Chapter 25: Reconnecting the Present

A young boy with a curtain of lilac hair that fell just above his ears, calmly gripped the lightweight practice sword in his small yet already calloused hands. Opposite his small frame was a short humanoid being of just over five foot tall. It was neither male or female, but the complete lack of hair on the alabaster white body led many to call the species by masculine words. An Earthling might compare their kind to albinos; the eyes were naturally red, and they preferred to inhabit the dark areas of the asteroid. It was not their true home planet, which Frieza had ordered his monkey pets to destroy long ago. The entire asteroid planet was made of rock formations, bearing no fauna and very little flora in rather dull purple, grey and brown hues. When the Almanacs had first landed, the asteroid's atmosphere was unstable to breathe. So they had nurtured their new home in their mystical ways, until it was safe to treat the planet as a proper home. Even these humans and in the case of Trunk, half-Saiyans, were capable of surviving there. Ironically, the destroyers of the Almanac's original home, not supplied them with the vital resources. Januar, the eldest of the twelve, would leave the asteroid twice a year, to trade the precious gemstones produced from the rocks mined and harvested by the mystic twelve. It bought food, clean water and occasionally clothing, which was all the populace needed.

"Be careful Trunks!" A mother anxiously cried, her sky blue eyes watching the young boy train. She knew that the alien race she had come to call the 'Almanacs' would not harm her son. It didn't stop her nerves from being on edge, especially having seen how seriously they took their weapon training sometimes.

The 'Almanacs' were a spiritual and mystical race, valuing the balance of life, death and nature. They were also a-sexual, and as the blue-haired woman had learnt; would only ever procreate should one of them die. Thus there would only ever be a fixed population, of the remaining twelve. Although they had ascended beyond the need for names and titles, she had affectionately labelled them after the twelve Earth months. Once upon a time, she too had owned a name. The 'Bulma Briefs' she used to be however, had been lost. Gone was the sometimes ditsy and rash teenager in a young woman's body. The scientist and heiress, had grown up. Sighing to herself, she briefly tore her watchful gaze away from her son, to the collection of wires in her lap. The communications transmitter had short circuited again, during what had been a very important call. Now she desperately tried to fix it with the little tools at her disposal. No surprise that her mechanical skills were failing. She missed the comforts of a real planet, as opposed to this dirt piece of floating rock. An agitated Bulma kicked a stone by her boot, and heaved yet another hopeless sigh.

It was Avril in tattered robes of deep red, who trained her son. Likewise, Trunks wore the similar, monk attire of 'Gi' robes in navy blue and pale corn yellow. Now, he focused on his opponent and trainer, breathing calmly as his ears cancelled out the repetitive 'drip drip' sound of murky water dribbling from the jagged cavern roof. The young boy's ninth birthday was soon approaching, and as an early gift, Bulma had finally agreed to his constant requests to learn 'how to swing swords like the Almanac did'. The mystical race spent their days wisely; starting and ending with deep meditation and the droning sound of their ancient prayers. But they were not to be underestimated. Occasionally they would spar together using very slow and controlled movements, very much like a dance. Positions would be held for what seemed to be painful lengths of time, until at last they would move again, only to hold the new stance. It was their own martial arts style, together with their very technical use of staves and swords. This was the part that excited Trunks the most. So watching with eyes inherited from his mother, he watched Avril slowly demonstrate the next manoeuvre. Fluidly, he copied with the slow motion rising of his bent knee. It tested his balancing skills before he could even make the 90 degree turn, but he managed it with perfect poise. The sudden downwards slash of his sword, ended with both feet on the ground once more.

"Wooooo! Way to go Trunks!" The sound of clapping hands disrupted Trunk's focus, and the boy finally slipped. His human mother was often very excitable, but now she was quickly on her feet, and about ready to run to fuss over him. The boy, who was very mature for his age, got back to his feet before she could persist any further.

"Aww moooom! I'm trying to concentrate!"

In an adjacent cavern, another mother spoke loving words to her five year old son. It was surprising how he was the spitting image of the father he had never truly met. Perhaps they would also share the same carefree temperament, should the father ever bump his head and forget his Saiyan ways. Nonetheless, the young boy listened to his bedtime story with wide and curious dark eyes, while he nibbled on a very tough wurm-jerky strip.

"The scholar gasped loud. No! He cried. Do not take my Princess from me! Oh, but the clever monk had seen through the mischief in the snake demon's gaze. As pure white and as beautiful as she may seem on the outside, on the inside, she was as cold and black as the evil in her soul."

The little boy chewed harder, much to his ChiChi's amusement. He was fully engrossed in the conclusion to the short fairytale, and so she spoke with more gusto and flair.

"Be gone foul creature! The monk said, and pushed the poor woman down, down, deep into the dark well. He had blessed the water with his sacred, holy power, that would reveal the princess for the cruel serpent she truly was. You will not have this man's soul! Return to Otherworld! The monk swept his hands in the final banishing rites, and finished in an even louder voice. Go and never return!"

"When the serpent princess was swept from the well, and rose high into the skies, the spell over the innocent scholar finally faded. The monk turned to the young man, and left him with these wise words to consider. Know thyself to know others. A Jade must be chiselled, before it can be considered a gem."

"What does that mean?" The little boy blinked, clutching his blanket right under his lightly dimpled chin.

"It means the scholar was not ready to take a wife. A man needs training and discipline to build his own character. Only then will they find a true gem."

"Huh? B-But, what about the snake?"

ChiChi had to smile with a gentle laugh, as her son still failed to grasp her proverbs.

"The Snake Princess returned to the Otherworld where she would prey on the next poor soul who did not heed the monk's wise words."

The child ducked his head under the covers, and again his mother chuckled at his adorable antics.

"Oh Goten! You have nothing to fear when I'm around. Come out from under there. Brave boys don't hide." The pair giggled as they struggled with the blankets, until at last, the mother won. "I will train and discipline you well, and when you are ready, I will help you find your gem. But for now, it's about time you got some sleep."

A greatly exhausted nine year old finally dropped his training sword and collapsed onto his back by his mother's feet. She was profoundly cursing under her breath, as the computer screen still refused to show anything but a blank thing. Her son's presence wasn't exactly helping, as the stench of his heavy perspiration hit her nose.

"Trunks!" The poor boy almost jumped out his skin, as the high-pitched shriek screamed over him. "Go take a bath and then get yourself to bed!"

"But - !"

"NOW!"

Grumpily he obeyed, mumbling to himself as he jumped back to his feet. On his way out of the cavern room, he passed a lightly concerned ChiChi, combing her fingers through long black hair. She only needed to settle her eyes briefly on the blue-haired woman to feel the tension and frustration that surrounded her. Bulma had never adjusted to this rural lifestyle, whereas ChiChi had been raised as a mountain woman.

"Kame damn it!" She cursed once more, shrieking with her rage and tossing the makeshift spanner across the room. ChiChi paused a moment, letting the heat settle before advancing closer.

"Here, eat this." Attempting to calm the scientist, ChiChi offered the stone bowl of watery stew. Bulma had the urge to knock it out of the woman's hand, but bit back enough to just snatch it instead. ChiChi had never really had a female friend before, and so meeting Bulma had been both a curse and a blessing. They both had their flaws, but their shared situation and experiences had brought them closer together. It was nice to have someone to relate to, and no doubt the two of them had kept each other sane over the years.

"It's completely burnt out," Bulma announced, neglecting the screen to balance the bowl on her lap instead. ChiChi sat next to her, watching a moment as she slurped on the salty soup. They had to preserve a lot of their food, and by now they were used to the dull taste.

"For all we know, he could be on his way here, right now. I don't doubt that the Almanac are strong, but they won't stand a chance."

"Goku won't let that happen."

"Maybe Goku doesn't have a choice this time." ChiChi didn't like the way the scientist spoke her husband's name, and she showed just as much by the way she snatched the bowl from Bulma's lap.

"Hey!"

"I won't let you talk about my Goku like that! He's a good man, and you of all people should be grateful for all the sacrifices he's had to make! How dare you sit there eating the food I cooked and badmouthing my husband!"

Bulma finished sipping the soup from the spoon, and then whacked the curved underside against the flat of her palm. ChiChi had a point, but she couldn't help fearing for her own life. Hell hath no fury like Vegeta's scorn. She should know, she'd seen it. Though sometimes ChiChi gave a fair fight of her own. There was of course a slight jealousy harboured between the two women also, though Bulma would never admit it. If Vegeta had been half the man Goku was, she might've stayed to very happily raise her son with the rightful father. But that was out of the question.

"I didn't mean to upset you," she tried a calmer approach. "I've just got a really bad feeling about all this. I hate all this waiting around."

The apology was accepted, as Bulma was offered the meal again. Her spoon gratefully dived into the soup, while ChiChi looked up quite dreamily.

"Well you needn't worry. My Goku is coming."

Bulma had to roll her eyes as she scoffed, hiding the action behind the raised bowl. It wouldn't even matter to ChiChi if she had seen it, because she was far too engrossed in her faithful expectance. Hands clasped together at her chest, and she sighed serenely.

"I can feel it."

In the outer reaches of deep space, a polished cerulean gem hunted down her own unsuspecting scholar. Bare feet padded lightly across the floor of the tranquil pod, where the undisturbed Saiyan dozed across the recliner chair. Videl came to stop in front of him, letting her eyes absorb his peaceful state for a moment. He was hugging a single pillow to his chest, but if she knew that it was the very same pillow she had used, perhaps it might have perfected the overall sight. There was only one other time that she'd been fortunate enough to see him so calm, but the thought alone caused Videl to swallow back in hesitation. That had been the morning after their sudden coupling arrangement, on the dreaded Gelidus. It had taken her a long time to pluck up the courage to come here of her own free will though, so there was no way she was about to let this simple sight be her set back. No matter how undeniably attractive his gentler, relaxed appearance was. When she finally took a deep breath that took her a step or so closer, his dark eyes lifted to regard the brave female creeping up to him. Gohan had been trying to remember his mother, until the sure scent of another had torn him from the deep meditation. Now his eyes regarded the milky skin kissed by shimmering ocean shades of jade and aqua. Overwhelming the faint scent of Kari, was the individual signature associated with those exotic, pale cerulean eyes.

"Hey," she softly said in the most simple Earth greeting. The son of Kakarot sat up slightly, granting her enough space to nestle at the side of the chair next to his thighs. Videl complied, nervously making casual conversation.

"I just met your dad."

Both his greeting and response was far deeper and physical however, as he observed her a moment, before quite literally following his nose. There was a freshly cleaned aroma of mostly water still tainting her skin, but beneath it was something else that caused his brows to twitch. Reaching up to claim the sides of her face with his palms, he leaned closer, inhaling the air she shakily exhaled under such strange treatment. What he smelt behind the food she'd just consumed, made his nose wrinkle in disgust.

"You -"

"Stink. Yeah, I know."

Gohan leaned back as the female finished his sentence, lowering his hands to rest above her hips instead. The simple contact brought a sudden fluttering sensation to her gut, and Videl felt herself jerk slightly with a little shudder. Either her skin was still a little too sensitive, or she'd underestimated how much she'd missed that magnetic attraction.

"I'm fine," she tried to keep the conversation flowing, as he just stared at her under a moderate frown. Disappointment but mostly heavy concern, tainted his youthful features. "And no, I don't want to talk about it."

Tensing her jaw a moment, Videl struggled with her next words, and definitely had to look away while she quietly muttered. "Sorry I … yelled at you."

Acceptance of the apology came with the rather sudden, magnetic impulse of his mouth crushed against hers. It certainly came as a surprise, to both of them in fact. But she found herself uttering a sweet sound against their brief, shared loss of control. It had been intensely hard for Gohan to leave her to her own devices, especially with the constant worry that she might try something stupid without his overbearing, eagle eye watch. Though it initially had comforted and boosted his pride, to see her willingly seek his company again, it was also unnerving to smell the taint of that 'something stupid' on her breath. He was right to be worried; she had acted irresponsibly. But any desire to scold her was replaced by the more pressing need to feel her close to him again. Too long had they been parted by various annoyances. How his hand found the back of her head in such record timing, Videl wasn't sure, but as he was twisting to exchange their positioning, she woke up. Before Gohan could lay her back against the curve of the chair, she had tensed and pulled back. The pair of them stared a moment, catching mutually stolen breaths.

"I need to ask you something," she hoarsely uttered while eyes danced around his face. His answer was muttered against her neck, as he nuzzled his nose below her jaw line with the basic desire of wanting to smell more of her scent. To be reminded of how intoxicating she was, was definitely welcomed by the infatuated Saiyan.

"Then ask."

Videl closed her eyes with the silent, purring tilt of her head, to wholly accept his gentle touches. Despite having not come here for these intimate attentions, it was impossible to deny the very welcome distractions.

"I-If I… said, ki and blood were c-co- oooh Kame. Connected!" Her hand had to suddenly grip at the side of the chair before she could finish the word. Even Gohan had to sit back slightly, both puzzled and allured by her endearing reactions.

"Stop that!" She half-chuckled, and slapped at the hand that was about to toy with the knotted belt at her waist. Videl was beginning to wish she'd put more clothes on, especially as a very impish smile spread across the demi-Saiyan's lips. He liked how she was making this slightly difficult for him. A fun little game, but one that he was going to win.

"If ki and blood are connected…" Gohan continued for her, letting his hand rest on her waist again, the other supporting his slouched weight. Pale cerulean eyes almost went cross-eyed, as she met his dangerous and patient gaze. Silently gulping, Videl snapped herself out of it.

"Right. If they were connected, what would that mean?" Now it was his time to very genuinely chuckle. Was she really serious? The way she stared so impatiently, told him yes.

"You're asking me a question you already answered." Brows furrowed at his answer, along with the short sigh substituting as her irritated exasperation.

"See, I asked your dad if there was something special about Saiyan blood, and that's what he told me. That ki is all around us, so if one blood type were special, then everything else would be too." Gohan blinked as she ranted on, still not quite grasping why this was so important, and what exactly she failed to understand.

"But I wouldn't be seeing things if I drank say, another human's blood. Get it?" He clearly didn't, and she realised she had to be completely exact here. "I drank Kari's blood again, with the seoxyrium, and it made me see something. Like a forced dream… a vision. That's not normal Gohan!"

"It is difficult to explain something so simple as walking," he at last answered. "What is ki?"

Videl furrowed her brows again, moving her soundless lips a moment until words rolled from her dull tongue.

"Energy?"

"And what is blood?"

"…E-Energy, I guess? But -"

"Then by drinking Kari's blood, you absorbed Kari's energy. Therefore, you felt her."

"I was her," Videl quietly corrected, but at least she was beginning to understand. "Still, that doesn't explain what I saw. I was just a baby, it's not possible to remember something that far back."

"Obviously it is very impossible," he corrected her matter-of-factly. "Maybe when Kari extracted that particular sample of blood, she was thinking of a specific memory." To Gohan's surprise, Videl scoffed at what he had considered to be the imparting of very beautiful and special knowledge.

"You mean like a message? In her blood? That's…. just… "

"A very skilled and difficult process." It wasn't quite the finish to the sentence she'd hoped for, but she supposed this was true also.

"Hmm…"

"Only a being who shared Kari's blood, could ever witness the memory. The Seoxyrium may have enhanced the process. A catalyst."

Lifting his eye line slightly, he brushed aside various dark strands from her forehead, and let the words settle a moment. Especially when he wanted to steer the conversation away to a slightly related, yet also very different subject matter.

"To bond would be, a very similar process."

Videl blinked with widened eyes, shoulders tensing considerably.

"We have to drink each other's blood?" To that, Gohan widely grinned.

"Not quite." Moving closer, his chuckling breath tickled at the skin behind her ear. "But if you want -"

"N-No!" Somehow he still managed to graze his teeth behind her ear as she quickly leaned away. "Ugh… no. I'm never doing that again."

"Right." He curved towards her with his stubborn determination, this time catching her fidgeting jaw with his hand. He'd certainly heard that empty oath before.

"S-So," she tried to speak again with her stubborn determination, this time briefly surrendering to his suckling at her lower lip. "How do you bond?"

"Now that's something I won't be explaining," he casually announced. Videl considerably tensed, but it was impossible to reject him fully, as he held eye contact with her. The tone in his voice alone, stifled and stole the air from her lungs. "Words alone, would not do the ritual justice."

"Well how else am I meant to know?" Gohan grinned as she snapped back at him, easily managing to slide his hand up her bare leg, under the skirt of her dressing gown.

"You could let me show you." She jumped slightly, especially as his squeezed a handful of the plentiful flesh at her plum rear. The shriek that followed was accompanied by her trying to snatch the hand away by the wrist.

"Oh, right. And I suppose you mean you want to show me now?"

"Why not?" He made it sound so easy and simple, knotting Videl's frown even deeper against her brows. The hand she'd swatted aside, only found it's way back to her hip. She gave up trying to dictate where he could touch, and where he shouldn't.

"Because! I… don't know if I'm ready. I'm not prepared or -"

"You've been ready since we imprinted."

It was even more annoying to know how right he was, no matter how hard she was trying to deny this. Her pulse was clearly racing, and her throat dry from the way she had to breath through her mouth. Videl knew that if she really didn't want to do this, she'd be making sure he clearly knew that. Not encouraging him further with this 'hard to get, chase me more' attitude. The fact remained; how if it wasn't for Kale's disruption, they would already be bonded. At long last, she breathed a defeated breath, and tensed her jaw a moment as her eyes lowered, and shoulders sagged. If only her dad knew she was more or less getting married before her eighteenth birthday, he'd surely hit the roof. She shuddered the thought aside, literally. This was completely the wrong time to start thinking about her father.

"Fine."

The way she almost snapped her acceptance made it seem like she still believed this was being forced on her. Gohan had to admire her stubborn spirit, but knew that deep down, she was curious and completely willing to do this. And excited, almost as much as he was. At least her pheromones would never lie or play games with him.

"But if you go vampire on me, I swear I'll kick your ass into next week."

Ah yes, and there it was again. This time, he was spurred to sit up, lightly smirking as she ranted more.

"That means no biting me, in case you didn't kn -"

Gohan didn't let her finish. It was indeed true that he didn't know what vampires were, but neither did he care right now. He was far too excited about re-arranging their positioning, and so he caught her guard off as he tried to lift her onto his lap. She squirmed with the initial shock of his handling over her rear and thighs of course, but ended up straddling his waist nonetheless.

"You could've just told me how you wanted me sitting," she incessantly spat, but he didn't care. That sharp and at times authoritative tongue was just part of her overall attraction. Very soon, she'd be silenced.

"Relax," he quietly suggested under a hoarse breath. Videl felt his knees lift at uneven levels behind her, as he rested back against the raised vertebrae of the bed-chair. The sloping of his thighs made her slip down against his pelvis, and her cheeks immediately flushed at this intimate and perfectly aligned position. The rather dominant advantage over him, not to mention how her short dressing gown was already precariously gathered around her bare thighs, hardly boosted her confidence.

"And breathe…"

To be continued…