Dear Readers,
Thank you so much for all the positive feedback to this story! The warm reception this story for really helped fuel my creativity, which got this chapter done fairly quickly, but then I kinda forgot which of my ten or so e-mail accounts I used for this penname, which has kept me from posting it for nearly two months now. 'laughs sheepishly' But hey, that's in the past now, chapter 2 is ready and done and chapter 3 is halfways ready, and should be up in a few weeks! Terribly sorry for the delay folks, but you know how these things go sometimes...
Anyways, thank you again for all the reviews and faves! I'm sorry for the long wait, and I really hope you enjoy this chapter!
Lotsa Love,
The8thDragonball
Chapter 2- Nowhere Fast
It took all of ten minutes after Gohan got settled into the guest bedroom for Vegeta to hunt the half-saiyan down to taunt him over his strange new stalker. Gohan was pleasantly surprised by this; it meant a full nine minutes more of peace and quiet than he was expecting.
"So much for being the most powerful warrior in the galaxy. Who would have guessed that all it takes to scare the mighty half-breed is a few measly letters." The prince sneered, smirking from where he was leaning against the doorway to the room Gohan had been given.
"Hello, Mr. Vegeta." Gohan replied neutrally, giving an internal sigh. While he didn't dislike the saiyan prince nearly as much as some of the human warriors, Gohan still wasn't his biggest fan. He respected Vegeta's power, and trusted him to help protect the Earth, if only for the thrill of the fight (and to protect his family, though he would probably never admit that out loud) but the saiyan's attitude still bothered him sometimes. Especially when he started insulting Gohan's family and friends.
"Well? How much do you know about whoever's been stalking you, boy?" Vegeta demanded, getting straight to the point.
"Not much." Gohan admitted. "Whoever it is just appeared out of thin air, left the letter and vanished. Their ki didn't feel very strong- probably about the same as Dr. Briefs- but that's the only time I sensed whoever it was. I kept an eye out after that, since I hoped maybe I could talk to them before Mom blew a gasket, but I haven't sensed them come anywhere near me even once."
"They're probably just masking their energy and then using these strange tricks as a distraction so they can leave unnoticed." Vegeta scoffed. Gohan paused in his unpacking to consider the prince's point. It was a good theory, actually, and one he hadn't thought of himself. "Well, no matter. If they still dare to send those silly notes to you here, I'll catch them in the act. Then we'll see how powerful this mysterious admirer of yours really is." Somehow, Gohan suspected that it wouldn't be as simple as Vegeta thought, but knowing how arrogant the older man was the half-saiyan didn't bother to share his opinion out loud.
"So how are the wedding preparations coming along?" Gohan asked instead to change the subject. Vegeta suddenly looked like he had been force-fed a lemon at the hybrid's innocent question. Before Gohan could ask what was wrong though, a shrill voice broke through the air, making Vegeta's eyes widen in horror.
"YOOOOHOOOO~! Son~in~Law~!" Appearing out of thin air, Pansy Briefs latch on to the saiyan prince's muscular arm before either warriors could even blink. "THERE you are! I was wondering where you snuck off too! I wanted to get your opinion on a few new flower arrangements I found! They've got this absolutely ADORABLE one with daffodils that are going to look AMAZING on the gazebo~!"
"Unhand me, wench!" Vegeta growled, trying to figure out how he could free himself without potentially hurting his fiancée's mother- something he already knew was at the top of Bulma's 'Don't-Even-Think-About-It' List along with doing any damage to her overwhelming number of clothes and shoes and killing the door-to-door salesmen that couldn't take a hint. "There is nothing on this godforsaken mud ball that can make me pick out flower arrangements with you!"
"Really?" Pansy pouted, looking disappointed. "Oh, that's too bad~! I was going to swing by the cake shop afterwards to see how the wedding cake's coming along, too, and I know how much you liked their sweets the last time we visited…" It took every ounce of control and training Gohan had not to die laughing at the look that crossed Vegeta's face at this revelation. After taking a minute to weigh his options, Vegeta finally came to a decision, though he looked far less than happy about it.
"…We must spend at least an hour at the cake shop for every minute we spend staring at Earth's pathetic plant life." He bargained, shooting Gohan a dark look that had the half-saiyan throwing his hands up in a placating gesture.
"Oh, I knew you'd love to come~!" Pansy squealed, dragging Vegeta away.
"Dammit, wench! What part of 'unhand me' did you not- DON'T PUT YOUR HAND THERE!"
Gohan waited until Vegeta and Pansy were safely out of Capsule Corp before he collapsed on his bed in a fit of laugher.
Mr. Vegeta seems to be getting more comfortable here on earth. The half-saiyan mused as his guffaws died down. Though he was still wasn't fully at ease around the saiyan prince, the younger boy was happy for him nonetheless. Despite Vegeta's past and the threat that he once posed to earth, Gohan had learned through Piccolo that everyone deserved a second chance. Growing up with Freeza couldn't have been a fun experience after all, and crazy as they could be sometimes, Bulma and her family were obviously a good influence on the former mercenary. Especially a certain lavender-haired half-saiyan.
"Gowan!" As if drawn by his thoughts, the child in question burst through Gohan's door and threw himself at the older half-saiyan with gusto, trusting the other boy to catch him. Gohan did not disappoint.
"Hey, Trunks!" Gohan said cheerfully as he adjusted his hold on the giggling child. The younger half-saiyan had just started walking on his own last month, and the added mobility and freedom was obviously something the baby loved. "Come to say hi, huh?"
"Gowan! Pway!" Trunks demanded, tugging at the frog buttons on the older demi saiyan's dark blue shirt. Chuckling nervously, Gohan hastily reached up to grab the young boy's hands before he could tear the buttons off (though he was still a baby, Trunks was already unusually strong thanks to his saiyan genes, and his mom would kill him if he wrecked another shirt).
"Alright, alright!" Gohan agreed. He could finish unpacking later, he supposed. Trunks probably wouldn't take too long to tire out. "What do you want to play, Trunks?" Trunks' smile turned rather devious as that question and, before Gohan could stop him, the little boy tore his hands out of Gohan's grasp to bop the dark haired boy on the nose.
"TAG!" Trunks shrieked before tearing out of the room like hell itself was at his heels. Laughing slightly, Gohan stood up casually, brushing any wrinkles out of his shirt and pants before suddenly disappearing into thin air. Seconds later, he reappeared leaning against the doorway to the room Trunks was just about to flee into, his sudden arrival making the younger boy yelp in surprise and try to jerk back while still in an all-out run, which ended up with the toddler falling flat on his behind.
"You okay there, Trucks?" Gohan asked with a chuckle as the boy rubbed his bruised bottom. Realizing that the older half-saiyan was so close seemed to jar Trunks out of his pain, sending him flying to his feet before he raced through another set of doors at breakneck speed.
Competitive little thing, isn't he? Gohan thought with a grin. It was hardly a surprise though. Most saiyans were, after all. Even Gohan himself hated to lose, though he was much better about it then Vegeta or his dad. Vegeta was the worst sore loser Gohan had ever met, and while his dad was generally very good about accepting a loss after the fact, he usually was just three steps from being in a body bag before he got there.
Sensing that Trunks was trying to make a break for the front door, Gohan pulled himself out of his musings to cut off the boy's escape, figuring that it wasn't a good idea to let the child run around in public. Trunks still didn't understand that the warriors were supposed to be discreet about their powers now, unless they wanted to be harassed by anyone who saw them. It was for this reason that Bulma had pretty much forbidden Vegeta from going into the city alone, though she had never exactly told the Saiyan prince this to his face. Instead, she just made sure that he was distracted enough to stay at Capsule Corp until someone dragged him away, as Pansy had just moments earlier.
After a few more minutes of letting Trunks run around the large, dome-shaped building like a madman, Gohan was forced to end their game when the younger half-saiyan tried to jump over the couch but ended up overdoing it and nearly going through a window.
"Gotcha!" Gohan exclaimed, grabbing the kid before he could go through the glass. Grinning at Trunk's pout, the older half-saiyan shook his head in amazement. "Gotta say Trunks, you're one fast little warrior!" This compliment made Trunks' pout melt away into a proud grin that echoed his father's his chest puffing out boastfully. Laughing a bit at the sight the younger half-saiyan made, Gohan set Trunks on his shoulders and turned to start towards the kitchen. "Come on Trunks, let's get you some lunch, oka-?" The rest of Gohan's question when unasked as he turned back around so fast that Trunks was nearly sent flying.
"Gowan!" the toddler scolded with a scowl on his round face. Gohan didn't hear him, though. Instead, his eyes were scanning the streets outside the window Trunks had nearly launched himself through. It was only for the briefest of seconds, but Gohan was sure that he'd seen an elderly man with a long white beard dressed in a violet robe standing across the street. Normally, Gohan wouldn't have given the man a second glance- he was used to some pretty strange things, after all, and people in the city always wore bizarre clothes to suit the latest fads (Bulma especially was prone to that)- but what got him was that this man's ki felt exactly like the one he felt just before the first letter arrived.
Could that have been-?
"OW!" Gohan yelped as tiny, sticky hands started pulling on his ears.
"Gowan!" Trunks said irritably. "Food!"
"Alright, alright! Just let go of the ears before you tear them off!" Gohan pleaded, hands quickly working to free his poor, abused lobes from the hungry toddler. Hastily putting all thoughts of the strange man to the back of his mind, Gohan rushed to the kitchens to get the young half saiyan some food before he attacked again.
Upstairs in her room, Chichi wasn't so lucky.
"I knew it!" The mother hissed, glaring out her window at where she'd seen the elderly man before he'd apparated away. "I knew comin' here wouldn't stop that ol' man! Hmph! Top security my foot!" Chichi wrung the frying pan in her hands nervously. Then again, it wasn't exactly Bulma's fault. After all, she had no way to defend herself against magic the likes of which were wielded by Albus Dumbledore.
Still, what else could she do? The old spells around the Ox Kingdom had failed to keep her son safe, and there was nowhere else she could go to get away from that man. Perhaps Vegeta could scare Dumbledore off? It was a shot in the dark, but the old wizard had never gone up against someone who knew how to use ki before. Granted, the same could be said for Vegeta, who had never faced a wizard before, but…
Steady, Chichi. The woman scolded herself, feeling sick again. Gods, why on earth was she so out of sorts lately?! Dumbledore's fault, most likely. She had just caught some bug before he started all this, and now it was getting worse from stress. But she couldn't risk going to the doctor until she knew her son was safe. She just knew the old wizard would pounce the second she turned her back on Gohan. Wizards. Can't trust any of 'em. They smile in yer face 'n stab ya in the back. Gohan's been in enough danger as it is, and he didn't survive all that ta go off 'n get killed in that world. I won't let it happen.
Eyes steely with determination, Chichi clutched her frying pan closer.
"Just try 'n take 'im from me, Dumbledore!" She growled at the spot where the wizard had been standing before yanking her curtains shut and stomping down the stairs.
It was time to fight fire with fire.
Bulma had woken up the next morning feeling extraordinarily pleased with herself. After worming her way out from under Vegeta's arm (Damn saiyans. Even asleep, they were still freakishly strong…) the lovely heiress made her way over to the bathroom to begin her morning primping, basking in her genius. After her mother had left with (read; kidnapped) her husband-to-be, Bulma herself had spent a few blessedly peaceful hours by herself tinkering around in her lab as Gohan played babysitter for Trunks. Trunks adored the older half-saiyan, and Bulma wasn't about to discourage her son from spending a little time with one of the few warriors earth had who wasn't a complete barbarian all the time (really, as much as she loved her fiancée and friends, it all got to be too much sometimes). Gohan was reliable despite his youth, and a good influence in her impressionable young son, so she certainly wasn't going to say no to having the older half-saiyan babysit. Especially when it meant she wouldn't be running around every ten minutes trying to keep her baby out of trouble.
After she had finished up in her lab, Bulma washed up and hunted down Chichi (eventually finding her lurking around in the hedges outside, looking suspiciously smug about something). Dragging her back inside, Bulma then proceeded to engage in some much needed girl talk, showing off her wedding gown and laughing with Chichi about all the odd little quirks that came when one was involved with a saiyan and the mother of a half-saiyan. The chat seemed to help cheer Chichi up considerably as well, though she still looked a little pale and sickly throughout the day. Still, it was amazing how much a little company could do for Chichi's demeanor, and the younger mother had all sorts of tips for Bulma's problems with Trunks and Vegeta that she herself had dealt with on her boys.
By the time the women finished, Pansy returned home with a grumpy Vegeta in tow, and Bulma quickly decided to show her fiancée how much she appreciated the fact that he hadn't murdered or maimed anyone during the outing, especially her mother. Vegeta seemed to appreciate her gratitude, and Bulma had enjoyed herself quite a bit as well, leading to a wonderful end to a blissful day. So all-in-all, Bulma was in a very good mood that morning.
…At least until she entered the kitchen for some breakfast.
"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAHHHHH!"
Handing out curses like they were candies, Vegeta shot out of bed and was downstairs in under three seconds after hearing his intended's scream, with no clue as to why it felt like his heart had almost stopped dead in his chest. Gohan was there about two seconds later, hair messier then usual but eyes sharp and wary of any threat that could have broken into Capsule Corp. A minute later, Chichi stumbled down the steps, closely followed by a concerned Pansy holding a sleepy Trunks and a rather pale looking Dr. Briefs. It was the good doctor who first found his voice upon entering his kitchen and finding-
"Good lord, are those horses?"
"Um, I think so, sir." Gohan said, a little confused. It was a good question, actually. After all, though Gohan had never seen a horse in person before, he was fairly sure that they usually lacked wings.
But that didn't change the fact that both of the animals before him had the appendages in question, and looked quite comfortable with them despite the fact that they made the others in the kitchen stare. The horses both boasted pure white bodies with wispy gold manes and tails, which shimmered like silk in the light as the animals tossed their heads or flicked their tails. One of them pawed at the ground and eyed the group curiously as the other one ignored them, instead sniffing eagerly at the sugar bowl on the counter.
"Oh my~!" Pansy said, creeping closer with her face alight with childish joy. "They're quite lovely, aren't they?"
"They're certainly unique." Dr. Briefs chuckled as he followed her, apparently deciding that there was no threat from the horses despite their strangeness and eager to get a better look at them.
"This is what your screeching was about?" Vegeta demanded irritably, not as impressed with the creatures as everyone else in the kitchen.
"Well excuse me for being surprised to find winged horses in my house!" Bulma snapped back huffily, ears burning scarlet. "How on earth did they get in here, anyways? All the doors are shut, and the locks are still active, I just checked two seconds ago!"
"Couldn't they have flown in?" Pansy wondered out loud, making Bulma's eye twitch.
"Somehow Mom, I don't think these things came down the chimney." The blue haired woman said through her teeth.
"They're a wedding gift." Gohan broke in, earning confused looks from everyone else.
"Wedding gifts from who, exactly?" Bulma asked, baffled. "I mean, who on earth could sneak two winged horses into Capsule Corp. in the middle of the night without anyone noticing?"
"Apparently, my stalker." The boy replied dryly, pointing to a ribbon attached to the horse's neck, which had a card that read 'Best of wishes to Miss B. Briefs and Mr. Vegeta in married life,' and then to the letter on the middle of the dining room table addressed 'Mr. G. Son, 2nd Floor Guest Suite of Capsule Corperation, WST 3338926 K West City, Chikyuu'
As everyone else gaped at the letter in shock, Chichi growled viciously and stormed across the kitchen to claim the letter, only to be engulfed in a plume of plum-colored smoke as soon as she touched it.
"MOM!" Gohan yelped in alarm, starting forward as everyone else jumped back to avoid the smoke. Coughing and curses answered the young half saiyan as Chichi stumbled out of the fog, no worse for the wear save for the fact that her hair was now sticking out at alarming angles, like a cartoon character who had stuck their finger in an outlet. "Mom, are you okay?"
"Fine, Gohan." Chichi answered tersely, glowering at the letter and muttering something about jinxes and something backfiring. "Now go ta yer room."
"But-!"
"Room. Now." Chichi ordered imposingly, making Gohan's protests dry up on his tongue. Nodding meekly, the half-saiyan left, ignoring the mocking snort he earned from Vegeta. As soon as he was gone, Bulma frowned worriedly at Chichi
"Alright, Chichi, do you want to tell us what on earth all of this is about?" The genius demanded, curiosity and worry overriding her long established fear of the angry dark haired mother.
"No." Chichi answered without hesitation, making Bulma's eyes narrow.
"No?" Bulma repeated with a scowl. "Chichi, some freak broke into my house and left horses behind. With wings! And you don't think I deserve to know something about the man who did it? What if he'd done something to Trunks, huh?"
"He doesn't want Trunks, Bulma." Chichi assured the blue haired woman, empathy making her soften her tone a little. "It's Gohan he's after. It doesn't have anything to do with aliens or saiyans or fighin' or any 'a that. It's..." Sighing, Chichi trailed off. "Nevermind, I can't explain it right now. Look, I'm sorry yer home got broken into, Bulma. If it makes you that uncomfortable, then me 'n Gohan can find somewhere else to stay."
"I'm not throwing you two out on the streets, Chichi." Bulma said, sounding slightly hurt. "I'm just worried. I mean, clearly this guy's better than I first thought, if he got in here without setting off the alarms or alerting Vegeta-!"
"The only reason this pathetic earthling managed to break in was because you were distracting me, woman!" The Saiyan prince snarled, shooting Bulma a dirty look. "Make no mistake, I WILL catch the fool if he attempts something like this again!"
"Yeah, yeah, go you." Bulma scoffed, rolling her eyes as her fiancée stormed out of the room, most likely to search the property for any signs of intrusion. After he left, the blue haired woman began studying the winged horses thoughtfully. "You know, now that they're not giving me a heart attack any more, these things are very pretty. Maybe I'll keep them around... Hey, do you think they'd let me ride them?"
"Oooh, what a wonderful idea, sweetie!" Pansy cooed. "Lets take them out for a spin, shall we?"
"Not too far, now!" Dr. Briefs called after his wife and daughter as they took off with the horses. "I want to analyze their DNA and see if they're the result of some sort of mutation or cross-breeding! It will be interesting to see if we can find ways to add wings to other animals as well, like T-Rexes or cats!" Gaping after the Briefs as they left, Chichi couldn't help but wonder if their nonchalant acceptance of the animals was a scientist thing, or if all of Goku's friends were even bigger freaks then she first imagined.
After thinking about it a little longer, Chichi decided it was probably a little bit of both.
"I'm starting to worry about your mom, kid." Looking away from the horse he was feeding carrots to, Gohan frowned dejectedly at the blue haired genius who was brushing out the other winged horse's pearly coat.
"You too, huh." the boy sighed. "She's getting worse and worse every day."
"I don't understand, either." Bulma scoffed, "I mean, yeah it's kinda freaky that this guy is breaking and entering every night, but he hasn't hurt anyone, and I love the gifts he's leaving for the wedding!"
"Titan and Tiara are pretty cool." Gohan agreed with a chuckle when the winged horses in question stamped their hooves and snorted, Titan butting his head into Ghoan's shoulder in a less-then-subtle demand for more carrots.
"Exactly!" Bulma agreed with a grin. "And the wine fountain that came with your letter on the second day, and the color changing roses on the third day and the choir of doves that sing Felix Mendelssohn's Wedding March yesterday, and today finding all the animals in cute tuxedos and dresses...!"
"I don't think Mr. Vegeta likes it very much, though." Gohan pointed out.
"He'll get over it." Bulma said dismissively, which Gohan sort of doubted.
Just like Chichi seemed to be getting a little crazier every day, Vegeta was getting more and more frustrated with his inability to find even a single clue to the identity of their mystery gift giver, which made him much more violent and paranoid then usual, something Gohan could hardly believe was possible.
It had started off small with the Saiyan Prince. After finding the horses in the kitchen Vegeta went on high alert, going over Capsule Corp with a fine tooth comb to try and figure out how the perpetrator got in with no success. Given what little Chichi and Gohan were able to tell him about the letters, he quickly figured that the man would return that night to try to slip past him again, something he was determined wouldn't happen. Vegeta spent that entire night sitting on top of Capsule Corp's room to keep vigilance, blatantly ignoring Bulma and Pansy's attempts to coax him back inside and not moving a muscle until the next morning, when he flew back inside at Dr. Brief's delighted cry when the scientist headed down to his lab and found a beautiful solid gold fountain crafted to look like a castle, which was surrounded by a 'moat' of expensive red wine, a familiar letter perched at the very top and a notecard saying 'Best of wishes to Miss B. Briefs and Mr. Vegeta in married life.'
Needless to say, Vegeta was rather upset that his normally keen eye had missed the intruders entrance for a second night in a row.
Vegeta had spent the rest of the day furiously cursing and breaking everything he got his hands on, vowing loudly that he would not fail for a third time. That night, the former mercenary patrolled the halls of Capsule Corp like a madman, storming around and blasting anything from creaky floorboards to several of the many strays that Bulma's family had taken in until his fiancée threatened to send him on a one way trip to Jupiter if he didn't keep it down. The two bickered back and forward for a while as Bulma tried to get dresses, only to be showered in color changing roses, each attached to a letter meant for Gohan and a notecard for the engaged couple.
The bellow of outrage that Vegeta gave after finding that the intruder had somehow gotten past him and into his bedroom where his intended lay sleeping woke up half the block and scared the daylights out of poor Trunks. It was only surpassed by his outrage over the fact that Bulma wasn't upset at all over the intrusion ("Oh come on! He left flowers, Vegeta! Do you have any idea how long it's been since someone left me flowers?").
The enraged Prince didn't speak a word to anyone that day, instead scouring the grounds with fire in his eyes and a snarl on his lips. He watched everyone who passed by Capsule Corp like an angry hawk, and nearly killed some poor jogger when she stopped to tie her shoe in front of the house. It took Bulma begging, pleading, and finally threatening to turn the Gravity Room into her fourth walk-in closet for the saiyan to back down and take a short nap, after which he was only marginally better. Naturally, this only lasted until the next day, when Pansy discovered the choir of doves nesting in the living room, each one with a letter to Gohan tied to their talons and a notecard for Bulma and Vegeta on the coffee table. It took Gohan and Bulma working together to keep Vegeta from turning the poor birds into fried chicken, though Chichi seemed surprisingly willing to help the increasingly furious Saiyan, who finally gave up and growled out something that sounded vaguely insulting in some strange alien language before storming off and locking himself in the gravity room. Gohan was pretty sure that the older warrior spent the entire night in there, since he didn't hear a peep from him when Chichi started raising a fuss after waking up to find all of the Brief's pets decked in wedding-ready attire, letters to Gohan tucked in various pockets and purses.
In direct contrast to Vegeta's hair trigger temperament, the Briefs family didn't seem bothered at all by the letters or the gifts. Pansy was in the process of assigning names to all of the fifty doves they were given, which were being kept in a special bird hutch in the inner gardens. As it turned out, the wedding march wasn't their only number, and even now Gohan could hear them jauntily cooing out Chopin's Nocturne as a T-Rex in a tuxedo and top hat lumbered past them. Dr. Briefs hummed along cheerfully as he helped himself to the wine fountain (though a persistent hiccup threw off his tempo now and then), one of the color changing roses tucked into the pocket of his lab coat by his ever loving wife.
"Anyways, if you ever get the chance to meet this guy, be sure to tell him thanks for me, will you? We really appreciate all his presents!"
"I'll... um... let him know." Gohan promised reluctantly, feeling that such a meeting was unlikely if his mom had anything to say about it. She was already looking into finding somewhere else to hide him until the letters subsided. It was starting to worry Gohan that his usually confrontational mother was so obsessed with running and hiding from this mysterious opponent rather than facing them head on like she normally would. Chichi was far from a coward, after all, and none of the tricks their mystery penpal pulled were dangerous, or threatening in anyway.
...Well, except maybe to Vegeta's ego and his mom's hair.
As if drawn to his musings, Son Chichi's voice rang out over the gardens, heavy with a maternal disapproval that had even the animals freezing in their tracks.
"SON GOHAN!" Wincing at the cry, Gohan sighed heavily as Bulma shot him a sympathetic glance before trudging off to the direction of the house, where his mother stood with her hands at her hips and a scowl on her face. "There ya are! Do ya have any idea how worried I was?! I've told ya a hundred times already not ta leave the house young man!"
"Sorry, mom." Gohan apologized, knowing better than to tell her that Bulma had invited him out for some fresh air. It would only get the woman in trouble, after all. "It won't happen again."
"It better not." Chichi groused. "And don't think I don't know what ya were up ta, either! I don't want ya near those animals ever again! They might look pretty, but they're nasty creature that can take a person's arm off! 'N those stupid birds are a horrible mess ta take care of!"
"They seem really nice to me!" Gohan protested, his love of animals even stronger than the lifelong fear he had of incurring Chichi's wrath. "Tiara was even really gentle with Trunks when Miss Bulma set him on her back and led them around the garden earlier."
"Don't talk back ta me, Gohan, I've seen things like 'em before so I know more about 'em!"
"You have?" Gohan's face brightened with curiosity at his mother's confession. "What are they? Where do they come from?"
"That's not important, Gohan. Instead a those silly animals, ya need ta focus on what's important. Ya still haven't finished yer math work, young man! 'n ya haven't even started on yer geography!"
"Yes, Mom..." Gohan sighed, trudging reluctantly into the house after his mother.
"We've had enough distractions around here lately, 'n I'm not gonna let anything else keep ya from becomin' a brilliant scientist. Honestly, that Bulma ought ta know be... be n..." The rest of Chichi's lecture trailed off as her knees buckled out from under her, and it was only her son's superhuman speed that kept her from hitting her head against the floor.
"MOM!" Gohan yelled in panic as he supported Chichi's weight. Looking slightly dazed, Chichi blinked a few times, Gohan's face blurring a few times before finally coming back into focus. "Mom, what happened?! Are you alright?!"
"'m fine, Gohan." Chichi assured him, trying and failing to free herself from the half saiyan's grasp. "It was just a lil dizzy spell is all!"
"A dizzy spell? That's what all the noise was about?" Vegeta sneered from a doorway, surprising Gohan a bit. In his panic to make sure his mom was okay, he hadn't even noticed the Saiyan prince's arrival. "Hmph! You humans are pathetically weak!" Chichi scowled darkly at Vegeta's remark, but before she could retort, Bulma came flying through the door with Trunks clutched in her arms.
"What happened?! Is everyone alright?!" Bulma asked worriedly.
"I think Mom fainted." Gohan answered before anyone else could speak.
"'m fine!" Chichi repeated herself with a scowl. Both Gohan and Bulma ignored her, though. Shoving their son into Vegeta's hands despite the prince's instant protests and slightly panicked look, Bulma knelt next to the Sons and grabbed Chichi's hand to feel for her pulse.
"Have you been experiencing these dizzy spells a lot lately?" the blue haired genius asked, looking so confident and professional that Gohan didn't see any point in reminding her that she specialized in mechanics rather than medicine and instead just moved out of the way to give the woman space.
"Just once or twice. I haven't been sleepin' well." Chichi said defensively as she rescued her wrist from the other woman's grasp.
"Chichi, you really should see a doctor." Bulma said with a disapproving frown. "Whatever bug you caught only seems to be getting worse."
"It's justa cold!" Chichi claimed mulishly. "I'm not abandonin' my son now ta have a doctor tell me somethin' I already know!"
"It's not just a cold." Bulma insisted with a frown. "And don't worry about Gohan, Vegeta and I will help keep his stalker away."
"Yeah, because that's workin' out so well already." Chichi pointed out sarcastically, glowering out the window as a dinosaur in a dress lumbered past.
"Perhaps we'd do better if you'd actually tell us something about the powers that this man is using." Vegeta snapped back, half tossing Trunks to Gohan as he advanced on the fallen woman. "It's obvious enough that you know more than you're letting on! Either you start speaking up, or get the hell out of this house and take this nonsense with you!"
"Vegeta!" Bulma hissed out, glaring at her fiancée.
"Fine! If ya really feel that way, then maybe I will!" Chichi retorted, climbing to her feet and storming past the prince. "Gohan! Get yer things! We're gettin' outta here!"
"Chichi! Chichi, wait!" Bulma protested, shooting Vegeta an ugly look as she followed the other mother through her house. Vegeta merely rolled his eyes in response, turning to head back towards his gravity room. Sighing heavily, Gohan followed after the women, a rather confused Trunks in his arms.
"Gowan go bye-bye?" The toddler asked dejectedly.
"I think so, Trunks." Gohan replied with an apologetic smile when the purple hair boy gave a whine. "Don't worry, mom and I will be back for the wedding, okay?"
"Gowan stay!" Trunks demanded, grasping the older half saiyan's shirt firmly in his chubby hands as if he was prepared to use physical force to keep him there if it was necessary. "Pway wit Twunks!"
"Sorry Trunks, but I can't." Gohan sighed, earning a glare from the toddler before he turned away with a grumpy pout. Shaking his head, Gohan shifted the child to one arm and followed the sound of Chichi and Bulma arguing to his mother's door.
"Chichi, come on, don't listen to Vegeta! You're only enabling him! Do you have any idea how hard I've been trying to prove to him that we humans aren't going to obey his every whim?"
"It ain't just that, Bulma! It's everythin'! I can't stay here any more, knowin' that shark is just circlin' us, waitin' for blood!"
"And where can you go to get away from this guy, Chichi? Your home wasn't safe from him, going to your father didn't work, coming here didn't work... you really think anywhere on earth can protect Gohan from these letters? You're going to kill yourself trying to run away from this man, and Gohan will be left all alone! Is that what you want?"
"Of course not! But he ain't going with that man Bulma, I won't let 'im kill my son the same way he did my mother!"
A long beat of silence followed this proclamation as Gohan bit his lip thoughtfully, making Trunks look up at him in confusion from his arms.
His mother and grandfather rarely talked about the deceased Queen of Ox Kingdom, but Gohan could always sense that they were pained by the loss of her even now. Many of the citizens of Ox Kingdom felt the same, and some would often remarked to Gohan about how much he resembled her, personality-wise. They claimed that he had the same calm, gentle spirit as the beloved woman, a notable contrast to his proud, excitable mother and his goofy and lovable father. Despite having heard that a number of times, though, no one had ever mentioned anything specific about his grandmother, especially in regards to her death until these letter started coming and his mom started getting more and more upset.
It was the one thing that was making his seemingly harmless stalker seem more dangerous than he appeared.
Apparently, Bulma thought so too. After silently considering the situation for a while, the genius spoke up again, her tone low and somber.
"Have you thought about the Lookout? It should be impossible for something to get you guys from up there, and Piccolo will be on high alert for anyone who's a danger to Gohan."
"...Will that really work?" Chichi asked in a tired voice. It was a testament to how much the circumstances were worrying Chichi if she was really willing to trust her son's safety to the Namenkian she often (justly) accused of kidnapping him.
"I can't think of a single place on earth safer then the Lookout, Chichi. But you really should see a doctor before you go. For Gohan's sake, if no one else's. I know you think you're fine, but if this cold turns out to be something bigger then your son could wind up losing you too, and that's more than that poor boy can take. Please, Chichi, just a visit?"
"Fine." Chichi sighed in defeat. "After I get Gohan all set on the Lookout, I'll come back 'n see yer doctor. But then I'm goin' straight back ta the Lookout, ya hear? No funny stuff!"
"No funny stuff, Chichi, promise." Bulma chuckled, masking Gohan's sigh of relief at the news that his mother was finally willing to see a doctor.
"I better go see if Gohan's all set ta go now. If we're gonna make it ta the Lookout on tonight, then we better leave as soon as we can."
The sounds of the boxsprings creaking hit Gohan's ears at the same time as his mother's words, making the boy freeze for a moment as he finally realized he'd been eavesdropping. Not willing to let Chichi catch him with a full force of angry mother wraith, Gohan sprinted back to his room at a speed that had Trunks giggling in delight. The preteen half-saiyan set the child on his mattress as soon as it was within arms length before turning to grab his suitcase, throwing things into it with faster than the naked eye could follow as Trunks bounced playfully on the bed.
Two minutes later, Chichi opened the door to find her son zipping the last of his overstuffed bags, wheeling around to give her the same guilty grin her husband and son would always give her then she caught them with their hands in the cookie jar (literally or figuratively).
"All set, mom!" the young half-saiyan chirped, setting the bag down on the floor.
"That's good." Chichi said approvingly. "We're gonna try ta head up ta Kami's Lookout so that nasty old leech that's been followin' us around might finally leave us alone."
"So we'll be staying with Dende and Piccolo for a while?" Gohan couldn't feeling a little happier at the thought of spending some time with his mentor and young alien friend, even as Chichi pursed her lips disapprovingly at the excitement in his tone as he mentioned the older Namekian.
"Only for a lil while, Gohan." Chichi reminded her son sharply. "'N don't forget that ya gotta lot 'a schoolwork left ta finish! I want all of it done before ya go frolickin' off with that big green kidnapper."
"Yes, mom." Gohan agreed dully, biting his tongue to keep from defending his teacher. He had learned long ago that Piccolo was one of those things he and his mother were always going to disagree on, and the less vocal he was with his disagreement, the more agreeable Chichi stayed.
"Now hurry and get yer bags in the capsule car, Gohan. Bulma's gonna drive me and ya up ta the Lookout, then double back so she can bring me to some silly doctor for my cold."
"Wouldn't it be easier if I just went with you to your appointment?" Gohan asked with a worried frown.
"I'm not havin' ya sitting out in a waiting room by yerself when a doctor's pokin' at me, young man." Chichi said sharply, her tone leaving no room for argument. "Either ya wait fer me at the Lookout where you'll be safe, or I stay with ya ta make sure ya don't go sneakin' off where that man can get ta ya, understand?"
"Yes, mom." Gohan agreed quickly.
"Good." Chichi nodded her approval. "Now hurry up with yer bags. I wanna be back at the Lookout before nightfall, so we gotta move fast."
"Alright, mom." The boy said as he shouldered his bags.
"And Gohan?" Chichi added, pausing at the doorway and turning to her son with an arched eyebrow. "On top of yer regular homework, I want ya ta finish up a few extra things while I'm at the doctor. Maybe that'll teach ya not ta eavesdrop on adult's conversations."
"..." Gohan sat speechless in a stupor as Chichi calmly turned and left the room. From his place on the bed, Trunks giggled at the elder half-saiyan's expression, snapping Gohan out of his shock and sending him scrambling to follow his mother, a feeling of dread pooling in his stomach.
It was official; There was no mother on earth half as scary as Son Chichi.
Ever since he hatched from his egg, Piccolo had always been a creature of solitude. For the most part, that was how he preferred it. Until the young son of his worst enemy somehow ended up in his care, at any rate. Despite the best efforts of the Namekian to distance himself from the boy, Gohan still managed to worm his way into the heart of the warrior who had once been feared as the world's most evil monster. It was this friendship that had led Piccolo away from his dark desires, spearing him into defending the very planet he once designed to rule as King.
Unfortunately, his friendship also forced the Namekian to put up with the terrifying banshee who was his student's mother.
"Alright, listen and listen good!" Said mother snarled as she jumped out of the capsule plane that had brought her to the Lookout, marching straight up to the Namekian and stabbing a finger threateningly into his face. "I know ya don't like me, 'n I like ya even less, but my son is in grave danger right now 'n I need a safe place ta hide 'im til that danger passes!"
"Hi, Mr. Piccolo." Gohan said meekly from behind his mother when the tall green man shot him a confused look.
"Gohan's in danger?" Piccolo asked for clarification. Surely the deranged woman couldn't be talking about the same Gohan who had used Cell for a soccer ball only a few months earlier?
"Yep!" Bulma confirmed with a nod. "From a man with flying horses, singing birds and wine fountains who can dress up dinosaurs and make flowers change colors."
...Piccolo always suspected that these humans were insane.
"Someone's been sending me strange letters, Mr. Piccolo." Gohan explained a little better than the women, sensing that his mentor was losing patience. "He leaves them in all sorts of weird places, and he can get them into the house without me or Mr. Vegeta sensing him, and there's never any trace of how he gets in or out."
"Could it be an android?" Piccolo asked, frowning thoughtfully. Gohan shook his head.
"I sensed him once, when he left the first letter at my home. He didn't have a very strong ki at all, but he was able to appear and vanish in under a minute, and he definitely felt like a normal human." Wisely, Gohan didn't mention seeing the old man outside of Capsule Corp a few days earlier. He knew that if his mother had any idea that he'd gotten so close, there was no way she'd leave him to see the doctor like she promised.
"That is strange." Dende murmured, looking worried. "Do you have any idea what this could be about, Piccolo?"
"...Perhaps." Piccolo said, eyeing Chichi carefully as she tensed. "But there's no way of saying for sure. Until we know more about the enemy, it's best to lay low and try to find the source of his unusual abilities."
"We don't need ta know anythin' about his abilities." Chichi growled out tersely. "Just keep him away from Gohan!"
"Calm down, Chichi. It's impossible for Gohan's stalker to get him way up here, remember?" Bulma reminded the woman soothingly. "Only certain people can get to Kami's Lookout, and I really doubt this guy's on the list. Now that we know he's in a safe place, why don't we get going to the doctor's office to get you looked at, okay?" Chichi looked as though she was about to protest, but stopped herself short and sighed heavily before turning to her son with a worried frown.
"Remember ta do all yer schoolwork, 'n all the extra work I assigned ya! I don't want ya playin' 'til all of it's done. And whatever ya do, don't leave the Lookout, no matter what!"
"Yes mom, I promise." Gohan vowed, willing to agree to just about anything at that point to get his mother to a doctor.
"I'll probably be back in a few hours time, so be good until I come back." Chichi added, kissing her son's forehead and pulling him in for a hug. "'n don't go wanderin' off ta other planets, or flyin' in ta battle or gettin' yerself in ta any life-or-death situations, either!"
"I'll try, mom." Gohan said, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips despite the fact that Chichi was dead serious with her request. "Just promise you'll do whatever the doctor says, okay?"
"We'll see." Chichi grumped before climbing in to the capsule car, waving at her son even as Bulma took off into the air and shot off in the sky. Gohan couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief as she left, feeling like a burden was finally lifted from his shoulders now that his mother was finally getting herself looked at.
"Rough time lately?" Dende asked, looking bemused.
"Like you wouldn't believe." Gohan said wearily after thanking Mr. Popo for bringing him what would constitute as a small feast for a human. "Mom hasn't let me out of her sight for more than ten minutes ever since I got that first letter."
"What do the letters say that has your mom so worried?" Dende wondered out loud as Gohan dug in to the food.
"I don't know." Gohan managed between bites, less mindful of his manners now that Chichi wasn't there to reprimand him for it. "I haven't read any of them. Mom's been pretty worried about them though, and it's really creepy that they know which room I sleep in and everything."
"An enemy that can spy on you to that extent without alerting your senses is definitely something to worry about." Piccolo agreed gruffly, frowning out at the earth beneath the Lookout.
"Mr. Piccolo, do you know something about this guy?" Gohan asked curiously. "You looked like you might earlier when I told you about how it was a normal human with the ability to appear and disappear whenever he wants." For a while, Piccolo gave no sign of having heard Gohan's question despite the fact that the young half-saiyan and Dende were both watching him eagerly as they awaited his answer. When his mentor finally designed to speak though, Gohan got the feeling that he was choosing his words carefully.
"...In the past, I have heard of humans with a strange ability that was not powered by ki." The tall Namekian began. "They aren't common in this land though, so I don't know very much about them. Not the extent of this power, or if it could be dangerous to people like us. Baba could probably tell you more about it then I could, since she wields the power herself."
"Ms Baba?" Gohan wondered, looking surprised. He had only met the elderly fortune teller a handful of times, and had never really spoken to her the way he had most of his father's friends. Still, Goku had told him before about her ability to find anything, and the way she could easily cross the threshold between the living and the dead.
"What kind of power is it?" Dende wondered curiously. "I mean, if it's not ki-based, then where does the power come from?"
"I can't say for sure. I think it's some sort of latent ability in their blood or something, since I know it's pretty uncommon for someone with this power to have parents who don't possess it." Piccolo informed them.
"What could they want with me, then?" Gohan asked. "I mean, if they keep sending me letters like this, they obviously want me for something, right?"
"...Who knows, kid." Piccolo grunted. "To be honest though, there was a time when you were really small that I wondered if you had this particular power for yourself."
"Huh?" Gohan said, surprise lighting up his face. "Me?"
"Some of the things you did in that year I was training you were impossible even for people who have had years and years of experience using ki, and there were times when you did it without tapping in to your ki." Piccolo confessed with a far away frown. "For example, I remember one time you were being chased by a dinosaur, and right before it was going to eat you, you disappeared and reappeared on top of a mountain. And then there was that time you broke your sword on a rock and spent all day trying to fix it, only to fall asleep and have it good as new by the time you woke up."
"I thought you did that." Gohan confessed, remembering well how upset he was at damaging the treasured gift from his mentor and how happy it made him to find it whole again the next morning.
"Sorry, kid, that one wasn't me." Piccolo said. "And then, that time you almost drowned, and all of a sudden all this giant air bubble formed around you and brought you right to the surface." Now that Piccolo mentioned it, he did remember odd things like that happening when he was scared or upset as a child.
Like when he was three and he accidentally broke his mother's china set playing inside. He was terrified of what Chichi would do to him when she got home, but strangely enough the set fixed itself while he was preparing for his impending doom, his mother none the wiser to the damage. And then there was the time a monkey tried to cart him off, thinking he was one of her children, and he got scared that he'd never find his way home again. Next thing he knew, he was in his father's lap on Nimbus, and Goku looked just as surprised to find him there as he was to be there. There was even the time he had to wear stuffy, uncomfortable, ugly formal clothes for some big to-do at the Ox Kingdom and he really, REALLY didn't want to. It took Chichi threatening to send him to bed without dinner for him to sit still to be dressed, only for the outfit to disappear right out of his mother's hands. The family looked high and low trying to find it before eventually giving up and letting Gohan go in his regular clothes. A baffled maid finally found the outfit a week later, buried in the flowerbed. Chichi had seemed really upset about that for a long time, for some reason.
"But... nothing like that's happened for a really long time now." Gohan pointed out with a troubled look.
"It mostly seemed to happen when you were being especially emotional." Piccolo pointed out. "As you trained in the wild though, you learned to rely on your strength and began confronting your fears differently, which meant you didn't need that power to protect you as much any more." Piccolo had a point there. The strange events got less and less common the more he trained, and by the time the Saiyans arrived they had pretty much stopped altogether.
Still, there was one thing bothering the young half-saiyan...
"But it doesn't make sense..." Gohan said, frowning. "I mean, you said yourself that most people how have this power get it from their parents, but it's only certain humans who have this power. Dad's not human at all, and mom..." Gohan trailed off slowly there, realization dawning over him.
Chichi had known, right from the start, what the letters were about. She's been nervous and angry about each letter they got, but never confused the way everyone else was. She almost never talked about her life before marrying Goku with anybody, never mentioned her childhood or her mother...
"If your mom has this power, then I've never seen her use it kid." Piccolo said easily guessing his student's train of thought. "But she definitely knows something, so you're going to have to try and get some answers out of her sooner or later."
"That's never gonna happen." Gohan said with a sigh. "There's no way mom will ever tell me something she doesn't want me knowing about, and she really doesn't want me knowing anything about whatever's going on. I'm probably just going to be left wondering what all this was all about for the rest of my life." shaking his head to alleviate his sudden depression at that thought, Gohan rose to his feet, heading over to his bags to get the books he needed to do his schoolwork. As he left, Piccolo continued to watch the sky below them as dark clouds slowly began building up, coaxed on by an unnatural power that made Piccolo's skin tingle in anticipation.
"I wouldn't bet on that, kid." Piccolo murmured to himself before turning away, his cloak flaring dramatically behind him as he made his way to the inner sanctuary of Kami's Lookout.
It seemed that they'd have to prepare for an unusual guest before the night was out...