Chapter 11:
Crescent Festival? o_O
Still wearing Vest'har's uniform, the four musketeers went back to the Palace. It was disturbing how quickly they had grown familiar with the place.
Walking up the halls, they all followed the kis belonging to the ningen females. They were in the garden, lounging on a pair of odd looking chairs while talking about shopping and wedding plans for their children, with a couple of bodyguards planted on their side. What was curious about these, was not their impressive ability to impersonate living statues, but actually, the uncanny resemblance between them. Not an inch in their height, not an ounce of muscle, or a pitch of skin color was different. Two droplets of water couldn't have been more similar.
As they approached the ladies, both men turned to stand in their path, only to have chibi Trunks pass through them, dismissing them with a wave of his little hand.
"Outta my way!"
Gohan and Videl looked at each other, the exact same thought ("Like father like son") crossing their minds as they followed the lavender haired prince up towards the women.
"Hyaa okaasan!" Trunks chirped climbing on the chair to place himself on his mother's lap, as Goten was doing to his own mother.
"Hyaa Trunks. How was your first day in school?"
"OH MY GOD!! Videl what happened to you?" Chichi's alarmed exclamation at seeing the limp in Videl's walk cut off the boy.
"It's nothing serious Chichi-san. I just had a little rough spar."
"Gohan! You know better than to let her get hurt!"
"I tried, okaasan. But it was the sensei's idea to have her fight that other girl."
"Come, dear. We have to get that leg fixed."
There was no arguing with Chichi when she was in worried mode, so Bulma just stood and told the twin guards to take them to the infirmary.
"Where are otousan and Vegeta ojisan?" Goten asked as they walked through the corridor in silence.
"They're training with Vegeta-ou. Lucky shot that the king actually had some free time for them."
***********
His skull throbbed as he was dealt another powerful punch; his breath coming out in hungry pants as his lungs thrived for oxygen. His skin itched in excitement and frustration at being bested once again. Vegeta-ou spit a mouthful of blood on the TR's smooth floor. Just another tiny patch of red where pints of warrior blood had been shed before.
After Ouji had told him about his past life, he had realized his son had surpassed him in everything: strength, social relationships, family, determination and endurance. That alone made him proud. But now, giving his best to hold his ground against his ouji, he felt himself swell. The thrill of battle, as well as the pride awakened by his imminent defeat at the hands of his son, blended together into a state of excitement he had not felt in decades.
Vegeta-ouji dived in again, not giving the man any more time to recover. He threw a punch at his face, which Ou prepared to take on directly, only to be rushed upon by an after image. ' That trick again. The same as my grandson's ', he thought in a daze, but regained his awareness fast enough to remember Trunks' move and jump away before Vegeta could have a chance to attack.
Just as he thought, Vegeta fell on that same spot, not three seconds later. He let this small victory sink in with a smirk, but this didn't last long, cause Vegeta-ouji's crouching figure dimmed until vanished and the king's arms were grabbed in a hook from behind.
"Gotcha old man!" Vegeta growled through the strain of submitting the thrashing form of his father.
"I'm still not defeated."
"Oh, is that so? Then break free and attack me." Ouji taunted.
The king tensed, trying to muster the strength to free himself from Vegeta's grip, all with little avail. The prince chuckled at his father's futile attempts, all the while remembering a time when the tables had been turned. Vegeta must have been 4 or 5 and he had been required to take a test of strength, finally fighting his father, the very king, to prove his worth as a warrior prince. Vegeta Ou had been so much stronger then, but chibi Vegeta was very talented and had fought well. That is, until the old man, who by that time was less than 30 years old, took a hold of him from behind, squeezing his little arms with close to no mercy. He was already a child with pride beyond his years, refusing to surrender despite the pain his sire was inflicting on him. In the end, the chibi ouji had lost consciousness, without ever backing down. That alone had been enough to make the king proud, and had driven chibi Vegeta to be fixated on an extremely hard training. In their next match, a month later, the prince defeated the king after arduous battle, this leading to a constant scuffle between the two.
Just like good ol' times.
"Remember this, otousama? How does it feel to be on other side of the coin?" Vegeta kept taunting.
King Vegeta huffed, squaring his feet at his sides, and quickly crouched, gaining momentum to flip himself over his son's head. The rush of the movement took Vegeta-ouji aback, causing him to lose his grip on his father. The older saiyajin flew back several feet away and got into his fighting stance.
"Haven't got enough old man?"
"Shut your trap and show me your power once and for all."
Vegeta smirked. Yes, THIS was the same old King Vegeta. A bastard with a sweet tongue*. Pity how there were only a few (like himself) who had actually realized this.
"You cannot handle my power." Vegeta said still smirking.
"Feh. You forget who you're talking to."
"How could I? When I'm having so much fun getting a rise out of you." King Vegeta growled. Then, all of a sudden, he straightened up and smirked the original Vegetian smirk.
"Well, then. If you do not wish to show me what I want, then I guess Kakarotto would." He finished looking at the younger saiyajin, who was standing to the side.
Goku blinked at hearing the king refer to him. What? He wanted to fight Goku? But he was the king! And Goku was just a third- Oh, scratch that. He was an elite now; but, anyway, he was much stronger than the king was. And if there was something he had learned of the Vegetas, as well as the other few saiyajins he had crossed paths with in his life, it was to never mess with their pride. He knew if he fought Ou, he would win, thus making the man mad at having someone inferior beat him. But then, if he faked being defeated, the king would be even angrier, for he would think Goku was mocking him. 'Shoot. What to do now?' he thought.
King Vegeta's words wiped away Vegeta's smirk. The mere fact that his father was implying to fight Goku instead of him, angered him...
Hurt him?
What he felt though, he wouldn't admit... And this time, not even to himself.
"Uh, gee, King Vegeta. I don't know. I don't think that's a very good idea." Goku said uncertainly.
'Gah. Lame excuse! Great. That must have just branded me as an idiot before him. What a way to leave an impression.' Goku thought.
His eyes moved to Vegeta, who up until then hadn't said anything. The prince's eyes were stubbornly fixated on his father; the scowl that had somehow softened since their arrival on Vegeta-sei was making its way up his face once again.
Goku looked back between father and son... Nope. Vegeta was definitely not going to say anything.
"I'll tell you what, your highness. Vegeta and I can fight, if that's what you wanna see."
Both Vegetas' heads snapped to look at the younger saiyajin. Prince Vegeta silently wondered what happened to the clueless fool that had spoken before that. It was something he would never understand, how the Chikyuu raised saiyajin could switch modes so quickly.
"Very well then." King Vegeta consented, stepping to the side beside him and finished with a sneer. "Make sure you make it worth it."
'Man! Talk about how much children are like their parents. Just what happened to the nice king? He just got vegetitis.' Goku thought flying up to the saiyajin prince, who had yet to move from his trademark stance.
"What happened to your dad?" he asked in a low voice.
"Nothing. He just dropped his act and showed his true face."
Goku looked thoughtful, rubbing the back of his head lightly while looking at the saiyajin king. Then he turned to look at his friend and shrugged, taking his fighting stance. Vegeta followed suit and smirked upon noticing Goku shift to warrior mode.
They stayed put for a little while, gazes locked in silent agreement. Vegeta blinked slowly, signaling the younger fighter he had the right to start an assault.
Goku shifted his upper body to face the prince and accentuated his crouch, gaining impulse to pounce on the shorter saiyajin. He flew up to him in an amazing display of speed, fading in and out of sight. Just in the last moment, Vegeta disappeared causing Goku to hit air. Immediately, he appeared behind Goku, hands laced above him coming down to meet the other's back, only to have Goku disappear again. This went on for some more minutes until Vegeta lay a hit on Goku's forearms, which were crossed before his face in protection. The ground shook from the sheer strength of the blow. They stayed motionless for some seconds, and then, all of a sudden, a staggering exchange of punches, kicks and blows began. For minutes on end, two blurs could be seen colliding with one another inside the training grounds, one black, and one blue.
The room was charged with the powerful energy emanating from the two fighters, if the thin electric tendrils crackling here and there were any indication.
There they were again! Goku was floating on his back, three feet from the tiled floor, hands locked with Vegeta's in a strength match. They both had concentrated expressions on their faces, Vegeta gritting his teeth in his effort to smash his rival to the floor. Goku couldn't have any of that, so he just kept pushing up, his mouth drawn in a thin line. The force increased, the lines of their arms muscles sharpened, the veins in their necks popped up, their faces reddened and their throats growled. Their auras flared, enveloping them. The room shook and their clothes fluttered wildly. Their hair stood on end, turned golden. Their eyes blended into teal...
They turned super saiyajin.
The floor under them burst up in smithereens in a five feet radius. The metal walls of the TR quavered around them. King Vegeta's eyes widened and he broke into an unfitting grin, resembling the look of a child on Christmas morning. He floated off the trembling floor, not noticing the cracks running through it, up the walls in cobweb patterns and to the ceiling in utmost rapture.
The fighters released each other as if burned by the other's flaming golden ki. They mutually charged again, only to have the explosion of power bring the cracking of their surroundings to a climax, provoking the structure to crumble onto them in the most fascinating cascade of metal and glass.
***********
Commander Lettusu was just coming out the Training Grounds' showers when he felt the tremors. The palace guards and assigned military training in that moment, stopped and looked between each other. They shrugged it off and kept on before feeling the ground shake more violently, throwing some of them off balance. They all saw the walls crack from floor to ceiling and the chunks and shards fall upon them. The structure fell apart, leaving them out in the open, surrounded by rubble.
A yell caught their attention. Two more private rooms from the Training Grounds had collapsed also, and they noticed, much to their chagrin, that one of them was the Royal Chamber. They saw their king hovering ahead of them. Just then, a hint of gold caught Lettusu's eye and he turned to face two golden haired men surrounded by a flaming golden aura. They were engaged in hand to hand combat. Every time their fists made contact, there were little bursts of energy exploding around them, as well as massive shockwaves that were causing the ground to shake. Then it dawned on him. The night of the celebration, the little prince and the other boy had gone golden on them. They had turned super saiyajin.
"The Legendary", he whispered without taking his eyes off the sparring figures.
A multitude of murmurs broke through the men around him as he watched the blond figures vanish before his eyes. Violent gusts could be felt as well as the energies crashing could be seen under the red skies. Boulders nearby were reduced to pebbles as the men faded in and out. In and out. The larger man came sliding on his back on the ground, followed closely by the shorter one. Lettusu noticed the flaming mane and the widow's peak on him.
'Vegeta-ouji', he thought in wonder. 'Ikiteita supaa saiyajin no densetsu!*'. His thoughts were interrupted as the ground shook again.
The prince was embedded in a crater on the ground. He growled and launched a ki blast at the larger form, which was panting heavily several feet in the air. The blast hit him square on the shoulder, knocking him out of the air.
Vegeta went to his feet and approached Goku's form inside a smaller crater than the one he'd just gotten out of. The younger saiyajin sighed, looking up at his prince.
"Oh, man, Vegeta! No fair! The rules are no ki blasts." He whined.
"You know I never play by the rules, you baka." The prince smirked, folding his arms in front of him, and walked away.
"Hey!" Goku sat up dropping out of super saiyajin. "You promised you wouldn't call me a baka anymore."
"I never promised anything. I merely said 'Maybe'." Vegeta replied with a glare.
"VEGETA! GOKU! WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!?" They heard Bulma yell from what would have been the hallway.
"Keep it down, onna! You're going to give us an earbleed!"
"For Kami's sake! You men can't control yourselves anywhere!? Look at this mess!"
"Don't bite my head off alone! It was Kakarotto's idea in the first place."
"SON GOKU!!!" It was Chichi's astounding impersonation of a living banshee.
"Gomen, Chi!" He rushed to apologize, sprinting to his feet so he could have a better chance to run off for his life if need be.
"Gosh! What am I gonna do with you? I can't take you anywhere!" She went on with an embarrassed blush.
"Oh, come on Chichi. Vegeta Ou wanted to see us fight. You wouldn't want me to disobey the king, now would you?" Goku's enormous grin and dirt smudged face made her soften a little.
"Well, no, but... you could have at least been more careful."
Goku smiled inwardly. 'Kami thank you this went good'. He turned to watch Bulma making her way to Vegeta through the piles of rubble. When she got to him, she planted herself in front of him.
"Transform back." She told him loud enough for only him to hear. He obliged without a word. Then she slapped his arm and pointed to the king, who was a distance away from them. He was listening to Trunks' animated talking with what appeared to be a sweatdrop at the side of his head.
"Now go and rescue your father from your blabbering son." Vegeta looked up and smirked evilly upon the sight. He chuckled.
"I think I'll pass." And he walked away.
************
After another wonderful meal, the Chikyuu party went to the den on their wing. There, Vegeta explained to the children and the teens just what they would be doing in Vest'har. He explained some of the rules, the most important, and explained just why he was acting different.
During his absence, as his father had told him, the empire had been lead to run in a different way. All he had ever known was Vegeta-sei under Frieza's rule, but now the Ice-jin was gone, the empire was back to its old self. True, the technology acquired thanks to Frieza was wonderfully welcomed, but that was the only good thing about it. Without the need for purging, the embryo farms were dismantled, the schools reopened, old occupations retaken. The old social ladder was re-established, consisting of the Houses that came from the original saiyajin clans. Traditions were remembered, and with them, the tournaments, the rituals, the world of the saiyajins.
The four young ones listened in complete attention, as well as Chikyuu's greatest hero. They had all thought saiyajins followed barbaric instincts in their quest for ultimate power and dominance, but after their synthesized history lesson, they knew better. Diplomacy was as important a word in their language as honor and victory were.
"Tradition's fairly important for us. Our culture's very rich in customs and rituals." Vegeta-ou said.
"Yes. So I've been told." Gohan said from his place on the floor. All adults were sitting on the plush sofa and the king in his favorite chair.
At first, they had been in silence. Saiyajins were not known for their conversational prowess, and the ningen women were not about to spoil the moment. They knew very well how irritating those around thought their voices. Vegeta especially made sure they'd never forget that.
It was Trunks' inquisitiveness that had brought Ou to tell them about saiyajin culture. The young ones were delighted to listen, throwing their questions in once in a while. All four were seated on the carpeted floor, facing the king as he droned on and on, comfortably reclined in his large chair. Gohan and Videl sat next to each other, with Goten lodged between Gohan's legs. Trunks was a little ways in front of them, and Videl was patting his silken hair absently, while the kid's eyes never left the form of his grandfather.
"We especially enjoy the tournaments." The king went on.
"I've always wondered how a tournament between saiyajins is." Gohan said again.
"Yeah. I've only fought in a tournament once, and it was boring cause we had to be in the kids division, and only Trunks was good to fight with." Goten said.
"Well, you would also be placed in the junior division in our tournaments. It's a rule."
"When's it gonna be a tournament ojiisan?" Trunks asked with an edge of hope in his voice.
"Well, let's see Oh, very good! I almost forgot about the Crescent Festival", he said. "It's in three cycles. And at the end of the festival we host a tournament."
"Crescent Festival?" Videl asked at last.
"Hai. It is tradition to celebrate the sighting of the crescent moon with a festival that lasts the whole cycle it stays on sight."
"What's a cycle?"
"It's the saiyajin week." Vegeta-ouji answered for his father. "But instead of seven, it has ten days."
"So the festival starts in 30 days and then the tournament's in 40 days."
"Exactly."
"And what's that of the crescent moon?"
"You see. The full moon can be seen only every eight years on Vegeta-sei. And every quarter can be seen every two years for one cycle. The crescent moon is the phase before the full moon, therefore we celebrate the fact that there are only two years left to the full moon. We already had a New Moon Festival and a Gibbous Festival."
"What about the full moon? Doesn't it have a festival?" Videl asked. She was answered with laughter from everyone around her. She blushed in embarrassment, thinking she had said something stupid.
"Well, Videl. I don't think there would be much of a festival", Gohan said.
"Why?"
"Everybody would be rather busy. Have you not been told what the full moon does to us saiyajins?" Ou asked.
"No."
"Ne, every saiyajin with a tail can suffer an Oozaru transformation at the sight of a full moon. It is basically a giant ape with increased power. So all the ten nights of the cycle, all saiyajins turn into rampaging Oozarus."
Videl looked at Gohan inquisitively and the young half-breed nodded with a smile.
"Anyway, back to the Crescent Festival, it starts with a ball. All elites, as well as notorious personalities, attend to the ball at the Palace. Other classes have their own balls in their own communities. Then, the next day, the aged males part for Korosu*, the kill. Korosu can last any time from one day to the whole cycle, but it all depends on each kin's abilities. One can choose to go alone if wished. After that, the one can join the females in the festival. There are parties and fairs every day of the cycle. Then, the tournament comes. Depending on the outcome, the winner gets their prize. May it be a promotion, the right to a mate or an over demanded assignment."
"So, only men can come on the Korosu?" Bulma asked at last. "Why?"
"It is tradition. We do not break tradition, as it is dishonorable to our ancestors."
"What's Korosu for?"
"Well, mostly, it's to hone hunting skills and to enjoy hunting the old fashioned way. Though in unmated males, it is for preparation."
"Preparation for what?" Gohan asked. Vegeta-ou smiled wolfishly at the boy. It was so unnerving Gohan flinched back.
"Ne, for Karidasu* of course."
"I don't get it. What's the difference between them?" Ou shook his head.
"Korosu is different from Karidasu. While at Korosu, you hunt and kill, at Karidasu you hunt and mate."
***********
That night, after going to bed, Gohan couldn't sleep. He didn't show, but he was actually quite affected by Ou's words, the way the man looked at him when talking about mating and throwing all those hints
Blast his naivete! The king was trying to tell him something, but yet he did not get it.
Saiyajins came of Age after their 18th birthday. It all depended on each one's development. Some did soon after hitting 18, but others could go as far as 20. 'How do you know when others make the change? How do you know who's of Age and who's not? How do you know when YOU make the change?'
He felt Videl turn to face him. She was sound asleep, pulling the sheet to her body like she was really cold. She looked like a little girl, he noticed. Fiery blue eyes closed under long lashes, lips slightly parted to allow deeper breathing, chest rising and falling in even patterns.
He smiled.
Feisty Videl was not so feisty after all. She had changed he mused, advancing some degrees after they met for the first time. She was not bitchy. She was not intimidating. Well, maybe sometimes. She was not all that tough. Even if she tried, she could be easily broken if you knew where to hit. But she was brave. She was intense. She was nice and sweet. She could be shy, as well as resolute. She had a warrior's spirit
She was beautiful.
Gohan almost gasped. He looked at the ceiling. No wait, that was the bed's canopy. He had been listing her virtues before his eyes, so it was only fair to admit it. Yes, Videl was beautiful. And now that he brought himself to notice, he could see why. It was not because she had a doll face, or a supermodel's body. She was not perfect. But just turning to look at her sleeping face, she was beautiful.
Was there any other word that could help him describe what he saw?
She was pretty.
There. That didn't sound so impersonal. He remembered his first days at Orange Star. All those strange faces. Videl and Erasa had been just two more of those faces. Then, after getting to know them, he had begun to see them in a different light. He even admitted the bubbly blonde was a welcome sight.
Then he realized it.
'The heart belongs to a beautiful person', his mother told him once. He had not understood then, but after much thought, he got it. The people you love are always beautiful in your eyes. After a while, you just choose not to see their defects. Or maybe you just focus on what you like about them.
He figured what it would be like to be married to her. It wouldn't be much different. They had already slept in the same bed! He chuckled, the movement causing the sleeping girl to stir again, scooting over to him and snuggling to his side, burying her face and hands between him and the mattress.
Gohan blushed for the billionth time that day.
***********
All through the week, they got to learn something new at Vest'har. Be it the intergalactic systems, the most amazing belligerent history they had ever heard of, the basics of archaic saiyago, customs and traditions, as well as strategic warfare, first aids and saiyajin etiquette.
Most of their classes were separated; being the children put in classes more appropriate for their age. Gohan and Videl, however, had to start in the children's history class to scale their way to the program that corresponded to them.
As he had promised, Avocco was very hard on Videl since day two. He paid extra attention to the ningen girl, giving her pointers and correcting her few mistakes, which by the way, had already been pointed out by Gohan. She was very proud of her performance so far, if Avocco's smirk of satisfaction was any indication of her progress. He was a friendly man she noticed, friendly in saiyajin standards that is. He was very attached to his job and seemed to have authentic teaching vocation. He especially went out of his way to help the less fortunate students, who had trouble keeping up to their class.
All vest'harian students were excitedly looking forward to the Crescent Festival. Not only because of the tournament, but also because of the never-ending party for the whole cycle it lasted. That meant no school and unlimited training for the whole time.
They still kept attracting looks. They kept being criticized. Some shunned Gohan for his mixed blood, for the loss of his tail or for his pacifist attitude. Videl was just in the way. Saiyajin obsession with tradition found it a sacrilege to having the ningen girl as a Vest'harian. But, for a considerable amount of them (the female populace), it was because she was ripe*. They hated the way she kept walking around and acting so ningen under the males' eyes. They saw her alright. Or better. They looked at her of their own accord, the aged males craving the little female for themselves. After all, Vegeta-ouji had chosen a ningen over his own race! There must be something about them.
Gohan had made a few enemies along the way because of his constant watchful eye on Videl. He made sure none of the aforementioned males got near her enough to pull a move on her. It was not that all of the boys had bad intentions. Some of them were actually piqued by the girl's self, but Gohan wouldn't have any of that.
Asparu was one of the persistent ones. He had, on countless occasions tried to win the girl's trust, but for some reason, she seemed almost wary of him.
This morning was different from all that. Why was that you ask? It was a holiday, the last day of the cycle, and they could spend it as they wished.
Videl was the first one up. For some reason, Gohan was turning into a heavier sleeper as of late. They had grown used to waking up close to each other, as they had found out Videl scooted over seeking a source of warmth at night. They'd even gotten used to each other's presence and often wondered how this would affect their sleeping habits once they went back to Chikyuu.
After looking at the blue canopy for a while, Videl pulled the sheets apart and sat up, rubbing the remaining sleep from her eyes and giving a huge silent yawn. She looked to her left at Gohan's form.
She blinked. Then blinked again.
Gohan's nude, smooth back was to her. No wonder she'd been so warm. She stared a little too long for her own liking. The skin the beautiful, slightly bronzed tone of the flesh on what she knew were steel muscles. It looked so so
'I wonder how it feels like', she wondered.
Touch it! A little voice seemed to scream at her.
She bit her lip. So tempting. So tempting! She admitted to herself she had sometimes thought of Gohan that way. What was the deal with trying to fool herself?
Still that wonderful masculine bare back was there. The hollow of his spine so enticing She didn't actually feel herself move, but she realized she was doing so when she spotted her hand traveling slowly to the boy. She hesitated. 'What if he wakes up? Ok. I'll just check on his ki.'
Once again, her hand descended on Gohan, palm lying flat on the soft plains. Running her fingers lazily up and down she reveled in the way the firm muscles felt under her digits. All of a sudden, the warm smooth expanse she was touching turned into a mantle of gooseflesh and a faint moan escaped the sleeping form as she realized her fingernails were grazing his lower back.
Gohan turned on his stomach and shifted his face to her side. He was still sleeping she saw, with that peaceful look on his face. She froze, gaping at the boy beside her. If she hadn't seen it, she would have never believed it. She had never, in all the time she'd known Gohan, seen him anything but blush furiously at something like this. It was like the guy didn't have a sensual bone in his whole body, or as if he was still a child. She couldn't seem to picture him having a sexual response to anything. Why was that? She couldn't help but wonder why again and again. Did it have something to do with him being a half saiyajin? She vowed to find out about it. After all, he was her best friend. Right? And there couldn't be secrets between them. Right?
Videl hopped off the bed and went in the bathroom, cringing at the cold tiles under her bare feet. She quickly washed her face and mouth. As her eyes fell upon the glass she was holding, a naughty grin crept its way on her matinal face, which made her seem like a mad woman, combined with her tousled hair and clothes. She was wearing a sleeveless black tank top and gray sweats. She filled the glass with cold water and hurried into the bedroom, tiptoeing to the bed and spilling its chilly content on the unsuspecting demi-saiyajin.
A surprised gasp was all that could leave the poor guy's mouth as he struggled with the sheets without success, trying to get as far away from the wet spot as he could and only managing to fall off the bed. Videl's giggling turned into all out guffaws as she saw him fight the piece of wet cloth. Once he got himself free, a mat of messy spiky black hair and narrowed slits peered from the edge of the high bed and a soft low voice said:
"You are so gonna pay for that."
Videl innocently hid the empty glass behind her and smiled sweetly. She saw him sprint her way over the bed and she ran out of the bedroom. Gohan just stopped to get his shirt from the floor next to the bed and ran after his friend, catching up with her in no time. They went down the stairs to the plateau and then down the courtyard they so loved to gaze from the hall. It looked different upon daylight, just as beautiful, but more lively.
Gohan decided it was enough playing around and caught Videl before she had a chance to sneak away. She laughed and whined to him to let her go, but all she got was for Gohan to dump her into the fountain. She yelped and sputtered, jumping to her feet and looking down at herself in disbelief. Gohan had actually soaked her! He must have been really mad to do that. Or maybe she just didn't know the guy had a revenge streak on him lately. He was cackling in mirth before her, already clad in his white t-shirt and dark blue sweatpants. She looked around desperately for something to get him back, when she saw that the fountain sprinklers were adjustable. She shifted one of them to the front to have Gohan stop laughing, instead getting wet for all he was worth.
An all out war erupted between them then.
***********
It had been some time before, the King and the other's sire had engaged in the excruciatingly uninteresting topic of interplanetary commerce treaties and "economics", how they so liked to call it.
It had been some time before, they both had exchanged the last words. The synchronized taps of their boots on the polished floor were the only sounds that reverberated in the hallways around them.
It was right then, that to those taps joined the sound of distant laughter.
They had taken the shortcut to the Palace Training Grounds, which was by the hallway that led to the sleeping quarters. Cauli had complete clearance to this area, as her own room was just a couple of turns away. The laughter seemed to get louder as they approached the railings and she recognized the masculine tone as Gohan's.
Cauli fought the urge to come closer and peer down to the source of the sound. She fixed her gaze out, craning her neck imperceptibly to get at least a glimpse of the demi-saiyajin, all the while never losing the rhythm in her walk. It took her some seconds to notice, though, that her companion was no longer by her side. She glanced back over her shoulder to see the young man looking down at the courtyard, a hand loosely holding the railing before him. She walked back to the still form and looked the same way he was. There, in the courtyard, were Gohan and the ningen girl, running, jumping and fooling around like gakis; squealing and laughing like there was no tomorrow.
Either of their faces betrayed any kind of emotion at the sight, but for a short while they both kept their eyes on the other pair.
"What are they doing here?" The young man asked.
"They are Vegeta-ouji's personal guests. Their chamber is in this wing." Cauli answered. The man's eyes narrowed in pondering the young commander's reply.
" Their chamber?" He questioned cautiously.
Cauli frowned slightly, not understanding the further probing. Her eyes finally found a way to dislodge from Gohan and turn to the male beside her. Her silence caused the other saiyajin to look back at her.
"As in one chamber, two people?" He added to complete his previous question. He could see the flash of understanding in her eyes and saw her glance back at the teenagers.
"Exactly. They share the same room." She said nonchalantly, maybe too nonchalantly to be natural.
The saiyajin male's grip on the railing tensed, as did his whole posture; his other fist clenching at his side.
"Do you know them?" It was asked in the most indifferent tone.
"They are vest'harian."
"Oh, yes. So I've heard." Cauli did her best to make her monotone voice seem pleasant.
"I don't understand." He said again, watching Videl wrestle Gohan, as he had her pinned to the ground. Cauli raised a thick eyebrow while leaning backward on the railing, folding her arms across her generous bosom.
"She's ripe, yet she refuses every male's advances. Then she lets the half-breed near her all the time. She lets him get in everyone's way. And now you say they sleep together."
"I never said they slept together." She stated with a smirk at the young man's plight. It was quite amusing for her to presence his display of jealousy.
The other looked at her. Was it hope that light that flashed in his eyes? He ran a hand through the coarse mane, usually kept tied at his back, but that was now hanging free.
"They don't?"
"They do." She never dropped the smirk.
"But you said"
"I didn't actually say it. You did."
"Quit your games, Cauli." He growled. Soft mocking laughter left the saiyajin female.
"It is so amusing to see your infatuation with the ningen." She explained.
"It is not infatuation. I want her. Simple as that."
"What if you cannot have her?"
"I will find a way. She's not saiyajin. I'll find a glitch in the Book of Laws and then she'll be mine." Cauli frowned, looking into space.
"What is it with that ningen?" She spat absently, but just as quickly her cool exterior was back in place.
"You fancy the half-breed." The other said with raised eyebrows in sudden understanding.
"What makes you think that?" Cauli raised her gaze at the male's eyes and held the look. She was answered with a smirk and a large hand softly holding her chin in what should have been a loving caress.
"My dear Cauli You're good. But I'm better."
"He's a half-breed." She protested, as if trying to convince herself more than him.
"Vegeta-ouji mated a ningen."
Her eyes seemed to snap at him in fury. "He's not of Age."
He chuckled. "And you tell me you haven't noticed the fluctuations in his scent Must be a half-breed thing." He said moving his hand from her chin to her cheek, tilting his head to the side as he spoke.
Cauli slapped his hand away and turned, storming through the corridor in the same direction she'd been originally heading.
"I do not want a half-breed." Her growled ultimatum left no room for arguing.
Sparing a last glance at the teens below, Asparu started through the corridor after the commander.
Tada!! I soooo hope this chapter lived up to your expectations. I made it extra long to make up for the time I took. *Bows*
And again I say, I'm so sorry for taking so long to update but as I have told you before, I am a very busy person. Just keep those reviews coming and you'll get a new chapter. I can't believe I have 128 reviews!! I'm so proud of myself!! (And you too.)
Did you notice I put names to the chapters? Whadaya think?
Super Duper Special Thankyous to:
Perrin, Majin Gohan, adbzfan2k03, otepoti (hey girl!!), Lady Foeseeker (glad you like it) (What about Shades of Darkness?), The Supreme Kai, Gohan wanabie, Niori, Chibi Dragon, warri52120, A-man, Japan fan, WeyrdSister, jurgen, Mrs. Videl Son, Carri, Chiku, saiyanprincessvidel, Kamakaze, Whirling Dervish, EEK, OLIVE, Shad and Lord Marix.
*pants* I'm outta breath.
Don't forget that if you want to be on the mailing list you have to leave your email in your review or email me. ^.^
Sweet tongue = just in case this doesn't make sense, in my country we call this people who have a way with words.
Ikiteita supaa saiyajin no densetsu = (literally) the legend of the super saiyajin lives
Korosu = to kill, the kill
Karidasu = to hunt down (hint, hint ^_~)
Ripe = able to bear children (in other words, female of Age)
Push there
|
|
|
V