Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Trials and Tribulations of Being Royalty ❯ Open Your Eyes ( Chapter 19 )

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball/Z/GT or its characters. I do not own any other licensed products that may appear throughout this fan fiction piece.

AN: I've had so many computer problems, so much writers block, and so much school work. So, my apologies. Plus, I'll admit I'm plain old lazy. Anyways… here is the newest chapter in celebration of me being here at ff.net for one year. The next chapter will be out on April 5th to celebrate the one yr anniversary of this fic. Enjoy. And Please, review!

~*~

Let's review . . . when we last left them, it was looking like this:

*

Swirls of energy quickly engulfed Goku as he took to the air. Flying off at an unmatchable speed, Goku joined the stars, streaking against the night's sky, disappearing in a flash of light. Speeding away from the place of torment, away from conniving fathers . . . away from the object of it all . . . Chi-Chi.

*

The long silver blade, embellished with the words, `in hoc singo vinces', lay close to Richard's throat. He could easily make out the flame like design that licked the motto of the Maou Kingdom. Swallowing hard, he closed his eyes, prepared to take whatever the King was prepared to do. He was at his sovereign's mercy, ready to pay for his actions with his life.

*

Whispering his final words to the blue haired girl surrounded by white roses, his took off. The words, so full of his hidden emotions, floated in the wind that swept through the garden, its cold cutting through Bulma's shocked figure. Wrapping her arms around herself, she broke down and cried, her sobs joining the echo of Vegeta's final words.

"I'm sorry."

~*~

Chapter 19: Open Your Eyes

Sighing, Richard leaned against the porch railings, allowing the cool breeze to pass over him. Clutching his coffee, he allowed his thoughts to roam. The weekend had been a disaster; everything in their world was destroyed. After the announcement, the lower class Saiyan had disappeared, never returning to the palace. The Prince and Princess had remained silent through the rest of the days, never even looking at the other. The two Kings had been celebrating and planning, never acknowledging the cloud that had hung over their heads.

One hand trailed up to his neck, fingering the thick white bandage that lay, half covered by the color of his shirt. The memory of how close he had been to death was fresh in his mind. Fortunately, he had been spared, re-knighted, promising once again to serve his Princess properly. Sighing, he faintly wondered if it was worth all of this.

Looking up, he watched as the two Saiyans left their house, heading to the black luxury car in the driveway. The Saiyan Prince stood tall, his stance as arrogant as ever. Yet, if you looked close enough, the slump in his shoulders and the darkness under his eyes betrayed the truth. Richard couldn't claim to know much about him, but he could see past the cold façade. The entire weekend had been spent in relative silence, merely nodding along with his father's words, avoiding the Princess, avoiding any eye contact.

Yet, in comparison, the other Saiyan, Kakarott or Goku, was a total mess. Even from his station on the porch he could see the sad, distant look in the dark eyes. His usual spiky mess of hair was in even more disarray, his clothes haphazardly strewn over his muscular frame. He hadn't been seen over the weekend, only now could the royal guard see the hollow of the boy's cheeks, the death of his eyes, and the lack of any emotion upon the boy's face.

His eyes stayed on the two Saiyans as they entered their car, departing for school. Sighing, Richard returned to the house, set upon finding Chi-Chi and getting her to school on time as well. A faint smile played upon his lips at the thought of his beautiful Princess. She had discovered his actions, and over the time of the weekend, begun to trust him yet again. She had not forgiven him of his past actions; however, she had taken him back into her confidence, unable to be alone again.

Knocking on the door, he was saddened to hear the absence of her usual music and the sounds as she happily dressed. Instead, the door was merely opened as the girl slipped through the door, silently moving past him and heading downstairs. Allowing a soft sigh to pass his lips, he followed the girl to the kitchen.

Passing her a mocha latte, he received a small grateful smile, easily retuning it with a soft smile of his own. Slowly, he began to survey her as she sipped her morning beverage. Her usual showy clothes were replaced with a pair of dark blue flared jeans and a soft cream colored v-neck cashmere sweater with long belled sleeves. Her makeup lay in soft colors, her hair laying long and loose, spilling down her back in silken ebony waves. Her eyes, usually sparkling with mischief and joy, were dim, coated with despair and hopelessness. Yet, a spark of anger lit up in them, crackling over her obsidian orbs like lightening.

Turning around, he watched the King enter the room. King Maou had decided to return for a few days before moving along with the wedding plans. His cheerful morning greeting did nothing but increase the tension in the room. Pushing back her chair loudly, Chi-Chi swiftly left the room, never once looking or speaking to her father.

Silently following her, he watched passively as she pulled on her black healed boots. Standing, she grabbed her school bags and silently left the house, only to stop on the porch. The usual limousine was not in its usual place. Putting his arm around the Princess, he quietly spoke. "Your father is in need of the limo today, so we'll be taking another vehicle."

Directing her to shimmering white Benz, he pushed her into the back seat, allowing her to settle in the soft leather seats before getting into the drivers seat. As he drove down the newly familiar roads, he occasionally glanced back at his charge. The Princess merely watched out the window, never acknowledging him, but constantly staring, a far away look consuming her, with unshed tears glistening in her dark eyes.

~*~

Settling in his seat at the empty table, King Maou brought the steaming mug of coffee to his face, allowing the warmth to caress his skin. Sipping the hot beverage, the renowned King flipped over his morning paper, anxious to see what news the day would bring. As soon as his eyes landed upon the front page picture, coffee sprayed across the table.

Shocked, the aging King quickly stood, knocking his chair to the floor with the sudden force of his action. Escaping the dining room, heading towards his office, King Maou was intent on discovering the truth, the morning newspaper clutched tightly in his royal fist.

~*~

Entering the school, Chi-Chi navigated her way through the crowds, her head held high, defiance plainly written upon her face. Whispers surrounded her as she moved through the halls, eyes following her every move as she exchanged her books at her locker. Ignoring them, she went about her own business, not allowing the surrounding students know how much they unnerved her. Gathering her English books, she shut her locker door and headed to her first class of the day, never once looking at the other students.

Once she had entered the room, silence reined in the small room. Every student's eyes were focused on the Princess. Obsidian eyes narrowed, aiming a look of utter loathing with practiced skill at those who dared to stare at her. Many looked away at her cold glare, but this did not stop the stares and whispers that began as she made her way to her seat, Richard following silently in tow.

Taking her seat, she avoided making eye contact with her friends, unsure if they knew or even if they were still her friends. Instead, she merely removed her books, preparing for the usual English lecture, hoping that she could get through the day without any problems, knowing that her hope was futile. English went relatively smoothly, the professor had practically made her wish come true by having them write an essay. However, dread fell heavily upon her heart, the knowledge that her next class included Bulma who sat beside her.

Entering the Advanced Biology classroom, she quickly made her way to her seat, never once looking up. However, when her dark eyes glanced up, she found herself looking into blue eyes that were clouded with sorrow. `Bulma.' Unable to stand the guilt that she felt, she looked away, avoiding looking up anymore. Chi-Chi was unable to take notes, the tremble in her hands making her handwriting illegible. Tears pricked her eyes as she fought not to release the many emotions that plagued her at the moment.

A warm hand fell upon her shoulder, comfort radiating from the touch. Her trembling steadied at the touch, her resolve strengthening. Looking up to give a thankful look to Richard, she was startled to see that it was Bulma who had initiated contact. Unable to talk, she merely mouthed her words. "It's okay." She said the sadness apparent in his serious face. "We'll talk later, okay?"

Chi-Chi agreed, hastily looking back to her messy notes. The remainder of the class period was spent in a trance, her thoughts racing through her mind. She knew that her time spent at school would be a waste of time. She knew it since she had woken up that morning. Yet, with her father at the house, she knew she had to escape, school being left as her only option.

As the bell rang, she gathered her things, slowly. As if she were marching towards her death, she slowly made her way through the crowds to her next class, French. Reaching the door, her stomach gave a violent twist. Never in her life had she felt so much dread. Her nerves were on edge as she stood there, looking into the room, spotting the one person she had dreaded meeting up with.

Goku.

So lost in the vision, she never heard the bell sound above her. However, the grating sound of her French professor did break through her thoughts. Startled, she found an irate professor in front of her, asking her if she would be joining the class anytime soon. Taking one look at where she sat, feeling his gaze upon her, she found herself turning sharply, running from the room.

Blindly, she rushed through the empty hall, the sound of her boots upon the hard flooring the only noise audible. Reaching the door at the end of the hall, she quickly exited, throwing herself out into the sunlight. Crystalline tears began to flow down her porcelain skin as she made her way to the seat she had taken her first day at school. Slumping upon the bench, she allowed her tears to flow unchecked, the sound of her sobs carrying through the yard.

Richard leaned against the brick building, watching as she let out days worth of emotional turmoil. The sound of her cries reached his ears, piercing his soul. He knew he would be of no comfort. The girl's life was slowly being destroyed, her father reconstructing it to fit the model that he desired, the path he chose for her to take.

He was soon broken from his reverie as the door next to him opened, two figures emerging. Immediately, his arm reached out, stopping the two males to pass him. Violently, he shook his head, his eyes trailing to the sobbing princess. Instead, he pushed them back through the door, following them inside.

"What do you two think you're doing?" He asked harshly.

"We saw her run out the room baka!" Vegeta growled. "We were coming to get her."

Richard returned Vegeta's glare with fervor, prepared to deal with the Saiyan Prince as necessary. With his full focus on the royal blooded of the two, Goku was left out of his mind, never thinking that the Princess's true love would be prepared to speak to her with all that had happened. Yet, the third class warrior calmly walked past the two glaring males, making his way out onto the court yard.

Walking with grace only known to few, Goku made his way in pure silence to the sobbing girl. The sound of her cries, her harsh self deprecating words assaulted him as he approached her from behind. Ignoring her flinch as he wrapped his arms around her curled up body, he brought her to his chest and began to rock her, whispering soothing words into her ear. Slowly her sobs subsided, her tears slowed. Leaning against him, she allowed a sigh to escape her lips. Trailing her fingers down his well muscled arms, she locked her hands over his, covering them as best as they could.

Her fingers intertwining with his with familiarity, she closed her eyes, wishing that it were true, that their world hadn't been turned upside down by greed and selfishness. "I wish I wasn't a princess." She murmured as she traced circles upon his palm. "I wish it would just end, that we could be together."

A soft chuckle escaped Goku's lips as he rested his head upon her shoulder. "As do I . . ."

Feeling a rough, unfamiliar texture at their joined hands, Chi-Chi looked down, turning his wrist over before he could pull away. White bandages wrapped with medical tape peaked out from the sleeve of his navy blue shirt. Taking a deep breath, she pushed the material up.

Two pairs of obsidian eyes closed in unison, both blocking tears from falling, both desiring to block out their emotions, both trying to block out reality. Two pairs of hands tightened, their embrace constricting as if they were the only things holding them from drowning in their own sea of emotions. Perhaps that is how it was, their sole buoy that had been threaten.

A single tear fell upon Goku's wrist, only to be slowly absorbed by the bandage. Bringing her lips to the white binding, she allowed them to softly caress the rough material. "Why?" She softly asked, knowing the answer that was to come.

Nuzzling her neck, he whispered his words. "I couldn't stand the thought of living without you. It seemed like the only way out. I love you so much . . . I don't know how we ever got together and when I fell, but I love you. And the mere thought of living the next day without you by my side . . . it's unbearable. Unconceivable."

"I was so scared; I just didn't know what to do. I thought that if I weren't alive, that you could go through it easier. But when I cut, I think I knew I couldn't go through it. I didn't cut very deep. But Vetgeta found me . . . yell at me, the bastard." A small smile tugged at his lips as he glanced to where the prince now held back a fuming guard. "He made me realize just what I was doing. I was giving up, without a fight. I was accepting defeat, and prepared to die without honor. Granted, he beat it into me too. I was being a coward. I let everything fall down around me, and I crumbled with it."

Pressing his lips to her cheek, he pulled her closer to his chest. "I love you. I know what is to come, and it doesn't matter to me. I'll love you no matter what. I'll be here no matter what. We'll find a way . . . someday . . ."

Her voice softly joined with his as she leaned into his embrace and the two of them stared off into the clear sky. ". . . someday we'll be together . . . Aishiteru . . ."

~*~

A brandy glass shattered upon the hearth, the perfect crystal exploding into tiny fragments as it was thrown into the fire. The liquor and glass were quickly swallowed up by the flames that burned brightly, lighting the office with its flickering glow. Standing in the middle of the room, a single man held the morning newspaper in his hand. Anger was plainly written upon his face, his piercing eyes darkening with anger.

A cry of rage and frustration broke through the heavy atmosphere as the paper was thrown into the fire, joining the previous place of the brandy glass. Deep set eyes reflected the flickering flames of the fire as he watched it intently, staring at the paper as it slowly burned.

The pages slowly crinkled, the edges turning to bright red at the heat. As the paper was reduced to ash, he merely watched, the picture of a dark haired obsidian eyed princess slowly crumbling within the flames. Standing in perfect silence, he watched as the picture burned with the paper, her twinkling eyes and smiling face the last thing visible before it was completely reduced by the searing heat of the flames.

~*~

A familiar group of teens slowly walked out into the cool weather of the yard behind the school, intent on taking their usual seats for the lunch period. The cool air temperature seemed to drop as the group moved by, their morose and silent nature carrying past them. No one spoke; instead, each seemed to be consumed by their own thoughts.

Looking up from the table at which she sat, Bulma looked past her friends, able to catch a glance of a cuddling couple, the tears evident in their eyes. Her bright blue eyes softened at the sight as she remembered that she was in no way the only affected by the recent turn of events. A ghost of a smile played upon her lips as she watched them, her heart going out to them as it ached in remembrance. Unable to resist, her eyes flickered to the stoic Prince, sorrow once again enveloping her as she looked back down at the table.

It was Yamcha's voice that permeated the intense silence. "So . . . are we not talking to her or what?" He asked his voice coated with confusion and sorrow.

Bulma's head shot up in shock, her eyes wide. "What are you talking about Yamcha?"

"I'm talking about a certain princess who's sitting over there." He said as he nodded towards the two teens. "I mean, I thought we were cool with her . . . but . . ."

Juuhachi glared at him, her ice blue eyes narrowing as her temper rose with the inconsideration he displayed with his words. Before she could speak, she was cut off with Bulma's soft voice.

"No."

Everyone stared at her with confusion plainly painted across their countenances. Out of everything they had expected, this was not it. Anger at Chi-Chi for the events that had come to pass. Frustration . . . rage . . . sorrow . . . grief . . . pain . . . All of that was to be expected. But now, instead, she was acting calm. All of those emotions were still there, but more was behind it as well.

"No. She's our friend. Even if we hated her in the beginning," Her eyes twinkled at the thought of when they had first met Chi-Chi, "and even if we just started out as friends with an alliance . . . none of that matters. We became close . . . she became our friend. A true friend. And true friends don't abandon each other in times of need. It isn't her fault, what's going on." Her eyes danced over Vegeta's tense form. He hadn't looked at her since that night; instead, his dark eyes had avoided hers at all cost. "Chi-Chi isn't the only one affected by this anyways . . . in some way, all of us are. So we're all going to help, right?"

The group immediately smiled at her, some reassurance coming back. There had been an odd feeling about the group since the turn of events. Chi-Chi had become a part of their group, an integrated but precious part of them.

Yamcha merely studied the girl he had known for the majority of his life. Their past had easily allowed him to see past her facades and walls. Yes, he could see she truly wanted to help. She wanted to help her friends, as well as herself and her own love. He knew she loved Vegeta . . . the love had been there when the two were together, the years they were apart, and even during the short time they were together again. It was something he had always longed for, true, everlasting love.

"Bulma, I assume that you are hiding something. I know that twinkle in your eye when you've got something up your sleeve." He said with a teasing voice.

"Well, I mean . . . look at them." She said gesturing to their two absent friends. "They belong together, they deserve happiness. We deserve happiness." She said in a lower voice, her eyes hanging upon Vegeta with that statement. "So we've got to help them. I'm sure we can come up with something. After all, the wedding isn't for a couple of months. Just because Chi-Chi and Vegeta can't do anything about it, it doesn't mean we can't. We don't hold a loyalty or expected respect for the crowns. And here at school, it's a bit different. Here they can be together. Here, no one knows what happened. So their safe for at least a few hours during the week. It will also give us time to plan something."

Vegeta merely smirked at the girl. Deep down, he was cursing himself for giving up so quickly. He should have known she wouldn't go down without a fight. The last of her words were said with a heavy undertone, one he fully understood. Moving to her, he wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close to him. "I knew I kept you around for something onna." He said in a low husky tone as he flashed her a rare and true smile.

Krillin hesitantly reached into his book bag as he looked at his friends regretfully. "Bulma . . . you might want to change the last of what you said. I'm willing to help. Goku is my best friend. Hell, everyone is willing to help eh?" Nods and exclamations of agreement came from the circle of friends quickly, reassuring them of their support. "It's just . . . oh hell, just read it for yourself." With that, he placed the morning newspaper on the table, exposing the front page.

`A Match Made In Heaven . . . Or Hell?'

Eyes widened at the spectacle that covered the front of the newspaper, each picture a shock to their system, each harsh word a blow to their mind. Underneath the headline was a panoramic picture that burned into their minds. Underneath the bright lights of a club from what seemed to be so long ago, the photographer had captured the image of Chi-Chi and Vegeta dancing. Chi-Chi leather and silk clad body was tightly compressed to the hard muscular body of the Saiyan prince, his arm around her as their hips ground together.

Vegeta swallowed hard, remembering their dance at the club, The Inferno. How someone had captured it on film had him shocked. He hadn't noticed anyone with a camera, but then again, his mind was far from being focused on that sort of thing that night. His dark eyes continued to scan the pictures that decorated the page. A large picture of Chi-Chi took center on the page, displaying what looked to be a confident, beautiful, smiling future leader. The picture was a stark contrast to the lust lidded gaze the two had held in the club. The italicized subheading caught his eye as he stared, uncomprehending, at the paper.

`Impending marriage between a Demon and an Angel . . . or just two devils in disguise?'

"Shit." He muttered as he continued to study the page, his eyes traveling to the harsh words the news reported stated. His single utterance was heartily agreed with as the group stared down at the offending paper, each small word dealing a great deal of damage to them and their plans of the future.

`In a shocking twist of events, our sources have revealed the upcoming announcement of marriage between the Saiyan Prince Vegeta and the Heir to the Maou Kingdom throne, Princess Chi-Chi . . .'

~*~

Alright. Now I leave it up to you to decide. Do you want to know all the slanderous things the article says? I want your input, so let me know in a review. It's already planned that you'll hear a few things, but I leave it to you if I include the entire degrading reporter's bashing of the two. So let me know what you think.

By the way, in my author's profile, you can find out just how far along I am in a fic, if I'm working on it, or if it is on hold. It's updated often; this way you'll know just what I'm doing and when to expect the newest of any of my stories.

And as always, please review!