Sleeping beast

Author: Darkened Chivalry


Pairing: Goku x Vegeta


Warnings: yaoi, OOC, A/U, fluff, sap


Annotations:


Special thanks to Dark Serapha, for sacrificing her time in aiding me greatly with this first chapter, adding some of her own artistic flair and beautiful descriptions. I am honoured at her offer of her time to beta this version. This story/theme was suggested by DS to try and stay clear of squick and angst, venturing into more romance. More \"awwww\" than \"ewww\"




Sleeping Beauty




The illustrious gleam was gone from the white marble of the castle, as the tight restraining embrace of the thorns strangled its walls. This castle was once a pinnacle of beauty, the height of the rooms and towers that overlooked the green beautiful valley below unmatched. The rose-gardens around this palace were now withered and beyond help, gone were the days that poets and play writers would sit and daze upon the inspiration of the delicate flowers. The times were long past, where the servants and housemaids would sing merrily, their happiness echoing throughout the interior of this bastion.


The glorious days of old had passed, for now only endless despair and decay ruled in this weakening castle. It was twenty years to the day that it had happened, that fateful event that turned the entire residence into turmoil and, more significantly, into this endless state of waiting in the end.


The master of this castle was known to all, and feared by many. He was a prince in his own right. Arrogant, confident, proud and stubborn, those were his nature, and Vejita was his name. He was a man used to living like a king despite being the prince that he was. He sit upon his throne with a goblet of wine and a smile on his face. He loved life like no other; he loved the feeling of being unequalled in every way shape and form. He was truly unmatched in both physical attributes and sophisticated mind. To the servants around him he would never admit that he hated them or disliked their ways, but he would, if asked, agree that “irritated by them” would be a suiting word.


At his every whim they were, willing to do everything and anything he desired, for he was their prince.


Vejita prized many a thing, whether it was luxurious dining or relaxing in the peace of the rose gardens. His most loved sport was of course hunting. Day after day he would mount his mighty steed Radditzu and gallop off into the country side and hunt whatever he could get his hands on, Boar, pig, deer, it made no difference, but of course, the bigger the better. It had been quite some time now that his life simply revolved around this majestic castle, and he thought that nothing could change this. But he was wrong.


It was just a normal day, as far as the prince was concerned; but as he looked out of the window he saw nothing but black skies and heard rolling thunder. Sighing with disappointment he wandered down to the kitchen looking for a maid to fix him breakfast, but heard nothing but a loud and thumping knock upon his back door. Growling in anger at the lack of servants he made his way over to the thick wooden door. As he flung it open wide, he saw before him a small, wrinkled and drenched old woman hovering on a crystal ball. Not wanting to waste his time on such feeble things as peasants his anger grew..


\"Please, kind sir, will you let me in? You would not leave an old lady in the rain, would you?\" spoke the elderly woman politely.


\"Be gone peasant, you shall not enter, die somewhere else!!\" bellowed the angry prince.


\"But kind sir, I am old and if I stay outside it will be true that I shall die. Please lend me accommodation, I shall reward you!\" replied the now shivering woman.


\"You have nothing I either want or need, so be gone, you old crone,” answered the now fuming royal.


The old woman sighed and turned away, walking a step back into the rain, but before leaving she gave the prince a pitiful look before speaking.


\"Oh prince, I pity you, one so mean and heartless will be cursed forever for forsaking me in my time of need!\"


Vejita merely rolled his eyes in response, glaring at the woman as she walked slowly away from the castle. Slamming the door shut Vejita walked away from the kitchen, his hunger forgotten. He stood beside the fire that was illuminating the usual dank and dark living room. But before he could sit and relax he heard small footsteps approaching.


\"P… pr… prince Vejita, sir?\" stuttered the timidly scared voice of a small bald man.


Vejita turned and again his anger grew as he grinded his teeth at the servant, who was in his mid-thirties, a baldhead with six odd dots on his forehead.


\"And what do YOU want now!\" spat the disgruntled man, getting more and more furious.


\"Sir… A package, sir… it was left outside, addressed at your highness!\" replied the servant only know as \'K\', trembling in fear and trying not to soil himself.


\"Well, hand it over then, you idiot! Don\'t leave me waiting all night!\"


\"Yes, my prince!\" spoke K, as he handed over a small scroll-like sheet of paper, which was wrapped around a single red rose.


Vejita tilted his head, looking at the rather normal though beautiful looking rose and the sheet of paper. His curiosity got the better of him as he pulled out the quite eye catching flower, and brought it to his nose taking a deep sniff. The scent amazed even him, as it teased and tantalized his senses. It was as if it calmed him down and lowered his anger to mild frustration and from there even to a peaceful feeling.


That peace was immediately broken as one single thorn pushed into his skin, breaking the surface and causing him to bleed. He yelled and threw the rose across the room, shaking his finger before sucking on it to stop the flow of blood.


Vejita sat down, annoyed by the gash on his finger, and unravelled the scroll that had housed the traitorous flower; resting it on his leg he noticed that the entire sheet was blank. Checking on the condition of his still rather throbbing thumb he clutched the aching digit comfortingly. As he did, a single drop of blood splashed upon the blank sheet, staining it with a crimson mark. Before a single curse could be said or a gesture could be made, the scroll started to shine and a message of pure red letters could now be seen taking shape on the thin paper.


\"For this blood shall seal his fate. Thy curse shall fall upon his life. He shall spend eternity asleep, waiting for his true love to awaken his heart of stone. He must use his heart to recognize the soul of his mate…\"


And as Vejita red the final word of the sheet before him, his head grew heavy and his eyes fell shut. His body slumped as his breath slowed, the rhythm of his heart growing slower from beat to beat, and finally to silence. And with him came to rest all life in the castle, whose centre he had been till now. Every man and woman slowed in what they were doing and finally fell asleep while still standing. Every horse in the stable stopped shuffling their hooves and fell silent. Every cat, every bird, every dog in the castle fell victim to the spell. Even the butterflies in the rose-garden ceased their careless flutter and yielded to the curse.


As the small witch, for that was what she was, walked onwards, now well past the castle and the damage she had dealt, she sighed and thought to herself. Taking her crystal ball in her hand she sternly looked into it\'s depths. She viewed all within the castle; saw them still with sleep, completely motionless. The servants, the cook and the gardeners, slumbering where they last stood. A stab of guilt entered the heart of the witch. She waved her hand and fingertips above the glass-ball, murmuring to herself. Her eyes formed tears, looking at the innocents, who were eternally slumbering. She knew she went to far.


\"Forgive my ways, change the innocents to aid their master in his quest for love…\" she whispered to herself as her hands caressed the smooth ball.


And thus our story begins…


Decades later, far away from the tranquillity of the sleeping castle, was a small village. Quiet it was with its few townsfolk and sleepy atmosphere. It was a happy village with happy people, going about their daily chores with a smile on their face and a song on their lips. The people around this tightly knit community all knew each other, meeting always with common pleasantries and expected manners, which made the town as peaceful and charming as it was.


A loud thumping hacking noise could be heard, breaking the hustle and bustle of the village, as a woodsman chopped down a giant tree with a single enormous blow. The tall muscular figure walked away from the fallen tree, the bright sunlight shining upon his bare chest, making his sweat glisten in the warm sunlight. As the tall black-haired man walked onward, he ran his palm over his forehead with a yawn, sweeping away the warm moisture.


“Good afternoon there, Gokou!” a familiar voice called out.


The man known as Gokou turned to see a middle-aged man in a baker uniform calling out his name.


“Ah hello there, Yamcha, how\'s the bread this morning?” he stopped and replied back.


“Perfectly baked as per usual, of course!” proclaimed Yamcha with his hands on his hips, looking high and mighty.


“Uh Yamcha, behind you…” spoke Gokou as he gestured to something. The baker man turned to find his oversized oven now bellowing black smoke.


Yamcha screamed, turning back to his daily bread now in flames. Gokou could only laugh, walking away from the blazing inferno. With a large smile upon his face he walked onwards to his small cabin on the edge of town, waving and nodding to those around him like the good-natured being that he was. Gokou was known all around as a kind hearted, strong and generous individual who would put himself out for any soul that needed help.


To be continued…