Chapter Four: Dinner and Entertainment
It was a bright and sunny morning in the little town of Kiiku. Gohan yawned and stretched his arms high into the crisp, clean morning air as he stood up from his bed. With eyes half closed, he wandered his way into the kitchen, scratching his head. In the kitchen, Goten was already up, tossing Cheerios up in the air and catching them in his mouth. One landed up his nose and Gohan fell over laughing hysterically. "Well, good morning, Gohan, sweetie!" said Chichi, who was at the stove frying bacon. "'Morning, mum!" he said cheerfully. At the kitchen table, his father was shoveling rice into his mouth and reading "Fighter's Digest" when he looked up to see a tall, lanky and scraggly-looking boy. "Oy! Gohan! Pull up a chair, will ya, son?" Goku called. Gohan obediently grabbed a fold-up chair from the living room and sat down to face his dad. "Hey, Dad. What's up?" BIG mistake! Goku went into a whole saga about work the other day and getting laid off. "Uh, gee, Dad, that is really.err, interesting and all, but I, uh, have to, uh, do some training!' Gohan finished quickly. "Oh, no you don't!" interrupted Chichi. "You are not leaving this household until you're finished your breakfast and emptied the dishes, young man!" she scolded. Gohan sighed and ripped the Cheerios box out of Goten's hands. Meanwhile, at the Briefs' house, a monstrous argumentative commotion broke out between Bura and Trunks. Trunks's side of the story goes as follows: "Dad, honest! I was just walking around, shooting fireballs and ice waves and pointless objects (such as yours and mom's dumb statue), when I ACCIDENTALLY hit Bura's stupid dollhouse!" Then Trunks put on that innocent trademarked smile of his and fluttered his eyes. Vegeta rolled his. "Oh, yeah right!" Bura screamed sarcastically. "That is NOT what happened and YOU know it, mister! Daddy, what REALLY happened was like this: Trunks was running around the house screaming and setting fire to everything, including that priceless statue that you and Mother own, and he burst into my room and threw a GIANT fireball to my beautiful dollhouse!" she whined. "Trunks!" Bulma bellowed. "Young man, that is the third dollhouse you've blown up this week! You had better cut it out this second -!" "Bulma, dearest," said Vegeta quietly. "The boy didn't MEAN to do it, did you, son?" Trunks shook his head no. "See? Now there's a good boy!" he shouted, smiling the whole time. "Now, Trunks," he said warningly, "I don't want to here any more nonsense about your behavior. Am I clear?" Trunks nodded yes. "There, now, Bulma, let's leave these two alone for a bit and give Trunks a chance to apologize, all right?" Bulma opened her mouth to argue but closed it, not knowing what to say. Then she stormed away, ordering maids and butlers around with Vegeta on her tail. "Whew! That was close!" Trunks said, wiping his forehead. Bura sniffled. "You big jerk!" she hollered. "It's all your fault! Why do you always come bursting into my lounge without asking? Why can't you stay in your OWN lounge, Trunks? URG!" And she marched away and slammed the door in his face. Trunks sighed, scratched his head, and ran to his father's office. Trunks pressed and held the intercom button. "Uh, hey, Dad? It's me, Trunks. Can I come in?" There was no answer. After a few seconds, the door automatically slid open to reveal a spacious and organized room the size of a small house. "Dad! Hi!" "Hey, Trunks! C'mon in, son," Vegeta said. After Trunks's loss and resurrection, Vegeta valued his son more than he did and barely ever raised his voice. He had learned how to smile without smirking. "Um, Dad, why did you cover up for me just then? Even I know I was wrong! Why'd ya do it?" Trunks asked curiously. "Well, son," Vegeta said spinning around in his chair, "I was kind of concerned about your training schedule. You know how your mother is with punishments. I figured if she grounded you, you probably wouldn't be allowed out of your room until January! After all, it is July, you know, and I cannot stand to wait 5 months!" He laughed. Trunks laughed as well. "You see, Trunks, when you died, a part of me died, too. It felt as if the world was coming to an end. It pierced my like a sword straight through my heart. My head drained and I couldn't think. All I felt was guilt: guilt because I had not even gotten a chance to say good-bye to my very first child. You have no idea how that felt, son." Trunks didn't move. His mouth was agape and he didn't know what to say. He found some words and spit them out. "I didn't know you cared so much. I should have never underestimated -" "Hush!" Vegeta said standing up. "The loss of a loved one is worse than.well.dying, yourself. When I saw you awake from your dreadful coffin it was like.I was born again. I learned to laugh. I learned to smile. I-I-I learned to CRY. It felt odd but you were back and nothing mattered at all to me at the moment.nothing but YOU." Trunks opened his mouth to speak but the intercom button cut him off. It was Bulma. "VEGETA, DEAR?" the loudspeaker boomed. "IS TRUNKS THERE WITH YOU, SWEETIE?" "Yes, honey! We were just discussing training schedules. Did you need something?" "OH, NO, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE HE WAS SOMEWHERE SAFE! DINNER IS IN HALF AN HOUR, YOU TWO! OH, AND, TRUNKS, DON'T FORGET TO DO YOUR HOMEWORK!" There was a loud BEEP and Bulma turned off the intercom button. "Right!" said Vegeta, jumping out of his seat and heading for the door. Trunks followed. Vegeta opened the door for Trunks and smiled. "I'll see you bright and early tomorrow, son, for some REAL training! Don't be late! We're starting defense mechanisms." Trunks walked away and Vegeta took his seat at his desk again, organizing some paperwork. "Hello, Vegeta," called Bulma, shooing away maids as she worked her way into the office. Vegeta looked up and smiled proudly. Little Bura was clinging to Bulma's bright blue skirt. "Well, hello, you two! Hey, Bura, dear, would you please fetch that piece of paper that your father dropped?" Vegeta asked the young girl, who resumed her place behind his wife's knee-high skirt. "Uh.all righty then." "I got it, honey! Don't fret!" said Bulma cheerfully picking up the green parchment and briefly reading it. "Ahh, so you've been invited to Eli's annual rendezvous again, eh?" Vegeta fidgeted in his seat nervously. "It's a BUSINESS party, dear! We're only having DINNER, mind you!" Vegeta said jumping from his seat and snatching the note. "And he even invited the whole FAMILY.if the children behave and we all wear VERY formal attire. What do you think?" Bulma rolled her eyes. "Well, if it'll make this family and your business look good at the same time.sure, why not? What do YOU think, B.B.?" Bulma turned to Bura. Bura looked up at her mother with giant, sweet eyes. Then she looked down again. "Um.perhaps so," she thought aloud. "Oh, alright! It could be fun!" "That's the ticket, my girl!" cheered Vegeta. "C'mon, Bura!" called Bulma, taking Bura's gentle fingers in her own. "Let Mommy help you pick out a nice dress for Daddy's party, ok?" Bura nodded excitedly at the word "dress". She loved dressing up fancy and going to parties. "Now, what do you say to your father for allowing you to go? Hmm? Let's have it, young lady!" "Thank you, Daddy," she said slowly with her head and voice low. "That's my girl!" said Vegeta walking over to see them out the door. "I'll get someone to pick out Trunks's and my garb now. See you in a few!" And he closed the door. The Saiyan Prince strolled jovially over to the intercom and pressed it with a muscular finger. " 'Ello?" "Hi, this is Vegeta. Yuuki, do you think you could meet me in my dressing quarters in five?" (By 'five' he meant 'five minutes') "O! Sure, Master Briefs! Is sum ting da matta?" "No, no, just do as I say." Then Vegeta hastily let go of the button and pressed it again. Trunks was on now. "Hey, buddy! It's your father!" said Vegeta. Sarcastically, Trunks replied, "Sorry, the number you are trying to reach is temporarily unavailable. Please hang up, try again later, or leave a message after the beep. BEEEEEEP!" "Yeah, that's great, Trunks. Listen, meet me in the wardrobe room in five." "Alright, whatever. See you then - " "Where are you, anyhow?" There was a long pause. "Trunks? TRUNKS? Are you there Trunks?" A small finger tapped his shoulder. "Yes I am, Father," Trunks said smirking. Vegeta spun around. "AHH! Whew, boy, you scared me! Anyway, I said 'meet me in the WARDROBE room'! Didn't you hear?" Vegeta scowled as Trunks rolled his eyes. "Oh, well. Now we can walk together!' "Oh, joy! Oh, bliss! Oh, rasper!" he said sarcastically. "I am glad to see your enthusiasm, son, but the word is 'rapture', not 'rasper'," Vegeta pointed out. Trunks's smirk vanished and he replaced it with a foul and rude stare. They walked the rest of the way silently. They approached the men's dressing quarters quickly, only to be greeted by more servants. "Hello, all!" Vegeta said cheerfully to his entourage. "We will only be needing Yuuki today, thanks. Well.you heard me. You Master has spoken; you may now all depart." Slowly, the whole troop of disappointed maids and servicemen left. Only a tall, lanky young man remained. His beady black eyes darted back and forth nervously. His long, shiny blue hair was hastily tucked behind his left ear. His clothes looked unkempt and untidy, but his expression seemed to give a warm welcome. The man was Yuuki. "Ah! Yuuki! Good boy, coming right on time! Please come in?" Vegeta beckoned Trunks and Yuuki in the spacious room, followed by his self. There were tens - no, hundreds - of racks of clothing for every occasion imaginable! The man spoke softly, "What are we lookin' for tuh-day, Mastas? Sum ting in pa-tik-uh-lerr?" "We need VERY formal garb - um, a tux, perhaps! Got anything in deep black satin?" Vegeta inquired. "Ah! Here!" called Yuuki, waving a hand for them to follow. He handed Mr. Briefs a beautiful tuxedo with gorgeous satin in a shade of midnight black. In the right-hand pocket was a white, artificial rose that looked like it was picked from a garden minutes ago, thought the suit had been in the family for years. "It's perfect! Trunks, lad, what do you think?" asked Vegeta as he pulled the outfit in front of his self. "Well? Don't hold back! What do you think?" Trunks frowned from thinking hard and scratched his head. "I like it, Dad!" "Great! Now what do you want, son? Particular color? Style? Texture? Material? What?" "Hmmm.I know!" he said pointing to a nearby tux. "That one, Dad! The one that looks just like yours!"
Meanwhile, in the ladies' quarters, Bulma picked out a stunning silver dress that shimmered like diamonds under the glowing chandelier. Bura was sporting a cute, pink dress that was knee-high and dotted randomly with a flower pattern. She had an enormous pink bow in her hair to match. "You BOTH look simply gorgeous!" cooed Tsu Lin, a pretty but slightly plump maiden. "Why, thank you, Miss Lin!" smiled Bura. "Well, aren't you the nicest dern thing these ole eyes ever did see!" said Tsu Lin. Bura blushed. "That's my angel!" cheered Bulma, clapping her hands together in delight. There was a loud 'ding' from the intercom button. It was Vegeta. "Bulma, dear?" he asked. "Oh, hello, Vegeta! What do you need, sweetie?" "I am here with Trunks; we're all dressed and ready to go. How go your outfits?" "Hi, Daddy!" called Bura. "Me and Mommy are all prettied up! He he!" "You would say 'Mommy and I', sweetheart," said Vegeta softly. Bura frowned and pouted. "Anyway, please meet us in the Grande Hall in oh, say.10 minutes?" "Sounds good!" said Bulma. Then there was another 'ding' and the boys were gone. Ten minutes later, Bulma, Bura, Trunks, and Vegeta were all in the Grande Hall, adding some finishing touches. A maid was smothering the women with diamonds and gold, while Yuuki and some others smoothed out wrinkles in the men's suits and combing their hair. In no time at all, the Briefs family were all comfortably seated in their stretch limousine. The weather was beautiful and warm, and the sky was clear with a dash of deep blue. It was 7:00 PM and everyone was looking forward to an enjoyable night.well, they had NO idea!
It wasn't long before the limo came to a slow halt in front of a decent- sized palace. A ten-foot wall surrounded it and giant gates blocked the entrance to the main driveway. "Hmm," thought Vegeta aloud, "this place is almost as big as ours! Not bad! Not bad at all!" He laughed. "Well, uh, what are we waiting for? Someone get the door!" he ordered to the driver. He thanked him with a wide grin and stepped from the car. He was immediately stopped by gatemen at the entrance. "This is private property!" the shouted. "Oh, we are here for the business dinner," said Vegeta, getting a tad uptight. "Is that so?" said a rude guard. "Well, do you have the invitation, sonny boy?" Vegeta was blowing up in front of everyone.and it wasn't pretty. "IT JUST SO HAPPENS, PEASANT, THAT I do HAVE AN INVITATION! HERE! RIGHT THERE: MY NAME! DO YOU SEE IT, 'SONNY BOY'? HOW DARE YOU INSULT VEGETA BRIEFS, RICHEST MAN ON THE PLANET? HUH? SPEAK UP?" he roared in their faces. The men were flabbergasted. "Master Briefs! Oh, please excuse me, sire!" the men said, dropping to the floor and bowing at his feet. Vegeta calmed down. "Please enter!" "I think we will, thanks," said Bulma, taking Vegeta's arm. Vegeta growled ferociously and kept his eyes dead straight on the guard until he was out of sight. They reached the door rather quickly and Bulma ran around detangling the last of Bura's knots, flattening down Trunks's hair, and smoothing out wrinkles from Vegeta's tailcoat. Next she brushed away invisible lint from her shoulders and rang the bell. Immediately, an enormous butler, who was rather chubby, greeted them. "Konnichi wa, Madams and Sirs. Please make your way through the Grande Hall and make a right at the souvenir stand. Understood?" he bellowed. "Uh - uh, y-yes, s-s-s-sure. Um, right at the, uh, s-souvenir stand! Got it! Thanks!" smiled Bulma weekly. As soon as the were in the Grande Hall, she asked quizzically, "Souvenir stand? Sheesh!"
After they took a right at the 'souvenir stand' (which was packed with portraits of Eli and his family, children's sipping cups in the shape of Eli's head, t-shirts, puzzles, and even a video game in which you had to race through a china store with a tea tray in your hand and not break anything), they approached an enormous ballroom infiltrated with elegant- looking people in flowing gowns and ravishing cloaks. "Woo-wee!" said Bura excitedly. "Fancy-schmancy people all over!" No sooner had they entered the room, a tall and skinny man ran over to them with a smile so wide and shiny that Bura and Trunks had to hide their eyes from the glare. "Ah, Briefses! Welcome, welcome!" the man said as he pulled a short, gilded strand of bright pink hair behind a perfectly round ear. At the end of the ear hung a giant gold ball that glittered under the thousand-light chandelier. "Eli! Buddy! How are you?" Vegeta said with a fake smile. Eli widened his toothy smile to reveal bleach-white choppers. "I'm wonderful, Veggie-san! Oh, may I call you Veggie?" he said obnoxiously, extending a gorgeous, ripe-toned hand. Vegeta accepted reluctantly and shook it. His flesh was soft and welcoming, which Vegeta took as an insult. He would rather shake a callused hand just to know that that person was a hard worker. "Um, no, thanks. I'd prefer Vegeta or Master Briefs," Vegeta said numbly. "Ahh, Veg, you kidder! Hello, Bulma! I got so carried away with Veggie that I was too rude to acknowledge your presence! Where ARE my manners?" Eli said loudly as he took Bulma's fair hand and pecked it sharply with his lips. Bulma laughed sarcastically. Thankfully, Eli did not catch her fake attitude. "Yes, here I am! Well, I must say you have a lovely house here, Master Eli," Bulma said politely. "Oh, pish-posh! Call me Eli, sweetums!" Eli corrected with a spit. Bulma smiled weakly. Next Eli noticed Bura clenching her mother's gown again. "Bura! I have heard so much about you! But of course, you are much more beautiful in person!" Eli said bending down to her height and shaking her gentle hand. "Why, thank you, Master Yoki," Bura said sweetly. Maybe this guy isn't so terrible after all, she thought with a grin. Eli Yoki smiled at success of charming the little girl. Bulma coughed rather loudly and made a sound that sounded unusually similar to "faker". Then she excused herself and led Vegeta to the dance floor. Vegeta reluctantly went with her and dusted himself on furiously when he got there. "What? Don't tell me you want to dance!" he said scowling. Bulma smirked. "Oh, c'mon, B, you know I can't dance!" Bulma rolled her eyes. "Well, then, I guess I'll have to teach you!" she said happily. "But I-" "Hush up! Now, let's start with the Waltz. In the Waltz, you move in threes, like this," she said as she counted "ONE two three ONE two three". The Saiyan prince learned quickly and smiled when Bulma did. "See, Veggie- head! That wasn't so hard, now was it?" Vegeta grinned proudly at his accomplishment. Meanwhile, Trunks was bored as ever. He stood at the punch bowl, continuously emptying cups of fruit punch. Bura was clapping her hands to the music and having a blast watching Eli and his wife dance the Waltz. When she spotted her parents, she called out, "Oh, yay! Go Daddy! Go Mommy! It's your birthday! Not really! Party anyway! WAHOO!" Trunks rolled his eyes at his pathetic little sister. "C'mon, Trunks," she said to him, "loosen up, will ya?" "URRRG! NO! GO AWAY! LEAVE ME ALONE!!!!!" he roared back. Bura giggled. "Aww, does Trunksie-wunksie need a nappy-wappy?" she cooed sarcastically. Her big, blue eyes sparkled like diamonds in a pool of stars when she look up to him and gave him the famous puppy-dog face. "GO AWAY, BURA! AHHH! SHUT-UP AND LEAVE ME ALONE!!!!!!!!" Bura giggled again. Then she made a face and Trunks took it too seriously. He jumped up into the air and starting throwing pathetically miniscule beams of bright light at her. Bura screamed and dodged the first by a strand of golden sun- kissed hair. Furious for missing, Trunks hurled another at her. This time, despite the young girl's desperate attempts to escape the fire, it had brushed her face and left a hideous burn behind. Bura fell to the floor crying as Trunks jumped to the floor beside her, wondering if he went too far. Her teary eyes stared up to him: two huge sapphires trapped in a transparent sphere of tender light. Long, glistening beads of water managed to escape her eyes and rolled down her pouting cheeks. Trunks closed his eyes with shame. The entire crowd was gaping at them with their mouths hanging to the floor. Trunks felt their eyes on him and their breathing down his neck. He opened his eyes and faced them, his back to Bura. Without warning, Bura sprang from the floor and side-kicked him straight in the nape of his neck with a little "HIIIII-YAH!!!!!" The guests gasped and clutched each other's hands. "Bura!" roared Bulma. "What on Earth - " Bura silenced her mother with a sharp look. Her eyes once quiet and quilted with tears now shone bright and almost evilly under the light of a thousand candles glimmering in the halls. Bulma put her hand to her mouth in shock and tried to say something, but words had failed her. Bura then cast her gaze back to the young boy, sprawled on the floor. She waltzed over casually to him and kicked him sharply in the side. "Get off me, you filthy slug!" Trunks thundered, flying from the floor with a fistful for Bura's face. "Here, consider THIS and early birthday present!" He threw bright blue fire in her face and screamed a blood- curdling scream with all his might as he released the great ball of light into her face pale with fear. Then she smirked as it came hurdling toward her. Extending a single, dainty finger, she blew it away from her sight and into the desert table, throwing 30 people in the air as she did it. "Here, you Big Baby! Try THIS one on for size!" Bura hurled a bolt of lightning straight at her brother. "Oh, come on! You have to be kidding - WHOA!" Trunks rolled away from the bolt unorthodoxly. Bura giggled with delight. The bolt smashed into the floor and set the carpet on fire. "THAT'S EEEEEENNNNNNOUGH!" Eli roared. Silence rang throughout the hall. "And, you, Vegeta!" he said, turning to the saiyan prince. "Y-y-y-y-you're F-F-FIRED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" "Hmm. So I am. Oh well. Actually, I couldn't be happier! Ready to call it a night, sweetums?" Vegeta asked, offering Bulma his arm. "Oh, all right, dear. Come, now, children! Let's be on our way!" Bulma said, planting a kiss on her husband's cheek. "Good, job, Veggie-head!" "Thank you, Pooh Bear! Thank you very much indeed."
***And with this important notice, our story ends: NEVER bring your children to a Business Party!***
It was a bright and sunny morning in the little town of Kiiku. Gohan yawned and stretched his arms high into the crisp, clean morning air as he stood up from his bed. With eyes half closed, he wandered his way into the kitchen, scratching his head. In the kitchen, Goten was already up, tossing Cheerios up in the air and catching them in his mouth. One landed up his nose and Gohan fell over laughing hysterically. "Well, good morning, Gohan, sweetie!" said Chichi, who was at the stove frying bacon. "'Morning, mum!" he said cheerfully. At the kitchen table, his father was shoveling rice into his mouth and reading "Fighter's Digest" when he looked up to see a tall, lanky and scraggly-looking boy. "Oy! Gohan! Pull up a chair, will ya, son?" Goku called. Gohan obediently grabbed a fold-up chair from the living room and sat down to face his dad. "Hey, Dad. What's up?" BIG mistake! Goku went into a whole saga about work the other day and getting laid off. "Uh, gee, Dad, that is really.err, interesting and all, but I, uh, have to, uh, do some training!' Gohan finished quickly. "Oh, no you don't!" interrupted Chichi. "You are not leaving this household until you're finished your breakfast and emptied the dishes, young man!" she scolded. Gohan sighed and ripped the Cheerios box out of Goten's hands. Meanwhile, at the Briefs' house, a monstrous argumentative commotion broke out between Bura and Trunks. Trunks's side of the story goes as follows: "Dad, honest! I was just walking around, shooting fireballs and ice waves and pointless objects (such as yours and mom's dumb statue), when I ACCIDENTALLY hit Bura's stupid dollhouse!" Then Trunks put on that innocent trademarked smile of his and fluttered his eyes. Vegeta rolled his. "Oh, yeah right!" Bura screamed sarcastically. "That is NOT what happened and YOU know it, mister! Daddy, what REALLY happened was like this: Trunks was running around the house screaming and setting fire to everything, including that priceless statue that you and Mother own, and he burst into my room and threw a GIANT fireball to my beautiful dollhouse!" she whined. "Trunks!" Bulma bellowed. "Young man, that is the third dollhouse you've blown up this week! You had better cut it out this second -!" "Bulma, dearest," said Vegeta quietly. "The boy didn't MEAN to do it, did you, son?" Trunks shook his head no. "See? Now there's a good boy!" he shouted, smiling the whole time. "Now, Trunks," he said warningly, "I don't want to here any more nonsense about your behavior. Am I clear?" Trunks nodded yes. "There, now, Bulma, let's leave these two alone for a bit and give Trunks a chance to apologize, all right?" Bulma opened her mouth to argue but closed it, not knowing what to say. Then she stormed away, ordering maids and butlers around with Vegeta on her tail. "Whew! That was close!" Trunks said, wiping his forehead. Bura sniffled. "You big jerk!" she hollered. "It's all your fault! Why do you always come bursting into my lounge without asking? Why can't you stay in your OWN lounge, Trunks? URG!" And she marched away and slammed the door in his face. Trunks sighed, scratched his head, and ran to his father's office. Trunks pressed and held the intercom button. "Uh, hey, Dad? It's me, Trunks. Can I come in?" There was no answer. After a few seconds, the door automatically slid open to reveal a spacious and organized room the size of a small house. "Dad! Hi!" "Hey, Trunks! C'mon in, son," Vegeta said. After Trunks's loss and resurrection, Vegeta valued his son more than he did and barely ever raised his voice. He had learned how to smile without smirking. "Um, Dad, why did you cover up for me just then? Even I know I was wrong! Why'd ya do it?" Trunks asked curiously. "Well, son," Vegeta said spinning around in his chair, "I was kind of concerned about your training schedule. You know how your mother is with punishments. I figured if she grounded you, you probably wouldn't be allowed out of your room until January! After all, it is July, you know, and I cannot stand to wait 5 months!" He laughed. Trunks laughed as well. "You see, Trunks, when you died, a part of me died, too. It felt as if the world was coming to an end. It pierced my like a sword straight through my heart. My head drained and I couldn't think. All I felt was guilt: guilt because I had not even gotten a chance to say good-bye to my very first child. You have no idea how that felt, son." Trunks didn't move. His mouth was agape and he didn't know what to say. He found some words and spit them out. "I didn't know you cared so much. I should have never underestimated -" "Hush!" Vegeta said standing up. "The loss of a loved one is worse than.well.dying, yourself. When I saw you awake from your dreadful coffin it was like.I was born again. I learned to laugh. I learned to smile. I-I-I learned to CRY. It felt odd but you were back and nothing mattered at all to me at the moment.nothing but YOU." Trunks opened his mouth to speak but the intercom button cut him off. It was Bulma. "VEGETA, DEAR?" the loudspeaker boomed. "IS TRUNKS THERE WITH YOU, SWEETIE?" "Yes, honey! We were just discussing training schedules. Did you need something?" "OH, NO, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE HE WAS SOMEWHERE SAFE! DINNER IS IN HALF AN HOUR, YOU TWO! OH, AND, TRUNKS, DON'T FORGET TO DO YOUR HOMEWORK!" There was a loud BEEP and Bulma turned off the intercom button. "Right!" said Vegeta, jumping out of his seat and heading for the door. Trunks followed. Vegeta opened the door for Trunks and smiled. "I'll see you bright and early tomorrow, son, for some REAL training! Don't be late! We're starting defense mechanisms." Trunks walked away and Vegeta took his seat at his desk again, organizing some paperwork. "Hello, Vegeta," called Bulma, shooing away maids as she worked her way into the office. Vegeta looked up and smiled proudly. Little Bura was clinging to Bulma's bright blue skirt. "Well, hello, you two! Hey, Bura, dear, would you please fetch that piece of paper that your father dropped?" Vegeta asked the young girl, who resumed her place behind his wife's knee-high skirt. "Uh.all righty then." "I got it, honey! Don't fret!" said Bulma cheerfully picking up the green parchment and briefly reading it. "Ahh, so you've been invited to Eli's annual rendezvous again, eh?" Vegeta fidgeted in his seat nervously. "It's a BUSINESS party, dear! We're only having DINNER, mind you!" Vegeta said jumping from his seat and snatching the note. "And he even invited the whole FAMILY.if the children behave and we all wear VERY formal attire. What do you think?" Bulma rolled her eyes. "Well, if it'll make this family and your business look good at the same time.sure, why not? What do YOU think, B.B.?" Bulma turned to Bura. Bura looked up at her mother with giant, sweet eyes. Then she looked down again. "Um.perhaps so," she thought aloud. "Oh, alright! It could be fun!" "That's the ticket, my girl!" cheered Vegeta. "C'mon, Bura!" called Bulma, taking Bura's gentle fingers in her own. "Let Mommy help you pick out a nice dress for Daddy's party, ok?" Bura nodded excitedly at the word "dress". She loved dressing up fancy and going to parties. "Now, what do you say to your father for allowing you to go? Hmm? Let's have it, young lady!" "Thank you, Daddy," she said slowly with her head and voice low. "That's my girl!" said Vegeta walking over to see them out the door. "I'll get someone to pick out Trunks's and my garb now. See you in a few!" And he closed the door. The Saiyan Prince strolled jovially over to the intercom and pressed it with a muscular finger. " 'Ello?" "Hi, this is Vegeta. Yuuki, do you think you could meet me in my dressing quarters in five?" (By 'five' he meant 'five minutes') "O! Sure, Master Briefs! Is sum ting da matta?" "No, no, just do as I say." Then Vegeta hastily let go of the button and pressed it again. Trunks was on now. "Hey, buddy! It's your father!" said Vegeta. Sarcastically, Trunks replied, "Sorry, the number you are trying to reach is temporarily unavailable. Please hang up, try again later, or leave a message after the beep. BEEEEEEP!" "Yeah, that's great, Trunks. Listen, meet me in the wardrobe room in five." "Alright, whatever. See you then - " "Where are you, anyhow?" There was a long pause. "Trunks? TRUNKS? Are you there Trunks?" A small finger tapped his shoulder. "Yes I am, Father," Trunks said smirking. Vegeta spun around. "AHH! Whew, boy, you scared me! Anyway, I said 'meet me in the WARDROBE room'! Didn't you hear?" Vegeta scowled as Trunks rolled his eyes. "Oh, well. Now we can walk together!' "Oh, joy! Oh, bliss! Oh, rasper!" he said sarcastically. "I am glad to see your enthusiasm, son, but the word is 'rapture', not 'rasper'," Vegeta pointed out. Trunks's smirk vanished and he replaced it with a foul and rude stare. They walked the rest of the way silently. They approached the men's dressing quarters quickly, only to be greeted by more servants. "Hello, all!" Vegeta said cheerfully to his entourage. "We will only be needing Yuuki today, thanks. Well.you heard me. You Master has spoken; you may now all depart." Slowly, the whole troop of disappointed maids and servicemen left. Only a tall, lanky young man remained. His beady black eyes darted back and forth nervously. His long, shiny blue hair was hastily tucked behind his left ear. His clothes looked unkempt and untidy, but his expression seemed to give a warm welcome. The man was Yuuki. "Ah! Yuuki! Good boy, coming right on time! Please come in?" Vegeta beckoned Trunks and Yuuki in the spacious room, followed by his self. There were tens - no, hundreds - of racks of clothing for every occasion imaginable! The man spoke softly, "What are we lookin' for tuh-day, Mastas? Sum ting in pa-tik-uh-lerr?" "We need VERY formal garb - um, a tux, perhaps! Got anything in deep black satin?" Vegeta inquired. "Ah! Here!" called Yuuki, waving a hand for them to follow. He handed Mr. Briefs a beautiful tuxedo with gorgeous satin in a shade of midnight black. In the right-hand pocket was a white, artificial rose that looked like it was picked from a garden minutes ago, thought the suit had been in the family for years. "It's perfect! Trunks, lad, what do you think?" asked Vegeta as he pulled the outfit in front of his self. "Well? Don't hold back! What do you think?" Trunks frowned from thinking hard and scratched his head. "I like it, Dad!" "Great! Now what do you want, son? Particular color? Style? Texture? Material? What?" "Hmmm.I know!" he said pointing to a nearby tux. "That one, Dad! The one that looks just like yours!"
Meanwhile, in the ladies' quarters, Bulma picked out a stunning silver dress that shimmered like diamonds under the glowing chandelier. Bura was sporting a cute, pink dress that was knee-high and dotted randomly with a flower pattern. She had an enormous pink bow in her hair to match. "You BOTH look simply gorgeous!" cooed Tsu Lin, a pretty but slightly plump maiden. "Why, thank you, Miss Lin!" smiled Bura. "Well, aren't you the nicest dern thing these ole eyes ever did see!" said Tsu Lin. Bura blushed. "That's my angel!" cheered Bulma, clapping her hands together in delight. There was a loud 'ding' from the intercom button. It was Vegeta. "Bulma, dear?" he asked. "Oh, hello, Vegeta! What do you need, sweetie?" "I am here with Trunks; we're all dressed and ready to go. How go your outfits?" "Hi, Daddy!" called Bura. "Me and Mommy are all prettied up! He he!" "You would say 'Mommy and I', sweetheart," said Vegeta softly. Bura frowned and pouted. "Anyway, please meet us in the Grande Hall in oh, say.10 minutes?" "Sounds good!" said Bulma. Then there was another 'ding' and the boys were gone. Ten minutes later, Bulma, Bura, Trunks, and Vegeta were all in the Grande Hall, adding some finishing touches. A maid was smothering the women with diamonds and gold, while Yuuki and some others smoothed out wrinkles in the men's suits and combing their hair. In no time at all, the Briefs family were all comfortably seated in their stretch limousine. The weather was beautiful and warm, and the sky was clear with a dash of deep blue. It was 7:00 PM and everyone was looking forward to an enjoyable night.well, they had NO idea!
It wasn't long before the limo came to a slow halt in front of a decent- sized palace. A ten-foot wall surrounded it and giant gates blocked the entrance to the main driveway. "Hmm," thought Vegeta aloud, "this place is almost as big as ours! Not bad! Not bad at all!" He laughed. "Well, uh, what are we waiting for? Someone get the door!" he ordered to the driver. He thanked him with a wide grin and stepped from the car. He was immediately stopped by gatemen at the entrance. "This is private property!" the shouted. "Oh, we are here for the business dinner," said Vegeta, getting a tad uptight. "Is that so?" said a rude guard. "Well, do you have the invitation, sonny boy?" Vegeta was blowing up in front of everyone.and it wasn't pretty. "IT JUST SO HAPPENS, PEASANT, THAT I do HAVE AN INVITATION! HERE! RIGHT THERE: MY NAME! DO YOU SEE IT, 'SONNY BOY'? HOW DARE YOU INSULT VEGETA BRIEFS, RICHEST MAN ON THE PLANET? HUH? SPEAK UP?" he roared in their faces. The men were flabbergasted. "Master Briefs! Oh, please excuse me, sire!" the men said, dropping to the floor and bowing at his feet. Vegeta calmed down. "Please enter!" "I think we will, thanks," said Bulma, taking Vegeta's arm. Vegeta growled ferociously and kept his eyes dead straight on the guard until he was out of sight. They reached the door rather quickly and Bulma ran around detangling the last of Bura's knots, flattening down Trunks's hair, and smoothing out wrinkles from Vegeta's tailcoat. Next she brushed away invisible lint from her shoulders and rang the bell. Immediately, an enormous butler, who was rather chubby, greeted them. "Konnichi wa, Madams and Sirs. Please make your way through the Grande Hall and make a right at the souvenir stand. Understood?" he bellowed. "Uh - uh, y-yes, s-s-s-sure. Um, right at the, uh, s-souvenir stand! Got it! Thanks!" smiled Bulma weekly. As soon as the were in the Grande Hall, she asked quizzically, "Souvenir stand? Sheesh!"
After they took a right at the 'souvenir stand' (which was packed with portraits of Eli and his family, children's sipping cups in the shape of Eli's head, t-shirts, puzzles, and even a video game in which you had to race through a china store with a tea tray in your hand and not break anything), they approached an enormous ballroom infiltrated with elegant- looking people in flowing gowns and ravishing cloaks. "Woo-wee!" said Bura excitedly. "Fancy-schmancy people all over!" No sooner had they entered the room, a tall and skinny man ran over to them with a smile so wide and shiny that Bura and Trunks had to hide their eyes from the glare. "Ah, Briefses! Welcome, welcome!" the man said as he pulled a short, gilded strand of bright pink hair behind a perfectly round ear. At the end of the ear hung a giant gold ball that glittered under the thousand-light chandelier. "Eli! Buddy! How are you?" Vegeta said with a fake smile. Eli widened his toothy smile to reveal bleach-white choppers. "I'm wonderful, Veggie-san! Oh, may I call you Veggie?" he said obnoxiously, extending a gorgeous, ripe-toned hand. Vegeta accepted reluctantly and shook it. His flesh was soft and welcoming, which Vegeta took as an insult. He would rather shake a callused hand just to know that that person was a hard worker. "Um, no, thanks. I'd prefer Vegeta or Master Briefs," Vegeta said numbly. "Ahh, Veg, you kidder! Hello, Bulma! I got so carried away with Veggie that I was too rude to acknowledge your presence! Where ARE my manners?" Eli said loudly as he took Bulma's fair hand and pecked it sharply with his lips. Bulma laughed sarcastically. Thankfully, Eli did not catch her fake attitude. "Yes, here I am! Well, I must say you have a lovely house here, Master Eli," Bulma said politely. "Oh, pish-posh! Call me Eli, sweetums!" Eli corrected with a spit. Bulma smiled weakly. Next Eli noticed Bura clenching her mother's gown again. "Bura! I have heard so much about you! But of course, you are much more beautiful in person!" Eli said bending down to her height and shaking her gentle hand. "Why, thank you, Master Yoki," Bura said sweetly. Maybe this guy isn't so terrible after all, she thought with a grin. Eli Yoki smiled at success of charming the little girl. Bulma coughed rather loudly and made a sound that sounded unusually similar to "faker". Then she excused herself and led Vegeta to the dance floor. Vegeta reluctantly went with her and dusted himself on furiously when he got there. "What? Don't tell me you want to dance!" he said scowling. Bulma smirked. "Oh, c'mon, B, you know I can't dance!" Bulma rolled her eyes. "Well, then, I guess I'll have to teach you!" she said happily. "But I-" "Hush up! Now, let's start with the Waltz. In the Waltz, you move in threes, like this," she said as she counted "ONE two three ONE two three". The Saiyan prince learned quickly and smiled when Bulma did. "See, Veggie- head! That wasn't so hard, now was it?" Vegeta grinned proudly at his accomplishment. Meanwhile, Trunks was bored as ever. He stood at the punch bowl, continuously emptying cups of fruit punch. Bura was clapping her hands to the music and having a blast watching Eli and his wife dance the Waltz. When she spotted her parents, she called out, "Oh, yay! Go Daddy! Go Mommy! It's your birthday! Not really! Party anyway! WAHOO!" Trunks rolled his eyes at his pathetic little sister. "C'mon, Trunks," she said to him, "loosen up, will ya?" "URRRG! NO! GO AWAY! LEAVE ME ALONE!!!!!" he roared back. Bura giggled. "Aww, does Trunksie-wunksie need a nappy-wappy?" she cooed sarcastically. Her big, blue eyes sparkled like diamonds in a pool of stars when she look up to him and gave him the famous puppy-dog face. "GO AWAY, BURA! AHHH! SHUT-UP AND LEAVE ME ALONE!!!!!!!!" Bura giggled again. Then she made a face and Trunks took it too seriously. He jumped up into the air and starting throwing pathetically miniscule beams of bright light at her. Bura screamed and dodged the first by a strand of golden sun- kissed hair. Furious for missing, Trunks hurled another at her. This time, despite the young girl's desperate attempts to escape the fire, it had brushed her face and left a hideous burn behind. Bura fell to the floor crying as Trunks jumped to the floor beside her, wondering if he went too far. Her teary eyes stared up to him: two huge sapphires trapped in a transparent sphere of tender light. Long, glistening beads of water managed to escape her eyes and rolled down her pouting cheeks. Trunks closed his eyes with shame. The entire crowd was gaping at them with their mouths hanging to the floor. Trunks felt their eyes on him and their breathing down his neck. He opened his eyes and faced them, his back to Bura. Without warning, Bura sprang from the floor and side-kicked him straight in the nape of his neck with a little "HIIIII-YAH!!!!!" The guests gasped and clutched each other's hands. "Bura!" roared Bulma. "What on Earth - " Bura silenced her mother with a sharp look. Her eyes once quiet and quilted with tears now shone bright and almost evilly under the light of a thousand candles glimmering in the halls. Bulma put her hand to her mouth in shock and tried to say something, but words had failed her. Bura then cast her gaze back to the young boy, sprawled on the floor. She waltzed over casually to him and kicked him sharply in the side. "Get off me, you filthy slug!" Trunks thundered, flying from the floor with a fistful for Bura's face. "Here, consider THIS and early birthday present!" He threw bright blue fire in her face and screamed a blood- curdling scream with all his might as he released the great ball of light into her face pale with fear. Then she smirked as it came hurdling toward her. Extending a single, dainty finger, she blew it away from her sight and into the desert table, throwing 30 people in the air as she did it. "Here, you Big Baby! Try THIS one on for size!" Bura hurled a bolt of lightning straight at her brother. "Oh, come on! You have to be kidding - WHOA!" Trunks rolled away from the bolt unorthodoxly. Bura giggled with delight. The bolt smashed into the floor and set the carpet on fire. "THAT'S EEEEEENNNNNNOUGH!" Eli roared. Silence rang throughout the hall. "And, you, Vegeta!" he said, turning to the saiyan prince. "Y-y-y-y-you're F-F-FIRED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" "Hmm. So I am. Oh well. Actually, I couldn't be happier! Ready to call it a night, sweetums?" Vegeta asked, offering Bulma his arm. "Oh, all right, dear. Come, now, children! Let's be on our way!" Bulma said, planting a kiss on her husband's cheek. "Good, job, Veggie-head!" "Thank you, Pooh Bear! Thank you very much indeed."
***And with this important notice, our story ends: NEVER bring your children to a Business Party!***