm done then? You've already spoiled the twist for me." Chayote uttered to herself. One would have been foolish not to notice the hint of bitterness that approached the realms of disappointment in her voice.

"It's not that simple." Krillin stood up through moderate physical effort. The bruises over his body still ached and did their best to drag the young man down. "The training of a martial artist never ends. I completed Roshi-sama's training and so did Goku but the tournament showed us that there are always some areas we can still improve in."

"Is Bulma still inside?" Chayote wondered aloud.

"No, she left before dinner. She's pretty rich, you know, probably has servants to make fancy food for her..." Krillin leaned to Chayote and squinted at her as he gossiped. It was not his girly attempt at gossip that looked awkward, it was the fact that while leaning the pint-sized fighter barely measured up to Chayote's chest.

"I see... Where does she live?" the Saiyan wondered.

"Wait, are you leaving?" Krillin would have raised a curious eyebrow had his eye not been swollen too much for that feat to be possible.

"Naturally." Chayote nodded. "There's no use in me staying here any longer. I can realize what I truly feel anywhere on this planet but here. There's no use for you two to train with me too. With the vast difference between our power levels, it's just meaningless torture. Your results will grow vastly if you two train together, your power levels are not too different."

"So you're just going to leave Earth then? What was that about wanting to learn martial arts? Why did you even go out of your way to meet Goku and tell him about his upbringing then?" Krillin looked defensive. Could he have not wanted Chayote to leave? His voice trembled like his eyes were about to start watering. The Saiyan lingered on her following reply for a moment to see if they would but they did not.