[author's note]Hey, it's peanutRAWRZ with another DBZ fanfic. This time it is going to be an actual chapter story, and the main stars of this one are Goten and Bra. This idea came to me earlier this week while the rehearsal for Act 1 of my school's annual Skitzapalooza show. One of the acts is a dance seen that uses Evanescence's 'Bring Me to Life', and the theme of the dance was breaking free of the rules and incorporated ballet. The idea of writing something based off of it came back to this pairing, and I felt that it'd be something interesting for me to write since I haven't written a fanfic that doesn't use the same plot based off of the actual anime or manga. I hope you all enjoy this. Please let read and review. I'd love to hear what you think. P.S. I've been trying to post this for the past two weeks but the new story wouldn't work properly.
[disclaimer]I do not own DBZ or any of its characters. They are the property of a rich Japanese man by the name of Akira Toriyama.
[full summary]Bra is a talented dancer with a dream of becoming a Prima Ballerina. For years she has devoted her life and time to practicing and dancing, and finally her dream is within her grasp. But when an old friend and love from the past comes into the picture again, her life is flipped upside down. An old love rekindles despite some disapproval from her parents but when Bra's boyfriend comes back from Europe, things become even more hectic. Will she choose the dream and love that is right in front of her, or the man that has returned to her. Rating may change.
P.S. For the ballet terms I used throughout the story, I put the definition at the bottom for those who would like to know what the meanings are :D
Bring Me To Life
Chapter 1 - Surprise
"To dance without the help of any other art, to express, not another's thought or rhythm, but the vision of the artist's own spirit, that is the highest form of dance. The most exquisite expressions are those when the spirit only makes the song, and the dancer moves in a beauty of silence akin to the silence of the stars."
-Ruby Ginner-
"Trunks! Get your butt down here this instant, mister!" Bulma screeched hands clenched at her sides. They had been waiting for the boy for half an hour now. Any longer and they would be late for the premiere she had gotten free tickets to. The entire family seemed to be ready and waiting in the living room while they waited for the lavender haired boy to come out from his room.
Vegeta was perched on the couch, arms crossed and his signature expression was plastered all across his face. Their daughter, Bra, was sitting beside him, swinging her legs back in worth.
Bulma was getting annoyed with the passing seconds, her built up rage ready to burst at any minute.
"That's it! TRUNKS VEGETA BRIEFS, IF YOU DON'T COME DOWN HERE RIGHT NOW, I'LL K-"
"Chill out, Mother." Trunks sighed loosening the annoying tie that was tied around his neck and collar. "I'm here."
The blue haired women growled slightly at the teenager before snatching up her keys and marching towards the door. She stopped abruptly in front of the oak doors before swiveling around to face her family. "Well? Are you guys coming or not?"
Vegeta grumbled and stood up with Bra following behind him. Trunks simply shrugged his shoulders and picked up his sister as they headed outside towards the car sitting in front of their house. Bulma slid into the driver's seat and started the engine as the others followed suit, buckling up. Once everyone was situated, she pulled out and headed towards the highway that would lead to the theater.
They arrived within minutes, valet parking their car before heading into the already crowded building. Luckily for them, Bulma had connections and was able to get them into one of the V.I.P. booths that had the perfect view of the stage. As they took their seats, the lights began to dim, and the red curtains began to draw back. Bra frowned, not being able to see what was going on due to her five year old height, and clambered onto Vegeta's lap despite his initial outburst that she should sit on her brother's lap and not his. Quickly his objections stopped, and he shook his head in dismay. Being her father's little princess had its perks.
Moments after the lights fully went out, the lights on stage came on and the sound of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake could be heard playing in the background. Several dancers and ballerinas came on stage dressed in different assortments of beautiful outfits. Bra's young eyes were entranced by the movement of the dancers, and how they seemed to float as they danced across the stage. Her eyes never strayed from the stage as the show progressed. Intermission came and she could hear the vivid sound of her father's snoring in the background. He had never been too fond of such things. Trunks had immediately whipped out his phone and was sending texts to Goten and any other people he could possibly think of. Bulma however was thrilled to be watching the show as much as Bra was.
"Mama, can I sit on your lap?" Bra questioned before scurrying off of her father's lap and towards her mother who scooped her up on her lap. "Of course, sweetie. How are you enjoying the show so far? Aren't the dancers so talented?"
The blue haired girl nodded her head and smile spread across her lips. "They're so pretty, Mama."
The lights dimmed again, and Bulma quickly scolded Trunks who was still busy texting his friends to put away the phone. The music played again, and the show continued off from where it had stopped before the intermission.
Bra's attention was once again captured by the beauty of it all. She watched as the main ballerina leapt into the air doing the splits as she did before landing gracefully with her toes pointed against the ground. Her eyes followed their moves, enchanted by the finesse of it all. Around and around they spun. They twirled and stretched into positions no normal person could possibly achieve without the proper training. It was just all so amazing to the five year old Bra.
The performance ended and the ballet troupe was given a standing ovation by the viewers. Bra grinned, clapping as loudly as she could as she watched as the main dancers came forwards and bowed, accepting the gifts and flowers that had been thrown onto the stage by family and friends. The time came for when the audience had to leave the theater and head back to the comforts of their homes. Bulma sighed, watching as her husband was still deep asleep.
"Wake up, Vegeta!" Bulma hissed, smacking across the back of his head. She was answered with an angry grunt as his onyx eyes glared up at her. "What is it, woman? Is it so much to ask to get some sleep?" His wife frowned and shook her head. "It's time to go."
The Briefs family left the booth and headed down the carpeted stairs to where the large crowds of people were pushing their way out through the turning doors. Bra watched as the performers stood around, saying their farewells and thanks to their audience. She caught the attention of the lead ballerina who shot the girl a gentle smile and wave, which was returned with an enthusiastic grin.
"I wish I could be like her when I grow up …" Bra mumbled as she and the family managed to squeeze their way out and towards the valet boy who had been waiting for them with the car ready.
"Mom, look at that! That group over there is advertising a ballet school. Let's go check it out!"
Bra turned her head at the sound of a child's voice calling for her mother to look at the table where there were several brochures and pamphlets sitting about. A small grin formed on her lips as she turned and tugged at her parents' hands. Vegeta turned, looking down at his daughter. "What is it, brat?" Bulma looked down at her as well, head tilted in questioning at her daughter who was now grinning from ear to ear.
"Mama, Papa … I want to take ballet classes."
-x-
Fifteen years later …
Bra sighed as she watched the girl before her attempt the turns, failing immediately once she started. She smirked to herself as the girl hurried off to the side, away from the criticizing eyes of her fellow dancers. 'Someone obviously hasn't been practicing,' Bra thought before stepping forwards for her own turn to show her skills. Her blue hair was tied up in a neat bun, with a few strands of hair falling out to the side. Her expression was confident as the others watched, anticipating how well she would be able to do.
"You may begin."
Plié … en l'air … relevé …
Bra spotted the corner of the room, keeping her balance, as she executed an almost flawless example of a set of five fouetté rond de jambe en tournant. She stopped gracefully in the fourth position she started in before sighing. She cursed herself mentally for making a mistake on a technique she had been practicing for weeks on end. The clapping from her fellow dancers seemed to fade in her mind, as she scolded herself for messing up although no one seemed to notice the near fumble she made halfway through the five turns.
"Marvelous, Bra, absolutely marvelous." Madam Rouge clapped and sent the blue haired girl a satisfied smile. "You've improved so much since you first walked in her fifteen years ago."
'That's because it's been fifteen years, you wrinkled bat.' Bra rolled her eyes before making her towards the back of the room. It was true that she had improved since she first started. The first few days she started doing ballet, she couldn't even perfect a simple plié that her other classmates had down within minutes.
For years now she had dreamed about becoming a Prima Ballerina, the best of the best. She gave up everything in her life to devote every ounce of time she had to practicing dances, and perfecting various techniques. With the support of her parents, she was even able to have a private studio to practice at on the weekends when there weren't any classes. She was getting better every day. Little by little she was getting closer to achieving her dreams, but even the smallest improvement wasn't enough for her. To Bra, she had to be better than the rest, even going far enough to be at the top of her classes when she was young. Now as an adult, there were no such things as being the best in the class. Now she was faced with becoming the best of the best. There were no more training wheels to help guide her. Every action she took would either move her towards becoming a Prima Ballerina, or push her back. The day she graduated from the classes she took up until her teen years, Bra had insisted that she spend all her time outside of school dancing. There were days where she would stay until late at night, skipping dinner and any other meals that got in her way. Sometimes she would take things too far, and Vegeta would have to come and take her home. When she graduated high school, she spent her days in the summer, practicing and practicing until her feet ached and bled, but that still didn't stop her determination. With the fifteen years of experience under her belt, she was ready to make it to the top.
She swiped at the sweat forming on her forehead before walking towards her duffel bag to grab a pink towel from inside. Her eyes shot towards the front when the next dancer stepped up to take their turn in front of the criticizing eyes of their friends and rivals. She narrowed her eyes slightly at the brunette smiling and waving flirtatiously to the male dancers who had their eyes glued on her. She resisted the urge to gag like the other females in the room.
Her eyes watched the dancer carefully as she started the fouetté. The first four turns of the five were flawless. No loss of balance or stumbling could be spotted in the girl's technique causing Bra to grip the towel tightly in her hand in frustration. The fifth one came around, but stopped abruptly when the girl fell to the ground wincing at the impact with the hard floor.
"Paris, are you alright?"
Bra scoffed as the hoard of boys crowded around the fallen girl who was turning red with feigned embarrassment. "I'm alright. Really, I'm fine. Just lost my balance is all, boys." Paris smiled as one of the boys helped her to her feet. Her eyes shot towards the instructor who was pushing up her glasses and was clearing her throat. "Those fouetté were perfect, Paris. However your … ending … needs some work." The remark was responded to with a light laugh as the brunette ran a hand through her hair. "Of course, Madam Rouge. I'll be sure to work on it."
'Oh please …' Bra rolled her eyes and turned away from the crowd and dug through her bag for her phone. Paris' fall at the end of her turns was not a measly mistake. Bra herself knew very well that the girl could do the turns perfectly. She would even bet half of inheritance that the girl could do over ten sets if she wanted to. Just the other day, she had walked in on Paris showing off to a group of beginners. The girl had skills. She would give her that much. But the girl simply couldn't resist the attention she got from the others when she made mistakes.
She felt a presence behind her but didn't bother to turn around. She knew perfectly well who it was.
"Oh, Bra, those turns of yours were good." Paris stated half-heartedly as she watched the blue haired girl dig through her belongings. "Too bad for that fumble in the middle. You should really work on that."
"Instead of worrying about my skills, why don't you worry about your own, Paris?" Bra turned shooting her a cold look that resembled her father's.
"I'm just trying to give you a suggestion." The girl huffed and walked away towards two guys who had been waiting for her by the door. Bra could hear the giggles coming from the girl as the two boys followed like dogs on leashes after her.
Bra hated the girl with a deep passion. Ever since they were children studying the arts of ballet in their classes, they had been rivals trying to outdo the other. For years they competed over who could do the most pirouettes without getting dizzy, and who could point their toes the best. But that was the past when they were kids. Now they competed for the glory they would receive if they were accepted into a performing troupe, and the ability to outshine the other. They tied in capability, but the only that separated the two was the fact that Paris did ballet for the fame she could receive from the public while Bra did ballet for the mere passion of dancing.
"What a stupid girl." Bra sighed shaking her head as she finally found her phone buried beneath her change of clothes. A missed call and text flashed on the screen once the phone was turned on, both having come from her older brother. "That's strange. Why was Trunks calling?" She wondered aloud before dialing his number.
The phone rang for a few moments before the ringing stopped and it was answered by Trunks' familiar voice.
"Hello?"
She smiled at the sound of his voice. It wasn't often that she talked to her brother, let alone saw him anymore. Now that he had been handed the position of President of Capsule Corps, he spent most of his time sitting behind stacks of paper work, or in meetings with potential corporate partners. The rest of the time he was either out cold in his bed due to exhaustion, or out with Pan. The two had finally started dating after almost year of trying to persuade one or the other to at least make an attempt.
"Hello?" Trunks repeated into the receiver. "Bra, are you there?"
Bra snapped out of her memories and nodded foolishly, realizing that they were talking over the phone and there was no way he would be able to tell that she was nodding. "Yes, I'm here, Trunks."
She heard him chuckle through the line and she frowned. "What's so funny?"
"Nothing, I just thought you might have butt-dialed me or something."
Bra smiled and shook her head. "No, I just turned on my phone and saw that you had called me. Was it something important?"
"It depends on your definition of important, sis. How does lunch sound? My treat."
"I don't know, Trunks. I'm going to be busy practicing." Bra frowned slightly as she chewed on her lower lip. She frowned as her stomach growled in protest, and a loud laugh echoed through the cell. "Okay … Maybe a quick lunch won't hurt."
Trunks chuckled. "Alright then, Bra. I'll be there to pick you up in a few minutes. You better be ready 'cause I'm not going to wait for you to do your hair and makeup." And with that, the he hung up and all she could hear was silence.
Bra looked around as she slipped her phone back into the bag, and turned around to find that the studio was all but empty except for a few stragglers and Madam Rouge. She watched as the older women looked up and smiled at her before advancing towards her. "Bra, dear, you've improved so much its brought tears to my eyes. I'm so proud of you." She started with a smile. "With all that hard work, you'll be a Prima in no time." Bra smiled and nodded. "Thank you, Madam Rouge." The woman nodded and turned towards the door. "Don't stay too late now, you hear?" She called with a wave and she was gone.
-x-
"How's life as president of Capsule Corps?" Bra smiled at her brother as she poked at her steak with her fork. Trunks had taken her to one of their favorite restaurants only a few minutes away from the studio, and luckily for them they had beat the lunch crowd. They had been sitting idly in the back, talking about what was going on in their lives.
"Long and boring." Trunks grumbled before shoving a French fry into his mouth. "Nothing interesting ever happens at the office."
She laughed and leaned back in her chair slightly as she stretched out her arms. "I'm glad I wasn't the one that had to take over. I would've have killed myself if I had to be stuck in that office."
"Tell me about it …" he sighed. He ran a hand through his lavender hair and glanced at his sister. "How's the ballet going?"
Bra smiled and her mood rose slightly. Anytime someone brought up dancing or ballet she would perk up and would go on for hours about the various things she knew. "It's okay. We're doing the same old stuff. Nothing new really." She shrugged. "I'm just waiting for the day for my time to shine, you know? I'm sick of sitting by while my chance to achieve my dreams is just within my grasp."
"You know it takes patience to get to the top. Like all the other Prima Ballerinas, it'll take years and a lot of practice and patience." He stated. Trunks was always the one with advice for her whenever she had worries and complaints. It was his duty after all to make sure that Bra got the right support she didn't always receive from the rest of the family. "Who knows? That day might come sooner than you think it will."
She grinned at her brother's soothing words and nodded. "Thanks, Trunks. I know I can count on you for these kinds of things. Dad would just tell me that I need to work harder and longer, and Mom would probably talk my ear off knowing her."
They laughed at her remark, wiping the tears of laughter from their eyes. "So what's with you and Pan?" She smirked at him, watching as a blush rose to his face.
"The relationship is going well. Still a secret from Dad though. He'd have a cow if he figured out I was dating Goku's granddaughter." He sighed and shook his head. "Pan has been wanting me to tell him, but I'm worried about the outcome."
Bra frowned and crossed her arms. "Who cares what Dad says about it? It's your relationship, not his. His ego shouldn't get in the way of your love for Pan. If she wants you to tell him, then tell him." She stated simply. "Are you really that scared of him? Dad isn't that angry of a person."
Trunks chuckled slightly and leaned forwards on the table. "Well that's because you're daddy's little princess. He doesn't get angry with you. Me, however, he'd throw a fit for hours."
"Very true, big brother." She giggled and looked at the time. "I should be getting back to the studio to practice. Do you mind driving me back?"
"Of course not, Bra." He smiled and paid the bill. He made sure to leave a hefty tip for how long they had been sitting there.
He slid into driver's seat of the imported yellow Maserati and turned on the engine. Bra smiled as she buckled up. Her brother always did have a thing for foreign cars even though their family owned a company that made hover cars and other assortments of transportation. After few minutes of driving through the crowded streets of the downtown area they arrived outside the studio building.
"Thanks for the ride." She said quickly before exiting the car and heading into the building.
Trunks smiled and waved farewell as she headed towards the building doors. "Don't stay too late tonight! Mom says there's something important tonight at seven thirty!" he called and drove off towards Capsule Corps.
-x-
Bra breathed deeply as she finished her combination of sautées and chassés across the floor of the studio room. She leaned back against the mirror that lined one of the walls of the room, and took a sip from her half empty water bottle. She had been there for hours now. From the window located high in the room, she could see that it was dark outside. Her eyes shifted towards the clock and frowned. It was already seven.
She cursed under her breath, remembering that both her mother and Trunks had reminded her that she was supposed to be home before seven thirty. There was no way she was going to make it on time if she didn't leave now.
Beep beep
Bra looked to her bag that was sitting across the room, and pushed herself to her feet. With quick movements, she was besides her bag looking at her phone. A text from Pan flashed on her screen and she smiled. It was rare to get texts from her best friend.
'Where are you, Bra? Your mom is throwing a tantrum that you're not here. I suggest hauling some butt and get here ASAP.'
Her fingers made nimble movements across the buttons on her phone as she wrote a reply to the girl. 'I'm leaving the studio right now. Tell her to relax, and that I lost time while practicing. She'll understand.' When she was sure the text had gone through, she shoved it into her bag and changed into her normal attire.
She snatched up her stuff, and flicked off the lights making sure to lock the door on her way out. A cold breeze swept pass as Bra exited the building, causing the girl to shiver slightly and pull her jacket closer to her. She quickly made her way to the parking lot in the back, and slid into her car turning on the heat. "Why is it so freaking cold in the middle of April?" she shivered and pulled out of the lot and towards the highway that led back home.
It took twenty minutes for her to arrive outside the place she called home and pulled up beside Trunks' car. Bra took notice of the other cars that were parked nearby and tilted her head. "Is Mom holding a party?" Bra shrugged and bounded her way up the steps and walked into the house.
"I'm home!" she called.
"We're in the living room, Bra!" Her mother's voice echoed into the hallway along with the laughter and chatter of other people. Bra glanced around at the collection of shoes crowding the hallway before kicking off her own pair of boots. "What's with the all the cars?" she questioned.
She made her way down the hall and entered the room, but stopped in the doorway, mouth open and eyes wide.
"Hey, Bra."
The entire Briefs and Son family as well as the Chestnuts were sitting in the family's living room, grinning from ear to ear. The crowd, however, was not what caused her shock. In the center of the crowd was a familiar face that had called to her, sporting his family's signature grin.
It was the man who she had loved as a teenager ... The man who left four years ago ... It was Goten ...
Chasse - It literally means "to chase". It's a jump in the air with legs next to each other after a slide forwards or backwards or even to the side. It can sometimes be done as a gallop or from a plie position.
Plie - A smooth continuous bending of the knee.
En l'air - Fourth position of the feet and legs where one foot is place in a forty-five degree angle in front of the other foot.
Releve - Rising onto the toes where the heels are off the ground.
Foutte rond de Jambe - A turn where the front leg is swung around in a circular movement in which the dancer starts off with the foot on flat on the ground then rising to releve.
Sautee - Pronounced 'sote'. A jump.
Prima Ballerina - A term formerly bestowed on ballerinas that showed exceptional skills and talent. The title isn't really used much today, but it is considered a honor rather than a title.