Why Can't the Gods
Author's Note: It's been forever! I'm sorry it's taken me so long to update, but I hope you guys haven't given up on this fic yet. On a side note I will be uploading the Why Can't series to Archive of our own, and in doing so I will be editing and improving as I go along so if you have an Archive account feel free to check it out there as well! THANKS FOR THE SUPPORT AND PATIENCE!
ENJOY!
Chapter 10: Broken Trust
Six months… SIX MONTHS! That no good rotten husband of hers disappeared for six months without a word and Riku had just about had it! She couldn't leave Earth and train as she'd planned because Chichi wouldn't have it. Dende and Mr. Popo told her the hyperbolic time chamber had been destroyed during the Majin Buu attack, and King Kai put a ban on training since the Beerus incident. There was only so much she could do on Earth and as much as she loved her baby, she had to cart the girl everywhere and it was getting tiresome.
It didn't help that the bond was tugging at her like a noose. There were days she woke up in a cold sweat and couldn't breathe. It was aggravating and intense and she wished she could just cut the connection altogether.
"This is another type of training I guess…" She sighed and smiled at Bulla who wriggled in the shaded grass. Rikku had her hands full of soil, a baseball cap on her head to protect her face and eyes from the sun. "What are we gonna do with that irritating papa of yours?"
Bulla clapped her hands giggling and had Riku smiling brightly. She pat her hands clean and removed the gloves. She picked up the wiggling baby rocking and nuzzling her.
"Mommy!" Goten descended from above and Riku looked up. Her little boy had grown a few more inches, mostly in leg as his limbs were longer and more toned. Both her and Trunks continued their training... but Rikku couldn't help but notice their training looked more like playtime than anything else. It made her smile.
"What is it Goten?"
"Gohan asked me to come get you." He floated above her. "Aunt Chichi barricaded her, Videl, Rika and Pan-chan in the house. She refuses to let Gohan and Mr. Satan in."
"Again? How many times is she gonna do that?" Riku sighed heavily and floated up. "Alright let's go see what her problem is now."
~Gohan and Videl~
Gohan paced the room with worry and guilt all over his face. Chichi and Videl had been in there a long time and now even Bulma joined the party. At his wits end he let out a sigh of relief as his mother and Goten poked their heads through the window.
"Mom… thank goodness." He looked at her with pitiful puppy eyes that sent Rikku's mother heart into puddles.
"What happened Gohan?" Rikku slipped in and waved to Hercule and Krillin who hovered by the barricaded door.
"I don't know what to do. Hercule and I were just playing with Pan-chan, then Chichi got all bent out of shape saying we were too rough and we couldn't be trusted with something so fragile."
"Yeah Chichi often lectured me about that as well." She laughed and bounced Bulla who joined in with a giggle of agreement. "She doesn't understand that Saiyan babies are built differently than humans. Have you tried asking Seventeen to help?" She suggested.
"We would, but according to Chichi he's gotten a job as a ranger on some remote island so we don't even know where to look for him. Not even Eighteen knows." Gohan told her.
"I'm sure it's not that bad. Why not give her time to cool down? I mean even Chichi's gotta know Saiyans are pretty sturdy."
"Well it's not just the playing… Hercule and Chichi got into it about Pan's future, and how watching all of us do Martial Arts is setting a bad example for how a young lady should be." Krillin added with a slight grimace.
"We thought Bulma might be able to help but thanks to Krillin she's taking their side." Hercule frowned at the shorty and had him tensing up.
"Hey don't put all the blame on me, it was you two that decided to play catch with a newborn!"
"I can't even apologize and its been over an hour." Gohan hung his head and Rikku scrunched her fingers through his hair comfortingly.
"Relax, Gohan, leave it to me." She pat Gohan on the shoulder smiling. "Here take Bulla…" She handed him the bouncing baby who tugged on his hair laughing. "She can handle your rough play."
"So I noticed…" Gohan grunted trying to pull her hand free from his hair. Rikku raised a hand to knock… but her ears perk up at the conversation on the other end. She heard Bulma speaking about Vegeta and frowned.
"Saiyan men just don't get what we put up with. Even Rikku is at her limits. Can you believe Vegeta just left her and the baby to go off and train with Whis? I realize he wants to get stronger but-"
"VEGETA DID WHAT!?" Riku broke through the wall startling the three women who sat in a circle on the table.
"Rikku! I didn't know you were here." Bulma blinked in surprise.
"Bulma… you mean to tell me that for the past six months Vegeta has been training with Whis?! WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?!"
"You didn't bother to ask, and frankly I wanted a little payback for you forgetting my birthday party." She retorted sipping her tea and Rikku grabbed her shoulders shaking her.
"THIS ISN'T THE TIME TO PLAY THE REVENGE GAME! IF YOU KNOW HOW TO GET IN TOUCH WITH WHIS THEN BRING HIM HERE RIGHT NOW!" Rikku pulled back scrunching her fingers through her hair sighing in aggravation. "AUGH I'VE BEEN WASTING ALL THIS TIME GARDENING AND PLAYING PEEK-A-BOO AND VEGETA'S PROBABLY GOTTEN WAY STRONGER THAN ME NOW! NO FAIR!"
"Uh oh…" Gohan blinked through the hole in the wall. "I think Bulma broke mom."
~1 month and several rants later~
"Well it's about time!" Vegeta snarled under his breath, his eyes on the sky.
"I see you're finally starting to sense the energy of deities." The Oracle Fish complimented and suddenly got a smug look on his face. "Anybody with him?"
"Your prophecy's are as bogus as…" he drifted off, because the closer Whis got the more he sensed he wasn't alone. The Angel figure landed smiling.
"Welcome back, Lord Whis, everything is in order." Vegeta said stoically then tensed up when Rikku came out from behind him with Bulla in her arms. While the baby laughed and squealed at the sight of her daddy, Rikku simply glared at her husband. "Karat!? What are you doing here?"
"I should be the one asking that, Vegeta." She stepped to him her aura spiking and he backed away sensing the fury in those normally innocent eyes. "How dare you… HOW DARE YOU?"
"I told you I'm good at predictions." The oracle fish teased and Vegeta swallowed loudly.
"Yeah yeah, but you didn't have a good enough prediction on WHO he was bringing back. Damn it Karat it was too good of an opportunity. I couldn't pass it up and you would have done the exact same thing." He pointed accusingly.
"Yeah sure, but I would have at least asked if I could invite you along first, yah know. Did you not even think to ask me if I wanted to tag along or ask Whis if I could? Just how selfish are you?!" She went super and had him flinching.
"Tch, fine you want an apology then I'm sorry." he said bitterly. "I should have known you'd show up and wreck this for me."
"You don't get to talk like that Vegeta. I'm the one that should be angry and I am. We could have been training here together all this time. You were the one who told me to wait, you're the one who told me to have patience and that we'd reach this impossible level together, but no you decide to be selfish and hog the fun all to yourself. You Jerk!" She stuck her tongue out at him and turned her back to him.
"Fun? FUN? You think I've been having FUN for the past six months? More like hell! You make it sound as if this has all been one big party for me, but it hasn't!" He clenched his fist waving it at her. "You've no idea what I do on a daily basis!"
"I imagine it has to do with the reason you're wearing that apron." She looked at him over her shoulder and had him blushing. It lightened her mood… just a little.
"Geh! It's required okay!"
"Uh, huh keep telling yourself that, Vegeta." She turned her nose away again more to hide her laughter than to guilt trip him.
"Now, now, Rikku. You said you wanted to train here with him and I agreed, but remember our deal?" Whis reminded and Rikku blinked at him.
"Hmm? Oh yeah… here you go." She handed him Bulla and Whis just went goo goo eyed.
"Well now there's a good little girl!" The normally stoic face just lit up and melted as he made Bulla float and tickled her in the belly. "You and I are going to spend some quality time together, while your mama and papa do the daily chores." He waved. "Vegeta be sure RIkku gets settled while your daughter and I get acquainted."
"Y-Yes sir…" he watches them go his brow twitching. "What in blazes just happened?"
"It was my fee for going. Whis said he'd take me to come see you if I bring Bulla with me. I didn't think Whis had a fondness for kids, but he's got a soft spot for Bulla for whatever reason." She turned around to face the massive tree like structure. "So this is where Beerus lives, huh? Not exactly what I'd call cozy."
"Tch, yeah well if you're staying then you'd better get used to it." He lead her in through the main room and Rikku eyed the surroundings. "Beerus is asleep and we need him to stay that way so keep it down."
"Right… oh hey, what's with the snake statue?" SHe motioned to the massive structure in the middle of the room.
"No idea…" he admitted gathering supplies.
"What about those floating hour glasses?" She eyed the floating globes with a childlike gaze.
"Alarm clocks… and don't touch 'em!" He grabbed her hand before she could poke one. "If you touch the then they'll explode."
"Oh…. nice save." She slowly pulled back grinning. She followed him up floating to the rock that hovered in the air holding Beerus and his bed.
"Our first task is to change, Lord Beerus' sheets. Remember keep quiet so he doesn't wake up… and put this on." He tossed another apron at her making her grimace.
"As if I haven't already been doing stuff like this at home." She tied it on and put a hand on her hip looking at him. "How are we supposed to change them with him sleeping like that?"
"We bide our time." His eyes stayed focus on his objective while his wife pouted at him.
"In other words we have to wait? Damn…I've never been very good with this kind of thing." She folded her legs floating mid air. For over an hour they waited just watching as Beerus rolled into various positions. Unable to help herself Rikku got closer and frowned.
"For as guy as powerful as he is, he sure is funny looking when he sleeps… geh!" She tensed up when Beerus' eyes popped open and Vegeta went on edge.
"Damn it, Karat!"
"Oh, hi Lord Beerus!" Rikku laughed and put a finger to herlips winking. "Shhh this is just a dream." Sweat bead down her temples as the momentary lapse of movement halted and Beerus rolled again snoring away. Rikku's breath came out heavy.
"That was close."
"Idiot, how hard is it to keep your stupid mouth shut?"
"You know you don't have to be GAH!" Rikku suddenly sailed off as Beerus' tail whipped around sending her flying. Before Rikku could crash land into an exploding alarm clock Vegeta phased and kicked her into the wall instead and landed by beerus quiet as a cat. He let out a sigh of relief.
"He's still sleeping."
"Ow!" Rikku held her cheek pouting as she sat in rubble. "That really hurt. You sure he's not awake? He could be pretending."
"No he's asleep. In his sleep he doesn't hold back so his attacks are much more ruthless." Vegeta corrected and crossed his arms eying his wife. "You gonna sit in that crater all day, Karat? You could just take Bulla and go home if you can't handle this."
"Haha, very funny Vegeta." She floated down scowling at him. "I still find it strange you're doing all this when you don't even do the laundry at our house."
"You don't either if I recall." He retorted making Rikku tense up. "That's why you hired that plump human to come and do our chores once a week."
"Hey, I can do them I just don't like it, alright?" She sticks her tongue out at him.
"Well here you'd better get used to it. The chores we're tasked with are on a much higher scale and it's the price we pay for training with Whis."
"What? So you mean to tell me that all this so far has just been us helping with Whis' chores? We're like Whis' version of that plump laundry lady?"
"Exactly." Vegeta smirked and had the pleasure of seeing his wife go blue in the face and slump defeatedly.
"Aww man… I guess this is what Bulma and chichi mean when they say "the price you get for quality."
"Sounds about right… now look alive Karat, it's just about time. Stay on alert."
"Whatever you say Vegeta…" She turned her attention back to Beerus pouting. Hopefully Whis' training and insight would be well worth all the mundane chores.
~Meanwhile~
"There's a good girl…" Whis rocked the girl as he fed her, the oracle fish floating nearby.
"Well this is something I'd never had predicted, you taking a fondness for a mortal child."
"Oh I'm just playing the part for now… While Vegeta and Rikku's abilities intruige me, it's the child's I'm most interested in." He looked down at the girl and had the oracle fish blinking in surprise.
"What do you mean?" Oracle asked curiously.
"I happened to bear witness you something quite curious during Beerus and Rikku's interaction. Rikku had been on King Kai's planet with her daughter, but arrived on Earth without the bundle. Then all of a sudden the little thing popped out of nowhere clinging to her mother and crying."
"Huh? I don't get it, what's so special about that."
"Apparently RIkku's learned the Yardrat's Instant Transmission technique which allows a person to dematerialize and travel as a mass of light. It is a technique that often takes months or even years to master but this little one." He hefted Bulla up watching the baby laugh and giggle. "Performed it by mimicking her mother's movements an energy patterns. She's already so aware of everything around her, absorbing everything about the world."
"So what are you saying that she's freaky smart for a newborn?"
"No… though that's not altogether inaccurate. What she is, is a saiyan prodigy. I'm curious to find out just how much fighting information this child will absorb by merely witnessing her parents training. Which is why I insisted Rikku bring Bulla along." He stared into Bulla's eyes, the little girl staring back, the happy smile fading. Whis just knew this girl was absorbing everything around her, soaking in every movement, every sound, every scent and building up on it.
He tucked the child in the crook of his arm and waved his staff in the other. On the globe he watched Rikku and Vegeta argue even as they did the chores. For two married people they sure did like to argue. He wondered just how well they'd be paired up in a fight rather than against each other.
"Only one way to find out… but I'll leave that for tomorrow. Need to get Rikku's feet wet first." He smiled a little and strolled to the front lawn where the two saiyans were weeding. "Let's see how she differs from Vegeta."
~Elsewhere~
The once proud Frieza army was being reduced little by little. Over the years it was Sorbet who'd acted as head tactician and leader to keep the disfunctional squads from falling apart. As it was the various heads all battled for supremacy ultimately leading to their demise, but eventually those that sought unity fell under his command… but even unity couldn't save them for long.
"At this rate we won't be able to hold our own forces, let alone conquer planets. It's time we acted." Sorbet told his group strutting to the window and eying the vast galaxy. So many planets needed to be set to rights, so many empires needed to fall and be once again brought under a single ruler. Sorbet considered himself a competent leader, but he lacked the abilities that were needed. This army needed brute strength, it needed a name that would once again strike fear into the hearts of the universe…
"This army needs it's true leader…" He raised his hands up as if to say the name would magically right everything that had gone wrong. "It needs Lord Frieza!"
~Ask Bri~
Bri: Hey loyal fans! Thanks so much for being patient for this update! Now that' I'm finding my mojo I'm slowly but surely returning to my more proactive self. Hope you'll stick around to see what's to come!
Next Chapter: Rival Revival