Chapter 105
A couple of hours later, the truck stopped and the engine was turned off.
"We're here!" Trunks announced from the cab. "Hold on, and I'll let you guys out."
"BANZAI!" Momiji cheered. "We're here!"
"Finally!" Ryu cried. "No more truck!"
"Yay!" Yume barked happily. "Genji will be cured!"
"Shut up!" Arangami shouted. "My nerves! You kids today...."
Murasaki giggled while Genji laughed to himself.
The door to the back opened all the way up, and Yume quickly bounded out first. Everyone followed her onto a scene much different from Beijing.
They were in an open field with some foliage growing here and there. Not too far away was a very small dwelling of teepees around a central bonfire site. It was way too small to be a village. In the distance was a forest and in the forest, stretching up as far as the eye could follow, was a thin pole decorated with various carvings.
Genji instinctively knew it was Korin Tower.
The Tenkai was close.
/|\
A small group of twenty young boys and girls came out of the teepees to welcome the new comers. Most of the attention was quickly put on Yume and Hasanko. The children were fascinated by the animals, and Yume was quickly put into a playful puppy mode.
Trunks tried to bring the attention back to the humans.
" 'Scuse me, everyone! Can we talk to the guy in charge?!"
Although most of the kids were dressed normally, Trunks was able to pick out three dressed in light deerhide vests and pants. The three children dressed as tribesmen noticed Trunks and stood before him. They were three boys, identical, dressed alike, and took turns speaking sentences.
"Greetings, strangers." "You bring us no harm." "You are welcome on our land."
Trunks blinked a few times.
"Uh.....right....."
Murasaki smiled at the boys.
"Shinji! Shingo! Shinra! Don't you remember me?"
All three faces lit up in delight.
"Hey!" "It's...." "Miss Murasaki!"
"HELLO!" All three of them cheered, rushing to and hugging her. Trunks scratched his head.
"Saki-kun? Who are they?"
"These are Sir Upa's triplet sons. They're wonderful children, and they want to be Mononoke priests one day."
"Oh really?" Ryu wondered, walking by at that moment. "Well, there's just two choices for them: tigers and wolves. Those are the only two tribes where you don't have to be born of to be a part of."
The triplets glared at him.
"We....!" "Know....!" "That!"
"Hey, calm down. I didn't mean to be offensive. So, if those are Upa's boys, then who are these other kids?" Ryu looked back at the children admiring Yume and Hasanko.
"They are friends of the boys." Murasaki explained. "They like to come over from the village and visit." She turned to them finally. "Boys, where is your father and Tempura?"
"Inside." Shinji pointed at the teepees.
"Father is training Tempura further." Shingo continued.
"Come! They'll be so happy to see you again!" Shinra directed.
The children led her along to the teepees. Ryu and Trunks took up the rear, calling for everyone to follow.
"Oy! Minna!" ((Translation: "Hey! Guys!")) "Let's go! We're gunna go meet Chief Upa now!"
Genji nodded to himself.
**Let's go, Yume. We have a lot of people to meet today.**
They walked to the family living quarters, letting the rest of the children follow them.
/|\
To greet them on the plot of teepees was a young woman about Ryu's age. She had long black hair, brown eyes and red clay skin. She was dressed in a dress of pure white deer hide with tassles and beads decorating her sleeves, neckline, and hem. She was barefoot, and held a spear in one hand. She stabbed it into the ground as she spotted the visitors, and crossed her arms.
'Cute.' Genji thought. 'Not gorgeous, but cute. She must be Tempura.'
"Tempura-kun!" Murasaki called to the woman. "Hello!"
"Welcome back, Murasaki Madrid." Tempura nodded, without so much as a smile. "It is good to see you again."
The three little brothers crouded around her, tugging on her tassles.
"Where's father?" "Where's father??" "Where's father???"
"He's out hunting in the woods. He will be back in time for dinner." Tempura looked past Murasaki and at the band of small travelors. "Unfortunantly, Murasaki, we will not have enough to feed your guests."
"Oh, don't mind us." the priestess insisted. "We won't be staying long. We're on our way to the Tenkai, and I just stopped by to say hello."
"Yeah, hi." Trunks and Goten waved.
"Hello!" Yume yipped, wagging her tail.
"Yo." Ryu saluted with a peace sign.
"G'day." Momiji nodded.
Genji, Arangami, Piccolo bowed respectively.
Suddenly, Tempura kicked Genji in the face while he was in mid bow! Genji fell flat on his back, holding his bleeding nose.
"Genji!" Momiji cried, running to the boy's side. Murasaki did the same, sitting opposite of Momiji. The croud of children also came to Genji's aide. Murasaki held up the boy's head.
"Genji-chan? Are you...."
**It's just my nose. I'm fine.**
Momiji quickly stood up and faced Tempura angrily.
"Yu bitch! Wot yu hurt me Genji for?!"
"Genji...." Tempura nodded. "So that is his name."
"Wot'd yu du thaat?! I'll kill yu!"
Tempura didn't even look phazed by everyone asking her questions. The children started crying and asking "Why?" all around. Most of the visitors looked unsure about what was happening. Piccolo watched on while Yume glaring at Tempura, teeth bared.
"He is evil." Tempura answered. "He does not belong in this land. He will leave now or I will kill him."
"EVIL?!" Everyone except Piccolo cried out. Yume stood over Genji and barked fiercely.
"How dare you!" Yume snapped. "How dare you! Genji is not evil! I should bite your head off!"
"That's enough, Yume." Piccolo decided, putting a hand on her flank. He turned to Tempura. "The evil you sence is a demon growing inside the boy's soul. He is pure of heart."
Tempura narrowed her eyes at Genji, searching through the evil for any trace of good. Genji also looked her in the eyes the best he could.
**I am not evil.** he told her. Whether she was fluent with the Language or not, she didn't show it. She just shook her head.
"If what you say is true, warrior, then the demon has fully grown. I feel no purity from this.....thing."
Yume continued to bark in anger, not believing a word of it. Genji stared at his hands in horror.
'Is it true? Is it in total control?! It could kill me at any moment, then!'
Don't believe that for a moment, kid! Remember, as long as you're still alive, it's not too late!
"He won't be on your land for too much longer." Piccolo promised. "We are taking him to the Tenkai and out of your hair."
"No evil will stand before Lord Dende!"
"That is not your decision to make. Dende requested to see Genji, and he will."
"Evil will not set foot in God's palace!"
"Your responcibility is Korin Tower, and only Korin Tower. We are not going to the tower, we are going to the Tenkai."
"....." Tempura finally fell quiet.
"Choooooooah!" Momiji cheered. "Thaat's tellin' 'em, ya highness!"
"Momiji, please stop calling me that."
Tempura lowered her eyes to her bare feet.
"Forgive me for arguing." she appologized. "I was acting on instinct upon sencing evil on my land. I didn't realize the situation needs no say from me."
Genji stood up, still plugging his nose.
**So, can I go......I mean, may I go to the Tenkai, miss Tempura?**
Tempura nodded.
"Yes, you may.......Genji."
A couple of hours later, the truck stopped and the engine was turned off.
"We're here!" Trunks announced from the cab. "Hold on, and I'll let you guys out."
"BANZAI!" Momiji cheered. "We're here!"
"Finally!" Ryu cried. "No more truck!"
"Yay!" Yume barked happily. "Genji will be cured!"
"Shut up!" Arangami shouted. "My nerves! You kids today...."
Murasaki giggled while Genji laughed to himself.
The door to the back opened all the way up, and Yume quickly bounded out first. Everyone followed her onto a scene much different from Beijing.
They were in an open field with some foliage growing here and there. Not too far away was a very small dwelling of teepees around a central bonfire site. It was way too small to be a village. In the distance was a forest and in the forest, stretching up as far as the eye could follow, was a thin pole decorated with various carvings.
Genji instinctively knew it was Korin Tower.
The Tenkai was close.
/|\
A small group of twenty young boys and girls came out of the teepees to welcome the new comers. Most of the attention was quickly put on Yume and Hasanko. The children were fascinated by the animals, and Yume was quickly put into a playful puppy mode.
Trunks tried to bring the attention back to the humans.
" 'Scuse me, everyone! Can we talk to the guy in charge?!"
Although most of the kids were dressed normally, Trunks was able to pick out three dressed in light deerhide vests and pants. The three children dressed as tribesmen noticed Trunks and stood before him. They were three boys, identical, dressed alike, and took turns speaking sentences.
"Greetings, strangers." "You bring us no harm." "You are welcome on our land."
Trunks blinked a few times.
"Uh.....right....."
Murasaki smiled at the boys.
"Shinji! Shingo! Shinra! Don't you remember me?"
All three faces lit up in delight.
"Hey!" "It's...." "Miss Murasaki!"
"HELLO!" All three of them cheered, rushing to and hugging her. Trunks scratched his head.
"Saki-kun? Who are they?"
"These are Sir Upa's triplet sons. They're wonderful children, and they want to be Mononoke priests one day."
"Oh really?" Ryu wondered, walking by at that moment. "Well, there's just two choices for them: tigers and wolves. Those are the only two tribes where you don't have to be born of to be a part of."
The triplets glared at him.
"We....!" "Know....!" "That!"
"Hey, calm down. I didn't mean to be offensive. So, if those are Upa's boys, then who are these other kids?" Ryu looked back at the children admiring Yume and Hasanko.
"They are friends of the boys." Murasaki explained. "They like to come over from the village and visit." She turned to them finally. "Boys, where is your father and Tempura?"
"Inside." Shinji pointed at the teepees.
"Father is training Tempura further." Shingo continued.
"Come! They'll be so happy to see you again!" Shinra directed.
The children led her along to the teepees. Ryu and Trunks took up the rear, calling for everyone to follow.
"Oy! Minna!" ((Translation: "Hey! Guys!")) "Let's go! We're gunna go meet Chief Upa now!"
Genji nodded to himself.
**Let's go, Yume. We have a lot of people to meet today.**
They walked to the family living quarters, letting the rest of the children follow them.
/|\
To greet them on the plot of teepees was a young woman about Ryu's age. She had long black hair, brown eyes and red clay skin. She was dressed in a dress of pure white deer hide with tassles and beads decorating her sleeves, neckline, and hem. She was barefoot, and held a spear in one hand. She stabbed it into the ground as she spotted the visitors, and crossed her arms.
'Cute.' Genji thought. 'Not gorgeous, but cute. She must be Tempura.'
"Tempura-kun!" Murasaki called to the woman. "Hello!"
"Welcome back, Murasaki Madrid." Tempura nodded, without so much as a smile. "It is good to see you again."
The three little brothers crouded around her, tugging on her tassles.
"Where's father?" "Where's father??" "Where's father???"
"He's out hunting in the woods. He will be back in time for dinner." Tempura looked past Murasaki and at the band of small travelors. "Unfortunantly, Murasaki, we will not have enough to feed your guests."
"Oh, don't mind us." the priestess insisted. "We won't be staying long. We're on our way to the Tenkai, and I just stopped by to say hello."
"Yeah, hi." Trunks and Goten waved.
"Hello!" Yume yipped, wagging her tail.
"Yo." Ryu saluted with a peace sign.
"G'day." Momiji nodded.
Genji, Arangami, Piccolo bowed respectively.
Suddenly, Tempura kicked Genji in the face while he was in mid bow! Genji fell flat on his back, holding his bleeding nose.
"Genji!" Momiji cried, running to the boy's side. Murasaki did the same, sitting opposite of Momiji. The croud of children also came to Genji's aide. Murasaki held up the boy's head.
"Genji-chan? Are you...."
**It's just my nose. I'm fine.**
Momiji quickly stood up and faced Tempura angrily.
"Yu bitch! Wot yu hurt me Genji for?!"
"Genji...." Tempura nodded. "So that is his name."
"Wot'd yu du thaat?! I'll kill yu!"
Tempura didn't even look phazed by everyone asking her questions. The children started crying and asking "Why?" all around. Most of the visitors looked unsure about what was happening. Piccolo watched on while Yume glaring at Tempura, teeth bared.
"He is evil." Tempura answered. "He does not belong in this land. He will leave now or I will kill him."
"EVIL?!" Everyone except Piccolo cried out. Yume stood over Genji and barked fiercely.
"How dare you!" Yume snapped. "How dare you! Genji is not evil! I should bite your head off!"
"That's enough, Yume." Piccolo decided, putting a hand on her flank. He turned to Tempura. "The evil you sence is a demon growing inside the boy's soul. He is pure of heart."
Tempura narrowed her eyes at Genji, searching through the evil for any trace of good. Genji also looked her in the eyes the best he could.
**I am not evil.** he told her. Whether she was fluent with the Language or not, she didn't show it. She just shook her head.
"If what you say is true, warrior, then the demon has fully grown. I feel no purity from this.....thing."
Yume continued to bark in anger, not believing a word of it. Genji stared at his hands in horror.
'Is it true? Is it in total control?! It could kill me at any moment, then!'
Don't believe that for a moment, kid! Remember, as long as you're still alive, it's not too late!
"He won't be on your land for too much longer." Piccolo promised. "We are taking him to the Tenkai and out of your hair."
"No evil will stand before Lord Dende!"
"That is not your decision to make. Dende requested to see Genji, and he will."
"Evil will not set foot in God's palace!"
"Your responcibility is Korin Tower, and only Korin Tower. We are not going to the tower, we are going to the Tenkai."
"....." Tempura finally fell quiet.
"Choooooooah!" Momiji cheered. "Thaat's tellin' 'em, ya highness!"
"Momiji, please stop calling me that."
Tempura lowered her eyes to her bare feet.
"Forgive me for arguing." she appologized. "I was acting on instinct upon sencing evil on my land. I didn't realize the situation needs no say from me."
Genji stood up, still plugging his nose.
**So, can I go......I mean, may I go to the Tenkai, miss Tempura?**
Tempura nodded.
"Yes, you may.......Genji."