THE SILENCE AFTER BIRTH
When Shenlong finished speaking, silence settled on the small, uninhabited planet.
The four looked at each other. Four strangers who, seconds before, were just unknowns chasing each other across a moon. And now, suddenly, they were siblings.
Ozari was the first to break the silence.
"Children of Frya," she repeated quietly, as if testing the words. "Does that mean... we have a mother?"
Shenlong nodded slowly.
"We had one. Not anymore."
Champa, who always had something to say, fell silent. His eyes, usually cheerful, stared into the void.
Bills, as always, was the practical one.
"And where is she now?"
"My memory, eroded by time, I don't remember much, but she... died," Shenlong replied. "Five million years ago. She created us just before dying."
"Five..." Champa counted on his fingers. "Five million years in an egg. That's a long time without eating."
Ozari elbowed him.
"Is that all you think about?"
"It's just that I'm hungry!" Champa protested. "But also... also I'm sad. It's strange. I didn't know her, but... it hurts."
Bills felt something in his chest. That emptiness that always accompanied him, suddenly, had a name. Frya. Their mother.
"What was she like?" Ozari asked softly.
Shenlong closed his eyes.
"I remember fragments. Like dreams. I was in the egg, floating in the darkness, and sometimes I heard her voice. She sang our names. Ozari... Bills... Champa... Shenlong..."
The dragon began to hum softly. An ancient melody, sad and beautiful.
The four listened in silence.
When Shenlong finished, Champa had tears in his eyes.
"I never had anyone," he said, his voice hoarse. "Always alone, floating, hungry. And now it turns out someone... someone waited for me for five million years. Someone gave me a name before knowing me."
Ozari hugged him.
"It happened to all of us, brother."
Bills hesitated for a second. Then, slowly, he placed a hand on Champa's shoulder.
"We're not alone anymore."
Shenlong coiled around the three of them.
"Family. That's what we are."
--
**WHAT SHENLONG REMEMBERS**
Hours passed. The small planet's sun set behind the horizon, and the stars began to shine.
The four sat in a circle around a small campfire Bills had lit with a spark of his ki.
Shenlong, coiled around Ozari's neck, spoke with his eyes closed, searching his memory.
"Frya... was our mother. I remember fragments... like dreams. I was in an egg for five million years. Sometimes I heard her voice... singing our names."
"What else do you remember?" Ozari asked, gently stroking the dragon's head.
"Sometimes I dream of her," Shenlong continued. "She's floating in the darkness, smiling. And she says... 'Take care of yourselves. Find each other. And when you do, you'll understand.'"
"Understand what?" Bills asked.
"I don't know. Just that."
Champa, who had been listening in silence, suddenly sat up.
"I've dreamed of her too!" he exclaimed. "A beautiful golden dragoness, with light. She told me... 'Don't be afraid, Champa. Someday you'll have family.'"
Ozari and Bills looked at each other.
"Me too," Bills admitted. "I dreamed of a voice telling me I wasn't alone."
Ozari felt a chill.
"Me too. Every night. I thought it was my imagination."
Shenlong smiled.
"It was her. She was calling us. For five million years, she was calling us."
Champa, unable to contain his emotion, hugged his siblings.
"I have siblings!" he exclaimed happily. "And on top of that, we're going to look for food..."
Bills, with a barely visible smile, shook his head.
"You're an idiot, Champa."
"But I'm your idiot!" Champa replied, laughing.
Ozari laughed too, hugging them.
"And my idiot too."
For the first time in their lives, the three felt they belonged somewhere. That they weren't alone.
--
**MORNING ON THE SHIP**
The next morning, the rays of a distant star streamed through the windows of the small ship they had found in the scrap yard.
Champa snored loudly, hugging a bag of food as if it were treasure. Shenlong was still coiled around his neck, but now with a small blanket Ozari had put on him during the night.
Bills was already awake, as always, looking out the window at the infinite cosmos.
Ozari approached with two steaming cups of a hot drink they had bought at the market.
"Did you sleep?" she asked, sitting beside him.
"A little," Bills replied.
"You're a bad liar, brother."
Bills almost smiled.
"So are you."
"I can't sleep thinking about her," Ozari admitted. "About Frya. About what it means."
"Me neither," Bills said. "But at least now I know why I always felt that void."
At that moment, Champa woke up with an especially loud snore and fumbled for the bag of food.
"Breakfast?" he murmured, eyes still closed.
Ozari laughed and tossed him a bag that landed right on his face.
"Always thinking about food."
"And about my siblings!" Champa protested, sitting up. "But food is more urgent."
Shenlong, still half asleep, yawned.
"Is there any for me?"
Champa looked at him tenderly.
"I'll share. Because you're my favorite."
Bills raised an eyebrow.
"You said I was your favorite yesterday."
"I have many favorites!" Champa replied with a grin from ear to ear.
--
**PLAYING ON THE SHIP**
As the ship sailed through space, the siblings took the opportunity to get to know each other.
Champa tried to catch Shenlong, who slid agilely through his hands with surprising speed.
"Come here, slippery dragon!" Champa shouted, laughing.
"Faster, brother!" Shenlong replied, having fun.
Ozari and Bills watched from the cockpit.
"They're like children," Ozari said with a smile.
"They are children," Bills replied. "We all are."
Ozari looked at him.
"You too?"
Bills was silent for a moment.
"I was never a child," he admitted. "My whole life, alone. Floating among debris. Surviving. But with you all... maybe so."
Ozari rested her head on his shoulder.
"Welcome to childhood, brother."
From behind, Champa's shout came.
"Shenlong climbed on my head! Get off!"
"Never!" the dragon laughed.
Bills and Ozari smiled.
For the first time, the rusty ship didn't seem so rusty. It seemed like home.
--
**THAT NIGHT, WHILE THE OTHERS SLEEP**
Later, while Champa snored and Shenlong slept peacefully in his basket, Ozari found Bills awake again, looking at the stars.
"Don't you sleep?" she asked.
"No. I'm thinking."
"About Frya?"
Bills slowly shook his head.
"About how I never had anyone. My whole life, alone. Floating among debris. And now... I have three."
Ozari smiled and rested her head on his shoulder.
"And I have you, brother."
Bills said nothing. But for the first time, he felt the void in his chest fill a little.
"Do you think she's proud of us?" Ozari asked after a while.
"Who?"
"Her. Frya."
Bills looked at the stars.
"I don't know. But I intend to prove that she is."
--
**THE UNIVERSE IS DYING**
The next morning, as they had breakfast, Shenlong brought up the topic again.
"There's something else," he said in a more serious tone. "I remember that the universe... is in danger. That something bad happened. And that there are some spheres."
"Spheres?" Bills asked.
"Seven. Small. With power. I don't remember more. Just that we must find them. And that the universe... is dying."
Champa looked out the window.
"Dying? But everything looks the same..."
Ozari also observed the stars.
"Are you sure?"
Something inside her told her the little dragon was right.
--
**THE STARS THAT ARE NO LONGER THERE**
They decided to investigate.
They traveled back to the Wukon Empire, to one of its thousands of planets. In a public virtual library, they accessed ancient astronomical records.
Bills, with his analytical mind, compared star maps from millions of years ago with current ones.
Hours passed. Champa got bored and started counting supplies. Ozari helped Bills. Shenlong watched in silence.
"The stars..." Bills murmured suddenly. "Stars millions of light-years away... they disappeared. In the last million years."
Ozari leaned over the data.
"Their estimated lifespan?"
"They should last another ten million years," Bills replied. "But they died early."
Champa, who was usually always hungry, fell silent. He looked at the figures, the maps, the absent stars.
"My universe," he finally said, in a voice they didn't recognize. "Universe 8. Is it dying too? Although I don't understand how there are two joined universes and I don't know how I got here... hahaha."
Shenlong nodded sadly.
"Yes. It has 3 million years left."
Champa clenched his fists.
"I never saw it. My universe. My home. And now... I have to save it. Even if I don't know how."
Ozari placed a hand on his shoulder.
"We'll do it together."
--
**THE DECISION**
That night, under a sky with fewer stars than before, the four siblings made a decision.
Ozari stood up first.
"Listen," she said with determination. "Shenlong said we have to find those spheres. The stars are dying. The traitors are looking for us. We can hide... or we can fight."
Bills looked at her.
"And what do you choose?"
"Fight," Ozari replied without hesitation. "For her. For Frya. For us. For our universes."
Champa nodded, with a new determination on his face.
"Me too. Even if I've never seen mine, it's my home."
Bills looked at them both. Then at Shenlong, who watched him with his big green eyes.
"Then we'll look for those spheres," he said. "And we'll discover the truth."
"And where do we start?" Ozari asked.
Shenlong shook his head.
"I don't know. My memory will take time to return. I just know we have to find them."
"So in the meantime," Champa said, recovering his smile, "we need a plan. And food."
--
**NIGHTTIME FEARS**
Another night. The four awake, looking at the stars from the ship's cockpit.
"Are you scared?" Ozari asked quietly.
"Of what?" Champa replied.
"Of what we're going to find. Of the traitors. Of not being strong enough."
Bills spoke first.
"Fear isn't the word. It's... responsibility."
Shenlong nodded.
"Frya trusted us. That's heavier than any fear."
Champa, for once, took a moment before speaking.
"I am scared," he admitted. "Of failing you. All of you."
Ozari hugged him.
"You won't fail. Because you're not alone."
Bills placed a hand on his shoulder.
"None of us are."
Shenlong gently coiled around the three of them.
"Family. That's what we are. And family doesn't give up."
--
**REMEMBERING FRYA**
"Shenlong..." Ozari said another night. "Tell us more about her. About Frya."
The dragon closed his eyes, searching his memory.
"She was... warm. Like the sun of a living planet. When she spoke, the stars seemed to listen."
"What was her voice like?" Bills asked.
"Soft. But firm. Like you, Bills. Like your seriousness when you protect your siblings."
Bills was surprised. No one had ever compared him to someone like that.
Champa leaned in.
"And me? Did she say anything about me?"
Shenlong smiled.
"She said you would make everyone laugh. Even in the darkest moments."
Champa puffed up with pride.
"I knew it!"
"And me?" Ozari asked.
"That you would be the heart. The one who would keep this family together."
Ozari looked at her siblings, feeling the weight of those words.
"Then let's fulfill her wish."
--
**THE SHIP AS HOME**
The three looked for something to travel in. Although they could fly through space, it was uncomfortable. Ozari took them to a scrap yard and showed them a rusty ship.
"I found my red palette here," she said, pointing at the ship. "And I think we can use it."
"This?" Champa touched the rusted metal and a piece fell to the ground. "This is falling apart."
"For now," Ozari replied. "But we can fix it."
That night, they slept inside the ship. It wasn't comfortable. It smelled of mold. Wind came in through the cracks.
But it was theirs.
Ozari hung her red palette in a special place, near the cockpit.
Bills arranged the blankets they had bought, creating small spaces for each one.
Champa organized the food... and reorganized it... and organized it again, to make sure everything was perfect.
Shenlong had his own space: a small basket with a pillow Ozari had gotten for him.
"Are you really going to sleep there?" Champa asked. "It looks like a bird's nest."
"It's my nest," Shenlong replied with dignity. "And it's perfect."
Ozari looked around.
"It's our home. The first one we've ever had."
Bills observed every detail.
"Not bad for a start."
"Needs more food!" Champa exclaimed.
Everyone laughed.
--
**THE OLD SHIP**
The next day, they examined the ship more closely.
It was an old model from the Wukon armed forces. It didn't work. Its systems were dead, the engines fused.
"It's useless," Bills said. "The engines are dead."
"But we can make it work," Ozari replied with a smile. "With our energy."
Bills understood.
"We could propel it with our ki. Imbue it with our energy. It will be fast, even if we use a lot of energy."
"But it's worth it," Ozari completed.
"It's better than traveling in the open," Champa admitted. "It's cold out there."
Shenlong, from Ozari's neck, nodded.
"Traveling through space is annoying. Even if we can fly, without food or a place to rest... it will be difficult."
Ozari stroked the rusted metal of the ship.
"We'll fix it. It will be our home."
Bills looked at her.
"What will you name it?"
Ozari smiled.
"'Home.' That's what I'll call it."
Champa raised an eyebrow.
"Home? It's an old, rusty ship."
"But it's ours," Ozari replied. "And with us, it will fly."
--
**NO MONEY, NO PROBLEM**
But there was a problem. They needed supplies. Food, water, blankets, tools.
"We have no money," Bills said.
Champa grinned mischievously.
"I know people who have money. And who don't need it."
That night, the four siblings followed a group of criminals operating in the Wukon Empire's underworld. They watched them exchange bags of credits for illegal weapons.
"Perfect," Champa whispered. "Dirty money for noble causes."
Within minutes, Bills and Champa immobilized the criminals with their ki. Ozari collected the bags of credits.
"This should be enough," she said, weighing the coins.
The criminals, dazed and not understanding what had happened, could only watch as the four children walked away with their money.
--
**MARKET SHOPPING AND THE BOUNTY**
The next day, they toured markets and shops. They bought non-perishable food, thermal blankets, repair tools, and everything needed to turn the old ship into a space home.
But as they carried their purchases, Ozari looked up at a giant screen in the main square.
Her heart stopped.
On the screen, their faces appeared alongside a headline:
"WANTED FOR MOON DESTRUCTION AND ASSAULT ON AUTHORITIES"
"We've been discovered," Bills whispered.
Champa swallowed.
"I think we should leave. Now."
Quickly, they covered themselves with blankets and hoods, blending into the crowd. They reached their ship, loaded everything, and took off just as Wukon patrols surrounded the area.
From the cockpit, they watched the Wukon Empire recede.
"Welcome to your new home," Ozari said with a nervous smile. "On the run."
--
**THE REPORT REACHES HIGH COMMAND**
Meanwhile, in the royal palace of the Wukon Empire, an officer knelt before an imposing figure.
General Radex, of Wukon royalty, listened to the report attentively. His hair was electric green, a sign of his high rank and power.
"My General," the officer said. "We have identified those responsible for the partial destruction of the moon. They are three children. Two felines and one wukon."
Radex raised an eyebrow.
"Children?"
"Yes, my General. But according to our sensors... the wukon has a power level comparable to a soldier in Saya Phase, or to the royal children or more."
Radex stood up.
"A girl with Saya Phase, at the level of my nephews or more? That's... concerning."
"She could be near the level of the royal family children," the officer added. "Or even surpass it."
Radex, also of royal blood, narrowed his eyes.
"Maybe yes, maybe no. But we cannot ignore it. Order an immediate search. If we can recruit them, they would be powerful weapons against the Namekians."
"And if they don't want to join?"
Radex smiled. A cold smile.
"Then they'll be problems. And problems... are eliminated."
"But my General, if they truly have that power..."
"Precisely," Radex interrupted. "If they're not with us, they're against us. And in this war, we cannot afford unpredictable enemies."
The officer nodded and withdrew.
Radex turned to a screen showing star maps full of red and blue markers.
The war for dominance of the galactic quadrant wouldn't stop for some children. But if those children were a threat... he would find them first.
--
**THE FOUR EMPIRES OF THE GALAXY QUADRANT**
The galactic quadrant where the Wukon Empire was located was a hotbed of conflict. Four empires vied for control of thousands of solar systems.
The Wukon Empire. Born warriors. With their Saya Phase power and military structure, they were the most feared force in direct combat. They controlled a third of the quadrant and showed no signs of stopping.
The Namekian Empire. Peacemakers in appearance, but with hidden power. Their warriors were just as powerful as the wukons, but with more abilities: regeneration, mystical techniques, psychic powers, and temporary fusions. They guarded ancient secrets in their temples, knowledge about stars and divine energies.
The Buuh Empire. Mysterious and nomadic. They were all pink in color and had the ability to shapeshift, adopting different appearances and sizes. Their magic and psychic abilities made them unpredictable and lethal. No one wanted to face them in unknown territory.
The Furo Empire. A race of furry wolves, the most technological in the quadrant. They weren't the best hand-to-hand warriors, but their fleet was the most advanced, their information network the most extensive, and their money bought entire armies.
The four empires had been at war for decades, with shifting alliances and constant betrayals. And now, all of them had heard the same rumor.
The rumor of the spheres.
--
**GREYLI AND THE SINISTER VOICE**
At the other end of the galaxy, in a dark temple surrounded by ruins, a kneeling man listened to a voice that seemed to come from the shadows themselves.
"Greyli..."
The man, with sharp features and an intense gaze, bowed his head. His skin was pale, almost gray, and his eyes black as coal.
"Speak."
"You must seek some spheres," the voice said, sinister and deep. "Seven small spheres. Each has a number engraved on it. From one to seven."
"Where are they?"
"All across the universe. Scattered. Hidden. No matter how long it takes... you must find them."
Greyli frowned.
"How will I find them? The universe is infinite."
"Powerful beings can feel them. Touch them. I have given you dark power. With it, you will be able to track them... but it won't be easy. There will be others who seek them too."
Greyli nodded slowly.
"I will find them."
"One more thing," the voice added. "You must not seek them alone. Use the rumor. Use the greed of others."
When Greyli left the temple, the camera lingered for a moment in the darkness. A barely visible silhouette remained there.
"The spheres... are the key," the voice whispered. "And those children... they seek them too. Interesting."
A sinister laugh echoed in the darkness.
"Let the game begin."
--
**THE RUMOR SPREADS**
Within weeks, a story began to circulate through the four empires.
Word spread of magical spheres. Seven. With numbers engraved. Whoever found them would gain unimaginable power.
And to incentivize the search, a reward of one million golden credits for any information.
The four empires, already at war for dominance of the quadrant, saw the spheres as an opportunity. If someone found them first, they could tip the balance in their favor.
Mercenaries, bounty hunters, and adventurers of all races began to scour the galaxy.
And unbeknownst to them, Bills, Ozari, Champa, and Shenlong were not the only ones searching for the spheres.
Now, the entire quadrant was searching.
--
**IN A SPACE TAVERN**
Days later, the four siblings stopped at a neutral space station to resupply.
While buying supplies, they overheard a conversation in a nearby tavern.
"Did you hear?" a furry mercenary was saying. "They're offering a million for information about some spheres."
"Spheres with numbers, they say," his companion replied. "Seven in total. The four empires are looking for them."
"The wukons have already mobilized their best trackers," another added. "General Radex is personally looking for some children, supposedly."
"The Namekians... those green ones always with their mysteries. They guard ancient secrets in their temples. Powers even the wukons don't understand."
"And the Buuh? All pink and shifting. They've disappeared. When they disappear, something big is coming."
"The Furos, the technological wolves, are buying information from anyone who can sell. With their money and their fleet, they'll find the spheres first."
"Four empires, all equally powerful," the first concluded. "This is going to get ugly."
Ozari looked at Shenlong, who was coiled around her neck.
"Those are... the ones I seek," the dragon whispered.
Bills frowned.
"Then we're not alone. There are more people looking for them. And some... won't be friends."
Champa, with his usual optimism, smiled.
"Well, at least now we know they exist. And that there's a reward."
"We're not going to sell them, Champa," Ozari said.
"No, no! But we could... follow those who are looking for them. Let them do the work and then... you know."
Bills raised an eyebrow.
"Steal from them?"
"Strategy!" Champa corrected. "It's called strategy."
--
**THE SEARCH BEGINS**
Back on the ship, the four siblings flew without a fixed course.
"We don't know where to start," Ozari said, frustrated.
Shenlong, coiled around her neck, closed his eyes.
"I... feel something. Very faint. But I feel it."
"What do you feel?" Bills asked.
"The spheres. I can... smell them. Feel them. But I need to be close. Very close. Less than a hundred million kilometers."
Champa sighed.
"That's still a huge amount of space."
"Then we'll travel faster," Ozari said with determination.
She stood up, went to the back of the ship, and placed her hands on the hull. She closed her eyes. Her energy began to flow, enveloping the ship in an orange aura.
The ship accelerated.
Bills looked at her with admiration.
"Using her ki to propel us... it's a good idea."
Champa peered out the window.
"What if we find a sphere?"
"Then," Bills replied, "we'll be one step closer to the truth."
Shenlong smiled, happy to be with his siblings, happy to have a purpose.
And so, unknowingly, the four began their journey.
A journey that would lead them to face empires, bounty hunters, ancient mysteries... and perhaps, to discover who Frya really was.
Behind them, the stars continued to die.
Ahead of them, the universe waited.
The dragon's path had begun.