Rise and Shine
By Duran the Gladiator
Chapter 2: Right on time
Pan heard the verdict they had reached: she was found guilty of kidnapping Princess Bra, and was sentenced to death on the gallow. Aqui was to be beheaded in front of her, judged Vegeta, a cruel sneer deforming his face - the same face that had seemed ever friendly just a day before. Pan turned to Queen Bulma.
"Queen, I was there when my brother and uncle departed. I walked with them to their ship. I haven't seen anyone, I swear on my tail!", she said, mentioned tail swishing wildly.
"How can I know for sure you aren't lying? How can I trust you when I have no reason to?!", said the Queen. Pan sighed, bowed her head and looked at the chains around her ankles and wrists. "I hope, for your sake, that she isn't abducted by your father and brother…", she whispered before the guards took her and her bodyguard away. There was a reason Bulma felt so wrong sentencing the girl, but it somehow escaped her. Vegeta, however, felt that she was guilty, no matter what she said to defend herself.
"Come on, woman, let it rest. She's getting hers. Now, can we finally get to our room and have some time to ourselves?"
"Yes, Vegeta, we can. Sary, hold off any auditions and other stuff that requires our presence till tomorrow.", she instructed the head of the royal household before being led to her room by her husband.
On the spaceship, Gohan was reading and Goten was playing cards with the on-board entertainment system when Dane came running into the main room.
"We have an incoming call!"
He hadn't said that properly or the screen flashed on, showing Krillin and Juuhachigou, Chichi's closest friend.
"Hey guys! We called in to give you the doctor's report. Chi's suffering from a cardiovascular disease, which can only be cured by an operation and a very strict diet. She's delaying the operation until she's seen and spoken to the two of you. When will you be arriving?", asked Juuhachigou (called Eighteen by everyone, because she was one of the few androids that still were functioning - the eighteenth to be produced).
"Well, at this speed, I'm guessing day after tomorrow."
"Testing Doctor Briefs' new ultra-boosters, are you? How fast exactly are you going now?"
"Oh, about 1/10th of light speed… congratulate Dr. Briefs for me, and be sure to thank your brother for the replacement of our old booster system as well.
"Thanks!", came Juunanagou's (Seventeen for friends, which the royal family and circle of friends were) voice from the background. "Gary says hi too- err, I mean, Dr. Briefs sends his regards."
"Be sure to return as soon as possible, guys," interjected Krillin, "Chi's delay of the operation isn't gonna do her any good!"
"We will, Krillin. See you guys real soon!"
Gohan sighed as the screen turned black again, while Goten was shocked.
"That's what you get when a human mates with a Saiyan…", whispered Gohan.
"Whaddaya mean? Hey, this isn't the time for jokes! Mom's still mom, human or not, and at the moment she's very ill!"
"I know, but…" A sudden thud startled them both, and Dane ran to take a look. He returned soon, urging the two princes to come along with him. The opened door of the storage room, which was an extra room they never used, revealed a girl, lying on the floor unconscious.
"Goten, quick, get her to a rejuvenation tank!", shouted Gohan as he felt her ki was very low, "She's dying!"
The sound of a crowd awoke Pan. She wasn't presented with a cosy bed and a comfortable room, like she had been in in her dreams, but in a cold and damp cell on a moldy mattress. The guards were standing next to her, picking her up from her sleeping place, handing her a plain linen dress. She got no breakfast, but was immediately taken to the square.
The gallow already stood, as did the log where Aqui would be… Pan shivered by the thought of it alone. Her bodyguard was also brought up from the dungeon, looking pale in the prospect of dying in front of his princess. On the balcony stood Vegeta and Bulma, just like they had on the day she had arrived here - only this time, Vegeta actually looked pleased (a surfacing of his cruel nature, Pan guessed) while Bulma looked pale. Vegeta raised his hand to silence the cheering crowd, and spoke:
"People of Vegeta, today we are executing two criminals. These two," he pointed at the two chained earthlings, "came to our planet under the guise of peace, but instead they kidnapped the Princess, Bra." With this, the crowd began murmuring - no one had even known the princess existed - and Vegeta raised his hand again. "The sentence is death, of course. The girl will be hung, but first her bodyguard will be beheaded in front of her. Executioner, do your work!", he finished. Pan saw Aqui faint when his head was put on the block. She cried as the sword was slowly lifted and she fell down when it swooped down and separated her poor companion's head from his body. The executioner put down the sword, picked up the head and showed it to the King. People clapped, and Pan started to feel sick, knowing that it was Saiyan nature, that she had that same thirst for blood somewhere deep inside her. Then the executioner came for her. He led her onto the gallow, put the noose around her neck and was about to pull the lever that would seal her fate when smoke began to pour out of nowhere…
Tora couldn't have wished for a better diversion than the execution of two so-called traitors - who they were was unable to tell from the distance and the dense crowd surrounding them. He set the smoke bombs to five minutes when the prisoners appeared and went inside the castle, sneaking his way into the treasury and stealing all sorts of valuables. He leapt out, not caring if he was noticed anymore: five soft puffs assured his safe getaway. Indeed, a dense cloud of smoke blocked anyone's vision - but he could see through with the right glasses. The crowd had dispersed again, and he had a straight path across the square. When he came across the gallow, however, he saw the girl with the black hair he had seen earlier. Why had she been called a traitor? On impulse, he leapt onto the stage, cut the noose, grabbed her hand and ran out of the castle gates, into the woods.
"Thanks… puff… for saving me, eh…"
"Tora. Anyway, it doesn't matter. You were lucky I choose to raid the castle today. But now I have to get away as far away from here as possible. Looting the castle only works once."
"You're a thief? Want to be a rich man, do you?"
"No, I just have no other choice…", sighed the thug, meanwhile wondering why he told her, a perfect stranger, that. However, unlike he had thought of a princess, she seemed to care.
"Would you like another - fairer - chance in life, then? Tell you what, come with me! My father can use a good strong man like you as a bodyguard. And even if he can't, I'm sure you'll never have to steal again! Never have to live in the woods either… yes, I saw you when I arrived. What do you say?"
"Eh… can my friend Fern come with us?"
"Sure, go get him and meet me in the ship - you know which one it is, don't you?"
"Yep." He went to his friend, hurrying because of the sounds of soldiers nearing.
"Tora, man, what's wrong?", asked a surprised Fern when he saw his friend rushing to him, grabbing his stuff and compelling him to take his.
"We're going off-planet! I've gotten us a ride - come on, it's a chance for a fair life!"
He didn't need to say more: Fern was ready in a few seconds and the both of them rushed towards the ship, of which Pan had already started the engines.
"Climb aboard!", she shouted, seeing the soldiers near the ship fast. The two men got in just in time: the ship's doors closed right in front of the soldiers and the ship took off, leaving planet Vegeta behind.
AN: Hey… yes, I have a reasonably good chapter finished after only a day - again. I'm starting to think a new trend has been set! Anyway, some explanation is due. I've set the whole medieval-like executions because they just seemed so much crueller (more Saiyan-like) than the modern electric chair. They DO have electricity, you know. And yes, I will maintain family relationships in this fic, I don't feel like upsetting EVERYTHING. Even Bulma's family ties will be explained - it does seem a bit weird seeing her as Saiyan Queen, isn't it? Anyway, as usual I am always in for comments. See you later, people!