Two hours after leaving the orbit of Sadla, Puttee put down the Rainbow Stocking on the surface of a small habitable moon two systems over. She, Gaita, and Dragon rushed out of the ship, carrying a glowing sack containing the Rainbow Dragon Balls, ready for a wish. Once they completed this task, they could go rescue their friends, Torta and Regal, from the fight of their lives.
“What are we going to wish for again?” Dragon asked, anxious. Almost as much as he wanted to assist his friends and allies, he was impatient to return to Sadla so he could once more try his hand against the Super Saiyan Emperor, Daikon.
“We had similar wishes, but they weren’t the same,” said Gaita. “We only get one, right?”
“Don’t worry, I got this,” said Puttee, looking most confident in a frenzy, like always. “Eternal Dragon, grant me this wish!”
The balls began to shine blindingly bright, and the stars disappeared above them. A tower of light issued to the sky, and it took the form of a powerful, muscular dragon of many colors, its tail extending and coiling infinitely from its source. “I will grant you any one wish,” Shenron said.
“It’s a big one, but I think you can handle it,” said Puttee. “I wish for you to revive all those killed by the Demon Clan, the Saiyan Empire, the Silico Army, and the Genmajin creatures of Earth in recent conflicts!”
There was a pause. Shenron stared down at the mortals with an imperious glare.
“That’s a really big swing,” Gaita said. “It sounds like multiple wishes.”
“No, no, it should be fine,” said Puttee. “It’s one wish to revive the dead. That they’re from multiple conflicts shouldn’t be an issue.”
“I really appreciate trying to make this work for me, too,” said Dragon, “but we might have to think of an alternative. It seems like there’s a problem.”
Shenron continued to glare with great judgment. The mortals became increasingly nervous about the pause. The last two wishes they saw were granted immediately. “Well, is it asking too much?” Puttee finally asked.
“Your wish is within my powers,” Shenron said. “I have no quarrel with your desire. However, I must make you a counteroffer.”
The mortals were stunned. “What?” Puttee asked, incredulous. “A counteroffer on a wish?”
“I can include the revival of your friends in this wish,” Shenron said. “The two who perished with the destruction of Sadla.”
Puttee, Gaita, and Dragon were shocked. “What?!” Puttee cried. “They’re…they’re not dead! We just left them, and they had the fight in hand! Sadla was still there!”
“The Namekian known as Malacol detonated the core of Sadla in an attempt to ensure the complete annihilation of her enemies,” Shenron explained. Gaita covered her mouth in horror. “There were no ships to leave the planet with. Since the deaths of those named Torta and Regal were caused by the planet’s collapse, they qualify as victims of the Demon Clan, and I can revive them with this wish.”
“Then do it!” Puttee screamed.
“Silence, mortal!” Shenron shot back. “As I set my sights on all the souls I would revive, I was barred from collecting your friends. Their assistance has been requested for a vital matter in the Other World. The Kaio have asked me not to revive them so that they can participate in a certain conflict. However, as I am a dragon of my word and would prefer to carry out the wish to completion, I have secured this deal: I can revive all those you requested now save for Torta and Regal, and promise their revival will take effect once their duties in the Other World are completed.”
Gaita was having a hard time wrapping her head around this, still reeling from the news of her friends’ deaths. Dragon was grappling with the idea that he would not get another chance against Daikon. Puttee needed only a moment to collect herself. “Fine, sure,” she said. “I…as long as we all get home, that’s fine. Carry out the wish as described. May I ask first, though, how long they’ll be gone for?”
“One year,” Shenron said. His eyes glowed for a second. “Your wish is granted. Fare thee well.” Shenron burst into light and collapsed back into the Rainbow Dragon Balls. The balls rose into the air, and then shot out across the universe, to the depths of planets Namekians called home. No longer burdened by tracking nanites, this Shenron could once more rest for centuries at a time before the balls could be collected again.
Puttee turned to Gaita and Dragon. “Well…let’s go home,” she said. A tear fell from her eye, which she quickly wiped. “They’re all coming back, and…and we won…”
Gaita put an arm over her shoulder. “It’s ok to cry, even if we know they’re coming back,” Gaita said. She began to cry, and after a moment, Puttee let more of her tears fall.
“They’re really gone…” said Dragon, still dumbstruck. His communicator vibrated. It was a call from one of his fellow rebels. He answered it as Puttee and Gaita made their way back to the ship. A moment later, Dragon ran to the ship, as well. He burst into the command room. “Hey, you two have gotta listen to this!” Puttee and Gaita looked up. Dragon put his communicator on speaker. “Ok, Velvet, can you repeat that? I got the whole gang here now.”
“Yeah, a lot’s been happening,” said a woman’s voice on the other side. “I stayed to watch the fight, up until I had to leave orbit because Sadla was imploding. Daikon and Malacol were both killed by your random Earthling friends!”
Puttee and Gaita brightened at the news. “Really?” Puttee asked.
“Yeah, they did!” Velvet said. “It was crazy. That good-for-nothing human killed Daikon, robbing a Saiyan of the chance to do it! Dragon, I know you’re pissed about that! I’m not forgiving him!”
“I know how you feel,” Dragon said. “But at the same time…we’re free! He’s gone!”
“It’s wild, yeah,” Velvet said. “So many emotions. We’re going to be angry-partying in the big ship later. But more importantly, I saw what you did, Dragon.”
“What?”
“You took Daikon’s wish from him! You put up more fight to him than any of us ever could, and you took his Dragon Ball right off his body! You’re the hero of the rebellion! People are talking about you being the new leader, now that people are looking for one!”
Dragon was silent a moment. Puttee quietly squealed in excitement for him, and Gaita gave him a kind smile. “I…I’m just a fighter—”
“Oh, bull! But we can discuss that later. We have a few thousand Saiyans without a planet to return to, and no one in the rebellion is bringing them to a world Daikon colonized. Do you have a suggestion?”
“Earth!” Puttee shot out. Gaita and Dragon gave her a look. “I’ve got connections, and there’s plenty of places you could crash. Just head on over, scout out an empty area to land all your ships, and I’m sure we can work something out.”
There was a pause. “Earth? Really? I guess somewhere quiet and peaceful does have its perks, after all we’ve been through…I’ll float the idea with the others. It’ll help that we have an invite from a local. Talk to you later!” The line went dead.
“What?” Puttee asked Dragon. “Where were you planning to go?”
“I don’t know,” said Dragon. “I just never expected to move the entire Saiyan population to Earth!”
“Well, I didn’t expect someone to be dumb enough to blow up the planet they were standing on,” said Puttee, “but this is the world we live in. Whatever happens, you’re on this ship, which means you’re coming to Earth, and you’re free to stay with me and Gaita as long as you need to.”
Gaita felt her face get warm, and didn’t understand why.
“Thanks for the offer,” said Dragon.
Puttee ran to the controls and set in a course for Earth. “And when I get home,” she said, “I get to see my mom again! I seriously can’t wait!”
“It’ll be great to see mom,” Gaita said. “I can already taste her vegetable soup.”
Puttee turned to her, blank-faced. “‘Mom’s vegetable soup’? How did you know she made vegetable soup?”
Gaita was confused a moment. “I…didn’t you mention it? I just remembered mom making that a lot.”
“You’re calling her mom,” Puttee said. She covered her mouth. “Do you remember the creek?”
Gaita looked down, furrowing her brow. “I remember some little stream, I think…”
Puttee started crying again. “You have some of Spats’s memories!”
Gaita looked up at Puttee and felt the enormity of this revelation. “She’s not gone!” The sisters hugged. Dragon patted Gaita on the back, offering her a kind smile. Gaita was once again confused by the way Dragon made her feel.
Dragon went to the kitchenette. He removed some glasses and filled them with water, the only drink on board after nearly a year sailing the stars. Coming back to the bridge, he offered a glass to his shipmates. “We’re really at the end now,” he said. “It didn’t happen the way we thought it would, and we lost some people along the way. But everyone’s going to end up coming home, one way or another. So I say thanks to Torta, Regal, Spats, and Scallop for everything they did! And I say cheers to victory!”
“Cheers!” Puttee and Gaita said as one while the three clinked glasses.
Dragon’s communicator went off again as he was downing his water. “Hey, Velvet,” he answered. “Ok, I’ll put you on speaker.”
“You guys all there?” Velvet asked.
“Yes!” said Puttee, too enthusiastically.
“Great! So, we talked it out, and we’re going to bring the Saiyans to Earth, at least for now. No one is sure where we’ll settle permanently, and the plan is to locate a new home and move there later. So, if you’ll send me your coordinates, I’ll have the fleet follow you guys to the planet.”
“Awesome!” Puttee said. “Glad to have you on board! I’ll send them now; we shouldn’t be too far from you.”
“Cool,” said Velvet. “And Dragon, seriously, we gotta talk, as soon as we hit planetside.”
“Ok, fine,” Dragon said. “I’ll see you then. Bye.”
“Till next time,” Velvet said. Dragon hung up.
“So, what’s next, Mr. Saiyan King?” Puttee asked Dragon coyly.
Dragon waved that notion off. “I can’t even think about that right now,” he said. “I’m still reeling from the final fight. I’ve spent so much of my life motivated by being able to kill Daikon one day, and now…that’s gone.”
“Plus the hole in your gut,” Puttee reminded him. Dragon nodded in agreement.
“You’ll find something,” said Gaita. “Beating Daikon was to free your people to live better lives. I honestly think you are better suited to leadership than you think. And I get the feeling your skill and power will win you a lot of support, from what I gather about Saiyan culture.”
Dragon nodded absent-mindedly, staring off into the ceiling. He got up and stretched, flexing out his muscular frame, and then stood. “I’ll go think on my own for a bit. How long is the trip to Earth again?”
“It’ll be about a month, at least,” said Puttee.
“Cool. Night, ladies.” Dragon left the lounge.
Puttee rolled her neck as well and started popping her knuckles. Gaita, whose eyes followed Dragon out of the room, shook Puttee by the shoulder once his cabin door was shut. “Hey, can we talk?” Gaita asked.
“What’s up?” Puttee asked.
“A few times now, Dragon’s made me feel…uncomfortable? I don’t really know how to describe it…”
“In what way?”
“Well…I mean, I’ve never felt this way before, so I think it has to do with having an organic body. Like, just now, when he stretched, my stomach got fluttery, and my cheeks felt warm, and I couldn’t think of words to say.”
Puttee smiled widely and deviously, putting her head on her hands. “Oh, reaaaally?”
Gaita was confused. “What? Yes. I’m being serious. I can’t tell if it’s a good or bad feeling, but it didn’t make me want to get away from him.”
“Oh, I bet not!”
“Stop that! I really need your help! Stop teasing me like – like you tease Svenex, oh my god! You didn’t program me with sexuality! Is that what this is?!”
“I don’t know, mayb—”
“Shut up! I’m…basically a full grown adult, and I have no idea what these feelings are or what to do with them! You made me, so you fix this! What do I do?!”
“Calm down! This is all normal and natural. You’re totally fine. I can’t ‘fix’ this or tell you what to do, per se. All I can do is talk this out, if you want, tell you what I do. I don’t really have any experience with, like, relationships, and if you’ll recall what Svenex said, I’m probably not a great flirting coach.”
“True, yeah…”
“Ok, you didn’t have to agree. Lesson one, we’re sisters, so back me up when we talk love, no matter what.”
“What if you’re doing something bad or dumb?”
“I have an ego! I shouldn’t have to spell this out!”
Gaita paused a moment. “Well, my first question is…since this is Spats’s body, will I inherit her sexuality? If so, do you know what kinds of people she was into?”
“I have no answer to either question, for like every reason. Your personality was written similarly to how I remember hers, so there could be overlap already. And I have no idea about the more metaphysical implications of your current condition. Also, I ran from home when I was twelve and barely aware of sex, and Spats wasn’t exactly an open book.”
“I was hoping that was because of what happened after you left.”
“Yeah, sorry. My best advice? Keep an open mind, follow your feelings, and start by thinking about if and what you’d want to do with people, see how that makes you feel.”
Gaita looked down at her body, and ran Spats’s hands across her belly and shoulders. “Doing that…with this?”
“I also can’t tell you how to feel about that. This is all up in the air for everyone, but I know you’re in a special circumstance that makes things more…challenging. I’ll always be here to listen, though. And if you do have any spicy experiences, tell me before any of your friends! Sisters rule number two!”
“Spicy?”
“I taught you words! Keep up!”
Gaita continued to study her new, borrowed form. “I knew I’d have a lot to learn about myself, once things were peaceful, but now…” She paused. “I think I need a moment to myself. I’ll…I’ll take a cabin for myself. Maybe from now on.”
Puttee smiled. “They grow up so fast!”
Gaita rolled her eyes as she got up to leave. “Night.”
Watching her leave the lounge, Puttee was struck by how familiar that bit of passive-aggression looked. She was still wracked by doubts about whether or not she did the right thing, putting Gaita in Spats’s body. She reached into her backpack and removed the sample of blood from the Frost Demon Jockey, along with a sample from the Namekian Regal and the Saiyan Dragon, and she wondered if her next idea would do anything more than cement her status as a mad scientist.
The trip to Earth took a total of two months. Velvet was able to bring the rest of the fleet in tow behind the Rainbow Stocking the second day, and the larger group slowed down progress the Earthlings could have made on their own. The other ships had fueling concerns, and thousands of ravenously hungry Saiyans to feed, which led to many pit stops. Puttee sent a message ahead to Svenex, giving her a summary of their adventure and a heads-up on the imminent arrival of the Saiyan people. During the trip, Dragon split his time on the Rainbow Stocking and among his comrades. Velvet and a number of other Saiyan warriors joined Dragon in enjoying the gravity chamber. Gaita tried to be social, and did spend some time in the gravity chamber, but found the task too overwhelming at this moment to spend much time among Saiyan company. Puttee was fascinated to study seedlings for Saibamen, a kind of mass-produced vegetable soldier created by Saiyan scientists. The Empire thought them too weak and discontinued their use, but the rebellion still had leftover samples.
Finally, a year after leaving Earth, the Rainbow Stocking and her new fleet arrived in orbit over the Earth. Dragon went with Velvet, who led the Saiyans down into a desert in the west of Knuckle. Puttee brought her ship down to its original launch point, on her front lawn in the Unaffiliated Islands. She grabbed Gaita by the hand excitedly and ran down the ramp towards the familiar, inviting front gate of her home and its now-overflowing scrap pile. “We’re home!” Puttee called out gleefully. Gaita giggled.
From the front door emerged a woman, casual yet somehow commanding in her bearing. Puttee froze, and Gaita paused. The woman looked overjoyed, overwhelmed, and tears began to pour from her eyes. “Welcome home!” she said.
“Mom!!” Puttee responded, rushing to embrace her mother, Legging, revived from the dead in Spats’s final act of defiance and heroism. “Mom, I – you’re really here!!”
Gaita found herself staring, unsure what to do. She both felt unfamiliar and even intruding in this moment, having never met Legging, and yet felt deep yearning to once again embrace her mother. “Spats!” Legging said, looking up at her. “Why are you crying?”
Gaita touched her cheeks, finding tears there, not her own. Spats did finally get to see her mother again, a lifelong wish fulfilled. Her tears were joined by Gaita’s.
“Come here!” Legging said, bringing Puttee along to include Gaita in the family hug. “My daughters! It’s so wonderful to see you! Even after a few months, I don’t know if I believe the story of how I got here, but none of that matters! We’re together again!”
“It was a crazy ride!” Puttee remarked with a laugh. Legging joined in. “So, I guess someone told you about the basics?”
“I did,” said Svenex, stepping out of the house. She wore slacks and a simple blouse, an unusually business-casual look for the former gym rat. Her hair was even braided. “We have a lot of talking to do, Puttee.”
“Oh, leave my daughter alone for a minute!” said Legging. “This is a happy occasion!”
Svenex softened and smiled. “I am happy to see you both back,” she said. “And you brought so many people we couldn’t save back from the dead. I really can’t thank you enough.” Svenex looked at Gaita and puzzled a moment. “Gaita, did you get…taller? You look an inch taller, and I didn’t know you could…grow.”
Legging released her daughters from her embrace. “Who are you talking to?” Legging asked. “This is Spats, my eldest daughter. Say, Puttee, where is this ‘Android sister’ I’ve heard about?”
Gaita backed away some. Legging noticed the unusual vulnerability in her daughter’s posture and expression. “There’s more to the story than you know,” she said. “Let’s go inside.”
Puttee tried delaying the inevitable. “I mean, that can wait—”
“Puttee!!” Gaita snapped, her eyes sharp enough to cut diamond. Puttee wilted, and followed as Gaita led the group inside.
After a long and emotional story, Legging and Svenex knew the tragic and controversial tale behind Spats and Gaita in space. Legging was left in mourning again. Svenex was shocked and felt like an intruder in this family moment. There was silence, and then Legging looked up at Puttee. “Why would you do this?”
Puttee had shrunk into herself. “I couldn’t lose her. Spats or Gaita. I was alone in space, and everyone was trying to kill me and my friends. There wasn’t an option where I could have them both the way we all would have wanted, not that I could see.”
“It took a lot to convince me to go along with this, too,” Gaita interjected. “In the end, the immediate concerns outweighed other issues. And at least this way, I can try to carry on Spats’s spirit. I know I’m not your daughter, and I’m not asking you to think of me that way. But I have her memories, and I hope that I don’t cause you too much pain.”
Legging was quiet a moment, studying the two children. “I can’t begin to imagine losing either of you,” she said. “I may have made the same decision as you, Puttee, if I could pull something like that off. Our bodies are vessels for our souls, and I’m sure Spats is still able to rest while you make use of her vessel. I know neither of you mean harm.”
Puttee felt her eyes burn with tears. “Mom!”
“Give me a little bit to think more about this, but for now, just know that I love you, and I’ll always love you.” Legging turned to Gaita. “And I would love to get to know you better.”
Gaita felt intense relief. “Thank you.”
Svenex sighed. “Putting aside how hard it is for me to wrap my head around this situation,” she said, “I have some things I need to discuss with you, Puttee. I get why Spats wanted to bring your mom back, and no one’s considering taking her away again, but her being here is a huge problem for the entire world.”
“What are you talking about?” Gaita asked. “Why would ‘taking her away again’ be an option?”
“I guess you don’t have that memory,” said Puttee.
“Legging is the princess of Silico,” Svenex explained. Gaita’s jaw dropped. “Puttee is the daughter of a princess and a major member of the military in that country. That’s why she was such an important target for the Knuckle intelligence agency. The king has fully disgraced his government, which currently has no one among his loyalists to take control and throw the fragile network of peace treaties I’ve been making over the past year into the trash bin. But if they found a member of the royal family and, say, kidnapped her for use as a figurehead or forced her into a marriage, then things would change over there. Not to mention those old rumors about the real power of the Silico throne, and how a miracle princess, brought back from the dead, might make a few fanatics.”
“That’s part of why I’ve been living in this literal trash heap you’ve been calling home,” said Legging. “Seriously, I’ve had to do so much cleaning. I’m surprised to see you looking this healthy, Puttee.”
“I can’t let the world know she’s alive,” Svenex continued. “Neither can you. Your mom is top secret. I’m happy you get to have your mom again, but this is seriously a huge bomb you guys threw in my lap. With you running off on your own to get the Dragon Balls, and then making an Android, and now creating the most potent political weapon imaginable…Puttee, it feels like you’ve spent the past few years trying to destroy world peace.”
“So, you haven’t been talking to the Saiyans about staying on Earth?” Puttee asked.
Svenex scowled at her. “No, but I’m joining that negotiation soon. We’ve been talking about it here for the past couple months, since you sent us that message, and public opinion in most places is fifty-fifty at best.”
Legging chuckled. “My daughter always was a handful. You could never do the right thing the right way.”
“Look, I’m not even the one who brought mom back,” Puttee said. “I’m not sure what you want me to say.”
Svenex slapped the table hard. “I want you to sit there and let me blame you for all my problems! I was so afraid you weren’t going to be here for me to unload anything on, and I really need this! And you kinda are a huge part of a lot of my problems these days.” Her phone pinged. Svenex checked it and sighed. “But that can wait till later. I have to go meet up with the rest of the Knuckle Council to convince everyone to let your Saiyan friends relocate here.” She got up to leave and hugged Puttee and Gaita. “I missed you two so much. I’ll be back soon to catch up more.” With a wave goodbye, Svenex left, flying off to the northwest.
“Svenex was always pretty,” said Gaita, “but has she always been that pretty? Is it her new hairstyle? No, I think it’s her eyes. So intense.”
“Hey, I saw her first!” said Puttee.
“Now, now!” said Legging. “My daughters will not be fighting over a girl! I’m a princess, no one knows better than me how bad that is.” The Silico Royal Family laughed.
Over the next few days, Puttee, Gaita, and Legging got reacquainted with one another. For a couple days, Puttee was like a child during show-and-tell, with the many machines and inventions she made from scrap over the years to delight her mother with. While Puttee was catching up on organizing and sorting her scrap pile, Gaita and Legging had long conversations about life and the world.
Far away in Knuckle, Svenex worked hard to convince the rest of her council members to let the Saiyans stay. She found Dragon to be a strong and useful ally in this. Though he was still unsure about a future as the next king, Dragon had accepted a leadership role in this process, and proved a convincing, calming voice to those Earthlings afraid of the “violent immigrants.”
“At the end of the day,” said an aging politician, sweat dripping down his bald face, “you’re asking to stay on our planet, within my country, for an indefinite period of time, entirely uncompensated. I feel as if you haven’t fairly addressed my colleague’s concerns about your ‘warrior culture,’ but for me, the bigger concern is how long you plan to eat away at our resources. Perhaps there are worlds better equipped to handle your situation you could go to.”
Svenex exhaled hard; at this moment, like so many others the past week, she’d been holding back many words. “Listen, you’ve been saying—”
Dragon raised his hand. “I’ve told you before,” said Dragon, “I am of the mind that I would prefer to give something in return to the planet giving us safe harbor. Gratitude is an important virtue. But we have nothing you consider of value to give. What little we still have, we have offered in compensation. This council has rejected all offers, even the generous offer to train your military in our martial arts, perhaps our most prized cultural asset. We just lost our home planet and escaped persecution by a dictator, from a line of dictators. And yes, it’s true that I can’t give you an exact timetable on locating a new, acceptable world for us to live on. I feel as if you’re placing unfair conditions on your approval, and then refusing to allow us to meet them, in order to force us away simply because you don’t like having to give us aid. My people can be fully self-sufficient in this quarter of your world, which is why we chose it and why we feel there’s little need to argue like we are.”
“Your self-sufficiency,” said a woman in a conservative pantsuit, “is rooted in your ‘fierce independence of spirit,’ as you’ve described your own people. To my colleagues and I, that sounds like you can’t guarantee you and your problems will stay confined to this stretch of land.”
“Their only problem is having to be in this stretch of land,” said Svenex. “They aren’t lacking in health or economy. This area is, by their own definitions, enough for the short term stay they seek, but to us it’s harsh and largely worthless. We have no settlements here for a reason; beyond a stream and small scrubland, it has nothing. While I would be happy to offer them greener pastures, I’ll make do with ensuring they at least get this minimal accommodation that they requested, in consideration of our feelings. It would pay to return the favor.”
The opposition was about to respond, but Svenex, Dragon, and both security teams present shuddered in shock. “What is it?” asked the bald man.
Svenex scoffed. “A true minister of Knuckle would recognize this massive chi!”
“What’s in the southwest?” Dragon asked.
“Just ocean,” said Svenex. “Where could this level of power have been hiding? I’ve never felt anything like that!”
“I have,” said Dragon standing up. “Daikon and Malacol were tougher beasts, but not by much. And this was supposed to be a peaceful world.”
Suddenly, everyone’s phones and computers were overtaken by a strange signal. On each device, an audio message began to play. “Greetings, ministers of the land dwellers!” said an imposing, deep voice. “It is I, Marianas the Mermaid King! For centuries, my people were content to let you think of us as fascinating oddities as you skim over our vast domain and squabble over your limited homesteads. But now you wish to form a government that controls the entire planet, when you only walk on one-third of it! This is an insult! I will never yield to your rule! After much preparation and deliberation, I declare this moment to be ripe for war on the surface world! You will bow before me and recognize this world’s true rulers!”
“Marianas?!” the bald minister recoiled. “I thought the mermaid kingdom was a myth! Mermaids are supposed to be lonely wanderers of the sea!”
Svenex got up and rolled up her sleeves. “Clearly not. I doubt I can help with the king, assuming that’s his chi, but I will step back onto the battlefield to defend every last person I can.” She turned to her fellow council members. “Earthling and Saiyan.”
Dragon nodded in approval. “You have great form. Let me know if you ever wanna get back in shape, and I’ll help you out.” He turned to the council. “Here’s my last offer, before I recommend my people simply ignore your orders and keep on keeping on. I’m going to go fight that guy, and the Saiyans will gladly pitch in to help defend their homes from invasion. If we can repel the mermaid armies, will you leave us alone?”
“That—but you—!” stammered the balding man.
“You can give me your answer after I’m done,” said Dragon. He turned to his entourage. “Go spread the word! We got a war to fight!” The Saiyan crew agreed heartily and went to their task. Dragon flew off towards the massive chi in the ocean.
“I’d take the offer,” said Svenex, ripping the side of her skirt for more flexible movement. She then flew off to the coast to meet the undersea forces.
Back in the Unaffiliated Islands, the Silico Royal Family was having lunch. Gaita noticed a group of power signatures coming from the coast, using the ingenious implant Spats put in her brain. “Wait here,” she said, going out to see what was happening, leaving her mother and sister confused.
Outside, she saw mermaid soldiers climbing up the cliffside, weapons in hand. “We will kill you as an offering to the sea!” one of the soldiers said.
Gaita was alarmed and disappointed. “Mermaids have to be the bad guys?” she asked. She quickly engaged with the soldiers and easily dispatched them. None were stronger than the average Demon Clan soldier.
Once she was finished with these attackers, she went inside. “It’s an invading mermaid army,” she told her sister and mother. “Hopefully, it’s just around here.”
Puttee got a call from Svenex and quickly answered it, putting the call on speaker. “Hello?” she answered.
“Hey, you all!” Svenex said. “Marianas, the Mermaid King, sent a declaration of war to all the world governments! I could really use your help!”
“So it wasn’t just here,” said Gaita. “I already fought some soldiers.”
“Then you know what we’re up against. Just come over here, to the Saiyan refugee camp, and follow them to the coast. The chi on this Marianas guy is insane, and he’s not even leaving his home yet!”
“I’ll be there soon!” Gaita said.
“Thanks!” Svenex hung up.
“The mermaid kingdom!” said Legging, face-palming herself. “I could have warned Svenex about them! It’s too easy to think they’ll stay hidden forever.”
Gaita flew up to her room a moment before flying back down to the door. “I’ll be back as soon as I can!” said Gaita.
“Wait!” Puttee said. She ran to her lab and then back out. “Take this communicator, and some rebreathers! Our friends will need them, too.”
Gaita scratched the back of her head. “Right, because I breathe, and don’t have radios and phones built into my head.” She took the gadgets, putting the communicator in her ear right away. “Now, I’m off!” She waved goodbye as she flew out the door.
“Is she going to be ok?” asked Legging.
“I mean, we never have any way of knowing,” said Puttee. “Seems unlikely this enemy is bigger than those we’ve seen before, but who knows, right?” She paused a moment. “I spent a decent chunk of time in space openly crying in fear because I didn’t know if she would survive the next battle. And I did not like it. It was very out of character for me. I’m the great adventurer and scientist, Puttee! I laugh at death!” Legging giggled. “I mean, at the beginning, when things got exciting on Earth, we had our friends, and we had a plan. We went into space like that, too. But for so long, we were alone. I had to hold everything together and improve our situation as fast as possible, while she fought whole armies by herself. But, you know what? I’m not scared anymore. I know she isn’t going into battle alone. She never will, ever again.”
Legging took Puttee’s hand and smiled approvingly. “That’s wonderful, darling.”
Gaita headed off at top speed. She heard a crackle in her ear. “Hey, Gaita!” said Puttee. “I just thought I’d call in and let you know I can try to provide support from here as you go.”
“Thanks!” said Gaita.
There was a pause. “Hello? You do know you have to press the button on your communicator to talk, right? I made them so that it wouldn’t pick up every word you say.”
Gaita, embarrassed, pressed the button on her communicator. “Sorry, I didn’t realize. Thanks for the help.”
“I’ll take that as a no, you don’t know to hold down the button. Do you not know how to use stuff? I mean, I guess you never had to know how to use one of these fancy earpieces.”
Gaita firmly pressed the button in anguish. “Look, a tutorial before I left would have been nice!”
“You’re pressing way too hard; the sound is muffled. Anyways, you’re gonna want to turn about seventy degrees or so to your right. You’re headed in the wrong direction.”
Gaita turned around. “I think I’m going to miss having a compass and things built into me.”
“Hey, you pressed and held the buttons right this time!”
As Gaita flew towards the Saiyan camp, she stopped to repel the invaders on other islands, and along the coast of the mainland. The armies of Knuckle and Silico were doing a good job of holding back the footsoldiers, for the moment, which took some pressure off her mind. With her new speed and some course correction from Puttee, Gaita arrived at the Saiyan base camp within the hour. Down below, the mass of spaceships and hastily erected tents was bustling with activity. Over half the population was already at or going to the coastal battle, while those staying behind were busy preparing provisions and medical support for the end of the fight. She counted the rebreathers in her pocket again, finding eleven.
Once arriving at the battle, Gaita located Svenex on the beach, knocking back mermaid soldiers with determination. All around her were a mixture of Saiyan and Knuckle soldiers, holding the line. She flew down at her side. “Hey, Svenex!” Gaita greeted her. “How are we doing here?”
Svenex grunted as she kicked an enemy away. Gaita didn’t expect to be so impressed with her kick. “As well as expected!” she said. “These guys are all tougher than I figured they’d be, but I’ve got good backup. I really feel out of shape, though. Oh, wait!”
“What?”
“I just remembered you can’t breathe underwater! No one here has had time to work things out with the Silico defense forces for tech, and the longer we wait to get in the water—”
Gaita pulled out Puttee’s rebreathers. “Got you covered! Want one?”
Svenex sighed in relief. “Thanks, but no thanks. Being in this fight, I am tempted to go down with you all again, but I’m not going to cut it ten miles under the sea.”
“It’s ten miles underwater?!”
“Yeah, so the legends go. And this massive chi I’m feeling. You really fought multiple people like that in space?!”
Gaita looked around. “So I guess I’ll take Dragon, Velvet, and the Saiyan elites with me.”
“Yes, good. You can be the vanguard, going down to end this war at the source. The faster you can pull that off, the more lives we can save. If we succeed, we can show that the Saiyans are worth protecting on Earth, and I can prove the resiliency of the treaty alliance I’ve been forming.”
Gaita spotted Dragon down the beach, tearing through mermaid soldiers, and waved him down. She put a hand on Svenex’s shoulder. “I promise, I’ll keep your dream alive.”
Svenex gave Gaita a warm, gracious smile. “Thanks. I can always count on you, Gaita.”
Gaita felt herself blush ear to ear. Dragon landed next to her and gave her a side hug. “It’s great to see you!” he said. “I take it you’re in for the big fight?”
Struggling to settle her stomach, Gaita meekly offered a rebreather to Dragon. “Here,” she said. “I have nine more to give, so…pick your team…”
Dragon took his rebreather and the rest of the set. “Great! Hey, Velvet!” He flew off to gather the troops.
Svenex blasted away a few more enemies. “You, uh, used to all your organic body’s… features yet?” she asked.
Gaita looked away. “It’s…overwhelming.”
Svenex smiled at the nervous look Gaita was giving her. She always thought they’d hit it off. “You’ll get used to it,” she said. “Though it does take human teenagers years.”
As Dragon flew back and forth down the beach, gathering up his team, Gaita used the opportunity to help with the beach battle to vent her stress. Soon enough, Dragon had gathered his team of elite Saiyan warriors, including Velvet, Adzuki, Leisa, Turtle, Pigeon, Catjang, Chick, Basul, and Tamarind. “You all ready?” he asked. “This the full crew?”
“Yes,” said Svenex. “I’m staying up here, since it’s where I’ll do the most good. You all go down there and make good on your promise, earn some points with my jerk coworkers.”
“Oh, we’re not doing anything for them,” said Velvet. She popped in her rebreather. “Let’s go.”
Dragon chuckled as he put his in. “You’re always so impatient!” He dove into the waters, followed by the Saiyan warriors, none of whom bothered to remove any armor or clothing. Gaita removed her dress, revealing the one-piece swimsuit she was wearing beneath. After her brief interactions with Svenex and Dragon, she was happy she didn’t grab a bikini. With one final wave to Svenex, Gaita rushed into the icy waters of the western ocean, and learned that the cold was uncomfortable. As she got closer to the group ahead of her, she started feeling strange tremors in her teeth, moving up her jaw. Soon, she realized they were words, coming in through an induction speaker from the rebreather; apparently, there was a radio function built into them, allowing them to talk underwater. This being her first time wearing one of Puttee’s rebreathers, she hadn’t known this function was built in; she got everyone else’s radio messages directly before.
Beyond the Saiyans, Gaita saw large groups of mermaid soldiers moving up towards the coast. These soldiers were bringing along heavy artillery machines. It didn’t take long for the soldiers to take notice of the landlubbers invading their domain, and soon they were swarming towards the heroes. Gaita was the first to respond. “Waders!” she called out, firing a stream of energy blasts to destroy the artillery.
“Nice!” said Leisa. She was caught off guard by an attack from a mermaid, and went on the counterattack. Everyone joined in, having relatively little trouble with everything besides the sheer numbers. “Dragon, Velvet, everyone! Keep going! I’ll hold these guys back!”
“We have to stick together!” said Gaita.
“No, she’s right,” said Dragon. “We need to keep moving, or this will never end. Chick, Pigeon, Catjang, you three stay here with Leisa! Everyone else, come with me!”
The four chosen warriors stayed behind while Dragon led the other Saiyans deeper in the water. Gaita didn’t like the idea of leaving friends behind, but accepted the necessity and followed suit. The water got darker and colder the farther down they went. They saw a few more soldiers, but they were smaller companies sent to provide backup and were quickly handled. Gaita did everything she could to take work off of everyone else’s shoulders, to save them energy, but she was feeling overwhelmed by the sensations of pressure, fluidity, and temperature. Of course, she could feel those things before, but she had the choice to tune out those sensations if they distracted her; now, like all warriors, she had to master her body in order to use it.
Farther down still, far past the photic zone, Gaita could feel something in the waves. “Something’s coming,” said Dragon. “Hold tight a second!”
All around them, the group felt changes in the flow of the water that indicated a large predator was nearby, probably more than one. Gaita had a hard time pinning down their numbers, since the creatures were very fast and circling them. Soon, lights began to appear, flashing in many colors. From this, it was clear that they were being attacked by four sharks, with some form of hypnotic bioluminescence. Gaita moved in for the attack, but Adzuki intercepted. “Stop!” he said. “You need to keep moving! These things will take all day, being apex ocean hunters, and we need you further down! I saw you sparring with Dragon in the gravity chamber!”
“But I can do this!” said Gaita. “I don’t want you wasting your strength!”
“He’s right,” said Dragon. “This is the best move. In this water, we’re at a disadvantage; even with power, we can’t guarantee this will go our way any time soon. Adzuki, you and Turtle, Basul, and Tamarind stay here and keep the war sharks busy! Velvet, Gaita, stay with me!” He kept swimming farther down still.
Velvet followed Dragon quickly, but paused once she realized Gaita wasn’t moving. “You coming or what?” she asked.
Gaita was unsure. “I feel like I should help them. I can keep everyone safe! I have the perfect tools for the job!”
“Tools? You’re not a tool, you’re a warrior. Don’t you want to fight Marianas?”
Gaita felt a burning passion at the words, and realized how much she was looking forward to the fight. “I do, but—”
“Then let them handle this. We’re soldiers, it’s what we do.” Velvet kept swimming, and soon Gaita followed behind.
As the group went deeper and deeper, Gaita had increasing trouble popping her ears to compensate for the pressure. She couldn’t get past the discomfort of being in this new body, and all the unavoidable sensations and needs. She was also having trouble balancing out her personal needs, to live up to her role as a shield to her friends and her desire to fight the new, powerful enemy ahead of her. By comparison, she was jealous of Dragon and Velvet, who seemed so sure of every decision they made.
A strange sound reverberated through the water. They felt deliberate, as if speaking. There was a pause, and then more speaking. A moment later, a new voice came in through the induction speaker. “Hello? Is this thing getting through your radios?”
“Yes!” said Dragon. “Who is this?”
“I take it by that reaction you can hear me,” said the voice. “I am Amur, right hand of Marianas. With me is my colleague, Yangtze. We are here to put an end to your meddling. Our forces will wipe out the surface. Once we dispose of you, no one will be left who can oppose us!”
“You three are the only ones with any real strength!” said another voice, Yangtze. “At least, two of you have strength. Girl in the middle, are you even alive?”
“They can’t reply to us, they don’t know how to speak in the ocean,” said Amur. “Let’s just get this over with!” Amur and Yangtze powered up for battle, causing the water to quake violently.
“Whoa!” said Dragon. “These guys feel stronger than Bagaruta!”
“I got this!” said Velvet.
“No!” said Gaita. “These two are way too tough! We have to end this together and then move forward!”
“She’s right!” said Dragon. “You’ve gotten a lot stronger, but this is their turf, and they’re both too powerful!”
“You have to keep going!” said Velvet. “If you can beat Marianas, then you know you could beat Daikon, right? You have to go on without me!”
Gaita was alarmed. “Velvet, that’s incredibly—”
“You’d do that for me?” Dragon asked. Gaita was taken aback. “I do trust you. Alright, then! I’ll be back to help as soon as I can!” He swam farther down still.
Soon, Velvet was swarmed by the combined undersea assault of Amur and Yangtze. Gaita quickly shot through the water, catching up to Dragon. “What are you doing?!” she asked. “You’re just going to abandon your friends?!”
“This is for them, too!” said Dragon. “Everyone looks up to me as some special guy, and if I can’t win, it means I don’t deserve all that! I worked my whole life to beat someone like this! I have to do this!”
“You worked your whole life so your people could be free! Free to live, not throw their lives away on some misguided honor! Remember when Torta took over the fight with Daikon, and you let him, because it was the best move?”
“I was already messed up from the fight! I just needed to thin the field and rest a second, then I could’ve—”
“Could’ve what?! I heard what Torta told you! Your people need you! That’s what changed your mind! You’re a leader, not just a warrior! Go act like it, and I’ll protect my own planet! Deal?”
“But…” Dragon stared ahead, where he felt massive power from Marianas. He then turned back and felt Velvet struggling against dual opponents of incredible power.
“Let’s trade lessons. You stop putting your desires before your friends, and I’ll push on and do what’s necessary. Deal?”
“You’re right. You better come back alive, so I can thrash you in Marainas’s place!”
“It’s a date.” Gaita’s cheeks flushed again at the awkward choice of words. “Just go! I’ll be back soon!” Dragon looked back to Velvet and knew he made the right call. He shot back through the water and tackled Amur off of his comrade, joining the fight.
Gaita continued swimming deeper in the water, towards a structure built into the continental shelf she could feel in the waves. Once she got to it, she felt something strangely familiar. Then it dawned on her that this was a stone arch with a glassy door, just like those in Kamiland. She didn’t know what to make of it. The surface of the door began to melt away, causing the water to rush in and pull her along.
On the other side, she found herself in a massive underwater city, spanning miles in diameter. Despite being so far below the sea, it was brightly lit, and the pressure felt similar to the near surface. Just like the Kamiland archways, this one took her into some form of spatial bubble. The mystery shook Gaita to her core, but she had to put it aside. In front of her was the man who opened the gate to her, a massive and imposing merman holding a trident. “So, just one plucky surface dweller has entered my domain?” asked Marianas the Mermaid King. “I’m disappointed it’s some frail little girl.”
Gaita cleared her throat and tried humming words at a high register, to travel through the water from her throat. “I think you mean woman,” she said. “It’s not a good idea to underestimate me.”
Marianas laughed. “So, you learned to talk here? Your words are so strange to mine ears! But no matter, for I don’t need to hear them! I’ll crush you, and then go out to crush your friends, and then all the governments of the world! I am the king of the oceans, master of the elements, and I will not be made to bow to some weak treaties made by worthless air-breathers!” With a burst of power, Marianas’s aura flared massively, and the water was repelled from him with thunderous force. The deep sea king moved with incredible swiftness, punching Gaita down into the seafloor.
Getting up, Gaita felt very unsure of herself. Marianas was, indeed, far stronger than any opponent she had ever faced, but she had no time to think of a strategy. His next attack was already headed for her, and her mind was no longer calculating a few million equations a second. All she could do was defend as the king batted her around his city.
The king pointed his trident at Gaita and generated a set of icicles on the ends. “Glacial Judgment!” he cried as he fired them. Gaita dodged the first two missiles, but was struck by the third, trapping her arm in a large block of ice. The pain of the cold was intense. Marianas held a hand up. “Undersea Breeze!” he said, shooting out a pillar of air from his palm. The force of the strange, impossible air was like a hurricane. Marianas took a deep breath and spewed out a channel of fire into the air flow, dousing Gaita in unbearable flames. Just as she felt the relief of the water rushing back over her, Gaita was blasted by a storm of thunderbolts, issued from Marianas’s trident. “Do you choose to bow to my mastery over nature itself?”
After the electrical sensation ceased, Gaita noticed that she felt fine. Some pain lingered, but her own infinite energy coursed through her cells, pushing out all sense of fatigue. She chuckled. “No, I think I’ve got this in hand.” Marianas possessed no power greater than her own, though they were strange enough to pique her curiosity. Rolling her neck, she refocused herself. Just like the fight with Abalone, she needed to remember how important it was to play things loose and keep her wits about her.
Charging in, Gaita took the offensive, making use of her smaller size to attack hard to defend places on the giant merman’s body. Marianas continued to attack with his strange, elemental chi, so Gaita had to get creative in defending against each type of attack. The sheer variety of attacks was intense, and incredibly fun. For the first time since she was activated, Gaita remembered how much fun it was to fight, even if it were for duty. As Marianas threw his next punch, Gaita blocked it overhead, and she had a flash of memory. These last few strikes were the same as an exchange she had with Spats, and she remembered it from both sides. Gaita giggled. “I’ll show you a great time, Spats,” she hummed to herself.
With a growl, Marianas deflected Gaita away. Placing his hands together in front of himself, he began charging a massive energy blast. Gaita wondered what element he’d use for such a powerful attack. “Nature’s Wrath!” he yelled, firing a beam of lightning, ice, fire, and wind. The volley sent the surrounding water into turmoil. Gaita tried moving out of the way, but was too slow. A massive burst of energy and steam erupted from her location. Marianas laughed between ragged breaths. “What was that about underestimating you?”
The steam cleared away, and Gaita stood there, in her forcefield. “This move is really starting to feel cowardly,” said Gaita. “I was hoping not to use it. By the way, you look tired.”
Marianas was shocked. “What are you?!”
“A proud daughter and sister,” Gaita said. She charged up two Cowboys and let them spin over her hands. Rushing in at Marianas, she cut him bit by bit in an unrelenting assault. Having used up so much power in his Nature’s Wrath, Marianas was left unable to defend himself for very long against the Android hero. Before too long, Marianas was cut to ribbons, bleeding into the water. His citizens were in shock. “Surrender peacefully, and maybe you can be the one to lead your people into the world again.”
Marianas’s breath was fading. “I recognize no law above the royal sea.” Using the last of his strength, he began channeling the power of the earth, causing magma to pool below.
Gaita recognized this volcanic buildup and sighed. With one Hessian through his head, she slayed the Mermaid King. “And he was such a capable warrior.” She scanned the cityscape, wanting to gage the reaction of the kingdom. Most were shocked at Marianas’s defeat, and others were scared of the powerful invader who killed him. All about what Gaita could expect, except for the strange old human man wearing a breathing mask. He looked disappointed, and through the plastic on his mask, Gaita read his lips as saying, “I guess I’ll need another champion of elements, after all.”
Gaita wanted to confront this man right away, but she heard Dragon calling her from the rebreather. “Hey, are you ok?” he asked. “The door just opened again! We’re ready to help!” Dragon and Velvet swam through, quickly discovering Gaita floating over Marianas’s body. “Whoa, yeah! You did it!”
Gaita was slapped heartily across her back by Dragon and Velvet’s congratulations. “Yeah, thanks,” she said. “We should really check this place out, though—”
“There’ll be plenty of time for that later,” said Velvet. “We just won the war, so now it’s up to us to let everyone know that the fighting is over.”
“It’s true,” said Dragon. “We’ll come back peacefully later. Come on, race you to the surface! Bet I’m faster than the lucky little thing who managed to beat Marianas!”
Gaita was flustered. “Lucky!?” With a laugh, Dragon flew off through the gate, as did Velvet. Gaita shot out to meet them, but took one last look back at the old man in the mask. He was pleased, and his lips seemed to say, “He’ll do nicely.”
Back on the surface, Gaita emerged seconds before Dragon. She laughed. “You shouldn’t challenge me to a race when you’re tired,” she said. “I never am.”
“Whatever,” Dragon said, rolling his eyes. Velvet and the other Saiyans were popping out of the waves one by one.
Svenex waved down the retuning heroes. “You did it!” she called out in victory. “Thank you so much!”
Gaita rushed down to Svenex, and they hugged. “I told you I’d keep your dream alive.”
“I knew you would.” She released Gaita. “And thanks for defending my planet, Dragon!”
“Hey, it’s no big,” Dragon said. “We owe you. Now I gotta go tell those jerks you work with that I don’t have to listen to them anymore.” He turned to the Saiyan soldiers. “We just beat the baddest guy on the planet! They can’t tell us what to do!” The Saiyans cheered.
Velvet nudged Dragon as he basked in this praise. “Thanks for coming back for me, king,” she said.
Dragon sighed. “Can’t we do something more…democratic? I’m not into the whole ‘my bloodline will rule forever’ stuff.”
“I mean, tournaments are always popular,” said Velvet.
Dragon laughed. “That would be so like us!” The two flew off towards their base camp, leading all the other Saiyan soldiers home with them.
“I did that,” said Gaita, watching Dragon fly off.
Svenex chuckled. “You sound like your sister.”
“Speaking of which, I have a lot I really need to tell you. Something really fishy is happening on Earth, and I think it’s been happening for a while! Come by our place soon so we can talk!”
Svenex patted Gaita on the shoulder and gave her a warm smile. “It’s a date.”
As Svenex flew off, Gaita was left whirling. Knowing Svenex, Gaita was convinced she did it on purpose. Mastering combat in her new body seemed like a challenge, but it was nothing compared to these new emotions.
Epilogue:
Dragon finalized the deal with the Knuckle government, officially making the Saiyan settlement square with the law. His opposition on the council was left with no leverage after the Saiyan army repelled the mermaids, and public opinion on them around the world brightened considerably. Velvet was readying the tournament for choosing the Saiyan President, for which Dragon had to write a speech. He greatly awaited to hear from his opponents in the tournament, as well; whoever was chosen by virtue of their speech would fight, and all those participating would become the president’s cabinet.
With all this going on, Dragon swam down to the Mermaid Kingdom once again. He was part of a delegation to reach out peacefully to the mermaids, who were still in turmoil over the loss of their king. He was reluctant to join, as an outsider to this planetary affair, but there weren’t many Earthlings capable of the trip. A strongarming from Svenex got him to attend.
Down in the murky black, he found the gate and entered the city. No longer in a frenzy of battle, Dragon marveled at the beauty of the coral forests and shimmering sand of the Mermaid Kingdom. He swam alongside the Earth delegates, in a submersible, following the mermaid advisors to the castle. The meeting was long and tiresome, but fruitful; the remaining leadership of the kingdom agreed to accept aid from the surface world and signed a treaty guaranteeing their consideration for joining the World Council.
The mermaid advisors led the Earthlings around town, with their extra time. Dragon took the opportunity to explore the city at his own pace. As he passed by a shopping bazar in the downtown, a man tapped his shoulder. Dragon turned, surprised to see a very old human wearing a breathing mask. “I remember you,” the old man said. “You were pals with that girl what beat Marianas. Look like a mighty strong fighter, too, like Marianas.”
“Who are you?” asked Dragon, suspicious. Gaita warned him about this strange man.
“Name’s Chef,” said the man. “Master in a long line of masters, wielder of the elements. Marianas was going to succeed me, warts and all, but then he up and died against a plain jane with no special tricks. I can’t train her, what with how she ain’t got no chi, but you? You seem like an equal of hers. Before you complain, I know you ain’t no local, neither, and you don’t gotta be. I need a fighter fast, and I can pass down the knowledge later, if need be.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about. I’m not getting mixed up in any Earth business.”
“Oh, pish. I can show you how to turn your chi into pure elemental power! All I ask is that, when the time comes, you come back to Earth and fight in a little tournament we got cooking up.”
“I have places to be, Chef. Go find some other rube.”
“You ever wonder how this place got made? Me and my friends’ predecessors did this! We’ve been on this Earth a long time, and we even have connections to the Kami! I know this don’t mean much to you, but go tell your friends what I said. The one what looked like a daughter of the…whaddaya call it these days? The Silico throne. I’m sure she’ll convince you to take up this offer. Plus, it’s a real cool trick.” Chef held up his hand and generated a tornado of wind, ice, and lightning.
Dragon whistled at the display. “I’ve got a culture to change. No time for tricks.”
“You don’t gotta come here to train, silly! I’m here to train Marianas, not because it’s my home! I’ll fly with you to your new planet, if need be.”
The Saiyan furrowed his brow. “I’ll think about it.” He swam off. Gaita was right to warn him about the old man, and he found the offer surprisingly enticing.
“You’ll be back,” Chef said confidently.
Back home, Gaita looked over her packed bags. All her clothes and essentials were ready. She took a deep breath. Though reluctant in many ways, she knew it was the right decision. She picked up her bags and went downstairs.
Legging saw the bags. “You going somewhere?”
“I’m moving out,” said Gaita.
Puttee ran down the stairs from her office. “What?!” she asked. “You can’t go!”
“Yes, I can,” said Gaita. “I need some space for myself now.”
“Just because you get tingly now—”
“That’s not why!! I just…you said you didn’t make me to be anything, right? Life is mine to make of it as I will. Since I was activated, I haven’t had a choice in where I’ve stayed. Even before we went to Kamiland, I was planning to move out. Now’s the time.”
“I…” started Legging. “I feel myself wanting to stop you, but you are not Spats. I don’t want to dominate your time, like I would hers. I also understand your feelings, and wish you luck in your new living arrangement.”
“But mom!” Puttee cried. “We can’t just let her go, right?”
“I’m just moving to another island,” said Gaita. “I picked it out a while ago, and the house I want is still available. Fully furnished, and no one’s asking for rent in the Unaffiliated Islands. I’ll just be a couple hundred miles away.”
Puttee pouted. “Easy for you to say.” She hugged Gaita. “I’ll miss you, you know?”
“I will, too. Come visit, and I’ll do the same!”
Legging joined their embrace. “We definitely will, my child. I hope you make a wonderful life for yourself.”
Gaita made her way to the door. She turned back one last time, more emotional than she expected. “Goodbye!” she said, waving. She flew out the door and headed due east, towards a sizeable island that housed a small cottage she would call home.
“She has a lot more stuff than she should,” said Legging. “Not like she’s ever been to a store.”
“I got eager when I was building her,” said Puttee. “I’d never shopped for fashion before, either. Let’s visit her tomorrow.”
Legging giggled. “Yes, let’s.”
Life in the Gutters 