Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Shades of Darkness ❯ Oh Brother! ( Chapter 9 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: Lady Foeseeker 
Anime/Manga: Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Angst | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 07.22.2004 | Pages: 2 | Words: 2.2K | Visits: 222 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Angst | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 07.22.2004 | Pages: 2 | Words: 2.2K | Visits: 222 | Status: Completed
Shades of Darkness
Part Nine
Oh brother!
Disclaimer: Yeah, I own. Uh huh, suuure. If I owned this, I wouldn't have to dig time to update outta my butt! Get real.
Gotan: Um...Gomen nasai...
Marai Catarina: That's okay. You reviewed, that's what counts!
Jo: Okay, I lied, chapter after this. But I wasn't planning on writing this chapter this way. It just sort of...appeared...
Well, ENJOY!
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Gohan bit back a sigh as he stared out the window. Mirai was supposed to be here any moment and the eleven year old could hardly wait. Ever since both his mother and Bulma had started their studies back up for the year he had been so busy that he hadn't seen his best friend in almost a month. The had been calling and writing one another every day, but he wanted his friend here so they could play outside and spar. As much as he loved his Otousan, it was nice to spar with Mirai.
He studied his workbook and scowled. His mother had told him that he had to keep up with his studies for highschool. That generally implied that she knew something he didn't about high school and that it wouldn't be particularly pleasant for him.
Crying suddenly rattled through the house and Gohan gasped. "Goten!" He exclaimed, leaping up to go get his brother. Goten was just a baby, barely a year old. Something else he and Mirai had in common now. Mirai had his own little brother called Trunks and the two were practically twins. Both had the same lavender-white hair and ice blue eyes. Vegita, while proud, had grumbled about how un-Saiya-Jin his brats looked for several hours after Trunks' birth. Like Gohan and Mirai, Trunks and Goten were only a few months apart in age. Trunks was older than Goten though Gohan was older that Mirai.
"Is everything all right?" Kakarotto peeked through the door. "I thought I heard him cry."
"No, no." Gohan shook his head. "He was crying, but he was just lonely. He's okay now."
The baby looked up at the two and snuggled deeper into Gohan's arms. Goten was a little Kakarotto carbon copy, with a cheerfulness that may have been Kakarotto's had he not been taken as a slave. "Nii! Nii!" The boy exclaimed sleepily, latching onto Gohan's shirt.
The other two males exchanged looks and sighed. Goten had a gripe that Kakarotto could not brake without hurting the little boy. There was no way they could get him off of Gohan's shirt now. And Mirai was supposed to be there at any moment! Fate just intervened at that point and the doorbell rang before the door was shoved open. "Gohan!"
"Mirai!" Gohan ran to the stairs and put a finger to his lips. "Goten's asleep."
"On you." Mirai nodded. "Looks like we share the problem then." It was only then that he noticed Trunks on Mirai's shoulder, clinging like a limpet.
"Pathetic, isn't it." Gohan smiled. "We can get to level two super Saiya-Jin but we can't get out little brothers to let us go."
Mirai laughed and nodded in agreement. "That is pretty pathetic." He was forced to admit, grinning. "But they are just too cute! I hope they don't have to worry about war like we did." The eleven year old turned contemplative. "I wish he didn't have to get a collar as well."
"As Okassan says," Gohan gave a mischievous smile, "if wishes were fishes, we'd never go hungry."
Mirai laughed and the duo plopped down on the couch in the Son's living room. The two younger children shifted slightly in their sleep, still not breaking their holds on their older brothers. Mirai cuddled Trunks slightly and a brief smile crossed his features. "Otousan said that I could help teach Trunks to fight when he was old enough." The Demi Saida-Jin boasted. "He said I'm doing really well for someone my age."
"Okassan said she didn't want us to train Goten," Gohan told his best friend, "but Otousan and I are going to do it anyway. He said that we still have plenty of time until we start training him to talk mom around. He figures we'll start when he's about two and a half or three."
"That's what my Otousan said about Trunks." Mirai said. The two boys looked at the sleeping demi Saiya-Jins they held, then at the ones in the others arms. "They will learn together like we did. Do you think they'll be as good of friends as we are?"
"Yeah. Because no one else will get it." Gohan said softly. "No one else will really understand why we fight for the humans, why we are the way we are, even if it means that we are slaves. They'll be best friends for the same reasons we are."
Mirai nodded contemplatively, then changed the subject. "Did you hear that Juhachi is pregnant?"
"No, Kassan didn't say anything." Gohan pouted for a moment. "Juhachi call so I KNOW Kassan knew."
Mirai made a face. "Yeah, well, I only found out cause Tousan was like, 'that android is having a brat? Cue ball gets a kid to carry one the genes? Finally!' And then I left because if he caught me, I'd still be in the gravity room for punishment."
Gohan rose to his feet. "Yeah, you would. If you weren't dead. They let go, C'mon, let's hurry!"
The duo raced to Goten's room and deposited the children into Goten's bed before opening the window and leaping out. Chichi had already removed Gohan's collar and Bulma had taken Mirai's so they were ready to train. "Leave it open in case they wake up." Mirai called behind him.
"I will. We can't go to far away either. Tousan's around here someplace, he said he'd stay close, but he's hunting so I told him I'd watch Goten till he got back."
"That's fine. En guard!"
"Mirai, we aren't doing fencing." Gohan told his best friend drily. "Now be serious!"
To two grinned at each other, then fell into position. The fight was about to begin.
Gohan was the first to swing, but Mirai was the first to land a hit. The two were mostly play fighting and both boys knew that if their father's saw them fight that badly, ever, that they would never be allowed out to see the light of day again because of training. Gohan giggled and pictured Vegita and Kakarotto ordering him and Mirai around when the two were old and wrinkly. He told Mirai of the picture and soon the two were on the ground rolling with laughter. Life was good again and today was the absolute best ever.
That was, until two loud cries broke the perfect moment. Gohan sighed and Mirai moaned, levering themselves to their feet. "Couldn't wait until we were done, could they." Mirai grumbled. "Heaven forbid..."
"Of course not." Gohan said matter-of-factly. "They have to prove that they dictate our lives because we don't want our mothers to try to kill us when they get back from shopping, or our fathers to ground us when they return from the hunt."
"This is true." Mirai agreed, flying in the open window to Goten's bedroom. "Very very true. You should become a fortune teller."
"Naw, too lazy. Besides, what fun is that? If I predict their death, they either die cause they got really scared of it, or I kill them to make it true. All I'd have to do is tell them they'd die and I'd always be right."
"Look at it this way. If you did that, you could guarantee refunds if they aren't satisfied. No one would think anything about it either."
The two shared a laugh and cuddled their younger brothers for a time, until the smaller boys fell back asleep, then went down to watch television, carrying Trunks and Goten, who had latched onto their shirts again, and plopped onto the couch. "I hope they revise the law about slaves being collared." Gohan admitted. "But it's not likely, is it."
"Masters still treat slaves like dirt." Mirai reminded his friend, "So not really. I just don't think it's fair that Otousan and Kakarotto-jisan have to wear collars even though they are free and helped save the planet."
"You know they didn't get the credit for that." Gohan settled back. "That idiot--what's his name, Hurcule?--did."
"Still, the people of this planet are so STUPID!" Mirai sighed. "It's just not fair that they have to wear their collars until we turn twenty. Or that we'll have to wear ours until we're twenty-eight."
"Hurcule is to blame. If he hadn't been so close...we should have killed him."
"I feel bad for his daughter." Mirai hunkered down. "Have you seen her? She keeps giving her Tousan these really sad looks and stuff."
"No, haven't seen her. Maybe that's for the better. Hurcule can be a bastard and lie and we won't say anything, but if he's nasty to his own kid, I'll feel really bad. Wonder where his wife is?"
"Away from him? Don't blame her if she ran off. But since the girl's still there, I'd say she's dead." Mirai shrugged. "Who knows. Maybe she deserves it. After I saw how her father treated his slaves, she may be no better. But that could also be wrong. Still, no one knows. She tries to stay out of the public eye and no one even knows her name. Hurcule's smart enough to keep it out of the press and keep her somewhat safe, if nothing else."
"Poor girl." Gohan could almost sympathize. His father had been in public eye for a while because his parents marrying and because of the fight they'd had with the rebel slave faction. Most received little punishment thanks to Bulma and her father, something that Gohan was grateful for. Bulma was also looking into buying Vegita-sei. She had the money for it, that was for certain, and the people there would then be hers. The only problem she was running into was how to acquire the land. Currently they were thinking of using the excuse that they would be using it for factory land. It would still take a good deal of time to acquire, and until then, none of the Saiya-Jins that knew of it were holding their breath.
In any case, he was straying from the original subject. "So, now what?"
Mirai glanced at the two children that were sleeping peacefully on their siblings. "Good question. I'll get back to you when I figure out an answer."
Gohan rolled his eyes and smiled gently at his younger brother. "May you never know the hardships that we do." He whispered softly. "May you be free."
There was no answer to his words. Just the wind in the trees.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
(Author's Note) Well, Another chapter for you all. I'm sorry I left out Videl but she didn't fit in it and This chapter ended up being more of an interlude. Sorry bout that. She IS in the next chapter. You'll meet her later and you're seriously gonna wonder bout me after that...And you have exactly three weeks to get a mate of Trunks in if you want to submit one still. This chapter pushed the date back. If you don't have it, don't send. I have a couple ideas form people. Remember, she CAN'T be half Saiya-Jin, NO Mary Sue's and she MUST be sent to my e-mail account!
Well, Hope you liked and PLEASE REVIEW!
Arigatou!
~*~ Lady Foeseeker ~*~
Part Nine
Oh brother!
Disclaimer: Yeah, I own. Uh huh, suuure. If I owned this, I wouldn't have to dig time to update outta my butt! Get real.
Gotan: Um...Gomen nasai...
Marai Catarina: That's okay. You reviewed, that's what counts!
Jo: Okay, I lied, chapter after this. But I wasn't planning on writing this chapter this way. It just sort of...appeared...
Well, ENJOY!
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Gohan bit back a sigh as he stared out the window. Mirai was supposed to be here any moment and the eleven year old could hardly wait. Ever since both his mother and Bulma had started their studies back up for the year he had been so busy that he hadn't seen his best friend in almost a month. The had been calling and writing one another every day, but he wanted his friend here so they could play outside and spar. As much as he loved his Otousan, it was nice to spar with Mirai.
He studied his workbook and scowled. His mother had told him that he had to keep up with his studies for highschool. That generally implied that she knew something he didn't about high school and that it wouldn't be particularly pleasant for him.
Crying suddenly rattled through the house and Gohan gasped. "Goten!" He exclaimed, leaping up to go get his brother. Goten was just a baby, barely a year old. Something else he and Mirai had in common now. Mirai had his own little brother called Trunks and the two were practically twins. Both had the same lavender-white hair and ice blue eyes. Vegita, while proud, had grumbled about how un-Saiya-Jin his brats looked for several hours after Trunks' birth. Like Gohan and Mirai, Trunks and Goten were only a few months apart in age. Trunks was older than Goten though Gohan was older that Mirai.
"Is everything all right?" Kakarotto peeked through the door. "I thought I heard him cry."
"No, no." Gohan shook his head. "He was crying, but he was just lonely. He's okay now."
The baby looked up at the two and snuggled deeper into Gohan's arms. Goten was a little Kakarotto carbon copy, with a cheerfulness that may have been Kakarotto's had he not been taken as a slave. "Nii! Nii!" The boy exclaimed sleepily, latching onto Gohan's shirt.
The other two males exchanged looks and sighed. Goten had a gripe that Kakarotto could not brake without hurting the little boy. There was no way they could get him off of Gohan's shirt now. And Mirai was supposed to be there at any moment! Fate just intervened at that point and the doorbell rang before the door was shoved open. "Gohan!"
"Mirai!" Gohan ran to the stairs and put a finger to his lips. "Goten's asleep."
"On you." Mirai nodded. "Looks like we share the problem then." It was only then that he noticed Trunks on Mirai's shoulder, clinging like a limpet.
"Pathetic, isn't it." Gohan smiled. "We can get to level two super Saiya-Jin but we can't get out little brothers to let us go."
Mirai laughed and nodded in agreement. "That is pretty pathetic." He was forced to admit, grinning. "But they are just too cute! I hope they don't have to worry about war like we did." The eleven year old turned contemplative. "I wish he didn't have to get a collar as well."
"As Okassan says," Gohan gave a mischievous smile, "if wishes were fishes, we'd never go hungry."
Mirai laughed and the duo plopped down on the couch in the Son's living room. The two younger children shifted slightly in their sleep, still not breaking their holds on their older brothers. Mirai cuddled Trunks slightly and a brief smile crossed his features. "Otousan said that I could help teach Trunks to fight when he was old enough." The Demi Saida-Jin boasted. "He said I'm doing really well for someone my age."
"Okassan said she didn't want us to train Goten," Gohan told his best friend, "but Otousan and I are going to do it anyway. He said that we still have plenty of time until we start training him to talk mom around. He figures we'll start when he's about two and a half or three."
"That's what my Otousan said about Trunks." Mirai said. The two boys looked at the sleeping demi Saiya-Jins they held, then at the ones in the others arms. "They will learn together like we did. Do you think they'll be as good of friends as we are?"
"Yeah. Because no one else will get it." Gohan said softly. "No one else will really understand why we fight for the humans, why we are the way we are, even if it means that we are slaves. They'll be best friends for the same reasons we are."
Mirai nodded contemplatively, then changed the subject. "Did you hear that Juhachi is pregnant?"
"No, Kassan didn't say anything." Gohan pouted for a moment. "Juhachi call so I KNOW Kassan knew."
Mirai made a face. "Yeah, well, I only found out cause Tousan was like, 'that android is having a brat? Cue ball gets a kid to carry one the genes? Finally!' And then I left because if he caught me, I'd still be in the gravity room for punishment."
Gohan rose to his feet. "Yeah, you would. If you weren't dead. They let go, C'mon, let's hurry!"
The duo raced to Goten's room and deposited the children into Goten's bed before opening the window and leaping out. Chichi had already removed Gohan's collar and Bulma had taken Mirai's so they were ready to train. "Leave it open in case they wake up." Mirai called behind him.
"I will. We can't go to far away either. Tousan's around here someplace, he said he'd stay close, but he's hunting so I told him I'd watch Goten till he got back."
"That's fine. En guard!"
"Mirai, we aren't doing fencing." Gohan told his best friend drily. "Now be serious!"
To two grinned at each other, then fell into position. The fight was about to begin.
Gohan was the first to swing, but Mirai was the first to land a hit. The two were mostly play fighting and both boys knew that if their father's saw them fight that badly, ever, that they would never be allowed out to see the light of day again because of training. Gohan giggled and pictured Vegita and Kakarotto ordering him and Mirai around when the two were old and wrinkly. He told Mirai of the picture and soon the two were on the ground rolling with laughter. Life was good again and today was the absolute best ever.
That was, until two loud cries broke the perfect moment. Gohan sighed and Mirai moaned, levering themselves to their feet. "Couldn't wait until we were done, could they." Mirai grumbled. "Heaven forbid..."
"Of course not." Gohan said matter-of-factly. "They have to prove that they dictate our lives because we don't want our mothers to try to kill us when they get back from shopping, or our fathers to ground us when they return from the hunt."
"This is true." Mirai agreed, flying in the open window to Goten's bedroom. "Very very true. You should become a fortune teller."
"Naw, too lazy. Besides, what fun is that? If I predict their death, they either die cause they got really scared of it, or I kill them to make it true. All I'd have to do is tell them they'd die and I'd always be right."
"Look at it this way. If you did that, you could guarantee refunds if they aren't satisfied. No one would think anything about it either."
The two shared a laugh and cuddled their younger brothers for a time, until the smaller boys fell back asleep, then went down to watch television, carrying Trunks and Goten, who had latched onto their shirts again, and plopped onto the couch. "I hope they revise the law about slaves being collared." Gohan admitted. "But it's not likely, is it."
"Masters still treat slaves like dirt." Mirai reminded his friend, "So not really. I just don't think it's fair that Otousan and Kakarotto-jisan have to wear collars even though they are free and helped save the planet."
"You know they didn't get the credit for that." Gohan settled back. "That idiot--what's his name, Hurcule?--did."
"Still, the people of this planet are so STUPID!" Mirai sighed. "It's just not fair that they have to wear their collars until we turn twenty. Or that we'll have to wear ours until we're twenty-eight."
"Hurcule is to blame. If he hadn't been so close...we should have killed him."
"I feel bad for his daughter." Mirai hunkered down. "Have you seen her? She keeps giving her Tousan these really sad looks and stuff."
"No, haven't seen her. Maybe that's for the better. Hurcule can be a bastard and lie and we won't say anything, but if he's nasty to his own kid, I'll feel really bad. Wonder where his wife is?"
"Away from him? Don't blame her if she ran off. But since the girl's still there, I'd say she's dead." Mirai shrugged. "Who knows. Maybe she deserves it. After I saw how her father treated his slaves, she may be no better. But that could also be wrong. Still, no one knows. She tries to stay out of the public eye and no one even knows her name. Hurcule's smart enough to keep it out of the press and keep her somewhat safe, if nothing else."
"Poor girl." Gohan could almost sympathize. His father had been in public eye for a while because his parents marrying and because of the fight they'd had with the rebel slave faction. Most received little punishment thanks to Bulma and her father, something that Gohan was grateful for. Bulma was also looking into buying Vegita-sei. She had the money for it, that was for certain, and the people there would then be hers. The only problem she was running into was how to acquire the land. Currently they were thinking of using the excuse that they would be using it for factory land. It would still take a good deal of time to acquire, and until then, none of the Saiya-Jins that knew of it were holding their breath.
In any case, he was straying from the original subject. "So, now what?"
Mirai glanced at the two children that were sleeping peacefully on their siblings. "Good question. I'll get back to you when I figure out an answer."
Gohan rolled his eyes and smiled gently at his younger brother. "May you never know the hardships that we do." He whispered softly. "May you be free."
There was no answer to his words. Just the wind in the trees.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
(Author's Note) Well, Another chapter for you all. I'm sorry I left out Videl but she didn't fit in it and This chapter ended up being more of an interlude. Sorry bout that. She IS in the next chapter. You'll meet her later and you're seriously gonna wonder bout me after that...And you have exactly three weeks to get a mate of Trunks in if you want to submit one still. This chapter pushed the date back. If you don't have it, don't send. I have a couple ideas form people. Remember, she CAN'T be half Saiya-Jin, NO Mary Sue's and she MUST be sent to my e-mail account!
Well, Hope you liked and PLEASE REVIEW!
Arigatou!
~*~ Lady Foeseeker ~*~