Hey! Happy New Year everyone! I managed some time to write and I hope this new year I'll be able to do it more. I still want to finish both stories and I have a lot more I want to share with you guys. This is a very important chapter, at least to me it is a great change in the whole situation.

Soon you guys will know why~~ (it depends on my schedule really…)

Chapter 8

If Sharpener heard by someone else that at the end of the week he'd be going out with such a beauty, he would say that said person had gone mad; but here he was with Anna, at an ice cream store. He couldn't really remember how things got to this extent, but he surely knew it was because of what Gohan had told him the week before. As Anna sat down at the chair in front of him, Sharpener looked up from his half-melted chocolate ice cream.

"So, we finally got some alone time to talk." The girl said with a smile, her hands on a huge strawberry ice cream cup. Not waiting for his answer, which was a weak nod, she went on. "Gohan and I talked, and he told me that you know about… well, our situation."

"Not entirely, we didn't really had time to talk much on the subject." He aimed for his ice cream and took a portion of it with his spoon. "The day he told me wasn't really a quiet one, and it was well… the same day he couldn't come back."

Anna nodded. It was exactly what Gohan told her back in the castle, well, when they finally meet after that thing. The prince was obviously avoiding her, and she couldn't say that she didn't appreciate it since even herself didn't know why she made that on the first place.

"Well, let me tell you that it's something our parents did, more like his mother and my father. We decided to be at least friends, and I can say that we both appreciate that you didn't tell neither Erasa nor Videl about it, since we both can't just break this… promise." She then started to eat her ice cream. Sharpener looked at her for a few seconds, absorbing her words.

There was more to it then both of them were letting out, it was obvious, but why not tell – at least to him – the whole truth? He would never tell a secret to anyone.

"It's not my secret to tell." He made a pause. "If Gohan told me it's because he trusts me, I'd never betray him like that. He is my friend." His eyes lowered to his ice cream and decided to drop it. It had already melted anyway.

Anna smiled at his words. The other thing Gohan told her was that his friends were loyal, and if in her talk with Sharpener she sensed that he was as truthful to her as he was with himself, she could choose to tell him the whole thing. Gohan gave her his approval – even though she just knew the blond guy for a week, and Gohan for a year, she knew how deep their friendship was, and that made her decision very easy.

"You see, Gohan told me to believe in you and have faith that you were loyal." Sharpener looked up to meet her eyes at that, he didn't know what to expect from that. "So, after that phrase you just said, I'll tell you the whole story. But we'll need to go see Gohan." The boy blinked, what?

"Wait, what? The whole story? About what?" His mouth was gaping, he really didn't get what she was telling him, and she just smiled.

"How do you fell about a weekend trip?"

John looked up to the young man ahead of him, then exchanged a quick look with Nick – who shrugged – and sighed. For the past week the prince got himself quite busy, being it with the kingdom issues as well as training. His mind seemed to be full of something and that was confirmed as Piccolo came to stay for a couple of days. Said namekian looked at both bodyguards with a frown, they were sure interrupting his meditation.

John apologized silently, while Nick held back a laugh. They were always criticized by the namekian, and that is why they never really managed to mediate with him. And those past few days, neither did Gohan. The young halfling's mind was fulfilled with a mix of troubled thoughts, teenagers' hormones and an unstable angry that didn't settled down for days.

He was still angry, no, he was pissed off at his own mother. Why couldn't she see that he always did everything others wanted him to do? His father wanted him to fight, he did it. His mother wanted him to study, he did it. She then wanted him to take his place as the prince he was. He did it! She wants him to get married.

He was doing it! He never, ever had anything he wanted to do, done! No one ever asked him what he, by himself, wanted to do! He –

"Kid." Piccolo cut off his line of thought. "You're going nowhere with that." He unfolded his arms and rubbed his face in disappointment. His answer was a frustrated growl, followed by incomprehensible words. "As much as I'd like to say that I understood what you just said by reading your mind, that would be a lie since your thoughts are in a complete mess." Gohan sighed.

"I don't know what to do to calm myself anymore." The prince let his back hit the grass under him softly. "I just don't get it. Why couldn't she just let me live my life? My whole life I've only doing what people told me to do."

Piccolo looked away after hearing that. He also was one of those people who told the kid what he should do, but once he got closer to him the namekian noticed how unfair that was… to put his own desires and expectations upon someone else. But now he always tried to help Gohan to do whatever he wanted to, but not destroying the whole planet because of his angry. That was going too far.

"Gohan, I know it's frustrating, I can feel it. Why don't we talk about something else, to try to focus in one problem at time?" His mentor offered, and Gohan got up while throwing his arms up.

"We can try, not sure if it'll help anyway. I've been having a lot of trouble lately." He paused. "You know, sometimes I've got myself thinking that killing a space tyrant is easier than living my life right now."

Piccolo raised one eyebrow and smirked. Considering that this person right in front of him was probably the most powerful being in the universe, that thought itself was ironic.

"It sure is kiddo." He then looked serious to Gohan. "But why don't we talk about something that I've seen in your mind, regarding Anna?" He finished telepathically to his pupil, only to see the poor thing turn as red as a tomato. Well, at least he managed to take the teenager's mind out of his angry.

"Huh, do we have to?" He managed to ask, and after an affirmative nod he sighed. "John, Nick, please let us alone for a while." Gohan asked politely to his bodyguards, who obeyed. Once they were alone, Piccolo started.

"So, she saw you in super saiyan and kissed you. What's the big trouble in here? You kissed her back." Gohan looked away with a uncomfortable semblance.

"I… I really don't know why I let her do that in the first place." The prince now looked down. "I mean, she's a great girl and beautiful too but… I already have someone in my heart. And we kissed too… I don't know, it's just too confusing…"

Piccolo sighed. "I didn't want to bring this up, especially during these angry issues you're having, but didn't you fell anything different in you lately?" As his pupil looked at him with confused eyes, he continued. "I can't really explain, but your energy seems different since your engagement. I thought that you'd notice it but it seems I was wrong."

"Different? How so?" Gohan asked while instinctively patting his body as if he could sense what his mentor was talking about.

"It's nothing physical." He answered shorty. "As I said, I don't know what it is. Maybe we should check with Vegeta, it can be something saiyan related." At that Gohan grimaced. He knew that if he went to see the other prince there would be a spar (at least one). "Maybe it can answer as to why you kissed two girls in one night."

The namekian just couldn't hold it back; it was so easy to tease his pupil that it was like a second nature. Gohan was about to answer when he was interrupted by Nick, who walked to him while apologizing.

"I'm sorry your high-, I mean, Gohan, but princess Ana wants to talk to you." He then motioned to the phone at his hands. Gohan sighed – he still had to get a new one and he was really considering asking for Bulma to build a super-strength-proof one this time. He finally nodded and got the phone.

"What's up?" He asked as normal as he could. The prince was avoiding her at all costs in the past week, just because he didn't know how to act around her anymore.

"Hey so… I've talked to Sharpener and I told him that we want to tell everything to him. I'm pretty sure he'll keep the secret."

"So, what is holding you back?" He was genuinely interested now, why call him if he did give her permission to tell his friend about them? Her pause was a little too long for his liking. "Anna?"

"I want to tell him everything. I mean, I'd rather say that I want him to see it." Gohan raised an eyebrow at that… was she asking for permission to take their blonde friend to the castle? To show him that he'd be hanging out with a prince all this time?

He looked to Piccolo for advice. He knew that his mentor was hearing it all, due his super hearing, and he didn't really have to ask what to do; the answer came pretty fast.

'Maybe getting a few secrets out is going to help you get rid of that anger. Even if it's only a little bit.'

His master was right. So why not start with Sharpener?

"Gohan?" Anna called him just as he did earlier to her.

"Bring him in. I'll prepare a room." He could imagine her smiling brightly at the phone, as she mostly happily thanked him.

This was a good decision. He knew that.

"Oh, by the way, did you deliver the package I've asked you to?" He suddenly remembered the favor he asked her.

"Oh! The security guard was so happy with all the presents you send him! He also asked me to tell you that you're more than welcome to go to that nightclub again." He couldn't help but chuckle at that – it was more than certain that he wouldn't go there so soon.

"That's good. I'll go prepare everything for Sharpener. I hope my mother doesn't get all worked up. Moreover… I don't care anymore."

Piccolo raised an eyebrow, and gave his pupil an aware look, who apologized fast. The namekian made a mental note to stay around for a few more days.

Sharpener just couldn't believe that his parents just went ahead and let him go. Just mentioning Gohan and study group made the trick (even though it was a lame excuse); and now he was inside a limousine, with two bodyguards – one of them he recognized from the night club day from the time Gohan's mother showed up – and Anna; they were talking for hours.

The boy had learned that the two bodyguards meet Gohan seven years ago, when the boy "decided" to help his grandfather run his busyness. He could just wander what he had put himself into, since it seemed something really… different, not to say illegal by its appearances. Come on just think about it: a work for his grandfather, the need of bodyguards, it just smelled like the mafia. The blonde just wished that wasn't the case at all.

But deep down he knew it wasn't a bad thing. Gohan would never hurt someone or do a naughty job just because his grandpa asked him to, the boy had too much of a good nature for something like that. He was surprised to not be tired after all the talk and so many hours sitting on the car, but what caught his attention was a huge sign outside.

Welcome to the heart of Ox Kingdom

And just as they passed by it, the talk died. His attention was immediately turned to the city around, it was so different from his hometown. A perfectly mixture of the countryside and the urbanized cities, the town's lights where lifting everything up as the sun was already setting down – and he could swear that a few citizens bowed to the car he was into. He was oblivious to the growing tension inside the car, as the three people who knew where they were going started to get anxious. Gohan said that he managed to make his mother accept the visitor, but they didn't know how or if they should worry about her reaction.

"Woah is that the castle?" Sharpener asked as the building was getting closer and closer by the minute. John decided to talk then.

"Yes." It was short, and due the look the teenager gave him he sighed. "We now have to warn you about a few things. Ground rules."

Sharpener nodded and gave the man his full attention.

"Rule number one, take care of what you say in front of Gohan's mother." The teenager was about to interrupt when he was shushed by John's raised hand. "Second rule, do not interrupt anyone while they talk to you, answer every question and if you're not sure what to say, just say yes, no, or maybe." At this point Sharpener noticed that those rules seemed really important to protect someone: himself. "Third…" The car stopped right outside the castle, and the blond boy started to figure a few things out. "Do not, I repeat, do not talk about anything that you will see or do here to anyone. That includes your family and friends." The gate opened, and he could see a huge garden right in front of them as well as the entrance of the castle. "Forth and last, always address both Anna and Gohan as…" John trailed off at this point, as he sensed Gohan's energy right at the front door; but he had to tell this teenager about it, or else things could, and would get out of hand. "Address then as Your Highness in front of everyone else."

Sharpener couldn't say that he was surprised. Well, in fact he was, but as soon as they entered the city, the castle was getting closer and closer and those rules made perfect sense.

He was friend of not one, but two royals.

Should he try his luck at the lottery? Because it just seemed impossible to happen, and yet here he was.

"Did you get it?" John asked firmly, and Sharpener said a rigid 'yes' as an answer. "Good. Now let's get inside, he prepared a room for you."

Piccolo looked over the woman that was in front of her son, her features demonstrating that she seemed to regret her own behavior (was it because of how Gohan reacted or herself noticing how wrong what she did was, he wouldn't know). The proof of that was agreeing with his friend coming over, and the princess herself asked for the VIP guest room to be prepared. The boy seemed a little bit shocked at how easy it was this time but didn't waste too much time with her; his angry didn't fade a bit since they last spoke "properly".

"Thank you, for being here." ChiChi told the namekian after her son left the throne room to do whatever he wished to do. This week had been hard on her as she stepped back and gave her own son the space he clearly needed. Piccolo looked at her.

"Don't thank me yet, he didn't calm down. Not even a bit. At this point he is more like a time bomb." He crossed his arms. He knew he couldn't blame her as she was trying her best to be both mother and father, but he knew that she had messed up. Big, this time.

"I can see it in his eyes…" ChiChi said with a sigh and sat down at her throne. "He was always a good child; I didn't think he'd get mad at me tracking him down. We have protocols, and he didn't follow any of those. He can be the strongest out there but I'm still his mother and I worry."

"I get that you get worried, but he's not a kid anymore. Besides… did you ever asked him what he wants?" Piccolo said while going towards the door. "I'm asking you this because it was a mistake that I did back then, when I trained him." He could feel her ki changing, reacting to his words. "When I noticed what I was doing wrong, our friendship got stronger and he actually asks me for help. Why don't you try to figure out what you're doing wrong?"

With that he left the huge room, letting ChiChi alone with her thoughts and bodyguards.

-x-

That was it! Hope you guys had a good year (aside from everything bad that happened) and are all full of health! See you all in the next update!