Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Ball Z or any of its characters. This work of fiction is meant for entertainment purposes only.
Author's note:
Ok, this is a huge "note." Basically, I want to rewrite some of Dragon Ball Z under the premise that Goku's first born child (Gohan in the series) is actually a girl with similar, but also different traits. Why would I be processed to do this? Well, let me first warn you that this is NOT a self-insert fic. I hate those. Is there anything worse than a character that is so disgustingly perfect and so obviously the narcissistic "fictional" author? So this story is not about me. It is about how I've always dealt with stories in the sense that I need to feel as if I can inhabit one of the characters and live out the story through them, but without changing them. Well, Gohan has always been one of my favorite characters. So when I replay DBZ episodes and tweak the plots a little in my head, I always found that it just worked better for me if Gohan were a girl. She's different, but retains that very likable pure heartedness of Gohan along with his general dependability and intelligence. But here was always my dilemma. I also love Vegeta. In fact I would have to say he's my favorite, but I never could turn him into a girl in my head. That just ruined the essence of his very masculine character. My compromise? My "daughter of Goku" and Vegeta always fell in love in my head. I love the Bulma and Vegeta pairing, but the problem with it is there's no room for the martial arts between them. They can't really share that and it's the martial arts of DBZ that makes it so fun and different. So this has always been how I improvised DBZ for my own pleasure. I've long been tempted to actually write down one of my little DBZ stories, but I have always been afraid that people will completely reject the entire premise of "daughter of Goku." Lord knows I have read the first paragraph of hundreds of fanfics only to be annoyed at the entire premise. But I will give this one a shot anyway, because I love my characters. Hopefully, you will too.
Mia
P.S. I had trouble thinking of a name for my character. "Gohana" is just all wrong. So how about, Mai
Vegeta was dreaming. The Dragon Balls had revived his planet and he was returning victoriously to his home, complete with a parade in his honor. His father was even there to give him the tiniest nod of approval, which was an even greater event than the whole parade. It was one of those rare dreams where Vegeta didn't want it to end. Anything, to see his world of orange skies and endless plains again.
But a very sharp prod roused him, though he fought to remain in the pleasant dream. His father was even abdicating the throne so his son could finally be King. However, something was scampering all over him and wiggling around.
Vegeta cracked an eye open and saw Goten wrestling with his leg, attacking the gold tipped boot. The dream was gone and he knew that he probably wouldn't have another like it for a long time. It was unfortunate, he wished for not the first time that he could actually choose his dreams.
"Vegeta, come on, play with me," Goten growled. The half-saiyan boy chewed on the boot. Vegeta sighed and kicked the boy away. Goten skidded to a stop a few feet away, looked up and grinned at the young man who lay on the ground with his back propped up against the back of the sofa, arms crossed over his chest.
"Vegeta," Goten whined. He scrambled back up to sit in the Saiyan Prince's lap. Vegeta finally looked down coldly at the boy. Again, the boy smiled.
"Come outside and play with me," Goten demanded. Vegeta closed his eyes and sneered. With one quick swipe, he smacked the boy into the wall. Plaster muffled Goten's laughs.
"Hee hee hee," he giggled. Vegeta smirked almost imperceptibly.
"Vegeta! Stop hurting Goten," Chichi scolded from the kitchen. It was only three o'clock, but she was already bent over the stove preparing dinner. Three electric rice cookers were bubbling away, adding to what was already a mountain of cool rice resting in massive bowls on the counter. Vegeta stomach growled. Goten squatted next to Vegeta and poked his belly.
"Quit pestering me brat," he spat. The two young saiyans stared each other down, Vegeta still hadn't moved from his comfortable spot behind the couch, until finally he grew bored and broke the competition. He bumped his head gently against Goten's and nuzzled him away with the same begrudging love of a lion to its cub. Goten returned the soft head butt.
"Let's go," Vegeta mumbled. Goten scrambled to his feet.
"Are we going to pick up Mai?" he asked excitedly. "And then can we train," Goten continued, dancing from foot to foot.
"Whatever," Vegeta growled and strode out the room with Goten following like a puppy. He knew that "whatever" often meant yes for Vegeta.
"Bye mom! We're going to get Mai! We'll be back for dinner," Goten shouted to his mother's back in the kitchen.
Chichi spun around with a spatula held defensively like a sword. She frowned at Vegeta and looked nervously as her son clung to the leg of the much larger saiyan. Vegeta sniffed and crossed his arms, wearing that mask of hate that he used so often, but he really couldn't help himself from inhaling that intoxicating sent of dinner. Cooked eggs. Chopped ham. Soy sauce. Looked like the makings of fried rice.
As the two saiyans left, Goten waving wildly, Chichi didn't lower her spatula.
"She's never going to trust me," Vegeta thought to himself as Goten and he took off and flew over the mountainside. It bothered him that the stupid female and her distrust bothered him. "Earth has made me so weak," he thought and sighed heavily. Goten didn't notice Vegeta's poor mood. He was too busy counting how many people had pools as they neared West City.
"There's her school!" he shouted excitedly, just like he did every day, as if it really did surprise him every single day that they found it again. Vegeta rolled his eyes. They landed in the school yard and perched atop a tree.
The bell tolled loudly. Vegeta shrank into his shoulders to escape the grating sound. Boys and girls, only a few years younger than Vegeta poured out the school building. Vegeta's heart began to thud, and he was mortified to feel a blush burning up down his ears, threatening his cheeks. He scanned the masses of dark hair and navy blue uniforms.
"There she is!" Goten shouted, pointing at the one red head that stood out in the bunch. Vegeta sighed, then snorted, then looked away, then looked back. The red hair had been a mystery to her parents and friends. Both her parents had black hair, but Mai was like a sunbeam. Vegeta knew that it wasn't uncommon for Saiyan females to take unusual coloring. They were so rare, perhaps the coloring was an evolution to make Saiyan males (typically stupid) appreciate their counterparts. A biological signal of worth and specialty.
"Mai! Oh, Maiiii!"Goten called, waving to his sister. She smiled and waved back. She skipped once and bounded into the tree to join them. Her classmates, gawked.
"They'll never understand her, no matter how many times they see it," Vegeta thought to himself. Shen settled down on a branch beside him and smoothed her skirt before looking up at Vegeta, who was doing his best to ignore her. She tucked a stray piece of shaggy hair behind her ear before softly rubbing her nose against his arm.
"Are you wiping your boogers on me?" he snapped at her. Shen simply smiled back.
"Thanks for coming to get me…" she began. Vegeta started to lean closer to her, however she continued to speak, "…but I promised I would walk home with Akira today." He froze. "Who?" he asked himself. Blood rushed to his temples.
"So I will see you at dinner, ok?" Shen stated, jumped off the tree and landed gracefully beside a young, gawky man who waited beneath the foliage.
"Wh-" Vegeta stuttered, but didn't know what to say. He had to calm himself with the techniques his father had shown him as a child. He counted ten long breaths, returning to his normal composure. He had almost lost control, which seemed to be happening more frequently in the past months.
"Mai's got a boyfriend, Mai's got a boyfriend!" Goten called down at his sister, who ignored him, dragging the young man behind her. Goten looked back at Vegeta behind him in the tree. He was a little startled to see the Prince's temple pulsing, ticking like a bomb. Despite his exercises, Vegeta still looked like he was choking.
"Vegeta?" Goten asked innocently.
"Stupid wench. How dare she let a low-life earthling touch her," Vegeta growled dangerously. He began to levitate above the tree and Goten recognized the aggressive stance the older saiyan took.
"You're not seriously worried about her are you?" Goten called up to Vegeta, but Vegeta didn't even look down at the boy. "I was just teasing her, that's really not her boyfriend," Goten pleaded as he felt Vegeta's ki begin to rumble. Goten snapped his fingers and jumped up to hover face to face with the saiyan.
"Why does a Prince like you care?" Goten asked viciously. The trick worked and Vegeta's power plummeted. His shoulders pulled back and the sneer returned to his face.
"I don't, but saiyans shouldn't associate with powerless little earthlings. It's unseemly."
"Sure, Vegeta, suuuure," Goten laughed. "Let's go train." But Vegeta wouldn't move and he wouldn't stop staring at the redhead which bobbed below him. She was standing stiffly listening to the boy, nodding her head vigorously every few seconds.
"Feh," said Vegeta and flew away with Goten directly behind him.
Later as the two saiyans sparred in a grassy field near the house (so they could smell the moment dinner was done), Vegeta struck at Goten but the young boy dodged it easily. Goten frowned.
"What's up with you? You stink today."
Vegeta looked shocked and considered blasting the boy. "I should send you to hell!" he roared, but Goten didn't even flinch. He just laughed, which completely disarmed Vegeta. "How dare you laugh at me, fool! You're as stupid as your third-class father!" But this just made Goten giggle harder.
"You would never hurt me, would you Vegeta?" Goten asked softly, smiling up at the horrified looking prince. Vegeta sighed and turned his back to the boy, his shoulders slumping ever so slightly.
"How did this happen?" Vegeta asked himself and walked away from Goten and the house. Goten ran up from behind and grabbed Vegeta's tail, pulling on it playfully. Vegeta stopped and glared down at the boy who didn't care about the Prince's foul mood.
"You should be my enemy. You're my enemy's son," Vegeta spat. "And so should she," the Prince whispered, but Goten wasn't even listening. Vegeta's tail was far too much fun to swing on.
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Vegeta brushed his teeth dejectedly. He could barely bring himself to spit the foam out. He sighed loudly. Goten spat the foam all over his mouth, and growled like a rabid dog in the mirror. Vegeta knocked the silly boy from behind with a swift knee to the head. Goten sputtered and spat the remaining toothpaste into the sink. He coughed a few times before raising his hands up to Vegeta, opening and closing his pudgy fingers pathetically. Vegeta didn't look at him or stop brushing his teeth, but with his free hand he filled a cup with water and handed it to Goten. Goten swallowed it greedily before offering the empty cup to Vegeta again. They repeated the process twice more, until the saiyan prince had finally finished brushing his own teeth. Goten smiled, baring his fangs warmly to Vegeta.
"All clean?"
Vegeta showed his own fangs in response. Goten nodded his head gravely.
"This is what I am reduced to," Vegeta thought sadly to himself. "I used to make entire civilizations cry for mercy, and I never gave it to them. Now my greatest adventure…getting a five year old boy to brush his teeth." Tired of sighing, Vegeta lifted Goten with one well-muscled arm, and threw the boy into bed.
"Where is Mai?" asked Goten as he snuggled his way head first into the sheets before turning around to lay his spiky head on the pillow. The question made Vegeta tense up further. He would not be sleeping much tonight.
"Might as well train then," he thought to himself. "I don't know, now go to sleep," he answered harshly to Goten. But Goten never flinched when Vegeta yelled.
"Tell my about my Daddy," Goten demanded, his eyes already drooping. Vegeta snorted and crossed his arms. He sat down on the floor and leaned his back against the short bed frame so he and Goten were at nearly the same level.
"You're father was the most infuriating saiyan I had ever met. He was my greatest enemy."
"That's all you ever say about him," Goten muttered sleepily.
"I hated your father, I still do."
"Mmm-hmm."
"Idiot. I was going to kill him."
But Goten had already fallen asleep. Vegeta sighed again, then growled at himself for sighing and being so weak. He let his head fall back onto the bed so he just brushed against Goten's arm. The boy was already drooling.
"You two always look so cute together."
Vegeta snapped to attention, realizing that he had been dozing. "No wonder I didn't feel her ki return," he thought to himself.
Mai sauntered into the room. She had already changed out of her school uniform into a soft tee-shirt and pajama bottoms, which were covered with a pattern of Dragon Balls. She knelt beside Vegeta onto the futon that was his own bed beside Goten's. They sat silently, not looking at each other. For the first time since he had seen her earlier in the day, Vegeta felt an overwhelming sense of relief.
"Sorry you came all that way to pick me up today," apologized Mai. She began to braid her hair into a thick plait. Vegeta watched her hands out of the corner of his eye.
"You should be, woman," he growled. "Now get out of my bed."
"If you want me to, I have a lot of homework to do and I haven't even started yet," she replied, completely unfazed by his stern tone. She began to rise, powerfully and gracefully without using her hands which were still wrapped up in her thick hair.
"You didn't train today," Vegeta stated flatly. Mai paused in mid-crouch, in perfect balance. She stared into his black eyes. Hers were darkly green, without the faintest impurity of color.
"I wanted to, but then Akira asked me out to get something to eat," she replied sinking back down into his cushiony futon.
Vegeta moved his leg as if to kick her, but the move only turned into a slightly affectionate shove. Mai let her body sway passively against the tap. "I shouldn't have to tell you…" he began, his voice rumbling in his chest.
"…Don't lower myself with Earthlings?" Mai finished for him just as she tied her braid off with a band. She threw the plait over her shoulder and leaned closer to him on her knees and hands. "Vegeta, I am an Earthling," she whispered.
"Look to your better side," he snorted in reply. Mai didn't bother to speak any more, but she did butt her head against his chest and collapsed into his arms. She ran her face against his muscles, feeling them flex in response. He pushed one hand against her shoulder, as if to push her off his body, but he gave only a tired effort and held her harder with the other arm flexed around her tiny waist. Mai moved even closer, until she sat comfortably in his lap. She buried her face against his neck. He purred, and ran his fingers through her hair, gently undoing her braid.
"Let me groom you," he asked gruffly, though it sounded more like a demand. Mai nodded her head and undid the band that tied her hair.
"Only if I can do you too," she replied. Vegeta nodded and began to work his hands and teeth through her hair, softly across her scalp, and almost imperceptibly down her back. He raised her tee-shirt to feel the skin tenderly down her spine.
But Vegeta's turn to be groomed never came. Mai fell asleep curled in his arms. He knew she would insist on giving his turn first tomorrow. She was always fair, so he didn't complain.
He laid her gently in his own bed, but didn't fall into it himself. His blood was too hot and content to trust himself at the moment. He slipped out the open window into the cool night. Looking over his shoulder he saw that Goten and Mai, brother and sister were both drooling in their sleep. He smirked at all that was left of his saiyan family. The earliest cicadas of the season buzzed lazily in the trees. Vegeta flew a little ways to his favorite secluded tree. He straddled a limb gingerly, and rested against the massive trunk, crossing his arms and closing his eyes.
"Wench took my bed," he muttered in mock anger, but his ears burned. Vegeta opened his eyes and stared into the sky where the moon should have rested.
"I hate you Goku."
"I know Vegeta, I know," came the soft and sad voice which often entered the saiyan prince's head.
"I should have been the one to defeat you. You should have lived."
"That's in the past now, Vegeta."
They were silent for several minutes.
"How are they?"
"Who, fool, the family you left behind?" Vegeta grumbled. "They're fine."
"Thank you for taking care of them."
"I'm not taking care of them! I don't take care of anybody but myself. I have no time for foolish…"
"…sentiment. I know, Vegeta. You're so predicatable."
Vegeta couldn't help but note, as he always did, that the voice sounded so sad. Not like his former goofy and foolish self. The man Vegeta knew before didn't know what it meant to be sad. He was either angry, happy, or confused. He was just that simple. But now that he was gone, he only spoke to Vegeta in tones of regret.
"Tell me about Goten."
"Why should I." But the voice didn't bite Vegeta's bait. The prince sighed, "Only that he asks about you."
"And Mai?"
But Vegeta wouldn't answer this question. He wasn't sure where to begin and if he might blurt something that he would regret telling her father.
They didn't speak for another hour. Vegeta thought perhaps he had finished talking so the Prince ventured to say something that was really meant only for himself.
"How did this happen, Kakarott? How could I be helping you?"
"Because you do it for the love of them," came the honest reply. Vegeta startled. He hadn't wanted to hear the answer to his own question. "Which makes me love you," continued the haunting voice. These were words Vegeta would never share with another creature. He flew into a rage, bursting with energy.
"Curse you, I hate you all! I don't do this for anyone but myself!" But even as he destroyed the woods in a circle around his body, crackling with energy, he knew he lied. He knew he would calm down. He knew he would return to his room, and he knew he would hold both Goten and Mai in his arms as he fell asleep. Holding his tiny family against everything that seemed to threaten them in the universe.
