Chapter 104
Genji awoke to the subtle feeling of Hasanko nibbling at his hair. Genji opened his eyes with a sleepy sigh, and scratched Hasanko's chin.
**Good morning.**
Yume also woke, yawning loudly and shaking her head side to side.
"Morning already?" she muttered.
Genji got up and stretched.
**Yep. And I think the truck stopped.** He looked around, seeing that everyone was still asleep. He hopped on Hasanko's back to look into the cab and out the windshield. They were in an enormous city with buildings towering as high as the clouds. He could hear hover cars on the streets zipping past. He could smell the smog and the cigarette smoke in the air.
Where was he?
He saw Goten on the passanger side, drinking coffee. Genji rapped on the window a couple of times.
Tap, tap, tap!
Goten looked up and slid the window open.
"Morning." he greeted.
Genji waved, then stretched his hand out the window, and waved it around curiously.
"Oh, where are we?" Goten interpreted. "Beijing. Trunks is getting gas, since we ran low. Hey, are you hungry? I bought breakfast for everybody. You like McDonald's?"
McDonald's? What was that? A farm?
Genji shrugged, and was handed a paper box of hash browns. He took a bite of the hash browns.
"How is it? Good?"
Genji waved his thumb and pinky side to side. So-so.
"Yeah. That's how everything is at McDonald's. Hey, you wanna get out and stretch your legs?"
Genji nodded. Goten put his paper coffee cup in a cup holder and opened his side door.
"Okay. I'll open the back for you."
Genji hopped off Hasanko's back and faced the cargo door. He was very eager to see China's capital city for himself.
'The city Yamcha talks so often and so fondly about.....The Emperor's Palace, the Tower of Spirits, the first Tenkai-Itchi Budakai arena.....there's so much I want to see.'
Hold your horses, kid. This city is huge, and you won't have time to see it all.
'I know, I know.....but I'm here, aren't I? At long last?'
Heh. You sure are.
The cargo door opened a few feet, leaking in some late morning sunlight.
"Come on out, Genji." Goten invited. The door was only open big enough for Genji to slide out, so that the light wouldn't wake up the others. As Genji began to crawl out feet first, Yume poked her nose through the opening and whimpered.
"Me too! Me too!"
Genji helped Goten opened the door all the way, and Yume trotted out of the back. Goten closed the door as Genji's feet touched the ground.
"We're leaving just as soon as Trunks gets back. So, don't be out too long."
Genji nodded, and looked out at the city from the gas station the truck was parked at.
The streets were crouded with cars, the sidewalks were crouded with people, and the sky was crouded in building tops. The sights were mostly of box shaped buildings with curved rooves, bright and festive colors, and exotic writing on signs. The air was filled with the sounds of the jagged and short Chinese words, and the smells of foreign foods and blooming tree blossoms.
Genji knew very little Chinese, and his penmenship of the language was very poor. However, he managed to pick out a few words from the crowd talk, and none of them helped. The Chinese language seemed so harsh and sharp to Genji's ears. It would cut and stab with strange sounds while his native Japanese sounded more smooth and flowing.
**I'll never get the hang of the world off the mountain....**
Well, is it more fantasic in person than on TV? Like I asked you?
Genji smirked as he looked around.
**Oh, yeah. You bet.**
Told ya so, eh?
/|\
Ten minutes later, Trunks came back to the truck to take off. Apparently, he was haggling for a lower gas price for the truck, and failed miserably. After loading Genji and Yume back inside, the truck drove out of the city. Eventually, everyone woke up and chatter filled the back of the truck.
" 'Feels like I haven't left this." Ryu muttered. "For almost a week, we've been sitting in the back of a truck."
"It'll be a much shorter trip." Murasaki promised. "The land of Korin isn't too far from here."
"Nice ta know." Momiji huffed. "Me arse is fallen 'sleep." She smiled at Genji. "Yu 'cited, Genji? Gonna git cured?"
Genji nodded at her.
"S'all good, ain't it?"
"So, what is this cure?" Ryu brought up. "All I know is that it has something to do with Dende."
"All will be made clear." Piccolo promised from his corner as he meditated. "Just be patient."
Genji could hardly be patient.
He wanted to get this over with and go home.
Genji awoke to the subtle feeling of Hasanko nibbling at his hair. Genji opened his eyes with a sleepy sigh, and scratched Hasanko's chin.
**Good morning.**
Yume also woke, yawning loudly and shaking her head side to side.
"Morning already?" she muttered.
Genji got up and stretched.
**Yep. And I think the truck stopped.** He looked around, seeing that everyone was still asleep. He hopped on Hasanko's back to look into the cab and out the windshield. They were in an enormous city with buildings towering as high as the clouds. He could hear hover cars on the streets zipping past. He could smell the smog and the cigarette smoke in the air.
Where was he?
He saw Goten on the passanger side, drinking coffee. Genji rapped on the window a couple of times.
Tap, tap, tap!
Goten looked up and slid the window open.
"Morning." he greeted.
Genji waved, then stretched his hand out the window, and waved it around curiously.
"Oh, where are we?" Goten interpreted. "Beijing. Trunks is getting gas, since we ran low. Hey, are you hungry? I bought breakfast for everybody. You like McDonald's?"
McDonald's? What was that? A farm?
Genji shrugged, and was handed a paper box of hash browns. He took a bite of the hash browns.
"How is it? Good?"
Genji waved his thumb and pinky side to side. So-so.
"Yeah. That's how everything is at McDonald's. Hey, you wanna get out and stretch your legs?"
Genji nodded. Goten put his paper coffee cup in a cup holder and opened his side door.
"Okay. I'll open the back for you."
Genji hopped off Hasanko's back and faced the cargo door. He was very eager to see China's capital city for himself.
'The city Yamcha talks so often and so fondly about.....The Emperor's Palace, the Tower of Spirits, the first Tenkai-Itchi Budakai arena.....there's so much I want to see.'
Hold your horses, kid. This city is huge, and you won't have time to see it all.
'I know, I know.....but I'm here, aren't I? At long last?'
Heh. You sure are.
The cargo door opened a few feet, leaking in some late morning sunlight.
"Come on out, Genji." Goten invited. The door was only open big enough for Genji to slide out, so that the light wouldn't wake up the others. As Genji began to crawl out feet first, Yume poked her nose through the opening and whimpered.
"Me too! Me too!"
Genji helped Goten opened the door all the way, and Yume trotted out of the back. Goten closed the door as Genji's feet touched the ground.
"We're leaving just as soon as Trunks gets back. So, don't be out too long."
Genji nodded, and looked out at the city from the gas station the truck was parked at.
The streets were crouded with cars, the sidewalks were crouded with people, and the sky was crouded in building tops. The sights were mostly of box shaped buildings with curved rooves, bright and festive colors, and exotic writing on signs. The air was filled with the sounds of the jagged and short Chinese words, and the smells of foreign foods and blooming tree blossoms.
Genji knew very little Chinese, and his penmenship of the language was very poor. However, he managed to pick out a few words from the crowd talk, and none of them helped. The Chinese language seemed so harsh and sharp to Genji's ears. It would cut and stab with strange sounds while his native Japanese sounded more smooth and flowing.
**I'll never get the hang of the world off the mountain....**
Well, is it more fantasic in person than on TV? Like I asked you?
Genji smirked as he looked around.
**Oh, yeah. You bet.**
Told ya so, eh?
/|\
Ten minutes later, Trunks came back to the truck to take off. Apparently, he was haggling for a lower gas price for the truck, and failed miserably. After loading Genji and Yume back inside, the truck drove out of the city. Eventually, everyone woke up and chatter filled the back of the truck.
" 'Feels like I haven't left this." Ryu muttered. "For almost a week, we've been sitting in the back of a truck."
"It'll be a much shorter trip." Murasaki promised. "The land of Korin isn't too far from here."
"Nice ta know." Momiji huffed. "Me arse is fallen 'sleep." She smiled at Genji. "Yu 'cited, Genji? Gonna git cured?"
Genji nodded at her.
"S'all good, ain't it?"
"So, what is this cure?" Ryu brought up. "All I know is that it has something to do with Dende."
"All will be made clear." Piccolo promised from his corner as he meditated. "Just be patient."
Genji could hardly be patient.
He wanted to get this over with and go home.