Dragon Ball NG: The New Saiyans-Book 1-Complete (A DBZ Fan Fiction Series)

Chapter 5

Shay-z's POV:

As I followed Tora back into the house, I heard chopsticks and chewing and dishes in the sink. In the doorway to the kitchen, I sat my plate down and dashed up the stairs to the bedroom Tora had shown me.

I closed the door after I was inside and walked over to the window. I finally figured out how to open it and did so. I crossed my arms and rested them on the windowsill, then leaned out and took a deep breath, longing for the comfort of the woods, but knowing I'd starve to death if I stayed there much longer. But I also felt my stomach refuse to the food I'd just eaten, but I kept it where it belonged.

I knew that Tora was probably going to stay downstairs for dessert, so I decided to clean up the place a little bit. I put all the training equipment in the corner and picked up all the empty rice bowls and stacked them up. I fixed shelves and organized books, and even made Tora's bed.

Once I'd finished, I took a deep breath, grabbed the sack of rice bowls, and brought them down to the kitchen.

I walked through the room trying to act like this happened every day, but Bulma quickly took the bowls away from me and put them in the sink.

"You don't have to clean while you stay here," she said with a smile. "Have fun."

Tora looked up, and said, "Yeah," through a mouthful of some kind of cake, and the sight of it almost made me want to gag.

"I-I don't mind," I said before heading for the stairs.

I stopped at the foot of the stairs where I was out of sight from everyone else. I heard Bulma say, "Tora, you don't have to help with any chores tonight. Go keep that poor girl company."

Ugh, I thought, another form of sympathy.

I waited in the room, sitting on a bed, until Tora came up and sat next to me.

"Hey," she said. "How'd you get that scar? Is it a battle wound?"

"Sorta," I said, and almost let the topic drop, but I figured it was best for her to find out now then later.

She looked at me, clearly expecting a story, but she looked like she wouldn't be horribly disappointed if she didn't get one. Being the good person that I am, I gave her what she wanted.

"I got this scar when I was four," I said. "It was the day my parents died. Well, were murdered."

I saw horror on her face, and I knew she wanted to hear more.

"I was in bed and all of a sudden I heard my mom scream. I ran into the living room to see my dad's bloody corpse and my mom had been shot in the side."

I was on the verge of tears. I felt Tora put her hand on my shoulder, and I wiped at my eyes, letting her keep her hand where it was.

"I couldn't see the man's face," I said. "All I could see of him was the smile on his face when I'd run in. He threw a knife in my direction, and it made this scar." I touched my forehead, remembering everything.

"My mom screamed, but I was in a haze or something. I remember not feeling much pain in my head, but feeling the blood running down my face. I know that I saw the man stab my mom in the chest, and I heard her whisper for me to run, before she fell to the ground dead.

"So I did, of course. I ran to the woods and climbed a tree. I stayed there for hours before I got down and walked to a river. I treated the cut myself." That's where my voice broke, and I couldn't compose myself. "I haven't trusted anyone since that night."

Tora pulled me into a hug, and I didn't jump out of it. This was my big first step on learning to trust people. No one had ever heard that story before, and I was entrusting it to someone I'd just met. I knew Tora was trustworthy. I could feel it like I could with Goku. I knew she would keep it a secret if I asked her to, and I knew she'd help me in any way she could.

"I'm here for you, okay?" Tora said. I looked at her. "I won't tell anyone, and I'll make sure no one finds you to finish the job they started years ago. Of course, you probably don't need my help that much if you're a Super Saiyan, but I'll do what I can."

I smiled at her offer, and the little bit of humor she'd tried to add. I thanked her and then went quiet, staring down at my hands.

"Hey," Tora said, "You wanna watch a movie?"

"Huh?"

"Oh come on. Don't tell me you've never watched television before."

"Tora, I'm homeless, not a freak."

She laughed and pulled me over to a mound of movies. "Pick something."

I looked through the stack until I found one. "Awesome!" Tora said. "This one's my favorite!"

She put in the movie and turned out the lights. She got in her bed, and I got in the other. It was softer than what I was used to, but to be fair, I was used to sleeping on the ground. I covered up and got comfortable, and before the movie could even get started, I'd fallen into a dreamless sleep.