The smell in the city was different somehow. Radditz wasn't sure why, but the place seemed deserted. Sinesta had gotten to the city in less than twenty minutes and now Radditz walked happily through the streets anxious to get home. As he rounded a corner, he saw the flickerings of a funeral being finished. _That's what the smell was...burning popal and wine._ Hurrying home, Radditz changed as quickly as he could into a fresh uniform and transferred his medals to the fresh sash. Radditz grunted as he noticed two were missing but paid them no more heed as he went to see who's funeral the entire town had turned up for.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Cherise wandered through the mess and gathered the remaining items at the top of the fire that had survived. Bardock asked her to bring the items to the castle at the gathering and give them to Kakkarot. She had graciously agreed, struck by the trust the man had instilled in her after one meeting. She smiled slightly, _Even if nothing comes of this 'relationship' we seem to have, I hope we can work well together._ Kneeling in the ashes she ran her fingers through the cooling embers and retrieved the elite medal that looked the same as when it was placed on the wood. Fingering the shining metal she placed it in her pocket, careful that she wouldn't lose it. Footsteps fell behind her and she stood and turned.
"Sorry to startle you," a deep soft voice eminated from a large warrior now in front of her. The man looked around, "It appears I'm too late, ne?" Cherise nodded, a little awestruck at how elegant and powerful he seemed to be. The man pulled a clip from his pocket and pulled his large mass of hair from his face and clipped it at the nape of his neck. "I don't mean to keep you from your gathering, but whose funeral was this?"
Cherise knealt again and took a deep sigh, "The son of Bardock."
The large man took a step back and gasped, "Wha-- what do you mean...'the son of Bardock'?" Cherise looked up oddly at him for a moment then realized that the man must have served with him.
"Yes, I hear he was quite a man. Bardock asked me to gather these things for him. I'm on my way to the castle shortly if you want to wait."
The man seemed to quiver and his eyes shone in the moonlight, "No...thank you. I'll go on my own." Cherise nodded, his voice was a little too calm, _Apparently he was good friends with Kakkarot's brother._ She watched him walk slowly down the hill and then craned her neck to see as he suddenly began running.
*~*~*~*~*
Radditz couldn't believe it. _Kakkarot is dead? He has to be...if it was my funeral father would have Kakkarot gather, or Turles even...but I don't know who that woman is...unless she was Kakkarot's before he died._ Radditz mind raced and his heart felt heavy as he thought of his brother dying while he associated with the Prince instead of hurrying home.
"Forgive me Kakkarot, but your foolish brother is home now and I'll make it up to you somehow."
*~*~*~*~*
Vegeta leaned on a balcony and watched as the people poured into the great hall. He thought it funny how through the entire funeral he hadn't heard one man speak Bardock's son's name. Vegeta felt guilty, but his pride wouldn't allow him to ask anyone. The last of the dawdelers were coming through the gates and he sighed. "I wonder where that baka Radditz is right now?" Though he had tried, and though he knew it was inappropriate for a funeral, Vegeta couldn't help but think of the ox.
Then as if on cue, Vegeta swore he saw the man run through the gates at full tilt and wearing a fresh uniform. Surprised, Vegeta ran through the balcony doors and nearly stumbled down the stairs. _This is not the time! Lord don't let him be looking to throttle me for leaving him._ As he reached the doorway, Vegeta barreled through and threw the man into a side wall, pushing him slightly up it. "I will not let you ruin this funeral!"
Radditz' eyes were wide as he was caught of guard, he grasped his captor by the wrist and looked down onto Vegeta. "Put me down you fool!" Vegeta set him on the ground but kept his hands around his throat. "What are you doing?"
Vegeta glared up at him, "I will not allow you to hurt this man's family more than I already have!" Radditz gave him a quizzical look and was about to ask him what the hell he was talking about when a deep voice from the doorway boomed.
"What is going on here?!" Bardock glared daggers and looked at the two men that were disrupting his son's wake. As his mind registered who they were, his jaw dropped. "Impossible..."
Vegeta let go of Radditz' throat and began to stammer appologies to Bardock when he ran past him and gripped Radditz in a bone crushing hug. "What the hell?" Vegeta looked between the two of them, thoroughly confused.
When Bardock pulled away his face was streaming tears and Radditz was whipping them away with the palm of his hand. Vegeta felt a pang of jealousy but kept his mouth closed. "I am so sorry, if I'd known I would have been home sooner." Radditz voice was gravely as he bit his tongue to keep his own tears from spilling. Bardock shook his head and clutched at him again, making sure in his mind that his son was alive in front of him. Radditz grunted and Bardock pulled away worried. "Just a couple broken ribs, nothing to worry about, father."
Vegeta's head reeled, "Father?!" The two never heard him as Kakkarot came through the door and Radditz face paled before Kakkarot jumped upon him and nearly tumbled them to the floor.
"Radditz, you're alive?! I knew it! I told you!" Kakkarot clapped his brother on the back and beamed at his father. "We'd better tell someone about this!" Radditz looked at his brother in grave disbelief and shook his head. Kakkarot looked down at himself and scratched the back of his head, "What is it?"
"I thought you were dead..." Radditz said, Kakkarot's face fell for a moment before he began to laugh.
"Well that's alright, I thought you were for the past three days." Radditz grinned before his face fell into confusion again. "What now?" Kakkarot stepped toward his brother and looked up at him quizzically.
"Well if it was my funeral...who was that gathering funeral items on the hill?"
A small voice from behind them chimed, "That would be me." Cherise walked through the gates with an armful of items and looked between the four men standing together looking confused. Bardock helped her with her burden and set the items on a nearby table as Cherise held her hand to Radditz. "You're the man from a while ago right?" Radditz nodded.
"I thought you told me my brother was killed!" Radditz fumed.
"I did no such thing! I said the son of Bardock had died, I never said who." Cherise scowled and puffed out her neck slightly.
Radditz thought for a moment and started to laugh. "What a mind game we've had for the past few days, ne?" Kakkarot laughed lightly and watched his brother carefully, scared he might dissappear before him.
"What is going on out here? Bardock, the services are going to start...impossible!" King Vegeta stood in the doorway. "Your son?" He motioned to Radditz who nodded and bowed gracefully. "Well I'll be damned. Son, you have no idea how your dissappearence hurt your father, but I'm sure that it makes up for it seeing you alive here, now." Radditz looked to his brother and father and nodded solemnly. "Well now! If there is no funeral, then we'll have a ceremony...Cherise did you retrieve that medal from the ashes?" Cherise nodded and pulled it from her pocket. "Come on then boy, we've got a shock to tell the city!" King Vegeta turned and stalked through the doorway with Bardock and his family in tow. Vegeta stood in the entry way, his mind overflowing with what had just transpired. He frowned and crossed his arms over his chest. It seemed he was forgotten in the swirl of emotion. He waited for the noise of surprise to finish before he entered and stood at the back of the room to brood.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Cherise wandered through the mess and gathered the remaining items at the top of the fire that had survived. Bardock asked her to bring the items to the castle at the gathering and give them to Kakkarot. She had graciously agreed, struck by the trust the man had instilled in her after one meeting. She smiled slightly, _Even if nothing comes of this 'relationship' we seem to have, I hope we can work well together._ Kneeling in the ashes she ran her fingers through the cooling embers and retrieved the elite medal that looked the same as when it was placed on the wood. Fingering the shining metal she placed it in her pocket, careful that she wouldn't lose it. Footsteps fell behind her and she stood and turned.
"Sorry to startle you," a deep soft voice eminated from a large warrior now in front of her. The man looked around, "It appears I'm too late, ne?" Cherise nodded, a little awestruck at how elegant and powerful he seemed to be. The man pulled a clip from his pocket and pulled his large mass of hair from his face and clipped it at the nape of his neck. "I don't mean to keep you from your gathering, but whose funeral was this?"
Cherise knealt again and took a deep sigh, "The son of Bardock."
The large man took a step back and gasped, "Wha-- what do you mean...'the son of Bardock'?" Cherise looked up oddly at him for a moment then realized that the man must have served with him.
"Yes, I hear he was quite a man. Bardock asked me to gather these things for him. I'm on my way to the castle shortly if you want to wait."
The man seemed to quiver and his eyes shone in the moonlight, "No...thank you. I'll go on my own." Cherise nodded, his voice was a little too calm, _Apparently he was good friends with Kakkarot's brother._ She watched him walk slowly down the hill and then craned her neck to see as he suddenly began running.
*~*~*~*~*
Radditz couldn't believe it. _Kakkarot is dead? He has to be...if it was my funeral father would have Kakkarot gather, or Turles even...but I don't know who that woman is...unless she was Kakkarot's before he died._ Radditz mind raced and his heart felt heavy as he thought of his brother dying while he associated with the Prince instead of hurrying home.
"Forgive me Kakkarot, but your foolish brother is home now and I'll make it up to you somehow."
*~*~*~*~*
Vegeta leaned on a balcony and watched as the people poured into the great hall. He thought it funny how through the entire funeral he hadn't heard one man speak Bardock's son's name. Vegeta felt guilty, but his pride wouldn't allow him to ask anyone. The last of the dawdelers were coming through the gates and he sighed. "I wonder where that baka Radditz is right now?" Though he had tried, and though he knew it was inappropriate for a funeral, Vegeta couldn't help but think of the ox.
Then as if on cue, Vegeta swore he saw the man run through the gates at full tilt and wearing a fresh uniform. Surprised, Vegeta ran through the balcony doors and nearly stumbled down the stairs. _This is not the time! Lord don't let him be looking to throttle me for leaving him._ As he reached the doorway, Vegeta barreled through and threw the man into a side wall, pushing him slightly up it. "I will not let you ruin this funeral!"
Radditz' eyes were wide as he was caught of guard, he grasped his captor by the wrist and looked down onto Vegeta. "Put me down you fool!" Vegeta set him on the ground but kept his hands around his throat. "What are you doing?"
Vegeta glared up at him, "I will not allow you to hurt this man's family more than I already have!" Radditz gave him a quizzical look and was about to ask him what the hell he was talking about when a deep voice from the doorway boomed.
"What is going on here?!" Bardock glared daggers and looked at the two men that were disrupting his son's wake. As his mind registered who they were, his jaw dropped. "Impossible..."
Vegeta let go of Radditz' throat and began to stammer appologies to Bardock when he ran past him and gripped Radditz in a bone crushing hug. "What the hell?" Vegeta looked between the two of them, thoroughly confused.
When Bardock pulled away his face was streaming tears and Radditz was whipping them away with the palm of his hand. Vegeta felt a pang of jealousy but kept his mouth closed. "I am so sorry, if I'd known I would have been home sooner." Radditz voice was gravely as he bit his tongue to keep his own tears from spilling. Bardock shook his head and clutched at him again, making sure in his mind that his son was alive in front of him. Radditz grunted and Bardock pulled away worried. "Just a couple broken ribs, nothing to worry about, father."
Vegeta's head reeled, "Father?!" The two never heard him as Kakkarot came through the door and Radditz face paled before Kakkarot jumped upon him and nearly tumbled them to the floor.
"Radditz, you're alive?! I knew it! I told you!" Kakkarot clapped his brother on the back and beamed at his father. "We'd better tell someone about this!" Radditz looked at his brother in grave disbelief and shook his head. Kakkarot looked down at himself and scratched the back of his head, "What is it?"
"I thought you were dead..." Radditz said, Kakkarot's face fell for a moment before he began to laugh.
"Well that's alright, I thought you were for the past three days." Radditz grinned before his face fell into confusion again. "What now?" Kakkarot stepped toward his brother and looked up at him quizzically.
"Well if it was my funeral...who was that gathering funeral items on the hill?"
A small voice from behind them chimed, "That would be me." Cherise walked through the gates with an armful of items and looked between the four men standing together looking confused. Bardock helped her with her burden and set the items on a nearby table as Cherise held her hand to Radditz. "You're the man from a while ago right?" Radditz nodded.
"I thought you told me my brother was killed!" Radditz fumed.
"I did no such thing! I said the son of Bardock had died, I never said who." Cherise scowled and puffed out her neck slightly.
Radditz thought for a moment and started to laugh. "What a mind game we've had for the past few days, ne?" Kakkarot laughed lightly and watched his brother carefully, scared he might dissappear before him.
"What is going on out here? Bardock, the services are going to start...impossible!" King Vegeta stood in the doorway. "Your son?" He motioned to Radditz who nodded and bowed gracefully. "Well I'll be damned. Son, you have no idea how your dissappearence hurt your father, but I'm sure that it makes up for it seeing you alive here, now." Radditz looked to his brother and father and nodded solemnly. "Well now! If there is no funeral, then we'll have a ceremony...Cherise did you retrieve that medal from the ashes?" Cherise nodded and pulled it from her pocket. "Come on then boy, we've got a shock to tell the city!" King Vegeta turned and stalked through the doorway with Bardock and his family in tow. Vegeta stood in the entry way, his mind overflowing with what had just transpired. He frowned and crossed his arms over his chest. It seemed he was forgotten in the swirl of emotion. He waited for the noise of surprise to finish before he entered and stood at the back of the room to brood.