Disclaimer: If you'd seen my drawing skills I wouldn't even have to think about including this. I don't own DBZ.
AN: Thankyou so much for the reviews my friends…never underestimate the power of a review. ^_^
But really you should all go thank Exarikun (User ID 155226) because if it weren't for him I never would've posted…
Chapter 2()-()-()-()-()-()-()
Gohan opened his eyes and looked around. There was mist all around him. He looked down and saw through the fog that he was standing on some sort of path.
"Where am I?" He wondered. He peered through the fog and found that he could just make out a dim glow coming from somewhere in front of him. His feet started moving of their own accord towards the light.
"This feels familiar." He murmured, quickening his pace.
Soon the mist parted and he could see a porch with a chair on it, beside a door. There was an old man resting comfortably in the chair, under the soft light of a lamp. As Gohan stepped up onto the porch his eyes were drawn to the one word written in cursive style black lettering. Nightlife.
Suddenly the details of last night's dream came back crisp and clear. What he couldn't quite grasp during the light of day was suddenly there once more. He could also remember how distressed he'd been when trying to explain his dream to his mother, only to find that he couldn't.
"Evening Gohan." Bert said. "Some remember more 'en others." He coughed. "Don't concern yourself over it."
"Uh, thanks." Gohan replied, going over to the door. A light snore was his only reply.
Bracing himself Gohan turned the handle and cautiously opened the door. Classical music and dim lighting greeted the stunned demi-saiyan. Picking his jaw off the floor he warily moved inside.
The club looked like the inside of an extremely posh restaurant, with plush red carpeting, chandeliers, primly dressed waiters, and a grand piano on a stage in front of the dance floor, where exquisitely dressed couples were slowly revolving to the music.
Gohan ducked out of the way of a waiter carrying a tray of champagne glasses, and decided to stick to the walls in the hopes of moving unnoticed to the room Kat had taken him to last night. He wasn't exactly dressed for the occasion.
He arrived at the bar, but couldn't find the barmaid from yesterday.
Trying to re-trace the path Kat had pulled him along before proved to be quite difficult, as everything was so different. On his first try he ended up in a smoke filled room where gentlemen were playing billiards. He was sure that room hadn't been there before.
Backtracking Gohan then found himself standing on a moonlit balcony, with the scent of roses in the air and the sound of running water from somewhere below. He quickly retreated, before the couple in the corner noticed his presence, involved as they were.
He was heading back to the main room (he hoped) when a door behind him opened and he heard someone call his name. He spun around.
"Kat?" He gasped. She laughed at his reaction to her attire. She was wearing a long red satin dress, long black velvet gloves, a black feather boa, and large amounts of sparkling jewellery. Though everything was in her size, the whole outfit looked ridiculous on her small body.
"Have you been wandering around in that?" Kat asked, gesturing towards his pyjamas.
"Have you been wandering around in that?" Gohan countered, still gawking at her dress.
She giggled and twirled girlishly. "Not yet, I only just got here. Come get changed." She pulled him into the room she'd just exited.
"Isn't that a bit over the top?" Gohan asked, rubbing his wrist where one of her many rings had dug in.
"That's the idea." Kat replied, dropping the girly act. "I want to make fun of all those prissy sissies out there. And you can be my dancing partner."
"Who me?!" Gohan said, aghast.
"Yes, now go find a tux." She answered, giving him a push down the long corridor that was the dressing room.
"But…but…" Gohan protested.
"No buts!" Kat said, giving him her sternest mother-knows-best expression.
Gohan morosely wandered down the corridor of the room he'd been introduced to yesterday. It was a strange room, as it consisted only of one long hallway. Lining the walls on either side were photos of various men and women modelling different outfits.
Whereas yesterday all the clothes on show had been jazzy, tight, and revealing, today there were elegant gowns and tuxedos wherever he looked.
Sighing, Gohan stopped at the first picture of a tuxedo that he came to and stuck his hand out to touch the print. The air around him shimmered, and suddenly he was wearing a perfect fit of the suit in the photo.
He turned to walk back to the waiting Kat but she just threw up her arms and stomped over to him.
"No no no. Far too plain. Oh come on. Trust me, this'll be fun! But I need you. It wont be as good without you there too. Pleaaaaase?" She stuck out her lower lip and looked hopefully at him.
"Oh fine!" Gohan grudgingly replied.
A little while later the two emerged from the room. Gohan was dressed in a bright white tuxedo with a silk light blue shirt underneath a dark blue vest. He also had a crimson red bowtie and a red rose in his breast pocket. Kat had wanted him to wear a bright pink silk shirt, but he'd successfully put his foot down.
With a slightly evil little laugh Kat latched onto his arm and they headed out into the main room.
They paused on the boundary, as Katina looked around, devious mind planning their first move. Making her decision they headed towards a table.
"Quit slouching." She hissed at Gohan from the corner of her mouth. He obediently stood up straighter and lengthened his stride.
"Better?" He murmured sarcastically.
"Much." She answered pompously. They reached a free table and sat down. A few of the adults at other tables stared at them. Kat tossed her head and stuck her nose in the air, glaring at them until they looked away. Gohan sighed, leaning his elbows on the table.
Kat kicked him hard in the shin with an overly outraged expression on her face. "Elbows off. Sit straight." She said in a low tone through clenched teeth. He quickly sat up straight.
A waiter came over to them. "Would you care for a drink sir, madam?" He asked in a very posh tone of voice. Kat winked at Gohan.
"Why yes, I think I shall have an apple cider." She replied in a highly snobbish accent.
"And you sir?" The waiter prompted Gohan when he didn't speak.
"Uh, water please." Gohan replied politely. He jumped slightly as Kat kicked him again. "I mean," he tried again, "one iced water." He said, copying the waiter's posh tone. The waiter nodded and bowed, before going away to get their drinks.
When the waiter left Gohan leant down to rub his twice kicked shin. "Some fun." He mumbled.
Kat grinned. "Darling, you simply must employ proper pronunciation. We mustn't draw attention to ourselves after all." She said. "I say what."
"Why?" Gohan asked.
"No no no. I say what." Kat replied, holding in snickers.
"What?" He said innocently.
"By Jove you've got it." Kat said triumphantly. "Aren't I a simply marvellous teacher?"
"Oh Marvellous." Gohan answered sardonically. Kat gave him a warning look. "Marvellous what." Gohan quickly said, to save his legs from further kickings.
Kat grinned, and Gohan's lips twitched.
"Your drinks." The waiter announced, placing two wine glasses on the table. Kat picked up hers, which looked very much like it held champagne, and took a sip.
"A fine wine." She declared. Gohan lent over to get a better look at her glass and was able to smell the tart apple flavour of sparkling apple juice. He smiled and held up his own glass, with its sliver of lemon on the rim.
"To the wine." He toasted, and they clinked glasses. As they drank the song playing ended, and the people politely clapped.
A man went up on the stage and started singing a slow song in a light baritone. "Oh honey, do lets dance." Kat said, fluttering her eyelashes.
Gohan gave her a you-got-something-in-your-eye? look and then leaned over slightly to whisper, "I can't dance."
"Neither can I." Kat whispered back, before standing up expectantly. Gohan followed her to the dance floor with a worried look on his face.
Glancing around at what others were doing, Kat took Gohan's hand in hers and placed his other hand on her waist. As they started moving awkwardly to the music Gohan saw Kat's eyes glint mischievously.
He had just enough time to think, 'Oh no', before she whispered loudly. "Ouch, you're stepping on my toes." Gohan could've sworn he hadn't.
A few people looked their way. "Sorry." Gohan blushed.
A little while later she very deliberately put her heel on his toes. "Ow, watch it." He hissed. Still more people glanced down at the small pair as they passed. A few even smiled.
The song ended, and Gohan was greatly relieved. "Oh, you're no fun to dance with." Kat declared. Before he could stop her she'd walked up to another couple and asked the man to dance with her. She said it so sweet and innocently that the man found that couldn't refuse.
Gohan put his head in his hands, embarrassed for her. Determinedly he made his way over to relieve the poor man, though he seriously considered just walking away, thinking it would probably save him a lot of embarrassment. He was correct.
"Kat c'mon lets go." He tried first. She just stuck her nose up at him. Gohan smiled apologetically at her chosen dancing partner.
"Kat, why don't we go back to the table?"
"I shan't say a word to you." She replied in a primp tone.
Gohan sighed, and tried the 'if you can't beat 'em, join 'em' approach. "May I?" He asked the man, who handed over the stubborn girl with a wink.
She gave him an indignant humph, and stomped off the dance floor. Gohan followed. "Kat!"
She whirled on him, and declared loudly, "I knew it! You don't love me any more." There were even masterful tears in her eyes. Everyone around them stopped to watch the scene.
Deciding he had nothing left to lose Gohan played along. "Sweetheart, Katina darling, you know that's not true." He said, loud enough for the audience to hear. He never would have thought that all those TV soap dramas his mum watched would come in handy before.
"Yes it is." She cried, bringing the back of her hand to her forehead dramatically. "I've seen the way you look at Charlene. It's her you want, isn't it?!" She accused.
"No!" He denied vehemently. "Kat, you're the only one for me!"
"Lies!" She sobbed noisily. "All lies."
"Oh dear heart, dear Kat. Come here." He opened his arms and tried to hug her.
She pulled away and looked up at him. "I never cared about your money. I only care for you. Those other girls are like that. But not me!" She broke off and started crying on his chest.
"There there." He patted her on the back. "Let's go sit down. You've had a hard night."
He guided her towards the exit, giving a 'what-can-you-do?' shrug to the spectators as they passed.
As soon as they were safely in the hall leading to the main room Kat broke away. "That was magnificent! I didn't think you had it in ya."
Gohan laughed self-deprecatingly. "Neither did I. Who's Charlene by the way?"
Kat laughed in delight. "My sister!" They both laughed. Wiping her eyes Kat added, "Well, she's not my actual sister. Strange, I've never thought of her as my sister before."
Gohan nodded. "This whole place is strange. It's like you don't have to think about your life, but if you do it's like thinking about someone else's life, you know what I mean?"
"Yeah. You can be whoever you want to be here." She yawned and sat against the wall. Gohan sat next to her on the lush carpet.
"Do you think they let people in during the day?" He asked after a while.
"I guess so. I mean, with so many different people coming here, not all of them would have the same night times don'tcha think?"
"Makes sense." Gohan agreed.
"But I don't think un-invited people are 'sposed to know about this place." Kat added, after a moment's thought.
"How come?"
Kat shrugged. "They'd get jealous maybe. I once asked that bar-lady what happens if someone tries to wake us up in the middle of the night when we're here. She said that Bert would come get us and send us home then, as though we were just normal asleep."
"The bar-lady wasn't here tonight." Gohan commented.
"Really? Maybe she got a night off or something." Kat replied sleepily.
"Hm." Gohan concurred, just as lethargically.
In the course of time both children fell asleep, with Kat leaning her head on Gohan's shoulder, and Gohan resting his cheek on the top of her head. That is how Destiny found them.
"Aw, that's so sweet." She murmured to the man beside her. He grunted.
"They'll be the terror of this club, that's for sure." Bert replied. "She's already starting to rub off on him."
"Ah, but is he rubbing off on her?" Destiny asked.
"If he is he'll have to rub harder. I've seen her potential." Bert shook his head in wonder, unable to vocalise his sentiment. He knelt down in front of the two, and one by one sent them back to their own bodies for the night by gently touching their foreheads with one finger. They each disappeared in a flash of golden light.
"She'll be his second convert you know." Destiny said conversationally as the two walked down the hallway.
"Really? Who was the first?" Bert asked.
"A Namekian believe it or not."
"I don't believe it." Bert said adamantly. Destiny shrugged. They walked in companionable silence for a while, before Bert burst out, "Nameks are a species of The Light. Isolated. How could one be born Dark?"
"He wasn't. He was sent to Earth."
"Kami?" Bert gasped.
"Half. His corrupt half." Destiny answered.
"Oh." Bert said, understanding dawning. "But it can't have been too hard to right a dark Namek, right?"
Destiny shrugged. "Showed the kid one thing."
"What's that?" Bert inquired.
"Violence." Destiny sighed.
Bert shook his head. "Is it true they lose something each time?"
"Nothing in the cosmos is ever lost." Destiny replied. "Merely transferred. And no, it didn't take that much to change Piccolo. Gohan only really needed to do enough so that Piccolo would re-fuse with Kami. But Katina is pure dark, his exact opposite. He has no advantage over her. We can only trust in Fate with this one."
Bert chuckled. "Don't we always."
Destiny smiled serenely. "I suppose so."
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()