The sun was hanging in the air, a cool breeze swept through the rustling leaves and all was serene in the forest of Mt. Paozu. That was, until Goku and Goten came bumbling through. They were exiled from the house after Chi Chi discovered the empty tin of her favourite biscuits, and followed a suspicious trail of crumbs to where the saiyan and his son were sitting, armed with her trusted frying pan. Needless to say, they both left the house sporting a rather large bump on their foreheads.
They had been walking for two hours when they got bored, so started playing their favourite game of "who can knock over as many trees as possible, by merely using your head" . Goku was winning, with 24 trees compared to the demi-saiyain's 17.
It was Goten's turn next, and he was bracing himself for the impact. He assumed a runner's starting position, then before either of them could realise how ridiculous this game was, sprinted at full pelt towards a particularly big oak. Head hit bark, and a shockwave the size of several nuclear explosions radiated in a 5 mile radius from the epicentre of impact. 50 trees threw their roots in the air as the canopy imploded onto the forest floor, engulfing both Goten and his father.
Goku's hand shot out from between a bile of chestnut-corpses, and he pulled himself from the debris with a surprised expression on his face. he stood up and observed the area around him
"wow Goten, I guess you win. Looks like you toppled the entire wood!" Goku laughed, picking up random trunks and tossing them aside, looking for his son.
"Really dad, you think so?" Goten asked excitedly yet disorientated, as he recovered from a slight concussion. Still buried under branches, he started to giggle triumphantly.
"Umm dad, I can't move... can you come get me out?" Finally worried about his son, but not enough to pick up his pace, Goku leisurely walked to where Goten was trapped and yanked him out by his ankle. Goten hung there limply, with a goofy smile stuck to his face as his father picked out random leaves and bugs that were entangled in his hair and set him down on a nearby log.
Assessing the damage, Goku counted countless cuts and grazes, a particularly large gash down his shin and what looked to be a broken arm, by the protruding ulna that emerged from his skin.
"Hmm..." Goku thought, "How am I going to explain this to Chi Chi?" Looking down to himself he also noticed that his clothes were hanging in tatters and arms were unrecognizable from the blood and mud that was drenching his skin. he also began to ponder the boy's pain tolerance, as Goten's face was still arranged in his usual happy and carefree expression.
After a couple minutes of eerie silence, Goten got bored and piped up, "Daddy I'm bored. Can we go back to the house now?" Goku's eyes practically popped out of his head, and his heart hammered as he imagined the reaction that they would be greeted with when Goten returned in that state.
"NO!" The saiyan screamed, his face paling in fear," no Goten. we cannot return yet." Goten's face fell, and his eyes dropped to the ground. he hated it when his dad shouted.
Sensing his son's despair, Goku quickly covered his tracks: "... Because, you haven't chosen your birthday present yet."
Goten forgot his dark mood in an instant, and jumped into his father's startled lap. " YAY! oh I know exactly what I want! It's gonna be so cool! Trunks'll be so jealous, and I finally.." Goku decided to interrupt him.
"-Well what do you want?"
Goten beamed up at his father, and leaned towards his ear. He whispered what he wanted and pulled back eagerly, awaiting the saiyan's response. Goku stared at his hopeful face, and found himself with a dilemma. He hadn't expected this, and wasn't sure how to answer him. There was no doubt that Goten could be granted his present, but he didn't know how his mother would react.
"Are you sure?" Goku asked his son, attempting to try and dissuade that particular request.
"Yeah dad! I've been thinking about it ever since I first knew about it, and it'll make me a better fighter, and I'd be so cool, and I'll be able to.." Goten broke off as he saw his dad's expression. It was oddly serious, an grimace that was usually alien to his father's face. He suddenly felt unsure of his request, and started to wonder if he had become spoilt like his mum said Trunks was.
"is there... Is there a problem?" Goten asked with a trembling bottom lip.
" I just don't know what to say... I'd say yes, but I'm not sure your mother would allow it." Yet again Goten lost his usual demeanour and his shoulders hunched in disappointment. Lost for words, Goku grabbed his son and embraced him, stroking a hand through his hair.
"Hey son, don't worry, I'll try and persuade your mum. You're the birthday boy after all, in a month's time you'll be 8! We'll give you whatever you want. You have been a good boy for the past year, after all!" This cheered up Goten exponentially, and he gripped his dad's torso tightly.
"Thanks dad! you're the best! I love you!"
"Love you too, son."
Both heads looked up as Gohan touched down on top of an upturned tree trunk, with a startled expression on his face. He had just got back from Videl's when Chi Chi told him to go "retrieve the idiots."
"Guys, pointless question, but did you happen to be playing your moronic tree game again?" Gohan enquired, not sure if he actually wanted to know.
"Yeah Gohan! This time Goten won, he managed to knock down like 50 trees at once!" Goku answered, not noticing the sarcasm. Goten nodded along eagerly. It was at that moment that Gohan noticed Goten's physical state, and had to force down the urge to vomit.
"Jeez Goten, you like death. How the hell are you still alive?" Goten just giggled, not realising that he should probably get medical attention soon before he passes out from blood loss. Goku is a terrible father.
Luckily, Gohan had a sensu bean and forcefully shoved it into Goten's mouth, and didn't move from his position until the wounds were miraculously healed, and his little brother beamed up at him.
"Thanks Gohan! Now I feel much better!" Gohan smiled and picked Goten up to put on his shoulders. Although the injuries were healed Gohan couldn't get the image out of his head and his little brother seemed incredibly fragile.
"C'mon then squirt, Mum's expecting us home, and she's made your favourite!"
Goten, oblivious to Gohan's worries, took advantage of his position on Goten's' shoulders and grabbed his hair and started to pretend the older half-saiyan was a horse.
"Well then giddy up horsey, I'm really hungry!" Goten commanded, then laughed as Gohan performed a gallop-like run and proceeded to take him home. After a few metres Gohan noticed the lack of his father's presence and turned around to shout to him.
Goku had been preoccupied with his new spider friend, "Arach-nick", which is probably the smartest thing Goku will ever come up with. He was so preoccupied, that he had missed the entire exchange and didn't even notice when Gohan turned to look at him, sighed, then cantered off with his younger son.
His stomach rumbled, so he carefully (he used more care with Arach-nick than he did with his broken son) slide him into his pocket then used instant transmission to land himself at the dinner table just in time for his sons to walk in the door.
"Ha losers, beat you!" Goku yelled. Goten looked to his father in awe whilst Gohan repeatedly counted to ten in his head to stop himself from throwing Goku out the window.
A/N
Hey, sorry for the inconsistent updates, but I just finished mock exams. They were so stressful, but so far I've ended up with 3 A's and an A*!.
I wonder what Goten asked for? And finally, an introduction to the other family of stupid saiyans in the next chapter. hopefully. :)
