Yamcha stood in front of a log that was suspended from a palm tree. Master Roshi sat a few feet away from the Boy.
"Alright, to start off, I need to get an example of your strength, speed and technique. Usually, I classify my students into those three groups." He explained, fixing his sunglasses. "So simply fight the log like you would anyone else."
"Yes Sir." Yamcha said, staring down the log.
BONK!
"Ow!" Yamcha yelled, rubbing his head. Roshi waggled his staff at the Boy, his face neutral, yet oozing with authority.
"You'll be calling me Master Roshi from now on. Learn it, or I'll whack yah again." The Old Hermit said. Yamcha nodded, deciding to keep his mouth shut. "Alright, now show me what you can do."
With a shout of fury, Yamcha dashed at the log. He slammed his fist into it over and over, putting as much force as he could behind each strike. "..." He panted as he stepped back, looking over the log. "Gah!" He yelled, blowing air at his hands. They were beat red.
Roshi shook his head, walking over to the log. "You put a couple of chips in it." He said, turning to face Yamcha. Said Boy beamed happily, fists balled in excitement. A quick BONK snapped the boy out of his mental parade. "While impressive for someone your age, you were beyond sloppy." He took another glance at the log before continuing. "You're trying to go for pure strength when you don't have to power to go with it."
Yamcha frowned, part of him disappointed in himself. But, another part of him called this a good thing, a challenge to overcome and get better from it. He wiped the frown off his face, replacing it with a scowl of determination. Roshi cocked an eyebrow, confused by the sudden shift in mood. Usually the young ones felt discouraged to try after being told of their flaws.
Yamcha was about to tell Roshi he wanted to try again, but Puar landed on his head. "Hold on one moment!" She said, jumping off Yamcha's head to float in front of him. "This isn't Lord Yamcha's true potential!"
"It isn't?" Roshi asked, though it was more of a statement than a question.
"Yeah, come on, Lord Yamcha! Show him how you do it in the desert." She cheered, making space for Yamcha to go again. Master Roshi simply stood still, waiting for the boy to try again.
"A-alright." Yamcha stuttered, knowing full well what he'd have to do to go all out. He closed his eyes, breathing in and out as he cleared his mind.
The desert wind dragged along sand, and Yamcha found it tickling his cheeks. In front of him, an old Desert Raptor stood, looking over the young child with a look of patiences. Out of all the creatures that roamed Diablo, he had never expected that the Dinosaurs would be the most friendly. In the corner of his vision, he saw Puar playing with a group of baby raptors.
Yamcha bowed to the Elder Dino, who merely watched him. Getting into position, Yamcha held out his hands, making his fingers curl like claws. He couldn't remember where exactly he learned this, but he would never forget it.
The Raptor roared and Yamcha sprang into action, the echoing sound acting as a sort of starting whistle.
With a war cry, Yamcha barreled at the Raptor. The Dino blinked at him, quickly whipping its tail at the boy. He jumped over it, continuing till he reached the creature.
HOWL
Yamcha slammed his eyes closed as the sound of that wolf echoed in his mind. Please, not now! He shouted, forcing his eyes open, barely avoiding the clawed, stubby arm of the Raptor. He forced himself to ignore the wolves in his outer vision, knowing they were just images his mind painted.
"Wolf!" Yamcha screamed, scraping the Raptor along its belly before ducking out the way of another swipe. "Fang!" He yelled, slashing at the Raptor repeatedly with his fingers, held steady and sharp. The barrage caused the Dino to stagger. "FIST!" He slammed his palms into the Dino's gut, causing the large elder to skid back a couple of feat. It wasn't much all things considered, but to everyone around, it was a good show of power. He howled to the heavens, mimicking the wolves that circled him as they all slowly disappeared. They wouldn't be gone forever, but for now, the boy could rest.
Yamcha huffed, watching the Raptor regain its footing. The two met eyes, the Boy waiting for confirmation. The Elder's eyes softened, and the two bowed to each other.
Roshi watched as Yamcha's eyes opened, his pupils gone, as he yelled and struck the log with open palms. The string holding the wood broke and the log was sent flying along the sand before it splashed into the ocean.
The Boy howled, which gave Roshi a good chuckle. He waited a few moments for the Boy to calm down, regaining his barings. "My my, that was much better." He said, stepping over to where the log used to be. "That was far more organized."
"Th-thank you, M-master Roshi." Yamcha stuttered, bowing. Puar danced around his feat, full of pride. Lord Yamcha was the best, after all.
"Now…" Roshi began, turning to the ocean. "Go get that log back, can afford to lose them at the moment." Yamcha gulped, almost faceplanting.
A soaked, naked Yamcha sat by the couch as Roshi looked through the closet for a towel and an extra gi. Puar chuckled at her Lord. He rolled his eyes at her, a small smile etched on his face.
"Here you go." Roshi said as he handed Yamcha a towel and gi. The child put the gi on the floor next to his and started rubbing the towel against his hair. The Old Hermit sat down a few feet away. "Now for my review. I'd say you fall under the Speed category. That little 'Wolf Fang Fist' attack of yours centered on overbearing your foe with fast, repetitive punches before finishing with a powerful blow."
"Wow, you could tell just from seeing it once?" Yamcha asked in amazement while he started putting the new gi on. This guy must be the best at fighting if he could analyze attacks that easily. "How?"
"Years of experience, my Boy." Roshi chuckled. "Where did you learn that little move, if I may ask?"
Yamcha tilted his head, tapping his finger against his chin. "I don't remember, since I could remember, I've known it." He said. Roshi nodded, picking himself up.
"Well whoever taught you was a good teacher. Now come on, let's eat dinner." He said, motioning Yamcha to fallow. The Boy got a goofy grin, patting his belly.
Yamcha's eyes slowly opened, grogginess hazing his movements. He sat up from his mat, looking around. Roshi slept in the middle of the room, snoring loudly and muttering something involving women. Puar slept next to the Boy, curled up in a ball.
"I gotta pee." Yamcha muttered, getting up. Moonlight shown through the window, giving him a faint outline of the room. He felt his way along the wall to the staircase, where he tiptoed down them. The main room, while dark, was far more visible. The little bandit made his way over to the bathroom.
After taking a tinkle, Yamcha washed his hands and exited the bathroom. He was going to make his way back upstairs, but paused. His eyes locked onto the front door. Fresh air sounded nice. Sneaking over to the front door, he stepped onto the grassy lawn.
The moon glimmered beautifully in the starry night sky. Yamcha smiled, remembering the full moons he saw in the desert and how quiet it was. He was starting to tolerate the city, but the constant noise was annoying. To be in utter silence, save for the waves crashing against the sand, was like heaven.
Yamcha stepped onto the sand, seeing a small, orange glow on the horizon. The sun was going to rise soon. "I should go back to bed." He muttered, yet didn't move. "Actually, I'm not tired." He said, breathing in the salty air. He squinted, balling his hands. He would get better, and to do that, he needed to train. He thought up an imaginary opponent, that old Raptor he befriended in the desert. Getting in his stance, he stared down the Dino, ready to strike.
Roshi was surprised to find his young student was not in his bed. He was able to find the Boy rather quickly, finding him panting on the sandbank, dirty and covered in sand. He was throwing punches and kicks at something that wasn't there, dodging and weaving out of imaginary blows.
"Determined, aren't yah?" Roshi said, chuckling as the Yamcha tensed and spun around, trying to wipe the dirt of his gi.
"Master Roshi!" Yamcha gasped, his arms flattening against his sides. "S-sorry for being up so early."
"Nothing to apologise for, Yamcha." Roshi said, patting the boy's back. "Come on, let's get you cleaned up so we can begin our training."
After breakfast, Yamcha found himself on one leg, holding two buckets filled with water. His muscles ached as he tried his best to not let the water spill. Roshi watched him, chomping down on some sandwiches. Puar sat next to the Hermit, watching her Lord struggle to keep his balance.
"This is embarrassing." Yamcha thought, a bead of sweat dripping from his forehead. He just hoped the rest of his training wouldn't be as humiliating.
It had been.
Yamcha groaned in the passenger seat of Dr. Briefs' hover car, doing his best not to move. His muscles were sore and all he wanted was a warm bath. Dr. Briefs looked over to the boy, smiling.
"So, I assume you enjoyed your stay." He said. His only response was a groan. "Bulma missed you, you know."
"Yeah?" Yamcha asked, turning his head slightly. "Is she mad I left without a goodbye?"
"Oh she was livid at us." Briefs chuckled. Land appeared on the horizon. "Wouldn't talk to me for a whole day. But I think she'll be happy to see you." He said, a warm smile glossing his lips. "She cares about you, you know. Despite only knowing you for a week, she considers you her best friend."
"Really?" Yamcha asked. Sure, they made that best friends pact, but for her to really mean it. It made him feel warm inside.
"Yes really." Dr. Briefs said. "She considers you part of the family. We do to." A short silence took over, a question forming on Briefs' lips. "Yamcha…" He began, looking over to the boy. "How would you feel about being adopted?"
"Adopted? What's that?" Yamcha asked, looking to Puar in hopes that she would know. She just shrugged, as clueless as he was.
"Adoption means that… you'd be part of a family, officially. You'd take our last name, and the law would consider you our son." Briefs explained, a little nervous. He knew Yamcha was emotionally unstable, so this kind of question might be too much. But, he cared for the boy, as did Panchy and Bulma. "How does that sound? Yamcha Briefs, it has a nice ring to it."
"I-I…" Yamcha muttered, a mix of confusion, shock and nervousness taking over. They wanted him to be part of their family? But he would just be an inconvenience. He didn't want to bother them. "But, I'd just get in the way."
"Nonsense, Yamcha." Briefs said. "You're a great kid, you know. You shouldn't doubt yourself."
Yamcha remained silent, staring at his feet. "I… I need time to think about it." No he didn't, he just didn't want to think about it. Briefs nodded, patting the boy's shoulder.
"Take your time, Yamcha. You don't have to rush it." He said, giving the boy a sad smile.
"Yamcha!" Was the first thing the child heard when Dr. Briefs opened the front door. Next thing he knew, he was struggling to breath, caught in a bear hug from his blue haired best friend. "You're back!"
"H-hi, Bul-ma." He coughed, struggling to breath. "Bulma…"
"You big meanie! You should have said goodbye before you left!" She yelled, her grip tightening.
"Bulma!" He shouted, catching the girl off guard. "Can't *Huff* Breath."
"Oh, sorry!" Bulma said, dropping Yamcha. His rear hit the ground and he resisted the urge to howl from his sore muscles. "But next time let me know before you leave." She huffed, crossing her arms. Yamcha scratched the back of his head, sweat dropping.
"Heh heh, sorry Bulma." He chuckled, picking himself up. A thought popped into his mind, and he scratched his head. "Wait. Shouldn't you be at school?"
"It's a holiday today, so she got the day off." Panchy said, appearing from the kitchen with a tray of lemonade and sandwiches in hand. She was about to continue, but something caught her attention, mainly in her nose. "Oh my, something smells."
Yamcha's face turned red. "Sorry, that's me. I didn't get a bath at Master Roshi's house." He explained. Panchy set down the tray on the coffee table and grabbed Yamcha's arm, dragging him to the stairs.
"Before you do anything else, you're taking a bath!" She said, pulling him up the stairs. Bulma, Puar and Dr. Briefs watched him go, holding in a chuckle.
A short bath and a lot of soap later, Yamcha was squeaky clean and dressed. He wanted to rest, to let the soreness in his muscles go away, but Bulma had other plans.
"Where are we going?" Yamcha asked, keeping pace with the excited girl that was dragging him along.
"I want to show you something!" Bulma giggled, eyes locked on a door at the other end of the hall. "I had Daddy make something for us!"
Yamcha raised an eyebrow, taking random guesses at what his surprise could be. Several ideas came to mind, but instead of asking, he just went along with Bulma. He'd find out in a minute anyway.
They reached the door and Bulma pushed it open. It was a door to the backyard. A large fence gated off the outside world, giving the duo plenty of privacy. In the center of the backyard was… a playset.
"When did this get here?" Yamcha asked, taking in the new construction. It was a mesh of different objects, a swing set, a multiple slides, among other things. It was like one of those playgrounds he saw when he left for Roshi's.
"Daddy built it for us while you were away!" Bulma cheered, pulling him closer to their personal playground. "Come on!"
The duo played, swinging on the swings, climbing the monkey bars and using the slides just to name a few things. Yamcha smiled as he pushed Bulma on the swing, hearing her giggles of joy. It felt nice to be here with her. He never had someone his age to play with, or time to play to begin with.
"Okay, Yamcha, your turn." Bulma called, grounding her soles against the soft grass. She quickly came to a stop after a few smaller swings. They switched positions and Bulma gave Yamcha a few good shoves to get him going.
Yamcha sat there in peace, watching the fence get shorter and longer with each swing. He watched random people walk by, on their way to who knows where. Cars passed by with a low vroom. The boy's smile grew larger, he felt on top of the world.
A strand of blonde hair caught his eye. Hanging onto the fence was a girl with a head of long blonde hair with a red bow, poking her head over. She was staring at him. Yamcha felt his cheeks heat up under the attention of the girl. He was still scared of them. Bulma and Panchy didn't count though. They weren't girls, they were his friends, at least that's what he made himself think anyway.
"Hey! Who are you?" Bulma shouted at the girl. The Blonde let out a gasp before dropping down and most likely running away. "You better run!" Bulma called, shaking her fist at the fence.
Yamcha slowed to a stop, hopping off the swing. He stared at where the girl had once been, confused beyond belief. The way she stared at him, he couldn't tell what she was thinking. There was something in her eyes, a look of surprise and… honor.
"What a weirdo." Bulma scowled, scratching her head. "Do you know her, Yamcha?"
"I don't think so." Yamcha replied, blinking at his best friend.
"Guys!" Puar's voice sounded from the door. Yamcha and Bulma turned to face her, seeing that the cat held a little fish in her paws. "Lunch is ready! We're having fish sticks!" She chirped happily, before flying back into Capsule Corp.
"Geez, she sure loves fish, huh?" Bulma asked, sweat dropping. Yamcha looked over to her, making her expression.
"You have no idea…"
Yamcha slept peacefully in his bed, in the embrace of Bulma. They smiled in their sleep, having sweet dreams play in their minds. The Blue haired girl refused to sleep without the boy, saying how she hadn't seen him in a whole weekend. Yamcha didn't mind, he liked having her around.
"Out of the bed as quietly as possible." A voice whispered in Yamcha's ear. His eyes snapped open and he was about to yell before a hand clamped over his mouth. "Not a word or I shoot." The voice was feminine, he noted.
Yamcha squirmed out of Bulma's arms, replacing his presence with a pillow. In the dark room, he barely made out the silhouette of someone his height. The shine of the moonlight against something in their hands alerted him to the presence of a gun.
"Out the window, now." The figure spat in a whisper. Yamcha did as instructed and soon he was standing in the front yard under a tree. "Now…"
He was able to make out the figure now… It was the girl from earlier. She held him at gunpoint, an Uzi that was too big for her held tightly in her hands.
"Are you Yamcha?" She asked, glaring at him. He nodded hastily, not wanting to get shot and his fear of women striking like a truck. "From Diablo Desert?" She continued.
"H-how do you know that?" Yamcha stuttered, feeling his throat run dry. To his confusion, the girl dropped the Uzi, letting it hit the ground. She followed suit… bowing to him like a cult does to their leader. "Wh-what?" He muttered, watching the girl.
"It really is you!" She said, before going wide eyed and clamping her hand over her mouth. "Shit." She muttered, looking to see if any lights turned on in the house. To her luck, the house was still dark and silent. She sighed and pulled herself to her feet.
"A-again, how do y-y-you know me?" Yamcha asked again, ready to pounce the girl if he needed to.
"I'm Launch." The girl said, studying Yamcha. "But more importantly, you're the Yamcha. Lord of the Sands." She whispered/ chirped. "You're a legend among the bandits and thieves." She said, stars in her eyes. "At the age of three, you were robbing convoys from people that most adults couldn't even dream of attacking."
"Uhh…" Yamcha muttered, not sure if he was flattered to hear he was a living legend. "So… are you a thief?"
"I want to be." Launch said, motioning down to her Uzi. "But I'm a little small to be using guns yet, and except for you, no one's gonna take a child bandit seriously." After saying that, she frowned, before a light bulb flashed above her head. "Lord Yamcha, can you teach me to be a thief?!" She beamed.
"S-sorry, but for now, I'm trying to put my that side of me away. I only did it to survive, and now, these people…" Yamcha said, motioning towards Capsule Corp. "They have taken me in. I don't wanna steal from innocent people."
The light in Launch's eyes dimmed, and she frowned. It felt like her dreams had been crushed. "Oh, I see…"
"I'm sorry." Yamcha said, scratching his neck.
"Well, what if…" Launch began, trying to think of a way to salvage her dreams. An idea came to her, and while she wasn't sure it was what she really wanted, it seemed like her best choice. "What if we stole from other bandits and bad people?"
Yamcha gave the idea some thought. Stealing from bad people… kinda like a hero! That would be a great way to make up for his actions in the desert. The boy nodded, giving a small smile. "Alright, that sounds fine."
Launch was at a loss for words, overcome with a sense of joy. She shook a little, a toothy grin spreading across her face. "T-then, I g-guess that makes us a t-t-team." She stuttered, quickly bending down and grabbing her Uzi. "How about w-we meet at the park tomorrow?"
"Sure. How does noon sound?" Yamcha asked, giving a small smile to the girl. A pink blush still dusted his cheeks, but he had gotten his composure back. Launch nodded, but froze when she saw a light flicker on in the kitchen.
"That sound perfect! B-but I gotta go right now. S-see ya." She spat out in a frenzy, before hauling ass to the front gate and climbing over, before she disappeared from sight.
Yamcha blinked, watching her go. But reality quickly caught up and with wide eyes, he sprang back and clutched the wall, climbing back up to his window and slipping in. As he slid back into bed, making sure to not wake Bulma, he couldn't help but smile.
He made a new friend tonight.
I know the Training session with Roshi was short, but I felt it wasn't worth including the beginning of his training. He won't be doing any fighting in it for a while.
Also, welcome Launch! :D Nothing much to say about her, but I do have plans for her and her disorder. Since Launch and Yamcha are children right now (6 and 5 respectively), I'd imagine their personality traits and quirks aren't fully developed yet. (Launch's sneezing transformation isn't as frequent and Yamcha's fear of girls isn't as intense, as he has no issues with his hormones since he hasn't hit puberty)
Also, as a head's up, after the next chapter, the story might enter a time skip, giving attention to the highlights and character development the characters would go through. Though I put emphasis on might.