Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Something More ❯ Secrets Shared ( Chapter 1 )

Briefs' Cottage, Koya, Earth, 789 A.D.

CHAPTER ONE

Secrets Shared

He landed with a splash in the lake, the water completely drenching him. He surfaced, and looked up at her with a mixture of shock and rage, his normally proud, flame-like hair flattened.

"Bitchy!?" the blue-haired woman shrieked. "Bitchy!!? I'll show you bitchy!!!" Then she picked up a large leather suitcase and hurled it into the water near the enraged Saiyan prince. With a severe glare, Bulma turned and walked back towards the large cottage.

Sitting on the stairs leading to the large porch of the elegant summer house, Son Pan and Daikon Briefs exchanged identical amused glances. Bulma and Vegeta were constantly fighting; everyone was more than used to their quarrels. Though Pan was surprised that Bulma had managed to push Vegeta off the dock and into the lake. Her best friend's mother had more strength than she had given her credit for.

"Dad's gonna be mad now," Daikon said on a sigh as he placed his chin in his hands. He looked across the grass to the dock where Vegeta was hauling himself from the water. He flared his Ki, immediately drying off. His clothes refrained from sticking to his skin and his hair returned to standing on-end. The prince then went to retrieve the suitcase, then let out an amused snort as he found it was Bulma's and left it, walking around to the back of the cottage

"Did he bring the gravity room?" Pan inquired.

Daikon shrugged. "Probably."

"Then maybe he'll burn off his anger by training."

"Probably."

Pan had, as usual, been invited to spend the summer at the Brief's cottage near Koya, a small town eighty miles north of the Western Capital. Koya was the only "cottage country" of Japan, and only the wealthy owned cottages. Japan, being a crowded country, desperately needed all the space surrounding Koya for all of the country's residents. But those who owned the luxurious summer houses paid large sums of money to keep their land. And the government decided that they would allow the people to keep their cottages assuming they continued to pay ridiculous amounts for the land.

Many had sold their cottages as Japan continued to expand in population and they found it too difficult to pay for their land. But Koya was a beautiful area, and those who could afford it bought the cottages in an instant. The cottages themselves were grand houses; large and extravagant in their structures, though none of the cottages in the area were alike. And none came close to even comparing with the Briefs' cottage.

One year, Pan and Daikon had decided to count all the bedrooms in the large cottage and reached fifty-five before concluding. Shocked, Pan had asked Daikon's older brother, Trunks, why there was need for so many rooms in a cottage. Trunks had only shrugged, saying he wasn't sure, but saying that his mother had often thrown large parties when she was younger, and many had spent the night due to the fact that they had come a long way from nearby cities. So they had been used.

This year, Daikon and Pan were planning to inquire about throwing a party of their own. Daikon was sure his mother wouldn't mind, being the spoiled woman she was, but admitted he had doubts about his father agreeing. Thinking about it now, Pan decided that this day wasn't a great one to ask Vegeta about it, and she told Daikon so.

He nodded in agreement. "Maybe tomorrow," he said. "My mom will still be annoyed, so she won't even bother to consider him."

Pan laughed, realizing that it was true. Then another thought came over her. "But... Aren't Trunks and Nyoko coming tomorrow? Bulma might be busy with that."

"Not for the whole day," Daikon pointed out, looking angrily at a lock of jet black hair that had blown into his face. "Trunks and Nyoko can get themselves settled; they've been here before."

Nyoko, a beautiful young woman with white-blonde hair, was Trunks' girlfriend. They attended the same college but that, ironically, wasn't where they had met. Stuck in a traffic jam one day in December a few years before, Trunks had stuck his head out the window to yell at the woman honking behind him that he couldn't move forward any more.

Angered by the lavender-haired boy's choice of words, Nyoko had rolled down her own window and shot back a few comments of her own. It had erupted in a full-blown verbal spar, the two of them screaming at each other from their cars until both pulled into the university parking lot.

Nyoko, feisty despite her delicate appearance, had stepped out of her car, walked over to Trunks and slapped him across the face. Trunks had, at first been shocked and then angry. But then he had been impressed and that outweighed every other emotion he had previously felt. Most of the people he knew knew that he was a martial artist in one form or another, and hitting him was not a good idea. He knew that this woman would have no way of knowing he was a fighter, but he was impressed nonetheless and he told her so. In Pan's mind, the rest was history.

"Trunks told me he wants to marry Nyoko," Daikon said.

"Really?" Pan asked, though she wasn't surprised in the least. Trunks and Nyoko were perfect for each other, and it was clear that they were both in love.

She suppressed a chuckle. When she had first heard of Nyoko she had been outraged. It was during that time that she had had a crush on Trunks, and Pan had been determined to marry him, despite the large age difference and the lack of interest Trunks showed in her. But then Pan had met the startling blonde, green-eyed beauty and her hatred dissolved. Nyoko was too kind to hate; she hadn't deliberately taken Trunks from her. And Pan had decided it was time to move on; she had realized then that Trunks didn't care for her and never would. Then, hearing that Trunks wanted to marry someone other than herself would have crushed her. But now all she could feel was happiness for her friend's older brother and his girlfriend.

Besides, she had her sights set on someone else.

"Yup," Daikon said, and he proceeded to fill her in with all the details. His ear for gossip and love for each detail came from his mother, the very centre of the gossip loop. "He wants to propose here at the cottage. Either on the dock or in a boat by night under the full moon--"

"He actually said that?" Pan asked incredulously.

"No," Daikon admitted, "Bra did, but she's going to talk Trunks into it."

Pan rolled her eyes. She should have known that it had been the youngest Briefs child, and the only daughter, who had come up with the romantic scene.

"Anyway," Daikon carried on, "he already has the ring and he wants to propose to her as the summer comes to a close."

"Did Bra say that, too?"

"Yes. You should see the ring, Panny," Daikon exclaimed, his eyes widening as he pictured it in his mind. "You should see the rock on it!" He whistled.

"Well," Pan snorted, "what do you expect when he's part of the rich and famous Briefs clan?"

Daikon grinned sheepishly, running a hand through his spiky hair. He was identical to his father, Vegeta, except for the fact that he had bangs and that his face didn't appear so roughly chiseled.

The cottage door opened and Bra appeared on the porch, clad in a dark blue bikini with a matching beach towel slung over her arm. Pan recalled her mother disapproving of Bra's "revealing" clothing because of her young age, but Pan could only shrug at remind her that Bulma dressed in much the same way.

"I'm going for a swim," Bra stated. "Do you guys want to come?"

Pan and Daikon glanced at each other and Pan spoke for them both. "Sure. We'll meet you down at the beach in a little while."

..::..

It was late afternoon when the three children decided to stop swimming. Bra hopped onto the dock and stretched out on her beach towel. She didn't need to tell them she was planning to get a tan. Pan and Daikon, on the other hand, decided to pull the kayaks and canoes from the storage shed so they would be ready for use the following day. Bra watched them in amusement from behind tan-tinted sunglasses as they struggled with the boats. She knew that they were more awkward than heavy for the two powerful Saiyans which made it all the more comical. A quiet chuckle pulled her lips into a smirk.

Daikon heard it. "What are you laughing at?" he demanded.

"Oh, nothing," Bra said airily. "Nothing important." She adjusted her sunglasses.

Daikon frowned at his younger sister. "Nothing? Would you like me to give you something to laugh at, then?" he countered threateningly.

Bra knew to take his tone seriously, and she shook her head. "That's all right," she said, turning her gaze to the clouds. "I was just remembering something," she added hastily.

Daikon looked over his shoulder at Pan, who held the back of the large, red canoe, and grinned broadly. Pan only shook her head in amusement. Bra was always being teased by her elder brothers.

After dragging three kayaks and two canoes to the beach, neither Pan nor Daikon wanted to struggle with another boat.

"How many people are going to go out at once anyway?" Daikon pointed out. "Besides, there's always the motorboat. And the cars if they're desperate for space."

"I guess..." Pan said. "But as long as the kayaks are out, I feel like going out."

"So do I," Bra piped up from the dock. She stood, pushing her sunglasses atop her head. "Why don't we all go? There's just enough kayaks."

Daikon frowned. It was clear that the last thing he wanted was his younger sister tagging along, but Bra was already striding to the storage shed to retrieve three lifejackets and the boy knew that his stubborn sibling wouldn't take "no" for an answer. So, with a sigh, Daikon picked up a paddle and climbed into a kayak, taking a lifejacket from the young, azure-eyed girl and pulling it on.

The lake was small, but large enough for the children's purposes, and the kayaks cut through the sparkling water speedily. Each of those in a kayak was part Saiyan, and each had the strength Saiyans were notorious for; even Bra, who showed a great dislike towards martial arts, had a fairly high power level -- in comparison to the majority of those who resided on Earth. But in comparison to her father, Vegeta, and to Goku and the other Saiyans of Earth, she was dreadfully weak.

It didn't matter to her, though. Fighting was not one of her many interests, and she was sure that if she ever ran into trouble, Vegeta would be there in a heartbeat to save her. Bulma had once told her daughter that she should be less reckless; there was always the possibility that Vegeta would run into troubles of his own and be unable to come to her rescue. But Bra had never experienced such, and therefore continued believing that her father would always be nearby.

Pan had often thought her a brat. Bra -- rich, beautiful and undoubtedly her father's favourite -- was spoiled. As a young child, Bra had demanded that everything go her way; if it failed to do so, she would throw an embarrassing tantrum, one that Bulma couldn't harness and one that caused Vegeta to cringe and obey her whim. Now, though, as a young teenager, Bra had more or less outgrown her exceedingly spoiled ways and, while still receiving much of what she asked for, refrained from complaining when she didn't (which was, Pan had to admit, rarely). But Bra was easier to get along with now that she had matured, and Pan was beginning to consider the heiress a friend. Though Bra was still too "prissy" for Pan's taste.

Pan herself was a tomboy. Even now, as she kayaked across the lake, she showed no signs of femininity in the way she dressed. Her swimsuit consisted of boys' swimming trunks and a black T-shirt. She couldn't imagine wearing anything else, especially when she glanced at Bra in her string bikini and imagined how uncomfortable it must be.

But as well as she got along with Bra as of late, her best friend was still Daikon, who was leading them across the lake, paddling powerfully. But, she thought with a grin, it wasn't he on whom she had a crush. Hiro Nishiyama, a tall, handsome boy, was the one who, as her romantic friend Mitsu said, had "stolen her heart." Pan had scoffed at the romantic "mushiness" but did feel it was true.

Taking a sidelong glance at Bra, Pan decided that she would be the last person to find out about Hiro. The twelve year-old would immediately jump into a game of Match Maker, pressuring Hiro to ask Pan out until he broke under her stubborn, unyielding will.

Then she looked ahead at Daikon's back. She could tell him, she thought. He was, after all, her best friend, and he had told her in confidence about his crush on Goten's girlfriend, Takara, the previous year. She wondered if he still liked her; she did know, though, that he stood about as great a chance with Takara as she had with Trunks. And just as Trunks was planning to propose to Nyoko, she was almost certain Goten was going to do the same to Takara.

..::..

Evening found Daikon and Pan in his large bedroom. He was unpacking, having only gotten around to it a few minutes before, and they were discussing the potential summer party.

"We should ask Mom about it tomorrow," Daikon said as he shoved a few pairs of boxers into the wooden dresser in the room.

"And we should get Bra to ask Vegeta," Pan replied.

"Do we really want Bra in on it?"

"In on what?" Bra flounced into the room wearing short red shorts and a navy blue halter top. Again Pan had to think of her mother's words, and she looked down at her own clothes: long khaki shorts that almost reached her shins, a baggy white T-shirt and her favourite orange bandana. She noted that she and Daikon were dressed similarly, though the young boy was still wearing his swimming shorts and had on a gray shirt rather than a white one.

Pan exchanged glances with her best friend. There was no way they could keep it from her now, and it was true that if anyone could get Vegeta to agree, it would be Bra.

"We're thinking of throwing a party," Daikon muttered.

"Really!?" Bra exclaimed. "Mama and Papa are actually letting you!??"

Daikon looked uncomfortable. "Actually, we haven't asked yet. We were wondering if you could --"

"Ask Papa?" Bra finished with a knowing smile, and Daikon only nodded. "Of course I will! We've never had a party up here; it's going to be awesome!"

"Assuming we can get permission," Pan reminded the flamboyant girl.

Bra dismissed that worry with a wave of her hand. "Panny, my mama will agree to anything that has to do with partying or shopping," Bra assured her, "and my papa won't disagree. Now, shall we start with the planning?"

"No," Daikon told his sister shortly. "We're going to ask permission, first. No point in getting all excited about it and then find out it can't happen."

Bra sighed, her shoulders slumping visibly. It was obvious to both Pan and Daikon that Bra was completely confident in the fact that they would be able to get permission.

"Let's ask permission, then," Bra announced. "What are we waiting for?"

"We're waiting for your parents to cool down," Pan told her, growing annoyed at the younger girl's impatience. "You do remember that they were fighting earlier, right? Even Vegeta will forbid it if he's pissed enough."

Bra sighed and leaned on her hands. "If we're going to wait, then, at least wait for just the right moment. Otherwise there's no point. If they're still in bad moods tomorrow, then we'll be refused, and asking again later will be pointless."

Daikon nodded in agreement at this. "That's true," he admitted. "We'll see tomorrow then. Mom will probably be in better spirits, but you can never tell with Dad..."

..::..

Bra, Daikon and Pan all knew that the following morning was the perfect time to ask Bulma, for she was humming softly as she served them breakfast.

"Did you guys have a nice first night?" she inquired as she poured the three teenagers orange juice.

Bra nodded sleepily. "Yes."

Bulma smiled brightly at the three tired children. "You were up late, though."

"Yes," Bra admitted. "We were. We were in Daikon's room."

"Well what's summer for," Bulma said as she happily went about buttering toast for the cook and maids wouldn't arrive until later that day, "if not for staying up until morning?"

Pan glanced at Daikon out of the corner of her eye. Now would be the perfect time to inquire about the party, but both of the Briefs kids were busily tucking into their morning meal. She shrugged as she picked up her fork. They could ask after breakfast.

Bra finished first, and immediately excused herself, rushing out of the kitchen.

"She's in quite a hurry," Bulma commented. "Is she meeting someone?"

Daikon shook his head as he downed the last of his orange juice. "No, Mom. She needs to speak with Dad about something."

Bulma only nodded. "Would you like more?" she asked as she saw the empty plates. When they shook their heads, she picked up the plates and immediately put them in the dishwasher.

"You guys can leave you know," Bulma smiled. "I'm sure you'd rather be outside in this beautiful weather."

"Actually, Mom, we were wondering..." Daikon began hesitantly, and Bulma turned to look at her youngest son as he trailed off.

"Wondering what?"

"Well, Bra, Panny and I were wondering if we could throw a party here this summer. A big one, like the ones you told us you had when you were younger."

Bulma was surprised by her son's inquiry, but she looked thoughtful. "That doesn't sound like such a bad idea..." she admitted. "It has been a while since this cottage has been filled, and it needs a party to make it more lively..."

Daikon smirked. There was no way his mother was going to refuse.

"I think it's a great idea. Just clarify it with your father." Here her face darkened. "Or perhaps I should..."

"Bra's already working on it," Pan said as she entered the kitchen. There was no need for anyone to tell her what the conversation was about.

Bulma frowned. "Right. Who will you be inviting; friends from school?"

"Yeah," Daikon said. "And maybe some kids from the neighbouring cottages, if they're interested."

"Well, make a list," Bulma said. Her frown had dissolved and her eyes shone as she began to plan for an extravagant party. "I might invite a few people up, as well. Trunks and Nyoko will probably want to bring some people, too..." she walked away, leaving the kids in the kitchen, not thinking that Vegeta may not agree.

But when Bra's face appeared around the corner, flushed with excitement and anticipation, words weren't needed. All at once they scrambled for paper and pens. They had a guest list to write.

..::..

"I want Mitsu to come, of course," Pan said. "And why don't we invite Hiro Nishiyama, too?" She tried to say it casually.

"Hiro?" Daikon looked surprised. "I didn't know you were friends."

Pan only shrugged, not answering, and Bra scribbled down the two names Pan had given. "Anyone else?"

"Daikon's already mentioned everyone else."

"I'm going to add Marron to the list -- she deserves to be included, don't you think? -- and otherwise I've already written down those I want to invite," Bra said, flipping through the two pages of names. "Didn't you say that Mama wanted to invite some people? And Trunks and Nyoko are sure to be interested."

"Mom will make her own list," Daikon informed them, "and Trunks and Nyoko probably will too. We'll ask them after they finish unpacking; they won't be too much longer."

Trunks and his dazzling girlfriend had arrived only a short while before, but Bulma, surprisingly, hadn't taken long in greeting them and they were able to find their rooms almost immediately upon arrival. But, judging by the sizes of their large suitcases, Daikon was sure they'd still be unpacking.

"Well, I'll go tell them about it," Bra said. "That way they can start right away."

"Assuming they want to start right away," Daikon muttered, but Bra, dashing from the room, didn't hear.

Pan grinned, and Daikon turned to her. He fixed her with an intent gaze and said, "You like Hiro don't you? You guys aren't really friends; why else would you invite him?"

Pan flushed crimson. Daikon knew her too well; it was what happened after almost a lifetime of friendship. She nodded.

"I knew it!" he exclaimed suddenly, and Pan was startled. "I could tell at school, the way you watched after him as he walked down the hall..." he grinned at the recollection. "It was actually quite funny."

Pan frowned. "Well there's nothing funny about it!"

Daikon held his hands before him in a sign of surrender. "Sorry. It just that... You? You chasing after a guy? It's surprising."

"Just because I'm a tomboy means I can't have crushes?" she asked angrily.

"No, I didn't say that. You just don't seem like the type. I mean, who else have you have a crush on?"

"Trunks," she blurted out, and she realized too late what she had admitted.

Daikon's eyes widened and he burst out in laughter. He opened his mouth to speak, but ended up gasping for breath instead, and Pan's face darkened.

"I didn't laugh when you told me you had a crush on Takara!" she shouted.

"Yeah, but I was younger then!" Daikon managed to gasp out between fits of laughter.

"And I was younger then, too! It's not funny!!"

"No, it's not," Daikon admitted, swallowing his mirth and wiping the tears from his eyes. "I'm sorry." There was silence for a few more minutes, then, "Who else knows? That you liked Trunks? And that you like Hiro?"

"No one else knows about Trunks," Pan sighed, "but Mitsu knows about Hiro. Why?"

"Just asking."

"Daikon"--Pan's tone was serious, her eyes leaving no room for amusement--"don't tell anyone, okay? It's a secret. And don't, for Kami's sake, don't tell Bra. Okay?"

Daikon nodded, just as serious as his best friend. "No, I won't."

..::..

A/N: As mentioned early, here are the ages of all the kids from DBZ, in this story, anyway. I've never seen the end of DBZ or DBGT (not yet) so the ages are probably incorrect. But this is the conclusion I've come to based upon what I've gathered:

Trunks - 25 (Nyoko - 24)

Goten - 24 (Takara - 24)

Marron - 21

Pan - 13

Daikon - 13

Bra - 12

Anyways, that was the first chapter. Mostly just explaining things and introducing new characters. Yes, it was probably boring, but the next chapter will be more exciting. ^.^ Leave a review or e-mail me at keruri_chan07@hotmail.com. Everything is welcome.