Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ A Scrap of Hope ❯ Trace of Insanity ( Chapter 6 )

A WEEK LATER

Vegeta again watched from the balcony during Kakarot's training. His eyes were fixed on the younger man, fingers clenched on the stone rail. The stone had begun to crack. "Gods, please. He must learn!" His hoarse whisper was heard by no one, not even himself. All his attention had centered on his young pet, his last, his only hope. My Father… why?… Scrap, please! Please, I beg you, learn this for me.

Goku concentrated and aimed another energy beam at the target, trying not to destroy it completely.

Vegeta looked down at the pieces of crumbled rock that used to be the railing of the balcony, looked back to Kakarot. What is he doing?

Goku's eyes narrowed as he let loose the smallest amount of energy he could muster, blasting the target to pieces in the process. He cursed under his breath. His teachers hadn't figured out it wasn't bringing the energy up that was the problem - the problem was holding it down so that he wouldn't hurt anyone. They didn't understand that it wasn't that he didn't have enough control… he had too much ki. But he wasn't about to tell them that. They'd only laugh at him.

Vegeta blinked as the target was blasted into smithereens, his scouter having gone wild for just a moment. Frowning, he trained it back on the young man he'd rescued, and was quite annoyed when it blew up in his face. "Ouch." So much power. More than I had hoped for, much more than I expected from his breeding. He regarded the younger Saiyan being screamed at by his instructor rather thoughtfully. Perhaps they are going about it the wrong way. Perhaps... a picnic is in order. I… must give him the choice. I will not force him. I cannot. No matter the cost… I will not risk him so.

Goku tried to keep a stony face under the angry yells of his instructor. His hands he'd folded behind his back, but his tail gave away his temper, swaying wildly. It hadn't been his fault! He had tried, but the target had exploded when he barely winked at it!

Vegeta watched for a moment or two more, then faded away to prepare his surprise. He was, again, sprawled across the bed, fast asleep, when Kakarot got back.

Goku entered the room, tail hanging limply. He'd given his promise - but he was no longer sure he could keep it. He tried so hard... but it just didn't seem to work. Entering the suite, he found a scent lingering in the air and already knew who was waiting for him before even looking at the bed. Remembering the last disaster all too well, he just knelt beside the bed, head low, waiting for the master to awaken.

Vegeta twitched a few times, before somehow managing to roll over, off the bed, onto Kakarot, all without waking up. Purring, his tail twitched happily as he dreamt.

"GAH!" Goku caught the still sleeping prince in his arms, looking down at him. Ah! What do I do with him!

Vegeta's purring increased, his face nuzzling against Kakarot's chest, tail lazily tracing erotically along his body.

Goku swallowed hard. He looked down at the man who instilled him with so much fear and even panic when awake, but who was so cute when sleeping. He reached out dreamily and was about to grab that tail, when he remembered the lesson learned the last time. Instead, he gently placed the prince back on the mattress, trying to get away without waking him up - even though deep inside, a twinge of regret stirred.

Vegeta was having the loveliest dream. He twitched, feeling around... bed empty... where? He opened his eyes. "Kakarot?"

Goku, in the process of tip-toeing away, froze, his head snapping up. "Yes, Master?"

Purring again, Vegeta sprang his surprise. "Kakarot? I want to go on a picnic."

Goku raised his eyebrows. "A picnic, Master? What is that?"

Vegeta sat up sharply, staring in consternation. That simple question has spoiled all the anticipation he'd felt when preparing for the short trip to a nearby park. He stared for a moment in utter shock, a wave of pity sweeping over him. "You've never been on a picnic? Not even to serve a master?"

Goku looked completely innocent, totally bewildered. "I wasn't let out of the cage a lot, Master - only when I was to fight or to serve someone…"

Vegeta stood, crossing to the basket on the table. Gods. His life… it was worse than I thought. "Have you managed to control your ki enough to fly?"

Goku positively beamed at that question. Finally! Something that I have accomplished! "Yes, Master!"

"Good. Follow me." Vegeta started out the door, but came back in, looking vaguely panicked and very pissed. His eyes shot to the window, glass shattered as he jetted through it. "Hurry up, Kakarot!"

Goku scratched his head at the odd behavior, then shrugged and followed Vegeta, ignoring shouts from the room behind him. He overtook Vegeta, having some problems controlling his speed, but managed to slow down.

"Two damned weeks. It's not for two damned weeks, but they won't leave me alone!" Vegeta sped up, heading for the nearby forests. "I have got to get away from there... Where's… oh, Kakarot! This way!"

What the heck…? There was an odd expression on his prince's face, one that he couldn't really place... but he followed obediently, looking around for the first time, taking in the landscape that he'd never seen up till now - and almost bumped into a high tree.

Vegeta landed, and began running through the trees, slipping through them quickly, bound and determined to loose the pursuers he saw follow them out. "Kakarot! Get your ass down here! Hurry, we've got to go!"

Goku had a dear time trying to keep up with the prince in such unknown landscape, following him more by his sixth sense of sensing ki than anything else.

Vegeta ducked into a small cave, grabbing Kakarot when he got there, yanking him inside and pulling the larger man tightly against himself. "Drop your ki as much as you can," he ordered, as he dropped his own.

Goku's heart raced quickly when he was pulled flush against his master, not sure what was going on. Hide my ki? What? How the heck am I supposed to do that! I'm barely able to control the damn thing, how can I hide it? But I'm determined to do your bidding. Hmm. Maybe if I recall the feeling of how it used to be when the collar was still there... He tried that, concentrating, pushing the ki away from his body until it felt as if he was dying.

"That's right. Now, just wait. They'll be out there an hour or so, trying to figure out where we are. Not that I mind," Vegeta whispered. His tail lashed firmly around Kakarot's thigh, his hands moving to trace the muscles the boy had built up, nuzzling against the younger Saiyan's neck. "Keep your ki down…"

Goku obeyed, trying to ignore the pleasant feeling of the royal tail around his thigh and the nuzzling of his neck. Lower.. lower... He pushed his ki farther and farther away, eager to please. It made him feel odd, weak. His vision started to swim. I must suppress my ki... more... Must... please... Master... His eyes rolled back as he passed out.

Vegeta was dismayed to have a suddenly unconscious Kakarot on his hands, and more dismayed to realize the idiot was still trying to lower his ki. His own spiked slightly as he sent it to his little pet, his mouth next to the other's ear. "Too far, Scrap. Too far. Let it rise now, just a little, you have to stay awake, baka. Don't you dare die on me. I need you too much." His hands slid over pale skin. "I need you, Scrap. Stay with me. Raise your ki, just a little bit more."

Something stirred Goku awake, some sort of golden flash before his inner eyes. It took him a moment to understand the quiet words, but then he slowly let go of the tight grip on his ki, letting it rise a bit again until the blurriness subsided and he could breathe properly again.

"Better. You have more control than you think." Vegeta's voice was a breathy whisper. "So why do you have so much trouble with the targets?"

Goku shivered slightly as that voice rasped so near to his ear, feeling the muscled body pressed so close to his own. "I... I'm not sure. I try to lower the energy enough, but I seem to barely blink and they go kaboom…"

Vegeta's tail curled lazily, slipping down the other's thigh, then up across his stomach where his hands were already tracing. "Stop trying. Just... point and shoot."

Goku breathed a little faster, not sure whether he was supposed to move or stay still, his tail flicking nervously. "I'll try, Master."

Vegeta stilled his teasing when his sharp ears caught the sound of someone approaching. "Shh… no noise," he hissed, peering at the shrouding greenery. Will they see us?

Goku had a little trouble being still, as his master's body was touching him in some pretty private places. Something stirred inside him that he couldn't remember ever feeling. He tried to stay still, calming his racing heart and his breathing, hiding his face in the crook between Vegeta's neck and shoulder.

The prince purred very quietly, watching the shadows pass by. He continued to hold the younger Saiyan close for awhile longer, until he was quite sure they could move without being noticed. "They've gone. Quietly now…" He released the younger man, slipping silently back into the forest, following a trail he alone knew.

Goku breathed in relief when the prince finally allowed him to move and the… not really uncomfortable, to be completely honest… pressure vanished. Following the prince quietly, he tried to evaluate what all of this meant.

Keeping his voice down, Vegeta, never ceasing to move, asked, "You're curious, aren't you? Confused by me?"

For the first time not keeping his eyes down, Goku met the prince's gaze evenly. "Yes, I am, Master."

Vegeta slipped inside another cave, and began leading Kakarot through a complicated maze of tunnels. "In two weeks... I am to undergo a ritual."

Goku followed without resisting, finally getting a chance to have his curiosity indulged. "A ritual? For what?"

His voice harsh, body tensed, Vegeta replied, "I will be coming of age."

Goku could sense the prince's discomfort, but didn't know what to make of it. Clueless, he asked, "What does that mean?"

Vegeta counted to ten. Twice. He reminded himself that his companion had been a slave his entire life. He reminded himself he had freed the boy partly in hopes of escaping his father's plans. It was only fair to explain. He drew a shuddering breath. "I am the Prince. Upon coming of age, I am required," his displeasure obvious in how he spat that word, "to take a mate. And my father seems to think that Nappa will win the fight - and gain me as his prize. I can't stand that fool."

Goku thought long and hard. "You mean that this Nappa... would take you against your will?" That concept was familiar to him. "But, you're much stronger than anybody else, Master!"

Vegeta sighed, setting the picnic basket to one side. "I won't be. My father knows my feelings towards Nappa all too well. He is determined that Nappa will be my mate, whether I wish it or not. I will still have to find a suitable female to bear me an heir, but he thinks that brain-dead buffoon would be the best life partner for me!" Vegeta's voice rose, vexation and the barest hint of uncertainty warring in his tone. "That is why I want you stronger, Kakarot, why I want you in control. I do not want to be forced into taking Nappa as my mate. My father.…" his voice thinned to the merest whisper, "…my father has threatened to drug and ki bind me for the ritual, if I will not submit willingly. I know that he means this… and I know I will not be willing."

Goku swallowed hard and suddenly saw his strong and cruel master in a whole different light. Up to now he'd always thought he was sort of god-like, invincible - the revelation that he was vulnerable, too, came like a shock. "My prince…. And what is my place in this? How can I do anything against the king's plans?"

"My father…" Vegeta sighed. How much to explain? I must explain enough… but should I tell him everything? "My father has chosen to revive an ancient ritual of our people. He decided this when I was young, only ten years old. In the ritual, anyone who wishes to try to be a royal mate draw lots. They fight each other. The winner claims me as mate. My father has changed things slightly. He has invited those he wishes to have participate to do so, but it is a well known fact that he has chosen to invite no one stronger than his favorite. You are strong enough to beat Nappa, if you can learn to control your ki. I am not allowed to participate in the fights, but I can have a champion." Dark eyes gleamed in the murky half-light reflecting through the twisting tunnels. "I want you to be that champion."

Goku was left speechless, staring at Vegeta as if he'd lost his mind. At last, he managed, "You want me.. ? You want me to fight against that other man… the king's chosen?" He was too surprised to remember his slave-training for a moment, forgetting that he was not supposed to talk back to the master. "But that's ridiculous! I've been a slave all my life! True, I've fought, but never against another of my race. I won't stand a chance!"

Vegeta stilled, his head dropping. It has all been for nothing. I tried to get away… only to be drug back. I have looked for a champion, but no one… not even the strongest my father failed to invite to the ritual, would accept. Not even the strongest of the low-levels would accept! This boy… this scrap of a Saiyan, was my last hope. I chose to let him choose, rather than order him to fight. And… I will pay for that choice. "Then you had better tell me how to handle the aftermath of being drugged, ki bound, and repeatedly raped," he said dully.

Goku looked down, his cheeks tinted red. "I'm sorry, Master. I didn't mean to disappoint you." He didn't add that the situation Vegeta described was not unfamiliar.

The prince watched him quietly a moment before speaking. "I have known for years that this day was coming. I have known only for the past three months that my father had rigged things so Nappa would win. When I found you in that cage, I thought perhaps... perhaps I had found a way from my prison. I would have freed you anyway, but I had hoped that since you had trained as a fighter... and then, when I realized how strong you were... but I guess it doesn't matter. My father has rigged the entire ritual in Nappa's favor. If you will not champion me…" A tiny sob echoed through the gloomy half-light of the caves as the prince's composure vanished with his hopes of having at least some semblance of a chance, of a choice.

Goku's heart softened at the desperation in the prince's voice. Also, a sort of protective instinct rose inside. My master... no, the prince has chosen me to fight for him. He's trusting me with this immensely important thing. How can I disappoint him? This man who has been my Master and my savior all along? His chin rose in determination. "My prince, I will fight for you. I don't know if I can succeed, but I vow to you I either win or die trying."

Vegeta sank to the ground, not sure if he was laughing or crying. "Only two weeks… two weeks… until I am raped… what little innocence I have stolen…" Tears… he was crying, with strange little hiccupping, laughing sobs. "Tell me what will happen, Kakarot. Tell me what I will feel," Vegeta ordered. Since you believe you won't win, I have no hope. No one who goes into battle believing they will lose ever wins.

Goku dropped down beside Vegeta, pondering this question in earnest. "You mean what'll happen if Nappa wins?"

"Yes."

Goku swallowed tightly. He… knew why the prince was showing fear for the very first time. When it had happened first.. he had still been very young. He had not understood. Later, he had learned what it was and the name it bore. The memories… were haunting him still, at night, in his dreams.

Vegeta caught the look on his champion's face. "I know it brings up things you don't want to remember. I know that." Again, his hysteria made him laugh. "I'm so... scared. I've never been afraid of anything in my life, but this scares me."

Goku turned towards Vegeta, noticing for the first time the hidden tears and fear a defiant Vegeta has held back by will alone. Without even thinking he reached out, caressing the prince's cheek, wiping away the unwitting proof of his master's vulnerability. "I don't know what to tell you, my prince. It's… not something that can be described… or rather.. it shouldn't be. No one should ever have to deal with it. And I.. I will do my best so that you won't have to..."

Vegeta started to say something but was interrupted by cries of "Over here! This way!" He started, leaping toward the picnic basket. "I brought you here to ask you… although it is not where I'd planned to have our picnic. Quickly, here, eat this!" Vegeta whipped the food out, setting it out at a rapid pace, and had a piece of yerak in his mouth when the guards arrived.

Goku, confused by the rapidly changing behavior of the prince, obeyed, sitting down and starting to eat. Soon guards came at them from all sides, distrustful eyes narrowing at the peaceful image.

"Ah, a merry chase this time. But," Vegeta waved a hand at the food, "this time, I am going to finish my lunch!" It's not like this is the first time I've tried to get away in the last few months. Although, actually, this time I wasn't trying to get away. Just… go for a picnic. He grinned at Kakarot, and if there was a trace of insanity in his eyes, who was to say that was unusual?