"You should've seen the look on her face!" Chichi wheezed, holding onto her cousin's shoulder for balance. "I just asked her for a Mocha Breve and she almost fainted!"
"Her eyes popped out of her head, I swear," Bradley joked along with his cousin, chuckling so hard that the Affogato coffee he held sloshed over his fingers. "I can't breathe, I can't, it's too funny."
Bradley had decided that Chichi needed to loosen up and relieve her stress after Goku's death and have calm nerves for the battle. It seemed to be working, because when Bradley started to cough and wheeze, turning his face crimson red, Chichi released a huge guffaw that made a few people stop and stare at the duo.
"Stop laughing," Bradley giggled, "There are people looking at us!"
"I'm-trying," Chichi panted, leaning onto a nearby bench for support, only to snort with laughter again.
"You are hopeless. We need to get you back to the palace, or your stomach will suffer." He chuckled at Chichi's antics. The woman slung her arm around Bradley's neck, dragging the duke down. Bradley slipped his arm across Chichi's back to steady them, and they tottered down the street. Chichi couldn't stop giggling.
"Don't drop your drink." Bradley warned.
"You poured some on my shirt!" The Princess had traded her purple dress for a simple pair of black denim jeans, purple converse shoes and a checkered purple blouse. Her usual hair bun was let loose; locks of raven hair tumbled down her shoulders.
"Well, you did grab my shoulder when you were laughing."
"It's not my fault the lady looked like she saw a ghost!"
"Well, it's not everyday you see the future Queen of Earth going to Starbucks and wearing converse shoes," Bradley replied as he took a sip of his coffee. "I'm glad these clothes fit you. Shanumi thought of you while we were shopping, and she urged me to buy something for you. It's too bad she's on duty so she can't hang out with us."
"It must be hectic having a policewoman as a wife," Chichi stated.
"Hectic is an understatement. It's chaos," the royal joked. "One time Emmanuel spilt his milk bottle all over the back seat of our car. Shanumi had spent ages cleaning it , and then my stupid ass decides to bring a plastic box of Tikka Masala into the car." He rolled his eyes at his mistake. "My foot slipped while entering the car, and the Masala went flying everywhere, on me, the windscreen, everything."
"I guess she punished you badly then?
"Yep, I had to clean the Masala myself. And I repainted the garage door. And to top that all off, no sex or training for a month," he complained.
The younger royal chuckled again. "You probably deserved that."
"Hey, you're supposed to be on my side!"
"No, I don't have to!" she replied, sticking her tongue out. "She did the right thing. I would doubt fighting her." The duo continued to walk through the city until they ended up in a public park.
"Speaking of fighting, are you ready for the battle?" The older royal inquired. At some point, he knew he would have to come back to that topic, so he had no choice but to push his questions further.
There was silence as Chichi sipped her coffee. Her eyebrows creased in serious thought. There was a possibility she would be just fine, as her demon form was powerful. She had increased the amount of training she did over the months, sparring with her sons and learning about Ki. But for the heir, it still wasn't enough.
Chichi hadn't used her demon form since Gohan's birth, except when that blue-haired bimbo insulted her. She had semi-powered up to pound the vixen into the ground. She scowled as she thought of the woman.
"Uh, Chichi?" Her cousin waved a hand near her face. "Hello? Earth to Princess?"
Chichi snapped out of her trance and blocked out the memory of Marron. She rubbed the back of her head in apology. "Ha, I'm sorry. I didn't realise I spaced out."
"You didn't answer my question, kid."
"I'm not a kid!" The widow snapped, causing Bradley to flinch, visibly hurt by her chosen tone of voice. He fixed his eyes onto the ground, not daring to look up into the blazing eyes of his younger relative.
Chichi studied the duke's crestfallen expression, instantly regretting her rude outburst. She didn't mean to upset him at all. She knew she had to make him feel better before he took it to heart.
"Sorry, Bradley," she lamented. "I- I'm just afraid." The demon hybrid wrapped her arms around herself. "I'm constantly battling with myself to resign and carry on with my life as usual. I don't know whether I should give up. I don't want to endanger or scare people. I can't-'
"You better not give up,' Bradley interrupted sharply. "I know you're better than that."
"..."
"I brought you out here to relax and have fun, not get stressed. You've been avoiding Uncle Daniel for a while. It's not nice to ignore your own father."
"I know. I guess, I feel a lot more nervous now that Goku's not here."
Bradley didn't mind his cousin-in-law at times, but he hated the fact that the Saiyan made her uneasy at his absence. No husband should do that to his wife, he thought. Or vice-versa. If Shanumi left me, ...I'd break.
The older cousin brought his shaking relative into his embrace, thinking about their lovers and their moments spent with them. Both of them loved people who would sacrifice their lives for the greater good of humanity. One, a policewoman-former Omoredian Princess who gave up her lavish lifestyle to protect her family and friends. The second, a Saiyan-born Earthling fighting for the freedom and safety of others.
Goku and Shanumi were very much alike.
"I don't want to see you cry," Bradley's soft voice sounding like a melody in Chichi's ears. "This isn't the little girl I grew up with."
"But... What will I do without Goku?" The Princess replied, a single tear rolling down her cheek.
"Survive. It's the best thing humanity can do in this day and age," he replied, brushing the stray tear away. "Besides, you have Gohan and Goten.
Those boys look up to you, Chichi. So do Emmanuel and Lola, as well as many other children around the planet. Don't forget who you are. You've got family and friends with you every step of the way."
The widow lost all sign of doubt and smiled gratefully at her cousin."You have no idea how happy I am to hear that, Brad. Thank you."
The cousins playfully argued all the way home.
"The radius equals half of the diameter... and... done." Gohan placed his pencil onto the table, finished with his studying for the day.
About two hours after the spar with Chichi, a servant came to Gohan's private suite to inform him that his new royal attire was ready for him. The Prince jumped up from his spot on the sofa and asked for the suit to be brought to him quickly. He could hardly wait to try it on.
About twenty minutes later, Gohan stood in front of the mirror adjusting his outfit. As per his grandfather's orders, Gohan was to have a new set of formal wear.
The design was bold and stylish, with a black jumpsuit, white boots and gloves, and a navy blue short-sleeved tunic outlined with imperial yellow, ending just over his thighs. The Mao family royal seal, imprinted in red, proudly marked the left side of the tunic. A red cape with the same yellow outline and a small silver crown completed the look.
The hybrid adjusted the crown on his head as a knock was heard on the door.
"Come in," he called.
Rebecca, Goten's nurse, poked her head through the door. She entered and bowed. "Your Highness," The purple-haired woman began respectfully, "His Majesty, your grandfather, has requested your presence in the dining hall for lunch."
"He did?" Gohan questioned eagerly. "What for?"
"I'm not sure, Your Highness. He said he wanted it to be a surprise."
The preteen's tail swayed in curiosity. "I'll be right down. Thank you, Miss." Gohan bowed respectfully back to the nurse, who bowed in return and left the room to continue with her duties.
Gohan had only been at his grandfather's for three days and he still couldn't get used to the fact that he had royal blood. He still tensed a little when people bowed to him, not being used to the respect. The food was amazing (but it still couldn't beat his mother's cooking), his uncle, aunt and cousins were fun to spend time with and his grandfather treated him extremely well.
The only thing Gohan still couldn't get over was how enormous the palace was. He had spent hours walking around the building, struck with awe and amazement at the scenery around him. He had opened up his life to a new series of adventure and discovery. This was only the beginning.
His cheek suddenly smarted with pain, causing the royal to wince. He walked into his bathroom, which was around the size of a classroom, and turned on the water, removed his gloves and started to wash his face. The best thing about being royalty was that he had access to the best medical care on the planet, meaning the cut on his face would get healed in no time.
He quickly wiped his face with a towel and briskly got out of the room. He had to go the medical cabinet, treat the wound and go eat lunch with his grandfather. He was excited about this, since it was his grandfather who requested it. He wondered if he had something important to tell him.
Gohan walked through the golden palace halls, greeting the butlers and maids that walked past. He smiled, as he felt great that day.
"His Imperial Highness, Prince Gohan," the vizier announced and stepped aside to let Gohan to enter the great dining hall.
At the end of the long table that was placed in the middle of the room, sat the Ox King, with two other muscular males sat on either side of him. The man on the Ox King's right had blazing orange hair, green eyes, and a beard similar to his grandfather's. He wore the exact same trousers as the King, except his shirt was blue instead of white. He held a cheerful expression on his face.
The man on the King's left was much more different to the other man. His skin, instead of a bronze colour, was red; his hair as black as a raven. Small red horns curles atop his head. Icy blue eyes peered from under his spiky locks. His expression reminded Gohan very much of Vegeta.
The Ox King looked up from his meal and caught sight of the young Prince. "Gohan!" he greeted, with his usual bellow. "Come in, come in. We were just about to start eating without you."
Gohan, surprised at the new arrivals, meekly walked over to the table and sat near the trio. "H-how do I look?'
"Like a Prince, my boy," the ginger-haired man announced cheerfully, holding out his hand for Gohan to shake. "I'm Aku. Aku Mao Jr." Gohan greeted him back, shaking his hand. "Bradley, who you met earlier, is my son. Your grandfather here is my rowdy little brother."
"Daniel's the youngest out of all of us, actually," the red-skinned man spoke, referring to the Ox King. This man's voice was low, rumbly, almost smooth like velvet. His voice sounded calming despite his serious appearance.
"Nathan at your service," he said, shaking Gohan's hand. "Daniel's told us so much about you."
"What did you tell them, Grandpa?" The boy asked happily, munching on the huge plate of cheese ravioli covered with tomato sauce.
"Oh, mainly about how strong and smart you are," the Ox King replied, cutting his knife into the roast beef. "You make me proud be a grandfather."
"I wish I had a grandchild like Gohan," Nathan remarked, eating with grace and manners unlike his childish younger brothers. "He seems to be quite well behaved, unlike some people."
"This is coming from the man who has no wife or children," Aku mocked, a wide grin plastered on his face, Daniel following suit. "When we were young, Gohan, we always got Nathan into trouble."
"Stop it."
"Stop what, Nathan?" Aku asked, the grin still on his face.
"Stop looking at me like that."
"I don't know what you mean, Nathan," the Ox King joined in.
"Exactly my point." Nathan facepalmed at the two brothers. They looked like twins despite their hair colouring and their three year difference. The mischievous grins on their faces irked the oldest royal terribly.
"It's like having two babies for brothers. One runs an empire and is a father. The other is a father too and the founder of four charities and hospitals, and they still can't act their age," he mumbled to himself.
"What's it like having two younger brothers now and when they were babies?" Gohan inquired, his mind full of curiosity and a spark of humor.
"Mostly the same."
Bulma waltzed around the living quarters of Capsule Corporation. She was in a better mood than usual. She had completed the glasses and contact lenses for the blutz waves and finished all official reports and meetings. She was finally free for the weekend to plan what to wear for the battle and the coronation.
She rummaged through her huge walk-in-wardrobe, throwing out dresses she didn't like. "Nope, nope, nope, no... Ooh, this looks nice... Wait, changed my mind, nope, nope..." She muttered. The bluenette harrumphed, sinking onto the mountain of clothing. "What am I going to wear?" She groaned, pouting and crossing her arms like a small child.
Her eyes suddenly latched onto her two-year-old son, Trunks, dangling by his tail off the curtain pole, giggling.
The billionaire gasped in surprise at her son. "Trunks!" She squealed, dashing up to the window, cradling her son in her arms. "You should be more careful."
"Onna, the brat is two. Stop coddling him."
Bulma turned to examine the voice. The man wore a blue jumpsuit, followed with white armour, boots and gloves. A brown, furry tail snaked around his waist. Raven coloured hair, standing proudly on his head, made the man seem a little taller than he actually was. The man's features held a cold and cruel look,eyebrows furrowed. He scowled at the CEO.
"Vegeta, put a sock in it. I can't help but worry about him sometimes." She placed Trunks down on the bed, his cerulean eyed fixed onto his father. His violet-coloured appendage swayed innocently behind him.
The Prince crossed his arms, his gaze leaving Bulma and examining the room in disgust. "This room is a mess. What are you doing in here, woman?"
"You can call me Bulma. I'm looking for some clothes."
"You have emptied the quantity of your wardrobe onto the floor so I don't-"
"I am looking for some good clothes to wear for a special occasion," she hissed at the Saiyan. "A very special one."
Vegeta's ears perked with interest, although he tried to look as if he wasn't. "Oh, and what might that be?" He sneered. "Another of your pathetic meetings?"
"No, much better than that," she smirked, noticing Vegeta's sudden interest. "But I'm not telling you, mister," she huffed, knowing he would ask.
"Woman, I'm not leaving till you tell me what-"
"I said you can call me Bulma," she corrected, then blinked. "In fact, you can call me Miss Bulma."
Vegeta stuttered in confusion, failing to conjure up a comeback. "Miss Bulma, please tell me what you're destroying your chamber for," he muttered, gritting his teeth.
"That wasn't so hard, was it?" Bulma mocked, cheering in her head over her victory. "Alright, I'll spill. Chichi's going to become Queen."
"Wh-What?" The Prince's face dropped in disbelief. His heart sank into his stomach. "K-Kakarot's harpy... A Princess? Kakarot's b-brats... Royalty?"
"Yep, it's next Sunday. You should come," the CEO suggested, struggling not to laugh. "I even started to make a new model on Saiyan armour for you, since I know you won't wear a suit."
Vegeta could not answer her, for his mind was stunned with the sudden news. He felt his pride shatter into a million pieces. He had been completely outclassed- the only thing that kept him superior to Goku and his family could be outmatched no longer.
Goku was royalty.
And so were his brats.
"All thanks to the harpy..." He mumbled and did the only thing he could think of.
He fainted.
Several miles away in the facility hidden away in the mountains, a girl trained.
She trained for a mission that would determine her future as a person, a rightful human being.
So she could go back home.
The Asset threw invisible punches and kicks at her invisible opponent. Green ki blasts escaped from her fingertips. Sweat poured down her face. Her hair plastered to her forehead. She dreaded the coming day; she didn't want to carry out the mission, but her handler simply wouldn't allow it. Her muscles and joints ached, but she knew she couldn't stop now.
Not when she could protect the only surviving member of her family.
He protected her first. Now it was her turn.
The Asset threw a Ki blast at the picture of Cell hanging above the wall, her skin fading back from red to peach. She watched as the picture melted and crumbled as the green flames licked at the remains.
The Asset picked up her helmet and fastened it to her head.
She was ready.