Gohan's POV
I clenched my fists in anticipation. "Ready?" That was my dad's voice, deep and kind. I couldn't see because I was blindfolded, but nodded toward his voice. I waited a moment, tense and alert, for him to give a signal. I could sense him circling me, but I waited patiently for his word. Suddenly, he abruptly broke his circling pattern and advanced toward me. I quickly raised my hands, catching a staff that was a split-second away from hitting my head. I then twisted the staff sharply away from the offender, turning on him. "Enough." I lowered the staff and lifted my blindfold. My dad was grinning. I grinned back. "How'd I do?" I asked, knowing the answer. "Alright." My dad said, pretending to be bored. I laughed for bit, then stopped when he got that faraway look in his eyes. He had it for a week now ever since he got that letter. He never told me what it was so I could only wonder. "Dad?" He took a brief look at me then looked down, running a hand through his hair. "Let's go back home, Gohan. Me and your mother have something to talk to you about." He said. I was confused and a little scared, but regardless I nodded. "O-okay." I said.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Taoshu was a small Earth Kingdom village of mostly farmers and fishermen. The village sat not far from Gaoling, and they got most of their income from the Bei Fong family. My problem wasn't the fact that absolutely nothing was private here. I've learned to accept that. My problem was everything was so confined and my Mom would only let me go so far outside of the village. Fighting is well and good, but there is nothing I loved more than going new places. I always begged my father when he went to take the goods to Gaoling to let go along. I've been once or twice, but he usually went alone. Villagers were going about their business, saying hi to us as we walked by. 'Probably for my dad's sake' I thought. For some reason, the villagers didn't like me much. Ever since the incident at school where I lost my temper, people treated me more like…I was something that just had to be tolerated, as if they were just waiting for the day I would leave. I would, of course, but not because of them. We finally reached our house. Mom was in the kitchen making dinner. She looked up. "Hey Gohan, sweetie. Juu, honey." She said to me and Dad as we sat down.
"Faith, it's…it's time." He said. Her eyes widened. "Time for what?" I asked, a little frustrated that I didn't know what was going on. "I'm going to be gone for awhile." Was all my father could say. I wasn't sure I understood. "Gone? Where?" I asked. "To help fight in the war." He finished. The breath left me, and I couldn't speak. When I could speak again I shook my head and looked at him pleadingly. "Please don't go." He shook his head. "I have no choice. If I don't they'll arrest us." He said, smiling sadly at me. I stood up. "I'll fight them." I said desperately. His smile turned into a scowl. "Gohan, I will not have us living as fugitives for the rest of our lives." I tried one last option "Then take me with you." I begged. He shook his head. Suddenly, rage filled my senses. How could he just leave us? How could he do something so heartless so calmly? How could Mom just sit there and do nothing? "I HATE YOU! I NEVER WANNA SEE YOU AGAIN!" I yelled, tears flowing. I ran upstairs and threw my things in a sack. When I felt that it was enough, I jumped out of the window and stormed off.
At first, I wasn't sure where I was going next. After a few moments of thinking, I decided to start at Gaoling. I walked for hours until the sunset I was well away from Taoshu by then. I dropped my sack and sat down hard, using it as a pillow. Then I slept.
Third Person POV
Gohan was awakened by a distant boom. He sat up and turned in the direction of the boom. "Oh No!" He said, horrified. The city of Taoshu was burning. Gohan broke into a lope, his luggage forgotten. By the time he got there the village was completely destroyed. He saw a blue skinned man wearing some strange armor with his green hair was tied up in a braid. He turned to Gohan. "Oh dear. I missed one." He said in a tone chilled Gohan to the bone. He tried to shake his increasing fear and attack him, jumping and launching a kick. The man grabbed his leg and slammed him into the ground. No sooner had he done it than Gohan was in the air. The man reappeared behind him slammed him into the ground. He landed hard on the boy's back. Gohan cried out in immense pain. The man regarded him thoughtfully. "You're a lot more durable than the others." He threw his head back and laughed. "Were those your friends and family I slaughtered?" He asked cruelly Gohan weakly brought his head up, coughing out blood. "You'll be sorry…" He managed to say. The man laughed again. "You know what? I like you. You're funny. I'll tell you what. I'll spare you and come back one day. We'll see if your bark is bigger than your bite."
And with that, he disappeared, leaving Gohan injured and alone. "Mom…Dad…I'm so sorry…" He said picking himself up. He limped out of the ashen ruins that were Taoshu.
