All right, so I wanted to post this on Friday, but since I just moved, at home I don't have internet, I tried to post this at school. But after a certain time in the afternoon, the internet doesn't work anymore at school on Fridays. So basically, I literally finished the last sentence, saved it and tried to post it and the internet didn't work! And since I don't have internet at home right now, I had to wait until today to post. –26.04.04
AN: I'm glad you liked the prologue. Here's the first chapter then. I'm a bit- okay, really annoyed that DBZ was taken off the TV again, right after the Freezer Saga finished. But I decided to get my DBZ fix from something else-namely fan fiction. I'll try to update regularly, but don't count on it…I have tons of tests in the next six weeks, I just moved (this also means limited internet access-if I'm lucky, in a week or so I'll get internet at home. If I'm unlucky, it won't be until August, since where we're living now is only temporary until our house is finished) and I'm failing Latin (which makes sense when you think I've had two years and my class has had eight years…, but still…). So please be patient.
Oh yeah-seeing as how on our earth we have never have had an android named Cell try to take over the earth and the fact that at 700 A.D. there were certainly no flying cars, advanced forms of technology or communication and also the fact there is no West Capital, Satan City, King of the World and God that happens to be a teen-aged Namek, I'm going by the fact that the DBZ earth is not our earth. SO expect no Japan, US, Europe or what not from me. In this chapter, it isn't so important, but in future chapters it will be…
Chapter 1'-And Eightie says hello to you as well. I hope you're doing well, honey, and be good.
Love,
Rika'
Videl sighed, folding the letter back into the envelope. The letter was stained with tears, wrinkled, crumbled and almost falling apart. But Videl still carried it with her.
Ever since Rika had left two years ago, sending this letter a month after her departure, Videl had kept it with her. It was one of her only links to the young woman. There was also the ribbon Rika had tied her hair with, which she had left in a corner of her bedroom, when she had left, in such haste that she had forgotten the small object. And then there was the package that had accompanied the letter.
Videl's memory was still clear to that particular day. Rika had left without notice, though Videl had long ago figured out why the young woman had left. And a month later she had received the letter, apologizing, as well as the package.
'...Here's something I thought you might like as well as something you can remember me by, Videl. I'm so sorry I had to leave you-that was truly the last thing I wanted, yet I had to get out...I'm sorry...'
And in a nest of paper laid a dragon ball. Even without reading Rika's explanation she had known what it was. A small ball, smaller than a baseball; it was bright red with two yellow stars on it, glowing slightly with magical energy. Videl had picked it up gingerly and burst into tears.
It had been two years and the dragon ball still brought up memories. Perched on her balcony, dusk ahead, she slowly moved a strand of hair behind her ear and closed her eyes, bowing her head.
"Dear Dende,
Please watch over Rika for me and help me find the people needed for my journey."
And when Videl looked up, her eyes were shining with a light that they usually hid, the very light that she had rarely revealed since Rika's departure. Videl Satan was finally fourteen years old and she knew she had proved her self adult enough to set out on her journey-a journey to gather the dragon balls and wish her mother back to life, as well as to find Rika.
But first that meant going through her father.
***
"Videl, your father wants you." A young woman, around Rika's age was standing in the doorway, her hands clasped in front of her. Oak was her name, Videl thought, though she couldn't be sure. There had been a long line of maids and 'companions' since Rika-around ten or so. Ivy had been the first that she remembered, but after that, they all just seemed to blend into one another. There was a Fern, and a Rose and a Hydrangea and a Leaf, but other than that, she wasn't sure. They were all the same-young and beautiful blondes that were supposed to keep an eye on her and 'entertain' her father-the thing that had caused Rika to leave, when she had refused Hercule Satan.
Videl sighed and turned around. She had been packing-she knew that her father wasn't going to be thrilled with her decision to leave. Actually, she mused, he was going to be furious that his 'little darling dearest sweet-pea who he loves oh so much' also known as his 'sympathy winner' was going to be gone. After all, how could he moan and groan to the media about how hard it was to raise a child alone if the child was missing?
"What is it?" Videl finally said, taking her time. Really, there was nothing wrong with Fern. The girls who played maid were a lot better than Hercule's girlfriends.
The girlfriends were awful. At least the maids tended to at least spend some time with her. It was just that she knew that taking care of the little 'angel of my eyes' was not on their list of highlights-except for Rika. But Rika had been the first and only who had been hired with Videl as the main reason. There were other servants, of course, but there was supposed to be one who's main duty was to watch out for Videl and care for her. Rika had been selected after Henny had left. After Rika, Videl's position had dwindled in the family. Instead of counting the minutes until Hercule returned from his various trips, Videl had sunk into a degree of indifference. Videl was seen as a prop, a living doll that was there to be shown off, but otherwise left alone, thrown into a corner somewhere, set on a high shelf out of reach. She was no longer the daughter. And she had began wondering when the maids would stop caring for her and tend only to their 'Master's' needs.
Oak was petite, except for her chest area, and not too bright. She was subdued around Videl and tended to stay in the shadows, unless Mr. Satan was there-which he rarely was. She had blonde hair done up in a bun as all the maids wore their hair, pale blue eyes and wore the standard maid's uniform of a white blouse and black over-jumper with a kerchief covering the top of her hair, nylons and black spiked heels. Rika had worn the outfit almost embarrassedly, whereas all the other maids since then had used it to show off their aspects.
Videl followed Oak throughout the house, until they came to Mr. Satan's study. A butler, Jeeves, stood in front and bowed low as he opened the door. Videl gasped at the sight.
Another blonde was sitting on Hercule's desk in an evening gown. The gown was something that clung to her body and had a large slit almost up to the waist. With her long legs crossed in a very seductive manner, a high-heel dangling from her toe, she looked like a woman who knew what she was doing. Especially seeing how the World Champion was currently lip-locked with her and his hands were slowly pushing down the shoulders of her dress.
"Papa!" Videl gasped, resorting to the name she only called him when she wanted something-a trick that he still hadn't figured out, though she had been doing it for years.
Hercule and the woman immediately pulled away from each other and then hurriedly straightened their clothing. "Oh, sweet-pea, I forgot you were coming...here, give your papa a nice big kiss." This wasn't an odd request-it was a ritual that had started before Medona Satan had died, even. But at the moment Videl found that it was the most disgusting thing in the world.
"No! And why did you want me anyway?" She frowned, crossing her arms.
Hercule had at least the sense to look a bit embarrassed. "Well, you see honey bunny-"
"We're going away for a six months and then getting married." The blonde cut in; standing up from the desk and shaking her head, so her hair would fly out.
Videl stared at her. "Who are you?" Coming to terms with the fact that telling her father about her plans on leaving and finding the dragon balls (though she would have just said she wanted to take a vacation and left out everything about the dragon balls, knowing what Hercule Satan would do for power like that), she decided that the best thing to do would be play dumb. After all, it was summer vacation and what her father didn't know wouldn't hurt him.
"Krystal Jewels." The blonde held out her hand and Videl took it confusedly. "Your father and I met at a wonderful outing-and had dinner together. And not one month later he proposes! Isn't that wonderful?"
The teeny dislike for the woman Videl had felt after seeing her and her father in such a position just grew ten-fold. Hercule Satan might be an idiot, but Videl Satan certainly wasn't. And the way Krystal was acting was just down right insulting. Videl was fourteen, not five.
"Er...yes, pleasant. Nice to meet you." She quickly removed her hand from Krystal's and turned to her father. "There was something you wanted me for?"
Hercule looked up from his fiancé surprised. "Was- oh, are you proud of your papa, honey darling? Your papa's going away and getting married!"
"You already are." Videl coolly replied, glaring at him.
Hercule looked affronted. "Of course I'm not! And I just found the love of my life-"
"I thought Mama was the love of your life."
"Oh-" Hercule had the good grace to look shocked and sympathetic. "Well, she is- uh, was. But your mother has been dead for almost ten years and I think it's time to, uh, move on."
Videl eyed him suspiciously. She highly doubted that he even thought of his deceased wife anymore, though she couldn't prove it. And it wouldn't do any good either. Hercule Satan had most likely seen Medona's death as an act of freedom; like a warden letting the prisoner go free. "But you still love Mama, don't you?" She tried to look as innocent as she could, and succeeded. Hercule looked like a deer caught in the headlights.
"Of-of course I do," he faltered. "But I need a wife-a living wife now. And I met Krystal and thought that she would do a good job." He sent Krystal, whose smile was now painted on, after observing Videl, a look that made Videl want to be sick.
"We have to go now, honey, if we don't want to miss the plane." Krystal quickly said, before Videl could comment. "And we certainly don't want to miss the plane, do we?"
"Of course not. Now Videl, honey bunny, give your papa a great big hug and kiss." And before Videl could back away, Hercule had grabbed her and was kissing her on the cheek. "Be good for Papa now, sweet-pea and do your school work-"
"It's summer now." Videl kept her voice cool.
"Oh, well then stay away from any boys who get it in their heads-"
"Hercy, honey," Krystal said, running a finger down his cheek, "let's go."
Hercy? Videl managed to keep from heaving. And she was proud of herself when she was able to stop herself from reeling as her father bent down and gave her a kiss on the cheek, a huge hug and went on about how much he was going to miss his little 'sweet-pea'.
But as soon as the door was closed behind him, Krystal and their massive luggage, Videl was all business again. She was out to find the dragon balls- the golden warriors could wait- and finding the dragon balls meant finding out a way to find them, without searching everywhere by hand…
A week had gone by and Videl still hadn't figured out how to find them all. She had tried searching the internet and the library and she had called up all the stores that sold second-hand merchandise and all the curiosity shops, but she had only found one person who had heard the legend and they had laughed at her. And even after describing the balls to people, no one knew what she was talking about.
Sorry, Ms Satan.
Never heard of them, Ms Satan.
Wish I could help, but I can't…
The same answers, every single time. And she hadn't even stayed in Satan City, but had called the shops in Central Capital and West Capital and East Capital and South Capital and West Capital. She had found nothing.
Apparently it wasn't going to be so easy after all.
Standing on her balcony, she looked out at the meticulously groomed grounds and thought. There had to be some way… Someone must have heard of them before, or seen one, or even have had one… She knew the legend was not very well known, but this was ridiculous. If it had been any other person, they would have given up hope by now. But this was Videl Adhe Satan and Satans never gave up.
And then the phone rang.
Videl had her own private line and so she knew that it was for her. She frowned and walked in side, picking it up. Most of the kids from school were away for the summer and her father wouldn't use her private line. "Hello?"
"Hi, Videl! How are you? Just got back from camp-actually, it wasn't too bad. Cute boys and computers-what else could a girl want? And let me tell you-"
Erasa. Videl's heart stopped suddenly. It had been staring at her all along. Erasa could do it. Erasa could manage to find something that made finding the dragon balls a whole lot easier. She felt like flying.
Too bad humans couldn't.
"Erasa? Look, I need your help…"
Erasa was a technical genius hidden by tons of makeup, clothes and an obsession for boys. Erasa could hack into the King's website and make a boy fall for her at the same time. And she enjoyed both of those things.
Videl had known her since pre-school. Their mothers had a habit of dropping them off and picking them up at the same time –an hour late every day. Because of this, the two girls got close and became friends. Soon it was time for Videl to start Kindergarten with Erasa and Medona's illness set in. An illness that made her forget where she was, or what she was doing, or even who she was.
It had been Erasa who had tried to comfort Videl when her own mother did not recognize her, and it had been Erasa and Mrs. Rubber who had comforted the girl after Medona's death. The two girls had formed a bond that nothing could break.
Erasa was an odd mix, Videl had always thought. With her mother's influence, she had learned about 'normal' girly things, like dresses and hairstyles and dolls and ruffles and when she was older, boys. But there was also that seed of brilliance and curiosity on the inside that hid the adventurous and technology-loving Erasa.
Erasa had been eight when she had received her first computer and her first training bra- though she didn't need it for about four years. Both had been met with equal enthusiasm.
Videl could never understand it. Well, she amended, the computer she could understand-but the bra?
It left her wondering what she might have been like with a mother. Mrs. Rubber had encouraged Erasa's more girly tendencies, taking her shopping, buying her girly things like makeup and dolls and dresses. Videl had had Henny, who had started as a maid when Videl was three and had left when she was nine. Henny had been forced to care for her after Medona's death, but Henny had never really been one for children. She had none of her own and while she didn't dislike children, she just didn't really know how to care for one. And she especially didn't know what a young girl might need.
After Henny there had been Rika. And while Rika was just the thing that Videl needed-the second-mother who knew all about being a girl and had no qualms answering whatever question, she had come too late. Videl was already used to her boyish ways, to her un-lady-like dress and behavior. And while Rika had worked to install at least the beginnings of lady-like behavior in her, she had never gotten to the makeup wearing, boy crazy, dress wearing, fashion loving teenager, like Erasa.
Videl shifted her backpack as she rode her bike. She was too young to drive (which really annoyed her) and she didn't feel like asking the chauffer to take her. Plus Erasa didn't live that far away.
She soon saw Erasa's house. A white, medium sized two-storey, the Rubbers' home was comfy and inviting, unlike her own mansion, where you first had to be let in by the intercom. Erasa was already outside, waiting for her.
"Come on, let's go into the lab." Erasa smiled at her, entering the house. Erasa's 'lab' was down in the basement and held a computer, wires, various electronical parts and tools, scrap metal and wood and lots of drawings and diagrams. It was a mess, a contradiction to the room Erasa used as a bedroom, which was spotless.
Reaching the lab, Erasa shoved a pile of papers off of a work table and flicked on a few lights. "So," she said, leaning on the table, "what is it?"
Videl sighed, gathering her wits up for this. She opened up her bag and took out the dragon ball. Erasa gasped. "This is a dragon ball. There are seven of them, scattered all over the earth. I have one, but I need all seven. And since there's a big probability that at least one of them is on the bottom of the ocean near the south islands, I want an easier way to find them, than looking for each and every individual one, which would most likely take my entire life and I still might not have found them all."
Erasa took it from her, weighing it in her hands, and flashing a light on it. After a few minutes, she spoke. "I don't know what alloy it's made of- and you better tell me the entire story once you have them all- but it looks like it give out some form of waves…like what you'd expect from radiation."
Videl started to get excited. "Does that mean you can help me find something that will help me track them all down easier?"
"I'm assuming you want something like radar." Erasa examined the small ball again. "And my best bet would be to somehow classify these waves that come out of it and use that to find the others. Of course," she amended, "if you can be sure that all the others have these waves."
"Let's assume they do. Can you make a radar then?" Videl looked at Erasa hopefully. "I figure that with your gift for mechanics and computers-" But she stopped as Erasa burst out laughing.
Videl frowned, glaring at her friend. "What's so funny?"
Erasa managed to calm down a bit and smiled sadly at her friend. "I'm honored that you think my abilities are so good, but I'm going to have to disappoint you. There's no way I could pull that off. I'd need special equipment to classify the waves and categorize them and isolate them and then I'd have to make the radar intone with those waves that I had previously classified. I don't have the knowledge, the equipment or even the time…since I'd be doing this all alone, on my own free time. It'd take me a year, probably, if I had the equipment. So you can forget me doing that."
Videl felt crushed. She had finally thought that she had found a way to find all the dragon balls and had been imagining her mother being alive again and what they might do.
Erasa must have sensed this, however, because she reached an arm out and hugged Videl close to her. "Don't be sad, Videl. Maybe you won't even need such a thing-or maybe you can find someone else more experienced than I am who has the equipment."
Videl instantly pushed back her feelings so that she appeared perfectly fine and happy. It had been a skill she had had to learn quickly after her mother had died. And now Videl rarely cried- and no one had seen her cry in years- the last time had been when Rika had left…
"I'm fine, Erasa. But I don't really know anyone- teachers would want to know why and it's not like my father has his own physicists. Would be nice…but he doesn't."
Erasa didn't look fooled by Videl's remark, but she still smiled. "Well, maybe you'll come up with something. You just have to persevere."
But Videl still felt like her one opportunity was slipping away…
Getting back home, she was in a very melancholy mood. There wasn't anyone she could think of, who could build a radar like that. From what Erasa had said, it was very complicated. Erasa had explained how she thought one might go about doing it, but she had also said that it was way out of her league. The best Videl could hope for, was if she found some random physicist who had lots of time, the right equipment and the brains to do so. Erasa also decided that it was advanced enough that most likely, their teachers couldn't make something like that.
Videl was wondering how on earth the dragon balls had been collected in the first place. Rika had told the story of a boy who had collected them all, but how had he done so? Just randomly picked them all up? She doubted this, but she had no idea who they boy was and without a name, she could scarcely hope to find him. And though Rika would know the name, Videl had no means to contact her.
As she dropped her bike in the garage and entered the house, she was immediately met by Oak. Videl raised her brows. "Yes?"
"Miss Videl, your father has called and has left you a message. If you would follow me, I shall lead you to the Study." Oak spoke in her normal monotone, turning on her heel and walking off towards Mr. Satan's study. Videl followed after her, rolling her eyes at the woman's speech. She knew perfectly well where her own father's study was in her own house, but the fact was that most of the servants acted the same way. Only Rika had been different…
And she stopped in her tracks again.
Rika…
That was it. She had to find a way to find the dragon balls. She'd never forgive herself if she didn't. She needed Rika and her mother. It wasn't just a want, but a need. And if the dragon balls were her only chance to bring her mother back and allow her to see Rika her, then by Dende, she was going to find them.
It was two minutes later when she reached the Study. Jeeves stood at ready, finger poised over the red button on the answering machine and pressed it, as Videl appeared.
Hercule's image and voice appeared. "Hello, sweet-pea. Your papa loves you very, very much and misses you very, very much. But your papa is also a very, very busy man and so he won't be back for a very, very long time. And he's also told the servants that they are to follow your every order and that you can use the credit card in your papa's third desk drawer for whatever you want. So be very, very good and your papa misses you very, very much."
Videl wasn't sure what she was supposed to do after that. Part of her wanted to jump and scream in elation- she knew that the emergency credit card in the third desk drawer had about a million groschen on it and the fact that she had the complete authority to order the servants around would mean that her dragon ball hunt would be a lot easier. Of course, this also made her want to scream in frustration, since there was no way to find out where the dragon balls were. So Videl decided to compromise and kept her normal, stony expression.
Dismissing the servants, she walked over to the phone and ran a hand over the view-screen. Her father always treated her as if she was five-there was going to be no change there. But giving her the allowance of the emergency credit card and the authority over the servants was definitely new. It was something to ponder. Perhaps this Krysta- no, Krystal might be an annoying blonde idiot, but at least she made Hercule treat his daughter just a little bit more like her age…
Videl sighed and bumped the table, causing a pile of papers to fall. Most of them were business cards from people her father called often. Her father's press agent, her father's manager, her father's massager. And then she hit gold.
Her father, or more likely his agent, was trying to get more recognition away from the martial arts field. Of course there were the ridiculous posters and shirts and hats and books and movies and shoes and towels and even the dang city, but for some reason, they still wanted more.
And that's when Earth's leading Company was led in. It was brilliant, her father's agent had cried for weeks, it would make sure that Hercule Satan was never forgotten. He would endorse and pose for a various line of merchandise- cars, houses, planes, everything.
Videl had ignored it at the time. The President of the Company wasn't going for it. They had literally said 'I don't car what the so-called 'savior of the world' will bring me. We make enough anyway, without endorsing that idiot'. But now- months later, the card was still laying about, for the hope that through the persistent phone calls, the President would finally give in.
Videl glanced at the business card, clutching it tightly. It was the work and home phone of one Bulma Briefs.
AN: Like I said, I'll try to update regularly, but the truth is, I had half of this part done when I posted the prologue and this part is literally hot of the press-so don't get discouraged if it may take me awhile.
Please read and review-reviews are a sure way to make me want to post faster.
-Jennie