Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ A Little Prince ❯ Chapter 3
[ 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: 1 | Words: 2.7K | Visits: 183 | 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: 1 | Words: 2.7K | Visits: 183 | Status: Work In Progress
Category: Anime, Dragonball Z, Yaoi, AU
Warnings: very minor angst
Pairings: will be Goku+Vegeta
Author: Arigatomina
Email: arigatoumina@hotmail.com
Website/Complete Archive: www.geocities.com/arigatomina
A Little Prince
Part 3
If the school itself had resembled an insect, then the headmaster definitely looked like some sort of aquatic life-form. As far as Goku could tell, his skin seemed glossy enough to be water-resistant, and he could see from the way the creature moved that it flowed rather than strode. But he didn't spend too much time wondering where Frieza had come from. He was still in a mild state of shock at how tiny the head of the school was. Having expected a warrior who rivaled weaker saiyajins, he didn't quite know what to think when he found that Frieza was nearly two feet shorter than him. It was almost embarrassing. He had the impression that his height advantage might be seen as an insult to his new sensei. Still, there wasn't much he could do about that, his father had been tall and Goku expected to match that height eventually.
The students he spotted during his tour were in a surprising range of ages. He could swear one or two of them looked far beneath puberty, but he spotted at least two who had to be in their twenties. While he hadn't had much experience with other species, he judged their ages by appearance. And from the way one of the students approached with confidence, they had judged him the same way. His smile was tentative as he waited near the smaller headmaster, watching as the tall green-haired male came to stand before them. The white-skinned creature smirked and looked up at him, an unnerving expression.
The tall saiyajin still held that odd smile and Frieza took it as the sign of naivety it seemed to be. If any type of saiyajin had to enter into the school now, this was the sort he'd have preferred. A simple-minded one who wouldn't ask too many questions. Yes, Frieza was very aware of who the tall teen was. It hadn't been that long ago when another saiyajin had come by the school, seeking out the prince. And he was aware of the fact that his servant was mere yards away from being discovered. But it would never happen. None of the students were aware of Vegeta's identity, and even the former prince himself had long since ceased to call himself that. It was inevitable. Once stripped of all pride, the young boy had bowed to his superior and excepted his place in life. Beneath him. Frieza fully intended to keep it that way. And he knew, Vegeta had no wish for death. The saiyajin would not be the one to reveal his identity. Not that the two saiyajins would ever meet anyway, Frieza would see to that himself. "This," he murmured, flicking his fingertips at the green-haired student, "is Zarbon-san, the head of our school. Your father told me you had neglected your training and were to be ranked during your short stay with us. Zarbon-san will be your first opponent."
With a quick look at Frieza, Goku blinked down at the student. The teen wasn't more than a few inches shorter than him, but the other teen was scowling with his eyes, the look at odds with the curve of his lips. "It's nice to meet you," Goku offered, blinking again when the male's smirk widened. "I'm Goku, Goku Kakarrot Son." The teen's shoulders shook for a second and Goku was just about to ask if he was all right when Zarbon let out a low chuckle.
"I didn't know saiyajins grew so tall," Zarbon smirked, his eyes flicking to Frieza for a second. The headmaster's lips curved down in a slight frown and he straightened, his expression clearing. "Well," he continued, looking back to the tall saiyajin. "Do you go by Goku, or Kakarrot?"
"Goku." The green-haired youth nodded and Goku found his eyes drawn to the thin gold band that circled Zarbon's forehead. It made him wonder if the teen weren't some sort of royalty in his race. But then, saiyajins never wore such head ornaments, so he couldn't be sure. The male definitely seemed to think highly of himself, though, from the easy way he met his gaze. Goku had heard that most races were severely intimidated by saiyajins; an unavoidable reaction considering saiyajins were the strongest. But none of the students he'd glimpsed in the hall had done more than stare in surprise. They hadn't seemed the least bit afraid of him.
"The matches take place in the training room," Frieza stated, watching how the tall saiyajin blinked as if broken from his thoughts. "There is ample room. Official challenges are moved to a more private location, but I expect you won't need to see that just yet."
Goku frowned at this, but didn't ask. The headmaster was probably right, anyway. Although he would never back down from a challenge, it wasn't like him to start trouble. Frieza had continued in his personal tour and Goku followed, his gaze moving around him after a brief hesitation on Zarbon. The other student had fallen into step a breath behind, and to the side, of Frieza. He didn't mind that the male was accompanying them, but it did make him wonder how close the students usually got to the white-skinned creature. Despite the smooth voice, Goku found himself uncomfortable when those small black pupils focused on him. He doubted he would ever feel at ease under that unreadable gaze. But Zarbon didn't seem to have any such problem. The young man was smiling again, that somehow annoying smirk.
They approached the end of the hall and Goku's stance relaxed as he heard a general murmuring and spotted tables through the open doorway. It was obviously the cafeteria and he was set to look at the different students gathered there when someone brushed past him. His eyes dropped and he turned his head, following pale gray material before lifting a few inches to smooth skin. For a second he didn't know what to make of the little man who seemed frozen beneath his gaze. The male's hairless head had drawn his attention, causing him to grin since he knew it was rude to stare. Wide eyes were staring at him in blatant shock and his smile faded, disappearing completely when the little male glanced at Frieza and scurried off.
* * *
Sweat trickled down his neck, beads burning his eyes, but Krillin was as used to the stifling heat as he was to the darkness. There was no reason to condition the air in the servants' quarters, anymore than there was a need to light the narrow halls. At most, he was glad for his diminutive stature. Some of the taller servants had to duck their heads when negotiating the way to their rooms. They were just lucky to have rooms at all, if the small cell-like cubicles could be considered rooms. They certainly hadn't seemed livable when he'd first fallen from student to servant. Now, he felt as if he'd never known anything else and he nearly bolted down the hall, his thin shoes slipping on the floor with only the unseen layer of dust providing traction. If he ever stole a light, he was sure there would be a path cleared in that inch-thick dirt. He definitely ran through often enough.
The doors to the rooms were so much like cells that he might have looked through the barred window if he'd had a light. As it was, he turned sharply, not quite stopping his fast sprint, and let his hands fall on the door to his right. In keeping with the general inconvenience of their quarters, there was no latch on the door and it swung heavily, a crack of darkness in the black hall that no amount of time could get him accustomed to. But he felt the metal shift away from his weight and slipped in, his back warmed by the inside of the door. If anything, it had to be hotter in the rooms. No matter how much he would have preferred to blame Frieza for this, he knew the room's occupant could easily have propped the door open. The rest of them did that. But not him.
Lights were set up in each room, dim low-powered devices that somehow had managed to never blow out since Krillin had first arrived. Again, there was no blame for the darkness inside the room and he shifted nervously, his hands plucking at the damp cloth pressing his neck. "Could you turn on the light?" Silence answered him and he imagined he could make out the dark shape sitting somewhere across from him. "Or could I?"
"Get out."
Despite the fact that the unexpected low voice made him jump, Krillin gave a sigh of relief. It was much better at least having an idea which direction the male was in. He would never quite get over his fear of this one, no matter how long the former student had been a servant. His eyes darted to the corner on his left and he shuffled for a second before blurting out his news. "There's a new student. Have you heard about him? I didn't hear anything about him, but I saw him just now, with Frieza. He's a saiyajin!"
"Nani?!"
Jumping again, Krillin flinched when the room was lit suddenly, his eyes taking a moment or two to adjust to the dim yellow glow. Dark eyes were a foot from him and he jumped again, almost plastering his back against the door. "Ah!"
"Baka." The little human was panting in evident fright and Vegeta's lips curved into a dark sneer, his arms folding as he waited with less than patience. "You said there was a saiyajin here," he prodded testily. He would have thrown the intruder out of his space, but he couldn't allow his ignorance of the new arrival to last. Nothing had been said to him of this, and he knew, it was just a matter of time before Frieza came to tell him. It was better to already be prepared. "What does he look like?"
"Huh? He's a saiyajin," Krillin said, blinking warily. "He looks a little like you, but he's tall." The black-haired male nodded sharply and he relaxed a tiny bit, not pressing quite so hard against the warm metal door. "His hair stands up like that, but it's not in such a point, you know, more like this." Miming the new student's hair with his hands, Krillin shook his head. "Other than that he doesn't look that different. I mean, you two could be related." A sharp glare stabbed him for that remark and he shuffled back to put more space between them.
"I don't care what his hair looks like," Vegeta said tightly, resisting the urge to move closer. It was inevitable. After so long, this little servant was one of the few he could still intimidate and he found it very difficult to resist doing so. But there was no point in being superior to a servant. He knew better than that. To do so would be to lower himself more than he already had. "Is he a first class, that's what I want to know."
"Uh, I don't..." It took a minute, but Krillin blinked when he remembered the little bit of information he'd ever heard about saiyajins. "Oh! You mean the tail, right? Yeah, he's got one. He had it around his waist, just like you used to do." The saiyajin turned away from him and Krillin's eyes dropped despite himself, noting how well the male hid that tail. If he hadn't seen it for nearly two years, he wouldn't believe the former student even had one. "But that's a good thing," he said quickly, his hands curling a bit. He had an insane urge to circle the saiyajin, move to where he could see the teen's dark eyes. But he knew better than that. Vegeta wasn't one to invite a person into his room at all. He was doing well just to be allowed inside the door. Then again, he had brought such good news that he'd expected a warmer welcome. "Now you can leave, right?"
"What? What are you thinking? Just because a saiyajin is here, you think that changes anything?" The little human was frowning at him with a visibly disappointed and confused expression and Vegeta snorted softly, watching from over his shoulder. "It means nothing."
"But...but I thought you saiyajins took care of each other." Krillin flinched when the black-haired male took immediate insult and he shook his head. "Not that you need help, or anything. I wasn't trying to say you needed someone to take care of you, nothing like that. I just heard that saiyajins were a race who took insult if anything happened to one of them. I mean, you never hear of a saiyajin being made into a servant, even if the funding is cut off. It just doesn't happen so I thought now that another of your people is here, you'd get to cry insult." Those dark eyes were definitely glaring now and Krillin gulped when Vegeta stalked to him, the taller male bending a bit so their faces were close. "I..."
"Who told you that?" Vegeta asked, his low voice taking a soft growling quality. What the human said was very true. If he were to tell his story to another saiyajin, pride would demand retribution for the disrespect shown him. Their race was not to be treated like other species, they were above them all. But it was very different in his case. To 'cry insult' would require admitting who he was. Yes, he was visibly saiyajin, but he would have to identify himself as such in order for anyone to take his side. He wouldn't willingly get himself killed anymore than he would ask someone else to defend his honor. "I am here by choice," he smirked, enjoying the way Krillin leaned away from him. Whether it was petty to frighten the servant or not, it suited his purpose now. "Do you forget? I signed the contract the same as you. I am bound to complete the term."
"But-but you're a saiyajin!" Krillin cried, finally taking a long step back. The dark-haired teen straightened, shooting a fiery glare to him. "I mean, I don't have any connections or anything. And I'd get out of here in a second if I could, we all would! Besides," he said, his voice losing emphasis, "I only have a year left of my term. You have five. And Frieza-"
"Nosey, aren't you?" Vegeta sneered, his hand curling into a fist and rising so the short man couldn't help but see it. "My concern is my concern. Get out."
"Are you going to talk to the saiyajin? If you want I can-" A sharp oath made him bite back the words and Krillin jumped, his hand slipping on the edge of the door. "I'll go! I'm going, see, I'm leaving right now. I didn't mean to make you mad, you know. I just thought you'd be happy to-" He'd made it out of the room and his head jerked back when the door was slammed shut, dust rising in the hint of light visible through the bars. Rising on his tiptoes, he peeked through them before ducking just as quickly, black eyes meeting his abrupt glance. "I'm going!" He could swear a disgusted snort answered him as he moved farther down the hall. After a second, the light shut off again and he turned back with a soft sigh. Why the young saiyajin insisted on sitting in the dark he didn't know, but there was something sad about it.
* * *
TBC
Warnings: very minor angst
Pairings: will be Goku+Vegeta
Author: Arigatomina
Email: arigatoumina@hotmail.com
Website/Complete Archive: www.geocities.com/arigatomina
A Little Prince
Part 3
If the school itself had resembled an insect, then the headmaster definitely looked like some sort of aquatic life-form. As far as Goku could tell, his skin seemed glossy enough to be water-resistant, and he could see from the way the creature moved that it flowed rather than strode. But he didn't spend too much time wondering where Frieza had come from. He was still in a mild state of shock at how tiny the head of the school was. Having expected a warrior who rivaled weaker saiyajins, he didn't quite know what to think when he found that Frieza was nearly two feet shorter than him. It was almost embarrassing. He had the impression that his height advantage might be seen as an insult to his new sensei. Still, there wasn't much he could do about that, his father had been tall and Goku expected to match that height eventually.
The students he spotted during his tour were in a surprising range of ages. He could swear one or two of them looked far beneath puberty, but he spotted at least two who had to be in their twenties. While he hadn't had much experience with other species, he judged their ages by appearance. And from the way one of the students approached with confidence, they had judged him the same way. His smile was tentative as he waited near the smaller headmaster, watching as the tall green-haired male came to stand before them. The white-skinned creature smirked and looked up at him, an unnerving expression.
The tall saiyajin still held that odd smile and Frieza took it as the sign of naivety it seemed to be. If any type of saiyajin had to enter into the school now, this was the sort he'd have preferred. A simple-minded one who wouldn't ask too many questions. Yes, Frieza was very aware of who the tall teen was. It hadn't been that long ago when another saiyajin had come by the school, seeking out the prince. And he was aware of the fact that his servant was mere yards away from being discovered. But it would never happen. None of the students were aware of Vegeta's identity, and even the former prince himself had long since ceased to call himself that. It was inevitable. Once stripped of all pride, the young boy had bowed to his superior and excepted his place in life. Beneath him. Frieza fully intended to keep it that way. And he knew, Vegeta had no wish for death. The saiyajin would not be the one to reveal his identity. Not that the two saiyajins would ever meet anyway, Frieza would see to that himself. "This," he murmured, flicking his fingertips at the green-haired student, "is Zarbon-san, the head of our school. Your father told me you had neglected your training and were to be ranked during your short stay with us. Zarbon-san will be your first opponent."
With a quick look at Frieza, Goku blinked down at the student. The teen wasn't more than a few inches shorter than him, but the other teen was scowling with his eyes, the look at odds with the curve of his lips. "It's nice to meet you," Goku offered, blinking again when the male's smirk widened. "I'm Goku, Goku Kakarrot Son." The teen's shoulders shook for a second and Goku was just about to ask if he was all right when Zarbon let out a low chuckle.
"I didn't know saiyajins grew so tall," Zarbon smirked, his eyes flicking to Frieza for a second. The headmaster's lips curved down in a slight frown and he straightened, his expression clearing. "Well," he continued, looking back to the tall saiyajin. "Do you go by Goku, or Kakarrot?"
"Goku." The green-haired youth nodded and Goku found his eyes drawn to the thin gold band that circled Zarbon's forehead. It made him wonder if the teen weren't some sort of royalty in his race. But then, saiyajins never wore such head ornaments, so he couldn't be sure. The male definitely seemed to think highly of himself, though, from the easy way he met his gaze. Goku had heard that most races were severely intimidated by saiyajins; an unavoidable reaction considering saiyajins were the strongest. But none of the students he'd glimpsed in the hall had done more than stare in surprise. They hadn't seemed the least bit afraid of him.
"The matches take place in the training room," Frieza stated, watching how the tall saiyajin blinked as if broken from his thoughts. "There is ample room. Official challenges are moved to a more private location, but I expect you won't need to see that just yet."
Goku frowned at this, but didn't ask. The headmaster was probably right, anyway. Although he would never back down from a challenge, it wasn't like him to start trouble. Frieza had continued in his personal tour and Goku followed, his gaze moving around him after a brief hesitation on Zarbon. The other student had fallen into step a breath behind, and to the side, of Frieza. He didn't mind that the male was accompanying them, but it did make him wonder how close the students usually got to the white-skinned creature. Despite the smooth voice, Goku found himself uncomfortable when those small black pupils focused on him. He doubted he would ever feel at ease under that unreadable gaze. But Zarbon didn't seem to have any such problem. The young man was smiling again, that somehow annoying smirk.
They approached the end of the hall and Goku's stance relaxed as he heard a general murmuring and spotted tables through the open doorway. It was obviously the cafeteria and he was set to look at the different students gathered there when someone brushed past him. His eyes dropped and he turned his head, following pale gray material before lifting a few inches to smooth skin. For a second he didn't know what to make of the little man who seemed frozen beneath his gaze. The male's hairless head had drawn his attention, causing him to grin since he knew it was rude to stare. Wide eyes were staring at him in blatant shock and his smile faded, disappearing completely when the little male glanced at Frieza and scurried off.
* * *
Sweat trickled down his neck, beads burning his eyes, but Krillin was as used to the stifling heat as he was to the darkness. There was no reason to condition the air in the servants' quarters, anymore than there was a need to light the narrow halls. At most, he was glad for his diminutive stature. Some of the taller servants had to duck their heads when negotiating the way to their rooms. They were just lucky to have rooms at all, if the small cell-like cubicles could be considered rooms. They certainly hadn't seemed livable when he'd first fallen from student to servant. Now, he felt as if he'd never known anything else and he nearly bolted down the hall, his thin shoes slipping on the floor with only the unseen layer of dust providing traction. If he ever stole a light, he was sure there would be a path cleared in that inch-thick dirt. He definitely ran through often enough.
The doors to the rooms were so much like cells that he might have looked through the barred window if he'd had a light. As it was, he turned sharply, not quite stopping his fast sprint, and let his hands fall on the door to his right. In keeping with the general inconvenience of their quarters, there was no latch on the door and it swung heavily, a crack of darkness in the black hall that no amount of time could get him accustomed to. But he felt the metal shift away from his weight and slipped in, his back warmed by the inside of the door. If anything, it had to be hotter in the rooms. No matter how much he would have preferred to blame Frieza for this, he knew the room's occupant could easily have propped the door open. The rest of them did that. But not him.
Lights were set up in each room, dim low-powered devices that somehow had managed to never blow out since Krillin had first arrived. Again, there was no blame for the darkness inside the room and he shifted nervously, his hands plucking at the damp cloth pressing his neck. "Could you turn on the light?" Silence answered him and he imagined he could make out the dark shape sitting somewhere across from him. "Or could I?"
"Get out."
Despite the fact that the unexpected low voice made him jump, Krillin gave a sigh of relief. It was much better at least having an idea which direction the male was in. He would never quite get over his fear of this one, no matter how long the former student had been a servant. His eyes darted to the corner on his left and he shuffled for a second before blurting out his news. "There's a new student. Have you heard about him? I didn't hear anything about him, but I saw him just now, with Frieza. He's a saiyajin!"
"Nani?!"
Jumping again, Krillin flinched when the room was lit suddenly, his eyes taking a moment or two to adjust to the dim yellow glow. Dark eyes were a foot from him and he jumped again, almost plastering his back against the door. "Ah!"
"Baka." The little human was panting in evident fright and Vegeta's lips curved into a dark sneer, his arms folding as he waited with less than patience. "You said there was a saiyajin here," he prodded testily. He would have thrown the intruder out of his space, but he couldn't allow his ignorance of the new arrival to last. Nothing had been said to him of this, and he knew, it was just a matter of time before Frieza came to tell him. It was better to already be prepared. "What does he look like?"
"Huh? He's a saiyajin," Krillin said, blinking warily. "He looks a little like you, but he's tall." The black-haired male nodded sharply and he relaxed a tiny bit, not pressing quite so hard against the warm metal door. "His hair stands up like that, but it's not in such a point, you know, more like this." Miming the new student's hair with his hands, Krillin shook his head. "Other than that he doesn't look that different. I mean, you two could be related." A sharp glare stabbed him for that remark and he shuffled back to put more space between them.
"I don't care what his hair looks like," Vegeta said tightly, resisting the urge to move closer. It was inevitable. After so long, this little servant was one of the few he could still intimidate and he found it very difficult to resist doing so. But there was no point in being superior to a servant. He knew better than that. To do so would be to lower himself more than he already had. "Is he a first class, that's what I want to know."
"Uh, I don't..." It took a minute, but Krillin blinked when he remembered the little bit of information he'd ever heard about saiyajins. "Oh! You mean the tail, right? Yeah, he's got one. He had it around his waist, just like you used to do." The saiyajin turned away from him and Krillin's eyes dropped despite himself, noting how well the male hid that tail. If he hadn't seen it for nearly two years, he wouldn't believe the former student even had one. "But that's a good thing," he said quickly, his hands curling a bit. He had an insane urge to circle the saiyajin, move to where he could see the teen's dark eyes. But he knew better than that. Vegeta wasn't one to invite a person into his room at all. He was doing well just to be allowed inside the door. Then again, he had brought such good news that he'd expected a warmer welcome. "Now you can leave, right?"
"What? What are you thinking? Just because a saiyajin is here, you think that changes anything?" The little human was frowning at him with a visibly disappointed and confused expression and Vegeta snorted softly, watching from over his shoulder. "It means nothing."
"But...but I thought you saiyajins took care of each other." Krillin flinched when the black-haired male took immediate insult and he shook his head. "Not that you need help, or anything. I wasn't trying to say you needed someone to take care of you, nothing like that. I just heard that saiyajins were a race who took insult if anything happened to one of them. I mean, you never hear of a saiyajin being made into a servant, even if the funding is cut off. It just doesn't happen so I thought now that another of your people is here, you'd get to cry insult." Those dark eyes were definitely glaring now and Krillin gulped when Vegeta stalked to him, the taller male bending a bit so their faces were close. "I..."
"Who told you that?" Vegeta asked, his low voice taking a soft growling quality. What the human said was very true. If he were to tell his story to another saiyajin, pride would demand retribution for the disrespect shown him. Their race was not to be treated like other species, they were above them all. But it was very different in his case. To 'cry insult' would require admitting who he was. Yes, he was visibly saiyajin, but he would have to identify himself as such in order for anyone to take his side. He wouldn't willingly get himself killed anymore than he would ask someone else to defend his honor. "I am here by choice," he smirked, enjoying the way Krillin leaned away from him. Whether it was petty to frighten the servant or not, it suited his purpose now. "Do you forget? I signed the contract the same as you. I am bound to complete the term."
"But-but you're a saiyajin!" Krillin cried, finally taking a long step back. The dark-haired teen straightened, shooting a fiery glare to him. "I mean, I don't have any connections or anything. And I'd get out of here in a second if I could, we all would! Besides," he said, his voice losing emphasis, "I only have a year left of my term. You have five. And Frieza-"
"Nosey, aren't you?" Vegeta sneered, his hand curling into a fist and rising so the short man couldn't help but see it. "My concern is my concern. Get out."
"Are you going to talk to the saiyajin? If you want I can-" A sharp oath made him bite back the words and Krillin jumped, his hand slipping on the edge of the door. "I'll go! I'm going, see, I'm leaving right now. I didn't mean to make you mad, you know. I just thought you'd be happy to-" He'd made it out of the room and his head jerked back when the door was slammed shut, dust rising in the hint of light visible through the bars. Rising on his tiptoes, he peeked through them before ducking just as quickly, black eyes meeting his abrupt glance. "I'm going!" He could swear a disgusted snort answered him as he moved farther down the hall. After a second, the light shut off again and he turned back with a soft sigh. Why the young saiyajin insisted on sitting in the dark he didn't know, but there was something sad about it.
* * *
TBC