Neko-chan's Comments: Booyah! Chapter Four!! I am amazing, am I not? *sighs dramatically* Awww.... Chapter Three was sad and depressing and mushy, was it not? *sniff, sniff* I was even touched, and I'm the author! I wanted to write a funny fan fic, not a sad and depressing one.... Maybe I should just commit suicide, and get it over with. 'Cause I know that that is not the last sad scene in this fic... Or, maybe I should go and wait for the virgin margaritas to wear off.... Yes, I think that that is a much better idea! After all, I wouldn't be able to finish all of my unfinished fan fics if I decide to kamikaze! (By now, you can probably tell that I've had one too many virgin margaritas...) Remember, my loyal fans (*gasp* I have fans?! Since when?!) send any comments to: supersgtpan@earthlink.net Ja ne, and see you in Chapter Five! ^_^
Gotta Catch A Bishonen! By: Neko-chan
Chapter Four
Goku stood at the entrance to the cave, watching as the sun broke over the horizon, finally signaling dawn. The storm had broken sometime around midnight, and the small group of friends had been anxiously awaiting dawn; none more so then Duet.
"Is it time?", Duet asked, groggily crawling out of her sleeping bag. Goku nodded, not saying anything. "Are we going now?"
"We'll wait until the others wake up.", Goku replied, still staring out into the distance. The sky became brighter as the sun showed more of its face. Oranges, pinks, purples, and blues soon colored the sky and spread out, touching everything with their beauty. Even the plainest things soon became too beautiful for words. Until that beauty was marred by a snore. An extremely loud snore.
"How can someone so loud be so small?", Goku asked Duet, staring down at her Bishonen.
Duet lightly smacked Goku. "Leave him alone.", she told him. "Duo was up for most of the night."
"So was I, and I don't snore like that.", Goku said.
Looking at Goku in amusement, Duet said, "You're right. You don't snore like that." Goku proudly puffed out his chest. "Your snores are louder.", Duet continued.
Instantly, Goku deflated. Rubbing his head in embarrassment, he said, "Oh, well." He started to laugh nervously, and Duet stared at him weirdly.
Juunana was then awaken to Goku's laughter. Growling in annoyance, he shot a ki beam at the tall Bishonen. Then he went back to sleep.
The cloud of dust cleared, revealing Goku-singed, but still alive. He coughed, clearing the dust from his lungs, and Duet watched him worriedly.
"Are you okay?", she asked him.
"Sure. It was only a small ki blast.", Goku replied, dusting off his once-clean orange pants.
Sticking his head out of his sleeping bag, his nose twitching as he tested the air, Duo asked, "I smell something cooking. Is breakfast ready yet?"
Duet looked at Duo, amused, then turned to Goku to comment. Her eyes widened as she wordlessly pointed to his butt, which flames were sprouting from.
Goku looked down, saw the flames, and looked at Duet again.
"Yeoowwch!", he yelled as he ran for the stream.
"Stop, drop, and roll, man!", Duo said, coming all of the way out of his sleeping bag, as he watched Goku's retreating back.
* * *
The sunlight gently broke through the dirty window, illuminating dust motes, which were quietly dancing in the air, and finally settling on two figures, wrapped in each others's arms.
As the soft light settled on his eyelids, Trunks opened his eyes. Out of habit, he looked around---checking for any disturbances that would hint at an intruder. His dark blue eyes took note of everything, before they finally settled on the person still asleep in his arms.
The yellow light of an early dawn brought out highlights in Arashi's elbow length orange-red hair that Trunks hadn't noticed before. Long black eyelashes rested on her cheeks, hiding gray eyes that could be soft with sympathy or as cold as glacier ice with suppressed fury. He hugged her tighter, and was satisfied when she cuddled closer. She was slender, but he could feel the hardness of muscle under her skin. And besides, he knew that she was no weakling. After all, she had managed to bruise him, and no one had managed to do that in a long time. Whoever named her, Trunks thought with amusement, picked an appropriate name. After all, Arashi means Tempest or Storm in Japanese; and that's just what she is. A tempest.
Just then, Arashi stirred, and her eyes opened. Covering a yawn with one hand, she said,
"Good morning, Trunks. Have a nice sleep?"
Answering truthfully, Trunks replied, "Actually, yes. This was the first night in years that I wasn't haunted by nightmares."
Arashi's sleep clouded eyes instantly sharpened. "Oh?", she asked, inviting him to talk if he wanted to.
He looked away, and stared at the rug, pulling threads distractedly. "Yeah.", Trunks said. "Ever since my mom Bulma died, I've been having nightmares. I can hear her dying screams over and over. Never ending, just repeating..."
Arashi stared at him, horrified. "Trunks....that's horrible...."
He looked up, a questioning look on his face.
"I mean... Your mom wouldn't have wanted to haunt you like that.... She wouldn't have wanted her dying screams plaguing your dreams for years after her death..."
"I guess you're right....", Trunks said, looking down at his hands again.
I've got to distract him somehow..., Arashi thought. But how.....? I know!
"Hey, Trunks! Let's go get breakfast, then we can go meet up with the others, and I can
introduce you to everyone!"
Trunks looked doubtful for a minute, then agreed. The two new friends went outside, looking for nonpoisonous berries and mushrooms. They quickly ate, then Trunks grabbed Arashi around her middle and flew off.
Finally, after about two hours of searching, they found the small group.
* * *
"What if we never find Arashi?", Duet asked, her voice full of fear for her sister.
"Don't worry, toots, we'll find her.", Duo said.
Duet turned towards Duo, a scary look on her face. "Did you just call me 'toots'?", she asked, her face going even scarier.
Looking frantic, Duo said, "Er... No?"
Smiling, Duet nodded and said, "Good. That's what I thought."
Goku and Juunana watched this, then shook their heads and walked ahead. They were searching the ground, looking for any sign that Arashi had passed that way. The small group had been searching since dawn for their lost companion. It was midday, and they still hadn't found any trace of her.
"We have to find her!", Goku said as he looked more vigorously. "She's the only thing Duet has left!"
"What do you mean?", Juunana asked, as the two more powerful Bishonen pulled ahead of Duet and Duo.
"Did you know that Duet talks in her sleep?", Goku said. "I couldn't sleep last night, so I stood watch. She was having a nightmare, one in which Arashi died. She was moaning, crying. Saying that she didn't want to her sister, that Arashi was the only thing left of a family that she had."
"Oh?", Juunana commented.
"Yeah.", Goku replied. "She woke up Duo, too. He heard her, and he started to stroke her face, saying that everything was okay, and that Arashi was fine. After a while, Duet went back to sleep."
"Oh?", Juunana said again.
Getting frustrated with this lack of response, Goku asked, "Juunana, don't you care? I mean, this is our trainer that got lost. Aren't you worried at all?"
Juunana looked sharply at Goku. "Of course I'm worried. Arashi is the only person who thought that I was more than metal and bolts. She thinks that I'm human, underneath. She was the one who asked me if there was anything else she could call me, besides Android 17. She was the only one who cared.... When we were by the stream, and she was tending to my wounds, did you know that I thought about killing her? I seriously thought about it. But....something stopped me. I now know what it was that stopped me. I'm starting to care for her. So, in answer to your question: Yes, I am very worried about her. But what good is worrying? When you worry, you start losing concentration, and Arashi can't afford that. What if we miss a sign, worrying too much? She could be out there, alone, almost dead.... Counting on us to save her. We are her Bishonen, after all."
Goku blinked, surprised at how vehement Juunana's response was. "O...Okay.", he replied. "Let's go and look harder."
Just then, they heard a yell from the sky. Juunana and Goku instantly went into fighting positions, while Duo and Duet looked up, shielding their eyes with a hand.
"Hey... Isn't that Arashi?", Duet asked, squinting around the bright light.
"Of course it isn't. Arashi doesn't know how to fly.", Duo replied.
Just then, Arashi landed---with Trunks in tow. "Hi everyone!", she said brightly.
Looking at Duo, Duet raised an eyebrow. "Not Arashi, huh? That's the second time you've been wrong in three days. Next time, I'm not listening to your opinion."
"It's not my fault that Juunana looks like Yamcha....", Duo muttered. "Or that Arashi looks like Juuhachi...."
Goku coughed into his hand, covering a laugh. Frowning, Juunana said, "No, I do not look like Yamcha, and Arashi does not look like my twin sister."
Drawing their attention back to her, Arashi said, "Uh, guys? I'd like you to meet Trunks. He's going to be traveling with us from now on."
Trunks smiled down at Arashi. "Of course I'm going to be traveling with you, chibi-ichi, because I'm your new Bishonen." And with that, he gave her a Bisho-ball. His Bisho-ball.
Arashi looked down at it, her mouth opening and closing. Goku grinned and came up behind her. "Tell the nice man thank you.", he told her.
"Thank you, Trunks.", Arashi whispered.
Hugging her from behind, Goku said, "It's nice to finally have you back, Arashi-chan. We've missed you."
With those words, everyone seemed to wake up, as from a dream. They all hugged her, telling her not to get lost again, or how much they missed her, and then they hugged her. Even....
Juunana.
When they were done, Arashi grinned, her Bishonen behind her. "It's good to be back.", she said. "C'mon. There's still light left. Lets try to find that path."
They found a path, and the group of friends started down it.
And finally, they found a town.
"Huh. The map says that this town is called 'Buki Town'.", Arashi commented, looking at a map. "It also says that this town has a Bisho-gym. Which means.... A gym leader we can challenge for a badge!"
"Yes!", Duet said as she jumped around. "We can finally get a badge!"
"We'll challenge him...or her...in the morning. But first,", Arashi began, "I want some real food!!"
And with that, she charged into the town, leading a small stampede.