Ginga Densetsu Weed: The Journey Begins
GB stood on a cliff, looking at the horizon with a troubled look on his face. Weed began to run down the cliff side, and then turned back, realizing GB was not following.
"GB? What's wrong, GB?"
There was no reply from the English Setter, and Weed decided to ask,
"We aren't going to Ohu, are we?"
GB turned to face the silver puppy, about to answer, when Weed continued,
"Well, I don't care if we go or not. Dad was never there for me, and I don't know anything about Ohu... but that doesn't matter as long as I get to stay with you, GB!"
On the one hand, GB was touched that Weed thought so highly of him, considering how much of a coward he was...quite unlike Nero's treatment of him at all. But this was Nero's territory, unsuitable for any living thing, much less themselves.
"Don't speak such nonsense! This is Nero's territory and is hardly the best choice for a suitable home!"
Weed looked distraught, and he silently cursed himself for upsetting the kid. Geez, he wasn't good at dealing with kids... he hadn't since... the incident...
"Oh, I'm sorry Weed. Look, can you wait here for a bit? I'll be back soon."
"Wait, where are you going?"
"There's a dog in town I owe my life, and I want to thank him for looking out for me before we leave..."
"Wait, I'll go with you!"
"No way, the town's no place for a little guy like you. Too dangerous."
GB argued, but before Weed could reply, a different voice called out with a laugh,
"Heh heh, don't be fooled little one! GB is a liar. Don't listen to him..."
"Huh?"
"Hey, you can't talk about my friend like tha-umfh!"
GB quickly grabbed Weed's tail in his mouth, not wanting Weed to inflict damage on Sasuke, who was now standing before them. After releasing Weed he quickly asked the puppy to wait, which he thankfully did so. Then, he began his explanation,
"Weed, this is Sasuke. He's my friend. He's also a runner for Nero..."
Then there was a mock cry of anguish from the Shiba Inu, and then he groaned,
"Thanks for reminding me of that unpleasantness... and speaking of the devil, we've got orders from him."
"Orders? What orders?"
GB questioned, looking at Sasuke. Then, remembering Weed, he cut the Shiba off before he could answer.
"It doesn't matter, I'm done with this place. Whatever it is, no longer concerns me."
Sasuke, however, didn't seem to think he was serious, and continued anyway,
"Come off it, GB, we've got work to do! Quit trying to impress the pup and help me out!"
"What exactly are these orders that are so important, Sasuke?"
"There's this farm with lots of geese, and I'm going to get them! Nero ordered you to be my guard, so come on!"
"Are you insane, Sasuke? The moment you try this little plan, it will be the end of you! I don't know about you, but I'm not suicidal!"
"Neither am I, you moron! But if I don't come back with the geese, Nero will kill us both! So are you in or not?"
GB sat still for a moment, but then realized, that Sasuke was dead-set on following Nero's orders. If there was nothing to change the Shiba's mind...
"No, you can do it yourself, but Weed and I are done with this place."
With a nod, he gestured Weed to follow and they began to walk away from Sasuke. The Shiba stood dumbfounded for a moment, then called out after them,
"Hey, GB! Hold it! You can't do this, I'll report you to Nero!"
At that, GB stopped and looked over his shoulder, disgust in his eyes as he retorted,
"Do what you have to, Sasuke. But that just proved to me you belong with that tyrant!"
"GB.."
"I'm going to change, starting today. I have a new purpose, and if I don't change, then nothing in the world can. Goodbye, Sasuke."
"G-GB... you aren't fooling anyone! Not me, not the kid, not even yourself! You'll be sorry, and this charade won't last!"
-At the Town, with GB and Weed-
"Weed, be careful!"
zooooommmm
The tiny Akita hid behind GB as a car rushed by, and listened with huge eyes as GB warned him of the danger. Storing the knowledge carefully in his mind, he set off after his guardian and friend to look for the old dog, that GB identified as Smith. But, out of respect, he was to call this dog, 'Uncle Smith'. When he had heard this, he had figured that Smith must have been really important, so he decided to be as polite as he could be. He didn't want to disappoint his mother... mother...
"Ah, there he is. Look there, Weed, he's on a walk right now."
He turned his brown eyes towards a spaniel, limping steadily. Wait... limping? The male was black and white, but old, but Weed could tell that it was not the reason for the limping. Then he spotted the front leg, how it had been... cut off? He had no words for what he saw, but strangely enough, he wasn't scared. It looked... odd... but not frightening.
"What's wrong with his leg, GB?"
He asked, not taking his eyes off Smith.
"He lost that leg...trying to save me."
He now turned, astonished, to his friend, who sat back and began,
"I was once a pet, just like him. I was happy, because I had good, loving humans to take care of me. But with my luck, things took a turn for the worst. I don't entirely understand what happened... but one day my owner set me loose in a forest... but I didn't want to leave. Then he started hitting me with the leash, begging me to go. I ran. But eventually, I came back... only to find that he had hung himself. Like a fool, I chased after him, and nearly got hit by an oncoming car...but then Uncle Smith saved me by sacrificing himself... so instead he took the full force of the blow on his leg. "
Then he led Weed forward to where Smith now lay, chained to a post. He nudged Weed, and then asked,
"This is Uncle Smith. Weed, where are your manners?"
The young Akita nodded respectfully, then with a cheerful smile, he barked,
"Good afternoon, Uncle Smith!"
The reaction he got confused them both, as Smith sat bolt upright, looking deep into Weed's eyes. After a few moments (which felt like an eternity to the not-so-patient Weed), the spaniel lowered his gaze and looked at GB instead.
"GB, whose kid is this?"
-At the Farm, with Sasuke-
QUACK! QUACK!
Sasuke licked his lips as he hid in the grass, watching the geese intently. After GB had left, he had been forced to go by himself. Unlike GB, he knew his place in Nero's pack and didn't feel like incurring the Siberian Husky's wrath. He wanted to keep his life, and so here he was, waiting for his time to strike. He quickly looked around, searching for any humans. Satisfiyingly, he found none. Well, no time like the present...
But, unfortunately, Sasuke did not have the best of luck. A large Tosa inu was hidden out of his sight, watching the tiny Shiba with a large grin on his face. He was the guard dog of this farm, and, unfortunately for the hapless Sasuke, he was very good at his job...
- In the Town, with GB, Weed, and Uncle Smith-
"It can't be... oh.."
The spaniel murmured, looking at Weed with pure shock in his eyes. Never in all his life, had he expected this... but apparently, GB and Weed did not know, for they shared a look of confusion before turning back to him.
"Is there something wrong with Weed, Uncle Smith?"
"No, no, not a thing. Just my mistake..."
He reassured, thinking to himself... but I have no doubts you are his son. That strong-willed look, not to mention the aura... you remind me too much of him...
With an audible sigh the elderly dog mused,
"It's been more than ten years..."
After a long chat with Uncle Smith, GB and Weed were now ready to set off. But, then...
"Wait, GB, Weed."
"What is it Uncle Smith?"
"I'm coming with you."
"But, Smith, you are..."
"Old? Yeah, but I'm not a weak fool!"
The spaniel stubbornly retorted, hopping to his feet. Then, with a quick pull, he was free from his chain and at their sides. GB shrugged, but couldn't help but ask,
"What about your owner?"
Smith merely shrugged, then with a grin, replied,
"It's my life."
GB merely nodded in assent, knowing there was no arguing with Smith. The older dog took the lead as they set off to leave the Southern Alps as quickly as possible. But even as he ran alongside Smith and Weed, GB couldn't help but think the old spaniel was hiding something...but nonetheless he kept running, until they reached the farm that Sasuke had been talking about. The loud, obnoxious quacking of geese was heard as they began to pass by, but this sounded different. Was Sasuke really going through with this foolish plan? GB skidded to a stop, as did Weed and Smith, when they heard a large splash. Then they saw Sasuke, attempting to capture a goose in his mouth before they could fly away...and he was failing miserably.
"Sasuke!"
GB cried out, just noticing the large brown Tosa making its way towards the tiny Shiba. Sasuke however, couldn't hear him, his attention was still on the geese. Just then a silver blur ran by, and before he could react, Weed was racing towards the tiny Shiba.
"Weed, get back here!"
The puppy stopped, but didn't return to them, instead he said over his shoulder,
"I have to stop him, GB!
"No, Weed!"
He yelled, running to Weed's side and grasping his scruff firmly in his neck. He tossed the puppy to the side, next to Smith.
"If we stay here, the humans will think we're with Sasuke! Then they will capture us as well!"
"But GB!"
"AAAAAHHHHH!"
All three dogs turned to see that Sasuke, had been caught and was being shaken roughly by the massive Tosa inu.
"Wait, wait wait! I'm sorry, I was wrong, please stop!"
His pleas were unheard, and the Tosa slammed the smaller Shiba to the ground. With Sasuke's throat in his mouth, the Tosa began to choke the little Shiba. To his horror, it seemed Sasuke's struggles were growing weaker by the moment.
"GB, Uncle Smith, we've got to help him, or else he'll be killed!"
"Don't be a fool, Weed! This is his own mess!"
"Are you scared GB? He's your friend isn't he? It's not right to leave him there!"
"No, I'm keeping my promise! Your mother said for me to protect you, and that's what I'm doing!"
"Well if you won't help him, I guess I will!"
Then without another word, Weed dashed angrily off to face the Tosa and save Sasuke. Smith, speechless, merely sat by and watched with amazement as the pup ran forward to face a dog many times his size, and more or less to save a stranger. He's just like him...
"Aw, damn it Weed! Wait here, Uncle Smith, I'll get him!"
Smith was about to retort that he wasn't any old geezer, but held his tongue. If this really was Gin's son... then perhaps the best thing to do was watch and wait. So that's what he did, he watched from the shadows, left alone with his memories.
GB had finally managed to reach Weed, only to see the silver puppy slam right into the side of the large Tosa, without the slightest hesitation. Weed grabbed the Tosa's ear and began to pull, growling and demanding that Sasuke be freed.
"Stop it now, you little brat! Or else it'll be your turn next!"
"Th-thank you... little one..."
Weed rolled one eye over to glimpse Sasuke, who had an appreciative look in his eyes.
"No one... has ever stood up for me like that. You're the first..."
To Weed's horror, Sasuke fell limp in the Tosa's mouth, and his eyes began to close.
"Hang on, Sasuke!"
"Heh heh, don't worry kid, it's almost your turn..."
GB watched fearfully, not sure what to do. Then, the Tosa shook Weed loose and kicked the puppy hard in the face, sending the much smaller dog flying. In that moment, GB growled angrily, and jumped right into the fray!
"How dare you! Pick on someone your own size!"
"GB?!"
"Hmph, hunting dogs keep coming at me... the nerve."
The Tosa growled, taking GB's neck in his jaws and forcing him onto the ground in one fast movement. Weed shivered a little, but then did his best to force the fear down as he ran back at the Tosa, this time demanding GB was freed. The setter rolled and thrashed in an attempt to free himself but to no avail. Then, the Tosa finally got tired of Weed biting his ear, and grabbed the pup instead.
"Little brat! DIE!"
He yelled, throwing the puppy full-force into a wooden wall. Weed crashed through it, and GB scurried away, calling his friend's name. Then, he saw Weed... looking pissed as hell. The puppy's eyes seemed to glow with anger, his breathing became labored, and a deep growl came from within his throat. Then with a loud yell, he ran towards the Tosa, who, for a moment, looked scared as hell. But, too stubborn to back down, he faced Weed. Bad choice. Weed, overtaken by his anger, struck hard with his fangs, and succeeded in cutting off the Tosa's ear. The larger dog let out a cry and proceeded to yell about his injury, while Weed fell to the ground, exhausted.
"Weed!"
GB yelled, running up to the silver puppy. Then, he realized Sasuke was still unconscious. How would he manage to carry them both out of here?
"Bastard... how dare you do this to my ear! When I'm through with you, I'll... oh no!"
To his surprise, the Tosa ran in fear, running into a doghouse and cowering with his tail between his legs. GB looked over his shoulder and saw no one but Uncle Smith. He tipped his head to the side, then shrugged.
"Is he okay?"
Uncle Smith asked, prodding Weed with one paw. GB shrugged again, not entirely sure.
"That was quite an attack he used...one a great leader of Ohu once used."
"Really?"
Smith nodded, recalling his younger days when he had served as a platoon commander under Gin's father, the holy founder of Ohu. He shut his eyes briefly, then gestured towards the unconscious Sasuke.
"He a friend of yours?"
"Yeah... that's Sasuke. But he's unconscious now... what should we do?"
"I'll take him, you carry Weed."
"Where should we go?"
"You made a promise, to bring Weed to his father. I know him personally, and he is a great guy."
"But what about Sasuke?"
At this the spaniel merely shrugged. GB, dissatisfied with the answer, picked up Weed in his mouth and followed as Smith led the way out of the Southern Alps. Before long, Weed had awoken, though was still too tired to walk. He had asked what had happened, and they had told the young puppy about his powerful attack, an attack that his father and grandfather had both used against bears. When Smith had called them both 'bearhounds' this had prompted confusion from the young Akita. And so, Smith began to tell the story of his father, who had been raised by humans to be a hunting dog, specifically, a dog to hunt and kill bears. Just when Smith had finished telling the tale, Sasuke had woken up, mumbling something about his old owner. After about fifteen minutes he awoke completely, much to Smith's relief.
"Wait, where are you going?"
He asked, looking at the landscape in confusion. Smith responded,
"We are searching for Weed's father, Gin of Ohu."
"Ohu? But that's so far away!"
Sasuke protested, but before the Shiba could complain further GB reassured him,
"You don't have to come if you don't want to..."
"Oh, wait! I remember... you and Weed saved my life... I owe you too much to back out, but..."
"But?"
"I want to look for my old owners."
"Owners? You were a pet dog too?"
Sasuke nodded somberly, then launched into his story about having been separated by his human owners over two years ago. When he had finished Smith was nodding thoughtfully.
"I believe this campsite you are talking about is not too far from here, to the west. And pretty soon it will be camping season, so perhaps it would be best to wait there for your humans to return."
"I think that's what I should do, but I can't leave without thanking you properly! Weed, GB, and Smith... thanks for all the help you gave me! Without you guys I would still be a slave for that pain in the ass Nero!"
Then, Sasuke ran out of sight, leaving Weed, Smith, and GB to continue their journey to Ohu in search of Gin. They ran for hours, leaving Nero's territory far behind. They at last came to a river, thankfully. The sun was high in the sky and the weather had grown unbearably hot, and the sidewalk had begun to burn their pads as they tread on it. And, the river had fish in it as well, Smith had realized. He then remembered an age old survival technique, to always drink water that had animals in it. Otherwise, it could be contaminated. Just as they had each finished taking a long drink to quench their thirsts, they heard a female voice break the silence.
"Excuse me, is that water safe to drink?"
They all turned to see a female golden retriever standing at the top of the steps, steadily making her way down towards the water. With a nod, Smith explained,
"Ah, it is miss. Look there, you can see that plenty of fish swimming about."
The golden retriever nodded in understanding and bent her head to take several long drinks of the water. After she had sufficiently quenched her thirst, she stumbled a bit, but did not regain her balance. She landed rather roughly on the cement, wincing in pain. Weed, concerned for the stranger's well-being, rushed to her side in an instant.
"Lady, is something wrong? Are you ok? Do you need help?"
The questions rushed out, it seems, by themselves. In a dark corner of his mind he was reliving the horror of his mother's final moments, watching her waste away in his memories and passing on... he shivered slightly, but thankfully, no one seemed to notice. The golden retriever however, had turned to look at him with gratitude and something like a mix of sorrow and longing in her eyes.
"Such a kind boy you are, young one. You remind me of my own son... he should be your age about now..."
Then GB, with a gasp, ran up the steps and from the top, called down fearfully to Weed and Smith,
"Weed! Smith-san! It's not safe down there, I think she has distemper!"
"Distemper?"
"It is an illness that is highly contagious, but..."
"Weed, you must get away from there before you catch it!"
"GB! Hold your tongue and get back here!"
"Uncle Smith..."
"Idiot! This woman may be a little ill, but she does not have distemper!"
Then, GB had promptly come back down and had to listen to Smith's lecture on how the golden retriever indeed, only shared a few symptoms of distemper, but lacked plenty more that ruled the disease out. From Smith's diagnosis, it seemed the stranger was dehydrated and partially starved, but otherwise was perfectly healthy. Shamefully the English Setter had apologized to the stranger, who introduced herself as Lenny.
"But, you mentioned you had a son. Where is he?"
Smith asked cautiously, settling down as Lenny began her story. It turns out, that she had been a pet dog with a kind family. She had been used as a breeding dog, and had recently given to a wonderful litter of Golden Retriever puppies. She watched as they were all happily sold and went off to good families, save for the last, the runt of the litter. Her son, which she had named Mel, stayed by her side until one day, he was finally given away to some family of her owners. He didn't want to leave her, and cried over and over as he was taken away. She could only watch with sadness, but she knew that her son had to grow up eventually.
"But then, every time I would try to fall asleep, I would worry about him. If he was truly happy in his new home...and so I set out. I had been there plenty of times by car, so I know where it is, but I didn't imagine traveling on my own paws to be so tough."
She ducked her head, somewhat ashamed that she hadn't even gotten close to her destination, and already she was weak with hunger and thirst. Then, Weed stepped forward and boldly proclaimed, that he wanted to help. Hearing this, Smith had to suppress a smile as he thought of Gin. He couldn't help but wonder where his friend was now. He desperately wanted to return to Ohu, especially since he had last seen it being ravaged by the terrible monster. But he couldn't let his impatience get the better of him. If there was one thing he had learned all those years ago, under Riki's army, was that helping others held its own value. So, he nodded in assent when the young silver Akita had asked permission to help Lenny in her journey. Overjoyed, the brindle pup ran off, yelling over his shoulders that he was going to get Lenny a meal. GB chuckled as he headed off after the young male, leaving Smith and Lenny to their own devices. He sat himself down next to the water, staring mindlessly at the fish as Lenny slept. He was thinking of how Gin had fished into a raging river for him and Chutora once, and then, his mind drifted to the second-eldest Kai brother himself. Chutora...
:: Futago Pass, Four Years Ago ::
"Shouji! What did I tell you about going into that part of the woods?"
"But Father, I'm big enough to take on that stupid ol' bear!"
"I don't give a damn what you think! You won't be taking on any bears today!"
"But Kage told me his dad brings him there all the time! Why can't you be more fun like Uncle Kurotora?"
"Because I actually give a shit about your safety!"
The younger Kai Ken looked taken aback, but it was only for a short moment. In no time at all the rebellious glare had returned, and he huffed indignantly. Then, with an arrogant gleam in his eye, young Shouji dashed straight off into the forbidden wood. Chutora immediately set out after his wayward son, shouting curses as he dodged brambles and leaped over fallen logs, all the while calling Shouji's name.
"SHOUJI, DAMMIT! WHEN I GET MY PAWS ON YOU I'LL-SHIT!"
The brown Kai dog had skidded into a small clearing, and there in its center, stood a giant brown bear, the very one he had warned his children about. Shouji stood, apparently growling at the bear, but due to his age, he was becoming nearsighted. Shouji actually stood shivering in fear, as he hadn't been expecting the bear to be so much larger than himself.
Unfortunately for him, he was spotted and the grizzly let out a roar, freezing the hapless Kai to the spot. Fortunately, his father was ready and burst into the open, sinking his fangs in the bear's shoulder. Fierce determination swept over Chutora as he sank his fangs deep into skin, feeling blood swish in his mouth and fur brush against his teeth. He would not let his son die at the hands of a bear, like his brother had so many years ago. So he fought bravely, still skilled despite his age, but as luck would have it, he was slower than he used to be. He was swatted aside by a huge paw and knocked into a nearby tree, and took a hard fall. Gasping in pain, Chutora slowly but surely rose to his feet.
Then, he jumped as high as he could in one last attempt to get the bear away from his son. The attack succeeded, and he sunk his fangs deep into the grizzly's throat, causing the bear great pain. It thrashed and clawed, many hits missing, but the few that did hit him hard. Then, as the bear itself was dying of bloodloss, it gave one last shove, effectively tossing the brown kai dog against a large stone. With a sickening CRACK, Chutora's spine was broken against the sharp stone and he crumpled to the ground, lifeless. And there was little Shouji in the midst of it all, watching with speechlessness as his father's blood ran between his paws...
:: End of Flashback ::
