Dragon Ball Yugure Z
A Dragon Ball Z fanfiction
by Son Goharotto (son_goharotto@hotmail.com)
Welcome to Dragon Ball Yugure Z, my personal pet project. This is what I like to call a "multi-generational alternaverse epic." Expect a complex story spanning several volumes that are littered with cliff-hangers and titanic battles. DBYZ has been revised in its entirety. While some episodes have merely been ridden of typos, others have been rewritten completely. I'll be starting from the beginning at one episode a day so new readers can join in, undaunted by DBYZ's length, and old readers can review past events. All this is leading up to the new Episode 37, from which I'll try to keep a normal updating pace instead of letting this be forgotten as it once was.
DISCLAIMER: As much as I mgiht wish it not to be, DBZ does not belong to me. It's the property of Akira Toriyama-sama and many others who (unfortunately) aren't me. I'm not trying to make any money off of this and it's just a way for me to show my love of all things Dragon Ball. Well, except maybe GT. Bleah. I is teh poor, so don't sue me.
WARNINGS: As a whole, this series contains mature language (usually in Japanese), graphic violence, brutality, mature situations (non-lemon), and a touch of angst.
NOTES: A liberal amount of Japanese vocabulary is sprinkled throughout, though nothing extremely important is ever said in another language that isn't translated. Mostly just basic Otaku Japanese. I've compiled a list of phrases I use on my homepage here: www.enpitsudo-dojo.com/libjapanese.html.
"dialogue"
""layered voice"" (Fusion, for example)
{alien language}
[thoughts, telepathy, memories]
_stressed words_
*sounds*
~scene change~
Volume III -- Revelations
Episode 19 -- Goten's Big Surprise!! The Chance Encounter On Purpose!!
Goten walked wearily into the bedroom he shared with Trunks, dropping down onto his pillow-covered futon. He instantly regretted to action, wincing as he held a hand over his bandaged side. After the pain subsided, he carefully folded his hands behind his head and let his eyes wander about the room.
Trunks lay on his bed on the other side of the small but comfortable room. He was flipping through one of his many mangas, reading by the light of a flourescent lamp attached to the wall. Besides Trunks' lamp, the only light came from outside. The orange-red light of the setting sun spilled in through the window, bathing the room in a ruddy glow. Both young men were bandaged in places, reminders of their battle with Nagareboshi not a week before. The regen tank had been damaged during their training, so a quick heal was out of the question.
Goten smoothed out the small band-aid over his left eyebrow. The half-Saiyajin shifted restlessly and sat up, looking over the bookcase next to him. Vegeta had neglected their education beyond combat and some instruction in Saiyago, but having learned from his best friend, Goten was more or less literate. He pulled out a magazine and flipped through it, before tossing the periodical on the floor in frustration.
He tried to relax, but just couldn't seem to get comfortable. Goten got up and did some quick stretches, then massaged his elbow to work out a kink. He murmured to himself unintelligibly.
"It's only been two days," Trunks stated. Without looking up, he reached out and plucked a can of soda off of his night stand, taking it behind the pages for a sip.
"Nn? What do you mean?"
"Goku-san left only a couple of days ago. You can't expect him to come back so soon," he explained.
"I know, I know," Goten replied, waving his hand. "I can't help being impatient." He closed the blinds and flicked on the light by his bed. Sitting down, he swung his feet up onto the small table.
"Get your feet off the table," Trunks ordered laconically. Goten quickly put his feet down. The older of the two closed the manga and stacked it neatly with a few others. "How's your arm?"
"Not bad, it's still kinda stings though." Goten adjusted the cast on his left arm so it was more comfortable. "Nnnn! It itches!" He began to scratch furious at the cast as if to abate the annoying itch.
"Dame da. I'll see what I can do tomorrow." He finished off his soda before tossing the can into a wastebasket and slipped under the covers of his bed. "Oyasumi nasai."
"Oyasumi, Trunks-kun." Goten jumped into bed and pulled the covers up to his chin. He turned off the light, paused, and turned it back on. "Trunks-kun?"
After a pause, "...Nani?"
"Something's nagging me."
"What would that be?" Trunks propped himself up on one elbow and turned on his light. He and Goten had been best friends all their lives, so--not surprisingly--he was genuinely concerned.
"Lately, I've noticed something...odd." Goten paused to gather his thoughts. "I keep feeling some sort of...presence."
"How so? Does it feel threatening?"
"Not really, just kinda foreign. It seems like it gets closer every time too."
Trunks looked methodical for a moment. "Now that you mention it, I've been getting some peculiar feelings lately as well." He shrugged. "It's probably nothing, but I'll ask Papa about it tomorrow. Get some sleep Goten-kun."
"Hai, Oyasumi nasai Trunks-kun."
"Oyasumi nasai."
Goten turned off his light and rolled to face the wall. His little chat with Trunks seemed to put his mind at ease and Goten felt much better about it. As always, Goten thanked Kami for having such a good friend before nodding off.
Trunks waited until he heard Goten's light snoring and leaned back, turning off his own light so the room was left in darkness. He always was the dominant one and Trunks felt it was his responsibility to help his friend through this particularly difficult time. Goten was being torn between two families and Trunks didn't want his best friend to feel alone. With a sigh, Trunks closed his eyes and dozed off.
In the hallway, Vegeta stood just outside the door. He had heard their brief exchange and felt a little wary. The Saiyajin too had sensed a strange presence, always just on the edge of his perception. Vegeta walked off towards the high-grav gym for some light training. As he walked, he again sensed a brief flicker of that peculiar awareness. Vegeta shuddered involuntarily. [I don't think I'm going like this...]
~~~~~
Goten flipped his Capsule Corp hat onto his head and shrugged on a matching grey jacket. There was a little skip to his walk as he went outside and he sorely resisted the urge to click his heels. Strolling somewhat out of character, he left the compound at a brisk pace, humming a tune he couldn't get out of his head (if you must know, it's Makafushigi Adventure).
"Where are you going?" asked a rough voice. Vegeta floated down slowly to stand not a meter from Goten. His arms were crossed and his face was set in that oh-so-familiar scowl--though that wasn't anything new.
Unruffled, Goten smiled. "Just thought I'd look around is all. I've been cooped up in the high-grav gym for too long."
Vegeta arched an eyebrow suspiciously. "Why don't you just fly?"
"C'mon ojisan! It's a nice day, you gotta stop and smell the roses every now and then, ne?"
Vegeta hung his head, holding the bridge of his nose between thumb and forefinger. "Why me? ...You could be more serious about your training you know."
Goten gave a short laugh and scratched the back of his head. "I've been serious about my training for what, a decade? Nagareboshi's dead, I think we deserve some down time. I'll see you this evening, hai?"
Vegeta gave his young charge a blank stare. "Don'na demo. Have fun," he said, his voice sarcastic to the point of excessive. He rolled his eyes skyward and took off, heading back towards Capsule Corp.
"Spoilsport." Goten shrugged and resumed his walk. The area in the immediate vicinity of Capsule Corp wasn't exactly pleasant, having still suffered from Nagareboshi's careless search, but Goten was happy to see an increase in new construction. [These humans are tough people. Vegeta-san doesn't give them enough credit,] Goten thought as he watched some kids play in a brand new park. [The aren't as strong as us, but they're survivors, that's for sure.]
The going became considerably nicer as he entered the rebuilt west district. It was a residential/business kind of area similar to what might be seen in smaller communities. People chatted happily about weather and current events, glad to finally get on with their lives. Shop keepers haggled desperately with stubborn old men. Mothers dragged reluctant children on errands. All in all, things were returning to normal.
As he entered the community square, Goten noticed a small group of girls off to one side. He really couldn't care less what they were talking about until he heard something that made his blood boil. They snuck peeks at him, whispered his name perhaps a bit too loud, and giggled excitedly. Goten couldn't help blushing at the thought that he was the center of attention.
Goten turned away to hide his reddening face as if window browsing. He really didn't notice what store he was in front of, but then, that was the _last_ thing on his mind. He tried mind his own business and was starting to relax when he heard footsteps behind him, followed by another titter of poorly concealed laughter.
Finally, the inevitable came. "You're Son Goten, honto?" asked a distinctly feminine voice.
Goten turned to face the girl and was struck by her beauty. Now, being a hermit of sorts, Goten was no one to judge a person's appearance, but he was sure the girl in front of him was more then qualified for the description. Goten fought desperately to keep his eyes on her face as he replied, "H-hai, that's me. I'm Goten."
The girl shrieked giddily and her friends rushed up to gather around him. They swept him away with requests for autographs and many took some quick pictures. Goten could've sworn one of them had grabbed his rear.
"Oi, oi! O-one at a time!" [This isn't getting me anywhere!] Goten shifted his position and quickly pushed off, lifting away from the ground, effectively disengaging himself from the girls. He landed to applause and blushed again as the girls looked on with adoration. Apparently, news spread quickly that he was involved in Nagareboshi's demise (some even thought Goten did it himself) and also apparently, the people were very grateful. VERY grateful.
Goten raised his hands to ward off the oncoming crowd of semi-worshipers. [Why didn't I listen to Vegeta-san?]
~~~~~
Paresu landed in the west district. Under normal conditions, she easily could have used the Shunkan Idou to find Goten, but her target was adept at concealing his ki, which rendered the technique useless. She walked around for a bit, admiring the new construction. It was refreshing to see the people out and about instead of cowering in corners, afraid that Nagareboshi might return.
[Okay, let's get started!] Paresu looked around for a helpful individual. "Um, excuse me!" she called out to a elderly man sitting on a bench. "Konnichi wa, ojiisan. Might you be able to tell me where Capsule Corporation is?"
The old man looked up from his book, his aging features wrinkled in surprise. "Capsule Corp, eh? Why sure I can tell ya. It's jus' a ways down the block there," he said, pointing to the wide street behind him. "Follow the road an' you'll get there jus' fine."
"Domo arigato," she said with a bow.
The man regarded her with an amused twinkle in his eye. "You looking for that big hero fella?"
"Who do you mean?" Paresu asked confused.
"Haven't you been keepin' up with current events, lass? Why, Son Goten lives down that way. He's the son of Son Goku, strongest fighter on the planet. That Goten fella killed the space monster don'tcha know."
"Honto ni?" Paresu responded, amused. "As a matter of fact, that's who I'm looking for."
"Well, you'd best hurry, lass. There're many girls lookin' for a brave fella like that. Don't wanna miss your chance now, do ya? Go on, gonbatte."
"Arigato, ojiisan. Have a nice day." Paresu waved over her back as she vaulted over the bench and took off down the street. [Woohoo! Here I come!]
Paresu ran for a couple of minutes until she noticed the faint ki of Buku Jyutsu just around the corner. She walked a bit further and a rather amusing spectacle came into sight. There was a small crowd of people hollering excitedly at someone in the middle. Paresu couldn't see who had just used their ki, so she leaned against a street light and waited.
It was several minutes before the crowd dispersed, smaller groups of people talking in hysterical whispers as they walked away. Finally, Paresu spotted him. The spitting image of her idol, Goten leaned against the wall of a store front gasping for breath. His midnight black hair was just as unruly as his father's but was shorted and tumbled down the back of his neck in a cascade of spikes. The physical similarities were so exact that Paresu gathered that if he and Goku were to stand next to each other, it would be difficult to tell them apart. Well. Except that Goku was taller. [And now the moment of truth...]
~~~~~
Goten swept a hand through his pitch black locks and straightened, having finally managed to calm the racing of his heart. Goten had no experience with the opposite gender and was irrationally afraid of them. That might not be the right word, but it definitely described how he was feeling in the middle of all those girls.
It was only until she was right next to him that Goten noticed another girl had approached. He froze under her calm regard. She was a slender young woman with dark, curly brown hair that fell passed her shoulders. She wore powder blue jeans and a white tank-top. Judging by her bare arms, she had done some training in the past.
Goten was all blushed out, but still couldn't bring himself to say anything. Silently the girl's gaze moved from him to look at the store front he was leaning against. One eyebrow arched and she smiled mischevously. "Gee, we've only just met and you want to buy me one of those?"
Confused, Goten turned to face the shop and realized for the first time he had been standing in front of a lingerie store for the passed twenty minutes. His eyes locked onto a particularly saucy little black lace number.
Maybe he wasn't completely finished blushing.
"Kkk...kkkkk...kk...kga!!!" Goten leapt a good ten meters into the air before landing on the other side of square. He fell back onto an unoccupied bench and pounded his chest in an effort to break the embarrassed cough he had developed.
The girl walked over to him, laughing lightly, her voice carrying a musical tone. Goten couldn't move as she bore down on him. "Oh, do relax," suggested. The girl casually sat down next to him and smiled, her dark brown eyes burning with a strange intensity. "You are him, hai? Son Goten?"
Managing to contain the awkward feeling of innocence, Goten stumbled over his own reply. "H-hai, th-that's...ah, that's r-right."
The girl's smile was warm and gentle as she shook her head. "...You're cute, I'll give you that. Demo, we're definitely going to have to work on that attitude of yours."
"Beg pardon? What are you talking about?" Goten relaxed a bit. She wasn't as aggressive as the others, so he felt surprisingly at ease.
"I should really learn to introduce myself first." The girl stood up and bowed, her hair tumbling down over her shoulders. "My name is Paresu."
Goten got up and mimicked her action, though his own bow was a little stiff having fell into disuse. "Ah, nice to meet you, Paresu-san."
She laughed again, the sound seeming very pleasing to Goten's ears. Her laugh was nearly hypnotizing and he almost missed what she said next. "You might as well relax. We'll be spending a lot of time together."
"Nani!? What do you mean?"
"You're just full of questions today, aren't you? Walk with me, I'll explain on the way back to Capsule Corp." Goten followed her nervously as they returned to his home. He was dubious at first and was slow to believe her little narration. However, when she started on the past day/year she spent with his father, Goten warmed up to the idea, having noticed several things that were distinctly Goku-esque. "And then I came looking for you," she finished.
"Seems you two are very close." His voice was almost mournful. He studied the ground a bit sadly.
Paresu hadn't expected this and she was glad she had glossed over the more intimate depths of her relationship with Goku. "Hai, we are." She paused, groping for something to say to lighten the young Saiyajin's mood. "Did you really kill Nagareboshi?" she asked, although she already knew the answer.
"...Hm? Iie. That was tousan. Me and Trunks helped out, but I really was out of my league. But for tousan..." Goten looked up, his voice hovering on reverential. "Tousan can do anything," he stated with a sound of finality.
"Hai, he can. Goku-sama truly is amazing. Anyway, who's this Trunks?"
"He's my best friend," Goten answered, perking up. "Known him since I was just a baby. Wanna meet him?"
A Dragon Ball Z fanfiction
by Son Goharotto (son_goharotto@hotmail.com)
Welcome to Dragon Ball Yugure Z, my personal pet project. This is what I like to call a "multi-generational alternaverse epic." Expect a complex story spanning several volumes that are littered with cliff-hangers and titanic battles. DBYZ has been revised in its entirety. While some episodes have merely been ridden of typos, others have been rewritten completely. I'll be starting from the beginning at one episode a day so new readers can join in, undaunted by DBYZ's length, and old readers can review past events. All this is leading up to the new Episode 37, from which I'll try to keep a normal updating pace instead of letting this be forgotten as it once was.
DISCLAIMER: As much as I mgiht wish it not to be, DBZ does not belong to me. It's the property of Akira Toriyama-sama and many others who (unfortunately) aren't me. I'm not trying to make any money off of this and it's just a way for me to show my love of all things Dragon Ball. Well, except maybe GT. Bleah. I is teh poor, so don't sue me.
WARNINGS: As a whole, this series contains mature language (usually in Japanese), graphic violence, brutality, mature situations (non-lemon), and a touch of angst.
NOTES: A liberal amount of Japanese vocabulary is sprinkled throughout, though nothing extremely important is ever said in another language that isn't translated. Mostly just basic Otaku Japanese. I've compiled a list of phrases I use on my homepage here: www.enpitsudo-dojo.com/libjapanese.html.
"dialogue"
""layered voice"" (Fusion, for example)
{alien language}
[thoughts, telepathy, memories]
_stressed words_
*sounds*
~scene change~
Volume III -- Revelations
Episode 19 -- Goten's Big Surprise!! The Chance Encounter On Purpose!!
Goten walked wearily into the bedroom he shared with Trunks, dropping down onto his pillow-covered futon. He instantly regretted to action, wincing as he held a hand over his bandaged side. After the pain subsided, he carefully folded his hands behind his head and let his eyes wander about the room.
Trunks lay on his bed on the other side of the small but comfortable room. He was flipping through one of his many mangas, reading by the light of a flourescent lamp attached to the wall. Besides Trunks' lamp, the only light came from outside. The orange-red light of the setting sun spilled in through the window, bathing the room in a ruddy glow. Both young men were bandaged in places, reminders of their battle with Nagareboshi not a week before. The regen tank had been damaged during their training, so a quick heal was out of the question.
Goten smoothed out the small band-aid over his left eyebrow. The half-Saiyajin shifted restlessly and sat up, looking over the bookcase next to him. Vegeta had neglected their education beyond combat and some instruction in Saiyago, but having learned from his best friend, Goten was more or less literate. He pulled out a magazine and flipped through it, before tossing the periodical on the floor in frustration.
He tried to relax, but just couldn't seem to get comfortable. Goten got up and did some quick stretches, then massaged his elbow to work out a kink. He murmured to himself unintelligibly.
"It's only been two days," Trunks stated. Without looking up, he reached out and plucked a can of soda off of his night stand, taking it behind the pages for a sip.
"Nn? What do you mean?"
"Goku-san left only a couple of days ago. You can't expect him to come back so soon," he explained.
"I know, I know," Goten replied, waving his hand. "I can't help being impatient." He closed the blinds and flicked on the light by his bed. Sitting down, he swung his feet up onto the small table.
"Get your feet off the table," Trunks ordered laconically. Goten quickly put his feet down. The older of the two closed the manga and stacked it neatly with a few others. "How's your arm?"
"Not bad, it's still kinda stings though." Goten adjusted the cast on his left arm so it was more comfortable. "Nnnn! It itches!" He began to scratch furious at the cast as if to abate the annoying itch.
"Dame da. I'll see what I can do tomorrow." He finished off his soda before tossing the can into a wastebasket and slipped under the covers of his bed. "Oyasumi nasai."
"Oyasumi, Trunks-kun." Goten jumped into bed and pulled the covers up to his chin. He turned off the light, paused, and turned it back on. "Trunks-kun?"
After a pause, "...Nani?"
"Something's nagging me."
"What would that be?" Trunks propped himself up on one elbow and turned on his light. He and Goten had been best friends all their lives, so--not surprisingly--he was genuinely concerned.
"Lately, I've noticed something...odd." Goten paused to gather his thoughts. "I keep feeling some sort of...presence."
"How so? Does it feel threatening?"
"Not really, just kinda foreign. It seems like it gets closer every time too."
Trunks looked methodical for a moment. "Now that you mention it, I've been getting some peculiar feelings lately as well." He shrugged. "It's probably nothing, but I'll ask Papa about it tomorrow. Get some sleep Goten-kun."
"Hai, Oyasumi nasai Trunks-kun."
"Oyasumi nasai."
Goten turned off his light and rolled to face the wall. His little chat with Trunks seemed to put his mind at ease and Goten felt much better about it. As always, Goten thanked Kami for having such a good friend before nodding off.
Trunks waited until he heard Goten's light snoring and leaned back, turning off his own light so the room was left in darkness. He always was the dominant one and Trunks felt it was his responsibility to help his friend through this particularly difficult time. Goten was being torn between two families and Trunks didn't want his best friend to feel alone. With a sigh, Trunks closed his eyes and dozed off.
In the hallway, Vegeta stood just outside the door. He had heard their brief exchange and felt a little wary. The Saiyajin too had sensed a strange presence, always just on the edge of his perception. Vegeta walked off towards the high-grav gym for some light training. As he walked, he again sensed a brief flicker of that peculiar awareness. Vegeta shuddered involuntarily. [I don't think I'm going like this...]
~~~~~
Goten flipped his Capsule Corp hat onto his head and shrugged on a matching grey jacket. There was a little skip to his walk as he went outside and he sorely resisted the urge to click his heels. Strolling somewhat out of character, he left the compound at a brisk pace, humming a tune he couldn't get out of his head (if you must know, it's Makafushigi Adventure).
"Where are you going?" asked a rough voice. Vegeta floated down slowly to stand not a meter from Goten. His arms were crossed and his face was set in that oh-so-familiar scowl--though that wasn't anything new.
Unruffled, Goten smiled. "Just thought I'd look around is all. I've been cooped up in the high-grav gym for too long."
Vegeta arched an eyebrow suspiciously. "Why don't you just fly?"
"C'mon ojisan! It's a nice day, you gotta stop and smell the roses every now and then, ne?"
Vegeta hung his head, holding the bridge of his nose between thumb and forefinger. "Why me? ...You could be more serious about your training you know."
Goten gave a short laugh and scratched the back of his head. "I've been serious about my training for what, a decade? Nagareboshi's dead, I think we deserve some down time. I'll see you this evening, hai?"
Vegeta gave his young charge a blank stare. "Don'na demo. Have fun," he said, his voice sarcastic to the point of excessive. He rolled his eyes skyward and took off, heading back towards Capsule Corp.
"Spoilsport." Goten shrugged and resumed his walk. The area in the immediate vicinity of Capsule Corp wasn't exactly pleasant, having still suffered from Nagareboshi's careless search, but Goten was happy to see an increase in new construction. [These humans are tough people. Vegeta-san doesn't give them enough credit,] Goten thought as he watched some kids play in a brand new park. [The aren't as strong as us, but they're survivors, that's for sure.]
The going became considerably nicer as he entered the rebuilt west district. It was a residential/business kind of area similar to what might be seen in smaller communities. People chatted happily about weather and current events, glad to finally get on with their lives. Shop keepers haggled desperately with stubborn old men. Mothers dragged reluctant children on errands. All in all, things were returning to normal.
As he entered the community square, Goten noticed a small group of girls off to one side. He really couldn't care less what they were talking about until he heard something that made his blood boil. They snuck peeks at him, whispered his name perhaps a bit too loud, and giggled excitedly. Goten couldn't help blushing at the thought that he was the center of attention.
Goten turned away to hide his reddening face as if window browsing. He really didn't notice what store he was in front of, but then, that was the _last_ thing on his mind. He tried mind his own business and was starting to relax when he heard footsteps behind him, followed by another titter of poorly concealed laughter.
Finally, the inevitable came. "You're Son Goten, honto?" asked a distinctly feminine voice.
Goten turned to face the girl and was struck by her beauty. Now, being a hermit of sorts, Goten was no one to judge a person's appearance, but he was sure the girl in front of him was more then qualified for the description. Goten fought desperately to keep his eyes on her face as he replied, "H-hai, that's me. I'm Goten."
The girl shrieked giddily and her friends rushed up to gather around him. They swept him away with requests for autographs and many took some quick pictures. Goten could've sworn one of them had grabbed his rear.
"Oi, oi! O-one at a time!" [This isn't getting me anywhere!] Goten shifted his position and quickly pushed off, lifting away from the ground, effectively disengaging himself from the girls. He landed to applause and blushed again as the girls looked on with adoration. Apparently, news spread quickly that he was involved in Nagareboshi's demise (some even thought Goten did it himself) and also apparently, the people were very grateful. VERY grateful.
Goten raised his hands to ward off the oncoming crowd of semi-worshipers. [Why didn't I listen to Vegeta-san?]
~~~~~
Paresu landed in the west district. Under normal conditions, she easily could have used the Shunkan Idou to find Goten, but her target was adept at concealing his ki, which rendered the technique useless. She walked around for a bit, admiring the new construction. It was refreshing to see the people out and about instead of cowering in corners, afraid that Nagareboshi might return.
[Okay, let's get started!] Paresu looked around for a helpful individual. "Um, excuse me!" she called out to a elderly man sitting on a bench. "Konnichi wa, ojiisan. Might you be able to tell me where Capsule Corporation is?"
The old man looked up from his book, his aging features wrinkled in surprise. "Capsule Corp, eh? Why sure I can tell ya. It's jus' a ways down the block there," he said, pointing to the wide street behind him. "Follow the road an' you'll get there jus' fine."
"Domo arigato," she said with a bow.
The man regarded her with an amused twinkle in his eye. "You looking for that big hero fella?"
"Who do you mean?" Paresu asked confused.
"Haven't you been keepin' up with current events, lass? Why, Son Goten lives down that way. He's the son of Son Goku, strongest fighter on the planet. That Goten fella killed the space monster don'tcha know."
"Honto ni?" Paresu responded, amused. "As a matter of fact, that's who I'm looking for."
"Well, you'd best hurry, lass. There're many girls lookin' for a brave fella like that. Don't wanna miss your chance now, do ya? Go on, gonbatte."
"Arigato, ojiisan. Have a nice day." Paresu waved over her back as she vaulted over the bench and took off down the street. [Woohoo! Here I come!]
Paresu ran for a couple of minutes until she noticed the faint ki of Buku Jyutsu just around the corner. She walked a bit further and a rather amusing spectacle came into sight. There was a small crowd of people hollering excitedly at someone in the middle. Paresu couldn't see who had just used their ki, so she leaned against a street light and waited.
It was several minutes before the crowd dispersed, smaller groups of people talking in hysterical whispers as they walked away. Finally, Paresu spotted him. The spitting image of her idol, Goten leaned against the wall of a store front gasping for breath. His midnight black hair was just as unruly as his father's but was shorted and tumbled down the back of his neck in a cascade of spikes. The physical similarities were so exact that Paresu gathered that if he and Goku were to stand next to each other, it would be difficult to tell them apart. Well. Except that Goku was taller. [And now the moment of truth...]
~~~~~
Goten swept a hand through his pitch black locks and straightened, having finally managed to calm the racing of his heart. Goten had no experience with the opposite gender and was irrationally afraid of them. That might not be the right word, but it definitely described how he was feeling in the middle of all those girls.
It was only until she was right next to him that Goten noticed another girl had approached. He froze under her calm regard. She was a slender young woman with dark, curly brown hair that fell passed her shoulders. She wore powder blue jeans and a white tank-top. Judging by her bare arms, she had done some training in the past.
Goten was all blushed out, but still couldn't bring himself to say anything. Silently the girl's gaze moved from him to look at the store front he was leaning against. One eyebrow arched and she smiled mischevously. "Gee, we've only just met and you want to buy me one of those?"
Confused, Goten turned to face the shop and realized for the first time he had been standing in front of a lingerie store for the passed twenty minutes. His eyes locked onto a particularly saucy little black lace number.
Maybe he wasn't completely finished blushing.
"Kkk...kkkkk...kk...kga!!!" Goten leapt a good ten meters into the air before landing on the other side of square. He fell back onto an unoccupied bench and pounded his chest in an effort to break the embarrassed cough he had developed.
The girl walked over to him, laughing lightly, her voice carrying a musical tone. Goten couldn't move as she bore down on him. "Oh, do relax," suggested. The girl casually sat down next to him and smiled, her dark brown eyes burning with a strange intensity. "You are him, hai? Son Goten?"
Managing to contain the awkward feeling of innocence, Goten stumbled over his own reply. "H-hai, th-that's...ah, that's r-right."
The girl's smile was warm and gentle as she shook her head. "...You're cute, I'll give you that. Demo, we're definitely going to have to work on that attitude of yours."
"Beg pardon? What are you talking about?" Goten relaxed a bit. She wasn't as aggressive as the others, so he felt surprisingly at ease.
"I should really learn to introduce myself first." The girl stood up and bowed, her hair tumbling down over her shoulders. "My name is Paresu."
Goten got up and mimicked her action, though his own bow was a little stiff having fell into disuse. "Ah, nice to meet you, Paresu-san."
She laughed again, the sound seeming very pleasing to Goten's ears. Her laugh was nearly hypnotizing and he almost missed what she said next. "You might as well relax. We'll be spending a lot of time together."
"Nani!? What do you mean?"
"You're just full of questions today, aren't you? Walk with me, I'll explain on the way back to Capsule Corp." Goten followed her nervously as they returned to his home. He was dubious at first and was slow to believe her little narration. However, when she started on the past day/year she spent with his father, Goten warmed up to the idea, having noticed several things that were distinctly Goku-esque. "And then I came looking for you," she finished.
"Seems you two are very close." His voice was almost mournful. He studied the ground a bit sadly.
Paresu hadn't expected this and she was glad she had glossed over the more intimate depths of her relationship with Goku. "Hai, we are." She paused, groping for something to say to lighten the young Saiyajin's mood. "Did you really kill Nagareboshi?" she asked, although she already knew the answer.
"...Hm? Iie. That was tousan. Me and Trunks helped out, but I really was out of my league. But for tousan..." Goten looked up, his voice hovering on reverential. "Tousan can do anything," he stated with a sound of finality.
"Hai, he can. Goku-sama truly is amazing. Anyway, who's this Trunks?"
"He's my best friend," Goten answered, perking up. "Known him since I was just a baby. Wanna meet him?"