Chapter 5: First Insult
Konzen sighed as he finished towel-drying his hair, throwing the damp article across the room without a care. He sat on the edge of his bed and put his head in his hands. He'd just gotten a bath. Or rather, Goku had just gotten a bath and had decided, without even realizing it, that his guardian needed one, too. This being Goku's third such antics-filled bath session, Konzen had expected, and been able to stop, most of the boy's usual chaos. He had not thought that the boy would cannonball into the tub like that. But at least now he was ready for bath number four as it seemed that Goku STILL wasn't to be trusted to bathe without someone keeping him out of trouble.
So long as he didn't kill the brat first, of course.
Goku was now outside, with numerous threats of bodily harm should he get dirty looming over his head, picking flowers and doing…well…Gods only knew what the boy did except pick flowers. And get into trouble. But with the sun hanging low in the sky, Konzen doubted there'd be many people out for Goku to annoy right now. He lay back on the bed, enjoying the peace and quiet of the room that usually shook with the annoying shouts of his hyperactive charge.
'At least...' he thought, his eyes drooping heavy with weariness. 'At least I never have trouble getting to...'
A moment later he was sound asleep.
When he awoke, Konzen's first instinct was to put his hand in front of his eyes to block the sunlight streaming through the window. It was to his utter annoyance to find that the sun wasn't even up yet. A quick glance at the clock told the blond deity it was nearly three in the morning.
'Shit. What the hell am I doing awake?'
Unable to resume his peaceful respite, Konzen stood up and stretched his body out, finding it not too sore from lying in such an awkward position on the bed. He strolled into the next room, his violet eyes immediately searching his desk for the newest addition of flowers Goku had promised he'd pick.
Only to find the vase still empty.
Konzen was a bit surprised, since not a day had gone by that the boy hadn't replaced the flowers on his desk with a fresh picked batch. To find it empty could mean several different things.
Goku was still messing around outside.
The idiot forgot.
Doubting that even a child as hyper as Goku would forget something he himself deemed so important, and knowing the child had never been able to stay away for such a long period of time, Konzen immediately threw these two options aside. So, that left number three.
Something had happened to the little monkey.
He sighed. If the boy wasn't dead already, he was going to give him a taste of the afterlife.
'Konzen…I-I didn't know…I didn't know I was…a burden….'
Goku sniffled again, trying vainly to stop the tears that had begun to spill from his already puffy eyes. He curled up tighter against himself; his arms wrapped around his body as he leaned into the cradle of the tree's branches. He didn't know or care how long he'd been here, weeping like this, trying desperately not to imagine his snug bed or his master's warm hair; all he knew was what they had said.
Everything they had said.
"Horrible little brat…"
"Completely useless…"
"Honestly, allowing that heretic…"
Goku skipped along, not really paying a lot of attention to what went on around him; his golden eyes were firmly set on the large bouquet of flowers he'd picked. They were a wonderful set this time. His explorations had led him to a field a bit farther than where he usually went, but the flowers there had been the most beautiful shades of yellow and violet. When Goku had seen them, he'd spent nearly an hour carefully picking the exact ones he wanted to give to Konzen.
'They're so pretty.' He thought to himself with glee. 'They match Konzen's eyes and hair…I'll bet he loves these!'
So he continued on, trying to hurry back to his master before the sun fully set. If he got home after dark, Konzen would be really angry; then he wouldn't be able to enjoy the flowers as much. This was Goku's reasoning and nothing would keep him from his destination.
"How can Konzen stand it?"
Except…
Goku stopped at the mention of his sun's name and peered into the door he'd nearly past. Several Gods were sitting around a table, drinking and talking; none of them looked familiar. So why talk about Konzen?
"Having that filthy brat hanging all over him all the time. Why does he put up with it?"
"I know. It's bad enough the heretic's even allowed in heaven, but he comes and goes where ever he pleases as well!"
Who in world are they talking about? Someone's been bugging Konzen?
"If you ask me, Konzen should have killed the creature by now; he's more trouble than he's worth."
"Yes, that Goku boy is nothing but a burden to Konzen."
What?
"He drives the man out of his mind! Konzen's even pissier than he use to be!"
"I know. Things would have been much better if the boy had never been born at all."
Never been born?
"I know Konzen would rather have it that way!"
The Gods started laughing, filling the darkened sky with their foul humor. Goku turned the opposite direction of his original intent and slowly began to walk away. When the laughter finally faded from his sharp hearing, the last small flower slowly fell from his open hand.
He didn't remember how far he'd walked, though he doubted it was too far. It was hard, after all, to see through a veil of tears. It was only when he'd climbed the tree, reaching a small nook that almost hid his body from view that those tears had started to fall. After so many hours of crying, Goku was surprised his body still had tears left. But every time those words came back to bite at his sorrowful mind, the crystalline drops would leak out again.
"I'm so sorry, Konzen." He whispered. "I didn't know…I didn't know…"
"Damn it…"
He'd been searching now for over an hour and his limited patience was starting to wear beyond thin. Though he wasn't worried, he told himself this many times, Konzen had decided to check on the brat. When he hadn't found Goku in his room, and again telling himself that he wasn't worried, the blond had decided to hunt the little monkey down. Every place he'd searched so far he'd come up empty handed.
Though he'd managed to get a picture of Tenpou and Kenren so firmly set in his mind that Konzen knew he'd be having nightmares for the next few days.
Maybe he should start knocking…
Finding himself back at the start again, he quickly checked his room: No Goku. Then he checked his office: Still no Goku. Finally he checked the boy's room: Again, still no Goku. Frustrated, Konzen slammed the door shut and headed the last direction he'd yet to try. It was another ten minutes of walking when he came upon the first of them.
Flowers. Freshly picked yellow and violet flowers.
They were lying, completely forgotten, in front of an open door. A quick glance inside told Konzen that Goku was not there. Looking farther up the path, though, he could see a few more. He stepped forward only to notice even more a little ways ahead. Goku was the only person in heaven that Konzen knew of to pick flowers, so these must be his. But why had the boy dropped them like this? He followed the trail of flowers for a few minutes, keeping his eyes searching for any sign of the young itan, until the last flower stopped him cold.
Konzen bent and picked up the small purple iris.
"Where are you, Goku?"
Goku sniffled again and looked up. He could have sworn he heard his name just now. He sighed and curled up even tighter against himself.
'No.' he thought sadly. 'No one would look for me. I'm just a...a burden…worthless.'
"Goku!"
The young boy slowly sat up. That time he'd definitely heard his name. But it was impossible; no one would come looking for him, especially not…
"GOKU! ANSWER ME DAMN IT!"
"Konzen?"
The blond snapped his head up at the whispered response and finally spied his charge curled up in a tree a little way's away. His anger began to rise at seeing the boy (not dead and all…) and Konzen stormed to the base of the tree.
"GET DOWN HERE YOU DAMN MONKEY! CAN'T YOU STAY OUT OF TROUBLE FOR FIVE MINUTES AND GIVE ME SOME PEACE!"
Goku's eyes widen at hearing these words of confirmation from his sun and the tears sprang anew to his eyes. He couldn't stop the sobs as they racked his body and Goku curled farther up into the tree's nook. Konzen froze at seeing this response from the young boy and at first he didn't know what to do. Goku had never cried after being yelled at before, what in the hell had happened?
He sighed. "What are you crying for?"
The boy didn't answer, merely turning his head away and covering his face with his hands.
"Goku." He kept his tone soft in an effort to calm the crying child. "Why are you crying?"
After a few minutes Konzen saw the reflection of soft golden eyes peering out towards him. "I didn't know."
The response was so soft, so uncharacteristically quiet, that at first the God wasn't sure he'd heard right.
"What?"
"I didn't know." Goku said again, a little louder. "I didn't know I was a burden, Konzen."
Konzen froze. What the hell was he talking about? A burden? Annoying, maybe. Trying at times. But a burden?
"I'm so sorry…I won't make you mad any more…I'll…I'll just stay here and give you peace again…"
He looked up at the weeping child for a moment before finally finding his voice again.
"Goku, you-"
"I shouldn't have." The boy interrupted. "I really…shouldn't have been born…."
The last of Konzen patience immediately snapped upon hearing these words and in one quick movement, he was up the tree and shaking the monkey's shoulders roughly.
"What in the hell are you talking about? Shouldn't have been born! Listen to me and listen to me good…YOU. ARE. NOT. A. BURDEN. You're an annoying little monkey who drives me out of my mind sometimes, but you're not a burden, got it?"
Goku's eyes widen and he stared up at his sun with confusion and hesitation.
"R-really?"
Konzen snorted and ruffled the boy's dark hair. "Damn idiot. Where did you get such ridiculous ideas?"
"Some men were talking." he said quietly. "They said I was a burden to you, Konzen, that I cause nothing but trouble and I shouldn't have been born. They said you'd rather have it that way…"
Konzen rolled his eyes, pulled the earth-child into his lap, and rested his chin on Goku's head.
"You moron. You shouldn't listen to what other people say. Idiots only say what they think they know. Next time, ask me first instead of hiding away thinking what you heard is the truth."
Goku responded with a small smile and leaned his back further into Konzen's chest. The blond's chin was poking into the top of his head sharply, but he didn't mind. Pale arms wrapped around him, holding the young boy tightly in an embrace much warmer than the one he'd held himself in. Goku spied a small purple iris in Konzen's hand and his smile grew at seeing one of the flowers he'd so painstakingly picked resting in his guardian's care. Gold and violet eyes watched the stars silently, gazing into the distant mass of the night sky and imagining what worlds might lay beyond the twinkling lights. Though it was late and both occupants of the tree were tired, neither really wanted to leave just yet. Even when the first hints of sunrise began to loose the blackness from the sky, the two figures stayed silently together, surrounded by the slowly falling cherry blossoms and the comfort of seeing and feeling the sun and earth's embrace.
And what of the four Gods who spoke so harshly?
Apparently they were among those taken down by Seiten Taisei's rampage.
They were then reincarnated as monks in a familiar little temple to later have large, black happy faces painted on their baldheads.
(-End First Insult-)
A/N: Wow. The response for reposting this has been amazing! Thank you guys so much for the awesome reviews and especially for being so patient with me! Can't say the updates are going to come any faster, but I'll try. I'm posting in a hurry, so I can't respond to reviewers (again). But I thank you all again! Please let me know what you think, and until next time, Ja!