Chapter 2
Disclaimer : Not mine.
Last Revised : 4/29/03
"Aw, I knew I forgot something!! Nimbus, stop a moment!"
The small yellow cloud complied and screeched to a stop, almost sending its passenger right off from the inertia. Videl had to flail her arms as if doing some complex ki blast maneuver but managed to stay on. Huffing a bit, Videl sat there, contemplating what to do.
'I totally forgot I was going to bring Goten and Trunks to the carnival today…. We can still go but it's going to be weird if I show up for Goten again…. Well, it's not like my knee is in good condition to chase after two demi-Saiyans in public…'
The carnival was held right out of Satan City, staying for a few days. Tomorrow would be the last day before they pack up and continue their tour. Videl always wanted to go to a carnival and see the acrobatic shows, taste the genuine cotton candies, win stuffed animals (well, hey, the stuffed animals were too cute to resist), maybe get a ride on a dinosaur or two. She's sure Goten and Trunks haven't been to one; from the looks of it the Briefs hardly go out anywhere resembling a carnival and Videl knew for a fact Goten never been away from his home save to West City.
When she heard about the carnival, surprisingly her first thought was to tell her father. Apparently the little girl she used to be was still some where in there. The little girl that would find or hear anything interesting then go to the first person she knew would listen. Daddy. Always daddy dearest.
Then she remembered daddy dearest had gone off for a week at some tropical island for a commercial shooting.
"Ugh, maybe tomorrow then… alright, Nimbus! Let's go!!"
Grappling on to Nimbus's soft mass, Videl sped on home.
"So, Goten, how exactly did you meet her?" The brothers were resting by the lake. Well, more specific, Gohan was laying down on the grass while Goten used his raised legs as a punching bag.
"Vivi onee-chan?"
"Who else? Ouch! Not too hard, Goten!" Goten giggled and softened his blows and kicks.
"I was trying to catch Mr. Green and I sorta hit
her with the net!"
"How?"
"She was sleeping and I didn't see her!"
"Ah, I see. Keep an eye on your left roundhouse, Goten. Your center is a bit off."
"Okay, nii-chan!"
"So what did you two do after that?"
"That's a secret!"
"Another secret? Come on Goten, why does she have so many secrets? Do you even know where she's from?"
"Nope!"
"Her full name?"
"Nope!"
"Her back ground?"
"Nope!"
"……….."
"Nope!"
"I didn't say anything, Goten."
"I know."
"For a five year old you sure are annoying…"
"Nope!"
Pushing himself up in a fluid motion, Gohan tackled his younger brother to the ground. Then with the ferocity a true Saiyan would be proud of, he launched a tickle attack too fast for the normal eye. The peels of laughter echoed through the mountains and for a single moment in time, all was well with the world.
"You've got 3 messages."
After pressing the play button on her answering machine, Videl limped to her closet to find more comfortable clothes.
Beep. "Hey, Videl? Hello? Are you there? Ah never mind, it's me Erasa, and I'm wondering if you want to go shopping tomorrow. There's like this new super cool sale for the CUTETEST outfits really! Call me if you want to go, 'kay? Ciao!"
Pulling out an over sized white T-shirt and purple drawstring shorts she made her way to the queen-sized bed and sat down on it already taking her clothes off.
Beep. "Videl! It's Erasa again and ignore my last message. I got to go with my mom to this stupid family outing of hers. Hmph, well, I'll be back Sunday evening so again, ciao!"
"Not going to be so stupid once your mother is gone…" Videl whispered lightly after some difficulty getting her spandex shorts off and the drawstring shorts on.
Beep. "Hello sweet pea! Daddy's just calling in and daddy just wants to know what you would like from Tori Tori Island! Huh? What? Okay, okay! Ahem, well, honey, daddy got to go so just call me back and leave a message with Miss Jeanie on what you would like, okay? Bye!"
Tossing her previous clothes into a basket Videl went over to the telephone and picked it up. Pausing a second, she took the time to ponder what she would like to ask for this time. Her father always took the time to call her at least once when he goes on trips that took more than a few days. It's a sweet gesture and Videl would sometimes look forward for those calls.
Now if he could just call in one day and tell her everything about the Cell games.
Hah.
She would love to see the look on his face when he finds out his daughter knows more about the games than he does.
She could imagine it now… it's alright daddy, if you have any questions on what happened then just ask me! In fact, I met the boy who defeated Cell and I trained under Piccolo Daimao! Isn't it great?
Pressing the speed dial, Videl waited a few moments before a rather soprano voice reached her ears. Miss Jeanie was her father's current secretary; a tall blond that reminded Videl of Erasa. A bit ditzy but more than makes it up with a good heart.
"Hello? Miss Jeanie?"
"Ah, Videl! How are you, pumpkin?"
"Fine, thanks. Dad called me as usual…"
"I see, I see, so what will it be this time?"
"Where are you? Oh yeah, Tori Tori, right?"
"Correct."
"Anything special there?"
"Hmmmm, it's not really a big island, but it does have some cute trinkets."
"Trinkets? Naw, I got a ton of those already…"
"What then, sweetie?"
"Hmm…. Any traditional weapons?"
"Ah, yes, for your collection right?"
"Yep."
"I'll go ask some of the natives for you, how's
that? Then I'll send over a picture to see if you like it or not."
"That's wonderful, Miss Jeanie. Thank you!"
"Your welcome, Videl! Have a nice weekend!"
"Say 'hi' for me to dad! Bye!"
"I will! Bye!"
Click.
Videl grinned at the thought of adding yet another work of art to her collection. Two rooms next to hers housed the vast collections of 'Videl's Cache'. Everything from traditional weapons to her most prized possessions that consisted of martial arts trophies and her mother's memories; all either stacked on shelves, hung on walls or displayed behind glass.
In fact the room was voted as the 'viewer favorite' on the Satan Summer Special. Videl herself wasn't so happy about TV crews among her precious stuff but her father insisted it was good for the publicity. So yet again she gave in to her father's wishes and stood back as her mother's photo album got broadcasted to the world. She had been so angry then, almost lashing out at a crew member when they roughly browsed through the old album.
Her mother's photos belonged to her! Only she should
see it! Why does the world have to see a dead woman's pictures anyway?
Her mother's memory belonged to her!
Mr. Satan eventually scolded her for her 'rude'
behavior and Videl was forced to stay in her room for the rest of the filming.
To explain the lack of face time for Videl, the narration later said that
Videl went to a friend's house to play.
Since then, Videl avoided any TV crews including reporters; the image of them flipping through her mother's photo album carelessly still fresh in her mind. Ratings are everything, gossips are everything, celebrities are everything. Just because a child is the daughter of the most famous man in the world doesn't mean they could go through her private collection and disrespect the memories of her deceased mother!
Sighing heavily Videl closed her eyes. Then jumped right back up.
Rushing to her pile of clothes she franticly shook them out. Nothing. Oh no.
Her wallet…. Where was her wallet??
She normally wouldn't bring the precious wallet along but this time she was planning to spend quite a bit at the carnival. It was her mother's and she would go insane if it was lost. Not to mention her personal IDs were all in there.
Where could it have-
"CRAP!!"
Her attack on Gohan.
The two blurs crashed against each other to break apart again as suddenly. One significantly smaller than the other landed more roughly but was able to jump out of harms way as the larger blur dived to where it landed. Goten gritted his teeth as he rebounded off a tree--smashing its trunk in--to blast towards his brother. Gohan saw the move and spun around smoothly, letting Goten rush right past him to collide head-on into another tree. Gohan landed down and single handedly lifted the heavy tree off his little brother.
"Goten, you alright?"
"Uh… no fair nii-chan!! You're always faster than me!" came Goten's voice from the pile of leaves. A cute head soon popped out with a full blown pout drawn on it.
Gohan chuckled and picked Goten up. "You're already way stronger than when I was your age, Goten. You're already very good!"
"Really, nii-chan??"
"Really."
"Yay!!"
Gohan ruffled his brother's hair affectionately. As he looked down, his keen eyes spotted a small, black, rectangular object on the grass a few meters from the them
'Hm? What's that?'
She was almost flying blind as she pushed herself to the limit. Videl blasted desperately to the mountain area, homing in on the generous amount of ki both Goten and Gohan were emitting. She couldn't imagine what it'll be like if they found out she was Mr. Satan's daughter. That she was the daughter of the man who lied. That she herself lied to them.
No. No. No. It mustn't happen. Goten. Oh what would Goten think?
And Gohan.
And Chi-Chi.
Letting out a hoarse cry she doubled her efforts, her eyes watering from the speed.
"What's that, Goten?" Gohan said as he lifted a finger at the small object.
Goten followed his line of sight and cocked his head before bounding over, Gohan following casually behind. Before Goten got a closer look he suddenly stopped and looked up to the sky. Gohan had already directed his attention skywards a few seconds before Goten and was slightly frowning.
"That's Vivi nee-chan…"
"She seems to be in panic… wonder what's wrong…"
'That's quite a ki reading she's putting out… still way below the others but quite impressive none-the-less…. Who is she?'
"Hey, nii-chan! I think it's a wallet!"
Looking over to his brother, Gohan eyed the small wallet in the little boy's fist.
"Wonder who that belongs to…"
There! There they are!!
……..NO!!
NO! NO!! They got my wallet! NO NO NO-
"NO!!!!"
Momentarily forgetting Videl, Gohan walked over to Goten. Goten handed over the black leather wallet over to his brother dutifully, his eyes curious.
"Open it nii-chan!!"
"I don't know Goten… it's not polite…"
"But…but--!"
"Well, okay. We would have to opened it anyway to see who it belongs to--"
"NO!!!!"
Gohan had already opened the wallet but failed to look just before he heard the shout and felt the ki. Snapping his head up, he found himself once again getting a glimpse of blue eyes and black hair before the slight pain of impact. Videl virtually made a kamikaze maneuver, diving straight for the wallet ignoring all else, including the current holder of her aforementioned wallet.
Her arms clamped around Gohan's right arm which was holding her wallet as the forward momentum caused her legs to hook around his neck. The impact was strong enough to topple Gohan over and they both went down in a tangle of limbs. The pain was instantaneous but Videl ignored it, just relieved to see the wallet safe in her hands.
"Nee-chan?!"
"Vivi?!"
Okay, so she shouldn't be relieved just yet.
Smilingly nervously up at the two Son brothers, Videl managed to find her voice.
"Um, hi? Again?"
"What on earth possessed you to do such a thing!?"
Videl bowed her head at the older woman's tone. Once again she found herself back on the Son's couch as Chi-Chi inspected her knee. And her arm. And her hip. She took the fall pretty well considering she fell on a half-Saiyan while diving straight from the sky at suicide velocity.
"I'm so sorry, Chi-Chi…"
"For a wallet! Honestly!" Chi-Chi sighed as she wrapped the cloth around Videl's badly bruised arm after applying some traditional herbs. Videl bit her lip, remembering Gohan's suspicious gaze as he scrutinized the wallet that was clutched tightly in her white-knuckled grip. She had started stuttering for an excuse as Gohan remained quiet. Then without a word he gathered her up and flew them home.
Videl glanced down to the worn wallet in her lap. 'I'm sorry mom… but I'll need to use your memory… forgive me…'
"I was really desperate…I…I don't know what I'll do without it…"
Chi-Chi stopped her motion and turned her gaze to the girl. The tone of her voice was just heartbreaking. "…the wallet?"
"It was my mother's. She…she…she died when I was very young."
"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that, Vivi…"
Videl gave Chi-Chi a sad smile. Her emotions were no lie though, whenever she thought about her mother she would find herself reliving the pain.
"It's okay… it's just that this wallet is just one of the few things I really have left of her, I get--paranoid, you might say, if I even see someone else touch it…"
That was true too. Videl would break into a fit if anyone was to touch the wallet, even her father. Chi-Chi placed a supporting hand on Videl's shoulder.
"It's okay Vivi... it's okay…just let it all out…"
"Wha--…?" What did Chi-Chi mean? Videl gazed questionably at the woman before raising a shaking hand to her cheek.
Wet. Her cheek was wet.
Tears.
"Oh, gosh," Videl hastily wiped them off, "I'm so sorry, I don't know what got into me. Geeze, I'm past this already--I'm… past….this…"
Videl missed her mother.
Oh Kami, she missed her so much.
She remembered as clear as day when she would lift her short arms up to the vanilla scented woman. Her mother would spin her around, hugging, kissing, laughing. So alive. So wonderful, there, loving….
And in the fields of endless bloom they would spin and spin
Mother and daughter
love unhindered by time
Her mother would sing and Videl would listen
You will never leave me, right Mama?
Right?
The messenger came bearing the news.
Mama was gone. Leaving her.
Gone.
It was a minute later that Videl realized her tears were being soaked up by a bright yellow scarf and that her head was buried securely on the shoulders of Son Chi-Chi. Shushing her lightly, Chi-Chi comforted the young girl like she was her own. Rocking gently she stroked Videl's soft hair, waiting patiently for the girl to stop shaking.
Videl was one of those that cried softly. An occasional sniff, the shuddering of breath, the slight shaking of shoulders, and the free-flow of her tears was all she let out. Videl welcomed the warmth desperately as she clutched her fingers on Chi-Chi's dress. It had been so long, too long, since she felt the warmth of a mother's embrace.
"I… miss her so much--so much--so much that it hurts…"
"Shhh, I know, just let it all out…"
"Why did she have to die? Why--?"
Unbeknownst to them, Gohan stood silently at the kitchen archway. His eyes clouded over with an incomprehensible expression.
"I'm--so--.... I'm so sorry about your dress, Chi-Chi!" Videl blurted out, her face red and down turned.
A rather large patch on Chi-Chi's scarf was stained with her dried tears and other fluids including saliva. Videl felt like dying. She had sobbed like a little girl on the wife of Son Goku who was the mother of Son Gohan! The humiliation was worse than when she accidentally slipped on Piccolo's cape when he was meditating and face planted herself on the ground. Okay… maybe not as humiliating as that.
Chi-Chi chuckled lightly, "There, there. There's nothing to be embarrassed about! Now, don't you feel better after that?" Videl looked up a moment before slowly smiling.
"I actually do….it's been years since I last had a good cry. But still--I really can't believe I ruined your dress…"
"Nonsense, dear! Now see if you can get up."
Videl slowly got up with the help of Chi-Chi and took a few steps. Ow. Ow. Ow.
"Great… no carnival for me…" Videl muttered.
"Carnival?" Wow, Chi-Chi had good hearing.
Videl laughed timidly. "Yeah, there is this carnival and tomorrow's the last day it'll be here. I was planning to surprise Goten and Trunks."
"Oh, how sweet of you!!"
"But now…" Videl gestured at her beaten body wearily. Chi-Chi frowned and placed her hands on her hips, seemingly in thought. Then she brightened.
"I know! Senzu beans!"
"Senzu…?" Where had she heard of those….
"There are these magical beans that can heal all your wounds! It might be too late to go today but you can still go tomorrow with the boys! Hold on, I'll go ask Gohan." Chi-Chi dashed outside.
Videl wanted to protest but couldn't help feeling excited at the thought of both still being able to go to the carnival and actually getting the chance to see the healing powers of a Senzu bean first-hand. She didn't get the chance to dwell on it long before Chi-Chi came back in with Gohan and Goten. Gohan shot her an unreadable expression before going upstairs to retrieve his stash of beans. Videl blinked; what was that look about?
"Nee-chan!! Did mommy kiss your hurts all better?" Goten asked, gaining her attention by lightly tugging on her shirt. Videl beamed down at the boy before turning her gaze to meet Chi-Chi's.
"Nope, but she did even more than that…." Videl softly said, her eyes portraying the gratitude, respect and affection for the former fighter. "She made me feel better than I had in years." Chi-Chi smiled warmly back, already firmly believing the idea of Videl as her daughter. Daughter-in-law. Same thing.
'Now to plan ahead and get it all on paper…. Grandchildren!!!'
It hadn't once occurred to her that her son and Videl were still 15 year
olds.
Well, it wouldn't hurt to start trying now….
"Here. Eat this."
Gohan's voice broke though the comfortable silence as he dropped the bean onto Videl's open palm. Fingering he bean between her thumb and fore-finger she examined the bean. Doesn't look like anything special…. Popping it in her mouth she chewed and swallowed.
She did not expect the effects to be instant.
Videl gasped as the scraps and pain vanished in a second. Taking off the bandage of her arms and knee she found the skin creamy and unblemished by any bruise or scar.
"Wow!" she exclaimed. What if they could mass produce these beans? They could save so many lives! But then…. What if bad guys get hold of them? No… it was best that these beans stayed a secret and only available to the ones she knew the earth could trust.
"You're all better, nee-chan!" Goten cried as he launched himself into Videl's arms. Videl laughed and spun the giggling demi-Saiyan around before putting him back on the floor.
"Thank you so much!!" Videl bowed deeply to Chi-Chi and Gohan. She seemed to be doing that a lot that day…..
"I've really, REALLY, troubled you all enough for one day. I should be leaving."
"Aw, nee-chan, you hafta go?" Videl kneeled down and whispered to Goten, not expecting Gohan to hear her every word.
"Goten, I want to you get Trunks and meet me at the lake tomorrow at one 'o clock, okay? Remember what one 'o clock looks like?"
"The short hand at one and the long hand at twelve!"
"You're such a smart boy Goten! Okay? Promise me? I'm going to give you a surprise!"
"A surprise! Wow! What is it nee-san?!?"
"If I told you it wouldn't be a surprise would it?" Videl smirked. She lightly ruffled the boy's gravity defying hair and stood up.
"I'll be going now, I really can't thank you all enough for putting up with me."
"Remember Vivi, if you ever need anything…." Chi-Chi started as they followed Videl out the front door. Videl stopped in her tracks before spinning around and surprising the woman with a full hug.
"Thank you so much Chi-Chi…you showed compassion to me on the first day we meet… I really can't express how grateful I am. And how lucky Goten and Gohan have you as their mother…" Videl whispered before letting go and giving Chi-Chi a bright smile. Chi-Chi was taken over by the gesture and words so she just smiled back, squeezing Videl's hand lightly before releasing it. Videl turned her attention away from Chi-Chi to the young teen beside her.
"I'm so sorry about everything today, and thank you for, um, carrying me all the way here…" Videl said uneasily. She just couldn't find the courage to look him in the eye. He must have suspected her behavior earlier….
"It's alright, really. See you again….Vivi." 'If that's your real name…'
"Bye, and again thank you." 'Yep, he suspects something…. I'll have to be more careful next time…'
Videl floated a few feet off the ground before blasting full speed home. Her thoughts swirling with different emotions.
Was it wise that she get attached to the Sons?
Wouldn't it be harder to tell the truth in fear of them rejecting her?
Could she bare the pain if they did?
Pushing the thoughts far away, Videl concentrated
on getting home quickly.
Chi-Chi immediately called Bulma afterwards and updated her on the news about Vivi and her surprise for Goten and Trunks. "Why, that girl really is something if she's actually willing to bring both the boys out in public!"
"I know, Bulma. But I think someone should go along just in case. We don't know if Vivi knows about the boys' heritage…"
"You're right. Why not let Gohan go along?"
"Vivi wanted to go with just her and the boys-"
"I mean without her knowing it. It'll be good practice getting Gohan out in the crowds too."
"……that doesn't sound too bad…"
"Of course it doesn't because it isn't!"
"And to tell you the truth we can know more about her. I honestly want to know more than her name and where she came from. We don't even know where she learned how to fly! Well, Goten said he learned from Piccolo so maybe Goten taught it to Vivi..."
"I'm already surprised the girl didn't faint the moment Goten started floating. And I remember Gohan saying something about Goten telling stories about us, right?"
"Now that you said it, yeah, he did mention it. You think she knows more about us than she lets on?"
"It's a possibility. You think we can trust her? Apparently she hasn't gone to the reporters or anything yet…"
"….we can trust her. I feel it in my heart."
"Are you sure that feeling isn't just because you think she would give you grandchildren?"
"Bulma! That's different! Seriously, I feel we can trust the girl…"
"If you say so, Chi-Chi…."
"So I tag along without them knowing? Mom! That's spying!" Gohan hadn't exactly warmed up to the idea of spying on Goten and his friends. Sure, he was curious as hell who the girl was but….
"No excuses Gohan! She wouldn't know! She'll be here in an hour so prepare yourself… hmm… maybe some dress pants and…"
"But…. Goten and Trunks can take care of themse--"
"It's her I'm worried about! If anything happens you can restrain your brother and Trunks."
"Then why don't I just tell them I'll be going along?"
Chi-Chi sighed as if she was talking to the village idiot. A very powerful and academically sound village idiot. But an idiot none the less. Chi-Chi also preferred that Gohan really spend time with Videl but after yesterday, well, she thought it best for 'Vivi' if her original plans were intact. She seemed to have enough stress the previous day with all the injuries and being reminded of her mother.
"Gohan, she was planning to go with just the boys. And she just met you! You'll ruin they're fun!"
"Ouch, mom."
"Not like that, dear. It'll just be awkward since you hurt her twice-"
"Um… she's the one that hit me…"
"No excuses."
"Yes, mom."
"Now, you're going to keep an eye on them understand?"
"But-"
"Understand, Son Gohan?" not even the deaf could miss out how she emphasized 'understand' with the promise of pain and punishment.
"Yes, mom."
"That's a good boy."
Carnival day!
She had got up at five as usual but couldn't meditate
since she was so excited. It'll be her first time to anything like this.
Amusement parks and entertainment centers, sure. But carnivals are like
the genuine thing, shows and games uniquely their own!
It was almost one and Videl launched her yellow
copter in the air. When she was above the clouds, she jumped out and capsulized
the machine before blasting straight for the lake. A few minutes into the
flight, she soon felt the two bright kis of Goten and Trunks. Smiling lightly
she began her descent.
Goten and Trunks jumped off the large boulder as Videl flashed her ki twice rapidly, their personal call one might say. "Nee-chan's here!" Goten squealed, his eyes scanning the skies.
"Wonder what she's going to surprise us with…" Trunks said as he lazily folded his arms. A few seconds later a speck grew larger and larger before it solidified into a form. Landing smoothly in front of the eager boys, Videl smirked.
"What is it nee-chan?! Whatisitwhatisitwhatis-"
"Calm down, Goten!! I'll tell you!"
"Hurry up, nee-chan!"
"Okay! Okay!"
Neither unseen nor felt by the trio, a certain teenage demi-Saiyan watched from afar. Gohan crouched in a thick tree just close enough to see and listen to everything. Dressed in black dress pants and a white button down shirt he patiently waited for them to leave so he could follow. His eyes focus on the girl just as she landed, noting the clothes she wore. Videl's hair wasn't in her usual double pig-tails but in a single high pony-tail (though Gohan just met her yesterday so he paid no attention to this detail), she had on a large light grey T-shirt, oversized jeans, and boots like the ones she always wore but black in color. Tied around her petite waist was a dark blue overall. Slung over her back was a backpack. Probably for the toys or souvenirs…
"So, are we ready?" Videl gleefully asked. Goten and Trunks looked at each other and then back to her with twin expressions of confusion.
"Ready for what?" they both questioned in unison.
"For the…." She paused for dramatic effect, watching them lean closer, "…CARNIVAL!!"
The two boys' eyes lit up immediately and they whispered excitedly to each other. "The carnival! Wow! I've never been to one before!"
"Me either, Trunks! This is gonna be fun!!"
"Come on then! Just follow me!! But before that…" Videl then leaned in close to Goten and Trunks with a menacing look on her face. "No flying, super strength, ki blasts or fighting there. You got it, misters?" The two demi-Saiyans gulped audibly. She sure looks a lot like their respective mothers when she's glaring…
"Good. Now, let's go!"
Gohan watched as the trio blasted off. He waited till about a mile separated them before following, conscious to cloak his ki. Not before long he got visuals on them and proceeded to fly above the unsuspecting three.
"Hm?"
"What is it, nee-chan?"
Videl craned her neck upwards behind them. Strange…. She thought she felt something…. But then, who would be up there with them?
"Nothing, I thought I felt something…"
Gohan poked his head out from the thick clouds below. He hadn't expected the girl to be able to sense his ki. Yes, he was masking it quite sloppily since he didn't think the three would be that good in ki detection. But still… he had underestimated them, her. Good thing he had saw Videl tense up before diving right pass them to the clouds below. He made a mental note to be more careful as he stealthily followed.
Finding a deserted area near enough to the large carnival, Videl, Goten, and Trunks landed. Videl quickly pulled out a black base-ball cap and securely fastened it to her head, pulling her pony tail through the back loop. She had to be careful going out in public and so near Satan City. It'll be a disaster if anyone recognized her….
"Come on then! Let's have fun!" she exclaimed, sprinting towards the loud sounds and smells of the carnival. Goten and Trunks ran after her, laughing all the way. Eventually it ended up as a race and the three kicked up enough dust to make it seem like a miniature sand-storm. The teller at the front booth almost screamed when the sand-storm approached the entrance at high speeds. He did eventually scream when a teenage girl and two boys popped up right in his face.
"I win!" Videl announced triumphantly, slightly winded at the run.
"Nee-chan, you cheated! You had a head start!!" both Goten and Trunks pouted. Videl teasingly stuck her tongue out at them before turning her attention to the petrified teller.
"3 tickets please!"
The teller gaped at her before stammering, "Ah, yes, um, that would be 30 zeni, miss…" where the heck did these kids come from?
Videl handed over the money from her now free of any identifying items wallet then proceeded to scamper after the two boys that ran in before she finished paying. The teller shook his head to clear it. Man, maybe the afternoon sun was getting to him…
"One ticket, please." He looked up to see a youth standing there.
"Just one?"
"Just one," Gohan repeated, making sure he still had his lock on Goten's ki.
"Let's go there!"
"No, there!"
"I wanna ride that one!"
"Nee-chan, can I try that?"
"Wow, look at this!"
"That one! That one! I wanna ride that next!"
"This one first!"
"Hey, what's that?"
"Nee-chan, I'm hungry!"
"Yeah, we want candy!!"
Videl literally felt her head spin as the two boys grabbed each hand and started darting in different directions. If she was any normal human her arms might have been torn off and carried away without them noticing any difference.
"Calm down!!" She hissed as she gave a sharp tug, sending the duo slamming into each other in front of her.
"Listen up. We're going to try all of the rides-"
"Yay!"
"-and play all of the games-"
"Weeee!"
"-and see all the shows-"
"Alright!"
"-eat all the food."
"COOL!!"
"I didn't mean that literally, I meant we would try all the food, not really finished them all."
"Aw…."
"Anyway," Videl pulled out a map of the carnival, "We're going to do this in an ORDERLY fashion. Starting from the lower west corner of the carnival and working our way up here…" her fingers traced the route on the map as the boys nodded their heads enthusiastically, "…and eventually finish up here. Back at the entrance. With my calculations we'll be done by seven which will be the perfect time for you two to be going home, after the fireworks of course." She folded up the map and stuck it back in her backpack. "You got that men!?" she barked like a drill sergeant, smirking as the boys straightened themselves at full attention. They are so adorable when they aren't attempting to make her grow old in two seconds.
"Yes, ma'am!" Goten and Trunks replied, fully in the spirit.
"Good! Now let's get on with our mission!"
Gohan had to stifle his laughter after watching the whole exchange. Boy, that Vivi sure can handle the demonic duo. If it was just Goten or Trunks it would be no problem, but when they're together…. Gohan shuddered. He eyed the group as they noisily made their way to the first booth.
ONE BALL THREE PINS! HIT THEM ALL DOWN AND WIN A PRIZE!!
Videl eyed the large stuffed tiger. Hmmm, 3 wins
to trade for a larger prize…. She then eyed the smaller versions of the
tiger. Maybe she should just get more prizes than just one big one….
After all she was going to donate most of the day's
winnings to the local orphanage; after Goten and Trunks pick their share
of course. Stepping up to the booth, she placed 3 zeni on the table.
"Three balls for three games." She confidently said as she lifted Goten and Trunks on the counter, giving them the bean filled balls. The booth keeper just chuckled, it's so cute when little kids try to hit down the pins. The pins were weighted on the bottom; even if they managed to hit them it would take a man's strength to knock them down.
"Now remember….throw it gently…." Videl warned as the two boys pulled their hands back. Goten and Trunks gave her duplicate smiles. She didn't like that. "Gently….gently…." she continued as the booth keeper stared questionably at her.
Then something whizzed by him before two loud THWACKs followed immediately by two CRACKs were heard. His jaw dropped. The area around them became eerily silent as passer-bys also stopped to stare.
"Yay! We won!" and "I hit it!" coming from the two demi-Saiyans were the only sounds heard.
Apparently the kids hit the pins, in process also shattering them. The bean ball however was no where to be seen… maybe it went out the two smoking holes behind the shattered pins. The booth keeper dimly heard the girl hiss, "I said gently dam-er dang it!" before slowly turning his eyes from the two ominous smoking holes in his booth.
Videl laughed nervously as she quickly picked up the remaining bean ball and flung it absently at the last pins without even looking. The pins were violently knocked down while Videl grabbed three stuffed toys from the basket. Muttering a quick apology and smiling to the large crowd she grabbed the boys and ran off.
"What did I say about controlling your strength?!" Videl yelled once they were alone (or so they thought, Gohan saw the whole thing and was then right around the corner of a tent beside them). Goten and Trunks giggled, not at all phased by Videl's livid face.
"We're sorry, nee-chan!"
"Yeah, we won't do it again!"
"Remember, if you boys keep doing that we'll be kicked out! Worse even if we're told to pay the repairs!!"
"My mom can pay them," Trunks snorted. 'So can my dad,' Videl sighed inwardly.
"Besides," continued the little prince, "the human games here are too weak and easy for us!"
"You Saiyans…." Videl muttered, "and to think the planet won't even be here without you…."
Gohan's eyes widened. What did she just say?
"Come on, and remember, KEEP YOUR STRENGHT DOWN. We mustn't attract attention, got it?" She said sternly. The boys just nodded rapidly, eager to continue on. She gave out an 'hmph' before leading the way from the alley between the booths. Gohan followed closely, his mind racing.
She knows about the Saiyans…and it even seems she knows about Cell too.
Goten must have told her everything.
But then, what's her purpose?
He knew she was hiding something with all the secrets she had.
Why then won't she even tell Goten where she's exactly from?
And yesterday with the wallet incident…. He had suspected her of trying
to hide her identity… but after seeing her cry he wasn't so sure anymore.
Holding his thoughts he decided to just concentrate on following the three.
Afterwards, things went on fairly smoothly. Videl and the boys easily won whatever there was and were soon hefting bags of stuffed toys behind them. Goten was happily eating his huge triple layered ice cream as he admired the balloons floating above him that were tied to his gi belt. Trunks sat next to him also eating away at two large double layered ice creams. Videl sat at the edge of the bench under the tree enjoying the spicy hot dog and cold soft drink in her hands.
Yep. She knew she would enjoy the carnival.
She especially enjoyed the look of astonishment whenever the boys won at the more 'adult' booths. Throwing balls, darts, rings with scary accuracy and strength… she had to keep from laughing out loud when they successfully dunked a poor man in the water tank 10 consecutive times. She had pity on him after he seemed reluctant to crawl back on the small chair, even for air.
Videl also felt pride whenever people would praise the boys. Women would come along and fawn over them too. The boys would enjoy the attention before the women became too physical to which Videl would hastily step forward.
"I'm sorry, my brothers and I should be going." She had said before steering them away. She felt proud claiming to be their sister; she had always wanted siblings as strong and adorable as them. The boys didn't mind at all, in fact Goten and Trunks had skipped along side her grinning widely. It was easier to explain too, people actually believed she was their sister; her hair color was the same as Goten's and her eyes the same as Trunks, if not a deeper blue.
The only glitch after the pin incident was the 'Prove Your Strength!' game. A large group of males from teenagers to middle-aged men had huddled around the game, wanting to prove their masculinity. Videl was going to go right past since it had no apparent prizes to be won but the boys had stopped her.
"Hey, nee-chan what about that one?" Trunks pointed out at the large crowd surrounding something. Videl took one look 'Prove Your Strength!' sign on top and shook her head.
"Just some silly game, we won't win anything."
"Come on, nee-chan!!" Goten begged, giving her the puppy eyes that usually worked. Not this time though.
"No, Goten. You both would most likely destroy the machine or something…."
"How 'bout you then nee-chan?" Trunks suggested, he just wanted to see how strong some of the men were. Probably weaklings compared to them.
"Me?" Videl stopped her stride and gazed over at the game. Hm… it might attract attention but she did have the urge to show off a bit…. Especially against the large group of testosterone filled men. It'll be hilarious seeing the looks on their faces when she beat them all….
"Nahhhh, I already know I can wipe the floor with all of them," she snorted arrogantly before continuing past.
"Prove it then, or are you afraid you'll get beaten by some guy, nee-chan?" Trunks teased, knowing well just which buttons to push. Goten simply grinned as Videl smoothly redirected her march towards the crowd without missing a step. After all, Videl Satan would never turn down a challenge.
"Incredible!! 68 points!! Let's all give a hand for our current high score champion!!" the crowd clapped as a huge, muscled man bowed deeply. So far challenger after challenger had failed to beat his score. The money kept coming in and none out. If anyone was to beat him they would get back double what they bet. It helped a lot that the punching machine was rigged, cutting off almost half the points when a challenger came up and nearly doubling his own score. He shared a knowing smirk with the announcer. It's impossible to win this game.
"Is there anyone else daring enough to challenge our champion!? Come right up and place your bets! If you beat the score then you take home more!! Anyone? Anyone at all?!"
"I challenge the champion."
The crowd collectively 'oooh'-ed at Videl as she stepped up to the machine. Muscle man, or Mr. Power as he was known, almost laughed right out then. A puny little girl challenging him? Oh, it was too funny!!
"Ah, it seems we have a challenger!! And she's a little girl!! What's your name, girl?" the announcer stuck the microphone in Videl's face, ignoring the scowl she had on from hearing him call her a girl like it was an insult.
"Vivi." She curtly replied.
"Her name is Vivi!! Let's all give her a hand shall we?" The crowd cheered good naturedly, but it was obvious they were trying not to laugh. After all, a girl like her was going to challenge a big man like Mr. Power?
If possible, Videl's scowl deepened at the suppressed laughter of all the people around her. Goten and Trunks stood besides her glaring at the crowd while urging her on. She smiled evilly at them, knowing what she was going to do to shut the people up.
"How much are you going to bet, Vivi?"
Wordlessly, Videl threw all her 500 zeni on the table. The audience gasped and started talking loudly among themselves. The announcer and Mr. Power stared at the stack of cash. Was this girl nuts? Some where at the back, Gohan grinned.
"Ahem, uh, it seems the girl bet 500 zeni!! That's more than any other challenger has put up before… um…well…are you sure about this girl?"
"I'm sure. Now let's get on with it."
"She's going with it! Wow, let's all give her a supporting hand anyway!"
The crowd clapped again, murmuring on how foolish Videl was to waste her money. Videl heard the comments and smirked. Oh, she'll show them….
Mr. Power stepped up to Videl and sneered down at her. "After you, little girl. Don't worry, I'll go easy on you," he mock bowed, earning laughter from the crowd.
Videl remained calm, "Don't patronize me. Please, I insist you go first."
Mr. Power frowned at her cold tone. The arrogant little bitch! Well, he'll show her…. He signaled to the announcer and smirked when he nodded back.
Stepping up to the punching machine(which was an older version of what would be used later in the Budokai) he pulled back his fist just as the announcer pushed some buttons under the podium he was standing behind. It was now set to triple his score, that'll give the crowd something to be amazed at.
"Heeyaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!!" Mr. Power yelled before slamming his huge fist as hard as he could at the red cushion.
"A NEW RECORD!! 93 points!! Absolutely amazing!!"
The crowd cheered wildly, astounded by the display of strength. That poor foolish girl was going to lose all her money. Mr. Power flexed his muscles at the crowd before smirking at Videl who curiously just stood there unfazed. In fact she almost seemed…bored.
'What the…?'
"Is it my turn now?" She lazily asked. The announcer stared a moment before nodding and addressing the crowd.
"It's now our challenger's turn!! Give her a hand!!"
The crowd obliged, curious to see why the girl was so calm. Goten and Trunks were yelling at Videl to "Punch gently!!" mimicking her tone when she warned them at the first booth they were at. Videl stepped up to the punching machine and paced herself. Unseen by all, the announcer pressed all the buttons, making it so that she lost a third of her score. It would be a good laugh to see the girl embarrass herself badly.
Deciding to have fun, Videl raised her ki. Some people in the crowd yelped at the sudden gush of wind that blew, ruffling dresses and messing up hair. The grass beneath Videl started to rustle loudly as if being blasted with a high powered leaf blower. She closed her eyes then opened them, her focus reached as she pulled nearly all of her power out.
Gathering her fists at her sides and then crouching down, she pulled back her right fist then let it fly forward too fast, save for three Saiyans, to see. It collided with its target with such force that the thick red cushion exploded clean off. Her fist continued and struck the 5 inch metal pressure detector behind it, denting it more than half way through. The machine beeped loudly as numbers flashed wildly on the reader while sparks flew under the announcer's podium. Soon it finally settled.
499.
Even the score inhibitor had short-circuited, unable to stand the force.
The silence was deafening as Videl pulled back her fist from the smoking machine. She calmly walked over to the gawking announcer with Goten and Trunks cheering behind her.
"I guess that's 500 zeni for me, right?"
They quickly left after retrieving the prize money, almost rolling around in laughter. Videl smiled at the recent memory and finished her hot dog.
Yeah. The carnival was such fun.
Gohan wasn't having such a bad time either. He tagged along all the rides the girl, his brother and his brother's friend would go on. When they stopped to eat (which was frequently due to Goten and Trunks's Saiyan appetite) he himself would do so. He didn't play any of the games (even though he wanted to) for the fear of attracting attention to himself but did cheer silently whenever his brother or his friends won.
He found himself thinking of Vivi as he watched her interact with the boys. She was sure… lively. Her temper reminded him of his mother, her cocky attitude a few times were reminisce of Vegeta. But frequently he would catch glimpses of a soft side like what he saw when he held her in his arms while talking about Goten. Her ice blue eyes would soften and a small upward tug at the corner of her lips would form whenever she watched the boys laugh and play. He also saw how the look would suddenly die away replaced by something he couldn't decipher before returning to her usual smirk.
Curious. Curious indeed.
He was now exiting the big orange-red striped tent, using his keen eyes to follow the red and blue balloons of Goten's through the thick crowd. He saw them sit down under a tree and proceeded to get out of sight but remain in ear-shot.
"Wow!! Did you see how far that kid could bend??" Videl laughed as she sat down on the grass. Goten nodded fervently.
"Uh huh! Uh huh!! Does it hurt? It looks like it hurt a lot!!"
Trunks shuddered at the memory, "Of course it hurts, Goten! Why don't you try bending the wrong way until your butt touches your back!" Goten immediately proceeded to drop his bags and attempt the stunt.
"Goten, I don't think Trunks wanted you to actually do it," Videl said as she choked back laughter from the look of pain on Goten's face as he strained to bend his spine.
"Nnnggghhhh, a bit…mooooorree…." Goten stressed as he succeeded in going so far as to have his toes brush up against his shoulder blades. Trunks was too busy snickering to have any say in the matter. Videl finally did burst out laughing as Goten ended up toppling sideways and rolled down the small hill. The small boy pouted and wobbled back up painfully to sit in Videl's lap as she ruffled his hair affectionately. Suddenly a loud beeping filled the silence.
The blood drained from Videl's face.
'What the-?' Gohan thought as he saw the girl shot straight up and run off while yelling, "STAY THERE! BATHROOM!!" at the confused boys. He quickly followed, blurring around the crowd as he tracked her to a deserted area. Hiding behind some barrels he found her holding her watch while looking around making sure no one was there. She pressed a button on it and started talking. He cursed that he was too far away to hear who was talking but was relieved to be able to hear her part of the conversation.
"What is it chief?"
Chief?
"Now?? Where? How many? Can't you guys handle it yo- alright. Alright. I'll be right there…."
Videl sighed heavily and started to pace around muttering out loud. "I can't leave them both here…. They'll definitely cause problems…. I can't bring them both either…. It'll be too hard to keep and eye on them…. I can't ask anyone too…. Mr. Piccolo?"
Gohan did a double-take. She knows about Piccolo??
Videl shook her head, "No, I can't ask him for something as trivial as this…"
She stopped her pacing, stared blankly, then groaned.
"Lesser of the two evils then…" she muttered before running full speed back to where she left Goten and Trunks. Gohan followed.
"I need you both to listen to me CAREFULLY, got that?"
Goten and Trunks nodded, suddenly feeling scared at the serious look on Videl's face. Videl pointed a finger at Goten. "You, Goten, are going to stay right here. You'll have the important task of guarding our stuff, got it?"
"Got it!"
"If anyone gives you food, candy or asks you to go with them, refuse, got it?"
"Got it!"
"No fighting. If some one tries to hurt you please try your best not to fight back, got it?"
"Got it!"
"Now you," she pointed at Trunks who looked up eagerly,
"are going to come with me. I'll explain on the way. Goten, just wait,
we'll be back soon."
Gohan watched as Videl and Trunks run off to feel their ki enter into
the city. Torn between following or keeping an eye on his little brother,
Gohan started to chew his lip.
Blood won out in the end. Slumping down on the crate at the corner of a tent, Gohan kept an eye on his little brother who was marching under the tree like a soldier.
"Where are we going, nee-chan?" Trunks asked as they landed on a tall building. Videl looked around, spotting the towering Satan National Bank immediately.
"We, Trunks..." she pulled out a pair of sunglasses from her pack and put them on, "…are going to fight crime."
"COOOOOOOOOLL!!!!"
The two landed silently on the roof of Satan National Bank and quickly made their way down to the main lobby. Peering down from the railing on the fourth floor they could see everything below them. Around twenty hostages were tied up in front of the main elevator as six heavy armed men kept a tight watch. One man wearing a snappy black business suit waved a semi-auto around as he barked orders into a cell phone. Obviously the leader.
"Where is my transportation, Chief?! I'll be sending out arms and legs soon if I'm forced to wait any longer!!"
Videl and Trunks crouched down. "Trunks, we need to act fast but the main priority is the safety of the hostages."
"Pri-or-?"
"Priority; what's most important."
"Oh!"
"You'll try and distr-"
"Why don't we just blow them up, nee-chan?"
"We might hurt the hostages!"
"No, like right now."
Videl glanced up to see all the robbers huddle together. "Well, we'll just sneak down and-" she didn't get to finish her sentence as a bright ki ball cut her off to hit the huddled group dead on. The hostages screamed as the robbers got blasted into the air and thrown all around the lobby. When the smoke cleared, a large crater stood where they were. Videl gaped. Trunks smirked and lowered his out-stretched hand.
"Or you can just do that…" Videl sighed as she jumped down with Trunks and began untying the hostages.
After making sure all the robbers were, um, still smoking, and the hostages were free, Videl pulled Trunks by the arm and started to fly off. She frowned when Trunks resisted. "Come on, Trunks! What are you waiting for??"
"Don't we get a reward for beating the bad guys?" Trunks said, folding his arms.
"No. Now come on, Goten's waiting and-"
Reporters and police burst into the lobby.
Oh shit.
"Hey, kid, are you alone?"
"No, I'm waiting till Trunks and nee-chan come back."
"I don't care! Are those your toys?"
"Yup!"
"Then give them to me!"
Gohan frowned at the scene. A few older kids had come up to Goten and surrounded him. Obviously, these punks were after the three hug bags of stuffed animals Videl, Goten and Trunks had won. He remained calm even though he was a bit worried. Worried that Goten might hurt the older kids.
Goten stuck his tongue out at the freckled kid who seemed to be the leader of the bunch. "Nyah! You can't have them! Nee-chan told me to guard them! And nobody can take it!"
"She's not here to help you, you little baby!!"
"I'm not a baby!!"
"Yes you are! And-and-you're stupid!" he punctuated this by shoving Goten… only to end up falling back as if he shoved at a wall.
"I'm not stupid!! You are! See? You fell down all by yourself!!"
The kid's face reddened as his friends started laughing. "Shut up!! You're just a coward!!"
"I'm not!"
"Yes you are! Your mother is a coward and your sister and your father!!"
"No they aren't!!" Goten was getting angry now…. But he remembered that Videl told him not to fight. He would keep his promise.
"Oh yeah?? So where are they now?"
"Mommy's at home and nee-chan will be back!!"
"Hah! What about your daddy?"
"Daddy's dead! He died fighting Cell!"
At this the kids stared at Goten before bursting out in laughter. "Hahahaha!! What-- HAHAHAHAHAHA!!"
Goten frowned, "What?? It's true!!"
"Yeah right!! You're daddy's probably a big crybaby and ran away!!"
"No he isn't!!"
"Yes he is!!"
Goten's lip started to quiver and Gohan felt his anger rising. How dare those punks?! Where was Vivi?? How could she just leave Goten here?!
"NO!! Daddy's the strongest in the world!!"
"Liar! Liar! Pants on fire!! You're daddy's just a big cry baby like you!!"
Goten's eyes watered from anger more than anything else. His little fists were shaking as he tried to keep them to himself.
"See!! CRYBABY! CRYBABY! JUST LKE YOUR DADDY!!" the leader taunted as his friends chanted 'cry-baby' over and over.
Goten was shaking fully with rage by now, his tears flowing as his eyes dangerously flickered into a lighter color. Gohan's grip shattered the corner of the crate as he stood up. That's it; he was not going to just sit there while-
A hand gripped the leader by the back of his collar and yanked him up. He was spun around violently and found himself on the wrong end of the most bloodcurdling glare he ever seen (or will see).
"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY TO MY BROTHER YOU STINKING BRAT?!?!" Videl roared into the terrified face of the freckled kid, sending out a small ki wave adding to the effect as the leader was forced to clamp his eyes tightly at the sudden change in air pressure. She arrived just in time to hear the insults hurled at Goten and his father after escaping from the media with much difficulty. She had to physically drag Trunks away from the cameras and fly off right in front of the crowd.
Her intense glare was made more menacing by the shadow cast by her cap and the kid found himself shaking uncontrollably. Glancing around he found that his friends had deserted him, high-tailing as soon as they saw Videl stalk over. He never wanted his mommy more.
"You listen to me you little ungrateful punk, his father was the strongest and bravest warrior there ever was and will be. Don't even dream that you or anyone else can be like him. Don't even IMAGINE insulting Son Goku or his family. If I ever see your sorry excuse for a face again I will tie you up and beat you like a piñata until you burst and your guts pour out like candy. Only then will you understand the true meaning of crybaby. Do you understand?" She grounded out through her teeth, her voice carrying the very real promise with every word. The boy sobbed pathetically.
"I said…" Videl shook the boy a few times, "DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?" The boy nodded in fear as he continued bawling, drawing stares from around.
"Good." Videl let go and the boy dropped to the ground before scrambling off to find his mother. Gohan openly gawked at Videl's outburst. That was… a bit too much, but a part of him was immensely satisfied on the look of pure terror on the kid's face. He absently mused that she would make a fine Saiyan.
Goten ran up to Videl and jumped in her arms. "Nee-chan! I kept my promise!"
Videl hugged Goten tightly, "Yes you did, I'm proud of you. Those brats weren't worth your anger. Come on, let's finish our day." She gave Goten a smile before putting him down. The three gathered their stuff and continued on, intent on finishing the day without anymore troubles.
"COOL!! Hey nee-chan can I come next time?? Please??"
"No, Goten. It's, uh, a one time thing. And remember to keep this between us."
"Aw… no fun…"
Trunks had retold his crime fighting escapade in vivid detail (adding gore and carnage as he saw fit). Goten soaked up every word going "COOL!" every word or so; Videl had just smiled warmly at the scene. She was glad that being the five/six year olds they were, they didn't think as far as to how she knew a robbery took place. It'll be hard to explain that she fought crime in Satan City without the risk of the information spilling out to their families. And if their families would happen to ask anyone in Satan City on who the resident crime fighter was, her name would come up. Videl Satan: Mr. Satan's daughter.
Speaking of that day's crime fighting, luckily she had contacted the Chief (excusing herself to the bathroom where Gohan couldn't follow) and informed that she had been preoccupied so she sent a friend instead. Needless to say the Chief had literally a hundred questions but she just quickly said her good-byes and shut off the connection. She would deal with the details later.
Now, the small group gathered together on the hills along with other spectators waiting for the fireworks. Goten and Trunks got bored after a while and were playing tag under Videl's watchful eye. She would spike her ki in warning whenever the boys got rough or when they forget to run on the ground, after all, two flying boys in public would not be good to her mental health.
Finally they got tired and slumped beside her on the straw mat she brought. Soon they were asleep; Goten curled up beside her and Trunks with his head on her stomach. Videl laid there sighing peacefully up at the darkening sky. In the city, one really couldn't see the stars as clearly as in the country where the air is free from smog and with no artificial lights taking the splendor away.
Videl wished her life was like this…. Like it used to be.
They used to live in a cozy house on the outskirts of Orange Star City.
Just her, mother, and father.
They used to.
Ah, the wonders of past tense.
Videl looked down at the two bundles cuddled up at her and each other for warmth in the cooling air. Smiling, she took her hands out from underneath her head to draw them closer. Concentrating her mind, she raised her ki to form a warm blanket over them. Once satisfied, she absently sang a lullaby from a time she once forgotten.
Dance upon moons to swim the milky way
Dreams are all they seem
Children come running to where you lay
Taking you on a star beam
Wishes made do really come true
So close your eyes to see
Right here, right now, out of the blue
Sleep, dream and hold me
Videl found herself blinking the wetness out from her eyes. How could she forget her mother's lullaby? The lost words just came out as if she never forgotten, the tune still fresh in her mind. She had tried recalling it for years and never succeeded, yet now…
She glanced down at Goten and Trunks.
Maybe it was because she finally found someone to sing it to.
Smiling, she smoothed their hair and resumed her star gazing.
It took all his willpower not to go over there and join them. With the boys peacefully sleeping by her side on the grassy hill under the stars, they were the picture perfect family. Well, ignoring the fact that none of them were related. Gohan felt her ki rise to warm Goten and Trunks and felt a bit jealous that he had to sit there alone and cold knowing he couldn't raise his own ki without being noticed.
But then, that was before she started singing.
Her soft voice was meant for the trio but his Saiyan hearing could pick it up clearly. The tune was soothing yet it held a deeper meaning due to the way she sang as if remembering a precious memory from long ago. He could hear the longing in her voice and wonder briefly if her mother was the one to teach it to her. He didn't realize he had approached her till he opened his mouth.
"That's a beautiful lullaby."
Videl shot her head up in surprise to see Gohan looking down at her. "Gohan?" she whispered, not wanting to wake the boys, "what are you doing here?"
"Was bored at home so I followed Goten's ki. I hope I'm not intruding or anything," he sheepishly rubbed the back of his head.
Videl smiled and patted the empty spot to the left of her. Gohan gratefully sat down, pleased that her ki blanket warmed him up immediately.
"We're going back soon though, after the fireworks."
"It's okay, I never seen fireworks before."
"You haven't?!" she exclaimed, conscious to keep her voice at a minimum.
Gohan blushed a bit, "Well…I don't really go out to these kinds of things much…"
"Oh wow, and to think you've been to another planet and st-" Videl clamped her mouth shut as she cursed herself for not thinking before talking. Gohan gave her a weary smile. Videl nervously smiled back.
"Just how much did Goten tell you?"
"Um well…."
"About the Saiyans?"
"Ah, that, er, yes…" Piccolo had nicely filled her in on the history of the Saiyans' arrival on earth. To think Gohan had to go through all that while she was still frolicking about in her underwear had gave her even more motivation to train harder.
"About... Cell?"
Gohan watched her expression closely and the caught glimpses of guilt flash before it disappeared. What did that mean?
"Yes." She looked away. "I'm sorry if I offended you… but please don't blame Goten… I promise I won't tell anyone."
Gohan chuckled. "It's okay, we trust you."
Trust you.
He could never imagine how much that stung.
Videl smiled up at him, "Thank you."
Gohan wanted to know more about her but he still couldn't figure out how to without being rude or intrusive. Guess he'll just start with the basics. "So, where're you from, Vivi?"
"Satan City," she answered truthfully. Well, she did already let it slip out to Chi-Chi.
"Satan City?"
"Used to be Orange Star, renamed after Mr. Satan 'who defeated Cell'." That actually tasted bad coming from her mouth. To her surprise, Gohan let out a hearty laugh. Why were these people so good-natured about it?!
"They named a city after him? Oh wow, I never knew…" Videl smiled weakly but said nothing more.
"You a student there?"
"Um yeah. You're home schooled right?"
"Right."
"I wished I was home schooled, it must be nice able to study in the privacy of your own room. Peace and quiet…"
"True, but you wouldn't like it if it was my mother that's doing the teaching. I've gotten through college material already."
"What?! That's insane!"
"You tell her."
"I said that's insane, not I'm insane."
They both laughed.
"So, how did you meet Goten?"
Videl chewed her lip for moment, mentally editing the story and thinking over her words. "I was, oh gosh this is so embarrassing, running away from home."
Gohan raised an eyebrow.
"Not for long though!" she quickly blurted out, "Just for the weekend. Got into an argument with my father. But it's okay now, we made up." She stopped, feeling a bit uncomfortable talking about her father to a person that lost his. "I was sleeping when I awoke with a toad on me, it was seconds later that your brother showed up and slammed a net on my chest. The toad got away."
Gohan chuckled. "I hope he didn't hurt you or anything,
not that I'm insulting your strength but, you know, him being half-Saiyan
and all."
Videl grinned. "That's one of the things that surprised
me. It did hurt. A lot. And I practice martial arts you know, and I've
taken hard hits before but never from a bamboo net swung by a child. After
that we just got along!"
"You study martial arts?"
"Yeah, since I was eight."
"What form?"
"Oh, anything and everything. I try to get familiar with all the styles and techniques."
"Who taught you?"
"My parents, some teachers. I'm mostly self-taught though." She hoped he didn't notice how much she was avoiding the subject of her parents while keeping as much information from him as she could.
"Self-taught? Wow, you really do have potential."
Videl blushed at the compliment, "Th-thank you! I'm still a long way from my goal though."
"Your goal?"
She grinned, "To fight like you guys. Well, I never will come close to you Saiyans but at least I hope to be the strongest human someday."
"Hey want to spar some time? I'll give you some pointers to help get you closer to your goal!" not to mention it would be a good chance to see how strong she really was.
Videl's eyes lit up, "Really!? I would love to!"
"Well, whenever you're visiting Goten just drop by. Mom also wants to meet you again."
"Really?"
"She likes you a lot." He wasn't about to tell her that his mother made it a habit to tease him about her.
"I really can't express how happy I am to hear that."
Gohan silently wondered if his mother was the only mother figure Videl got since her mother's death. Judging from yesterday's events, he found it most likely. Suddenly he felt a slight shift in her ki. Focusing his attention on the girl next to him he chuckled slightly.
"Want me to take over?"
"Huh?" questioned Videl, who was trying to pace her breathing. Gohan waved his hand lightly above them.
"Ki blanket."
"Oh! Um, if you don't mind that is; I'm so sorry I still need a lot of practice controlling my ki. I'm not used to spreading it out like this." She murmured, quite embarrassed to show weakness in front of Gohan. Gohan just smiled as he effortlessly extended his ki out.
"It's okay, just keep practicing, I'll take over this time."
Videl gave him a grateful smile before collapsing her ki. Whew, that took more out of her than she thought.
Afterwards they fell into a comfortable silence and soon Videl was nodding off feeling quite safe and content engulfed in Gohan's ki. Heck, if she wasn't safe with three Saiyans, then she was convinced she never will be. Gohan laid there listening to the soft snores of his brother and his friends as his mind analyzed the conversation moments before.
Vivi was a good person, that he knew for sure. But he also noticed how she carefully avoided giving him any specific information. Anyone as into martial arts as she was would be spouting out stories and asking questions in hopes of gaining experience. But she just answered his questions with brief answers without asking any of her own. He could tell she was dying to ask him more about martial arts but refrained from doing so in fear that he would be asking even more back at her.
He furrowed his brows.
'What is she hiding?'
After a few seconds of contemplating what to do, he finally decided he would just let her be. As long as it won't cause his friends or family pain, he would respect her privacy. Her history was her own; it's her right to tell them when she wants to.
Shhhhwwwweeeeeeee----POW!!!!
Videl, Goten and Trunks jumped.
"The fire works are starting!!" exclaimed Videl as she gazed up at the colorful blasts in the sky. Gohan was also gazing heavenward in awe of the beautiful light show. Goten and Trunks squealed in excitement, not even noticing Gohan who was beside Videl.
"Wow, they're so beautiful…" whispered Gohan. Videl laughed.
"They're supposed to be! Ooh! Look at that one!!" A bright blue streak flew up to explode in a twirl of blue, green and purple.
"Look! A red one!" pointed Gohan at one that lit up the whole field in red. The two teens continued enjoying the fireworks not noticing the boys whispering to each other.
"I dunno, Trunks…"
"Come on, Goten! No one will notice! Nee-chan's too busy with your brother!"
"Brother?" Goten finally took the time to glance to the left.
"Nii-MMPH!!" his call was muffled by Trunk's hands.
"Quiet you idiot!! Now come on! Before the fireworks stop! I wanna try this just once!!" hissed Trunks. Goten pulled his hands away before nodding.
"Okay!"
Gohan and Videl felt it before they saw it. Two bright ki balls shot up into the sky to explode like a supernova, sending a ring of light gliding across the sky. The crowd below clapped and cheered. The fireworks crew just stared in wonder. Gohan and Videl snapped their head to the two boys who were dancing in triumph.
"Goten! Trunks! What are you doing?!" Videl hissed, glancing around nervously to see if anyone saw them. They were the highest on top of the hill so thankfully no one was near enough to see. Not to mention no one was paying attention to anything but the fireworks.
"Come on nee-chan! Try it! It's fun!!" Trunks said before blasting another ki ball into the sky. It exploded in gold before fading off a light blue.
"Yeah! Nii-chan, you try to!!" joined Goten as he too shot a volley of blasts creating a chain of lights that went off like firecrackers.
Gohan and Videl glanced at each other before smirking. Heck, why not?
They both laid back down on the mat and pointed their hands skyward. With an excited "HA!" they both let go ki blasts that spun around each other in a red and blue twist before shooting out opposite of each other a short way, bursting into red and blue sparks. The crowd went wild. Wow, talk about your superior fireworks! The fireworks crew were still staring in wonder as the automatic firework launcher kept its pace.
"Gohan, try and beat this!!" Videl thrust both her hands forward as a bright blue orb blasted into the sky. She concentrated hard, commanding the orb to split into seven smaller balls that formed a spinning circle. The seven balls spun the circle closer and closer till they merged with a bright flash. With the bright flash still visible, the seven balls shot out away from each other trailing white blue streaks across the sky. Videl lower her hands with a huff.
"I got that idea from the stories about the Dragonballs. Hear the cheering?" she waved to the roar of cheering below. "Try and beat that!"
Gohan smirked at her. "A challenge it is," he said before holding his palms facing each other before him.
Videl watched mesmerized as a swirl of gold, blue and red formed, pulsating in rhythm with his heartbeat. He soon let it fly to explode in various patterns and alternating colors. He kept shooting up more ki balls and very quickly the area was lit up like it was day, the sky practically burning with golden, blue and red flames. It was intense, like watching supernovas collide with each other as Gohan kept his pace until he let out a final blast that burst so high up that it created a dome of falling stars around the area.
The roar of the crowd was deafening.
Videl was speechless. Gohan just smiled smugly at her with the cheers of 'Encore! Encore!' coming from below. Videl, not one to take losing lightly, glared at him. He smiled even wider.
"No fair, you got more ki and you're better at controlling it then me!"
"You were the one that challenged me."
"One day, Son Gohan, I'll beat you at something. Mark my words."
"Bring it on."
They both glared at each other before cracking up, rolling on the mat in peals of laughter. Goten and Trunks looked at each other and shrugged.
The group had quickly flown off as soon at the original firework show ended, not wanting to be approached if indeed someone saw the blasts coming from them. Dumping all the prizes back at the Son's living room the boys immediately dived in.
"I want THIS one!"
"That's mine!"
"And THIS one!"
"These two…and that… and this…"
"And THAT one!"
"Oooh, I wanted all three of these!"
"And THIS one!"
Videl and Gohan shook their heads at the boy's, grins on their faces.
Chi-Chi came from the kitchen and took one look at the scene. "Oh! Productive day I presume?"
Videl smiled brightly at Chi-Chi, "Oh! It was so
fun Chi-Chi!! You should have been there!!" she proceeded to tell Chi-Chi
and Gohan (who pretended he didn't know a thing) about the events of the
day, leaving out the instance where she left Goten to fight crime with
Trunks. Gohan kept his mouth shut about that.
When she finished her story, Chi-Chi announced dinner
and the whole group piled into the kitchen. Once again Videl was graced
with the delicious cooking as she honed her chopstick skills by quickly
snatching up morsels before three other sticks would. Videl was beyond
ecstatic when Chi-Chi handed her the recipes for the night's dishes. Videl
almost let it slip out that she was going to give it to her cook but was
able to stop in time. She always wanted to learn to cook anyway, what better
time to try with one of Chi-Chi's recipes!!
Afterwards, the boy picked out their toys and the rest were bundled up for donation. Thanking the Sons and saying her good-byes, Videl blasted home as Gohan flew Trunks back to CC. Videl was still smiling when she landed on her balcony, not believing the fun she had. As she turned on her TV her good mood immediately plummeted.
"Reported today that a new superhero or should I say super heroine made herself known! Sources say that this new heroine is a friend of our beloved Videl Satan and was there to capture the notorious Black Serpent gang at Satan National Bank this afternoon. A few snapshots of this heroine with her side-kick were taken as you can see here."
Images of Videl with Trunks in a head lock flying away were shown. Thank goodness they only got shots of her back. Trunks's head was also hidden by her arms so hopefully no one would make the connection to the heir of Capsule Corps.
"Just who is this new hero? And the how could they fly? And-"
Videl stopped listening and immediately called the news station. "Hello? Satan News Today? Yes, this is Videl Satan and I want to clarify a few things. Yes, I'll hold. Okay. Hello? Yes, I have some things to say about today's robbery and my friend. Yes, the girl and the boy. Yes. I know, I-yes, okay, okay, I know, wait-uh huh. Okay, but, wait… SHUT UP AND LISTEN TILL I'M FINISHED OR I'LL MAKE SURE YOU'LL BE EATING OUT OF A USED INSTANT NOODLE CUP THE REST OF YOUR LIFE!!!! Thank you."
Calming her nerves, Videl slowly made up a story as she jolted down the points on a pad for reference.
"My friend's a strong martial artist and I've known her for a long time. She doesn't wish to have her identity known so don't bother finding out. The boy was her little brother who is also very good in martial arts. No, um, I'm still stronger. After all I'm the strongest in the world after my father," Videl fought the urge to gag, "And she and her brother were wearing rocket boots, the newest kind that are exclusively her family's. And the light explosion was a capsule grenade, but of course you all know that right? After all there's no such thing as people flying and throwing things out of their hands, those are all tricks." Videl cringed. She sounded like her father. Finishing up she hung up and turned her attention back to the TV. Sure enough the news anchor paused.
"This just in! New information about the super heroine from Videl Satan herself! As it turns out-" Satisfied, Videl slumped to her bed.
What an exhausting day!! Fun, exciting, but exhausting none the less! And she got to talk to Gohan! And he promised to spar with her!! Dragging herself to the bathroom for a quick bath she couldn't help but wonder if she was getting herself too deep into things.
"So, Trunks, had fun today?" Gohan asked the lavender haired boy flying beside him.
"Yep! Sure did!"
"Anything… special?" Gohan knew he promised himself to let Vivi have her privacy but the curiosity was killing him. She talked into a watch and sped off with Trunks into the city. That's definitely suspicious behavior….
Trunks put a finger on his chin, thinking. Then his eyes lit up. "Yeah! It happened like this!"
Gohan listened intently as Trunks started his tale….
A.N. Woo! Well, that's 33 pages for you. Sorry if it's all just
random nothingness but trust me, the plot will thicken. I'm surprised at
the amount of response I got for the first chapter and I hope I won't be
disappointing anyone soon. I think someone asked where I got the title
Veritas from. Well, veritas to my knowledge means 'truth' in Latin. Knowing
so many fanfics with the word 'truth' in them I figured I would just go
at it in another language.
Veritas would have two parts. This first part will eventually focus
on Videl and her relationship with her father. The second part (which will
include the Tenkaichi Budokai and Buu saga) will focus on Gohan and Videl.
Anyway, thank you for reading all that rubbish, I hope you'll keep following my stories ^^ Btw, I know that ki-fireworks thing was running off course but hey, it didn't show in the manga that they couldn't manipulate their ki into mimicking fireworks. But if it bothers you, forgive me for making it so far-fetched, I just thought it's a cool idea to get Gohan and Videl closer.
