And We All Fall Down
Chapter 1
Rini sat in the clearing in the wooded area behind her house, alone. Her eyes were closed and her breathing was slow, even though the wind blew her shoulder length light brown hair about her face. It was quiet, but yet, not quiet. Crickets chirped their tuneless rythm over and over again. The pack of grey wolved that lived in the area howled at the nearly full moon that lit the sky among many, many stars. The trees rustled, the tall grass swayed, and yet, there she sat. Completely undisturbed by the restless night.
"Mom, are you coming home yet?" A soft voice asked from behind Rini. She said nothing. She knew who it was, it was her son Shiroimizu. Shiro, they called him. Shiroimizu means white water, as sometimes Shiro could be as difficult to handle as the white water rapids on the Isogashii River. Rini smiled slightly, keeping her eyes closed.
"Where are your sisters Shiro?" Rini asked. She could faintly sense her twin daughters Ame and Yuki nearby, so she already knew the answer.
"Ame and Yuki are waiting at the edge of the woods, as is dad," Shiro replied. Rini smiled wider. She hadn't sensed Goku, but she wasn't surprised. Goku hid his ki well.
Rini opened her eyes and got to her feet. She turned to face her eight -year-old son and found herself staring into his deep black eyes. He looked so much like his father. They dressed almost exactly alike as well. Shiro's hair stuck out in wild angles, and no matter how much he combed and washed, it stayed that way. His eyes sparkled like his father's did, but weren't nearly as bright. Yes they were bright, but not as radiant as Goku's were. Shiro wore an orange and blue gi like Goku did, but instead of a sleeveless blue shirt, the sleeves went down to about three inches above his elbow. Instead of a tight blue sash around his waist, a black belt replaced it with its ends dangling.
Rini put her hand on his shoulder and winked. She raised her hand to her head and brushed a few strands of hair out of the way before disappearing with her son, reappearing at the edge of the woods. She smiled as she saw that Goku and her daughters had decided to pass the time with a little sparring. Goku was laughing as he blocked every blow from two smaller figures. Rini shook her head and laughed as well, before nudging Shiro in the back, urging him to join in. Shiro was only too happy to comply. In a flash, Goku was fighting three figures instead of two.
Rini watched intently for a little while before deciding to break the little scuffle up. She disappeared, and suddenly Goku was hurtling towards Earth at breakneck speed. But no one was worried. Goku tucked into a ball and released at just the right time, landing safely on his feet. He stared up, laughing as hard as ever. Ame, Yuki, and Shiro looked above them, and laughed as well as they saw Rini, with her eyes crossed and tongue out, making faces at Goku below. "GOTTCHA!" She yelled.
The kids and Rini landed and walked inside the house. Everyone showered and got into some around-the-house clothes, which happened to be old training clothes for this Son family, and Rini started up dinner. Everyone ate to their hearts content, which could be expected, as everyone at the table ate at about one hundred miles an hour and didn't say a word. The kids cleaned the table and did the dishes without complaint, while Goku and Rini sat on the couch to watch the evening news. After that was good and done, there was kisses and hugs for everyone. The kids headed up to their rooms.
Rini and Goku finished turning off all the lights, latching the doors shut, and turning off computers and the TV and walked up the stairs themselves. Goku went directly to Rini and his room, while Rini stopped to look in on Shiro, who had fallen asleep already, and then on the twins, who were brushing their long, brown, wavy hair. Finally Rini retired to her room, and plopped down on her side of the bed.
And the house was quiet.
~~~*~*~*~~~
Rini awoke with a start to a crashing noise in Shiro's room. Rini could sense a strange ki present, but then all at once it disappeared. Not waisting a moments' time, she shook Goku awake.
"Whassamatterr?" Goku mumbled, more or less disappointed at being woken up so late. Rini stared into his eyes, and he knew something was wrong. He threw off his covers and got to his feet. Rini followed. They dashed down the hall to Shiro's room. The door was shut. When Goku tried to open it, he found that something was holding it closed.
"Screw it!" Rini yelled. Goku balled up his fist and slammed it through the door. He hammered it a few more times before the door was broken at his feet. Rini screamed. Goku's eyes grew wide.
There was crap everywhere. Shiro's dresser was in pieces in the corner, and drawers and clothes littered the room. The ceiling fan, half broken, clung to the cieling by a a few wires and a metal pole, which was bent at an amazing angle. The bed was overturned and the sheets were on the floor in a heap. The window was broken, the curtains torn. Posters had been ripped from the wall. Rini and Goku carefully stepped into the room and began throwing up clothes in search for Shiro. This time, it was Goku that yelled out in shock.
"What?!" Rini asked. "Did you find Shiro?" Goku shook his head lightly, his eyes fixed on the wall. Rini stepped over all of the debris and stood by Goku. She screamed. There were spots of blood all over the wall, and in some places, where the wood had splintered, pieces of orange and black fabric that had been torn from shirts, pants, etc. hung. Rini turned away. Her eyes fell upon the heap of sheets and blanketsthat had been thrown from the bed. At first, she thought it was just a heap, but then she saw it move. Slowly, up, then down. Up, down. Rini, not taking her eyes off the blankets, tapped Goku.
"Goku, look..." Rini trailed off. Goku spun around. He too saw the blanket move, up, down. He strode over and yanked the blankets from off the floor, flinging them into the air behind him.
And there lay a bloody, crumpled Shiro, breathing slowly and painfully. Rini gasped. Goku carefully lifted his son from the floor into his arms. "Rini go see if the girls are ok!" He yelled. Rini compose herself for a moment. Shiro wasn't dead, he was going to be ok. She bolted from the room and flew down the hall. She threw open the twins door, and sighed.
Ame and Yuki were still asleep in their beds, completely unaware of what had happened. Goku came to the door and put an arm around his wife. "Shiro's ok, he just needs to rest, ok?" Rini turned and kissed Goku lightly.
"Ok," She said. "But what in the hell happened?"
(*A/N: This is my first fic I have ever put on the internet for people to read. I usually specialize in comedy, but I feel in a particularly mysterious and dramatic mood, so here ya go! ^.~Y*)
Chapter 1
Rini sat in the clearing in the wooded area behind her house, alone. Her eyes were closed and her breathing was slow, even though the wind blew her shoulder length light brown hair about her face. It was quiet, but yet, not quiet. Crickets chirped their tuneless rythm over and over again. The pack of grey wolved that lived in the area howled at the nearly full moon that lit the sky among many, many stars. The trees rustled, the tall grass swayed, and yet, there she sat. Completely undisturbed by the restless night.
"Mom, are you coming home yet?" A soft voice asked from behind Rini. She said nothing. She knew who it was, it was her son Shiroimizu. Shiro, they called him. Shiroimizu means white water, as sometimes Shiro could be as difficult to handle as the white water rapids on the Isogashii River. Rini smiled slightly, keeping her eyes closed.
"Where are your sisters Shiro?" Rini asked. She could faintly sense her twin daughters Ame and Yuki nearby, so she already knew the answer.
"Ame and Yuki are waiting at the edge of the woods, as is dad," Shiro replied. Rini smiled wider. She hadn't sensed Goku, but she wasn't surprised. Goku hid his ki well.
Rini opened her eyes and got to her feet. She turned to face her eight -year-old son and found herself staring into his deep black eyes. He looked so much like his father. They dressed almost exactly alike as well. Shiro's hair stuck out in wild angles, and no matter how much he combed and washed, it stayed that way. His eyes sparkled like his father's did, but weren't nearly as bright. Yes they were bright, but not as radiant as Goku's were. Shiro wore an orange and blue gi like Goku did, but instead of a sleeveless blue shirt, the sleeves went down to about three inches above his elbow. Instead of a tight blue sash around his waist, a black belt replaced it with its ends dangling.
Rini put her hand on his shoulder and winked. She raised her hand to her head and brushed a few strands of hair out of the way before disappearing with her son, reappearing at the edge of the woods. She smiled as she saw that Goku and her daughters had decided to pass the time with a little sparring. Goku was laughing as he blocked every blow from two smaller figures. Rini shook her head and laughed as well, before nudging Shiro in the back, urging him to join in. Shiro was only too happy to comply. In a flash, Goku was fighting three figures instead of two.
Rini watched intently for a little while before deciding to break the little scuffle up. She disappeared, and suddenly Goku was hurtling towards Earth at breakneck speed. But no one was worried. Goku tucked into a ball and released at just the right time, landing safely on his feet. He stared up, laughing as hard as ever. Ame, Yuki, and Shiro looked above them, and laughed as well as they saw Rini, with her eyes crossed and tongue out, making faces at Goku below. "GOTTCHA!" She yelled.
The kids and Rini landed and walked inside the house. Everyone showered and got into some around-the-house clothes, which happened to be old training clothes for this Son family, and Rini started up dinner. Everyone ate to their hearts content, which could be expected, as everyone at the table ate at about one hundred miles an hour and didn't say a word. The kids cleaned the table and did the dishes without complaint, while Goku and Rini sat on the couch to watch the evening news. After that was good and done, there was kisses and hugs for everyone. The kids headed up to their rooms.
Rini and Goku finished turning off all the lights, latching the doors shut, and turning off computers and the TV and walked up the stairs themselves. Goku went directly to Rini and his room, while Rini stopped to look in on Shiro, who had fallen asleep already, and then on the twins, who were brushing their long, brown, wavy hair. Finally Rini retired to her room, and plopped down on her side of the bed.
And the house was quiet.
~~~*~*~*~~~
Rini awoke with a start to a crashing noise in Shiro's room. Rini could sense a strange ki present, but then all at once it disappeared. Not waisting a moments' time, she shook Goku awake.
"Whassamatterr?" Goku mumbled, more or less disappointed at being woken up so late. Rini stared into his eyes, and he knew something was wrong. He threw off his covers and got to his feet. Rini followed. They dashed down the hall to Shiro's room. The door was shut. When Goku tried to open it, he found that something was holding it closed.
"Screw it!" Rini yelled. Goku balled up his fist and slammed it through the door. He hammered it a few more times before the door was broken at his feet. Rini screamed. Goku's eyes grew wide.
There was crap everywhere. Shiro's dresser was in pieces in the corner, and drawers and clothes littered the room. The ceiling fan, half broken, clung to the cieling by a a few wires and a metal pole, which was bent at an amazing angle. The bed was overturned and the sheets were on the floor in a heap. The window was broken, the curtains torn. Posters had been ripped from the wall. Rini and Goku carefully stepped into the room and began throwing up clothes in search for Shiro. This time, it was Goku that yelled out in shock.
"What?!" Rini asked. "Did you find Shiro?" Goku shook his head lightly, his eyes fixed on the wall. Rini stepped over all of the debris and stood by Goku. She screamed. There were spots of blood all over the wall, and in some places, where the wood had splintered, pieces of orange and black fabric that had been torn from shirts, pants, etc. hung. Rini turned away. Her eyes fell upon the heap of sheets and blanketsthat had been thrown from the bed. At first, she thought it was just a heap, but then she saw it move. Slowly, up, then down. Up, down. Rini, not taking her eyes off the blankets, tapped Goku.
"Goku, look..." Rini trailed off. Goku spun around. He too saw the blanket move, up, down. He strode over and yanked the blankets from off the floor, flinging them into the air behind him.
And there lay a bloody, crumpled Shiro, breathing slowly and painfully. Rini gasped. Goku carefully lifted his son from the floor into his arms. "Rini go see if the girls are ok!" He yelled. Rini compose herself for a moment. Shiro wasn't dead, he was going to be ok. She bolted from the room and flew down the hall. She threw open the twins door, and sighed.
Ame and Yuki were still asleep in their beds, completely unaware of what had happened. Goku came to the door and put an arm around his wife. "Shiro's ok, he just needs to rest, ok?" Rini turned and kissed Goku lightly.
"Ok," She said. "But what in the hell happened?"
(*A/N: This is my first fic I have ever put on the internet for people to read. I usually specialize in comedy, but I feel in a particularly mysterious and dramatic mood, so here ya go! ^.~Y*)
