After that night at the club, the three friends grew to become inseparable and found themselves watching the weeks and months fly by like gossamer leaves down a swiftly moving river. When any one of them had a dilemma, like one of Goten's hard break ups, Kari's frightfully attached ex-boyfriend, or one of Vegita's strident outbursts, they could always count on one another.
Eventually, Yamora ceased in his rather aggressive persistence of Kari when he realized Trunks and Goten would never slip and allow her to be within a mile of him. He knew he couldn't defeat both of them, and so he decided the safest thing to do for his general health would be to keep his distance.
But he never stopped watching Kari. He would get her back, he swore to that...
Being friends of course entailed many an interesting visit to Trunks and Goten's respective houses, which allowed Kari to meet everyone. Goten's family was really pleasant and she especially enjoyed going over to his house because it meant she would get to eat Chi-Chi's wonderful cooking. Goku was, surprisingly, very welcoming, which simply amazed her because he was such a powerful man and yet so simple and gentle, if not plain stupid at times. Goten's older brother, Gohan, was very different from his younger brother. He was a very powerful and highly skilled fighter, but chose to expand his mind instead of his martial arts talent. She was told that was due to Chi-Chi's persistent influence. Kari laughed as she tried to picture Goten as a scholar, which was seemingly impossible.
Through time, she also came to know the story of the Saiyans living on Earth: As a baby, Goku was sent to the green world from Planet Vegitasei to destroy and conquer it. He had had a little head injury when he fell from a rocky cliff in the mountains and struck his head on a rock, which resulted in his vicious mission being forgotten and left his Saiyan "programming" a little more than scrambled. Thanks to his little mountain mishap, Goku became Earth's protector instead of its Apocalypse. Vegita was, and still is, Prince of the Saiyans and a very formidable warrior at that. His royal heritage is something he never lets anyone forget about. He was, at one time, the Z-Senshi's worst enemy but after a few desperate battles and some very close calls, he became one of the good guys. Well, at least as good as Vegita could get, that is.
Kari was amazed and spellbound by the history behind this close group of friends and kin, and she wanted to meet Trunks' family, but he was more than a little hesitant. He didn't know exactly how she would react to his father, or how his father would react to her for that matter, but eventually, after a great deal of bargaining, she convinced him to let her meet his royal highness and his queen. So, one day, they all headed over to Trunks' house along with the rest of the Z-Senshi to have dinner at the Briefs' household.
The more she spent time with them, the more Kari was discovering that she enjoyed the company of others as opposed to the solitude of her years past. Although she had not revealed all of her secrets to anyone yet, and hopefully never would, she could sense her inner barriers and defenses growing weaker with each passing day.
Maybe she had been deceiving herself all these lonely years, convincing herself that if she allowed her heart to care for anyone she would only end up losing them and be left in a world of hopeless pain once again. However, she could not bring herself to believe that all her newfound happiness would not come without a price.
A price that she was unwilling to pay again.
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
Night was fast approaching as the group made their way towards Trunks' house. Unbeknownst to the company, the Briefs' household was in tumultuous chaos spurning from Bulma's constant yelling and Vegita's snide comments about everything. He actually wanted to meet Kari, his curiosity had been piqued ever since Trunks had begun spending time with her, and consequently skipping his training, but the proud Prince would never admit that to anyone.
"Woman, why are you letting those bakas come over here? Don't they know I need to train and I can't do that with Kakarott and all his little friends running around here," Vegita snapped arrogantly.
"Because Trunks and Goten are bringing Kari over and I really want to meet her! Trunks has been talking endlessly about her and how much fun they have when all three of them are together, and I want to see her! If you don't like it, you can go lock yourself in the Gravity Room for all I care!" Bulma shouted back. She detested it when he got like this, which was fairly often, but she knew him well enough to realize that he would not mind meeting Kari as well, although his prominent motivation was probably to see who was keeping Trunks from his training.
The sudden chime ringing throughout the house announced the group's arrival. Bulma flew to the door and opened it wide to receive her friends and her son, giving everyone warm greetings and smiles. As soon as everyone was inside and happily chatting amongst themselves, Trunks introduced Kari to his mother, who greeted her with the utmost friendliness.
"So you're Kari? Nice to finally meet you! I can certainly see why Trunk's would rather spend time with you than here with his father," Bulma asserted, smiling at her son's flushed cheeks.
"Dozo yoroshiku, Briefs-san. Trunks speaks of you quite often. But don't worry, everything he's said so far has been a compliment," Kari assured her, giving her a quick wink.
"Does he now?" Bulma said, raising a lavender eyebrow at him. "Well, everything he says better be nice, or he'll be sleeping on the roof!"
"Don't worry, Okaasan, I don't say anything mean, honto," Trunks averred, rolling his eyes.
"Why do I even put up with you?" Bulma retorted sarcastically, slapping him lightly on the cheek. "By the way, Kari, call me Bulma. There's no need for the formalities. Well, you better meet Mr. I'm Better than Anyone Else before he gets mad. Come on Trunks, don't let your friend meet your father without you there! She might need you," Bulma joked, elbowing him in the arm.
Oh Kami, here we go, he thought, closing his eyes.
"Vegita! Vegita, get over here now! Kari's here!" Bulma yelled to him from across the room. The group heard this announcement and all the conversing stopped, and everyone began to grow a little nervous. After all, Vegita didn't especially like humans, and all he had known were the strong ones...and then there's Bulma.
"Woman! Don't ever order me around like that! I'll come over when I feel like it!" Vegita yelled.
"Fine then! We'll come to you, Your Highness," Bulma said irritably. Sometimes she hated that man. She really did.
They made their way over towards Vegita, and Trunks was beginning to get sweaty palms and his breathing quickened considerably. He didn't know how his father would handle Kari, a human, and he could only hope that Vegita approved of her. He glanced over to his side to look at her, but she seemed as cool and calm as she could be. Her face was still as gentle and relaxed as ever, and she had a very distinctive, almost royal, air about her. He wondered how she could keep so calm when he was freaking out?!
They finally reached Vegita and Bulma introduced Kari to him, softly reminding him to be nice. She was Trunks' friend and their guest after all...
"So? Why should I care who she is? I'm the Prince." He turned his attention to his son and Kari, who was standing at Trunks' side. "So, this is who's been keeping you from your training? Humph," he scoffed as he looked her over. "She doesn't look like much to me. There's nothing special about these pathetic weakling humans."
In actuality he thought she was very beautiful, but he'd be damned if he was going to admit that. Leave it to my son to find the best of the best. "I bet I could get rid of her in a few seconds, if she ever got in the way of your training," he threatened. He would never actually do such a thing, but he had to show Trunks where his training should stand in his priorities.
For some reason, when she overheard that comment, she snapped. All of her former cool was replaced with indignity and anger. Maybe it was because he had insulted her abilities, the same skills that had made her famous in the higher rings of martial arts tournaments. Maybe it was because she had had enough of being treated as a mere human girl, or perhaps it was because she was finally ready to admit to her secret passion of fighting.
Whatever the reason, before she knew what she was doing, Kari blurted out, "Honto? Are you so sure about that?" She had said it quietly, but it was loud enough for Vegita to hear it as he was turning away.
"What did you say?" Vegita growled, the anger evident in his voice. No one insulted the Prince of Saiyans, much less in his own house. "You stupid human! You'll pay for mocking me!" he roared.
"Otouson, matte. She didn't mean it," Trunks pleaded, stepping in front of Kari.
Well, there's no point in stopping now. Might as well show them just what kind of girl I really am, Kari reasoned to herself. "Yes I did, Trunks. He thinks he can beat me. Well, I'd like to see him try it," Kari challenged. Trunks threw her a confused look mixed with disbelief as she gently moved him out of the way.
"Would you now? Well, see this!" Vegita spat, throwing a punch straight at Kari's face. Much to everyone's complete surprise, Kari disappeared from where she had been standing before Vegita could even get near her with his fist. She reappeared behind him, smiling and tapping him on the shoulder. Furious, Vegita tried to punch her again, but this time she grabbed his fist before he even had a chance.
She didn't want to hurt him, but he was well beyond the point of reason. If she didn't do something and do it fast she was going to be nursing a few broken bones the next day. Still holding his fist, and with a speed so fast she appeared to be standing still, Kari kicked him across the room and through the wall with one swift motion, his body landing hard on the ground outside.
Everyone's jaws were hanging open as Trunks rushed in front of Kari to keep Vegita from counter attacking. Bulma ran outside through the gaping hole to keep Vegita from doing anything too rash. To her surprise, though, he was sitting up in the grass, laughing quietly as he wiped the small trickle of blood from his mouth.
"Just as I thought," Vegita murmured quietly to himself. "Maybe I will let Trunks off a little from his training after all." He sounded...pleased.
Bulma was confused beyond words but glad he wasn't planning on going on a warpath. She came back inside to let the group know everything was alright and to talk to Kari, who apologized for the damage and promised to pay for the repairs. But Bulma simply waved away the suggestion with a smile. She was happy someone had finally put Vegita in his place, at least for a while.
The only coherent thought the others could manage to form was, "Wo..wow."
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
After the party, everyone thanked Bulma for a great meal and tiptoed as fast as they could past Vegita. They didn't want to stick around him after a girl had kicked him through a wall. Goten and Kari decided to stay a while longer and talk to Trunks, and they intended to stay away from Vegita for the meantime, the thought never crossing their minds that he was actually pleased with Kari.
The trio made their way outside into the cool, fresh night air that was immersing the small woods around Capsule Corp. in a misty fog. There was a crescent moon out that night and it helped to illuminate the lush surroundings. As they walked, none of them dared bring up Kari's fight with Vegita.
But finally curiosity got the better of Goten. "Where did you learn to fight like that? I never knew you knew martial arts."
"Well," Kari began, "it's a long story, but I'll give you the Cliffs notes version. I've been practicing the martial arts since I was a little girl. It's another family thing. We're all sword swingers and kung fu fighters," she laughed. "I have actually won a lot of tournaments; it's how I keep up the income. It also helps when I'm on and off the streets; the downtown area can be pretty rough on a girl."
"Why didn't you ever tell us before?" Trunks wondered aloud. He didn't want to intrude into her personal affairs, after all, that was her business, but he had to know why. As her friend he felt he had the right to know just what she was capable of.
"You never asked," she replied simply. "You knew I fought with the sword, but you never bothered to ask if I knew martial arts. So, I just never brought it up." While that was the truth, Kari didn't want to admit the real reason she didn't tell them. She wasn't prepared to reveal everything about herself just yet, especially when she was just learning to accept the fact that people actually cared about her as a person. What would they do if they found out who she really was?
Trunks decided not to push the issue and they continued to walk on into the woods. However, he couldn't help but wonder if she was hiding any more secrets from them. He felt slightly beguiled by her actions, and began to have the suspicion there was more to her story than what she had told him, perhaps even something that could end up harming his family and friends. He shook his head to clear these accusatory thoughts from his mind, but something inside of him told him she was more than what met the eye.
Suddenly, Goten got a fantastic idea, or at least he though it was. "Why don't you come over sometime and spar with us? It'll be really fun, and we could see what you really got..." he said playfully, punching her lightly on the arm.
"Sure, sounds like fun!" Kari agreed. "I'll be there...tomorrow, let's say?"
"Sounds good. We'll see you at my house," Trunks replied, fully returned from his thoughts. As they were walking back towards the house, he suddenly turned around as something popped into his head. "Can you fly?" he asked. He knew it sounded like something out of Peter Pan, but he wanted to know just how good of a fighter she was. After all, only the best fighters can fly.
"Does this answer your question?" Kari replied sweetly. She began to float in the air and came towards them, flying at fast speeds. They laughed and jumped into the air to join her as she flew back towards Capsule Corp. to get her jacket and send her on her way back to the city. As they landed lightly on the back porch, Vegita was looking out the window as he was bickering with Bulma. Again.
"So, she can fly, too? I did underestimate her," Vegita observed, a smirk settling itself over his countenance.
The trio stepped inside and Kari went to fetch her jacket. After she had located it, she bid good-bye to everyone and left, soaring out high into the night. I guess letting them know I can fight isn't so bad. I mean, it's not like they know who I really am or where I come from. Still, Trunks seemed a little upset that I didn't tell him. I'll have to be more cautious about what information I reveal to them, and how I reveal it.
Who knew having friends could be so complicated...
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
The next day Kari was at Capsule Corp. right on time for sparring. Trunks and Goten were both anxious to see how experienced she was, and eagerly asked her to get started.
"Calm down, guys. Which one of you am I fighting first?" Kari asked as she removed her jacket, revealing a sporty black tank top and loose, gray jogging pants.
"Me!" Goten yelled like a five year-old. "I mean, me I guess, if you want to, that is," he rushed to recover, blushing brightly at his impetuosity.
"Of course I will. Let's go, boy!"
They commenced the fight, with their fists and legs flying through the air so fast they looked like nothing but blurs. Trunks could, of course, keep up with them and observed how Kari moved and her unusual style. She was an equal fighter to Goten, if not better, and looked as if she would defeat him. Trunks thought there was a chance that she might win against himself. But only a very slim chance, he thought confidently, smiling.
Kari quickly overcame Goten as he fell back on the grass, bruised and cut beyond belief. He probably would have been much more of a challenge for her had he used his ki attacks, but he didn't want to use any energy attacks. He had no idea if she could withstand them and he didn't want to fry one of his friends like a shish kabob. He stood up and walked towards Trunks, panting hard, with Kari close at his side.
"Daijoubu desu ka?" she asked, concerned.
"Hai, daijoubu. I'm used to it. You are really, really good, you know that?" Goten stated as he made a spot for himself on the non-existent sidelines.
"I guess, a little," Kari replied jokingly. Trunks was up next and as soon as he was ready, they commenced the fight.
Her fists were flying at him faster than they were at Goten, making it even harder for Trunks to keep up. He was having trouble blocking her and she got several good hits in before he had even landed one on her. She's amazing, Trunks thought, even better than me. Well, let's take a look at her power level then.
As they continued fighting, he sensed her power with his ki and was so shocked he was almost knocked over by her back kick. It was around nine or ten million easily! He couldn't be sure because there was no exact way to measure it, but her power level was more than Goten's and his own, and even Vegita's. She can't be from Earth if her level is that high, he reasoned. The only people I know of that can have a power level like that are the Saiyans...
or the Androids...
He wondered exactly where she was from, the suspicion he had had about her true intentions the previous night resurfacing in his mind. If she was hiding anything else besides one of the highest power levels he had ever felt, who knows what she was really up to. He didn't have time to wonder long though, because she kicked him into the side of Capsule Corp., leaving a huge dent in the side of the building and ending their fight.
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