Chapter Four
…
Goku spent the remainder of the afternoon discovering the outside of the castle. He sauntered about its walls, clambering through the ankle-deep snow that had only just begun to thaw under the warm sun, and deftly climbed the towers, allowing him a breathtaking view of the forest and a few villages beyond. Goku squinted at the horizon, and thought he caught a waft of Mr. Oolong's freshly baked bread. The saiyan felt his heart sink slightly, and knew it would take him a while before he would stop missing his old environment.
As the sun began to settle upon the horizon, Goku heard himself called by Krillin, and quickly returned to the castle where he was ushered to his room. He found, as Bulma had mentioned, a new set of clothes awaiting him on his bed. Goku raised first the moss-green trousers of silken material which shimmered in the light, ran his fingers along the golden-threaded sash and the sky-blue tunic, richly embroidered with golden thread and colored sequins. He called for Krillin, whose happy-go-lucky demeanor had earned him a fast friend, for advice on how to assemble the rich clothes. With the gargoyle's instruction, Goku slipped on the trousers and tunic, tucking the hem of the tunic into the pants and tying the sash about his waist. He was then presented a pair of soft boots of dark leather laced up with snow white threads. Goku stared at himself in the mirror, dazed by his affluent appearance. The clothes were surprisingly comfortable and loose, the fabric smooth against his skin.
"Are you ready, Goku?" Krillin called from outside the room.
"Yes, I suppose," Goku replied, glancing at himself once again and brushing aside a few bangs of his unruly hair. As handsome as he admitted he must look, he felt awkward and entirely self-conscious in the outfit, and hoped he did not look half the fool he felt.
"You look wonderful," Krillin exclaimed as he stepped out of the room. "The colors really accentuate your dark features." Goku grinned and scratched his chin.
"Thanks."
"Well come along then, the master doesn't like to be kept waiting." Goku followed Krillin down the stairs and into the dining room. Goku stifled a gasp as he passed through the large doors – the entire room appeared to have been completely redecorated. The room was bright, lit by soft gold light from a crystal chandelier and various candles spread throughout the room. The ground had been swept and waxed, the walls covered in red and golden tapestries, and the long wooden table was covered in steaming gold dishes piled with exotic foods. At the other end of the table, the Beast rose stiffly, hands clenching and unclenching as he watched the gaping young saiyan enter the room.
"This is amazing," Goku exclaimed. "I've never seen a room so beautiful!"
"Well of course," the Beast muttered, "it –is– the castle of a prince after all –" he was cut off as Tien nudged him roughly with a stony claw.
"What was that?" Goku asked.
"Nothing." The Beast gestured towards the table. "Sit down," he winced as he felt himself nudged again, "please." Goku smiled as they sat themselves simultaneously at opposite sides of the table. The Beast kicked Tien roughly under the table, disguising the noise by picking up a large silver pitcher and pouring the rich drink into his goblet.
"Wine?" he asked. Goku shook his head.
"I'm fine, thanks." The saiyan could hardly keep from salivating over the table as the strong scent of food washed over him.
"You can start eating, you know," the Beast scoffed, rather amused by the look on his guest's – or more precisely, captive's – face. Goku looked up at the Beast with a look of such awe and delight that took the Beast aback for several seconds before launching himself at the nearest fowl.
The dinner was relatively quiet, filled with the sounds of clattering silverware, gritting teeth, munching, slurping, and overall appreciation of the food before them. Goku tried a few times to begin a conversation, but the Beast's replies were always taunt, short, and cryptic, and he quickly gave up attempting to communicate.
As the last of the plates were carried off by the gargoyle's, Goku released a content sigh and glanced up at the beast, who had begun to rise out of his seat.
"Thank you very much for the meal, Mr. Beast," he said. His host glanced at him and grunted, acknowledging the thanks, before sweeping out of the dining room and leaving Goku alone with the flickering candles.
"Care for a cup of tea?" Goku turned his head and nodded at Bulma.
"That would be great, thanks," he said, following the gargoyle as it hobbled towards the kitchen. He sat himself across from the crackling fire and accepted the warm cup of tea from Bulma with thanks. The saiyan sipped contentedly until he heard someone approach. He looked down to see Tien crouched quietly beside the chair.
"This place… how long has it been this way?" Goku asked. "It feels like it's been abandoned for ages." Tien glanced up at Goku and traced a ridge on his left claw.
"This castle once stood strong and proud, just like it's owners, but the curse took everything away, and it's been like this ever since. I couldn't even tell you how long it's been. Everything feels so slow now." Goku cocked his head and sipped at the tea.
"It sounds lonely. Why don't you leave?"
The gargoyle shook its head. "There are many reasons. Responsibility to this castle, loyalty to my friends and my master. And it's not like I could return home even if I wanted to – not like this. This castle is our prison." Tien glanced up. "It's his prison."
"The Beast," Goku frowned. Questions spun through his mind, but he kept quiet and lifted himself off the chair."Well, I think I've had enough excitement for tonight. I'll go back to my room."
Tien nodded and Goku left the room, heading up the stairs towards his room. He paused at the split in the stairs and glanced up to his left at the darkened corridors and the closed doors. Goku hesitated, but his curiosity – and the burning desire to know more about the mysterious castle and it's even more puzzling owner – overcame his doubts and he quietly made his way up towards the west wing.
Goku padded down the dark hallway carpeted in dark red velvet that had long since frayed and faded to a mottled gray covered in dust and mold. He touched the doorknob of a dusty door, but the room was firmly locked, and the saiyan gave up after a few muffled tugs. He padded further down the corridor, touching the wall to keep from straying in the darkness, until he felt another door against his fingertips. He drew his hand down and tested the doorknob. This time, the knob turned willingly and Goku quietly opened the door, glancing through it.
The room was silent, dark, and empty. Goku entered and closed the door softly behind him, glancing around and allowing his eyes to adjust to the darkness. The room smelled strongly of must and mold and age, but the floor was clear of debris and dirt – the beast must have spent much of his time in this room. A faint ray of light penetrated the room through the jagged holes of torn, aged curtains. Goku sidestepped a broken vase and brushed aside a hanging cobweb as he neared the far end of the room. The space appeared to be some kind of personal study, indicated by a small desk and the number of queer, forgotten objects and portraits hung about the walls, all of which had been mauled and torn. One in particular caught Goku's attention – a particularly large portrait hung opposite the study desk highlighted by a soft light from the moonlit sky. Goku squinted and approached the portrait. The canvas had been brutally slashed apart in the middle, but Goku could still see the remnants of something familiar. He blinked as he recognized the same royal suit of armor he had seen in the castle armory and cocked his head, reaching up to smooth out a few of the torn strips.
Goku inhaled sharply and almost stepped back. Glaring back at him with piercing black eyes was the missing young saiyan prince. Why does the Beast have a torn up portrait of the prince? Goku mused. He dropped his hand and turned around, stopping as his eye caught something peculiar. On the edge of the desk, amidst a pile of yellowing parchments, pens, and odd trinkets, was a pile of six perfectly round stones. On the top of the pile was a single, glowing, orange orb. Goku approached the table, curious, and reached out to touch the strange ball. Suddenly, the door slammed open, and Goku jumped in surprise, whipping his head towards the doorway.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Goku felt his heart skip a beat in terror as the dark silhouette of the beast loomed over him from the doorway, teeth bared and eyes dark with anger.
"I –" he started piteously, but the beast interrupted him, storming forward.
"I told you, I ordered you not to enter the west wing! You had the entire castle to yourself, but instead to arrogantly seek to defy me!" Goku backed away from the advancing beast. He could feel the waves of anger and disappointment rolling off the creature, and suddenly realized the significance of his actions.
"Don't forget," the beast growled as he cornered Goku against the wall, "that you are my prisoner here. You are nothing in my presence, and I can do what I want with you."
"I'm sorry," Goku pleaded. "Really, I just wanted to know more –" The beast interrupted by grabbing him by the collar of his tunic and throwing him towards a pile of crates and furniture in the corner. Goku yelped as he crashed into the rotting wood, which crumbled under his weight. Ignoring the aching in his back and legs, he pushed himself upright, only to see the beast storming in his direction. Goku stumbled over the broken wood and darted out through the doorway.
"That's it!" he heard the beast howl at him from behind as he rushed down the corridor. "Run! Run like the pathetic coward you really are! I'll give you five seconds!" Goku threw himself down the stairs and ran for the large double doors.
"Goku, what in the name of all saiyans is going on?" Goku froze as Bulma called out to him from across the room. She took one look at his terrified face and frowned, eyes drooping in disappointment.
"I see," she said quietly. "That was foolish of you, Goku." Goku opened his mouth – he wanted to defend himself, to plead his innocence and his guiltless motives, but a booming roar interrupted him.
"Two!" it cried. Goku released a small whine and threw himself against the door, which creaked open and let him out.
"Nimbus!" he cried, running for the black gates. The strong, cold winds buffeted his skin as he leapt through the snow. "Nimbus!" he tried again, without response. Goku heard another roar and felt his heart leap into his throat as he dashed past the open gates and into the dark forest.
Goku stumbled aimlessly for several minutes, tripping over overgrown roots and ducking thick vines that laced themselves between trees. A thick white fog surrounded him, and the treetops were woven so tightly together that the stars and sky had been completely blotted out. The saiyan could hardly see anything for the darkness. He paused, panting heavily, and glanced around nervously. The forest was silent – eerily, unnaturally silent. Not even the calls of the owls or chirping of the cicadas interrupted the dank silence. Goku could feel his blood pounding through his fingertips, and could hear it pumping in his ears. He swallowed and staggered forward in the dark, knowing that he was completely and utterly lost. He suddenly heard a rumbling growl – like a deep cackle and froze.
"You can't run from me." Goku snapped his head towards where he thought he'd heard the voice, but the words echoed off the trees, and the darkness and fog made it impossible to locate anyone. He ran forward, throwing himself at the darkness, trying to discern his own harried breaths to the panting of his hunter, stumbling over rocks and roots and picking himself right back up to keep running. Suddenly, Goku fell over a particularly thick root and felt himself tumble over into a ravine.
The saiyan groaned, trying to ignore the pounding of his aching backside and the stinging of his scraped-up arms. He suddenly stilled and listened, shoving the aches and pains to the back of his mind. Not a leaf crackled. He remained prone for several tedious minutes until he felt himself safe and lifted himself off the ground. The ravine was several meters wide, and the walls on either side were steep and covered in crumbling soil and weak weeds. Goku suddenly heard something heavy slam into the ground behind him and whirled around. The dark silhouette of the beast straightened to its feet, looming over Goku in all its fearsome height.
"Found you," he growled. Suddenly, a high-pitched howl pierced the silence. Goku's eyes darted around him, but immediately returned to the beast, whose attention had been diverted by the sound. The beast sniffed the air cautiously, and he glanced around cautiously as if he had almost entirely forgotten Goku's presence. Goku slowly took a step back and froze when the beast growled.
"Don't move, or you're dead." Goku opened his mouth to retaliate but a sudden, whining growl interrupted him. He glanced at the beast but already knew it hadn't been him that made that noise. A snarl lashed through the darkness, closer this time, and Goku felt himself tense. He glanced through the darkness, trying to find the creatures. Another howl sounded not too far from his left, while an eerie whine echoed behind him. He could hardly keep track of how many there were, let alone what they were.
Abruptly, he beast released a mighty roar which was closely followed by several responding snarls, and suddenly, out of the darkness, six, huge, wolf-like animals descended upon them, teeth bared. Goku yelped as he was set upon by two of the mighty creatures. He immediately raised an arm, which was latched upon by the razor-sharp teeth of the first huge beast. Goku rolled along with the contact, throwing the creature off with a kick of his feet and pushed himself to his feet in time to connect his uninjured left fist with the jaw of the second leaping wolf. The animal yelped and crashed into the snow, only to leap to its feet and begin circling Goku with its partner. Goku could see, from the corner of his eyes, the beast fending four of the wolves off by himself. A warning snarl brought his attention back to the two creatures staring at him with hungry yellow eyes.
Goku willed himself to calm down and closed his eyes. Master Roshi's instructions were beginning to return, and he felt the familiar warmth inside of him building up. The first wolf snarled and leapt at him, but he was ready. He raised his arms and screamed, releasing a huge wave of energy which slammed into the wolf, sending it crashing into the ravine walls. The second wolf roared in rage and leapt for Goku's legs. Goku jumped aside and sent another ki bolt at the wolf, which barely managed to dodge the attack and landed beside its prone partner, which was struggling to pull itself up. Goku took a warning step forward, summoning a ball of ki in his hands. The creatures glanced at him before turning around and retreating into the darkness. Goku sighed in relief, but turned when he heard a high pitched yelp. The beast was battling the last pair of wolves on his own, a huge ball of ki the size Goku had never seen the likes of raised over his head. The beast launched the energy at the wolves, which had the decency to dodge and race out of the ravine with nigh a sound. Goku stilled, unsure of what to do as the Beast stood panting and staring after the wolves.
The beast turned to face Goku, who tensed and took a small step backwards. He looked at the beast cautiously, judging whether he or the other was in any condition to be running, when suddenly the beast took one step forward and collapsed to the ground. Goku stared, slightly bewildered and glanced behind him. He looked back at the beast, sighed, and trudged forward, throwing one of the unconscious beast's arms over his shoulder.
"Nimbus!" he called again. This time, after a few seconds, the small cloud zipped through the fog to hover at Goku's knees obediently.
"What took you so long?" Goku grumbled. The cloud made no response and Goku sat himself on it with a sigh, dragging the beast on with him.
"Think you can carry both of us?" he asked the cloud. In response, nimbus lifted them easily a few feet and began shooting through the forest, clearing the canopy and making a beeline for the castle. Goku glanced behind him quickly, at the long stretch of fog-covered forest, and shook his head.
As they neared the castle, Nimbus began to descend until it skidded to a halt a few feet from the castle. Goku gently lowered the beast – whom he noticed was entirely unsupported by the cloud – into the snow before leaping off the cloud beside him. Ignoring the sharp pain in his injured arm, he dragged the heavy man behind him, inching his way to the castle doors, which suddenly swung out to reveal several of the gargoyles staring at them with wide round eyes.
"Goku!" he heard Krillin exclaim. "What happened? Are you alright?" Goku grunted and almost tripped over a thick block of ice.
"Shut your mouth for once Krillin and help get the master in!" Bulma chided. "And the rest of you, come on!" Tien, Krillin, Yamcha, Goten and Trunks darted out of the castle and each grabbed a section of their master's body heaving him up over their heads with surprising strength. Goku adjusted his grip on the beast by turning around and hooking his arms beneath the beasts' armpits and supporting his head against his chest, dragging him into the castle with the gargoyles' help. Inside, they hobbled to the small dining room by the fire and lay the beast on the ground.
"Oh dear, he doesn't look so good," Bulma fretted as she paced around the beast, checking his various wounds. Goku realized the beast had been quite injured as he observed several large gashes on his torso and a particularly nasty bite wound on his left arm.
"Chichi, bring me some hot water please, and the alcohol bottle. Goten, Trunks," the two young gargoyles snapped to attention, "the bandages are in the top cabinet of the bathroom, and bring a few clean rags." Goten and Trunks nodded and scurried off out of the room. Goku suddenly sneezed and felt someone tug at his left pant leg.
"Goku, you really should sit down. You must be freezing." Goku blinked down at Chichi suddenly realized that his skin was pale and chilled – in all the excitement and running about, Goku had forgotten about the impact of the cold on his body. He was hurried to an armchair by the fire, a thick woolen blanket wrapped over his shoulders and a steaming mug of tea thrust in his hands.
"Oh, dear," Chichi muttered. "Bulma, it seems Goku sustained some nasty cuts as well."
"Ah," Goku covered his arm with the blanket. "Don't worry about me. Beast is a lot worse off than I am." Chichi clicked her tongue and beckoned to Gohan and Trunks, who had returned with their arms full of bandages. Tien and Yamcha emerged from the kitchen, heaving a large steaming bucket of hot water between them.
"Tien, Yamcha, Krillin, help Bulma care for the Master's wounds. Goten and Trunks, pass me the bottle of alcohol please. Goku, dear, stretch out your arm please."
Goku obediently stretched out his arm and Chichi began dabbing it with a rag soaked in hot water, gently cleaning off the crusted blood from the wound. Once finished, she popped the cork off a bottle with clear-colored liquid inside. Goku hissed as she began pouring the alcohol on his arm, hands clenched and teeth gritted against the stinging pain. She finished and passed the bottle to Chichi before accepting a rag from Goten and drying the wound before wrapping his arm in bandages.
"Thank you," Goku said quietly as she finished. "How is Beast?" Chichi glanced back at the prone master of the castle, who had been stripped of his shirt and was still being dabbed with alcohol.
"He'll make it," Bulma said. "He's fine, just exhausted a lot of power. Besides, I think it's time you explained what happened, last we saw, you were high-tailing out of here with the Master angry and hot on your trail. If I didn't know better I'd think you two injured yourselves like this."
"It was my fault," Goku admitted, head lowered in shame. "I couldn't control my curiosity and went into the West Wing. The Beast found me and chased me out, and I don't know – I was terrified – so I ran. He followed me into the forest, but I didn't want to fight him, so I kept running until I feel into a ravine. Then these, these things attacked us. Like wolves but huge and vicious. I fought two off on my own, but he was attacked by four. He managed to beat them off, but I think we was so exhausted and injured that he, well, blacked out." The gargoyles were silent for a while, then Goten padded forward and looked up at the saiyan.
"Thank you for coming back," he said. Goku stared silently, and then smiled.
"I'm glad to be back."
…
.:Author's Note:.
Obviously this chapter was highly influenced by Disney's rendition of Beauty and the Beast. It starts to get more original later, I promise. Thank you for reading!
Comments and critiques are always appreciated,
- Kerrigas
