Darc decided to visit the old turtle Hermit today so he was preparing to leave when Bulma stopped him.
"You are leaving so early again?", she asked him pretty straightforward. She did seem to have enjoyed their last evening together and probably thought to do something today as well.
Looking at her he got a faint smile on his face. He was kinda right it seemed but he didn't bother mentioning it to her.
"I am going to visit Roshi and Launch. Do you want to come along this time?", he asked.
Bulma smiled and nodded "Sure. Wait, I will get a plane."
"Don't need to. I heard from Goku you were amazed by something so we are going to use that.", he interrupted her and went outside into the garden.
She only got a little bit confused at his words an wondered what he meant by that but followed him outside anyway.
"Dark Flying Nimbus!", shouted Darc when he was outside and shortly after his trusty little friend flew over. He patted it as a greeting. "Hey, buddy. It´s been a while."
Bulma saw the cloud and arched her eyes in surprise "You got one of these clouds as well? But don't bother. I can't ride on it.", she said and was a little bit disappointed in herself for not being pure of heart. Even if she thought to be so.
Darc laughed lightly then moved closer to Bulma. He grabbed her slim waist and lifted her up gently. Right after he jumped on to the cloud and placed her on it in front of him with her feet touching the cloud. When she finally stood on it he started talking again.
"This cloud is a little bit different. It is basically the opposite of Goku´s cloud.", he explained to her and looked at her reaction. He already let go of her waist and got into a comfortable cross-legged position behind her.
Bulma was surprised how he grabbed her at first. She didn't think he would be so bold out of a sudden but the thing that frustrated her a little was that he didn't react as she thought and that he only tried to put her on the cloud.
She also only could think about the fact that she would just fall down when touching it. But weirdly enough she could stand on it. That did surprise her but after his added words she understood what it meant.
She looked back at him with a smiling face but only saw that Darc already was sitting and her butt was basically in his face.
She reacted fast and sat down in front of him as well. "...I really was curious about the cloud. It really feels soft. It's like a cushion...Thanks", she said with a slight blush.
"Don't mention it. Alright, hold on tight." He placed an arm around her so she didn't fall off and pointed with the other in a direction for the Nimbus to charge forth.
Its speed was after all still that of Mach 1.5 and the wind could lash out pretty badly so he flew about half the speed so Bulma could still enjoy the flight.
- - -
"This is fun! It feels like I am weightless!", commented Bulma and was actually happy right now while looking down at the passing scenery. No plane or other aircraft could simulate this kind of feeling.
Also, this moment was special for her since Darc held her so close. Even though they already had a discussion about that matter not long ago, he still treated her just like he used to.
It made her happy that they didn't become strangers or something like that after the talk.
----
Flying around for some time they were now somewhere over the ocean. Darc looked around to find the Kame House.
It was really convenient to be able to feel all the auras of the people he knew and find their places like that.
Thinking about it he also could have done so when he went and visited his parents but he subconsciously never seems to use his ki sense in cities because it becomes tedious to feel all those people around oneself.
Spotting the house he descended to the little island. On it, there was already the turtle seen sunbathing again. It looked up and smiled at them when it finally did notice their approach on the cloud.
"Hey there, Turtle. Been a while.", said Bulma while looking down at it from the cloud.
Darc lifted Bulma up again and jumped softly down from the Nimbus. Then he let her go and nodded to the turtle as a greeting.
"Looks like Roshi is inside. Hey, old geezer!", shouted Bulma after looking around at first and not seeing Roshi.
Roshi did hear that and came outside to look who came to visit. Launch did hear it as well and also followed him out.
"Oh my. Look who came to visit. Bulma and Darc. Its good to see you two. Say, are you both together now? It´s such a shame to lose such a young girl to someone but I approve nonetheless. But can I still try to feel that round buttock of yours?", he said lecherously and moved his hands in a grabbing motion close to her behind.
Bulma smacked him immediately. He was obviously the same old fool as always.
"Shouldn't you have enough of eye-candy with Launch, old man?", asked Darc with a smirk and an eyebrow arched upward.
"Darc...", commented Bulma displeased on his words. She was conflicted if she should be either happy about him not denying anything or be angry at his thoughts being like the old perverts at this moment.
"Hmm, Launch is Launch. She is just too nice to play around with...", said Roshi.
"And it got nothing to do with the fact that you would get shot from the blonde Launch if you do something dumb?", asked Darc again.
"..." Roshi stayed silent. Then he looked back because the blue-haired Launch now was at the door as well.
"Launch! It´s been a while!", said Bulma with a smile and came close to her to hug her in a friendly manner.
"Bulma! And also Darc. It's nice to see you both to come to visit. Do you like something to eat? I just prepared something.", she answered with a pure innocent smile.
Bulma saw that and thought how a girl like her could stay at such a perverts house. Darc did have the same thought and scratched his head. "Sure, if you will have us." he nodded in confirmation.
"Oh, I nearly forgot. There is someone that wants to see you, Darc. At first, I wondered who that arrogant birdwas talking about, but thinking about it now, I noticed its description pretty much is tailored at you.", interrupted Roshi now.
Darc was confused at his words. What bird did he mean?
Bulma, on the other hand, seemed to have some idea what he was talking about.
"Hey! Immortal Phoenix!", shouted Roshi out and not long after a red flame appeared in the sky and out of it a vermillion colored bird flew out. It flapped its wings and descended down on turtles shell.
"You called, traitor?", came out of the Bird after it arrived and looked at Roshi. Roshi only could gawk in utter silence. To be treated like that by the bird he raised. Unfilial bastard.
"The one you asked about is here.", said Roshi to it.
"Oh, really?" It eyed the both of them up and fixed its gaze on Darc. "It really is the youth from back then! The one that threw the Dragonball on your head!" It flapped its wings and changed positions to sit on Darc´s shoulder. "Thank you, child. Because of you, I didn't die because of that foolish old man trying to feed me tainted seeds. I was actually angry at first to waste food. You see, I like special seeds as food. But knowing later what that traitor wanted to feed me made me angry at him and grateful to you. Say, child. Do you want immortality? Though it may only stop your aging and not make you undying, it would still be nice, right?", said the bird and seemed not to stop talking., said the bird and seemed not to stop talking.
Darc got his brows arched up in surprise the whole time because this bird right here in front of him that was about maybe a watermelons size, was an immortal phoenix of legends.
It did look majestic and kind of cute because of its size.
Does that mean all other 3 divine beasts also exist? The azure dragon for example actually could be the dragon god Zalama if he really thought about it.
After all, the Dragons were a representation of the one that created them. Maybe the azure dragon stood for magic in this world?
What about the black turtle and the white tiger then? Darc´s eyes kinda twinkled after thinking about it. He did have some weird thoughts about them.
And thinking about it he always felt some weird connection to something he was not yet sure of. And this bird actually kinda reminded him of that connection.
What mostly gave him this impression was that this vermillion bird actually exuded godly ki! And it was the pure form and not the mixed type like Kami or the Kaioshin used.
But that meant those 4 divine beasts have more power than anything in this world. Does that mean they are gods from his previous world? Or from that world of gods? Real gods, that is? Damn, that wrecked his brain again and he scratched his head.
"I don't think there is a way for me to become immortal, really. You could try though.", he said nonchalantly as if not believing the bird being able to pull it off since the old geezer blocked him from that.
*Hehehe, you think too much, child. Just because your soul can not cooperate with the dragon god here to use shortcuts doesn't mean I can't do anything. I doubt that's going to be a problem. Your soul is yours and what you do with it is up to you. May the blessing of the immortal bird be by your side. After all, your body already has a minor blessing from us all and you even seem to have strengthened it on your own. The White Tigers strength. The Black Turtles endurance. My Vermillion Birds vitality and lastly the Azure Dragons blessing of energies.*
*What!? Are you actually that phoenix of the south?* Darc started to look shocked and was amazed by the words this bird conveyed to him with telepathy at this moment. It confirmed many things that he thought about.
The vermillion bird pecked him softly on his forehead and sat down on his head. "Its done.", it said and made itself comfortable.
* It's not time yet for you to know more. Stay patient, child. This bird is only one of my avatars in this world. Let it follow you for now and take good care of it.*
"Hey, sweet little bird. Can I also have that blessing?", interrupted Bulma with sparkling eyes at the same moment. The Phoenix looked at her and then down at Darc with a questioning look.
"Hmm, okay. But yours will be weaker. You will stay youthful until your lifespan is over. I don't have much energy left for anything more than that.", it said, flew to her, pecked her as well and made its nest back at Darc´s head. It looked like Darc had now a red flaming hat on his head.
"That's enough~. Thank you.", said Bulma with a happy tune after the Phoenix agreed and pecked her. She did try to ask it the previous time but it instantly denied her. It even didn't give Goku his blessing. It was a surprise that Darc actually had won its favor.
"....Well that went pretty well considering its attitude normally...", commented Roshi.
"Alright, we wanted to eat, right?", mentioned Launch and clapped her hands.
"Oh, yes. Let's eat", said Roshi and invited them both inside.