Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Ball Z and I am not making any money from
this.
Fragments of Destiny
Chapter Two
Goten fell into step beside his friend, shoving his hands into his pockets.
"So, what happened to the Earl?" he asked. Trunks glanced at him.
"Oh, nothing really. I was running a little low on time so I simply killed him."
Goten raised his eyebrows in surprise.
"Gods! You were only supposed to scare him a little! One day you're going to get caught, my friend." he said, folding his arms.
"I don't think so, good Goten." Trunks replied, smirking a little.
"You should not be so cocky. You never know what could happen."
Trunks frowned. "You worry too much, Goten." he said, sounding bored. Goten shrugged, and put his hands back into his pockets.
"Bulma? Is my daughter ready?"
Bulma hurried into the conference room, bowing to Lord Krillin.
"Your Lordship, Lady Marron will be with you shortly," she said quickly. The lord nodded at her.
"I see. When she is ready, Bulma."
Lord Krillin was a pleasant man; he was kind to his servants, giving them good conditions to work in and a substantial salary. He was in his fifties, with short, greying hair, and a moustache. He wore a red silk dinner jacket, with traditional Japanese embroidery, and white trousers. In his hand he held a golden staff, and on his feet, wore black carpet slippers.
"Thank you, my Lord." Bulma said, bowing again before exiting the room. Krillin smiled and looked around. The place was immaculate.
'Hmm, Chi-Chi did a wonderful job of cleaning up here' he thought, smiling. There was a knock at the door, and Bulma entered again, this time with Marron in tow. Krillin rose from his chair, setting his staff down on the floor.
Marron walked in, standing beside Bulma. She was indeed presentable now, clothed in a long, pink gown. The dress was made of silk, and was beautifully embroidered on the hem. Her hair was now neatly combed, and pinned back, shining with health. Krillin smiled his approval.
"A good job indeed, my nurse" he said to Bulma. She curtsied and left the two of them to talk. Marron folded her arms, still angry with her father for refusing her freedom.
"Father, wherefore did you call me out? What is your will?" she asked coldly. Krillin looked a little shocked, he had not expected this.
"Child, whatever is the matter?"
"Father, I demand to know, what is the purpose of confining me to the house?"
Krillin sighed, sitting down heavily.
"My dear, it is for your own protection. I have heard that frays are rife in the village. Why, just this morning I was informed that my good friend, the Earl of Estal was murdered."
Marron gasped. She had known the Earl well and was quite fond of him. He had been like an uncle to her.
"The Earl? Dead? What's the demon who carried out this atrocity?" she asked, stunned. How could anyone want to murder the Earl?
Krillin shook his head.
"I have no idea who, my dear. But now do you see? I cannot put my only daughter in danger!"
Marron nodded, dumbstruck.
"Dear, I called you here to talk about the ball tomorrow night. You will be in attendance, will you not?"
"…Yes, father. I shall be there."
"Good. Maybe we can find a husband for you there?"
"Father!" Marron cried. She hated when he got like this, trying to fix her up a marriage.
Krillin looked indignant. "You are not yet married and you have looked upon this world for three times six years! Dear child, thou should be married yet!
"Father, I must take my leave now" Marron said slowly, turning away.
"Hold, child. Do you remember? Tomorrow we are putting on a production of Shakespeare's finest play; the guests will be in high spirits. Remember we are holding a vote for the lead actors and actresses in this play. Have you learned your lines?"
"Yes father, I was going to say -" she started, but Krillin cut her off.
"You have no need to worry. I have made it perfectly clear that you will not be participating"
"Father!" Marron began.
The lord dismissed her with a wave of his hand. "Thank me later, child. I must leave now"
Marron simply stood staring in disbelief as her father left the room.
The church bells chimed ten 'o' clock, and two figures wandered through the square, their shoulders slumped in defeat.
"What are we to do, Trunks? We have no information and Gohan said that if we did not find something out..." Goten trailed off, sighing. Trunks stopped, folding his arms.
"We will find something. Do not worry, my friend"
"You do not know that for certain" Goten carried on. Trunks' eyes darted in the direction of two noblemen hurrying across the square.
"You have learned your lines for the production tomorrow have you not?" asked one of them. The other nodded.
"Of course. Romeo's lines are extremely difficult to learn, though, kinsman," he confessed.
"Yes, but Lord Krillin does want the show to be well played out"
"Hmm....what's this?" Trunks muttered.
".........And also, Gohan has a gun, so what real chance do we have?" Goten went on. Turning back to his friend, Trunks frowned.
"Quiet!" he whispered sharply, causing Goten to start and look at him in surprise. Trunks nodded in the direction of the noblemen.
"Listen to them. It sounds very much like there is to be an event at the Lord's manor very soon, does it not?"
Goten listened carefully, and after a while, a smile crossed over his features.
"Yes, it seems as though we have some information after all. A ball, tomorrow at dusk, at the Lord's manor?"
Trunks nodded.
"But how will we get in?" he asked doubtfully.
An evil smile played on Trunks' lips.
"I have an idea," he murmured.
Marron opened her bedroom door quietly. Looking to the left and right, she smiled a little, and crept down the corridor. In the distance, the church bells chimed eleven 'o' clock. Everyone in the house had gone to bed now, the servants resting up, since they had to rise early to do their jobs before the lord awoke, and Lord Krillin getting in a good night's sleep, he had stated that he would be extremely busy negotiating and making sure that everything was to his satisfaction for the ball tomorrow evening. Krillin's daughter wasn't afraid of being caught, ever since her father had decided on putting on the production of Romeo and Juliet, she had snuck into the library every night to retrieve the only remaining copy of the play, and to learn the lines as best she could. Now all that remained was to ask Bulma for her assistance. Marron crept across the wide hallway, carefully avoiding the small tables against the wall where the candelabras were placed. She knocked lightly on Bulma's door, and heard the nurse sobbing faintly within. Her eyes became sad, and she gingerly opened the door and entered the room. Bulma was sitting on her bad, her back to the door, and her head in her hands.
"Bulma, what's the matter?" Marron said gently. Bulma's shoulders jerked, and the nurse hastily wiped her eyes, standing up and facing Marron.
"My lady, you should not be awake at this time" she said, smoothing down her dress. Marron nodded.
"Yes, I know, my good nurse. However, I had something to discuss with you."
Bulma tried to smile.
"What is your will, Miss Marron? she asked. Marron shook her head.
"First, nurse, I wish to know what grieves you so. Then I will discuss what I originally came to see you for"
The two noblemen resumed their walk again, talking amongst themselves.
"So, I had better get back to learning my lines" one said.
The other nodded. "Yes, the same applies with me"
Trunks smiled as he watched the two approaching, tracing circles on the ground with the tip of his knife. Moonlight glistened on the blade, showing how deathly sharp it was. The young thief pushed his long hair out of his face and waited.
"I bid you good night, my friend"
"Thank you. Good night to you too"
With that, the men went their separate ways, each going a different direction at the crossroads. 'They have no idea what dangers await them in these separate alleyways' Trunks thought, smirking. He stayed hidden, as one of the noblemen got closer. The man walked past his hiding place, oblivious. He even started to whistle as he walked along. Trunks rose silently, and with one fluid motion, threw the knife up into the air, and grabbed the nobleman. He placed one hand over his mouth, and the other he outstretched, snatching the knife out of its descent. The nobleman struggled, his cries for help muffled by the boy's hand, and his eyes wide and terrified, but he was powerless to defend himself as Trunks skilfully manoeuvred the knife, drawing it across his throat.
Goten knelt down in an alleyway to the right of the one Trunks was hiding in. He watched as the other noble made his way home. Why had he agreed to do this? Trunks always managed to get him involved in these little schemes. But, he reasoned, as long as it got him some silver to spend on Miss Paris, he was happy. Even if he did have to scare this noble a little. He drew in a long breath, and waited.
The lavender haired boy stepped back, his face emotionless, and let his victim's body drop to the floor with a heavy thud.
"Hmm. What have we here?" he muttered, as he noticed something in the man's coat pocket. He knelt down and took a look. In the pocket of the jacket were two items. The first was an invitation to the ball at Lord Krillin's manor. The second was a relatively new looking copy of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Trunks thumbed through the pages with curiosity.
"Hmm, the lord wants to put a show about this book on?" he whispered dubiously, then shrugged, pocketing the book, and stood up, leaving the nobleman's body in the alleyway, and smiled as he prepared to commence the second part of his plan.
"Bulma, please, tell me what the matter is" Marron said. The aqua haired woman looked up through her tears.
"My dear Marron. I'm sorry. It is just…just that I have been thinking about him lately"
"About who, good nurse?"
Bulma sighed, running her shaking fingers through her hair.
"My son."
"Son?" Marron asked, her eyes wide with curiosity. Did Bulma now know her son? Had she met him and this was the reason why she was so upset?
Bulma nodded slowly, brushing her tears away.
"He would have been nineteen today. I gave my son away nineteen years ago"
"Bulma…."
"I am so afraid for him, my lady. He could be anywhere, all alone in this dangerous world. Did you hear about the Earl?" she asked hesitantly. The young woman nodded, lowering her eyes.
"I see. You are afraid that the person who murdered the Earl of Estal may hurt your son?"
"That is, if he is not killed already, Miss Marron"
Marron tried to sound reassuring as she patted Bulma's shoulder.
"Do not worry yourself, nurse. If your son is anything like you I am positive that he will be alright"
"You're quite right, my lady" Bulma said decisively. "But one day I will see him again" She got up and walked over to the open window, gazing out at the night sky. "I will find you, Trunks"
The noble quickened his pace, hurrying to get home before the church bells struck midnight. He had heard about the dangers of being in the village at this time, and really did not want to chance it himself. However, as he looked forward again and saw a figure silhouetted in the pale moonlight at the end of the alley, he realised that it might already have been too late.
Goten could see the fear in the young man's eyes as he stopped, frozen in terror.
'This man is not much older than I am' he thought to himself with a pang of sympathy. 'How does Trunks manage to do this? Granted, I am a thief and all, but I have never once been able to bring myself to actually seriously hurt someone'
The noble was cowering now, and Goten realised that while he had been lost in thought, he had been advancing on the man.
"Who...who are you? What do you want from me?" he stammered, backing away and almost tripping over his own feet in his panic. Goten felt guilt wash over him and stepped backwards a little way.
"I...can't do this" he whispered. The nobleman whimpered in fright, turning around to make a run for it, but was pushed roughly to the ground by a tall, well-built man.
"Well then, good Goten. It is a good job that I, can" Trunks said simply, standing over the man with a sadistic grin on his face.
A/N: Gah, I hate writer's block! Still, last time I managed to get through it and write this, one more chapter to upload before I have to get back to writing again! Maybe it'll have gone by then. I hope so! As before, I'd love it if you guys reviewed and told me what you think. Ja ne!
Fragments of Destiny
Chapter Two
Goten fell into step beside his friend, shoving his hands into his pockets.
"So, what happened to the Earl?" he asked. Trunks glanced at him.
"Oh, nothing really. I was running a little low on time so I simply killed him."
Goten raised his eyebrows in surprise.
"Gods! You were only supposed to scare him a little! One day you're going to get caught, my friend." he said, folding his arms.
"I don't think so, good Goten." Trunks replied, smirking a little.
"You should not be so cocky. You never know what could happen."
Trunks frowned. "You worry too much, Goten." he said, sounding bored. Goten shrugged, and put his hands back into his pockets.
"Bulma? Is my daughter ready?"
Bulma hurried into the conference room, bowing to Lord Krillin.
"Your Lordship, Lady Marron will be with you shortly," she said quickly. The lord nodded at her.
"I see. When she is ready, Bulma."
Lord Krillin was a pleasant man; he was kind to his servants, giving them good conditions to work in and a substantial salary. He was in his fifties, with short, greying hair, and a moustache. He wore a red silk dinner jacket, with traditional Japanese embroidery, and white trousers. In his hand he held a golden staff, and on his feet, wore black carpet slippers.
"Thank you, my Lord." Bulma said, bowing again before exiting the room. Krillin smiled and looked around. The place was immaculate.
'Hmm, Chi-Chi did a wonderful job of cleaning up here' he thought, smiling. There was a knock at the door, and Bulma entered again, this time with Marron in tow. Krillin rose from his chair, setting his staff down on the floor.
Marron walked in, standing beside Bulma. She was indeed presentable now, clothed in a long, pink gown. The dress was made of silk, and was beautifully embroidered on the hem. Her hair was now neatly combed, and pinned back, shining with health. Krillin smiled his approval.
"A good job indeed, my nurse" he said to Bulma. She curtsied and left the two of them to talk. Marron folded her arms, still angry with her father for refusing her freedom.
"Father, wherefore did you call me out? What is your will?" she asked coldly. Krillin looked a little shocked, he had not expected this.
"Child, whatever is the matter?"
"Father, I demand to know, what is the purpose of confining me to the house?"
Krillin sighed, sitting down heavily.
"My dear, it is for your own protection. I have heard that frays are rife in the village. Why, just this morning I was informed that my good friend, the Earl of Estal was murdered."
Marron gasped. She had known the Earl well and was quite fond of him. He had been like an uncle to her.
"The Earl? Dead? What's the demon who carried out this atrocity?" she asked, stunned. How could anyone want to murder the Earl?
Krillin shook his head.
"I have no idea who, my dear. But now do you see? I cannot put my only daughter in danger!"
Marron nodded, dumbstruck.
"Dear, I called you here to talk about the ball tomorrow night. You will be in attendance, will you not?"
"…Yes, father. I shall be there."
"Good. Maybe we can find a husband for you there?"
"Father!" Marron cried. She hated when he got like this, trying to fix her up a marriage.
Krillin looked indignant. "You are not yet married and you have looked upon this world for three times six years! Dear child, thou should be married yet!
"Father, I must take my leave now" Marron said slowly, turning away.
"Hold, child. Do you remember? Tomorrow we are putting on a production of Shakespeare's finest play; the guests will be in high spirits. Remember we are holding a vote for the lead actors and actresses in this play. Have you learned your lines?"
"Yes father, I was going to say -" she started, but Krillin cut her off.
"You have no need to worry. I have made it perfectly clear that you will not be participating"
"Father!" Marron began.
The lord dismissed her with a wave of his hand. "Thank me later, child. I must leave now"
Marron simply stood staring in disbelief as her father left the room.
The church bells chimed ten 'o' clock, and two figures wandered through the square, their shoulders slumped in defeat.
"What are we to do, Trunks? We have no information and Gohan said that if we did not find something out..." Goten trailed off, sighing. Trunks stopped, folding his arms.
"We will find something. Do not worry, my friend"
"You do not know that for certain" Goten carried on. Trunks' eyes darted in the direction of two noblemen hurrying across the square.
"You have learned your lines for the production tomorrow have you not?" asked one of them. The other nodded.
"Of course. Romeo's lines are extremely difficult to learn, though, kinsman," he confessed.
"Yes, but Lord Krillin does want the show to be well played out"
"Hmm....what's this?" Trunks muttered.
".........And also, Gohan has a gun, so what real chance do we have?" Goten went on. Turning back to his friend, Trunks frowned.
"Quiet!" he whispered sharply, causing Goten to start and look at him in surprise. Trunks nodded in the direction of the noblemen.
"Listen to them. It sounds very much like there is to be an event at the Lord's manor very soon, does it not?"
Goten listened carefully, and after a while, a smile crossed over his features.
"Yes, it seems as though we have some information after all. A ball, tomorrow at dusk, at the Lord's manor?"
Trunks nodded.
"But how will we get in?" he asked doubtfully.
An evil smile played on Trunks' lips.
"I have an idea," he murmured.
Marron opened her bedroom door quietly. Looking to the left and right, she smiled a little, and crept down the corridor. In the distance, the church bells chimed eleven 'o' clock. Everyone in the house had gone to bed now, the servants resting up, since they had to rise early to do their jobs before the lord awoke, and Lord Krillin getting in a good night's sleep, he had stated that he would be extremely busy negotiating and making sure that everything was to his satisfaction for the ball tomorrow evening. Krillin's daughter wasn't afraid of being caught, ever since her father had decided on putting on the production of Romeo and Juliet, she had snuck into the library every night to retrieve the only remaining copy of the play, and to learn the lines as best she could. Now all that remained was to ask Bulma for her assistance. Marron crept across the wide hallway, carefully avoiding the small tables against the wall where the candelabras were placed. She knocked lightly on Bulma's door, and heard the nurse sobbing faintly within. Her eyes became sad, and she gingerly opened the door and entered the room. Bulma was sitting on her bad, her back to the door, and her head in her hands.
"Bulma, what's the matter?" Marron said gently. Bulma's shoulders jerked, and the nurse hastily wiped her eyes, standing up and facing Marron.
"My lady, you should not be awake at this time" she said, smoothing down her dress. Marron nodded.
"Yes, I know, my good nurse. However, I had something to discuss with you."
Bulma tried to smile.
"What is your will, Miss Marron? she asked. Marron shook her head.
"First, nurse, I wish to know what grieves you so. Then I will discuss what I originally came to see you for"
The two noblemen resumed their walk again, talking amongst themselves.
"So, I had better get back to learning my lines" one said.
The other nodded. "Yes, the same applies with me"
Trunks smiled as he watched the two approaching, tracing circles on the ground with the tip of his knife. Moonlight glistened on the blade, showing how deathly sharp it was. The young thief pushed his long hair out of his face and waited.
"I bid you good night, my friend"
"Thank you. Good night to you too"
With that, the men went their separate ways, each going a different direction at the crossroads. 'They have no idea what dangers await them in these separate alleyways' Trunks thought, smirking. He stayed hidden, as one of the noblemen got closer. The man walked past his hiding place, oblivious. He even started to whistle as he walked along. Trunks rose silently, and with one fluid motion, threw the knife up into the air, and grabbed the nobleman. He placed one hand over his mouth, and the other he outstretched, snatching the knife out of its descent. The nobleman struggled, his cries for help muffled by the boy's hand, and his eyes wide and terrified, but he was powerless to defend himself as Trunks skilfully manoeuvred the knife, drawing it across his throat.
Goten knelt down in an alleyway to the right of the one Trunks was hiding in. He watched as the other noble made his way home. Why had he agreed to do this? Trunks always managed to get him involved in these little schemes. But, he reasoned, as long as it got him some silver to spend on Miss Paris, he was happy. Even if he did have to scare this noble a little. He drew in a long breath, and waited.
The lavender haired boy stepped back, his face emotionless, and let his victim's body drop to the floor with a heavy thud.
"Hmm. What have we here?" he muttered, as he noticed something in the man's coat pocket. He knelt down and took a look. In the pocket of the jacket were two items. The first was an invitation to the ball at Lord Krillin's manor. The second was a relatively new looking copy of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Trunks thumbed through the pages with curiosity.
"Hmm, the lord wants to put a show about this book on?" he whispered dubiously, then shrugged, pocketing the book, and stood up, leaving the nobleman's body in the alleyway, and smiled as he prepared to commence the second part of his plan.
"Bulma, please, tell me what the matter is" Marron said. The aqua haired woman looked up through her tears.
"My dear Marron. I'm sorry. It is just…just that I have been thinking about him lately"
"About who, good nurse?"
Bulma sighed, running her shaking fingers through her hair.
"My son."
"Son?" Marron asked, her eyes wide with curiosity. Did Bulma now know her son? Had she met him and this was the reason why she was so upset?
Bulma nodded slowly, brushing her tears away.
"He would have been nineteen today. I gave my son away nineteen years ago"
"Bulma…."
"I am so afraid for him, my lady. He could be anywhere, all alone in this dangerous world. Did you hear about the Earl?" she asked hesitantly. The young woman nodded, lowering her eyes.
"I see. You are afraid that the person who murdered the Earl of Estal may hurt your son?"
"That is, if he is not killed already, Miss Marron"
Marron tried to sound reassuring as she patted Bulma's shoulder.
"Do not worry yourself, nurse. If your son is anything like you I am positive that he will be alright"
"You're quite right, my lady" Bulma said decisively. "But one day I will see him again" She got up and walked over to the open window, gazing out at the night sky. "I will find you, Trunks"
The noble quickened his pace, hurrying to get home before the church bells struck midnight. He had heard about the dangers of being in the village at this time, and really did not want to chance it himself. However, as he looked forward again and saw a figure silhouetted in the pale moonlight at the end of the alley, he realised that it might already have been too late.
Goten could see the fear in the young man's eyes as he stopped, frozen in terror.
'This man is not much older than I am' he thought to himself with a pang of sympathy. 'How does Trunks manage to do this? Granted, I am a thief and all, but I have never once been able to bring myself to actually seriously hurt someone'
The noble was cowering now, and Goten realised that while he had been lost in thought, he had been advancing on the man.
"Who...who are you? What do you want from me?" he stammered, backing away and almost tripping over his own feet in his panic. Goten felt guilt wash over him and stepped backwards a little way.
"I...can't do this" he whispered. The nobleman whimpered in fright, turning around to make a run for it, but was pushed roughly to the ground by a tall, well-built man.
"Well then, good Goten. It is a good job that I, can" Trunks said simply, standing over the man with a sadistic grin on his face.
A/N: Gah, I hate writer's block! Still, last time I managed to get through it and write this, one more chapter to upload before I have to get back to writing again! Maybe it'll have gone by then. I hope so! As before, I'd love it if you guys reviewed and told me what you think. Ja ne!