NOTE- musical inspiration, "For Nancy ('cos it already is)" and "strange condition" by Pete Yorn.
Lute's big green eyes danced over the scene before him, jaw gaped. HIM, do the next test???? No way they'd let him do something that important!!! He shot his confusion toward his mother in the form of a barely audible "huh?" that squeaked by his lips after a few moments of silence.
Oboe pointedly ignored the way Gohan facefaulted in laughter at the child's face, and instead just stepped over and knelt down, ruffling his antennae gently. "Yes, I mean you. I trust you, Lute, I know you can do this." she said silently, a faint smile on her lips.
The smile returned, abit different in the face of the young boy compared to his father's older visage.
"So, what do I do?" he piped up, grinning from ear to ear. Finally, after all this time, he was going to be able to help out!!
---
"No WAY you won again!!!"
"Yeah Krillan, listen to Yumcha, will you?"
"chuckles no, no, that's what the cards say, and the cards are always right, so fork it over!"
"But you already cleaned us out, idiot!"
"OW!! Hey, you hit me, scar-boy!"
"Yeah I did, and I will again, you're getting on my nerves, beating us so much!"
::poke::
"OW!!"
::pokepokepoke::
"HEY, no fair, that's a double team, leggo!"
"Give us our money back you little monk!"
"You lost it fair and square, accept it!"
"But how are we suppose to play if we don't have any money?"
"Um... I dunno. OW!! STOP THE POKING, STOP THE POKING!!!!"
---
A pair of soft-soled shoes patted quietly over the forest floor, being careful not to upset the ground around them. The wind whipped gently through the leaves, sending a quick flurry of cherry-tree petals floating over his trail, and a smile to his lips.
A sigh.
He stared up at the bright blue sky, at the fluffy white clouds floating by, and plopped down on his back upon reaching a field scattered with every color imaginable, and sighed, closing his eyes for what seemed only a second before two voices started calling out his name.
"Dende!!"
"Yo, Dende, where are you?"
"Over her, guys." he called out, not even bothering to open his eyes- there wasn't any question as to who the voices belonged to- as two chi signatures came close and plopped down on either side of him.
He only looked back up when Goten shook his shoulder roughly, and did so begrudgingly- it had been so nice and peaceful with nothing much to think about.
The young namekian pulled himself back into a sit and glanced toward the black-haired halfling, asking "Yes? What did you want?"
"To see if you're awake."
Dende was about to shout something at him for being so rude, but then he saw the goofy grin on Goten's face and smiled in kind. This was no time for that.
The three spent the rest of the afternoon in silence, cloudgazing in the open field and letting the whole crazy world drift away for a few hours.
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(there use to be more here, but not now. I usually leave the fic alone as-is. But this was absolutely the most insulting, morionic, shameful thing I have EVER thought would work in a fic. so it's gone. For story's sake I'll just tell you Pic was pissed at Kami and said dumb shit to upset him. Now on with the silly chapter)
---
"Mmheh, uh-huh, hmn, hmnnnn... ok!"
Gohan was left blinking in confusion as Lute pooled over the words he knew, thinking over his options and finally grinning and agreeing, before saying something in namekian to the elder, who laughed good-naturedly.
The halfling shrugged, and politely sipped his tea. He was as annoyed as Vegeta at being left out of the conversation so much, but unlike the sayian, he could control his temper.
Thinking of what had happened, he shook involuntarily. THAT had been weird, though not really disturbing, as Vegeta had made it out to be. All he'd seen was the namekian's broad back, shoulders hunched and voice low, pinning Vegeta against the wall and yelling. Pic yelled at Vegeta all the time, often pulling the sayian up to eye-level so he could more properly insult him. He'd have to ask him why Veg'd reacted like that later.
"Hey, Lute," Gohan called out, swirling his pinky finger nonchalantly in his empty cup and continuing once he got the child's attention, "Could I get some more tea? And please tell him I really liked it."
"Sure." was Lute's only reply before turning around and saying a few things in namek-go. The halfling stared out the window haphazardly before quickly yelping, pulling his finger away from the warm liquid that now filled his cup, half-glaring over at the smiling elder, and murmuring something under his breath about 'funny' and the eye of the beholder.
"So, O- Piccolo-san, what exactly is happening now?" The young adult asked, catching his mistake quickly before a look could be shot his way.
But the reply came without the malice he'd half-expected after that, saying "He's to do his own task, something the elder and I have agreed on, since he is my child I have a right to look out for him."
Relived- "What is it?"
"Well, if that you wish to know-" Oboe stood up, stepping out the door right behind the elder and the emerald-eyed boy, "-then come and see."
Gohan nodded, setting his empty little teacup down gently on the table and filing out behind them.
---
The once-quiet village was suddenly a-bustle with activity as their elder stepped into the square, followed by three strangers (two of whom were well-known to even the youngest children). Though some of the older namekians stayed back to continue their work, every younger adult and child stood watching, some of the adolescents sporting the same look of dumb awe that Chui, Osu, and Hiku'd had at the sight of Piccolo (though they didn't jump 'him' this time, as the adults had a firm grasp on their shoulders). The adults themselves looked out at the warriors with a deep respect, having known well of how much power they truly had, and all the work it had taken to get to that level.
Lute's big eyes canvassed the crowd, dumbstruck in his own right- he'd never seen this many of his native people at once, and the sight of all those faces so much like his own staring back at him was both strange and comforting at the same time.
When they finally reached the middle, everyone stopped, and as the elder spoke aloud to his people, Oboe translated for Gohan-
"My brothers, the time has come across once again for the sacred relics, the dragonballs, to come into need again. And we are to be graced by the presence of two great warriors who need no introduction save as those who were the saviors of our lives and homeworld from the great tyrant Freezer. But the reason they are here, I am sad to say, if the death of one of their comrades, of who's name you should all know as well as your own- Son Goku. He has perished, once again, in defense of those who he holds dear, and those friends have come here to revive him.
"Needless to say, we of the elders have all agreed to give them the right to search out our most sacred relics. They have already gathered two, and to compete for the third may I introduce the son of the greatest namekian warrior who has ever lived, by the name of Lute"
Lute suddenly felt himself shoved from the point where he'd been hiding behind his mother's legs into the middle of everyone, and after recovering from the sudden light, thought for a second that his ears were ringing- they weren't, and as he opened his eyes, his jaw dropped- Every last person in the whole group, without a single exception, was applauding. Applauding. For him...
A broad grin spread across his small features, and he barely caught the end of the elder's statement-
"For this task, he will have to use speed, but much more than that- all the trials are unique to the person they are for, testing them in a personal way, trying their very spirits and souls, challenging them to use everything they've got to have their wishes come true. And as his father nods to 'Pic', who's in the usual cross-arms stance has told me, young Lute is like many of our own children- he's loud, impatient at times, and very certain in his own abilities. And so, with his father's help and permission, I have decided upon the task. The best of luck to you all."
NOTE- ok, if you haven't caught my note in "Shadows", I'm going to be a little slow in updating, because of the extra work I've got to put into Chemistry and Geometry this semester. But I WILL be updating when I get the chance, so I'll thank you in advance for your support and patience //.
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For those waiting on chapter 3 of "shadows", I'm working on it, along with a couple other fic projects and some bigger fanarts pieces I'm trying to set up currently. I'm hoping to get 'Dreams' 62 out before Lute's second birthday, though, and it's coming up really soon, so I'll be busting my ass before Wednesday to get the big chapter on him out grinz well, it's late as I'm typing this, ciao soon.