Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ The Forgotten Character: Yajirobe's Tale ❯ Chapter 3

Warnings: these marks: **************************** it means the beginning or end of a flashback.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ indicates scene change

~Yajirobe's thoughts~

::Ryoibe's thoughts::

<~Khan's thoughts~>

#~Yucari's thoughts~#

*emphasis*

Um…I think that's all….so TO THE STORY:

************************************

Yajirobe snorted. "That has everything to do with the sensu beans, Krillan. If it weren't for Khan, I never would have even heard of sensu beans-and we probably wouldn't have them today."

Krillan's eyes bugged out a little, and he gave a nervous laugh. "Yeah, right."

"Uh…I think he's serious, Krillan." Tein's voice broke through Krillan's laughter.

Yajirobe nodded. "Yep. And I'll explain why."

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

"YAJIROBE!"

"Great….what does mom want now?" Yajirobe muttered without thinking as he was heading out the door.

"Where are you going, young man?" Yucari's voice was harsh, and demanding.

Angry. Was what he had done so horrible?

#~Kami protect him…..don't let him go and do anything stupid.~#

Inwardly, Yajirobe winced, and he took a breath to steady himself.

"Well?" Yucari now stood in front of him, a challenging look on her face, as if she were daring Yajirobe to not tell her.

"Mom…I'm only going to town. I *do* have a job, you know." Yajirobe tried to not sound tired-he and his mother had been getting into this exact same speech day after day, six days a week, at the exact same times. And when he returned home, it was always "where were you?" or "how did you get home?"; never once was it, "did you have a nice day at work, Yajirobe?" or "have a good day at work, Son." . Not once. And Yajirobe was tired of it. ~I'm so tired of this…especially since….no. I *don't* want to think about that. It's not true. IT can't be true. Can it?~

"Yes, I'm perfectly aware you have a job, Yajirobe."

"Then why are you asking me where I'm going? All I'm doing is going to work! Surely, it's not *that* big of a deal, is it?" Yajirobe could barely keep the bitter, sarcasm out of his angry voice.

~Why are they doing this? Keeping up this….act-pretending to care?~

"Do not raise your voice to me, young man." Yucari's voice was stern, and her almond shaped eyes flashed darkly. "All I wanted to do was ask where you were going. You never talk to us any more, Son." Yucari's voice dropped, and the last part seemed somewhat subdued. Her eyes looked at Yajirobe with concern.

~Wishful thinking on my part….I don`t think she`s ever been concerned about me. And especially not after what I was told three months ago. ~

"Well…maybe because there's not that much to talk about, mother." Yajirobe's voice was laced with disgust, and deep resentment.

"Yajirobe-"

"I don't want to hear it; right now, I can't here it. I've got to get to work, and I can't miss the bus." Yajirobe left, slamming the door behind him.

~Why do I still call her `mother'? After what she's done-how can I still give her that respect?~

Yucari slumped against the wall, and sighed, looking out the window forlornly. #~He hates me. Well, he does have a right. But to hear about it the way that he did….Kami, help him.~#

Khan shook his head and looked over from his place on the couch. "Ah don't wanna say Ah told ya so, but…" he trailed off.

"He was our son." Yucari's voice could barely contain her fury. "And you-a trusted friend of ours-gave him an opening to learn something that his father and I decided was better that he never know."

"Yucari.." Khan's voice was gentle, soft. Slowly, he walked up to her, and took her hand. Leading her to the couch, he sat her down, and looked straight at her.

"DON'T `Yucari' me, Khan." her voice was strained-both with anger, and with tears she refused to show.

"Are ya gonna sit there an' tell me that he had no right taa know?" Khan continued, in his voice that was oddly gentle. "Well, are ya? `Cause you and Ah both know that what he knows-"

"What he thinks he knows." Yucari's voice sharply cut in.

"What he thinks he knows, " Khan agreed continuing, " is only the tip o' the iceberg. An' it's a very big iceberg, Yucari."

Yucari refused to answer.

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

"Huh?" Krillan blinked.

"Did we miss something?" Yamcha demanded, looking at Yajirobe furiously.

Yajirobe blinked, then grinned. "No."

"um…then, could you explain what happened?" Chaotzu asked.

"Yeah, man. I think you lost us." Krillan continued, exchanging a look with Yamcha.

"Definitely." Tein voiced.

Yajirobe shook his head. "No, you didn't miss anything." he said, as he looked into the fire.

"Then…?" Tein trailed off, waiting for Yajirobe to continue.

"I…overheard something about myself the day after Khan started staying with us. My parents didn`t want me to know." Yajirobe shook his head, and looked down at his shoes, and sighed. It wasn't something that he had intended to share.

~So, why this story? I know a million others….why this one?~ Yajirobe shook his head, aware that the person he was addressing was probably not listening. A faint breeze came by just then, making the fire go higher. Yajirobe gave a grin. Maybe it was time this story was told.

"Um…you know, you *don't* have to tell us." Yamcha said, feeling slightly foolish.

"NO." Yajirobe's voice came out quickly, and loudly as his head shot up. With a slight blush on his cheeks, he continued in a softer tone. "What I mean is, you have to know-in order for the story to make sense…but, it's still very difficult to talk about, even after all these years."

"Wow…" Chaotzu breathed, as if he didn't quite know what to say.

"That bad, huh?" Krillan asked, seeing the indescribable look on Yajirobe's face.

Yajirobe nodded. "That bad. Worse, actually." Pausing for a moment, he looked into the fire. "What I said before-about my parents being restrictive-that wasn't completely true. They weren't as bad as Chi; but…they were overly worried about me. And this was during puberty, mind you, so I'm thinking that they were always against everything I wanted to do. And what I found out only made it worse for me." Yajirobe took a long drink of water, and shrugged. "I found out that my parents were…um…not what I though they were."

"Like what, Yajirobe? Murderers? " Yamcha said, laughing.

Yajirobe didn't rise to Yamcha's bait; instead, he waited until Yamcha's eyes were level with his, and held them. A still silence came over Yamcha, as his laughter subsided, only to be replaced with a slightly nervous look.

"Yajirobe-"

"How did you know?" His voice was quiet, and subdued.

"Um….I was joking. I didn't think that….I mean, your parents are….." Yamcha trailed off, trying to escape Yajirobe's glare. "Look, I didn't mean it-I thought I was joking. Honest. If I knew they were murderers, I wouldn`t have said that. In fact," Yamcha continued, his voice picking up speed, and sounding very nervous, "I'mpromsingnevertosaythatagain"

"….." Krillan was speechless.

" Your parents?" Tein echoed, a note of disbelief in his voice.

Chaotzu's mouth just dropped open; he was moving it, but no words were coming out. Tein shut it, and shook his head.

"Yeah….look guys, I don't want to go into *that* much detail. Let me give you the abbreviated version, alright?" His voice was slightly rushed-as if he were reliving painful memories. Taking his eyes off of Yamcha, Yajirobe settled them on the fire.

Yamcha nodded, his mouth slightly open.

Tein and Chaotzu nodded as well, with Chaotzu pressing as close as possible to Tein. Tein put his arm around Chaotzu, almost putting the little man into his lap.

Krillan sighed, and looked to Yajirobe. "You know…just when I think I've got everything figured out…" He waved his hand to Yajirobe, telling him to continue.

For a long time, Yajirobe didn`t say anything. Weather it was to calm down, or decide where to start, it was impossible to say. Taking a deep breath, he began.

" Let me start by telling you that my parents aren't my biological parents. They died, shortly after I was born. What I was overheard had to do with that, and was fairly simple. My birth parents, my parents, Grandpa Gohan, Master Roshi, the Ox King, and Khan all knew each other. There was…some form of an attack while both of my moms were pregnant." Yajirobe frowned, and continued. "At first, it was thought that Piccolo's father was behind this attack, but he wasn't."

"Go on. What happened next?" Tein asked, amazed at what he was hearing.

Yajirobe took a deep breath. "Well…my mom-the one that raised me-lost her baby, and was near death. My birth mom was seriously injured, and they thought she might miscarry me. Master Roshi, the Ox King, and Grandpa Gohan went off to fight the enemy, while Khan headed to Korin's Tower for some sensu beans."

"I wondered when we get to those." Krillan said. As five eyes turned to him, he let out a small, `eep' sound, and blushed. "Well, I was wondering!" He said, indigently.

Yajirobe shrugged, and nodded. "Both of my dads stayed with both of my moms." His face grew downcast, and he shook his head, determined to not let anyone see that he was crying; yet, the stains could been seen clearly in the flickering firelight. "I don't know the details, but…I do know that Khan managed to save my birth mom with some sensu, as well as the mom who raised me." Here, Yajirobe paused reflectively. "I was born soon after, and raised by my birth mom. I don't have many memories of that time."

"Yeah, I can image." Krillan nodded.

"No pictures?"

"No, I don't think there were any, Chao."

"Shortly after that, I was transferred to my mom's care." Yajirobe shook his head and sighed. "Now, let me tell you how I found out that my parents were murders."

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

Yajirobe shook his head as he walked out the door, and leaned on it once it was shut. One didn't need to be a psychic to guess at what Khan and Yucari were talking about. Of course, with the window open, Yajirobe made sure he heard every word.

~Why didn't they tell me? Why keep this from me? How could they have lied to me all this time?~ Disgusted at this line of thought-after all, what good would it do?- Yajirobe took off walking. Not sure where, or why, but he needed to leave.

Yet, his thoughts were never far from what he had found out. The words echoed in his ears. Looking down, he felt hot, sharp tears come, and he wasn't quite sure why. After all, they lied to him.

**************** Three months ago ( the night after Khan`s arrival) ****************

"I don't care, Khan." Yucari's voice was weary, yet extremely firm. "He's our son." She continued, not realizing that her words could be heard from Yajirobe's room.

" `Ya don't think that he's gotta right taa know?" Khan's voice was incredulous, a harsh question that could clearly be heard throughout the quiet house. He just stood there, shaking his head. "Yucari, after e'ry thing taa happen, he's gotta know." His voice emphasized this point.

Yajirobe tossed on his left side, and frowned in the darkness of his room. What was going on? He could hear voice all the way up in his room. Getting up, he carefully made his way out of his room, and avoiding the squeaky spot near the bathroom floor, he soon stopped behind a corner

~ I always knew martial arts would come in handy.~ He thought he'd heard his mother and Khan. But why were they talking in the middle of the night? Then, it hit him-the secret they mentioned last night. It was the only thing that made sense.

~Could it be? This is the secret? ~

"Well, I fail to see why. They won't come back-all of them are dead." Yucari's voice was unrelenting.

~Dead? Who's all dead?~ Yajirobe frowned once more in the dark. It seemed his parents hid more than he thought.

<~Kami…was this girl always so stub'orn?~>

"Khan-san, you surly must understand our place." Ryoibe gave Khan a small smile, as his clam, soothing voice broke in. "As well as our choice."

"Choice?" Yajirobe whispered, unsure of what that meant.

Khan stared at the man in front of him. Ryoibe was never much of a fighter, or stagiest; instead, he excelled in getting an enemy to pause, and think.

Yajirobe carefully pressed himself against the corner of the wall, his head peaking out from around it. He was somewhat surprised they didn't hear him.

Khan, taking a moment to really look at Ryoibe, evaluated him. Short, stocky, with neatly trimmed brown hair. A man who always expected everything to work out to his advantage, as well as one who wasn't afraid to grab the spotlight.

<~He's distracted the press more times than I dare count….doing so probably saved a lot of useless explanations on Ox Kings, Roshi's and Gohan's parts….I wonder if he resents it.~>

He always managed to sound as if he were offering a business arrangement; everything else seemed to come second to him. Yet, Khan wasn't fooled. Ryoibe knew how to fight; he just preferred it when he didn't-and when he could take the credit for it.

<~A true entertainer.~>

Yajirobe shook his head. Khan and his father were having a staring contest, apparently. And he couldn't get close enough to listen, well, unless he went by the banister. The only problem with that was that there was no cover, and small statues-everything from angels to unicorns stood in-between the railings that held up the banister arm. If he knocked one over….

Ryoibe stood, and blinked slowly. After all, the idea when dealing with Khan was to make him lose his cool-he never could keep his temper when he was fighting, it almost always led to his downfall. "Khan-san," Ryoibe said slowly, as if weighting the words, "listen to what I tell you. How will it look to Yajirobe-our only son- if he finds out that his parents- the people responsible for raising him-told him that he wasn't there birth child?"

Yajirobe paused, his face frowning, not sure he had heard correctly. His decision made, he began to move closer to the banister.

~ What is he talking about? He's my father-the only one I can remember. Who else would it be?~

"Ah'd iman-" Khan started, but he was cut off by Ryoibe's firm, yet gentle voice.

"To further continue with what you are proposing, how would he feel if he knew that his mother; rather the only woman he's ever known as `mother' ; was responsible for his birth mother's death?"

Yajirobe leaned in, totally absorbed in listening to this argument. Hearing what was said about his mother made Yajirobe spread out his hand in shock. Unawares, his left hand's fingers brushed across the carpet floor, one finger coming too close to an angel figurine, and knocking it off.

" Considerin' that Yucari here tried ta save Hanna-" Khan cut himself off, looked furiously at Ryoibe and Yucari.

Ryoibe and Yucari exchanged a look, and missed the falling statue. Khan, however, grimaced, and looked down. <~What in the name o' HELL just landed on mah foot?~>

He saw the angel, blinked, and tried to focus. Now wasn't the time to have listeners! He took a deep breath, and deciding he'd deal with the stature later, he looked at Yajirobe's parents.

"Look, ya don't see to understand." Khan began, earnestly trying to get Yucari and Ryoibe to listen. Taking a step forward, and standing in front of the statue, he continued. "Kami knows that Ah knows ya two love that boy. Ah ain`t never seen two people more deserving` of a child than ya two, but he's gotta know." Khan shook his head. Taking a deep breath, he looked out of the corner of his eye, keeping an eye on the angel.

<~Kami…thank ya for not letting' them notice.~>

" He's got a right." Khan continued before they could say a word, sighing as he finished. Looking down, Khan saw it. His face was a blank mask, his mind going a mile a minute.

<~Ah don't `ave a choice. Ah've gotta stick with what Ah started taa do. Be careful up there, boy. Don't do nothing' foolish.~>

Yajirobe blinked. ~….did I hear right?~ he wondered, slowly moving closer to the stairway. Yet, no matter what, he felt certain it was right. His mother's next words confirmed it.

"I don't want him to know-Khan, can't you see that'd tear him away?" She started to cry, and Ryoibe began to move over to her, trying to be there for moral support. Yucari's tears were obscuring her vision, yet she could still see Khan shuffling his feet. As if to hide something. Dismissing it for the moment-after all, Khan *might* just need to go the bathroom, Yucari buried her head into her husband's shoulder.

Yajirobe gasped, and his face paled. Quickly covering his mouth, he looked down. They didn't seem to hear him.

~…my mom isn't my mom….my mom killed my mom.~ Yajirobe thought, trying to make sense of this secret. Shaking his head, he was surprised to feel tears start coming down his face. ~my mom is a murderer.~ Yajirobe couldn't begin to explain how…used he felt. All of his life, these two people had tried to teach him right from wrong, and now, he found that they violated one of their most important views. At least there was one good thing about all of this.

His parents still didn't know he was a fighter.

Soon though, he could hear Khan and Ryoibe again, this time softer. They were still glaring at one another, and Yajirobe could tell from their voices that the two of them were taking this personally. Much more so than his mo-than Yucari was. He wondered why, but decided that it was personal. And that he didn't want to interfere in their personal business anymore than he wanted them to stick their noses in his. Him being a fighter , as only one example.

~ Look on the bright side; now that you know they aren't your parents, you don't have to do what they want you to do. Whether or not you were really going to in the first place is irrelevant. But, they murdered my mother…mom said so….how could my mom have murdered my mom? I've got to focus. Circular logic won't get me anywhere.~

He started to focus on the conversation, but everyone was speaking softly now, and he couldn't hear anything else. Except the sound of crying, and he thought it would be a good idea to get to bed before they heard him.

"He's already at that age where he feels we're restrictive, unyielding, unforgiving, and can't understand where he's coming from." Yucari said, her tears making it difficult for her to speak. Still, she somehow managed to sound in control, and clam.

Yajirobe snorted. How much could they get wrong when it came to him? Honestly, they watched him grow up for fourteen years-didn't they know him at all? ~I don't think that…I just wanted to be trusted. Now, I see that I was right in not trusting either of you. You lied to me. And about my family, too. After trying to teach me to be a good family man; to care about people. Was that just a sick joke to you?~ Yajirobe shook his head as he moved to his room, leaving the door open. If they kept speaking loud, he could hear them in his room.
"Yu-" Khan's face contorted beyond his control a he turned around. A deep sympathy played across it as it was firmly set into a resigned look. Ryoibe, already at his wife's side, and began to rub her back, making calming noises. Khan took advantage of this opportunity to gently push the angel statue with his foot under a chair that was nearby.

"I won't have him drift further away than he his." Yucari's voice was final. Her tear-stained face was looking straight at Khan, with determination. " I don't want him to know."

"Wha' are ya so afraid of, Yucari? That he'll hate you? Ya know as well as *AH* do that if ya hadn't made a choice, Yajirobe wouldn't be here-" \

~No, I'd be with my real mother. She`s right- I *do* hate her.~

"Quiet. Our son is sleeping." Ryoibe said, trying to keep Khan's voice down.

:: Can't he see that he's jus making things worse? WE gave up trying to save the world after Hanna's loss….it devastated Yucari-still does. ::

"-Hell, *most* of the people on this planet wouldn't be here!" Khan continued, dropping his voice down to a fierce whisper.

Yucari shook her head; tears running down her face, she gave Khan a look that would have disintegrated molten lava. "I still cost her life."

Ryoibe looked at Khan, his face red and fierce. "I don't think we were caring about the planet when what happened happened." His voice was low, and Yucari didn't seem to be paying attention, her attention focused on the floor.

~You stopped caring about people….Kami….and you tried to teach me to care for others!?! What kind of ...person are you, dad? No, that`s not right, it is? You aren`t my father, are you, Ryoibe?~

Yucari, still focused on the floor. She gave no outward signs of hearing them, although she did.. She was ashamed of herself; true, she had helped save Yajirobe, but she didn't even try to save Hanna.

#~I thought I could make it up to her by raising Yajirobe…I was wrong. Her ghost haunts me to this day. Oh, Hanna….I'm so sorry I didn't help you. I regret that now.~# Seeing though tears, she caught sight of something gray. Frowning, she took a look at Khan; his face was silent, stony. He was obviously having trouble with Ryoibe's confession. In fact, come to think of it, wasn't Khan acting a little weird earlier?

#~Good. That means he's not paying any attention to me. Now, what's that under the chair?~# Shaking her head, she moved to go sit down; her face was pale, and she *was* tired. But, she wanted to see what was under the chair more.

Yajirobe shook his head, and closed his door. He wouldn't didn't want to hear anymore. Already, he was sick to his stomach.

Khan and Ryoibe had begun their argument again; Yucari stopped paying attention, and instead, focused on the object under the chair. Sitting down in it, she put her hand out, and pulled up her angle figure that she used to decorate the bottom of the banister with.

#~Yajirobe.~# She looked up, her face now an unhealthy shade of white, her mouth open as if she were going to gasp, and her hand went shakily to it, covering it up.

"You let him find out."

Ryoibe looked at Yucari in puzzlement, and when he saw the figurine, his face grew redder, and he took a deep breath. He just stood there, staring at the object in Yucari's object.

::My son hates me now, I'll bet.::

Khan looked at them, his semi-wrinkled face betraying his worry. He nodded.

<~ Ah hope Ah did the right thing.~>

********************************************

Yajirobe sighed. Truth be told, he hadn't ever stopped thinking about that night.

It echoed in his thoughts, demanding he do something, but Yajirobe couldn't figure out what. Lifting his head up, he blinked. He was almost to town.

Once in town, he headed straight for the gym. Never mind that he had work; right now, he was still too angry, felt too betrayed by his parents to see either of them.

And the feeling was particularly increased right now. Both of his parents had tried to speak to him, and Yajirobe avoided them. He couldn't look at them, and show the both of them respect. Not right now.

As he walked in the gym, he nodded to people he knew, began to lift weights. Not his favorite thing, but he did need the muscle mass. He was eating more than usual lately, and had begun to develop a small repository of fat near his stomach, despite the fact that he worked out almost everyday.

"Workn' hard, mate?"

Yajirobe grunted, and didn't look up from his weights. He didn't want to talk to Khan.

"Well, are `ya?"

"Why do you care?"

"Why shouldn't AH?"
Yajirobe didn't answer. He cast a resentful glare at Khan, and set his weights down. Turning around, he faced him. "I don't really know. All I know is that *you've* turned my world upside down. Everything was fine-*FINE*-until you came! I don't want *anything* to do with you." Yajirobe's eyes hardened, and grew cold, becoming darker and void of all emotion but hate. Badly hidden bitterness shone like a beacon from his eyes, and Khan unconsciously took a step backward as Yajirobe walked past him in a blaze of fury.

<~Wow….Ah never knew he was so bitter.~>

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

Krillan shifted, and looked at Yajirobe. His eyes were hard, uncompromising, and Krillan gulped. "Um…I hate to interrupt, but I don't see what this has to do with the sensu beans."

Tein, Yamcha's, Chaotzu's, and Yajirobe's heads shot up, and looked at Krillan.

He gulped, but stood his ground. "I guess what I mean is that I see how they are important-obviously this attack on your mom's had something to do with the sensu, but I'm afraid I don't see how-or what this has to do with the `disgraceful problems of a magic bean`."

Yajirobe looked at Krillan, surprise jolted on his face, and he gave a frown. His face still held visages of anger and bitterness from telling his story, and for a moment, Krillan wondered if he did the right thing in asking his question.

Tein's face was carefully guarded, yet he gave a brief nod. " That's a good question, Krillan."

Chaotzu nodded. "I guess that would be where you're heading?"

Yajirobe nodded, still looking at Krillan. "Yeah." Then, his face broke into a grin, massively changing the contour of it. Where it before looked hate-filled, angry, bitter, it now looked much more….relaxed. At ease. True, the bitterness was still there, but the hate and anger was gone. "Truth be told, that's where things get interesting. I went to work after that, and my father tired to talk to me. It didn't work-I was far too angry- but he tried. And mom tried when I got home…" Yajirobe sighed, and looked down. "For the next few months after that, I was always in and out of trouble. I was even in jail for a time. Grades dropped, I quit my job with dad, I lost any other jobs I had. I fought more and more in competitions, and I grew more and more well-known in the small martial arts community at that time. My parents found out shortly after that, and to my surprise, they didn't stop me. Or even try too. In fact, they seemed to almost ignore me." He sighed. " I don't know why, but I continued to get into trouble. I was….recruited for a gang later that year, and spent much of my time trying to work up the hierarchy." His face clouded over and Yajirobe suppressed a shiver. "What I found out surprised me. The gang that I had joined-almost all of its top-ranking members were women. And they didn't let anything stop them from getting what they wanted."

Tein frowned, unsure of where this was going. "And that would have been…?"

Yajirobe sighed. "They found out everything about me. Apparently, they'd had their eye on me for a while. They asked me questions I didn't know the answers to-questions about the sensu beans." His face shook several times, and he made a disgusting noise. " I can't tell you all of what happened then-just know that they convinced me to befriend Khan, and find out what I could about the sensu."

Yamcha frowned, and looked at Krillan. He was in deep thought, processing what it would mean if the average citizen had a hold of the sensu, he still shook his head. "Why?"

Chaotzu nodded, agreeing with Krillan. Then, a small frown overcame his innocent face, and he looked slightly worried.

"Not good. I take it they wanted the sensu so they could make their people `invincible', right?"

Yajirobe nodded, his face withdrawn. "yes."

"….What happened?" Yamcha asked, in a gentle voice.

Yajirobe slowly met Yamcha's eyes, and swallowed hard. IN a voice none of them had ever heard-quiet, and slow, his voice was grave, and caused shudders to run up their spines.

"I became Khan's apprentice shortly after I got out of jail. I was three months from my fifteenth birthday."

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

Khan looked to his young pupil slowly and gave him a mesmerizing stare. They'd already been at this for hours, and Yajirobe was still no closer to what he had been trying to do. Khan gave a lopsided grin, and thanked his stars that Yajirobe seemed to be coming out of his funk….not that he didn't have a right to be in one, but it sure had straightened him out that time in jail. He seemed almost normal now, although he still didn't talk to either of his parents. It hurt Yucari, Khan knew, but he saw her determination in her eyes. She would not talk to Yajirobe until he was willing to listen. To understand. Ryoibe agreed, although he had come to his conclusion in a separate matter from his wife. Neither were talking very much to Yajirobe either, and once it was clear that he was trying to be nice and show Khan respect, their faces immediately looked more relived, although Yucari was keeping a close eye on the two of them.

Yajirobe didn't like it-Khan could tell that much by his constant scowl when he realized his mother was always nearby. Yet, he didn't say a word, for which Khan was grateful. The only problem, as far as Khan could see, was that he remembered Yajirobe's words to him close to a year ago.

************A year earlier (in gym)**************************

"All I know is that *you've* turned my world upside down. Everything was fine-*FINE*-until you came! I don't want *anything* to do with you."

Trying as hard as he might, Khan could not get the way Yajirobe looked when he had said that out of his face. He could not only see the bitterness, anger, and resentment Yajirobe had, but he could also tell that Yajirobe was trying to convince himself, more than anyone else, that it was true.

<~Wow….Ah never knew he was so bitter.~>

Frowning, Khan left the gym, wondered how he was suppose to help him, as well as his parents. Why had Kami given *him* this job?

**********************End Flashback********************

That, though, was really more of Khan's problem than Yajirobe's. Although the two had come to a sort of…peace, the words still rang in Kan's ears-as if it were a loud ring against ever trusting the boy. Yet, it was clear that his path as a fighter had high ambitions. Kami, the guardian of Earth, was quiet…pleased with him.

<~It's not lik he's in *that* much trouble…but he's bein' rather stub'orn about it. If he'd only give up that gang….an' tell us who's who, it'll save a lot o' grief. Kami was right-this boy does `ave promise. Ah only hope it's the promise he wants.~>

Yet, Khan didn't utter his worries out loud. Not only did the Guardian know of them, it wasn't right to utter them within earshot of Yajirobe. Especially since Yajirobe's rapid turnabout….what the deal with that was, Khan didn't know.

********************four months after gym incident************************* Khan shook his head. It would do no good remembering how he hadn't' been able to help the boy, or his parents then. None were listening to one another, and none wanted help. Besides that, Khan felt as if Yajirobe was trying to pull wool over someone's eyes-namely, his and his parents. Which was why he was looking at him so seriously now. He'd kept a close eye on Yajirobe's skills as they became more pronounced. And in him, Khan sensed that he'd be able to do much, much more. In fact, he was willing to bet that Yajirobe could control ki….if given the right opportunity.

<~That must by why Kami sent little' ol' me. Yucari and Ryoibe probably wouldn't listen to anyone else. Ah don't even know if they know.~>

"Well-do you agree or not?" Yajirobe's words broke though Khan's train of thought. Not angry words, but controlled. Eagar, in some strange sense. And in some strange sense, so was Khan.

"Very well, mate. AH'll take ya under my wing."

Yajirobe nodded. "Thank you."

" But, mate, jus' so ya know-if yore killed, ya answer to yore parents." At Yajirobe's slight bitter frown, Khan continued. " Ah'll already be dead, so yore gonna be on yore own." He gave a slight smile, and motioned Yajirobe toward the kitchen. It was dinner time.

Yajirobe frowned.

*****************End Flashback**************************

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

Yajirobe didn't move the entire time he told this, and Yamcha nodded, his mouth hanging open, his eyes wide with shock.

"All g-girls?" he stuttered, as if his mind couldn't wrap itself around the idea.

Yajirobe nodded, and then, his eyes softened. "You know the one I'm talking about, don't you? The gang." HIs voice was quiet, and his words held no malice.

Yamcha closed his eyes, and gave a nod, his long hair waving with the force of his nod.

"Yes. But, this *is* your story, brother. Not mine."

Tein blinked, then nodded. "No wonder you two fight worse than Goku and Vegeta."

Krillan chuckled, and looked at Yamcha. "That means *YOU* go next, you realize."

Yamcha nodded, and gave a cheerful smile, looking Krillan's way. "Don't I know it."

Chaotzu shifted, and gazed at Yajirobe. "What then?"

Yajirobe snorted, and smiled, his tension suddenly gone. "I ate dinner, nitwit."

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

Yajirobe ate well enough, then went to bed. Yet, his both Ryoibe, and Yucari stopped him from going to bed immediately. Angey and unfeeling, he rebuffed their attempts to make peace with him.

~NOW they try this? Where were *they* when I needed them? They don't *care* about me; they are doing this because Khan asked them too. I see it in his eyes-and in theirs. How dare they humiliate me like this. I'm NOT the one that *kept secrets* from them for almost fifteen years!~

Needless to say, a shouting match soon erupted, and lasted for a few hours, until Yajirobe stormed upstairs to his room, slamming the door. Several other figurines on the stairs flew off, due to the force of his blow, and broke. Yucari shook her head, and set her sights on Khan. Looking at him with anger, and hate, she picked up the broken pieces of pottery, and spoke only a few words.

"You said he would listen." There was no anger, just a firm resolve to speak the truth. Ryoibe didn't say one word, but he too, shared his wife's grief.

Khan sighed, and shook his head.

<~Stub'orn boy. Jus' lik his ma-although Ah'm sure Yucari would laugh at the comparison. Hanna wouldn't though….she'd see it. Don't ya' see, mate? Ya are yore moth'rs son. Both of `em. An' yore daddy's as well. Don't keep hurtin' them lik this, mate. Don't.~>

Yet, Yajirobe didn't hear Khan's silent plea, and stayed in his room. After a few hours, once he was sure his parents wouldn't bother him, he slipped out the front door. Khan saw, and watched. His face clouded with worry, yet he said nothing.

He gripped his stick in his hand from the entryway of the door-a place were it lay forgotten until now. Looking out the window, Khan watched, and wondered what he missed in Yajirobe's' life.

"Jus' the most important, prob'ly." he muttered, his voice and face twisting with disgust.

A girl, about twelve was waiting, her golden hair shining like a halo in the night.

"About time."

"Sorry, Doris. Had to wait." Yajirobe didn't sound sorry, and he grinned at her flash of annoyance as she crept up on him, and cuffed him across the face. She was stronger than he, and never once did she let him forget it.

"Don't use my name." Her voice was as ice, and just as cold.

Yajirobe sneered, but kept his voice as bland as possible. "Don't worry, Waytea. *I* won't use it again in your hearing."

Doris shook her head, and tossed her hair over her shoulders. "Pity you have such spunk, little man." Her voice was as ice, reminding Yajirobe that she earned her water-like name. Her eyes, a deep emerald green shone with anger, and repressed feelings, but only for a moment. Within moments, her green eyes froze with her anger, and became hard as stone. She shot a look over her shoulder, and grinned evilly after only a moment.

Yajirobe started backing up; he too had caught sight of a brief nod sent to Waytea/Doris. He hid his fear, and looked at her straight on, wondering if her stone, emerald, icy eyes would ever melt. That thought was discarded as he realized that he'd never see that day.

~I'm in trouble. I'm in trouble. I'm in trouble….Kami, what do I do?~

Doris/Waytea kept smiling, her evil grin slowly becoming less and less human, becoming more and mechanical.

Yajirobe was suddenly struck at how…robotic, and how much like a mannequin she seemed. He had no defense, and after a brief fight, it was over.

Yajirobe lay, bleeding on the ground, his guts open, and his head gushing.

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

Yamcha seemed struck, and quiet at the mention of Doris/Waytea. He flinched, and his face grew paler every time her name was mentioned.

If Yajirobe noticed, he gave no sign, and soon, he shook his head. "Khan found me after they left. He took me to Korin's tower, and healed me with sensu. I don't know how long I was there, yet I still had a slow recovery. I talked to Kami-my first meeting with him, and what passed between us, I will not say. It was too intense, to personal, yet once it was over, my anger at my family-and I mean my parents, and Khan, had vanished."
Yamcha nodded, his face hard, yet understanding at the same time. "Waytea…." he whispered, as if it were a prayer.

Krillan looked at him, his small, bald face worried for his friend. He opened his mouth, but Yajirobe beat him to it.

"I never saw Waytea after that night. I don't know what happened to her."

Yamcha nodded, his face going slack with relief, as he dropped his gaze to the fire.

Tein raised an eyebrow, and looked at Chaotzu, who's worried face had turned inward, as all royal leaders learn to do eventually.

"Then what?" Tein asked, almost afraid to break the sudden silence.

"Then, Khan told me about ki, and how my birth parents could control it. He assured me that I could as well, with training, and asked me if I'd be interested in protecting the human race, and my home world. Both sets of my parents had before me, and that was how Hanna and her husband had died, and how my mother and father had come to save me. Khan didn't go into details, and for that, I was grateful. The only condition was that I must leave the gang. I thought about it for a few weeks, and agreed. Koirn showed me, and taught me everything about the sensu beans he could. When I had learned all I could, I went back down to Earth. I still hadn't learned to fly-right then, I was still unsure if I had ki, because although I could sense the ki of others, feeling my own was not possible for me. Upon returning home, I realized that I had been gone for months, and that the last words to my parents had been in anger. I regretted it."

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

"MOM! DAD!" Yajirobe raced into his house, running upstairs without a backward glance.

Khan just stood there, looking at the modest two-story house, and shaking his head. He didn`t feel their kis at all. His face shook, as he sighed.

"Gone…the both of them….poor boy."

His voice was low, and filled with sorrow. As his head swayed from side to side, tears came, and he slowly walked up the front steps, of the only house he had ever called home. He didn't want to face it; never did. The fact that this happened only recently didn't help matters.

Neither did the fact that their deaths would bring Yajirobe that much closer to Kami, and the path he had assumed for Yajirobe.

<~ Ah feel like a monster.~>

Yajirobe, however, wasn't thinking of his home. Or of the man downstairs who claimed that he helped Yajirobe's mother years ago….instead, he was thinking of his last words to them.

************* Night of Waytea/Doris's attack*************************

~* You're NOT my parents!!* ~

*****************************

The thought rolled around in his head, echoing, and it caused him to blink rapidly. He opened the first door he saw.

*******************Niight of Attack************

~*YOU`RE*~

************************

And the bathroom was empty. Not daring to breathe, he left, and opened the door next to it. It turned out to be the guest room-and it was completely empty of any sign of his parents.

*******Night of Attack*********************

~*NOT* ~

**********************************

~Why did I say that to them?~ Yajirobe's face became drawn, and he closed his eyes, hand on the door that was now behind him. Leaning against the guest bedroom door, he felt tears start to come out of his eyes, and a dull ache in his heart grew more and more sharp.

**********************Night of Attack***************

~*MY*~

****************

Pushing himself away from the door angrily, he headed to his room. Pouncing on the door handle, he broke the hinges off. Looking angrily at what he had done, he sighed, and let the door hit the floor with a bang.

His parents didn't come. His mom didn't ask what he was doing, and his father wasn't marching up the stairs. He almost wished they would. Almost.

Seeing nothing other than the door out of place, he turned around, and went to his parent's bedroom across the hall. Not even bothering with the door handle, he kicked the door, and froze.

****Night of Attack********************

~*PARENTS!* ~

***********************************

It took him a while to realize that he was waiting for his parents to yell, invite him in, or to shake their heads, and sigh. The room was strangely quiet, and he peered in. He saw nothing, and no one. A window was open, but his mother loved having open windows in her room, even if she had a strange quirk that no other window be open.

~Always said it was a thank-you.~

Yajirobe thought, slowly stepping into his parents room. The thought seemed almost out of place, as if it was a way of remembering what was, instead of trying to stay in the present. His thoughts kept drifting back to the past, and Yajirobe felt as if he was trying to convince himself that his parents were really gone.

Nothing was out of place, yet it was this room more than any others that made him feel there was something in it. Looking under the bed, behind the curtains, in the closet, Yajirobe expected someone to jump out at any given point.

"Calm down. They're fine. No worries." Yajirobe muttered to himself, trying to keep the anxious sound out of his voice. Why didn't he feel their ki?

~It's just because I'm not used to feeling for kis…..that's it….it has to be. They're together, I just know it.~

Shaking his head, and sighing, he looked at the door next to the closet. It lead to the attic , the one place he hadn't looked. Once he saw inside, he ran out the door, and puked in the bathroom.

Lifting his head, he looked at Khan, his face drawn, quiet, and determined. "They *will* pay." His eyes turned to his parent's room, as a small tear trickled down from his eye. "I never got to apologize." His voice was low, yet Khan heard how hurt Yajirobe was by this.

"I got what I dissevered, didn't I?" Khan winced to hear Yajirobe's voice so harsh, yet, he shook his head.

"No, mate…not a person here got what they deserved." Khan's voice was quiet, and reassuring.

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

"After that, Khan became my family. I hunted down, and tried to find the gang-I succeed, after a fashion, but it the price of it…." Yajirobe's voice hung, as his voice trailed off.

Tein sighed, and patted Yajirobe on his shoulder. "It's always tough to do what must be done." His voice was husky, and low. Yamcha nodded, and gave a small, sad smile.

"Yes, Tein's right. Besides, you've got *us* now. We're not going anywhere-well, at least not until those Sayjins get here."

Yamcha broke into a toothy grin, and Yajirobe just stared at him, then broke into laughter. Krillan and Tein followed suit, leaving Chaotzu wondering why they were laughing.

Yajirobe nodded, his eyes still haunted.

Chaotzu, seeing this, went over to him, and sat in his lap. "There's more…you're sad about something more."

Yajirobe gazed at wonder at Chaotzu, and nodded. "Yes, little one, there is."

Krillan pressed his hand firmly into Yajirobe's arm- a sign of support- and gave an encouraging smile. "Then, tell us."

Yajirobe smiled-a true smile that made his face light up-for what seemed like the first time that evening.

~What gifts you've all given me…thank you, my friends.~

"I kept an eye on the gang-and saw what evil purposes they put the sensu bean to. I won't say how close I came to dying, or how many times, or what I saw. Let me just say that I stopped many evil uses of sensu, and many people-including the gang I was in-tried to perfect a synthetic sensu sauce. " Yajirobe's voice became sarcastic here, then he sighed, and shook his head. "I'm still doing that; cleaning up messes from the synthetic sauce. I've let my training in ki lapse, for a number of reasons. In a way, I envy all of you-the evil you face will be short-lived, and you won't always have to face it. The evil I face will never go away."

"…Now, I don't know about that." Krillan's voice was dubious, but Yamcha and Tein nodded.

"What caused this?" Tein asked.

"Khan died."

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

Quickly, without warning they came; out of nowhere and everywhere. The darkness, which once seemed so inviting, so safe to practice, had turned deadly.

~Why didn't I see this before? Why is it only with the loss of my parents do I realize how dangerous the dark really is? Kami….I can't believe they died only three months ago. Why didn't I move out of my parent's house?~

The shots rang out, each distinctive with it's own `pang' or `boom' or similar sound. Each had their own smell too-some were sharp, and tangy, while others were bittersweet. One odd sound was heard-that of a yell, and tearing flesh. Yajirobe ran, and tried to get to him, his voice dumb with shock for what seemed like years.

When Yajirobe reached Khan, he was surprised by the amount of blood there was around him-it seemed to be everywhere; flowing out of every possible opening. Yajirobe blinked, and shook his head harshly.

"NOOOOO!!!" Without thought, Yajirobe rushed out at the attackers who came without warning; without disclosing who they were. Then, just as suddenly, there were none, as he could hear them scrambling toward up the trees; branches creaked, and broke, while the leaves rustled quietly against the movement. "COWARDS! Come out and face a *warrior* like a man-not like the /WOMEN/ you are!"

There was no sound but that of a harsh, bitter laugh. It echoed throughout the night, and it quieted all of the normal noises one might here.

"How astute you are, Warrior. We *are* women, and I assure you, when we meet- it will be as men." Then, with the swift rustling of the trees and wind, they were gone.

Yajirobe frowned…was that Waytea's voice?

"I'll be waiting!" he called after them, standing stiff, with a fist raised.

When he was sure they were gone, he looked around , and saw Khan. This time was no less moving than the first, only now there was no one for Yajirobe to be angry at. There were no shots of gunfire, no harsh sounds of laughter, no one and nothing for Yajirobe to take his anger out on. And so he went and knelt down next to his friend.

"Are you alright?" Yajirobe tried to make the question sound common place; but there was an undertone of worry and concern.

Khan looked at Yajirobe, saw the concern that couldn't be kept from his coal-black eyes, and gave a small, shaky smile. It was meant to be reassuring, but it was not.

"th…..e…..sen….szu…." Khan gasped out, trying to not sound so weak.

Yajirobe nodded, and began to move his hands to the old man's belt. How could it be this dear friend was the same one who Yajirobe had tried to avoid on the bus one cold winter day? Shaking his head, he tried to clear it of such negative thoughts-now was not the time. Especially with this friend; no….Khan was more that that….he was family.

Yajirobe's family.

And Yajirobe couldn't lose him-he'd already lost too much. When his hands got to Khan's belt, they froze, and his eyes narrowed with hate.

"They took them."

Khan nodded sadly, and tried to sit up, only to have a coughing fit.

"DON"T DO THAT!" Yajirobe yelled, fear written on his face. Then, quieter, and with a more guarded expression, he moved his arms to help Khan lay down. "If you move too much, you'll die." it was barely above a whisper, but clearly heard in the stillness of the night.

"A…nd if I….do…..n't get…..the…..se….szu…" Khan took a deep breath; his chest was rising up and down heavily, wheezing, and Yajirobe realized for the first time that his mentor was hit hard. "I'll. Die….anyway." This last bit was said with such finality, that Yajirobe shook his head.

"NO, you won't. I'll get more; I'll bring you some." Yajirobe pleaded, his eyes wide with worry, and filled with promise. "I'll make them pay for what they did to you."

Khan shook his head. "I be…live….you." Khan grasped Yajirobe's hand surprising firmly for such an old man, and lifted his head up. His voice, still raspy, and wheezing, grinned his toothy yellow smile at Yajirobe. "D…on't….for…get, boy." He said clearly, as if he was trying to impart some otherworldly knowledge.

Yajirobe nodded; and shook his head, mildly surprised at the tears that came from his eyes.

~When did that happen, I wonder?~

Yajirobe asked himself with astonishment. But, he nodded, and squeezed Khan's hand. Half believing that Khan would heal, Yajirobe helped him lay back down, and waited. "I won't; I promise."

Khan smiled-this time, a real, reassuring, solid one, and nodded himself. His body shook, and he took in one last breath before it stopped.

Yajirobe sat there, holding his mentor's hand, not believing until morning came, and revealed that Khan was indeed, dead. "I won't ever forget-I swear I won't ever have another teacher, Khan. You were my…." Yajirobe flattered here, looking up at the sky, as awaiting an answer. Shaking his head free of tears, he continued, his voice cracking at the oddest moments. It was clear he was trying to keep from crying, and finally, he couldn't utter one word. Letting the tears come as quickly as they could, he sobbed, loudly, and without shame.

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

Yajirobe stopped, and looked into the fire. Tears were streaming down his face; and there was a hardness there that no one had ever seen him wear before. He made no effort to hide or dry his tears, and just looked into the fire, his thoughts with another person.

"wow…." Yamcha shook his head; unsure of what to say. His mouth dropped open, and he closed it.

Tein bowed his head in thought, a look of regret on his face, and Chaotzu shook his head, and rubbing his eyes, trying to stop the tears that were coming.

Krillan, too, cried, and let them fall. His short self didn't move-it was as if he had turned to stone. "What a warrior."

"What a teacher." Tein said.

"How could they have done that?" Chaotzu's tear-filled voice, which was just above a whisper, came, jarring Yamcha out of his speechlessness.

"He was a great man, Yajirobe." Yamcha's voice was subdued, quiet. His face, too, was scrunched up in sadness, and reverence.

Yajirobe nodded, put his arms on his legs, and leaned inward. His face looked down, and his voice could barely be heard over the low crackling of the fire. "Thank you."

Taking a deep breath, he continued. "I still feel as if I let Khan down that day. I suppose a part of me thinks that if I reacted a little quicker, I would have discovered that they took the sensu; maybe then, Khan wouldn't have died. But, I also know that it's useless trying to change the past. Even if I could have gotten the sensu to Khan, it still might not have been in time." Yajirobe looked up, and into each face present.

"It took me years to track down every last woman responsible for what happened to Khan, my parents. When I finally found them all, I was surprised to find that they were all working at the same place-a chemical company. They, too, were trying to perfect a synthesized version of the sensu for the world to have. I was disgusted. Kahn was killed in cold blood for something he, Koirn, and Kami would have freely given away if they'd only asked. These weren't the first that were doing this-but I just *knew* that this time, I had to make an impression. Especially on these women."

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

Going quickly up the stairs, Yajirobe paused and took a long, hard look at the sign at the front of the building.

"Harsh Chemical Company We got what you want. " it read.

Yajirobe snorted, and glared, wishing that Khan had taught him some of the ki moves he promised. Why did he get himself so wrapped up in his parent`s demise that he had forgotten his promise? Yet, Yajirobe knew that he wouldn`t ever learn the ki moves; he had given his promise to learn them from Khan, he wouldn`t soil his mentor`s memory with anyone else teaching him ki moves.

Looking at the sign once more, Yajirobe felt an old anger flare up again. "Got that right."

Yajirobe tried to not look offended, or insulted by the idea that this company had played a part in Khan's death-it would undermine his entire reason for coming here as he walked up to the front desk. He flashed a winning smile at the receptionists, and asked to speak to the director.

"He's busy right now. If you could leave me your name; I'll be happy to tell him that you've stopped by."

"Ah…I see. Well, I do have an appointment-I'm Mr. Korin's reprehensive. Mr. Pansy should be expecting me."

"And your name?" She asked, looking trough the appointment book.

"It's under Mr. Koirn; but you may call me Mr. Glut-ton."

The receptionist looked up, a mild look of disbelief on her face. "Mr….Glut-ton, you said?" she repeated, blinking.

"Yes."

Shaking her had, and looking through the appointment book once more, the receptionist whispered , under her breath, "Mr. Glut-ton. Kami….what kinds of names to these people have?" Then, a smile came over her face. "You're right. Mr. Pansy is expecting you, sir. His office is right behind here-last door on the right. Go right in."

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

"I told them what I knew; and presented them with the proof I'd gathered. Some of it was illegally gathered, but Mr. Pansy was well aware of what it was. Other evidence were patches of torn clothes with the Harsh Chemical logo on it; an autopsy report on Khan; proof that the bullets that killed him were of the same caliber that their security forces used; even a legal, signed document stating that the sensu beans and the sensu plant belonged to Koirn." Yajirobe laughed. "I threatened them with a lawsuit, and told them they'd have to pay royalties to Koirn for the sensu unless they gave me what I wanted."

"And what was that, exactly?" Krillan asked, unsure of where this was headed.

"He probably asked that the women responsible were jailed." Tein said.

"I say he made them go out of business." suggested Krillan.

"Food." Chaotzu said without hesitation.

"Nah…I say he asked for money." Yamcha said.

Four heads looked at him, and Yamcha blushed. "Well, didn't you?"

Yajirobe held Yamcha's gaze, and then out of nowhere, began to laugh. "Yeah, well, actually I did only three. All the women who killed Khan are in jail-they were linked to other murders, and I don't expect them to get out anytime soon. And I got a huge settlement from the Harsh Chemical Co right before they went out of business." Yajirobe grinned, and looked into the fire. "I still miss Khan, but I kept my word. And I think that he'd have been proud of me-and of the way I handled them."

"And the food?" Krillan asked, wirily

"Well…I have more than enough, don`t you think?"