Several minutes later, the island that the Tenkaichi Budokai was being hosted on pulled into view. Adjusting their trajectory and dodging traffic so as to avoid a humorous midair collision, the pair quickly descended to ground level and honed in on the nearest highway. The moment they touched down at a busy intersection, startling the heck out of a bunch of people crossing that area, the two of them then began a leisurely wander of the roads.
As the hours ticked by and more and more people started to arrive on the landmass, both Gohan and Zangya quickly saw exactly what was involved with this whole tournament thing. Though he'd never attended any of his father's matches or saw any previous fights on the television for that matter, the demi-Saiyan noticed that the atmosphere was almost exactly identical to the one from the Intergalactic Martial Arts competition.
The crowds were vast and the entertainment was plentiful. Stalls, restaurants, and fair rides lined the roads in all directions, and no matter which way they turned the pair found their sights flocked by dozens upon dozens of civilians. After only a few minutes of exploring the thoroughfares and footpaths the pair had half a mind to ditch traditional etiquette and fly the rest of the way to the stadium.
However, not wanting to draw any attention to themselves, they stuck to the ground and just made their way through the old-fashioned way.
Amidst all the chaos and growing excitement, the two of them were able to stop for a quick bite to eat, where Gohan gorged himself on restaurant food while Zangya ate at her usual pace, yet maintained the decency to look surprised at the amount the boy was able to put away in one sitting.
It wasn't long before they happened across the outer wall surrounding the main venue of the competition and with their destination fixed they started trudging their way towards the entrance.
While making their way towards the archway, the pair's attention perked up when they spotted a familiar figure already standing by the wall and waiting for them. The sight of his white cape and towering form caused a smile to tug at Gohan's lips. "Yo, Piccolo. What's up?"
Eyes cracking open, the Namekian smiled down at his student, "Not much, kid. Just waiting for you to show up." He then took notice of the orange haired woman standing alongside the teen and frowned, "Oh. You're here too?"
"Hey, green man," Zangya greeted with a smirk, "Didn't expect to see you out in public."
"Funny. I can say the same thing about you," the demi-Saiyan's mentor shot back, his eyes narrowing somewhat. "Did you come to compete or are you just here to observe?" He was also going to ask whether she was here to do neither of those things, but he wisely chose to reserve judgment until after the tournament was half-way finished.
The woman coyly flipped her hair over her shoulder, "Unless there's a challenge, I'm not interested. Perhaps next time when the rest of your friends are here. I'd rather see how this competition is done before deciding to participate myself."
"Hmph," Piccolo grunted, before then glancing down at his student to see him grinning up at him cheekily. Seeing that the Son wasn't at all put off by the presence of his alien tagalong, the Namekian could relax a little knowing that the boy was okay with her. "It can get pretty intense in there. Are you ready?"
"Hey, if I can take on somebody as scary as Cell, then a big setup like this is nothing for me," Gohan replied confidently.
"Good. Then let's get you signed up." With a wave of his cape, the trio turned in the direction of the ongoing road and continued following the wall to the entrance.
When they arrived there, the group found themselves standing by a massive gateway with all the embellishments expected of such a prestigious event. The design of the points bearing a very temple like appearance that seemed all too familiar to one of them, the trio gave the arch a momentary once over before moving to the nearby desk, where two tournament officials could be seen sitting and taking down names for the competition.
When the line cleared, Gohan saw his chance and approached. "Hello there. I'd like to sign up for the Junior Division, please."
The monk with the mustache looked across at the eleven-year-old and smiled, "Of course, young man. And your name is…?"
"Gohan. Son Gohan."
"Son Gohan. Very good," the man scribbled down on the sheet. Upon which he then blinked and glanced up at the boy in the orange and blue gi. Taking a moment to inspect his uniform, his attention then fixed on the youngster's kindly face. "You… wouldn't happen to be related to Son Goku, would you? The former World Martial Arts Champion?"
The spiky haired youngster chuckled and scrubbed his head nervously, "Y-Yeah… actually. I'm… his son."
This declaration had the two officials beam and the taller of the two with the thick eyebrows nod in acknowledgement, "Well, it is truly a pleasure to see you're competing here today. I hope you put on a good show for us out there."
"Thank you, sir. That's very kind of you."
It was then the mustached official took notice of the other pair of oddly dressed fighters behind him, "Are… your two friends competing as well?"
"Oh no. They're just here to watch today," Gohan replied, but then leaned over with an inquisitive look. "Umm… would it… be possible for them to get a couple of seats in the stadium. I'm not sure if it's too late to get tickets, but…"
"If they're with you then that shouldn't be a problem," the thin official stated quickly. "The two of them can stand and watch from the stadium's walkway."
"Oh. That's great. Thanks," Gohan chirped, making sure they got all his details down before then being given instructions of where to go. Upon receiving them he then turned towards Zangya and Piccolo. "Got it."
"Next time you're going to be fighting in the big leagues," the Namekian informed with a smirk. "This'll be a good practice bout for you."
"And for Videl as well," the half-Saiyan replied as he slowly lead them in through the towering gateway. "I'm here to fight her just as much as I'm here to win the prize money. Think of it as killing two Saibamen with one blast."
If Piccolo had the good graces to laugh he would have. Unfortunately he didn't. Nor did Zangya. However, the former did give the kid an amused smirk at his old time reference while the woman merely strolled along at her own pace. When they passed through the gates and began making their way towards the courtyard, where all of the main fighters were set to gather for the preliminary selection process, the highway emptied out. It became smooth sailing the rest of the way across the grounds and after passing through another gateway, the trio soon happened upon the main building area.
Just before they could go through the corridor up ahead though, another familiar face stepped into view from the changing room and Gohan grinned when he recognized her, "Videl! Hey!" The girl was quick to spot him and when she did, a brilliant smile appeared on her face.
"Gohan! It's about time!" She quickly rushed over to him and stopped before her three trainers. Well… two trainers and one audience member. Either way all of them were important figures in her life and the raven haired girl had no hesitation in acknowledging all of them with a smile. "I knew you were going to show up sooner or later."
"Yeah. Did you come here with your dad?"
"Split a jet. Could have flown here myself, but…" She sighed and rolled her eyes, "He wanted to spend some quality time with his little girl before the big day. Personally, I thought it was a great flight. This time he wasn't messing around and showing off in front of the stewardesses, and kept his volume level to a minimum. He can be a really awesome parent when he's not on camera and being his usual self. Of course…"
"All of that changed when you finally got off the plane?" He saw his friend slump over with a proverbial raincloud forming overhead, earning a sympathetic smile from the demi-Saiyan. "And you decided to bail on him?"
"Thank Kami I can move super-quick now," Videl groaned, before then looking back up at the kind boy with misfortune written all over her face.
Seeing the tears at the corners of her eyes, Gohan reached over and gently laid a hand on her shoulder, which he rubbed comfortingly. "Parents. Am I right?" His question earned a nod from the tough girl, whom the half-Saiyan stepped away from and surveyed from head to toe. "You're wearing your orange and blue gi? Far out."
"Yeah. It's still weighted, but I can't really feel it anymore," the martial artist replied while flexing her arms. Springing on her toes and taking a stance, she threw a swift combo of punches and grinned at her best friend. "This is good."
"You sure you don't want to wear something else?"
At this, Videl shook her head firmly and looked at the boy with certainty and confidence burning in her sparkling blue eyes. "I want the world to know the person who trained me; the realstrongest man in the universe, the one who helped me out when I was in a trouble, and the very same boy who I-" She then swallowed her tongue when she realized what she was about to say and stammered, "Uh… I mean… the person I've come to respect and admire… and become my best friend."
Gohan grinned happily at her words and nodded, "That really means a lot, Videl. Thanks."
"No problem," the slightly blushing girl exclaimed, bringing a fist up and jabbing it against his chest. She then gestured over her shoulder, "Come on. Registration is closing soon so they'll probably be calling all of the Junior Division fighters in a few minutes."
The boy gave an understanding look. "We should get going then." He then turned to look at Piccolo and Zangya, both of whom were listening to the pair with interest. "I'll see you guys at the end, alright?"
"Break a leg," Piccolo wished in his usual, cordial manner.
The orange haired woman chuckled, "He means the other kids. Show no mercy."
Laughing at the woman's joke, Gohan and Videl waved and parted ways with the two older fighters, scampering down the hall and disappearing from sight. This pretty much left the two alien warriors standing at the entrance for several minutes in silence before they eventually decided to head up to the stadium and find their spots.
Unbeknownst to the group of four, who'd been so invested in wishing each other luck, they failed to notice the small, shadowy figure that'd been watching them from behind a nearby tree. Draped in a brown, hooded cloak, with only their chin and mouth appearing from over the thick collar of the traveling article, the person had been sure to keep their presence hidden completely from sight. Even as other fighters started to file past them, the person remained, before then deciding to follow in after the two young warriors.