A/N: I know the pace at which the chapters are coming out are slow and I apologize profusely. Sometimes I feel like George R.R. Martin and I are in a race to see who can write the slowest. (At least he's getting paid for it, and has a T.V. series…) anyway I will try to be more prudent and thank you for the people who took the time to comment it's always nice.
Again I realize that I haven't updated this story in months… but I kinda fell out of the fandom for a bit and was just going to abandon the story, but I'm back and I even saw Resurrection of Freeza in theaters! I also learned to crochet, this will impact the plot I' am sure!
The soft glow of the morning light drifted down over Vegeta, showering him with a prophetic blessing like a prince from a legend. Fitting considering he was after all a legend in the making. Vegeta had his ceremonial robes dipped in virgin marmot oils repeatedly to bring out the radiant hues that had grown dull since he last wore them at the behest of his father for the honor of the tyrant who would later take him as his personal exploitation. The robe itself was a reminder of what was dead; and truthfully he wasn't sicken by it, but the longer it soaked in marmot clawing the past away leaving only a shiny exterior the more disposed he was to wearing it. Vegeta knew there was no real precedence for adorning it; Saiyans hardly had long term conventions as it was, he knew he would be expected to wear it simply because his father always insisted he did. The intensity of his royal claim could be as fleeting as his own temperament if the two boys who defeated Freeza felt like testing his honor. Sometimes moving an inch to gain a mile could be ingratiating but after all he had suffered through at the hands of that calculating madman Vegeta wasn't willing to give it up to someone who had lucked out on Freeza's arrogance and not on their own brute skill in a real battle. There was already a gap in-between what Vegeta would have been willing to admit about his own abilities against Freeza. In truth he knew he wouldn't have been able to defeat him alone which is what made these boys all the more intimidating.
It had been a long morning, the succession to his kingdom was at his fingertips all Vegeta had to do was grasp it with the force of an oozaru and his own natural mindset; a steel basin that not even Freeza could fully penetrate. As his procession began Vegeta couldn't deny eying the crowd for what he assumed would be the two most obvious boys. If their presence proved to be half as intimidating as they were in his mind, Vegeta almost wanted to race to the altar to be crowned before these imaginations could prove to be true and make his senses evaporate. His eyes crossed over Bardock who was looming off to the side starring in a direction Vegeta couldn't see. The crowds focus was lapped in cheers and hoorahs as Vegeta quarried his way towards the altar stone, but he kept his focus on the one saiyan who had an alternative interest. Not only that it seemed he failed to produce these so called saviors as he stood barren and in utter defiance. A smirk glanced his face; he was not going to be made the fool, Bardock had with one swift turn of his head sealed his own fate.
At the alter the saiyan who had only the previous evening cemented his loyalty after his mate had been crudely undressed and forced into vulgarity. He kept his eyes ajar as he placed the new sigil and began to read the address King Vegeta had fifteen years prior, a somber mood had settled over the crowd as the older saiyans remembered the battle that won them their current dwelling. Even Bardock drew his attention from his pleasantries and listened with rumination. Vegeta didn't want to dwell on the past, when the sigil was placed around his neck the lump lodged in his throat that carried all of his doubt finally fell away and gave birth to his new imagination. He had won the race again, he was finally king and his subjects were going to be beholden to him. Especially those who had the most to prove. Vegeta put his dalliances aside as he hovered lightly above the altar where he had just been ordained. His smirk a trademark of his personality, aimed at his current enemy Bardock let loose his first order as king.
"Now that I'm your king, I will honor those most loyal to me." The crowd was a buzz nudging and darting their eyes from the king to his obvious recipient, the man who had spared them from the torment of Freeza's rule. Bardock shunned the popularity as he knew from their previous encounter whoever's name was spoken it wouldn't be in connection with him.
"Nappa rise and reinstate your oath…" The beast rose from the crowd, scars in all like a titan from the sea. Bardock stared flabbergasted, how did he get to Vegeta's chambers in such a short span? Nappa stood imposing next to Vegeta even more so now that he was a mutilation of his former self. But there was no mistake he was the man who took Raditz to serve the ingrate and as also in charge of where the infiltration pods were sent. He was the one who decided Kakarrot went to earth. The disillusionment on Bardock's face was exactly what Vegeta wanted, but he was merely flexing, Bardock would learn the price of his duplicity.
"I had planned to honor 'the boys' who were supposedly aiding Bardock, but as it turns out they didn't bother showing themselves…" A clatter from the back of the crowd rose over Vegeta's persuasion, the noise quickly garnered the attention of the room making the new king ready to kill the conspirators when he saw what made him sink to his feet. A golden light flickered with an aura as the being walked with a smirk darting his eyes and pushing his thumb up towards Bardock. Vegeta, now the one flabbergasted quickly turned his head towards the saiyan for recognition; it was clear, beyond the shadow of a doubt this had to be the boy. But it was only one of them, and what was he? The expression on Bardock's face was of familiarity and a shock of the situation and not of the boy himself. Vegeta who didn't have a scouter, but in self-respect wouldn't have needed it, he could see that this was the boy that defeated Freeza. His ire was set aflame; he couldn't pretend anymore, he could feel the cage door closing around him again. It seemed he hadn't won the race after all.
Vegeta felt paralyzed and this was just one of them… the boy revealed himself in a manner that Vegeta would have, in a blaze of glory that set him above everyone else, Vegeta fumbled to make a sound. It was more awe than fear, and anger building on jealously. How did this happen? He was the prince, now king of all saiyans how was there someone stronger? The boy placed his palms together in a forward bow, when he spoke he sounded like an echo which only intensified his presence. Vegeta scrabbled to catch his balance when he felt a deep impression on his shoulder from the towering presence behind him. "My lord that is the boy that pulled me from the ash…" the acknowledgement from the boy didn't ease Vegeta's apprehension. He looked at Bardock accusatorily "you said there was two, where is the other?" Vegeta did not want to be blindsided again; a snicker creeped out from the boy, Vegeta turned his head back not seeing the humor. "Can't you see? Were both, I thought you'd be impressed with our fusion, Freezer certainly was." It almost came across as a threat but the boy's demeanor was light hearted, almost humble. "Who are you?" was certainly the question on the tip of everyone's tongue least of all Bardock. "My name's Gotenks and that's all that's important… heh" his cheekiness revealed a sardonic edge to his humility, but Vegeta had regained his stature "well… Gotenks are you pledging fealty?" He took dramatically to one knee bowing his head in state that confused Vegeta but was obvious in its meaning, loyalty.
Vegeta had purposely snubbed Bardock the honor of sitting at his right side for his battle triumph, little though it was the slight was exhibited on the other saiyans who became less exuberant as the toasting wore on. Vegeta left for the private quarters of the throne room removing his robe with more certainty than when he put it on. When the crowds dispersed after the banquet, only Nappa remained in his lodging with the new Gotenks awaiting his honor in the ante chamber. Not long after the new king left the festivities Gotenks was approached by the saiyan they had saved only a day before. Bardock watched as they spoke in hushed tones and then casually push away from the table and left. He wasn't concerned for the boys themselves but for what Vegeta thought he was gaining from them. Bardock wished his ever fleeting physic abilities would show him a vision into what Vegeta was planning.
Waiting in the ante chamber seemed to last an eternity, Gotenks felt he'd been pushed aside like a kid when it was thanks solely to him that everybody was still alive. Still he couldn't believe seeing his father alive and so young, younger than him. The elation he felt watching from behind the anointed king was something he knew his father would have been proud of. Good thing Bardock was just a spectator, if he had known about the fusion he no doubt would have spoiled it. They could feel time had run out, the boys bodies shot away from each other with a magnetic force, throwing them on opposite sides of the room. Trunks shouted towards Goten who was rubbing his head from hitting it on the bed post. "How cool were we, I bet everyone thought we were going to beat them up… ha-ha" Goten gave a like-minded smirk "yeah I bet they were real scared hehe…" Trunks darted his attention at the door "someone's coming" Nappa stood in the entry before the boys could make a reaction. He made a gesture with his head and smirked when he saw the frazzled look on the boy's faces. "Your king will see you now."
Vegeta's perch on the throne was a poise of dominance; he looked the ruler drumming his fingers on the edge with his head expertly placed in his palm glaring down upon his menials. Trunks and Goten looked in wonder at the spender of his presentation; his face staggered a little as they took their form in front of him, quite literally separate from their previous meeting. Vegeta now understood why Bardock referred to them as 'boys' though their ability to fuse into one being irked the young king it did explain how they defeated Freeza without any help from the saiyan elites. Trunks looked up with a glaze in his eyes; though he didn't know it the fact that he was serving his father's rise to prominence excited him, he would finally be on even footing with him now he could barely wait for him to speak. Vegeta wasn't one to play coy but he didn't want to play his trump card too early, these two were completely unpredictable and if they truly meant their loyalty perhaps that could be an asset.
"Well finally we met face to face, all of us." Vegeta darted his eyes at Nappa who shook his head in a quiet silence. "I will only ask this once, are you truly pledging yourself to my guard or are you as much a liar as that third ranked Bardock?" The swirl of reactions on the boy's faces couldn't have been more different; the magnitude of which Vegeta was waiting for.
"He's not a liar; he saved those saiyans from the ash, it's not his fault what the man on the radio said!" Goten ignored the pulling from Trunks, glaring with contempt at the young king who smirked at the accusation.
"And what did he say…" Vegeta continued his gaze; Trunks interceded by shoving Goten aside. "It wasn't true; Bardock got the credit for defeating Freezer when we did, but hopefully your majesty you see we are much more than that."
Though subtle Vegeta didn't like the tone the boy was beginning to master, he had grasped cockiness even in the face of Freeza; it was Vegeta's best defense against uncertainty and was unquestionably why he was king now instead of his late father. "I won't ask again…" his face was stern as his pulse increased in the intermitting silence. Trunks turned up his lip "yes we pledge to serve you your majesty." The scowl remained on Goten's face with his eyes darted across the floor. Vegeta wanted both their loyalties, ten days hence he did not want to be Freeza with the other boy leading the charge. "And you boy must say it as well…" Trunks nudged Goten whispering something Vegeta couldn't hear, his eyes soften and he nudged his head forward. "I… pledge…" like honey to a bear Vegeta's ears perked when the sweet words were uttered, the only thing he hadn't figured out was their motive. Freeza always had a motive with all his grand speeches; especially when it came to making treaties, there always had to be an angle in his favor and these boys were no different.
"But…" the word trickled off nonetheless but is always a prelude to something bad. "I want Bardock to be recognized and made a first class soldier or I'll take back my pledge!" Goten was firm in his voice, even still it took Trunks by complete surprise, all he could think to do was look at Vegeta's reaction. The air was caught in his throat Vegeta was barely sustaining the urge to blast him even though the idea had initially crossed his mind. But after all Bardock didn't defeat Freeza, he was a liar and there was no possibility he would give way just because of an infantile demand.
"That's your motive?" his burst released a hard laugh that echoed throughout the chamber. "You wanted to upgrade some third ranked wanna be so you promised to serve me?" his laughs grew astounding "that's got to be the dumbest motive I've ever heard of!" and to think I was worried…
"No…no we don't have any motives; we just want a challenge, Goten was just joking." Trunks lied through his teeth, though it steamed the tide little. Goten flared his ki, consumed in yellow light quieted the steams of laughter from Vegeta who had turned to shock.
"You… you can do that in your own bodies?" Goten was impressive, like his mirror Trunks turned super saiyan not wanting to be left behind. They flared like a golden flame, like at the ceremony but with their own power. Vegeta had pushed the button too far and would have to humiliate himself to ring him in.
"Fine he'll have a position…" Goten's smile return with triumph. But not with Trunks he had savored like Vegeta and felt his humiliation. Who were these boys?
"Tell me who are you, how did you get here?" Vegeta had never asked a more loaded question, but these boys remained a powerful mystery that was extremely unsettling for the young king. The boys didn't give a comfortable reassurance and tried laughing it off.
'Um well I don't know how we got here to be honest." Trunks scratched the back side of his head looking towards Goten who shrugged in ignorance. "But when we did we saw that Freezer guy and pop him over!" He started making motions with his fists flying through the air. Vegeta squinted his eyes "well then where did you come from, you must know that much?" the boys looked at each other for corroboration "we're from earth, it was being attacked by Majin Buu when we were fighting him we somehow got sent here." Vegeta almost wanted to laugh, Bardock had lead him to believe that they were in fact saiyan, but the boy with the mouth looked more like he belong among the ancient truffles than any saiyan with his outlandish hair and blue eyes. Earth had been a mockery since its discovery, and it was no surprise that Bardock's low bred weakling of a son was sent there, and the fact that these two boys were actually claiming to be from it was laughable to say the least.
"Well, I don't care who this Majin Buu is but if he hasn't destroyed earth by now then he's as weak as the infants that we saiyans have sent there to purge it from existence." Vegeta drummed his fingers with hesitance; the two boys were lying, concealing their true birth by trying to pretend they were weaker, which he had to admit was a strategy he himself had employed on occasion but this was an inquisition about their true motives and though his guile was impenetrable, his temper would get the better of him if this catty chat lasted much longer.
Goten's eyelid tinged at the callous remark the king made, Trunks seemed uninhibited though his motives were easy to see why. Goten shifted his eyes forward and bit the inside of his cheek to ebb the memory of his mother back from resurfacing on his face. "You wouldn't have stood a chance against him let alone a baby…" his voice was steady and left Trunks surprised. Vegeta on the other hand took the boy's aggression to the floor; he had left his lofty tower and stood in front of the boy with the clamor of his sigil on his breastplate echoing his presence further.
"Are you saying I'm weak? Because I'd love to prove you differently." There could have been a thousand Freeza's that burst through the door at that moment and Vegeta had the energy to destroy them all in the face of the boys mocking silence.
"Ah no sire" Trunks was an unusual mediator he tried polling off a calm demeanor though it had little impact. Vegeta darted his eyes towards Trunks, he was clearly the weaker of the two since they generally do the apologizing for their betters. "You must be his whipping boy, explains why you are always running your mouth." The incensement brimmed Trunks' ears, Goten flicked his eyes towards Trunks knowing that his tender ego had been bruised, by his own father nonetheless and no sentimental feelings were going to have value now.
"I'm not a whipping boy, I'm stronger than Goten and I'm the one who comes up with all the best moves, I defeated Freezer with my abilities and I could probably do it again without anyone's help, not even yours!" Trunks instinctively threw his hands over his mouth when his rage filtered through him. Vegeta said nothing as he looked at the boy a bit puzzled, he had kissed the boots of Freeza when he had to, but this boy was willing to humble himself for no reason at all and when called out on it he defends his actions as if they were necessary. Why, Vegeta couldn't think was why these boys were concealing seemingly trivial information when they had both pledged complete loyalty to him. But what was even more infuriating was that even though Vegeta hated beating around the bush he had no choice, these two could be impulsive and for the time being Vegeta was only willing to skirt that line.
Seeing an opening, he changed the subject that favored him more.
"Well, regardless of where you're from you have made quite an impression on the lower ranks and even restored to me my second in command of the elites and I can't ignore that, which is why I asked you in my private courters in the first place." He wrapped his arms behind his back as Trunks and Goten eyed each other for a response.
"I'd like you both to join the royal sanctum, the elite of the elite only the strongest saiyans are ever even brought in for consideration, and well you can see not even being saiyans what an honor that is."
"We are saiyans, we're just from earth." Goten started.
"Still going on about that?" Vegeta said with a smirk "Bardock had mentioned it, and though saiyans live off planet regularly none of them have ever lived on 'earth' which probably doesn't exist anymore anyway."
"Yes it does" the boys said in unison.
Vegeta turned his stance, glaringly at them both as they stood preeminently in the center of the chamber slouching their shoulders and arching their backs devoid of their own itching annoyance. "Excuse me?" was all he mustered "and how would you know that, did the magician tell you that?"
"Yeah, Bardock was the one who told us." It was a flat out lie and Trunks knew it but flicked his eyes at Goten with his coughing jester all the same acknowledging it with a nod.
"Ehh, well lucky for you then." He sneered with a sarcastic tone. "Well do you 'earthlings' want to join the royal sanctum or would you rather be with that third rate and just be a rung on the floor." Nothing seemed to separate them more than their temperaments, they both had different springs and Vegeta was beginning to see depending on what button was pressed who would jump first.
"Yeah that should be interesting." It wasn't the response he expected from the mouthy boy, who bar his own pride seemed to be a brownnoser. The other boy who persisted in being a shithead had a familiarity about his appearance that Vegeta couldn't believe he hadn't noticed until that moment. The boy was the spitting imagine of that annoying pest Bardock, and was proving to be the same sore in his ass. Was it possible Bardock had actually been telling the truth earlier? Or was this just another lie, after all many third rate saiyans had similar features; Vegeta stopped his train of thought before he could make a connection that just wasn't possible, at least he didn't think it was.
Goten had seriously considered just going back to Bardock, he certainly liked him more and it seemed there was no real reason to even have loyalty to this Vegeta, but being separated from Trunks didn't really tantalize him either.
"I will… as long as you keep your promise and give Bardock a position as well."
Vegeta waved his hand and nodded, shouting for Nappa to come and escort the boys away. He had never thought he could get so exhausted from a conversation that turned out to yield surprisingly little to what he wanted to know. Though he couldn't refute that the boys held an awesome power, but by the same token he knew they wouldn't be swayed by the threat of his cold demeanor alone, nothing could have irked him more. Nappa's return pulled Vegeta from his thoughts; he said nothing and let the sound of his movements announce him. Vegeta turned round facing a forgotten portrait adjacent to his bedchamber; Nappa stood stoic with his arms at his breast awaiting thunder from the little king.
"Nappa, I want you to send me all the information you have on the planet earth."
"What… what the hell did you say?"
Bardock could barely believe what he heard Goten say as the boy proudly prostrated his arms across his chest. He and Trunks laughed like children when they saw Bardock's face melt with disbelief at their exhumation. It was already well into the night and Bardock hadn't been able to fall asleep since they had been inundated with the newly crowned king. He stretched his mind over what they could have been discussing and wondered if Vegeta, the little bastard had taken to his malicious enjoyment again when he agreed to give Bardock a position higher than his initial birth, yet snubbed him publicly. Bardock was by no means exhilarated being considered a third rate soldier especially when most of Freeza's elites had been more deserving of the title. But nearly as worse was a personal favor from Vegeta, which as Bardock knew wasn't really one at all, he knew the little shit would take every opportunity to remind him of how much he should be grateful to him for his new station all the while using him like a grunt to pacify the agreement he made with the boys.
Bardock wasn't ignorant of Vegeta hatred of him either, but the king would be an idiot if he thought Bardock didn't have loyalty. Trunks and Goten may have been the strongest beings he ever witnessed, but their age still showed through. Though they were boys and it would be terrifying to imagine them as adults they were very much juveniles. Trunks flatten down against the wall for support, his arms arched over his shoulders as he let out a sarcastic sigh. "Yeah, not only did we get you a spot with the elites but we are going to be the crème de la crème of the royal guards" Bardock would have never pegged Trunks for willingly serving someone weaker than him, though his smug astir suggested his motives weren't what they appeared. Bardock would've loved for his withering psychic abilities to peer into the boy's mind just to know what his duplicity really was.
"You know the prin… the king will use this against me, he already hates me if anything he probably hopes this will turn the third class soldiers against me…" Bardock barreled his eyes at Trunks who kept his smug regard, shrugging his shoulders at Goten's protest.
"Well that's not my problem." He said closing his eyes. Bardock took back his previous regard and gritted his teeth.
"Well it should be you're the one who brought it to his attention." Trunks lowered his arms to his side and glared into Bardock's face with almost a laugh.
"You think I actually care where you are, it was Goten who insisted not me." He couldn't deny that much. The boy Goten had been a soft comfort since his own regretfully were barely know to him. He felt the boy, other than his similar visage was a link to his own and wanted to believe there was a connection between him and Kakarrot.
"It doesn't matter, what's done is done." Bardock hunched his back on the pillow; he knew the next morning's adjustment were going to need his full attention so like the past there was no point dwelling on it now. Stretching his legs back he tried to fall asleep.
"It's impossible, what is that?"
Nappa glanced over at one of his subordinates as the woman in the lab coat nearly fell to the floor after five hours of research about Earth yielded nothing encouraging. She turned frantic about the room as she pointed her finger at the monitor hailing some of the other scientists to come over. Nappa never took an interest in science and kept station with his own operatives, but the commotion was overwhelming even for him to ignore. One of the scientists flipped on the projection screen and a collective gasp resounded among them.
"It looks like a fizzer, almost like a black hole in space but not…" Nappa stood aloof behind the scientists as they ran to chart the coordinates. He looked at the image over the projector as it seemed to shimmer like an open wound, red in the center and unlike anything he had ever seen in space before.
"It's almost like its beating… like a heart…" The woman gazed up as code flooded the language amongst their speech. Nappa turned away but kept the thought in his mind, a beating heart huh? Earth would have to wait; this was something the king must know immediately.
A/N: So I don't think this was the best chapter as most of it was written months ago and the rest I wrote just a few days ago… Well I hope the progression is still interesting to you readers and I have already got the next chapter planned out, again sorry for the hiatus.
BTW: Marmot is a real animal it's basically a fat squirrel, only the best for Vegeta!