Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ The Chosen One ❯ Chapter Twenty-One ( Chapter 21 )

The Chosen One

Chapter Twenty-One

"Hey guys! I've got great news!" Bulma shouted as she entered the castle. "The ship has been fixed!"

"It's about time," Vegeta grumbled.

"You mean we have to leave already?" Gohan asked with a hint of mournfulness in his voice. He had been enjoying himself so much that he had forgotten that he had a prophecy to fulfill.

"We'll be leaving tomorrow afternoon," Bulma said.

"Oh, that reminds me," the king said. "Your weapons are ready."

Piccolo examined his new axe. "I've never been a weapons enthusiast, but even I can recognize the skill of the craftsman who forged this."

Android 18 twirled her morning star around. "You know, this weapon suits me perfectly," she commented.

"Yeah, it really accents your graceful combat style!" Krillin piped in, sheathing his daggers.

"And speaking of whips . . ." Android 17 trailed off.

Trunks examined the area where his sword had been chipped. "Man, this looks good as new! Thanks a lot!"

Vegeta and Raditz were holding their swords in their hands, both scowling. "What is wrong?" the king asked. "Is there something you two do not like about your swords?"

"No," Vegeta responded. "It is a Saiyan tradition to name your sword, but I can't think of a single blasted name!"

Suddenly, Raditz thrust his sword up into the air, and he then sheathed it. Vegeta turned to him. "Well?"

"Redemption," Raditz answered.

The king turned toward Trunks. "Does your sword have a name?"

"Yeah, it does," Trunks said somewhat sheepishly. "It was my mother's idea. She said my sword should be called 'Odysseus.' You see, Odysseus was a hero in Greek mythology. The Greek poet Homer wrote the Odyssey about him. Odysseus was away at war, and due to various circumstances, he was detained from home for twenty years. When he returned, disguised as a beggar, he found his castle to be inhabited by twenty suitors, all after his wife. Odysseus killed all of them in a single battle.

"Mother thought it would be appropriate, since my world had been terrorized by the androids for twenty years, and then I showed up and destroyed them both. I then also managed to destroy Cell in my time."

"Grrr! I'm stuck!" Vegeta growled.

"I have an idea," Gohan offered.

Vegeta looked at Gohan. "Spit it out."

"Gilgamesh," Gohan suggested. "The Epic of Gilgamesh is a Mesopotamian story about a man named Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh pursued immortality, only to find that he had already achieved it, in a sense. His deeds earned him an immortal reputation."

"And how would this fit me?" Vegeta asked.

"I think you earned immortality of the reputation," Gohan explained. "Now, you are much like Gilgamesh. You once pursued immortality, and you would let nothing - not even a fellow Saiyan - stand in your way. Also, you're the last full-blooded royal Saiyan. Add to that the fact that you are the second-strongest full-blooded Saiyan in all of history, and you've got yourself one heck of a reputation."

"You win," Vegeta said. "Gilgamesh it is." He sheathed his new sword.

"Now, I would ask that you all kneel," the king said.

"Kneel?" Gohan asked, confused. "Why?"

"Please, just heed my request," the king said. "Will all of you except Prince Vegeta kneel?" They obliged, and the king walked up to each person and knighted them. When he was finished, he asked them to rise.

"Wait a second," Yamcha said. "I just thought of something. Does this mean we have to serve you now?"

"In your case, being named knights is just a title," the king said. "You are not citizens, so I cannot ask you to take an oath."

"Well, it seems the time has come to say farewell," the king said.

"Thank you for accommodating us, Your Majesty," Gohan said.

"Thank you, Gohan," the king responded, "for saving my daughter."

"Speaking of which, where is she?" Gohan asked.

"Well, Sephra has a difficult time saying her good-byes," the king answered, "but I'm sure she'll be thinking of you."

"Well, good-bye!" Bulma said as everyone got on the ship. A moment later, the engines powered up and the ship launched itself through the air.