___Chapter 67___
~~~ Musical inspiration- "Superman", Five for Fighting and a mix of a song called "Dancin' in the dark" with Pete Yorn's "Murray", "'Caus it already is", Pete Yorn. ~~~
Raining again.
Since work on the lookout had resumed again, and the original 'runners' were nowhere to be found, that title was bequeathed to the next strongest. So in place of the bandit and the triclops man, the android and the triclops man's wife took up the burden.
Yen had leapt at the chance to get out of the kitchen and enjoy the sunshine and breeze and some companionship.
Instead, she found herself out in the rain with Juuhachigou. Needless to say, she was disappointed. But not as disappointed as she'd be when she actually tried to LIFT one of those things.... as tough as she was compared to the normal person, she was nothing in the world of the senshi, especially when paired with 18. In the rain. And hungry. And cold. And miserable. And with noone to talk to. And on and on and on.
Eventually her bitching got so bad it even pissed off the android, who tripped her and went off carrying the wall section on her own.
The triclops woman just laughed, saying to noone but herself "Heh, I guess that means I'm relieved of duty... I was wondering how much longer it'd be until she knocked me out..." Shaking her hair out after finding something to hide under, she flared a slight chi-flame around herself to keep dry and strolled out, wondering what else there was to do.
---
"Bulmaaaaaaa!!!"
"'Bulma' nothing! I can't lift THAT!"
"I can't pick it up!"
"Neither can I!"
"Comeon, I told you I'll use my mind to make it lighter, I just need someone else to pick it up, it really won't be that heavy..."
"You're crazy if you think I'm buying that."
"But it's true!"
"Then pick it up and show me, Chautzu!"
"If I'm trying to concentrate to make it lighter, I can't do anything else!"
"I don't believe you."
"BULMA!!!!"
"Um..... guys......."
"BULMA!!! How can't you believe me?"
"Heh, doll boy, pick up your own wall, I'm not doing it for you."
"Um....... guys........"
"I can't imagine why you don't trust me! I wouldn't ask you to pick it up if it would hurt you!"
"Well, I'm not one of your other friends Chautzu, our definitions of 'light' probably vary a little!"
".... GUYS!!!!!!!"
The two bickerers stopped suddenly, turning their heads to Yen, asking simultaneously "Yes? What do you want?"
"*sighs* I've been standing here for the last five minutes, trying to get your attention! Now, are you listening?"
"Yes."
"Yeah."
"Good. I'm sick of hearing you argue like little kids or an old married couple, take your pick. How about I PICK it up, you all SHUT up, and if it crushes me, I get Tien to kick your sorry little pale ass. Ok?"
Chautzu gave her an odd look for a moment before sighing and shrugging his shoulders in a 'whatever' fashion. "Alright, we'll try that."
With a faint apprehensious glint in her ebony eyes, she rolled up her sleeves and waited for Chautzu to give her a sign he was ready...... alright. Gritting her teeth, she slipped her hands under the massive block of wall, and jerked it upward with all her strength, preparing for the worst.
Which is basically what she got, but not how she'd expected.
As soon as her hands pulled up, it went flying off like a shot-put cross the length of the entire Tenkai, calling the attention of every last person there to the facefaulting hazel-skinned woman who was glaring darkly at a paler than usual Chautzu.
And all he had to say for himself was "Woah.... I guess I don't know my own strength...."
---
Her heart was beating like a jackhammer, for a moment she just stood there in full view of those befuddled black eyes before her mind screamed at her to move, and she bolted in the opposite direction, grabbing for her gi on the bank. Running away blindly, she didn't even notice someone in her path until she fell right on top of him.
The impact knocked her to the side, and Oboe could only squawk in surprise before her head jolted into a tree trunk, and knew no more.
---
It was some time before the world stopped swimming around her, and longer still after blacking out until it swam back in. But she definitely wasn't in the forest anymore. The air was still here, no breezes blowing the rich scent of adjica all about her. Something was halting the airflow. She was inside somewhere, lying underneath a blanket on a cot, her gi next to her.....
Jolting up with a cry as everything flooded back into her mind, she clenched the blanket around her, confused and terrified before a strange voice shouted "Calm down! I'm not going to hurt you!", both comforting and further confusing her. Oboe turned her head, antennae whipping into her face as she looked to glimpse another nameckian sitting near the end of her cot, hands held out both to show that he wasn't hiding a chi blast and to shield his face
She opened her mouth to scream again, but another look at him identified him as someone she'd seen before, not too long ago..... as she realized who, her heart rate slowed to somewhere normal, and he lowered his arms.
"Gods.... I thought you were going to kill me there...." he chuckled, abit nervously, but still with that tone it had held the first time she heard it.
Blinking twice, Oboe cocked her head to the side, sapphire irises glinting slightly as she mumbled "Are you.... the one from the village, Swiftu's-"
"Hai, hai, tatacha. You're not going to shoot, right?"
"I wouldn't imagine so. I don't think my brother would appreciate that."
The only reply she got was that musical laughter
"But I don't believe I ever caught your name...."
"Hayai. It's Hayai. Noone ever accused my anoco of being overly imaginative."
She smiled, softly. "Hai......... *closes her eyes* We all loved him, though.... dearly...."
"You really do go off about memories, don't you?"
"Huh?"
"Sorry if I'm being rude, tatacha. Anoco just said you were like that."
Sitting up a bit straighter, but still clenching the blanket around her shoulders, she rolled her eyes and replied "You're just as blunt as he was.... is.... damnit, too confusing. H- Hayai, was it?"
"Yes."
"How did you...."
"Know? *cocks his head to the side, an amused look to his face* It's not like there's anyone I could have mistaken you with. We're short on female nameckians these days. And you sort of ran right into me."
Suddenly re-reminded of what had happened, a violently violet (no pun) blush crossed over her emerald cheeks.
"Well, you did. You know, you terrified that little guy. He's a good kid, and a namek besides- he didn't do anything on purpose. He'd only been punished to go get water for his anoco and elder, and had picked the wrong place at the wrong time."
"I... know. We met him before, and two others..."
"You don't need to tell me. Osu already did."
"What?"
The young man sat up, grinning out the side of his mouth, looking all the world like his father had at that age- "When I found him he'd passed out, but it was easy enough to throw him in the pond and wake him up. He was totally petrified with confusion, except for his mouth. *laughs slightly* Osu started babbling like he was crazy or something.... I tried convincing him he'd imagined it, but it wouldn't work."
"How long had he-"
"Longer than you'd think. He saw you change, Oboe-san."
She raised her head- that was the first time he'd called her by name. But it wasn't a pleasant look he got- it was a pained expression, barely separate from the one you'd expect to see on someone right before they broke down and cried. But she didn't cry, just stared at him like that for the longest time before bowing her head so low it nearly knocked into her knees.
"Hai, where was I again?" he asked himself aloud, knowing better than to comment on her mood, "Oh, that. I tried to speak to him, but.. *shakes his head* he ran off. And I couldn't exactly leave you lying there- gods know what could have happened- so I brought you back here about fifteen minutes ago."
"This...." and as she spoke, she sat back up again, almost but not quite forgetting the blanket, her voice full of quiet wonderment as she looked around her surroundings, "is......."
"Hai."
"You don't even know what I was a-"
"It is my anoco's house. He never had much time to spend here while you were around, what with the training with the others and all, but still."
"But-" by now her head was spinning again- "That was-"
"Destroyed in the storms? This world is a strange place, tatacha. Not even we namekisan-jin who call this our homeworld understand all her secrets. I remember the old world well. Not as you knew it, but when for everyone but me Saichoro-sama was father."
Oboe blinked, and before thinking blurted "That means you-"
He winced at the last word, but before she could try to apologize he waved her off. "Hai, that's true as well....." came quietly from his lips, all amusement gone from the voice, "Anoco'd been staying by Saichoro-sama's side because he was ailing, and I was wandering on my own when I came across a village under attack... I actually fought off one of the weakest random guys, but then I got blasted, glanced right through my skull.... If I'd gotten anoco, maybe we could have saved the village- there were only lower-rank minions there, noone he couldn't have handled- but I thought I could do it on my own. I really did. And so we all died. Not just me, not just the innocents, but some truly great fighters...... I was too proud to get help. *buries his face in his hands* Young teens have a thing about thinking they're on the top of the world, that they can take on anything... That's why I kept this-"
With a gesture of his hands he pointed to his left ear, or what remained of it- the entire top half of it was gone, the edge of the stump and a semicircle on the side of his head discolored. "To remind myself not to be so reckless." A very faint grin passed his lips, and he added offhand "And the kids always love to hear stories about us warriors. The elders are great, but they need someone they can look up to, so we tell them our stories and the lessons we've learned and serve as a mix between mentors and older brothers. They're the fighter kids, the crazy little ones who don't listen to what they're told- like your son, but multiply that by the fact that they always travel in packs. *laughs* But they've got good intentions and big hearts, there's just too much life in those little bodies of theirs for them to sit still too long. The healer kids are quieter, spend most of their time with the old ones and the elders- I actually like them as much as the others, because they're quite mature. They don't want to hear your war stories, but they're very understanding. If something from your past is haunting you, you can always find one of them to talk to- they'll help you get over it."
Without looking up, Hayai pulled himself to his feet and strode over to a domed window, his long sulfur vest flowing out behind him like his father's had, whipping with his movements. "It's getting late. I've got to go find Osu, before he does something stupid- kids always do something stupid... *touches a hand to his ear* You just stay here, rest, get dressed, get something to drink- I'll do what I can for a fellow warrior. Not to mention the fact that my anoco's in there somewhere..." and before another word could be said, he turned on his heel and in three long strides was out the door, leaving behind only a flurry of chi to show he was ever there at all.
---
The wind blew gently through the hills, the azure foliage swaying in it's embrace. Namecksei's ever-bright sky was cloudless, and the sweet scent of adjica wafted everywhere. Third sun was high in the sky, marking it as evening.
Amid the swirl of breezes floated a bit of salmon, highlighted against the lime of the sky. It floated about aimlessly on the winds, drifting over a tributary stream leading to the sea. If it'd been capable of thought, it probably would have been wondering who the two lying on the shore were- their skin was different than any that had been on the homeworld in quite some time- the taller was kicking his feet, humming to himself and keeping a steady hand on three orange orbs besides him. The shorter of the two was cursing under his breath and rubbing his short hair, as if trying to get it to grow faster. No such luck. So he just sighed, folded his arms behind his head, and plopped to the ground, staring at the sky before closing his eyes. The petal suddenly stopped it's flight, as it was plucked out of the air by a small pair of emerald hands.
---
Lute giggled aloud, trying to keep hold on the rather large thing- it was a third the size of him- but just then a tremendous burst of wind shot through, billowing the sides of the petal out like a sail and dragging it out into the sky, passenger and all.
---
Gohan glanced up when he felt the more powerful breeze pass by, his calm eyes looking out. Then his jaw dropped.
"VEGETA!!!!!!!!!!!!" was the only warning the sayian got before he nearly got run over by the halfling's panicked charge. Glaring and reaching out to snag his white collar, he jerked Gohan back and shouted in his face "WHAT IS IT??? You would have trampled me if I hadn't moved, bakayaro!"
Pointing up above the hilltop behind them, Gohan screeched "THAT!!!" and raced off after it. Vegeta could only stand there dumbly for a moment, before murmuring to himself "He's a kite.......", laughing out loud, and racing on after him shouting "GET YOUR LITTLE GREEN ASS DOWN HERE!!!!!", with the only reply being a chorus of giddy laughter that filled the entire sky.
~~~ NOTE- if anyone hasn't picked that up yet, 'tatacha' is namek-go for 'aunt'. Swiftu made it up. And as for Hayai's comment- his name means 'Swift" in Japanese. Ciao ~~~
~~~ Musical inspiration- "Superman", Five for Fighting and a mix of a song called "Dancin' in the dark" with Pete Yorn's "Murray", "'Caus it already is", Pete Yorn. ~~~
Raining again.
Since work on the lookout had resumed again, and the original 'runners' were nowhere to be found, that title was bequeathed to the next strongest. So in place of the bandit and the triclops man, the android and the triclops man's wife took up the burden.
Yen had leapt at the chance to get out of the kitchen and enjoy the sunshine and breeze and some companionship.
Instead, she found herself out in the rain with Juuhachigou. Needless to say, she was disappointed. But not as disappointed as she'd be when she actually tried to LIFT one of those things.... as tough as she was compared to the normal person, she was nothing in the world of the senshi, especially when paired with 18. In the rain. And hungry. And cold. And miserable. And with noone to talk to. And on and on and on.
Eventually her bitching got so bad it even pissed off the android, who tripped her and went off carrying the wall section on her own.
The triclops woman just laughed, saying to noone but herself "Heh, I guess that means I'm relieved of duty... I was wondering how much longer it'd be until she knocked me out..." Shaking her hair out after finding something to hide under, she flared a slight chi-flame around herself to keep dry and strolled out, wondering what else there was to do.
---
"Bulmaaaaaaa!!!"
"'Bulma' nothing! I can't lift THAT!"
"I can't pick it up!"
"Neither can I!"
"Comeon, I told you I'll use my mind to make it lighter, I just need someone else to pick it up, it really won't be that heavy..."
"You're crazy if you think I'm buying that."
"But it's true!"
"Then pick it up and show me, Chautzu!"
"If I'm trying to concentrate to make it lighter, I can't do anything else!"
"I don't believe you."
"BULMA!!!!"
"Um..... guys......."
"BULMA!!! How can't you believe me?"
"Heh, doll boy, pick up your own wall, I'm not doing it for you."
"Um....... guys........"
"I can't imagine why you don't trust me! I wouldn't ask you to pick it up if it would hurt you!"
"Well, I'm not one of your other friends Chautzu, our definitions of 'light' probably vary a little!"
".... GUYS!!!!!!!"
The two bickerers stopped suddenly, turning their heads to Yen, asking simultaneously "Yes? What do you want?"
"*sighs* I've been standing here for the last five minutes, trying to get your attention! Now, are you listening?"
"Yes."
"Yeah."
"Good. I'm sick of hearing you argue like little kids or an old married couple, take your pick. How about I PICK it up, you all SHUT up, and if it crushes me, I get Tien to kick your sorry little pale ass. Ok?"
Chautzu gave her an odd look for a moment before sighing and shrugging his shoulders in a 'whatever' fashion. "Alright, we'll try that."
With a faint apprehensious glint in her ebony eyes, she rolled up her sleeves and waited for Chautzu to give her a sign he was ready...... alright. Gritting her teeth, she slipped her hands under the massive block of wall, and jerked it upward with all her strength, preparing for the worst.
Which is basically what she got, but not how she'd expected.
As soon as her hands pulled up, it went flying off like a shot-put cross the length of the entire Tenkai, calling the attention of every last person there to the facefaulting hazel-skinned woman who was glaring darkly at a paler than usual Chautzu.
And all he had to say for himself was "Woah.... I guess I don't know my own strength...."
---
Her heart was beating like a jackhammer, for a moment she just stood there in full view of those befuddled black eyes before her mind screamed at her to move, and she bolted in the opposite direction, grabbing for her gi on the bank. Running away blindly, she didn't even notice someone in her path until she fell right on top of him.
The impact knocked her to the side, and Oboe could only squawk in surprise before her head jolted into a tree trunk, and knew no more.
---
It was some time before the world stopped swimming around her, and longer still after blacking out until it swam back in. But she definitely wasn't in the forest anymore. The air was still here, no breezes blowing the rich scent of adjica all about her. Something was halting the airflow. She was inside somewhere, lying underneath a blanket on a cot, her gi next to her.....
Jolting up with a cry as everything flooded back into her mind, she clenched the blanket around her, confused and terrified before a strange voice shouted "Calm down! I'm not going to hurt you!", both comforting and further confusing her. Oboe turned her head, antennae whipping into her face as she looked to glimpse another nameckian sitting near the end of her cot, hands held out both to show that he wasn't hiding a chi blast and to shield his face
She opened her mouth to scream again, but another look at him identified him as someone she'd seen before, not too long ago..... as she realized who, her heart rate slowed to somewhere normal, and he lowered his arms.
"Gods.... I thought you were going to kill me there...." he chuckled, abit nervously, but still with that tone it had held the first time she heard it.
Blinking twice, Oboe cocked her head to the side, sapphire irises glinting slightly as she mumbled "Are you.... the one from the village, Swiftu's-"
"Hai, hai, tatacha. You're not going to shoot, right?"
"I wouldn't imagine so. I don't think my brother would appreciate that."
The only reply she got was that musical laughter
"But I don't believe I ever caught your name...."
"Hayai. It's Hayai. Noone ever accused my anoco of being overly imaginative."
She smiled, softly. "Hai......... *closes her eyes* We all loved him, though.... dearly...."
"You really do go off about memories, don't you?"
"Huh?"
"Sorry if I'm being rude, tatacha. Anoco just said you were like that."
Sitting up a bit straighter, but still clenching the blanket around her shoulders, she rolled her eyes and replied "You're just as blunt as he was.... is.... damnit, too confusing. H- Hayai, was it?"
"Yes."
"How did you...."
"Know? *cocks his head to the side, an amused look to his face* It's not like there's anyone I could have mistaken you with. We're short on female nameckians these days. And you sort of ran right into me."
Suddenly re-reminded of what had happened, a violently violet (no pun) blush crossed over her emerald cheeks.
"Well, you did. You know, you terrified that little guy. He's a good kid, and a namek besides- he didn't do anything on purpose. He'd only been punished to go get water for his anoco and elder, and had picked the wrong place at the wrong time."
"I... know. We met him before, and two others..."
"You don't need to tell me. Osu already did."
"What?"
The young man sat up, grinning out the side of his mouth, looking all the world like his father had at that age- "When I found him he'd passed out, but it was easy enough to throw him in the pond and wake him up. He was totally petrified with confusion, except for his mouth. *laughs slightly* Osu started babbling like he was crazy or something.... I tried convincing him he'd imagined it, but it wouldn't work."
"How long had he-"
"Longer than you'd think. He saw you change, Oboe-san."
She raised her head- that was the first time he'd called her by name. But it wasn't a pleasant look he got- it was a pained expression, barely separate from the one you'd expect to see on someone right before they broke down and cried. But she didn't cry, just stared at him like that for the longest time before bowing her head so low it nearly knocked into her knees.
"Hai, where was I again?" he asked himself aloud, knowing better than to comment on her mood, "Oh, that. I tried to speak to him, but.. *shakes his head* he ran off. And I couldn't exactly leave you lying there- gods know what could have happened- so I brought you back here about fifteen minutes ago."
"This...." and as she spoke, she sat back up again, almost but not quite forgetting the blanket, her voice full of quiet wonderment as she looked around her surroundings, "is......."
"Hai."
"You don't even know what I was a-"
"It is my anoco's house. He never had much time to spend here while you were around, what with the training with the others and all, but still."
"But-" by now her head was spinning again- "That was-"
"Destroyed in the storms? This world is a strange place, tatacha. Not even we namekisan-jin who call this our homeworld understand all her secrets. I remember the old world well. Not as you knew it, but when for everyone but me Saichoro-sama was father."
Oboe blinked, and before thinking blurted "That means you-"
He winced at the last word, but before she could try to apologize he waved her off. "Hai, that's true as well....." came quietly from his lips, all amusement gone from the voice, "Anoco'd been staying by Saichoro-sama's side because he was ailing, and I was wandering on my own when I came across a village under attack... I actually fought off one of the weakest random guys, but then I got blasted, glanced right through my skull.... If I'd gotten anoco, maybe we could have saved the village- there were only lower-rank minions there, noone he couldn't have handled- but I thought I could do it on my own. I really did. And so we all died. Not just me, not just the innocents, but some truly great fighters...... I was too proud to get help. *buries his face in his hands* Young teens have a thing about thinking they're on the top of the world, that they can take on anything... That's why I kept this-"
With a gesture of his hands he pointed to his left ear, or what remained of it- the entire top half of it was gone, the edge of the stump and a semicircle on the side of his head discolored. "To remind myself not to be so reckless." A very faint grin passed his lips, and he added offhand "And the kids always love to hear stories about us warriors. The elders are great, but they need someone they can look up to, so we tell them our stories and the lessons we've learned and serve as a mix between mentors and older brothers. They're the fighter kids, the crazy little ones who don't listen to what they're told- like your son, but multiply that by the fact that they always travel in packs. *laughs* But they've got good intentions and big hearts, there's just too much life in those little bodies of theirs for them to sit still too long. The healer kids are quieter, spend most of their time with the old ones and the elders- I actually like them as much as the others, because they're quite mature. They don't want to hear your war stories, but they're very understanding. If something from your past is haunting you, you can always find one of them to talk to- they'll help you get over it."
Without looking up, Hayai pulled himself to his feet and strode over to a domed window, his long sulfur vest flowing out behind him like his father's had, whipping with his movements. "It's getting late. I've got to go find Osu, before he does something stupid- kids always do something stupid... *touches a hand to his ear* You just stay here, rest, get dressed, get something to drink- I'll do what I can for a fellow warrior. Not to mention the fact that my anoco's in there somewhere..." and before another word could be said, he turned on his heel and in three long strides was out the door, leaving behind only a flurry of chi to show he was ever there at all.
---
The wind blew gently through the hills, the azure foliage swaying in it's embrace. Namecksei's ever-bright sky was cloudless, and the sweet scent of adjica wafted everywhere. Third sun was high in the sky, marking it as evening.
Amid the swirl of breezes floated a bit of salmon, highlighted against the lime of the sky. It floated about aimlessly on the winds, drifting over a tributary stream leading to the sea. If it'd been capable of thought, it probably would have been wondering who the two lying on the shore were- their skin was different than any that had been on the homeworld in quite some time- the taller was kicking his feet, humming to himself and keeping a steady hand on three orange orbs besides him. The shorter of the two was cursing under his breath and rubbing his short hair, as if trying to get it to grow faster. No such luck. So he just sighed, folded his arms behind his head, and plopped to the ground, staring at the sky before closing his eyes. The petal suddenly stopped it's flight, as it was plucked out of the air by a small pair of emerald hands.
---
Lute giggled aloud, trying to keep hold on the rather large thing- it was a third the size of him- but just then a tremendous burst of wind shot through, billowing the sides of the petal out like a sail and dragging it out into the sky, passenger and all.
---
Gohan glanced up when he felt the more powerful breeze pass by, his calm eyes looking out. Then his jaw dropped.
"VEGETA!!!!!!!!!!!!" was the only warning the sayian got before he nearly got run over by the halfling's panicked charge. Glaring and reaching out to snag his white collar, he jerked Gohan back and shouted in his face "WHAT IS IT??? You would have trampled me if I hadn't moved, bakayaro!"
Pointing up above the hilltop behind them, Gohan screeched "THAT!!!" and raced off after it. Vegeta could only stand there dumbly for a moment, before murmuring to himself "He's a kite.......", laughing out loud, and racing on after him shouting "GET YOUR LITTLE GREEN ASS DOWN HERE!!!!!", with the only reply being a chorus of giddy laughter that filled the entire sky.
~~~ NOTE- if anyone hasn't picked that up yet, 'tatacha' is namek-go for 'aunt'. Swiftu made it up. And as for Hayai's comment- his name means 'Swift" in Japanese. Ciao ~~~