Goku and Daizu
There was dust in his mouth, he could feel the gritty texture on his tongue, taste the bland, slightly copperish flavor. He coughed and spit, reaching for his water canteen to try, and wash the foul stuff from his mouth.
Up ahead of him his twin brother strode on confidently through the crowd, seemingly unaffected by the dust filled air around them. From time to time the older brother would glance back at his sibling, checking that he was keeping up.
His concern both made Daizu happy, and simultaneously made him wanna sock Goku in the face for being such a condescending prick. (Daizu was well aware that he was just being oversensitive and childish... he also didn't give a rat's ass. Goku's concerned big brother routine was getting in the way of his job. He'd barely had time to steal any Zeni or Gil. They were surrounded by a bunch of wealthy merchants, and yet Daizu couldn't do anything because of Saint Goku's constant benevolent gaze making his stomach ache with guilt.)
His stomach growled loudly... Ohhhh... Not totally guilt's fault than...
"I'm hungry..." Daizu declared finally. Wiping sweat from the side of his dirt covered face. Why was Tytania so damn humid compared to Guardia!? Seriously he was pretty sure that he'd lost like a quarter of his total water mass within the last hour of traveling alone.
Goku finally stopped walking completely and turned back to the sullen, dust covered teen behind him. He felt a little bad for not stopping sooner. But he just knew that they were getting close to the next town. He could sense the tingling ethereal chi of dozens of people milling together in one place, that place growing ever closer, they were prohaps two or three miles away from the settlement...
Goku looked at his brother's miserable expression again, and knew right then and there that he couldn't just keep pushing the boy forward with no rest. Daizu had been amazingly tolerant of this whole thing. Uprooting himself and following along with Goku's crazy plan to walk all the way to the capital of Tytania from West City. Even Bulma had told him that his plan was rediculous, and had offered to fly them there in one of her family's airships.
But Goku had been stubborn and insisted that it wouldn't be a real adventure if they spent the whole trip stuffed inside an airship. (Cool as the airships in this new timeline were.) Daizu had gone along with it with minimal grumbling, and for that Goku was eternally grateful. Daizu was cute when he was being stubborn (Sort of how Vegeta had been once upon a time... wow, Vegeta. Hadn't thought about him in a good while.) But push him too far and it stopped being cute or funny and just got obstructive to anything you were trying to accomplish.
So yeah, same as with Vegeta: Know the limits.
Right now Goku was pretty sure he'd maxed himself out. So he nodded in meek compliance.
Immediately Daizu whole countenance changed, scowl giving away to a look of weary relief. Slumping his shoulders body listing slightly foward.
Goku chuckled sheepishly, "Guess I got a little caught up there. Sorry we can rest for a while. Com'on, let's get off the road and find some place less dusty to eat."
"Gladly." Daizu sighed. The two young men weaved their way through the traffic congested road, to a ditch which they crossed in a leap. Running up the grass covered Hill side. Daizu was sweating more then ever, but he had a bright grin on his dirt smudged face. Up here above the crowds, and dust, the whole of Tytania spread out before them in all its sun hazed splender; the green fields and forests, the sparkling blue waters of rivers, streams and lakes, and there, just beyond the next downward slope in the road, was a bustling town.
"Knew it couldn't be much farther." Goku beamed.
"That's not the capital tho is it...?" Daizu sighed sadly, grin falling.
"Naw, but it's not too much farther." Goku said confidently, as he slung his dusty ruck sack on the ground, dusting it off before opening it to retrieve the M.R.E's Bulma had packed for them, "Huhn, looks like we're getting low. We might have to stay in town for a bit and restock..."
Daizu pulled out one of his own meals without even seeing what it was, and ripped into it, sorting trough the packets for the main course and tossing it in the cooking bag. He then tore open a package of what appeared to be crackers with cheese spread in it. He scarffed it down without actually tasting it. He sorted trough the rest of the food.
"What is with there never being any chocolate in these stupid things??" he grumbled bitterly.
Goku chuckled again, "Better luck next time."
Daizu stuck his tongue out at the older boy petulantly, which just made Goku laugh louder.
A small part of Daizu was proud for having made his big brother laugh.
A bigger part was annoyed by the lack of chocolate in his meal.
Stupid Capsule Corp. Didn't they know how important chocolate was!?
A packet suddenly hit him in the head and Daizu stared down in shock at the package of chocolate pudding.
"Stop scowling and toss me your pound cake." Goku snickered.
Daizu blinked and glanced about owlishly, before finally spying the Strawberry Pound cake and tossed it into Goku's waiting hands.
He'd then turned back to the chocolate pudding and looked it over revenantly.
Goku ignored him in favor of chowing down on some kind of cassarole and soup with breadsticks.
Daizu'sturned out to be a spiced meat dish with a strange name. Rosemary potatoes, and vegetable soup... and chocolate pudding.
The boys ate fast, and then repacked and started toward the town, walking through the field, rather than return to trudging slowly along with the crowds in the street.
"If we can run the rest of the way we'll get there by midday." Goku said.
Daizu groaned, but nodded.
