Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ The Kaioshin Saga: Story 3: A Truth Untold II: Blue Moon ❯ Chapter 5: Truth Behind the Words ( Chapter 5 )

A Truth Untold II:

Blue Moon

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Ball Z or any of the Dragon Ball Z characters. They are owned by those who own them. I do, however, own the original characters (if any) and the fic all of this is in. That is all.

Chapter Five: Truth Behind the Words

Shin trudged behind Akira, dragging the bags that he had brought with him on this trip. He didn't want to be anywhere near this stranger even if he didn't really know him for the sole reason of what Kibito had told him. He knew it wasn't like him to judge other people by the stories that he had heard from other people, but when Majin are involved, it was better to just to be more careful then be totally unaware about what might happen. He had encountered the Majin race before and it wasn't something that he wanted to go through again. Not now when the memory of what happen was still too fresh in his mind.

His mind was still whirling in that swift whirlwind with what had just happened a half hour ago. It had happened so fast that he really couldn't have made up too many good lies about it at all. Perhaps, he had thought several times already, he could still make up for this mistake by lying some where along the journey. He'd put a decent shield around his mind so the other wouldn't bother to scan it to see if the deity was telling the truth or not. It would be best to protect what little had left in the universe.

"Keep up or be lost," Akira said hotly, not even glancing over his shoulder to see if the deity was alright.

"Gomen," Shin muttered, picking up his pace as he pushed the strap of one of the bags back onto his shoulder. He stand several paces behind the stranger of the past, but still kept a little bit closer to him.

"How long ago did the other Kaioshin's die?" He asked plainly, not a drop of concern in his voice.

"Don't know. Could have been a few years ago. Can't really remember," The Kaioshin half lied, knowing full well how long exactly it had been.

"I suppose being busy with the whole universe would make you forget."

"Not really. It is not like I don't have help with the new Kaioshins."

"Really? You've trained them yourself?"

"Kibito did, actually, like he trained me." Shin shrugged at that, hoping that the other would believe his lies. But, of course, it was hard to lie to anyone that could read his mind, and he hadn't really had a good chance to lie to Kibito since he had known him many years ago.

"Interesting to know that there are other Kaioshin's now," Akira replied. The tone in which he used to say those words told the deity that he half believed him in what he was trying to say. "I know that you don't want to say anything to give away what you really know or anything about who you are. It is alright. Anything concerning the Kaioshin's has never left my mind."

"Right."

Akira stopped walking long enough for Shin to walk to his side before he started to go at the same pace as the Kaioshin. Shin kept his eyes on the horizon in front of him, not daring to look over towards him with his gaze. That was hard to do since he felt the penetrating stare from him, possibly trying to enter the deity's mind as well. He was glad that he had placed a half decent shield over his thoughts so that he wouldn't be able to see most of what was inside his mind.

"You don't believe me, do you?"

"I know even know you or anything. All I know is what I heard from Kibito."

"I know that I didn't give a good lasting impression on him, so your hatred towards me is based on that impression."

"I never said that I hated you. I just don't know anything about you," Shin replied, keeping his gaze forwards. Akira sighed as he, too, put his attention forwards as the two fell silent. It was hard for Shin to do that since there were so many questions in his mind that he wanted to ask so that he could make sense of what was really going on here. He wanted to ask them, but felt like he should wait a little more before he actually asked them.

"You know, I never asked to get involved in the struggle between the two sides of the wars," Akira told the deity, breaking the silence after several moments. Shin glanced over towards his new companion, a slight wonder on his face. "It just happened."

"Are the wars still going on?" He asked, hoping for an answer even if he didn't believe it.

"No. They ended centuries ago," The other replied dully, returning the glance to Shin, who had the same confused look he had on before.

"If they ended centuries ago, how then are you still alive?"

"Whatever force was on Kaioshin-Kai made me immortal it seems. I can't really explain it nor could the Dai or any of the other Kaioshins. They supposed it was because of how the planet was created and how it was almost like the center of the universe. You know how things are different on that planet than any other. You've lived there for a while." Akira then put his eyes forwards, his lips going into a thin line. "I know that you have a lot of questions to ask me, but ask them when we find a place to stay for the night. Once there, I will reveal what I want you to do for me. It is nothing big, just something that I have been wanting to do for a while now."

"O-okay," Shin stammered, moving his eyes down to the ground. Whatever this person wanted, he knew, it wasn't going to be easy to fulfill, but he had to do it. For Kibito's sake, at least. There was no one better to do the job of protecting him then him.

"If I may ask, before we go any further, is why are you doing this for Kibito?" Akira asked, the first hint of wonder in his voice that the Kaioshin could detect. "I mean, I know that he is your bodyguard, but still. The other Kaioshin's may have passion for life, but some of them probably have never really given a damn about their assistants at some points. Why are you?"

"It is something that no one, not even you, can understand."

"Is it that you have deeper feelings for him then anyone else?"

"It's really none of your business anyways why I am doing this for Kibito," Shin replied curtly, trying to mask the expression that was seeping onto his face. He didn't want to give Akira the impression that there was a deeper connection between the two. The deity had found that people just didn't understand this thing when it was mentioned or shown, so the two of them kept it buried deep within themselves when they had to, letting it out when they were finally alone together. "Why do you ask anyways?"

"It shows your devotion to him even if he is your bodyguard. Besides, it really doesn't matter to me if the two of you have feelings for each other anyways." Akira shrugged at that. "Love is love."

Shin stopped walking as Akira kept going on, surprise on his face. He had met many people in the last year when he had gone on those journey's to other planets and those few times that he and Kibito had showed their love towards each other had been met with mixed results. It was then that the two took their love and hid it so that those people would never see it again. But those three words that Akira had just spoken seemed so true. Love is love no matter who the people are who are sharing it, and he knew it. He just wished that certain people could see that as well.

The God shook his head as he adjusted the straps of the bags, rushing towards Akira as the two went on in the trek to a place where Akira only knew of.

****

It had been a while since he had felt this sick before, and Kibito was hating every waking moment of it. He had managed to get at least ten minutes of sleep before the nauseating effects of whatever was destroying him from the inside decided it was time to wake him up. He had thrown up once again, his throat already hurting from talking too much with Shin, so emptying the contents of his stomach hadn't helped him at all. Even the stuff that the shaman had given him hadn't helped him a bit and usually it was pretty strong to hold anything down, even the slightest bit of food.

The bodyguard took in a deep breath as he laid back down onto his back upon the mattress, his eyes closing tightly. A slight pain went through his body as he did, going up and down his spine as if something was pushing against every part of it. That pain had gone through him several times, becoming more intense with every movement that he made. At this point, he wanted to curl up and die so no one would have to worry about him, but he couldn't. There was someone else in his life now that he had to worry about and protect.

In the past, he knew, he would have shrugged off anyone else's help, and he still sometimes did that whenever the deity would ask about him. He would have ignored their questions of concern, going about his business until something really drastic happened. It was only then he would ask for help even if he didn't want that certain help but knew he needed it.

Kibito looked over at the rose the child had left behind, draping one hand over his stomach as he slowly reached out and picked the flower up. There were no thorns on it like a rose should have as the steam was perfect and flat. The petals had barely begun to bloom, just being born into a beautiful world around it. He twirled it in his hand as he brought his hand to his chest, mesmerized by the purity of the rose. There were so many different kinds of flowers on Kaioshin-Kai, but none were as beautiful as this kind. So perfect in every way yet so like the two sides of life. There was the happy, carefree side of life where nothing went wrong as that was the bud of the rose itself while there was the dark, cruel side where death and destruction laid in it's wake just like the thorns. But, there were no thorns on this one, which confused him so.

"Interesting," He said softly to no one in general, a light smile coming to his lips. He then placed the rose next to his boots, a sigh escaping his lips as he looked up towards the ceiling of the hut, his eyes closing as he hoped he'd get some rest.

He knew he wouldn't get much sleep that day anyways.

****

Shin yawned as he sat Indian Style on the ground, a crackling fire flickering in front of him. Akira sat on the other side of the small blaze, his eyes, diverted somewhere else besides what was in front of him. The bags that the deity had carried were now laying beside him, still somewhat full of food as the two had eaten some of it already. It wasn't much but what the villagers had given him to eat, but it was enough to last for a while at least.

Night had barely fallen, and the God knew it was time to go to sleep himself. He had spent at least two night falls already on two different planet's then his own, and he was ready to go to sleep. Yet there was something that was making him push himself to stay awake other then the desire to find a cure for his bodyguard that would rid him of the poison that was plaguing his body. He couldn't do that without Akira's help and that help seemed so distant now even if it was sitting right in front of him.

The two had walked for several hours until the sun had started to dip into the horizon behind them. Akira pressed on for no reason, perhaps just because he wanted to see a Kaioshin do something besides fly or see one sweat as much as Shin had. He hadn't even offered to take one or two of the bags, ignoring at some points that the deity was lagging behind. It was to no concern that Shin had been demanding a small break in between the miles, not used to the long hike that he had probably done in several moments if it was any other time.

"You are too quiet for a Kaioshin. Why?" Akira asked, breaking the silence that had started many hours ago.

"You haven't been wanting to say anything either, but if you must know, I didn't want to say anything to you that might make you change your mind," Shin replied, shifting his gaze up slightly to look at the other. Akira moved his own eyes to the light purple deity, a snort coming from him.

"I made a promise, and I'll be damned if I won't keep it."

"Promises are easily broken."

"So I've heard from a child I once knew."

"Tell me," Shin started as he leaned closer to the fire. "What were you doing out in the middle of no where?"

"Self Exile," Akira replied without hesitation, leaning back onto his hands that he placed behind his back. "Most of the people wouldn't accept me after the wars ended even if the two sides were living peacefully at that time. I had helped the Majins at some point during the course of the battles and there were people on both sides that despised them at all costs. It was only after these sides found that they had a common enemy did they settle what had started a long time ago and go up against the damn Wizards together. The battle against the Majins claimed more lives then all of the wars combined. At least, during the different wars, there was time enough to reproduce with different families and such, but not after the Majin attack. Many of the brothers, fathers, and son's never returned to bring up the population. For a while there, it seemed like only a handful of us would survive, Kibito and myself included. Of course, it was only a matter of time before the population went up again and it is still going up."

"What about the dead? What did they do with them?"

"The dead? Well, there's grave yards around some of the villages, but there aren't many of them. Those that hadn't been identified were left where they were, becoming a part of the planet while the rest were either burned, buried, or sent out somewhere else to rot. Plus, there are a lot of unmarked graves around this region, so I wouldn't be surprised if we were sitting on some now."

The expression on Shin's face made Akira laugh as it was a look of pure horror with pure disgust. Sitting on a ancient battleground was one thing, but to sit on someone's grave was not something the Kaioshin would have wanted to be doing at that moment. He had respect for the dead, so disturbing their graves by sitting on one wasn't his idea of that kind of respect.

"Don't worry about it, young Kaioshin," Akira told him after he had gotten over hid laughter a few moments later. "I've spent a great deal of time out and about these battlefields, and I haven't been affected yet."

"That's you and not me," Shin said, shifting uncomfortably in his sitting place.

"Anything else you want to ask me?"

"Yes, there is. Where exactly is this cure?" He demanded, deciding to put what might be lying underneath him aside and put his focus onto other important matters.

"How bad do you want it?"

"Bad enough."

"You know, you could always get another bodyguard. I'm sure that there are plenty of people out there that would give anything to be the last living Kaioshin's bodyguard."

"I don't want another bodyguard."

"That's what they all say with the first one, then they decide it is time to get a new one and that starts a endless cycle of bodyguards."

"You're just sour that Kibito has served two Kaioshin's and you didn't get last through the first one," Shin replied before he knew what he was saying. Not even a split second later, Akira had lost his joyfulness and moved in front of the Kaioshin so that his face wasn't more then a half of a inch away from the other's.

"What pisses me off the most about that good for nothing bastard is that he has everything that I had plus more!" Akira hissed out, his breath going onto Shin's face. "He had a family to wake up to every day even if it was destroyed later, freedom, a person that saved his life, and eventually someone to love. I would have killed for all of that!"

"Then why are you helping me?" Shin barked back, anger flashing in his eyes. Akira blinked his eyes, surprised that the deity would have said something as he backed up almost into the fire. "Why are you showing me a cure? Why are you even bothering? Were you just going to lead me to a dead-end and expect me to find my way back? Is that it?"

Akira didn't answer those questions as he shifted his gaze away from the deity, unsure as to what he wanted to say. The fire crackled behind him as Shin stood up and grabbed several of the bags that he had around him, keeping his eyes on the other with care. There was no reason to stay if he was just going to be lead to some place where there wasn't anything for him to cure Kibito. It was useless to trust Akira even if he knows where to look.

"I'll just find the cure on my own without your help," Shin replied hotly, swinging one of the bags over his shoulder as he turned around and started to walk towards the same direction the two had just come from. He didn't care if he re-tracked their own footsteps; at least he would be doing this on his own. Before he could go any further, something grabbed his wrist and pulled him back towards the fire. The Kaioshin whipped around to come face-to-face with a kneeling Akira, who had a more calm look on his face but still held that anger in him. "What do you want?"

"There is no way in hell you would be able to survive out there. Not unless you stay close to a fire," Akira instructed, not even taking his hand from around the Kaioshin's wrist. "There are certain things out there that would kill for a drop of pure blood, even if it is from a God. You're best bet is to stay close to the fire."

"Why should I stay here?" The deity challenged, his ebony eyes narrowing. "You hate Kibito as well as me, so why should I?"

"Like you said earlier, I don't hate you. I barely know you, and you are judging me on what I was in the past like everyone else." Akira dropped Shin's wrist as he moved back towards the fire, his eyes looking away. The Kaioshin turned around, laying the bags back down as he watched Akira. "I suppose it was the same thing with me as I judged Kibito as a worthless being unsuitable to aid a Kaioshin. He was a child, then, as so was I."

"Years alone can change a person," Shin said, sitting back down onto the ground. "What do you want from me?"

"I want to see Kaioshin-Kai again, even if it is the last thing I do." The other turned his gaze back towards him, his eyes shining bright in the fire light. "Can you do that?"

"Take you back to Kaioshin-Kai? A sacred planet?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I haven't seen it in so long. I just want to know what it feels like to stand on the surface, even if it is only for a moment."

Shin opened his mouth then closed it again, diverting his gaze up to the heavens above. The stars sparkled perfectly in a almost cloud-less sky, the crescent moon shining in the mists of it all. The deity remembered the stories that his mother used to tell him and his sister about the stars and how they were people watching down upon those that were still alive. Sometimes at night, when Kibito had been fast asleep next to him, Shin would sneak out of the palace to lay out onto the open grass so that he could gaze up at the stars for the longest time. He imagined that the Kaioshins of the past were looking down upon him as well as his mother and sister and that gave him the most comfort of them all. Then Kibito would join him in the grass, laying next to him so that Shin would be able to nestle his head up against the other's chest so that the two would watch the stars until morning without word. That had made him feel better when he couldn't sleep and now Kibito's life hung in the balance. Could he trust Akira in a promise that could be broken?

"Funny, promises are," Akira said, not waiting for Shin to answer him. "They can be easily broken, but don't you think that it is worth the chance?"

"Hai," Shin said, looking back towards Akira, a faint smile on his lips before sighing. "I don't know about this one. Seems so easy to destroy it."

"Even if I wanted to destroy it, it would mean the end of the universe, right?"

"Yes, it would."

"A universe that has been around for generations. Even a Majin wouldn't go that far to destroy one planet along with the universe, wouldn't you say?"

"I suppose."

"I don't think you will let me do this. Perhaps seeing Kibito one last time wouldn't be so bad either," Akira replied, looking down at the ground. Shin raised an eyebrow, a thought coming to him.

"Explain to me this cure, please. I am sure that it is worth something."

"Do you know any shaman?"

"Plenty. Kibito is staying in a village on another planet that has one. Why do you ask?"

"Good, because I can't do the cure without one or use anything that goes along with it."

"Two minutes," Shin said, narrowing his eyes at the other. Akira snapped his head up, confusion lingering on his face.

"Excuse me?" He inquired. "What do you mean by that?"

"You've got two minutes on Kaioshin-Kai, but only after I have Kibito back to his old self again," The deity said, waving a finger at him. "I'll take you there once I am sure that this cure will last more then a few days. If it doesn't, I'll find a way to hunt you down. After all, I am a Kaioshin."

"And Kaioshins know everything," Akira replied, extending a hand out towards the other. "Deal?"

"Deal."

The two shook hands, sealing a deal that hopefully would cure a hurting soul many planets away.

To Be Continued.....