Chapter 2200: Wishful Thinking
With Pilaf and his gang well out of earshot, Sarina waited until Vahn approached with Bulma before raising her hands high and exclaiming, "Eternal Dragon, by your name, I summon you! Come forth, Shenlong...!"
Though it may have been a little childish of her, Sarina had always wanted to try calling forth the Eternal Dragon ever since she saw it appear on screen. She had even tried to throw a kamehameha when she was training in secret, so, seeing the orbs light up in response to her cry, an excited grin developed across her face...
Responding to Sarina's summons, the Dragon Balls released a golden light that forced everyone except Vahn to cover their eyes. Then, as the sky above darkened, a golden pillar of light erupted from within, instantaneously piercing the heavens as thick clouds gathered overhead.
With the light fading away, Sarina opened her eyes before promptly swallowing when she looked up to find a massive dragon staring at her. Shenlong was much bigger than she expected, so much so that his form appeared to blot out the sky as it continued to flow infinitely from the still-glowing Dragon Balls. Its maw was so large that, even if she were to stand next to its smallest tooth, it would be several times her size.
"I am the Eternal Dragon. State your wish, but, be warned, for it will come true..."
Feeling her bones vibrating in response to Shenlong's booming voice, Sarina found herself wholly unable to respond. It was only when Vahn touched her shoulder, silently supporting her, that she was able to state, "I wish for the ability to summon the Dragon Balls to my side whenever I want...!"
Though Sarina's wish was rather unorthodox, there were no rules prohibiting someone from using their wish to acquire the Dragon Balls. This was a bit of a loophole, but, as it didn't really care what people wished for, Shenlong's crimson-red eyes glowed against the backdrop of the stormy sky as it released an invisible, magical pulse and stated, "Your wish...has been granted..."
As the earliest versions of Shenlong only had the power to grant a single wish, its body burst into gold light the moment it finished speaking. The Dragon Balls began to ascend towards the sky, but, instead of splitting off in random directions at the speed of light, they promptly fell to the Earth as inert, ashen-grey spheres...
Speaking out while the others were still recovering from their stupors, a bemused expression on his face as he remarked, "That was a little surprising...I half-expected you to wish for the bloodline of an Ancient Saiyan or something similar..."
Giggling in response to Vahn's words, Sarina leaned into him as she mused, "Why would I waste a wish on something I can just ask you for? This will make collecting the Dragon Balls without your help much easier. It also lets me steal them from anyone who is trying to misuse them. Win-win, right?"
Unable to refute the raven-haired woman's logic, Vahn just planted a kiss atop her head before cradling her in his arms. This elicited a series of coughs from Bulma, but, instead of releasing Sarina from his grasp, Vahn continued to hold her until she took the initiative to separate, whispering, "You should hurry up and do her. I'm starting to get tired of her acting like a spoiled brat all the time..."
Resisting the urge to point out she was also quite spoiled, Vahn planted a second kiss on Sarina's forehead before answering, "When she's ready..." in a whisper of his own.
Since she couldn't exactly force Vahn to have sex, Sarina gave a helpless sigh before standing on the tips of her toes and giving him a kiss. Then, despite each ball weighing several kilograms, she casually picked them up before placing them into a satchel. Their magical properties prevented them from being placed into spatial storage devices so this was the alternative she had prepared prior to making her wish.
Seeing Sarina placing the inert Dragon Balls into her satchel, Goku approached with a concerned look on his face, asking, "Which one of these is my Grandpa's ball...?" before following it up with, "Are they going to stay like this?"
Emulating Vahn's habit, Sarina gently ruffled Goku's hair as she explained, "Don't worry, little guy. They'll return to normal in twelve months. As for your Grandpa's ball...why don't I just let you hold on to each of them?"
Knowing that the Red Ribbon Army would begin searching for the Dragon Balls shortly after they became active, Sarina figured she might as well entrust them to Goku. She didn't really know how fate worked but she assumed they would seek him out at Kame House and eventually antagonize him into wiping them out. If they didn't, well, she would simply have to take matters into her own hands.
Though she understood her actions were a little outrageous, Lapis and Lazuli, better known as Androids 17 and 18, were two of Sarina's favorite characters. She really wanted them to exist in the present timeline, so, even though she could easily defeat Dr. Gero long before he became a threat, she would rather just leave things to Goku and let fate take its course. They would probably resent her if they knew the truth, but, so long as they never found out, they would be happier as Androids than normal people. At least, that's what she told herself.
Unaware of Sarina's machinations, Goku happily accepted the satchel filled with stone spheres. This caused a wave of guilt to wash over Sarina's mind, but, as this may well be her only chance to enter an Actualized World, she intended to make the most of it. So long as she actively helped more than she harmed, it should all balance itself out...
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After explaining the situation with Chi-Chi, Vahn received a rather crisp smack from a very enraged Bulma. She accused him of breaking their promise, but, upon learning about Chi-Chi's age and the finer details surrounding their 'engagement', she eventually calmed enough to tell him he was on thin ice.
Promptly shattering said ice, Vahn also revealed the existence of Cheelai and his intentions to foster Broly. Bulma ended up hearing him out till the end, but, shortly thereafter, she blasted off in the Model Tiamat after saying she would come and find him once she had calmed down and made the necessary arrangements for Sarina's and Chi-Chi's transfers.
Though he could understand why Bulma was angry, there wasn't too much Vahn could do without acting as though the entire universe revolved around her. She wasn't the reason he had entered the Actualized World, so, while he intended to do what he could to guarantee her happiness, he wasn't going to ignore everything else just to pander to her. If he let her, she would treat him as little more than a convenience to get whatever she wanted. Not because she was evil or exploitative by nature, but because she simply didn't know how to prioritize anything but herself.
As narcissistic as it may sound, Vahn knew everything would kind of sort itself out the moment he and Bulma had sex. He was also one of the few people she would be able to bounce ideas off of, so, once she had mellowed out and overcome her teen angst, everyone would be a lot happier. Until then, Vahn's priorities were helping Sarina grow stronger and subtly manipulating events to ensure she got the most out of their time in the Actualized World.
With this in mind, Vahn pretended not to notice Pilaf and his two cronies, Mai and Shu, sneaking away while he, Goku, and Sarina discussed returning to Grandpa Gohan's house and resting for a few days. They were currently a few days ahead of schedule in regards to the original timeline, so, while it would be a simple matter to just drop Goku off at Master Roshi's house, Vahn wanted to give him the opportunity to encounter and become frenemies with Krillin.
Just as Sarina had her favorite characters, Vahn had quite a few himself. Krillin had been kind of annoying in the earlier seasons, but, by the events of the Saiyan Saga, he was one of the hardest working members of the Z-Fighters. He had been a part of every major battle, and, no matter how massive the gap between himself and his opponents, he never gave up improving himself until he settled down and started a family.
While Sarina was obviously intending to pair him with Lazuli, Vahn had no intention of changing the cool and reticent blonde's preferences. She clearly had a thing for shorter men, as, despite lacking a nose, Krillin had been the apple of Lazuli's eye from the moment they met. The same could be said of Krillin, who, despite knowing the Androids were out to kill his best friend, couldn't help falling in love with the fierce yet secretly soft-hearted gynoid...
Besides, with his ability to direct his intent pretty much anywhere, Vahn had already confirmed that Lapis and Lazuli were only a few months old. This had surprised him quite a bit, but, considering the twins were around 18 at the time of their biomechanical conversion, it made sense they were 12-13 years younger than the rest of the Z-Fighters. Thus, with Sarina conspiring to pair him with girls like Kale and Caulifla, Vahn had few qualms with letting Krillin's and Lazuli's relationship blossom...
Of course, without actively viewing it, even Vahn had no clue how things might develop thanks to the changes he and Sarina had introduced. After all, they were only a few days into their journey, yet, in spite of this, he was literally preparing to adopt one of the most powerful characters in the series. With even just a small amount of training, there was a very real probability that Broly would simply fodder every enemy that appears...
There was a reason he was called the Legendary Super Saiyan...
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While Vahn, Sarina, and Goku were enjoying a feast back on Mount Paozu, a certain green-skinned alien with white hair and rose-pink eyes was currently loafing around in her room in little more than a purple sports bra and a matching pair of spats. Purple had always been her favorite color, so, after discovering her closet filled with purple clothes, she tried on a few before ultimately decided to just relax in her underwear.
Though she still wanted to believe she had misunderstood her employer's intentions, the resort-like conditions of her new home had gradually opened Cheelai's mind to the notion of simply accepting whatever he had in mind for her. If she got to relax in a warm mineral bath and eat delicious meals every single day, she wouldn't mind playing the part of a pet. It might not be an ideal lifestyle, but, compared to living on the streets and being forced into prostitution just to get by, it was marginally more acceptable.
Unfortunately, even after exploring the manor, fiddling around with herself, and even going so far as to stage a pretend getaway, no one appeared to take advantage or stop her. This caused Cheelai to reconsider if she was actually being watched, but, recalling how her employer had teleported her the moment she consented to become a caretaker, he had to have some kind of means to observe her. If not...well, there wasn't much she could do about that other than hope he returned sometime after the stain she left in the master bedroom faded away...
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(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Shenlong? More like Shenlongboi...','Bulma really is a bit of a narcissist...','Ah, the things people will do when they've completely misunderstood a situation...')