another chapter! woot!

yaoi4life

500 years earlier...

Goku climbed through the branches of the cherry tree, knocking the pink blossoms loose. The shackles on his wrists and ankles jingled softly with his movements. He slowly climbed out onto a branch and looked down. The ground looked so far away and the people looked so small from this height.

The boy climbed onto the edge of the bough, which swayed dangerously under the added weight. He looked across to the other tree. It was ten feet away. His golden eyes flickered as he thought what to do. He stood, swaying to keep balance before stepping backwards and running. He leapt and just grabbed the branch of the other tree.

Goku hung there for a minute and began to try and climb onto the branch. A large snap was heard as the bough broke beneath the weight. Goku screamed as he fell, trying to right himself. He landed heavily on his right ankle and fell forward as pain slashed through his ankle.

General Kenren, who had been watching the boy from a near by tree, jumped down and ran over. He knelt at Goku's side, crimson twinkling with light mirth.

"That wasn't too smart, was it?" Kenren growled softly.

Goku rolled over onto his back and looked at the man, golden eyes shining with held back tears.

"Are you alright?" Kenren's voice softened at the look on the boy's face.

"I think I hurt my ankle..."Goku replied, pushing himself into a sitting position.

"Let me see."

Goku reluctantly showed the general his ankle by sliding the shackle farther up his shin a little bit. Kenren lightly ran his fingers along the bruised and swollen joint. Goku's eyes widened as pain coursed through his leg.

"Let's get you to Tenpou." The crimson haired man gathered Goku in his arms and stood. The boy weighed a lot for his small size...Kenren made sure he looked as if the boy didn't weigh a lot as he walked across the cherry orchard towards a stone, white building.

Goku's shackle slid down his shin and struck his ankle. The boy tightened his grip around Kenren's neck at the pain. Kenren winced slightly but made no other sign that the squeeze had hurt. He stepped into the building and turned down a hall. They could see a wooden door at the end of the hall.

Once there, Kenren shifted Goku and knocked.

"Hello?" a soft voice asked from the other side of the door. "Who's there?"

"Guess," Kenren replied.

"Kenren! Come in!"

"I can't open the door. My hands are full."

"Oh..." The door swung open and a relatively tall man with black hair appeared. "What happened to him?" the man asked, seeing Goku.