Dragonball Alternate Dimension
Chapter Sixteen
Note:
(-*-) indicates a change in setting from one dimension to another.
means the speaker is being heard telepathically.
indicates that the speakers are speaking Saiyan.
(*) indicates a change of scene or great lapse of time in the same dimension.
-*-
Mirai Trunks charged up and held his hand out, thumb tucked in, palm facing out. "Burning attack!" he cried and fired at his father. Vegeta burst out of the dust risen from the block and charged at him. This was the men's daily routine. For hours on end, they would beat each other relentlessly, often to the point where one of them was unable to fight anymore. They reached just such an impasse late one afternoon. Vegeta sat down on a boulder and panted. Trunks ran a hand through his short hair and made a face.
"So, Chibi me doesn't fight that much anymore, does he?"
Vegeta scoffed. "That much!? Ha! Try not at all."
"I could tell," Trunks added. He would never have cut his hair this short. It got in the way. When it was long, he could pull it out of his eyes. Besides, Niwatori liked it long... He sighed. Would he ever see her again?
"How's your mother?" Vegeta asked.
Trunks's eyes bulged slightly. This man had changed since last he saw him. He was calmer, more open. He would never have asked about Bulma in such a manner twenty years ago.
"Great," he said positively but choked as he remembered part of the reason for her happiness. "She was wished younger a few years ago."
"Really?" Vegeta smirked, remembering the new smoothness of his Saiyan wife's skin. "I'm still dead, I take it."
"Yes sir." Trunks zipped his lip and got polite.
Vegeta noticed. He stood, walked over and looked down at him. "What?"
"Huh?"
"What was it you were going to say about her?"
"Oh, nothing.." Trunks wilted under his father's stare. "Just, she's... found someone."
This was not what the Prince had expected to hear. He raised an eyebrow and turned his back on him. "Really?" he said again, this time without amusement. "Why do I get the feeling there's more to it than that, boy?" Vegeta turned his head and looked over his shoulder at his son.
A large sweat drop appeared above Mirai Trunks's head. "I don't know, sir." 'Man, I'm thirty eight and he's still calling me 'boy'...' "Perhaps because you're not going to like who she's with..?"
"ZARBON!?!?" The name echoed off the canyon walls for miles. Vegeta stuttered 'what's and 'how's for a moment as Trunks hunkered down, waiting to have the crap kicked out of him. He was very surprised when he heard laughter. Vegeta threw back his head and laughed at the idea of Bulma with the pretty-boy/monster.
"You're.. you're ok with that?" Trunks asked timidly.
"What do I care? I'm dead aren't I? Besides. MY woman is a Saiyan." He grinned and beckoned his son to take him on once more.
*
After dinner, Vegeta sneaked off on his own. He hadn't been alone in a while. This family of his was too big sometimes. Although they crowded him, he felt the sting of the absence of one particular member.
The Prince walked into his grandson's room. He had only been in it a few times before. It was simple and clean. The bed was made military style and the only decorations on the walls were weapons. It reminded him of his room when he was a child, before Freeza took him away from Vegeta-sei. Vegeta furrowed his brows and sat down on the edge of the bed. He cursed in his native language and scowled at the floor. He'd never felt so helpless before. Adonai was out there somewhere and there was nothing he could do to bring him back. He wondered if his own father had felt that way after Freeza took his only son.
"Vegeta, come to bed," Bulma whispered from the doorway. Vegeta looked up at her in wonder.
"You... You speak Saiyan!?" the astounded Prince managed to say.
"I guess so. Must have been part of the deal." She seemed as surprised as he was. "What's wrong, my Prince?" Bulma sat down next to her husband and hugged him. "You miss our grandson?"
"Yes," he admitted.
"I'm not worried about him. He's an Oujisama. He'll be all right."
He pursed his lips, nodded and led her down the hall way toward their room.
"Oh! I almost forgot!" She wrapped both her hands around his left arm as they walked. "I think I've figured out how this happened!" Her tail snaked around and tickled the back of his neck.
"Oh yeah?"
"Mmm hmm. Mirai Trunks looked worried today so I asked him what was bothering him and he said he wondered why his family hadn't WISHED HIM BACK YET!"
"They have Dragon Balls?"
"Apparently. Anyway, I told him what the sorceress Mira told me when she was here... something about a paradox and not being able to wish two of the same person to the same plane. Then it hit me. If I've been WISHED a Saiyan, maybe Trunks is responsible and in a dimension with Dragon Balls! And if I'm right, it means that Trunks is ok!" She grinned with hope.
They came at last to the bedroom door. Vegeta opened it and sneered at her. "That's pretty far fetched, Woman."
Her smile fell. "Ooh!" she seethed and prepared to launch into a barrage of insults.
"You actually think our son is that clever?" he scoffed, grabbed her around the waist with one hand and closed the door with the other.
-*-
"I'm sorry." The black-haired, teenage boy shook his head. Soma pouted. Her stomach grumbled. A boy and a girl joined him at the door.
"What's going on, Trunks?"
"Oh, Goten, Pan, these kids are looking for a woman with blue hair and a mark like theirs. You seen anyone like that?"
Goten appeared to be a little older than Trunks. "Nope. Sorry." He looked, for all intents and purposes like the familiar Goten, except for the spiky, lavender hair. Pan was much younger than she should have been and bore more resemblance to Bra. Trunks shrugged. "Yeah, sorry. We'll keep an eye out for ya though."
Soma stared at them, incredulously.
"That won't be necessary, thank you." Adonai poked her to get her out of her trance. "Come, sister."
"Bye," she muttered as he pulled out the sword. The boys and Pan waved and the twins disappeared.
*Footnote 1*
-*-
"Weird," Ado snorted.
"Yeah, but this is weirder," Soma said as she pointed to the scene before them. There was no Capsule complex. Instead, an open, lush forest surrounded them. Two people in greyish uniforms and a cat came running out of the trees chased by three young people.
"Come on, Adonai, let's go." Soma pouted and looked to him. He handed her the katana and began walking towards the scene. "Adonai?.."
"Just, hang on a sec..." There was a strange gleam in his eye that Soma didn't like. He ran towards the chase and planted himself between the two parties. "Ok." He grinned and put his fists on his hips. "Who want's a severe thrashing!?"
Everyone stopped and stared at the spandex-clad youngster. The teens being chased noted his muscles, raised their hands and spoke up first. "Not us!"
"Help us! They're trying to take our Pikachu!" the girl made a pouty face and begged him. Adonai noticed how long her hair and how short her skirt was.
"Yeah!" The periwinkle-haired boy lifted up a glass jar which held what looked like a huge, bright yellow hamster and hugged it.
"Ok then!" Ado faced his foes.
"Are you kidding me!?" the boy with the baseball cap cried out. Ado charged the three and soon they were all out cold.
"That was nothing!" Ado frowned. He turned and saw the others trying to sneak away. "Hey, who are YOU, anyway?"
"Shall we?" the boy asked his partner.
"I think we must! To protect the world from devastation!"
"To unite all peoples within our nation!"
"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"
"To extend our reach to the stars above!"
"Jesse!"
"James!"
"Team Rocket! Blast off at the speed of light!"
"Surrender now or prepare to fight!"
"Meowth, that's right!"
Both twins blinked at them. "Did that cat just talk?" Ado murmured.
"I think you may have made a mistake, Adonai," Soma offered.
"Surrender now, eh? Yeah right." He took a stance and snorted like a bull ready to charge. "I am Adonai, Prince of the Saiyans! YOU prepare to fight!" Before he could take a single step forward, they dropped the glass jar and high-tailed it away from the young Prince.
"Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!!!"
"What was that all about?"
Adonai shrugged and approached the glass jar. Soma kept behind him as he pressed a button and released the animal. "What the hell is THAT?!"
"I don't know. Adonai, I'm scared." She hunkered down and peered over her brother's shoulder.
"Pika-pi?"
The three kids regained consciousness and approached the twins. "Hey buddy! Leave Pikachu alone!!"
"Ash! watch out! In case you've forgotten that kid just K.O.ed us a moment ago!" the brown haired girl reminded him.
"It's all right," Soma waved her arms. "He's gotten it out of his system now, haven't you Adonai?" she asked in a bit of a rougher tone.
He folded his arms, turned his back and scoffed. "They're no fun. Didn't even defend themselves."
"We don't fight with our fists," the tall, dark haired boy informed them. "We use Pokemon."
"Poke a what?"
"Like Pikachu here. We train them to fight one another."
Adonai began to chuckle as he turned to look at the oversized gerbil. "That!? That thing fights!?! Mwah ha ha!! You've got to be joking!"
Ash looked offended. "Pikachu, show him your Thunder Shock!"
"Piiiii kaaaaa..."
"Oh yeah?" Ado felt the electrical energy rise and grinned from ear to ear. He activated his Rasha abilities and began siphoning it away from the animal.
"What's going on!?" Misty knew there was something wrong. Pikachu couldn't keep enough energy to attack.
"Nagitaotsu!" Adonai pointed his index and middle fingers at him and defeated the Pokemon with one blow.
"Pikachu!!" Ash ran forward.
"Don't worry, Ash, Onyx! I choose...!" Brok was cut off as all three kids noticed a small, pink, round Pokemon enter the scene.
"Jigglypuff!"
"Oh no!!!" Misty wailed.
The critter began to warble his name into his little microphone and suddenly everyone felt incredibly tired. "Jiiiiiii gali puuuuuuufffff..."
Soma saw everyone's eyelids begin to droop. "What's happening?"
"Jigglypuff's song is so... ahhh... relaxing it puts everything that can hear it to sleep!" Ash told her.
"That's... *yawn* ...ridiculous!" Adonai's eyes began to close.
Soma was the only one who remained unaffected. She squeezed her eyes shut and began a song of her own. Her voice was clear, high and in perfect pitch.
Jigglypuff was miffed. He turned up the volume on his mic. Soma lifted her arms to the sky and belted out her tune. The pokemon's song was drowned out by her spell. Finally, she lowered her head and dropped her arms, spent.
Jigglypuff's eyes closed and it fell over backwards, dead asleep.
"Huh?" Ash rubbed the sleepiness from his eyes. "All right! That's incredible! How'd you do that?" he cheered.
"Oh, it was just a simple sleep spell. I'm still not a very good sorceress, but I guess I'm getting better!" Soma blushed and twisted her braids.
Ash giggled and grabbed Jigglypuff's microphone. "I've always wanted to do this!!" He popped the marker open and drew silly doodles all over the Pokemon. "Hee hee!" His friends laughed with him.
Adonai rolled his eyes. "Come on, Soma. Let's get out of this ridiculous dimension."
"Wait! Adonai! You promised we'd eat on this hop!" she whined.
Adonai's stomach nagged at him. He made a mental note to make sure that he watched what he promised people from now on.
"You're hungry?" Brok stepped forward.
"Yes, but we wouldn't want to impose on you, you see, we're.. different. We can eat about five times more food than.. normal people."
"Five times!?!" Brok's eyes turned to stars. He whipped out a stove, pots, pans and ingredients from out of nowhere. "Dinner for thirteen, coming up!"
"Brok!" Misty yelled. "That kid beat us up!" Pikachu wobbled over to Ash and said his name a few times. "And Pikachu!"
"He won't do it again, I promise. Right Adonai?"
Ado waved his consent as he drooled over Brok's stew. Soma sighed and shrugged. "If there are two things people in my family feel strongly about, they're fighting and food!"
*Footnote 2*
-*-
Evening settled on the Mirai world. The sky faded to purple. Akiko stood on the balcony. Her silk robe fluttered in the warm breeze. Trunks stepped out to join her and laced his arms around her middle. She hugged him with her tail. He hummed as he nuzzled her neck. Akiko smiled and sighed.
"That didn't sound very happy." He turned her around and held her face.
"I'm happy, just... worried."
He frowned. "Me too. It's hard to have hope..."
"..When we don't know where they are!" Akiko leaned into him and closed her eyes. He hugged her tightly and looked out at the darkening sky. "Oh, Trunks, my poor babies!"
Trunks paused a second before bursting out laughing. "Babies? You haven't seen Adonai in the last six years!"
Akiko blinked rapidly and looked at him funny.
"He's huge! He'll break Super Saiyan any day now."
Akiko began to share his laughter. "Really?" He nodded and she hugged him again. "I'm sure they're all right, I just wish I knew..."
"Akiko, can you hear me?" a familiar voice echoed in her head. She jerked out of her lover's arms and gasped.
"Kiko? What's wrong?"
Akiko stared out at the landscape and gripped the railing tightly in shock. "MIRA!?!"
*
Trunks waited anxiously as she carried on the one-sided conversation with her aunt. She said good-bye at last and met his eyes.
"They're coming. They're all right and they're coming!"
"Mira found them!?"
She shook her head slowly. "They move too quickly to trace," she whispered everything she said. "They're were there. In Dibad."
"WERE there? As in, not anymore? Why didn't they stay?"
Akiko pouted and replied in a daze. "Mira said that.. my mother said... Adonai forced Soma to hop out..."
"Why'd he do that?" Trunks asked, annoyed at his son's actions.
"Mom said.. she thought that... maybe," Akiko tried to come to terms with what she had been told. "Adonai didn't know them. He didn't know his own family.. or that Goku was his great-grandfather! Why wouldn't he remember? He's met them before!"
Trunks made a face. "Oh..."
"Trunks...? You DID tell him about my family, didn't you?!"
He took her hands and looked down. "There's something you need to know about Adonai." Trunks began slowly, not sure how to tell his love about the time she had missed. "You weren't around. You don't know what it was like for him, growing up. He's been trained by Vegeta for six years. He's learned the Saiyan language. He knows you were a Goddess, but that's about it."
She pursed her lips.
"Akiko, by the time he would have been old enough to understand the truth, he already had Vegeta's superior attitude infused in him. He doesn't get along with Pan and Goten's kids because of it. Even though he never knew Goku, he uses the name Kakarott just about as freely as my dad does..."
Akiko looked far off and sighed. "He doesn't remember me?"
"I don't know, sweet. He's not exactly Mr. Vocal." He frowned.
"Adonai.." she whispered and leaned on Trunks. "I guess I don't know him anymore, either."
He kissed the top of her head. "There'll be plenty of time for everyone to get to know each other again…" It was his turn to look off at the coming of the night. "…When they come back safe to us."
-*-
Stomachs full, the twins hopped to another dimension. They had gotten a little turned around on their last adventure and saw they were a block away from the Capsule complex. Both were silent as they approached the door. Soma wrung her hands. She felt the same anxiety she felt every time they approached Capsule. There was a chance her parents could be behind any door. She clutched her brother's arm and he knocked three times.
"Soon, Soma. It must happen soon. We've been to thousands of Capsules. Soon we'll be home."
She didn't reply, but held her breath. The door opened.
"Can I help you?" the Jinzouningen asked.
Soma exhaled and asked her the standard question.
"I'm sorry, I haven't seen anyone who looks like that," she replied.
"Thanks for your time, Eighteen," the boy bowed to her.
"My name is Juuhatchigou," she corrected Adonai.
He looked to his sister. "Same difference," she whispered. He shrugged and cut a portal.
*Footnote 3*
-*-
As the wind died down, Soma pouted. "Looks like another dud."
Once again, there was no Capsule Building. They were standing in a metropolis. Shops lined either side of the blocked off street. Pedestrians strolled around, window shopping. Some, who had seen them arrive, gawked at the twins.
"Yeah. Let's get out of..." Adonai began, but was silenced as the citizens began to cry out in terror. A few hundred yards away, two, elaborately colored creatures burst in on center of the commons from an alley way. They menaced the populace and Adonai handed off the katana to his sister.
"Oh boy, here we go again." She rolled her eyes.
He walked leisurely towards them as people raced past him, fleeing for their lives. The monsters tore up a statue in the middle of the pavement. Just as he was about to make a clever declaration of his intentions on thrashing the baddies, he was cut off by someone else with the same designs.
"Hey there, you Nega-creeps! Destroying public property is against the law, and besides, it's not very nice!" A young, pink haired girl in a red-trimmed sailor suit pointed her index finger at them. She held a scepter in her other hand.
"What are you going to do about it?!" one of the demons asked in a rough voice.
"We're gonna take you out.." said the tall, black-haired, teenage girl behind her.
"..With the rest of the trash!" added the other brown-haired girl.
"Look who's calling who trash, Sailor Scouts!" the other demon put in and charged the girls. Adonai raised an eyebrow and grumbled something about being far better at pre-battle banter than they were. He strolled closer and watched for a moment.
"Adonai! Let's get out of here! Do you really need to jump into every fight you come across!?"
"YES!" he shouted and joined the battle. The scouts were surprised that a new enemy had joined in. He was young, but powerful and they shot off blast after blast at him, all of which he was able to either dodge or block.
"Jupiter.. Thunder..!" the tallest scout called out. Ado felt the electrical charge grow and began to pull it away from her attack before she even got a chance to use it.
"Mars.. Fire..."
"Huh?" Ado was so interested in Jupiter that he was caught off guard.
"Oh no you don't! KESU!" Soma put her hands together, then jutted one out towards Sailor Mars. Her attack was instantly extinguished. "Adonai! You're fighting on the wrong side! These are the good guys, I can feel it!"
"So? They're more powerful than these cream puffs." The demons looked comically hurt. "Where's the challenge in that?"
"Challenge?" The siblings began to fight in the middle of the battle. "Adonai! They're bad!!"
"So am I!!"
"Aiiiii!!!!"
He turned to see the younger scout being lifted off the ground by some sort of magical beam. Both the other scouts had been knocked out while the twins fought. Adonai got mad. She was his sister's age and she was in trouble. "Hey, Cream-puffs! Thanks for ruining my fun!" he growled. Soma ran up beside him.
"Wait!" She put her hands together again. "Taoreru!!" The young scout fell out of the air. She jumped back a few times and made sure the scene was secure before rushing to her companions.
Adonai ran at the demons and proceeded to beat the hell out them. One tried sneaking up on him while the other fought. Ado threw his hand out and shot a ki blast at it. It burst into flames before becoming a pile of ash. "Oh, you're no fun!!!" he cried and blasted the other one.
The fight over, Adonai pouted and folded his arms. "Damn it. Another let down." He looked to his sister. She was passing her hand over one of the scout's legs.
"There. That should do it. You can stand on it now."
Jupiter got to her feet. "Wow! That was amazing! Thank you."
"No problem. It's the least I could do to make up for my brother's actions."
Ado huffed and turned his back on her.
"That's your brother?!" the pink-haired scout asked.
"My twin, actually." Soma got to her feet and made a face.
"Hey, Chibi Usa, look at her forehead!" Mars pointed at Soma.
"Wow, are you the Star Princess?" She pushed back her own pink bangs and revealed a yellow crescent moon.
"Uh... not the STAR Princess... Are you an alien?"
"No. Are YOU?" she asked, astounded.
"I'm a hybrid." Soma smiled and shot her the 'V' sign.
Adonai mimicked girls yammering and rolled his eyes. "Come on, Soma. Let's get going."
Soma shrugged and bowed to the girls. She handed the blade to her brother "Adonai, can we sleep soon?" she yawned as she asked. He ignored her. He was tired as well and getting cranky. "Adonai..?"
"Maybe." He took the key and cut a portal. Soma cried out and ran at him. She grabbed his arm just in time before the gate shut.
*Footnote 6*
-*-
They stood in front of another Capsule building.
"ADONAI!?" she shouted. "You almost left me behind!!" Her lip quivered. "What's wrong? What did I DO?"
He slung the sword over his back. "Nothing." He frowned and looked up at the building: another strange, yet intimately familiar house. "I guess I need some rest too." He stuck out his hand. "I'm sorry, Soma. Come on. One more. I'll ask for lodging here."
"Kay," she sniffed, satisfied with his apology. Her brother knocked three times, and they waited. He looked into her eyes. She smiled back at him. He squeezed her hand tighter.
"Excuse me, but have you seen a woman with blue hair and a star like this?" Adonai asked the woman who answered the door. "And if you haven't, could we ask you for lodging for the night? We're travelers and we're very weary." He bowed to her.
"Please, come in..." She looked a bit dazed. Adonai furrowed his brows, but followed her and his sister in. Soma yawned loudly.
"Um, Ma'am?" he called after her. "I don't mean any disrespect, but..." He wanted to know why she hadn't answered his question, but he never got to finish his complaint. She led them into the living room.
He was down on one knee in front of her. They were silhouetted by the setting sun pouring through the window behind them. "Please say you'll be my wife."
Soma looked up finally and was shaken from her sleepiness. Adonai's jaw fell.
"Of course! Oh, Trunks!" Akiko beamed. He stood and they embraced.
"MOMA!" Soma cried and ran to them. "MOMA MOMA MOMA!!"
"SOMA!?! Ohmygod SOMA!!!"
Trunks let his fiancé go and gasped as he saw his children. "ADONAI!"
The boy felt very strange. His heart was in his throat. His eyes stung. He wanted to shrug and tell his father it was no big thing; that he knew he'd find them, but his words were choked. He could only manage one word: "Father!"
Niwatori watched the family hug. Akiko cried loudly and squeezed her daughter. "Soma, oh Soma-sweet! You made it!"
Trunks released Adonai and held him by the shoulders. "Good job, Son."
He bowed his head quickly and smiled from ear to ear.
"Adonai..." Akiko held Soma who wept with joy with one hand against her shoulder and extended her other arm to her son. He stared at her in wonder.
Suddenly, he was a toddler again. He felt the blanket's warmth, only this time, he looked up and saw her face. It wasn't white anymore, but it was her face; his mother's face. He allowed her to hug him. "You did it! I knew you would!" She pet him, feeling his hair, the shape of his face as if he had just been born. "I'm so proud of you!"
"We're both proud of you," Trunks added. Soma wriggled her way out of Akiko's grip and smiled up at him.
"Me too, Father?"
He nodded, picked her up effortlessly and hugged her.
Akiko wiped tears from her cheeks and noticed that they had gathered an audience. Niwatori, Bulma and Zarbon stood in the entry-way, watching the touching scene. She stood and introduced her friends to her children. Adonai tugged her hand. She looked down and he ceremoniously handed her the inter-dimensional key.
"Do you still know how to use it?" Trunks asked.
She nodded and looked to her hosts. "I'll take them to Etibi and bring Mirai Trunks back here. I shouldn't be more than five minutes."
"Thank you for everything," Trunks hugged Bulma and Niwatori and shook Zarbon's hand.
"Tell the Prince I said hey," he smirked.
"Will do!"
"Take care, you guys!" Bulma smiled.
"Five minutes?" Niwatori couldn't help but be nervous.
"Ok, four!" Akiko laughed.
Tori blushed. "Good luck, Akiko."
The once-Goddess took her family's hands and cut a portal with the katana. The gate stood open under her trained hand and they walked leisurely through it.
-*-
As soon as they were all through, she closed the portal and felt out for Mirai's ki. "I have to get him back." Adonai and Trunks looked to her with a degree of concern.
"Don't worry, she's a pro!" Soma chimed.
She gave them a reassuring smile. "Besides, I think he knows not to mess with me now!" She levitated off the floor and flew out of the room.
*
Trunks and Vegeta hung in the air, panting. They had just reached another impasse. They were about to drop Super-Saiyan and take a break when they both noticed a strange ki approaching.
"Mirai Trunks," she announced, "I have come to take you back where you belong."
He nodded and turned to Vegeta. "Good to see you again, Father."
Vegeta stopped glowering at Akiko and extended his hand to Mirai. "Good-bye, Son." The men shook and Akiko opened a portal.
-*-
"I think you know the way from here," she said as she opened another gate back to Etibi.
"I'm sorry, Goddess, for what I've done." He hung his head.
"Hey, you don't know how good this turned out to be. Tori'll tell ya all about it. Now, hurry and get back to her. I told her four minutes!"
"Huh?" Mirai asked, confused.
"I gotta run. I'm getting married! See ya!" She waved to him and jumped through. Trunks blinked at the portal before bursting off for home; his home.
Tori felt him coming and flew out to meet him. They collided in the air and embraced.
"Tori-chan, I can't breathe!!" Trunks gasped.
Niwatori loosened her grip. "I'm sorry! I missed you so much! I just... Oh I.. Oh Trunks, MY Trunks!!" She squeezed again.
"Huh? What do you mean...?"
"Trunks!" she ignored him and beamed up at him. "God you smell like you've been fighting! Please, can we PLEASE have kids now?! After seeing them all together I just... Nani..?!" She gaped, reached up and grabbed his short cropped hair. "Not you too!!!"
Trunks stopped looking totally confused and laughed. He spun her around in the air and kissed her deeply. "I missed you too, you crazy girl!"
-*-
Akiko jogged back into the living room. In the time that had passed, everyone had become aware of their return. Roland, Bra, Korosette and Bulma were all asking questions of them at once. Vegeta entered and shot an evil glare at Akiko.
Adonai ran to him. "Grandfather!" He stopped in front of the man and held his chin up high.
"Irresponsible," Vegeta cursed him.
Adonai was visibly shocked, but set his jaw and got ready to take his punishment. Everyone grew silent.
"What were you thinking of, running off like that?! Your grandmother was worried sick!" Vegeta snarled in his native tongue.
Bulma pursed her lips to suppress a smile. 'He's speaking in Saiyan AND Vegeta-ese at the same time!' she thought. The Prince may have admitted to her that had been worried, but he would never do so in front of all these people!
Ado opened his eyes and looked up at him. "I apologize if my actions were displeasing, but I had to save them."
Vegeta sneered and took a step closer. He looked down his nose at his grandson and slapped his hand on his shoulder. "I know. I'm proud of you, Adonai."
Bulma smiled at last and her tail wagged happily from side to side. Trunks finally noticed it. "Mom, you look great!"
Bulma beamed and swung to Vegeta. She pointed her finger at him and waved it, smiling. "Aha! See!? I told you he did it!"
"Yes, yes, you're very smart. Shut up."
"Hey guys! It's party time!!" Bra jumped up in the air and clapped her hands together.
"We're gonna have a wedding!" Soma added.
"What!?" Bulma spun around again and blinked at her son. "Really?!"
The couple both nodded and smiled wide. Vegeta sneered and folded his arms. Akiko noticed. She made a mental note to have a chat with the Saiyan. She had to thank him for raising her son so well. She looked down at Adonai and her eyes misted. She let go of Trunks and wiped her face with the back of her hand. The katana was still in the other. She remembered it and made a face.
"I have to run to Kami's real quick. I think it's about time I got rid of this thing."
Trunks took her hands and looked into her eyes. "I think we have one more stop to make."
She cocked her head to the side in wonder.
"Wouldn't your parents like to have a ceremony at their house..?" He grinned.
She could hardly believe any of this was happening. She cried out loud finally and hugged Trunks.
Bulma watched them and started to cry, herself. She clutched her tail and wiped her eyes with it.
"Thank you..." Akiko whispered over Trunks's shoulder to no one in particular.
"Thank who?"
She shrugged. "I'm just thankful." He kissed her gently. Akiko leaned back, looked into his clear, blue eyes and began to sing. "Mou boku ni wa kanashii koto nado nanimo nai!" ["I have no reason to be sad about anything anymore!"]
End Chapter Sixteen
Glossary:
Nagitaotsu = Zap
Kesu = Extinguish
Taoreru = Drop
Footnotes:
1) Trunks, Pan and Goten from the fanfiction, "Fumetsu no Senshi-tachi"… also by Aoi Kami Sarah
2) "Pokemon" characters are owned by Nintendo, I think. Eh, whatever. I just really like Jigglypuff and Team Rocket.
3) This Juuhachigo is from the fanfiction "Dragon Ball Super Z"
4) "Sailor Moon" characters; Jupiter, Mars and Chibi Moon are owned by Naoko Takeuchi.
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