To Win a Royal Heart

To Win A Royal Heart







Chapter 2







After they had basic armor assigned to them, they were led outside the fortress to one of the many barracks surrounding it. Bardock was as silent as possible, only saying what he needed to as he explained any rules and regulations they needed to know.







“You will both sleep here tonight until the tests tomorrow.” He said softly, motioning to a bunk against the wall.







Goku blinked, stepping forward towards his father. “Tests? What kind of tests?” He asked warily.







Bardock glanced at Goku and snorted. “They will test you to see if you are indeed a high level warrior of the first class…which I doubt. The same goes for your son. They will test him separately as he is thought as being lower than yourself. I will be here to retrieve you at sunrise.” He said, turning without another word and walking out the door. Goten and Goku glanced around the abandoned barracks…they were the only two there.







“Well…this must be a holding barrack or something, wouldn’t you say, Goten?” Goku asked, not noticing his son’s panicked stare.







“DAD! What the hell is going on? What’s happening? Why are we surrounded by saiyans, I thought they were all dead!” Goten nearly screamed, grabbing onto the front of his father’s gi.







Goku laughed nervously, removing his son’s hands from his shirt. “Oh yea! Well son, we’re surrounded by saiyans, because we’re on Planet Vegeta; and as far as I can tell, that little box sent us into the past somehow…because, as you know, there is no Planet Vegeta in our time.” He explained, stripping his gi off and tossing it onto the bottom bunk. Goten stared at him as if he had grown a second head.







“How can you be so calm about this, Dad! How are we going to get home?” Goten nearly shrieked, then silenced as his father scowled, raising his index finger to his lips in warning.







“Goten, you sound like a girl when you shriek.” Goku said simply, slightly amused when Goten’s mouth opened and closed silently in surprise. “Goten. I know this is scary, but we’re going to have to work our way through this without causing any more suspicions. No one can know who we are or where we come from…it’s simply too dangerous. Now…son, you’re going to have to really open up your saiyan side, and, as I said earlier, act the part. This is a warrior race, and you are part of it, so try not to show that gentleness too much, eh? The same goes for me. We really have to fit in here, because we’re here until we, or the folks back home, figure out how to get us back!” Goku explained to his son with somewhat of a severe expression that softened as Goten hung his head with a sigh. Goku motioned to him to strip, then turned his back on his son and walked to the door that led to a small row of shower stalls.







“Hey, so what did you think of your grandfather?” Goku called over his shoulder as he flicked the light on in the shower room. Goten had just finished slipping out of his pants, his head jerking upwards quickly before he tossed his pants aside and followed his father quickly.







“Grandfather…you mean…that Bardock guy…he really is you’re father?!” Goten exclaimed, then puffed his cheeks out in thought as Goku nodded and smiled. “Wow…this is just too strange, don’t you think, dad?” He asked, stepping under the shower just before he pushed the small knob, hot water spraying out upon his tired, sore muscles.







“Yea…but I have a feeling it will get stranger.” Goku said softly, his eyes slightly unfocused as he too stood under the steaming spray.







The next morning, Goku was busy doing finger push-ups on the floor as Bardock strode into the barracks, his foul mood evident by the deep scowl that marred his visage. Goten was just pulling his issued boots on, which earned a snort from his grandfather.







“You were expected to be ready.” He said, glaring at the young man. Goten stared at him briefly, then stood with a nod of his head.







“Yes sir. I’m ready now.” Goten replied, watching his father stand stiffly, not being used to the slightly restrictive saiyan armor.







“Good. Lets go.” Bardock replied, stepping out of the door, Goten and Goku following closely behind him. They stepped out into the morning light, immediately accosted by the sights and sounds around them; warriors milled about the area, not only saiyan, but other strange alien forms that neither father or son had ever seen. He led them into the fortress again, and this time, they went straight for a wide set of stairs centered in the middle of the court. Goku let his eyes roam the court, and for the first time, noticed a large dais situated on the far left wall, just opposite of the hall they had walked down the night before. On the dais was a throne of sorts, though a dark and dreary one, seemingly made from a dark silver-gray metal. Goku’s mouth opened as a sudden thought shocked him. He got another shock when he suddenly slammed into Bardock’s back. They had reached the top of the stairs.







“Ah! Oh, sorry!” He said, rubbing the back of his neck. “I was looking at the throne over there.” He explained, ignoring Bardock’s glare. The look softened slightly as Bardock’s eyes moved from Goku to the throne.







“That is where King Vegeta sits during our meetings and indoor festivals.” Bardock explained, turning left down a wide hallway. Another three flights of stairs and what seemed like miles later, they stepped through an open doorway into a large domed room; the room was filled with a couple dozen people, with one line of men off to the side, facing the middle of the room, which was cleared of any objects. “This is where you’re test will be, Goten.” Bardock said to him before making his way to an official looking man who was writing something on a pad of paper. The man glanced up and nodded once at Bardock’s words, then cast a glance over his shoulder at Goten. Bardock motioned for him, and waited until Goten was being signed in before returning to Goku. Goku waved to his son, silently wishing him well.







“He will do well, I’m sure of it.” Bardock stated as they walked from the small training hall. “Though I’m not so sure of him being a second class…” he added stiffly before they made their way up three more flights of stairs. Soon echoing voices could be heard and the wall on their right opened to expose a large training hall with eight balcony levels for viewing pleasure. Only a few people stirred on the battleground floor, though there were hundreds, maybe even thousands in the balconies. Goku followed Bardock in slowly, his eyes wide as he turned around in a circle to see everything around him.







“Wow…there’s…a lot of people here…” Goku said, swallowing.







Bardock grinned. “Yes…everyone who is important, and even some who aren’t important come to watch the first level testing. Even King Vegeta and the Prince. No one wants to miss seeing a possible Elite fight.”







At this, Goku’s breath caught; as at that exact moment, his eyes settled upon a curtained area two balconies up. There, next to a very obvious King Vegeta, was a younger version of the Prince Vegeta he knew so well. Goku’s heart fluttered slightly, his hand lifting, to briefly press his right hand over it as if to keep his heart from fluttering right out of his chest. He had already begun to miss Vegeta, and in the back of his mind he acknowledged that if he hadn’t of gotten into trouble, he and Vegeta would most likely be sparring happily at this very moment.







He had come to enjoy the time he spent with Vegeta, and he felt that they were bonding in a very special way, though the specifics of that bond was lost to him. He had even heard Vegeta refer to him as a friend once; and for some reason, even thinking back to that time made his heart beat twice as fast, though it seemed strange for him to have that kind of reaction, even to himself.







What was even stranger was that Vegeta, high up in the balconies, was staring right at him. How could he get close to the Prince when he was just a commoner? Goku had very little hope that he could.







“There are three basic tests.”







Bardock’s voice interrupted Goku’s thoughts, jerking his eyes hesitantly away from Vegeta’s young face. ‘Kami, he must only be a teenager!’ Goku thought silently before giving his father his undivided attention.











“The first test, you will be paired with another testing subject. You will fight him with everything you’ve got. If you win, you will move on to the next test, which is when you will be tested against another who has also passed the first test. If you win that, you will be looked over by the doctors afterwards to determine how healthy you still are and how much more you could take. If they determine you able, you go to test three; anyone getting this far will most likely be claimed as an Elite Saiyan Warrior.” There he paused. “If you lose the first or second test, your abilities will be judged accordingly and your level will be determined.”







Goku listened carefully, nodding slowly. When Bardock stopped, he gave the man a curious glance. “And what is test three?”







Bardock smirked. “You don’t think you will actually make it that far, do you? Not many do, so don’t get your hopes up. But, since you asked… Test three, you fight the Prince’s defender; his body guard.”







Goku blinked, casting a glance back up to Vegeta; the young man’s eyes were now busy watching a scuffle break out not far from where Goku stood. “Why would they have that as a test?”











“Because only the top Elite get a chance to serve as Defender to Prince Vegeta. They must be either not far below him in power and skill, or above him; and there is none above him with the exception of the King himself. Even so, it is rumored that the big announcement at the next festival will be that Prince Vegeta has surpassed his father. I wouldn’t be surprised, you should see him fight, he’s ruthless and cunning.”







Goku nearly laughed out loud. If Bardock only knew what Goku knew! Vegeta would surpass anything these saiyan’s had ever seen! “Ah…I see. So what happens when one defeats the Defender?”







Bardock snorted loudly. “Dream on, Goku. That rarely EVER happens. He’s had the same Defender since he was five years old; not that he’s ever really needed one, but, it’s Royal Standard. If one were to actually beat the Defender, that man would take the Defender’s position.”







A small smile turned the corner of Goku’s mouth. There was his key to getting near Vegeta. He MUST win against the defender…he WOULD win. His back straightened as if a steel rod had replaced his backbone, his eyes narrowing, calculating the power and skill of all the men in the small line; All those that stood in his way.











Bardock stood with his arms crossed, his face showing no emotion as Goku won the first fight in less than a minute. Kyotsu, a tall muscled man who outweighed Goku by at least a hundred pounds, went down like a sack of rocks by one punch of Goku’s fist. The second fight, Goku had blocked and sent the man’s own ki ball right back at him, blowing off the man’s arm with his own ki. Now Goku stood on the sidelines, the doctors surrounding him, obviously not finding a thing wrong with him, and all Bardock could wonder was where the hell this man had come from.







His thoughts wandered as he watched the man, painfully aware of the extreme likeness between them. This agitated Bardock, though he had yet to say anything to Goku about it. Bardock knew every man in his family line, and Goku wasn’t one of them. How was it that he and this man looked so…identical? Not even his own son, Raditz, looked as much like him as Goku did. Though his infant son had shown promise to look more like him, but Bardock wouldn\'t find out until the boy returned from his mission.







“Hn.” He said, guarding his features as Goku was released from the doctors and had began walking back towards him. Goku came to stand next to him quietly, and he pondered the swell of pride he suddenly felt for the other man.







“One more fight, then?” Goku asked, his eyes lifting upwards to stare directly into the dark glossy depths of prince Vegeta’s eyes. Goku shivered softly at the frown he received, one that he knew meant Vegeta was appraising him, sizing him up. A glance to the side found him staring into much harsher eyes, those of Vegeta’s father. The King broke eye contact with him as he leaned over to say something to a large man standing just off to the side.







Goku’s eyes bulged. “HEY! Is that Nappa up there?” He asked out loud before he realized it.







Bardock looked at him with mild surprise. “Of course it is. You know Nappa? That’s good, since you’re going to get your ass beat into the ground by him in a few minutes.”







Goku grinned ferally, and Bardock couldn’t help but fall back a step at the ambitious glaze in the man’s eyes that looked nearly euphoric. “NAPPA is Vegeta’s guard? This will be much easier than I thought!” Goku quipped with a laugh, slapping the top of his thigh. He paused and glanced at his father, who was looking at him as if he were crazy.







“Eh….I mean…” He laughed nervously, his hand sliding behind his head to rub the back of his neck. He was saved when his name was suddenly called out from the middle of the arena. It was time. Goku rushed off towards the battle area, his eyes once again lifting to meet those of Vegeta’s; Vegeta leaned against the balcony looking down at him with curiosity that seemed to burn right through him. Nappa walked confidently down the steep staircase that led from the royal balcony down to the arena floor while Goku took his position and waited, his excitement growing by the minute. He would be meeting Vegeta very soon!







Nappa stood opposite of Goku, smirking, his right fist smacking into his left threateningly. “You think you stand a chance against me, huh?” He asked, taking a step forward, his smirk unwavering.







Goku simply smiled, then crouched low; Nappa did the same as he lifted a hand, motioning for Goku to take the first shot. The earth-saiyan shrugged lightly before launching himself into the air, slamming his foot into Nappa’s jaw, ignoring the man’s hiss of pain and the sickening crack of his jaw. Goku landed softly behind the larger saiyan warrior, awaiting the man’s attack, which came quite quickly. With a howl of rage, Nappa swung his fist, nearly throwing himself off balance after Goku’s quick dodge; Goku acted immediately, landing a series of harsh jabs to Nappa’s ribcage before shooting high into the air, Nappa hot on his heels. As they ascended, punches and kicks were exchanged, though only one managed to get past Goku’s defenses, yet all of Goku’s landed precisely.







They battled high above the arena floor, the air around them charged with not only their own exerted energy, but with the crowd’s, which was roaring loudly in excitement. Goku blurred, appearing behind Nappa, lifting his arms and bringing them down with crushing force into the man’s back. Nappa grunted, sailing downwards to the arena floor where he crashed right through six feet or more; Goku took that moment to look around him, and much to his surprise, found himself just feet from Vegeta, the prince’s eyes narrowed suspiciously at him. He was forced to break the eye contact when with a roar, Nappa flew up at him from the crater his body had created. A small ki blast shot towards him, and he effortlessly knocked it aside, not worrying too much about the damage it did to the building.







‘I’m getting tired of this, it’s stupid to even play this charade, though I know I have to for a reason. But now It’s time to end this test.’ Goku thought silently. He powered up slightly and dove towards the enraged Nappa, blurring in and out before appearing in front of the large man.







One punch to the jaw.



One kick to the stomach.



A ki blast to the chest.







Nappa sailed limply towards the ground where his body fell into the same crater he had made minutes before.











Vegeta stood, watching with detached interest; these tests had never amused him much, but it was something that he, the Prince of Vegeta-sei, had to attend. He let his eyes wander across the training arena, picking out the participants and betting with himself that at least 7 of them wouldn’t pass the first test.







‘Where is the 8th warrior, though?’ He asked himself, his eyes narrowing into fine slits as he let his gaze wander around once more before it landed upon Bardock. ‘Ah, Bardock. Now there’s one that needs to be retested. He is far too good of a fighter to be a mere third class. I’ve seen him fight on a few missions for Frieza, and he’s not only an excellent fighter, but cunning, also.’ He frowned suddenly, blinking as he seen two of Bardock. “What the…” Vegeta said out loud, leaning forward slightly.







His mind went blank as he stared at the tall spiky haired man standing next to Bardock; the two men nearly looked like twins, though he noted immediately that the other man seemed to have a much softer nature about him, and the difference was obvious just looking at the different light behind each man’s eyes. Vegeta pursed his lips, rubbing his chin. He knew Bardock had only two sons, Radditz and Kakarotto. Raditz he himself knew quite well, unfortunately; the young man drove him insane sometimes. As for Kakarotto, Vegeta had never laid eyes on him, as he was sent to another planet shortly after birth. Not to mention that the child was only a young teenager by now, and this man was surely older than Bardock by at least a few years, if not more. Perhaps Bardock had an elder brother? Vegeta gave a mental shrug. ‘All I know is that he must be the 8th warrior here for testing.’ He watched the man closely, frowning the entire time.







There was something strange about the man…something not quite right, and Vegeta didn’t like the feeling he got. This man would pass the first test…and the second; but the third? Vegeta glanced past his father to his long-time bodyguard, Nappa. ‘Now there’s an idiot if there has ever been one. Excellent fighter, but no brain what so ever. Will that stranger be able to defeat him?’ His musings were interrupted by his father.







“Vegeta. Who is that man with Bardock?” The King asked, his own eyes staring down upon the man with interest.







“I don’t know, Father. Perhaps Bardock’s elder brother? I’m not sure. Is he one of the testers, do you think?”







“Mmm.” King Vegeta answered with a nod.







‘Thought so. The fights are about to start, lets see what he’s..’ his thought disappeared as the man lifted his head to stare into the prince’s eyes. Vegeta’s heart seemed to stop as the man held his gaze, dark pools of liquid tenderness reaching out to brush lightly against his soul. Vegeta shivered softly after the man turned away, earning a glare from Bardock as it was obvious the man had been too busy staring at him to hear Bardock’s words. He would definitely be watching this man closely.







Vegeta was rewarded not long after that thought, as Goku began his first fight that ended just after it had begun. He was mildly surprised, but excited by the promise this man might hold. The second fight found Vegeta nearly shocked as the man had blown his opponents arm off with the other man’s own ki blast. Once again, the fight lasted less than a minute. Now Nappa would have to fight the mysterious man; for some reason, Vegeta shivered again.







“Well, he’s a good fighter it seems, but he’s nothing compared to me. I’ll show him a real fight, your majesty.” Nappa boasted as he descended the steps. Vegeta simply ignored him, and watched as the fight began; it had started out simply enough, but it was obvious to Vegeta that the other man had quite a bit of power behind him. The crowd went wild as both men flew into the air, rising higher and higher, their punches and kicks fast and hard. Suddenly Nappa was sent hurdling down into the ground, a large cloud of dust exploding into the air around them. Vegeta watched silently as the man in the air turned, meeting his gaze once more.







‘Who IS this man, he acts as if he knows me, but that’s impossible. Aside from his resemblance to that third class Bardock, I do not recognize him…and I KNOW I’d remember him. His power…while it doesn’t feel extremely high, it has a unique flavor to it…almost exotic…’ He blinked, snapping out of his dazed thoughts as he heard Nappa roar and watched the man deflect his second ki blast of the day. This one he simply knocked off in the other direction where it slammed into the balcony on the opposite side of where Vegeta sat. There were a few screams, but most had seen it coming and had moved out of the way. Vegeta looked back to the fight just in time to see the most amazing thing.







The man dove towards Nappa, inflicting three hits. A punch, a kick and a ki blast.







And then it was over. Nappa was down. The strange man hadn’t even broken a sweat, though Vegeta was sure no one else had noticed, they were too excited, stomping and yelling like idiots. Vegeta narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms as the man was named the winner.







“The winner, Goku!” The announcer yelled, lifting the man’s arm in the air.







“Well, well, well. Looks as if you have a new defender, son.” King Vegeta said before he stood, clapping lazily at the great show of power.