Hey guys! I lost inspiration for my old story so I'm starting afresh!
Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or any of its characters. Romani is a character of my own creation.
Trunks sat down next to his best friend Goten as the first competitors exited the room and entered the ring.
"How come we got stuck fighting all these weaklings in the children's division," Trunks complained.
Goten swung his feet excitedly as he gazed at the other fighters.
"I don't know Trunks, most of them are teenagers," he said, slightly anxious.
This was his first time in a tournament after all.
Trunks leaned against the wall in boredom.
"Well looking at the competition, I think I've got first place in the bag," Trunks stated confidently.
Goten grinned, "Nuh-uh, I'm going to win," he said happily.
Trunks gazed at his friend. He looked so excited at the thought of a fight.
"I'll see you at the finals," Trunks said, staring past the screen where a fight was in progress.
"Yeah," Goten grinned and the two shared a high five.
Trunks gazed over at the fighters in the room.
Most seemed to be scrawny teenagers, they wouldn't be a problem.
He then noticed a figure standing away from the crowd, leaning against a wall with their arms folded.
"Hey Goten, there's a girl in the tournament," Trunks said, pointing her out to his friend. Goten looked curiously over.
"Wow, there is," he said.
Trunks rolled his eyes, "I just said that," he stated.
Goten didn't seem to listen to Trunks' comment merely saying, "Wow, she's really pretty, isn't she?"
Trunks looked over.
She had dark blue hair which was tied back in a ponytail, a small fringe covering her forehead.
Her coal black eyes surveyed the competition with mild interest.
Her attire consisted of a purple gi with light blue undershirt and matching wrist bands. She noticed the boys staring at her, and glared back.
Goten sweated and looked away from the girl, "Okay, I changed my mind, she's creepy," he murmured.
Trunks nodded in agreement.
"Her battle plan is probably to scare her opponents and make them forfeit," he joked.
The two friends laughed before Trunks was called to fight.
He beat his opponent with ease, one of the idiots who had been annoying them earlier. Both boys battled their way with little effort to the semi-finals.
Trunks hadn't bothered to listen about who was against him so he was severely shocked when he saw the girl standing in the ring.
She frowned when she saw him approach. That, and from the sun reflecting off the ring's tiles.
"It's that boy from earlier. The one saying I couldn't fight, well, I'll show him," she murmured.
"In the first semi-final match we have 8 year old Trunks versus 8 year old Romani," the announcer yelled into the microphone.
Both names were met with cheers.
Romani blushed slightly at all the attention.
Trunks rolled his eyes.
"And….Begin!" the announcer exclaimed.
Romani lowered herself into a fighting stance. Trunks did the same.
Both fighters eyed each other off until Trunks darted forward, striking Romani on the cheek.
She countered by kicking Trunks in the side.
She quickly followed up with an uppercut but Trunks blocked it with the back off his hand.
He started on the offensive, sending a flurry of punches and kicks her way.
To the surprise of many in the audience, Romani held her own, mostly on the defence but throwing a punch whenever she had the chance.
In the audience, Goku watched the fight, smiling happily.
"That girl's really got some skills," he said happily.
Vegeta watched the fight, amazed that any earthling child could match his son in strength.
Of course he wouldn't let anyone else see that.
"I know, she's keeping up with Trunks move for move," Gohan said in awe.
Videl watched the fight with interest, never seeing children with skills like they had.
Back in the ring, the fight raged on furiously, Trunks becoming madder by the minute. "How is she keeping up with me? She's just a girl, and an earthling!" He thought angrily. Romani gave a small smile as she saw Trunks get angrier by the second.
She had never fought anyone this strong before except her mum.
This would be interesting.
She kept defending until she saw an opening.
She made a swift uppercut to his chin, causing him to fly backwards.
He landed quickly on his feet and wiped the blood from his mouth.
"No more Mr. Nice Guy," he said angrily.
He shot a buster cannon at her and was furious when she dodged and flew into the air. "That was too close for comfort," she said to herself.
"Maybe I should get more serious," she added, watching her opponent charge another attack.
She dodged once more, as the crowd gasped.
"And young Romani has taken the battle to the sky," the announcer said in awe.
Romani let herself get her breath back.
He couldn't get up here so she was safe.
Trunks raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"She thinks she's safe, ey?" he said to himself with a grin.
He watched as his opponent pointed a hand at him.
Romani began to charge her ki in her right hand.
A yellow ball of energy appeared, making Trunks' eyes widen.
"Take this!" she yelled, throwing the attack at Trunks.
He yelped in surprise and barely dodged the attack.
A large dint was made in the ring floor.
"Wow, what an attack!" Goku said with a grin from the stands.
Gohan's jaw could have touched the ground.
Piccolo gave a small grin; this girl was definitely not earthling.
Vegeta voiced this thought.
"That girl is not human," he stated, causing Gohan to look at him.
"Yeah, I kind of figured," Goku said casually.
Gohan turned to his father.
"Can someone explain this to me?" he asked desperately.
"Look at her eyes," Piccolo instructed his past student,
"That expression is known famously on saiyan's while they fight. The love of the fight."
Videl was too mesmerized by the scene to listen.
Back in the ring, Romani and Trunks were once more locked in battle, each refusing to succumb to the other.
They were matched punch for punch, kick for kick.
The speed they were fighting it was so great, that to the normal eye, the two children kept fazing in and out of sight.
Romani made a slight slip up and Trunks sent her falling to the ground with a well timed kick.
She smashed into the ring floor, causing a large crater.
She rose wearily to her feet and wiped the blood from her cheek with the back of her hand, a battle smirk on her face.
She watched as Trunks dropped back to the ground and lowered himself into a fighting stance.
Romani did the same, the grin still on her face.
The wind blew across the ring.
Romani pushed her hair from her face and nodded at Trunks.
He returned the nod and then they charged at each other once more.
The fight raged on, getting more violent by the minute.
Both fighters were drenched in sweat, but both enjoying the fight immensely.
The spectators watched in awe and excitement at the battle, which was moving closer and closer to the edge of the ring.
Romani felt her heel slip off the ring floor.
She froze for a second, giving Trunks the chance to kick her out of the ring.
The announcer was left fazed for a moment before announcing Trunks' victory.
"And the winner is Trunks who will now advance to the finals. But lets give a cheer to young Romani, the only female fighter in the competition, who kept up with Trunks most of the match!" the announcer yelled.
The crowd applauded both fighters; Trunks' mothers voice the loudest of the cheers. Trunks blushed slightly.
A small moan was heard from the side of the ring.
"Well, I guess it was worth it," Romani said to herself with a smile.
Trunks walked over to the side of the ring where Romani stood dusting herself off.
"Oh well, maybe next time," she said quietly.
"Hey, good match," Trunks called out to her.
She walked over to him and he helped her into the ring, where they shook hands.
"You, too," she commented with a smile.
They both walked together back into the fighter's area while the second match was being set up.
"Hey, can we talk…" Trunks began but all he saw was Romani's hair as she ran around a corner.
He followed after her but every time he turned a corner, he saw her turning the next one ahead.
He slowly gave up and headed back to the ringside, to watch Goten in his match.
Romani stopped and caught her breath.
She leant against the stone wall of the stands and looked to the sky.
No prize money for her parents.
No impressing her mother.
"I guess I just wasn't strong enough…" she said sadly to herself.
"You still fought well," a voice called from above her.
She turned to see Goku staring down at her. He jumped from the stands and faced her.
She jumped backwards in shock.
"Hey kid, chill," he said with a grin.
Romani raised an eyebrow, "You smile too much, you know that?" Romani stated, beginning to walk away.
He grinned.
"So which side is it?" Goku continued, following her.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Romani said off hand, becoming more irritated by Goku's cheerfulness by the minute.
"You know, which of your parents was a saiyan?" Goku questioned.
She stopped dead in her tracks. "How…?" she asked confusedly.
She took a good look at Goku. Her eyes narrowed in dislike.
"My mother," she stated, walking away.
Goku stopped following her and smiled.
She acted so much like Vegeta it wasn't funny.
Gohan called down from the stands.
"Hey Dad, the finals are coming up soon," Gohan yelled.
Goku smiled at Romani's shrinking shadow before heading back to the stands.
So what do you think? Please review, and no flames. Constructive criticism is welcome.
Romani-chan