"Goten, you're holding the net wrong!" snapped Trunks.
Goten muttered something and adjusted his grip.
Trunks is so bossy! He thought to himself. He usually followed his friend's orders without complaint, but Trunks was going over the limit. He watched his lavender-haired friend plant his feet firmly on the steep, rocky slope.
"Make sure you don't slip," said Trunks, "or else the baby dragon will get away."
"I won't slip!" insisted Goten, raising his voice, "just because I'm seven and you're eight doesn't mean I'm a baby!"
"Shh!" shouted Trunks, "I bet the baby dragon has already flown away because of your yelling!"
"You're yelling too!"
"Be quiet!"
"You're bossy!"
Trunks was frustrated. Goten was never this bratty.
"This is stupid, Trunks!" Goten growled, "the baby dragon isn't ever going to come! Besides, my mother didn't let my brother have a dragon either!"
"We'll hide it in a cave somewhere."
There was a squawk from above. The boys tensed and looked up. The raven flew away. Goten was getting disappointed.
"Trunks, I'm hot," he complained, "let's go home and come back when it's cooler."
Before the other boy could reply, a plump, light green figure suspended in the air by thin pink wings appeared from behind a hill. Trunks and Goten held their breaths as the creature landed. It stumbled towards the puddle they were hiding near. When it dipped its head to drink, Trunks gave the signal. The two little boys sprang out from behind their rock and tossed the net over the baby dragon. The creature screeched in terror and began to buck wildly.
"Goten! Hold it! Don't let go!" cried Trunks.
Goten held on, but the net ripped. The creature plummeted forward and crashed unto Trunks. The boy slipped and began sliding down the rough mountainside, with the dragon, on his bare knees.
"Trunks-kun!" shouted Goten, running after his friend.
The dragon and Trunks eventually smacked a boulder. The dragon yelped, jumped off of Trunks, and scurried away from the crazy boys.
"Trunks-kun!" repeated Goten frantically.
He reached Trunks and helped him to a sitting position. He gasped when he saw his friend's severely scrapped knees.
"That looks bad. Does it hurt a lot?" Goten asked.
Trunks shook his head but was fighting back tears.
"Why did you let the net go?" he whimpered.
"It broke," Goten said, putting an arm around his friend's shoulders.
After a moment or two, he said softly, "you can cry if you want to. I won't tell."
"Papa never cries," Trunks said, brushing away tears.
"Maybe if we do fusion, I'll get one of your skinned knees so you'll only have to have one," Goten suggested.
Trunks laughed a little.
"That's okay."
He moved a leg and winced. The injuries smarted and he was bruised and sore.
"Let's go to my house," Goten said, "it's closer. My mom can take care of your knees."
"Goten," Trunks mumbled, "I'm sorry I was bossy."
Goten smiled and offered his friend a hand, helping him to his feet.
"We're best friends, right Trunks-kun?"
"You bet, Goten-kun."
The two boys grinned at each other and started for home.