Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ The Forgotten Character: Yajirobe's Tale ❯ Chapter 1

Warnings: All standard disclaimers and the like apply; this story isn't made for profit, and all original characters are owned by me.

Also: ~*~*~* indicates scene change/flashback

To Chapter One:

"It was a cold day-you all know the kind. The wind sent chills up and down my spine; the leaves blew across the road. And there I was, just sitting on a bench at a bus stop, waiting for a bus to take me home. I had a long, exhausting day, and all I wanted was to go home." Yajirobe made a face.

"A bus?! I though you were telling us a story about something important!" Yamcha with a slight bit of sarcasm.

"Yamcha-let him tell the story." Krillan said, pointedly.

"Yeah-I'd like to see where you start."

"With Bulma, of course, Tein. Yamcha *always* tells stories about Bulma. Hey-I don't suppose you've married her yet?" Yajirobe teased back.

Blinking, Yamcha gave a huge fake laugh. "I do *not* always tell stories about Bulma." Coughing, he glared at Yajirobe. "And no, I haven't married her yet."

"Guys….." Krillan said, dragging his voice.

"We want to hear Yajirobe's story about the sensu!" Chaotzu said.

"Yah." Yajirobe sneered at Yamcha.

"So get on with it already!"

"A-hem." Yajirobe said, clearing his throat, casting a glare at Yamcha. "Don't interrupt."

Yamcha opened his mouth, but a sharp kick from Krillan caused him to wince, and glare at him. Krillan looked away, and back at Yamcha. "What?" he asked, innocently.

"As I was saying, it was a cold, exhausting day. I tripped getting out of bed, I had my car, phone, and credit card bills due, I got yelled at by my parents, I had to walk ten miles to town as my car was broke-I wasn`t about to ask my parents for a ride anywhere. I'd missed the bus that passed by my house and to top off matters, it started to snow. I didn't have any proper clothes-it was warm enough when I started out, and I didn't expect it to snow so soon in the year. It soon stopped, and once I`d gotten all of my errands done in town, I decided to go home. This time, I managed to get to a bus stop, and was just in time to see a bus leaving. Taking a deep breath, I tried to calm down-the buses came every ten minutes, so I was sure one would be along momentarily."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"It took you long enough!" Yajirobe's voice cut through the cold air sharply, as he scampered on board. Breathing deep, his face scrunched up and he stuck out his tongue in reaction to the air. It was stale, and reeked of gasoline.

"Sorry, sir." the disinterested voice of the bus driver said.

" I don't believe this! I've had to wait in the cold for over twenty minutes-and I know that you bus drivers are suppose to come every ten! What took you so long? Do you have any idea of how bad a day I've had?" Yajirobe said, drawing himself up to his full height, looking the bus driver square it the eye.

"Sir, I'm sorry you've had a bad day; as it so happens, so have I, and I don't really think yelling at me will make it worse. Will you please have a seat, sir, while I do my job?" the bus driver spoke in a monotone, as if this type of complaining was common.

"I don't like it!" Yajirobe said, but he began looking for a seat anyway.

They weren't the best-the floor was sticky, the seats were old, full of holes, and the smell of stale cigarette smoke and gasoline filled his nostrils. "Maybe I'd be better off walking…" he muttered to himself as looked out the window.

But, no sooner that that was done, he shook his head. "Snowing again. I think I'll stay here for a while…at least its warm." he added, trying to cheer himself up, as he sat down.

"OH, don't worry about that, mate. It won't be fore long." came a cheerful-sounding voice.

"Huh? Who are you?" Yajirobe asked, turning around to face an old man.

"I'm yore friendly-neighborhood bus insector, of course! Don't `ya recognize me?" The old man gave a great big grin, and nodded importantly.

Yajirobe gave the man an exasperated look. "Bus inspector? No offense, but….are you sure?" Yajirobe moved his foot from the floor, and was rewarded with a Velcro-like sound coming as he lifted his foot off the floor. "I mean, honestly-that sounds horrible. These floors are sticky, and a bus inspector sho-"

"Now, hold your tongue, boy. I didn't say `inspector'; I said `insector'. There is a diferance, ya know." The old man gave Yajirobe a brilliant yellow smile, pointed his finger at Yajirobe, and shook it.

"uh….yeah…." Yajirobe turned around a shuddered from cold, once more placing his foot on the sticky floor. "I knew I should have walked…" he muttered under his breath.

"huh. Strange, isn't it?" the man said as he came around and sat down next to Yajirobe.

"Uh…what's that?" Yajirobe asked, trying to not to hold his nose. The man smelled horrible, like rotten eggs, spoiled milk, and decayed meat.

"I've never seen you on ths here bus-why ya here?" the man asked, putting his face right next to Yajirobe's.

"Uh….well…why is that strange?" Yajirobe moved closer to the window, only to find that his feet were still stuck to the floor. "Great. Today really is *my* day, isn't it?" Yajirobe asked himself sarcastically.

"Yep! Sure is, boy."

"Huh?" Yajirobe's head swung around; he didn't expect anyone to be listening to him.

"Today is yore lucky day."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"I didn't know it at the time, but that man was right. IT was my lucky day."

"Oh, really? I fail to see what was so lucky about it."

"That's because I haven't gotten there yet, Yamcha."

"Well, don't keep us in suspense, Yajirobe. Who was that man?" Krillan asked, coming straight to the point.

"That's a good question-I don't ever recall ever meeting anyone like that before. Do you Yamcha?"

Yamcha shook his head. "No, not unless Master Roshi counts." He gave a small chuckle.

"But Master Roshi doesn't smell like rotten eggs or decaying meat." Chaotzu said.

"True, but remember, he *does* smell like spoiled milk." Krillan added impishly.

Tein and Chaotzu exchanged a look, with the unconventional little man covering his mouth, and Tein smiling as well. Even Krillan and Yajirobe stifled a laugh.

"Well…that's not really his fault. I think that's just an old-people smell, Krillan." Yajirobe smiled. "I've noticed that myself-and I think I'm getting up there."

"Up there?" Chaotzu's piping voice rang out.

"Yeah…I'm older than almost anyone we know, with the exception of Master Roshi and Tein, you know?"

"You are?" Yamcha took a closer look at Yajirobe. "I don't know about that. What about Chi's dad, The Ox King? He's pretty old."

Yajirobe glared. "I meant human-wise, Yamcha."

"Oh. That makes sense, I guess."

Tein nodded. " I hadn't thought of that…of course if the man didn't know anything about martial arts, that doesn't mean much."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah-let's move on, shall we, gentlemen? I don't think any of us know who this man is…" Krillan sent Yajirobe a meaningful glance.

"His name, Krillan, was Khan."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"My lucky day?" Yajirobe shook his head. "No offence, but I rather doubt it."

"Why?"

"Why what?"

Khan sighed, and shook his head. "Why do ya doubt today as your lucky day?"

Yajirobe shrugged. " `Cause I do. Who says I need a reason to not be lucky?"

"That's the sprit, Boy! After all, if ya don't need a reason to not be lucky, then ya don't need a reason to be lucky either."
Yajirobe looked out of the corner of his eye. Sniffing slightly, he peered at Khan. The old man was smiling, and looked proud-as if he had just figured out the problem to something he had been working on. At a loss for words, Yajirobe just shrugged his shoulders. It didn't make much sense to him, but then again, he didn't think it was suppose to. Looking out the window, he sighed, and looked in dismay at all the snow that was piling up. He didn't think he'd get home tonight.

"Yore sure not saying much…ya know, I'll bet yore a fighter, right?" Khan's voice broke though Yajirobe's thoughts, which were focusing on a nice, warm bed.

"Yeah." he answered, not really paying much attention.

Khan's eyes narrowed, and he humped. Reaching behind him, he took out a walking cane. Picking it up, he eyeballed it, and cast an eye to look at Yajirobe, who was still looking out the window. Nodding almost to himself, he held the cane by it's handle, and bopped Yajirobe over the head with the other end.