AN: Hi everyone!!! I'm glad you all enjoyed the last chapter. My updates
are kind of hard to do because I don't have a computer to update on. So
I'll try my best, I really will.
Oh, and I never got to say this yet... ((ahem)) HAPPY SUMMER VACATION!!!! STAY COOL AND RELAX!!! I know I'm going to. High school is gonna bite...
Disclaimer: Nothing is mine... SHUT UP!!!!
SxSxSx
Chapter 15: Bet
SxSxSx
Three days had passed since that night at the club.
Three days since they danced with those mysterious, and enchanting, men.
Three days since Bra and Marron found out whom their partners were.
And three days since the two others started being pissed off at Pan for not stopping them.
Basically, they were all angry at the males who had pranced into their lives again.
Yet, despite the promises they made to themselves and each other, they still had to see these undeniable men. To reassure the fact that nothing was going to be done by their "Masters" and by them about the friendship they had left behind. Everyone needed to know whether to give up, or hang onto a thread of hope. But neither seemed too pleasing for our girls.
Thus, they decided. If they were going to have their love spurned and roasted in flames, then they would give up. Not one of them needed to take that kind of abuse, so they'd let it drop. To be forever shadowed and haunted by an old, unreciprocated love. That was what they knew was going to happen.
So the six of them were going to meet in a reserved area.
That way, they could make as big a scene as they wanted.
As a result, here they were, some of the top martial artists in the world, eating and drinking together, despite the fact that they hated each other's guts.
Marron, Pan and Bra sat across from Uubu, Trunks and Goten. The only thing to stop them from killing them was a round, wooden table, only seventy inches in diameter. There food was in front of them, and they ate slowly, not wanting to actually talk about what had happened only twelve moons ago.
They paced themselves, the Silver Dragons dreading, and knowing, refusal and heartbreak. Team DBZ resented the thought that they would never get the friendship they had worked so hard to keep.
But this was a duty. Neither team was going to bow down to the other's mercy. Their pride as a group and as fighters rested above their heads, and it was not going to be ignored.
No thanks to that scene a few days ago at the conference, rumors about a love affair were going on. Something about their Masters had seduced them, but they had replaced the young teens with some new girls, and now they were jealous.
That was SOOO off, that when someone came up and asked them about it, they were rolling on the ground, laughter bubbling from their mouths and tears running from her cheeks.
They had been crying for at least five minutes, and people had gathered around them, wondering if their sanity had left them. But, hey, it was funny, besides the fact that it was totally wrong.
As dessert was served, each person picked at the chosen piece of pie. They weren't hungry, merely trying to keep their minds off the trouble that no one wanted any part in.
"So..." Goten trailed, looking up from his treat, and at the opposing team. He watched as everyone turned his or her attention to him, and he cleared his throat in nervousness.
"'So...' what?" Bra asked, irritated at for no real reason. She just wanted nothing to do with these guys, but here they were, sitting and watching the males who had hurt, not only her, but her friends as well.
This was not how they were supposed to spend their prepping period. Most of the other teams were preparing with some pre-tournament training, meditation or going over strategies.
How did they get ready for a competition?
Eat lunch with the strongest team on the planet, and discuss how to end their friendship.
Yes, that's normal...
"Look... I have no idea why were here. It's obvious that none of us want to be, so why don't we pretend that we've all moved on? Let's just get back to our lives," Pan said, looking at her former Masters and began to stand up. This was pointless. The decision had been made over twelve months ago!
Why couldn't anyone let it die? What's the big deal with not wanting to fight anymore? Martial arts was a side job, an extra-curricular activity even. It wasn't as if their lives were based solely on this one sport!
Even if they had grown to love the action and unexpectedness of the game they had been playing all their lives.
Even if their one strength turned out to be their one true downfall, and led to them quitting.
It was true. They were in love with the different combat styles and strange tactics and techniques, but...
Our three girls were more in love with those wretched men than the art they had practiced since they were kids...
As Pan was about to take her leave, a hand shot out to hold her back. It was the same hand that had held her so closely at one-time, during this whole ordeal. A hand she had felt comfort and protection from. But now, its only purpose was to hold her back from escaping. To stop her from living in the ignorant bliss that she had stored herself in...
In the world where Trunks loved her...
But he didn't, she thought spitefully, knowing she could never escape the grip on her hand...
Or in her soul...
She glared at her restrainer, and the one person she could only despise and love more than life, all at the same time.
Trunks.
"We still have a problem. This isn't about the six of us anymore. It's about your careers, and our reputations as teachers," Trunks said, pushing her back into her seat, none too gently, "We still need to know why you're quitting. It's not good enough that you 'just want to.'"
"Look, Trunks," Bra said, "We're taking a break because we have more important thing in our lives. This has nothing to do with what happened between us last year. We want you, and everyone else in the world for that matter, to know that we're not quitting. Merely taking the time to gather our wits again. Lately we've been distracted-"
"Don't sugarcoat the lie, Bra," Pan said, snapping with the venom she had tried to keep at bay, "We're doing this so we can destroy all the ties that we've created with you guys.
"That goes from private lessons of last year's mistake to our delinquent childhood together. Whatever we had in common. We're going to end it all. When we come back, we won't be the rookie team that trained under the strongest fighters on the planet.
"No... We'll have our own name, as a team and as individuals. Something we worked for ourselves, not the hand-me-down title that you guys, unknowingly, passed onto us."
"So you're going to end the reputation you've killed for because of our ex- girlfriends?" Uubu said, looking at the girls with pent-up frustration. This was not at all what he, or his friends, had in mind.
They expected something deeper behind their action, not some petty feelings they had. These girls' entire reason was fogged by their unrequited emotions, so the three females were going to blame it on them and their former girls!?
But the look in the young women's eyes showed more than some tattered old feelings. The young girls all had the same kind of orbs. Dulled with the pain of long nights, crying themselves to sleep, only to be haunted in their dreams too.
The fiery strength and bouncy resiliency was nowhere to be found. Each of the girls, the men could see, was tired and weary. It was as if they had spent the last few months wandering, looking for a way out of some hellhole.
And they had...
Each of the girls had been trying to escape their own underworlds, also known as...
Love...
And with a quiet whisper, Marron answered Uubu's question. Her breathless whimper was a small "Yes," against the wind.
"NO!" Goten said, slamming his head onto the tabletop. His teammates looked at him with surprised eyes, a glint of confusion obvious. But the girls showed no happiness, no sadness. There was only anger and frustration left in them, which was almost out of their systems'. When Goten saw their eyes, he was taken aback by what was shown to him.
Their eyes were nearly lifeless, the amazing sparkle and cheer had been vacuumed out of them. Instead, their windows to the soul were without pupils, and no longer shined with the innocence of love and adoration that usually saw. It was unnerving, to see the happy, almost preppy, teenagers go from one extreme to another. From hate to friendship to love, and now...
They didn't know. It was too hard to tell what had happened to them. They looked like the remains of the young women they grew up with. Now, they were cool and without emotion. Merely puppets, and life was the puppeteer who stringed them along.
It seemed as if they no longer had the will to keep going with, not only martial arts, but also life in general.
And it was because...
They didn't have a will anymore. Each girl lived everyday as it came, trying not to look forward or behind.
But as a last chance to save their festering souls, Trunks came up with an idea. He thought about what their usual, normal selves, and he knew. There was one thing that the girls could not resist (AN: not anything sick, you hentai!).
"How about this?" Trunks offered, trying not to flinch. Their cold and uncaring eyes were more than enough to make someone's skin crawl. Demanding himself not to show how nervous he was of their new... habits, he looked them all in the eye. All of them had a small, sadistic smile. There was nothing nice about it, though; only a malicious feeling could survive the tundra- like features of the girls.
So Trunks had to think (AN: Which is pretty hard for him, isn't it?). He had to break down the thoughts and processes of every warrior. What they all had in common, and what triggered the biggest effects on their passionate personalities.
What was the number one think that all warriors have, and would put their lives on the line for it...?
No, not family or friends (even though they cared about those things too... sometimes...).
It was their pride. And Trunks knew there was a way to get their arrogance reeling again. It was a chance that they'd never turn down, or it would go against everything they knew and learnt.
"We, Team DBZ, reigning champions of the world," he began, his smugness not even hiding, "challenge you three, Team SD (Silver Dragons).
"If we win the tournament, then you three have to continue with martial arts. Not just appearances, but with training and competitions. You'll also have to remain our students, and thank us every time you win a competitive event."
Trunks and his friends took great pride in the angry fire that had become an inferno in the girls' eyes. They were livid, and a determined look crossed the face before Pan spoke, her aura demanding respect. How could these rude, pompous men expect that their victory would come so easy? So they had the title for the last three years. That didn't mean that they were going to be pushovers like the rest.
"And when we win...?" her reply was, answering his challenge with her own. Did he really think that she and her friends were going to take his sarcasm and self-righteous attitude? What they didn't know was that they had fallen for the appealing piece of bait, and were suckered into a fight they might not be ready for.
"Depends... At the off-chance that you win, what would you like?" Trunks said, his smirk growing. He couldn't have been any prouder of his manipulation skills than at that moment. He never knew tricking his old youth rival would give him such a rush. It was refreshing after all these years.
Everyone who knew him (which was pretty much the entire world) wouldn't dare defy him or his orders, unless it was his mother. People had no backbones, but he knew that Pan was no jellyfish. Despite the fact that he hated her attitude, he preferred her loud and obnoxious personality rather than the emotionless one that had snaked its was around her, and held her at gunpoint.
"WHEN we win," Bra said, commanding attention to her, "All of you have to leave us alone. No more bothering us about this issue. We never want to see you guys again, so long as we can help it."
To say that those words didn't pierce them would be a lie. Goten felt her anger shoot through him, a spark of something he had never felt from her before. He could feel, almost TASTE, the resentment that had clouded her words. She had pointed the words to the team, but mostly towards Goten, to spite him. And he didn't like it.
Not one bit...
Looking at the opposing team, they nodded to each other, before standing up. They shook hands, rather stiffly, ignoring the small tingling in their fingertips.
The bet was accepted, the stakes were high and the threads of time were clouded and protected, hidden until the moment was right to unveil them. Their fortunes were unknown and their luck was ever changing.
For the one thing that Fate has in store for out two teams will be a quite an experience...
This whole incident started as a children's quarrel and became a war between them. And like they say, the brightest light is born from the deepest darkness. So a friendship had developed, blossoming with a radiant glow. Nevertheless jealousy came, and polluted the relationship they had created, while love was planted and tainted on the way through their summer.
And now, here they were, bitter rivals who were once best friends. All six would test the limits of their past friendships, and each other. They'd have to, to see what time held for them.
The only question was...
Could it be a turn for the better... or worst?
SxSxSx
AN: YAY!!! Done, and I hope you all liked the chapter. Don't have much to say, so I'll just leave it here! But I am sorry! This chapter was a short one, but I've been lazy. Sorry for the late update too. ((bows))
Next chapter: The tournament is underway (finally!), and the preliminaries and semi-finals ensue. The titans of martial arts clash, but we're looking forward to the ultimate fight between our beloved bishounen and bishoujo! But with the ultimate battle, there has to be great stakes to match it...
Well, till next time!
Much love,
Adobo-chan
Oh, and I never got to say this yet... ((ahem)) HAPPY SUMMER VACATION!!!! STAY COOL AND RELAX!!! I know I'm going to. High school is gonna bite...
Disclaimer: Nothing is mine... SHUT UP!!!!
SxSxSx
Chapter 15: Bet
SxSxSx
Three days had passed since that night at the club.
Three days since they danced with those mysterious, and enchanting, men.
Three days since Bra and Marron found out whom their partners were.
And three days since the two others started being pissed off at Pan for not stopping them.
Basically, they were all angry at the males who had pranced into their lives again.
Yet, despite the promises they made to themselves and each other, they still had to see these undeniable men. To reassure the fact that nothing was going to be done by their "Masters" and by them about the friendship they had left behind. Everyone needed to know whether to give up, or hang onto a thread of hope. But neither seemed too pleasing for our girls.
Thus, they decided. If they were going to have their love spurned and roasted in flames, then they would give up. Not one of them needed to take that kind of abuse, so they'd let it drop. To be forever shadowed and haunted by an old, unreciprocated love. That was what they knew was going to happen.
So the six of them were going to meet in a reserved area.
That way, they could make as big a scene as they wanted.
As a result, here they were, some of the top martial artists in the world, eating and drinking together, despite the fact that they hated each other's guts.
Marron, Pan and Bra sat across from Uubu, Trunks and Goten. The only thing to stop them from killing them was a round, wooden table, only seventy inches in diameter. There food was in front of them, and they ate slowly, not wanting to actually talk about what had happened only twelve moons ago.
They paced themselves, the Silver Dragons dreading, and knowing, refusal and heartbreak. Team DBZ resented the thought that they would never get the friendship they had worked so hard to keep.
But this was a duty. Neither team was going to bow down to the other's mercy. Their pride as a group and as fighters rested above their heads, and it was not going to be ignored.
No thanks to that scene a few days ago at the conference, rumors about a love affair were going on. Something about their Masters had seduced them, but they had replaced the young teens with some new girls, and now they were jealous.
That was SOOO off, that when someone came up and asked them about it, they were rolling on the ground, laughter bubbling from their mouths and tears running from her cheeks.
They had been crying for at least five minutes, and people had gathered around them, wondering if their sanity had left them. But, hey, it was funny, besides the fact that it was totally wrong.
As dessert was served, each person picked at the chosen piece of pie. They weren't hungry, merely trying to keep their minds off the trouble that no one wanted any part in.
"So..." Goten trailed, looking up from his treat, and at the opposing team. He watched as everyone turned his or her attention to him, and he cleared his throat in nervousness.
"'So...' what?" Bra asked, irritated at for no real reason. She just wanted nothing to do with these guys, but here they were, sitting and watching the males who had hurt, not only her, but her friends as well.
This was not how they were supposed to spend their prepping period. Most of the other teams were preparing with some pre-tournament training, meditation or going over strategies.
How did they get ready for a competition?
Eat lunch with the strongest team on the planet, and discuss how to end their friendship.
Yes, that's normal...
"Look... I have no idea why were here. It's obvious that none of us want to be, so why don't we pretend that we've all moved on? Let's just get back to our lives," Pan said, looking at her former Masters and began to stand up. This was pointless. The decision had been made over twelve months ago!
Why couldn't anyone let it die? What's the big deal with not wanting to fight anymore? Martial arts was a side job, an extra-curricular activity even. It wasn't as if their lives were based solely on this one sport!
Even if they had grown to love the action and unexpectedness of the game they had been playing all their lives.
Even if their one strength turned out to be their one true downfall, and led to them quitting.
It was true. They were in love with the different combat styles and strange tactics and techniques, but...
Our three girls were more in love with those wretched men than the art they had practiced since they were kids...
As Pan was about to take her leave, a hand shot out to hold her back. It was the same hand that had held her so closely at one-time, during this whole ordeal. A hand she had felt comfort and protection from. But now, its only purpose was to hold her back from escaping. To stop her from living in the ignorant bliss that she had stored herself in...
In the world where Trunks loved her...
But he didn't, she thought spitefully, knowing she could never escape the grip on her hand...
Or in her soul...
She glared at her restrainer, and the one person she could only despise and love more than life, all at the same time.
Trunks.
"We still have a problem. This isn't about the six of us anymore. It's about your careers, and our reputations as teachers," Trunks said, pushing her back into her seat, none too gently, "We still need to know why you're quitting. It's not good enough that you 'just want to.'"
"Look, Trunks," Bra said, "We're taking a break because we have more important thing in our lives. This has nothing to do with what happened between us last year. We want you, and everyone else in the world for that matter, to know that we're not quitting. Merely taking the time to gather our wits again. Lately we've been distracted-"
"Don't sugarcoat the lie, Bra," Pan said, snapping with the venom she had tried to keep at bay, "We're doing this so we can destroy all the ties that we've created with you guys.
"That goes from private lessons of last year's mistake to our delinquent childhood together. Whatever we had in common. We're going to end it all. When we come back, we won't be the rookie team that trained under the strongest fighters on the planet.
"No... We'll have our own name, as a team and as individuals. Something we worked for ourselves, not the hand-me-down title that you guys, unknowingly, passed onto us."
"So you're going to end the reputation you've killed for because of our ex- girlfriends?" Uubu said, looking at the girls with pent-up frustration. This was not at all what he, or his friends, had in mind.
They expected something deeper behind their action, not some petty feelings they had. These girls' entire reason was fogged by their unrequited emotions, so the three females were going to blame it on them and their former girls!?
But the look in the young women's eyes showed more than some tattered old feelings. The young girls all had the same kind of orbs. Dulled with the pain of long nights, crying themselves to sleep, only to be haunted in their dreams too.
The fiery strength and bouncy resiliency was nowhere to be found. Each of the girls, the men could see, was tired and weary. It was as if they had spent the last few months wandering, looking for a way out of some hellhole.
And they had...
Each of the girls had been trying to escape their own underworlds, also known as...
Love...
And with a quiet whisper, Marron answered Uubu's question. Her breathless whimper was a small "Yes," against the wind.
"NO!" Goten said, slamming his head onto the tabletop. His teammates looked at him with surprised eyes, a glint of confusion obvious. But the girls showed no happiness, no sadness. There was only anger and frustration left in them, which was almost out of their systems'. When Goten saw their eyes, he was taken aback by what was shown to him.
Their eyes were nearly lifeless, the amazing sparkle and cheer had been vacuumed out of them. Instead, their windows to the soul were without pupils, and no longer shined with the innocence of love and adoration that usually saw. It was unnerving, to see the happy, almost preppy, teenagers go from one extreme to another. From hate to friendship to love, and now...
They didn't know. It was too hard to tell what had happened to them. They looked like the remains of the young women they grew up with. Now, they were cool and without emotion. Merely puppets, and life was the puppeteer who stringed them along.
It seemed as if they no longer had the will to keep going with, not only martial arts, but also life in general.
And it was because...
They didn't have a will anymore. Each girl lived everyday as it came, trying not to look forward or behind.
But as a last chance to save their festering souls, Trunks came up with an idea. He thought about what their usual, normal selves, and he knew. There was one thing that the girls could not resist (AN: not anything sick, you hentai!).
"How about this?" Trunks offered, trying not to flinch. Their cold and uncaring eyes were more than enough to make someone's skin crawl. Demanding himself not to show how nervous he was of their new... habits, he looked them all in the eye. All of them had a small, sadistic smile. There was nothing nice about it, though; only a malicious feeling could survive the tundra- like features of the girls.
So Trunks had to think (AN: Which is pretty hard for him, isn't it?). He had to break down the thoughts and processes of every warrior. What they all had in common, and what triggered the biggest effects on their passionate personalities.
What was the number one think that all warriors have, and would put their lives on the line for it...?
No, not family or friends (even though they cared about those things too... sometimes...).
It was their pride. And Trunks knew there was a way to get their arrogance reeling again. It was a chance that they'd never turn down, or it would go against everything they knew and learnt.
"We, Team DBZ, reigning champions of the world," he began, his smugness not even hiding, "challenge you three, Team SD (Silver Dragons).
"If we win the tournament, then you three have to continue with martial arts. Not just appearances, but with training and competitions. You'll also have to remain our students, and thank us every time you win a competitive event."
Trunks and his friends took great pride in the angry fire that had become an inferno in the girls' eyes. They were livid, and a determined look crossed the face before Pan spoke, her aura demanding respect. How could these rude, pompous men expect that their victory would come so easy? So they had the title for the last three years. That didn't mean that they were going to be pushovers like the rest.
"And when we win...?" her reply was, answering his challenge with her own. Did he really think that she and her friends were going to take his sarcasm and self-righteous attitude? What they didn't know was that they had fallen for the appealing piece of bait, and were suckered into a fight they might not be ready for.
"Depends... At the off-chance that you win, what would you like?" Trunks said, his smirk growing. He couldn't have been any prouder of his manipulation skills than at that moment. He never knew tricking his old youth rival would give him such a rush. It was refreshing after all these years.
Everyone who knew him (which was pretty much the entire world) wouldn't dare defy him or his orders, unless it was his mother. People had no backbones, but he knew that Pan was no jellyfish. Despite the fact that he hated her attitude, he preferred her loud and obnoxious personality rather than the emotionless one that had snaked its was around her, and held her at gunpoint.
"WHEN we win," Bra said, commanding attention to her, "All of you have to leave us alone. No more bothering us about this issue. We never want to see you guys again, so long as we can help it."
To say that those words didn't pierce them would be a lie. Goten felt her anger shoot through him, a spark of something he had never felt from her before. He could feel, almost TASTE, the resentment that had clouded her words. She had pointed the words to the team, but mostly towards Goten, to spite him. And he didn't like it.
Not one bit...
Looking at the opposing team, they nodded to each other, before standing up. They shook hands, rather stiffly, ignoring the small tingling in their fingertips.
The bet was accepted, the stakes were high and the threads of time were clouded and protected, hidden until the moment was right to unveil them. Their fortunes were unknown and their luck was ever changing.
For the one thing that Fate has in store for out two teams will be a quite an experience...
This whole incident started as a children's quarrel and became a war between them. And like they say, the brightest light is born from the deepest darkness. So a friendship had developed, blossoming with a radiant glow. Nevertheless jealousy came, and polluted the relationship they had created, while love was planted and tainted on the way through their summer.
And now, here they were, bitter rivals who were once best friends. All six would test the limits of their past friendships, and each other. They'd have to, to see what time held for them.
The only question was...
Could it be a turn for the better... or worst?
SxSxSx
AN: YAY!!! Done, and I hope you all liked the chapter. Don't have much to say, so I'll just leave it here! But I am sorry! This chapter was a short one, but I've been lazy. Sorry for the late update too. ((bows))
Next chapter: The tournament is underway (finally!), and the preliminaries and semi-finals ensue. The titans of martial arts clash, but we're looking forward to the ultimate fight between our beloved bishounen and bishoujo! But with the ultimate battle, there has to be great stakes to match it...
Well, till next time!
Much love,
Adobo-chan