Chapter 7: Pinocchio

The next night, Trunks had to stay in and look after Bra, while Bulma drug Vegeta to a Gala for Capsule Corporation. He had managed to make an edible meal, even though Bra wanted to go get food from their grandmother. Afterwards, Bra wanted a story. Trunks kept telling her to just go to bed because their mom and dad wouldn't be home till late. So she went to her room and Trunks went to his. While on the phone with Goten, Trunks heard a knock at his door, he went to open it and there was his baby sister. "What do you want Bra?"

"I want a story Trunks." She said and in the fashion of her mother put her hands on her hips and glared at him.

"Hello...Trunks you still there?" Goten said from the phone.

"Just a sec. Your getting mom down good, but go to bed."

"I will not! Not until you tell me a story now brat!"

Slapping his forehead and rolling his eyes, "And now dad." She started screaming at him. He shut his door and got back on the phone, "I'm sorry Goten, but I'll have to call you later... Yeah she wants a story. I tell you what I was never that spoiled when I was her age...Shut up!...Ok talk to ya later." Trunks hung up the phone and went back to the door to see his sister still screaming. Covering his ears, "Ok, shut up! I'll tell you a story! OK!"

Instantly, no tears and calm. "Ok." She grabbed his hand and skipped to her room.

"Ok, I know mom and dad let you pick, but I got one for you. So sit on your bed and shut up."

"FINE!" Bra crawled into bed and let Trunks grab the chair, she does love her brother, but she doesn't always have to like him. (A.N. Isn't that true...speaking from experience. I have two!)

Trunks got settled in the chair, "Ok here it goes..."

A long time ago there lived a king, he had no family except a pet fish and a pet cat. His cat, Bunny was a goof of a cat, she was always dropping things and getting into things she shouldn't and his fish Harpy was annoying even for a fish. This king was lonely and needed an heir to his throne. Try as he might he could never find a woman for him, every single one of them always turned him away, even being the king. One day, the king was in his work shop, where he spent most of his time, and he was working on a wooden doll that he had been putting together for several years. It looked like a younger version of himself and took great pride in it. One night, after finally completing the doll he set it aside, "If only you were real, you could be the heir to my throne and my son." The king cast aside his sadness and left to his room to retire.

"Trunks this is really sad, I don't think I like it."

"You wanted a story right? So listen."

After a few hours, the palace was quiet, everyone had gone to bed and even the animals had quieted down. Suddenly a bright blue light came from the window in the workshop. Out of the blue light appeared a very beautiful fairy woman. She walked over to the doll and held it up. "I see he has done great work to you. I see that he does indeed care for something. And I will give him what he wants." With that she kissed the doll on the forehead and it came to life. The doll looked up at her. "You are alive now, dear one. But you won't be completely real till you prove it to me that you can handle that."

The doll looked at her, "Shit, why should I do that?"

"Trunks! Mommy says that's a bad word!"

"You should. If you are to be king someday."

"King?"

"Yes, now be good." With that the fairy was gone.

The puppet boy sat there the rest of the night thinking about what the fairy had said. The next morning the King got his breakfast and was eating it in his workshop, "Hey do I get any!"

"Oh, Yes. I forgot...Wait what!" The king turned to see his doll was alive. "Your alive."

"As alive as one can get." he hopped done off the counter and walked over to the king. "So are you going to give me a name or what?"

"Ummm...yes...how about....Veg?"

"Ok, works for me? So what is there to do around here?"

"Not so fast, your going to be prince, you have to go to school!"

"what?"

"Come on. Get going there are other kids heading to school right now go!"

Veg, headed out the door and started to walk to where all the other kids were walking. But instead of going to the school he took a short cut and found himself at the docks in the town.

"Come on! Hurry up! We ain't got all day. The cargo was supposed to be shipped an hour ago!" Yelled a sailor.

Veg found this interesting and could be a great adventure, he walked up to the sailor, "Where are you going?"

The sailor looked down at him and smiled, "To a planet where a boy becomes a man, want to come?"

"Sure." Veg followed some other boys onto the ship.

While on the ship Veg, got seated next to a boy that wouldn't shut up. "Hi! I'm Palm leaf! What's your's?"

"Veg."

"Nice to meet you. I'm way excited! I'm so ready to be a man! How about you?"

"To be a man it would require me to be a real boy first. Idiot."

"Oh, well you look real to me. Let's be friends. We'll stick together on the planet. Ok?"

"Fine."

After a day or so the arrived on the planet. The sailors let the boys out and told them to have fun. Veg and Palm leaf wondered around and found all sorts of things, men things, such as poker, smoking, fighting rings and tons of other things. After a few days Veg just ignored it all and started to notice a change in Palm leaf.

Back on the home planet, the king was beginning to worry, 'Where could have he gone?' The king, along with Bunny and Harpy took off to find Veg.

Back on the distant planet, Veg took notice of the strange things happening to the other boys. Every night he would go to bed and the next morning several more boys would be gone. Until one night when Palm leaf started acting extremely strange. He started to grow a tail and the nose of a monkey. Veg watched from a dark corner to see them haul off the now monkey Palm leaf. He knew he had to get off the island, just as he was about to escape they caught him and put him in a rocket to space. They hoped he would die.

"Trunks no more please. I want mommy!"

"Chill out, it will get better."

"Ok."

They never expected him to be able to not breath. He wasn't a real boy after all. He managed to get out of the ropes that held him to the rocket and found a way home. But when he got there, there was a note by the king. Dear Veg, it said, if you are reading this I haven't returned from finding you. See you soon. Veg knew that something bad must have happened to the king, the note was marked four months ago. So he took off again to find him. After talking to several people he came to find out the king had been taken hostage by the evil Lizard man on the neighboring planet.

Veg sent out to save his 'Father' from the lizard man. The Lizard man's planet proved to be quite dangerous and nearly cost him his life just to get to the palace of the Lizard man. When he got to the palace, he quickly found the king, Bunny and Harpy. But the Lizard man set a trap to get him. Right as he released the king the Lizard man shot him through the heart with a power beam. The king was mad and killed the Lizard man and took Veg and the others back to their planet. Try as he might he couldn't find away to bring Veg back to life. Just as he was about to give up a blue light filled the room. "So proud of this young boy, I am. He risked everything, including his life to save your's. With that he has proved worthy to me and can become a real boy. After walking up and kissing the boy once again, his eyes opened and his wooden body turned to real flesh. And they lived happily ever after till Veg killed the king for the throne.
"See, sis. It wasn't that bad."

From under her covers, "Speak for yourself."

Just then they both, with their Saiyan hearing, heard the door open and close. "TRUNKS! BRA! We're home!"

Bra sprung from her bed and flew downstairs, "MOMMY! DADDY!" She hugged them both, "Don't leave me home alone with Trunks around bedtime anymore. Please."

The End for real this time.

*Next the sequel Pan's Bedtime Stories*