Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Short, Dark, Pointy-Haired Man Banned From Disney ❯ Fish, France, and Street Theatre ( Chapter 9 )

Chapter 9: Fish, France, and Street Theatre

By Elbereth in April

They walked through the entrance of Epcot and stared around them. Before them stood the giant silver globe. And in front of that, strange triangular-shaped slabs rising 15 feet in the air. Each slab had dozens of tiny pictures on it. The slabs lined the sidewalk on both sides. They went up and examined the pictures, each one of a person's (or sometimes people) face.

"What is this?" Goku asked, amazed.

"It looks like a graveyard," Vegeta said.

"It looks like a war memorial," Gohan added. "These are monoliths."

"Mono-what?"

"Monoliths. Big monuments, essentially."

"Maybe it's a memorial to everyone who has died on their rides," Trunks suggested. Vegeta laughed.

"According to this sign, people pay $25 to have their face engraved on a little plate and added to these slabs," Bulma informed them.

"Humph. Then it's a baka-lith," Vegeta said.

"Let's move on, shall we?"

"A baka-lith," Piccolo snorted. "I like that."

They continued walking. After they went underneath the globe, they turned right. "Hey, look, the Living Seas! Can we go?"

"OK, Goten, but we can't stay long. The rest of us want to see the countries at World Showcase."

They entered the Living Seas building. They skipped the preview movie and boarded the "hydrolator" which was supposed to take them underwater to the seabase. When the doors opened, they looked around the big open space. Rooms branched off of it. They ran around to the different rooms, then up the escalator to the big windows where they could watch the fish swim by.

They gathered around two adjoining windows. "Look, Mom!" Goten kept pointing. "There's a sting ray! There's a dolphin! There's a giant turtle!"

"Look, there's a diver," said Trunks. "He's swimming awfully fast. I think he's chasing that guy."

"What guy?" They all pressed their faces to the glass and looked. "Oh, no!"

It was Goku. He was swimming through the aquarium. They watched as he knocked out a dolphin and slung it over his back. Chi-Chi and Gohan both face-faulted. Goku swam to the surface, waving. "Hey, look Chi! I caught a big fish for a midnight snack!"

Vegeta started laughing, then stopped abruptly. "Why am I laughing? This moron is the last of the full-blooded Saiyans! What a pathetic representative of our race! Kakkarot, get out of there before I kill you!"

Goku looked confused. While he was distracted, the diver came up to him and took his mask off. "You stunned Timmy the Dolphin! Give him back right now or I'll have you arrested!"

"Give him the fish, Dad!" Gohan yelled.

"Goku, I can't believe you!" Chi-Chi screamed at him. "I thought you learned your lesson with Shamu at Sea World!"

The group trudged after the wet Goku as security escorted him out of the building. Bulma donated $8,000 to the Living Seas Dolphin Research Project and they headed toward the countries. Nobody was speaking to Goku for the moment.

There are 11 countries in the World Showcase section of Epcot, arranged in a semi-circle around a lake. They started their way around them. They passed uneventfully through Canada, then started to look around England. As they walked down the street, a group of 3 actors started down it from the other direction. They started calling people over to watch their street performance. Intrigued, the group drifted over.

"We're the World Showcase players," announced the first actor. "We're going to put on a classic play about King Arthur! Sit down and watch!"

Various members of their group sat down to observe, and the others shrugged and sat down, too, except for Vegeta and Piccolo, who remained standing, looking aloof and disinterested. Vegeta had his arms crossed, scowling. Piccolo's projected image was rather spoiled by his mouse-ear turban, however.

Other tourists joined them, seated and standing, as the play began. The actors cracked bad jokes and cheered the audience on to participate with hand motions and different words to call out at certain times.

"Now then," said Actor #2, "this play is about King Arthur. He was a kingly man. He was a manly man. He was the only man in the kingdom to have his own crown." As the actor spoke, he was making his way into the crowd, holding a fake crown. "In fact, King Arthur is. . . right here!" So saying, he placed the crown over Goku's mouse-ears. "Come on up to the front!" he encouraged, pulling Goku up by the hand.

Bulma, Chi-Chi, and Gohan cheered him on. "Go Goku!"

"That baka? A king?" Vegeta muttered derisively.

In front of the crowd, the actors sat Goku down on a wagon. "Whenever we mention King Arthur, you yell, `Long live the king!'" the female actor ordered the tourists. They did so (except for Vegeta, of course). "Then the king replies with `Woo hoo ha!" she said, shaking her hips around. "You do it!" she commanded him.

Goku looked at his entourage. "Do it, Dad!" Goten yelled encouragingly, looking forward to making fun of him, noting his mom getting the camera at ready.

Goku did the motions for the Fusion Dance. "Woo hoo ha!" he repeated obediently, grinning. This was fun!

Vegeta laughed. Piccolo shook his head.

"Now, King Arthur started the Round Table and had many knights. They brought peace to the kingdom. Then the King sent his two best knights on a quest to find the Holy Grail. First he called for Sir Lancelot."

"Lancelot!" Goku yelled.

Actor #1 put a purple tunic with a big L on over his head. "Here I am!"

"Then he called for Sir Galahad!"

"Galahad!" Goku looked at the other two actors.

Actor #2 grabbed a tunic with a big G. "Galahad was a brave knight! He was a strong knight. He was a handsome man! He was. . . right here!" Actor #2 unwisely stopped in front of Vegeta, holding out the tunic.

Horrified, Vegeta raised his eyebrows. "Are you referring to me?"

Actor #2 smiled and waved the tunic.

"You expect me to pretend Kakkarot is my king? He's just a third-class baka! *I'm* the Prince of all Saiyans!"

"Huh?"

"Go on, Vegeta," Bulma giggled. "It's just pretend."

Trunks, dying to see Vegeta do something as stupid as what Goku was doing, nudged his dad. "Go ahead, Papa. Be a good sport."

"Never!" Vegeta scowled darker.

Actor #2 looked at his fellow thespians. "Um. . ."

"Come on, Vegeta. You're not afraid, are you?" Goku called, grinning widely.

Vegeta's eyes narrowed. "Afraid? Me?" he hissed. "Give me that!" he snarled, grabbing the tunic from the man who was now sorely regretting his life, his career, and his choice of guest actors. Fear was clutching at his spine, along with dark visions of the future.

Actress #3 was openly admiring Vegeta.

Vegeta stalked to the front. "Now what?"

Actor #2 followed behind dejectedly.

"Having answered the king's call, the knights prepared to set out on their quest for the Holy Grail," the actress continued brightly. "Sir Galahad was delighted to have a new adventure, and responded by doing his world famous dance of joy!"

Everyone looked at Vegeta expectantly.

Vegeta's ki level was rising rapidly.

"Vegeta," Goku said nervously, "don't get all worked up, OK?" Gohan and Piccolo exchanged looks.

Trunks and Goten were laughing. "Go ahead, Vegeta!" Bulma shouted, smiling wickedly. "Do that little routine you did for me alone in the bedroom a few months ago!"

All eyes grew large and swiveled to Bulma, then back to Vegeta, who was bright red. "Quit making things up, Onna!" Vegeta screamed back, clearly remembering the moment she was talking about, when he'd drank a little too much sake.

Trunks had stopped laughing, not liking the images of his parents Bulma's words brought to mind. He was wondering if she was referring to the day he had stayed overnight at Goten's, when he had come back home to get his forgotten pajamas and overheard. . . never mind. His mind leaped back from his recollections hastily. It was too traumatic for his tender years.

Goku, however, was dying laughing. Vegeta turned his fury on him. He moved abruptly and punched him in the jaw, knocking him off the wagon.

"Ow!" Goku protested, lying with his back on the ground and his legs sticking up in the air, resting on the wagon. "What did you do that for?"

"Quit laughing, you third-class baka!" Vegeta snatched up the fallen crown. "*I'll* be the King! You go do that humiliating stuff!" He put the crown on and sat down triumphantly on the wagon, throwing the tunic--which he'd never put on--onto Goku's chest.

"But I was the king!" Goku whined.

"You've been deposed," Vegeta said smugly.

Goku sighed and sat up, putting on the tunic. Being deposed was better than Vegeta killing the three actors, which is what he'd been afraid would happen.

The actors had huddled together for comfort, staring at Vegeta. "Um, yes." Actor #2 cleared his throat and smiled. Sort of. "So Galahad and Lancelot, um. . . found the grail really fast." He threw a gold-colored cup at Goku, who caught it in surprise. "Then they gave it to the King."

Goku handed the cup to Vegeta, who smirked.

"The King was glad to get it. The end."

"I didn't get to do the dance of joy," Goku complained loudly.

"Um, that's the finale. Go ahead," said Actress #3 weakly.

Goku swung his pelvis around and waved his arms from side to side. Chi-Chi took more photos. Vegeta stood up and went back to the group.

"The end," Actor #2 repeated forcefully. "We hope you've enjoyed the show!"

Goku smiled and stopped dancing. Actor #1 approached him and took back their tunic. Actress #3 followed Vegeta. "Can I get our crown back, please?"

Vegeta frowned. "No."

"Vegeta!" Bulma cried.

"I like it. I'm the King."

"Vegeta, it's their crown!"

"No."

"Vegeta, I will get you a better crown of your own. Give them that one back."

"Humph. Well. . . OK." He handed it back to the actress. She bowed, and ran away.

"Don't ever mention dancing again," Vegeta told Bulma warningly. She merely smiled. Trunks covered his ears.

"Well, that was an abrupt play," Roshi commented.

"I think there was probably supposed to be more to it, originally," Gohan sighed. He couldn't take the adults anywhere.

They left England, walking on. The next country they came to was France. "Look, the Eiffel Tower!" Chi-Chi pointed.

"What's going on over there?" Goten asked, motioning towards a small crowd in front of the French restaurant.

"Let's find out," Goku suggested, grinning again.

They expertly pushed their way to the front (with the women in the lead). To their surprise, they saw a white marble statue of a woman, with a little boy in front, getting his picture taken. Then they realized that the statue was, in fact, a live person in a flowing dress, painted all in white.

"Cool," said Bulma. "And Roshi, don't even think it."

The little boy ran back to his mother, photo finished. "I want my photo taken," Bulma declared. "You take it, OK, Chi?"

Chi-Chi nodded, and Bulma ran up to the statue-lady. The statue stood next to her, completely still, then suddenly grabbed Bulma's Mickey Mouse ear hat.

"Hey!" Bulma looked at the statue, who was once again frozen, now clutching Bulma's hat. Chi-Chi took the picture. Bulma smiled then, and tried to get her hat back. The lady didn't let go. Bulma frowned and pulled harder. The lady retained her immovable grip on the hat. "Hey," Bulma said again.

Vegeta shoved his way past Goku until he stood next to Bulma. "You have three seconds to release my mate's stupid hat before I blast you to another dimension!"

The lady flinched. He raised his hand, glowing with crackling energy.

"One. . ."

"Vegeta!"

"Two. . ." The energy built and coalesced, doubling in size.

The statue replaced the hat on Bulma's head. He didn't let go of the massive, glowing energy ball in his hand, continuing to glare at the lady. She stepped backward, falling off the marble pedestal she'd been standing on.

"Vegeta, don't you dare kill her!" Bulma scolded, straightening the hat on her head.

Vegeta turned his glare on Bulma. "Fine," he said after a tense pause. Then he smirked and blasted Disney's replica of the Eiffel Tower. It went up in flames.

Bulma groaned. A streak of sweat ran down the statue's previously immobile face, leaving a trail through the white paint.

"Gallic Gun!"

"Vegeta!" Bulma sighed. "You're still stressed over your ordeal in England, aren't you?" she asked as the circle-vision movie "Impressions of France" and the building it had been housed in collapsed in smoke and flying debris.

"Of course I am!" Vegeta replied. "And your little speech about our private lives didn't help any!"

Trunks quickly covered his ears, just in case any more secrets were about to be revealed, and hid behind Goten.

Vegeta Final Flash'ed the stores to the right of the fire and rubble. They flared up splendidly, as one had been a perfume store. The smell of fake flowers and musk was nearly overpowering.

"Gosh, I hope there weren't too many customers in there," Gohan mumbled.

Bulma draped herself around Vegeta. "I'm sorry," she said sweetly. "But I promise to make it up to you later." She leaned in and whispered in his ear, "I'll give you my own special dance of joy, my prince. And you can wear the crown I'll buy you."

Trunks was humming loudly.

The Big Bang Attack Vegeta had already started to power up died down. His eyes and Bulma's met. He smirked. She kissed him lingeringly. "All right, I'll let the rest of France live."

A singed Beast and a rather scorched-looking Belle came staggering out of the remains of the last store, coughing.

As the Beast passed out at their feet from smoke inhalation, Roshi latched on to the dazed Belle. "You poor young lady, come sit on my lap while you recover!"

Piccolo slapped himself in the forehead.

Chi-Chi rescued Belle from Roshi and turned her over to the two security guards who had come running to the scene. "What happened?" one asked, stunned.

"Um, I didn't see anything," Chi-Chi sweat-dropped, turning on her heel and making her getaway. The group hurried on to Morocco.

____________ ____________

A/N's: I quite enjoyed writing this one. And if you're ever in Epcot, I would recommend watching the street performers; they're funny.