Chapter 3: A Teen Warrior's Dillema

West City Children's Hospital October 14th 7:30am

"You had us really going there, Yamcha-kun." the doctor smiled at Yamcha as he lay in his bed.

"You're seventeen years old, you really shouldn't be pushing yourself so hard, I think you should give up either school or martial arts, although personally I think you should give up the latter, you are a year away from college entry exams after all."

"Thanks..." Yamcha said weakly as he stared at the bed. "I'll just...think about it..."

"It's NOT up to you for another year." the doctor scolded the teenager.

"I called your parents from all the way back in Plub Bah Tui. I know you live with your girlfriend in Capsule Corperation but Dr. Briefs told me to call your parents."

"YOU CALLED MY PARENTS!?" Yamcha exclaimed nearly jumping out of his bed. "PLEASE DON'T TELL THEM I HAVE BEEN PRACTISING MARTIAL ARTS, I HAVEN'T SPOKEN TO THEM IN YEARS BECAUSE OF IT!"

"Sorry but I had to tell them where you were."

The doctor closed the door soon after saying that, leaving the Dragonball gang, Chuck, Yanshin and Sukuriki stunned.

"Why haven't you spoken to your parents in years, Yamcha?" Chuck asked.

"It's complicated..." Yamcha spoke in a deadpan tone. "You probably would try to protect me from martial arts once you find out who I really am..."

"Who are you really?" Goku yelled in curiosity. " Are ya some kinda' prince or something!?".

"It dosen' matter now Goku, I'm currently a former desert bandit turned high school student and martial artist." Yamcha replied. "That is who I am and I do not want anybody changing that."

"I agree with you." Yanshin smiled.

12:30pm

"I think it's time we all headed back to the tournament and started the finals." the fat grandmaster announced.

"We have a tournament to finish and we shouldn't keep the other martial artists waiting."

"You got a point." Goku smiled "I'm going to train harder for the 22nd Tenkaichi Budokai by winning this tournament after all."

"I think I should stay here with Yamcha." Bulma announced. "Sorry I couldn't make it to the finals, Son-kun."

"That's okay." smiled Goku. "Give Yamcha my best wishes in his recovery and I hope I can fight him at the 22nd Tenkaichi Budokai."

"If his parents decide he does, Goku." Chuck warned. "Let's not forget he's only seventeen and unlike you and Kuririn, he still has his parents, even if he has not spoken to them for three years."

"Oh yeah..." Goku scratched the back of his head.

Then suddenly.

"WHERE IS MY SON!?" a man resembling an older version of Yamcha with longer hair half-tied up in a topknot, with a beard, and dressed in royal chinese attire bursted into the lobby.

"I am Emperor Hagow, Ruler of Plub Bah Tui in China, I am here to see my son Prince Yamcha."

"PRINCE YAMCHA!?" Everybody all screamed at once, falling over like dominos.

"YAMCHA'S A PRINCE?!" Goku screamed at the top of his lungs. "I DIDN'T KNOW YAMCHA WAS A PRINCE!?"

"Why didn't he tell us..." Bulma was shocked to find out she was dating a prince.

"Did he tell you he was a prince, Puar?"

"No, not even I knew that Yamcha-sama was royalty..." Puar looked down at the floor.

Hagow turned around to see the Dragonball gang, the Grand Masters and the tournament finalists.

"You must be friends with Yamcha." Hagow spoke to them. "I am his father Emperor Hagow of China, I take it my son hasn't told you of his origin and the fact that he is to take over the throne when I pass on."

"Please to meet you, your majesty." Chuck bowed down to the emperor. "I'm Chuck Norris, it was a pleasure meeting your son while he was rooting for his friend, Son Goku."

"Ossu! I'm Son Goku!" Goku announced.

"And I'm your son's girlfriend, Bulma." Bulma introduced herself. "I might be your daughter-in-law one day."

After introductions the Emperor decided to go visit his son in his room.

"I better go back to the Tournament." Goku delcared. "I gotta train hard for the 22nd Tenkaichi Budokai by winning it after all."

"Do your best, Son-kun!" Bulma smiled. "I know you can beat them."

"I'm coming with you, Goku." Kuririn smiled "Someone's gotta root for you at the tournament after all."

"I'm comin' with ya too" Blone Lunch yelled. "If there's any more attempts to steal the fuckin' trophy, I'll shoot their fuckin' heads off!"

"Oolong, you go with them!" Bulma told Oolong. "Your shapeshifting powers will come in handy if Pilaf and the others return, shapeshift into maybe Son-kun in his Oozaru form and Pilaf and the others will run away screaming!"

"WHY CAN'T PUAR DO IT!?" Oolong complained. "HE CAN SHAPESHIFT LONGER THAN I CAN!"

"HE HAS TO LOOK AFTER YAMCHA!" Bulma yelled at Oolong "NOW GO WITH SON-KUN AND THE OTHERS OR I WLL YELL PEE PEE!"

'Yes, Mam" Oolong nodded timidly as he ran after Goku and the others.

"Kame Sennin-Ojii-chan, are you coming with us?" Goku asked Roshi, noticing that Roshi was watching Yamcha and Hagow through the window in the door.

"No thanks, Goku." Roshi replied. "I sense there's something serious going on in there...and I need to step in and help matters."

"Ok" Goku smiled as he, Kuririn, Lunch, Oolong, the Grand Masters, Chuck, Yanshin and Sukuriki boarded the plane back to Dragon's Rock.

Yamcha's Room

"I KNEW THIS WOULD HAPPEN, YAMCHA!" Hagow yelled at his son. "YOU'D WEAR YOURSELF OUT OR INJURE YOURSELF AND GET HOSIPITALIZED!"

"Look, Otou-sama, I can look after myself!" Yamcha yelled back at his father.

"I LOVE FIGHTING WAY MORE THAN POLITICS! FIGHTING IS IN MY BLOOD, I NEED THE RUSH, THE THRILL OF FIGHTING IN TOURNAMENTS LIKE THE TENKAICHI BUDOKAI!"

"Yamcha, please! With your older brother gone, I only have you to take over the kingdom!" Hagow begged.

"If you pass away, wherever it's passing away from an exhaustion-related illness or getting killed in a tournament, the kingdom's finished!"

"So what? I should give up doing the things that I love for the sake of running the kingdom!?" Yamcha hit back.

"Martial Arts is in my blood! You used to do Martial Arts before you became king, Onii-chan died doing what he did best, fighting in the Kumite and Aunt used to be a martial artist too, not to mention my cousin who ALSO juggles martial arts and high school, who IS IN HIS COLLEGE ENTRY EXAMS RIGHT NOW!"

"Your cousin is IN A MIDDLE CLASS HIGH SCHOOL IN A QUIET VILLAGE IN GENGORO ISLAND! YOU are in A BIG CITY IN AN IMPORTANT HIGH SCHOOL AND ARE FIRST IN LINE TO THE THRONE!" Hagow explained to his son.

"Otou-sama, I love Martial Arts, but I am not going to get myself killed like Onii-chan...I will NOT stop fighting just because I have a country to run..." Yamcha looked down at his sheets and grasped them tightly.

"Yamcha..." Hagow said sadly as he watched his son bury himself in the covers and turn towards the window.

"Please...leave me alone..." Yamcha said sadly.

Hagow looked worried at his son and walked back outside into the was terrified that he would lose Yamcha just like he lost Jiuniang.

Juniang was fighting in the kumite five years ago when a martial artist named Chong Li slain him right in front of his twelve year old younger brother's eyes.

August 18th Age 745

"SORYA!" Jiuniang kicked his opponent out of the ring.

Yamcha cheered for his older brother as the twenty year old Martial Artist made it to the finals, against a terrifying fighter named Chong Li.

"YOU CAN DO IT ONII-CHAN!" Yamcha screamed as his brother began to face off against the strong opponent.

He saw Chong Li break someone's leg clean off just by stomping on it and then break an American Fighter's neck after winning.

Unlike the Tenkaichi Budokai or the Grand Master's Tournament, the Kumite was a no-holds barred Martial Arts tournament, everything was allowed, even killing.

Now his older brother, who had been training for five years in the tournament had made it to the finals and is about to face off against Chong Li.

"Yamcha...watch me win the sword and defeat Chong Li once and for all..." Jiuniang thought as he prepared to take down Chong Li.

"HAJIME!" screamed the referee in the middle of the bloodied ring, which was snapped in two.

"HAIYAAAAA" Jiuniang jumped into a helicopter kick, aiming at Chong Li's head, but the fearsome martial artist dodged the crown prince's attack and punched him in the stomach.

"ONII-CHAN!" screamed Yamcha in horror as he saw his older brother get beaten to a pulp by the horrifying martial artist.

"DANM IT! HOW DO I BEAT THIS GUY!?" Jiuniang shouted, preparing to use his strongest move, then he launched himself at Chong Li, seemingly knocking him out.

The referee started counting to ten and Yamcha cheered for his older brother, who seemingly won the final match and had earnt his sword.

"NEPHEW, WATCH OUT!" Jiuniang and Yamcha's aunt screamed as she noticed Chong Li waking up around the nine-count.

"Yamcha! I have won the kumite! I have honored the entire royal family!" Jiuniang thought as he did a victory pose, not knowing what was going to strike him.

Chong Li grabbed Jiuniang by the head and then twisted his neck so swiftly that a sickening crack was heard across the arena.

Chong Li dropped the unconscious prince onto the ring and started showboating as the crowd started screaming "CHONG LI! CHONG LI!"

Yamcha started to feel sick to his stomach, his brother was so still, and seemed ran to his older brother's still form and saw the referee check for a pulse.

"He's dead..." The referee sadly declared and then stared sadly at Chong Li.

"Onii-chan, wake up...Onii-chan, you gotta wake up and take out Chong Li and win the tournament!" Yamcha begged at his older brother. He grabbed his older brother's head and it felt ice cold, the fallen Jiuniang's eyes still open.

"It's too late, my child...I'm afraid Jiuniang has fallen..." one of the Kumite Comitee members said sadly.

"ONII-CHAN! NOOOO! ONII-CHAN!" Yamcha screamed as his brother was put on a stretcher and placed in the morgue.

Hagow and Queen Hasma showed up and were devastated to find their oldest son dead, just mere days after he headed off to the Kumite to win and honor their family.

Plub Bah Tui August 20th Age 745

"Yamcha, your mother and I have come to the decision that you shall not practice Martial Arts." Hagow declared at his youngest son at dinnertime.

"But Otou-sama, Onii-chan would want me to continue Martial Arts, that's what he would want!" Yamcha argued.

"Son, this is for your own good, we only have one son left to continue our kingdom!" Hagow explained.

"If we lost you, our kingdom would be finished, and your mother and I would be devastated..."

"SO WHAT!? BEING AN UNHAPPY BORED KING IS MUCH BETTER THAN DOING MARTIAL ARTS AND BEING POWERFUL!?" Yamcha yelled.

"EVER SINCE AUNT TRAINED US AND OUR COUSIN AT MARTIAL ARTS, I HAVE THE MOST FUN I HAVE HAD IN MY LIFE!"

"But those days are over, with the death of your older brother two days ago, it is no longer safe for you to do this horrific bloodthirsty hobby!" Hagow warned his son.

"HOW DARE YOU CALL IT BLOODTHIRSTY! I HATE YOU!" Yamcha yelled tearfully as he ran into his bedroom.

8:00pm

"Yamcha, I'm sorry for what I said earlier, it's just that your mother and I only have you left and we love you very much...can I come in?" Hagow said by Yamcha's door before coming in, he found that his son had gone missing, all of his stuff gone as well.

He found a letter ontop of Yamcha's empty bed.

"Otou-sama, Okaa-sama.

I'm sorry for leaving but I think it is for the best.

I am never happier than when I am practising Martial Arts and I plan on becoming the srongest fighter on the planet, I do not plan on dying like my brother so please do not worry about me.

I will win the Tenkaichi Budokai in five years time and I will stop Chong Li once and for all.

I will be living at Wolf Village and training under the Wolf Hermit.

Yamcha."

Hagow collapsed in grief, he was now worrying for his son's life especially now that Jiuniang died two days before.

The father and son kept in touch via letters but then suddenly, two years later the letters had stopped abruptly, the same day that the Wolf Hermit was tragically killed.

Hagow feared for two more years that his son had died the same day.

In Age 749 he received a telephone call from West City.

It was the president of Capsule Corperation, Dr. Briefs, he told the Emperor that Yamcha was alive and safe and was now living with him and Hagow had no need to worry about Yamcha.

West City Children's Hospital Age 750 6:30pm

Hagow looked sadly at his son from the window of his door.

He was now fearing that Yamcha was heading the same deadly path that Jiuniang had gone through Five Years earlier.

"Emperor Hagow-sama" Roshi came in."I would like to have a talk with you regarding Yamcha."

"Sure." Hagow nodded.

"Yamcha is very strong for his age, he even participated and made it to the quater-finals of the 21st Tenkaichi Budokai this year. You should be very proud of him." Roshi smiled as he watched his student slept.

"In three years, he will probably make it even further in the next Tenkaichi Budokai and if he decides to participate in that Kumite, he will be more than strong enough to beat Chong Li in no time."

"So? What if an even stronger opponent than Chong Li appears and kills him? The Kingdom will be in ruins and so will my wife and I..." Hagow began to sob.

"We love our little boy and we cannot afford to lose him..."

"Yamcha's power is greater than Jiuniang's was, he knows one of the four sacred animal arts and he is learning another one." Roshi explained to the Emperor.

"With the knowledge of two of the sacred animal martial arts skills: Wolf and Turtle, he can beat someone like Chong Li in no time, come three years. He is always his happiest when he is doing martial arts, even training alongside his schoolmate, Kuririn."

Hagow suddenly remembered seeing his two young sons sparring ten years ago and having lots of fun, more so than all other games they played.

He broke down in tears remembering the two brother's time together, although it was only a short time of twelve years, Yamcha had enjoyed his time with his brother, doing martial arts together.

:Thank you, Muten Roshi-sama..." Hagow said once he regained his composure.

He walked into Yamcha's room and woke him up.

"Yamcha...I understand now how much you and your older brother loved Martial Arts...and I think you should choose to do what feels right in your heart...would you rather go to school or do the hobby you have loved for over thirteen years..." Hagow asked his son.

Yamcha looked sadly at his father.

"Really?"

"What do you choose, son?"

Dragon's Rock

"IT IS TIME FOR THE FINAL EIGHT TO FIGHT IN THE GRAND MASTER'S TOURNAMENT! WHICH ONE OF THESE EIGHT MIGHTY WARRIORS WILL WIN THE TOURNAMENT AND BECOME GRANDMASTER? WE WILL FIND OUT SHORTLY!" the fat Grand Master declared.

"FIRST MATCH! SON GOKU VS CUKII MON-STAR!"

Goku entered the ring as a Blue Dinosaur Monster proceeded also.

"Do your best, Goku!" Chuck yelled from the sidelines. "I can't wait to fight you in the final match!"

"GO GET HIM GOKU!" Kuririn cheered.

Goku smiled and posed in his fighting stance, ready to take down Cukii and proceed to the final match.

"AND BEGIN!"

To be Continued...