A/N: I don't own DBZ and I don't pretend to. This story is AU so that gives me free range and my characters OOC (out of character). Be warned spelling and grammar mistakes will be found. ALWAYS! Another Warning, this could end up as a Yaoi male/male coupling. If you are homophobe then don't read. No-one is making you. Rated R
Royal Delivery
Chapter 12"GET HIM!" Men raced and darted from their spots along the road chasing the kid with his pockets full of food. The lavender boy dived into the market square pulling barrels of food down behind him spraying their contents over the floor causing his pursuers to stop and tumble.
"SCREW YOU!" Mira screamed as he made a bolt for the back door hearing the curses and swearing from behind. The boy pushed the door out of his way letting it slam behind him as he made a jump for the fence.
"GET THE LITTLE PRICK" The men piled out through the back door to grab at the boy's leg. Mirai kicked at them before making a jump into another alleyway.
"YOUR GETTING TOO OLD YOU BAKA" With a confident smirk he turned from the men trying to scramble up the high fence and made a beeline back to his friend with lunch crammed in his pockets.
"Arse holes." Mirai smirked as he bit down on his shiny red apple, an exotic piece of food, and expensive at that, coming from a far away place, he had overheard the man say before he stole half a dozen of them.
With his mouth full of food he frowned. His blue eyes looked around. "Nah." He went back to eating his apple when there it was again. Shaking a weird feeling that he was being watched and followed, he threw his half eaten apple away. The prince picked up speed in his steps feeling uneasy he turned off into yet another street. The sensation was with him all the way. Not wasting any time to find out what it was exactly, he bolted through the crowd that yelled their abuse as he bumped into them. Jumping over bags and boxes he raced around corners and down back streets.
Skirting around one last corner he threw his body hard against the wall. His breath came in hard and fast. His active blues went to take a peek to see if all was clear. Taking big breath he faced the wall with his cheek pressed hard on the raff surfaces and eased himself to the corner. His sharp blues looked out for anything that was out of place in the bustling of people. A great relief washed over him allowing his shoulders to sink. "Nothing phew."
"I wouldn't say nothing."
"SHIT." Mirai sprung around so fast he hit the wall and fell down on his butt. Not wasting to find out who he scrambled back to his feet about to flee only to have strong arm snatch him by the collar. "LET ME GO YOU ARSEHOLE." The boy lashed out kicking and trying to land a punching in before he received one himself.
"That's no way for a prince to speak." The man chuckled. In his haste to escape Mirai never once looked up at the massive figure that had him tight. Stunned with shock of hearing this he cautiously looked up. His blues felt they were going up forever. The mass of black hair that familiar scent, it wasn't until he reached the face.
"SHIT"
"Mirai you really will have to watch your mouth." The man chuckled once again but this time he released his grip on the boy lowering him to the ground where he fell back on his butt so surprised he didn't care as his head titled up so high at that smiling face.
"Uncle R-Raditz?"
"You remember. There is hope yet." Raditz smirked at the cub. He was surprised at how grown up he looked a hushes to his eyes and his face. "What are you doing here boy?"
"I-I…"
"You what? Why aren't you with you parents and why here? This is no place for the heir of Vegeta-sei to be. Where are your body guards? There will be hell to pay here." With the million and one questions Mirai could only take in the man not his words. Family after so long he looked as stun as he does. "Well boy speak up?"
"I crashed here…"
"You what?" Raditz frowned as the boy got up and dusted off his worn clothes.
"I crashed here about year ago when my brother and I were kidnapped." Mirai watched the man's face turned to one of cold expression. After some time Raditz looked back at the boy still looking up at him as if he was just a dream and he would wake up any moment.
"Come take me to your brother." As soon as this was said the large bear like Saiyan felt a chill, his nephew face saddened, his head lowered refusing eye contact.
Mirai had his head bowed. It hurt he hadn't been able to get close to finding out about his brother or to contact his family with everyone after him and he knew there was no way he could just leave Ursus with his leg he would never survive without him. "I can't. I don't know where he is."
"You can't? Why tell me?"
"I was separated from him when we were taken. I haven't seen him since." He said in a whisper not wanting to look up at his uncle's face feeling the underlying of fear for his brother.
Raditz asked, still a little confused with everything said, "Can't you speak to him through your bond?" He wasn't expecting to see his nephew out here along so far from home.
"No I can't. Not while I have this on." Mirai pulled a piece of cloth from around his neck hiding his sliver ki restraint collar. He heard his uncle gasp at the sight.
The large warrior looked out into the street and then back to the boy at his side. "You come with me. I'll get you home."
Mirai moved from his uncle's grasp. "BUT I can't I have Ursus back there waiting for me." He pointed in the direction where they now live.
"Who this Ursus?"
"He helped me escape from the ship."
Raditz took this all in and nodded. "Fine, take me to him. Quick I want you back with your parents. They must be worried sick." The large Saiyan watched the boy re-tied the material around his neck to hide the silver ring and his blues looked back into the street before moving off. His movements were so quick. Raditz was surprised at how swift and smooth his actions were. He will make a great warrior one day he thought before he was flooded with everything else. It has being a surprising day.
~~~
Two figures walked down the side of the road. One, with a bag over his shoulder, while the other, smaller one, was kneeling on the dirt in fading evening light. "Come on son you are wasting time leave the lizard we have a long way to get to the next town before dark. That is if you want a place for the night."
"Can't we keep him Krillin?" The boy called holding the large lizard carefully in his hands.
"No. Why do you want a lizard anyway? You just have to carry it every time we move to the next town." The man said with the boy's footsteps hurrying to catch up with him with the lizard still in his grasp.
"I know. I was just hoping. We could give him name." Gohan said hopefully as he looked at his friend still walking with his eyes on the road.
"How about you give me your name? It's been a year and you still won't tell me anything about you? Why is that?" Krillin stopped and looked down at the boy who had stopped next to him with his head low.
"I don't remember them." A whisper laced with pain and grief.
Krillin sighed he had heard this before. The boy just didn't believe anyone could love him. After what had happened the boy had grown up fast and was cut with what had happed. That day he started to eat was the beginning for him. Slowly he came out of his shell but there was always a distance with the boy. Something he kept buried, especially around others he would close up, not speak and hide with in himself.
He only spoke with Krillin and the boy would only keep it to what he was willing to speak about. When it came to family, friends or home the boy would become tight lip, not opening up at all. Krillin had grown fond of the boy that was at his side like a shadow. The boy stuck by him, the only person he was willing to share himself with. "I told you that your parents won't blame you. It's not your fault, it's…"
"We can call him bark." Gohan said as he walked off ahead not wanting to speak. Instead took comfort in patting the animal as it sat peacefully in his hands.
Krillin sighed and threw his hand up and let them slap at his side. "I give up. Come on. My feet are killing me and you can put the lizard down."
Gohan frowned. "Why do we have to move again anyway I like that place and the lady liked you."
"You think so?" Krillin said as he stopped to think about the tall beauty back at the last town.
"Yeah I do." Gohan said watching his friend thinking about it before shaking his head and looking at the craftiness of the boy.
"Sorry kid it won't work. How dumb do you think I am to believe…You really think?"
"Yep" Gohan said with a slight smile but nothing truly to say it was there. Krillin had never seen the boy smile in the whole time they had been together.
Krillin raised a brow. The boy has learned quickly how to pull his strings. "Oh come on you know we can't stay in one spot to long with those guards out there."
Gohan lagged behind his friend going over all the reasons why they couldn't stay. Turning his mind off from the ranting Gohan kneeled back down off the road and released his small friend his emotionless eyes watched it scurry away into the shadows. "Be careful friend." With a sigh he lifted his weary body and continued to walk down the long road with the man he now called friend.
Who was still going over the reasons they have to run, fleeing from town to city with no home no family. Gohan clung to the only one he could trust, the man that knew the worst. Who knew part of his secret, his fears he told himself he couldn't go home. No one would want him now. If they did they would have stopped it from happening in the first place. They would have found him and held him tight. But no one came, only Krillin, a stranger. No family, no friends, no big brother.
Dark orbs look up at his friend thumb down another lift. Yelling for him to hurry as the vehicle came slowed down before stopping and allowing Krillin to climb in. "Come on" He called. Gohan rushed up and with hands stretched out his friend pulled him up and they were off to hide from men that would hunt them, kill them, trying to run from nightmares that haunted them only to find all this waiting for them again in the next town. Gohan sat back, resting, watching the stars come in to focus wondering which was his, where was his papa?
Closing his eyes he could hear Krillin talking to the man that has stopped thanking him. With the rhythm of the cart Gohan slowly drifted off not knowing it was all about to change. He wasn't aware that dark forces were at work and they were travelling to dead end filled with danger. No signs, no screams to say this is a trap… run away flee… no nothing, just the gentle rocking and a comforting rhythm the sound of a friend close by.
~~~
"Is this true? They found a lead? they know where Mirai is?" Goku asked all his hopes were looking so close. He looked up at his love he saw the same thing that they could be close to getting their boys back.
"I just got word. They are on their way now. They will be in the next town by tomorrow morning." Vegeta hadn't seen him this much alive in a long time. He prayed he did the right thing in telling him now. It was only few months ago that he had told him about his father. He remembered the silence. Goku said nothing. He just looked at the letter his father had sent to him telling him to be strong to believe that they where doing everything within their power to find them. Goku read the letter over and over rubbing his thumb over his father's signature wanting to believe it was true. Nothing was said but Vegeta knew he was forgiven. He was doing it all for the other cubs that had been taken from the planet and Goku knew his father was the right person for the job if anyone would find them he would.
"What of Gohan?"
"No word." Vegeta sat on the end of the bed with a heavy sigh with his back turned. He gazed out the window thinking of all the possibilities and dreams if they found Mirai, Gohan should he also out there. But in realty Gohan was a lot younger and still hadn't grasped flying or how to fight. All their dreams and hopes for their boy were fading with every day.
"No word, nothing..." Goku brought his knees to his chest with the new message clasped tight in hands with news of the boy that sounds like Mirai. His eyes not really focusing on any one thing, just on a thought.
Vegeta turned back to his partner, his lover. "Come rest you need your strength if you want to be well when they come back."
Goku frowned. He was sick of being locked in his room but he felt zapped of energy. "But …"
"Now rest."
Goku looked up with the note in his hand resting in his lap watching his mate get up. "You're right. If this is right what you say then. After all this time there is hope for Gohan."
"Yes a good chance we have strong boys. We will be a family again you'll see my love now rest we want you to be strong for the boys." Vegeta watched his mate's eyes show some light.
"I'll want to start training again." Goku says with smirked form his mate. Vegeta thought it was good to see some life back in his partner's eyes.
"We start training tomorrow then." Goku smiled and nodded. There was some hope there. He knew he needed to build up his strength again and cling to the thought that Mirai will be back soon and then they will find Gohan, their youngest cub. Then they will be back to being the way it was, a family.
~~~
"Get the kid, before that guy comes to."
"He won't wake up I made sure of it back at the bar."
Two large shadows walked through the narrow cheap halls of the tavern where the only sound was the breeze rattling the tree branches outside against the window. A haunting turn the sounds of creaking and cracks as two heavy footfalls head to the last door closest to the window where they now stood standing outside of the room. A large hand reached down and grasped the cold forbidding metal handle and with a slower creak the door opened allowing the two figures a freely pass inside. The sound of the branch brushing past the cold window pane hid the muffled cries for help inside, allowing the devil to play another game that will take more from the young cub's soul.
The wind blew dancing it haunting tune against the outside walls scraping it timber claws covering all sounds that might be able to help the pleas and screams as a wrestle goes on inside of cold worn walls. Nothing to save you tonight, no one will help you in your flight. One more scream one more plea and then only to have it taken by the sound of dull thud then all sound was washed away for young Gohan as his body fell back on the bed. No cries, no tears only the sound of rustling leaves and the footfalls of two shadows disappearing into the night with a small slumped bundle ready to be sold to the highest bidder.
TBC…
A/N: I think that chapter maybe should have been broken up. To long?
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