Morning sunlight streamed through the windows of Smith's quarters, painting geometric patterns across the floor. He woke early, as always, his internal clock calibrated to maximize training time.
Bulma was still asleep, her blue hair spread across the pillow, expression peaceful. The previous night had marked a threshold crossed—a relationship that had been building for two years finally acknowledged and allowed to develop.
Smith rose quietly, not wanting to disturb her rest. She'd earned it. The celebration had run late, and the emotional intensity of finally acting on feelings she'd been restraining since her manifestation had clearly exhausted her.
He showered, dressed in training clothes, and paused at the door to look back. Bulma shifted slightly in her sleep, a small smile crossing her face.
Smith left the room silently, heading for the Gravity Chamber. His power had spiked dramatically with the recent Tree of Might Fruit consumption. That kind of increase required serious training to integrate properly, to make the new strength feel natural rather than unwieldy.
Plus, he wanted to push Kaio-ken to its sustainable limits. Times four was currently his maximum for three minutes. With disciplined practice, maybe he could extend that duration or increase the multiplier.
The Fraternity didn't rest. Neither would he.
Airbus Two lifted off from the Fraternity's private airstrip just after dawn, engines humming with quiet power as it banked west toward the Pacific.
Wenwu sat in the luxury cabin's main seating area, Ying Li nestled against his side, their children occupying the facing seats. Seven senior members of the Ten Rings organization occupied the rear compartment—trusted commanders who'd served Wenwu for decades, now accompanying their leader's family on this deeply personal journey.
The aircraft's interior was configured for comfort rather than military efficiency. Plush seating, climate control, a small galley stocked with food and drink. Windows offering panoramic views of the world sliding past thirty thousand feet below.
Ying Li stared out at clouds, her mind clearly elsewhere.
Wenwu tightened his arm around her shoulders. "What are you thinking about? Worried about how Ta Lo will receive you?"
She turned to him, smiling. This man had moved heaven and earth to bring her back. Had competed in a tournament against gods and immortals, had won against impossible odds, had used a wish that could have granted him anything to restore her life.
The sacrifice of her dragon power—giving up her mystical abilities to be with him all those years ago—had been worth it. Every moment.
"I'm thinking about the Great Protector," she said quietly. "The dragon that guards Ta Lo."
Her eyes grew distant with memory. "I used to channel its power. The dragon force that flows through our people's bloodline. I'm curious..." She hesitated. "Do you think the Great Protector knows Shenron? The dragon you summoned with the Dragon Balls?"
Wenwu considered that. He'd witnessed Shenron's manifestation firsthand—the golden pillars of light erupting from the Dragon Balls, darkness covering the entire planet, the massive green dragon materializing in the sky, visible from every point on Earth simultaneously.
The raw power on display had been staggering. Reality itself had bent to accommodate Shenron's presence.
"The Fraternity's dragon is definitely Eastern in appearance," Wenwu mused. "Serpentine body, antlered head, the classic iconography." He reached for paper and pen from the aircraft's storage compartments. "Let me draw what I remember."
His sketch took shape with surprising artistic skill—Shenron's elongated body, glowing red eyes, the sense of immense scale and cosmic authority.
Ying Li studied the drawing, comparing it mentally to the Great Protector. "Similar in form. Both clearly dragons in the Eastern tradition. But different colors—Shenron is green and gold, while the Great Protector is luminous white and crimson, with iridescent scales that shimmer like pearls."
She traced her finger along the sketch. "And the expressions are different. Shenron looks... ancient. Impartial. Like a force of nature given form. The Great Protector feels more protective, more connected to Ta Lo specifically."
"Could they be related?" Shang-Chi asked, leaning forward with interest. "Different dragons serving different purposes?"
"Possibly," Ying Li said. "Dragons in Eastern mythology often serve as guardians of specific places or concepts. Shenron grants wishes across reality itself. The Great Protector guards Ta Lo and empowers its warriors. Different roles, but potentially part of the same cosmic hierarchy."
She shifted in her seat, expression becoming more serious. "That's actually part of why I wanted to return. I need to speak with the Great Protector about my resurrection. And..." She glanced at Shang-Chi and Xialing. "To see if you've inherited my Dragon Heart."
Both children sat straighter, attention fully captured.
"Dragon Heart?" Xialing echoed.
Ying Li nodded. "You don't think just anyone can wield dragon power, do you? It requires a specific bloodline trait."
Understanding dawned on Wenwu's face. "That's why they hated me so much. I didn't just marry their guardian—I took away the only person in their generation who could channel the Great Protector's power."
"Essentially." Ying Li's tone carried old sadness. "I was the last of my generation to manifest the Dragon Heart. When I left and sealed my power, Ta Lo lost its primary defender."
Shang-Chi leaned forward, analytical mind already working through implications. "What exactly is the Dragon Heart? Is it genetic? Mystical? Both?"
"Both," Ying Li confirmed. "It's a bloodline trait that appears in certain Ta Lo families, but it requires the Great Protector's recognition to activate. The dragon must accept you, acknowledge your potential, and awaken the dormant power in your chest."
She pressed a hand over her heart. "Once awakened, the Dragon Heart becomes a nexus of power. It can channel energy from the Great Protector directly during combat, but it also generates its own dragon force over time. Like a battery that recharges itself and can also draw from an external source when needed."
"So it's not just borrowing power," Xialing said. "You become a source yourself."
"Exactly." Ying Li's pride in her daughter's quick understanding showed clearly. "The ancestors of Ta Lo fought alongside the Great Protector against the Dweller-in-Darkness—the soul-eating entity sealed behind the Dark Gate. As reward for their sacrifice and loyalty, the dragon granted our bloodline this gift."
Shang-Chi frowned. "You said you sealed your power when you left. Where did it go?"
"Into the Dragon Heart itself—the metaphysical construct that all potential wielders share connection to." Ying Li's explanation grew more complex. "When I closed my personal connection, my accumulated power didn't vanish. It returned to the communal reservoir. If another Ta Lo descendant awakens their Dragon Heart, they can potentially inherit what I left behind."
The implications hit Wenwu like a physical force. "You mean Shang-Chi or Xialing could inherit your power directly? Not just their own developing strength, but everything you'd accumulated?"
"If the Great Protector accepts them, yes." Ying Li looked at her children with mixed hope and concern. "That's why I wanted to bring you both. To see if you carry the bloodline trait, if the dragon recognizes you as worthy."
Xialing's eyes gleamed with excitement. "How powerful were you? Before you sealed it?"
"Strong enough to defeat your father in single combat," Ying Li said with a slight smile. "The Ten Rings are formidable weapons, but dragon power counters them specifically. Our ancestors learned to fight the Dweller's army, which required techniques that work against cosmic-level threats."
She grew more serious. "But power comes with responsibility. If you inherit the Dragon Heart, you become Ta Lo's guardian. The Great Protector will expect you to defend the Dark Gate, to stand against any threat that endangers the seal."
Wenwu's expression hardened. "Can't you reclaim your power? Reopen your Dragon Heart instead of passing the responsibility to our children?"
The suggestion hung in the air. Both Shang-Chi and Xialing looked conflicted—clearly interested in the power, but not wanting to prevent their mother from reclaiming what was rightfully hers.
Ying Li shook her head gently. "I gave up the dragon power as part of my commitment to you, to our life together. Going back now and asking to reclaim it would be... embarrassing. Like admitting I made a mistake, that love wasn't worth the sacrifice."
"Your safety matters more than embarrassment," Wenwu said firmly. "We'll speak with the elders and the Great Protector. If reclaiming your power is possible, we should explore that option."
He looked at his children. "As for Shang-Chi and Xialing—we'll test if they have the Dragon Heart. If they do, fine. They can train, develop their abilities. But we're not forcing them to become Ta Lo's permanent guardians unless they choose that path."
His voice dropped, carrying the weight of a thousand years of strategic thinking. "If they manifest the power, perhaps we can negotiate. One of them could eventually marry into Ta Lo, establish a new bloodline of potential Dragon Heart wielders. That would satisfy the village's need for guardians while letting our family maintain autonomy."