The Treasure of Power
Disclaimer: See Prologue
A/N: Oh,
I see in the reviews (by the way thanks for them) that you have many questions.
I'll answer a few of them now and some others will be explained in the coming
chapters. First of all, they didn't go back to the island, where Goku comes
from. He doesn't even know who he is.
Bulma is one of the main characters, so the story involves her a lot.
Chapter 1: "Home"
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It was night and the full moon shone through the gaps between the leaves of the high trees. It was completely silent, except of the sounds of the nature, like crickets and other animals of the jungle. Suddenly voices and the stomping of feet through the mud, scaring birds and other small animals away, broke the silence. A snake hissed, when three shadows passed by.
"Is it still far?" one of the owners of the shadows asked with a whining voice.
"I don't know…" his companion, who was walking next to him, answered. "And stop asking that. It's annoying."
Suddenly the smaller person, which has been walking in front of them, stopped in front of a stonewall covered by moss and other plants, causing the other two to almost run into the person in front of them.
"Are we there?" the first one wanted to know.
The smaller person, obviously the leader of the group, looked at something in his hands that looked like a map and then back at the wall. He then folded it and put it into his pocket. He tore some of the moss off of the wall and revealed something that looked like a button. He laid his hand on it and suddenly a door was opened in front of them, revealing a pitch-black tunnel. "Shut up and follow me," he demanded and entered the tunnel.
His two companions gulped, but followed him nonetheless. They both had to duck, as they entered the cave, because they were both much larger than their leader.
They didn't know how long they were walking and they had no idea where they were. They couldn't see anything and the first one just wanted to complain again, as they saw a small light flicker at the end.
The smaller man smirked and fastened his pace and soon stood in a large cave. There were torches at the walls, lightening it and showing off all the things in there.
The face of the leader was expressionless, but the faces of his companions lightened up at the sight that was in front of them. There was gold. Everywhere. Coins, statues, precious weapons, jewels. Just everything. They immediately went to the mountains of gold and stowed away as much as possible in their bags.
Just the leader didn't seem to be interested in that stuff. His gaze was on a point in front of him. He walked down the aisle between the gold and came to a stop in front of some kind of altar. There was a pillar and on the pillar was a small golden box. He took it and opened it. His lip curled up to a smirk, when the saw the content of the box. The legend was true. They did really exist. From now on it won't take long anymore. As soon as he got all of them, he would finally show the beast, who he was. He already imagined it lying to his feet, begging for its life. Then he would be the most powerful man in the world.
Curious about why their leader wasn't as excited about the gold in the cave as they were, his two companions walked up to him and saw him holding the small box in his hand. "What is that?" the first one, a large and bulky bald man, wanted to know.
The leader grabbed into the box and took out a small orange sphere with seven stars in it. "This is a part of the legendary Treasure of Power."
~*~
Present…Goku watched around nervously, as he and his friends left his ship, the Kintoun. They had arrived in the harbor of the western capitol just a few moments ago and after they got all of their personal stuff, they were now ready to leave the ship. He could tell that his friends were excited to finally be home again. Home. He couldn't blame them for that. It had been five years since they last set foot on this land. They had been on sea the whole time, fulfilling mission after mission. And even before they left for those five years, they had just been back from another mission. They had been home for exactly one day, before Goku got a new assignment. But he had asked for it. He couldn't bear being there any longer, not after what had happened that day.
The General had been really surprised, as Goku had asked him for a new mission. He had asked him, why he wanted to leave again, but Goku couldn't tell him. He couldn't tell him that his heart was broken directly after he came back from a one-year long travel.
Goku sighed. Five years and still his heart hurt, when he thought of that day. He still remembered that moment as if it had been yesterday…
Five years ago…Goku was truly happy. It had been one year since he had been home. He couldn't wait to leave his ship. As finally everything was ready, he went directly to the mansion of the General, in whose stabling his horse was standing. Without saying hi to the General, he saddled his white mare Chikyuu, who greeted him with a friendly snort, and left.
As soon as they had left the city, Goku's grin became bigger. "Come on, my girl… I guess someone's waiting for us… So show me what you can do!" As if the mare had understood him, she snorted and fastened her pace. "Yahoo!" Goku yelled, as they shot through the landscape, over green meadows, towards a beautiful house.
As they finally arrived there, Goku nearly jumped from his horse and went to the door. He took a moment to catch his breath and then knocked. His heartbeat fastened, when he heard steps from the inside and then the door was opened. It was a maid.
"Excuse me…" she said politely, but slightly surprised by the appearance of this young, handsome man at the house. "Can I help you, sir?"
"Yes, I'm sure you can…" Goku answered smiling. "I want to see Lady ChiChi. Is she at home?"
The maid was confused. "Lady ChiChi? She doesn't live here."
Now it was time for Goku to be confused. "What do you mean with 'She doesn't live here?' This is the house of her father, right?" The maid nodded. "Well, and then, why doesn't she live here anymore?"
"Don't you know? She moved away about one year ago. Right after her marriage." The maid saw, how the young man's face became visibly paler from one second to another and how the happy look on his face was replaced by something she couldn't explain. It looked like hurt. Betrayal. And at the same time anger. "Are you okay, sir?" she asked worried. The man didn't answer, but just turned around and mounted his horse. "Sir? Do you maybe…?" she said, but it was too late. He had already stormed off. And she just wanted to ask him, if he wanted to know where she was living now.
While he was riding back, it started to rain. But Goku didn't care. He just wanted to get away and during the long ride home, the rain mixed with his tears, which he had tried so hard to hold back. But the feeling of hurt and betrayal in his heart was just too much. He was dripping wet, when he finally arrived at the mansion of the General. He left his mare to one of the grooms and went into the house and directly to his room. Everything was ready. His large four-poster was made and the room was aired. The General must have heard that he was back and ordered that his room should be prepared.
He let himself fall down his back. He felt like crying some more. But he was a man. One of the General's best men and the youngest captain of a ship with being just 20 years old. He had his own ship and his own crew. And he couldn't lower himself to cry where someone else could see him.
But what should he do now? It hurt so much. The love of his life had married another man and was probably living somewhere where she was happy. He knew he couldn't take being in that city. It just hurt too much. He needed to do something to get his mind off her. He had to get away. He had to go back to sea again.
Suddenly, someone knocked at the door. "Yes?" Goku asked annoyed.
"Sir?" he heard a male voice saying. "I'm here to inform you that General Kaiou wants to have dinner with you in about half an hour."
Goku sighed and got up. He still had to take a bath and find something decent to wear. He'd rather like to stay in bed for the rest of the evening, but it was some kind of tradition that, whenever he came home from a mission, he would have dinner with the General.
The General has always been like a second father to him. Goku was an orphan and General Kaiou had raised him since the death of his grandfather, the great Son Gohan. Goku didn't remember that much of his grandfather, since he was pretty young, when he died, but he knew that he had been a great man. People said that he had won more battles on the seven seas than anyone else. Even at living times he was a legend. But he could also remember his grandfather's kind side and the love he gave him. Goku admitted he had never been an easy child. He always had his temper, but living with his grandfather and later with the General, and during his education, which was one of the best a boy could get, he had become a lot calmer and reasonable. He has always been a great fighter and going to sea was in his blood. He always did his best, so that his grandfather would be proud of him.
Goku got up and walked up to his closet to find some clothes. But something in the corner of it caught his eye. It was a small box his grandfather gave him at his deathbed. The content of it was an orange sphere, not bigger than his fist, with four stars in it. His grandfather often told him about a legend of this sphere, but Goku never believed in it. For him it was just a part of his grandfather, something to remember him.
He put it back and instead took out some clothes. Yeah, he decided, he would make his grandfather proud. He would work hard, and now harder than ever before, so that he could forget the pain in his chest.
As Goku came into the dining hall, General Kaiou had noticed at once that something wasn't right with the young man. He seemed unusual quiet and serious. That worried him, because normally he was always cheerful and liked to talk a lot. While they were eating, Goku told the General how the mission went and what had happened on his travel. After dinner, they went into the salon to talk a bit more and as Gregory, the butler, brought them something to drink, Goku finally said what he had on his mind the whole evening. "Sir, there is something I have to ask you…" Goku remarked seriously.
"What is it Goku?" General Kaiou wanted to know.
"I wanted to ask you, if you have a new mission for me."
"What?" he asked surprised. "But you just got home. Don't you want to take a few weeks off to rest, before you leave again?"
"I don't need rest. What I need is to go."
"Well then, there is something," the General said hesitating. "I wanted to ask one of my other men tomorrow, but when you want to go. But it might take a little longer and you'll have to leave within the next few days."
"I don't care," Goku told him seriously. "The sooner the better."
"And what about your crew? They might need some weeks off."
"I will talk to them tonight. When they agree, everything's okay and when they want to stay, I understand. Then I just take another crew. Whatever happens, I want to leave tomorrow," he said, put his glass on a table and was about to leave the room, when the General stopped him.
"But Goku," he said, surprised by the young man's behavior, "how will you talk with them today? It's already late."
"Don't worry. I know where to find them." Goku nodded at him politely and left the salon.
It had stopped raining, as Goku arrived at the bar. And he was right. His friends were there. He walked over to them and sat down next them. "Hey Goku!" Krillin said lightly slurring. He obviously had already had a few beers. "What are ya doing here? Shouldn't you have dinner with the General and tell him about the last year?" Suddenly he saw the serious look on Goku's face. "Hey man! What's up with ya?"
He took a deep breath. "I have to talk to you. To all of you. General Kaiou gave me a new assignment."
"What? Why?" Tenshinhan asked surprised.
"I have asked him for it. I want, no, need to go to sea again. I can't stand being here for too long." His eyes darkened at the memory of why he wanted to leave. "And there's the problem. I can't expect you to come with me again. All of you have earned some rest and I want to leave tomorrow morning. That means I need your decision now, so that, when you decide to stay here, I can choose a new crew for this mission."
His friends first looked at Goku and then at each other. They were all slightly confused. They had all seen how eager Goku had been to get home again and leave the ship after this one year on sea, so they wondered, why he suddenly would want to leave again. He was also not his cheerful self that night. Something must have happened that afternoon. They were sure about that. Just what? But one thing was clear. They wouldn't abandon their friend.
Krillin decided to say aloud what they all were thinking. "Do you really think that some other crew could replace us? Of course we're coming with you!"
The others nodded eagerly and Goku sighed with relief. "Thank you guys."
Present…A small smile passed his lips, as he walked through the streets towards the General's mansion. Yes, they were truly friends. They helped him to get through his phase of misery, even though they didn't know what it was about. And then, as time passed by, he had almost been able to forget the pain in his heart. But as soon as he saw the coast of his home, the pain and all the memories of that day were back, back to torture his every thought.
That evening the traditional dinner of Goku and General Kaiou went by in total silence. Goku had nothing to tell him about his mission, because he already wrote him everything in his letters. General Kaiou noticed again that the young man was again unusually silent and thoughtful, so he made a suggestion after dinner. "Goku, why don't you go to the bar? I'm sure your friends will be there. Go out! Have some fun!"
Goku nodded. "Yes sir, I think I will do that."
A few moments later he arrived at the bar and saw his friends sitting at the same table, where they were already sitting five years ago. Looks of shock passed their faces, when Goku sat down at the table. He looked at them and a small grin appeared on his face. "Don't worry guys, General Kaiou told me to meet you and have some fun." He chuckled, as sighs of relief came from his friends. "Hey! One beer for me and my friends!" he yelled to a servant.
A few hours and beer mugs later Goku was really having fun. For the first time since he got home that day, he didn't feel the pain. "Hey Goku!" Yamcha said laughing. "Do you remember that old woman we met about a half year ago? You know the crazy one, who called you some strange names?"
"I remember her!" Krillin told them proudly. "What did she call you? I guess first it was… what was it? Something with B… Bardock!"
"Yeah, Bardock it was!" Yamcha agreed. "And the other one? Carrot? No, Kakarotto! As she first saw you, you could think that a ghost was standing in front of her. She really believed that she knew you!"
Goku nodded laughing, but then stretched and yawned. "Okay guys… I don't know about you, but I'm beat! Besides, I promised another lady to take care of her tomorrow…" he said with a goofy grin on his face, as he got up, swaying lightly.
"Really?" Tenshinhan asked surprised. "What's her name?"
"Chikyuu."
The others looked at him dumbfounded, but as they realized whom he was talking about, they burst out laughing. "Really Goku… Here in the city are so many beautiful girls and you have a date with your horse…" Krillin said, as he walked past his friend, also swaying.
"But she's not just any horse! No matter how long I'm away, she always recognizes me when I'm back! She's more than just a horse!" Goku tried to convince them, following them outside, but to no avail. They made fun of him and his 'girlfriend' until they reached a corner, where they had to part and each of them went home.
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Okay, what do you think of the first real chapter of my new story? Is it good? Or not so good?
I know it is still a bit confusing, but I promise that everything will be explained later in the story!
Oh, and before I forget: Please review!!!
Eternally yours
ChibiChibi