Trunks, Marron, Goten, and Bura: The Ultimate Battle
(A FanFic by Isamashii Taiga Tenshi)
**A/N** this is my first fic and it is really long. I may divide it into chapters, so don't be confused if the title doesn't work with you. Now back to the story!**
Chichi and Bulma were having coffee and discussing their "precious" little boys at Bulma's house one morning in the den. Goku and Vegeta were teaching Gohan about their favourite moves in Martial Arts. Vegeta through a fireball at a cactus flower in a bronze pot without looking and it instantly burst into flames.
"Vegeta!" Chichi and Bulma both screamed at the same time, flying out of their seats and almost knocking the door down. Vegeta just smirked and casually walked over to the cactus flower…or what was left of it. He turned his back to the women and said,
"So I barbequed a cactus, who cares? It was ugly anyway." Gohan and Goku were trying their hardest not to laugh. But, alas, that is the only thing that they are weak at: hiding a smile. So naturally, they both exploded into great guffaws that shook the house. But, the second Goku laid eyes on Chichi's eyes, which flamed to 100 degrees, he was silenced immediately. When Gohan, who was completely oblivious, finally realized that he was the only one laughing, shut faster than a Super Saiyan could fly across a room.
Chichi furiously escorted Bulma to the kitchen and ordered all three men to fix the hole that Vegeta had left in the wall. Miserably, Gohan, Goku and Vegeta marched to the wall and began their work.
After an hour or so, they were finally finished. Chichi through a fit because she noticed Goten and Trunks was late getting home. So Gohan agreed to go look for them. Just as he was about to open the door, it was knocked down with a smack by two little fighters: Goten and Trunks. As Gohan lay motionless on the floor, Trunks ran right over him, followed by Goten, and straight to the living room.
"Dad! Dad! Guess what? Goten and me-" Trunks began, but was interrupted by Bulma.
"Goten and I…" She corrected.
"Yeah, yeah! Goten and I signed up for Kiiku Town's Annual Grande Junior Tournament at Kiiku Square!" squeaked Trunks.
"Oh?" questioned Goku. "Since when does Kiiku have junior tournaments? I thought it was for adults."
"Nuh-uh!" argued Goten. "They really DO got one, dad!" In the end, after much fighting with the mothers, everyone agreed that Goten and Trunks should enter.
That night, after Gohan, Goku and Chi Chi left, Trunks was watching TV. His mother was in the bathroom, getting ready for bed, and Vegeta was staring out of the window. Trunks noticed this and turned off the TV.
"Hey Dad?" he asked. Vegeta grunted in reply, but did not turn around. "Hey Dad, whatcha thinkin' 'bout?" Still no muscle was moved and there was no reply. After what seemed like 20 minutes, Vegeta turned around to face his son. His hair was so black it almost looked red. The moon from the open window cast an eerie glow on his face and his eyes looked stone cold. His masculine arms lay folded tightly to his chest.
"I want you to win that tournament, Trunks. And you will." Vegeta still stared deeply into Trunks's eyes. Trunks did not move. His mouth was wide and he was on the verge of drooling.
"W-what d-do ya m-m-mean, D-d-dad?" Stuttered the oblivious Saiyan.
"I mean your mum wants the money, but I-I-I want the glory." He finished quickly. "I want everyone to know that my son, Trunks Briefs, is just as much of a warrior as me. I want all of Kiiku to know that the Prince of all Saiyans raised a great NEW Saiyan: Trunks." For a moment, Trunks considered all of this in his mind. His Mother wants the money but his Dad only wants the glory, the fame. That night, Trunks learned something new about Vegeta: he wants to be a winner-eternally.
The next morning, young but powerful Trunks got up at 3:00 to meet Goten at their clubhouse. The clubhouse was nothing more than a hole in stonewall that Goten had accidentally created. Goten had gotten there first.
"Ha! I beat ya AGAIN, Trunks!" Goten shrieked in pleasure.
"Shut-up Goten! Besides, I got something better to tell ya about: MY Dad wants ME to win the tournament! Real bad, he does!"
"Oh. Cool. My Daddy really wants ME to win! And I WILL!" he shouted in Trunks's face.
"Goten, you sound so confident and assured. Well promise me not to cry too much when ya LOSE! Haha!" shouted Trunks to Goten. "Anyway, we oughta train real good to win!" Trunks decided. "Might as well start NOW!" And he punched Goten in the arm.
"Hey!" Goten punched back. Then Trunks turned Super Saiyan, followed by Goten, and they both began to throw fireballs at each other. After awhile, Goten got bored of fireballs and try out the Kamehameha wave, but failed. Instead of a powerful blast, strings of purple smoke trailed from his fingertips and burst into flame, just as the cactus flower did.
"Well NOW you've done it, you dummy! Ha ha ha ha ha!" Trunks screamed. Then he fell over laughing as Goten fanned his fingers and tried to set the fire out. "Allow me, Goten, to put out that fire." With that, he wound up his arm and through it forward. Instantly, gallons of icy water flew from his palm and collapsed into the fire. "I suppose that's enough training for this morning, Goten," concluded Trunks. Then he got up from the stone floor and flew into the air. He was shortly joined by Goten, who eagerly asked,
"How did you DO that, Trunks??"
"Learned it from my dad. It's called the Ice-Wave. Real simple stuff, ya know." Goten was truly impressed. Then they flew silently back to Goten's house for breakfast. The two boys alternated houses each day. Today it was Goten's house.
When they got there, seconds later, Chi Chi was at the stove, frying bacon.
"Hello, boys!" she smiled.
"Hey Goten. Hey Trunks," said Gohan, without looking up. Goku was friendlier.
"So, is it our house today, guys?" he asked cheerfully. Both of them nodded in reply. Trunks liked the fact that he was called a 'guy' by Goku, instead of a 'boy' by Chichi. Chichi scraped the bacon off the pan onto two plates made of fine china. Then she hurried herself to the cabinet for two tiny bowls and two pairs of chopsticks. Then she scooped some fried rice into the bowls and handed the food to the boys. The second the thin sticks touched the tender tips of their tiny but muscular fingers, they began shoveling rice and bacon into their wide-open traps.
"Whuuuuuuh!" Gohan had finally looked up from the Kiiku Gazette, a newspaper he had busied him self to reading. The sound of fragile china clanging violently with chopsticks had caught his attention. Gohan didn't mean to be rude before, by not looking up when Trunks and Goten arrived. But he was kind of "zonked out" from saving the city…. again. The hero thing was starting to get to his head.
"GOTEN! TRUNKS!" Chichi roared in disgust. "HOW DARE YOU EAT LIKE THAT IN MY CLEAN HOUSEHOLD!" They looked up at her for about ten seconds before diving into their food again. "Oh, I give up! Goku! What have you done to these perfectly-behaved children?"
"But I -" Goku stuttered as he chased Chichi, who was running wildly into the living room, sobbing.
After the boys had completely devoured their plates and bowls, there was a knock at the door. Gohan sprang up to answer, expecting it to be Videl.
"Hello Vi – oh, hi Krillin. Marron. 18. Come on in." He said gloomily."
"Well hello to you, too, Gohan," 18 said sarcastically. Then she pushed her way into the house.
"Hey Gohan! Sorry if you were expecting…he he…someone ELSE!" laughed Krillin. He knew that Videl was coming over, too.
"Krillin! Shut-up!" Gohan ordered as his face went from peach to strawberry in seconds. Krillin only laughed harder.
"Hello, Mr. Gohan," cooed a shy, sweet voice. A small pink face with bright red cheeks emerged from behind Krillin.
"Marron! Hello, cutie-pie! How are you?" Gohan asked politely.
"He he!" she shrieked. "You're so funny, Mr. Gohan!" Then she ran past him after her mother, shrieking jovially. Gohan beckoned the only remaining member of Krillin's family, Krillin, into the Son household. He thanked him by smiling that sweet Krillin smile of his and gratefully stepped in.
The Sons had been planning a huge party for Kiiku's Tournament coming up so soon. The house smelled sweetly of rice, corn, meat, and a great assortment of tasty hors' deovres. Marron was already digging in to the food, while 18 stood leaning on the wall, a listless but slightly evil grin on her face. Chichi, who frantically shook their hands but paused and carefully offered her regretful palm to Android 18, immediately greeted Krillin and Marron. 18 laughed and accepted the hand to politely shake.
"You know I stopped all that killing crap, right?" she laughed innocently. "I'm over that. And like I said before, sorry." Then she walked past her and returned to that evil grin on her face. Chichi was looking at her hand in amazement; expecting it to be gone or roasted or blown off. She was surprise to see that it wasn't. But she couldn't argue with her way. So she chauffeured everybody to the living room. Only Vegeta, Bulma, and Bra were left to arrive. Shortly after the guests had gathered in the living room with Gohan, Goku, Goten, and Trunks, the rest of the Briefs arrived.
"Bulma!" Chichi exclaimed.
"Vegeta!" roared Krillin, Goku, and Gohan.
"Bura!" screeched Goten, jumping up and down. Trunks rolled his eyes at the sight of his sister and Goten. Everyone was escorted into the house and shook hands, Vegeta regretfully. Soon after, Goten went to fetch some refreshments from the kitchen. When he came back with a tray full of drinks, he walked straight over to Bra.
"Glass of iced lemonade, Bra? It's got extra sugar, even though I think you're sweet enough already!" Goten blushed.
"He he he! You're so funny, Goten! Yes, please, I'll have a sip. Thanks!" Bura blushed, too. Trunks just rolled his eyes again.
"Oy! Goten! Gimme one, too!" Trunks roared furiously at his friend. Embarrassed, Goten ran to Trunks and handed him lemonade. "Gee, thank you, Goten," he said loudly, enunciating each syllable sarcastically. Goten blushed more. He had gone completely red in the face. When Bura had turned to look at her mother, Goten made a face at Trunks and punched him harshly on the arm, but stopped fooling around abruptly when Bura turned back around.
"Since now that we're all fed and watered, lets get down to business!" Goku interrupted.
"Well agreed," said Vegeta, standing up. "We have been gathered at the Sons' home today because of Kiiku's Junior Tournament. This is the first year that our hometown, Kiiku, will have one. The tournament will be held in exactly one year from this day. That means we only have a single year to train. That doesn't inspire much confidence, but one of our men is just bound to win. We know this as a fact." Trunks grinned at being called a "man" by his father.
"Indeed we all know that these - these AMATUER townspeople are NOTHING compared to our little boys!" said Bulma, excitedly. Trunks's smile faded at the sound of "boys". Chichi was nodding in agreement behind them both.
"So it's settled then," agreed 18. "We meet back in one year." Goku and the Sons were shocked to here 18 speak. She rarely ever did. "What did you think I was going to say? Let's blow up the world?" Nobody answered. Krillin blushed.
"Are we gonna wait around all day, or are we going to eat already?" Vegeta asked furiously.
"OH! I forgot! Sorry! Right this way, everybody!" Chichi jumped up and ran to the kitchen. "Here's some rice and corn. Over here we have an assortment of meats. And for all you vegetarians, Vegeta, there's a little salad, beans, and cheese rolls!" Trunks and Goten dove for the food, but were grasped by the collar of their shirts.
"Gohan!" said Trunks kicking and squirming in the air. "Gohan! Put me down, you great oaf!"
"Whoa, there, kids! The children's table is over there – by Marron and Bra," said Goku.
"Bura?" asked Goten happily.
"Marron?" questioned Trunks, smiling and getting up from where Gohan had dumped him on the floor.
"Yup! You bet!" he called loudly. Then he whispered to Trunks and Goten, "Go get 'em, tigers!" and gave them a wink. The girls giggled. After Trunks took a seat next to Marron and Goten by Bura, Gohan went up to his father.
"Hey, Dad!" he said. "Dad, Videl and Mr. Satan still aren't here! I'm worried!"
"Relax, Gohan!" Goku comforted. "Why don't you go look for them? Searching from the sky will be faster than waiting!"
"Great idea, Dad!" And with that and a salute to the rest of the guests, he was off, searching high and low. Soaring through the clouds, he happily flew in circles and loops. He wished the joy of being a bird and being free would never end. Alas, he had spotted them: Hercule and Videl were flying full speed in their aircraft. Gohan dove downward towards them and waved. He could faintly make out a small hand waving back. Then, Videl slid open the door to let him in.
"Hey, Videl! Hi Mr. Satan, Hercule, sir!" Gohan greeted them.
"Hello, Gohan!" Videl smiled at him.
"Hello, young man!" came the booming voice of the "almighty Hercule". He seemed to be driving the plane, but Gohan noticed that a sign said "AUTO PILOT" to the left of the gears, buttons, and knobs. Gohan told them about the gathering and how Android 18 and Krillin were there and Trunks's family and his own family. He asked Videl if she had heard about Kiiku's Junior Tournament coming up.
"A Junior Tournament?" boomed Hercule. "Great! Maybe they'd like to have ME their, uh, 'Guest of Honor', since so many youngsters look up to me as their hero!" Gohan rolled his eyes when Videl was looking at her father.
"Uh, right; Guest of Honor. OK," Gohan said sarcastically. They would be flying over Kiiku soon and, shortly after, the Son house. Videl walked over to the window and peered out, sort of wistfully. Gohan walked over to her and rested his muscular arm on her bony shoulder.
"Umm, Videl? What's wrong?" he asked quietly.
"Oh? Oh! Oh, it's nothing, Gohan, really. But, I needn't tell you what it is, for it is, well, kinda embarrassing." She admitted, blushing. "You see, well, it's my friend, see? And this friend, Vi – Vivian, uh, really likes this guy named G – George. Yeah, Vivian likes George. But how can she ask Goh – I mean George – to marry her without making a fool of herself?" She blushed even redder.
"Oh. I see. Well, I love you, too, Vivian," he said with a smile. Videl opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. Gohan placed a finger to her lips and silenced her. "And, yes, I will marry you…Son Videl."
The rest of the ride there was exceptionally short after the proposal. It seemed like the rest of the ride was only minutes. They spent it hand in hand. It hadn't been long, maybe ten minutes or so, before they reached the small town of Kiiku. Kiiku's streets were lined beautifully with decors of great grandeur. Finally, Hercule, Gohan, and Videl landed safely on the ground in front of the Son house. Smiling, Gohan stepped down from the plane and offered a hand to Videl. When they had both stepped down and begun to walk towards the house, Hercule slipped down the steps. Thankfully, nobody noticed. He secured the door and walked in that proud way of his after them.
"We're HERE!" announced Gohan as he entered the house. Everybody looked up, except for Trunks and 18. Trunks was flirting harmlessly with Marron, still, and 18 was just ignoring everybody.
"Hey there, Gohan! Videl! Uh…H-H-Hercule! AH HA HA!" Krillin burst out laughing at the sight of Hercule flexing his muscles in the doorway.
"Hello Krillin" said Videl, "Hello everyone. Goku. Goten. Trunks. Chichi. Bulma. Marron. Bra. Uh, 18." She had trouble get out the words 'Hello 18'. Once everyone was settled with the fact that they had arrived, they calmed sown a bit. Then Chichi courteously explained to Videl that they were all going to reunite exactly a year from today to watch Trunks and Goten compete in Kiiku's tournament. With a nod of her head, Videl agreed.
About an hour later, the company began to drift away slowly.
"Soon enough, it will be time for the tournament!" exclaimed Goten excitedly, after all the guests had left.
"Darn right you are, Goten!" Goku cheered. "And you're gonna win for us that prize money of 15,000 zeni." Chi Chi was nodding all along in the background, while washing the dishes vigorously.
"Goten, my dear son, you know you cannot win without practice and training, right? I suggest you begin this minute!" she added to the conversation. Little did any of them know Trunks was way ahead of them all in training.
Far away, in the Briefs household, Trunks was found blowing up the toilet and sink in the bathroom.
"Young man, just what do you think you're doing?" Bulma roared across the hall at Trunks. "That's the fourth time this week that you've blown something up! First it was the living room, then it was the great hall, next it was the greenhouse, and now THIS! The master bathroom that I JUST re- wallpapered yesterday!"
"Uhhh, I was uh, well, er, um, you see…ah, c'mon mum! Isamashii Tenshi can fix it! No problem!" cried Trunks. Then Bulma gave him that look, and he sulked away.
"By the way," called Vegeta, now entering the room. "Shouldn't you be training, Trunks? I told you I want you to WIN that contest and you WON'T if you don't PRACTICE!" he screamed.
"Yes, sir!" Trunks marched away like a soldier on salute. But then he paused halfway through the hall. "Uh, sir, Father, sir? Uh, will you, um, train with m-me, please? You are the strongest person I know, and I figured you'd have a few tricks up your sleeve to show me?" Trunks waited for an answer. After a period of long, eerie silence, the prince of all Saiyans answered,
"Yes. I will help you train. Bulma, dear, please excuse us for a moment." After Bulma left, he continued, "Trunks, we will train together every day for five hours, or until you master a few basic moves. Then we will move to six hours a day, understood? You're gonna win, son, and nothing will get in your way! Do you hear me? I have been waiting to teach that Kakarot a lesson or two about REAL martial arts! The time has come. Practice hours will start at 5:00 A.M. and end at 10 or 11:00. End of discussion." Then he marched away to the elevator, pushed the number twelve for the twelfth floor. In a moment, he was gone.
So that is how they trained from then on. At 5:00 each morning, Trunks shot out of bed like a firecracker, squirmed about while Isamashii Tenshi tried to clothe him in his training suit, and headed off toward the cliff which held the clubhouse, but right behind it. Vegeta, many times stronger and more powerful than Trunks, never went easy on him. When teaching him easy tactics, he would do his hardest on the little 7-year-old half-saiyan. Goten was far in progress, too. Besides basic lessons from Goku and private lessons from Gohan, Chi Chi gave him special training sessions, too. Who knew such a delicate little angel could be so forceful? Anyway, back to Trunks. He practiced every day until 10 or 11:00, did an hour of meditating, went home to eat lunch at his mansion, and went back to training on his own. He barely ever saw Goten or any of the Sons.
The year had gone by too fast. Sooner than anyone expected, the whole gang was gathered back at the Son household for the tournament. Excitement filled the whole house as the bell continuously rang.
"Well, hello, Krillin! Marron! Juunichigou! How pleasant! Welcome! Come on in!" Chi Chi greeted everyone. "Vegeta! Bulma! Trunks! Ah, little Bra! How are we this afternoon, Briefs? Huh? Huh? Welcome!" "Oh, hi! Videl! Mr. Satan! How nice of you to come! Welcome!" The greetings never ceased. When everybody was all settled in, Goku stood up and made and announcement.
"Ahem. Hello, old friends! Long time, no see, eh? So, to get this whole thing started, I just wanted to welcome you all back to our home! Uh, Vegeta? Would you like to do the honor?" he asked. Vegeta nodded, and, with arms folded, walked up beside him.
"We are all here today to watch Trunks and Goten enter Kiiku's First Annual Junior Tournament! Good luck to both of you, first of all. Now for OUR rules: Kakarot and I have decided that there will be NO Saiyan-transformation at ALL! Understood, you too?" He glared at Trunks and Goten. Goten, who had taken a seat next to Bura, nodded nervously. Trunks, who had his left arm around Marron's shoulder, just smirked at his father with vigorous eyes. "And also," he added, "please no killing anyone weaker than you, especially you, Trunks! Well, that's it for the rules. We will be taking my hover-car to the arena, agreed?"
"Ok!" said Videl. "But you can always use mine, if you want!" So, with Marron in his arms, Trunks marched forward with a deep expression on his face. Goten bashfully held Bra's hand as he stepped after Trunks into the hover-car. Then the rest of the troop gathered in. In no time at all, they had arrived in Kiiku's main arena. Hundreds of puny weaklings were running around, screaming at each other.
"Ew! What a ZOO!" said a disgusted Bulma. But they moved on, anyhow, to the signup desk. After they made the arrangements to fight, Trunks and Goten left everyone in the stands and went to go check out the competition.
"Trunks! Wait!" Marron cried. "Oh, Trunks, I just wanted to wish you good luck in your match!" And she bent over and kissed him on the cheek. Trunks blushed.
"Uh, thanks, Marron." He smiled and walked away. Then Bra ran up to Goten.
"Hey, Goten! Good luck! I hope ya win! He he he!" And she gave him a hug. Kiss-less, Goten followed Trunks. Marron and Bra went to find their seats in the stadium.
"Trunks is definitely gonna win, you know!" Marron called to Bura.
"Well, he is my brother, and I should cheer for him. But this morning he blew up my dollhouse. He's a jerk. So I'm rooting for Goten," she jeered.
"Humph! Yeah right! He'll never win! My Trunks is the hero! Besides, I KISSED him for good luck!" she spat back at her.
"Oh, yeah? Well I gave Goten a HUG! So HA!" They fought like this until the competition started.
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! WELCOME TO KIIKU'S FIRST ANNUAL JUNIOR COMPETITION! FIRST UP WE HAVE…LITTLE ANJE McGee VERSUS TAIGA CHAN!" roared the announcer on the loudspeaker. Little Anje McGee swung with her eyes closed and missed Taiga Chan by a mile. Then Taiga swung back and poked her in the nose. Then Anje cried and ran out of the arena. The rest of the competition was just the same. It was rather boring, until…
"ALL RIGHT, FOLKS! WHAT A FIGHT IT HAS BEEN SO FAR! WELL NOW, GIVE IT UP FOR 6-YEAR-OLD GOTEN VERSUS 7-YEAR-OLD TRUNKS!" The crowd roared enthusiastically, but rather sarcastically. Then Trunks confidently entered the arena, followed by Goten, who was biting his nails.
"What's the matter, Goten?" Trunks teased. "Scared? All ready? Ha! Guess what? When I win, I'll give you ¼ of the zeni I get for winning, ok?"
"Hey, Trunks! How do you know you're gonna win?" he roared. "I'm gonna try my hardest to beat you, you old sack of poop!" Trunks only laughed. The crowd was excited for the first annual tournament, but since Goten vs. Trunks was last and the competition was boring, the crowd was dying down a bit. But the gang wasn't; especially not Bra and Marron. Confident and ready to go, Trunks went into his starting position, followed by the nervous wreck that used to be Son Goten. Without warning, Trunks flew straight to Goten, aiming his hands at is neck. Goten dived to the right and dodged the hideous blow. Enraged with fury, Trunks struck again and prevailed. He struck him right in the cheek: hard. With a small wince of pain, Goten was up again.
The crowd was in a state of awe, all with mouths agape at the two warrior…kids. But back to the action: Goten tried a sick punch at Trunk's left eye, but missed. Furious, he too flew towards his opponent. Missing it easily, the other boy disappeared from Goten's eye.
"Huh?" Goten inquired to his self. "Where'd he go? Oy! Trunks? Trunks, I – AHHHH!" he screamed in terror as Trunks slammed him on his head vigorously from above with an earth- shattering thud. It appeared that Goten was knocked out cold…but was he? Of course not! But wait! Oy! He's been knocked HARD! Struggling to get up, Goten flinched and fell down again.
"What's the matter, wimp? Having fun yet? Ha!" called Trunks to Goten from across the arena. Goten didn't say anything. Neither did he move.
"LET'S GET A DOC IN HERE, GUYS! THE LITTLE MAN'S DOWN FOR GOOD!" roared the loudspeaker. The crowd was up on their feet. Gohan and Videl flew down to the arena to help.
"Little bro!" cried Gohan.
"Goten!" screeched Videl.
"Humph," said Trunks, satisfied. "But what a quick match! I didn't know he was THAT puny!" Then the announcer finally came out of shock.
"UH, OH! UM, FOLKS, LITTLE 6-YEAR-OLD GOTEN IS DOWN FOR GOOD! AND THE WINNER OF KIIKU'S FIRST ANNUAL JUNIOR COMPETITION IS…UH, TRUNKS BRIEFS OF SATAN CITY!" Sorrowfully, everyone applauded, awaiting the recovery of little Goten. When they realized he was not dead, the applause grew louder and louder until it was deafening. Trunks only smirked to the crowd.
"FOLKS, REMEMBER THOSE NAMES: TRUNKS AND GOTEN! I AM SURE YOU WILL BE HEARING ABOUT THEM FOR A WHILE TO COME! AND TO PRESENT TRUNKS WITH THE 15,000 ZENI, WHO BETTER THAN OUR VERY OWN…SATAN HERCULE!" Hercule leaped from the stands to the arena, flexing his phony muscles.
"Uh, thank you, loyal fans! This little guy is a great warrior! Oh yeah, baby! And here is your promised 15,00 zeni!" Hercule boomed. The crowd roared happily.
About an hour later, Trunks went to visit Goten in the recovery room. He was lying down on a table, being operated on his head. Slowly, the little boy with a black goofy hairdo and eyes to match it slowly opened his eyes to reveal a purple-haired figure at his bedside.
"Oh, hello, Trunks," he said weakly.
"Uh, hi, Goten. Listen, I didn't know you slacked off so much in your training! I wouldn't have hit you so hard, but I – " Goten cut him off.
"That's ok, Trunks. Besides, I wasn't 'slacking off'. I got lessons from my dad, my mom, AND Gohan. I tried my best."
"Oh, well, you can still have that ¼ of my winnings!" Trunks said eagerly. Goten didn't move. Trunks began to walk away. Then he stopped dead in his tracks and turned to stare at his old friend. After almost 5 minutes, he whispered to him. Goten smiled.
The words he had just spoken to Goten were the most powerful of any: "I'm sorry."
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1 To Be Continued…
Chapter 2 coming soon to a website near you…
(A FanFic by Isamashii Taiga Tenshi)
**A/N** this is my first fic and it is really long. I may divide it into chapters, so don't be confused if the title doesn't work with you. Now back to the story!**
Chichi and Bulma were having coffee and discussing their "precious" little boys at Bulma's house one morning in the den. Goku and Vegeta were teaching Gohan about their favourite moves in Martial Arts. Vegeta through a fireball at a cactus flower in a bronze pot without looking and it instantly burst into flames.
"Vegeta!" Chichi and Bulma both screamed at the same time, flying out of their seats and almost knocking the door down. Vegeta just smirked and casually walked over to the cactus flower…or what was left of it. He turned his back to the women and said,
"So I barbequed a cactus, who cares? It was ugly anyway." Gohan and Goku were trying their hardest not to laugh. But, alas, that is the only thing that they are weak at: hiding a smile. So naturally, they both exploded into great guffaws that shook the house. But, the second Goku laid eyes on Chichi's eyes, which flamed to 100 degrees, he was silenced immediately. When Gohan, who was completely oblivious, finally realized that he was the only one laughing, shut faster than a Super Saiyan could fly across a room.
Chichi furiously escorted Bulma to the kitchen and ordered all three men to fix the hole that Vegeta had left in the wall. Miserably, Gohan, Goku and Vegeta marched to the wall and began their work.
After an hour or so, they were finally finished. Chichi through a fit because she noticed Goten and Trunks was late getting home. So Gohan agreed to go look for them. Just as he was about to open the door, it was knocked down with a smack by two little fighters: Goten and Trunks. As Gohan lay motionless on the floor, Trunks ran right over him, followed by Goten, and straight to the living room.
"Dad! Dad! Guess what? Goten and me-" Trunks began, but was interrupted by Bulma.
"Goten and I…" She corrected.
"Yeah, yeah! Goten and I signed up for Kiiku Town's Annual Grande Junior Tournament at Kiiku Square!" squeaked Trunks.
"Oh?" questioned Goku. "Since when does Kiiku have junior tournaments? I thought it was for adults."
"Nuh-uh!" argued Goten. "They really DO got one, dad!" In the end, after much fighting with the mothers, everyone agreed that Goten and Trunks should enter.
That night, after Gohan, Goku and Chi Chi left, Trunks was watching TV. His mother was in the bathroom, getting ready for bed, and Vegeta was staring out of the window. Trunks noticed this and turned off the TV.
"Hey Dad?" he asked. Vegeta grunted in reply, but did not turn around. "Hey Dad, whatcha thinkin' 'bout?" Still no muscle was moved and there was no reply. After what seemed like 20 minutes, Vegeta turned around to face his son. His hair was so black it almost looked red. The moon from the open window cast an eerie glow on his face and his eyes looked stone cold. His masculine arms lay folded tightly to his chest.
"I want you to win that tournament, Trunks. And you will." Vegeta still stared deeply into Trunks's eyes. Trunks did not move. His mouth was wide and he was on the verge of drooling.
"W-what d-do ya m-m-mean, D-d-dad?" Stuttered the oblivious Saiyan.
"I mean your mum wants the money, but I-I-I want the glory." He finished quickly. "I want everyone to know that my son, Trunks Briefs, is just as much of a warrior as me. I want all of Kiiku to know that the Prince of all Saiyans raised a great NEW Saiyan: Trunks." For a moment, Trunks considered all of this in his mind. His Mother wants the money but his Dad only wants the glory, the fame. That night, Trunks learned something new about Vegeta: he wants to be a winner-eternally.
The next morning, young but powerful Trunks got up at 3:00 to meet Goten at their clubhouse. The clubhouse was nothing more than a hole in stonewall that Goten had accidentally created. Goten had gotten there first.
"Ha! I beat ya AGAIN, Trunks!" Goten shrieked in pleasure.
"Shut-up Goten! Besides, I got something better to tell ya about: MY Dad wants ME to win the tournament! Real bad, he does!"
"Oh. Cool. My Daddy really wants ME to win! And I WILL!" he shouted in Trunks's face.
"Goten, you sound so confident and assured. Well promise me not to cry too much when ya LOSE! Haha!" shouted Trunks to Goten. "Anyway, we oughta train real good to win!" Trunks decided. "Might as well start NOW!" And he punched Goten in the arm.
"Hey!" Goten punched back. Then Trunks turned Super Saiyan, followed by Goten, and they both began to throw fireballs at each other. After awhile, Goten got bored of fireballs and try out the Kamehameha wave, but failed. Instead of a powerful blast, strings of purple smoke trailed from his fingertips and burst into flame, just as the cactus flower did.
"Well NOW you've done it, you dummy! Ha ha ha ha ha!" Trunks screamed. Then he fell over laughing as Goten fanned his fingers and tried to set the fire out. "Allow me, Goten, to put out that fire." With that, he wound up his arm and through it forward. Instantly, gallons of icy water flew from his palm and collapsed into the fire. "I suppose that's enough training for this morning, Goten," concluded Trunks. Then he got up from the stone floor and flew into the air. He was shortly joined by Goten, who eagerly asked,
"How did you DO that, Trunks??"
"Learned it from my dad. It's called the Ice-Wave. Real simple stuff, ya know." Goten was truly impressed. Then they flew silently back to Goten's house for breakfast. The two boys alternated houses each day. Today it was Goten's house.
When they got there, seconds later, Chi Chi was at the stove, frying bacon.
"Hello, boys!" she smiled.
"Hey Goten. Hey Trunks," said Gohan, without looking up. Goku was friendlier.
"So, is it our house today, guys?" he asked cheerfully. Both of them nodded in reply. Trunks liked the fact that he was called a 'guy' by Goku, instead of a 'boy' by Chichi. Chichi scraped the bacon off the pan onto two plates made of fine china. Then she hurried herself to the cabinet for two tiny bowls and two pairs of chopsticks. Then she scooped some fried rice into the bowls and handed the food to the boys. The second the thin sticks touched the tender tips of their tiny but muscular fingers, they began shoveling rice and bacon into their wide-open traps.
"Whuuuuuuh!" Gohan had finally looked up from the Kiiku Gazette, a newspaper he had busied him self to reading. The sound of fragile china clanging violently with chopsticks had caught his attention. Gohan didn't mean to be rude before, by not looking up when Trunks and Goten arrived. But he was kind of "zonked out" from saving the city…. again. The hero thing was starting to get to his head.
"GOTEN! TRUNKS!" Chichi roared in disgust. "HOW DARE YOU EAT LIKE THAT IN MY CLEAN HOUSEHOLD!" They looked up at her for about ten seconds before diving into their food again. "Oh, I give up! Goku! What have you done to these perfectly-behaved children?"
"But I -" Goku stuttered as he chased Chichi, who was running wildly into the living room, sobbing.
After the boys had completely devoured their plates and bowls, there was a knock at the door. Gohan sprang up to answer, expecting it to be Videl.
"Hello Vi – oh, hi Krillin. Marron. 18. Come on in." He said gloomily."
"Well hello to you, too, Gohan," 18 said sarcastically. Then she pushed her way into the house.
"Hey Gohan! Sorry if you were expecting…he he…someone ELSE!" laughed Krillin. He knew that Videl was coming over, too.
"Krillin! Shut-up!" Gohan ordered as his face went from peach to strawberry in seconds. Krillin only laughed harder.
"Hello, Mr. Gohan," cooed a shy, sweet voice. A small pink face with bright red cheeks emerged from behind Krillin.
"Marron! Hello, cutie-pie! How are you?" Gohan asked politely.
"He he!" she shrieked. "You're so funny, Mr. Gohan!" Then she ran past him after her mother, shrieking jovially. Gohan beckoned the only remaining member of Krillin's family, Krillin, into the Son household. He thanked him by smiling that sweet Krillin smile of his and gratefully stepped in.
The Sons had been planning a huge party for Kiiku's Tournament coming up so soon. The house smelled sweetly of rice, corn, meat, and a great assortment of tasty hors' deovres. Marron was already digging in to the food, while 18 stood leaning on the wall, a listless but slightly evil grin on her face. Chichi, who frantically shook their hands but paused and carefully offered her regretful palm to Android 18, immediately greeted Krillin and Marron. 18 laughed and accepted the hand to politely shake.
"You know I stopped all that killing crap, right?" she laughed innocently. "I'm over that. And like I said before, sorry." Then she walked past her and returned to that evil grin on her face. Chichi was looking at her hand in amazement; expecting it to be gone or roasted or blown off. She was surprise to see that it wasn't. But she couldn't argue with her way. So she chauffeured everybody to the living room. Only Vegeta, Bulma, and Bra were left to arrive. Shortly after the guests had gathered in the living room with Gohan, Goku, Goten, and Trunks, the rest of the Briefs arrived.
"Bulma!" Chichi exclaimed.
"Vegeta!" roared Krillin, Goku, and Gohan.
"Bura!" screeched Goten, jumping up and down. Trunks rolled his eyes at the sight of his sister and Goten. Everyone was escorted into the house and shook hands, Vegeta regretfully. Soon after, Goten went to fetch some refreshments from the kitchen. When he came back with a tray full of drinks, he walked straight over to Bra.
"Glass of iced lemonade, Bra? It's got extra sugar, even though I think you're sweet enough already!" Goten blushed.
"He he he! You're so funny, Goten! Yes, please, I'll have a sip. Thanks!" Bura blushed, too. Trunks just rolled his eyes again.
"Oy! Goten! Gimme one, too!" Trunks roared furiously at his friend. Embarrassed, Goten ran to Trunks and handed him lemonade. "Gee, thank you, Goten," he said loudly, enunciating each syllable sarcastically. Goten blushed more. He had gone completely red in the face. When Bura had turned to look at her mother, Goten made a face at Trunks and punched him harshly on the arm, but stopped fooling around abruptly when Bura turned back around.
"Since now that we're all fed and watered, lets get down to business!" Goku interrupted.
"Well agreed," said Vegeta, standing up. "We have been gathered at the Sons' home today because of Kiiku's Junior Tournament. This is the first year that our hometown, Kiiku, will have one. The tournament will be held in exactly one year from this day. That means we only have a single year to train. That doesn't inspire much confidence, but one of our men is just bound to win. We know this as a fact." Trunks grinned at being called a "man" by his father.
"Indeed we all know that these - these AMATUER townspeople are NOTHING compared to our little boys!" said Bulma, excitedly. Trunks's smile faded at the sound of "boys". Chichi was nodding in agreement behind them both.
"So it's settled then," agreed 18. "We meet back in one year." Goku and the Sons were shocked to here 18 speak. She rarely ever did. "What did you think I was going to say? Let's blow up the world?" Nobody answered. Krillin blushed.
"Are we gonna wait around all day, or are we going to eat already?" Vegeta asked furiously.
"OH! I forgot! Sorry! Right this way, everybody!" Chichi jumped up and ran to the kitchen. "Here's some rice and corn. Over here we have an assortment of meats. And for all you vegetarians, Vegeta, there's a little salad, beans, and cheese rolls!" Trunks and Goten dove for the food, but were grasped by the collar of their shirts.
"Gohan!" said Trunks kicking and squirming in the air. "Gohan! Put me down, you great oaf!"
"Whoa, there, kids! The children's table is over there – by Marron and Bra," said Goku.
"Bura?" asked Goten happily.
"Marron?" questioned Trunks, smiling and getting up from where Gohan had dumped him on the floor.
"Yup! You bet!" he called loudly. Then he whispered to Trunks and Goten, "Go get 'em, tigers!" and gave them a wink. The girls giggled. After Trunks took a seat next to Marron and Goten by Bura, Gohan went up to his father.
"Hey, Dad!" he said. "Dad, Videl and Mr. Satan still aren't here! I'm worried!"
"Relax, Gohan!" Goku comforted. "Why don't you go look for them? Searching from the sky will be faster than waiting!"
"Great idea, Dad!" And with that and a salute to the rest of the guests, he was off, searching high and low. Soaring through the clouds, he happily flew in circles and loops. He wished the joy of being a bird and being free would never end. Alas, he had spotted them: Hercule and Videl were flying full speed in their aircraft. Gohan dove downward towards them and waved. He could faintly make out a small hand waving back. Then, Videl slid open the door to let him in.
"Hey, Videl! Hi Mr. Satan, Hercule, sir!" Gohan greeted them.
"Hello, Gohan!" Videl smiled at him.
"Hello, young man!" came the booming voice of the "almighty Hercule". He seemed to be driving the plane, but Gohan noticed that a sign said "AUTO PILOT" to the left of the gears, buttons, and knobs. Gohan told them about the gathering and how Android 18 and Krillin were there and Trunks's family and his own family. He asked Videl if she had heard about Kiiku's Junior Tournament coming up.
"A Junior Tournament?" boomed Hercule. "Great! Maybe they'd like to have ME their, uh, 'Guest of Honor', since so many youngsters look up to me as their hero!" Gohan rolled his eyes when Videl was looking at her father.
"Uh, right; Guest of Honor. OK," Gohan said sarcastically. They would be flying over Kiiku soon and, shortly after, the Son house. Videl walked over to the window and peered out, sort of wistfully. Gohan walked over to her and rested his muscular arm on her bony shoulder.
"Umm, Videl? What's wrong?" he asked quietly.
"Oh? Oh! Oh, it's nothing, Gohan, really. But, I needn't tell you what it is, for it is, well, kinda embarrassing." She admitted, blushing. "You see, well, it's my friend, see? And this friend, Vi – Vivian, uh, really likes this guy named G – George. Yeah, Vivian likes George. But how can she ask Goh – I mean George – to marry her without making a fool of herself?" She blushed even redder.
"Oh. I see. Well, I love you, too, Vivian," he said with a smile. Videl opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. Gohan placed a finger to her lips and silenced her. "And, yes, I will marry you…Son Videl."
The rest of the ride there was exceptionally short after the proposal. It seemed like the rest of the ride was only minutes. They spent it hand in hand. It hadn't been long, maybe ten minutes or so, before they reached the small town of Kiiku. Kiiku's streets were lined beautifully with decors of great grandeur. Finally, Hercule, Gohan, and Videl landed safely on the ground in front of the Son house. Smiling, Gohan stepped down from the plane and offered a hand to Videl. When they had both stepped down and begun to walk towards the house, Hercule slipped down the steps. Thankfully, nobody noticed. He secured the door and walked in that proud way of his after them.
"We're HERE!" announced Gohan as he entered the house. Everybody looked up, except for Trunks and 18. Trunks was flirting harmlessly with Marron, still, and 18 was just ignoring everybody.
"Hey there, Gohan! Videl! Uh…H-H-Hercule! AH HA HA!" Krillin burst out laughing at the sight of Hercule flexing his muscles in the doorway.
"Hello Krillin" said Videl, "Hello everyone. Goku. Goten. Trunks. Chichi. Bulma. Marron. Bra. Uh, 18." She had trouble get out the words 'Hello 18'. Once everyone was settled with the fact that they had arrived, they calmed sown a bit. Then Chichi courteously explained to Videl that they were all going to reunite exactly a year from today to watch Trunks and Goten compete in Kiiku's tournament. With a nod of her head, Videl agreed.
About an hour later, the company began to drift away slowly.
"Soon enough, it will be time for the tournament!" exclaimed Goten excitedly, after all the guests had left.
"Darn right you are, Goten!" Goku cheered. "And you're gonna win for us that prize money of 15,000 zeni." Chi Chi was nodding all along in the background, while washing the dishes vigorously.
"Goten, my dear son, you know you cannot win without practice and training, right? I suggest you begin this minute!" she added to the conversation. Little did any of them know Trunks was way ahead of them all in training.
Far away, in the Briefs household, Trunks was found blowing up the toilet and sink in the bathroom.
"Young man, just what do you think you're doing?" Bulma roared across the hall at Trunks. "That's the fourth time this week that you've blown something up! First it was the living room, then it was the great hall, next it was the greenhouse, and now THIS! The master bathroom that I JUST re- wallpapered yesterday!"
"Uhhh, I was uh, well, er, um, you see…ah, c'mon mum! Isamashii Tenshi can fix it! No problem!" cried Trunks. Then Bulma gave him that look, and he sulked away.
"By the way," called Vegeta, now entering the room. "Shouldn't you be training, Trunks? I told you I want you to WIN that contest and you WON'T if you don't PRACTICE!" he screamed.
"Yes, sir!" Trunks marched away like a soldier on salute. But then he paused halfway through the hall. "Uh, sir, Father, sir? Uh, will you, um, train with m-me, please? You are the strongest person I know, and I figured you'd have a few tricks up your sleeve to show me?" Trunks waited for an answer. After a period of long, eerie silence, the prince of all Saiyans answered,
"Yes. I will help you train. Bulma, dear, please excuse us for a moment." After Bulma left, he continued, "Trunks, we will train together every day for five hours, or until you master a few basic moves. Then we will move to six hours a day, understood? You're gonna win, son, and nothing will get in your way! Do you hear me? I have been waiting to teach that Kakarot a lesson or two about REAL martial arts! The time has come. Practice hours will start at 5:00 A.M. and end at 10 or 11:00. End of discussion." Then he marched away to the elevator, pushed the number twelve for the twelfth floor. In a moment, he was gone.
So that is how they trained from then on. At 5:00 each morning, Trunks shot out of bed like a firecracker, squirmed about while Isamashii Tenshi tried to clothe him in his training suit, and headed off toward the cliff which held the clubhouse, but right behind it. Vegeta, many times stronger and more powerful than Trunks, never went easy on him. When teaching him easy tactics, he would do his hardest on the little 7-year-old half-saiyan. Goten was far in progress, too. Besides basic lessons from Goku and private lessons from Gohan, Chi Chi gave him special training sessions, too. Who knew such a delicate little angel could be so forceful? Anyway, back to Trunks. He practiced every day until 10 or 11:00, did an hour of meditating, went home to eat lunch at his mansion, and went back to training on his own. He barely ever saw Goten or any of the Sons.
The year had gone by too fast. Sooner than anyone expected, the whole gang was gathered back at the Son household for the tournament. Excitement filled the whole house as the bell continuously rang.
"Well, hello, Krillin! Marron! Juunichigou! How pleasant! Welcome! Come on in!" Chi Chi greeted everyone. "Vegeta! Bulma! Trunks! Ah, little Bra! How are we this afternoon, Briefs? Huh? Huh? Welcome!" "Oh, hi! Videl! Mr. Satan! How nice of you to come! Welcome!" The greetings never ceased. When everybody was all settled in, Goku stood up and made and announcement.
"Ahem. Hello, old friends! Long time, no see, eh? So, to get this whole thing started, I just wanted to welcome you all back to our home! Uh, Vegeta? Would you like to do the honor?" he asked. Vegeta nodded, and, with arms folded, walked up beside him.
"We are all here today to watch Trunks and Goten enter Kiiku's First Annual Junior Tournament! Good luck to both of you, first of all. Now for OUR rules: Kakarot and I have decided that there will be NO Saiyan-transformation at ALL! Understood, you too?" He glared at Trunks and Goten. Goten, who had taken a seat next to Bura, nodded nervously. Trunks, who had his left arm around Marron's shoulder, just smirked at his father with vigorous eyes. "And also," he added, "please no killing anyone weaker than you, especially you, Trunks! Well, that's it for the rules. We will be taking my hover-car to the arena, agreed?"
"Ok!" said Videl. "But you can always use mine, if you want!" So, with Marron in his arms, Trunks marched forward with a deep expression on his face. Goten bashfully held Bra's hand as he stepped after Trunks into the hover-car. Then the rest of the troop gathered in. In no time at all, they had arrived in Kiiku's main arena. Hundreds of puny weaklings were running around, screaming at each other.
"Ew! What a ZOO!" said a disgusted Bulma. But they moved on, anyhow, to the signup desk. After they made the arrangements to fight, Trunks and Goten left everyone in the stands and went to go check out the competition.
"Trunks! Wait!" Marron cried. "Oh, Trunks, I just wanted to wish you good luck in your match!" And she bent over and kissed him on the cheek. Trunks blushed.
"Uh, thanks, Marron." He smiled and walked away. Then Bra ran up to Goten.
"Hey, Goten! Good luck! I hope ya win! He he he!" And she gave him a hug. Kiss-less, Goten followed Trunks. Marron and Bra went to find their seats in the stadium.
"Trunks is definitely gonna win, you know!" Marron called to Bura.
"Well, he is my brother, and I should cheer for him. But this morning he blew up my dollhouse. He's a jerk. So I'm rooting for Goten," she jeered.
"Humph! Yeah right! He'll never win! My Trunks is the hero! Besides, I KISSED him for good luck!" she spat back at her.
"Oh, yeah? Well I gave Goten a HUG! So HA!" They fought like this until the competition started.
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! WELCOME TO KIIKU'S FIRST ANNUAL JUNIOR COMPETITION! FIRST UP WE HAVE…LITTLE ANJE McGee VERSUS TAIGA CHAN!" roared the announcer on the loudspeaker. Little Anje McGee swung with her eyes closed and missed Taiga Chan by a mile. Then Taiga swung back and poked her in the nose. Then Anje cried and ran out of the arena. The rest of the competition was just the same. It was rather boring, until…
"ALL RIGHT, FOLKS! WHAT A FIGHT IT HAS BEEN SO FAR! WELL NOW, GIVE IT UP FOR 6-YEAR-OLD GOTEN VERSUS 7-YEAR-OLD TRUNKS!" The crowd roared enthusiastically, but rather sarcastically. Then Trunks confidently entered the arena, followed by Goten, who was biting his nails.
"What's the matter, Goten?" Trunks teased. "Scared? All ready? Ha! Guess what? When I win, I'll give you ¼ of the zeni I get for winning, ok?"
"Hey, Trunks! How do you know you're gonna win?" he roared. "I'm gonna try my hardest to beat you, you old sack of poop!" Trunks only laughed. The crowd was excited for the first annual tournament, but since Goten vs. Trunks was last and the competition was boring, the crowd was dying down a bit. But the gang wasn't; especially not Bra and Marron. Confident and ready to go, Trunks went into his starting position, followed by the nervous wreck that used to be Son Goten. Without warning, Trunks flew straight to Goten, aiming his hands at is neck. Goten dived to the right and dodged the hideous blow. Enraged with fury, Trunks struck again and prevailed. He struck him right in the cheek: hard. With a small wince of pain, Goten was up again.
The crowd was in a state of awe, all with mouths agape at the two warrior…kids. But back to the action: Goten tried a sick punch at Trunk's left eye, but missed. Furious, he too flew towards his opponent. Missing it easily, the other boy disappeared from Goten's eye.
"Huh?" Goten inquired to his self. "Where'd he go? Oy! Trunks? Trunks, I – AHHHH!" he screamed in terror as Trunks slammed him on his head vigorously from above with an earth- shattering thud. It appeared that Goten was knocked out cold…but was he? Of course not! But wait! Oy! He's been knocked HARD! Struggling to get up, Goten flinched and fell down again.
"What's the matter, wimp? Having fun yet? Ha!" called Trunks to Goten from across the arena. Goten didn't say anything. Neither did he move.
"LET'S GET A DOC IN HERE, GUYS! THE LITTLE MAN'S DOWN FOR GOOD!" roared the loudspeaker. The crowd was up on their feet. Gohan and Videl flew down to the arena to help.
"Little bro!" cried Gohan.
"Goten!" screeched Videl.
"Humph," said Trunks, satisfied. "But what a quick match! I didn't know he was THAT puny!" Then the announcer finally came out of shock.
"UH, OH! UM, FOLKS, LITTLE 6-YEAR-OLD GOTEN IS DOWN FOR GOOD! AND THE WINNER OF KIIKU'S FIRST ANNUAL JUNIOR COMPETITION IS…UH, TRUNKS BRIEFS OF SATAN CITY!" Sorrowfully, everyone applauded, awaiting the recovery of little Goten. When they realized he was not dead, the applause grew louder and louder until it was deafening. Trunks only smirked to the crowd.
"FOLKS, REMEMBER THOSE NAMES: TRUNKS AND GOTEN! I AM SURE YOU WILL BE HEARING ABOUT THEM FOR A WHILE TO COME! AND TO PRESENT TRUNKS WITH THE 15,000 ZENI, WHO BETTER THAN OUR VERY OWN…SATAN HERCULE!" Hercule leaped from the stands to the arena, flexing his phony muscles.
"Uh, thank you, loyal fans! This little guy is a great warrior! Oh yeah, baby! And here is your promised 15,00 zeni!" Hercule boomed. The crowd roared happily.
About an hour later, Trunks went to visit Goten in the recovery room. He was lying down on a table, being operated on his head. Slowly, the little boy with a black goofy hairdo and eyes to match it slowly opened his eyes to reveal a purple-haired figure at his bedside.
"Oh, hello, Trunks," he said weakly.
"Uh, hi, Goten. Listen, I didn't know you slacked off so much in your training! I wouldn't have hit you so hard, but I – " Goten cut him off.
"That's ok, Trunks. Besides, I wasn't 'slacking off'. I got lessons from my dad, my mom, AND Gohan. I tried my best."
"Oh, well, you can still have that ¼ of my winnings!" Trunks said eagerly. Goten didn't move. Trunks began to walk away. Then he stopped dead in his tracks and turned to stare at his old friend. After almost 5 minutes, he whispered to him. Goten smiled.
The words he had just spoken to Goten were the most powerful of any: "I'm sorry."
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1 To Be Continued…
Chapter 2 coming soon to a website near you…