Across To Elsewhere

Part One: Eleven - He's Back

A/N: Okay. Something happens in this chapter. I am sorry in advance. D:

_

Very little progress was made in regards to the collection of the Dragonballs. Goku had to wait out the year for them to recharge their energy. Somehow though, while the wait was still as agonizing as usual, it was more... bearable. The knowledge that he could actually wish Harri over the moment that they were ready was enough to help keep him calm and focused on other things to pass that time. For example, his training. In direct opposition to the Dragonball search, there had been much progress in terms of his own training.

He traveled wherever his whims would take him, constantly moving. Every night he took out the magical tent that Harri had sent him. It was small on the outside, made to fit no more than a single person- if that. But on the inside! The inside was bigger than even the capsule house Bulma had used for part of the first Dragonball hunt. 

There was the main sitting room, with a fire pit at the center and stools to sit around it. An open kitchen with specially charmed trunks that were made for cold storage and a large counter for cooking any wild animal he caught. A bathroom with both a tub and a standing shower. Two bedrooms, each with their own attached walk in closets. And even a room where clothes could get magically washed. 

Mostly, he enjoyed sleeping in a warm dry place, that he could simply pack up and put in his pocket by morning.

With nothing  left to learn from Master Roshi, Goku was tasked to travel around Earth to see what he sees and learn what he learns and left to generally- simply- train himself. The only catch; he'd been made to promise not to ride on Nimbus until the next World Tournament. It was a very sad thing as Goku missed his cloud dearly. But how could he train if he was constantly flying around on it's back? So Goku walked, or ran, or swam, or climbed and traveled in a generally 'straight' line from his starting point.

During that year he heard all about the magical tournament Harri was forced to attend. Goku followed updates on Harri's life as religiously as he told her random updates about his own.

Seeking refuge from the Tower, they'd gone to the place under the school that Harri had fought for her life in during her second year. 

(There was a second basilisk down there, still alive, and incubating eggs. Considering what Harri had told him about the sire, it was a chilling thought- until Goku was informed that Harri was immune to any death stares thanks to her ability to speak to snakes... Eventually Harri had gotten up the nerve to find the basilisk that she killed in the pipes and had Hermione take a picture of the creature with Harri stood beside it. It was positively massive if the picture was to be believed and Goku couldn't help but think of it as a smaller version of the Eternal Dragon.)

At first Harri wanted nothing to do with the tournament thrust upon her. Knowing that she had nothing to loose if she didn't participate only seemed to enforce that idea. 

But, as Goku pointed out for her, there were a lot more benefits in participating than there was to not. A valid reason for her and Hermione both to not attend classes were one; they could take their education in their own hands, go to teachers for advice on what they didn't understand or for help in practical use of a subject, and go farther in their lessons than the Professors intended for them to that year. All they'd need to say was that Hermione was helping Harri to train and that they'll attend tests, and that was that. (Hermione was reluctant at first, adamant that they'd be missing out if they didn't attend classes in person. But it soon proved to be too tempting to get ahead of everyone and surprise all the Professors with her mental prowess the longer that she watched Harri do exactly that.)