The Wind And The Clouds
By Shimegami-chan

DBZ is copyright Akira Toriyama-sama, FUNimation, etc....

Author's Note: I decided to move this over from my old DBZ account, since I'm paying for Support Services and all. :) Hope everybody likes. ^_^


The sun was shining and the water was a pretty blue color today. Marron was very happy: the ocean went as far as she could see--pretty far!--and when she looked back, she couldn't see Kame House at all.
Well, maybe 'cause Papa was in the way. But Marron knew that it was far out of sight, and up ahead she saw a little bump on the sea that got bigger when they flew towards it. The cold ocean wind ruffled her hair and made Marron cold, so Papa had put his red jacket around her. It fit perfectly but the wind still blew her hair in her face, reminding Marron of how much she didn't like to fly.
"Almost there, Marron-chan!" Papa said cheerfully. "Can you see Mount Paozu?"
"Yup!" Marron giggled as the mountain got bigger and bigger.

Papa glided lower and flew over the big mountain, setting down by the Son house. Smoke was coming up from the chimney--was Chi-chi-san making something to eat? Marron smelled something good in the air.

"Looks like Chi-chi's making lunch," said Papa. "Shall we go see?"
"Okay!" Marron bubbled. She was hungry! Trunks and Goten could wait.

Inside the little house, Chi-chi-san was stirring something in a pot on the stove. Two-year-old Bra-chan, Trunks-kun, and Goten-kun were sitting on the floor, playing seemingly happily with Bra-chan's dolls. "Hi Marron!" Bra called.
The two boys looked guilty and dropped the playtoys. "Hi, Marron-chan!" they chorused.
"Hi everyone!" Marron sat down on the carpet. "What are we doing today?"
Trunks and Goten stood up. "We're going....to the city!"
"The city!" Marron cried.
"Shhhhhh!" The boys put their fingers to their lips. "Not so loud!"
Marron whispered, "The city?"
"Yeah!" answered Goten. "We're going to go there and play in the toy store!"
"Why don't we go to your house Trunks-kun? It's almost a toy store itself!" Marron crossed her pudgy arms.
"Because!" Trunks sighed. "If it's my house it's no fun for me and Bra-chan! Besides...we're not allowed to go to the city."
"My papa would take us if we wanted," protested Marron.
"No way!" Trunks cried, and he dragged her out the door.

*****************

"How are we getting to the city?" asked Marron. She knew better.
"Flying of course!" said Trunks. "I'll take my sister and Goten can take you."
"I'm too heavy for him to carry!" said Marron. "I'm nine years old, Papa and Mama can barely carry me! Well...not really...but you couldn't!"
"No way!" Goten scoffed. "I can do it." He picked Marron up is his arms.
Bra-chan climbed onto Trunks back and the boys took off, the wind blowing through Marron's blonde pigtails, making her shiver. She was still wearing Papa's red jacket.
"See? No problem," Goten asserted.
Marron just shook her head. "I don't know about this..."

*****************

An hour later Goten started to wobble, just a little bit.
"Goten...ne, are you okay?" Trunks asked with worry on his face.
"Goten-oniichan?" Little Bra looked over at Marron, who couldn't see Goten but could feel his arms starting to shake.
"I'm fine!" said Goten. "But...Trunks-kun...could you hold Marron a sec, and put her on my back?"
"But Goten...Bra-chan..."
Bra clutched the back of Trunks' jacket and mumbled "Oniichan..."
"I don't know if I can hold both of you," Trunks said worriedly. "And there's no place to set down for miles."
"Oniichan! Goten-oniichan's--he's--" Bra-chan cried.
"Nani?" Trunks blasted over to Goten, but Goten kept a firm grip on Marron. Bra-chan looked very worried.
"Here, Marron." Trunks held out his arms and took her, trying not to let Bra fall. Goten hovered, his face a pale white.
Marron gasped. "Goten-kun!"
"What should we do, Marron?" Trunks asked.
"Why are you asking me?" she retorted.
"I don't know...I think Goten's sick..."
"I told him I was too heavy!" she cried.
"That can't be, Marron-chan...he probably just ate too much for lunch or something. We'd better set down somewhere, though 'coz I can't carry all three of you."

Marron pondered for a second. "Do you have any Capsules with you?" She stuck her cold fingers into the pockets of Papa's jacket, but they were almost empty.
Trunks laughed out loud. "Great idea! I should have...some...."
"What's wrong?"
"I don't have any. I took the wrong jacket...Goten!"
Goten lifted his pale face. "What?"
"Have any capsules on you?"
"Nope, sorry...but I have another idea...come here, would you, Trunks-kun?"
Trunks crept over to Goten, trying to balance both girls. "What?"
Goten held out his arms. "Hand over Marron-chan, please."
"What? For Kami's sake, don't drop her..." Trunks held out Marron until Goten had a firm grip around her waist. "Now what?"
"Kinto'un!" Goten looked up in the sky.
A few seconds later a yellow cloud appeared in the sky and settled itself beneath Goten's booted feet. "See?"
"Wow! I haven't seen the kinto'un in a few years...I didn't know you still had it!" Trunks ambled closer to the candy cloud.
"It was a present from oniichan." Carefully Goten stood on the yellow cloud and lowered Marron onto it. The fragile-looking material held her weight.
Trunks sat Bra-chan in Marron's lap. "Perfect!"
Goten sat down as well, and Marron tried to poke her finger through the cloud. "What is it, Goten-kun, Trunks-kun?"
"It's Goten's kinto'un! It belonged to Gohan-san, and Goku-san before him. Kamesennin gave it to Goku-san when he was really little."
"Ah! The candy cloud Papa talked about!" Marron placed her palm on the springy substance. "Papa couldn't ride it when he was little, so Goku-san flew him around. Until they learned to fly."
"Otousan gave it to oniichan after that," said Goten. "And then oniichan gave it to me. But then he taught me to fly."
"Now we can go lots of places, 'cause Marron-chan can fly!" exclaimed Trunks.
Marron caught sight of a bump on the ocean. "Look! The city!"
Color was beginning to return to Goten's face, and he perked up immediately at the mention of the city. "Really? Can you see the toy store yet?"
"I don't know, what does it look like?"

Goten groaned. "You mean you haven't been there!?"

"Um..."

Marron shook her head, giggling, and Bra and the boys joined in. The city loomed before them, and for once the wind blew through Marron's pigtails, and she loved it.



~owari!

Shi-chan: Ah, ancient writing...it can't possibly be that bad, can it?