The four siblings' ship floated in silence, gently swaying in the low orbit of the planet where they had celebrated their victory.
Inside, all was peace.
Ozari slept hugging her red palette, her breathing deep and calm. Champa snored with an empty bag of chips in his hand, his belly rising and falling to the rhythm of his food-filled dreams. Bills, exhausted from the effort of the black hole, had fallen into a deep sleep for the first time in years. His face, usually serious, looked almost childish in the dim light.
Shenlong, curled up in his nest, dreamed of Frya. He saw her floating among the stars, smiling, telling him something he couldn't quite hear.
Outside, shadows moved.
Three figures in space camouflage suits floated toward the ship, their thrusters barely whispering in the void. They were the bounty hunters who had been following the children for months.
The leader, a burly man with a hard gaze named Bamba, gave a signal. His two men nodded and activated their cutting devices.
The airlock gave way without a sound.
Inside the ship, the air was warm. Champa's snores created an almost hypnotic rhythm. Bamba advanced carefully, his magnetic boots sticking to the metal floor. His men followed, weapons ready but with no intention of using them. They didn't want a fight. They wanted to steal.
And there it was.
The sphere.
Glowing softly on an improvised shelf, with the number "1" engraved on its surface.
One of the bounty hunters, a thin man with long fingers named Vex, approached, his eyes gleaming with greed.
"It's more beautiful than I imagined," he whispered.
He extended his gloved hand and touched the sphere.
Nothing.
He tried to lift it.
It didn't move.
He frowned and applied more force. Nothing. It was like trying to lift a mountain.
"Boss," he whispered, sweat beginning to form on his forehead. "This weighs... I don't know... a lot. Too much. It's like a thousand rocks were piled up here."
Bamba approached, impatient.
"What do you mean it weighs? It's a small sphere. Lift it and let's go."
"I can't. It's like it's glued to the floor. Like the universe itself doesn't want me to move it."
Vex took off his glove, frustrated. Maybe with bare skin he'd have a better grip. Maybe the glove dulled his sensitivity.
He placed his hand on the sphere.
The pain was instantaneous.
A surge of pure energy shot through his arm, his body, his soul. Vex opened his mouth to scream, but no sound came out. His eyes turned white. His body convulsed, shaking as if a thousand lightning bolts were coursing through him.
And he fell to the floor, dead.
Shenlong's eyes flew wide open.
The small golden dragon rose in his nest, his gaze fixed on the intruders. In an instant, his energy enveloped the ship, creating an impenetrable barrier. A golden shield that blazed with ancient fury.
"GET OUT OF HERE," he said, and his voice was not that of a child. It was the voice of something ancient. Something powerful. Something that had waited five million years to protect his family.
Bamba and the other bounty hunter recoiled, terrified. Vex's body lay on the floor, smoking.
"We're sor... we're sorry," Bamba stammered, dragging his man's body. "We're leaving. We're leaving now. We didn't mean to... we didn't know..."
They fled through the airlock like bats out of hell.
Shenlong watched them go, his energy still protecting the ship. Then, exhausted, he collapsed into his nest.
But he didn't sleep.
He watched over them the rest of the night.
The light of a distant star streamed through the ship's windows as Ozari opened her eyes.
Something was wrong.
The air felt different. Charged.
She sat up and saw Shenlong awake, staring intently at the airlock.
"Shenlong? What happened?"
The dragon took a moment to answer.
"They came last night," he finally said. "They tried to steal the sphere."
Ozari jumped to her feet.
"What? How? Is everyone okay?"
"We're okay. But one of them... isn't."
Bills appeared in the cockpit doorway, his face more serious than ever.
"Dead?"
Shenlong nodded.
"He touched the sphere without gloves. The energy killed him instantly."
Champa, who had just woken up, stood with his mouth open.
"The sphere... can kill?"
Little by little, Shenlong told them everything. The intruders. The attempted theft. Vex's death. The escape.
When he finished, a heavy silence fell over them.
Ozari looked at the sphere, still on its shelf, glowing innocently.
"Do you think it was wrong?" she asked quietly. "That he died, I mean. He just wanted to... I don't know. Steal. But he didn't know."
Bills answered first.
"He tried to rob us. He knew the risk. All bounty hunters know this job is dangerous."
"But he didn't know the sphere would kill him," Ozari insisted. "We didn't know either until yesterday."
Champa, who usually always had a joke ready, was unusually serious.
"It's strange, isn't it? Having something that can kill someone just by touching it. It's not even a weapon. It's just... a sphere."
Shenlong looked at them all.
"The sphere isn't evil," he said with his wise voice. "It isn't good either. It's energy. Pure, ancient, divine energy. And energy doesn't forgive ignorance. It has no malice or kindness. It just is."
Ozari nodded slowly.
"Then we have to be more careful. Much more careful."
Bills approached the sphere and observed it closely.
"Shenlong, what else do you know about them? About the spheres."
The dragon closed his eyes.
"I remember fragments. Frya said that only beings with divine energy can hold them. Mortals... mortals die. But she also said they're dangerous even for us. That they release energy. A lot of energy."
"How much?" Champa asked.
Shenlong opened his eyes.
"Capable of destroying galaxies."
The silence that followed was even heavier.
"Destroying galaxies?" Champa repeated, his voice almost a whisper. "And we're carrying them in Ozari's backpack?"
"That's why we have to find them before others," Shenlong replied. "In the wrong hands... they could end everything."
Ozari carefully took the sphere and put it in her backpack, next to her red palette.
"Then let's keep searching. But first... we need to repair the ship. I don't like seeing it like this, with that damaged airlock."
Bills nodded.
"There's a nearby planet. In Namekian territory. We can get parts. The Namekians are known for their technology and trade."
"Namekians?" Champa asked, regaining some of his enthusiasm. "Aren't they dangerous?"
"They're peaceful," Bills replied. "But also powerful. Their warriors are legendary. We'll be careful. We don't want problems with them."
"Not with the Namekians," Ozari said. "But with the bounty hunters... it seems we already have them."
While the four siblings prepared to travel to the Namekian planet, in another corner of space, a very different conversation was taking place.
Bamba's ship was docked at a neutral space station. The bounty hunter, still trembling from what he had seen, needed help. And he knew exactly who to look for.
Dayma was a Namekian different from those who meditated in temples.
His skin was a dark green, almost black in the shadows. His body was covered in scars that told stories of forgotten battles. His eyes, yellow and piercing, didn't have the peace of the monks. They had the cunning of a survivor.
Dayma had been born in a temple, like all Namekians. But when the invaders came and burned his village, when he saw his family die defending what they loved, something changed in him.
The monks forgave. Dayma didn't.
Now he sold his services to the highest bidder. Drones. Information. Surgical strikes. Dayma did everything the peaceful Namekians wouldn't do.
And he had a fleet to back him up.
Bamba placed a bag of credits in front of him.
"I need you to help me steal something from some children."
Dayma looked at the credits. Then he looked at Bamba.
"Children? And you need a mercenary of my level to rob some children?"
"They're not normal children," Bamba replied, his voice trembling. "I have a dead man who confirms it."
Dayma raised an eyebrow.
"Tell me."
Bamba told him everything. The chase. The rusty but incredibly fast ship. The sphere. The attempted theft. Vex's death.
When he finished, Dayma was silent for a long moment.
"A small sphere, with a number engraved on it?" he finally asked.
"Yes. The number one."
Dayma leaned back in his chair.
"The Divine Spheres. I've heard rumors. All the empires are looking for them. And according to you, those children already have one."
"Yes. And I want to steal it."
"Touching the sphere killed your man?"
"Instantly."
"And how do you plan to steal it without touching it?"
Bamba smiled.
"That's why I hired you. You have technology. You have drones. You have resources I don't."
Dayma looked at the credits again.
"I'm going to need more than this."
"I'll get more. When we have the sphere, we can sell it to the highest bidder. The empires will pay fortunes."
Dayma nodded slowly.
"I accept. But I'm not going to face them directly. I'll use my drones. And I'll need a special device. A Zero Energy Beam Generator."
"What's that?"
"A weapon that neutralizes any shield and captures objects at a distance. With that, we can take the sphere without touching it."
Bamba smiled.
"How long to get it?"
"A day. Maybe two. Meanwhile, tell me everything you know about those children."
Bamba spent the next hours telling him every detail. The speed of their ship. The way they destroyed an asteroid belt. The energy he felt when Shenlong spoke.
When he finished, Dayma was quieter than ever.
"A thousand drones," he murmured. "I'm going to need a thousand drones for this."
"That many?"
"You saw what one of them did," Dayma replied. "And that was the smallest one. The dragon. I don't want to imagine what the other three together can do."
Bamba swallowed.
"Let's do it."
The four siblings' ship arrived at the Namekian planet a day later.
It was a beautiful world. Green everywhere. Crystal oceans reflecting the light of three suns. Small floating islands with ancient temples. On the main continent, a commercial city bustled with activity.
The four siblings walked among the stalls, amazed by the variety of products.
Spices from distant worlds that smelled of unknown stories. Fabrics that changed color with the light. Fruits that glowed with their own light. Food that smelled like glory and made Champa's stomach roar.
"This... this is paradise," Champa said, tears in his eyes. "Can we stay? Just a year. Or two. Or forever."
"We came to buy parts," Bills reminded him, though he too looked at the stalls with interest.
"We can buy parts AND eat!" Champa proposed. "They're not mutually exclusive."
Ozari laughed.
"He's right. Let's eat something first."
As they wandered through the stalls, a figure watched them from the shadows.
Bamba.
The bounty hunter had arrived earlier, using a fast ship and staying hidden. Now he watched the children, studying their movements, their habits, their weaknesses.
And he waited for Dayma.
The Namekian mercenary arrived hours later, with an imposing battleship and a fleet of invisible drones.
"Where are they?" Dayma asked.
"Eating. As always. The fat one never stops."
Dayma observed through his viewers.
"They're just children," he said, almost disappointed.
"You'll see. Just wait until they fight."
Dayma nodded.
"Prepare your men. We'll attack when they're in space. I don't want to destroy this planet. The real Namekians already hate me enough."
Bamba nodded.
"Agreed."
While the four siblings shopped and ate, Dayma waited for them in his ship.
It was a flying fortress.
A Namekian battle ship modified over years. Multiple layers of armor. Shields reinforced with technology stolen from the Furos. State-of-the-art weapon systems. And at the center, a special room.
The Sphere Vault.
Dayma had designed that room with dangerous objects in mind. Walls reinforced with neutron alloy. Multiple zero-energy barriers. Automatic containment systems.
"Do you think that will hold the sphere?" Bamba asked, observing the room.
"I calculated the energy it released when it touched your man," Dayma replied. "This can contain it. For now."
"For now?"
"Because we don't know how much power it really has. The rumors say they're capable of anything. Wishes. Absolute power. Even reviving gods."
Bamba swallowed.
"And we're going to steal something like that?"
"Precisely. Because it's the most valuable thing in the universe."
Dayma activated a screen showing his drone fleet.
"A thousand units. Each with autonomous attack and maneuver capabilities. They'll surround them, attack from all angles, and while they're defending themselves, we'll use the Zero Energy Beam to take the sphere."
"And if they chase us?"
"That's what this ship is for. Armored. Fast. And with a Vault that can hold the sphere. If we manage to take it... they won't be able to get it back."
Bamba nodded, impressed.
"How long have you been preparing this?"
"Years. Without knowing what for. But now I know."
While Dayma and Bamba planned, the four siblings enjoyed their day.
Champa had found a Namekian food stall and was trying everything they sold. Ozari bought parts for the ship, haggling with vendors with a skill that surprised even Bills. Bills examined each part with a critical eye, making sure they were of the best quality.
Shenlong, coiled around Ozari's neck, watched everything attentively.
"I like this place," he said. "The people seem peaceful."
"The Namekians are like that," Ozari replied. "Peaceful. Wise. Or so they say."
"Have you met many?"
"No. In the Wukon Empire, we didn't get along with them. Too many wars."
Bills approached with an armful of parts.
"I think this is enough. The ship will be good as new."
"Are you sure?" Champa asked with his mouth full. "Because I don't like seeing it so... junky."
"It's ours," Ozari said fondly. "And it's brought us this far. That makes it special."
Shenlong smiled.
"Like us. Special."
They bought a few more things, including provisions for Champa (lots of provisions), and began walking toward the spaceport.
Behind them, a shadow followed.
Bamba adjusted his communicator.
"They're going back to the ship. Get ready."
The four siblings' ship lifted off from the Namekian planet with engines roaring like never before.
Ozari looked out the window, happy.
"The ship looks better now, doesn't it?"
"Much better," Bills replied. "Thanks to all of you. The parts you chose are excellent."
Champa, of course, was already eating.
Shenlong, coiled around Ozari's neck, closed his eyes, enjoying the moment.
That's when the alarms went off.
"What...?" Bills started.
Space ahead of them filled with lights.
Drones. Hundreds. Thousands. Coming from all directions. Firing energy beams from every angle.
The ship shook. Alarms screamed. Ozari grabbed Champa to keep him from falling.
"We're under attack!" she shouted.
"There are too many!" Bills replied, maneuvering frantically.
The drones were fast, precise, relentless. They attacked in waves, forcing Bills to dodge constantly.
"We can't fight them all!" Champa shouted.
"We have to try!" Ozari replied, channeling her energy into the shields.
One of the shots hit Ozari's backpack directly.
The fabric tore. The sphere fell, floating in the void.
"NO!" Ozari screamed.
And before they could react, a zero-energy beam, bright and cold, enveloped the sphere. It gently pulled it toward a huge ship that appeared out of nowhere.
Dayma's ship.
"THOSE BASTARDS!" Champa roared.
The bounty hunters' ship activated its engines and vanished at light speed.
Bills clenched his fists.
"After them. NOW!"
The ship accelerated, but something was wrong. The engines coughed. Lights flickered. Systems failed.
"The drones damaged the ship," Champa said, checking panels desperately. "We can't follow. The engines... the engines are dying."
Ozari looked out the window, the enemy ship getting further and further away.
"No... we can't lose it. It's the first sphere. It's ours."
Shenlong rose up.
"We can repair it," he said calmly. "Quickly. But we need energy. All you have."
The four looked at each other.
And without a word, they channeled their energy into the ship.
Ozari went first. Her orange aura enveloped the engines, healing the cracks, rekindling the flames.
Bills followed. His purple energy joined Ozari's, reinforcing the systems, stabilizing the failures.
Champa, with his power, channeled everything he had. Sweat, tears, and that infinite energy that only those who love life can have.
And Shenlong. The small golden dragon shone like a sun. His energy, the most ancient, the purest, the one that had waited five million years, united all the others.
The lights flickered. The engines coughed. And then... they roared.
The ship took off like a comet, like a shooting star, like something that shouldn't exist but did.
"WE DID IT!" Champa shouted.
"FOLLOW THEM!" Bills ordered.
The ship launched at light speed, chasing the thieves.
But they were weak. Very weak.
"We can't keep this up much longer," Ozari said, panting. "We used too much energy."
"I know," Bills replied. "But we can't give up."
Shenlong, exhausted, coiled around Ozari's neck.
"We'll catch them," he whispered. "Because we are Frya's children. And Frya's children don't give up."
Behind them, another ship watched.
A Wukon Empire soldier adjusted his communications.
"General Radex," he reported. "The children have the first sphere. But some mercenaries stole it from them. They're chasing them now."
On the other end of the line, Radex smiled.
"Mercenaries? Who?"
"A man named Bamba and a Namekian called Dayma. They have a fortified ship. And many drones."
Radex leaned back in his chair.
"Better. This way we don't have to fight the children. We let the mercenaries do the dirty work... and then we take the prize from them."
Frex, the crown prince, leaned in.
"Are we going to attack them, Uncle?"
"We're going to wait," Radex replied. "When they have the sphere secure, when they think they've won... then we'll attack."
Bura, the lilac-haired girl, jumped with excitement.
"We're going to have a sphere!"
Trenz, more serious, observed the maps.
"It won't be easy. Dayma is well-known. His ship is armored."
"That's why we'll wait," Radex said. "Let them wear themselves out. Let them get overconfident. And then... we'll attack with everything."
Zumm, the youngest, raised his hand.
"What if the children get the sphere back first?"
Radex smiled.
"Then we attack them. Either way, the sphere will be ours."
The four siblings' ship tore through space at light speed.
But the engines were failing. Systems creaked. Energy was running out.
"We're not going to catch them," Bills said with frustration. "Not like this."
Ozari clenched her fists.
"There has to be a way."
Shenlong, from her neck, spoke with a weak voice.
"There is a way. But it's dangerous."
"What?" they all asked at once.
"We can use the sphere's energy. Connect to it. Use its power to propel the ship."
"Isn't that dangerous?" Champa asked.
"Yes. Very. It could kill us. Or it could give us the power we need."
Ozari looked at Bills. Bills looked at Champa. Champa looked at Shenlong.
"Do we do it?" Ozari asked.
Bills nodded slowly.
"For Frya."
"For Frya," the others repeated.
And as Dayma's ship sped away, and Radex's fleet approached, the four siblings prepared for the impossible.
To connect to a divine sphere.
And use its power.