CRUSHING PURSUIT
1.1
By Genesis Nightshade
1.2
1.3
1.4 Part One
Love is a Battle
A/N: This is my first Bra/Goten fic, and yes I know that the ages are TERRIBLY off, but use your imagination ok? (And don't review me or email me about it) I guess it's kind of A/U. Sorry all of you Goten/Marron and Bra/Ubuu fans…Maybe I'll write one of those fics sooner or later.
Goten eagerly walked down the street in the direction of Capsule Corp. He had been briskly walking for about an hour now, and it was just around lunchtime. The fifteen year old felt his stomach rumble with hunger and he had to use every ounce of his being to keep him from either collapsing or running into a nearby deli and devouring all of the meat. He should have been flying since he left home, but it was too late now and there were too many people around for him to take off into the air.
"Hey! Watch it kid!" A man with shopping bags yelled as Goten whizzed past.
"Sorry!"
Goten wished he had time to help the man, but going too long without eating was going to completely drain him. He had to get to Capsule Corp. before Trunks and Vegeta finished off lunch.
Suddenly, he saw it. There was Capsule Corp., just about half a mile away. Risking being caught, Goten took off and quickly flew he rest of the way. He could already smell the lunch that Bulma had prepared, even if it was only sandwiches.
He landed on the doorstep and reached for the doorbell, but before he could press it, the door flew open and Vegeta stood there. Goten jumped. Vegeta always scared the crap out of him.
"Go away, brat. We don't give hand outs."
He then proceeded to slam the door in Goten's face. Goten blinked twice and a puzzled look came onto his face as he tried to figure out what had happened.
"VEGETA!"
Bulma quickly opened the door.
"Gomen, Goten. Vegeta always gets cranky if he doesn't have lunch right on time."
Goten heard Vegeta growl from inside, and it made a shiver run down his spine.
"So, Goten, what brings you here?"
As if in reply, Goten's stomach rumbled loudly. A sweat drop formed on his face and he turned bright red.
"Bulma-san, um…do you have anything to eat?"
Bulma motioned towards the kitchen and Goten eagerly followed her instructions.
"Goten-kun!" Goten heard as he entered the kitchen. He was assaulted by Bra, who wrapped her arms around him.
"Ossu, Bra." Goten said as he hugged the twelve-year-old back.
"AHEM!"
The two let go of each other when they heard Vegeta clear his throat.
"Oh! Sorry, dad. Bye Goten, I've got to go and do some training."
Goten hadn't noticed it before, but Bra was completely decked out in saiyan armor; the classic blue leggings, white armor, white boots and gloves. She smiled cheerfully and took off towards the gravity room.
Vegeta got up from the table, not taking his eyes off of Goten. The look made Goten's flesh crawl, and even when Goten looked away, he could still feel Vegeta's eyes burning a hole in the back of his head. Vegeta finally turned around, and hands on hips in a manly fashion, he followed behind Bra.
Why did he just look at me like that? Goten wondered to himself. Is it because Bra hugged me?
"Goten, I thought you were hungry." Bulma said as she walked through the kitchen, picking up a case of capsules off of the table. Goten jumped as she came in. He had completely forgotten about the food that was on the table and his unbearable hunger. The thought that he had forgotten about his hunger baffled his simple mind, but he decided to go ahead and eat before Trunks came downstairs and finished up the rest of the sandwiches.
He was halfway through his sixth sandwich when Trunks came down, wearing black shorts and a black tank. He peered over the top of his dark shades at Goten, who had mayonnaise around his mouth.
"Ossu, Goten. What are you doing here?"
"Mu brufr fot me u noo moof…"
"Chew first. Then talk."
Goten swallowed.
"Gohan taught me a new move and I though we could spar so I could show you."
"Sorry, I've got plans. Aya, Emi, and Keiko are coming over to swim. Hey, do you want to join us?"
Goten swallowed hard, even thought there was nothing in his mouth. Every time that he and Trunks got together with a group of girls, the same thing always happened. Trunks suddenly became the center of attention, and no matter how hard Goten tried, he always goofed up. He suddenly remembered his thirteenth birthday party when Kae, the girl he had had a secret crush on for years, only showed up to see Trunks.
"Ok, sure." Goten said, "But I left my um…trunks at home."
"Ha ha." Trunks replied dryly. He reached into his pocket and tossed Goten a capsule.
"Go get changed. They'll be here any minute."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Vegeta looked on with pride as his daughter copied the move he had just demonstrated with complete accuracy. At twelve years old she had almost achieved the level of super saiyan, and Vegeta was determined to get her there before she turned thirteen and her human hormones got in the way.
Even though he was satisfied that Bra had obtained such a high level of power at a young age, a small part of him still wished that it was Trunks in there training with him, instead of Bra. Unfortunately, Trunks had been born at a time when Vegeta was too busy to raise him in the ways of a saiyan. The first years of his life had been spent with his mother, and Trunks had learned the ways of the human. The same thing would not happen with Bra. She would be the heiress to Saiyan Empire and Trunks could do whatever he wanted when he inherited the Capsule Corporation.
"How was that, Tousan?" Bra asked as she finished the routine of punches, kicks and ki blasts. She wasn't even out of breath.
"Not good enough!" Vegeta yelled as he shot a blast of energy at her. She dodged it, almost as if she was expecting him to attack her.
Now this was the way a saiyan was supposed to be trained- with complete ruthlessness, whether of not the child was male or female. Sure, there had never been a female heir to the Saiyan Empire, but with the right training, Bra would be more than strong enough.
The two of them continued to spar under 500 times gravity. The only thing that kept Bra from being beaten to a pulp was her unbelievable speed. She dodged the majority of his punches and kicks. The problem came when he connected.
After a few minutes of heavy combat, they both stopped and looked at each other, a smirk caressing each of their faces.
"I've almost got you." Bra said.
Vegeta responded when his hair flashed bright gold and he charged at his daughter, easily connecting a massive ki blast. She was thrown into the wall of the machine and fell to the ground in pain. Vegeta hadn't put enough power into his blast to really hurt Bra physically, but to deflate her ego balloon.
Bra stood up and spat out some blood, a feeling she was completely used to.
"Underestimating an opponent's power will get you killed." Vegeta said.
"Daddy, how do you get a boyfriend?"
Vegeta almost gasped at the strange change of subject, but regained his composure before it showed on his face.
"There is no conversation when we are sparring. It is not proper for saiyan royalty."
"I just want to know…because there's this guy…"
"Forget about him. No human is worthy of the princess of the saiyans. Besides, no human could withstand the mating rituals of the saiyan."
"What do you mean by mating rituals?"
"On planet Vegeta, if a saiyan wanted another saiyan as a mate, he or she had to prove themselves in a great battle. If you won, then the other had to be your mate for life. Usually, the males would pursue the females, but it was common for it to be the other way around. Those partnerships were considered luckier than others."
"What happened if you challenged someone and lost?"
"You became a laughing stock and were very unlikely to EVER mate."
"C'mon, dad. That's enough talk."
"Finally." Vegeta said, and they began to fight again. Bra would be a super saiyan any day now.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Goten was miserable. Everything was going just as he thought it would- the girls were all ogling over Trunks, as he did cannon balls from the diving board, as he playfully splashed water on them, and even as he downed the food that Bulma had made for the guests. So Goten sat by himself, kicking his dangling feet in the water.
"Hey, Goten, do you want to play a game?"
"OOH! I want to get on Trunks's shoulders!"
"No way! I am!"
"Um…no. I don't feel much like playing." Goten said.
"So how about a race then?" Trunks asked, and then added in a whisper, "If I let you win, then they'll have no choice but to pay attention to you."
"You don't have to let me win." Goten said, out loud. He then took off his T-shirt and slipped into the pool, swimming to one end. Trunks was right behind him.
"Go Trunks!"
"Yea Trunks!"
"Okay, fifty laps." Trunks said as he reached the end of the pool and treaded water beside Goten.
"Make it one hundred."
"Whatever, it's your funeral."
Goten readied himself for the beginning of the race. He had to beat Trunks; it was the only way to make up for what had happened. The fact that the girls might find it interesting was just an added bonus.
"On your mark, get set, go!"
"Go Trunks!"
The two of them took off like torpedoes, finishing their first lap in a little under three seconds. The blue pool water seemed to fly everywhere and the girls had to hold on firmly to the sides of the pool to keep from being thrown out.
As they pushed off the side of the pool and began their 75th lap, Trunks looked over at Goten and smirked as he began to pull ahead. In a matter of seconds, he was two laps ahead. For a split second, Goten considered going super saiyan, but couldn't think of any way to explain to the girls why he was suddenly a blonde.
Lap 90. Goten continued to fall behind even as he pushed himself to the maximum he could go without powering up. There was no way that Trunks could have suddenly gained so much speed. That was when it hit him. Trunks had powered up. Goten could barely detect a white glow around Trunks. Why didn't he feel it before?
"Finished!" Trunks exclaimed as he finished his last lap.
"You cheated." Goten said as he finished a few seconds after Trunks.
"He did not cheat!"
"Yeah, you're just a sore loser, Goten!"
"Hey, I've got an idea," Trunks said, quickly changing the subject before his fan club assaulted Goten. "Why don't we all go out for ice cream?"
"Yea!"
"Great idea, Trunks!"
"So, what do you think, Goat?" Trunks asked.
"I think I'm just going to get my clothes and go home." Goten said, climbing out of the pool and putting his T-shirt back on. "You guys go ahead without me."
"But we're still on to spar tomorrow, right?"
"Yeah, sure."
Goten left the pool as the fan club began a heated argument about who was going to get to sit beside Trunks on the way to the ice cream parlor. He went into the house. Vegeta was nowhere in sight, so it would be fairly easy to get his clothes and head home.
He ascended the stairs and walked towards the bathroom to get his stuff, but there was steam coming from under the door.
Someone must be taking a shower. Goten thought. It won't hurt just to pop in and get my stuff… I'll be in and out in less than a second…
Goten slowly turned the knob on the door and got a face-full of the steamy air. He opened the door a little more and entered, taking light steps. He finally reached to towel rack where he had thrown his things.
"Woman, is that you?"
Goten froze.
2 Oh crap…
"Woman! Come in here!"
Dear Kame Samma…What do I do? Goten thought frantically. He cleared his throat and spoke in the highest voice possible.
"Um…no, Vegeta…not right now…"
"Don't worry, the water's not hot. I'll turn it down."
Goten heard Vegeta turn the water down and gasped as he opened the shower panel.
The two stood in shock for what seemed like an eternity. Then Vegeta's hair flashed gold.
"I'LL KILL YOU!"
Goten raced out of the bathroom as fast as his legs could carry him. If he wanted to live, he had to get out of there before Vegeta could get dressed.
As he reached the bottom of the stairs, he bumped into Bra, who although still wearing her saiyan armor, looked a little beat up. All of the clothes that he was holding went flying.
"Hi Goten! Why are you in such a hurry? Where are you going?"
"YOUR DAD'S GOING TO KILL ME!!"
"You weren't planning on running, were you? He'll catch you in like two seconds. Come here, follow me."
Bra grabbed Goten's hand and led him to a closet and pushed him in. It was dark inside, but he could hear Bra whisper to him.
"Push your power level completely down. We'll give him about twenty minutes to try to hunt you down, and then another ten to fall asleep. He always naps after his shower and he sleeps like a log."
Goten pushed his ki as far down as he could. Immediately after, he felt Vegeta's massive energy and saw his super saiyan glow through the crack of the door.
"WHERE IS THE BRAT? BRA! FOLLOW ME! YOU'RE ABOUT TO MAKE YOUR FIRST KILL!"
"Dad, I'm tired. And I think Goten took off towards his house."
Vegeta took off into the air without responding. He flew right through the ceiling, sending plaster flying everywhere.
"Just lay low for a while and keep your power level down. I'll come and get you when he goes to sleep."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Goten wasn't sure how long he had been asleep, but he woke up when Bra opened the door and tapped on his shoulder.
"C'mon. My dad is asleep. Sorry it took so long, but he was out looking for you longer than I expected. You've got about an hour until Kaasan starts fixing dinner. The smell always wakes him up."
"Arigato, Bra. You've saved my life."
Goten stood up and collected his clothes from where they were strewn on the floor. Bra then led him to the door, and to his surprise, the sun was beginning to set. The horizon was painted in a spiral of reds, pinks, and purples.
"Thanks again, Bra. I just can't thank you enough!"
"We can call it even if you spar with me." Bra said.
Goten hesitated. He was home free right now. The ki that he and Bra would work up would probably wake Vegeta.
"Don't worry. My Otosan won't feel a thing." Bra said, as if reading Goten's mind. "And we can be done before Kaasan starts with dinner."
"Ok…fine. But I need at least a thirty minute head start."
Bra smiled and grabbed Goten's hand again, leading him outside.
"I'll go easy on you, ok?" Goten said as he took a fighting stance.
"No, give me everything you've got!" Bra said, taking her stance and powering up.
I wonder why she wants to spar all of a sudden? Goten thought. Before, she was scared to death to even be close by while Trunks and I were training.
Bra charged at Goten and attacked in a fury of kicks and punches. They all seemed to connect, since Bra was much faster than he was. However, her attacks didn't hurt him much since Goten was much stronger.
"You're not even trying!" Bra yelled.
In response, Goten became a super saiyan and kicked Bra in the stomach. She went flying and landed face down in the dirt. She slowly sat up on all fours and coughed up a combination of dirt and blood.
"I'm sorry, Bra. Maybe we should stop."
"No!" she yelled, coming to her feet, the pain from the hit showing all over her face. "Let's keep going! I have to beat you!"
"Bra, what are you talking about? What has gotten into you?"
Bra charged up and began to attack Goten again, and he tried in vain to grab her hands and stop her from attacking.
"Bra, stop!"
"NO!"
She finally stopped her fight when Goten grabbed her wrists. Her face was a mess of dirt, blood and tears.
"I think that's enough. I need to get home before Vegeta wakes up."
"IIE!" Bra screamed, tears streaming down her face. "We can't stop!"
"Bra, it's just a game…and I need to get home…" Goten pleaded, and his hair went back to it's natural black.
Bra freed herself of Goten's grip and stepped away from him, almost stumbling.
"NO! You can't go! I have to win!!"
Goten watched in amazement as Bra powered up. The ground began to shake and split apart. A crevice opened up below him and he quickly hovered to keep from falling. Bra's hair stood up straight and fell in golden clumps on her back.
"Bra…"
She charged at him, and Goten quickly became a super saiyan. Bra deployed swift kicks and punches to his chest. Her new power proved hard for Goten to keep up with. Before she had been just as fast, but now she was faster than he was, not to mention just as strong.
"Bra! Stop this!" Goten pleaded, as he received the beating of his life.
She didn't listen to him, but kept pummeling Goten, even as his hair changed back to raven black and he was on the verge of losing consciousness. Blood poured from his nose and mouth and his arm bent backwards in a gruesome way.
"Why…are you …doing this?"
"You're my mate now, Goten."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Vegeta awoke with a start when he felt the two powers fighting nearby.
What the hell is going on?
He walked to the window and caught sight of Bra, now a super saiyan, beating Goten to a pulp. Vegeta smiled proudly.
I knew she had it in her…Vegeta thought to himself. And she's got Kakkarot's brat completely helpless…
He keep watching as Bra suddenly paused.
"Finish him." Vegeta said softly.
But Bra didn't continue to fight. She went over and knelt over him, as if admiring her work. She lifted up his head and kissed him sweetly.
"Wait a minute…she's not fighting him to sport…She's fighting for a mate!"
Vegeta jumped from the balcony and rushed towards his daughter.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Bra slowly tasted Goten's lips, savoring the taste of sweat, dirt and blood. She smiled to herself. She had done it. According to the rules of the saiyans, Goten was officially her mate now.
She suddenly recalled when she had first developed her crush on Goten. It was when Trunks had gotten his license and taken her, Pan and Goten out for ice cream. Bra had forgotten her money at home and Goten had given hr more than enough for what she wanted, sacrificing his own cone. He had always been like a second brother to her- sometimes even more of a brother than Trunks. Now he belonged to her.
"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?"
Bra's head snapped around when she heard her father's voice.
"I did it! I beat Goten, Tousan!"
"Bra, move out of the way."
"Why?"
"I'm going to kill him."
Bra wrapped her arms around Goten, pulling him close.
"NO! You can't kill him!"
Vegeta immediately went super saiyan and Bra powered up and stood in a fighting stance.
"I won't let you kill my mate!"
"YOU WILL NOT MAKE WITH A LOW-CLASS BRAT! NOW MOVE!"
"You're going to have to get through me to get to him!"
The two stood opposite each other, waiting to see who would attack first. Bra was merely on the defensive, but Vegeta was a little worried that Bra might have actually matched his power in becoming a super saiyan.
"Hey! What's going on?" Bulma exclaimed as she pulled up in a Capsule car. She ran in between the two of them. "What has gotten into you two? What happened to Goten? Vegeta! I can't believe you!"
"Don't look at me! Bra did that!"
"Bra! Go to your room!"
"NO! He's going to kill my Goten!"
"IF YOU'D MOVE OUT OF THE WAY!"
"Vegeta, go somewhere and cool off. You're not going to kill anybody."
They all craned their necks upwards and saw Gohan, hovering above with his arms crossed over his chest.
"Gohan? How did you get here so fast?" Bulma asked.
"I felt when Bra went super saiyan. I came to congratulate her, and this is what I find…"
Bra turned her head and scoffed.
"Hey, I'm no one to pry, but I think you've got some things to sort out here. And leave Goten out of it. Ok, Vegeta?"
"I'll do whatever I wish!"
Gohan smiled a bit at Vegeta's comment and bent down, picked up his brother and flew off. Immediately afterward, Bra flew in the opposite direction.
"Bra!" Bulma yelled to no avail.
She turned and looked at Vegeta, who hadn't moved from his original spot. He was glaring at the sky where Bra's figure was only a speck.
"What was that all about, Vegeta?"
"YOUR daughter…claimed that low-class saiyan as her mate." He replied, not taking his eyes off of the spot where Bra had disappeared in the sky.
"Her mate? What are you talking about?"
"On planet Vegeta, mates were determined through a great battle. That is what Bra has done."
"Where did she get that idea?"
"HEY! IT'S NOT MY FAULT! HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO SHE THAT SHE WAS GOING TO DO THAT?"
"Vegeta, Listen. Bra is at that age where she is both impressionable and confused at the same time. And you know she's had a crush on Goten for some time now."
"Unfortunately. Now listen, woman. All I know is if Bra is separated from the brat for more than 48 hours, she's going to kill all of us!"
"Why?"
"Saiyans have completely different mating habits than humans. While humans could live with their mate for years and not know they exist, Saiyans must bond physically, emotionally and spiritually. Until this is done, Bra will be unstable, and blame whoever she can."
"Is there anything we can do?" Bulma asked.
"Blah, blah, blah, woman! I was TRYING to solve the problem, but you seem to have a problem with me killing the brat."
"But isn't there another way?"
"If you want to get all touchy feely about it, then you have to get Bra to kill him. She has to completely forget about him after that."
Bulma sighed.
"There's no way out of this without Goten dying, is there?"
Vegeta shook his head.
"The saiyans had no problem with death and violence. It's instinct, and certain rituals must be followed."
"So why didn't we have a great battle?" Bulma asked, nudging Vegeta. Unusually, he wasn't in one of his playful moods, and he ignored Bulma's suggestive speech.
"For one, you're too weak to battle, and two, you will never understand the ways of the saiyan. We are not truly mates. I'm going to train. Let me know when Bra gets back. We need to prepare for Goten's last battle."
Vegeta flew off, and Bulma watched as his figure disappeared in a myriad of blue.
Vegeta, we can find a way to save Goten…you're just so closed-minded, aren't you? And not to worry…we can fix this little problem between us…you're mine and you always will be…regardless of ritual and instinct.
She stood staring into the sky until she heard a Capsule Car pull up. Cheerfully, Trunks got out of the car with an ice cream cone in each hand. He jogged up to Bulma and took a big lick of one of them.
"Ossu, Kaasan! Where is everybody? Did I miss something?"
"Trunks, just eat your ice cream."
A/N: Hehe I have finished part one! And it took FOREVER! Anyway, stay tuned for Part Two where we find out what will happen between Bra and Goten. And what about Bulma and Vegeta? Hmmm…
1.1
By Genesis Nightshade
1.2
1.3
1.4 Part One
Love is a Battle
A/N: This is my first Bra/Goten fic, and yes I know that the ages are TERRIBLY off, but use your imagination ok? (And don't review me or email me about it) I guess it's kind of A/U. Sorry all of you Goten/Marron and Bra/Ubuu fans…Maybe I'll write one of those fics sooner or later.
Goten eagerly walked down the street in the direction of Capsule Corp. He had been briskly walking for about an hour now, and it was just around lunchtime. The fifteen year old felt his stomach rumble with hunger and he had to use every ounce of his being to keep him from either collapsing or running into a nearby deli and devouring all of the meat. He should have been flying since he left home, but it was too late now and there were too many people around for him to take off into the air.
"Hey! Watch it kid!" A man with shopping bags yelled as Goten whizzed past.
"Sorry!"
Goten wished he had time to help the man, but going too long without eating was going to completely drain him. He had to get to Capsule Corp. before Trunks and Vegeta finished off lunch.
Suddenly, he saw it. There was Capsule Corp., just about half a mile away. Risking being caught, Goten took off and quickly flew he rest of the way. He could already smell the lunch that Bulma had prepared, even if it was only sandwiches.
He landed on the doorstep and reached for the doorbell, but before he could press it, the door flew open and Vegeta stood there. Goten jumped. Vegeta always scared the crap out of him.
"Go away, brat. We don't give hand outs."
He then proceeded to slam the door in Goten's face. Goten blinked twice and a puzzled look came onto his face as he tried to figure out what had happened.
"VEGETA!"
Bulma quickly opened the door.
"Gomen, Goten. Vegeta always gets cranky if he doesn't have lunch right on time."
Goten heard Vegeta growl from inside, and it made a shiver run down his spine.
"So, Goten, what brings you here?"
As if in reply, Goten's stomach rumbled loudly. A sweat drop formed on his face and he turned bright red.
"Bulma-san, um…do you have anything to eat?"
Bulma motioned towards the kitchen and Goten eagerly followed her instructions.
"Goten-kun!" Goten heard as he entered the kitchen. He was assaulted by Bra, who wrapped her arms around him.
"Ossu, Bra." Goten said as he hugged the twelve-year-old back.
"AHEM!"
The two let go of each other when they heard Vegeta clear his throat.
"Oh! Sorry, dad. Bye Goten, I've got to go and do some training."
Goten hadn't noticed it before, but Bra was completely decked out in saiyan armor; the classic blue leggings, white armor, white boots and gloves. She smiled cheerfully and took off towards the gravity room.
Vegeta got up from the table, not taking his eyes off of Goten. The look made Goten's flesh crawl, and even when Goten looked away, he could still feel Vegeta's eyes burning a hole in the back of his head. Vegeta finally turned around, and hands on hips in a manly fashion, he followed behind Bra.
Why did he just look at me like that? Goten wondered to himself. Is it because Bra hugged me?
"Goten, I thought you were hungry." Bulma said as she walked through the kitchen, picking up a case of capsules off of the table. Goten jumped as she came in. He had completely forgotten about the food that was on the table and his unbearable hunger. The thought that he had forgotten about his hunger baffled his simple mind, but he decided to go ahead and eat before Trunks came downstairs and finished up the rest of the sandwiches.
He was halfway through his sixth sandwich when Trunks came down, wearing black shorts and a black tank. He peered over the top of his dark shades at Goten, who had mayonnaise around his mouth.
"Ossu, Goten. What are you doing here?"
"Mu brufr fot me u noo moof…"
"Chew first. Then talk."
Goten swallowed.
"Gohan taught me a new move and I though we could spar so I could show you."
"Sorry, I've got plans. Aya, Emi, and Keiko are coming over to swim. Hey, do you want to join us?"
Goten swallowed hard, even thought there was nothing in his mouth. Every time that he and Trunks got together with a group of girls, the same thing always happened. Trunks suddenly became the center of attention, and no matter how hard Goten tried, he always goofed up. He suddenly remembered his thirteenth birthday party when Kae, the girl he had had a secret crush on for years, only showed up to see Trunks.
"Ok, sure." Goten said, "But I left my um…trunks at home."
"Ha ha." Trunks replied dryly. He reached into his pocket and tossed Goten a capsule.
"Go get changed. They'll be here any minute."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Vegeta looked on with pride as his daughter copied the move he had just demonstrated with complete accuracy. At twelve years old she had almost achieved the level of super saiyan, and Vegeta was determined to get her there before she turned thirteen and her human hormones got in the way.
Even though he was satisfied that Bra had obtained such a high level of power at a young age, a small part of him still wished that it was Trunks in there training with him, instead of Bra. Unfortunately, Trunks had been born at a time when Vegeta was too busy to raise him in the ways of a saiyan. The first years of his life had been spent with his mother, and Trunks had learned the ways of the human. The same thing would not happen with Bra. She would be the heiress to Saiyan Empire and Trunks could do whatever he wanted when he inherited the Capsule Corporation.
"How was that, Tousan?" Bra asked as she finished the routine of punches, kicks and ki blasts. She wasn't even out of breath.
"Not good enough!" Vegeta yelled as he shot a blast of energy at her. She dodged it, almost as if she was expecting him to attack her.
Now this was the way a saiyan was supposed to be trained- with complete ruthlessness, whether of not the child was male or female. Sure, there had never been a female heir to the Saiyan Empire, but with the right training, Bra would be more than strong enough.
The two of them continued to spar under 500 times gravity. The only thing that kept Bra from being beaten to a pulp was her unbelievable speed. She dodged the majority of his punches and kicks. The problem came when he connected.
After a few minutes of heavy combat, they both stopped and looked at each other, a smirk caressing each of their faces.
"I've almost got you." Bra said.
Vegeta responded when his hair flashed bright gold and he charged at his daughter, easily connecting a massive ki blast. She was thrown into the wall of the machine and fell to the ground in pain. Vegeta hadn't put enough power into his blast to really hurt Bra physically, but to deflate her ego balloon.
Bra stood up and spat out some blood, a feeling she was completely used to.
"Underestimating an opponent's power will get you killed." Vegeta said.
"Daddy, how do you get a boyfriend?"
Vegeta almost gasped at the strange change of subject, but regained his composure before it showed on his face.
"There is no conversation when we are sparring. It is not proper for saiyan royalty."
"I just want to know…because there's this guy…"
"Forget about him. No human is worthy of the princess of the saiyans. Besides, no human could withstand the mating rituals of the saiyan."
"What do you mean by mating rituals?"
"On planet Vegeta, if a saiyan wanted another saiyan as a mate, he or she had to prove themselves in a great battle. If you won, then the other had to be your mate for life. Usually, the males would pursue the females, but it was common for it to be the other way around. Those partnerships were considered luckier than others."
"What happened if you challenged someone and lost?"
"You became a laughing stock and were very unlikely to EVER mate."
"C'mon, dad. That's enough talk."
"Finally." Vegeta said, and they began to fight again. Bra would be a super saiyan any day now.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Goten was miserable. Everything was going just as he thought it would- the girls were all ogling over Trunks, as he did cannon balls from the diving board, as he playfully splashed water on them, and even as he downed the food that Bulma had made for the guests. So Goten sat by himself, kicking his dangling feet in the water.
"Hey, Goten, do you want to play a game?"
"OOH! I want to get on Trunks's shoulders!"
"No way! I am!"
"Um…no. I don't feel much like playing." Goten said.
"So how about a race then?" Trunks asked, and then added in a whisper, "If I let you win, then they'll have no choice but to pay attention to you."
"You don't have to let me win." Goten said, out loud. He then took off his T-shirt and slipped into the pool, swimming to one end. Trunks was right behind him.
"Go Trunks!"
"Yea Trunks!"
"Okay, fifty laps." Trunks said as he reached the end of the pool and treaded water beside Goten.
"Make it one hundred."
"Whatever, it's your funeral."
Goten readied himself for the beginning of the race. He had to beat Trunks; it was the only way to make up for what had happened. The fact that the girls might find it interesting was just an added bonus.
"On your mark, get set, go!"
"Go Trunks!"
The two of them took off like torpedoes, finishing their first lap in a little under three seconds. The blue pool water seemed to fly everywhere and the girls had to hold on firmly to the sides of the pool to keep from being thrown out.
As they pushed off the side of the pool and began their 75th lap, Trunks looked over at Goten and smirked as he began to pull ahead. In a matter of seconds, he was two laps ahead. For a split second, Goten considered going super saiyan, but couldn't think of any way to explain to the girls why he was suddenly a blonde.
Lap 90. Goten continued to fall behind even as he pushed himself to the maximum he could go without powering up. There was no way that Trunks could have suddenly gained so much speed. That was when it hit him. Trunks had powered up. Goten could barely detect a white glow around Trunks. Why didn't he feel it before?
"Finished!" Trunks exclaimed as he finished his last lap.
"You cheated." Goten said as he finished a few seconds after Trunks.
"He did not cheat!"
"Yeah, you're just a sore loser, Goten!"
"Hey, I've got an idea," Trunks said, quickly changing the subject before his fan club assaulted Goten. "Why don't we all go out for ice cream?"
"Yea!"
"Great idea, Trunks!"
"So, what do you think, Goat?" Trunks asked.
"I think I'm just going to get my clothes and go home." Goten said, climbing out of the pool and putting his T-shirt back on. "You guys go ahead without me."
"But we're still on to spar tomorrow, right?"
"Yeah, sure."
Goten left the pool as the fan club began a heated argument about who was going to get to sit beside Trunks on the way to the ice cream parlor. He went into the house. Vegeta was nowhere in sight, so it would be fairly easy to get his clothes and head home.
He ascended the stairs and walked towards the bathroom to get his stuff, but there was steam coming from under the door.
Someone must be taking a shower. Goten thought. It won't hurt just to pop in and get my stuff… I'll be in and out in less than a second…
Goten slowly turned the knob on the door and got a face-full of the steamy air. He opened the door a little more and entered, taking light steps. He finally reached to towel rack where he had thrown his things.
"Woman, is that you?"
Goten froze.
2 Oh crap…
"Woman! Come in here!"
Dear Kame Samma…What do I do? Goten thought frantically. He cleared his throat and spoke in the highest voice possible.
"Um…no, Vegeta…not right now…"
"Don't worry, the water's not hot. I'll turn it down."
Goten heard Vegeta turn the water down and gasped as he opened the shower panel.
The two stood in shock for what seemed like an eternity. Then Vegeta's hair flashed gold.
"I'LL KILL YOU!"
Goten raced out of the bathroom as fast as his legs could carry him. If he wanted to live, he had to get out of there before Vegeta could get dressed.
As he reached the bottom of the stairs, he bumped into Bra, who although still wearing her saiyan armor, looked a little beat up. All of the clothes that he was holding went flying.
"Hi Goten! Why are you in such a hurry? Where are you going?"
"YOUR DAD'S GOING TO KILL ME!!"
"You weren't planning on running, were you? He'll catch you in like two seconds. Come here, follow me."
Bra grabbed Goten's hand and led him to a closet and pushed him in. It was dark inside, but he could hear Bra whisper to him.
"Push your power level completely down. We'll give him about twenty minutes to try to hunt you down, and then another ten to fall asleep. He always naps after his shower and he sleeps like a log."
Goten pushed his ki as far down as he could. Immediately after, he felt Vegeta's massive energy and saw his super saiyan glow through the crack of the door.
"WHERE IS THE BRAT? BRA! FOLLOW ME! YOU'RE ABOUT TO MAKE YOUR FIRST KILL!"
"Dad, I'm tired. And I think Goten took off towards his house."
Vegeta took off into the air without responding. He flew right through the ceiling, sending plaster flying everywhere.
"Just lay low for a while and keep your power level down. I'll come and get you when he goes to sleep."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Goten wasn't sure how long he had been asleep, but he woke up when Bra opened the door and tapped on his shoulder.
"C'mon. My dad is asleep. Sorry it took so long, but he was out looking for you longer than I expected. You've got about an hour until Kaasan starts fixing dinner. The smell always wakes him up."
"Arigato, Bra. You've saved my life."
Goten stood up and collected his clothes from where they were strewn on the floor. Bra then led him to the door, and to his surprise, the sun was beginning to set. The horizon was painted in a spiral of reds, pinks, and purples.
"Thanks again, Bra. I just can't thank you enough!"
"We can call it even if you spar with me." Bra said.
Goten hesitated. He was home free right now. The ki that he and Bra would work up would probably wake Vegeta.
"Don't worry. My Otosan won't feel a thing." Bra said, as if reading Goten's mind. "And we can be done before Kaasan starts with dinner."
"Ok…fine. But I need at least a thirty minute head start."
Bra smiled and grabbed Goten's hand again, leading him outside.
"I'll go easy on you, ok?" Goten said as he took a fighting stance.
"No, give me everything you've got!" Bra said, taking her stance and powering up.
I wonder why she wants to spar all of a sudden? Goten thought. Before, she was scared to death to even be close by while Trunks and I were training.
Bra charged at Goten and attacked in a fury of kicks and punches. They all seemed to connect, since Bra was much faster than he was. However, her attacks didn't hurt him much since Goten was much stronger.
"You're not even trying!" Bra yelled.
In response, Goten became a super saiyan and kicked Bra in the stomach. She went flying and landed face down in the dirt. She slowly sat up on all fours and coughed up a combination of dirt and blood.
"I'm sorry, Bra. Maybe we should stop."
"No!" she yelled, coming to her feet, the pain from the hit showing all over her face. "Let's keep going! I have to beat you!"
"Bra, what are you talking about? What has gotten into you?"
Bra charged up and began to attack Goten again, and he tried in vain to grab her hands and stop her from attacking.
"Bra, stop!"
"NO!"
She finally stopped her fight when Goten grabbed her wrists. Her face was a mess of dirt, blood and tears.
"I think that's enough. I need to get home before Vegeta wakes up."
"IIE!" Bra screamed, tears streaming down her face. "We can't stop!"
"Bra, it's just a game…and I need to get home…" Goten pleaded, and his hair went back to it's natural black.
Bra freed herself of Goten's grip and stepped away from him, almost stumbling.
"NO! You can't go! I have to win!!"
Goten watched in amazement as Bra powered up. The ground began to shake and split apart. A crevice opened up below him and he quickly hovered to keep from falling. Bra's hair stood up straight and fell in golden clumps on her back.
"Bra…"
She charged at him, and Goten quickly became a super saiyan. Bra deployed swift kicks and punches to his chest. Her new power proved hard for Goten to keep up with. Before she had been just as fast, but now she was faster than he was, not to mention just as strong.
"Bra! Stop this!" Goten pleaded, as he received the beating of his life.
She didn't listen to him, but kept pummeling Goten, even as his hair changed back to raven black and he was on the verge of losing consciousness. Blood poured from his nose and mouth and his arm bent backwards in a gruesome way.
"Why…are you …doing this?"
"You're my mate now, Goten."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Vegeta awoke with a start when he felt the two powers fighting nearby.
What the hell is going on?
He walked to the window and caught sight of Bra, now a super saiyan, beating Goten to a pulp. Vegeta smiled proudly.
I knew she had it in her…Vegeta thought to himself. And she's got Kakkarot's brat completely helpless…
He keep watching as Bra suddenly paused.
"Finish him." Vegeta said softly.
But Bra didn't continue to fight. She went over and knelt over him, as if admiring her work. She lifted up his head and kissed him sweetly.
"Wait a minute…she's not fighting him to sport…She's fighting for a mate!"
Vegeta jumped from the balcony and rushed towards his daughter.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Bra slowly tasted Goten's lips, savoring the taste of sweat, dirt and blood. She smiled to herself. She had done it. According to the rules of the saiyans, Goten was officially her mate now.
She suddenly recalled when she had first developed her crush on Goten. It was when Trunks had gotten his license and taken her, Pan and Goten out for ice cream. Bra had forgotten her money at home and Goten had given hr more than enough for what she wanted, sacrificing his own cone. He had always been like a second brother to her- sometimes even more of a brother than Trunks. Now he belonged to her.
"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?"
Bra's head snapped around when she heard her father's voice.
"I did it! I beat Goten, Tousan!"
"Bra, move out of the way."
"Why?"
"I'm going to kill him."
Bra wrapped her arms around Goten, pulling him close.
"NO! You can't kill him!"
Vegeta immediately went super saiyan and Bra powered up and stood in a fighting stance.
"I won't let you kill my mate!"
"YOU WILL NOT MAKE WITH A LOW-CLASS BRAT! NOW MOVE!"
"You're going to have to get through me to get to him!"
The two stood opposite each other, waiting to see who would attack first. Bra was merely on the defensive, but Vegeta was a little worried that Bra might have actually matched his power in becoming a super saiyan.
"Hey! What's going on?" Bulma exclaimed as she pulled up in a Capsule car. She ran in between the two of them. "What has gotten into you two? What happened to Goten? Vegeta! I can't believe you!"
"Don't look at me! Bra did that!"
"Bra! Go to your room!"
"NO! He's going to kill my Goten!"
"IF YOU'D MOVE OUT OF THE WAY!"
"Vegeta, go somewhere and cool off. You're not going to kill anybody."
They all craned their necks upwards and saw Gohan, hovering above with his arms crossed over his chest.
"Gohan? How did you get here so fast?" Bulma asked.
"I felt when Bra went super saiyan. I came to congratulate her, and this is what I find…"
Bra turned her head and scoffed.
"Hey, I'm no one to pry, but I think you've got some things to sort out here. And leave Goten out of it. Ok, Vegeta?"
"I'll do whatever I wish!"
Gohan smiled a bit at Vegeta's comment and bent down, picked up his brother and flew off. Immediately afterward, Bra flew in the opposite direction.
"Bra!" Bulma yelled to no avail.
She turned and looked at Vegeta, who hadn't moved from his original spot. He was glaring at the sky where Bra's figure was only a speck.
"What was that all about, Vegeta?"
"YOUR daughter…claimed that low-class saiyan as her mate." He replied, not taking his eyes off of the spot where Bra had disappeared in the sky.
"Her mate? What are you talking about?"
"On planet Vegeta, mates were determined through a great battle. That is what Bra has done."
"Where did she get that idea?"
"HEY! IT'S NOT MY FAULT! HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO SHE THAT SHE WAS GOING TO DO THAT?"
"Vegeta, Listen. Bra is at that age where she is both impressionable and confused at the same time. And you know she's had a crush on Goten for some time now."
"Unfortunately. Now listen, woman. All I know is if Bra is separated from the brat for more than 48 hours, she's going to kill all of us!"
"Why?"
"Saiyans have completely different mating habits than humans. While humans could live with their mate for years and not know they exist, Saiyans must bond physically, emotionally and spiritually. Until this is done, Bra will be unstable, and blame whoever she can."
"Is there anything we can do?" Bulma asked.
"Blah, blah, blah, woman! I was TRYING to solve the problem, but you seem to have a problem with me killing the brat."
"But isn't there another way?"
"If you want to get all touchy feely about it, then you have to get Bra to kill him. She has to completely forget about him after that."
Bulma sighed.
"There's no way out of this without Goten dying, is there?"
Vegeta shook his head.
"The saiyans had no problem with death and violence. It's instinct, and certain rituals must be followed."
"So why didn't we have a great battle?" Bulma asked, nudging Vegeta. Unusually, he wasn't in one of his playful moods, and he ignored Bulma's suggestive speech.
"For one, you're too weak to battle, and two, you will never understand the ways of the saiyan. We are not truly mates. I'm going to train. Let me know when Bra gets back. We need to prepare for Goten's last battle."
Vegeta flew off, and Bulma watched as his figure disappeared in a myriad of blue.
Vegeta, we can find a way to save Goten…you're just so closed-minded, aren't you? And not to worry…we can fix this little problem between us…you're mine and you always will be…regardless of ritual and instinct.
She stood staring into the sky until she heard a Capsule Car pull up. Cheerfully, Trunks got out of the car with an ice cream cone in each hand. He jogged up to Bulma and took a big lick of one of them.
"Ossu, Kaasan! Where is everybody? Did I miss something?"
"Trunks, just eat your ice cream."
A/N: Hehe I have finished part one! And it took FOREVER! Anyway, stay tuned for Part Two where we find out what will happen between Bra and Goten. And what about Bulma and Vegeta? Hmmm…