chapter#9 "PAVUU, AND THE FIRST SHINJU SHIROI" The sun was high on the sky and an almost unnoticeable dry breeze blew through an arid ground which had small purple tumble weeds rolling across it every time a swift gust of wind came by, shanties crouching desolately, down-at-heel town where shiftless erect walking reptiles and indolent other creatures gathered, such was the place Bethen opened her eyes to. A poor place, with it's few rude shops, it's scattering of small houses standing forlornly on the arid expanse of brown land. It reminded Bethen of those "boom-towns" in the old west during the `Gold-fever' she had seen in picture books. "This is Pavuu!?" Bethen asked Ayame who didn't seem at all worried about the weird glances every creature shot their way. "Yes, it is." Ayame said cheerfully, "Isn't it nice?" "Dry would be my word choice to describe this place! Look at it!" Bethen said holding out a hand to show what she meant about the place, "It looks like one of those old westerns sets! I am expecting John Wayne to appear at any minute now!" "John who?" Ayame asked adjusting her hat. "I'm hot! and thirsty!" Irena pointed out. "I don't see any coffee houses or restaurants in here" Bethen said looking around her. She scanned each reptilian face that walked by closely-and received many curious glances in return-but no one approached them, and she felt a bit of uneasiness. "Duh! This isn't that kind of planet you lunkhead! All they have here are clothes, food and guns shops. And of course then there are the saloons." Ayame said smiling at Bethen's lack of knowledge on the matter. "Saloons? What are those? Can you get something to drink in them?" Irena asked as they walked along the streets. "You can but...you don't wanna go there." Ayame said. "I don't think you could get anything there worth drinking! At your age I mean." Bethen said and laughed pulling back her now way-too-long hair into a low ponytail. "What's that supposed to mean Benten? What's wrong with 16?" "Bethen." she corrected the girl, "Gee! this hair is way too long!" "Whatever! What's wrong with 16?" "Nothing, you just don't wanna go there Irena." Ayame said. "At least it doesn't trail to the ground. I'm so hungry I could eat a horse and not leave any for you girls" Bethen sighed. "I'm thirsty!" "Oh! Shut up! Look there's a store, maybe they'll sell some food in there!" Bethen said and ran towards the main square of the town. "Wait! I wanna buy something to drink!!" Irena said running behind her. "We're not here to EAT!!!" Ayame yelled to them, and then ran after them. There was a sign that read: DR. NIMAT- Simples & Others, a scattering of other ramshackle buildings, the other buildings their character nondescript, and a store standing flat to the ground, it's door open. It was deserted when the three girls entered except for a dour-faced crimson reptilian who counted eggs behind the pine counter. He glanced up without faltering in his work. "Do you want something?" he asked, looking at them through yellowish eyes. "Yes, do you have anything to drink in here that we can buy?" Irena asked. "Or food?" The lizard-looking creature gestured to a bunch of barrels with some unintelligible writing on them stacked on a dark dusty corner. "What do ya got in there?" Irena asked shrugging her nose in distaste at the dust and grime which covered the place. Crocker sacks of yellow potato-like vegetables sifted their earth to the floor; overalls and piece goods on the counters were tumbled and shopworn. And from the barrels of pickles and sauerkraut spilled and acrid odor that mixed unpleasantly with the stale devitalized air of a place never thoroughly cleaned. "Not a cleaning lady that's for sure!" Bethen said. "We really don't have time for this Benten." Ayame said leaning on the counter. "But I'm hungry!" "And I'm thirsty!" "And I'm telling you all that you can wait!" Ayame said losing her patience. "Are you going to buy something or not?" the shop owner with his dour face said curtly. "Do you have anything else? I mean from whats here?" Bethen asked scanning the place with her eyes for something that actually looked edible. With a curt nod he crossed to a rear door and spoke to someone in the back of the room. "Leila, there are a couple of visitors here who could do with a meal." The female reptile who came from the room drying her hands with an apron was a hard, worn little thing but her eyes although yellow were as friendly as a child's. "Oh! How nice, visitors! Isn't this wonderful Crackin?" she asked the creature behind the counter who had reassumed his egg count, "If you'll step this way girls." They followed Leila to the rear room and found a cookstove glowing orange and a table spread with a red and white checked cloth. The room they saw, served as kitchen as well as dining and sitting room. It was much crowded, but it had a sort of homely comfort. Leila quickly got out a loaf of fresh-raised bread blue cheese and three cups of tea. "Blue...?" Bethen said as she gingerly took a tiny morsel of it to her mouth, "It's not as bad as I thought!" she said and began gobbling it down as Irena drank her tea. Ayame shook her head in resignation, if the goddesses were looking for serious warriors ready to save worlds...Why pick those two? "We are looking for jewels to buy for a present to a wedding of a prince, do you happen to know where we could find some good quality jewelry shops?" Ayame asked the female Pavvunian. "We were told Pavuu was a mayor diamond and gems mining planet." She refilled Irena's cup from the earthen pot and then surveyed Ayame with curious eyes, the pot motionless in her scaly clawed green hands. "Jewels you say? Oh dear! Those are everywhere!" she said smiling, "But the best jewels are not find in any store" Leila said motioning for the girls to come closer as she leaned on the table and whispered, "You can get them fit for royalty from the jewel dealers!" she whispered to them. "Where do we find them?" Ayame asked as Bethen stuffed her mouth with another sandwich of blue cheese. "In the Detlob Saloon, that's where the best are, but..."the woman hesitated. "But what lady?" Irena asked. "You don't really wanna go in there, trust me." "Why?" Ayame asked. "Well, what do you expect the men in there think that want three pretty young girls like you would want in there? That place don't have a good reputation if you know what I mean." "No, I don't know what you mean." Irena said puzzled. "That's because you are such a child." Bethen said, "Me and Ayame will go and you can wait here with Mrs. Leila, is that O.K lady?" she asked the reptile. "That's fine with me." Leila said with her friendly smile. "Well then, that's settled." Ayame said and got up, "Don't give Mrs. Leila too much trouble Irena, we'll be back in a short while. Let's go Benten." "Bethen." the saiyan corrected her. "HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!!!!!" Irena said furiously as the two older girls headed for the door, "Do you think I'm some kind of baby that needs a baby-sitter? Well let me tell you two something, I have as much right to go with you as Ayame! I won't stay here you hear me!" "But Irena you can't come, you are too young to go in there." Ayame tried reasoning with her. "Forget it kiddo, you're staying here and that's that." Bethen said annoyed at the girl's insistence. Irena sat down and hunched her shoulders as she looked sullenly away. "Fine then, go. I didn't wanna go with y'all in the first place." she said and crossed her arms "But if you get in trouble don't expect me to help you." "We won't." Bethen said all smiles then she turned to Leila who was looking at them with an amused smile, "Who do we look for? Is there someone in special who do you know has the best and most rare jewels?" "Oh yes! Ask for Roth, he's always the one with the best merchandise, you see his not just a jewel dealer, he owns the Detlob and is also a trader with every visitor. I'm sure he'll be glad to help you." the lizard-woman said . "I hope you two get lost on your way there!!" Irena said out of the blue. "Don't take it so personal Irena! We'll come back as soon as we get the first Shinju Shiroi." Ayame said. "Whatever." came Irena's replay. "Don't mind her! Let's go! I don't have all eternity to help you all get those pearls. I have to be back on earth in three years you know!" Bethen said and walked out the door. Maybe if she had stayed she would've seen the conspicuously nervous glances between Ayame and Irena. As the fairy turned to go Irena grabbed her arm. "I think we should tell her!" she whispered. "Not yet, it's too soon, you need her and if she finds out she'll probably leave." Ayame said looking towards the door. "But she loves him, she should know that we have spent more than one year in the Forest of the worlds" "Stop being such a romantic sissy! I'll tell her when she's ready." Ayame said and left Irena with the lizard lady. Ayame caught up with Bethen and they walked for a while towards one of the least run down buildings. Bethen smiled as she lay a hand on the saloon's door and she turned to Ayame. "I have always wanted to go through one of this doors!" "Just remember, no fighting no matter what happens." Ayame warned her. "Yeah right, whatever you say!" Bethen said and waved a hand as if to dispel the fairy's words and went inside letting the doors swing after her. The scene that met her wasn't as surprising as she would've expected it. It was the same as a western cowboy movie, expect that there were lizards and snake creatures about in western clothing filling the place. There was a thick cloud of yellow smoke on the ceiling coming from the cigarettes of the reptiles. "Nice place that lady sent us to huh?" Ayame asked sarcastically. "Oh yeah! Sure...nice is the word for it!" Bethen said. They went to the bar table followed by all the beady yellowish eyes of the concurrence. The bar tender was drying some cups and stacking them on a long oak and cut glass cabinet. He looked at them curiously with his reddish iris-free eyes. "And what do ya want? Eh? Looking for a job I reckon." he said his snake tongue darting in and out making a hissing sound along with his whinnying laugh. Bethen leaned on the counter proudly lifting her head while Ayame shot her a look that pleaded her no to cause any problems. "Do you really think that a saiyan like me would seek employment in such a place?" she asked him arrogantly. "A Ssssaiyan you ssay?" he asked surprised at her inquiry, he eyed her and saw the tail "Haven't ssseen the likesss of you in a while!" "Your planet isn't much of an tourism attractive place you know." "Pavuu is a magnificent place!" he said appalled. "Yes, we know, it is famous for it's high quality jewels, is that not so Sir?" Ayame asked leaning the conversation away from Bethen. "Aye, it is. We have the best diamond and emerald mines in the galaxy." he said proudly. "But you're short on the pearl supply right!" Bethen said just to get the snake guy on something. "Well you sssee my young ssssaiyan friend, ssso it happenss that I have a nice little cargo of-" he was cut off by the sudden shrill shriek coming from behind the stage's old tattered red velvet curtains. "I QUIT!!! I'm not gonna put up with thisss anymore!!" A beautiful creature stormed out from behind the curtains dressed in a scarlet velvet gown with a tight bodice that followed the slender outline of her body before flowing into an array of rustling skirts. The gown was startlingly simply, it's only adornment three ruby clasps that held the front of the bodice together . The scarlet hue of the dress became her, making the scaly beige skin look like porcelain. Bethen looked at her and thought of the pictures of divas in old magazines and in those really old Hollywood movies. The creature seemed all together like some kind of star. The `diva' came strait for the bar and threw a little black silken draw-string hand purse at the face of the bar tender. "You can wave good bye to your ssstar Roth!! I'm leaving" she said furiously and fumbling with her skirts turned around and headed quickly for the door. "Sssamba! No wait!!! Don't go! You have a show tonight!" Roth said running behind her stopping her before she got to the door. "Alwaysss the show right? I don't care about it! Lisssten here Roth, I'm tired of thiss rotten place!" she said fanning herself with a white plumed fan. "All right, go if you want. But can't you wait until after you do your ssshow?" he asked. "Ssss!! No no no no and no! Get yourself sssome other idiot who can stand your moodiness, the tackiness of this planet and this dussst! I got a better job offering in the Sssurnia planet." Samba said dislodging her arm from his grasp. Ayame and Bethen watched amusedly the two reptiles and sat down for comfort. It beat just trying to ignore it wasn't happening. Besides, Bethen felt as if she hadn't been around living creatures in a long while. All she had during her journey to Azure had been Lisa and the occasional visit of Charlie. And of course, talking to a screen often blurred by static wasn't nearly as fun as having actually people or creatures for that matter up close and personal talking to you or one another. "How much are they paying you? I'll double it!!" Roth offered, "I have given you the best jewel in my collection! I'll give you more Sssamba! Anything jussst don't go and leave the ssshow!" "Forget it! I wouldn't dream of ssstaying even if that gorgeouss pearl brooch is quite tempting. Good bye Roth!" the snake-like woman said and left leaving the doors swinging back and forth. "What am I to do now?" he asked to none in particular. "Hire someone else I guess..." Bethen said stifling a bored yawn, "Anyway back to business, that lady mentioned you were Roth, the exact man we are looking for." "Isss that ssso?" he said turning his attention back to them, "And what can I help you on Sssaiyan?" "Did we hear something about a pearl brooch? We are looking for pearls and if you happen to have a brooch with one the better." Ayame said. "I do" he said and went behind his bar table again and picked up the silken purse opening it, "But I wouldn't sell it for the world! It is a rare pearl indeed" A smile touched his thin scaly lips as he took out a golden brooch encrusted with tiny diamonds on each intricate loop the gold made surrounding a lustrous pearl smaller than a fist but of a brilliant white that reminded Bethen of the cold she had felt as she had left Azure. Ayame gasped and extended her open palm towards Roth. "May I?" she asked. "Certainly." he said and deposited the delicate thing on Ayame's hand who took it as if it were a long lost friend whom she hadn't seen in a long, long while. "There's no doubt"she whispered as Bethen looked uncouth at the jewel , "This is the Kaze Shinju" "Wind Pearl? Are you sure?" Bethen asked Ayame, her hazel eyes widening as the pearl glinted and gleamed in the dim light of the saloon. "Quite a beauty isn't it?" Roth said, taking the jewel from them "Too bad only the performersss in my place ever get to wear it tsk tsk tsk Guess it's back to the bag for thisss beauty." "Hey wait!"Ayame quickly said, "Can't you sell it to us? Please? We'll pay anything!!!" "No, sssorry. I can't." the snake man said shaking his head. "C'mon! stop trying to give that much importance to that thing old man. Just sell it to us. How much do ya want for it?" Bethen asked him. "No, no. It's the only thing that I'll have once the saloon is closed." he said. "Closed. Why!?" Bethen and Ayame asked in unison. "Because," said Roth, "I have no artist to entertain the customers. Oh! Poor me! What will happen to my dear Detlob!?" he said making a dramatic gesture with his hand. Ayame and Bethen watched him. They had to get that pearl. On it depended Bethen's liberty of the mission and Ayame's hope. "Ah! Only if! Maybe you...but no. It's a bad idea. You wouldn't accept." he said sheepishly. "What is it? I haven't even heard it yet, I don't know if my answer's no." Bethen said, her curiosity piqued. "Yes, what is it?" Ayame said. "Maybe there isss a way for you to get the jewel." he said "I don't know if you'll accept thought." "Speak and we'll tell you." Bethen said. "We'll do anything to get that pearl!" Ayame said . "Fine then, how about you two performing at the Detlob saloon?" he said a grand smile on his face. "NANI!!!? Have you gone mad!?" Bethen said nearly jumping up her seat. "I refuse to do that. No way!!" "Give us just a minute he he !" Ayame told the snake guy then grabbed Bethen by the arm and dragged her over to some other table, "What do you think you're doing!!?" she asked her. "What do you mean? Of course we are not gonna do as he wishes! Look Ayame, I can easily snatch the pearl from his hands, and then we can just run outta here!!" "We can't do that!" "Maybe you can't but I can." "It's not that, but that is utterly wrong. You can't just take things away from people" "He won't sell it to us. So what do you mean to do?" "Maybe...do you think they'll like magic tricks?" "AYAME!! No! We'll do it my way, and that's final." "Fine then,...but no fighting. We are not allowed to hurt people in the process of getting the Shinju." "Sure! No fighting. I promise." Bethen said, and thought to herself, `No fighting? Ha ha I hope she is aware of what she is asking of a Saiyan!.' "How will I know when to run?" "Watch my hands, I'll count to three than we run. Got it?" "It's not complicated, I'm not stupid you know." They went back to Roth who was waiting for them already sure of having a couple of new singer and dancer at his place. "Ssso what have you decided?" "We'll do it!" Bethen said. "But you said that-"Ayame started to say but Bethen cut her off. "But I want to see the pearl again. Just to make sure it's worth it." "Very well, here it issss" he said laying the brooch on the table. Bethen picked it up with one hand and pretended to be examining the tiny diamonds, with her free hand she slowly counted to three under the table so that only Ayame saw her. One Two Just as the third finger came down from her closed fist Irena came barging into the saloon, her green hair was disheveled and her face agitated, there was blood on her sword, dress and she looked like something the dog would drag in after chewing it up. All the creatures in the place gasped in surprise and backed away from the door. "BENTEN! AYAME!! We have to go!" she told them as soon as she came in, "Aquaria, Ariana and Piscis are here!!!" "Irena? What the? Who?" Bethen said surprised to see the girl there in such condition. "C'mon!! Let's get outta here!" Ayame said running towards the door. "Irena are you all right?" Bethen asked the girl who feebly smiled up at her, as Ayame caught her from falling to the hard wooden boards of the floor. "Been better, but we really have to get away before they get here." Irena answered straightening up. "We got the pearl!" Ayame told her. "Good, now let's get going" she said and the three nodded and went out as quickly as they could. (since they all have powers, that meant very, very, very fast!) "Hey wait! Give me back my pearl!!" the snake-guy came running out behind them as the girls ran down the street "You can't go like that give it back!!!" They outran the guy and stopped under a big shade tree. They had run into someone's back yard. Bethen sighed and rested her back against the tree, Irena sat down and wiped the sweat from her forehead, Ayame did the same. "We lost him." Ayame said looking back. "Yup, now tell me again Irena, what happened?" Bethen asked. "They came into the lizard-lady's husband's store, rumsacked the place, I heard the commotion, thought it was you guys but no. It was them with a bunch of Azurians with them. They killed the lizard-guy and tried to do the same with me." she explained calmly in a monotonous voice, her face showing no emotions at all. "Oh! Please get a hold of yourself ! Look how hysterical you are!" Bethen said. "What do you want me to do? Cry about it?" "We never heard a thing...where did they go?" "They went the other way, I used teletransportation to appear running one way while I was actually running the other. Pretty neat huh?" "Get over yourself Greenie! You scared me! Coming in like that looking like one of the characters in a horror movie!" "I don't look that bad Benten!!" Irena protested. "I've told you a thousand times, my name is Bethen, not Benten. If you keep calling me Benten I'll call you...hmmm I'll call you...Virpa." "Virpa!?" Irena said softly repeating the name, "Hey I actually like it!! He he I like Virpa! From now on I want you all to call me that way!" Ayame who had been very quiet suddenly sighed and looked at the two other girls. "It's not going to last." she said softly looking at the sky, the light making her hair glint, "Benten get your spacepod out, I'm afraid if I use power energy to transport us back to the Forest of the Worlds. They will feel it and come after us." she said and after that their western costumes dissolved in a rain of glitter leaving on only what they had previously been wearing. "Huh? Eh? Okay" Bethen said and took out her case with all the capsules, "Stand back y'all!!" she said and threw the capsule marked #3 to the ground a few meters away from them. The spacepod appeared and Bethen opened the door. "Come on in!" she called back to them. Both fairy and the other girl came in, Bethen smiled at them and jumped on the couch. "Welcome to my little house!!" she told them. "Little?" asked Irena, "This place is huge!" "It is nice" Ayame commented and sat on the other end of the couch. `This is only the living quarters, and through that door is the controls room and up through that door is the second floor where my gravity and training room is." Bethen explained proudly. "Well...?" Irena said looking through one of the rounded windows. "Well what?" "Aren't you gonna start the spaceship?" "Me? I huh...I don't know how he he he!" "You what!?" Irena asked. "I told you. I don't know how to start it." "Don't worry! Here give me some space." Ayame said and stood in the middle of the room. "Upon the seven winds I give my word That I have the one who has the sword. Now seven winds of luck I ask thee take me to Shinju Taki-bi" After those words were said, the ship took off smoothly. They were now on their way to look for the next pearl, the fire pearl. Yet one can't help but wonder when will they tell Bethen where they really are, and how much time has passed since she landed on Azure.