This piece is part of a Halloween contest at Team Dragon Star. Let me know your thoughts and review/fave it to help me win! Enjoy!

Looking at her television, Videl Satan couldn't believe what she was seeing. The Ox King - a famous tyrant from yesteryear - was announcing an Ox Ball for Halloween, the holiday that was coming up next week.

He hadn't been heard from in years, and yet now here he was, organizing a major function? It was likely that King Furry would be invited, as well as the rulers of the many kingdoms across the planet. Her father would probably get to go as well, which meant, as much as she hated it, she too would probably receive an invitation.

However, the large man's next words placed some doubt in her mind: "Someone close to me with be personally delivering invitations to anyone who will be allowed to attend. Be forewarned, however, that any persons I have a grudge against shall not be invited, no matter their title. If you are to be invited, expect to receive your invitation by the end of the day."

Videl still assumed her father would fall under the umbrella of people the Ox King liked, but his words still undoubtedly placed that under question. Who knew what type of person an intimidating monarch like Gyumao despised? Nobody really knew anything about the tyrant outside of the fact he was still alive and overseeing his kingdom.

Walking out of her room, the Satan girl spied her father looking at a small picture frame residing on a shelf at the end of their upstairs hallway. "Hey Dad," she greeted. "Did you hear about the party the Ox King is organizing?" she asked.

"Yes, honey!" Mr. Satan bellowed, his boisterous voice thundering through the hallways. "I'll be sure to tell you about the specifics when I get the invitation. I'm positive we'll both be invited."

'Typical of Dad,' Videl thought, noting how her father didn't question for a moment whether or not he would receive an invitation. It was a given.

Choosing not to dwell on it any longer, the black-haired girl turned away from her father and jogged down the stairs to meet her best friend, Erasa. The blonde-haired teenager, who was Videl's long-time best friend, was waiting by the front door after having arrived just prior to Ox King's announcement.

"Hey Erasa," she greeted, smiling, as she approached the doorway. "What's up?"

"What's up? What's up is that there's going to be a huge gala in the palace of the Ox King! He just announced it!" Erasa started, already gossiping away.

"I know," Videl interrupted before her friend could get caught up in her ranting, "and it'll be interesting to see how this goes. I wonder who that giant man could hate? I feel bad for whomever that ends up being."

"Whatever, Vi! I just want to hear about his mysterious grandson, the heir to the Ox Kingdom. Apparently, since Gyumao hasn't been interested in ruling his kingdom lately, it's rumored that he may pass on his kingdom to his daughter's firstborn at the party!"

"What do you mean it's rumored that this'll happen, E? The party was just announced not even ten minutes ago!" Videl protested, astonished. Where was Erasa getting her information this quickly?

"Well, Miss Satan," Erasa started, hurt at Videl's doubt, "if you were technologically competent, you would've seen on your Z-Space news feed that these rumors certainly do exist!" Erasa finished, her facial expression completed by a pout. "Now let's go have some fun!"

With that, the pair of best friends ascended the stairwell, going off the Videl's room to chit-chat and have some fun. Questions about the Ox Prince and this Ox Kingdom Ball could wait.

The Ox King really didn't have many people he disliked. The only person who even remotely fit that bill was the obnoxious, self-proclaimed strongest man in the world, Mr. Satan. From what his grandson had told him, Mr. Satan's daughter was a nice person, but the elder Satan was insufferable.

In all of their meeting with other world leaders - which he could count on one hand, since he hated the politics - the burly World Champion had acted arrogantly, brashly, and without regard for the planet's citizens and safety. Combined with his attitude towards ki-users and martial arts, and Gyumao did not like Hercule Satan one bit.

Which is why, with Goten delivering invitations by hand for his exquisite costumed party to be held the night of Halloween, Mr. Satan was not receiving one. Might it be mean? Sure, but it was his party, in his kingdom, and nobody would deny him this wish, despite how petty it might be.

"Jenny," the Ox King began, addressing his assistant. "Where is Goten on his delivery route?" Jenny was one of the few workers in the Ox Kingdom who knew Goten and Gohan were the crowned Ox Princes. He trusted the younger woman, who was a brown-haired girl of about twenty years in age, and knew she could handle their lives. She didn't know any actual secrets - like that Son Goku had been an alien, or anything of that nature - but she had met both Gohan and Goten a handful of times.

"He's currently on Papaya Island, probably to give the invitation to Max Sayoko, the World Martial Arts Tournament announcer, as you requested," Jenny informed him. Her lime green eyes sparkled in joy, as she was certainly somebody who enjoyed their job greatly. She was about five feet and three inches in height, and was thin but not frail.

"Very good," Gyumao complimented. "When he returns, tell him to come to me." With that, the ex-Turtle student took his leave, strolling out of the common area where Jenny's desk was and into his own office, a feature of the new castle. His entire kingdom, and the previous castle, needed to be rebuilt about a decade ago, more than two decades after the fire that took it down in the first place. The newly formed Ox Castle was pristine in appearance, comprised of four hulking towers and a wide, rounded base floor. The village leading up to the castle was filled with common shops, such as blacksmiths, restaurants, breweries, and souvenir shops. While not as glamorous as it used to be, the central region of the Ox Kingdom, Ox City, where Gyumao resided, was still a mighty tourist attraction, so selling merchandise carrying the insignia of the Ox Kingdom was an excellent decision for stores.

Looking at his desk, Gyumao let out a sigh. "This masquerade party is going to be quite the event. I can already tell that the leaders from the North Kingdom, South Kingdom, Orange Star Kingdom, East Kingdom, West Kingdom, and Central Kingdom will attend with their families. Add in various famous martial artists and a slew of costumes, and you've got quite the event, I suppose."

The next day at school, the gossip floating about was squarely about who had and hadn't been invited to the Ox Kingdom Ball. Oddly enough, nobody knew of any students who had been invited. This included Videl Satan, who was both relieved and furious about this prospect. Rumors had it that the mayor of Satan City had been invited, and the King of the Orange Star Kingdom was invited as well, and that both would attend with their families, considering the prestigious allure to such a party. However, no invite had been delivered to the Satan household. Maybe theirs was lost?

Or, maybe her father had somehow angered the Ox King through the years? Knowing her dad, he was likely to try and attend anyway, but she had no intention of going along with that crazy idea. As much as she was curious, she equally did not want to be part of some illegal scheme of her father's. If he truly hadn't been invited, he was likely to throw a fit and cause a scene in Ox City, and she did not want to be there for it.

As a result, she opted to make plans with Erasa instead, choosing normalcy over the media frenzy that her dad's appearance will bring. Due to this, the two teenagers were currently trying to plan out their Halloween night, sitting in their homeroom while they waited for class to begin. "What do we want to do?" Videl asked.

"Well, Tyler is having a party," Erasa replied, referring to a blond-haired basketball player who was a grade below them. He was nice enough, if a little bit on the arrogant side. "I think Sharpner wants to go to it," she continued, "though I'm on the fence whether or not I want to."

"I do think Tyler's a nice kid, but I'm not sure I'm in the mood to get drunk with half the student body and have all the guys hit on me there," Videl said, shooting down the idea. "I'd rather just hang out us two than do that."

"I know, I know," Erasa sighed, "but I really don't want to stay in on Halloween. Do you know what Gohan's plans are?"

Ah, yes. Son Gohan, the kind-hearted teenage boy who'd inserted himself into Videl's life about a month ago when Senior year started, forcing her three-person friend group into a four-person group. "I don't have any clue, E. He's been a little distant the past few days, don't you think? He'll probably stay home."

Right on cue, the object of conversation walked through the door to their classroom, his right hand sifting through his unruly mane of black hair. He looked a little nervous, but mostly confident, a stark contrast to the walking mess he'd been merely a month ago.

"Hey girls," he greeted while taking the seat next to them. "How are you two?" As he spoke, his infectious smile made both Videl and Erasa smile in turn.

"I'm good, cutie," Erasa responded.

"I'm okay," Videl answered. "What's up with you, Gohan?" While Videl was suspicious at first of Gohan's connection to resident Satan city superhero Saiyaman, who'd shown up at an oddly similar time to the black-haired teen male, that suspicion had morphed into curiosity in time. Gohan was nothing but kind to her, and Saiyaman saved countless lives. If they were one in the same, she would find out in due time, she was sure of it. For now, she was just grateful for a new friend and for the occasional helping hand in dangerous situations.

"I'm tired," Gohan said, running a hand through his hair again, seemingly frustrated about something. "It's been a long couple of days."

That was odd, considering it was just Monday, and most people enjoyed their weekends. "What happened?" Videl pressed. Even if she wasn't suspicious any longer, it didn't mean she didn't have questions she wanted answered, or that she wouldn't probe her new friend for information. She was just kinder about it, and wanted to simply sate her curiosity.

"I'd rather not talk about it," the teen respectfully declined, although with an underlying tone suggesting not to ask further questions.

"Okay," Videl acquiesced, deciding to instead continue talking to Erasa about their Halloween plans. "Where were we, E?"

Startled, since she'd been looking oddly at Gohan, Erasa turned her bright blue eyes to regard her best friend. "We were weighing whether we wanted to go to Tyler's Halloween party or not, I think."

"Right," Videl affirmed. "I don't think I want to go, like I said. Hey Gohan," she continued, turning to address the other boy, "do you have plans for Halloween?"

"I kind of do," he admitted, looking sheepish as he did so, "but I'm not sure what to do about it. I'm sorry for being cryptic," he apologized, upon seeing Videl's irritated glare.

"Just spit it out, Gohan," she demanded, internally wincing as she did at the tone of her voice.

Sighing, Gohan relented. "Fine."

"Fine," he told her. 'Crap!' he thought. How was he going to word this in a way that didn't bring about currently unwanted questions? How could he even do this without hurting one or more of his friends? Finding his original plan the best suited one, he started, "I'm going to a party on Halloween, actually."

"Really?" Videl interrupted him, evidently curious as ever. "Where?" she asked.

"Uh," he began, hesitating, not sure if he should divulge that information quite yet.

"Out with it," the Satan girl sternly stated, leaving no room for argument.

"Fine," he acquiesced, realizing offhandedly that he gave in quite easily to Videl. "I'm going," he started, lowering his voice to a whisper, "to the Ox Kingdom Ball."

Both girls look stunned, for which Gohan was grateful. A different attitude towards his revelation could've resulted in shocked shouts or angry exclamations. At least, via this alternative, both were quiet for now.

It wouldn't last, though. "How did you get invited?" Videl ground out through gritted teeth, her irritation obvious.

Gohan had to smirk at that, despite himself. He knew that his grandfather wouldn't explicitly invite Mr. Satan, and, by extension, Videl wouldn't get invited. It was probably a blow to her pride that he of all people had been invited, even if they'd forged a friendship of late. "I know someone," he cryptically answered. "That's not important, right now. I actually wanted to invite you, Erasa," he continued, again rejoicing in the look of disbelief and even anger adorning Videl's features. "Here is the invitation. It includes an option for a plus-one," he explained.

He could tell Videl was getting angrier and angrier by the second, and he found an odd sort of amusement in that fact. "By the way Videl," he began, "do you want to go to the Ball, too?" he asked.

"That would be nice," she quipped, "considering I had plans with Erasa before you gave her an invitation to the biggest party of the year."

"We could fix that," Gohan suggested, "but you look like you're a little mad at me, so I don't know if I want to do you any favors at the moment," he finished, laughing a little at her furious disposition.

"Mad? Me? Never," she ground out, still quite clearly frustrated. "But humor me, Gohan. How could you fix this?"

"You could be my date to the Ball," Gohan stated, earning a dropped jaw from the brunette and a raised eyebrow from the blonde. "I get a plus-one, too, and I figure that could be you, if you want. I'm sure you want to go, and it would be a mostly platonic date," he finished.

After a quick look at Erasa, Videl spoke up. "Fine, Gohan. I'll go with you as friends," she stated, emphasizing those last two words even if there was no need to.

"Awesome," Gohan said. "By the way, Erasa, if you wouldn't mind, could you ask Sharpner for your plus-one? It would be really cool for the four of us to go as a group to the Ball. That was one reason I went this route - asking Videl as my plus-one, and giving the actual invitation to Erasa, that is - instead of the other way around. You," he continued, addressing Videl now, "never would have agreed to take Sharpner, while Erasa actually enjoys his presence sometimes."

This finally brought a smile to Videl's face, though it was a small smile. Gohan was glad to erase the frown from her face, as it certainly did not suit her. "How about I meet you guys at the coffee shop in Ox City, fully adorned in costume, at 7:30 PM on Friday?" Gohan suggested.

"Sounds good to me, Gohan!" Erasa agreed, followed by a nod from Videl. "Let me go ask Sharpner," the blonde continued. "Hey Videl, can you come with me?"

Upon receiving a nod of confirmation, the two girls left Gohan alone in the classroom, even as class got closer to beginning.

"Wow, this is going to be so awesome!" Erasa gushed as the pair walked through the mostly barren hallways. With classes set to start soon, the vast majority of the students had already made their way to homeroom, or were otherwise not in the hallways.

Sharpner, however, was not amongst that collection of students, and was currently resting against his locker, an uninterested look on his face. "What's up, ladies?" he asked by way of greeting as the two approached.

"You'll be surprised," Videl drawled, gesturing to the blonde next to her, who was bubbling with excitement.

"Guess what, Sharpner?" Erasa asked.

Looking on dumbly, Sharpner had no guesses. "What?"

"I received an invitation for the Ox Kingdom Ball, and it includes a plus-one. Do you want to go?"

That certainly woke Sharpner from his stupor, as he incredulously stared at the two girls. "How in the seven hells did you manage to score that bad boy? Videl's pop didn't even get one if I have my facts correct."

"You do have them correct," Videl confirmed, though in an oddly upbeat manner. "My dad actually hasn't been invited, but I'll be there as well. We'll leave it as a surprise how we're going, but we are going. I assume you've got a costume already, right Sharpner?"

"That would be the right assumption," Sharpner agreed. "You'll see on Friday, I guess. So what's the plan for travelling out to Ox City?"

"We're meeting the person who got the invitations at a coffee shop in Ox City at 7:30," Videl said. "That's a one and a half hour jet copter ride, which means we're leaving at 5:30 to be safe."

"Sounds good to me," said Sharpner.

With that, Videl and Erasa left the blond boy's presence, opting to finally return to class, though they were now a tad late. "I still can't believe this, E," Videl said. "How could Gohan be invited to this Ball? It's reserved for the elite of the elite in society, as best I can tell. What is his connection to the Ox Kingdom?"

"I know, Vi. I've been thinking about it," Erasa admitted, shying away from her normal facade of being unperceptive. "It doesn't add up, but I'm not going to complain. I'm sure we'll find out more as the Ball continues."

"I guess," Videl relented. "I can't believe he asked me to be his guest!"

"Don't you mean date?" Erasa teased, a grin eating away at her lips. "It sounds like Gohan likes you," she continued, unforgiving.

"H-He does not!" Videl vehemently denied, a slight red hue gracing her cheeks. "Like he said, it was just because I was most certainly not going with Sharpner. It just works better this way!" With that, the Satan girl dropped her head and continued walking, not waiting to see if Erasa was following.

"Wait, I'm sorry Vi!" the blonde called out after her, but the raven-haired girl had hurried off around a corner and out of sight.

Son Gohan stood outside the lone coffee shop in Ox City, fully dressed in his costume. He'd decided the best way to attend the Ball would be as Piccolo. Using his technological expertise combined with Bulma's vast well of knowledge, he now wore a watch which, with the switch of a button, would completely transform his attire from his current school shirt and red jeans to a replica of Piccolo's white cape with purple gi pants, while his face would be glazed over with dark green face paint, and his hair would be encapsulated by a turban. The transformation would be completed by his arms becoming green as well. His face and body would still be that of Son Gohan, but it would be as close to a Namekian as he would ever get, even if he had to call himself Majunior.

He was mainly interested in seeing what Videl came wearing, though, for appearances, he needed to inquire about Sharpner and Erasa as well. It would certainly be interesting to behold whatever costumes they came up with.

Deciding the best way to bide his time would be to acquire some hot coffee, Gohan turned to the cashier at the front counter. "May I have one small coffee, milk and sugar?" he inquired.

As the cashier left to work on whipping together that concoction, Gohan was left to his thoughts once again. The next few hours was going to be extremely interesting. He, of course, knew the spectacle this party would end up being, but exposing his closest three friends from school to the royal life - not to mention, the friends he kept close - would certainly be a test for them.

"Your coffee is ready," the woman spoke up, breaking his reverie. She handed it to him wordlessly, punching in the dollar figures into her cash register so Gohan could pay for it.

Offering her exact change - he never wanted to wait for change if he could help it - the spiky-haired teenager left the counter and made his way over to a small round table in the corner of the shop, the only thing left at this point to wait for his guests. As he waited, he began drinking the piping liquid, letting it flow through his lips and inadvertently soothe his worries. Everything would probably work out for the best.

He was waiting long enough that the final remnants of the liquid had cooled in temperature before the coffee shop doors opened and three bodies entered, cautiously looking around. He could immediately tell from their ki signatures that Sharpner, Erasa, and Videl had arrived. And what a sight they were.

Videl had her twin pigtails tied behind her head, forming a makeshift ponytail, the gold tubes that normally held her pigtails tied together by a small band. Instead of her normally-baggy shirt she donned for crime fighting, Videl was wearing a form-fitting blue dress, which hugged her body at every curve. Her blue eyes still sparkled as they did every day, but it was clear she was dressed up. The only thing was that, for the life of him, Gohan couldn't even offer a guess as to who she was. "I'm modelling my costume after an old fairytale my dad used to tell me about my mom, Miguel. She died when I was young, but from the pictures I've seen and Dad's stories, this was her favorite look."

Gohan could sympathize with that, what with having a dead father and all. It made more sense now, though it was a little creepy that Videl was being her deceased mother for Halloween, the holiday where spirits came to play.

"And we're," Erasa interrupted his thoughts, "Dr. Brief and Mrs. Brief, one of the most famous couples around!" she sang happily. Erasa herself hadn't needed to do much in the way of dressing up to fit Bulma's mom in appearance. She had her normal scantily clad outfit hugging her hips, a small shirt on which accentuated her chest, and her hair was done up in curls much like Mrs. Brief herself always had it. All in all, she was an excellent close on the older housewife.

Sharpner clearly had a wig on to give his hair that unique combination of grey and purple, but he still looked the part with a white lab coat, a fake white moustache, and large circular glasses.

"Who are you supposed to be, Gohan?" Videl asked.

"I'm the former Demon King Piccolo, dressed as he was during the twenty-third World Martial Arts Tournament when he masqueraded as Majunior to enter the competition."

He could tell Videl was stunned by his knowledge of martial arts history, but he really hoped she didn't press quite yet. He could handle her questions later, during the actual party. "Anyway," Gohan continued. "Why don't we get a move on it and head over to the party?"

With that, the foursome left the coffee shop, the glass door making a small click as it closed behind them softly. Gohan finished off his coffee just outside the shop and tossed the empty container into a nearby recycling can, then began to lead his companions to the Ox Castle. With its majestic grandeur and looming presence, his grandfather's home was truly a sight to behold. Towers shot up to the far right and far left, and the large, mansion-like central structure was daunting to anybody that hadn't been there before.

"So tell me, Gohan," Sharpner began, "how did you come into a pair of invitations for this party? It's super-exclusive."

"Not telling," Gohan teased, deciding to play it cool for the moment. "I'll tell you before the night is over."

As the they approached the front door, Gohan knocked twice. He knew that Jenny would be answering the door and requesting the invitations and names of the guests, along with who they were dressed as. On cue, the door opened to reveal the bright set of lime-green eyes belonging to Jenny, the assistant to Gohan's grandfather. She stood at a medium height with a light build, her brown hair running down the back of her neck. She offered a bright smile to the foursome, showing off her pearly whites, while both boys discretely observed her body, encased in a skintight green dress.

"Hello, how are you all tonight? I'm Jenny, one of the Ox King's workers. Can you give me your names, please?" Jenny requested.

"I'm Son Gohan, and this is Erasa Rubba," the spiky-haired youth explained. "The other two are our respective guests, Videl Satan and Sharpner Pencil."

"Very well," she said. "Just come in, place any belongings you don't wish to keep with you in the bin over there," she explained, pointing to a large container with various small extraneous items from guests. "After you're done doing that, just follow the corridor down the hallway and take the second entrance on the right. That's the grand ballroom, where the Ox King is residing with the guests who have already arrived."

The foursome did as instructed, merely depositing a scarf - which Erasa had magically conjured from her pocket - amongst them. They then walked in stride as a group and entered the ballroom, immediately coming face to face with dozens of important political figures and probably family friends of the Ox King, though not a single person was recognizable to the outside viewers.

"Let's find a table," Gohan suggested, gesturing to a nearby corner where a few empty tables could be found. The quartet approached, each teenager taking a seat at the table and picking up their respective menus.

"What kind of food do you think this party is gonna have, Vi?" Erasa inquired. Gohan could tell the blonde girl was boiling over in excitement. Her entire demeanor exuded jubilation, and, honestly, he couldn't blame her. There were going to be famous politicians, martial artists, actors, artists, athletes of other sports, and other various people. Even parties run by Mr. Satan wouldn't have many of the people who would be there tonight.

"I can answer that," a feminine voice interrupted his thoughts. He immediately recognized the voice and turned towards his godmother, Bulma. "From what I've heard," the Brief heiress continued, ignoring the pointedly stunned looks overtaking the three teens' faces, "there's going to be an hour for hors d'oeuvres, followed by a salad bar, a main course, where there will be five distinct options, and then a dessert buffet."

"T-thank you," Erasa stuttered out. "Hi Miss Brief," she continued, beginning to look over the famous scientist and analyze her costume. "What are you supposed to be?"

That was quite the interesting question, actually. Gohan couldn't decipher what Bulma was supposed to be. Her skin was painted completely blue, matching her aqua hair evenly.

"First off, it's Misses. I'm married. Secondly, I'm an all-blue alien princess," Bulma explained, clearly enjoying the shock that passed across Erasa's face at the declaration Bulma Brief had a husband.

"Why did you keep your last name then, Mrs. Brief? Oh, how could I be so silly! I haven't introduced myself. I'm Erasa, with an E!" rambled the blonde girl, before being cut off by her best friend.

"E, let Bulma get a word in here and there, why don't you?" the raven-haired girl suggested. "I'm Videl, by the way," the Satan girl added, extending her hand for a shake.

"Why don't we start with finishing introductions," spoke Bulma.

"Okay," Gohan began, "as you know, I'm Gohan, and this big lug over here is named Sharpner."

"Ah, yes! Hi, Gohan. How've you been? It's nice to see you again!" Bulma exclaimed, reaching out for a hug, which the Son boy gladly accepted. His friends needed not know he was the Ox Prince to know he knew Bulma. After all, he'd already blown part of his cover as a normal high school student when he revealed he was invited to the Ox Kingdom Ball to begin with.

"I've been good, Bulma," he continued, internally smiling at the astonished looks on the faces of his friends. "You should probably answer Erasa's question now," he teased, winking at his longtime friend.

"Oh, right! I married a man named Vegeta about seven or so years ago, but he doesn't have a family name, so I kept Brief instead," explained the bluenette. "Anyway, I need to get going and see the other people at the party. Take care, Gohan! It was nice to meet all of you," Bulma said with a small bow of respect before she scurried off.

"So... Gohan, how do you know Bulma Brief?" Videl asked, the moment she was out of earshot.

Ever since the President of Capsule Corp. had left their presence, Videl had been consistently shell-shocked. She couldn't even fathom forming a word in her mind, much less voicing any sentences to her spiky-haired date.

Just who was this guy? Get amazing scores in school? Check. Know important people? Check. Be admittedly attractive? Check. Be humble, honest, and kind through it all? Check, check, check.

Videl was positively entranced, ensnared, and could do absolutely nothing to prevent this growing interest in a certain Son Gohan.

Desperately attempting to rid her mind of that messy head of black spiky hair, the Satan girl glanced around the room. She could see the rulers from the East, South, North and West Kingdoms all huddled around a waitress serving them pigs in a blanket. The King of West Kingdom - a portly man in his early fifties with a black moustache and a balding head - was dressed as a sumo wrestler, while the other three prestigious monarchs were all dressed as fictitious monsters; one was a vampire, another a werewolf and a third a centaur, or at least the top half a centaur projected to a full, two-legged body.

In fact, vampires, werewolves, cowboys, famous celebrities and Cell were probably the five most commonly seen costumes. She still didn't know quite what to call Cell. Was he a monster? She'd heard some talk show hosts once postulate he was an artificial creation, but that simply seemed to unbelievable. Would someone honestly willingly create a destroyer of life like that?

Among the celebrities, some people were dressed as famous martial artists, some as Mr. Satan or even herself, and some as superheroes, actors and actresses, or famous musicians. She recognized many of the celebrities being imitated, and even supposed some of these celebrities might even be in attendance. She had to say, however, that Bulma and Gohan's costumes were her favorites, simply for how realistic the impersonations were. Now that she knew the pair knew one another, she assumed Gohan must've had Bulma create the costume for him with her enhanced technology.

The hors d'oeuvres were excellent, as was to be expected from a celebration hosted by royalty. Some of the delicious foods Videl was able to enjoy included scallops wrapped in bacon, dumplings, pigs in a blanket, miniature cheeseburger sliders, and sesame chicken strips. Throughout the cocktail hour, the quartet of friends stuffed their faces and mingled with the masses, interacting with people of various backgrounds, titles, and ambitions.

Personally, Videl found a few people piquing her interest above all the rest. The person who'd opened the door for her when she'd first arrived - Jenny, her name was - seemed to know Gohan quite well, and even whisked him away for a dance at one point. They looked to be all buddy-buddy, which begged another question; was Gohan dating her?

For some unknown reason, the thought that Gohan may be dating somebody caused a pain to shoot through her heart, but she couldn't figure out what it meant. Did she like Gohan? She admittedly had little experience in the relationship department, but she didn't think she liked Gohan.

The next enigma on her mind was Gohan himself, still. She hadn't made any headway on how he knew these famous people, and it irked her to no end.

Then there was Bulma Brief, and how she fit into this entire puzzle.

Frustrated, Videl plopped down in a seat. The cocktail hour was almost over, which meant the main portion of the party, food-wise, at least, was set to begin shortly. At that moment, a waitress approached her table with a pad and pen, looking to record a drink order. Come to think of it, Videl really needed something alcoholic to soothe her mind and relax herself. "I'll take scotch on the rocks," she requested, sounding confident in her choice as she did so. It wasn't a weak drink by any stretch, and would give her a small buzz as a lightweight drinker.

"Wow, scotch," Sharpner commented from her side. "What's got you all riled up, 'del?" he inquired.

"I'm not riled up," snapped Videl defensively. "I just want to move this party along and interact with more people, that's all."

"Sure babe," Sharpner started, grunting lightly at the good-natured jab to his ribs, "tell yourself that if you'd like to. We both know something's bugging you. Hell, even your punches seemed less powerful than usual," the blond boy added, rubbing the spot of impact.

"Whatever, Sharpie," Videl countered. "You watch out for you and let me watch out for me, okay?"

At that moment, before Sharpner could offer a retort, the lights to the ballroom dimmed a little, silently beckoning everyone to take their seats. Gohan and Erasa, who'd been idly chatting to some musicians, returned to their seats on cue.

"Hello, good people of the world," a loud, boisterous voice bellowed from a stage in the back of the room. "I hope you all enjoyed mingling amongst one another. I do ask you remain at your small tables now, as the salad bar will be opening any moment now. Before dinners are brought out, I have a special ceremony to unveil in honor of Halloween this year. Eat healthy and enjoy," said the Ox King.

Turning to look at her date, Videl couldn't help but notice his body language had become rigid during the monarch's speech. What was that all about?

'Shit!'

He'd spent such a long time contemplating how to reveal the surface level of his secrets to his friend that he was totally unprepared when the moment actually arrived. In a few short minutes, the floodgates would open, and they likely wouldn't stop until Videl knew everything she wanted to know.

Glancing over at the raven-haired girl, he could tell her mind was running at a mile per minute, cranking through its gears for solutions. He simply had none to give her right now. Knowing his doom was coming, he chose to simply talk about other things in the minutes leading up to the explosion. "How are you guys enjoying the party so far?"

"I'm drunk!" chirped Erasa, earning three smiles and some chuckles. Gohan had the uncanny ability to hold his liquor well, so, despite his best efforts, he was barely feeling the alcohol he'd consumed. Erasa, however, didn't have that fortune, and was clearly inebriated, although not too badly.

"I'm having fun," Sharpner admitted. "This Halloween night has been really interesting," he added.

"I mingled with some people before, and that was really cool. I got to meet some famous martial artists," Videl continued, "such as Tien Shinhan, Krillin Chestnut, Yamcha Bandit, and Muten Roshi. I even met my favorite movie star, and a former martial artist himself, Pamput."

"What were they all dressed as?" Gohan asked, his curiosity getting the better of him. He'd heard of Pamput from some of his mother's old stories, but he still didn't know much about the boxer-turned-actor.

"Oh, gosh. I can't remember all of their costumes," admitted Videl, sheepishly. "I think the four fighters were dressed as karate champions because they all wore white gis with a red sash. I really don't remember what Pamput had on."

"What other celebrities did you three meet?" Gohan quizzed.

"Ooh, I met King Chappa," Erasa sang. "I didn't know who he was, but he sounded really confident in his frighting abilities," she continued, not catching her slip up.

Sharpner, however, seemed to, for he broke into laughter. "Frighting abilities, 'rasa?" he asked. "That's pretty funny considering what holiday it is, but regardless, I think you're done with the booze for one night," he said with a tone of finality.

"Fiiiine, Sharpner," the blonde girl whined incessantly. She pouted, poking out her lower lip with a sad expression. "You're mean!"

"Wow, you are seriously drunk," commented Videl.

All of a sudden, a waiter appeared by the tableside, balancing four dishes, each with a salad on it. He placed the four marble white plates on the table in front of each guest before moving onto the next table.

"Well," Gohan said. "Dig in!"

Twiddling away at her salad, Videl simply wasn't terribly hungry. The food was quite good - excellent, even - but she just couldn't bring herself to eat the leaves of lettuce, or the tomatoes, or any of it.

Instead, she dabbed at her food and moved it around, rearranging her dish to make it look like some food had been consumed, a clear sign of a troubled mind.

Something was just nagging at the back of her mind, and she wouldn't rest until she figured it out. Food be damned, Videl Satan had a mystery on her hands!

Blue eyes bore into marble silverware, hands running through silky black hair. She tapped her foot on the floor, fidgeting nervously. She could hear her breath and knew that if nothing else, she was drastically over analyzing a simple meal.

It was then that she noticed she wasn't the only table occupant clearly bothered. The young man seated adjacent to her was attacking his plate with similar disinterest. "What's wrong, Gohan?"

Startled, the spiky-haired teen shifted his charcoal eyes upwards to meet Videl's aqua irises. "Nothing," he said.

"I don't believe you," Videl firmly insisted.

"Believe whatever you want," shot back Gohan.

Just as she was about to retort, Gohan levelled her with a clearly frustrated glare and rose from his seat, leaving the table. He placed his napkin on his chair behind him as he left, but that didn't change the important fact! He was walking away from them!

"Hey!" she called out after him, but her next words died on her lips when he glanced back around, his normally jovial black eyes holding a rare air of seriousness to them.

Almost immediately, his chair was filled by another person, one Videl really did not want to chat with. That girl who'd danced with Gohan earlier, the brunette Jenny.

"Hi!" she excitedly chirped. "We met before, but I'm Jenny. I'm twenty-one and studying accounting at Upper Ox University," explained Jenny.

"Hello," Videl drawled. "I'm Videl Satan. I'm a high school Senior, but you probably already knew that," she said, annoyance clear as day in her voice.

Sharpner and Erasa followed with curt greetings of their own, but otherwise remained silent, leaving the two friends of Gohan to stew in silence.

"So, you three are Gohan's friends from school?" Jenny asked the trio, her eyes darting back and forth between the three teens.

"That is correct," Videl affirmed. "How do you know him?" she asked, hoping not to sound too eager.

"Oh, that's a funny story. We've known each other for awhile. We've been friends for a few years now. He's super handsome, but, unfortunately," Jenny continued, sighing, "has not shown any interest in me yet." Her tone was clearly downtrodden, but Videl certainly didn't care. She respected the brunette a tad more now, but she still didn't like her.

"I see." It might've been a mean response, but at this point, Videl was slightly losing interest in this conversation.

"Mind if I stay here for the ceremony Gyumao was talking about earlier?" Jenny inquired.

"No, not at all!" Erasa interjected before the Satan girl could voice an objection.

"Thanks! Hey, I think Gyumao is coming out now!"

Standing in his full armor, Gyumao stared back at his reflection in his full length mirror. The time had come to pass over the reigns of his kingdom to his grandson, and what better way to accomplish this task than in the most grandiose of ways?

"Are you ready, Gohan?" the Ox King asked the spiky-haired youth by his side.

"As ready as I'll ever be, Grandpa," Gohan replied.

Gyumao could sympathize with any nerves the younger boy was feeling, considering how much he himself hated the spotlight. Goku had been well equipped to deal with a media frenzy, and his son seemed to be the same way, which is why Gyumao felt the adolescent would be perfect to rule the kingdom.

"Well, let's go then," the bulky man said. The Ox King walked out onto the stage, his heir apparent waiting off to the side. Only their friends and families knew for certain what was about to happen and who the new Ox King would be starting the very next day, Jenny included.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," Gyumao began, addressing the gigantic ballroom. "I have the pleasure of being here before you for several reasons today. Before I begin the actual festivities, I would like to honor several of the guests here today," he said, pausing as the crowd gave a hearty round of applause. "When I say your name, please stand up and take a bow."

"Hailing from the Central Kingdom," he continued, "we have King Oswander and his family. Representing all seven kingdoms, we have King Furry. From the South Kingdom, we have King Velocitus. From the North Kingdom, we have King Rosk. From the East Kingdom, we have King Maur. From the West Kingdom, we have the Quick King, and lastly, from the Orange Star Kingdom, we have King Pai."

The Ox King paused his speech and surveyed the room, making eye contact with his daughter, Chi Chi. He needed reassurance to continue his speech.

"Furthermore, we are blessed on this Halloween to have some martial arts legends amongst our ranks. When I say your name, please stand up and offer wave. First off, we have a former World Martial Arts Tournament champion and overall a two-time finalist; Tien Shinhan. Second is a world-class baseball player and three-time finalist; Yamcha Bandit. Next up we are honored to have with us today three-time finalist Krillin Chestnut. We also have two additional former champions amongst our ranks, as well as another finalist; Muten Roshi, King Chappa, and the actor Pamput!"

When the applause finally died down, Gyumao continued solemnly. "On a sadder note, and in the spirit of Halloween, we have one soul looking down on us from above, a dear friend of mine who won one tournament and placed runner up in two others; Son Goku!" The Ox King caught his daughter's eyes as he finished, noticing the tears welling up them. He offered her a small smile, happy that his Halloween Ball would hopefully restore some of the honor to the Son family name that Hercule Satan had bashed. Searching out the rest of the room, he noticed one member of the quartet who knew his grandson was gobsmacked, floored, stunned. The pretty black-haired girl - Satan's daughter, if he wasn't mistaken - was looking on with a dropped jaw, a single tear rolling down her cheek, even.

"Without further adieu," continued the Ox King, composing himself, "I announce the real purpose for this entire celebration. I am not getting any younger, unfortunately," he said, earning a chorus of laughs from his audience. "This kingdom needs a leader who has youth, energy, and a vision for a successful future. Events like this one should be the norm and not the exception. My daughter, Chi Chi, has no intention of leading the Ox Kingdom and is content in her current life," he explained.

He really wished Chi Chi had an interest in ruling. He would've stepped down years ago if she'd wanted to take over the family lineage, but she instead wanted to skip straight to Gohan.

"As a result, the first heir in line for the throne is my first-born grandson. For the past eighteen years, we have tried our best to keep the boy out of the spotlight and groom him in what it takes to lead a successful kingdom. I now fully believe my brilliant grandson is ready for the spotlight and can lead the Ox Kingdom better than I ever have," Gyumao admitted. "He's persevered through a good amount of adversity in his short life, and has proven himself more than worthy of this honor. He is a fine young man now, ready to embark on the journey of creating his own family soon enough."

Pausing, the Ox King locked eyes with his assistant. He knew Jenny had a crush on his grandson, but if his instincts were anything to go by, he was going to have to have a talk with Jenny.

"Many of you have wondered for over a decade if you would ever see the fabled Ox Prince, the heir to one of the major seven kingdoms. Before today, less than thirty people had met my grandson while being aware of his title, and I can say with some degree of certainty that only one is between the ages of ten and thirty," Gyumao continued, looking once again at Jenny, who had a knowing smile on her face.

"It is my honor to present to you the future King of the Ox Kingdom, Son Gohan!"

"It is my honor to present to you the future King of the Ox Kingdom, Son Gohan!"

As his grandfather said his final line, the black-haired youth strolled out of his hiding place casually. As expected, the entire ballroom broke into raucous applause. While he was being prepared for his appearance, he had switched out of his Majunior costume, making his skin return to its normal beige pigment.

Gohan himself was donning the famed battle armor of his grandfather, complete with the white sash and red cape. He even had a more size-appropriate golden helmet fitted onto his head with pearl white horns protruding out of it.

The demi-Saiyan locked eyes with his classmates, drinking in their stunned gazes. Erasa and Sharpner were both shell-shocked, but the majority of his attention was trained on Videl. Oddly enough, she looked less surprised than the two blondes, almost as if she'd already figured it out. Jenny was all smiles, grinning widely at him, which Gohan appreciated. He needed all the moral support he could get right now.

"Gohan," his grandfather began, addressing him, "come over here and say some words to the people."

Sighing, Gohan did as he was told, walking over to his maternal grandpa and grasping the black microphone. "Hello, friends, family, colleagues, and future friends. My name is Son Gohan, the first-born grandson of Gyumao, the Ox King. I'm extremely grateful for the opportunity to prove myself as a natural leader and for the support I've received from my family and friends through the years. I know the citizens of the Ox Kingdom will show the same gratitude towards me as they have my grandfather, and I cannot wait to get to work leading the Ox Kingdom into another extended period of prosperity and growth. Years ago, on October thirty-first, my grandfather was coronated as the Ox King, and today, I shall succeed him. Thank you for your time and I look forward to getting to know each and every one of you who lives in the Ox Kingdom and still many of you who do not."

His two cents added, Gohan handed the microphone back to Gyumao and sought out Videl in the crowd. He really needed to talk to her, and as soon as possible. Something was happening to him, and he needed to know what it was.

Taking off his royal outfit, Gohan quickly scurried out of the dressing room and towards where he could still feel his four friends' ki signals being emitted from. Erasa and Sharpner's emotions were heavily ranging in their signatures, while Jenny and Videl both seemed calm.

As he approached, he locked eyes with Jenny and smirked. Everyone else may now know that he was the Ox Prince, but it still didn't devalue how special it was that Jenny had known for years. Walking right up to his brunette friends, Gohan wrapped her up in a hug, taking her into his arms and placing his head into her neck. "Hey, Jenny," he spoke casually, now that formalities need not be used. He still was hoping nobody would recognize him without his royal attire on.

"You were awesome, Bud," she congratulated him, whispering. Her green eyes sparkled with mirth, showcasing how proud of him she was. "That speech really knocked everyone's socks off. How does it feel to officially be King Gohan instead of Prince Gohan?"

"Ha," he laughed sarcastically. "It feels no different than when we were dancing in the middle of ten dozen costumed people before," he joked.

"Gohan!" a shrill voice interrupted their moment, breaking through his reverie. "Why didn't you tell me you were the Ox Prince?" Videl demanded.

"Or us, for that matter!" Sharpner interjected, acting hurt. Gohan could tell he didn't really mind and was still caught up in the shock stage.

"Nobody ever asked me," the newly-crowned Ox King responded cheekily.

"How were we supposed to know you were royalty?" the teenage crime fighter asked rhetorically.

"I don't like the attention," answered Gohan, honestly. "Jenny only knows because she works for my grandpa and has met my younger brother and I on countless occasions. Plus, her and I are good friends," he added, noticing how that last tidbit made Videl shake with barely perceptible anger.

"Fine!" she snapped. "I still have more questions. Come with me," she said, dragging Gohan alongside her.

"What questions do you have?" the half-Saiyan queried. Did she feel the same things he did? Was that what she was going to ask about? He surely hoped not, as that line of conversation could only be embarrassing.

"I had two, really. Firstly, why pick Sharpner, Erasa, and I? If you're a prince - or, should I say king? - surely you have plenty of suitors to accompany you as a date," Videl asked, fidgeting nervously with her hands.

It was amusing to see Videl Satan unsure of herself in this manner. She was normally so calm and collected, but right now she was a walking mess.

"That's easy to answer, honestly. You three are three of my four closest friends, along with Jenny. I really enjoy Jenny's friendship, but I didn't interact with many people my age besides her until I went to high school."

"Okay," Videl nodded. "That makes sense. My second question is a good bit harder to answer, I'd think. Was the only reason you chose me as a date and Erasa for the other invitation to protect me from Sharpner?"

Shit. Shit on crackers.

Those were essentially the two phrases circulating through Gohan's head on repeat. It was like a broken record, and he couldn't come up with anything else. He must've really looked like a moron standing there opening and closing his mouth, catching flies.

How did he respond to that, though? It wasn't a direct inquiry as to whether he liked her or not, but it might as well have been! Could he lie? Three seconds thinking about that option completely debunked the possibility. He couldn't lie to Videl about this even if he wanted to.

The other issue was, what actually was his answer to her question? Did he have ulterior motives? Did he know about them from the get go? Ugh! This was a difficult question for him to answer.

Finally, Gohan decided standing there like a deer caught in headlights was doing neither of them any favors.

He eventually settled on, "I really don't know, Videl."

"That sounds like a clear admission you had other reasons, Gohan. Just admit it."

Sighing, Gohan thought about his options even more. On the one hand, he could say yes and everything would work out nicely. On the other, he could say yes and Videl might attempt to punch him in the face. Even still, he could say no and get that punch to the face. Evaluating his three potential outcomes, saying 'no' was eliminated straight away since he didn't want to be on the receiving end of a punch, even if he was a Super Saiyan. That left two choices, both involving the same initial start.

"Yes, there is another reason," he finally admitted. "You're brave, kind, friendly, caring, and an overall amazing person. I wanted you to go with me," he said firmly. "I also wanted you to learn more about me and my past, which I think you did."

"That, I did," Videl responded. "Now shut up and kiss me, King Gohan."

Who was he to deny her that request? His feelings finally sorted out, Gohan finally gave into the desire to taste those pretty lips and pressed his own lips to Videl's.

I hope you enjoyed!

A few notes: in this universe, the world is split fairly evenly into seven parts: South Kingdom (capital city, South City), West Kingdom (West City), North Kingdom (North City), East Kingdom (East City), Central Kingdom (Central City), Ox Kingdom (Ox City), and Orange Star Kingdom (Satan City).