Rise and Shine
By Duran the Gladiator
Chapter 13: Fools rush in…
Goten took quick peeks at the girl opposite him, the girl that had collapsed into his arms, the girl he'd saved. She ate slowly, as if she was extremely tired, and seemed oblivious of the others. But, to his delight, she sneaked peeks of him too. "Wait a minute," he told himself once he realised he was glad she did, "you like her to look at you?! Great. Even I think I'm bonding to her…" His mind was sarcastic, but he didn't even think it through.
Bra, too, was thinking rapidly letting her mind wander. "He's too old, and too far away from you… And you're bonding to a guy your father could easily kill… dangerous!" Yet, with one look at him, her thoughts melted away as snowflakes in summertime, as he gradually started to look stronger, more into her league, even royal to her! She sighed, and ate almost dreamily. The drugs were making her slow, unable to think properly, and very drowsy. The others had no idea they were looking at each other, thinking about each other… Goku talked to Bulma on being a king, and how heavy it must be on Vegeta; Krillin told Gohan and Videl that nothing was more dangerous than an adult daughter, because "only Dende knows who she's going to mate!", which made Pan blush and get a sympathetic hug from Tora ("at least you mated the right guy…"); Seventeen was introducing Fern to Marron, and vice versa – the two seemed to like each other – while talking to his new girlfriend about unimportant things. Bra and Goten caught glimpses of the conversation.
"…and she didn't even notice our disapproval! Isn't that right…"
"…maybe all that training isn't as good as he says it is…"
"…Yeah, you see, Tora and me, we're close friends, and he ends up mating his beautiful savior, and what do I get? Nothing…"
They finished and left the table without anyone noticing. Goten led his guest to the tiny salon, where he had played when he was a baby. It was cosy, and no one would bother them, so the girl could speak without worrying of anyone else hearing it.
"Goten… you know too, don't you? Deep inside, you know it's true!"
"I feel confused… and I don't even know your name!"
"I'm Bra. Princess Bra, from planet Vegeta."
"I'm Goten. Prince of this planet, if you insist on keeping it official…." He was cut off by her.
"So you're a prince after all… I knew it, I could just feel that royal air around you. And no, this has very little to do with formalities, and all the likes. This, Goten, is about our Saiyan minds!"
"How do you know?! Have they told you too?", he asked, still surprised.
""They've" told me nothing. I can sense the bond growing, even as we speak. It's strengthening… Hey, is that…?"
"Limestone. It was the reason I was able to hear of my mother's illness. It was the reason I returned home. And it was probably the reason why you were able to enter the ship…"
"The limestone, did it bear any words?"
"Yes, it said "Only you can save me now!" on the flat side… why do you ask? …No, let me guess… it's yours?!"
"Indeed. You see, I've been raised as a captive in my own home. I'm not the first child. My brother was three when he disappeared. They spent hours searching for his ki, but it was nowhere to be sensed. The sensers told my parents that a child's ki changes, or "fluctuates" as they called it. But my brother's ki was not traceable anymore. Then, my mother gave birth to me. She and my father were thrilled to be able to get a second chance, but they took it all wrong. They locked me in. To make sure I'd never leave them. Hah…", said the girl, pausing to swallow a lump in her throat as she thought of the bitterness of the irony, "they just made me hate them for it. It's not… I don't hate my mother, or my father. They love me, I'm sure of that! But they took it all wrong! Anyway, I was told of my brother, and started to hate him for being the reason of my imprisonment. But then, last year, it all fell off my shoulders one day. Only to be replaced with the urge to find me a right man to mate with. Therefore, I started to throw stones to the outside world, stones bearing a message. The first ones only got far enough to barely pass the lake around the castle, but I've even been able to send one into orbit once…"
"It's wrong of your parents to imprison you!", said Goten as he stood from his chair. "I don't care if Bulma's an old friend of Dad's, but I'm going to tell the both of them that things like that shouldn't happen! You know, the doctors told me you passed out of pure fatigue. They said your body couldn't take any more… they used terms like "underfed", "mistreated", even "living in conditions not even the strongest of Saiyans could cope with"! That's no way to treat a growing child, let alone their own!"
"T-thanks…", stammered Bra as she got up and neared him. Goten gulped: he couldn't resist being as close as possible to her. "No one has ever cared for me like that…" And with that, she kissed him, with all her innocence and admiration. The effects of the drugs fell away as something in her mind clicked, and the kiss deepened from her side. Goten followed suit, not being able to stop his Saiyan instincts. They stood for a long time before having to let each other go for breath.
"Bra, we…you… I… we shouldn't. I'm twenty-three, and you're only sixteen!"
"Yes? Well, I don't know about here, but back on Vegeta, that would be no problem, since females can mate as soon as they're able to bear children."
"A-as much as I'd like to…" He didn't finish his sentence, but pulled her into his arms again without thinking. Unfortunately for him, that was the moment Goku and Bulma entered.
"Bra! Goten!!" The two let go of each other immediately: Bra was blushing wildly, Goten shaking from the shock of surprise. "Luckily we entered before anything happened…", she said to Goku as she went for Bra and took her by the wrist. "We're going back to Capsule Corp. Your father is counting on us to return, so we'll leave tomorrow."
"No!" This sudden cry, combined with pulling herself free, surprised Bulma. Goten felt a pang of pride in his heart – she was putting her foot down against her mother, finally! – but he was also scared to show her sympathy at the moment, afraid Bulma would hurt him. "Mother, I will not go with you again to be imprisoned! I don't want to be kept captive in my own home, and much less be kept at a leash by you and Father! Let my brother, whether dead or still alive, rest – and give me a normal life! One that will include Goten, for the matter…"
"No, Bra!", said Bulma, very frightened by her daughter's sudden rudeness. She had never heard anyone speak as frank as her daughter had just done. "You will not see Goten anymore! You're only sixteen!"
"Then I'll run until I am old enough in your opinion!", she said while pushing all of them away and flying off.
"Bra!", shouted the three remaining royals in unison. Bulma fainted into Goku's arms, but Goten merely left.
"I don't think my presence will do poor Bulma good right now… tell her I'm sorry when she comes to, but be sure to let her know I disapprove of what she did."
"What did she do that won you her sympathy, then?", asked Goku. He knew his son: his interests weren't made as clear as they just had with any normal girl. "What makes her so special?" And Goten told him everything she had told him: of her brother's disappearance, of her life in a golden cage, her serious maltreatment, her fears, her hate, her escape and her feelings. Goku frowned. "I see. It's that serious then…"
"What's that serious?", asked Goten, very much surprised.
"Vegeta has somehow gained control over her mind, letting her make decisions that she herself would never make. Including ceasing the search for her lost son after only one week, even though the ki searchers on Vegeta told her a child's ki could change many times a week… I think Bulma could have protested, but Vegeta has made her so sure that it is what SHE wants instead of what HE wants, that she just couldn't. Go now. If you hear of her again, call us. Please…"
"Dad," said Goten when he was at the door, ready to go tell his mother he would leave, "do you oppose the bond as well?"
"I do now… but maybe…" The King paused. He was about to help his son kidnap a princess, the daughter of his lifelong friend: but the sad look in Goten's eyes, combined with the determination of that same princess to put her foot down for her bond with someone she didn't even know, made him decide it was the right thing. "She told us she'd run away until she was old enough, didn't she?"
"Yes… that would take about seven years, isn't it?" Goten's face suddenly cleared up a lot as he understood the idea his father had.
"Tell her where to go and how long to stay there. No one'll be able to sense her ki there, plus she can train and strengthen there. Oh, and be sure to call me once she's contacted you. I'll figure a way to tell Bulma. Now go, and tell your mother what happened. Including about that kiss!", he warned his youngest son.
"Sure, dad. I'll see you!"
"One week, son!", said Goku with a wink.
Late that night, Goten awoke of his doorbell. He sensed quickly: it was Bra, just as he'd suspected. He put on the lights in his living room and let her in.
"Goten… I came to hide with you. Until it all dies out. I didn't want to hurt Mother!", she uttered before breaking into sobs. Goten pulled her with him and sat her down on one chair while he sat in the other. "It'll kill us both when they take me away, you know. They don't even realise that!"
"Listen…", said Goten, a bit hesitant because he suddenly felt very shy and out of his element around her, but he felt trust radiate from her, comforting him, "I know of a way to let you stay here on Earth as short as possible, yet age seven years!" He told her of the Chamber of Spirit and Time, and noticed with a certain pride how her face lighted and a smile brightened her features. "You see, one day here is one year there, so your body and mind will age but you'll still only be gone a week!"
"I like that very much. Thanks Goten… oh, and thank Goku for me as well, he made the right decision. It will be a problem when I have to leave, though, but I'll figure something out by then. I'll leave now. Thanks again!" She rose, walked up to Goten and kissed him, very sweetly, on the cheek, before heading outside again. Goten couldn't help but smile as he brought a hand to his face and relished the warmth the kiss spread throughout him.
"This'll be one hell of a week…", he thought to himself as he realised he would become ill during her absence. "And one hell of an angry queen…", he mentally added, shuddering as he thought of how enraged Bulma would be when she heard her daughter was gone.
A/N: Yep. She's back. And how! I am a great Goten & Bra fan, so I'm trying to make this a great G/B as well. And, you readers like it? Comment anytime! Thanks again to hanamaru and Parron-chan (Marron will get a very nice guy as well – take a wild guess who she'll end up with…) for being my faithful minions, err, I mean readers. Love y'all and hope to update soon!