Tari landed on the cold, hard forest floor. She didn't know where she was, she didn't care. She had been flying for, at the very least, six hours. She was exhausted, hungry, depressed and so lonely it was maddening.
She opened her bag and lifted the stuff animal out. "At least I have someone to talk to," she whispered, then hugged it tight. She then began to rummage through the bag, dropping her various belongings on the soil. SHe found what she was looking for at the bottom of her bag, the sleeping bag.
She heaved it out and unzipped all the corners. She put everything back into her bag except the sleeping bag and her lion.
"This is gonna be one of those longe, lonely, sleepless nights," she said, on the verge of tears. She missed her family already, but she didn't want to go back. Sitting at the trunk of the tree, she pulled up her blanket. "40 winks," she scoffed. "I'd consider myself lucky if I got 4."
Suddenly, she heard a crackling noise from the bushes behind her tree. She stiffened, listening attentively for another noise. None came. Tari pulled the blankets closer.
"It was....probably just.....a raccoon...or something...." she assured herself, hugging her stuffed lion tightly. She sat there, half expecting to hear the noise again, yet at the same time, telling herself it was either a small animal or her imagination.
After a good twenty minutes sitting there, she relaxed, assured that it was just an animal. A little one. She turned over again, hugging her stuffed lion tight, and wondered if she had done the right thing when she had run away.
Mama's gotten me into trouble loads of times, and I never ran away before, she thought. Why did I run this time?
She remembered how her mother had implied how irresponsible and worthless she was. Then thought, why am I even dwelling on this? She doesn't want me there. Who cares if dad, Gohan and Goten miss me; it's always what Mama wants when she wants it.
Comfortable that her descision was the right one, she drifted off into sleep.
"WHERE ON EARTH COULD SHE HAVE GONE?!" Chichi screamed, collapsing onto the couch. She was desperate; she never thought that Tari would run away.
Goten walked over to the chair opposite the couch and stared at his feet. "Mama, you were kind of hard on her...It was my fault, after all, and you didn't give me a hard time half as much as you did her...."
Chichi considered this for a moment. Maybe her youngest child was right, maybe it was her fault. Her guilt began gnawing at her insides, she felt sick, and she just wished that the events of the day had never occurred.
Gohan sat on the floor and looked at the ceiling. He was going to tell his mother the truth, plain and simple, and he didn't want to look her in the eye when he did it. "Mom, you have to admit, you always pick on her..."
Chichi gaped at him. "That's not true. I always..." She stopped in mid sentence as the feeling of guilt became stronger and more overwhelming. She thought about what her son had just said, all the while trying to tell herself it wasn't true. She remembered when Goten had blown a whole in the ceiling while playing with a kii blast. She strained to remember his punishment, assuring herself he had one. None came to mind. But she distinctly remembered Tari being grounded for a week.
She groaned and leaned back on the couch. "You're right, you're right..."
Goten and his brother exchanged anxious glances. Goten spoke up, "Mom?"
Chichi waved a hand at him. "I don't need to hear it, Goten, I know. I'm always yelling at your sister. It's never you. I guess it's just because..." Her voice strailed.
Gohan looked at her anxiously. He was about to say something when they heard the back door slam shut.
Goten jumped out of his seat and ran to the back room. Gohan heard him asking anxiously "Did you find her? Where is she? Is she okay?"
Goku walked into the room and sank into the couch. "I can't find her anywhere. I must have searched everywhere- Twice. I just can't find her."
Goten's eyes became shiney. "What do you mean you can't find her...?" Chichi looked at him. "Well...Exactly what he said Honey..."
Goten whiped his eyes and sat back down into his chair. "This is all my fault. If I hadn't brought Kenny to Satan City, Tari wouldn't have gotten into trouble and left."
Chichi shook her head. "It's more my fault. I shouldn't have yelled at her like I did. I always do that just because she's not..."
Goku motioned for her to be quiet, and Chichi shook her head. "No, come on, Goten has to find out sometime, and now is the best time, I guess..."
Gohan slapped his forehead. "Why, why? Why right now?" Goten looked around the room. "What...? WHAT?!"
Chichi sighed. "Goten, as much as I know you love your sister...She isn't... I mean she's not... She's not your real sister..." She paused, then thought about what she had just said. "Whoa whoa whoa, not to say that we don't love her like she was, it's just that because I knew she wasn't my real daughter, I instinctively treated her differently..."
Goten stared open mouthed. "That's....a little....twisty...." He stuttered. He shook his head and looked her straight in the eye. "Blood sister or not I want her back!"
Gohan tore his eyes away from the ceiling and looked at his younger sibling. "We all do."
Tari awoke with a start. She was cold, hungry and scared. She was sick of sleeping on the forest floor and she wanted to be at home in her nice, warm bed.
She stood up and rolled up her sleeping bag. She made up her mind that she was going back. She didn't care how stupid she looked, or how severe her punishment would be, she just wanted to go home.
Picking up Ceasar and hitching her bag onto her shoulders, she lifted off into the sky.
She arrived home just before sunrise. She fell to the ground, wanting to make sure everyone was in bed so she could sneak it. She dropped her bag onto the grass and flew back up to her parents window. They were both asleep.
Tari couldn't believe her eyes. She had left, gone missing, and they could actually sleep? She felt hot tears running down her cheeks, and she swooped back down to pick up her bag.
She shook her head in a disbelieving way. "Are you kidding me?" She hissed. "I didn't come back for this, no way. I'm leaving, AGAIN. And I'm NEVER coming back. EVER."
Hours later, Tari was at Capsule Corp. Capsule Corp was Bulma's company, one of the richest in the world. By now it was well into the morning, and she hoped that they would be awak; especially Vegeta.
Vegeta was Bulma's husband, and was he ever scary. The last thing Tari wanted to do was wake him up.
She approached the door apprehensively, inching her way to the doorbell. She closed her eyes, summoned up the courage and-
DING DONG
She opened her eyes slowly. Still alive.
She waited for a little less then a minute when Trunks opened the door. "Hey-" He said, stopping. "TARI! I thought you ran away! Everyone was looking everywhere for you!"
Tari covered up his mouth. "Shhhhh!" She said. "I don't want your mom or dad to know I'm here- Gottit? They'll tell Mama and Dad that I'm here!"
Trunks nodded slowly. "Then what the hell do you want me to do for you?!"
Tari started fidgeting. "Do you maybe have an extra room I can...?"
Trunks laughed. "Like you'll stay long without Mama and Papa noticing!"
Tari rolled her eyes. "I have my ways. Now please?"
Trunks groaned. "Fine, but hurry up."