Musha no Yomigaeri: Chapter Two
"Those final exams were just total bull, you know?"
"Thank Kami they are over. By the way, did you hear that the honors students won't go on any field trips next year while the rest of the grade levels do?"
"I would say I feel sorry for them, but I don't! They deserve it, those nerds."
All of the boys laughed loudly, Trunks joining along with them. No matter what, ever since the announcement of the new placements for next year came out, every single conversation he and the guys always had a tease about the honors students. These were the students that were going to go to special classes because of their good grades and conduct over the course of the year. Already they knew that all of the kids who wore glasses were going to get in. Well, they thought all of those kids would. Trunks wasn't a stereotype; he knew that more than half of those kids weren't going to get in.
How did he know? Just last week he got a notice in the mail saying he was heading into honors. And with it was a list of other kids who made it into grade level 7 ½, as some other kids in the school called it. Of course he never told his friends he was going to go into the "nerd classes". Why should he? They didn't need to know. And it was best for all of them to never know.
Besides, if they did find out, he would always have Goten as a friend. Thank Kami he was coming to Serenity next year. Then the year after that, Marron, if Kulilin and Juuhachigou was willing to make a round trip across the ocean to get her to school and home five days a week for ten months.
Oh yes, and he'd still have Russ as a friend, too. Russ's name was on the honors list, right under Trunks's. They were good friends, but not as close as he had it with Ekas and Trunks with Goten. They were just at the halfway point. If they had been closer, then they would've discussed the honors situation with each other, and neither would have to worry about how the others would react the next semester. And that was the one thing Trunks was uncomfortable about.
Luckily, these honors conversations only lasted for two to five sentences, the subject changing to something either more to their interest or something that they really wanted to complain about.
"Speaking of which, whose house are we going to next to work on that History project?" Ekas asked. He glanced to each person. Everyone's house has been visited at least twice, Trunks's about five times. Except for Russ, whom Ekas turned to. "Hey, dude, we've never been to your house before. Why don't we go to your place for once?"
Russ shook his head. "Sorry. Mom has been busy lately, and she'll kill me if I brought any friends over."
"Still busy?" Confirmation nod. "Fine, then. Trunks?"
"Haven't we been to my house enough already? Why not yours?"
"I don't know." Pause. "Fine. My house then. Sheesh. How about right after school?"
"Fine," was the unanimous response from the four boys. It wasn't enthusiastic at all; none of them wanted to work on this History project which was worth about a quarter of their grade.
But the funny thing that occurred to Trunks was why wasn't Russ ever allowed to bring anyone to his house? There was no good reason that he could think of. But that, like many other topics, vanished quickly as the conversation went on during the lunch period.
"SON GOHAN!"
Perfectly good excuse, perfectly good excuse, the young hybrid thought as he raced into the main room to meet his mother. He knew he should've cleaned up the trail of blood and mud right after he got the patient settled in, he meant to, but that reminder he had to himself just disappeared in a blink of an eye once he started to clean up the man.
"Yes, Mother?" Gohan asked meekly, yet still pretending that he didn't know what he was in trouble for. The more innocent one was, the less hassle he would have to go through.
A scolding glare was what he met from Chichi. "What is the meaning of this?" She asked in a low, menacing voice, pointing to the ground. Gokuh was behind her, just trying to calm her down somewhat by saying not to put too much pressure on Gohan, but that only made things worse. "I think I know how to handle our son!" She snapped loudly, causing the warrior to cower. She turned back to Gohan, speaking in a quiet voice again. "I thought I raised you better than this."
Gohan glanced down to the floor, where blood mixed with mud was sprinkled. Perfectly good excuse, he reminded himself. "Sorry, Mother, I was going to clean it up but..."
"But what?! There's also a plate in the kitchen on the counter, dirty utensils in the sink. And look at you! I thought you were supposed to be studying. NOT FIGHTING!"
"Chichi," Gokuh tried again, just as meek as Gohan was, "let him talk. I'm sure he has a good excu-"
"You keep out of it!" She yelled at him. "It's all your fault anyway! If you hadn't dragged him to all those battles he would have never have the urge to fight. EVER!"
"But..."
"Mother, Father," Gohan cut in quickly, not wanting to deal with this right now, "there's a man in my room. He's hurt pretty badly. I found him just outside and..."
"You brought a stranger inside this house?!"
"But he's hurt, Mother!" Gohan protested innocently, once again stopping a yelling spree from her. "I couldn't have just left him there to die! Besides, he looks too much like Father and, well, come and see for yourself!"
Before Gohan even finished the last sentence, Gokuh was already walking towards his eldest son's room. Gohan figured that by the mention of someone looking like him was enough to get him interested in who this person was. He probably thought it was Turles. Chichi, on the other hand, suspiciously stormed towards his room, her lips pursed tightly. She wasn't in a good mood today, obviously.
When Gohan entered back into his room, he could feel his mother's shock as she stood in the middle of the room, glancing at the man. Gokuh had taken steps further, just so he can be leaning over the bed. Gohan came beside him, and managed to get a glimpse of his father's face. It was confused, of course, and almost surprised. But neither of them said a word.
Chichi came closer, only to be behind and in between her son and husband. She, too, peered down at the man, who was sleeping peacefully. Or at least appeared to be sleeping peacefully. "A Saiya-jin?" She questioned in a small whisper.
Gohan nodded. "I saw his tail. He's either another clone or another brother of Father's. What do you think?" He asked as he glanced at both of them. Gokuh still didn't say anything, and Chichi only shook her head.
"I don't know," she admitted, turning her head towards the conscious purebred Saiya-jin. "Gokuh?"
For about three seconds he said nothing, just kept silent. Then, "He's not a zoo exhibit," he said as he turned away from the man and walked out of the room seriously. A little too seriously. "Let him get some rest. We'll find out his identity when he wakes up."
After pouring herself another nice and hot cup of tea, Siarus leaned in her chair, enjoying the stormy sky. It was about time they had one of these. The last time a thunderstorm came up was almost a year ago, back in the summer. It was enjoyable, but it was too normal to her liking. This one caught her attention once strange things started occurring.
For instance, this thunderstorm had two different colors of lightning: the run-of-the-mill yellowish white and one that had a reddish tint to it. Thunder would rumble every five minutes, immediately after a flash of lightning was seen. And where there were two different colors of lightning, there were two different sounds of thunder. One was a normal one, the other sounded more like a bomb going off in the middle of nowhere.
But in her heart, she was saddened at the weird storm that was taking place. It indicated that the dimensions were coming apart. If she hadn't failed those many years back, if she could've found another way to prevent this from occurring now, then she wouldn't have to worry.
Or maybe if she hadn't made the deal with the gods, this wouldn't be happening. Of course it wouldn't! She had agreed to relieve them of their stress and handle the security of the dimensions if they wouldn't punish her severely. There was a catch: she had to be immortal, but it was no big deal for her. After all, around the time she was only twenty years old, and it made no big deal to her that she was to stay twenty forever.
A knock came, disturbing the peacefulness Siarus had started to enjoy. Her son would be home in another hour, so whoever this visitor was had better make it quick. She waltzed to the door, leaving her green tea on the patio.
"Yes?" She asked once she opened the door. After surveying her visitor, she became bewildered. "You... what are you doing here?"
"Is that a polite way to welcome your guests?" A gruff voice came, but didn't make a move to come inside. "I've come with some bad news. Or good. Whatever you want to call it."
"What is it?"
"Do you want it straightforward or do you want it so you can figure it out for yourself?"
"Straightforward."
"Very well then," he took a momentarily pause, as if to make her tension go up. It didn't work. She was a patient woman to some point. "Acirema has returned."
"Acirema?" She repeated, trying to hide her delight. This was good news! "I thought Emor sent him away from this dimension. To Dertah, I think."
"Well, he's back. And he doesn't come peacefully either."
"Since when did he ever?" Siarus questioned. Now unable to hide her happiness, she cracked a smile. "Well, now we can get the Tenrag back. Maybe things aren't as hopeless as we thought them to be all those many years back."
"Are you going to fight him again? You know what happened the last two times. The Tenrag never returned," he pointed out solemnly. "What makes you think this time will be no different? They're just going to send Emor back. Either that or Son Gokuh will interfere."
"Well," she stated, straightening her back. "Let's just hope none of those things happen."