To Win a Royal Heart
To Win a Royal Heart
Chapter 1
Goku felt, rather than heard the low growl that rumbled through his chest as he watched his long-time rival and friend tossed to the side like a rag doll. Vegeta's body flew through the air and landed on the battle-scarred earth with a dull thud, his body shuddering visibly at the impact.
"Vegeta!" Goku screamed, the air around him flickering with charged particles as his power once again skyrocketed. The monstrosity in front of him gave a low gurgle, what Goku imagined was supposed to be a vulgar laugh. Still sensing Vegeta's ki, though terribly weak, Goku continued the battle with the disgusting violet-hued giant who had invaded Earth just days before. It had been three long days, and Goku was nearly spent.
"Why don't you just give up, Saiyan?" The monster croaked, flashing its sharp, yellowed fangs in something between a grimace and a snarl. Muscles rippled as the beast lumbered over to the fallen Vegeta, nudging him sharply with its booted foot. "Your little friend sure didn't last long…pity…he had such a big mouth, I was beginning to believe his claims." The booted foot drew back before smashing into Vegeta's ribcage, which was already cracked and broken. "Too bad he wasn't half the warrior he claimed to be." The monster said with a smirk.
With another angry growl, Goku stepped forward before disappearing and reappearing behind the beast. "Vegeta is the best warrior I've ever known, don't belittle him in any way!" He raged, bringing his clasped hands down hard on the back of the alien's neck. His power surged, and the force of impact sent the monster face-first into the earth a few feet – Goku was quickly losing control.
Dozens of feet away, Gohan lifted his head to see his father attacking with fast powerful moves, the eyes that were usually clear and lighthearted were now hazed and reflected the bloodshed he was in the midst of creating. The young man shook his head, crawling over to Trunks to check his injuries, and then to Vegeta, who had just awakened and was watching the fight, pain evident in his eyes. Vegeta glanced his way, then waved one hand as if to shoo the half-saiyan away.
"Kakarotto's other brat was sent crashing through those mountains over there.." he said, pointing with a gloved finger. "You best go check on him." Vegeta said softly, cringing before holding his ribs.
Gohan blinked, then painfully flew to go check on his younger brother.
Meanwhile, the fight raged on.
Due to Goku's sudden renewal of strength, the alien was now horribly outmatched, and was enraged because of it. Goku sent a spin kick into it's face, watching with satisfaction as it's nose and mouth erupted into a fountain of sticky green blood; a spin sent back the other direction sent his right fist into the beings stomach repeatedly, until the monster slowly sunk to the ground. He narrowly dodged a ki blast, then another; eyes narrowed over Goku's shoulder as the alien spotted Vegeta trying to stand a few yards away.
With a roar of rage, it raised it's hand towards the injured saiyan prince, it's digits beginning to glow with an eerie yellow light.
"Vegeta!" Goku warned, knowing the older man couldn't get out of the way in time, as injured as he was. Goku blinked out, then reappeared high in the sky, his hands in position. "Ka…me…ha…me…haaaaaa!" he shouted, his arms thrust in front of him as the large ball of energy hurtled towards the monster at surprising speed. The monster had enough time to catch the sneer of triumph the saiyan prince flashed and turn fearful eyes upwards at the blast as it erupted around him, tearing his being to pieces.
As the smoke cleared, Goku heard his sons' voices below and began to float towards the ground, a soft tap sounding as he landed softly. The first voice he heard was Goten's.
"Hey, what's that box there?" His youngest son asked no one in particular. Vegeta didn't look interested and Trunks was still out cold. Gohan squinted into the smoke and shrugged his shoulders slightly.
"I don't know, bro…I can't see anything." Gohan replied, glancing towards his father as the older saiyan landed a short distance away. "You okay, Dad?" he called out, smiling as he acknowledged the faint nod from his father. However, Goku was also staring into the smoky area with interest, his head cocked to the side and his dark eyes narrowed questioningly.
Goku stepped over to the area where the beast had been, his eyes falling upon a small golden box that sat upon the ground. It was a tiny box, about a quarter of the size of Goku's palm. An eyebrow lifted as he bent and examined it, determining that it wasn't harmful in any obvious way. His hand shot out and snatched it up, peering at it closer.
"Be careful, dad, you don't know what it is!" Goten exclaimed, stepping forward. Gohan nodded in agreement, but stayed silent, his own eyes appraising the small box.
"I am being careful, son. I don't think it's harmful though..." He said, lifting its small lid. A tingling sensation ran through Goku's body and he looked up, surprised at the sudden foreboding of danger he felt. "Boys...go! Now!" He yelled, his eyes widening. Gohan stumbled backwards, but Goten froze, his own eyes wide with panic. "Goten!! Go! N--" The rest of his sentence was silenced as a light flashed from the box, enveloping both of them.
"Dad! Goten!" Gohan screamed as he dashed forward. He cursed as he was abruptly yanked backwards by a strong arm wrapped around his own. Vegeta hissed as pain jolted through his body at the jerking motion his body endured trying to stop the slightly larger half-saiyan, his broken ribs grinding painfully against one another in the process.
"Idiot! Don't go near it!" He growled, staring at the spot that the father and son had been standing. The small golden box lay on it's side, it's lid closed, and Goku and Goten were nowhere to be seen.
"No….Dad…" Gohan whispered softly, yanking his arm from Vegeta's strong grasp. He knelt, lifting the small box. "What…where?" He began, his eyes lifting to look into Vegeta's. Vegeta shook his head silently, his eyes filled with pain and another emotion that made Gohan start with surprise. Sympathy.
Goku awoke with a jolt, his body sore and tingling. He couldn't remember why he might have been sleeping, and couldn't recall anything that had happened recently. He groaned, wondering if he'd gotten another beating from Vegeta and was sporting yet another concussion. His mind was extremely foggy as he stared into the grass and mud beneath him, his nose twitching and his eyebrows drawing together questioningly. Something smelled off. He couldn't remember the scent of this place, like he'd never been there before.
A noise a few feet from him had him up on his knees in seconds, his heart jumping and his adrenaline surging with cautious instinct. A soft groan escaped his dry, cracked lips as his head swam, a bout of vertigo overtaking him. As his eyes continued to seemingly swim in circles on their own accord, a voice sounded off to his right.
"Dad?" The voice asked weakly; Goku squeezed his eyes shut, shaking his head slightly before opening them again, his vertigo tapering off into a slight woozy feeling. His eyes wandered over to the limp form of his youngest son and his head almost immediately cleared.
"Goten…are…are you alright, son?" He asked, edging his way over to Goten. Goten groaned as he tried to push himself up.
"I feel like shit." Goten replied, one hand holding tightly to the side of his skull.
Goku snorted softly, immediately reminding himself of Vegeta. "Yeah, me too. What happened, do you remember?" He asked, dragging his fingers through his spiky, mud caked hair.
"The box, Dad…the light…" Goten answered, lifting his head and meeting his father's gaze. Goku's eyes widened at the memory.
After a few seconds of shock, the tall saiyan glanced around their surroundings curiously. "But…where are we?" They certainly weren't in the desert where they had been fighting the power-hungry alien; and Vegeta, Gohan and Trunks…what had happened to them? Were they okay? By Goten's slightly fearful gaze, he knew his son was wondering the same things. "Well, lets wander around and see what we can find." He said, standing. Almost immediately, he felt heavier, as if the air was denser…or like gravity was pressing down upon him more than usual. He frowned as he watched Goten stand with some difficulty, then turned wordlessly and began walking. Goku froze suddenly as his eyes lifted skywards, his eyes widening, tail stopping it's playful swaying to bristle rigidly.
"Dad, what's wr-" Goten began, a gasp escaping his throat. The sky above them was red, nearly the color of blood. "Kami-sama! Dad, what's wrong with the sky?"
Goku stared upward, his brows drawn together. "Goten…I'm afraid we aren't…on Earth anymore." He said softly. As if to verify this, a sudden gruff voice called out to them.
"You there! Stop where you are!" The voice belonged to a tall man that was just stepping out from a small crop of strange looking trees. The man approached, his muscled bulging around his armor with each move. "Why aren't you suited up?" He demanded, a gloved finger pointing at them accusingly.
"bah…gah…um…" Goku stuttered, then flashed the man a goofy smile. "We don't have uniforms!"
Goten studied the man and his strange attire then leaned over to his father and whispered. "Uh..dad? Isn't….isn't that saiyan armor? Like Vegeta's?" He asked, watching as the recognition flashed in his father's eyes. Goku's eyes shot skyward again, peering into the red sky, then back to the man.
"Oh boy…" He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Lower you Ki some and play the part, Goten. Don't ask questions." He muttered softly.
The man snorted, stepping closer to Goku. "No uniform? Everyone on the base should have armor; Surely you aren't a peasant?" the man snorted again, his eyes raking over both men's physique. "Come with me, I'll get both of you suited up and into quarters before you're both hung for being out past curfew. Why have you not joined the saiyan army until now…you a farming family or something?" he asked as he began to walk away, motioning for them to follow.
Goku wasn't a liar, and had never been one…but now wasn't the time for honesty. "Uh…yes! Yes, I am a farmer, and this is my son. We thought…it was…about time we joined, since we are relatively good fighters…" His eyes slid sideways as his sentence was ended by a strangled cough from Goten. They rounded a corner and at last emerged from the brush, only to be faced with a large expanse of beaten down dirt, a perfect area for sparring, Goku thought idly, before his eyes settled a few miles across the expanse, on the large dark looming fortress.
Well, come on." The man said simply, his short dark spikes swaying only slightly in the crisp breeze as he burst into the air, flying quickly towards the fortress. Goku eyed his son, silently confirming that Goten understood the need for as much silence and caution as possible. Goten nodded, and both blasted off into the sky after the large saiyan. The fortress was large and foreboding; yet slightly primitive looking with it's rough rock outer walls and its basic square structure. On the top of the fortress stood many tall spires, very simple and domed, with doors that led onto small rail-less balconies. Goku assumed these were lookouts. As they flew above it, father and son spotted many small round pods, known to them as being saiyan spacecraft, along with a dozen or more round indentations about the same size.
'for landing the pods, I bet..' Goku thought to himself as his eyes wandered over the expansive roof. The saiyan warrior before them began to descend to the ground outside of the fortress, Goku and Goten following behind slowly. After landing, they both glanced around briefly before the man motioned for them to once again follow him.
He led them up a wide steep set of steps to the front of the fortress; Goku couldn't help but stare at all the saiyans that surrounded him, walking, talking, arguing…daily life for them. He had never been around so many of his own kind before. He looked around in wide-eyed wonder as they entered the large entryway, leading into a spacious court filled with hundreds strong male warriors, only a few females to be seen amongst them, all of them dressed in the same familiar armor. They were swiftly pulled out of the court and down a long hallway, until finally, they stopped before a set of double doors. One guard stood rigid outside of them, but he simply gave the man with them a nod before opening the doors wide, letting them pass into the bright room. One man sat behind a metal desk, his eyes moving over a computer screen on his right. A wall of lockers ran the full length of the wall on the left, and the right was dominated by a section of chairs, in what looked like a waiting area. The man glanced up from his computer, then did a double take.
"Dreggen, what's this?" the man asked, his dark emotionless eyes drifting from Goten to Goku and back again.
"Sir…I found these two outside of the battle field. They claim they are farmers who wish to join combat. They are father and son." He added, stepping aside so the man could get a better look at them. The man stood, his eyes showing no interest whatsoever. His hand reached down for something, and a device was slipped over the man's eye, it's button pressed. The man looked up at Goku, a haze of lights flashing softly against the lens as the device read Goku's power level. The man blinked in surprise, then pressed the button again, coming up with the same number.
"Hn." The man said, turning to Goten and repeating the process. After he was finished, the lens was removed and he stepped around the desk to stand before Goku. "You have the power reading of a first class, young man. How is it you've escaped the ranks so far?" He asked quietly. "Farmer or no, this kind of reading does not go unnoticed."
Goku blinked, not knowing what to say. He had suppressed his ki drastically, without making it so low that it was obvious he was suppressing. He shrugged his shoulder lightly, his face blank. "I don't know, sir…no one has ever said anything to me before about it. My son and I have worked hard training the past few years, though." He said, glancing to Goten, who looked like he was about to throw up.
The man stared at Goku for a brief second, then nodded slowly, not completely accepting the reply. His dark eyes studied Goku's face, a deep frown crossing his features. "You aren't related to Bardock, are you? You look quite a bit like him, wouldn't you say, Dreggen?" The man asked, pointing a finger in Goku's face. "What is your name?"
"ah…no…well, I don't know, sir. My name is…Goku." He answered. "And this is my son, Goten. What class reading is he?"
The man's eyes flickered to the younger saiyan, then back to Goku. "He is showing promise of the second class. By the way, I am General Kellek" He said, then opened his mouth to say more, but just at that moment, the door behind them was flung open roughly, harsh footsteps stomping up to stand next to Goku.
"SOMEONE had BETTER give me some answers about THIS!" A male voice growled softly, slamming a creamy sheet of paper down on the general's desk. General Kellek crossed his arms and sat back in his chair.
"Well now, Bardock…we were just speaking of you." The General said with a smirk.
Goku gasped softly, spinning around to face…himself. Or nearly so. The man looked exactly like him, with the exception of the long scar upon the man's cheek; and the eyes…they were much…harder. Bardock's lip lifted in a snarl before his eyes met Goku's; there, the eyes of his father widened slightly, a haze of confusion masking their dark depths.
"What…" Bardock began, not knowing what to say. Father and son stared at each other with open curiosity, though Goku's interest was innocent, Bardock's was fueled by confusion and anger.
The general chose to step in at that moment. "Bardock…meet Goku, a new recruit to our army. He is of…first class readings." The last three words were meant to hang in the air purposefully. "And his son, Goten…second class. As you are but a third class, I will assign you to show them around, after they are situated. You will also be accompanying them to the meeting this week. Understood?" The general asked, satisfaction gleaming in his eyes as Bardock bristled.
"But general, I should be on planet Yarron right now! Why was I barred from the flight?" Bardock asked, nearly shaking with rage.
"You know the answer to that, Bardock. You were hurt badly two days ago, and need time to heal, son. It's just a week…you'll live without killing for a week, eh? Now…help these two get their armor and get them settled into their new homes. Dismissed, all of you." The general snapped, turning his back to them to look back at his computer monitor.
Bardock stood gritting his teeth, his eyes narrowed dangerously. Goku blinked, then gave a lighthearted laugh. "Well…guess we should get some armor…" He said happily, cringing at the death stare his father sent him. If only you knew, father…