Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ To the Stronger ❯ 8 ( Chapter 8 )

To the Stronger-Ch. 8

Daikon took Vegeta to a quiet, suburban neighborhood, where they landed. "This way," she said and led him through the dark to a small children's playground. It had the usual: swings, monkey bars, merry-go-round, straight slide, and a taller, twisting slide. Vegeta had never seen anything like this place before.

His eyes were wide with wonder. "What is this?"

"Crystal Creek Park," she answered, thinking he meant where. She gazed at it fondly. "I used to play here all the time when I was little. It's a good place to get away from it all."

She slowly walked across the grass and sat down in one of the swings. Vegeta followed and sat next to her, looking at the swing distrustfully before he did so.

"How's school going?" She idly pushed at the ground with her feet, swinging ever so slightly.

Vegeta was distracted from responding by trying to figure out what they were sitting on and why anyone would want to sway back and forth on an uncomfortable strip of cloth attached precariously to two chains. "What are you doing?"

"What?"

"That." He waved a hand at her.

She blinked. "Haven't you ever seen a swingset before?"

He felt the heat rise to his cheeks. This must be another one of those things everyone else knew about. "It's not Saiyan, is it?" he tried to sound disdainful.

He succeeded. Daikon frowned at his tone. "No. But it's fun. Although you have to be a little careful not to tip the swingset over; it's not reinforced for Saiyans."

"How is it fun?"

"Well, try it and see!" Now she smiled, and kicked off with her feet so she began to swing out ever higher and higher.

Vegeta watched warily, but it didn't seem likely to hurt him, so he followed her example. Higher and higher. . .

"How do you like school?" she asked again, pausing her swings and starting over so they were going at the same speed.

"Well enough." She waited for more, but nothing else came.

"I heard you're going to try out for the martial arts team on Monday."

"Yeah."

She racked her brain for something else. "Do you get along with Radditz and Kakkarot?"

"So far. We'll see what happens now I've kissed him."

She laughed. "He'll get over it."

He suddenly remembered what she had said about the kiss, and cursed himself for bringing it up. "Um. . ." Change the subject, quick. "Do you like school?"

"Oh, I suppose. It's not my favorite thing in the world, though. I won't grieve when it's over." She shrugged "Of course, then I'll have to go to college."

Vegeta had yet to see the point of swinging. "What's that?" he asked, pointing at the slide.

She stared at him. "Oh, Vegeta!" He'd really never been on a playground before, that was so hard to believe. "Well, come on, I'll show you." She jumped in mid-swing and landed nimbly on the ground. Vegeta followed suit and she led him over to the slides.

They were too big for the smaller slide, which was only intended for very young children. But they could fit on the other one. "See the steps? We climb up, then we slide down!" She started climbing. Vegeta once again examined the strange contraption carefully before joining her up the steps. He watched her reach the top and then go down. Vegeta frowned and went down in his turn. The sides of the slide came up fairly high, since it was a twister slide. Vegeta didn't like feeling enclosed. And once more, he wondered what the point was. Maybe it would be more exciting if you were younger, or human.

When his feet touched ground again, Daikon took his hand and pulled him over to the monkey bars. "Come on, see this one."

He felt his face flush when she took his hand. It felt very warm and soft in his. At first he didn't think he liked it, and then he wasn't so sure.

"This is the jungle gym," she explained. "You climb on the bars and hang from them. I always used to pretend this one was a space ship, because of its shape. I'd climb up to the very top and be the pilot."

"Hn." He watched her climb to the topmost bar, and dangle upside down by her knees and her tail. This contrivance seemed more entertaining than the others had been, so he followed her on up.

He sat on the bar; she pulled herself up and they sat side-by-side, facing different directions. He gazed at her from the corner of his eye. "What do you want to go to college to do?"

"I don't know yet. It might be fun to be an architect. Or to work in ergonomics."

He turned his head. "What's that?"

"Oh, that's designing stuff, like-well, cars, for example. Where should the gear-shift be? Or the brake, to be reached the fastest in case of emergency? How should the head rests lean, to be comfortable? You'd study stuff like that. Computer workstations, in offices. Exercise equipment."

Vegeta did not think that sounded at all interesting, but didn't say so.

"Will you go to college? What does a Prince need to know to. . . be a Prince?"

"I need to know how to serve the King." Vegeta felt a strange weight constricting his chest when he wondered about the future. He had always tried not to think about it too hard, for he honestly didn't know what Ani would have him do or be. Other than the obvious: Vegeta supposed he would be Ani's whore as long as he lived.

"So, like politics and government and stuff?"

Vegeta nodded, just to have an answer and make her stop asking. Change the subject again. "The stars are coming out."

She looked up into the sky. "If you weren't a Prince, what would you want to be?"

Vegeta laughed. Daikon looked at him sharply. She didn't know what all emotions were in that laugh. It had sounded almost bitter and pained. "Vegeta?"

"It doesn't matter. I am a Prince."

"It does matter!" she protested. "You're not just a thing, a symbol. You're a person. You have feelings. And wants."

Vegeta couldn't swallow, he couldn't breathe. She was wrong. He'd pledged, he was no longer a person, he was Ani's, he only lived for Ani, but it was just, it was right, he was always supposed to have been. He jumped from the bar to the ground.

She followed immediately, sensing something was wrong, but not knowing what. She vaguely suspected pressures of being Royalty, but she didn't really know what Royalty had to do, that caused them to feel pressured. She stared at his face.

"The party's probably over by now," he said, voice curt, manner distant, face unreadable. "Time to go home."

"Oh!" Daikon cried, quite upset. It was a walk-out. He was never going to want to see her again, and she didn't even understand why. "You can't leave mad!"

Mad? He wasn't mad. But it had just hit him, like a ki blast to his heart, that he was different, he was wrong, it was irrevocable and unchangeable. He couldn't pass himself off as normal, he couldn't intermix with anyone else, they would learn his wrongness, and. . . His thoughts trailed off. What would they do? `They would hurt me. They would hate me.' He wondered why this mattered.

"I'm not mad," he said slowly, unable to meet her eyes. "I just-I don't feel like talking. And it is late."

She stepped closer, too close for his comfort, but he couldn't back away as if he was afraid. "What time do you have to be home?"

"I-I don't know. When Radditz and Kakkarot go home."

"We can go check, but. . . if it's not over. . . we could go back inside. They're probably doing something different now."

"I'm not going back to that party. I don't like parties." He did move now, walking aimlessly. He headed for the merry-go-round; he still didn't know what it did, so he asked.

"Stand on it," she instructed.

He gave her that look of suspicion again.

"I'm not going to hurt you! Go on." Daikon was starting to feel insulted by his constant distrust. But then she thought, well, he's a Prince, he probably has to worry about assassins and kidnapping and stuff.

He hesitated another moment, then he stepped on to the flat surface and grabbed hold of one of the metal bars that criss-crossed it. He looked at her.

She put her hands on the bar and pushed, walking around the circle, causing it to turn. Vegeta braced himself with his feet, startled. He watched as the world turned around him. But the girl stayed stationary, as he did. She was the focal point of the revolution. The girl with his mother's name. His mouth went dry. Dizziness hit him in waves.

The merry-go-round had gained enough momentum to turn for awhile on its own. Daikon stopped pushing and jumped on, next to Vegeta. She was a shy girl, a nice, quiet girl, who liked the idea of romance and liked Vegeta. She knew she was losing him, and doubted there would be a second date. She wished she could regain his interest. And the stars were shining, they were alone, and she had read too many girlie teen magazines.

"Vegeta," she said. She stepped in closer, right next to him. She leaned forward and kissed him on the lips.

He wasn't expecting it. One minute, she was standing beside him, then only inches from him, and now her lips were on his. Oh Dende, Dende, how his heart was pounding. He was too hot, his entire body felt flushed. He was too scared to move. He forgot to breathe.

She pulled back and smiled at him. Her smile disappeared almost instantly at the condescending, arrogant, ice-cold expression on his face. "Vegeta. . ."

"Daikon." He whispered her name, the girl at the center of his universe, for the moment. "Daikon. Daikon."

His voice was completely at odds with his expression. Her name sounded cherished, even worshipped.

`What is going on?' She was utterly confused.

His head jerked back and his eyes closed. His body spasmed, and he fell to his knees.

"Vegeta!" She threw herself down beside him and put her hand on his shoulder. "Are you OK?"

He went very still, then opened his eyes and looked at her. "I. . . I. . . need to go home. It's late. Please. I'm sorry."

He looked at her and didn't see her. She was spinning, as the world had spun, other images were over-layed on top of her, scenes from his life, too many flashbacks.

"What's wrong? Are you OK?" She sounded panicked.

"I need to go home." He stood up and staggered off the merry-go-round. She followed quickly, feeling a bit dizzy herself.

"All right. All right. Let me help you."

"I'm fine. I just need to go," he insisted, trying to see who was really in front of him and not phantoms. But it was no use. He stumbled again, then passed out.

He woke up hours later, in his bed at Bardock's house, chilled and sweating. It was dark and he was alone. He closed his eyes, embarrassment flooding him at collapsing on his date. He wondered how he had gotten back here. He ran a hand through his hair, then lay back. He was emotionally exhausted, and the world still seemed to spin, with a girl and a man at the center. "Ani," he murmured, voice full of anguish. "Mother." And the dreams closed in on him.

**OK, this scene is the first time Ani ever rapes him. Just after he makes Vegeta pledge to him. You can skip it if you don't want to read that. Stop reading when Ani starts beating him up. It takes up the rest of the chapter. It's fairly graphic. Maybe NC-17.**

The dreams closed in on him. . .

.: Vegeta came into their bedroom and caught Ani looking at a photo of their mother. He hadn't known they had any. Excited, he rushed over. "Is that Mom? Can I see it? Will you tell me about her?"

Ani quickly tucked the photo away in his pocket and looked over at his brother. He slowly stood, still staring. Vegeta's energy drained, and he went pale. That was a dangerous look.

"You've been getting awfully willful lately, Dai. Almost as if you're forgetting who's in charge. As if you've forgotten which of us is better."

Vegeta looked up at him. Ani's face was a little red, and his eyes were hard and furious. "I-I haven't meant to be, Ani. I know you're the best."

"No. I don't think you do." Ani was advancing on him. Vegeta was more afraid, suddenly, than he'd ever been. There was no mercy in Ani's eyes today at all.

Vegeta's throat closed up so it was hard to breathe and even harder to speak. "I know you're the best, Ani. I'm sorry, I never meant to be willful."

"But you are. You're talking back to me right now."

Vegeta's mouth clamped shut as he looked at Ani with hopeless eyes. His heart was racing so hard he honestly thought it would burst. He heard it all through his head. His body seemed to pulse with it. Goosebumps broke out on his flesh.

Ani loomed over him, wearing a calculating stare. "You may think that you know that I'm better, in your head. But you need to believe it, in your soul."

Vegeta started to tremble as Ani reached for him. He grabbed his chin in his fist and pulled his face up. "I want to see it in your eyes," he whispered. He suddenly closed his hand, nearly breaking Vegeta's jaw. Then he picked him up by his neck and started hitting him. Vegeta tried not to resist, but he couldn't help himself. This seemed to make Ani even angrier.

He let go and dropped Vegeta to the ground, then kicked him. "Ani," Vegeta pleaded. But Ani kept beating him, with fists and, at the end, ki. Finally the time came when he could only lay broken, in his own blood.

Ani was bending over him again. He forced his eyes to focus. "Which of us is stronger?"

"You," Vegeta answered, as fervently as he could.

Ani sighed. "That's better. But. . . something still seems to be lacking. Let me think."

He thought, while Vegeta stifled a moan. He'd been disciplined a lot in his 11 years, but he'd never been beaten this badly before. His clothes were little more than tatters. He felt utterly crushed. He still didn't fully understand why his brother had gotten so angry this time. He supposed it must have been his fault. But he honestly hadn't meant to be willful. "I'm sorry, Ani," he whispered.

Ani looked at him, then smirked, an eager, hungry light in his eyes. "I know. I want you to pledge to me, Dai."

Vegeta blinked. Even in all his self-loathing, he hadn't realized before that he deserved that. "Pledge? But. . . but. . ." His humiliation grew worse.

"You know the words."

"Ani. . ."

Ani held up his palm. He had a spark of ki glowing at the tip of each finger. Vegeta's eyes followed Ani's hand as it reached down, burning away the rags left of his pants, and wrapped around his young member, burning him, lancing pain to his very nerve endings. Vegeta screamed, curling in on himself, gasping.

When he was aware and could see past the pain again, he saw Ani above him, straddling his body. He heard the needy anticipation in his voice. "Say it. Say it, Vegeta."

He had no defiance left in him. Whatever had caused this, it was surely deserved. He was just too ignorant to understand. He was stupid, as well as weak.

"To. . . to the stronger. . . I pledge my body. To the victor, I. . . I. . . I give my soul."

"Very good. Very good." Ani continued to observe him.

Black and yellow spots swam before his eyes. The whole world seemed to sway, shimmering. Maybe it was. . . maybe it was that he was utterly unfit to even speak his mother's name. Maybe she'd been as ashamed of him as Ani often seemed to be. Maybe she'd hated him, maybe she'd told Ani it was his duty to punish him for having the temerity to be born into their family. Maybe she would have done it herself if she were alive. Why else would the brother he loved so much do this to him, if he didn't truly deserve it?

"Say, Dai. . . I've thought of one more thing you can do for me." Ani turned him over onto his stomach and nausea rose up in his throat. He choked it down. His whole body seemed to be on fire.

Ani pulled him up so he was on his knees, but his arms gave out. Ani just let him half-lay there, half-kneel. He didn't seem to mind. He was busy behind him.

Vegeta had no idea what was coming, until his brother brutally thrust himself inside his body. Vegeta choked again, biting down on his tongue to hold back a scream, as well as vomit.

Ani laughed and ran his hand over Vegeta's sweat-soaked back, then through his hair. "You pledged me. Now you'll know I'm stronger, in your body and your soul."

He began to thrust, deeply and savagely. Vegeta's other pains all seemed to center on that one spot that his brother was scraping raw inside him. He'd never felt so helpless and invaded, even when Ani would chain him. Hot tears built up to where they had to fall, leaving tracks down his blood-stained face.

"Oh, Dai," Ani breathed in his ear. "You never fail to amaze me. Who knew you'd feel so good? You can't do anything else-but this-this-ah, Dai. . ."

Ani was panting and clutching at his shoulders, digging in with his nails. To Vegeta it seemed to last forever. Finally Ani's breath caught and then he yelled, quivering. He convulsed inside him one last time, then pulled himself out. Vegeta fell over onto his side.

Ani gazed up at the ceiling for a moment, dazed. Then he rolled over and put an arm around Vegeta's waist. "Dai. . . did you cry?" He seemed puzzled. He wiped the tears away with his hand. Vegeta watched him.

Ani smiled. "You're truly something, little brother. I'll expect you to be pleasing me pretty regularly from now on."

Mist was closing in. He was in a darkening tunnel. How could he endure this again? He didn't know. He would just have to. He had pledged. There was nothing he could do. And did he have the right to protest, anyway? He had no right to escape when even his mother wanted him to be punished.

"You are the stronger, Ou-sama," he whispered.

Ani frowned. "Dai. . ."

Vegeta whimpered. Was Ani still displeased? "Ani, I want to please you."

Then Yasai smiled. "You have."

"I'm so sorry."

Ani leaned over and kissed him gently, just before he passed out. :.