Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Ten no Ai ❯ Part 4 ( Chapter 4 )

<i>

Kakarotto finally breaks the kiss but bit my bottom lip gently. Tugging on it slightly before pulling away. I finally open my eyes again to see the calmness return to his.

"I think that should last me a little while" he says smiling. Then just as suddenly he came, he went. Leaving me here with a quivering tail and an ache between my legs.

Maybe training could wait.

That may have sufficed for him, but it made me worse.

"Damn it! Now I have to start meditating all over again!!"

</i>

===

The rest of my training went without mishap. Though much to my dismay, Kakarotto did not pester me for...favors again.

|The bastard. He'll pay for that little stunt, and soon |

I finally got to perfect my newest attack and refine some old ones. I learned some vital knowledge about my abilities, both strengths and weaknesses. One of my worst shortcomings has always been underestimating the enemy and overestimating my own powers. It's how Kakarotto was able to defeat me in our first encounter. A logical person would have learned from the first fight. I sneer at my own stupidity. I once called my mate a 'baka.' He was the fighting genius and it was I who was the fool.

How many victories would I have had? Had I only grasped that simple concept. But instead I, blinded by arrogance, suffered humiliation after humiliation because of my own

overconfidence and conceit.

But no more.

Over the years I've learned to be a lot more honest with myself. That has done me a

world of good. In both battle and in life.

Now..I'll give them a fight they won't soon forget!!

===

The day of the tournament has arrived! I'm too excited to sleep! I've been up for hours now wondering at my mate's new training regiment. He sleeps peacefully beside me now. A small knowing, and contented smile on his usually smirking lips. He has discovered something new, something great. I'm itching to know what it is, though I'm sure I'll find out all too soon.

Of course we'll have to fight in the tournament. I know they are other strong fighters besides us. But we have reached such a level now. At the rate they were going it's unlikely they could ever catch us. There's no limit to what we can do.

We will fight again as we have in the past, as we do in the present, as we always will. Almost a lifetime ago, fighting was our outlet, our drug. We got drunk off of it. We still do now but we no longer need punches, kicks and blows as an excuse to touch each other, I think to myself as I place a small kiss on his shoulder. He curls up on his side, sighing softly.

I smile too and look down at the beautiful man I am blessed to call my mate, blessed to call my own.

| "This is life. It's a beautiful day. The sun is shining. I'm here with my family and the ones I love. It doesn't get much better than this." |

As the words ring in my head, the sun rises higher in the sky. I realize I'll have to wake him soon. We so rarely get a quite time like this. I understand what Chi Chi meant. Bejiita is my family now. I would die to keep him safe.

The sun rises higher still.

I'll watch him a little while longer...just a little longer.

===

We finally arrive at the tournament. A little late, I add. All the other fighters are already there. Kai oo sama rushes over to gripe about Kakarotto's, our tardiness. Not even bothering with pleasantries or hello's.

"I have my honor riding on you Gokuu!!!"

"Did you make <i>another</i> bet with West Kai?! Who's he betting on this time? I don't even see Pikuhan here."

I noticed that Oripu guy hadn't show up either. Lucky for him. But aside from him no one knows me, nor that Kakarotto and I are together. Even Kai oo sama hadn't mentioned it at all. He goes on prattling with Kakarotto.

"Ohhh, that idiot said he has some new fighter. Heard he's very quiet and.." Kai oo sama carries on.

I eventually tune them out and go back to my thoughts.

I'm usually such an early riser. Why didn't he wake me?! I know he was up before me. Hn. I guess there's no harm done. Apparently, we didn't miss anything as the ever eccentric Grand Kai approaches the podium.

"Helloooo! Isn't this a faaahn day for fightin'?! I'd like to say thanks to all the people who came to see the festivities and goood luck to all ya'll who are participatin'! Now I'll turn it over to our faaahn referee here!"

A cat woman in a red dress flashed a bright smile before grabbing a microphone.

"Hi! I'm Koto![1] Just a few ground rules before we get started. You lose the match if you give up, touch anything outside the ring, or if you die. But you don't have to worry too much about that because you're all already dead!! "The rounds will be 10 minutes each. If after ten minutes there is no clear winner, one will be decided by the judges."

"Now no cheating, and no hitting below the belt!"

All of this is demonstrated by a crudely drawn, little animation on the main screen. A blocky, pixilated, cartoon character kicks some unlucky bastard in the crotch.

"Now remember! The top three fighters will be given medals, and the top fighter, will get a secret-- I mean an EXtra special praaz!!" She says over the mic. Must everyone

try to mimic Grand Kai's ridiculous accent?

Grand Kai speaks again. "Now let us...begin!!" he yells and hits a small golden gong signaling the first match.

===

The first match was a joke. An incredibly tiny man with a huge moustache darted about the arena. While his opponent, a huge green skinned...man with chef's hat yawned for the 7th time. The small one sprinted around, raining small, ineffective punches on the other. The green skinned man, Pat Boy was it?.. Just yawned yet again and looked at his nails.

"What the hell kind of fight is this!?" I shrieked. I wondered if he would just lie down in the middle of the ring and take a nap.

"Yea, he's being more docile than usual today. And he's suppose to be so strong too.

West Kai said said he saved his entire quadrant." Kakarotto informed me.

A snort.

"From what? boredom?

He snickered. "You know Kai oo sama said the same thing?"

"Oh yea?"

Then finally we turned back to the "fight" to see Pat Boy suddenly grab the gnat like man and fling him out of the ring. He hit the opposite wall with a loud thud. Pat Boy stretched, yawned, waved to the crowd and walked off the stage.

Finally!

===

The next few matches are a little more interesting. I guess that's the word I should use.

The two fighters that are up now are actually competent! One man uses a long staff as his weapon, the other a long blue sword. It seems to be made of water. Tokio Mikagami the announcer said. [2]

The man with the staff calls out some ridiculously elaborate technique and flies at his opponent with inhuman speed. His staff whirling so that it looks like he had 500 staffs instead of one. But Mikagami did not seem worried in the least. He manages to block every swing of that staff.

Surprised and enraged that his technique had not been successful, instead of trying to jab him with the end of the staff, the other man swings it in outstretched loops and circles, hoping one would catch him off guard.

To no avail.

Mikagami dodges and jumps gracefully back into place.

The staff fighter sneers and throws some nasty curse at the other and screams another attack. Now it blurs so that he has 1000 staffs. The swordsman blocks all with ease.

| But how can he block 1000 simultaneous blows? |

"Look closely Kakarotto"

"Hm? What do you mean?" I ask.

"I used a staff once in my earlier years. One of it's main techniques is shaking it to throw off the enemy. Shaking it makes it appear to be more numerous and confuses the opponent as to where to strike. But he is not fooled. Look again."

I glance back to see him 'blocking' but he isn't blocking at all. There is really only one staff. Of all the staffs flying about, there is one in the middle that moves independently of the others. The Mikage sees the true staff, and only blocks that one. He thrusts his sword forward and meets the end of the staff each time.

What a fascinating attack. I never really use more than my body or ki blasts to fight.

The swordsman whispers something to himself and with one final 'block' the man's staff explodes into a cloud of sawdust. A small glowing gem falls from it and rolls on the floor.

That gem must have been the source of his power. The man stares shocked and unbelieving before he falls to his knees and forfeits.

The swordsman has won.

===

The next few matches came and went. Some ending almost as soon as they began. One fighter that seemed to be loosing whispered something and his opponent just disappeared. They are still looking for him even now, but the other fighter has been declared the winner.

Kakarotto is up now. But he ends the fight rather quickly. Again his opponent Pat Boy stands there like the boring bump on a log he is. Kakarotto just frowns at his lack of enthusiasm for fighting. Pat Boy stretches again. If I had blinked I would have missed the punch Kakarotto dealt that threw Pat out of the ring.

"Sorry bout that. You were just wide open. I couldn't resist" he says laughing with a hand behind his head.

Kakarotto comes to stand next to me again, giving me a thumbs up for his easy victory. Then tells me about the silly fight he had with a caterpillar last time he participated in Heaven's Tornament.

"Hahaha...It was so weird. Then he grabbed me and tickled me! Hhaha! Then I said 'Aren't you suppose to <i>fight</i> in a fight?' And he started crying and then he went into hibernation."

"I thought you said these fighters were all so skilled!" I yell surprised to find that most of them are just a joke.

"Yea...I guess they haven't been training ne?"

===

The rounds go on and I continue to watch. But Kakarotto is a slave to his stomach and goes to pester Kai oo sama for food. He's over 50 feet from me yet somehow I can still hear him chewing.

He's so busy eating he hardly watched my own match! I made short work of that fish out of water and he waved a huge chicken wing in congradulations. I had to laugh at that. Kakarotto...stuffing his face as if the world would come to an end if he didn't. It's <i>me</i> he should be worried about!

| Some things never change. But they will today, just you wait and see Kakarotto |

But maybe it's better that way. I'll love the look on his face when he sees how much stronger I have gotten. Even after all this time, I still feel the need to prove my strength to him. Prove I'm worthy of him...

I stop my musings and look up at the match already in progress. The water swordsman is up again, but now so is another. He's a strange man with reddish black hair and clothes. His sword seems to be on fire but it does not burn him. I think they said he was Kazuki. [3] There seems to be a dark aura looming around him. He looks almost human. But then, so do I.

The match begins. With one hand on hip, he smirks arrogantly before crouching low. He does not draw his sword.

| He must be pretty fast |

As suddenly as the thought formed in my head he darted at Mikagami and a loud, metallic clang sounds. The other fighter has a look of surprise on his face as he is forced to block. They took a few swings and swipes at each other. More to size the other up than to harm.

The fiery one darts back an arm's length from his opponent and delivers two shallow slashes, first to his right then left arm, singeing the fabric of his shirt. He finishes with one very low sweeping cut. Mikagami did not block the first two slashes but jumps just in time to avoid losing his feet.

The fight really begins. Mikagami lands and comes right back with three quick slashes. Even though his sword is made of water, those slashes are intended to hurt. Kazuki seems a little surprised and he moves out of the way of the first two and ducks under the last to trip him. While he's still on the ground, Kazuki crouches and raises his flaming sword right above his opponents neck, planning to end this right here. But he quickly rolls out of the way and gracefully regains his footing.

| Hn. Pretty good for a human |

The crowd ooh and ahhs.

I noticed that aside from the clashing elements they use, they are complete opposites. The water swordsman seems calm and refined, in demeanor, dress, and fighting style. While Kazuki is much more frenetic, rough around the edges, and maybe even crazy.

The calm one puts the sword up in front of him. The gem at the hilt begins to glow and the blade emits fog. The cloud of steam starts to engulf him and the entire arena. Kazuki looks around wildly. He grits his teeth in annoyance and stretches out his arm.

"Shyonetsu!!" A ball of fire forms in his hand and he launches it at what he can see of Mikagami. It cuts through the steam quickly and the figure holding the sword explodes into a plume of more steam.

Confused and just a little worried, Kazuki looks from left to right frantically. Mikagami jumps out of the fog sword raised high for an overhead strike. Kazuki catches a glimpse of him at the corner of his eye and just barely blocked in time. Their swords clash and push against each other. Mikagami sword gives off more steam and the flames around Kazuki's sword get weaker and weaker. Mikagami pushes him off and and a few feet away. He rolls away and quickly shoots another fireball. This one larger than the first.

"Shyonetsu!" he yells and Mikagami uses his left arm and the sword to block it. The fireball hits the sword. While the blade is unharmed, the glowing gem in the middle has cracked.

Mikagami makes a face of almost comical dismay as the water of the blade melts without the gem to maintain it. Kazuki's sword has lost all it's fire but the blade was not made of flame. He still has a sword while Mikagami only has a hilt.

"Oh..OH NO!!" West Kai yells from his seat near the arena. Mikagami was his prized fighter. Mikagami is losing. West Kai bet that his watery sworsman could win the tournament. But Kai oo sama countered and bet he would not even make it to the finals. Looks like Kai oo sama won that bet already.

Kazuki's cockiness returns and his smirks. He darts over to a shocked Mikagami. he stand over him before putting an hand on his own left shoulder. Only a moment goes by and Kazuki disappears in an explosion of fire and smoke. Mikagami, singed and beaten, is blasted from the ring and hits the ground. It seems only Kazuki's pants remain. But he reappears in the center of the arena.

He is declared the winner and I laugh as West Kai sobs into his hat. Now he has to pay up on whatever bet he made with Kai oo sama.

Kazuki mutters something to himself, jumps and blurs out of sight.

Odd.

Even over all the commotion from the last fight, Kakarotto hasn't noticed a thing as he scarfs all the food in his reach. That was one of the few decent fights in this whole damn tournament and he spent it with his head in a ramen bowl.

He'll be up in a match or two and he still has a pork bun hanging out of his mouth.

"Damn it Kakarotto. Quit stuffing your face and get your ass over here!!! You'll be up soon!!"

"Hm? Yea ok!!" He yells around his food. He grabs an armful of food and drags it over with him as comes to stand next to me near the arena. Chomping all the way.

I just look at him in slight annoyance and amusement as he jams another bun in his

mouth in an attempt to fill his bottomless stomach.

"Kakarotto I think you have a problem.."

TBC!

===

[1] Koto = She was the cat girl ref. from the tournament in Yuu Yuu Hakusho. I just felt like doing a cross over :P

[2] The two fighters mentioned here are from Flame of Rekka. Tokio Mikagami : the guy with the elemental water sword fought a man who used a staff in the tournament.

[3] Kazuki :the firey fighter from Samurai Showdown Four. Those are some of his techniques. He's really fun to fight against.