No Fight's Over Until I've Won
By Elbereth in April, Copyright 2002
I do not own Dragonball Z and I can give up my obsession at any time. (Well, the 1st part's true). I do own my character, Thenore.
Reviews give me the energy to keep writing.
This is an alternate universe fic. As such, the personalities of the characters are not going to be exactly the same. They have grown up in totally different environments than in the show. Vegeta has never met Frieza yet, and Kakkarot has lived all his life on Vegeta-sei. Keep that in mind.
____________ _______________
"And so," Frieza said over the ship's intercom, "I shall expect your son to be delivered to me within the week, to seal the bargain."
'Some bargain,' King Vegeta thought, but didn't let his thoughts show. "Very well."
He signed off and turned to his advisor, the only other person in the throne room. "What do I do, Bardock? I can't give him my son. But I don't see what choice I have. He'll destroy the whole planet."
"Well, my lord. You know he's never actually seen your son."
The King's eyes grew wide. "You suggest I send in a double? An imposter?"
"Yes."
King Vegeta thought, his brow furrowed. "He'll find out eventually."
"But we'll have the time we need to prepare, to ready the army. And in the meantime, you can ship your son off somewhere safe."
"Yes! Somewhere--unremarkable. Far away." They looked at each other. "Very well. Bring me Nappa--he'll need some bodyguards. And your two sons, of course--and their other friend with such a high power level, Thenore."
Prince Vegeta hadn't liked the idea, but he went. So, of course, did the others.
Somewhere backward, where the people were unaware of aliens, and Frieza--so no one would be looking for them. Somewhere far away.
They landed on Earth in the middle of nowhere, and camped out in the wilderness for awhile--about six months. In that time, they didn't dare do anything that might disturb Vegeta. He was brooding on his father, and the king's plan, and Frieza's possible wrath. Even on his 17th birthday they kept their distance. Except for Kakkarot, of course.
Kakkarot and Vegeta had grown up together, and although most of the time Vegeta claimed Kakkarot drove him crazy with his simple-minded ways, they were so close that they'd made themselves blood brothers many years ago. They were always sparring or laughing at each other--but if anybody else tried to hurt one of them, the other would most certainly kill that person. And Radditz, of course, as Kakkarot's brother, was closer to Vegeta than most other people. Nappa was more his father's age, but he had been the Prince's bodyguard since he was a baby. And Thenore, always witty and elegant, with perfect manners, until one got her in the sparring ring, where she would use every ounce of power, every perfectly executed martial arts attack and strategy...and every dirty trick she knew to bring her opponent down.
Thenore was known to say, "One fights to win," and "No fight is over until I've won," which Vegeta had heard, grinned over, and written on a little banner which he hung on the wall in the Royal Sparring Ring. It was hanging now on the tree they used to mark the boundary of their sparring grounds here.
So life went on: hunting, eating, sparring, sleeping, living...for six months, until Vegeta's 17th birthday. Then Kakkarot woke him up, grinning, and said, "Guess what. I know something you're going to like."
Earlier, on Vegeta's orders, Radditz and Thenore had gone out scouting, and found out there was a little competition going on not too many miles away.
"It's a martial arts tournament," Kakkarot reported. "Let's enter!"
The five Saiyans looked at each other, smiling.
__________ _________ __________
"These Earthlings are weaklings," Radditz complained, as they watched from the sidelines after entering themselves in the tournament.
"We'd better hold back our power so we don't attract too much attention," Vegeta ordered. "We don't want to give Frieza any reason to check out this planet."
"Ah, but that's no fun."
"I know, I know," Vegeta sighed. "But that's the way it has to be. Discipline."
"Discipline," they all repeated together, with long faces.
"Oh cheer up, it's better than nothing," Kakkarot laughed.
"When you look at it from an--an Earthling standard, they have some pretty good fighters. For Earthlings."
"There's a female one!" Thenore pointed, perking up. She always enjoyed seeing a fellow woman beating up on males.
Radditz punched her shoulder, lightly, good-naturedly.
But Kakkarot was staring at the girl.
Long black hair, slim, fit, pretty face--he was entranced. "Next up," proclaimed the announcer, "we have Chi-Chi...fighting Cliff, the rock, the warrior, and last year's champion!"
"Chi-Chi," Kakkarot whispered.
It was fun watching her take him down--champion, or not. She swirled gracefully, dancing around the huge man, avoiding his hits. She kicked him twice in the stomach, punched him in the face, and kicked him some more. He fell over like--well, like a rock.
The Saiyans all cheered.
Kakkarot snuck away from them during the next round and approached the girl.
"Hi. That was a great fight!"
She was daintily wiping her face with a towel. "Oh. Thanks!" She looked him over, noticing his banked strength, his muscled body...and smiled in a coy, flirtatious way, without even meaning to.
He flushed and preened a bit, without noticing he was doing so. "Um, I'm Kakkarot. You're Chi-Chi, right?"
"Right. Do you fight soon?"
"Not for a few more rounds."
"I'm going to the main house for a drink. Do you want to come?" She threw the towel in a bin marked dirty laundry.
"Sure!" he grinned, and they headed off.
It was about 18 minutes before Vegeta found them there, drinking Gator-ade and laughing. The Prince was not happy.
"You're missing Nappa fight," he said, scowling, coming up to their table. He ignored Chi-Chi completely.
Kakkarot flushed, and scowled back. "So are you."
"Come on." It wasn't a request, it was an order. Kakkarot knew when to back down.
"Yeah." He stood up, pushing his chair back overly hard, but otherwise not daring to protest. "Chi-Chi, I'll see you later on, OK?"
"Who is he?" Chi-Chi asked flatly, eyebrows raised. She did not otherwise acknowledge Vegeta's presence.
"My best friend. Vegeta." He tried to lighten things up. "Wait'll you see him fight!"
Being called Kakkarot's best friend had Vegeta feeling slightly guilty or-- something. "Sorry to pull him away so abruptly and all, but his brother's fighting next," he said to Chi-Chi.
She mellowed somewhat at this. "Well. Have fun. I'll be back out there soon."
Kakkarot grinned at her, and then Vegeta pulled him away and out of the building.
As they walked back to the ring, Kakkarot tried to decide if he should complain, but Vegeta started talking first. "Don't wander off like that, Kakkarot. We have to stay together. We don't know this planet well enough yet."
Then Kakkarot felt shamed. "Sorry," he mumbled.
"And what were you doing with that girl?"
At that Kakkarot's head came up, and the spark was back in his eyes. "I like her!"
"She's an Earthling! Flirt if you want, but no more! Don't forget who you are--and where we're going back to as soon as this whole mess is over!"
Kakkarot's soul rebelled as he remembered the girl's dark eyes--but what could he say to that? He was a Saiyan-and he, too, was hoping and praying that the King could gather an army strong enough to beat Frieza--soon.
_____________
A/N: Don't worry you're going to get a lot more detail. There's a whole lot more coming.
By Elbereth in April, Copyright 2002
I do not own Dragonball Z and I can give up my obsession at any time. (Well, the 1st part's true). I do own my character, Thenore.
Reviews give me the energy to keep writing.
This is an alternate universe fic. As such, the personalities of the characters are not going to be exactly the same. They have grown up in totally different environments than in the show. Vegeta has never met Frieza yet, and Kakkarot has lived all his life on Vegeta-sei. Keep that in mind.
____________ _______________
"And so," Frieza said over the ship's intercom, "I shall expect your son to be delivered to me within the week, to seal the bargain."
'Some bargain,' King Vegeta thought, but didn't let his thoughts show. "Very well."
He signed off and turned to his advisor, the only other person in the throne room. "What do I do, Bardock? I can't give him my son. But I don't see what choice I have. He'll destroy the whole planet."
"Well, my lord. You know he's never actually seen your son."
The King's eyes grew wide. "You suggest I send in a double? An imposter?"
"Yes."
King Vegeta thought, his brow furrowed. "He'll find out eventually."
"But we'll have the time we need to prepare, to ready the army. And in the meantime, you can ship your son off somewhere safe."
"Yes! Somewhere--unremarkable. Far away." They looked at each other. "Very well. Bring me Nappa--he'll need some bodyguards. And your two sons, of course--and their other friend with such a high power level, Thenore."
Prince Vegeta hadn't liked the idea, but he went. So, of course, did the others.
Somewhere backward, where the people were unaware of aliens, and Frieza--so no one would be looking for them. Somewhere far away.
They landed on Earth in the middle of nowhere, and camped out in the wilderness for awhile--about six months. In that time, they didn't dare do anything that might disturb Vegeta. He was brooding on his father, and the king's plan, and Frieza's possible wrath. Even on his 17th birthday they kept their distance. Except for Kakkarot, of course.
Kakkarot and Vegeta had grown up together, and although most of the time Vegeta claimed Kakkarot drove him crazy with his simple-minded ways, they were so close that they'd made themselves blood brothers many years ago. They were always sparring or laughing at each other--but if anybody else tried to hurt one of them, the other would most certainly kill that person. And Radditz, of course, as Kakkarot's brother, was closer to Vegeta than most other people. Nappa was more his father's age, but he had been the Prince's bodyguard since he was a baby. And Thenore, always witty and elegant, with perfect manners, until one got her in the sparring ring, where she would use every ounce of power, every perfectly executed martial arts attack and strategy...and every dirty trick she knew to bring her opponent down.
Thenore was known to say, "One fights to win," and "No fight is over until I've won," which Vegeta had heard, grinned over, and written on a little banner which he hung on the wall in the Royal Sparring Ring. It was hanging now on the tree they used to mark the boundary of their sparring grounds here.
So life went on: hunting, eating, sparring, sleeping, living...for six months, until Vegeta's 17th birthday. Then Kakkarot woke him up, grinning, and said, "Guess what. I know something you're going to like."
Earlier, on Vegeta's orders, Radditz and Thenore had gone out scouting, and found out there was a little competition going on not too many miles away.
"It's a martial arts tournament," Kakkarot reported. "Let's enter!"
The five Saiyans looked at each other, smiling.
__________ _________ __________
"These Earthlings are weaklings," Radditz complained, as they watched from the sidelines after entering themselves in the tournament.
"We'd better hold back our power so we don't attract too much attention," Vegeta ordered. "We don't want to give Frieza any reason to check out this planet."
"Ah, but that's no fun."
"I know, I know," Vegeta sighed. "But that's the way it has to be. Discipline."
"Discipline," they all repeated together, with long faces.
"Oh cheer up, it's better than nothing," Kakkarot laughed.
"When you look at it from an--an Earthling standard, they have some pretty good fighters. For Earthlings."
"There's a female one!" Thenore pointed, perking up. She always enjoyed seeing a fellow woman beating up on males.
Radditz punched her shoulder, lightly, good-naturedly.
But Kakkarot was staring at the girl.
Long black hair, slim, fit, pretty face--he was entranced. "Next up," proclaimed the announcer, "we have Chi-Chi...fighting Cliff, the rock, the warrior, and last year's champion!"
"Chi-Chi," Kakkarot whispered.
It was fun watching her take him down--champion, or not. She swirled gracefully, dancing around the huge man, avoiding his hits. She kicked him twice in the stomach, punched him in the face, and kicked him some more. He fell over like--well, like a rock.
The Saiyans all cheered.
Kakkarot snuck away from them during the next round and approached the girl.
"Hi. That was a great fight!"
She was daintily wiping her face with a towel. "Oh. Thanks!" She looked him over, noticing his banked strength, his muscled body...and smiled in a coy, flirtatious way, without even meaning to.
He flushed and preened a bit, without noticing he was doing so. "Um, I'm Kakkarot. You're Chi-Chi, right?"
"Right. Do you fight soon?"
"Not for a few more rounds."
"I'm going to the main house for a drink. Do you want to come?" She threw the towel in a bin marked dirty laundry.
"Sure!" he grinned, and they headed off.
It was about 18 minutes before Vegeta found them there, drinking Gator-ade and laughing. The Prince was not happy.
"You're missing Nappa fight," he said, scowling, coming up to their table. He ignored Chi-Chi completely.
Kakkarot flushed, and scowled back. "So are you."
"Come on." It wasn't a request, it was an order. Kakkarot knew when to back down.
"Yeah." He stood up, pushing his chair back overly hard, but otherwise not daring to protest. "Chi-Chi, I'll see you later on, OK?"
"Who is he?" Chi-Chi asked flatly, eyebrows raised. She did not otherwise acknowledge Vegeta's presence.
"My best friend. Vegeta." He tried to lighten things up. "Wait'll you see him fight!"
Being called Kakkarot's best friend had Vegeta feeling slightly guilty or-- something. "Sorry to pull him away so abruptly and all, but his brother's fighting next," he said to Chi-Chi.
She mellowed somewhat at this. "Well. Have fun. I'll be back out there soon."
Kakkarot grinned at her, and then Vegeta pulled him away and out of the building.
As they walked back to the ring, Kakkarot tried to decide if he should complain, but Vegeta started talking first. "Don't wander off like that, Kakkarot. We have to stay together. We don't know this planet well enough yet."
Then Kakkarot felt shamed. "Sorry," he mumbled.
"And what were you doing with that girl?"
At that Kakkarot's head came up, and the spark was back in his eyes. "I like her!"
"She's an Earthling! Flirt if you want, but no more! Don't forget who you are--and where we're going back to as soon as this whole mess is over!"
Kakkarot's soul rebelled as he remembered the girl's dark eyes--but what could he say to that? He was a Saiyan-and he, too, was hoping and praying that the King could gather an army strong enough to beat Frieza--soon.
_____________
A/N: Don't worry you're going to get a lot more detail. There's a whole lot more coming.