Keeper of the Keys
Chapter One: Arrival

The following story takes place in an AU medieval/futuristic setting. That being said, all characters will be kept in character as close as humanly possible. Most chapters will also be long, which I hope you do not mind, as I tend to enjoy an engaging plot to go along with any smut (and I hope you do too!). Strangely, I don't usually take to AU stories very well, as it can be easy to break character, but this is an idea that I've had on my mind for a few days now and finally decided to get it on paper (or computer) after re-watching the Majin Buu season as a sort of brush-up. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it.

IMPORTANT!

This story will include a lemon or two and will be littered along the story. It will be an integral part, but will not be dove into just yet.

Now for the Back Story: In this universe, we explore the possibility of the Saiyans taking over the Earth at such a time that it has not yet advanced technologically to the point of the DBZ universe. In this scenario, much of the Saiyan race was killed off by Frieza, who then appointed Earth as Planet Frieza and took to controlling the world as its self-appointed king, all while enslaving the human race. He was then dethroned and successfully defeated by Bardock, who took over the role of king and freed humanity, yet he has chosen to reign over the human race for many years with an iron fist, despite this apparent act of mercy. Bardock did not send off Kakarot nor Raditz, although his "wife" Gine was one of the many Saiyans killed off during Frieza's reign. As for Vegeta's father, he was banished by Bardock for his former allegiance to Frieza and eventually became known widely as the legendary King of Thieves, although he has been regarded more so as a leader of bandits and thugs than anything else.

Okidoke, 3...2...1... BEGIN!

It was a common occurrence for Kakarot to watch the horizon in the early hours of dawn. Soldiers brought in prisoners almost every week now, freshly cuffed from their most recent raid. Most of the guards would refer dismally to the enslaved as the "catch of the day" or by some other demeaning title, as if branding the prisoners as nothing more than hunted game would render them no better than beasts soon to be prepared for feasting. He supposed the difference in thinking wasn't so different from plenty of other warring types, considering most of their guard was comprised of several alien races, rather than humans.

Although Kakarot, or Goku as he's come to be known as, lives a life truly fit for a royal, in many ways he has yet to lose sight of maintaining a certain level of humility during his upbringing. Perhaps it was due to much of his father's hardened inclinations being cast more so upon his older brother's shoulders, effectively instilling his own ways of thinking into the eldest. Or, perhaps Goku was simply the sort of person to soak in the positive traits of those around him naturally. A small assortment of scullery maids and other servants were like a dysfunctional family to him, including the old man Roshi who trained Goku from a young age in the art of combat, teaching him how to control the massive amount of ki that the body of a Saiyan was known to produce. The old man has been employed by his father for much of Goku's life, whose sole duty it was to train the cheerful Saiyan into the latter of his teenage years. Now a full grown man, Goku trains mostly with himself and a small group of allies.

There was once an old man who looked after him as a young child. He was someone who Goku affectionately referred to as "Grandpa." Thinking back with a lightly sad smile, it was a wonder to him that, while he could scarcely remember the man's face, he did remember every single one of his teachings about the planet, the people, and the creatures that inhabited it. It may be him, he thought, who should be thanked for this positive outlook on life that he thought of only as a blessing. It was also this very man who nicknamed him after a figure existing in human history, possibly due to his monkey-like and rowdy personality as a child. It was true that some of his most fondest memories were in that training chamber, not to mention the many adventures he would embark on outside the castle walls with his childhood friends Krillin and Yamcha. Perhaps it was also through them that he developed such a care for this Earth in which human beings so widely inhabited.

Whenever Goku would stand upon the forefront of the balcony, every once in awhile he would be able to catch the dismal eye of a prisoner, just as the group passed into the entrance beneath him. They would lock stares for a few brief moments, before the prisoner would choose to look away. They would break that connection with this life form, standing tall and unyielding, a continued look of panic or sorrow written across their dirty faces. He wondered what it was that crossed their mind when they saw him? Even though he would try his hardest not to frighten people even further, given their already grim circumstances, it could not be helped that he had a naturally strong and possibly intimidating demeanor.

His father was well aware of Goku's softened heart, but the young man questions whether Bardock knows just how deep that river of compassion runs. Something about the way things are has always felt unnatural to Kakarot. For much of his childhood he could not pinpoint just what it was - that thing that set him apart from everyone else. People would often say Saiyan this or Human that, but the difference never quite clicked since they all looked so similar in his eyes. Just why did he even deserve special treatment, let alone the heavy honor of being called a prince? It wasn't until he was schooled on the history of his ancestors and their pilgrimage to the planet that he could finally acknowledge that the Saiyans were in fact the odd ones out here. This was their home now, but it was human kind's home from the very beginning... something about that set up just didn't sit right with him, but it was all he ever knew, so he chose to accept the way things were at the time. It wasn't until Goku became fully grown that he began to involve himself more with helping the cause of humans. He did so in secrecy for the longest time, as if it were a taboo thing to provide assistance to weaker beings, something that should always be kept under wraps, but lately his stance has become increasingly more apparent even among the people. As he's grown older, his resolve grows stronger. Perhaps at first it did not have a shape, but now Goku has begun to realize that he'd much rather work towards a world of peace.

Even though Kakarot claimed to only came to the balcony to oversee the prisoners – a task he enthusiastically volunteered for due to the recent and untimely death of the former prison keeper – admittedly, all the Saiyan prince would feel was pity for the poor souls in their heavy shackles. In his mind, the rulings given for most of them was harsh at best and inhumane at worse. Of course, it's difficult to argue the point to people who were not human to begin with. A part of Kakarot felt that if he could somehow make their stay in the cold dungeons just that much more bearable while they were still alive, then perhaps he would feel better about their ultimate rulings given at the whim of King Bardock, his father, a man whom he loved and respected despite their obvious differences.

There was one particular prisoner who, upon a cool and overcast morning like any other Kakarot experienced in the dead of Autumn, approached the castle with an entirely contrasting air about him. Something caught Kakarot's attention about the stranger, although it puzzled him as to what could be so different compared to the rest of the shackled prisoners trudging along. It was a small group led by six men in the armor of their kingdom, with heavy shoulders and thin yet flexible fabric to make their fight easier. When prisoners were brought into the castle, often they would be slouched dead in the face, a hollowed shell at the thought of what would most likely await them soon after their incarceration in the king's privately regulated dungeons.

This figure, though hooded and mostly covered in a dark robe like the rest, stood straight and strong. His movements had such a purpose to them and his strides were heftier than all the rest. Even though Kakarot watched him from a balcony above, which meant that only the bottom half of his face was visible in the gray light of day, the man's expression had an obvious seriousness about it, but not in the least bit sullen. He looked... healthy, perhaps even glowing. What struck Goku as strange was the lack of fear that was present in him. Though, it was difficult to tell age by his evidently short stature, something about his strides set him apart from the rest. If it weren't for the confinements and large group of men leading him on all sides, you could easily mistake him for one of the guards.

As if reading his mind from over one-hundred feet away, Goku was shortly met with a sharp gaze, dark eyes appearing just below the rim of the prisoner's hood. As he slowly tilted his head to acknowledge him, the prisoner looked at the prince in such a way that Goku never expected from someone in that position. He was taken-aback, but didn't let the surprise show on his own face. This look was not entirely so easy to read as sadness or fear was, but Kakarot was well acquainted with the very same expression from his father. His were the eyes of pure pride, unrelenting and unrepentant, fully prepared to stare into the face of death just as effortlessly as he stared into Goku's. The chill he felt run up and down his spine was certainly not caused by the nippy weather, but by the disturbing sense of calm strength that look instilled into himself. There was a near familiarity with this stranger, but he knew it had nothing to do with having met him before, since Goku would have been sure to remember someone like this.

"Prince Kakarot, King Bardock requests your presence in The Hall."

He was so distracted by this strange staring contest that Kakarot was forced to break the connection of eyes when he heard a voice directly behind him. It may have lasted a few short moments, but it engaged enough of his attention that the presence so near to him now went by completely unnoticed. He swiftly turned to meet the appearance of a singular guard who quickly fought away an amused look for having surprised the prince.

"Okay... thank you for letting me know."

Goku nodded for him to leave, before stealing a glance back out to the crisply decorated street. There was no one there but a peddler rolling along his wooden cart of goods.

–

The sky decided to drizzle a good portion of the day. It seemed to reserve the greatest amount of downpour for later in the evening. It was then that Kakarot decided to make his way into the caverns below the castle, along winding cobble corridors and stainless steel doors that opened and shut without his prompting. His footsteps reverberated in such a way that it sounded as if a large group of people were traveling in unison, only to have their echoes mixed up along the walls and bounce back to him in varying volumes. It was definitely a place that Goku would consider inherently medieval; one of the few places in the castle that stuck to a traditional theme of doom and gloom. While the doorways and other technology used was completely modern, the fortress itself was really built out of a castle present on this planet from some ancient era. It is here that Frieza once ruled for a short time, although the technology used was mostly invented since his father's rule by a singular pair of scientific geniuses known worldwide for their useful inventions. They were also employed (meaning forced) to create certain devices used for the benefit of the Saiyan race. This included everything from bracers to hold exceptionally strong prisoners, to the mainframe that is used in controlling everyday functions of the castle.

He still couldn't pass by the door to the torture chamber, through a foreboding doorway and down another two levels below him, without the feeling of a lead weight in his gut. In Kakarot's opinion, this truly wasn't a place to keep living beings... a sentiment of which he never fully discussed with his father, as his softhearted musings weren't something easily stomached by the ruler. There was always a deep disappointment present in King Bardock's eyes whenever Kakarot brought up one of his many concerns about the way things were run, although the young man hardly had a clue as to why being so hard was a top priority for a king. Regardless, Goku was mostly left to his own devices, as long as it did not get in Bardock's way. This was a fact that Goku acknowledged he should be grateful for.

Earlier that day, Kakarot spoke with his father in The Hall. He was informed of an important task, which was given to him as the new key keeper, or head of the guard. They would be hosting a very important "guest" for the unforeseeable future, or until the king decided it appropriate to let Goku in on just why they had such an individual locked up. While Bardock was unwilling to divulge much detail, besides the fact that the prisoner was a Saiyan and should be monitored as such. The king decided that it was his youngest son's task to take care of this guest, who would be staying under his watchful eye in the Western-most section of the holding brig. This was the area in which they kept only their most dangerous criminals. Due to the reputation of most of its occupants, they hardly stayed for long.

He found himself distracted by his thoughts, thinking back to the discussion with his father, pondering just why he chose to be so secretive about this particular prisoner. A Saiyan, no less. Since it was his father's initial inclination to just remove threats as they occur, Goku wondered if it was due in part to the fact that the prisoner is himself a Saiyan... which challenged everything he knew about the world around him. Since Saiyans are regarded with the most respected among any other race on the Earth as it stands, what could this stranger have possibly done to be treated to a dark cell instead of boarded up as a well honored guest?

Goku thought back to the darkened lines of his father's face as he reminded Kakarot of the general underhandedness of those desperate to escape. He warned Goku, without a hint of light present in his mirrored eyes, not to interact with the prisoner any more than necessary, as he was well aware of his son's tendencies to try and find common ground with most newcomers. Goku experienced pride welling up in himself from this, understanding that his father was placing great trust in him. He felt the real gravity of this responsibility, and for some odd reason, it caused him to smile. If there was one thing he prided himself most in, it was keeping his word. He had the utmost confidence that, as long as he put his mind to it, there was nothing that he couldn't do right.

It comes to as no surprise that with this simple reasoning, Goku would ultimately fail.

Wow, the full chapter written was over 5,000 words! (IT'S OVER 5,000!) I felt that it should probably be broken up, just so it's not too much of a trudge for people to read and have to keep track of where they're at in a singular chapter. I'll be posting the other half after I've spiffed it up some. Let me know in any reviews whether or not you prefer longer chapters or shorter ones. If more people like them short, then maybe I'll continue to try and keep them around or under 3,000 words.

Comments are appreciated! Feel free to critique.