Chapter 99


Dawn came five hours later. The villagers ended the feast, storing the food and putting out the bonfire. Many went to bed to rest off their tired eyes and bite wounds, while others headed for their watch towers or farms to harvest. The village went about its daily routine as it always did at the beginning of the day.

Genji was awakened by Yume's tongue licking his face in wolf kisses. He hugged her muzzle with a laughing face.

**Yes, good morning to you too. Miss Morning Breath.**

Yume laughed, giving Genji a nuzzle.

"You don't smell so good either. You need a bath."

Genji let go of Yume to smell under his armpit.

**Bleh. You're right. But first, let's see if I can stand.**

Yume assisted by grabbing Genji's shirt, and pulling him up to his feet. He wobbled a moment before standing up straight. He smiled at himself in pride just before his knees buckled and he fell back down on the straw bed. He covered his eyes with his hand in embarrassment.

**I'm too weak to stand!**

Whoa, deja vu!

**Huh?**

"You can't get up, Genji?" Yume whimpered.

He shook his head.

**Here, lay down. You can carry me there.**

"Okay! Good idea." Yume lay down on her stomach, and Genji crawled onto her back. He clutched a tuff of fur tightly as Yume stood up and headed for the doorway.

**Let's head for the river. It's the only place I know of around here to take a ba....**

THUNK!

**OW!**

Genji rubbed his head, staring at the wooden support beam of the door frame.

**I can see why the elk don't come in here. No head room.**

Yume laughed and tried walking out the doorway again. This time, Genji ducked his head, and received no injury. Yume walked out into the village which was rather quiet. Almost no one was out and about. Some of the Emishi children were playing outside their homes, and a couple of young men were practicing their archery and sword skills. Genji turned his head away from them and stared at the road ahead.

How I want to go home so bad..... If I do that, then everyone will be safe. The further away from home I am, the more dangerous I become.

The memory of his hands snapping Marcus's neck blipped in his mind. He grabbed Yume's fur tighter, and she felt the strong tug. She whimpered in concern.

"Genji? What's wrong?"

**Nothing.** he insisted.

Yume could tell he was lying, but decided not to say anything.

He was homesick, just like she was.


/|\


Goten woke up to a familiar approaching ki. He sat up in his straw bed, and rubbed his eyes.

It feels strong.....and flying fast......and headed for here.

He stood up and scratched at his shirt as he tried to place the ki. Then, he suddenly placed it and woke up.

"Mr. Piccolo!"

He quickly shook everyone in the hut awake.

"Trunks, wake up! Piccolo's back! Momiji, get up! Hurry! Ryu, Arangami, c'mon! Let's go!"

"Goten..." Trunks moaned. "What are you doing?"

"Thanks a lot, Goten....." Momiji muttered. "Jest when I got ta sleep......hoye..."

Ryu remained asleep while Arangami pretended to still be asleep. Goten rushed out of the hut to look for Piccolo. As he stood in the square, looking up at the sky, Momiji walked out of the hut while putting on one of her electro gloves. When she got close enough, she punched him in the side.

ZZZZZZAP!

"Ow!" Goten yelped, falling over. Momiji then jutted a finger at him while scolding.

"Yu dun't jest shayke sumone awake like thaat! 'Specially right afta they jest go ta sleep! Du yu know how much sleep I got laast night?! Five bloody minutes! I got five bloody minutes ove bloody sleep when yu staated up like- a herd ove bloody elefaants!"

"Calm down, Momiji." Trunks shook his head as he exited the hut. "If Goten was waking you up because of an earthquake that would crush the village, would you still be yelling at him?"

"........" Momiji made a flat face, then took her glove off.

The village had gotten wind of Piccolo's arrival, and was starting to pour from the huts. The more seriously wounded were carried on the backs of the stronger villagers. They waited in the square, looking up at the sky. Murasaki sent a couple of ravens up to the cliffs to watch for him, and they quickly took wing for the high rocks.

Within moments, the ravens cawed at the sight of the flying Piccolo. The Namek sighted the village and came to a stop, hovering over it. He was instantly greeted with cheers from the 800 villagers below. He found a suitable empty space in the village square, and dropped from the air. He landed gracefully on his feet in front of the crowd, and he waited for them to gather around him.

Murasaki, held on the back of a young swordsman, made her way to the front of the crowd and stood before Piccolo.

"Elderly, children, and the more seriously injured are helped first!" she announced. "The less injured will do without. The bites will heal by themselves! Take only one, please! I'm sure Piccolo-san doesn't have much!"

"Don't worry about that." Piccolo insisted. "Help yourselves to as much as you like." He took out his pouch of senzu beans, and opened it to take two of the small beans out. "I'll take these to Genji and Yume."

"Genji and Yume?" Murasaki wondered. "Aren't they here in the village?"

"I sensed them in the forest. I'll take these to them. Here." He gave her the pouch. "You need to attend to your people."

"Please see Genji back to here." she requested. "I need to talk to him."

"Certainly." Piccolo nodded. "I need to talk to both of you."