Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction / Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ The Alchemist Within ❯ Five Years... ( Chapter 4 )

Ch-4
Five Years…..


Matti pulled another dandelion away from its connecting leaves to gather with her previous ones picked. She didn’t know they were useless when she tried to put them in a bouquet, and it didn’t matter if she did. Martin’s stubbornness and selective hearing was well within her. Her raven eyes glanced around, sensing a being approach her. Goku taught her the trick, but has not yet mastered it. Finally, she looked up. “Hi,
Mr. Piccolo-san.”

The Namak landed a well four feet away. He always hated contact with children, ever since Gohan bit him during training for the saiyans. “Do you know where Goku is? We had a sparring match this afternoon.”

She shrugged. “At home. It is lunch time. I wasn’t hungry, so I came out here.” She sat down heavily and watched the butterflies drink away at her flowers.

Though he would never show it, Piccolo pitied Mattimeo. He found out what happened to her family when he found Chi-Chi outside with the little girl crying. Goku told him privately why Matti was in their care. If he had to take the child in, he would have told the girl everything of her parents and powers. The Sons stayed true with their word and kept everything a secret. He heaved a sigh. “Kid, do you know how to spar yet?”

“Nope. Mom won’t let me.”

“Figures…”

** **

Bulma began to wonder what the Sons were up to. They haven’t called in what she guessed was an eternity, and nobody came by for a visit on any holiday. Picking up the phone beside her, she dialed the number and called.

Chi-Chi answered the phone. “Hello, Chi-Chi speaking. If you’re a telemarketer, we don’t want any.”

“Chi! Hey! It’s Bulma!”

“Oh! Hi. What’s up?”

“Actually, I was going to ask you. What the heck have you guys been up to? We haven’t seen you in so long! I know Trunks and Goten have started school, so you must be busy, but you do have a phone!”

“I’m very sorry, Bulma,” Chi-Chi apologized, “We’ve just had some trouble, that’s all.”

Bulma became worried. “Trouble? What’s wrong?” She listened as her friend explained what became of the Elrics and their daughter. “Oh my….I can’t believe it. Matti is alright? She hasn’t even asked?”

“I think it’s too far back in her mind now. She sticks to Gohan like glue, but Goku is her favorite. I think she would have really been Martin’s little girl if…well, he didn’t die.”

“Man, why didn’t you tell us all this happened?!”

“Sayna did not want anyone else to know. She wanted things secret. We didn’t even tell Goten since he has such a big-”

“Tell me what, mom?!”

The woman froze, turning to her little son behind her. He gazed up, resembling a mini Goku. “Um….er….about your father’s surprise birthday next month! We didn’t want to tell you so you wouldn’t tell!” Unknown to her, Bulma looked at the mouth piece of her phone as if the one on the other line went nuts.

“Oh….well, I came in to let you know that Matti got bit by a spider and is freaking out.” He then left to poke fun at Gohan for play.

Dumbfounded, Chi-Chi spoke back into the phone. “Ah, I got to go. Matt got hurt outside. I’ll call you back.”

Bulma shrugged. “Alright. Bye, Chi.”

Piccolo watched Goku tend to a frightened Matti as she sobbed. He didn’t understand what she was afraid of, spiders just being tiny arachnids in this area. She was so petrified of the insects, she bawl every time near one.

Goku stuck a band-aid over her skin. Nothing was there, but he knew it would make her feel better. Picking her up, he gave her one of the dandelions she dropped. Then, he noticed the grass. A very small patch of healthy green grass was scorched black, a medium sized spider hardly visible in the middle. After putting her in care of Gohan, he asked Piccolo if he saw what happened.

“I was in meditation and heard her scream,” he explained, “It looked like she just shot a ki ball while panicked.”

The saiyan shook his head. “I think she used some kind of alchemy. I never taught her how to use any form of energy yet. She’s too small.”

“But…she was never taught alchemy.” Piccolo pointed out.

“Sayna told me that alchemy doesn’t need to be learned; everything comes naturally. She probably didn’t realize it. Maybe fear triggers her power, like Gohan and fury.”

“I don’t know anything about it, Goku. That child has something inside, that I can tell you with certainty.”

“I know; I feel it too.”

** **

Matti rested her chin on Goten’s head as he laid down beside her. Both listened intently at the bedtime story Gohan was reading them. When he was done with the chapter, questions poured out from the children.

“Nii-san, did the warrior win at the end?”

Gohan shook his head, smirking. “You’ll have to wait for tomorrow, M-chan.”

“What about the princess?? Did she live too?!”

“Use your imagination and guess what will happen.” He patted the Goku look-a-like on the head. “Now go to sleep.” Laying them down, then pulling the covers to their shoulders, Gohan yawned and closed the door, ready to go to his own room for some sleep. Hearing a whimper from his brother, he reopened the door.

Matti curled in a ball, cuddling beside her brother. “Ten? Do you think the princess and warrior will get married?”

The boy shrugged. “Most stories are like that.”

“What happens if the warrior gets killed?”

“I don’t know. It would ruin the story, I guess.”

“Oh….what if the warrior gets killed, but the princess runs away?”

“…huh?”

She sat up, small arms supporting her. “Well, if the princess is all alone, what will happen?”

He thought for a long time, touching the pad of his finger with his chin. “The story would be boring.”

“Oh…..’nite.”

R 20;’Nite.”

** **

After breakfast, Goku took care Matti and Goten. It was his turn and Chi-Chi and Gohan’s break. He decided to take them out in the clearing Martin’s daughter was in an afternoon before.

Goten struggled with his upper body strength, trying to climb a short apple tree. He felt his dad send a swift shove up from his bum, and he was up. He grinned in triumph.

“Nice job, Goten!” His father congratulated, “I’ll be right here if you fall.” He turned when Matti tugged his pant leg. “What’s up, Mazzy?”

“Can I follow that path?” A tiny finger pointed off to a tall grassed field.

Gazing in the direction she wanted, he shrugged. “Sure. Call if you get lost, ok? Me and Goten will be right here.” He patted her head as she smiled. She appeared as Sayna when she was both happy and sad. He blinked when a rotted apple bounced off his raven haired head. He rubbed it and looked up, hearing Goten apologize.

Matti hummed a tone Chi-Chi taught her as she explored a small beaten path that connected from the Son house. She stopped to pull a few black raspberries from a bush, swallowing them whole on her way. Time did not pass long when she found the end. Martin’s curiosity electrifying, she cautiously moved in.

The area she found was in the form of a house, or, what was left of it. From the flooring up, walls and insulation burned long ago. Few remains of the home were left; roof beams, a couch frame, sparkles of window glass, and a melted dagger. Matti tried to pick it up, but the weapon was much too heavy. The handle seemed glued to the floor from heat of the blaze.

Matti poked around with no ounce of fear. Her shoe dully shoved some charred piece of oak that was once made a chair. Stepping along, her feet stopped in one spot. Her raven eyes examined around. She sat Indian-style. It was strange. First, nothing important radiated from the remembrance of the house, yet now, a strong sensation in her brain caused her to stay.

“Matti?! Matt!!” Goku leaped over a shortened wall, scooping the girl in his arms.

She had no time to react. She was worried she did a wrong. “Daddy?” Her small hands grasped his navy gi shirt, face hiding in the outer orange.

Goku moved back to reassure she was alright. “Sorry. You’re okay. I got kinda scared, that’s all.”

“I’m really sorry, daddy! I won’t come here again!! I’m sorry!!!” Tears welled up in her eyes, arms bear hugging his chest as much as her small muscles could.

Goku placed a hand on the back of her head, kissing her ear. “Don’t be. Please, just don’t walk up here again. This place is dangerous, and I don’t know what I would do if you got hurt.”

Matti nodded. “I won’t, promise. What was this?”

He looked around for a moment, then answered, “It was a home of my very good friends. They moved here before you were born. Some people did not like them, so they burned down their house and told them to leave.”

She frowned. “That’s stupid!”

“Yeah….I know.” He patted her back, turning to leave. He chocked back a sob as he continued to walk, noticing Matti had been sitting between a pair of gloves that Martin always wore in battle or sparring, a pair of boots not far off.