Of Two Hearts
Chapter 24: Discovery
Thirty months had passed since Goku's testing to take Chi-Chi as his bride began. On this day, two and half years ago, Goku had made a deal to complete the tasks of his servitude to the Ox-King. He was away at the Yukimae Mountains, as ordered by the Ox-King. What lies ahead is unexpected, and in the midst of it all, Goku still thought Chi-Chi was worth laboring for. Just like training and pain was worth it to become an excellent martial artist, Goku knew this pain and the gruesome work was worth it if he were to receive Chi-Chi.
His current journey began on a balmy morning in the east.
***
The soft dirt kicked up in small dust clouds as a single file line of warriors hiked the isolate path leading to the upper part of a single mountain. The warriors' shadows were trudging along on the swaying grass at the sides of the dirt path. The warriors were seeing to the Ox-King's consideration of visiting an old friend of his who could help them with their training.
They were on their way to find this old friend. Their journey would've remained resolute and peaceful, but fate decided to tempt them this morning.
One of the samurai, Hiken, stopped in his tracks suddenly, causing the others to do the same. They looked at Hiken curiously, while Hiken tensed, his eyes shooting darting about frantically.
"What is it?" a shogun asked.
"I… I think something is following us," Hiken said hesitantly, a frantic look on his face. His bangs swished back and forth, as he spun his head around different directions, trying to detect whatever was coming.
"Don't be ridiculous. You fear nothing. Do not become distracted by petty things. Ignore it," the same shogun advised him.
Hiken frowned. "I have been trying to ignore it for ten minutes now. A shadow is creeping up on us. I know it!"
Several others grumbled, and one man turned around to keep walking, but he bumped into Goku. "Advance forth," he ordered Goku. But Goku stood still, alert to his surroundings again. "I sense it as well," he said, his eyes shifting around slowly. He twitched as he heard bushes rustle. When he looked forward again, he stared determinedly. Suddenly, another rustle was heard, and leaves flew everywhere as a quick, shadowy form flew in the sky. When the form landed on the ground, the other warriors gasped.
"A mountain lion!" one gasped. "It's looking at us with hungry eyes!"
Goku studied the mountain lion carefully. It looked like a large male, with sinister eyes that did appear hungry… The mountain lion crouched low to the ground, growling loudly. His tongue licked around his mouth as he kept his determined eyes on Goku. Goku stepped into a fighting stance, giving the mountain lion the same look. He waited for the creature to move; it seemed forever to wait, knowing that any split second he could…
Goku flinched suddenly as he saw the mountain lion pounce forward with incredible speed. His eyes caught a glimpse of the speed, and he felt the wind of the mountain lion as it flew. But it didn't pounce towards him.
"Ahhh! Get him off me!" a warrior cried, as he felt the mountain lion grasp him with all four paws, threatening to knock him to the ground.
Goku spun around and firmly seized the mountain lion by his tail. He pulled him off the warrior and spun him around in circles to make him dizzy. Then he let him go.
The other warriors stood speechless, staring at Goku. Did he just swing the mountain lion around like a toy? As if the mountain lion didn't weigh more than a hundred pounds? And how could he be so calm in the presence of a deadly adversary?
"Very good, very good," a new voice spoke.
Goku and the others turned around to see an elderly man smiling at them. He was a short man with vanishing dark hair and a few wrinkles on his face. He wore a black outfit resembling a kung fu uniform. The old man glanced at the warriors. "Who are all of you, and why are you here on the Yukimae?"
Wakaru stepped forward and bowed before him respectfully. "I am Tachihama Wakaru, and we are here to find a friend of the emperor's. He said he was a reclusive warrior who lived in a temple up in these mountains. Might you have any information on this man?"
The old man raised his arm to point at a distant structure, with statues of dragons guarding the entrance. "That is the only home here, and it is mine. I was expecting you."
One of the samurai raised an eyebrow. "Are you the one we seek? How did you just appear out of nowhere, and how are we to know if you speak the truth?"
"The warrior's name is Kazu," the old man responded. "He lives in the Kuroi-Ryu temple on the first mountain, and he was watching you the entire time. I should know. I am he."
The questioning samurai bowed before him. "I apologize for doubting you."
Kazu nodded and then turned toward Goku, smiling a bit. "What is your name, young one? I am impressed Gyuu-Mao has a strong warrior such as you."
Goku bowed before him. "I'm Son Goku. I'm glad to finally meet the man who will help me and the others with our training."
"Yes," Kazu replied, and then raised an eyebrow as he studied Goku. He knew Goku was a fine warrior in good shape, but there was something he was curious about. "Young one," he said to Goku in a happier tone. "I see the sash on your arm! You are testing for a young lady's hand, are you not?"
Goku glanced at a red sash that was tied around his upper arm. It was to be worn by any man that was going to be married to a woman and was going to work for her father. The sash's rare, red color indicated purity, and its presence motivated the man to do his best, and warned others not to touch him. Goku nodded at Kazu. "Yes, sir."
Kazu chuckled, remembering when he was a young man wearing a sash too. "Your bride-to-be must be a lovely woman. Who is she, might I ask?"
"Chi-Chi," Goku said simply.
Kazu straightened, his eyes wide and his eyebrows raised. "What? The princess! Can this be true…?"
He cleared his throat and shook his head to clear his mind of the disbelieving thought. "Ah, let us begin our training. Follow me."
***
Kazu led the warriors further up the mountain and to a wide building made of bamboo and straw, complete with a thatched roof. The warriors were excited to have finally come upon the dojo. They awaited Kazu's instructions. The old man raised an eyebrow at them. "Clean it," he said.
"With what?" one warrior asked. Kazu shrugged. "Just clean the inside of it."
A few warriors looked at each other, sharing a look that seemed to say, 'Um…okay.' They opened the door to the building and frowned at the sight of the inside. Rugs were turned over, all kinds of things from clothes to rags splay on the floor, there was leftover food in the corner, and a dusty water bowl.
The samurai shrugged. This would be a piece of cake to them. The dojo was huge, but there were also a lot of them. Soon, the dojo was clean and acceptable, and they reported a clean facility to Kazu. Kazu looked it over and smiled, nodding. "Ah, yes, yes. Very good, boys. Now follow me."
Everyone trailed behind Kazu further up the mountain again, and this time they stopped by the temple where he lived. Kazu removed his sandals, and bowed before and after entering the temple. The others repeated the traditional fashion and faced Kazu after his short meditation session. Kazu pointed to a few wooden buckets with rags inside at the corner of the temple. "Your first lesson," he said. "Clean this temple. You cannot learn in a dirty classroom. If you clean this place well, I will see your desire to learn. If this place is dirty, I will see whether or not you want to study. There is some water in the well in the back."
The warriors seemed disappointed at their first lesson, but they soon obliged and began to wipe the floors of the temple, dust off the statues and furniture, and rid the walls and things of dust and cobwebs.
An hour had passed since the cleaning, and the warriors returned to Kazu, who was meditating again. His eyes were closed for so long, the warriors noticed as they cleaned and looked over at him occasionally, that they thought he was asleep.
It was very quiet as the warriors waited for Kazu. At least, it was quiet before a very loud noise echoed in the temple. Kazu opened one eye, and everyone turned around at Goku, who smiled sheepishly, a hand placed over his stomach. Kazu smiled and stood up. "Excellent. We are just in time for our second lesson. Bring back some good food to prepare and eat. I trust your hunting skills are well."
Some of the men narrowed their eyes at Goku. "Your stomach calls at the worst times," one complained. "Really! We were about to do some real training!" another added.
Goku was about to speak, but Kazu interrupted, "Oh, no, that is not the case at all. You would end up hunting the food nonetheless. Do you think I will feed you? I certainly will not. I am here to teach you, not be your mother. I am now teaching you to fend for yourself. Go get food. This is only the beginning of your training."
Some of the warriors still grumbled as they went into the woods beyond the temple. This was going to be hard work. The only weapons they had to kill the prey were katanas and wakizashis. And what prey would they encounter in the dangerous woods?
Would they get lost in the woods, or even find their way out? What if someone was injured or they never found food at all? All of these things had to be considered for survival.
For the beginning of their training…
***
Six Months Later…
***
Back in Edo, it was initially difficult for two young women to forget about their loved ones training at places so far, hundreds and hundreds of miles away. It was hard for Chi-Chi to stop worrying about Goku and what he was doing. It was hard for Talim to remember that her brother, Wakaru, was not going to come home very soon and that he had to fulfill this duty.
In order to remain strong, the women left behind busied themselves with various activities. The thoughts of their loved ones did come sometimes, but the intense desire of their presence wasn't as strong as before.
Chi-Chi and Talim had been seeing the new breeds of horses the kingdom received from the annual International Coast Trade. There were a lot of new horses, and they needed a lot of love and care, which Chi-Chi and Talim did provide for them. After some trust was established, they went to take the horses out riding for fun, and to escape the Ox-King. He had been forever reminding Chi-Chi and Talim that the new slaves obtained from the International Coast Trade were not to be trusted.
Talim sighed as she leaned forward on the back of her horse's neck. She blew some hairs of the mane out of her face. "We can take care of ourselves," she said. Princess, I bet your father has told us about the slaves a thousand times."
Chi-Chi laughed softly. "Probably so, but you know he's only saying that because he cares about you and me. We do have some strange slaves lurking around anyway…"
"Yeah, but he still doesn't have to say it as if we're children or something." Talim then smiled deviously. "In any case, you're my teacher, and if any of the slaves try anything stupid, I can kick their tails. Some people just don't learn unless they receive a good beating."
She looked around, and her eyes fell to a sturdy tree in the distance. She smirked at Chi-Chi. "Princess, I'll race you to the fir tree and back. The winner gets the last of the water in the gourd."
Chi-Chi returned the smirk at the girl. "You'll learn not to challenge me. You might as well hand over the gourd now. I'm not thirsty, but my horse will need it when she's done outrunning yours."
"Oh, I forgot!" Talim groaned suddenly. "I forgot to give the other horses some water before we left riding! And Ikari!"
Ikari was a horse that Talim was especially fond of. She was a beautiful thoroughbred mare, chestnut in color, and her mane was reddish and silky. She was also pregnant, and Talim wanted to pamper the horse in hopes that the baby would be happy.
"You're right," Chi-Chi said, looking over her shoulder back at the stables. "I imagine they're pretty upset about now… I'll race you there instead."
Naturally, Talim won the race because of her anxiety to tend to the other horses and to see Ikari. She jumped off her horse and was quick to deliver fresh water to the other horses. After this, she began to run to Ikari's stall. But she stopped for a moment and looked back at Chi-Chi.
"Aren't you coming to see her?"
Chi-Chi looked up at her and smiled, shaking her head. "You go ahead. I have something to do."
Talim nodded and ran ahead to Ikari's stall. She suddenly stopped and frowned, coming to a halt several feet away. Her eyes narrowed at what she found.
There was a boy already at the stall, giving Ikari water and fresh hay. He was one year older than Talim, and was a slave that her father obtained from the International Coast Trade. He had messy, black hair and ireful, brown eyes. He had an overall scruffy appearance. But Talim could've cared less about how he looked. She did not like this slave boy her father bought. To her, he was an arrogant and reclusive person who had no manners and didn't understand that when she asked him questions, she wasn't trying to be annoying or loud, just trying to understand him.
"What are you doing here, Hisuke?" she snapped, her hands perched on her hips.
The boy frowned at her. "What does it look like?" he retorted, as he stood up and gently ran his calloused hand across Ikari's face.
Talim marched up to him. "Move it. I was coming here to see her."
Hisuke turned his head away, and he continued to pet the horse. "I don't have to listen to you, only your father. And besides, Ikari is not your horse. I can see her too."
Talim growled. "That's not fair, Hisuke! You know that Princess Chi-Chi and I found her first."
Hisuke smirked. "Hah!" he laughed. "I bet you don't know anything about horses. I'm surprised you know how to sit on one."
"Shut your mouth," Talim retorted, shoving him aside. She smiled at Ikari and held out her hands as the horse nuzzled against her. "Yes, girl, I'm here. I'm here to take care of you and keep you from that fool, Hisuke. Has he razzed you any?"
Hisuke rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. He stood at watch for a few moments, and he was alert when he heard the stall door swing open. He grimaced at Talim, who placed her ear against Ikari's side.
"Dummy," he said. "You can't hear the foal yet. It's barely developed."
He laughed again. "I knew I was right. You ARE clueless about horses. Let me explain. When a mare gets pregnant, it's impossible to detect the foal until she starts swelling on both sides, and even then, you can't hear the foal's heartbeat. It's not like a human baby. It'll take a lot of months in order to feel and hear the foal. I bet you didn't know that-"
"Just shut your mouth!" Talim interrupted angrily. "You're right. I don't know, and I don't know as much as you, all right?! Just stop talking to me like I'm two years old! We're only separated by a lousy fourteen months, Kami!"
***
Talim left the stables, purely annoyed at Hisuke, and went inside the palace, grumbling under her breath. She went upstairs to Chi-Chi's bedchamber. The door was ajar, and Talim saw Chi-Chi sitting at her desk. What was she doing?
Talim walked closer to see. She stood by Chi-Chi and saw that she was writing something. Chi-Chi had been concentrating on her letter, but glanced up at a silent Talim, who had her scornful glare aimed outside at the stables.
"Why are you angry?" she asked.
Talim crossed her arms and looked away. "Would you like to guess?"
Chi-Chi looked up at her. "Is Hisuke being a pest again? Do you ever wonder why he's so mean to you at times?"
"Everyday," Talim answered. "I mean, what in Kami's name did I do to him besides be born?"
Chi-Chi smiled slowly, and laughed softly. "You know what I think?"
"What, Princess?"
"I think Hisuke may be sweet on you and is hiding it by behaving this way."
Talim recoiled, as if Chi-Chi's statement was vile. "Hisuke sweet on me? Princess, please! He doesn't even like me in the least bit! And that is fine with me because I don't like him either!"
She clenched her fists. "He is such an arrogant brat that needs to learn his place in life. One of these days, I am going to give it to him good."
Chi-Chi raised an eyebrow. "Ouch. Aren't there any redeeming qualities to Hisuke?"
"He is smart," Talim simply responded. "And that's it. I will never like him. Never!"
"Who knows? He may change," Chi-Chi said.
Talim crossed her arms again. "As if that fool would ever change his ways. He has been a pest since the day he arrived here."
Chi-Chi chuckled as she continued to write. "You know, Talim, I was your age when I first had tender feelings for a boy. It's intricate, yet beautiful to have those kinds of feelings for someone, even if it's the last person you would expect to feel this way for. Perhaps that may be the case for you and Hisuke."
Talim turned away. "Hmph. Not me. Twelve-year-old girls should not worry about rotten boys like Hisuke, and I certainly will not. Enough about him anyway. What are you doing?"
"Writing a letter to the person I have tender feelings for," Chi-Chi answered as she dipped the tip of her quill pen into a cup of ink. It grew silent for a few seconds, and the only sound in the room was the scratching of the pen on the paper.
"I see," Talim said, softly, at last. "You miss Goku just as I miss my brother. How long have we waited?"
Chi-Chi stopped writing, and a thoughtful expression was on her face. Then she looked away. "It has been a year," she said quietly.
Talim hung her head. "Hmm… It feels like fifty years to me, but I bet it feels longer to you. How long have you waited for Goku altogether?"
Chi-Chi leaned forward in her seat, her chin resting in her palm, her elbow resting on her knee. She looked out the window, in thought once again. "Well, I've waited for someone like Goku my whole life. When I finally found him, I was twelve. But we didn't see each other for six years. I found him and brought him here, but you know the story. Now I'm twenty-three, and still waiting. So it's been five years."
Talim looked at Chi-Chi, amazed. "I… I could never do such a thing," she whispered. "Waiting and waiting and waiting like that… I couldn't do it no matter how much I loved a man. I would die of separation."
Chi-Chi shrugged her shoulders a bit. "The intensity can be overwhelming, but waiting is bearable when you love that person deeply and you know a promise that he is returning to you."
***
It was already nighttime at the Yukimae Mountains, where the warriors rested deeply in their sections of the temple's many rooms. They were sound asleep after many hard days of training. An entire year had passed since they arrived, but they were still going to sleep immediately after a day of training. They couldn't help it. All the jobs they did drained every ounce of their energy. They had to obtain so much energy in the few hours they slept, for Kazu would wake them at dawn and the training would start all over again.
That was why Goku wanted to hurry up.
He was returning with buckets filled to the brim with water from the well. He was going back to fill large jars with water, so the samurai would have something to drink the next day.
He hurried and filled each jar that awaited him outside the temple. He laid the buckets down next to them and crept in the darkness, trying to find his futon to sleep at. He almost entered the temple using the rear entrance, but he suddenly heard a noise. The wind howled in the night, but with it came the noise of rustling bushes. This time, Goku wasn't going to wait around for the object to catch him off guard.
Goku came near to the bushes behind the temple. He held up his hands to guard his face, chest, and stomach, as he peered at the greenery. The rustling was continuous until something left them. Goku nearly jumped back in surprise. That same mountain lion had come back! It looked at Goku nonchalantly, its yellowish eyes gleaming in the moonlight. Then, it continued to walk away, but Goku noticed something.
The mountain lion was heading right for the temple!
He's going to attack and hurt everyone! Goku thought. He ran up to the mountain lion, following it around the corner to the front entrance. He was determined in stopping the mountain lion for good this time. However, he stopped suddenly. Goku blinked curiously. The mountain lion was calmly strolling to a sitting form on the porch of the temple. It sat by the form's side. Goku crept closer to get a better look.
His eyes widened as the moonlight revealed the scene. The mountain lion was lying down at Kazu's side, and he was petting it!
"Sensei?" Goku questioned. The old man looked up at him and beckoned him to sit at his side too. Goku came and sat Indian style at Kazu's other side. "Sensei, what are you doing? What is happening?"
"Shh," Kazu hushed him. "You need a quiet mind and body to enjoy the beauty of nature at night. The gods have blessed us with a beloved Earth, and we must show our gratitude to all things." Beside him, the mountain lion purred with content, as Kazu scratched its ears.
Goku glanced down and frowned. "Uh, what about that?" he asked, referring to the mountain lion.
Kazu looked at Goku. "Oh, Kiya? She always comes around here. It is almost as if she lives here."
Goku blinked in surprise. "That huge thing is a girl? Uh, I thought she was an enemy. Remember how I fought her off Hiken on the first day? I thought…"
Kazu chuckled. "Well, Kiya can be a little feisty, and that is why I praised you when you fought her off instead of killing her that, even though you did not know it. But yes, Kiya is somewhat mine. We all should be friendly to nature and all its creatures. I saved Kiya and her young ones from a horrible storm several years ago. I suppose Kiya repays me by staying at my side and protecting me."
"Like a dog?" Goku asked. "That's nice…"
He slowly reached to pet Kiya, who gave him a startling look. Goku flinched slightly, but Kiya raised her head into Goku's hand. He petted her a little until Kazu spoke. "You know, Goku, I have something for you."
He reached into his small bag at his side and pulled out a rolled up scroll. He handed it to Goku. "I want you to give this to Wakaru. It is actually for the emperor, but I need Wakaru to deliver it."
Goku nodded. "I will keep this safe, but if this needs to be delivered to the emperor, how will Wakaru make up the training he will miss?"
"There will be no more training," Kazu informed him with a smile. "The last day of everyone's training was today. You all were an unusual group of students, but the goal was to install some wisdom and skills through your thick skulls. I suggest you rest up, Goku. You have a long journey home tomorrow."
As Goku went to bed later on, he found he was full of excitement and surprise. He laid back into the cool futon, his hands folded behind his head. He couldn't believe that Kiya was a girl. He also couldn't believe that he was going home tomorrow. The mere thought of going back to Edo caused excitement to burst within him all over again. He loved training and living at the Yukimae Mountains with Kazu, but he was even more eager to go back home.
To go back home to Chi-Chi…
How greatly he missed her while he was away. He thought of her often and when he received a letter from Chi-Chi, he felt his heart elate and his desire for her deepened. So many questions filled his mind.
How was she? Did anything exciting happen since he had left? What did Chi-Chi look like now? Had her feelings for him remained the same?
There were so many things to wonder about as Goku slept…
Wakaru was the very first samurai to leave in the morning. With the Ox-King's scroll tucked in his vest for safe keeping, he brought his horse out into the spring air and looked around one last time before he headed out.
***
At the first sign of dawn, Talim got out of bed and prepared herself. She ran down the palace's flights of stairs and to a distant dirt path spiraling from the palace's entrance. She sat under a tree, gazing out at the road. The only sounds were the birds softly singing, until Talim heard a door close. She looked to her left and then raised an eyebrow at another person awake at this hour, leaving a tall and thin, wooden booth.
The person raised his eyebrows back, and headed over to her.
"What are you doing here, Hisuke?" Talim asked him.
"Using the privy. Where did it look like I just came from?" Hisuke stated matter-of-factly, as he leaned against the tree.
Talim rolled her eyes. Like she really wanted to hear he had just come back from using the bathroom.
"So what are you doing here?" Hisuke asked. He suddenly shook his head as a thought occurred to him. "Oh, waiting for your brother, huh? Don't you know he could come back later on in the day, or even tonight, or even tomorrow? Dummy."
Talim looked up at him, frowning. "You're the dummy. He was supposed to be away for a year, and today marks that year."
"Hmph," Hisuke snorted, and then sat next to her. Nothing else was said for a few moments. It was very peaceful as Talim waited for her big brother's return.
That was, until Hisuke had another sarcastic remark to verbalize.
He snorted again, chuckling. "Think you can wait here all day, little girl?" he said to Talim. "That will be a laugh. And what if Wakaru doesn't come back? Will you cry, little girl?"
There was no response for a moment, and Hisuke glanced down at Talim. His expression changed when he saw her trembling, her face growing red with anger. Talim growled subtly as she lowered her eyebrows into her fiery eyes. She sniffed once, trying to hold back her tears that had arrived from great anger and frustration.
She spun around and glared at Hisuke. "Shut up, Hisuke! So what if I want to wait?! I can wait! I want to wait! Why are you always so mean to me? Just leave me alone!" She lowered her face into her hands and cried softly, attempting to sniff back her tears. She gave her offender her back and resumed her waterworks.
Uh-oh.
Hisuke frowned. He was in trouble. He never expected Talim to cry. She never did. He would always tease her like this, and she would respond by a punch, or a slap, or return a smart aleck line. But never cry…
"Oops," he said softly. He crawled to the other side of the tree, to where he could face Talim. Apparently, Talim had seen this, though her head was bowed, and scooted away, so her back was facing Hisuke again.
"Talim, please," Hisuke begged. He positioned himself in front of her again, and this time Talim stayed put. Hisuke slowly reached for Talim's face, but she flinched, as if she were burned. "Don't touch me!" she screamed.
"No, wait," Hisuke whispered. He lifted her face towards him, and blinked slowly. He could see Talim was really ticked off, though her frustration and sorrow was more evident.
"I'm sorry, Talim," Hisuke whispered again. "I was only teasing… I didn't know it would make you feel this horrible. I'm really sorry."
He dug into the pocket of his breeches, and pulled out a soft cloth. He handed it to her to wipe her tears. Talim sniffed and looked away. "You must really think I'm a dummy. You came from the outhouse and now you're giving me that cloth? That's disgusting."
Hisuke shook his head. "I promise you it's clean. I'm not playing any jokes on you." He folded the cloth and reached out to her. Though a little suspicious, Talim let Hisuke gently wipe her face of her tears.
After this, Talim spoke softly, "Thank you. I'm surprised you thought your teasing wouldn't do this to me, Hisuke. I've been holding this back for a long time now. Don't you think I've grown tired of your gags and things? I get so frustrated when you don't quit, especially when you ridicule me. But ridiculing my brother and me was the last straw… You don't know how important he is to me and how much I missed him and had to endure without him. What you said wasn't humorous or appreciated. I mean, how would it feel if I ridiculed you of your Onii-chan?"
"I'm sorry," Hisuke said quietly, looking away now.
He looked down at the grass by his feet as he continued, "I don't have an older brother. I am the Onii. My family is out there somewhere… I just don't know where after the war. We were separated."
"Oh, Hisuke," Talim said softly, scooting closer to him. She touched his arm gently, and when they had eye contact, Talim looked at him compassionately. "I'm really sorry about that."
Hisuke shrugged and maneuvered his arm away from Talim's touch. "Don't be."
Hours later, Hisuke was the first to hear the soft whinny of a horse, and hear the gentle trotting against the dirt path. He tried to stand to see who was coming, but Talim had fallen asleep next to him, her head lying on his shoulder.
"Ah, darn," Hisuke muttered, as he wanted to see whom the horseman was. He gently rolled his shoulder to move Talim's head a bit. Then he proceeded to shake her gently.
"Talim," he said gently. "Talim, wake up. I think I see your brother! Wake up!"
The younger girl beside him sleepily opened her eyes and mumbled, "Hm?" She sat up completely, and rubbed her eyes. "Did you say 'Nii-chan?"
"I think that's him riding in right now," Hisuke said.
Talim stood up and her eyes scanned the dirt path ahead. There was a horseman coming closer, and…
Talim's face brightened. "'Nii-chan! Oh, 'Nii-chan, it's really you!"
She ran as fast as her legs could take her to Wakaru, who had by now jumped off the horse, in equal excitement of reuniting with his little sister.
"Talim!" he exclaimed, kneeling, and holding out his arms for her.
"'Nii-chan, 'Nii-chan!" Talim sang in happiness and she jumped into her brother's arms. She hugged him so tightly, burying her face in his chest, tears of joy streaming down her face.
Wakaru smiled and returned the embrace, holding Talim close. He closed his eyes, as he had to remember this exact day: the day he finally returned home to his loved one.
A year without family had taken its toll on Wakaru, as he found himself crying his own tears of joy. Usually, Talim would be bouncing around, asking him all kinds of questions, but there was too much to savor to ask of Wakaru's journey and his time away at the Yukimae.
***
"Talim!!"
The young girl quickly turned her head at the sound of a voice. She saw Hisuke rushing towards her, a frantic look on his face. He stopped before her and Wakaru. "I'm sorry to interrupt," he murmured to Wakaru, bowing.
He turned to Talim. "You're good with animals, aren't you? I know you are! Come to the stables with me! I think Ikari is going to have her foal now!"
Talim's eyes widened at this surprise. "She is?"
She looked up at Wakaru. "'Nii-chan, make haste and fetch Princess Chi-Chi! She and I found Ikari together, and she deserves to know about the birth! Run along now!"
Wakaru nodded at her. "Right!" When he left, Talim turned to Hisuke. "Is Minoru already with her?"
Hisuke bobbled his dark head up and down to affirm her. "Good!" Talim said. "Now you run and fetch some cloths and a bucket of warm water. Make haste! Minoru is going to need all the help he can receive!"
Minoru was one of Edo's best farmers, and Talim was intent on giving him all the assistance he needed to help Ikari deliver her foal. As she and Hisuke ran their separate ways, she hoped she wouldn't be too late for the delivery.
***
This is not going to impress my lady, but…
Wakaru ran up a flight of stairs in the Ox-King's palace, leading to one of the many upper floors. He ran down the hallway to Chi-Chi's bedchamber. The door was open, and Wakaru saw Chi-Chi inside, reading a book. She had looked up when she heard Wakaru's thunderous footsteps down the hallway. Surprise was written on her face, and she set down her book. She opened her mouth to speak, but found she only jerked forward as Wakaru grabbed her wrist and continued running, pulling her behind him.
Wakaru knew he should've had a better approach and greeting, and that Chi-Chi was going to ask several questions such as what was he doing here, where were the other samurai and where was Goku? But he didn't have time for that.
"Afternoon to you, my lady!" Wakaru said as he continued to run. "My sincerest apologies for bringing you along like this, but it is an emergency and request of your messenger girl!"
"W-Wait!" Chi-Chi exclaimed, confused, still forcefully trailing behind Wakaru. "What did Talim want? Where are you taking me? And-"
"No time to answer questions now, my lady!" Wakaru continued shouting over his shoulder, as he forced himself and Chi-Chi to jump down a few stairs. "All I have to say is that Sir Goku is not with me, and your horse is giving birth!"
As the two raced toward the stables, there was quite some action going on inside.
"No, no, not like that!" Talim chided hastily. "Hisuke, all you have to do is stroke Ikari gently. Talk to her and keep her calm while we work on getting this foal out of her!"
She washed her hands in the warm water and grabbed a damp cloth, ready to help the foal find its way out of its mother. Ikari was lying on the straw, and her sides were heaving. It would be very soon until she gave birth. "You can do this," Talim encouraged Ikari and the foal. "I know everything will turn out well. Just hold on."
She watched Ikari's sides still heaving, growing as far outstretched as they could. Her breath was quickening, and the sight of her struggle made Talim sympathize. She reached out and brushed some hairs of her mane out of her eyes.
"You'll be all right," Talim whispered, and then returned to her position.
"Oh, here we are!" Minoru exclaimed, reaching out to collect the foal, as it was emerging from Ikari, who whinnied and groaned in pain. Hisuke was beside her to stroke her and whisper more encouraging words to her.
When the foal slid out of the birth canal, Talim was there to wrap it in a damp cloth and clean it of bodily fluids. She gave the foal a quick bath while Minoru cleaned up the rest of the tools and materials.
Then he attended to the mother horse, which he petted and smiled at. "Good girl, Okaasan. The birth was a success. You have one beautiful baby."
Ikari paid no attention as she regained her breath and rested on her bed of straw. She lifted her head up a bit in search for her baby.
Talim dried off the baby, guided it back to Ikari's side, and smiled at Hisuke. "Isn't the colt handsome, Hisuke?"
The foal was a boy, and he was black and shiny, with spindly legs. He lay next to his mother on the bed of hay, looking at Talim and Hisuke with warm, brown eyes.
"He's looking at us," Talim giggled and then waved at the colt. "Hello, little one."
"Little one? Don't tell me that's his name," a voice joked from the back of the stables.
Talim and Hisuke turned to see Chi-Chi and Wakaru approaching closer, panting softly at their incessant run. Talim looked at Chi-Chi excitedly. "Oh, Princess, you missed it! Ikari was really huge, and then Minoru and I had to handle all the work of making sure she was fine during the birth. Hisuke helped too, but…" She went on to explain what had happened, and didn't leave out a detail, so it was as if Chi-Chi and Wakaru were actually there when the colt was born.
Chi-Chi smiled. "Both mother and son are beautiful. I'm certain the colt will grow up to be big and strong."
Hisuke nodded. "He will with the help he got from Talim. She was amazing when she was doing the whole thing. She really knew what to do. I mean, she was bossy as always, but she was great!"He looked at Talim and smiled shyly, which caused Talim to blush and laugh softly. She gave Hisuke a shy smile of her own in return.
Chi-Chi looked down at the two, and raised an eyebrow. According to what Talim said, she and Hisuke hated each other and nothing would ever change. Well, that isn't the story now, she thought, amused. I knew I was right.
Wakaru looked outside and then faced the trio. "Well, I have to go see the emperor. Good work with the colt, Talim."
Talim smiled. "Thanks, 'Nii-chan. I'm going to take good care of him."
***
"You may enter."
Ox-King had received word that one of the samurai had returned from the Yukimae Mountains, and that it was for an important reason. He gave the intruder permission to come closer. Indeed, Wakaru approached the Ox-King carefully and bowed with respect.
"My lord," Wakaru greeted, rising to his feet. He took the scroll he kept safe out of his vest. "I apologize for my tardiness. I have returned to deliver this scroll in the name of your companion, Kazu."
He handed the scroll to the Ox-King, who looked over it curiously. He opened it up and read it.
My dearest lord and friend,
I have the pleasure of informing you that the warriors you have sent me are one of the finest groups of students I have ever had the pleasure of receiving, teaching, and shaping. They were all fine men, and are even better men now that they have been instructed under my name. I have good word about a certain lad that has come with the group.
Is not Son Goku one of your finest warriors, and from what I hear, he is the finest warrior in all the land? I did not believe it myself in the beginning, but I was proved wrong! He is an exceptional warrior, and one with a pure mind and heart, though I do believe he is somewhat simpleminded like a boy. I am not regretful to say that I have been hard on the boy, especially seeing that he is the one to be testing for the princess's hand. I do not understand how you would let a man with no royal blood be given the chance to test for the princess, but it is your decision. If I were the one to give consent on letting him marry the woman he chooses, I would indeed say so. He is a fine young man, and sure to be a joy for the princess.
I hope to meet or speak with you again, Your Lordship.
Kazu
This letter was insightful, the Ox-King concluded, as he read it over again. He was glad to hear the warriors he sent up to Kazu were giving him a good name, especially Goku. He didn't know Goku stood out from the crowd and excelled in everything he had done.
Still, Ox-King was a little hesitant about Kazu praising Goku and speaking so well of him. He didn't know what it was like to hate Goku, then like him, and be unsure of him. He didn't have a determined daughter that was madly in love with the guy.
The only way to settle this is to wait until Goku returns, Ox-King thought. Wait until Goku sees what he is in for…
To be continued…
Chapter Twenty-Five: The Fulfillment