This is a piece of fiction and is meant for purely entertainment purposes. There is no insult intended to any religion.
Oh, this is set sometime after Buu but for reasons which I am not specifying, Ubuu is just not around.
// // Thought
## Loud Speaker voice.
** Emphasis
%% Telepathy
Dragon Eggs
By Jade Tatsu (jade_tatsu@yahoo.com)
"Yahoo!" Goku screamed, abandoning all the dignity that should accompany the most powerful being in the universe. "I found it," he added for the benefit of those who could still hear, as he waved his arm around frantically. Something glittered in his fist. It gave off an orangish light and was adorned with six brighter points.
"Great!" The calls came back as the group gathered.
"That makes three," Yamcha added happily.
"Yeap. We're nearly half way there guys," Bulma smiled.
"Oh, they can count!" Piccolo's deep voice broke in on the celebrations. "Can we get on with this? I don't have all day."
"But Piccolo," Kuririn spoke bravely. "This is a reunion celebration. Our reunions last for days!"
"And are usually interrupted by the arrival of, as you would put it, 'the bad guy.' Believe me, little man, I'm waiting for them to alleviate my boredom."
In the mean time, the rest of the group had gathered around Bulma. She had pulled out a backpack and had put the object Goku had found with the others. After that, she had pulled out a small device that gave off a faint bleeping noise. The bleeping became more intense as she fiddled with the control on the top.
"Well Bulma-san, where's the next one?" Puar asked.
"Hmmm, according to the radar, the next ones in that direction," she pointed.
"Yosha! Ikuzo!" Goku again squealed as Bulma pocket the radar. He swept Bulma up by the waist and leapt into the air. (Vegeta had been very insistent that Goku be the only one to carry Bulma. Apparently he didn't think Yamcha or one of the others could be trusted. He didn't know that Piccolo was going along too. And although he was not what you would call Goku's greatest fan, he did believe that the Chikyuu raised Saiya-jin had some sense of honor. Enough to understand the consequences if anything happened to his mate.) After a brief scramble, the others followed - Kuririn carrying Oolong by his arm. Yamcha carried Puar. Although Puar could fly, (hell, so can Oolong,) there was no way they could keep up with the speeds Goku was travelling at. It was all Yamcha could do to keep up. Goku would have traveled faster but Bulma wouldn't have been able to breathe.
It wasn't long before they whisked over a mountain range and saw spread before them a large flat valley. It was beautifully green, yellow, pink - a riot of colors - which formed the fields. In the centre rose a castle, pristine white with sparkling blue roofs.
"Beautiful," Puar cried looking around frantically, trying to take everything in.
Bulma squirmed a bit in Goku's embrace, pulling out the radar. "Haha! I'm a genius. According to this, it should be in that castle."
"Well, let's go," Goku flew towards on of the turrets.
The group flew in an upper window that had carelessly been left open and looked around.
"NANI?! What the hell is this?" Bulma shrieked, looking around.
The others looked around with similar reactions, although theirs were more confined to mere chagrin. There were two noticeable exceptions to this - Piccolo's who's expression was as bland as always and Goku, whose expression was one of undisguised longing, drool running from the corners of his mouth. Lining the walls, in all directions, as far as they all could see, were literally hundreds, possibly thousands of small oval objects. Some were large, some were small but all were lovingly displayed, each on their own little shelf. And they were all wrapped in neatly, another riot of colors sparkling in the sun.
"Son, wipe your mouth immediately. This is important!" Bulma snapped as she walked further into the room. "How are we supposed to find it amongst all of these?" She demanded irritably.
"We could use the radar…" Kuririn trailed off at the look of death directed at him.
"No, we can't!" Bulma pulled out the radar and held it up, pointing at it with her free hand. "I only whipped this baby up this morning, off very shoddy data, so it's not that precise. I'm beautiful, I'm a genius, but there are limits to what I can do in the amount of time you lot gave me."
"Oi, Bulma. What about this one?" Yamcha held up an orange colored item.
"What about that one?" The voice did not belong to any of them.
Puar, Oolong and Bulma ducked behind the nearest fighter, as they fell into ready positions, facing the new comer. (Let's just ignore the fact that our heroes are the ones who have illegally entered the castle. Little things like that have, after all, never been their strong points. ^_-) Goku looked over from the background where he was busily consuming everything in sight. There was a trail of debris, a brightly colored trail of discarded wrappers, behind him. He gulped, swallowing, "Yeah, what about that one, Yamcha?" he questioned, eyeing the object in Yamcha's hand hungrily.
Yamcha rubbed the back of his head and crossed his legs. He laughed, ignoring for now the new comer. "Well, there was a plaque with it, saying that it was a one off. And it's in the right colors, orange with spots and it's only got three stars."
Goku bounded over and sniffed it. "It smells right too, Bulma. I think this is it."
"Will somebody please tell me what is going on here?" The voice screamed again, stomping forward into better view. They were short, although they were taller than Kuririn, but that wasn't the first point which was immediately obvious. What was more ridiculous was the way they were dressed. They were dressed in ye olden style, in a livery of blue and white, matching the castle perfectly. They wore a white hat that was adorned with a long blue plume feather. Their hair was elaborately curled and rested on a white ruff that formed the neck of a blue doublet, inset with white goring. Matching puff pants billowed out before they drew into a pair of white leggings that lead down to blue shoes with large white buckles. It was altogether a ridiculous sight.
"Bwahahahahahahahahaha…" Even Piccolo cracked a smile.
"Well, what is going on?" they demanded, still irritable. "You are in my house, destroying my world famous collection! I think I deserve an explanation or do I just call the police?"
In the mean time, Bulma had scooted over to Yamcha and Goku and was busily examining the oval object. The radar had bleeped energetically when she'd waved it over it. "This is it, this is it!" She squealed suddenly, jumping with glee.
"What is it?" The ridiculously dressed man stomped forward and swiped the (you don't know what it is by now? It's a Dragon Egg!) egg from Yamcha. "This is mine. I can't believe you touched my one of a kind…"
//Now where have I heard that before?// A gleam came to Bulma's eye as she looked over. "It's hardly one of a kind," she said with a lightly malicious smile. "We've got three more right here," She pulled out the other eggs. "See?" Bulma added in an insultingly obvious tone.
"Nani! That's impossible." The man was peering intently at the eggs in Bulma's hands. "I… I was assured that this was one of a kind!" He wailed.
"It looks like you were cheated!" Bulma inserted in between his sobs. "And since it's not as collectable as you think it is, we would be happy to take it off your hands, since it's not valuable."
The man's eyes narrowed. "No, why should I give it to you?"
"You don't even know what it can be used for," Piccolo snorted disdainfully, stepping forward threateningly.
"Now, now, Piccolo. There's no need to be like that," Goku said brightly, as he chomped his way through another egg.
But Bulma had been dealing with this kind of person all her life. "Alright then, I'll trade you for it."
"Bulma! You're not going to…?" Yamcha seemed horrified.
"Oh, I got over that sort of trade in my first Dragon Ball hunt. I still can't believe I did that. Well, you wanna trade?"
"30,000 Zeni!"
"30,000? I could buy your whole castle for that much. 300! That even covers what Goku has eaten," Bulma countered.
The rest of them looked on bewildered. Although Piccolo knew enough to know that now was the time to look threatening to make sure the deal was taken. Goku continued to eat. (If you were a Saiya-jin and had what seemed to be an unlimited supply of Easter eggs, what would you do?)
The debate continued for a little while before a figure was settled on. "Alright," Bulma said grudgingly as she paid up the money.
The egg was added to the others and the radar pulled out. "Hmm, looks like the next one is over there." Bulma again gestured.
"Okay!" Goku again swept her up and dove out the window.
As the dust and wrappers settled from their passage the man stood there, watching their fading images. "I should have asked for more money."
As Piccolo and the others followed, Piccolo wondered again for the millionth time this day, exactly how he had been caught up in this little reunion. He'd somehow been dragged to the Kame Island by Goku who had sensed him training while he'd been on his way to the reunion. What had he said? "You're practically part of the gang, even if we did fight you!" That stupid grin had adorned his face.
And after that, that idiot Roshi had told them some legend, not of Dragon Balls but of Dragon Eggs. Seven oval objects, which looked like normal Easter eggs, which when they were brought together summoned up the true Easter Bunny, who would then grant those who summoned it more Easter eggs than they had ever dreamed of. It should be interesting – what had more power? Goku's ability to consume food or a mythical creatures ability to summon it?
And that was why he was here.
"Oh no!"
"What is it, Bulma?" Goku looked genuinely concerned.
"It looks like it's here," she said, pointing and looking at the radar at the same time.
"That's good isn't it?" Oolong questioned.
"No, it's not. Look!" The group looked to where she was pointing. There, in the distance, there seemed to be hundreds of people gathered around a central stage.
"Ara! Nanda?"
"Some sort of festival? Or a rock concert?" Kuririn queried.
"It doesn't matter! How are we supposed to find it among so many people?"
"Oh, don't worry about it Bulma. Everything will work out," Goku grinned reassuringly as he angled in for a landing.
"Easy for you to say, Son!"
The group landed and then wandered over to the rest of the crowd. Bulma consulted the radar but the way she looked at them after that and the way she spat the words, "In the middle," made the others forgo any questions they had.
"Hey Mister!?"
"Eh?" The man turned to face them. "EEEEHHHHHH!!!? Pi… Pi… Piccolo Daimao!" He turned around again, this time accompanied by a trail of dust.
"Sheesh! Some people!"
Piccolo, however, looked quite pleased at the reaction.
Bulma sighed. "Puar would you please see what this is all about?" She gestured towards the backs of the gathered people. "We're not going to get an answer out of anyone with him around."
"Hai!"
"Oolong! You too!"
"Alright already! I'm going. I'm going." Oolong quickly transformed with a puff of smoke before Bulma skewered him.
"Minna! We found it!" Oolong and Puar both called jubilantly as they returned.
"You found it!?"
"We found it!"
"It's right up on display on that stage."
"Huh! What's it doing up on the stage?"
"It's a prize."
"This is a food eating contest!"
"A what?!"
"This is a food eating contest. The Dragon Egg is one of the prizes. But there's a catch…"
"A catch?"
"You have to eat a certain amount or else you have to be prepared to pay for what you have eaten. But if you eat everything, the meals on them and you get the prize!"
"Oh Sonnnn…" Bulma said in her sweetest voice, looking to him. "Huh?" She looked around. "Where's he gone?"
"Uh, Bulma," Kuririn interrupted, pointing at the stage.
Goku was already on the stage. Saiya-jin and Namekian ears were far sharper than human ears and so both Goku and Piccolo had known what was going on for a while, at least about the food-eating contest. The fact that a Dragon Egg was a prize was just a coincidence. Goku though, had chosen to act on the information. The announcer's voice became clear over the loud speaker.
"#WHOA! We have a new comer who had just entered the race and he is going great! He's already caught up to several of our slower contestants – that's about five bowls of rice – and is showing no signs of slowing down.#"
"I should have known," Bulma sighed. "Hmm, where is the next one?" She pulled the radar out again.
"#This is unbelievable! Our new comer is drawing level with the current leaders. It looks like our waiters are having trouble keeping up with this speed. This is unbelievable, unprecedented. It's incredible! He's now up to his tenth bowl of rice, and that's not counting the side dishes he's gone through… Oh, too bad. It looks like several of our slower contestants have pulled out. Please report to the cashier on your way out and thank you for participating. Oh, it looks like our new comer has pulled a head of our waiters. Let's have a chat with him while we're waiting for the next course!#"
"#Hi there! Since you are a late comer to this competition, would you like to introduce yourself?#"
"#Uh, sure! Hiya! I'm Son Goku.#"
"#So why have you entered this competition?#"
"#Well,#" Goku grinned, raising one hand behind his head. "#Mostly for the food.#"
"#You certainly have a healthy appetite.#"
"#And 'cos I want that Egg.#" He pointed towards the prizes. "#Hehe. Great!#" Goku's eyes lit up as the next course arrived. Several of the other contestants looked rather sick.
"#Oh my! Son Goku is off again. This man certainly knows how to pack away the food. I think we are probably looking at the definite winner, although you never know what will happen and remember the winner is the one who can eat their way through the entire menu offered by our chefs. And we've only just begun.#"
The last comment caused several more of the contestants to pale, several of them rushing off stage, grasping their mouths. Goku just looked happy and continued to motor his way through the plates and bowls that were set before him. Waiters were buzzing around him, removing the discarded plates and placing full ones in front of him.
"#Hyaaah! Son Goku has just topped the sixty count. That's a new record.#" The announcer was gesturing towards a score board. The few remaining contestants' counts were noticeably lower. The closest was only at 17.
"They've never seen a Saiya-jin eat before, have they? This is just a light snack," Bulma commented. "I should get Vegeta here, then it would really be a contest and Son hasn't really got started yet."
"Yeah," Kuririn agreed. "We might as well get comfortable. Goku will be there for a while and that Egg isn't going to be leaving with anyone else."
"Not so fast, Kuririn! According to the radar, there's another Egg really close to here. Why don't you go and collect it. It will give you something to do. The rest of us will wait here," Bulma leant back in a capsule easy chair she'd brought, as she waved the radar in Kuririn's direction.
"Aw, Bulma! Do I have to?"
"I'll go get it!" Piccolo snapped, scooping the radar out of Bulma's hand. "I watched Son eat in the Sanctuary, it's not an experience I need to repeat."
"I'll come too," Yamcha interrupted, following Piccolo as he took off.
"#100! Does anything slow this man down? Where is all this food going? Do we really want to know the answers?#"
"If you are coming human, move! There is not need to dawdle!" Piccolo snapped at Yamcha as they disappeared.
Backstage:
"This is impossible!"
"Where is it all going?"
"That's not important. You realize that if he succeeds in going through our entire menu, we're out of pocket. I think the question needs to be, how do we stop him, yes?" A French voice interrupted the conversation.
"You're right. We would lose honor!" The others agreed.
"Son Goku? Son Goku?" One of the Chefs was questioning to himself. "Where have I heard that name before?… Iya! Son Goku! Now I remember! I was an apprentice at the time. Son Goku ate his way through the entire 'Eateries' menu! He ate everything in the store! And was still only half full! O woe! O woe! We have lost… Lost!"
"Not to fear! We are coming up to the main courses now. We'll just have to serve the entire roast oxen, suckling pig, spring lamb, venison, duck, chicken, quail, rabbit. And if that fails, we can always move on to something more exotic – crocodile, emu, kangaroo. And if they fail, there's always seafood."
"And if food fails, we can always slip one of these into one of the deserts. Hehehe!" The chef held up a small bottle that was clearly labeled 'Diet.' The only problem was, one of his fingers was covering the 't.' "These little things," he paused dramatically, "fill you right up! There is no way he'll be able to eat all of our dishes and one or two of these!"
"Brilliant!"
"Capital man! Capital!"
(Note! Eateries is supposed to be the restaurant Goku and the others went to after the 21st Tenkaichi Budokai (That's the one Jackie Chun won!) I have no idea what the restaurant was actually called.)
On stage: Goku is still happily inhaling vast quantities of food, blissfully ignorant of the dark and devious plot the chefs are about to launch at him! The last couple of contestants have dropped out of the race and Bulma and co. are happily awaiting the out come and the retrieval of the fifth Dragon Egg. But what about Piccolo and Yamcha? How are they faring?
Piccolo was flying along slowly. He didn't really want to collect these 'Dragon Eggs' but the sooner they were collected the sooner he could get back to training. He glanced frequently at the radar Bulma had built. He looked at it every time he wanted to berate, maim or kill Yamcha. He'd forgotten that humans were so slow, although he could sense that Yamcha was straining to maintain the pace he was setting. Kuririn had never seemed to have that problem. Piccolo signed to himself. He kept forgetting that Kuririn, as a result of his exposure to Goku and Gohan was stronger than a normal human. Eventually he just pulled the radar out and watched as the dot slowly blipped towards the centre. //Focus on the radar. Just focus on the radar.// The thought became a litany.
Piccolo twisted in the air, flipping his cloak around him as he dove towards the ground. Yamcha followed with a sigh of relief. He wasn't sure how much longer he could have kept up for. //It's worse than trying to keep up with Vegeta!//
Before them was a tower. It was only about 20 metres tall and was circular, constructed of red brick. A blue painted bulbous roof capped it, adding on several more metres of height. It was in the middle of a forest clearing and so was covered in sunlight and although everything about the forest seemed normal, the tower itself did not feel right. There was something dark about it and it seemed to be laughing at them.
Piccolo consulted the radar one last time. "It's in there," he announced before he walked towards the tower. As they approached the tall blue doors creaked open.
"Oh… Spooky!"
"If you're afraid, you can run back to the others," Piccolo sneered. He didn't even pause at the door, he just stepped into the gloom.
Yamcha gulped at the entrance but quickly followed suit. The forest almost seemed to collapse with mirth, two more had walked inside after the fabled Dragon Egg.
"Nani!?!" Piccolo was the first to notice that something was wrong. He concentrated for an instant, consciously running through the steps which had become instinctive, and as he held up his hand, expecting a small ki ball to manifest, nothing happened. "What is this?" he snarled.
Yamcha stepped back apprehensively. Piccolo might be slightly more reasonable since he joined with Kami, but he was still not someone you wanted annoyed at anything. But then he too frowned as the same realization came to him. "Ara?"
"Beginning to get the idea now?"
"Uh huh. I know you're angry but I can't 'sense' you."
"Oh, congratulations! It's a ki-dampening field. Some baka has built this tower on a natural ki-dampening field and our abilities, rudimentary as yours are have been suppressed by it." Piccolo stalked around the tower, looking for something to destroy.
Yamcha shrank back into a shadow before he gulped and looked around. The tower was circular and the entrance room took up the entire floor but as Yamcha looked up he realized the entire tower was one large cylinder. Tiny windows high above let light filter into the air. And that light was sparkling off an object that was hanging in the air about half way up the tower. "Piccolo," Yamcha pointed. "What does the radar say about that?"
Piccolo stopped pacing and looked up. He pulled the radar out, but that was merely for confirmation. Hanging there, sparkling was an orange egg. Seven points of yellow sparkled from it. "The seven star egg."
More would have been said but the doors chose that moment to slam shut. Small flames lit themselves, illuminating the tower.
"Right on schedule," Piccolo said to himself.
Meanwhile:
"#Ara! Son Goku is the only one left in our race. Now he's competing against our Chefs and even though he's consumed 200 dishes and a whole roast bull he's showing not signs of fatigue or even of slowing down! This is incredible! Where is all this food going? It's amazing...#" The announcer droned on.
Bulma yawned. "Haven't they admitted defeat yet?"
Kuririn looked up from the card game he was engaged in, "Naw Bulma. It looks like Goku is going to have to prove to them exactly how much a Saiya-jin can eat."
Oolong and Puar nodded to each other before Puar floated over and gently inserted an extra card into Kuririn's hand. Kuririn turned back. "Eh! Now I know I didn't have that card!" Kuririn glared at Puar and Oolong who looked every where but at him, eyes wide with innocence.
"You know the rules, Kuririn," they chimed, laying down their cards, effectively winning the game.
"Now just a minute!" Kuririn objected.
"Was there something?"
"You could have at least waited a couple of rounds before going out," he added lamely. He sighed and gathered up the cards again to deal.
Backstage:
"Son Goku! We've lost... Lost... Lost."
"Would someone shut him up?"
"Lost... Los," CLONK!
"Now remember, a frying pan is a dangerous kitchen item that should not be wielded as a blunt instrument."
"Thank you for that fascinating interlude."
Closer to the stage than the actual Backstage, more like the Side Stage a group of chefs, who haven't been knocked out yet, have gathered. Their eyes are alight with a fanatical gleam and a couple of them are wringing their hands in glee.
"Zere iz nothzing zo worry about, mon amie," one of them said with a French accent as he gestured towards the stage. It should be noted here that his hat rose several inches higher than his companions' hats. "Zee, ze pill, haz been hidden ze zpring lamb. He will never finish ze main courses." The mans eyes narrowed slightly. "Zand if he dozz, ze firzt dish of ze dezzert haz zeveral more added to it. Zhere iz no way he can win!" (Okay, so I can't do a French accent and I think I have mangulated the language enough so no more French accents. ^_^)
"Our reputation will remain intact."
"Our honor preserved!"
"The toughest but tastiest eating contest in the world."
"And most importantly the prize again goes to us, the Chefs!"
Back at the Tower.
"Well, we're going to have to get it down somehow."
"That's blatantly obvious." He narrowed his eyes. "How high can you jump without ki?"
"Ah, not that high," Yamcha replied. "How 'bout you?"
Piccolo shook his head, growling slightly. The egg was about 11 or so metres high and appeared just to be floating. (Okay, so this is low but I am assuming that without ki powers neither Piccolo or Yamcha can jump that high. If they could use ki, they could fly, or such a jump would be a piece of cake. But, hey Dragon Egg hunts can't be that easy. ^_-) He moved our to the walls and ran his hand down them, and then began swearing in a mixture of Namekian and human. The walls were completely smooth. He couldn't even dig his nails into them, they were too hard for that. He looked up. The light provided by little braziers came from the same level as the egg. There were no handholds there. He looked around to the doors. They too were completely smooth, although they did have low handles. The base of the tower was too wide for a jump from the slight rise they provided to be successful. And there was nothing else in the tower. Nothing. No tables no chairs, nothing to gain purchase with. There was only one other thing in the room with him. Piccolo looked at Yamcha, not bothering to hide his distaste.
It took the human several more minutes to come to the same conclusion Piccolo had. Yamcha looked at him with wide eyes.
"Yes, if we are going to get the Dragon Egg we are going to have to work together."
"You mean boost each other up."
"I mean exactly that. There is no choice for it. I don't really want to be here but the sooner all these Dragon Eggs have been found the sooner I can back to training, which is what I was doing before Son interrupted me. And I'm sure you can go back to doing what ever it is that you do."
Yamcha chose not to take offence at Piccolo's tone. "So what do you have in mind?"
Piccolo glowered at him. "I do not like what I have in mind and if you say anything about it to the others, I will kill you."
Yamcha gulped and nodded. Piccolo was not one to cross, but they were sure to get asked for an explanation. It could prove interesting.
"Since you are not strong enough to hold me, I will have to support you, if we are to get that egg. I assume you can jump about 4 to 5 metres without using your ki? Certainly Kuririn can."
Yamcha nodded. "Basically, I'll have to stand on your shoulders and make a jump for it." (I assume here that Yamcha can jump about 4m without ki. Piccolo can jump a bit higher but not 11m high. Yes, that's right, without ki our heroes are reduced to the level of mere mortals, extremely fit mere mortals, but still merely mortal!)
"That's about it," Piccolo did not seem happy with the situation as he positioned himself under the Dragon Egg.
Yamcha again gulped as Piccolo braced himself. When Piccolo appeared ready Yamcha forced himself to move forward.
"Hurry it up!" Piccolo snapped.
"Hai!"
Yamcha approached carefully, thankful that there was no one around with a camera. He placed his foot on Piccolo's bent knee and rather tentatively rested his weight there.
"I'm stronger than you human. Your weight is not going to be a problem for a while, but your life is in danger if you don't hurry up. I have no wish for the others to come after us." Piccolo was not happy.
Yamcha gulped and climbed on to Piccolo's knees. Piccolo moved his hands, to rest them palm up on his shoulders. "Keep moving, human."
Yamcha nodded and gently rested his hand on the crown of Piccolo's head. He bunched himself up and moved one foot to Piccolo's shoulder before heaving himself up. He wavered slightly as he stood upright, spinning his arms to maintain balance. He balanced carefully. At least he'd avoided kicking Piccolo in the face. He knew he wouldn't have survived that. He suppressed the thought that he'd basically just climber Piccolo like a human ladder. He could laugh at that later, like after he'd crossed into the next dimension. That would be the safest time.
"Okay," Piccolo's voice seemed slightly strained. "I'm going to stand upright now human. Are you ready?"
"Hai." Yamcha tensed himself, narrowing his eyes focusing on maintaining his balance.
Piccolo slowly drew his feet in, straightening his knees. Yamcha slowly rose in the air but the Dragon Egg was still several metres out of his reach, even if he stretched. That was something he didn't do. Losing his balance was not something he needed to do at the moment.
"Itai!!!" Yamcha screamed. He couldn't dance in pain because Piccolo had suddenly gripped his feet. He could feel the bones sliding against each other.
"Silence human! I'm not gripping that hard," Piccolo hissed at him.
Yamcha risked a glance down and was immediately sorry that he had. He fought the wave of dizziness that swept over him. //Never look down from a height,// he berated himself. But that was not what had caught his attention. Piccolo's eyes were bulging with effort as he supported Yamcha on his shoulders. He may have been stronger than a human but without ki this was not an easy task for him. His arms bulged as he slowly pushed up, extending his arms over his head.
Yamcha extended his arms, using them much like a tightrope walkers pole to maintain his balance. He rose tantalizingly closer to the Dragon Egg but as Piccolo had said, he was going to have to jump for it. Yamcha gulped. A horrid thought had just occurred to him but a quick glance down at Piccolo convinced him not to voice it at the moment. But it remained. //What if the Dragon Egg wasn't merely hovering in the air, what if it was fixed in place?… I'll have to deal with that then.//
As Piccolo released his feet, Yamcha wavered to keep his balance. "Time to jump human."
Yamcha nodded and closed his eyes for a second. //I'd better not muck this up. Not if I want to live to see Helena again.// (Helena is Yamcha's current girlfriend.) "Okay, Piccolo, here I go!" //Please Dende, let me make it the first time!// "YEARRRH!!!" Yamcha jumped, stretching his hands as high as they could go, grasping for the egg. //Please.//
Anyone watching who had so far managed to maintain his or her composure would have failed too at this jump. Assuming they hadn't collapsed from the sight of Yamcha climbing up Piccolo or from Piccolo slowly raising up Yamcha, the jump would certainly have caused them to collapse. (You try to envisage Yamcha climbing Piccolo like a ladder. Or see Yamcha standing on Piccolo's shoulders waving his arms around to maintain his balance. Gohan, I could see doing it as a child, but Yamcha? Oh yeah, back to the jump…)
With the Dragon Egg being about 11 metres up in the air, for Yamcha, it had to be about a 4 to 5 metre jump. Piccolo had raised him up about 3 metres, maybe a little more and then his own height added about another 2 and a half metres. That gave him about 6 metres of height but he needed an extra five and so that was why he was jumping. Unfortunately his take off was rather hard, it had to be for him to make the jump but his take off had knocked Piccolo off balance. Yamcha was straining through the air, reaching up, he didn't look back, his entire focus was on the Dragon Egg.
Piccolo stumbled back. Providing a base for the human had meant more of a recoil than he thought it would. It was a good thing the human couldn't see him stumbling. He looked up, ignoring the fact that that action tilted him further backwards. It was not the right action to take. His right foot landed on the hem of his cloak, which pulled tight, choked him. His eyes bulged in surprise. And then his left foot landed on his cloak. It pulled it tighter, causing him to arch further back. Off balance he fell, landing heavily on the floor.
For his part Yamcha was stretched as far as he could. He was almost afraid to look as he felt his fingers touch the Dragon Egg. He grasped it closing his fingers as tight as he dared to on the egg, just as he felt himself falling. //I got it! Thank you Dende!// Relief flooded his heart. And it was only then that he looked back.
Piccolo's eyes widened as he saw Yamcha coming down. His normally blank face was twisted in horror, his canine especially prominent and his eyes wide. "No!" he snarled. First Goku, then the reunion, this stupid Dragon Egg hunt and now Yamcha was about to land on him. It was not his day.
"Argh! I'm sorry Piccolo," Yamcha screamed before he impacted.
The two of them tangled, sprawled together on the ground but there was nothing elegant or co-ordinated about their position. Yamcha had tried to twist himself away from Piccolo, even as Piccolo had been trying to get out of the way. The result was that Yamcha had hit Piccolo square on although he had done his best to ensure that the Dragon Egg was held out of danger. They groaned together in pain, Piccolo snarling slightly at his predicament.
He sat up and rolled Yamcha off him. //Humph! The stupid human has knocked himself out.// He looked around for the Dragon Egg. //Where is that trice damned thing?// He thought as he twisted left and right. Yamcha had it while he was falling but where was it now. Piccolo looked up in time to see it, right before it landed in the centre of his forehead and then bounced on to the floor. The pain, although slight, did not improve his temper. He snatched it up from the ground with a grip that threatened to shatter the Egg as Yamcha came too.
"Not a word human," Piccolo again threatened. "Not a word."
Yamcha nodded groggily as he rose to his feet. //They wouldn't believe me anyway Piccolo,// he thought retaining enough sense not to say it. "Not a word," he agreed.
As Piccolo tucked the Dragon Egg into his clothing he turned to the door, "Now it is time to leave this forsaken tower! Hopefully Goku will have finished eating by now, so that we can get this over with." He stalked to the doors, which seemed to sense his mood and obediently swung open revealing the golden afternoon they had left.
Back at the Competition:
"#And Son Goku has finished the entire Main Course Menu! This has never before happened in the history of this Competition. He's now started on the Desserts that have been offered by our team of world class chefs and in my opinion he looks as fresh as he did when he started. But let's leave Son Goku to his meal and talk to one of our Chefs!#"
"#Hello!#" The announcer greeted someone in white who was standing on the stage. They said something back but the microphone was not in place to pick it up. In the background, Goku continued to eat his way through several cakes that had been placed before him.
"#Master Chef, you must be fairly impressed by our sole remaining competitor?#"
"#Yes. We have been very impressed. It's not often that we find someone with such a healthy appetite and an appreciation for our cooking,"# the Chef said politely but you could almost feel the hatred dripping from his tone. Goku waved happily at him, grinning in between mouthfuls of food.
"#So, do you think the Chefs' unbeaten record is in danger?#" The announcer seemed oblivious to the tension that was being exhibited by his companion.
"#Well,#" the Chef began in a typically non committal manner. "#I'd be lying if I didn't say that I wasn't a little worried. In the past, no one has even gotten through one menu offered by one chef, let alone all of us, so in that manner Son Goku has been very impressive, eating every course that has been offered by every Chef. But I don't think our position is in real danger. We are nearing the end of the match now and I don't believe that anyone could eat every dessert on offer here today…#"
"They haven't met a Saiya-jin's stomach yet, have they?" Kuririn chimed in a doomsday voice.
"You're right, Kuririn," Puar added. "I think they're about to learn that a Saiya-jin's appetite is more than they can handle. I wonder where Yamcha-sama is though?"
"And Piccolo?" Kuririn looked at the sky. He couldn't sense either of them near here. They would bring back the Egg and then there would be one more to go. One more and then they would have all the Easter Eggs they could handle.
Bulma yawned, waking up from her nap. "Have they finished yet?"
"Not yet Bulma," Oolong informed her. "But they are up to dessert."
"SHEESH! GOKU EAT FASTER!" She screamed at the stage. "I DON'T HAVE ALL DAY YOU KNOW!"
Goku just looked over and waved, grinning happily as several more dishes of food were placed before him. The rest of the audience looked on with sweat drops. This was not a normal man.
Backstage, or rather that Side Stage. (Back stage was full of Chefs who were either knocked out or were suffering from nervous breakdowns at the amount of food that Goku had devoured. That frying pan had been busy, good thing it was cast iron.)
"It is impossible. No man could eat that much!"
"How many of those pills has he eaten?"
The Chef, who had provided the bottle, looked mournfully at it. "All of them!"
"Darn, good for nothing pills…"
"No, they work! They work!" The reply was hasty but was not as forceful as it should have been.
"So, why isn't it working on him?" The question came from several parties.
"I don't know. I really don't know. I used them in the mini competition and it only took two to get rid of main stayer."
"I always wondered why that competition ended so quickly."
"Well now you know," the man looked frantically around. "But what are we going to do about this one? We've got to do something or we will be the laughing stock of the entire culinary industry."
"We'll just have to expand the term 'menu' a bit," the voice was insidious and seemed to be laughing at them.
"Huh?"
"We all have dishes that we prepared for this day, which did not turn out quite right, yes? The menu now includes them. To win, he'll just have to eat every scrap of food that's been prepared."
"Hahaha! Yes! Perfect. No one could eat all the food that is here." Several Chef's rejoiced, looking around the kitchens, looking at all the food which was still lying around. A few of them moved forward to complete some half-finished dishes. They would not be beaten.
About an hour later, Yamcha and Piccolo had returned to the others and had handed over the Dragon Egg without a word and Goku was still eating. (Man! Can those Saiya-jin pack the food away!)
"MOU! GOKU EAT FASTER!" Bulma screamed from her position near the back of the crowd. "WE HAVE TO GO GET THE LAST EGG!"
Kuririn, Yamcha, Puar and Oolong tried without much success to calm Bulma down. Once she got going she could be as bad or worse than Lunch! Piccolo had found himself a tree and was hovering in the air, meditating. If he could complete the next set of meditation, then perhaps the day would not be a complete waste. He was also focused on erasing the memory of the tower.
"#And Son Goku is continuing to eat!#" Even the announcer was beginning to sound tired. "#After the ruling from our judges that to win Son Goku had to eat everything that was offered by our Chef, many believed that he would pull out, but he has continued to eat, undaunted! And he appears to have a vocal cheering squad!#" After so many hours, the announcer was beginning to run out of things to say. The competition had never before gone on so long and frankly, who could believe that anyone could eat that much?
A half hour later:
"That's it!" Bulma shrieked. "I have had it. Everyone get ready, we'll be leaving soon!" She stormed her way through the crowd, heading towards the stage.
"#Oh, it looks like Son Goku's cheering squad is on the move,#" the announcer perked up. Finally something was happening.
"I wanna speak with the judges!" Bulma ranted as she reached the stage. "You really don't know what you're up against here! We could be sitting here forever if we're waiting for Son to finish eating. And don't think I haven't seen the new food being brought in."
Her outburst brought a slight titter from the crowd. Goku just continued to eat. The food was free and there was plenty of it and since he was on a reunion it was likely that Chichi wouldn't feed him for a little while. At least until she forgot that he'd been gone for a couple of days.
Bulma bullied her way on to the stage. She was accompanied by a decidedly mixed reaction from the crowd. However the glare she directed at them, before she turned to the judges, silenced all dissent. It should be noted that the judges also paled slightly.
"I knew it," Piccolo muttered to himself, cracking open one eye. "We should have just sicced her and Chichi on to Babidi. That would have fixed Buu without a hassle. Of course, those two could fix anyone without a hassle," he added upon a moments reflection and the memory of several scenes with both Goku and Vegeta. He kept one eye open, it was safer that way, and enjoyed the proceedings.
Bulma had grabbed the announcers mike and was yelling into it for maximum effect. Piccolo winced slightly wishing he could desensitize his hearing. From Goku's pained look, it was evident that he shared that wish. Bulma's eyes snapped. The business woman in her was about to cut a deal. What did she care for the prizes? She really only cared about the egg. If it got down to it though, she didn't really care about the egg, only what it could do for her, and for it to be useful she needed one more.
She glanced over at the judges. A couple of them flinched back, aware that they were about to become her targets. "#Now,#" Bulma began in a normal tone, her voice dripping with control. She sounded almost reasonable. "#There are a few things I'm unclear about. Perhaps you can clarify them for me, *Judges.*#" The emphasis on the word was not pretty.
The head judge gulped but valiantly nodded.
"#I'm so happy!#" Her sarcasm was not lost on the crowd. "#Now, according to the rules, and I have read the rules Judges,#" Bulma said, her tone completely business like as she held up a small booklet. (Okay, she spent the afternoon napping but during that time she also read the rules.) "#A contestant wins and therefore avoids paying his dining bill by successfully consuming the entire menu offered by one chef. Am I right?#"
Another nervous gulp but this one was accompanied by something, "…"
"#I didn't hear you,#" Bulma snapped.
"#H…h…hai!#"
"#Good…,#" Bulma purred. "#Now in the event that two or more contestants complete menu's, all those who achieve this are exempt from paying but the ultimate winner is decided by who can then consume the most extra dishes.#" Bulma consulted the little book.
"#Hai.#"
"#In the event no contestant finishes a menu, all contestants are required to pay for food consumed,#" she read, ignoring the Head Judges response. "#And the winner is designated to be the Chefs.#" She raised an eyebrow questioningly.
"#Hai.#"
"#Now correct me if I'm wrong here and feel free to ask questions if there is something you don't understand.#" Bulma's voice was dangerous. Kuririn and the others had heard that tone before. It would have been worse if it were Chichi but they braced themselves anyway. Even Goku looked up at her tone. He didn't stop eating but he did place a wary eye on her. "#Son-kun here,#" she gestured vaguely at the stake of plates that were obscuring Goku. "#Son-kun has eaten his way through *everyone's* menu. And even now he has started on the new dishes. So I have a question for you, the winner was to be decided when…?#" She trailed off, allowing her question to hang in the air.
"#The winner was to be decided when a contestant successfully consumes a menu that is offered by one of the chefs.#" The voice was quiet but perfectly audible since Bulma had practically shoved the microphone down the Judges throat.
"#So does a contestant, to win, have to consume every menu?#" Bulma questioned relentlessly.
"#Iie.#"
"#I'm glad that's been clarified for the both of us,#" Bulma said before she lent down to the judge's ear. "Now if you don't want me to accuse you of cheating, you'll declare Son-kun the victor."
"I can't do that," the judge hissed back at her desperately. "The Chef's would kill me!"
"Oh," Bulma's eyes narrowed. "Are you going to protect their honor above your own?"
"Iie! Demo… It's the prize. They promised us a cut of the prize if they are declare the victors again."
"That's not going to happen. Son-kun will continue to eat until everything in this area is gone. You really don't know what you are up against here." Bulma laughed.
By this stage the whispered conversation was bringing an angry tone to the shufflings of the crowd. Bulma turned and glared. Silence reigned supreme.
She winked at the man. "I'm not completely unreasonable. I'll make you a deal."
"Really!"
"You declare Son-kun the winner and give me first pick of the prize and in return you get to keep the rest. How's that sound?"
The man's expression turned sly. "You'll only pick one thing?"
"Don't push your luck mister!" Bulma glared threateningly before her expression softened. Running Capsule Corp had shown her that threats could be useful but there were times when they should not be used. "Yes, I'll only pick one thing. I'm only interested in one thing. Do we have a deal?"
The judge considered it for an instant longer. His eyes traveled over the prize and then back to Goku. It was probably the site of Goku that convinced him. Goku was happily ploughing his way through a bowl of spaghetti at speeds that could only be called miraculous. "I told you, you don't know what you're up against with Son-kun. This way ensures that you get something." Bulma added enticingly.
"Okay, we have a deal. You are quite correct. We definitely were not prepared for your friend."
Goku had heard the entire conversation and while some people may accuse him of being slow when it came to food or fighting, you were looking at a genius, although genius as a word fails to capture the full ability of the man. He knew exactly what their little deal meant to his continued supply of food, what he couldn't decide was if he wanted to take Bulma on about it or not. He settled instead for upping his eating pace. Several mountainous dishes of gnocchi, spaghetti, rice, vegetables, cous cous and a couple of others disappeared in the time it took Bulma to hand over the mike to the Judge. Goku's fork clattered on an empty bowl as the Judge stepped forward to make is announcement. Piccolo had cringed back, //I didn't need to see that particular move again, Son.//
"#Thanks to the expert clarification, it is time to correct an oversight!#" The judge declaimed grandly. "#Since Son Goku has not only successfully consumed one menu, he has in fact successfully consumed all the menu's on offer, and all the reserve dishes,#" the judge added, as several waiters shook their heads from the side of the stage, indicating that all the food was gone. "#As Judges it is our happy duty to declare Son Goku the WINNER of the 5th Tenkaichi Eatokai! (I have no idea what I am saying here in Japanese, nor do I really wish to know. Take it to be Best Eater Under the Heavens. (Tenkaichi - normal meaning, something like First under Heaven, Eatokai - Eato - Eating! and Kai because it sounded better with it there than just Eato!)) He is the first contestant to have actually won! But I'm sure he shares my sentiments in congratulating our Chefs, who have once again, cooked up a storm! Well?#" The mike was thrust at Goku.
"#Huh? Sure! The food was delicious, only there should have been more!#" Goku grinned.
Most of the audience collapsed at that statement. Those few contestants who'd stayed, or who weren't washing dishes to pay their debt, looked somewhat green. A couple of them ran aside, once again clutching their mouths.
"#Heheheh!#" The judge laughed, somewhat lamely. "#Well, that concludes another Tenkaichi Eatokai! I hope everyone trains hard and can return for the next one!#" The judge threw the mike at the announcer and raced off towards the prizes, eager to claim his portion.
Goku stood there, blinking. He looked almost mournful. In the mean time though, Bulma had already perused the prizes and had picked out the Dragon Egg and returned to the others. Goku's reverie was broken by her shout, "COME ON SON-KUN! WE'VE GOT ONE MORE TO FIND!" Goku looked up and sprung into action. There was no use mourning the loss of one food source. One more Dragon Egg to find and then he'd have another limitless supply of food. At least, that's what Muten Roshi had said. But then a new thought occurred to him, as he flew over the heads of the crowd, ignoring their surprised looks. //One more? We had two more to go when I started eating. I wonder what happened. Hmm! Boy, that meal was good!//
Goku landed beside Bulma. "Which way then?" he asked brightly. He could find out how they had got the sixth Egg on the way.
Bulma looked at the radar. "Piccolo, would you please move?" She asked sweetly as a shadow fell over the radar. Piccolo jerked back. Bulma peered at it, turning the top slightly to focus it on the signal. She pointed. "That way."
"Ikuzo!" Goku swept Bulma up and started into the sky with surprising speed for someone who had just eaten the amounts he had.
Yamcha groaned. "That's right! Kaio-sama told us about this! Goku gets faster after he eats, we'd better hurry or we'll lose them!" He blasted off as fast as he could follow, almost forgetting to pick up Puar on the way.
After everyone had gotten into formation, Goku looked back slightly, "Hey guys, what happened? I though we had two Eggs to go?"
Bulma laughed. "That's what you think. Piccolo and Yamcha went and got the seven point Egg. That just leaves your favorite one, the four point Egg."
"Honto!" Goku said excitedly. He completely missed the slight darkening in both Piccolo and Yamcha's faces. "So how'd you get it guys?"
"It was in the middle of a forest," Yamcha elaborated slightly. //That should be safe enough.//
"And..?" This came from Kuririn.
"We retrieved it," Piccolo said shortly.
"Come on," Goku continued. "I can feel it. There's something else isn't there?"
"Yes…" Piccolo said from between clenched teeth. He should have known that Goku wouldn't let things lie.
Yamcha veered away from him, putting Kuririn between them. Goku looked over at him. "Well?" his expression seemed to say.
Yamcha sighed slightly. "It was in a ki-dampening field."
"A ki-dampening field?" Goku questioned, with a slight frown. "Was it in a red brick tower with a blue roof?"
Piccolo looked up at the question. "You know it?" he snarled, remembering all that had happened.
"Yeah!" Goku said happily, grin in place. "I didn't know it still existed! I used to train there with Mr Popo." His grin changed slightly. "So that was a Dragon Egg? It was pretty high up, how'd you get it down? I never could jump that high."
Both Piccolo and Yamcha looked away. "Come on," Goku laughed. "How did you get it down?" Goku looked significantly at the small scuffs on their cloths.
"I supported Yamcha," Piccolo said quietly. "He had to jump," he added the explanation for Goku's benefit.
Goku nodded but then he frowned again. "Why didn't you use the Nobiru Ude?"
Piccolo's eyes went wide and his mouth opened in surprise. "The Nobiru Ude?" he questioned to himself. "ARGH!" He veered off slightly anger and embarrassment warring visibly on his face. (Nobiru Ude is Piccolo's extending arm technique. I'm assuming that it doesn't need ki to activate since it's not an energy technique, just an extension of his body.)
Goku chuckled to himself slightly. He stopped as Piccolo rejoined them, his face dark. //I knew there was a reason I didn't want to be dragged on this reunion. The Nobiru Ude! I let that human…// Piccolo didn't want to think about it. //At least Goku is the only one with enough brains to figure out what happened,// Piccolo reassured himself, until he caught Kuririn's look of amusement. //Grrr!// He inwardly snarled. //Nothing else had better get in my way… I could use a good fight. Hell! I could use a bad fight…//
The others drew closer to Goku. Piccolo was not in the mood for play.
Elsewhere:
"So this is it, Boss?"
"Yes, you moron!" The short squad creature turned, an oval object held in its white furred paws. It was an orange Egg, with four points on it. "This is it, the ultimate symbol of Rabbithood! The new ultimate symbol of the Rabbit Gang! Now nothing will stand in our way!"
"Yes boss," the two lackeys shouted, carefully avoiding any contact with their boss.
The Boss Bunny carefully placed the Egg on a purple cushion. It was like a small shrine. "Now men! I need some more carrots. That stint on the moon has given me quite a craving. The new village I have chosen to be graced by my presence (Or should that be 'I have chosen to terrorize because they know nothing about the previous one'?) should be able to provide you with some, and if they give you any trouble, remind them that I'm sure they would look lovely in orange."
"Yes, sir!" they shouted again, making their rabbit ears bounce ridiculously. The two of them shouldered their Uzi's and trooped out the door.
They trooped back in, going backwards, when they saw who was waiting for them. "Uh, Boss? We've got a little problem."
"What is it this time?" Boss Bunny snarled, turning from his contemplation of the 'Rabbit Egg.' His expression of threatening anger changed immediately into one of horror. "You?!"
Goku and the others had walked in after the two men, following the persistent bleeping of Bulma's radar.
The Boss Bunny's ears flattened completely against his head and his eyes went wide and quivery, as he pointed at Goku. "You..!"
Goku looked back, somewhat confused but then understanding dawned on his face. "Oh, it's you guys."
Bulma was patting herself for reassurance, looking critically at her skin. "I still feel orange!" she wailed.
Oolong was looking out from behind a confused Kuririn and Puar was hugging the back of Yamcha's head. They still remembered as well.
Goku grinned. "It's been a while," he said in his usual manner, completely disregarding the fact that it had been decades.
"Y… y… yes, it's been quite some time," the Boss Bunny returned. He was backed up against a wall and was desparately trying to work out some escape plan. His two lackeys had cowered up on either side of him. They were trembling as close as they could get to him without making contact.
"Are you still up to your old tricks?" Goku questioned with a slight rebuke in his tone.
"No! No, no, no, no, NO!" Boss Bunny replied, waving his hands in front of him.
"Oh good because I don't have my Nyoi-bou with me." Goku stepped forward towards the egg.
"Hey! That's mine!" When there was no sign that he was going to be hauled off or beaten to a pulp, the Boss Bunny's courage returned.
"Oh really?" The voice did not belong to Goku. Piccolo stood off to one side, energy crackling between his fingers and an almost maniacal smirk on his features. He didn't even bother with an explanation before he let fly, it had been that kind of day. Goku, reunions, ki-dampening fields, food eating contents and now a rabbit. Things like that just did not happen to him. They. Just. Did. Not. Happen. To. HIM!
The blast he levelled at the Boss Bunny was, put mildly, excessive. It would have blasted the Egg, Bulma, Oolong, Puar, Yamcha and Kuririn as well had Goku not hastily erected a ki shield. As it was, the Boss Bunny and his lackey's were last seen disappearing over the horizon at high speed, very singed, almost well done from their experience.
"I feel much better now."
As the dust settled Goku picked up the last Egg, turning back to the others with a grin, as he let his ki shield fade. "We've done it!"
"Banzai!" Puar and Oolong cheered.
"Now we can call the true Easter Bunny!" Kuririn happily crowed.
"It should prove interesting," Piccolo commented, shaking the dust out of his cloak.
Outside, a little later.
The Dragon Eggs had been placed in a circle, six surrounding one in the centre. Seven orange Eggs, sparkling like tin foil marked with brighter points of light. Bulma and the others were looking at Goku.
"Well, do you want to summon him, summon the Easter Bunny?" Kuririn looked over at his old friend.
"Uh, sure," Goku replied before a puzzled look came to his face. "Umm? Does anyone know the words to summon him?"
The group collapsed. "You mean you don't know how?" Bulma shrieked, jumping at Goku in mock attack. The rest of the group followed, similar signs of disbelief on their faces. A melee insued.
Piccolo walked up to the Eggs, raising his hands above them. There was a look of contempt on his face. "Arise Easter Bunny! So that you may grant my wish!" He intoned formally. He was thankful that the flash of light hid his embarrassment from the curious glances that he was getting from the assembled people.
The Dragon Eggs flashed several times before they emitted a squat beam of light. It seemed to solidify and then standing before them there was a large white Rabbit. It's front paws were tucked in under it's chin and it's ears were standing straight above it's head. It looked down at Piccolo with large blue eyes. The sky had turned a deep lavender.
"Piccolo, you knew the words?" Goku asked.
"What does it look like?"
The Rabbit looked down at the group that assembled itself before him. "I am the True Easter Bunny. I can grant any one Easter Wish but I can grant only one. What is your wish?"
"Well, go ahead Goku," Piccolo encouraged.
"Uh okay, Piccolo," Goku nodded at the Namekian. "Easter Bunny, I wish for an endless supply of Easter eggs."
The Easter Bunny's eyes flashed, and a blue light bathed them all. It faded, "Dame da!"
"What?"
"I can't do it," the Rabbit stated.
"Why not?" Oolong questioned.
"My power is not great enough," the Rabbit replied. "I cannot grant an endless supply," the Bunny seemed confused. "Usually I can."
"So why can't you in this case?" Bulma questioned.
"One of you can eat to the limits of my power and beyond, so I cannot grant a never ending supply."
"I guess that answers that question," Piccolo seemed to be impressed. "Congratulations Goku, your Saiya-jin ability to eat out strips a mythical creatures ability to grant food."
"Hmmm... That is a problem," Goku admitted. "Well, what else can you grant?"
"Ara? No one's ever asked me that before!" The Rabbit looked even more confused now. "Etoo... I'm not exactly sure. I've never been asked for anything but a never-ending supply of Easter eggs. Probably not much though," the Bunny admitted, "I am stuck on the Easter Theme."
"Heheheh!" Goku laughed. "Oh well, I guess that's it then. Please Bunny-san grant us as many Easter related items that you can!"
"Okay!" The Bunny seemed relieved to be let off the hook. It's eyes glowed blue again and this time the glow intensified around them. With a blue flash piles of Easter eggs surrounded them. Large ones, small ones, every type imaginable. There was also some other Easter items, chocolate rabbits, chocolate everythings. (Okay, so Easter is the celebration of the death and resurrection of Christ and so that's why we have the egg, to symbolize rebirth but I really couldn't think how to get the religious theme into this story so I went for the strictly commercial view. Well, that's not completely true, since Easter is about death and resurrection and at times Dragon Ball is about death and resurrection, I could probably have worked in that theme but then who would I make the Messiah? Goku? Vegeta? Piccolo? Kuririn? Yamcha? Tenshinhan? Choazu? Kami? Muten Roshi? I'm sure you get my drift.)
The Rabbit looked down at them. "Your wish has been granted. Sayonara!" The Easter Bunny returned to light and the lavender sky pulsed a few times, returning each time to its normal blue. And then, with a flash of light the seven Dragon Eggs rose into the air, spinning around each other, riding up the pillar of light which the Easter Bunny had become. They seemed to gather in on each other and then they broke apart, racing in seven different directions over the horizon, waiting for the next time they would be collected.
"Well, that's it," Piccolo said. There was a note of triumph in his voice. His training might have been interrupted but he'd found out that Goku's appetite was bigger that a mythical creatures power and he'd blown up a rabbit, so perhaps the day wasn't a complete waste. He looked over to the group and a vein popped on his forehead. They weren't paying any attention to him!
Despite the huge meal Goku had just eaten, he was already going strong on one of the larger egg piles. Kuririn and the others were hastily running around, trying to claim particular eggs for themselves. Shouts of "No way Yamcha! Those are for Bra!" or "Oolong! That's for Marron!" could be heard with others of a similar tone. It seemed Goku wasn't completely immune either. Beside him there was a small pile of eggs, which he was adding to occasionally. %Well, I have to give some to Pan.% Goku's voice echoed in Piccolo's head offering him the explanation.
"Argh!" Piccolo snarled. It was completely insane but it looked like the reunion was over for now, everyone was far too busy trying to claim Easter Eggs to be bothered with catching up with the latest gossip. At least he could get back to his training. Piccolo rose into the air and flew off, searching for some place that was even more out of the way than the one Goku had found him in. He had no wish to be caught up in another hunt for seven mysterious items. Not again. Not ever. We'll just ignore, as Goku chose to do, the gleam of brightly colored tin foil which glittered from Piccolo's hand, won't we?
Owari.
Well, this particular piece of insanity is finished and boy did it turn out way longer than I thought it would. I hope you didn't mind. (This is the last time I come up with an idea I think should be short to write. Hmmm, the word count is currently more than I want to consider, so I think I should stop typing.) Any comments please send them to jade_tatsu@yahoo.com
Flames will be forwarded to the Easter Bunny for his attention. A fate, I'm sure you don't want your mail to suffer.