Chapter 95


Piccolo carried the crying boy in one arm while Genji clung to the Namek's neck and cried on his shoulder. Momiji and Goten carried the weakened Marcus after the Namek. Everyone was very exhausted, and thankful that the worst was over.

Ryu and Arangami met them half way to the village. Arangami helped Marcus walk down the path and coaxed Moma to follow them. Ryu walked with Piccolo, calming Genji. The boy blocked out all soothings and concerns to him, only concentrating on his mental trauma and how bad it was.

I feel like Petunia beat me with the club again...

When they got to the village, the villagers pressed them hard with questions. Piccolo refused to answer until he took Genji to a hut and lay him down on a straw bed. Two Emishi women tended to his wounds as Piccolo walked out and got ready to do some serious explaining.


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Genji couldn't stop crying. As his wounds were treated and his burns cleaned and bandaged, his sorrow ate away his reasoning and happiness. He was ashamed by what his hands accomplished. He felt Marcus's neck snap in his hands! He felt himself hurting and trying to kill his friends!

He couldn't stand it!

He worried and cried himself into a restless sleep as the sun dipped below the hills and twilight took reign of the sky.


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After Piccolo explained what had happened at the exorcism gone wrong, he took off for the Tenkai for senzu to supply the village. He didn't have enough to cure even the most seriously injured.

Ryu, Arangami, Momiji, Goten, and Yume gathered in the hut Genji slept in. Moma paced back and forth around the entrance, his horns made him too big to walk in and check on Genji. Everyone was fine with no serious injuries. The bites were no more harmful than mosquito bites, as Ryu was explaining.

"You haven't really been bitten until you've been bitten by a tiger god. Not even snake gods come close."

"Don't snakes have bigger teeth?" Goten asked naively.

"Don't remind me." Yume insisted with a whimper.

"Me neitha." Momiji shook her head.

"Well, this is the thing." Ryu pointed out to Goten. "Snakes only have those big fangs, and all they do is make a clean stab at the skin. Now, tigers have a whole mouth of sharp teeth. Unlike most snakes, tigers maul. They tear flesh apart until there's nothing but chewed bone. Maybe even less!"

"How nice." Arangami huffed. "Just before dinner, Ryusato."

"Sorry. But compare what I said to your bites. Nothing, right? They're completely harmless and they'll heal over in a few days. Nothing to worry about, guys."

"Yu've got nuthin ta wurry 'bout." Momiji huffed. "Goten n I got our arses kicked by Genji's demon! Th' heala said it culd take weeks fore th' bruises ta heal ova."

"They hurt too." Goten nodded. "And I was about to be blasted by a Kamekameha. I'm still shaking over it."

"Goten, it's KameHAMEha!" Trunks corrected as he walked in. "Geez, you can't even pronounce your own attack..."

"I keep forgetting!" Goten whined.

"How's Saki-chan?" Ryu asked Trunks.

"No worse than either of us, but she's emotionally drained. The minute she was put to bed, she cried herself to sleep."

Momiji and Yume turned to Genji. He was still asleep. Yume carefully got up and walked to him. She lay next to him and rested her head on the boy's chest.

"What are you all smiles about?" Ryu asked Trunks as the boy sat down.

"After Saki-chan woke up, I asked if she wanted to go to the prom with me. She said 'yes!' Can you believe it?! After a month of 'no's she said 'yes!' Finally!"

"Congratulations, Trunks." Goten shrugged.

"Why, thank you."

Yume licked Genji's bandaged chin, and the boy turned his head away in his sleep.

Everyone was relieved the long, hard day was over...

...but a long hard night awaited Genji's weary soul.