Chapter 10: Cinderella
"Man, I don't know if I've ever been pushed around so much in my life!" Goten commented as they tried to make their way through the milling crowd. The night of the ball had finally arrived, and the two of them were trying unsuccessfully to make their way across the crowded room.
"Except for the times when I'm fighting you!" Trunks quipped.
"Yeah, right! I think you're a little confused about who's pushing who around when we spar!" Goten shot back. They didn't have time to finish the argument, however, because at that moment Bulma approached them, seeming worried.
"Konban wa, Mrs. Briefs. My, you look lovely tonight!" Goten said as sweetly as he could.
"Stop trying to suck up to me, Goten. You're getting the same amount of food as the rest of us, so don't try it," Bulma said humorously as Goten started to laugh.
"You know me too well, Bulma. Was there something you needed to talk to us about?" Goten asked.
"Actually yes. It's about Kari," Bulma began. At the mention of her name, Trunks stopped searching the room and snapped to attention. "I haven't seen her here yet. The party started an hour ago, but no one's seen her. She told me she was going to stay behind at the house to finish getting ready and come later, but that was two hours ago. Just keep a look out for her, please?" Bulma requested.
Trunks and Goten agreed and headed for the food, where it was less crowded. Goten began digging in on the finger appetizers, but stopped as he noticed Trunks' expression. He knew his best friend felt very deeply for Kari, and could tell he was very worried about her after their talk with Bulma. "Hey man, don't worry. She's probably just running late or something. Women love to spend hours getting ready, so relax, enjoy the party! You know she'd want you to be having a good time!" Goten assured him.
"You're probably right, for once," he smirked. "Let's go talk to that brunette over there. She's been eyeing you since we got over here," Trunks said smugly, changing the subject.
"Really? Well, then, I better go introduce myself," Goten said, and started strolling towards her, Trunks right by him.
* * * *
"Kuso! I'm so late. I hope no one's worried," Kari chastised herself. She was rushing to get to the party as fast as she could, but she couldn't help but feel bad for telling Bulma she'd be there soon two hours ago. Even though it wasn't her fault her dress tore, she could have gone a little faster with the sewing. Oh well, she thought, at least I'll be happy when Trunks sees me in my dress.
She had been very proud in her selection. It was a shimmering, silver, strapless dress that had a very full skirt and a short train, fitting her figure nicely. She was wearing pearl white gloves, silver open-toe dress sandals, diamond earrings, and her sapphire family crest necklace to top off the outfit. She hadn't wanted Bulma to spend the money on the earrings, but Bulma couldn't be persuaded to change her mind. Kari's hair was pulled up in a French twist, with little tendrils of hair dangling around her face. She looked like a beautiful princess from a fairy tale, or at least that's what Bulma had said. She only hoped that Trunks would be duly impressed, as well.
Kari finally reached the site of the party and took a deep breath as she neared the ruby curtained entrance. Relax, it's only a few...hundred...people...she thought nervously. But thinking of Trunks in there, somewhere in the mingling crowd, gave her the courage to step through the entrance behind another couple and begin the long descent down the flight of carpeted stairs.
As she began her descent into the room, it seemed as if time froze. Conversation dropped to a minimum at the sight of her gliding down the stairs and the band faulted in their playing, all taking in the sight of her. It was like seeing Cinderella walk down the stairs of the Prince's Ball, and the only thing anyone could do was look on in awe and wonder. Kari began to grow hot knowing that everyone was staring at her, and she only wished that Trunks would come to her rescue.
Trunks was standing in the center of the room talking to Goten's newest interest and her friend when he noticed the room had grown strangely quiet. Following the stares, he looked up and saw a gorgeous girl walking down to the party. As he gawked even more, he almost tripped over Goten's foot as he realized it was Kari. She looked absolutely radiant, the most gorgeous woman he had ever seen! He couldn't take his eyes off of her.that is until Goten punched him in the shoulder. "Hey, Romeo, why don't you go say hi? I have a feeling every other single guy in this room is going to be swarming over her in a matter of seconds. She might be happy to see a familiar face," Goten urged him.
"Yeah...right," Trunks said, half-conscious. He had already started walking in her direction and sped up as he noticed other guys walking towards her. He wasn't going to let anyone get there first but him. As he reached the foot of the stairs and he offered his hand to her, her face lighting up with delight. "May I have this dance, miss?" he asked in his most gentlemanly voice.
Kari replied, while stifling a laugh, "Yes, you may, kind sir." She took his hand and the two of them walked off together, arm in arm, to the disappointment of all the other guys in the room.
The party resumed its previous chatter and dancing as the pair reached Goten and his new "friend." "Hey, Kari! You look really great! I mean...wow! I might have to do some bodyguard work tonight to keep the guys off of you!" he complemented as he hugged her.
"Thanks, Goten. You look very impressive as well. Who knew you would shine up so nicely?" she joked.
"Hey! I'm not that bad, am I? But, you will save a dance for me later on, right? I'd be very disappointed if I didn't get to dance with the belle of the ball! "
"Certainly I will! Don't worry. Besides, it looks like you've already got someone to dance with..." she said as she saw the girl he was with and winked at him, which made him start blushing. As the present song ended, another immediately followed. Trunks asked with a hint of nervousness in his voice, "Do you want to dance? I wouldn't want you to waste that dress just standing around."
"Of course I do. I hope I met your expectations of dress," Kari said in a joking, yet hopeful voice.
"Well, I was expecting something more stylish from you, but I guess this will have to do," he laughed as Kari gave him a fake-hurt look. "Just joking! You look beautiful. You really outdid yourself," he said truthfully.
"Thanks. And, let's not forget about you! You look gor...I mean..." Kari stumbled over her words, "you look great, and I think the other girls in the room have noticed it, too," Kari recovered. "I'm going to have to be careful, or I could lose my dancing partner!"
The only one I want to dance with in this whole room is you, Trunks thought. He couldn't believe how wonderful it was to be dancing with her. The two continued dancing in silence, and Kari, deciding that she had to do something soon or she would burst with emotion, placed her head on Trunks' shoulder. It shocked him for a second, but he was quickly overcome with happiness. Maybe she does feel the same way about me as I do her...
Just then, someone tapped Trunks on the shoulder and a very familiar, very unwelcome voice said, "May I cut in?"
It was Yamora.
Kari's heart stopped in her chest as she recognized the voice and looked up. What did he want now?
"I don't think you should be here. Let me show you the door, " Trunks said threateningly, stepping in front of Kari.
"Now, is that any way to treat a guest? As an invited company of this party, I have the right to choose who I want to dance with, and I choose her," Yamora declared, reaching for Kari.
"Don't touch her," Trunks said, grabbing Yamora's arm and holding it tightly.
Kari realized what a precarious situation this was, and knew there was only one solution. "Don't fight. This is not the place for it. Trunks, it's all right, I can handle him by myself," Kari asserted. Trunks was about to protest but she cut him off. "I need to do this. I need to get him to leave me alone once and for all. Don't worry, you saw me fight. I can handle it," Kari whispered.
"All right, but if he tries anything, I can't promise he'll be seen again," Trunks replied. Kari thanked him, and he left to go talk to Goten about the whole matter and tell him to keep a watchful eye on her.
Kari turned to face the man that had been haunting her very existence for the past three years, and nearly broke down at the thought of being alone with him. But, she kept up her strength and reminded herself just who she was: the princess of Arquinia, and no one, no one, should make her cower like this. "What do you want, Yamora?" she asked coolly, but determined.
"You know what I want. Why don't you give up this game of hide and seek and come back to me? I know you miss me," Yamora said, eying her.
"You just don't get it, do you? I don't love you, I never did, and I never will. Why can't you understand that, and leave me alone?" Kari inquired.
"I can't leave you alone because I care too much about you. And to tell you the truth, I don't like these new friends of yours hanging around you so much. I think that purple-haired pushover is getting a little too close to you for me to just stand around and watch. I have to take care of my woman, you know," Yamora said as he slid his arm around her waist.
"Get off me, Yamora, " Kari said, her voice deadly serious as she grabbed his arm and pinned it behind his back. "Well, this brings back memories," she said as she twisted his arm tighter, causing him to clench his face in pain. "Except this time, if you don't leave me alone, I swear you'll never be seen again."
"Whoa, I get the picture," he said, pulling his arm out of her somewhat loosened grasp. " At least let me buy you a drink, to say good-bye to the old times? Then I promise I will leave you alone, forever."
"You swear? Because if you try anything like this again, I'll keep my promise..." she began.
"I know, I know. I swear. I wouldn't lie to you. I'll never come near you again without your permission. Now, let's go get that drink."
* * * *
From across the room, where he had been carefully watching, Trunks saw Kari and Yamora walk off together and made to follow them. But a hand grabbed his shoulder and held him in place. "Let them go. She can take care of herself. In fact, I bet she's already taken care of the whole problem. But if you show up, it'll just make things worse again," Goten stated verily.
Trunks had been observing the whole scene play out from where he was standing, and narrowed his gaze as Yamora lead Kari away. He couldn't help it. "I just can't stand here. What if he tries to hurt her? Or take her? Or..."
"Or what if they're just saying good-bye for good? Come on, man, I know you care about her, but you have to let her do this on her own. I'm just as worried as you, but I trust her to make the right decisions. You should, too," Goten told him. Trunks mumbled an agreement and leaned against the wall, his face concentrated in deep thought.
Suddenly, he was shaken out of his reverie as a blonde girl came up to him and asked him to dance. He recognized her as the girl that was with Goten's new "friend." What was her name again.Aya, maybe? He saw no harm in it, and besides, he needed to get his mind off the current problem. He offered his hand and led her out onto the dance floor. Kari probably wouldn't be back for a while, and he needed to loosen up anyway.
However, there was something about Yamora's presence at the party that made him uneasy, something about his motives that he couldn't quite figure out...and it frightened him.
"Man, I don't know if I've ever been pushed around so much in my life!" Goten commented as they tried to make their way through the milling crowd. The night of the ball had finally arrived, and the two of them were trying unsuccessfully to make their way across the crowded room.
"Except for the times when I'm fighting you!" Trunks quipped.
"Yeah, right! I think you're a little confused about who's pushing who around when we spar!" Goten shot back. They didn't have time to finish the argument, however, because at that moment Bulma approached them, seeming worried.
"Konban wa, Mrs. Briefs. My, you look lovely tonight!" Goten said as sweetly as he could.
"Stop trying to suck up to me, Goten. You're getting the same amount of food as the rest of us, so don't try it," Bulma said humorously as Goten started to laugh.
"You know me too well, Bulma. Was there something you needed to talk to us about?" Goten asked.
"Actually yes. It's about Kari," Bulma began. At the mention of her name, Trunks stopped searching the room and snapped to attention. "I haven't seen her here yet. The party started an hour ago, but no one's seen her. She told me she was going to stay behind at the house to finish getting ready and come later, but that was two hours ago. Just keep a look out for her, please?" Bulma requested.
Trunks and Goten agreed and headed for the food, where it was less crowded. Goten began digging in on the finger appetizers, but stopped as he noticed Trunks' expression. He knew his best friend felt very deeply for Kari, and could tell he was very worried about her after their talk with Bulma. "Hey man, don't worry. She's probably just running late or something. Women love to spend hours getting ready, so relax, enjoy the party! You know she'd want you to be having a good time!" Goten assured him.
"You're probably right, for once," he smirked. "Let's go talk to that brunette over there. She's been eyeing you since we got over here," Trunks said smugly, changing the subject.
"Really? Well, then, I better go introduce myself," Goten said, and started strolling towards her, Trunks right by him.
* * * *
"Kuso! I'm so late. I hope no one's worried," Kari chastised herself. She was rushing to get to the party as fast as she could, but she couldn't help but feel bad for telling Bulma she'd be there soon two hours ago. Even though it wasn't her fault her dress tore, she could have gone a little faster with the sewing. Oh well, she thought, at least I'll be happy when Trunks sees me in my dress.
She had been very proud in her selection. It was a shimmering, silver, strapless dress that had a very full skirt and a short train, fitting her figure nicely. She was wearing pearl white gloves, silver open-toe dress sandals, diamond earrings, and her sapphire family crest necklace to top off the outfit. She hadn't wanted Bulma to spend the money on the earrings, but Bulma couldn't be persuaded to change her mind. Kari's hair was pulled up in a French twist, with little tendrils of hair dangling around her face. She looked like a beautiful princess from a fairy tale, or at least that's what Bulma had said. She only hoped that Trunks would be duly impressed, as well.
Kari finally reached the site of the party and took a deep breath as she neared the ruby curtained entrance. Relax, it's only a few...hundred...people...she thought nervously. But thinking of Trunks in there, somewhere in the mingling crowd, gave her the courage to step through the entrance behind another couple and begin the long descent down the flight of carpeted stairs.
As she began her descent into the room, it seemed as if time froze. Conversation dropped to a minimum at the sight of her gliding down the stairs and the band faulted in their playing, all taking in the sight of her. It was like seeing Cinderella walk down the stairs of the Prince's Ball, and the only thing anyone could do was look on in awe and wonder. Kari began to grow hot knowing that everyone was staring at her, and she only wished that Trunks would come to her rescue.
Trunks was standing in the center of the room talking to Goten's newest interest and her friend when he noticed the room had grown strangely quiet. Following the stares, he looked up and saw a gorgeous girl walking down to the party. As he gawked even more, he almost tripped over Goten's foot as he realized it was Kari. She looked absolutely radiant, the most gorgeous woman he had ever seen! He couldn't take his eyes off of her.that is until Goten punched him in the shoulder. "Hey, Romeo, why don't you go say hi? I have a feeling every other single guy in this room is going to be swarming over her in a matter of seconds. She might be happy to see a familiar face," Goten urged him.
"Yeah...right," Trunks said, half-conscious. He had already started walking in her direction and sped up as he noticed other guys walking towards her. He wasn't going to let anyone get there first but him. As he reached the foot of the stairs and he offered his hand to her, her face lighting up with delight. "May I have this dance, miss?" he asked in his most gentlemanly voice.
Kari replied, while stifling a laugh, "Yes, you may, kind sir." She took his hand and the two of them walked off together, arm in arm, to the disappointment of all the other guys in the room.
The party resumed its previous chatter and dancing as the pair reached Goten and his new "friend." "Hey, Kari! You look really great! I mean...wow! I might have to do some bodyguard work tonight to keep the guys off of you!" he complemented as he hugged her.
"Thanks, Goten. You look very impressive as well. Who knew you would shine up so nicely?" she joked.
"Hey! I'm not that bad, am I? But, you will save a dance for me later on, right? I'd be very disappointed if I didn't get to dance with the belle of the ball! "
"Certainly I will! Don't worry. Besides, it looks like you've already got someone to dance with..." she said as she saw the girl he was with and winked at him, which made him start blushing. As the present song ended, another immediately followed. Trunks asked with a hint of nervousness in his voice, "Do you want to dance? I wouldn't want you to waste that dress just standing around."
"Of course I do. I hope I met your expectations of dress," Kari said in a joking, yet hopeful voice.
"Well, I was expecting something more stylish from you, but I guess this will have to do," he laughed as Kari gave him a fake-hurt look. "Just joking! You look beautiful. You really outdid yourself," he said truthfully.
"Thanks. And, let's not forget about you! You look gor...I mean..." Kari stumbled over her words, "you look great, and I think the other girls in the room have noticed it, too," Kari recovered. "I'm going to have to be careful, or I could lose my dancing partner!"
The only one I want to dance with in this whole room is you, Trunks thought. He couldn't believe how wonderful it was to be dancing with her. The two continued dancing in silence, and Kari, deciding that she had to do something soon or she would burst with emotion, placed her head on Trunks' shoulder. It shocked him for a second, but he was quickly overcome with happiness. Maybe she does feel the same way about me as I do her...
Just then, someone tapped Trunks on the shoulder and a very familiar, very unwelcome voice said, "May I cut in?"
It was Yamora.
Kari's heart stopped in her chest as she recognized the voice and looked up. What did he want now?
"I don't think you should be here. Let me show you the door, " Trunks said threateningly, stepping in front of Kari.
"Now, is that any way to treat a guest? As an invited company of this party, I have the right to choose who I want to dance with, and I choose her," Yamora declared, reaching for Kari.
"Don't touch her," Trunks said, grabbing Yamora's arm and holding it tightly.
Kari realized what a precarious situation this was, and knew there was only one solution. "Don't fight. This is not the place for it. Trunks, it's all right, I can handle him by myself," Kari asserted. Trunks was about to protest but she cut him off. "I need to do this. I need to get him to leave me alone once and for all. Don't worry, you saw me fight. I can handle it," Kari whispered.
"All right, but if he tries anything, I can't promise he'll be seen again," Trunks replied. Kari thanked him, and he left to go talk to Goten about the whole matter and tell him to keep a watchful eye on her.
Kari turned to face the man that had been haunting her very existence for the past three years, and nearly broke down at the thought of being alone with him. But, she kept up her strength and reminded herself just who she was: the princess of Arquinia, and no one, no one, should make her cower like this. "What do you want, Yamora?" she asked coolly, but determined.
"You know what I want. Why don't you give up this game of hide and seek and come back to me? I know you miss me," Yamora said, eying her.
"You just don't get it, do you? I don't love you, I never did, and I never will. Why can't you understand that, and leave me alone?" Kari inquired.
"I can't leave you alone because I care too much about you. And to tell you the truth, I don't like these new friends of yours hanging around you so much. I think that purple-haired pushover is getting a little too close to you for me to just stand around and watch. I have to take care of my woman, you know," Yamora said as he slid his arm around her waist.
"Get off me, Yamora, " Kari said, her voice deadly serious as she grabbed his arm and pinned it behind his back. "Well, this brings back memories," she said as she twisted his arm tighter, causing him to clench his face in pain. "Except this time, if you don't leave me alone, I swear you'll never be seen again."
"Whoa, I get the picture," he said, pulling his arm out of her somewhat loosened grasp. " At least let me buy you a drink, to say good-bye to the old times? Then I promise I will leave you alone, forever."
"You swear? Because if you try anything like this again, I'll keep my promise..." she began.
"I know, I know. I swear. I wouldn't lie to you. I'll never come near you again without your permission. Now, let's go get that drink."
* * * *
From across the room, where he had been carefully watching, Trunks saw Kari and Yamora walk off together and made to follow them. But a hand grabbed his shoulder and held him in place. "Let them go. She can take care of herself. In fact, I bet she's already taken care of the whole problem. But if you show up, it'll just make things worse again," Goten stated verily.
Trunks had been observing the whole scene play out from where he was standing, and narrowed his gaze as Yamora lead Kari away. He couldn't help it. "I just can't stand here. What if he tries to hurt her? Or take her? Or..."
"Or what if they're just saying good-bye for good? Come on, man, I know you care about her, but you have to let her do this on her own. I'm just as worried as you, but I trust her to make the right decisions. You should, too," Goten told him. Trunks mumbled an agreement and leaned against the wall, his face concentrated in deep thought.
Suddenly, he was shaken out of his reverie as a blonde girl came up to him and asked him to dance. He recognized her as the girl that was with Goten's new "friend." What was her name again.Aya, maybe? He saw no harm in it, and besides, he needed to get his mind off the current problem. He offered his hand and led her out onto the dance floor. Kari probably wouldn't be back for a while, and he needed to loosen up anyway.
However, there was something about Yamora's presence at the party that made him uneasy, something about his motives that he couldn't quite figure out...and it frightened him.