1 Shadowed Past
2 Part 1
January 12th, 2018
The wind blew gently across the leaves of the big oak tree that called this yard it's home. Two small caterpillars slowly made their way along a young, green branch, seeking the sweet taste of new leaves. They seemed to move together and did not quarrel, as if they knew each other well. The wind blew, shaking the unsteady twig they perched upon, causing one of them to fall. The fallen caterpillar landed on a branch far below, and, though shaken, continued his trek for food. The other caterpillar stayed still for a moment, unsure as to what became of his companion, and then continued on to the fresh, bright-green leaves.
"Touji, look out!" Tofu yelled to his son. Touji leapt out of the way as a ki blast struck the ground he once occupied, blowing it away and leaving a small crater.
"Keep your guard up," Tofu said, floating up behind Touji. The two stood back-to-back facing their adversaries. Tofu squinted his eyes slightly, in concentration.
"Azuki, watch it..." Matsuo warned his sister.
"I know, Mat..." She said. And she did know, she had sparred more times with her father than Matsuo knew of.
Tofu suddenly launched up into the sky, in the same instant, Touji slammed into the ground below them. There was a flash of light, and two blasts shot from mid-air at Azuki and Matsuo.
Azuki dodged the blast, but was then repeatedly hit from behind by small ki balls being shot off by Touji.
Matsuo caught the blast and shoved it off towards his father, who wasn't there. Tofu phased in behind Matsuo and slammed a round-house kick into his shoulder, Matsuo went down. He hit the ground hard, and dropped out of Super mode, then slowly got to his feet, holding his shoulder, "I'm out." He said, and walked over to the porch to sit down.
Azuki managed to regain control and flew at Touji, knocking the ki balls out of her way as she went. Tofu flew into Azuki, kneeing her in the side, causing her to lose her control and slam into the ground, creating a shallow rut as she slid. She came to a stop and rolled over, spreading her arms out beside her.
"You win," She said, and pushed herself up.
"Nice work, Touji." Tofu said, lightly punching his son in the arm, "Too bad your Mother couldn't play..."
"Yeah, we would have won if she were here," Azuki said, brushing dirt off of her shirt and out of her hair.
"Somebody had to watch Terumi, though, she can be a handful..." Tofu said, "And with that, I'm going to go see if she needs anything."
Matsuo moved out of the way as Tofu walked past him and went inside.
Touji and Azuki both dropped out of Super. Azuki flew over to Matsuo and sat down next to him.
"Dad give you a good one?" She asked with a slight chuckle.
Matsuo rubbed his injured arm in emphasis, "I can almost feel it in my other arm... this one's gonna bruise big time."
Touji ran up to the tree in their yard and kicked it, causing the big plant to shudder and drop dozens of twigs and small branches. Touji covered his head with his hands and ran out from under the falling debris, laughing.
"Touji, watch it," Azuki said, "we like that tree better than you."
Touji stuck his tongue out at his sister, and kicked one of the branches back at the tree, it shattered as it hit. "I still wanna spar," He said, "come on, let's go."
"Touj', without Dad, either of us can beat you pretty easily," Matsuo said, still clutching his shoulder.
Pan opened the door and stepped out, "Mm, it's a nice day isn't it?" She commented, looking up at the clear sky. She crouched down beside Matsuo, "Let me see your shoulder." She said.
Matsuo pulled up his sleeve to reveal his beet-red shoulder, already quite swollen, and starting to turn purple in the middle. Pan cringed, "Go inside, put some ice on that." She said, then added, "And give your Father a kick in the shins for hurting my boy." As Matsuo entered the house.
Touji sparred with the air, punching, kicking, and darting around about twenty feet off the ground.
"How's Terumi?" Azuki asked, feeling her back and her heavily damaged shirt with her hand, "She was crying a lot earlier."
"She's fine, just being whiny is all," Pan said. Azuki looked at the orange bandanna her mother wore, "You look like an old woman, wearing that." She said, laughing.
Pan took off the bandanna, letting her hair fall below her shoulders, "It's just something I found," She explained, "it keeps my hair out of Terumi's reach"
"Why don't you just cut it?"
"I don't really want it short, neither does your Father; it's just easier."
Azuki blinked repeatedly and rubbed her eye, trying to get out some dirt that had fallen into it.
"You should go take a shower, your filthy," Pan said, brushing some dirt out of Azuki's hair, "How'd you get so dirty?"
Azuki pointed to the seven-foot long gouge in the yard, "Dad got me good that time, heh."
"You guys, honestly, you play rough."
"It's the best way to play, ma." Azuki said, and went inside.
The sun slowly dropped from the sky and the shadows blended into each other. The glow of the moon cast a blue glow on everything. Night.
Tofu slowly made his way out of the room and to the hall, Terumi's crying carrying him along. He could still feel where Pan had jabbed her elbow into his ribs.
He bent over the crib and picked up his little girl. Resting her against his chest, he slowly rocked back and forth, hushing her and rubbing her back. "Calm down, daddy's here." He said soothingly, and walked over to the window. It was still warm outside, even at night, and the window exuded this warmth into the room. Terumi eventually quieted down and fell back to sleep. Tofu slowly turned to lay her back in her crib, when the sound of an explosion rocked the house. Startled by the noise, Terumi awoke started to cry again. Tofu hugged her close to him, "Shh, it's okay, it's okay, I've got you."
Pan rushed into the room, "What was that, is she okay?"
"I don't know," Tofu said, shouting over Terumi's cries, "Here, take her." He handed her to Pan, "I'm going to check it out."
"Be careful." Pan said, clutching Terumi close to her.
"What was that?" Matsuo asked, stepping out of his room.
"Don't know," Tofu said, still going for the door, "stay here, I'm going to check it out." The door opened and shut, and he was gone.
The air smelled bad, like something was burning. Tofu flew up and over the house, off in the distance he could see dark smoke coming out of a large crater, he flew off towards it. He had expected a meteorite, or even a Saiya-jinn Space-Pod, instead he found a type of ship he'd never seen before, but that seemed oddly familiar. It was slightly larger than a Saiya- jinn Pod, it was very dark; black and gray, with dark blue highlights. There wasn't a curve on it, everything was sharp cut, even the canopy, a solid piece of some transparent material. Tofu set down in the crater, next to the battered craft, flames slowly eating their way through the aft hull regions, near what looked to be the main engines. There was someone inside, he could feel them. He quickly searched the craft for anything that might be an entrance, but to no avail. He moved his attention to the canopy, and tried prying it open, but couldn't get a good enough grip. He slammed his fist into one of the panels, creating a small hole, which he began to tear away at. A hand reached out to him from within the vessel, he grabbed onto it and pulled the person out.
The man scrambled away from the ship and then collapsed onto his back, breathing heavily. Tofu rushed over to him, "Are you alright?" He asked.
The man actually managed a smile, and laughed, then winced in pain, "You get to save my ass again, Tofu, just like old times, huh?" He said, then passed out.
2 Part 1
January 12th, 2018
The wind blew gently across the leaves of the big oak tree that called this yard it's home. Two small caterpillars slowly made their way along a young, green branch, seeking the sweet taste of new leaves. They seemed to move together and did not quarrel, as if they knew each other well. The wind blew, shaking the unsteady twig they perched upon, causing one of them to fall. The fallen caterpillar landed on a branch far below, and, though shaken, continued his trek for food. The other caterpillar stayed still for a moment, unsure as to what became of his companion, and then continued on to the fresh, bright-green leaves.
"Touji, look out!" Tofu yelled to his son. Touji leapt out of the way as a ki blast struck the ground he once occupied, blowing it away and leaving a small crater.
"Keep your guard up," Tofu said, floating up behind Touji. The two stood back-to-back facing their adversaries. Tofu squinted his eyes slightly, in concentration.
"Azuki, watch it..." Matsuo warned his sister.
"I know, Mat..." She said. And she did know, she had sparred more times with her father than Matsuo knew of.
Tofu suddenly launched up into the sky, in the same instant, Touji slammed into the ground below them. There was a flash of light, and two blasts shot from mid-air at Azuki and Matsuo.
Azuki dodged the blast, but was then repeatedly hit from behind by small ki balls being shot off by Touji.
Matsuo caught the blast and shoved it off towards his father, who wasn't there. Tofu phased in behind Matsuo and slammed a round-house kick into his shoulder, Matsuo went down. He hit the ground hard, and dropped out of Super mode, then slowly got to his feet, holding his shoulder, "I'm out." He said, and walked over to the porch to sit down.
Azuki managed to regain control and flew at Touji, knocking the ki balls out of her way as she went. Tofu flew into Azuki, kneeing her in the side, causing her to lose her control and slam into the ground, creating a shallow rut as she slid. She came to a stop and rolled over, spreading her arms out beside her.
"You win," She said, and pushed herself up.
"Nice work, Touji." Tofu said, lightly punching his son in the arm, "Too bad your Mother couldn't play..."
"Yeah, we would have won if she were here," Azuki said, brushing dirt off of her shirt and out of her hair.
"Somebody had to watch Terumi, though, she can be a handful..." Tofu said, "And with that, I'm going to go see if she needs anything."
Matsuo moved out of the way as Tofu walked past him and went inside.
Touji and Azuki both dropped out of Super. Azuki flew over to Matsuo and sat down next to him.
"Dad give you a good one?" She asked with a slight chuckle.
Matsuo rubbed his injured arm in emphasis, "I can almost feel it in my other arm... this one's gonna bruise big time."
Touji ran up to the tree in their yard and kicked it, causing the big plant to shudder and drop dozens of twigs and small branches. Touji covered his head with his hands and ran out from under the falling debris, laughing.
"Touji, watch it," Azuki said, "we like that tree better than you."
Touji stuck his tongue out at his sister, and kicked one of the branches back at the tree, it shattered as it hit. "I still wanna spar," He said, "come on, let's go."
"Touj', without Dad, either of us can beat you pretty easily," Matsuo said, still clutching his shoulder.
Pan opened the door and stepped out, "Mm, it's a nice day isn't it?" She commented, looking up at the clear sky. She crouched down beside Matsuo, "Let me see your shoulder." She said.
Matsuo pulled up his sleeve to reveal his beet-red shoulder, already quite swollen, and starting to turn purple in the middle. Pan cringed, "Go inside, put some ice on that." She said, then added, "And give your Father a kick in the shins for hurting my boy." As Matsuo entered the house.
Touji sparred with the air, punching, kicking, and darting around about twenty feet off the ground.
"How's Terumi?" Azuki asked, feeling her back and her heavily damaged shirt with her hand, "She was crying a lot earlier."
"She's fine, just being whiny is all," Pan said. Azuki looked at the orange bandanna her mother wore, "You look like an old woman, wearing that." She said, laughing.
Pan took off the bandanna, letting her hair fall below her shoulders, "It's just something I found," She explained, "it keeps my hair out of Terumi's reach"
"Why don't you just cut it?"
"I don't really want it short, neither does your Father; it's just easier."
Azuki blinked repeatedly and rubbed her eye, trying to get out some dirt that had fallen into it.
"You should go take a shower, your filthy," Pan said, brushing some dirt out of Azuki's hair, "How'd you get so dirty?"
Azuki pointed to the seven-foot long gouge in the yard, "Dad got me good that time, heh."
"You guys, honestly, you play rough."
"It's the best way to play, ma." Azuki said, and went inside.
The sun slowly dropped from the sky and the shadows blended into each other. The glow of the moon cast a blue glow on everything. Night.
Tofu slowly made his way out of the room and to the hall, Terumi's crying carrying him along. He could still feel where Pan had jabbed her elbow into his ribs.
He bent over the crib and picked up his little girl. Resting her against his chest, he slowly rocked back and forth, hushing her and rubbing her back. "Calm down, daddy's here." He said soothingly, and walked over to the window. It was still warm outside, even at night, and the window exuded this warmth into the room. Terumi eventually quieted down and fell back to sleep. Tofu slowly turned to lay her back in her crib, when the sound of an explosion rocked the house. Startled by the noise, Terumi awoke started to cry again. Tofu hugged her close to him, "Shh, it's okay, it's okay, I've got you."
Pan rushed into the room, "What was that, is she okay?"
"I don't know," Tofu said, shouting over Terumi's cries, "Here, take her." He handed her to Pan, "I'm going to check it out."
"Be careful." Pan said, clutching Terumi close to her.
"What was that?" Matsuo asked, stepping out of his room.
"Don't know," Tofu said, still going for the door, "stay here, I'm going to check it out." The door opened and shut, and he was gone.
The air smelled bad, like something was burning. Tofu flew up and over the house, off in the distance he could see dark smoke coming out of a large crater, he flew off towards it. He had expected a meteorite, or even a Saiya-jinn Space-Pod, instead he found a type of ship he'd never seen before, but that seemed oddly familiar. It was slightly larger than a Saiya- jinn Pod, it was very dark; black and gray, with dark blue highlights. There wasn't a curve on it, everything was sharp cut, even the canopy, a solid piece of some transparent material. Tofu set down in the crater, next to the battered craft, flames slowly eating their way through the aft hull regions, near what looked to be the main engines. There was someone inside, he could feel them. He quickly searched the craft for anything that might be an entrance, but to no avail. He moved his attention to the canopy, and tried prying it open, but couldn't get a good enough grip. He slammed his fist into one of the panels, creating a small hole, which he began to tear away at. A hand reached out to him from within the vessel, he grabbed onto it and pulled the person out.
The man scrambled away from the ship and then collapsed onto his back, breathing heavily. Tofu rushed over to him, "Are you alright?" He asked.
The man actually managed a smile, and laughed, then winced in pain, "You get to save my ass again, Tofu, just like old times, huh?" He said, then passed out.