Wow, the first chapter is kinda long…. Oh well. I feel kinda bad because I
was actually supposed to start a different story called 'Red Static' but
I'm still waiting to see the episodes I need to make the events and
timeline right. Once I have those movies and watch them I'll be able to
start writing it. Yeay!!! But anyway, on with this fic!!!
One more note, I know that Saiyans are supposed to be named after vegetables, but I couldn't figure out enough vegetables to work with for the names so I gave up.
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Disclaimer: Uh, yeah. I own DBZ. Ain't that cool? Worship me.
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A/N: Please review. It would mean so much to me to know what everyone thought of my work, good or bad…. hopefully not bad, but just the same please review.
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Chapter 1: Of Captains and Rules
Silence. Such a dangerous virtue as the shield of nothing that has no face, no features, no tangibility, but is all too vivid in its void on continuity. That is why the soldiers, guards, and warriors avoid it. A single moment of silence can pass, and already their lives could be endangered by the thick cloak of its deceit. Like a highborn wind, it whips through the lonely corridors of the palace in search of prey to envelope into its reaches.
It claws upon them with invisible talons that leave no wounds, watches them with wayworn eyes that are seen only with the imagination, tempts them with soft, soothing voices that utter no words. And yet, it is serene and intriguing.
A lone guard stands in waiting as he examines the new palace guards that stiffly trudge through the dark halls in paired order. His eyes lock momentarily with one, and he gives the young soldier a small, understood nod before advancing to the front of the battalion and drawing their attention. In a deep, but comparatively friendly voice, he addresses them:
"Welcome to the palace. I am Kakarrott, your Colonel. You will address me as Colonel, and nothing else. I congratulate you on being able to prove yourselves worthy for this assignment, which is to protect the royal family. Not all Saiyans are able to acquire this rank.
"Each week you will be assigned a station. You will report here every morning before returning to that same station for the course of each week. At the beginning of each week, you will be assigned a new station. You are prohibited from leaving your station unless notified to do so by one of the royal family, me, or any other officer in higher ranks than you. Understood?"
A roar of 'Yes Colonel' echoed through the room shattering the silence.
"Good," the Colonel said as he calmly began to walk down the line of guards eyeing each one carefully. His white Saiyan armor draped over his body and shimmered slightly in the glares of light that bounced about the room dimly. His navy body suit clung and contoured to each distinct muscle in his body and made him look all the more formidable. Long strands of thick, black hair sprung unevenly from different spot on his head wavering silently as a cold, chilled wind passed through the room.
He stopped on his heels next to a slightly taller and bulkier man dressed in much the same attire as him and the rest of the battalion. With a single glance in the man's direction he continued, "This is Major Tinim. If you are having trouble obeying any of the palace rules, Major Tinim here will be glad to personally beat them into you." A smirk erupted on the ugly man's lips as he looked around the room at the now cautious men.
"The rules have already been read to you and you have already agreed to abide by them, so I assume there are no questions there." No reply. Satisfied, Kakarrott moved onto another husky man nearby and addressed him as well, "Captain Arald here is in charge of the Royal Chambers. When you are stationed there, you will be under constant supervision.... and I warn you, of all things, I wouldn't want to screw up my duties while stationed there."
"And this," he placed a firm hand on another guard's shoulder proudly. "This is your other Captain, Gohan. He is young, as you all may have already noticed, but he has earned his rank, and you will treat him with the same respect you would show me, Major Timin, or Captain Arald. They are all your superior officers, and you will respect them." In a few smooth steps, he evacuated the center of the room to stand off to the side. "Good luck with your first day. Major Timin, I suspect you can handle them from here."
"Yes, Colonel," the gruff voice of the tall, husky man replied as he made his way to the front of the group. "You have all been given your assignments for today. You will report there and stay there for the remainder of the day or until further notice when the night shift has come to take your place. Are there any questions?" Silence. "Good, then move out."
Just as warily as they had entered, the men filed out, and just as before the Colonel and young Captain exchanged glances before they were separated by distance as the Captain walked quietly down the silent corridor to his station.
~*~
The area was cold and morbidly still, but it didn't faze the guard whose black eyes watched the passings of the hallway perceptively. Each figure that walked by him was fair game to the suspicions of his harsh gaze, any movement that disturbed the tranquility of the hall was accounted for, all sounds that echoed through the frigid atmosphere were closely studied. Body erect and attentive, he waited under the weight of his heavy armor. His short, black hair suddenly began to quiver at the stillness of the corridor broken by a chilled air. Looking down the corridor toward the direction of the air, he noticed four figures walking softly over the tile in his direction.
Two were Saiyan officers, men who were notably high in rank and importance. Another was an elderly man whose rank was amid the noble and well respected. These three men formed a tight triangle around a fourth figure that was shorter and hidden by a cloak. They stopped when they reached him and the old man looked sideways at Gohan.
"Good day, sir," Gohan greeted as the gray haired man watched him with unwavering grimness.
"Good day," the man replied eyeing Gohan. "Captain, would you happen to know if the prince is in his chambers or with his father in the throne room?"
"At the current moment, no," Gohan told him. "But my last reports on his where-abouts were centered in his chamber. That was about ten minutes ago."
The man nodded and motioned the other three onwards. The cloaked figure seemed resilient to follow as it stood in its same spot with the opening of the hood of its black clothing facing him. It stood there obviously watching him with its head slightly bowed for a minute while the officers waited curiously. From what he could see, the figure was small and slight in build, probably an ambassador from another conquered planet with great sensitivity to light; hence the cloak. One small movement quickly changed his mind.
One of the officers urged the figure on, pushing gently on its back as the old man called to it, "Come, the prince wishes to see you."
Gracefully, the head looked up some as it turned back towards the dim corridor. The slight movement allowed particles of light to slide into the recesses of the hood to unmask part of the figure's face. In the quickly dissolving light, Gohan was able to make out a pair of well-rounded cheekbones that cascaded down into a smooth, thin neck. A thin fold of hot crimson drawn into a soft, untouched line centered the outline of the cheeks, a pair of lips that neither smiled nor frowned their emotion. And then they were gone gliding down the icy corridor in the direction of the Royal Chambers, and he was left in suspense as the cloaked figure grew farther and farther away.
~*~
It was late and the men from the night shift were slowly beginning to ease into their stations and relieve the tired guards of their duties. A fat looking Saiyan practically twice times as old as Gohan finally showed up to take his place outside the Foreign Affairs Room. Gohan watched him deviously as the bulky man sagged towards him.
"You're late," he told him coldly with harsh eyes that set themselves on his.
"Yeah, yeah," the man shrugged taking little notice of Gohan's crossness. "So what? You new rookies always take your jobs too seriously… especially you young, cocky ones. Lighten up." He began to adjust his armor inattentively, but was caught off-guard when something hit him in the back of the head and sent him sprawling to the floor. Infuriated, the man rolled over onto his back while still on the ground. He was almost foaming at the mouth as he watched Gohan approach him. "You baka! I'm gonna...."
Gohan stopped in front of the man and grasped him by his navy bodysuit from under his tarnished armor. "You're gonna what?" the tone in Gohan's voice was provocative and at the same time cold. "Are you gonna start taking your job seriously?"
"Who the hell do you think you are?" the man scolded. "When I..."
In a swift action, Gohan lurched the man's head down so that it met the hard floor with great pressure, and then pulled him up again. "I'm sorry, what were you going to say?"
A deep growl erupted from inside the man's throat only causing Gohan to cynically smirk. "I'll report you to the Colonel for unnecessary roughness around posted guards!"
This made Gohan snicker. "Then I'll just tell him what you told me about your position."
The man scoffed in disbelief and retorted, "He wouldn't believe a worthless brat's opinion over my own. I've worked with the Colonel and have known him far longer than you have."
More pressure was placed on the man's neck and he began to gag in attempts for breath. "Is that so? Then I guess I don't stand a chance. You might as well learn my name too before I let you go so that you can tell him who beat you up and have him take care of me for you since you're obviously in no condition to do so yourself."
Lending his eyes painfully from the young man's face before him, the guard looked down to Gohan's chest plate to analyze his description. His eyes widened some as he read.
"Then again, I suppose you just found out for yourself," Gohan said nonchalantly as he began to stand up right. "I suggest you get to your post now before I do the honors of reporting us both."
The man nodded annoyedly and straightened his armor stealing one more glance at the exceedingly young captain that had begun to make his way down the corridor to the palace exit doors. He rubbed his neck and cursed at the disappearing figure under his breath afraid that he may hear him.
Outside Gohan delectated in the warm, dry breeze that slowly engulfed the air. He allowed a sigh to find its way out of his mouth and slowly began to remove the heavy gloves from his hands. Once he had done so, he tucked them under his arm and rubbed his face tenderly as he made his way down the burnt-red streets. A voice called out to him from behind just as he detected fast footsteps heading his way.
"Hey, Captain!" it cried as it approached him. "Hey, Captain, wait just a second!"
Gohan turned to look at the man who was requesting his attention and was met by the naive stare of someone only slightly older than himself, but taller and less muscular in stature. His eyes locked on Gohan's in a friendly manner, but the gleely youthful atmosphere they protruded wasn't reciprocated by the Captain whose set eyes countered with rancor and fought the other's amicable stare.
Once he had reached the captain, the man cast his eyes downward and began to scratch the back of his head nervously. "Ummmm..." he began nervously. "Some of the guys are going down to the tavern to celebrate...you know, a good first day and..." His eyes looked back up at Gohan's stern face, and he began to feel anxious again as he discerned his eyes from him once again.
A quaint smirk began to form on Gohan's lips as he listened to the mumbling man before him chatter on over needless information.
"And...well... some of the guys were wondering if maybe....you'd like to join us?" The man looked up at Gohan again and saw the stern expression on his face slowly slip into a more comforting and relaxed one.
Crossing his arms over his chest, Gohan shrugged and agreed, "Sure, sounds like fun." He began to advance in the man's direction and saw his ragged form ease some from the change in his attitude. "Which tavern is it...ummm....?" he gestured for the man's name.
"Plinet, and it's the old one on the west side of the city, Captain."
"Alright, Plinet, let's go," Gohan said as he and the other man began to take to the sky in the direction of the west side of the city. "And by the way," he added giving the still antsy man beside him a friendly grin, "outside of duty, it's Gohan, ok?"
The man responded in good spirits grinning back at Gohan while they sped over the dim lights of the city. They had just reached the bar entrance when a loud cheer erupted from within and was carried off on the frequent currents of wind. The two young men looked at each other curiously before Plinet cautiously began to open the heavy, wooden door that led inside.
Inside, men crowded around the area near the bar practically climbing on each other's backs for a glimpse at something that was obviously highly intriguing and encased there. A few men were alerted to the newcomers' entrance and called to the others, "Hey, guys! The cap'n is here!" More men turned their eyes from the center of attention and made a loud cheer of welcome before returning to their entertainment.
Some of the other men approached Gohan and patted him on the back leading him over to the gathered crowd as they personally greeted him.
"What's going on?" he asked interestedly as a number of men parted the way for him to pass through. When no one answered him except by a few laughs, he began to grow apprehensive as he looked around the masses of faces wondering what they were leading him towards. It was when there were no more men and faces to block his path that he realized what they were all gawking at.
Near the counter of the bar stood a lone, slim figure with long, black hair that fell cascadingly down her back. She was only wearing her black body suit that contoured to each luxurious curve in her body and made her look all the more voluptuous in the eyes of the hovering men as she swayed her body enticingly to the beat of a low tempo song that played in the background.
Gohan watched her curiously as she teased some of the nearby men and then left them to return to others. He noticed that she was by far not as bulky as the other female Saiyans and her entire aura was different and less hostile. As she moved down the line of gawking men, her eyes locked with his and she stopped her dance to walk gracefully over towards him.
Stopping right in front of him, so close that he could feel the heat her body generated, she placed her hands on his shoulder guards and dragged her fingers down the length of his chest plates to the bottom of his torso armor while leaning in closer to him. Gohan felt her hands run themselves back up to his chest and waited patiently as her mouth neared his until they were barely separated and then met for a moments time before leaving and lingering just below his.
Slipping his hands assertively behind her back, he brought her in again for a more intense kiss that she easily obliged to. A number of loud whoops and hollers were heard as he finally began to release the woman from his grasp. He watched her stare up at him incredulously while licking his lips with a sly grin countering his face as she slowly began to recede back into her spotlight with a grin playing across her lips.
Satisfied, Gohan walked casually to the bar as a few of the men slapped his back supportively. He ordered a beer and watched Plinet and another man approach him and sit down on stools opposite him with disbelieving faces.
"You're pretty proud of yourself, aren't you?" Plinet remarked as Gohan just shrugged taking a few gulps of the beer that had been handed to him. "Yeah, well I'm gonna go back and see if I can get in on some of that. You make it look all too easy." With that, he got up once again to meet the crowd of onlookers.
"How'd you do that?" the other man asked Gohan.
"Do what?"
"You have to be kiddin' me. You just kissed a nymph!"
Gohan shrugged his shoulders and took another sip of his beer. "Don't give us so much credit. I never kissed a nymph, and she's not a nymph."
"Come on!" the man argued. "Did you even get a good glimpse of that girl? She's gorgeous!"
Looking back in the girl's direction, he caught her glance in his direction and returned to the man that sat beside him. "Yeah, she is."
The man was silent for a moment before continuing, "Yeah, of course she is! She's a nymph!!"
Gohan slowly shook his head in disagreement. "Do you even know what a nymph is?" he asked calmly placing his mug out to the bar tender to ask for another.
A smirk grew on the man's face as he answered, "A nymph is a rare, beautiful, delicate woman."
"That's somewhat correct," Gohan replied looking at him. The man was stout in build with prominent muscles formed all over his body. His hair was a mess of funny spikes that circled his head, and his chin sprouted a thin layer of farce hair while the rest of him was cleanly shaven. He rested on a stool at the bar with one hand on his knee and the other outstretched on the counter with a beer bottle in hand.
"Why don't you enlighten me then," the man said lifting the bottle to his lips and then placing it back down on the bar again.
"Why bother? They're just a myth, they don't actually exist."
The man shrugged, "I'd still like to know what you consider a nymph."
Gohan thought for a moment before beginning, "A nymph is kinda like a ghost I suppose you could say, a phantom. If you see them they just don't seem tangible or real because they're just so melodic in their being. Unlike all the women you and I have come to know, they are slight in build and practically defenseless, but all the more desirable because of it. The entire essence of their aura is suppose to be able to drive most men into lustful frenzies where their body and passions over take their mind, few are able to resist them completely, and yet, they're wordless. A few tales speak of the men who can't resist them hearing them utter soft, incomprehendable phrases, but besides that they are suppose to be silent." Gohan stole a glance at the girl who continued to dance before the rest of the men before closing his argument, "Women like that don't exist though. Sorry to disappoint you, but it's just a myth."
With a nod the other man lifted his beer bottle in agreement towards Gohan before tipping the nozzle to his lips and taking a long drink. He then extended his hand towards Gohan in a friendly manner saying, "The name's Darbin." Gohan took his hand and shook it with spreading docility.
"I'm Gohan," he said.
"I know, Captain," the man replied with a toothy smile.
Gohan gave an uneasy laugh and corrected him, "You can call me Gohan outside of duty, I'm fine with that." He saw Darbin's smile widen and allowed himself to reciprocate it with his own mischievous grin towards the older man.
A wave of laughter was heard from the crowd as a shrill yelp echoed through the bar. All eyes turned towards the circle of men that spectated as the girl that was once flaunting herself to the mass coward away towards the bar. A rather obese man sauntered drunkenly towards her waving his hands in front of him in her direction as he hummed an irrythmic tune and attempted to dance to it.
Everyone watched without thoughts of interference as he grabbed the girl by her wrists and pulled her towards his body. Trying to balance herself against the taut force, she fell forward pressing her body against his as he removed his hands from her wrists and placed them on her hips. Loud fits of laughter escaped the crowd as they watched the drunken fool's antics.
Rising from his seat at the bar, Gohan sternly made his way to the attraction and easily pushed himself through the crowd as he caught sight of the man lowering his head down to her shoulder and begin to roughly nip at the tender skin there while the girl urgently tried to push him away with little response. Before the man actually bit her skin, a hand found itself on his shoulder and threw him away from her body and to the floor.
Quickly, the frightened girl regained her composure and rushed over to Gohan's side just as the heavy brute began to pick himself up from the floor. Unsteadily, he staggered over to where Gohan stood and in an aggressive manner positioned himself in a messy version of a defensive fighting stance. The man lunged at him while swinging out with ungainly fists that landed far from their marks. Feeling it was time to end this, Gohan raised a hand and a small glow began to form there just before he launched the attack outward at the drunken man who just watched him curiously.
Beams of light struck out in several directions forming a lightning effect as Gohan's energy attack met its target. When the extra particles had subsided, a downed, bedraggled figure lay flat on its back over the cold planks of the floor. He was still alive and groaning, but his body ceased to move from the exertion of the hit. The sound of footsteps neared the man before he was lifted upward onto his limp feet.
"I want someone to take him home," Gohan ordered callously as two other guards hastily took the man from him and carefully carried him out of the tavern and into the dusty streets of Vegeta-sei. Turning to the scared creature behind him, Gohan stated, "I think it's best that you go home as well unless you want a relapse of your little run-in."
The girl looked up at him and then quickly sent her eyes back down to the floor once again. She was shivering uncontrollably as she held her arms in self-support. Feeling a warm hand on her shoulder, she looked up once again into Gohan's black eyes with some sense of shame in her own.
"Miss, can you make it home by yourself, or should I ask someone to escort you?"
Gazing at him timidly, she asked in a stuttered whisper, "Could you take me home?"
Normally, Gohan would have declined, but the evident fear in her expression changed his mind. He nodded and with gentle hands began to lead her out the door to the street. "Where do you live?"
"On the northeastern side of town next to the Fighting Academy," she said rubbing her arms soothingly.
Gohan looked in the direction described to him. "On Konakachi Pass?"
She nodded just as she felt herself being lifted into the air by a pair of strong arms that wrapped themselves around her shoulders and under her knees. Wrapping her arms around his muscular neck, she pulled herself against his chest to deflect the onslaught of the passing wind as she was carried closer and closer to her dwelling. Gohan finally set the girl down on her street corner and followed her down the street to a small, domed house, which she approached with great familiarity and preceded to enter.
The house was unlit as he followed her inside and it smelled of Povercia, a favored, exotic flower found only on the poles on the planet. After allowing his eyes to wander around the little furniture in the room, he noticed that she was gone and decided it was time for him to take his leave. Turning to exit, he felt a pair of thin arms snake around his neck.
"Leaving already, Captain?" the girl's seductive voice asked.
"Yes, it's late and my family is waiting for me."
"You're mated?" she asked with disappointment in her tone.
"No."
"Then why does it matter what time you get home? You're a big boy, you can take care of yourself."
Gohan felt her fingers tickle and caress the hair on his tail causing him shudder in delight despite his better judgment. "Miss..."
"Amalthia," she whispered as she took his hand and began to pull him towards the back of the house.
Following her with little reluctance, Gohan found himself in a rather small bedroom furnished only with a bed and a lamp. His eyes instinctively took in his surroundings in the dark room before noticing Amalthia in front of him enticingly running her fingers around his covered stomach and to the edge of his armor. With little effort, she undid the clasps and began to raise it over his head. When she was done, she carelessly tossed the item to the floor and continued her assault on him.
Methodically, she ran her hands up her own sides in a mischievous way until they came to her neck. She kneaded her hands behind her head as she tilted it down to the side and slowly began to unzip the back of her bodysuit just slightly. Then she peered back up at him. Desire penetrated her eyes as she reached for him and pulled her body directly up against his.
Nipping his bottom lip, she noticed him not responding to any of her efforts to seduce him, so she whispered close to his ear, "You know you want this." Her thin fingers began to play with the hair on his tail once again. "So why don't you just take it?" she asked as her hands trailed up to his chest and face. Meeting their lips with a quick, lingering kiss, she waited for his answer diligently. When none came, she slowly began to inch away from him casting her gaze down to the floor with a shameful feeling bouncing in her stomach. "Maybe I was wrong."
Amalthia felt something grab her tightly around the waist and before she was sure of what she was doing, an arm found her back and pulled her to the muscular man in front of her while another gingerly caressed her face as she fell into the passion of a deep kiss pressed against her lips. When she broke the kiss to breath, she felt the movement of his tail on her waist and gave a pleasurable little giggle as she entwined her own with his while stroking it softly.
"Change of heart?" she joked wrapping her arms around his neck.
Gohan just smirked at her comment as he gently began to kiss her once against. The hand that held her hips helped to lift her upwards so that she was able to straddle his waist as he stood there in the room and carried her down and onto the soft bed.....
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Hahahahahahahaha, I bet some people thought that was going to be a lemon, but I am not completely comfortable writing those so I stopped. Please review, if you don't I won't post anything else 'cuz I'll think you all hate me. Oh, and for those of you who may think that everyone is really OOC (Gohan and 'Kakarrott') just remember that this is an a/u and then read the prologue. Thanks and REVIEW!!!
OMG!! You have to read Van Lover's story 'What You Wouldn't Expect'. It's probably the best G/V fic I've ever read by far.
One more note, I know that Saiyans are supposed to be named after vegetables, but I couldn't figure out enough vegetables to work with for the names so I gave up.
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Disclaimer: Uh, yeah. I own DBZ. Ain't that cool? Worship me.
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A/N: Please review. It would mean so much to me to know what everyone thought of my work, good or bad…. hopefully not bad, but just the same please review.
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Chapter 1: Of Captains and Rules
Silence. Such a dangerous virtue as the shield of nothing that has no face, no features, no tangibility, but is all too vivid in its void on continuity. That is why the soldiers, guards, and warriors avoid it. A single moment of silence can pass, and already their lives could be endangered by the thick cloak of its deceit. Like a highborn wind, it whips through the lonely corridors of the palace in search of prey to envelope into its reaches.
It claws upon them with invisible talons that leave no wounds, watches them with wayworn eyes that are seen only with the imagination, tempts them with soft, soothing voices that utter no words. And yet, it is serene and intriguing.
A lone guard stands in waiting as he examines the new palace guards that stiffly trudge through the dark halls in paired order. His eyes lock momentarily with one, and he gives the young soldier a small, understood nod before advancing to the front of the battalion and drawing their attention. In a deep, but comparatively friendly voice, he addresses them:
"Welcome to the palace. I am Kakarrott, your Colonel. You will address me as Colonel, and nothing else. I congratulate you on being able to prove yourselves worthy for this assignment, which is to protect the royal family. Not all Saiyans are able to acquire this rank.
"Each week you will be assigned a station. You will report here every morning before returning to that same station for the course of each week. At the beginning of each week, you will be assigned a new station. You are prohibited from leaving your station unless notified to do so by one of the royal family, me, or any other officer in higher ranks than you. Understood?"
A roar of 'Yes Colonel' echoed through the room shattering the silence.
"Good," the Colonel said as he calmly began to walk down the line of guards eyeing each one carefully. His white Saiyan armor draped over his body and shimmered slightly in the glares of light that bounced about the room dimly. His navy body suit clung and contoured to each distinct muscle in his body and made him look all the more formidable. Long strands of thick, black hair sprung unevenly from different spot on his head wavering silently as a cold, chilled wind passed through the room.
He stopped on his heels next to a slightly taller and bulkier man dressed in much the same attire as him and the rest of the battalion. With a single glance in the man's direction he continued, "This is Major Tinim. If you are having trouble obeying any of the palace rules, Major Tinim here will be glad to personally beat them into you." A smirk erupted on the ugly man's lips as he looked around the room at the now cautious men.
"The rules have already been read to you and you have already agreed to abide by them, so I assume there are no questions there." No reply. Satisfied, Kakarrott moved onto another husky man nearby and addressed him as well, "Captain Arald here is in charge of the Royal Chambers. When you are stationed there, you will be under constant supervision.... and I warn you, of all things, I wouldn't want to screw up my duties while stationed there."
"And this," he placed a firm hand on another guard's shoulder proudly. "This is your other Captain, Gohan. He is young, as you all may have already noticed, but he has earned his rank, and you will treat him with the same respect you would show me, Major Timin, or Captain Arald. They are all your superior officers, and you will respect them." In a few smooth steps, he evacuated the center of the room to stand off to the side. "Good luck with your first day. Major Timin, I suspect you can handle them from here."
"Yes, Colonel," the gruff voice of the tall, husky man replied as he made his way to the front of the group. "You have all been given your assignments for today. You will report there and stay there for the remainder of the day or until further notice when the night shift has come to take your place. Are there any questions?" Silence. "Good, then move out."
Just as warily as they had entered, the men filed out, and just as before the Colonel and young Captain exchanged glances before they were separated by distance as the Captain walked quietly down the silent corridor to his station.
~*~
The area was cold and morbidly still, but it didn't faze the guard whose black eyes watched the passings of the hallway perceptively. Each figure that walked by him was fair game to the suspicions of his harsh gaze, any movement that disturbed the tranquility of the hall was accounted for, all sounds that echoed through the frigid atmosphere were closely studied. Body erect and attentive, he waited under the weight of his heavy armor. His short, black hair suddenly began to quiver at the stillness of the corridor broken by a chilled air. Looking down the corridor toward the direction of the air, he noticed four figures walking softly over the tile in his direction.
Two were Saiyan officers, men who were notably high in rank and importance. Another was an elderly man whose rank was amid the noble and well respected. These three men formed a tight triangle around a fourth figure that was shorter and hidden by a cloak. They stopped when they reached him and the old man looked sideways at Gohan.
"Good day, sir," Gohan greeted as the gray haired man watched him with unwavering grimness.
"Good day," the man replied eyeing Gohan. "Captain, would you happen to know if the prince is in his chambers or with his father in the throne room?"
"At the current moment, no," Gohan told him. "But my last reports on his where-abouts were centered in his chamber. That was about ten minutes ago."
The man nodded and motioned the other three onwards. The cloaked figure seemed resilient to follow as it stood in its same spot with the opening of the hood of its black clothing facing him. It stood there obviously watching him with its head slightly bowed for a minute while the officers waited curiously. From what he could see, the figure was small and slight in build, probably an ambassador from another conquered planet with great sensitivity to light; hence the cloak. One small movement quickly changed his mind.
One of the officers urged the figure on, pushing gently on its back as the old man called to it, "Come, the prince wishes to see you."
Gracefully, the head looked up some as it turned back towards the dim corridor. The slight movement allowed particles of light to slide into the recesses of the hood to unmask part of the figure's face. In the quickly dissolving light, Gohan was able to make out a pair of well-rounded cheekbones that cascaded down into a smooth, thin neck. A thin fold of hot crimson drawn into a soft, untouched line centered the outline of the cheeks, a pair of lips that neither smiled nor frowned their emotion. And then they were gone gliding down the icy corridor in the direction of the Royal Chambers, and he was left in suspense as the cloaked figure grew farther and farther away.
~*~
It was late and the men from the night shift were slowly beginning to ease into their stations and relieve the tired guards of their duties. A fat looking Saiyan practically twice times as old as Gohan finally showed up to take his place outside the Foreign Affairs Room. Gohan watched him deviously as the bulky man sagged towards him.
"You're late," he told him coldly with harsh eyes that set themselves on his.
"Yeah, yeah," the man shrugged taking little notice of Gohan's crossness. "So what? You new rookies always take your jobs too seriously… especially you young, cocky ones. Lighten up." He began to adjust his armor inattentively, but was caught off-guard when something hit him in the back of the head and sent him sprawling to the floor. Infuriated, the man rolled over onto his back while still on the ground. He was almost foaming at the mouth as he watched Gohan approach him. "You baka! I'm gonna...."
Gohan stopped in front of the man and grasped him by his navy bodysuit from under his tarnished armor. "You're gonna what?" the tone in Gohan's voice was provocative and at the same time cold. "Are you gonna start taking your job seriously?"
"Who the hell do you think you are?" the man scolded. "When I..."
In a swift action, Gohan lurched the man's head down so that it met the hard floor with great pressure, and then pulled him up again. "I'm sorry, what were you going to say?"
A deep growl erupted from inside the man's throat only causing Gohan to cynically smirk. "I'll report you to the Colonel for unnecessary roughness around posted guards!"
This made Gohan snicker. "Then I'll just tell him what you told me about your position."
The man scoffed in disbelief and retorted, "He wouldn't believe a worthless brat's opinion over my own. I've worked with the Colonel and have known him far longer than you have."
More pressure was placed on the man's neck and he began to gag in attempts for breath. "Is that so? Then I guess I don't stand a chance. You might as well learn my name too before I let you go so that you can tell him who beat you up and have him take care of me for you since you're obviously in no condition to do so yourself."
Lending his eyes painfully from the young man's face before him, the guard looked down to Gohan's chest plate to analyze his description. His eyes widened some as he read.
"Then again, I suppose you just found out for yourself," Gohan said nonchalantly as he began to stand up right. "I suggest you get to your post now before I do the honors of reporting us both."
The man nodded annoyedly and straightened his armor stealing one more glance at the exceedingly young captain that had begun to make his way down the corridor to the palace exit doors. He rubbed his neck and cursed at the disappearing figure under his breath afraid that he may hear him.
Outside Gohan delectated in the warm, dry breeze that slowly engulfed the air. He allowed a sigh to find its way out of his mouth and slowly began to remove the heavy gloves from his hands. Once he had done so, he tucked them under his arm and rubbed his face tenderly as he made his way down the burnt-red streets. A voice called out to him from behind just as he detected fast footsteps heading his way.
"Hey, Captain!" it cried as it approached him. "Hey, Captain, wait just a second!"
Gohan turned to look at the man who was requesting his attention and was met by the naive stare of someone only slightly older than himself, but taller and less muscular in stature. His eyes locked on Gohan's in a friendly manner, but the gleely youthful atmosphere they protruded wasn't reciprocated by the Captain whose set eyes countered with rancor and fought the other's amicable stare.
Once he had reached the captain, the man cast his eyes downward and began to scratch the back of his head nervously. "Ummmm..." he began nervously. "Some of the guys are going down to the tavern to celebrate...you know, a good first day and..." His eyes looked back up at Gohan's stern face, and he began to feel anxious again as he discerned his eyes from him once again.
A quaint smirk began to form on Gohan's lips as he listened to the mumbling man before him chatter on over needless information.
"And...well... some of the guys were wondering if maybe....you'd like to join us?" The man looked up at Gohan again and saw the stern expression on his face slowly slip into a more comforting and relaxed one.
Crossing his arms over his chest, Gohan shrugged and agreed, "Sure, sounds like fun." He began to advance in the man's direction and saw his ragged form ease some from the change in his attitude. "Which tavern is it...ummm....?" he gestured for the man's name.
"Plinet, and it's the old one on the west side of the city, Captain."
"Alright, Plinet, let's go," Gohan said as he and the other man began to take to the sky in the direction of the west side of the city. "And by the way," he added giving the still antsy man beside him a friendly grin, "outside of duty, it's Gohan, ok?"
The man responded in good spirits grinning back at Gohan while they sped over the dim lights of the city. They had just reached the bar entrance when a loud cheer erupted from within and was carried off on the frequent currents of wind. The two young men looked at each other curiously before Plinet cautiously began to open the heavy, wooden door that led inside.
Inside, men crowded around the area near the bar practically climbing on each other's backs for a glimpse at something that was obviously highly intriguing and encased there. A few men were alerted to the newcomers' entrance and called to the others, "Hey, guys! The cap'n is here!" More men turned their eyes from the center of attention and made a loud cheer of welcome before returning to their entertainment.
Some of the other men approached Gohan and patted him on the back leading him over to the gathered crowd as they personally greeted him.
"What's going on?" he asked interestedly as a number of men parted the way for him to pass through. When no one answered him except by a few laughs, he began to grow apprehensive as he looked around the masses of faces wondering what they were leading him towards. It was when there were no more men and faces to block his path that he realized what they were all gawking at.
Near the counter of the bar stood a lone, slim figure with long, black hair that fell cascadingly down her back. She was only wearing her black body suit that contoured to each luxurious curve in her body and made her look all the more voluptuous in the eyes of the hovering men as she swayed her body enticingly to the beat of a low tempo song that played in the background.
Gohan watched her curiously as she teased some of the nearby men and then left them to return to others. He noticed that she was by far not as bulky as the other female Saiyans and her entire aura was different and less hostile. As she moved down the line of gawking men, her eyes locked with his and she stopped her dance to walk gracefully over towards him.
Stopping right in front of him, so close that he could feel the heat her body generated, she placed her hands on his shoulder guards and dragged her fingers down the length of his chest plates to the bottom of his torso armor while leaning in closer to him. Gohan felt her hands run themselves back up to his chest and waited patiently as her mouth neared his until they were barely separated and then met for a moments time before leaving and lingering just below his.
Slipping his hands assertively behind her back, he brought her in again for a more intense kiss that she easily obliged to. A number of loud whoops and hollers were heard as he finally began to release the woman from his grasp. He watched her stare up at him incredulously while licking his lips with a sly grin countering his face as she slowly began to recede back into her spotlight with a grin playing across her lips.
Satisfied, Gohan walked casually to the bar as a few of the men slapped his back supportively. He ordered a beer and watched Plinet and another man approach him and sit down on stools opposite him with disbelieving faces.
"You're pretty proud of yourself, aren't you?" Plinet remarked as Gohan just shrugged taking a few gulps of the beer that had been handed to him. "Yeah, well I'm gonna go back and see if I can get in on some of that. You make it look all too easy." With that, he got up once again to meet the crowd of onlookers.
"How'd you do that?" the other man asked Gohan.
"Do what?"
"You have to be kiddin' me. You just kissed a nymph!"
Gohan shrugged his shoulders and took another sip of his beer. "Don't give us so much credit. I never kissed a nymph, and she's not a nymph."
"Come on!" the man argued. "Did you even get a good glimpse of that girl? She's gorgeous!"
Looking back in the girl's direction, he caught her glance in his direction and returned to the man that sat beside him. "Yeah, she is."
The man was silent for a moment before continuing, "Yeah, of course she is! She's a nymph!!"
Gohan slowly shook his head in disagreement. "Do you even know what a nymph is?" he asked calmly placing his mug out to the bar tender to ask for another.
A smirk grew on the man's face as he answered, "A nymph is a rare, beautiful, delicate woman."
"That's somewhat correct," Gohan replied looking at him. The man was stout in build with prominent muscles formed all over his body. His hair was a mess of funny spikes that circled his head, and his chin sprouted a thin layer of farce hair while the rest of him was cleanly shaven. He rested on a stool at the bar with one hand on his knee and the other outstretched on the counter with a beer bottle in hand.
"Why don't you enlighten me then," the man said lifting the bottle to his lips and then placing it back down on the bar again.
"Why bother? They're just a myth, they don't actually exist."
The man shrugged, "I'd still like to know what you consider a nymph."
Gohan thought for a moment before beginning, "A nymph is kinda like a ghost I suppose you could say, a phantom. If you see them they just don't seem tangible or real because they're just so melodic in their being. Unlike all the women you and I have come to know, they are slight in build and practically defenseless, but all the more desirable because of it. The entire essence of their aura is suppose to be able to drive most men into lustful frenzies where their body and passions over take their mind, few are able to resist them completely, and yet, they're wordless. A few tales speak of the men who can't resist them hearing them utter soft, incomprehendable phrases, but besides that they are suppose to be silent." Gohan stole a glance at the girl who continued to dance before the rest of the men before closing his argument, "Women like that don't exist though. Sorry to disappoint you, but it's just a myth."
With a nod the other man lifted his beer bottle in agreement towards Gohan before tipping the nozzle to his lips and taking a long drink. He then extended his hand towards Gohan in a friendly manner saying, "The name's Darbin." Gohan took his hand and shook it with spreading docility.
"I'm Gohan," he said.
"I know, Captain," the man replied with a toothy smile.
Gohan gave an uneasy laugh and corrected him, "You can call me Gohan outside of duty, I'm fine with that." He saw Darbin's smile widen and allowed himself to reciprocate it with his own mischievous grin towards the older man.
A wave of laughter was heard from the crowd as a shrill yelp echoed through the bar. All eyes turned towards the circle of men that spectated as the girl that was once flaunting herself to the mass coward away towards the bar. A rather obese man sauntered drunkenly towards her waving his hands in front of him in her direction as he hummed an irrythmic tune and attempted to dance to it.
Everyone watched without thoughts of interference as he grabbed the girl by her wrists and pulled her towards his body. Trying to balance herself against the taut force, she fell forward pressing her body against his as he removed his hands from her wrists and placed them on her hips. Loud fits of laughter escaped the crowd as they watched the drunken fool's antics.
Rising from his seat at the bar, Gohan sternly made his way to the attraction and easily pushed himself through the crowd as he caught sight of the man lowering his head down to her shoulder and begin to roughly nip at the tender skin there while the girl urgently tried to push him away with little response. Before the man actually bit her skin, a hand found itself on his shoulder and threw him away from her body and to the floor.
Quickly, the frightened girl regained her composure and rushed over to Gohan's side just as the heavy brute began to pick himself up from the floor. Unsteadily, he staggered over to where Gohan stood and in an aggressive manner positioned himself in a messy version of a defensive fighting stance. The man lunged at him while swinging out with ungainly fists that landed far from their marks. Feeling it was time to end this, Gohan raised a hand and a small glow began to form there just before he launched the attack outward at the drunken man who just watched him curiously.
Beams of light struck out in several directions forming a lightning effect as Gohan's energy attack met its target. When the extra particles had subsided, a downed, bedraggled figure lay flat on its back over the cold planks of the floor. He was still alive and groaning, but his body ceased to move from the exertion of the hit. The sound of footsteps neared the man before he was lifted upward onto his limp feet.
"I want someone to take him home," Gohan ordered callously as two other guards hastily took the man from him and carefully carried him out of the tavern and into the dusty streets of Vegeta-sei. Turning to the scared creature behind him, Gohan stated, "I think it's best that you go home as well unless you want a relapse of your little run-in."
The girl looked up at him and then quickly sent her eyes back down to the floor once again. She was shivering uncontrollably as she held her arms in self-support. Feeling a warm hand on her shoulder, she looked up once again into Gohan's black eyes with some sense of shame in her own.
"Miss, can you make it home by yourself, or should I ask someone to escort you?"
Gazing at him timidly, she asked in a stuttered whisper, "Could you take me home?"
Normally, Gohan would have declined, but the evident fear in her expression changed his mind. He nodded and with gentle hands began to lead her out the door to the street. "Where do you live?"
"On the northeastern side of town next to the Fighting Academy," she said rubbing her arms soothingly.
Gohan looked in the direction described to him. "On Konakachi Pass?"
She nodded just as she felt herself being lifted into the air by a pair of strong arms that wrapped themselves around her shoulders and under her knees. Wrapping her arms around his muscular neck, she pulled herself against his chest to deflect the onslaught of the passing wind as she was carried closer and closer to her dwelling. Gohan finally set the girl down on her street corner and followed her down the street to a small, domed house, which she approached with great familiarity and preceded to enter.
The house was unlit as he followed her inside and it smelled of Povercia, a favored, exotic flower found only on the poles on the planet. After allowing his eyes to wander around the little furniture in the room, he noticed that she was gone and decided it was time for him to take his leave. Turning to exit, he felt a pair of thin arms snake around his neck.
"Leaving already, Captain?" the girl's seductive voice asked.
"Yes, it's late and my family is waiting for me."
"You're mated?" she asked with disappointment in her tone.
"No."
"Then why does it matter what time you get home? You're a big boy, you can take care of yourself."
Gohan felt her fingers tickle and caress the hair on his tail causing him shudder in delight despite his better judgment. "Miss..."
"Amalthia," she whispered as she took his hand and began to pull him towards the back of the house.
Following her with little reluctance, Gohan found himself in a rather small bedroom furnished only with a bed and a lamp. His eyes instinctively took in his surroundings in the dark room before noticing Amalthia in front of him enticingly running her fingers around his covered stomach and to the edge of his armor. With little effort, she undid the clasps and began to raise it over his head. When she was done, she carelessly tossed the item to the floor and continued her assault on him.
Methodically, she ran her hands up her own sides in a mischievous way until they came to her neck. She kneaded her hands behind her head as she tilted it down to the side and slowly began to unzip the back of her bodysuit just slightly. Then she peered back up at him. Desire penetrated her eyes as she reached for him and pulled her body directly up against his.
Nipping his bottom lip, she noticed him not responding to any of her efforts to seduce him, so she whispered close to his ear, "You know you want this." Her thin fingers began to play with the hair on his tail once again. "So why don't you just take it?" she asked as her hands trailed up to his chest and face. Meeting their lips with a quick, lingering kiss, she waited for his answer diligently. When none came, she slowly began to inch away from him casting her gaze down to the floor with a shameful feeling bouncing in her stomach. "Maybe I was wrong."
Amalthia felt something grab her tightly around the waist and before she was sure of what she was doing, an arm found her back and pulled her to the muscular man in front of her while another gingerly caressed her face as she fell into the passion of a deep kiss pressed against her lips. When she broke the kiss to breath, she felt the movement of his tail on her waist and gave a pleasurable little giggle as she entwined her own with his while stroking it softly.
"Change of heart?" she joked wrapping her arms around his neck.
Gohan just smirked at her comment as he gently began to kiss her once against. The hand that held her hips helped to lift her upwards so that she was able to straddle his waist as he stood there in the room and carried her down and onto the soft bed.....
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Hahahahahahahaha, I bet some people thought that was going to be a lemon, but I am not completely comfortable writing those so I stopped. Please review, if you don't I won't post anything else 'cuz I'll think you all hate me. Oh, and for those of you who may think that everyone is really OOC (Gohan and 'Kakarrott') just remember that this is an a/u and then read the prologue. Thanks and REVIEW!!!
OMG!! You have to read Van Lover's story 'What You Wouldn't Expect'. It's probably the best G/V fic I've ever read by far.
