Author's Note:
Its about freaking time.
I do not own the characters and stories from Rosario + Vampire and Dragon Ball (Z, GT, or otherwise)
The saiyans and vampire landed in the middle of a barren, gray landscape. There were no signs of life in the endless wasteland. The atmosphere was illuminated by flashes of an ever-present lightning storm. Three pale, silver moons adorned the planet's night sky. The setting was perfect for the saiyan duel to come. Goku and Vegeta were rather pleased with the arena for their battle.
Moka on the other hand was struggling to stay on her feet. The gravity on this planet made her body feel heavy, crushing her to its surface. Her struggles against the powerful force went unnoticed by the saiyans, who did not seem to be affected by the gravitational change at all.
"How is it that you two are still standing" the vampire gritted from her knees. Goku and Vegeta looked at each other and laughed.
"Well we have both undergone extensive gravity training on many occasions, so we don't really feel the force's pull anymore unless it is extremely strong" Goku explained to the strained vampiress. "But if your body can't handle it I could try to find a more tolerable planet" the saiyan suggested kindly.
"No, that will not be necessary; I will make do" replied the ashamed girl. She did not want to show any signs of weakness in front of him. She watched on as the two set ground rules for their incipient fight.
"Well let's see…" pondered Goku. "Hmmm…for starters, no killing or maiming" he stated casually.
"Where is the fun it that?" growled the prince. Moka was unsure if he was joking or not.
"And no blowing up the planet."
"I make no promises" Vegeta replied impatiently. "Is there anything else you would like to add?"
"We should set power limits. We cannot go past the base Super Saiyan form" Goku reasoned.
"That is where I will disagree. I think we should raise the stakes a little. I'm feeling sentimental from Babidi's impromptu tournament; we should continue where we left off and fight at the second level" Vegeta responded.
'Wait, what second level? Goku has even greater depths to his power than I previously thought' wondered the amazed vampire.
The saiyans, having finally come to an agreement on the terms of their spar, flew off into the distance.
'What the hell, he can fly!'
Goku powered up first. He hunched over slightly and began yelling. Slight tremors could be felt in the air as he reared back, and released a flash of light. He looked the same as he did before, but his hair had become even spikier. He now had sparks of electricity flickering across his aura. Vegeta's face remained expressionless at his rival's transformation. He concentrated and began to bring his own power out. In a gruff voice he screamed and let loose his own energy; his golden energy shone with the same brightness as Goku's, and was also complimented with electrical sparks. The vampire could not help but feel impressed by their display of power. They both got into a fighting stance and prepared to attack.
Yukari, having recovered, wander around the campus looking for Goku and Moka. The witch looked everywhere for them in the dorms, but there was no trace of her missing friends. She headed back to the ruins where the main academic building had once stood. She caught a glimpse of The Chairman leaving from one of the many medical tents that now littered the grounds to ask him if he knew where her friends had gone. He seemed to be in a hurry, and although the witch was running after the robed man, she could not catch him. She called out to him but her voice seemed to get lost in the onset of a sudden breeze, never reaching the man's ears. Yukari watched him come to an abrupt halt at a strange rock formation. He muttered some kind of incantation, and a passage opened up for him in-between the stones. The witch watched the man disappear into the secret entrance. She was thinking it would be best to turn around but her curiosity conquered her unease; Yukari walked over to where The Chairman had been standing moments before and readied her wand.
Moka watched in awe as the clash of the superpowers commenced. They were moving too quickly for her eyes to see; the only evidence that a fight was taking place was in the massive shockwaves that were given off each time the combatants matched blows. Mountains were shattered in the wake of their overwhelming strength. The two reappeared momentarily on the ground and locked hands, neither one budged as they struggled to break their standstill. Their auras flared and combined into a unified orb. Their exertions shook the empty landscape, causing a massive earthquake. The seismic activity wobbled the gravity-challenged vampire onto her back. She struggled to keep her chin up to watch the saiyans' awe inspiring fight. Goku shifted his balance and ended the stalemate by pulling the surprised prince towards him; using their combined momentum, Goku swung Vegeta around in a circle. The amassing centrifugal force mixed with Goku's golden aura creating a billowing cyclone of light. He released Vegeta in the tornado and watched the Saiyan Prince propel through several mountains before skidding to a stop creating a massive indented wake. He was only down for a moment before rising to his feet and launching into an attack. Goku and Vegeta disappeared from sight and began exchanging blows at undetectable speeds.
Yukari was feeling frustrated after trying all the spells she knew to open a hidden entrance. She almost gave up, but in an act of whimsical desperation she yelled "Iftaḥ Ya Simsim." The rocks began to vibrate and shifted to reveal a narrow crevice. Yukari could not believe that worked. "I guess The Chairman is fond of the classics" the witch said to herself as she squeezed through the narrow opening and descended down a spiral staircase. At the bottom she found a series of tunnels that were connected to crypt like storage rooms. She began to explore the contents of the rooms, but stopped when she stumbled upon a glass orb resting in a circular cradle. "Oooo…I always wanted one of these. Hey I know! I'll use this to see where Goku and Moka have gone off to" Yukari realized aloud. 'Hmmm…I hope they are doing something naughty' she indecently added in thought as she exited the underground lair. She emerged on the surface and hurried off to find a safe location to use her prize. She stopped at a clearing in the woods and scanned the area for eavesdroppers. Satisfied she set the magic ball down and began reciting an incantation.
"What are you doing" whispered the snow maiden from behind.
"Arhgh! Mizore-chan! What are you doing here?" Yukari shrieked at the sneaky yuki-onna. She stood up quickly and tried to obscure the crystal ball by standing in front of it.
"I could answer that, or I could just ask you the same thing" replied Mizore impassively.
"OH! Well you see…I-I-I wassss just. Ugh. I was trying to spy on Goku-kun and Moka-san, ALRGHT!" The witch shouted back. The witch covered her mouth realizing she may have just attracted attention to her furtive intentions. Yukari sighed in relief momentarily thinking no one else had heard the commotion when she heard a rustling in the woods. Kurumu emerged from the woods with a horde of other students with great urgency.
"Hey what's going on? We thought someone was getting attacked by remnants of the Security Enforcement Committee…are you two alright?" asked the concerned succubus. There was a loud jarring sound that erupted from behind Yukari's feet. 'My incantation has already worked, desu-.'
The crowd shuffled around the frozen witch and looked at the magical display with captivated expressions.
Vegeta brought a pulverizing blow to Goku's midsection. He clasped his hands together and sent the hunched over saiyan tumbling towards the ground with a mighty blow. Goku's landing created a city-sized crater. He stood up and started shooting rapid fire blasts at the prince. Vegeta dodged the incoming barrage, only to find his rival torpedoing upwards with his arm outstretched. Goku brought his fist under the surprised saiyan's chin sending him into an uncontrollable ascension into the stratosphere. Goku used his instant transmission to instantaneously intercept Vegeta and swung his leg into the saiyan's exposed back. Goku started knocking Vegeta around. The pin-balling prince regained control over himself and ducked a strike from his nemesis; he began to burry rapid fire punches into Goku's face. The Earth's greatest hero caught both of Vegeta's arms and head-butted the prince, separating the two in a powerful shockwave. They flew apart from each other briefly and re-engaged in combat. Vegeta managed to flank the other saiyan and locked him up from behind. Goku stuggled to break the hold but the Saiyan Prince drove his knee into his victims back. He kept his knee firmly planted and began to pull Goku's arms in the other direction, stretching the helpless saiyan.
Goku cried out in agony, writhing around in pain trying to break free of the grip. "Super Kaio-Ken!" In a huge burst of power Goku catapulted Vegeta off his back. He caught the ejected saiyan by the neck and brought his glowing palm to his chest. He unleashed a ki blast directly into Vegeta that sent him flying back with great force. Vegeta exploded in a great ball of light, illuminating the entire night sky. The prince wiped the blood from his mouth and grinned.
"Not bad Kakarot, not bad. But I think it's time to finish things up…show me what you've got" said the prince as he moved his hands out from his body and started gathering up his energy. Goku smiled and cupped his hands behind him and began to concentrate. The air sizzled with the building energy emitted from the saiyans. Vegeta started to vibrate violently, huge sparks of lightning shot off his body. Goku's palms began to emit a pulsating blue light.
"Kaaaaa meeeeeeh!"
The commotion from the show on the crystal ball had attracted the entire student body. The battle had rendered the spectators speechless; the sheer power of the combatants could be physically felt through the magical link, stunning all who looked on. They watched the two warriors charge their attacks with great anticipation.
"Haaaaaa, meeeeeeh!"
"LET'S SEE IF YOU CAN WIN THIS TIME KAKAROT!" roared Vegeta as he brought his hands together in front of his body. With one last great exertion he screamed "FINAL FLAAASSSH!" An enormous wave of yellow light erupted from his hands.
"HAAAAAAA!" yelled Goku firing his thundering blue beam.
The two forces collided merging into a giant sphere of energy. The surface of the planet cracked under the massive upheaval of power. The entire sky filled with light as the two saiyans struggled to best each other. Moka had managed to stand up and bared witness to the clashing super powers with awe. For the first time in her life she felt completely and utterly inadequate.
'I have always been proud of my strength and combat prowess. I exceeded all others; no one could challenge me at full power in the Yōkai realm. But…these two. They are beyond words. I can't believe I'm seeing this" thought the humbled vampire. Moka had been put in her place.
The giant ball kept enlarging as Goku and Vegeta continually pumped their energy into it, trying to best the other. Yellow slightly began to overtake blue. Vegeta grinned realizing that Goku was slipping, and was spurred on; he exerted everything he had to beat out his long-time rival.
The feedback from the battle began to overwhelm the crystal ball. Violent sparks jolted across its surface and the orb began to vibrate. The ball cracked in an explosive power surge sending nearby spectators to the ground. A disappointed groan spread through their ranks as they realized they would not witness the battle's end.
Goku, feeling himself being overpowered, dug deep into his reserves and released a huge surge of energy that slammed against Vegeta's encroaching blast. He began to push back the prince's energy. Feeling that his victory was close, Goku screamed and unleashed his full-power in an unstoppable onslaught. Wide-eyed with realization that his defeat was imminent, Vegeta found himself swallowed by Goku's signature attack and was pushed out into space. Goku had one out over the determined warrior.
Goku relaxed his energy and allowed it to dissipate so Vegeta would not be harmed by the attack. He landed on the destroyed ground and waited for the prince to return. In the sky a streaking blue light made its way through the electrical storm and could be seen heading towards the victorious fighter. Vegeta, now powered down, landed and walked over to Goku with a smile on his face.
"Good fight Kakarot, you beat me. It would seem I still have something to work towards."
"Thanks Vegeta, you were great as well. It could have gone either way; I was just lucky, that's all" Goku affirmed graciously.
Though they historically had been bitter rivals, since fighting Majin Buu the two had developed a deep respect for each other. They gave each other a thumbs-up and started laughing. Their behavior reminded Moka of her relationship with her sisters. In the Shuzen house, the vampiric daughters fought each other every day for the sheer pleasure of it. They were intense battles, but compared to the one she had just witnessed she may as well have just had tea parties with her siblings. The saiyans were fighting at a level where their attacks, if not controlled, could have destroyed the planet easily. The fact that Moka was still here proved that in addition to their power they had great skill as well. The two were in a league of their own.
"Hey, do you think Bulma would cook us dinner? I am absolutely famished" Goku said while clutching his stomach.
"She had better if she knows what's good for her" the prince stated gruffly.
"Alright, well we had better get going." The pair was about to take off before a loud throat-clearing sound grabbed their attention. Goku looked sheepishly at the vampire, obviously annoyed that he had forgotten about her.
"Sorry Moka-san, I guess my appetite distracted me ha-ha" the saiyan apologized laughing. The silver-haired girl was not amused and harrumphed at his attempt to make amends.
As soon as they arrived at Capsule Corp Goku ran off to find Bulma to ask her about dinner. Moka was left alone with the Saiyan Prince, who had mostly ignored her hitherto. She decided to try and make conversation and find out more about her friend.
"Umm Sir…" she began with uncharacteristic uncertainty. The usually confident vampire found herself at a loss for words in front of the imposing saiyan. "I was curious… how did you meet Goku."
Without even looking at her, he replied "I came to Earth to recruit him into my ranks. He declined and I tried to destroy him and this planet" he responded apathetically. Dumbstruck at what he had said, she was about to give up on the conversation before he turned to her.
"You care for him don't you? It's obvious, although Kakarot is quite oblivious to these things. If you wish to know about him I'll tell you…" he said hiding his sentiment well. "In the society that we came from, power was all that mattered. At birth social standing was categorized by energy levels. I was born an elite, my power vastly succeeded all saiyans of my generation. This was natural as I am of royal blood and my lineage historically was comprised of the strongest warriors. Kakarot was one of the weakest ever to be born; he was a low-class saiyan. When I came to Earth we had our first struggle, from which sprang a bitter rivalry, or at least it was from my perspective. He beat me….me a high born. The Prince of all Saiyans was defeated by a commoner. My pride was wounded beyond all imagination, and to compound my humiliation he spared my life. Not only had he robbed me of my self-worth but he also rendered me in my debt…" he paused, reflecting on how best to continue.
"Then there was Namek. Both Namek and Earth contain a sacred set of artifacts called the Dragon Balls. Collecting all seven allows you to summon the Eternal Dragon and ask him to grant your wish. I went to Namek to get the Dragon Balls and wish for the one thing that would permanently solidify my position as the absolute ruler of the universe; immortality. But I was not the only one after them. Kakarot's friends had also come seeking to use them for…more noble reasons than I. But the greatest danger to my ambitions came in the form of the powerful space tyrant, and my former master, Freiza" Vegeta paused; mentioning that name had caused him to quake with great anger.
'Frieza! That is the name of the person that Goku said was responsible for murdering his people' recalled the vampire. She continued to listen intently as Vegeta resumed his tale.
"Freiza had come for the same purpose as I, and he would not be denied. And then came Kakarot, who had recovered from our battle and was journeying to Namek to help his friends. His allies and I had made a temporary alliance in attempt to resist Freiza. We were about to be slaughtered at the hands of his elite soldiers, the Ginyu Force until he stepped in. Once again I found myself being saved by this supposed low-born and what's more; I thought he had done it. I thought he had become the Legendary Super Saiyan; there had not been one in over three thousand years. I was furious at the time. It was supposed to be my birthright but he had claimed the prize, or so I thought. But later he actually ascended and beat Freiza. His actions had saved my life and avenged our race. After that I desperately struggled to attain the power, and finally it happened after putting myself through a rigorous amount of training. However he was always one step ahead of me. It tore me to pieces that no matter how much I tired, I could not surpass him. I harbored these feelings until I came to realize that my anger had been blinding me to the truth in a fateful battle. We were fighting a creature called Majin Buu. No matter what happened, Kakarot never gave up, giving everything he had to protect everyone but himself. He was always like that, ready to face the next challenge, even if was bigger than him" Vegeta stayed silent for a moment trying to reign in his emotions.
"He never fights out of malice or for power. He has only ever strove to be the best he can be and to push his limits beyond what is possible. His fighting ability is unparalleled, yet he is so gentle at the same time; he cherishes all life. Kakarot showed mercy to everyone, to his worst enemies. I realized that day that Kakarot is the best…and though I would never tell him; I am proud to call him my friend" finished the emotional saiyan.
"I told you this because there is something about him that changes people. I, his worst rival, was brought around by his compassion. He is a one-of-a kind person. But you will never have him if you do not tell him" Vegeta said as he headed off to find Goku and Bulma.
"Why are you telling me this?" the vampire questioned back to him.
"Because having a girlfriend might distract him from his training; I may finally be able to beat him. Just because I have made that admission to you does not mean I have given up" laughed the prince as he left her company.
Moka remained motionless, captivated by the saiyan's jarring speech. She resolved that she would make him reciprocate her feelings and headed off to dinner.
The next day Moka decided that she would start her attempts to seduce the saiyan passive-aggressively. She would not overtly throw herself at him like other members of the harem he had somehow cultivated; she was far too proud to stoop to such levels. She was also afraid of him rejecting her, and she did not think she could handle that. Moka was going to subtly make him love her no matter what.
"Goku would you like to go shopping with me?" the vampire asked hopefully.
Goku scratched the back of his head nervously. He remembered the trips to the mall he took with Chi-Chi and shuddered. He did not want to go but he decided that it would be rude to decline. "Yes, I'll go with you" he said slightly uncertain.
"Good, we will leave for the malls in a half-hour.
At the mall Moka paraded the saiyan boy through a bevy of stores, and began trying on clothes in order to gain his attention. Much to her annoyance he did not pay her much heed as she modeled various dresses for him.
"Goku, you know you can shop too while you're here, you don't have to watch me" she said trying to implant the idea in him mind.
"Well I've never been much of a shopper…and besides this is a girl's store" the saiyan reasoned.
"You can roam the mall if you want…unless you want to stay and keep me company" the vampire added hopefully.
"Oh I know! I'll go look at the restaurants they have here. Thanks Moka-san, I'll see you later" he said eagerly, and rushed off without a second though. 'She's great! Chi-Chi would never have let me leave like that' he though enthusiastically.
Moka, openly frustrated, watched the spiky haired boy make his way to the nearest eatery. 'He didn't even look at me when I put that revealing dress on. Maybe he does not think I'm pretty' she thought sadly. 'Why doesn't he want me?'
'Ura, since when do you care about Goku? I thought he was just a blood bank to you.'
"Ahh!" shrieked the surprised girl. She shuffled back into a changing room to avoid the startled stares from the other customers. 'Omote! Since when can you communicate to me! The Rosario is in my purse right now anyway, this makes no sense."
'So does your liking Goku when you told him that you weren't even friends. Maybe he thinks you're mean.'
'I don't like him! It's none of your business anyway, Omote' thought the vampires defensively. 'Do you really think that he doesn't like me because I was mean?' she added letting down her guard.
'Hah, I knew you liked him Ura because we are the same girl after all.'
'Shut up!'
'I'm just teasing you. Look, just try to behave like a normal girl instead of using conniving tactics to get him to like you. Be honest.'
'There is nothing to admit…but if there was do you think I should?'
'No you should put the Rosario on and let me do it. You are bad at feelings Ura.'
'WHAT! I am not!'
Moka sat on the dressing room bench and thought about her situation. She wanted to march up to him and kick him in the face for being so ignorant. 'If he doesn't tell me he likes me, I'll just attack him in his sleep.'
'Because that's healthy.'
'What is this all of a sudden? You would talk back to me!'
The vampire ignored her teasing other and decided to find the saiyan. She was going to have him, period.
She found him standing in front of a video game store watching some youths play a fighting game called Budokai Tenkaichi. The kid playing as Hercule Satan was beating his friend, who was playing as Cell.
"That's strange… that's not how it happened at all. This is like that video I saw where Mr. Satan beat Cell at the tournament. Also their fighting techniques are terrible!" The confused saiyan thought to himself aloud; a smile crossed Moka's lips hearing the comment. But it also raised a question.
"Hello Goku, who's this Cell?"
"Oh hey Moka-san. You really don't know? I guess there is a bit of a disconnect between the human and Yōkai worlds, huh. Well he tried to destroy the Earth, but my…friend beat him."
"Really, and who is this friend of yours?" the vampire asked curiously.
Goku sighed realizing that he should come clean with the girl; he promised her afterall. "Ummm…ok Moka-san, there is one thing I have not been completely forthcoming with" he said carefully. "It's just I didn't know how to tell you and the others, please do not be angry."
"And what might that be" Moka said with a hint of anger.
"Well, I'm kind of older than I look. Technically I am in my late 50's. I was married and had two sons" he said timidly to the fuming vampire.
"WhAAAaaaaat!" she shrieked. Her rage was close to the breaking point. Of all the secrets he had or could keep from her, this one struck a nerve. The boy who she liked already had a family.
'Goku this King Kai. I need you to come up here immediately to talk about some things'
'Oh hey King Kai, your timing is perfect! I'll be there right away.'
"So Moka, I actually have to go because something urgent has come up" the saiyan stated quickly and raised his fingers to his forehead.
"Goku don't you dareeee!" warned Moka. She was about to throw the full might of her power into a kick but stopped her leg to realize that he had disappeared. "When you come back I'm going to show you you're PLACE!" she yelled disregarding the bewildered looks her actions received.
End Note:
You can expect the action to tone down over the next few chapters, which will focus on harem drama. For some reason the text refuses to cooperate when Yukari is opening the secret entrance, and I can't make the font be reasonable, sorry. On a side note the spell she uses is the original Arabic for the phrase "Open Sesame."