Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ. Insert the standard disclaimer on ownership here. I do however own Maya.
Author's notes: I have completely gutted this chapter and redone it since it left me completely stalled for a long time and the quality I have to admit was pretty substandard. Hopefully now I can finish this fic off without any further massive delays, but no promises one never quite knows what life with throw at you.
"Double quotations indicate conversations."
'Single quotations in italics indicate thoughts.'
Asterisks indicate telepathic conversations
Glossary:
Ohayo: Good morning
Baka: Idiot
Kuso: (Generally) damn or shit.
Hai: Yes
Otousan: Father
Katana: literally a Japanese sword, generally refers to the typical samurai sword.
The grass rippled, a green ankle deep ocean, driven by an angry wind. An emerald green tide, which lapped at their feet, below an impossibly blue sky. Strong unseen hands tugged Chichi's skirt and ruffled the hair on all their heads as the wind swirled about the dulled silver, white hull of the ship chasing the thin white clouds in its wake.
Chichi, hair, and kimono fluttering crouched in front of her son. Her voice and posture taunt as an over drawn bow. She spoke in a long steady stream barely pausing for breath. 'He's determined to go just as Gokou would be.' Had he been wholly human Chichi would never allowed his departure. However, he was not, and hers' was not the ordinary role of motherhood. Any attempt to restrain Son Gohan, her son but perhaps more his fathers son, would be futile. Deep in her frightened heart, Son Chichi knew this, just as she knew the sun must rise and set. 'Isn't he my son too?' All she could do was to tell him to be good and to stay out of trouble. The wind made her eyes smart. She wanted to tell him she loved him, was proud of him, and was deeply afraid for him but she had her pride and the words remained unspoken. Gohan accustomed to his mothers emotional out busts stood quiet. He wished his mother would stop, it was embarrassing to be fussed over in front of these strong brave warriors. Gohan glanced over Chichi's shoulder at the small group of people standing behind her.
Gohan met Kuririn's eyes. The silent message passed between them. 'Listen to your mother.' Kuririn wasn't proud of himself taking Gohan who was after all just a child. Gokou's son or not he was still just a child. Collecting the dragon balls sounded innocuous enough but no one was under the illusion that it was going to be that easy. It never was. Still he too knew the futility of stopping a Son once his mind was set on something. So they waited a scientist, a samurai and two warriors, a child and his mother as unlikely a band of would be saviours as could be imagined.
Maya watched from under her eyelashes. 'Honestly sometimes, I wonder if it's worth it.' She was well aware of the need to revive their fallen friends but she could never quite get use to the idea. Death was after all meant to be final.
The sunlight made everything gleam but Chichi's love and fear blanketed everything with its palpable weight. Kuririn and Yajarobe's tense banter filled her ears yet all the while, she was aware of Buruma's increasing restless. She too was tense, they all were. Buruma checked the contents of her capsules repeatedly her movements' stiff and jerky. Maya stood, waiting, watching for some eruption. Time hurried by.
Then by some unspoken accord Buruma, Kuririn and Gohan gathered together. "You guys will keep an eye out for Ranshi won't you?" Kuririn said suddenly. Aware all the sudden that none of them had given her a moments thought. Maya nodded, Yajarobe grunted the affirmative. Buruma scowled at Chichi, her irritation growing, fed by her own nervousness making her increasingly impatient. Then suddenly as Chichi held Gohan in a hard embrace with tears trickling down her face, Buruma exploded. "Would you hurry up we haven't got all day!"
Tension rippled through the five adults. Maya stiffened glaring into Buruma's eyes. Buruma with her hands on her hips scowled sourly. Yajarobe and Kuririn shifted their weight uneasily fully expecting a fight. There was a slow moment of strained silence where the air vibrated with nerve fuelled anger. Chichi looked at Buruma but said nothing, she was beyond fighting. She released her son and backed away the grass rippling about her kimono. Tears ran down her cheeks half hidden by the fluttering of her hair. Buruma glared at Kuririn obvious to Maya's chilling gaze. When he said nothing she disappeared in to the spacecraft. Kuririn looked apologetically at Chichi and guided Gohan on to the craft. Chichi stared after him a single hand outstretched, tears spilling down her cheeks.
In a matter of moments, the craft began to rise. Chichi's skirts fluttered about in the sudden gust of air from the spacecraft. The grass flattened out in a large billowing circle. Maya watched the craft with a mixture of anxiety and disbelief. 'Surely it won't work. It's been sitting there rotting for ages.' It seemed impossible that such a large heavy thing could break out of the earth's gravity. Chichi stood very still staring up at the craft with her hands fisted at her sides. Her hands were held so tightly that her bones showed clearly through her skin. Her whole body was taut stretched to breaking point. They watched the large craft lift into the bright unsullied sky. Taking their friends into the unknown from where they might never return. Quick sudden fear filled Maya. 'They might never return.' Her fear rippled out but even as she watched, the craft was rapidly out of sight. It was time to leave. Maya gazed at Chichi. 'She's got more courage and back bone than any of us.'
They walked slowly silently back to Yajarobe's air car. Each filled with filled with their own misgivings and fears. Maya reached out a tentatively brushed Chichi's hand. Suddenly much to Maya's surprise, Chichi's slender fingers grasped her own. It was as if Chichi was trying to support herself. Maya felt nothing but a sad empathy for the young woman, struggling to keep her family together in the face of frightening opposition. Maya hoped most frantically that Chichi would succeed where she had so miserably failed. She squeezed Chichi's hand. She sighed there was nothing they could do but wait and hope. And that was the worst thing of all.
Chichi stared out through the cold glass of the window at the unfamiliar landscape. She had not wanted to stay here. In this silent, well ordered place populated by animals rather than humans. Maya and Yajarobe had insisted however and she hadn't the strength to argue. Perhaps it was, as Yajarobe had said, better than being alone, she didn't know. Chichi knew that somewhere out in the darkness Maya was saying good night to her few favourite animals. The closest thing to family she had. Chichi peered through the gloom but however hard she tried her eyes would not penetrate the gloom. Tired as she was she couldn't sleep. Part of her raged at the husband and son she could neither protect nor control. But she loved them, almost desperately and because of that, she couldn't stop worrying. Out in the darkness she heard a jealous horse call for attention.
Maya laid her hand on Kamikaze's muzzle. Softly she chastised him, stroking his forehead. Briefly, she rested her forehead against the black, hard muscled neck.
His ears swivelled around, swallowing the soft notes of her voice. The big horse quietened under her hand. In the darkness, he was darker still only his bright luminous eyes glittered and were visible in the all encompassing dark. Maya glanced back at the house letting her eyes slide to the darkened window where she was sure she could see the outline of Chichi's body. Kamikaze fidgeted drawing Maya's attention back to him. Maya rubbed the stallion's neck under his thick full mane, gave his rug a quick, final tug, and departed. Maya's hand dropped to stroke the dogs good night as she passed. Above Chichi watched as the light made Maya visible again. She lent against the wall after Maya had disappeared out of sight again. After a few minutes, she heard Maya's voice at the door.
Maya waited. After what seemed like an age, she picked up the tray and started to leave. The door opened. Chichi looked thin and vulnerable with her long hair hanging around her face and wrapt in an old silk robe. Her eyes were dark and tired. Maya gazed at her impassively for a moment before handing her the mug of hot milk.
"Try and get some sleep. There isn't anything much you can do right now but you need to look after yourself." Chichi looked down in to the warm mug. She knew what Maya said was true but it seemed very hard. Maya was still watching her. Chichi retreated into the room, shut the door quietly, and leant against it. A dull moan tore at her throat. Slowly she padded over to the bed and lay down. Staring up at the ceiling while her thoughts chased each round and round her mind. Some how she slept.
Maya stared at the closed door. It was Socrates clawing at her leg that brought her back to reality. She padded down the stairs still worrying.
The light was all wrong. The angle and direction were not as they should have been. Slowly as she surfaced from the depths of sleep. Chichi released she wasn't at home. Then she registered the strange noise a dull muffled thud followed by a faint swish. Chichi lay on her back starting unseeing at the ceiling listening to rhythmic thud. There was something familiar about it. Unwillingly she prised herself from the bed, and wandered to the window. With her hand cupped over her yawning mouth, she gazed out. On the fenced in rectangle of pale sand a small red horse trotted. Round and round in neat even circles. The sand swished and flopped around its feet with every step. Maya stood at the centre of the horse's endless circle holding a whip and a long rope. Chichi stood there for a while her long black hair hanging in untidy tangles around her face. By the time the little red horse had stopped Chichi was nowhere to be seen.
Maya sat on the back step a mug of coffee clasped between her two hands. She smiled at Yarjobe's goading. He seemed, thankfully back to his usual cheerful confident self. Leaning forward, he grinned. One foot resting on the step, his face barely a foot from hers, dark eyes twinkling with mischief.
"If you don't train a bit you'll get out of shape." Maya smiled into her coffee cup, amused. The little puppy looked up at her from his position on Maya's foot and wagged his tail.
"So you say Yajarobe, but I'm not out of shape at all." The puppy barked as if in agreement his tail wagging wildly delighted to be at the centre of things.
"Prove it!" Yajarobe said grinning broadly. Maya snorted.
"You couldn't beat me last time what makes you so sure you can beat me now."
"Hmf that's go nothing to do with it." Yajarobe's eyes glittered at the prospect, belying his gruff tone.
"Really? I'd like to see you try." Maya's voice, still soft and teasing. With one hand, she rubbed the little dog's head. It leapt up scraping its little paws on her knee.
"Fine. Shall we? But don't take it for grated that you'll win this time." Yajarobe grinned.
"Yes I think we shall." Maya stood up still nursing her coffee. She disappeared into the house. Leaving Yajarobe looking down at the little dog.
They stood facing each other across the rippling grass, swords half raised. Poised and ready, each intimately aware of everything around them. Each gust of wind, each steady outward breath, the sun, and the way the light set their blades on fire. They seemed calm but they held themselves in a state of quiet tension. The silence was total. Long moments blended, it seemed they'd never move again.
The sharp glint of sunlight slipping over steel entered her awareness. The katana broke its silence and swung towards her. Quick flickering instinct brought her own blade out to intercept it. Steel on steel screamed about them as the blades locked. Light flashed. For a few seconds they pushed off each other, testing their improvements in strength and skill. The blades began to slip, screaming on the way down. They were an odd contrast; a heavy samurai and his light, lethal katana, a weapon of speed and silence, and the small slim woman and her heavy double edged sword, a weapon of sheer force and power. The light and dark. A god's messenger and a dark wild thing that was never quite what you thought. They drew apart momentarily, blood surging, before crossing their blades again.
The blades clashed again striking against each recoiling and striking again. Gleaming sharply under the sun's light. The two warriors moved with well practiced ease. Each staying calm and steady under the pressure. Neither giving way but neither gaining ground either. Yajarobe despite his stirring soon started to puff. This time when their swords locked between them the Samurai rocked forward forcing all of his weight down on the flat edge of Maya's sword. Maya glared at Yajarobe her eyes burning with irritation and suddenly she disappeared. Some how Yajarobe maintained his balance. He allowed his instinct to lead him and struck out suddenly.
Maya intercepted his blow again. The high pitched screeching of stressed steel returned. She struck out angrily at Yajarobe's katana. Yajarobe felt the weapon loosen in his hands. Sweat started to trickle down his spine. Briefly, he wondered 'how did I get myself into this? What was I thinking?' Maya recoiled quickly and came in on the attack again. This time Yajarobe was prepared for the ferocity of her attack. When the blades clashed again, he gave a funny little gasp and fell back. He brought his blade up to defend himself. It was about then that Chichi appeared on the back step. Maya mid swing stopped dead in her tracks and ducked out of the way of Yajarobe's sword. His blow had already reached the point of no return, and walked over to her. Chichi stood very still.
Still trembling from adrenalin Maya stood in front of Chichi.
"Are you hungry?"
"No, not really…." Chichi looked straight past Maya and up at the sky.
"Chichi you have to eat." Maya disappeared into the house. She came back with a teapot, cups, and toast. Maya stubbornly drew Chichi over to the table and poured her a cup of tea. Some time later Ox king turned up to, take Chichi into see Gokou. The whole place seemed strangely quiet after they had left. Maya busied herself all the while remembering Kuririn's words. She didn't even know where to begin looking for Ranshi. She'd only met Ranshi a few times. Both the gentle innocent blue haired woman and the blonde gun toting Ranshi.
Maya sat in the grass plating the leather thong into a smooth even loop. Yajarobe sat under the pergola a biscuit in one hand. He watched her thoughtfully. She dropped the loop over the hilt and drew it tight. They where alone but for the horses grazing and grass and sky. He watched her strong deft hands tighten the long ends of the leather. He realised now that Maya was replacing the grip on her sword. Saffron had spent the entire time grazing around them pausing to stare at Maya now and then with her large brown eyes.
"Yajarobe. Do you think they'll succeed? Does it even…." She raised her head and looked at him her leaving the unfinished thought hanging in the air between them. Yajarobe sighed.
"I hope so but I don't know." He looked back into her troubled eyes both thinking the same thing 'Gokou will go after them and if something does happen Chichi will never get over it.' This time they both sighed. Maya stood up stiffly, and gathered her things together.
"I'm going to look for Ranshi are you coming?" Yajarobe rocked back on his chair and sighed.
"Right then."
They found her slumped over a flat, half drunk beer, her blonde hair lying in a pool of beer and cigarette ash, in a grotty, dank little pub, miles from anywhere so full of smoke you could hardly breathe. She wasn't her self at all. Thin with hollow cheeks and dreadfully pale. Her eyes glassy and unfocused stared through them. They paid her tab and dragged her limp and unresisting back to the house, wondering just what exactly to do with her.
Yajarobe stayed, he could hardly do anything else. They had poured a few glasses of water down Ranshi's unresisting throat, washed the beer and ash from her hair, face, and arms before bundling her into a spare bed.
Maya sat on a lounge chair clasping a mug of tea between her hands, her hair lying loose on her arms. The house was quiet but truth be told she didn't have a drop of energy left within her. Elbows on her knees, she drooped over her cold tea too drained to even get up. 'What's going to happen to Ranshi?' There was no problem with her staying. Just the thought that Ranshi needed far more than Maya herself could provide. She sighed. In all pervading silence, everyone, everything was asleep but her and her mind. Her mind refused to stop, it hurried in pointless circles, like a puppy chasing its tail. It was dark chiefly because she hadn't the energy to coax the dying embers of the fire back to life. The light wasn't on she preferred the fire glow. Her hair hung loosely the ember lights making it gleam all manner of red and gold.
She put the mug down and lay on the lounge staring into the glow. Finally, it seemed time and circumstances were going to force her to associate more closely with the senshi and she wasn't sure she liked the fresh weight of responsibility. Last time it had been a bit too much, Kami bringing her here hadn't just saved her life, it had saved her from herself. She hadn't forgotten. The humble and simple truth was she knew exactly how Ranshi felt. She didn't want to get too close to anyone, but she knew she all ready had, and what was worse was she was wavering. Caring was hard, so was being alone but the realisation that you had failed to protect those in your care was by far the hardest thing of all and she didn't want to go back to that. She couldn't, because it was impossible to live with it twice. The embers died out and she was left in the dark.
(2002 main content, edited and reloaded 2004)