The Boys Go Fishing
After about an hour and a half of non-stop screaming on Goten's part, he finally calmed down but refused to talk to his father. This was a first. Goten sat sniffling on a tree stump, and he seemed devastated. He was also terribly guilty. All that time he had been eating those fishies of which he had dreamed of swimming with. Goku dragged himself over to Gohan and sat down on the grass beside him. He sighed. Gohan looked away from the letter he was writing and looked at his worried father. Goku was…worried? This was new.
"Dad, Goten will calm down and we'll all get back to fishing in a little bit. He'll calm down." Gohan said, trying to ease his father's stress.
"I don't know, son, this seems different. He seems more upset than usual. I mean, just look at him." Goku replied, looking towards Goten, who was sniffling, and seemed to be counting ants on the ground. He seemed to keep losing count, so he would yell and then apologize to "Mr. Ant and Mr. Ant and Mr. Ant and Mr. Ant". Gohan frowned as if in thought, and then smiled softly. He put his letter on the ground and stood up. He walked over to Goten as Goku watched curiously.
"Hey, squirt." Gohan said, ruffling Goten's black hair slightly.
"Go away…" Goten muttered, and then he sniffled again. Gohan smiled.
"So what are you doing, sport?" he asked, watching as Goten tried his best to count the ants.
"I'm trying to count all these little ants, but they keep moving too fast!" Goten yelled, frustrated. Gohan chuckled, and thought about how he should explain that fishing was just a normal part of life.
"Hey, Goten, I know you're pretty mad at Dad right now." Goten glared at the ground, and sniffled again.
"How could daddy kill fish? I didn't even know that all this time I ate the little fishies that swim in the water!" Goten exclaimed.
"Goten, do you know what those little pieces are that those ants are bringing back to their home?" Goten shook his head no, and Gohan continued. "Goten, those are pieces of cooked fish that campers have left behind. They're going to eat fish too." Goten gasped.
"THE ANTS ARE HELPING KILL THE FISHIES TOO?" He yelled. Gohan and Goku from where he sat both winced at the volume of the little saiyan's yell.
"Goten, listen to me." Gohan said gently, taking his little brother by the shoulders. Goten looked down, but then looked back up at his big brother. "Goten, do you know why the ants are eating the fish? It's because they have families, who depend on fish as their main food. Goten, eating other animals that are living or once living is a part of life." Gohan paused, wondering if what he said made any sense. He shrugged his shoulders and continued. "We as a family depend on fish as a main food source. Goten, you like eating, right?" Goten nodded his head vigorously. Of course he liked food! "Well Goten, without fish, you probably wouldn't be able to eat as much as you do now, even if you were hungry!"
"WHAT?" Goten screamed, and then his stomach rumbled.
"Yes Goten, that could happen, but do you understand now, that even though we eat the fishies, it's okay?" Gohan asked.
"Yeah, I guess so…" his stomach rumbled again. "Um, Gohan?"
"Yeah, squirt?"
"Can we fish now?"
"Yeah, but I want you to go apologize to dad for me, okay?" Goten nodded his head with a huge grin on his face. They both stood up, and Gohan ruffled his hair. Goten ran and hugged his legs, and Gohan smiled. Goten unlatched himself and ran over to his father and tackled him. They wrestled in the grass for a bit and then Goten hugged his father, too. Gohan watched them, smiling widely. The 3 Son men walked over to the lake, looked at each other, nodded once, and dived into the lake, with their game faces on. It was fishing time.
Author's Note: I AM SO SORRY THAT THIS STORY IS TAKING FOREVER WHEN IT COMES TO UPDATING! I've just got school and homework and have just recovered from some writer's block, but I will be updating very soon. This story may be coming to a close but the last few chapters I will try to make longer! Thanks for continuing to read, and trust me, I would NEVER give up on a story. EVER. Review and tell your friends! :D
