Piercing the Heavens - Shana and Goku (Complete)

Piercing the Heavens

Medium Quest

Requirements: Must have completed Above the Clouds.

Reward: 2,000 Zeni

You aren’t the only one to set your eyes on the heavenly cloud. And who wouldn’t? Even if its properties are unknown by most mortals, it was created by the gods. Some other worldly creatures are already there, creating some kind of machine to process the giant cloud. Stop them.

Stubbornly, Shana pushed on even though the biting cold was beginning to take its toll. Ice crystals began to form on her upper arms; she barred them before her as a defense of sorts as she tried to pierce the heavens. Yet as she lost the feeling to her entire upper body, the human had to grudgingly admit defeat. She cut off her flight and allowed her lithe body to drop from the thick barrier of clouds.

As she lowered in altitude, the human welcomed the increase of temperature with open arms. Okibi's snarl ruined the joy of the warmth. There. Satisfied? If you went any higher, you may as well have tried flying through space!

"Don't go on," Shana begged, rolling her brown eyes. As the ground came into view, she paused in her drop, cushioning herself on a pillow of ki once more.

Now what?

"I thought I sensed something," Shana answered the cranky god of flames, looking around carefully as she tried to hone in on the power source once more. Instead, the girl was startled to see a building that was balanced precariously on what appeared to be a long string of totemic-like carved cylinders. A mad clad in an orange jump suit and strange hair had his back to her, but suddenly leaped out of the tower to fall to the ground below.

Just when Shana thought she had seen it all though, her brown eyes fell upon a bipedal cat-like creature. With slanted eyes, the white cat looked right at the human without saying a word.

"Okibi..." Shana whispered. "What is that?"

How am I supposed to know? the god of fire still sounded cranky. I wouldn't mess with whatever super natural things are hanging around in the middle of Earth's atmosphere, though!

The point was taken. A red aura enveloped the tiny female's frame and she shot back down to earth. The human narrowed her eyes as her form pierced the lower clouds. She came to a screeching halt as she nearly collided with the man she had seen before. With a gasp, her entire body jolted to a stop.

"Sorry!" she gasped out, reaching up to push a strand of hair out from her face. Her face shone with a bit of wariness. She hadn't meant to catch up to the flying man, but now that she was right next to him... Shana wasn't sure whether to expect a friendly or hostile greeting.

Word of Shana: 413

High above in the sky a few hundred miles above the Earth, Goku was studying under one of his former masters Master Korin. He arrived a few months prior leaving his family and friends behind to seek enlightenment from the mystical feline. With that being said, Korin brought the attention of a legendary cloud that could transport him anywhere around the Earth. There was a catch, only those pure of heart and intention could even step foot on the hazy solid like vapor.

Goku fell freely from above without a care in the world. He passed through puffs of
clouds with a delightful smirk that emerged from his face. His body lit up like a flame as a luminescent white aura spawned from within. The wind blew back his black strands of hair as he crashed against the violent breeze. Goku twirled and waded his arms through the clouds as he quickly descended back to Earth.

"Alright!", shouted Goku.

Before he could reach the surface of the ground a sudden tick of presence made itself closer to the playful warrior. A young girl seemed to be darting straight down at Goku. Her entire figure was engulfed in red flames. Nearly colliding with the small female, Goku instinctively scurried back away from the tiny girl, and pointed his index finger out in her direction.

"Sorry!" she gasped out, reaching up to push a strand of hair out from her face.

She seemed fatigued, out of breath. As if she were escaping someone trying to capture her, or trying to overcome a difficult task

"Who are you?", Goku asked.

He could sense the enormous amount of energy that rested deep within her. Goku could also sense another presence lurking in or around her, but nothing was to be found. He found it strange however that such a tiny figure could withstand all of that energy that lie dormant within her.

"And.. how old are you? You're not from around here are you?", Goku asked out of curiosity.

The puzzled Saiyan retracted his finger and folded his arms to rest in front of his chest. He glanced down at her feet, just now realizing she was in mid-air along with him. The typical human being could not harness the power of ki without training, so he was slightly confused. Then again Goku had seen a bit of strange things all throughout his lifetime.

He stood firmly as a brisk breeze passed him by, patiently waiting for a response.
---
Count: 420

A glimmer of relief passed over Shana's shoulder as the man spoke. "Who are you?" Shana opened her mouth to respond, but the black haired warrior swept on, looking confused. "And.. how old are you? You're not from around here are you?"

The girl felt slightly overwhelmed by all the questions chained together and she narrowed her eyes in thought. "My name is-"

Are you really sure you want to tell this man your name? You have no idea who he is! Okibi's thought tickled her mind, causing her to shut her mouth once more. The god of fire sighed. Honestly, you're too trusting and innocent for your own good!

But Shana wasn't sure if she agreed with the ferocious god of fire. Perhaps she was too trusting... But although the girl could sense the man's power thanks to her swiftly developing senses, she could also sense something else. His aura was bright. It had a sweetness to it, in fact. Somehow, she just knew that he wasn't going to harm her. She hardly felt the need to point out the small fact that his face hardly hinted at any maliciousness. Finally deciding to simply ignore Okibi's warning, the girl attempted to speak once more.

"I'm Shana!" she exclaimed, ignoring a snarl from Okibi. Luckily, Goku wouldn't be able to hear the spawn of flames' outburst. "And... Uhhhh... I'm eleven." The human frowned to herself, realizing that she had completely forgotten what the man's third question was. With a sheepish grin, she scratched her head. The host of flames could hear Okibi clearing his throat.

"Anyway, sorry for almost running into you," she apologized again. She tipped her head to the side as curiosity began to swell within her mind. "You were over there with that cat-like thing, right?" Shana asked, remembering the strange creature that had stared at her earlier. "Who is that? And what were you doing there?"

Word of Shana: 321/734
TTC: 1154

"I'm Shana!" she exclaimed.

The human frowned to herself, realizing that she had completely forgotten what the man's third question was.

"Anyway, sorry for almost running into you," she apologized again. She tipped her head to the side as curiosity began to swell within her mind. "You were over there with that cat-like thing, right?" Shana asked, remembering the strange creature that had stared at her earlier. "Who is that? And what were you doing there?"

"Hi Shana, It's okay, I just don't normally ever see anybody up here. Especially girls. Anyway my name is Goku, nice to meet you", He cheerfully replied.

Goku pondered over her question for a few seconds, coming to the obvious realization that she was speaking of Master Korin, the funny looking cat with a staff.

"Oh, that's Korin. He's a funny little guy." Goku once again replied, scratching the back side of his head.

Both of them floated several hundred feet in the sky as the clouds passed them by. The wind blew heavily against them as the two were holding their conversation. The heavy garments that Goku wore ruffled against each other, as the breeze gallivanted to the east. thin black tresses of hair swayed along with the gusts of air. Goku unfolded his arms as a spark of energy resonated within the clouds above them. The hero could sense a myriad of energy levels that lie far beyond the reaches of any normal human being, or any being in general. Bolts of lightning crackled in the midst of the atmosphere. Shadowy clouds bustled in the sky violently, promoting an ominous force.

Goku's cheerful grin turned to concern as the swirling vortex of power he was sensing, brought on an angsty titillation. His attention turned from the anomaly in the sky to the young girl that stood before him. A fearful, yet concerned look appeared on his face.

"Can you feel that?", Goku asked.

"I'm going back to Korin's tower to see what Korin has to say.. Whatever it is, it doesn't feel right. I hope you come with, I might need your help." Goku said.

With a flash of light, a bright white aura sparked around Goku's figure as he darted off ascending in to the clouds, back to Korin's tower. The anxious Saiyan arrived at the top of the tower with the furry white feline already observing the ominous anomaly. Goku hastily descended to the marble floor, approaching his master Korin. The Saiyan walked up next to him and looked out from the tower, to see the swirling vortex of clouds and spawns of lightning. At a higher altitude it was a lot clearer than it was before below. What was one vague within normal eyesight became clarion.

"What in the world is that Korin?", Goku asked.

"I'm not quite sure, it's seems as if someone has angered the deities behind that anomaly. Someone is after the legendary Nimbus Cloud, like yourself",Korin replied.

"Could it have anything to do with the girl I just met?", Goku folded his arms against his chest as he spoke to Korin.

"I could feel her energy as she passed by Goku. I feel as if she could be a great assistance to you in your quest, her power is formidable. ", Korin replied.

Goku sat down on the floor, criss-crossing his legs indian style. He bowed his head, shutting his eyes and listening to the air, waiting on his new acquaintances hopeful arrival.
---
Count: 576/996
TTC: 2,150

It was fairly easy to see that Shana had pretty much forgotten everything since she had been sucked into conversation. Okibi wasn't too thrilled; the god of fire already had little love for his host's low attention span. To him, her time would have been much better spent training!

Yet the sudden influx of power high above the skies did catch Okibi's attention even if the young human girl was completely oblivious to it. The spawn of flames became hushed which was an odd sign in itself. Just as Shana glanced at the amulet clasped around her neck in a puzzled manner, Goku spoke.

"Can you feel that?" Goku asked.

Shana glanced at whatever the man was looking at but could see nothing except darkening storm clouds. Shana suspected that it would rain soon, but...

Use your senses! Okibi snarled, allowing the idea to penetrate Shana's mind like a ray of sunshine. The girl complied, closing her eyes as she tried to tune out Goku's life force. Even through Okibi's sigh of exhaustion, (Poor Okibi was working in overtime trying to shape up his host) the host of fire concentrated. Sure enough, something above the clouds was churning in an almost violent-like manner. It was as if something or someone were being injured; the power would go down in a steep drop before starting to renew itself, only to drop once more.

"I'm going back to Korin's tower to see what Korin has to say.. Whatever it is, it doesn't feel right. I hope you come with, I might need your help," Goku said before suddenly blasting away. After a moment's hesitation, (Shana wasn't too keen on talking to such a strange looking cat) the girl followed, her own crimson aura flaming to life. The lookout that Goku had homed in on was not far away; after breaking through a single barrier of clouds, she could see it clearly. Goku was already there, chatting to the cat once more. His words were soft, so Shana couldn't hear them over the howling of the wind. Nature seemed to be lashing out at whatever was disturbing it with great gales; Shana struggled to keep her flight stabilized. The human was quite relieved to land on the look out, although she kept a wary distance away from the staff-wielding cat.

Goku was sitting down cross-legged. Just as the small detail was known, the cat beckoned Shana over with a clawed finger. "Come here, child. I mean you no harm!" Shana held her private doubts even though she could sense Okibi rolling his eyes from Eden's Realm.

NOW you're distrusting? Really! Sometimes I wonder with you! Despite the god's rebuttal, Shana padded forward slowly, eying in all of the details of the cat.

"Goku's probably already told you who I am," he spoke in a deep voice that hinted at his wisdom. He paused to lick his white paw, drawing it over his whiskers two or three times.

"H-he said your name was Korin," Shana admitted, narrowing her eyes. Up close, the cat-like creature looked even stranger than before. He certainly seemed chubby! But the short and course hair that gave him an almost cuddly look. Shana had the sudden urge to reach out with a hand and stroke the cat's head.

Don't... Okibi growled, causing Shana to sigh inwardly. Okibi never let her have any fun.

Korin snorted. "I'm more than just a name, Shana."

"H-how do you know my name?" the host of flames squeaked, backing up once more, forgetting her urge to pet the cat. Uneasiness was etched across her face.

"Well, I am one of the guardians of this planet. I guess you could call me a god in status. Well... A demi-god at best." Korin chuckled to himself. "It's my job to find anomaly in this world. And you are quite the anomaly yourself, aren't you, child?" The cat held up a single furry paw. "No, you don't have to explain yourself to me. I know you aren't a threat to this planet. Quite the opposite, actually."

As Shana listened to the cat's words, the demi-god swept on, explaining about the legendary Nimbus cloud. At the end of his explanation, Shana frowned.

"So the Nimbus would be above us, right?"

"Quite right, young Shana! You are sharp!"

He's not around you all the time like I am... Okibi sneered, spoiling the cat-like deity's praise. Shana nearly fell over from his sudden interjection. Even Korin paused, glancing around as if trying to find the voice.

"Really?" Shana hissed softly to the necklace around her neck. Her face was flush with a shade of red. "Why are you so cranky today?"

The girl turned to Goku with a puzzled look on his face. "Do you think that power has something to do with the nimbus? We should check it out!"

Word of Shana: 818/1542
TTC: 2775

"Goku's probably already told you who I am," he spoke in a deep voice that hinted at his wisdom.

"H-he said your name was Korin," Shana admitted, narrowing her eyes. Korin snorted.

"I'm more than just a name, Shana."

"H-how do you know my name?" the host of flames squeaked, backing up once more.

"Well, I am one of the guardians of this planet. I guess you could call me a god in status. Well... A demi-god at best." Korin chuckled to himself. "It's my job to find anomaly in this world. And you are quite the anomaly yourself, aren't you, child?" The cat held up a single furry paw. "No, you don't have to explain yourself to me. I know you aren't a threat to this planet. Quite the opposite, actually."

"So the Nimbus would be above us, right?", Shana asked.

"Quite!"

The girl turned to Goku with a puzzled look on his face. "Do you think that power has something to do with the nimbus? We should check it out!"

Goku sat on the floor cross legged, and his eyes shut. He was listening to the air, and the surrounding reverberations coming from the darkened clouds. Goku had not noticed Shana's question. It was important that he dive deeper in to his thoughts, and search for the direct position of where he was sensing these ki signatures. He had to know what he was up against, if anything. The energy emitting from the clouds became more violent, and erratic with each passing minute.

The puzzled Saiyan grunted, not being able to put a fix on their exact power readings. Goku opened his eyes, and shifted his attention to the little girl standing before him.

"I don't know. Ah, I wish I could feel out how strong it is. It's becoming more vague, darn it", Goku replied with delay.

Korn turned to face the stumped Saiyan sitting on his polished marble floor.

"Goku, i'm sure whatever it is that is out there won't be an immediate threat. Go with the girl and check it out", Korin said as he twitched his whiskers.

Goku picked himself off the floor, standing upright once again. He brought his arms down to his sash, gripping each end with his hands and pulling them tightly. Bringing his arms down back to his sides, he turned and faced Shana once more.

"Are you ready? Race ya!", Goku smiled cheerfully;Running hastily toward the other side of the lookout, and vaulting himself off in to the clouds.

An aura cackled up around the Saiyan once more, taking flight to the anomaly in the sky. Upon approaching the darkened clouds; Goku began to feel the ominous ki signatures more, and more clearly. The anxious Saiyan came to a hault, as the violent white flame that surged around him dispersed.

"WOAH! What is that thing?", Goku panickingly questioned.

The clouds formed in to a wormhole vortex, that unveiled a barrier-type orb within the middle of it. Thunder roared, and lightning bolts cackled around the dark clouds. The energy that Goku felt, resided behind, seemingly infinite.
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Count: 517/1,513
TTC: 4,288 [Completed]