Musha no Yomigaeri: Chapter Three
There was a fishlike creature taunting him while he lied helpless on his back. It looked the same the last time he has ever saw it, the first moment everything turned upside-down for him. It had a menacing smirk, every once in a while letting out a chuckle of satisfaction. The blue aura helped to show its triumph from long ago, although it had been its last moments in the living world.
"What did I tell you?" Chuckle. "Found out I was telling the truth a little too late, eh?" Chuckle. "Because of your ignorance, your people are near extinct! Fool. What a pitiful fool you are..."
It was too much for the warrior to handle now. He was strong physically and mentally, but he had been dealing with this for four hours straight. He'd go insane if it didn't stop soon and he knew it. So he struggled for a way to escape the voice, to escape the reminder of his failure of long ago. He was sick and tired of being reminded of it!
His hand gripped tightly onto something, but he didn't care what. This was the key to snap out of it. This was the key to keep him sane. This was...
A bed sheet?
Startled and bemused, he opened one eye to look at what his fist had captured. Sure enough, it was the inside of a white blanket. He closed that eye again and let out a breath of relief.
"A dream," he murmured. "A dream. That's all." Then he slapped his forehead, purposely quickening his breathing pattern. "Damn it."
Before he could scold himself further, he rubbed his forehead, realizing something was missing. A piece of his attire. Not that he really cared about his clothing, but this was something he treasured, yet never admit it. Hey, he was Saiya-jin after all. But even Saiya-jins got materialistic and loved something more then power and success. Then again, he has always cherished certain people, including his mate, more than mere items.
But this was too important to lose!
He sat up, throwing the blanket off of him. That's when he noticed that he had been cleaned up and draped in bandages. It only took him a second to realize who had done it. That annoying, sentimental kid. He growled, blaming himself for being weak and collapsing right before that child's eyes. Well, now his ego dropped a few notches.
He glanced around the room he was being held in. It wasn't much; it only contained the bed he was sitting on and a desk. There was a closet on the other side of the room, but it didn't count as furniture. The desk was really close to the bed, and the warrior found what he was looking for hanging on the edge of it.
"Well, maybe the kid isn't as all stupid as I thought him to be," he muttered as he swung his legs so his feet met the floor. Suddenly, a rush of blood ran up to his brain. He brought up his hand to his face, shaking his head to get rid of the feeling. "Damn headaches."
"You're awake," a familiar voice called. Without having to look up, he knew it was that kid who had took him out of the rain. "That's good. At least I know you'll survive."
The warrior shook his head violently and glared up at the kid. "Why does it matter to you?" He snapped. "I was doing fine until you showed up. Thanks," he spat, total sarcasm in his voice. Especially the last word.
The kid just sighed and jet one hand out towards him. "My name is Son Gohan," he announced, obviously hoping to get to a good start. The warrior just scowled dangerously, and settled himself harder on the bed, as if the young man was some sort of disease. No chance in Hell (despite the fact he's already been there) would he touch this boy.
"And you expect me to tell you my name?" He growled. Gohan sighed and let his hand drop, looking exasperated, but he also wore a look signaling that he was used to this kind of resistance. Or had been expecting it.
"I'd figured it'd be easier for all of us," he pointed out solemnly.
"'All of us'?" He questioned suspiciously, yet smugly. He assumed this was a flaw in his choice of words, and he loved putting that mistake against people. "Who's 'all of us'?"
Gohan hesitated for a couple seconds, then he smiled a confident grin. "My family and my friends," he answered. Ah, well, not everyone can get lucky. "There are a lot of them. That's why if we knew your name, it'd be easier. I'd rather not call you 'a man I found outside of our house'. That'd be rude. So, what's your name?"
The warrior thought about that, and he thought hard. Mainly the consequences, and the different names he could pick. Lie, even. The kid would never know. He'd just have to get used to being called by that name. However, he didn't want to lie. He wanted to tell the truth. Somehow his conscience was telling him to say his real name. But he didn't want to give in to it. Surrendering is the last thing he wanted to do. Should he lie? Or should he tell the truth?
"Very well then," he said finally, angry at his verbal defeat. "My name is Kakarotto."
He knew he'd have to wait to start his search. This thunderstorm was too overwhelming and dangerous to start any kind of airborne journey in. And the land search would take too long. He figured it wouldn't be much of a big deal for him. After all, two hundred years of waiting wasn't too bad for him, what's another day?
The cave he was planning to spend the night in was small, but comforting. There were no twists and curves leading to other parts of the cave for him to stay far off from the rain. It was still satisfactory, though. Good enough to build a fire and haul in some food that he had to hunt for, and finally a resting-place. But he didn't build any beds. He could settle himself on the hardest floor and still sleep like a bear hibernating.
But he didn't care about the little abode he provided himself with. He's only going to stay in it for one night, or at least until the storm went away. He hoped it would be soon; patience can only last so long. He was more concerned of others following him. He wasn't careless to leave a portal open, but when it came to dimensional traveling, the possibilities were high.
Would Emor come back if he found out? Maybe he was already dead. If that were the case, then another sekai tabibito would still come and stop him. Send him back to Dertah perhaps. Or he could end up in Hell again. Whichever they'd prefer. He couldn't think up of any worse penalties for this illegal journey. The worst was Hell without a body. But he still found nothing wrong with that. He'd be isolated from others. Good. That would be something he needed.
No one had better come, the words rang through his head, until Siarus is done away with.
It was her fault, her fault, her fault! He knew it was! She was responsible for the curse he carried with him. She was responsible for the extinction of his family. She was responsible for his first death. She, not Emor, not the high gods of Dimension 54, but she was responsible for his banishment to Dertah! Maybe none of them directly, but she was responsible. She was the source to all his problems. Why he was dubbed, "dishonorable" and "mentally weak" was because of the actions he blew on her.
"Immortality is going to turn on you, Siarus," he warned under his breath, a smirk approaching his face. "Because I know something about you that would surprise you when you learn that I know."
"HOME!"
About time! Chichi thought angrily. She turned away from her cooking, glowering at her youngest son. "And where have you been, young man? You were supposed to have been home an hour ago, were you not? Have you not been home at three-thirty sharp ever since I allowed you to go to a public school?"
"Aw, Mom," Goten whined, getting himself into his explanation mode, "I had to stay after school to do some, um, extra studying!"
"'Extra studying'?" Chichi repeated skeptically. "Since when did your school have a study hall?"
"It wasn't detention!" Goten protested quickly, knowing what she was thinking. And what he thought Chichi was thinking, at least what Chichi thought what he was thinking she thought, was absolutely correct. Although it never happened before, it was still a possibility. "It was an after school study period! Serious! You can even call up my teacher and ask her!"
Chichi folded her arms across her chest still looking angry, but in her mind smiling with pride widely. Here's another son that will take out some free time for studying! But she had a duty as a mother to keep putting some pressure on her child. "Well, you should've at least called or told me this morning you were going to stay after school. I was worried sick!"
"Sorry Mom," Goten apologized. Then he switched gears, obviously eager to have some sort of fun. Icky weather outside and Chichi was glad partially because Goten wouldn't want to spar in the rain. Hopefully. "Where's Gohan? He probably has some idea of what to do. I'm bored."
Chichi sighed, knowing that this would come up sooner or later. But it was sooner, not later. And she would've preferred it to be later. She felt uncomfortable telling about that mysterious man who Gohan found. She was even less comfortable telling anyone how she felt about the way Gokuh was acting now that this man turned up. But she had an idea to make sure that she'd have to tell Goten later about the man rather than now.
"Why don't you go study some more?" She suggested. "A little extra studying time never hurt anyone. I assumed you finished your homework at the study period?"
"Yeah, but I don't wanna study anymore!" He whined. "My head hurts!"
"Then go take a nap," Chichi told him, turning back around to the stew to make sure the eggrolls weren't getting burnt. "Dinner won't be served for another hour or so."
"Where's Dad?" Goten asked. He just wasn't going to give up, was he? "I know he's home and inside the house, but he's not in here like he usually is."
"He's resting," she explained simply. That was true; he was taking a nap. Ever since he left the man who looked a whole like him, he retreated into their bedroom and stayed in there. Last time she checked on him was a couple hours ago, and he was sleeping. Did he know that man from somewhere?
"Oh, man," Goten complained, "I guess I'll find something to do in my room."
Chichi heard him slump down the hall to his room and couldn't help but smile. They both knew why neither of them suggested contacting the Briefs. Trunks was too busy lately with the sixth grade, and every time Goten called him up he was either not home, at a group member's house working on a project, or too busy with his homework. "Middle school isn't all it was cracked up to be," were his exact words. But it should be a good experience for Goten next semester.
In the middle of her thoughts, some rough footsteps were heard. She glanced over her shoulder and was instantly relieved that her husband was finally awake. "Had a good sleep?" She called cheerfully, pushing away the reminder of his awkward behavior and made sure her voice showed it.
"The best ever," a sarcastic voice returned. This time she spun all the way around, recognizing something strange of the voice. It was related to Gokuh's... but it wasn't Gokuh's.
Lo and behold, it was the mysterious man's.
"Mother," Gohan's voice came from the hallway. He stopped talking until everyone was in view of one another. He looked surprised and confused, but his voice kept steady. "You won't believe this."
[ Chapter Four ] [ Introduction ]