Tenchi Muyo Fan Fiction ❯ Okayama Summer ❯ Chapter 17 ( Chapter 17 )

*Okay, I know I took a REALLY long time to update last time... but... er. ^^;; Sorry about that. Um... heh. ^_____^;; I have decided to cut you all some slack, and ATTEMPT TO CONQUER MY WRITER'S BLOCK. @_@ If this chapter sucks abhorrently, it's not my fault. ::nods:: ^^;;;;;; Though... that might be a bad thing, since this is a fairly important chapter... UM!! o_o*

Chapter Seventeen

"Have you ever been to Okayama before, Sasami?"

Sasami thought for a minute, taking the time to shift her shopping bag from one shoulder to the other. "Um... once or twice, I suppose. It's really amazing either way, though," she said cheerfully. "Though that might just be me... it was my first time in an Earth town."

Gohan looked at her curiously. "Really?" He had gathered, though no one had outright told him, that the majority of the people staying at the Masaki residence weren't from Earth (though, oddly enough, they all did look human), and they made no effort to keep it from him.

She nodded, and grinned. "There are so many people everywhere... and it's a fairly old-fashioned town, so they have a marketplace, and everything -- that's the best." She looked so cheerful... Gohan wasn't sure if she had really been coming down with something before, but she looked fine now. He usually wouldn't have disregarded Washuu's words, but there couldn't be anything WRONG with her... she would have looked tired, or be coughing, or something...

"We're almost there!" Tenchi said, glancing over his shoulder at the two eleven-year-olds. The Masaki household didn't actually have a car or other vehicle to its name (Nobuyuki's excuse was that he wouldn't be able to pay for everyone if they DID have one, which was probably true to some extent), so Tenchi, his father, Sasami, and Gohan were taking a bus. Gohan stuck his head out the window to take a look, and his eyes rounded. "... It's so big!"

Tenchi shook his head slowly. "You've never seen Tokyo, have you...?"

Gohan blinked. "Tokyo...?"

Sasami giggled. "It's the main city here in Japan!"

Tenchi smiled. "I've never actually been there, but I have seen tons of pictures, and it IS pretty big."

"Wow..." Gohan murmured, and stared out the window. "... There's so much here..."

"Where are we going first?" Sasami exclaimed.

Tenchi chuckled. "Well... first of all, I thought we'd get Gohan some clothes of his own." Nobuyuki stiffened slightly as he said this.

Gohan blinked, and glanced down at what he was wearing at the moment, another outfit of Tenchi's. It would have fit him perfectly before he had fallen ill, but through his week of not eating, he had lost quite a lot of weight (and no longer seemed as disturbingly muscular as he had been before). "Oh. Yeah, that sounds good."

"Tenchi showed me this place where you can buy clothes last time we were here!" Sasami told Gohan, grinning. "I'll take you there if you want!"

Tenchi laughed. "Don't you want me tagging along?"

"Oh, no, Tenchi, I didn't mean that--"

"That's quite all right, Sasami; I need to talk to Tenchi, anyway," Nobuyuki interrupted. "You and Gohan go ahead."

Tenchi stared at his father. "... 'Tousan...?"

"Oh, thank you, 'tousan!" Sasami jumped up as the bus stopped and the doors opened, and ran out the doors towards the back, Gohan right behind her. Tenchi and Nobuyuki followed, though more slowly. Tenchi was looking Nobuyuki in a puzzled way. "Dad, why--"

"You're expecting him to stay for a while, right, Tenchi?" Nobuyuki murmured.

Tenchi's eyes narrowed, suddenly understanding. There was no need to ask who he meant. "Yes, he is staying," he said coldly. "I'm sorry you don't like him, 'tousan, but that's no reason I should turn him out onto the street. He'd never survive; he'd probably get sick again right away and die."

Nobuyuki sighed. "Yes, Tenchi, I agree with you there, but I agree with Ryoko, as well."

Tenchi scowled. "What does Ryoko have to..." He paused, then stared at his father. "... You heard us...?"

"I came in from work while you were arguing," Nobuyuki admitted. "And, of course, you both sounded quite angry... I just had to stop and listen."

Tenchi rolled his eyes. "Somehow I'm not surprised."

"And she IS right, Tenchi," Nobuyuki continued, pretending he hadn't heard his son's comment. "You have no idea where this kid comes from."

"We have no clue where any of them came from!" Tenchi exclaimed. "We had more reason to pick Gohan up than any of THEM, actually -- he's from this planet, for one thing, he's got no weird powers, he's just a KID, and Washuu said he was mostly dead when she found him! What were we supposed to do, just LEAVE him there?"

"No, you're right," Nobuyuki said, sighing, and shook his head. "This is difficult."

Tenchi smiled at him, shaking his head slightly. "You should probably just go back to letting everything go over your head, Dad."

"... I'll let that one slide."

Tenchi chuckled, then blinked, and looked around. "... Where did Gohan and Sasami go...?"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"We really shouldn't have gotten separated from them," Gohan muttered. He and Sasami had run off, each overly excited about being in the town, and had -- each being unfamiliar with the town -- gotten spectacularly lost.

Sasami chuckled, shaking her head slowly. "We should be able to find them... I hope..." She glanced around. They were downtown, on what was probably the busiest street in the town, judging by all the people walking by on either side of them. They could hardly see the neighboring shops for all the masses, most of which, being adults, were several inches taller than both of them. "This is the main street... right?"

"I don't know," Gohan said, exasperated. "This is my first time here, remember?" He looked around. "How are we going to find them in all this...?"

"Well, they should be around here SOMEWHERE," Sasami said brightly, trying her best to stay optimistic. "I mean... most people are..."

"That's the problem," Gohan murmured, and leaned against a pole. All the constant noise, coming from everywhere and everyone, was beginning to give him a headache. "I'd never be able to live in a city, that's for sure."

"I wish Tenchi had at least given us some money before we ran off," Sasami muttered to herself. "So we could use a pay phone, or something... I think Tenchi's father has a cell phone..."

"Or maybe we could go do something, to pass the time," Gohan added, staring across the street. "There's an ice cream place over there..."

"Oh, really?" Sasami exclaimed, following his gaze.

"We have no money, Sasami."

She scowled. "I know, I know..."

"Are you not used to that?" Gohan asked, raising his eyebrows at her. "I mean... you're a princess, right?"

Sasami frowned. "I suppose... it was never really an issue; we would just be able to do things... there was really no question of whether it was too much money, or whatever..." She shrugged. "I don't think it's that much of an issue on Juraii, anyway -- it's a lot more plentiful than this planet."

"That's kind of weird," Gohan said thoughtfully. "Your planet... it's supposed to be a lot more advanced than Earth, right? Why is it less messed up...?"

"Because we use the planet to our advantage," Sasami said, with just the tiniest hint of superiority in her voice. "Using trees as spaceships, and such. I've been to Ryuten, where they grow the trees, and it's the most wonderful place..." She trailed off, and groaned. "I am hungry now, and it's getting hotter..."

"It must be getting closer to noon," Gohan said, sighing. "This is SO stupid... we should have waited for them..."

"Mmm..." Sasami bit her lip. "Should we... just keep walking, or something?"

Gohan shrugged. "Might as well."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Kuririn grabbed Lime's arm suddenly. "Over there!"

Lime winced. "Ow! Let go!"

He did. "Sorry..."

She shrugged the apology off. "What did you see?"

Kuririn's eyes narrowed. "I could have sworn I saw Gohan for a moment..." He sighed heavily. "I think I'm beginning to hallucinate..."

Lime glanced around, and frowned. "... I don't see him anywhere... or even anyone that LOOKS like him..."

Kuririn blinked, and glanced at Lime. "... Wait... what did Gohan look like? When you met him, I mean."

Lime thought for a moment. "Um... well, he was really muscular, and he had blonde hair and green eyes--"

"Aha," Kuririn said. He actually sounded cheerful. "You saw him when he was a Super Saiya-jin... he wasn't when I caught that glimpse of him, so..."

Lime stared at him. "... Why? What is he supposed to look like? And what's a 'Super Saiya-jin'?"

"He's usually just got black hair and eyes..." Kuririn said, looking around again. "And a Super Saiya-jin..." He paused. "... Um... it's a special form... that you have to be really, really strong to even THINK about doing... only a few people in the entire world can do it, and you have to be born with the ability..."

Lime's eyes rounded. "Wow... and Gohan can do that?"

"Yeah, he can." Kuririn realized that he was no longer irritated by her questions, and sighed inwardly.

"Can you do it?"

Kuririn snorted. "No, of course not."

"Well, how many people can, then?"

"Um..." He thought for a moment. "... Four... three, actually... or it might be two, if Gohan isn't alive..."

"Well, if you thought you saw him, he probably is," Lime said cheerfully.

Kuririn shook his head slowly, marveling at her innocence. "Maybe..." His eyes narrowed, and he pointed through the crowd. "THERE!! There he is!"

Lime looked at the area he had specified, trying to imagine a black-haired Gohan, and suddenly saw him. Her eyes nearly bugged out of her head. "... Are you sure?"

"Fairly." He wasn't Super Saiya-jin, that was for sure -- Kuririn was slightly amazed that he had picked the boy out at all; the last time he had seen Gohan out of SSJ guise he had been over a year younger. He was walking next to a girl of about the same age with long blue hair in pigtails, and appeared to be walking WITH her... as he watched, the boy who looked like Gohan glanced at her and said something, making her laugh -- yes, they obviously knew each other. Kuririn frowned. He must be staying with her family... or something...

"We have to move!" Lime hissed, tugging at his cloak. It was true; the two of them were harder to see through the crowds of people as they continued to walk down the sidewalk.

"Come on." Kuririn broke into a run, slipping in between people so fast that they barely noticed his presence. Lime sprinted after him, pushing past people as she struggled to keep up with him -- how was it that such a short man could move so fast?

Kuririn arrived at the sidewalk that the boy and girl were making their way down, and glanced only briefly at Lime as she came to stand beside him, out of breath. "We have to follow them," He murmured. His heart was beating impossibly fast inside his chest, his limbs shaking slightly -- the very fact that this might be Gohan, that he might be alive...

Lime nodded, and followed him at a distance as he set off again, catching up to him as he slowed to a walk, much closer now to the girl and boy. "He doesn't look too much like Gohan," She observed, keeping her voice low. "Even with the different hair, and everything..."

Kuririn raised his eyebrows, keeping his eyes ahead. He had noticed a few slight differences, yes, but this HAD to be Gohan, it had to be...

"He's got a tan now," She observed, cocking her head slightly. "Kind of. His skin's darker, anyway. And... he's a LOT skinnier..."

"He would be, anyway, if you only saw him as a Super Saiya-jin," Kuririn muttered -- but she was right, and this was what had been bothering him... Gohan WAS a lot skinnier than he should have been, even if he hadn't been training for a while.

"Maybe he stopped eating, or something," Lime whispered. "I mean... you lose some of your muscles and stuff if you don't eat for a while, right?"

"... Well, yeah, but..." Kuririn shook his head slowly, chuckling at the very thought of Gohan shunning food. "He's the second biggest eater I've ever met..."

Lime blinked at him. "Who was the first?"

"His father." Kuririn cocked his head, frowning. "I'll never know if he's Gohan unless I speak to him..."

Lime stared at him. "What are you going to do, just go up to him and say, 'Hi, is your name Gohan'?"

"Um... yeah, I guess." He hadn't really thought about that.

"And what if he's not Gohan, but he's NAMED Gohan?" Lime continued.

"Too much of a coincidence." Kuririn smirked slightly. "How many people would name their kid something that means 'rice'?"

Lime blinked. "Gohan's parents obviously did."

"That was his great-grandfather's name." Kuririn got a little closer. "I have to hear his voice..." He could see that the girl and boy were talking to one another, but couldn't make out their voices.

Lime looked at him curiously. "Why?"

"So I can tell whether he really is Gohan..." Kuririn got a little closer. They were only about five feet away now, and had lowered their voices to whispers. He strained to hear the childrens' voices above the background noise coming from everywhere else.

"... think Tenchi and his father would have found us by now..." That was the girl.

The boy sighed. Kuririn held his breath. "Well, it's probably because we keep moving around..."

She scowled at him. "And whose idea was that?"

"You're the one that suggested it!"

Kuririn had frozen, completely overwhelmed, but Lime was still moving. She looked about as excited as he felt. "That IS his voice!! Kuririn, we fou-- WAHH!!" She tripped over an uneven part of the sidewalk then -- and fell right against the girl, sending them both to the ground.

Kuririn was suddenly able to move. "Lime!" THAT IDIOT!!!

Lime was aware of someone helping her to her feet, as the other girl stood up, apparently unhurt and looking at her curiously. "Are you all right?"

"... Y-Yeah..." Lime stared into her rescuer's face, eyes wide. It had been the boy -- or Gohan, as that was who he obviously was. His face was exactly as she remembered it, now arranged in an expression of concern. "Thanks..."

Gohan turned to Kuririn. "Is she yours?"

Kuririn stared at him. The boy WAS Gohan, there was no doubt about that, but he showed no sign of recognizing him at all. What the...? "Y-Yeah, she, is... kind of..." He beckoned to Lime, and she let go of Gohan's hand, still staring at him incredulously, and walked over to stand next to Kuririn. "What's going on?" She hissed in his ear.

"I don't know..." He smiled nervously at Gohan and the girl with the blue hair, both of whom were still looking at them curiously. "Uh... thank you for catching her; she's really clumsy..." He ignored the scathing look Lime shot him. "What are you two doing here all by yourselves...?"

The girl sighed. "Well... we came here with two OTHER people, but --"

"-- we got separated, and now we're hopelessly lost," Gohan finished. "We don't have any money, either, so we're kind of wandering aimlessly for now..."

Kuririn shrugged. He still had quite a lot of the money he had smuggled out of Master Roshi's house -- he had only used it to buy a little food and the cloak he was wearing now. "I know it's kind of weird to accept an offer like this from a... a stranger, but would you two like some lunch?"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

*... That didn't suck as much as I thought it would. o_O Though it still probably did. ^^;; Ah, me. I shall probably rewrite it at some point, so I shall not worry about such things right now. ^^;; Uh... I'm just glad this was done... ^^;;;;;;;;*