Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ A Little Prince ❯ Chapter 2
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: Arigatomina 
Anime/Manga: Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Drama / Angst | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 11.12.2002 | Pages: 2 | Words: 3.1K | Visits: 218 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Drama / Angst | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 11.12.2002 | Pages: 2 | Words: 3.1K | Visits: 218 | Status: Work In Progress
Category: Anime, Dragon Ball Z, Yaoi, AU
Warnings: not much, vague hint of past shonen ai (Bardock+King Vegeta)
Pairings: will be Goku+Vegeta
Author: Arigatomina
Email: arigatoumina@hotmail.com
Website/Complete Archive: www.geocities.com/arigatomina
A Little Prince
Part 2
The anger at the table was almost enough to ruin his appetite, but not quite. It took an excessive distraction to keep him from his food and even the sound of his father's horribly frustrated voice only made his eyes lift from the rice in front of him, the rest of his body still focused on the meal. Not only had he been cooped up in a shuttle for the last six hours, but there hadn't been anything to eat along the way. To say he was nearly starving wouldn't have been an exaggeration. Yet his father didn't seem to mind the interruption of their dinner and Goku watched with a slightly hopeful expression. The call had come in mere moments after they landed, but from the sound of things, it wasn't good news. A glance at Raditz's flushed face proved his brother had failed in his mission.
"We don't even know if he sent him to a school," the teenager muttered, flinching when the veins throbbed in his normally calm father's temples. It wasn't his fault the search had turned up nothing, he hadn't even been the one to pick the school.
"He wouldn't waste two years of the boy's life," Bardock growled, his fists tightening for a moment before he managed to calm himself. The teen couldn't be blamed for the fact that their leads were proving useless. King Vegeta had told absolutely no one about his plans. In fact, Bardock hadn't even learned that the prince was gone until the king returned without him. They'd supposed to have gone on a small, private training session. But the king had returned mere days after their departure, and he'd come back alone. Any questions as to the prince's whereabouts had been met with a conceited smirk and sharp silence. The king had hidden him away, and he'd been far too smug for him to have hidden him anywhere where the boy wouldn't receive at least some sort of training. And there were enough schools that an enemy could search for years and not find the boy, especially if the person running the facility knew to keep his presence a secret. Bardock was certain the prince had to be in a school somewhere, but so far every idea had turned up nothing. All they knew was that King Vegeta had only been gone for three days, meaning his destination couldn't be too far from Planet Vegeta. "Check the other schools there before you come back," Bardock said in a much calmer voice. It wasn't like him to take his anger out on either of his sons, but Raditz had a tendency to disappoint him. The teenager was simply not strong enough.
"Are we going to be staying here, then?" Goku asked, pausing to glance at his father's back again. The black-haired saiyajin was standing with his back to the table, but dark eyes flicked over his shoulder and the teen received a sharp nod. "Why? I thought this was too close to be a possibility."
"It is," Bardock admitted before looking back to his elder son. "We'll be using this as our base for a while. As far as I can tell, this is about the center of the space the king could have gone to. It's no good for us to be darting all over the place checking out planets."
"But that's exactly what I'm doing," Raditz protested, black eyes widening in a mixture of anger and frustration. "At this rate I'll probably be checking every planet in this sector!"
"And I will check the ones in the next sector," Bardock nodded, "but now isn't the time for Goku to be wasting time traveling." His older son's eyes narrowed in sudden anger, but Bardock ignored it. He was aware of the jealousy his eldest child held for the younger teen, but Goku showed more promise than Raditz ever had. No matter how much older Raditz was, or how much he tried to deny the fact, the younger of his children was definitely the only one who would surpass him. It didn't matter who was born first. The son who surpassed him was guaranteed to be his heir and that meant Goku received more training than Raditz. There was no point in the older teen getting so angry about it. "You know this could take a year. I'll be leaving him here while I make my jaunts, and you'll stop here between planets."
"You mean I won't be going with you?" Goku said loudly, forgetting his meal as his eyes flew from the screen to his father.
"We'd get more done if he helped," Raditz muttered, not quite glaring at his younger brother. Yes, he knew that Goku was destined to be the stronger of them, but the saiyajin barely seemed worthy of that name. As far as he was concerned, Goku cared more about eating and watching things than about fighting. And fighting was the center of the saiyajin's universe.
"Maybe," Bardock nodded, "but I won't waste his life any more than King Vegeta would have wasted his son's. I won't be able to train him, but there is no reason not to follow the king's move."
"You aren't planning to enter him into a school too, are you?" With a quick glare at his wide-eyed brother, Raditz bit down on his anger. "I see."
"I'm going to a school?" Both his father and brother seemed to groan and Goku blinked for a second before leaning close to the table. "I thought those were only for people who've already surpassed their parents."
"Where have you been?" Raditz demanded, not bothering to hide his disgust. "King Vegeta hid his son in one of those schools, and we all know that boy wasn't stronger than him. The schools are for those whose parents can't train them, for whatever reasons."
"But I thought you didn't think the prince was *in* a school," Goku reminded him, his voice dropping a bit until he trailed off. His older brother was definitely seething and he shrugged, glancing to his father. "I don't mind being able to train again, but isn't finding the prince more important than that? I'm old enough to help you two search."
"There are plenty of saiyajins who are old enough to search," Bardock said sharply, "but you are at the peak of your life. Now is the time for you to be trained whether by my hand or another. In fact, you should have been training these last five years, not waiting for the war to finish. If it *weren't* for the war, you would surely be stronger now."
"Oh."
"If there are saiyajins old enough to search, then why do *I* have to do all this running?" Dark eyes snapped to him and Raditz flushed again, anger tightening his muscles.
"You show disrespect to your future king," Bardock murmured, his voice smooth yet holding a definite warning. "As the next in line for the throne, it's our family's duty to find the crown prince. This is our duty, and our privilege."
Raditz dropped his eyes, leaning back in his seat as he was careful to hide his fisted hands from the view screen connecting him to his father. He knew it was their duty, but he simply didn't see why his father was so certain they'd even find the boy. In fact, he didn't understand why Bardock had left Planet Vegeta in the first place. As heir to the throne after the prince, his father should already have been king. Only the man's determination to find the prince had stalled the announcement. All they would have to do would be to claim that the prince had died and they would be the crown family, no questions asked. After all, Bardock had always been the strongest next to the king, and he'd been the leader of the winning side of the war. To take the throne was his right, yet the man had ignored that in order to search for some boy.
And Raditz remembered that boy very well. He'd only seen the prince once since the boy had been too young to participate in real fights, but he would never forget that terribly conceited expression. The kid had been a brat, pure and simple, as unbearably arrogant as the king himself. Everyone who met the prince had told tales of the boy's attitude. Raditz was certain that even if they found the prince, they were better off with his father on the throne instead. King Vegeta hadn't been able to hold the saiyajins together, and he doubted the son would be able to do it either. What they needed now that the war was over, was a king who could unite the remaining first-class saiyjins, whether through trust or fear. His father was strong enough, and smart enough, to manage both.
"Which school will I be staying at?" Goku asked, having waited through the long silence until he couldn't keep back his excitement any longer. He'd always wondered about the schools, and he had felt odd with so many years passing since his father had been able to train him. But Bardock had fought on the mainlines and he'd been kept with the other young saiyajins, protected since they were not yet strong enough to be anything other than a nuisance on the battlefield. Still, the war had lasted much longer than any of them had imagined and Goku had spent almost six years with only children to fight against. It was daunting to imagine trying to fight trained students, but he did want to improve. Despite how long it had been, there was something attractive in the idea of facing opponents stronger than him. His father was definitely too busy to train him, but the schools were supposed to be run by individuals who almost rivaled the full saiyajin power. "How many are there on this planet?"
"There are over thirty," Bardock answered, nodding when Raditz gave a sharp bow and the screen went blank. Turning to Goku, he finally took his place across from him. "Only two of them were possibilities when we first started the search, but Raditz went through here a month ago. The search turned up nothing, but one of the schools does show promise for you." His son nodded and he inclined his head, lips almost twitching at the evident excitement. It pleased him that the teen was eager to take up his training again. He'd noticed that the boy had gotten a bit softer since they were able to fight regularly, and it was good to know he hadn't lost his fighting spirit. "One of the schools is only thirty miles from here, close enough for you to come back here when Raditz and I stop by. I don't plan to leave you isolated, but there really is no excuse for your training to have been so neglected."
"When do I start?"
Those dark eyes were sparkling and Bardock shook his head, leaning back until the chair nearly creaked from his weight. "We just landed," he reminded his son. "I'll have to make certain the law will approve of a shorter stay. The regular term here is ten years, but I thought one year should be enough. If we don't find the prince before then..."
"I'm sure we'll find him," Goku said quickly, taking in the softness that crept into his father's voice. He was very aware of the fact that his father had been close to the king, even if he hadn't seen the man himself. He'd only been eleven when the rumors of war started, and as a child he hadn't had access or reason to be near the king. But he'd heard his father talk of the man often enough and he knew the man had a great deal of respect for his former sovereign.
"Yes," Bardock nodded, "we have to. There is no way I'll take King Vegeta's crown away from his son. You know that family has held the title for nearly the entire saiyajin history."
"Were they really that strong?"
"They are," Bardock corrected, putting emphasis on the present tense. "Vegeta-sama had complete confidence in his son's potential. Wherever he is, the boy has surely surpassed the king by now."
"But he's only my age! Right?" His father smirked at him and Goku's eyes widened. "Isn't he?"
"Actually, he was born a year after you," Bardock smiled. "But you must remember, he has been in a training school since he was ten. You've been sitting with the children for the last five years."
"I did get to fight a little," Goku protested, "I mean, I've exercised as much as I could."
"It's not the same without an appropriate sparring partner. I had the best when I was young."
"You really fought with the king?" The older man gave a slow nod and Goku dropped his eyes, recognizing the slightly glazed look. To think, his father had fought with the king. It was hard to imagine that their king had once been a child himself, especially when he was said to have been one of the most cold-hearted saiyajins ever born. But his father never referred to the man as evil or even cold, merely determined and with the power to back up that determination. "Were you strong enough to be a good partner for him?" he asked softly, blinking when his father grinned.
"Don't tell your brother this," Bardock confided, his grin widening a bit more, "but I could have taken the throne on more than one occasion. Vegeta-sama was powerful, but we have blood as strong as his. I think..." His eyes drifted to the side and he nodded slowly, smile fading a bit. "I think I was seventeen the first time I threw a match. I simply couldn't stomach the thought of beating him."
"What?! But why would you-I mean, it's heresy to throw a fight!" Dark eyes flicked to him and Goku closed his mouth suddenly, feeling a wave of nervousness at the man's dangerous gaze.
"To have defeated him and taken the throne would have been far more disrespectful to the king's authority than to fight at less than my full power. And I knew then that I did not have the rigidity to rule the way he did. He had no leniency. That is necessary to rule a species such as ours. Had the opposition not used such cowardly methods, he would be ruler even now."
"Mm." Goku wasn't sure if he really understood his father's argument, but he had an idea that the king wouldn't have taken being beaten very well. Though he'd not met the king, he had heard enough from Raditz's friends to know the man had been almost overly confident in himself. But it was amazing. His father didn't lie, but he couldn't imagine the man being stronger than the king. No one was supposed to have been stronger, that was why the opposition had resorted to such methods. And it was even worse than that. If his father was stronger than the king, then he would have to get stronger himself. In order to surpass his father and be heir to his part of the saiyajin class, he would have to get stronger than the king had been. The thought was far too daunting.
His son had never been very good at hiding his thoughts from him and Bardock smirked again, taking in the teen's dazed expression. "You aren't as strong as I was at that age, but you will be. Once you start your training again, your inborn potential should show itself."
"But to get that kind of strength..."
The boy was looking younger with each passing second and Bardock set his hands down heavily on the table. "The school I have in mind is headed by someone more than strong enough to challenge you. All it will take is determination. Just fight, Kakarott, fight and get stronger."
The name made him flinch and Goku flushed suddenly. The only time his father called him that was when he was acting too much like his mother. It wasn't that the female had been weak, not by female standards, but she had been more kind-hearted than most. Goku had spent the last four years under her care, explaining why he was accustomed to going by the name she'd given him. While his father had agreed to address him by that name, Bardock did occasionally refer to his first, male-given name. It was the man's way of reminding him that he was the son destined to be stronger than the sire. "Yes. I'll do my best."
"Your best should be more than enough for you to surpass the head of the school in a year," Bardock nodded. He really did worry about how much time the teen had spent with his mother, but Goku was stronger than he realized. The boy simply needed to grow up, and become the man he appeared to be. Bardock's eyes dropped to the table suddenly and he frowned. "I'll set things up for you after I eat. You didn't leave much, though."
Flushing quickly, Goku gave a soft laugh and rubbed at the back of his neck. "Gomen! I guess I wasn't paying attention."
"As much energy as you're going to be burning in the next year, you'll need to eat that much," Bardock admitted, frowning darker when he realized the food was not only half gone, but cold as well. "But there's no reason for you to eat so much right *now*." A glance to his son proved the boy was embarrassed and he sighed, eating with less than his normal enthusiasm. At least he didn't have to worry that the boy had become a picky eater in the last five years. And it wasn't as if Goku wasn't still growing. He wouldn't be surprised if his son ended up being taller than him by the end of the year. Typical of saiyajin children, the boy was growing like a weed.
* * *
TBC
Warnings: not much, vague hint of past shonen ai (Bardock+King Vegeta)
Pairings: will be Goku+Vegeta
Author: Arigatomina
Email: arigatoumina@hotmail.com
Website/Complete Archive: www.geocities.com/arigatomina
A Little Prince
Part 2
The anger at the table was almost enough to ruin his appetite, but not quite. It took an excessive distraction to keep him from his food and even the sound of his father's horribly frustrated voice only made his eyes lift from the rice in front of him, the rest of his body still focused on the meal. Not only had he been cooped up in a shuttle for the last six hours, but there hadn't been anything to eat along the way. To say he was nearly starving wouldn't have been an exaggeration. Yet his father didn't seem to mind the interruption of their dinner and Goku watched with a slightly hopeful expression. The call had come in mere moments after they landed, but from the sound of things, it wasn't good news. A glance at Raditz's flushed face proved his brother had failed in his mission.
"We don't even know if he sent him to a school," the teenager muttered, flinching when the veins throbbed in his normally calm father's temples. It wasn't his fault the search had turned up nothing, he hadn't even been the one to pick the school.
"He wouldn't waste two years of the boy's life," Bardock growled, his fists tightening for a moment before he managed to calm himself. The teen couldn't be blamed for the fact that their leads were proving useless. King Vegeta had told absolutely no one about his plans. In fact, Bardock hadn't even learned that the prince was gone until the king returned without him. They'd supposed to have gone on a small, private training session. But the king had returned mere days after their departure, and he'd come back alone. Any questions as to the prince's whereabouts had been met with a conceited smirk and sharp silence. The king had hidden him away, and he'd been far too smug for him to have hidden him anywhere where the boy wouldn't receive at least some sort of training. And there were enough schools that an enemy could search for years and not find the boy, especially if the person running the facility knew to keep his presence a secret. Bardock was certain the prince had to be in a school somewhere, but so far every idea had turned up nothing. All they knew was that King Vegeta had only been gone for three days, meaning his destination couldn't be too far from Planet Vegeta. "Check the other schools there before you come back," Bardock said in a much calmer voice. It wasn't like him to take his anger out on either of his sons, but Raditz had a tendency to disappoint him. The teenager was simply not strong enough.
"Are we going to be staying here, then?" Goku asked, pausing to glance at his father's back again. The black-haired saiyajin was standing with his back to the table, but dark eyes flicked over his shoulder and the teen received a sharp nod. "Why? I thought this was too close to be a possibility."
"It is," Bardock admitted before looking back to his elder son. "We'll be using this as our base for a while. As far as I can tell, this is about the center of the space the king could have gone to. It's no good for us to be darting all over the place checking out planets."
"But that's exactly what I'm doing," Raditz protested, black eyes widening in a mixture of anger and frustration. "At this rate I'll probably be checking every planet in this sector!"
"And I will check the ones in the next sector," Bardock nodded, "but now isn't the time for Goku to be wasting time traveling." His older son's eyes narrowed in sudden anger, but Bardock ignored it. He was aware of the jealousy his eldest child held for the younger teen, but Goku showed more promise than Raditz ever had. No matter how much older Raditz was, or how much he tried to deny the fact, the younger of his children was definitely the only one who would surpass him. It didn't matter who was born first. The son who surpassed him was guaranteed to be his heir and that meant Goku received more training than Raditz. There was no point in the older teen getting so angry about it. "You know this could take a year. I'll be leaving him here while I make my jaunts, and you'll stop here between planets."
"You mean I won't be going with you?" Goku said loudly, forgetting his meal as his eyes flew from the screen to his father.
"We'd get more done if he helped," Raditz muttered, not quite glaring at his younger brother. Yes, he knew that Goku was destined to be the stronger of them, but the saiyajin barely seemed worthy of that name. As far as he was concerned, Goku cared more about eating and watching things than about fighting. And fighting was the center of the saiyajin's universe.
"Maybe," Bardock nodded, "but I won't waste his life any more than King Vegeta would have wasted his son's. I won't be able to train him, but there is no reason not to follow the king's move."
"You aren't planning to enter him into a school too, are you?" With a quick glare at his wide-eyed brother, Raditz bit down on his anger. "I see."
"I'm going to a school?" Both his father and brother seemed to groan and Goku blinked for a second before leaning close to the table. "I thought those were only for people who've already surpassed their parents."
"Where have you been?" Raditz demanded, not bothering to hide his disgust. "King Vegeta hid his son in one of those schools, and we all know that boy wasn't stronger than him. The schools are for those whose parents can't train them, for whatever reasons."
"But I thought you didn't think the prince was *in* a school," Goku reminded him, his voice dropping a bit until he trailed off. His older brother was definitely seething and he shrugged, glancing to his father. "I don't mind being able to train again, but isn't finding the prince more important than that? I'm old enough to help you two search."
"There are plenty of saiyajins who are old enough to search," Bardock said sharply, "but you are at the peak of your life. Now is the time for you to be trained whether by my hand or another. In fact, you should have been training these last five years, not waiting for the war to finish. If it *weren't* for the war, you would surely be stronger now."
"Oh."
"If there are saiyajins old enough to search, then why do *I* have to do all this running?" Dark eyes snapped to him and Raditz flushed again, anger tightening his muscles.
"You show disrespect to your future king," Bardock murmured, his voice smooth yet holding a definite warning. "As the next in line for the throne, it's our family's duty to find the crown prince. This is our duty, and our privilege."
Raditz dropped his eyes, leaning back in his seat as he was careful to hide his fisted hands from the view screen connecting him to his father. He knew it was their duty, but he simply didn't see why his father was so certain they'd even find the boy. In fact, he didn't understand why Bardock had left Planet Vegeta in the first place. As heir to the throne after the prince, his father should already have been king. Only the man's determination to find the prince had stalled the announcement. All they would have to do would be to claim that the prince had died and they would be the crown family, no questions asked. After all, Bardock had always been the strongest next to the king, and he'd been the leader of the winning side of the war. To take the throne was his right, yet the man had ignored that in order to search for some boy.
And Raditz remembered that boy very well. He'd only seen the prince once since the boy had been too young to participate in real fights, but he would never forget that terribly conceited expression. The kid had been a brat, pure and simple, as unbearably arrogant as the king himself. Everyone who met the prince had told tales of the boy's attitude. Raditz was certain that even if they found the prince, they were better off with his father on the throne instead. King Vegeta hadn't been able to hold the saiyajins together, and he doubted the son would be able to do it either. What they needed now that the war was over, was a king who could unite the remaining first-class saiyjins, whether through trust or fear. His father was strong enough, and smart enough, to manage both.
"Which school will I be staying at?" Goku asked, having waited through the long silence until he couldn't keep back his excitement any longer. He'd always wondered about the schools, and he had felt odd with so many years passing since his father had been able to train him. But Bardock had fought on the mainlines and he'd been kept with the other young saiyajins, protected since they were not yet strong enough to be anything other than a nuisance on the battlefield. Still, the war had lasted much longer than any of them had imagined and Goku had spent almost six years with only children to fight against. It was daunting to imagine trying to fight trained students, but he did want to improve. Despite how long it had been, there was something attractive in the idea of facing opponents stronger than him. His father was definitely too busy to train him, but the schools were supposed to be run by individuals who almost rivaled the full saiyajin power. "How many are there on this planet?"
"There are over thirty," Bardock answered, nodding when Raditz gave a sharp bow and the screen went blank. Turning to Goku, he finally took his place across from him. "Only two of them were possibilities when we first started the search, but Raditz went through here a month ago. The search turned up nothing, but one of the schools does show promise for you." His son nodded and he inclined his head, lips almost twitching at the evident excitement. It pleased him that the teen was eager to take up his training again. He'd noticed that the boy had gotten a bit softer since they were able to fight regularly, and it was good to know he hadn't lost his fighting spirit. "One of the schools is only thirty miles from here, close enough for you to come back here when Raditz and I stop by. I don't plan to leave you isolated, but there really is no excuse for your training to have been so neglected."
"When do I start?"
Those dark eyes were sparkling and Bardock shook his head, leaning back until the chair nearly creaked from his weight. "We just landed," he reminded his son. "I'll have to make certain the law will approve of a shorter stay. The regular term here is ten years, but I thought one year should be enough. If we don't find the prince before then..."
"I'm sure we'll find him," Goku said quickly, taking in the softness that crept into his father's voice. He was very aware of the fact that his father had been close to the king, even if he hadn't seen the man himself. He'd only been eleven when the rumors of war started, and as a child he hadn't had access or reason to be near the king. But he'd heard his father talk of the man often enough and he knew the man had a great deal of respect for his former sovereign.
"Yes," Bardock nodded, "we have to. There is no way I'll take King Vegeta's crown away from his son. You know that family has held the title for nearly the entire saiyajin history."
"Were they really that strong?"
"They are," Bardock corrected, putting emphasis on the present tense. "Vegeta-sama had complete confidence in his son's potential. Wherever he is, the boy has surely surpassed the king by now."
"But he's only my age! Right?" His father smirked at him and Goku's eyes widened. "Isn't he?"
"Actually, he was born a year after you," Bardock smiled. "But you must remember, he has been in a training school since he was ten. You've been sitting with the children for the last five years."
"I did get to fight a little," Goku protested, "I mean, I've exercised as much as I could."
"It's not the same without an appropriate sparring partner. I had the best when I was young."
"You really fought with the king?" The older man gave a slow nod and Goku dropped his eyes, recognizing the slightly glazed look. To think, his father had fought with the king. It was hard to imagine that their king had once been a child himself, especially when he was said to have been one of the most cold-hearted saiyajins ever born. But his father never referred to the man as evil or even cold, merely determined and with the power to back up that determination. "Were you strong enough to be a good partner for him?" he asked softly, blinking when his father grinned.
"Don't tell your brother this," Bardock confided, his grin widening a bit more, "but I could have taken the throne on more than one occasion. Vegeta-sama was powerful, but we have blood as strong as his. I think..." His eyes drifted to the side and he nodded slowly, smile fading a bit. "I think I was seventeen the first time I threw a match. I simply couldn't stomach the thought of beating him."
"What?! But why would you-I mean, it's heresy to throw a fight!" Dark eyes flicked to him and Goku closed his mouth suddenly, feeling a wave of nervousness at the man's dangerous gaze.
"To have defeated him and taken the throne would have been far more disrespectful to the king's authority than to fight at less than my full power. And I knew then that I did not have the rigidity to rule the way he did. He had no leniency. That is necessary to rule a species such as ours. Had the opposition not used such cowardly methods, he would be ruler even now."
"Mm." Goku wasn't sure if he really understood his father's argument, but he had an idea that the king wouldn't have taken being beaten very well. Though he'd not met the king, he had heard enough from Raditz's friends to know the man had been almost overly confident in himself. But it was amazing. His father didn't lie, but he couldn't imagine the man being stronger than the king. No one was supposed to have been stronger, that was why the opposition had resorted to such methods. And it was even worse than that. If his father was stronger than the king, then he would have to get stronger himself. In order to surpass his father and be heir to his part of the saiyajin class, he would have to get stronger than the king had been. The thought was far too daunting.
His son had never been very good at hiding his thoughts from him and Bardock smirked again, taking in the teen's dazed expression. "You aren't as strong as I was at that age, but you will be. Once you start your training again, your inborn potential should show itself."
"But to get that kind of strength..."
The boy was looking younger with each passing second and Bardock set his hands down heavily on the table. "The school I have in mind is headed by someone more than strong enough to challenge you. All it will take is determination. Just fight, Kakarott, fight and get stronger."
The name made him flinch and Goku flushed suddenly. The only time his father called him that was when he was acting too much like his mother. It wasn't that the female had been weak, not by female standards, but she had been more kind-hearted than most. Goku had spent the last four years under her care, explaining why he was accustomed to going by the name she'd given him. While his father had agreed to address him by that name, Bardock did occasionally refer to his first, male-given name. It was the man's way of reminding him that he was the son destined to be stronger than the sire. "Yes. I'll do my best."
"Your best should be more than enough for you to surpass the head of the school in a year," Bardock nodded. He really did worry about how much time the teen had spent with his mother, but Goku was stronger than he realized. The boy simply needed to grow up, and become the man he appeared to be. Bardock's eyes dropped to the table suddenly and he frowned. "I'll set things up for you after I eat. You didn't leave much, though."
Flushing quickly, Goku gave a soft laugh and rubbed at the back of his neck. "Gomen! I guess I wasn't paying attention."
"As much energy as you're going to be burning in the next year, you'll need to eat that much," Bardock admitted, frowning darker when he realized the food was not only half gone, but cold as well. "But there's no reason for you to eat so much right *now*." A glance to his son proved the boy was embarrassed and he sighed, eating with less than his normal enthusiasm. At least he didn't have to worry that the boy had become a picky eater in the last five years. And it wasn't as if Goku wasn't still growing. He wouldn't be surprised if his son ended up being taller than him by the end of the year. Typical of saiyajin children, the boy was growing like a weed.
* * *
TBC