Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ The Kaioshin Saga: Story 3: A Truth Untold II: Blue Moon ❯ Epilogue: Distant Love ( Chapter 8 )

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.

Epilogue: Distant Love

Shin paced in front of the same hut that Kibito was sleeping in, his hands clasped behind his back as worry set into the small deity. The shaman and Akira had been in there for several hours already, using the herbs that Akira and Shin had brought back from their journey. The God was pushed out yet again as the other two worked on his assistant, slowly and cautiously. There was no telling what was going on in there or if they had come too late to save Kibito.

The Kaioshin hadn't even gotten close to his bodyguard to show him that he was alright before he had been pushed out. It was hard enough to haven been away from Kibito as it was, but it was even harder to know that he was in pain and that his charge couldn't even hold his hand while he was there. I have to wait and see. Maybe he'll be okay after all, Shin thought to himself as he stopped pacing and sat down onto the ground. He then put his hands into his lap, a feeling of wanting to cry washing over him.

He wanted to cry so badly but couldn't let everyone know that he was breaking up inside. It was hard enough not to be able to have someone with him on this short journey but it was even harder to stand by and watch that same someone in pain. The deity had already seen too much pain already and he just wanted to get this over and done with so that he and Kibito could go back to their own lives. To their home where they could love each other without the whole universe watching them.

"That should do it for now," A voice said from behind the God. Shin leapt to his feet, spinning around to see Akira standing there, the green shawl that the old woman had given them in his hands.

"Is he going to live?" Shin asked, rushing up to the other with hope in his eyes.

"I know yet. Kibito will have to be looked over for the next couple of days as he is given small amounts of the herb. Only time will tell if he will survive this."

"And if he does? Will the poison be gone?"

"There isn't enough herb or liquid to fully rid him of the poison. He will carry the remainder for the rest of his life no matter what. He is now bound by it."

"So, even if he survives this, the poison will come back to claim his life," Shin whispered, looking away from Akira. He didn't want the other to know that tears were beginning to form at the base of his eyes nor did he want to see the pain on his face.

"Now I never said that," Akira told the deity. "I just said that he will have whatever is left for the rest of his life. It might hinder him a bit at first, but his immune system will eventually see it as a part of his body. If he gets sick at some point, it will just be a little bit worse for him."

"So, it won't kill him?" The Kaioshin asked, looking hopefully up at him.

"Not unless we came too late today. If I know Kibito, he can survive this."

"Can go see him now?"

"Not yet. The shaman wants to make sure the antidote is working before anyone else can see him. That will take a few days."

"Oh," Shin mused, turning away from Akira as he took several steps away from him. Akira took in a deep breath, moving the shawl in his hands as he slowly followed the God away from the hut.

"You know, this is the first time I've been off of my planet since I was once a God's bodyguard," Akira started wistfully, moving next to the Kaioshin as the two walked towards a small bonfire that had been started in the middle of the small village. Children danced around it, some holding hands while others went freely around it. "I never had a chance to get off of it until now. Isolation form the rest of the universe is hard, Shin. Once you lose something that you are used to, you can't ever get it back."

"What do you really want, Akira?" Shin asked as the two stopped a short distance away from the fire and the dancing children. "I mean, I know you want to go back to Kaioshin-Kai, but I don't think that is the real reason you helped me. There has to be something else that you want out of this."

"You think I want something else out of this, don't you?"

"Yes. Who wouldn't? I mean, you are going to a planet of Gods that no one else knows of and are trying to save someone that you tried to have killed in the past. What do you want, Akira?"

"What if I told you that I wanted satisfaction?" Akira asked as the deity looked up at him. He noticed that the other clenching the shawl even harder then he was before.

"Satisfaction for what?"

"Knowing that you are the last Kaioshin alive. Knowing that there isn't any more on that dastardly planet you call home. Knowing full well that no one else on that planet knows who I am but you and Kibito." He looked down at the God, the flames from the fire dancing in his eyes. "I want to see the palaces of every God that lived there in ruins. I want to see it for myself so that I know that they are gone. As much as you don't want to hear this, the order that you were a part of weren't as perfect as you think. I knew that they were willing to give up a single child's life so that they would be safe from anything and everything that might come onto that planet one day. The only person that knew any better was the East Kaioshin before you. He wanted to keep those who were endangered there until the time came when they were strong enough to survive. You know what the Dai did? He sent them off Kaioshin-Kai anyways, even if some of those people were, in fact, too young to fend for themselves. He just didn't care."

"Is that what you think? That the Dai just sent unwanted people off of the planet so that the Kaioshins would be safe?" Shin demanded, his eyes narrowing just a bit.

"If it meant saving the rest of the Kaioshins, yes. They didn't care about any kind of life besides their own."

"That is not true. We cared about every life that went about their business in our Quadrants."

"Then why didn't they save everyone?" Akira snapped his head away from Shin, his own anger now dancing in his eyes instead of the flames of fire. "They could have."

"The universe is a big place, Akira. We couldn't be saving every life that was in danger of death. It is just the way it is. We were only five people in a universe of billions upon billions of other people. If we did then we wouldn't have time for other things. Other important things."

"Like what? Like lazing around the lakes, fishing? That's the only thing that the Kaioshin's are good for and that is doing what they want to do."

"You can think that way, I don't care," Shin spat out, turning around so that his back was upon the fire. "I've got a life I want to save. When he is better, then I can take you to Kaioshin-Kai for the amount of time I have given you. Once it is over with, then you will leave and never come back."

"I am surprised that you are going to keep your end of the bargain," Akira replied hotly as Shin started to walk back towards the hut where Kibito lay.

"Unlike the Kaioshin that you thought you knew, I do care about life and promises that should be kept," The Kaioshin told him just as sourly before he walked away. Akira remained there, his eyes turning back to the fire that sat before him. The children had finished their dance and were now sitting around the bonfire, laughing and talking about things that weren't important to older beings but were important to them. What happened to the child that I once was? Did I grow up too fast and lose it so quickly? Or was it the Majins that stole my childhood away? Akira thought to himself as the watched the children be who they are.

Whatever the answers he wanted from his many questions, Akira knew he would never get them.

****

Two Days Later

He had waited long enough and he was growing impatient with everything. There was no use in trying to keep him away from the one person that he loved the most and he desperately wanted to see him at all cost. He would defy the shaman's orders if he had to just to see the hurting soul that laid inside the hut.

Shin stood silently outside the hut, his hands clasped behind his back as he stood there, unmoving from this position since the early morning, refusing any food or sleep until he knew for sure that Kibito was alright. That he had survived the last two nights. It was heart wrenching to know that the journey that he had been on could have been for nothing, but there still could be a chance that he had to go back to the world that he once had been on. To the place that Akira had described several days before. Was it true? Did Akira speak the truth about the dangers that protected the mythical cure-all herb? He didn't know and didn't want to find out.

Only a few more moments of waiting did he have to go through until the shaman pulled the cloth, that hung as a door to the hut, away and beckon the Kaioshin inside. He held a expression on his face that would not allow Shin to know what had happened as he walked forwards and to the doorway to the hut. The deity was scared of what had happened as the shaman nodded down towards him and gave him a little push inside. Shin stumbled into the hut as the shaman stepped out and pulled the cloth shut to allow the God and assistant to be alone.

Shin looked behind him for a moment before he advanced towards the seemingly sleeping Kibito, his heart pounding in his chest as he tip-toed towards him. The fear inside of him was overwhelming as he kneeled down next to his bodyguard, afraid to touch him. He looks so peaceful when he is sleeping, Shin thought to himself as he sat down next to the mattress and put his arms around his knees. Like he is almost......dead....

"I assure you, Kaioshin-sama, I am very much alive," Kibito told him, not even bothering to open his eyes when he spoke. This scared the daylights out of his charge as he jumped from his sitting position to his feet. He wasn't expecting Kibito to say anything nor to read his mind.

"What the.....?" Shin hissed, his face showing the shock that he just had. Kibito opened his eyes, turning his head towards the Kaioshin with a half smile. The shock eventually turned into mock anger as Shin put his hands onto his hips and gave his bodyguard the best look that he could muster without laughing. "You know better then to read my mind, Kibito-kun."

"And you know better then to call me that."

"Only to get back at you for what you just did."

"So, I see that you have survived hell," Kibito said once Shin settled back down onto the ground next to his assistant.

"If you want to call it that," Shin replied, a sigh escaping his lips. "It was hell without you, but I managed. For the most part, at least."

"How did you find this...herb that the shaman calls it?" Kibito asked as he turned over onto his side with some help from the deity. The Kaioshin knew, from the expression that Kibito had on his face, that he didn't enjoy taking it as much as he did being sick.

"I had some help from someone there," Shin told him, biting his lower lip. He knew full well it was going to be hell trying to explain why they had to allow someone to be on Kaioshin-Kai for at least two minutes, but it was going to be much worse to explain that this someone was Akira then any other person there. "Um, Kibito? I have to tell you a couple of things that you are not going to like at all and I know it is a bad thing to tell you right now."

"What is it?" Kibito asked defensively, eyeing his charge. "What's so bad that you have that 'I-didn't-mean-to-do-it' look on your face?"

"Well, first off, I made a deal with the person that helped me and I can't go back on it."

"What's your end of the deal?" Silence ensued after Kibito asked the question, a pang of dread going through him as he hoped that Shin didn't make a unthinkable promise.

"It's only two minutes on Kaioshin-Kai, Kibito! It is not going to hurt anybody, not even us. Besides, I would think that after so long of being away from it...."

"You brought him to Kaioshin-Kai already?" Kibito roared, about to jump up from the mattress in anger when a voice stopped him.

"I won't do anything to your precious Kaioshin-Kai, Kibito, nor did your charge bring me there already," Akira snapped as he stepped in from the doorway. The bodyguard looked at this stranger from his past from his now sitting position on the mattress, anger and hurt in his eyes as he watched Akira stop behind Shin. "Besides, I didn't do anything to Shin anyways. He is the last Kaioshin, and I don't think you would have liked it if I even laid a finger on him."

"Who the hell are you and how do you know about the Kaioshin?" Kibito growled, giving a glare towards Shin.

"Why, I'd thought you would remember me after so long."

"No, I don't. Should I?"

"I can tell that you are getting jealous because I helped Shin. Don't worry," Akira told him, raising a hand, "I wouldn't hurt this East Kaioshin. It was the last one that I wanted to see die. Too bad I didn't."

"I...know...you," Kibito stammered, attempting to stand up but lost his balance as he fell back onto the mattress.

"Kibito, don't," Shin warned as his assistant tried to stand up again. He knew it was no use as Kibito moved to the edge of the mattress and placed his feet onto the ground. He then wobbled up to a semi-standing position as the Kaioshin stood up as well.

"You bastard," Kibito hissed, leaning onto Shin for support. "If I was any better, I would have your head. You are just lucky that I am still recovering from this."

"And I wouldn't have it any other way then to see you helpless and dependant on a Kaioshin," Akira replied, looking from Kibito to Shin. "Are you going to keep your end of the bargain still? There are still other ways to leave your bodyguard dead."

"I have no choice. I'm sorry," Shin whispered to Kibito.

"Why? Why him? Why didn't you ask anyone else but him?" Kibito snapped, looking down at his charge. "You know you could have done that."

"And have yourself killed because of it? It was either put some trust into Akira or to have you dead when I came back. And what would have had me do?"

"Let me die," Kibito said, standing up straight as he took a wobbly step towards Akira, who looked amused at this whole situation. It took several moments, but the bodyguard managed to get within a inch of Akira's face, a pissed off expression on his. "If I find out that you did anything to this Kaioshin or the last one before him, I promise I will have your head mounted on the entrance of the East Kaioshin's palace faster then you know what happened. And that is a promise I intend to keep."

"And it is coming from someone who refuses to accept any promises from anyone because he is too afraid that someone will break it again," Akira replied, yawning a bit. "I'd think that you would hate Shin for this. He did, after all, hurt you."

"The worst thing he could have done was to lie about what he was doing. He told me truthfully even if he knew that it was going to hurt me. I may be angry at him right now, disappointed to say the least, but he did what he had to do. I would do the same thing if I had to defend him."

"You did almost do the same thing, and I didn't believe you," Shin informed him, hanging his head.

"Ah, yes. That," Kibito answered, nodding his head as Akira backed up from him. "I suppose we are somewhat even for that. Now, what are we going to do about your end of the bargain?"

"I suppose he won't be able to keep his end, right?" Akira asked, his face going blank as he glared towards Shin.

"I never said that. When is what I am worried about. After all, you did try to take over Kaioshin-Kai once before with the Majin invasion that one time. What makes me think that you won't try it again?"

"You don't know, do you? You are just going to have to go ahead and let me be on it for however long your master lets me be on it."

"We shall see, but first Kibito needs some rest," Shin informed him, nodding towards his assistant to lay back down onto his mattress. "We will tell you what we are going to do when the time comes."

"Fine, but do hurry up. I've got other things to do besides wait here," Akira barked out, turning around on his heel before stomping out towards the entrance of the hut. He pulled the cloth open, nearly ripping it from it's hinges as he flew out the doorway in anger. Kibito took in a deep breath as he slowly turned towards the deity, slightly defeated as he dropped to his knees. Shin rushed forwards to help him up, but the assistant pushed him away.

"I can do it," Kibito hissed, attempting to stand up again but without any lucky as he fell back down onto the ground. He put his hands onto the ground for some support, Shin kneeling by him as he put his light purple hands onto the other's pink cheeks. He lifted Kibito's head so that the two of them were staring at each, a small smile coming onto Shin's lips.

"You know how sorry I am for doing this to you. I really didn't have any choice in this matter. I didn't want to have to find another bodyguard. You are the only one I want," The Kaioshin told him, moving a hand along his face.

"I know, Kaioshin-sama, I know. It is just that I didn't expect you to have someone help you like him."

"Be angry at me all you want. I would be too if you had done the same thing," He said as he helped Kibito to his feet and towards the mattress.

"I'm not that angry, just shocked and somewhat hurt," Kibito replied as he and the God collapsed onto the mattress. Shin snorted as he and his assistant laid onto it, the Kaioshin resting his head onto the other's shoulder.

"Shocked at what?" He asked as Kibito moved his fingers through his hair.

"Shocked at the fact that Akira would do something to save me. After all, he did try to have me killed more then once."

"More then once?"

"Hai."

"What were the other times?" Shin asked, looking up at his assistant.

"I'll explain it when I think it is time, but for right now, you need to get some sleep," Kibito instructed as he kissed Shin's forehead. "And you are going to stay here until I get better to at least transport the three of us to Kaioshin-Kai. We have some catching up to do and the shaman won't bother to come into the hut while you are here."

"Just you and me and that is all," The deity yawned, closing his eyes.

"Hai, Kaioshin-sama."

In the hours that came, the two fell asleep, ignoring the passing time.

****

Shin awoke several hours later to find himself tucked under a blanket on a mattress in a hut on a planet far away. At first, when he sat up sleepily, he thought he was in a dream and still on the battlefield of the distant planet. Slowly, as the minutes ticked by, he realized that it wasn't a dream as he was really in that hut where Kibito lay. But, the only part missing was Kibito himself.

"Kibito-kun?" The Kaioshin called out playfully, using the suffix the bodyguard hated so much. When no reply came after several minutes, worry started to set in as Shin threw off the blanket, moving to the edge of the mattress as she stood up quickly. He rushed to the doorway, flinging open the cloth that separated the inside of the hut from the rest of the world only to find nothing but the village that was now sheathed in darkness. Panic surfaced in the deity as he looked around frantically, his ebony eyes moving over the huts until his gaze rested upon the same bonfire that sat in the middle of the village. Children danced around the fire in the same fashion as they had before, the older villagers watching them in joy. Sitting on the outskirts of the circle of villagers sat Kibito, fully clothing like he was ready to go.

"You know you shouldn't scare me like that," Shin scolded his bodyguard as he walked up beside him. Kibito grunted his response to those words, not even bothering to look at his charge as he sat down next to him. "I had thought....."

".....that something had happened to me, I know," Kibito finished sourly, his eyes narrowing a bit. "I've told you before, you shouldn't worry about me."

"Y\I know. You should be doing the worry, right?"

"Hai."

"Well, for once Kibito, let someone worry about you," Shin told him, nudging his assistant's arm playfully with his cheek. Kibito glanced down at him, a smile coming onto his lips before it faded. "It will do you some good to have someone worry about you. Besides, if I don't have you to worry about, who am I to do so with?"

"Perhaps Akira. You weren't so quick to push him out."

"You don't let old grudges die, do you?"

"It wasn't your place to accept his help. There was no telling what he could have done to you. What if something had happened to you? I wouldn't have been there to protect you."

"But you were, Kibito," Shin said, looking up at his bodyguard. "I don't know how, but you were." He then poked Kibito in the arm roughly. "And don't say otherwise, either. Besides, I think you were a little bit jealous."

"Nani?" Kibito inquired, eyeing his charge closely.

"You didn't like the thought of someone else helping me. I didn't know it was there until Akira said something." Shin sighed as he turned his head towards the bonfire. "I am always going to depend on you for certain things and that will never change. I guess me having Akira's help was something I really didn't think about until afterwards."

"I know, but I do want you to rely on me always instead of someone else," Kibito whispered, lowering his gaze down to the ground.

"I will, Kibito, I will," Shin answered truthfully, putting his cheek onto Kibito's shoulder as he looked up at the sky. "What star do you think is our home?"

"So hard to tell from this place. I'd say it is that star on the right," The other said, pointing to a far away star with his other arm. Shin followed his bodyguard's arm and smile when he saw the shining blue one in the night sky.

"Or perhaps it is the one right about it."

"It could be the whole universe."

"Perhaps," Shin purred, closing his eyes again as he nestled next to Kibito. The two watched the sky until the day break, forever bounded by the sky above them.

****

Two Weeks Later

"I still can't believe you let him come here," Kibito hissed into Shin's ear as the two of them stood on a hill far away from their palace in the East. They had just returned from the planet only a moment ago, traveling together with a guest that they wished would not be there at that moment. Akira stood on a hill not too far away from the watchers behind him, his eyes moving slowly along the horizon of Kaioshin-Kai. He had gapped at the sight of the untouched wilderness of the planet, so used to the ruined battlefields and villages that were scattered across the plains. Here, on the Kaioshin's own planet, everything was left untouched except for the small land that was set aside for each Kaioshin's palace. Only the East's remained now, the other's ravaged by a single Majin's hand or by time herself.

"I can't believe how much of it hasn't changed since I last was here," Akira whispered, the wind moving through his hair as he turned around to face the last Kaioshin and his bodyguard.

"Are you satisfied now?" Shin demanded, crossing his arms over his chest as Akira rose up from the hill and floated over to where the two were standing. "You've got about another thirty seconds on this planet before your time is up. Use it well."

"I have used it well already," He informed him, lowering himself down onto the ground in front of the two. "I have see Kaioshin-Kai after so many years away from it. I was hoping that...."

"No," Shin said, raising a hand up to stop Akira from saying anything else. "No more time will be used to anywhere else on the planet. I have put myself and Kaioshin-Kai in enough danger by allowing you to come back. Now, it is time for you to leave. Kibito can take you so long as you two don't do any harm to each other."

"I understand, but I can do that myself, thank you. I still have retained some things from what I was taught," Akira said, bowing slightly. He straightened his back out just to smile at the small God before he fizzled out of view in a flash of color and brilliance. The two of them stood there, gawking at nothing for several moments before Kibito shoo his head to get rid of any images in his mind that he was thinking of.

"Now what do we do, sir?" Kibito, looking down at his charge with the same look that he had always carried on him.

"The same thing we have always done for the last year and that is to watch over the universe," Shin answered, taking a moment to look over the same place that Akira had been in before he looked up at Kibito. He held out his hand to the other, his head tilting to the side slightly as he gave him that knowing smile. "Come on. Let's go back to bed. I have a feeling there are some unfinished things we have to go over."

"Hai, Kaioshin-sama," Kibito replied, smiling back at him as he took the deity's hand as the two started to walk back towards their palace. Back to the place where the universe would not be watching them.

The End