Kakarroto, how exactly did your mother die?

**Pant, pant**  Well, here it is.  Finally finished it.  Two very long chapters.  I was planning on doing three, but life has kept me a little busy.  Trunks babe, I got this out on Friday just for you!  Hope you enjoy it!  Oh, I would also like to say that I posted a brand new funny story for the Holidays.  It has nothing what so ever to do with Christmas, though.  It’s called, The All-Commercial Channel.  Check it out!  Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Author’s Notes: Ok, some of you have been complaining about how short my chapters are, and I must admit that they really have been getting shorter and shorter.  Sorry.  But this one I specifically made sure was longer.  And it is MUCH longer than the others.

Q/A: Heh…  ssjprincess, you’ll find out SOON enough! ;)

Disclaimer: I really don’t own Dragon Ball Z.  And if you thought I did… well, perhaps you need to see a psychiatrist or something.

Steal after my heart, would you?

All the girls, including Zoë, looked around with awed faces when they entered the palace.  Only extremely important Sayians or guests were allowed in here.  They were in a gigantic room with a large, dome-like ceiling that interested Bulma.

“All right everyone, gather round me, and I’ll explain the rules a little bit!” Phoenix said.  They walked over to him, and he smiled warmly at them all, pausing on Bulma’s eyes a little longer than anyone else’s.

“Great!  Now listen up.  The rules of the competition are simple.  And there are only two of them.  1: Obey all commands given to you by a superior, and 2: Never be late for a test.  If you are, you will be disqualified immediately.  The Queen of Vegetasei can never be tardy.”  The all nodded, showing their comprehension.

“And now you’re all wondering, ‘what are these tests?’” Phoenix continued.  “Well, the tests are simple competitions in which you all will demonstrate several specified traits.  There are three main categories to these tests.  One is beauty and outfitting, another is manners and class, and the third is personality.  The competitions and their date and time will be posted on every main door used, including the door to your rooms.  There will be no possible way that you don’t get the message.  We will make sure of that.

“Another thing.  Rooms.  Ok, as it has always been, we will separate you five into two rooms, three in one, and two in another.”  Bulma gulped, and glanced at Zoë.  Zoë did the same with her.

Please don’t assign me to a room with that bitch!  I’d never come out of this palace alive!

Phoenix glanced around at them.  All the girls seemed to be a little anxious about something, and were looking at one another.  He laughed.  “Why all this nervousness?  Do you girls not want to be paired up with certain people?  Don’t worry.  You get to choose your partners.”

Bulma grabbed Iiovana’s free hand tightly.  Iiovana smiled up at her.

“About the dinner later tonight.  It will be held at 1900 hours, sharp.  Be dressed up, and don’t be late.

“But the first few things you all must do is give me the people you plan on sharing your room with.  After that, head down to the tailor’s office.  It’s the second door on your right down that hallway.  Allow Mr. Meeker to measure you all, and your outfits will be sent up to your rooms shortly afterward.  Your rooms are down the hallway to your right, the last doors opposite each other.  Now, names!”

The girls quickly decided on having Bulma and Iiovana stay together, while Zoë, Madonna, and Cleopatra took the bigger of the two rooms.  No one wanted to have it any other way.

And then they all headed to get measured by Mr. Meeker.  It took a while for Bulma and Iiovana to get their measuring done, because everyone was measured one at a time, and Zoë just happened to be right in front of Bulma.  Mr. Meeker was having a fit over her, exclaiming over and over again about how she had the perfect figure, and took detailed notes on the best colors to bring out the green in her eyes.  Zoë emerged from the back room half an hour later, a smug look on her face, and her tail swishing lazily behind her.

“Took you long enough,” Bulma muttered, standing up, and brushing past Zoë.  Zoë’s tail whacked Bulma’s face, but whether it was intentional or accidental, Bulma couldn’t figure out.  Zoë exited the room before she could ask, with Bulma and Iiovana’s evil glares on her back.

“Hurry up!  Hurry up!” came the impatient call of Mr. Meeker.  “Would the next girl please enter?”

“Sorry!” apologized Bulma, walking into his office, and shutting the door behind her.  The old man surveyed her body.

“Why my dear child, you don’t even have a tail!” he exclaimed, his wrapped tightly around his waist.

“No, I don’t,” Bulma said, tired of answering that question.  She took off her shirt and jeans, and stepped over to his measuring tape.  “I’m a human, not a Sayian.”

The man tittered, shaking his head slightly.  He picked up the measuring tape as Bulma held her arms out perpendicular with her shoulders.  He wrapped it lightly around her breasts.

“Your name?” he asked.

“Bulma Briefs,” she replied.  He nodded, taking the measuring tape down and writing several figures on a piece of paper.  He wrapped the tape around her hips.

“Do you like the prince, Bulma?” Mr. Meeker asked her playfully, taking down those figures too.

“He’s likable enough,” she stated quite plainly, not really believing it herself.

Yea, if you like guys with rotten attitudes…

Mr. Meeker chuckled, stretching the tape across her shoulders.

“I think you’ll find he’s more than that,” the old man said.

Bulma plopped her suitcase on her bed, smiling as Iiovana ran into the room and literally jumped onto hers.

“Woooo!” the younger girl squealed, bouncing up and down several times.  “This bed is so SPRINGY!”

Bulma laughed, opening her suitcase.  Iiovana stood up on her bed carefully, and began to jump up and down like a madman, a huge grin on her face.

“Careful now.  You might just break your bed,” said Bulma.

Iiovana stopped bouncing and looked down at her bed, concern on her face.  She slowly got off.

“Sorry bed,” she whispered, patting it.  Bulma snorted, and Iiovana winked at her.

“What ya got in your suitcase?” the younger girl asked.  Bulma moved out of the way, and Iiovana’s eyes widened.  She picked up a soft, beautiful black dress, and held it up to her body.

“Wow,” she whispered, looking down at it.  “How do I look Bulma?”

“Excellent!  You’ll steal the show!”

Iiovana flipped her hair head back in an imitation of Zoë, and said, “I know.  I’m the most perfect being in the universe, after all.”

Bulma snorted again, grabbing another dress from her suitcase.  She smoothed out the wrinkles before very carefully hanging it up in her closet.

There was a knock at the door.

“I’VE GOT IT!” Iiovana screamed, throwing the dress on Bulma’s bed.  Bulma shook her head, picked up the dress, and hung it in her closet.

Iiovana grabbed the handle.  “Hellllloooo?” she asked, pulling the door open wide.

“Hey there!” Phoenix’s voice reached Bulma’s ears.  Bulma smiled, and headed out of her and Iiovana’s bedroom.

Phoenix’s eyes met hers, and his sparkled.  He smiled wide at her, before turning back to Iiovana.  Bulma stayed back from him a ways, smiling softly.  She liked him well enough, and goodness knows how hot he was, but there was still something about him that kept her from coming any closer.  Something about him made her uncomfortable.  She wished so terribly that she could put her finger on it….

“I just wanted to ask you girls how you liked your rooms,” he said.

“They’re wonderful!” Iiovana cheerfully answered.  “Thanks Phoenix.”

“No prob.”  He turned to look at Bulma.  “And, your opinion, Miss Briefs?” he asked slowly.  “Satisfactory?”

She smiled back at him.  “It’s just fine, thanks.”

He nodded and winked at her.  Bulma’s heart skipped a beat.  Iiovana turned back to Bulma, and giggled at Bulma’s expression.

“Your clothes will be delivered here around 1600 hours, or so.  Until then, you girls are free to do whatever you want!  There are only two boundaries.  Don’t go into the Prince’s or King’s bedrooms without their permission, and don’t leave the palace.”  And with that, he left, shutting the door after himself.

Iiovana stared at Bulma for a moment or two.  “You like him!” she finally shrieked, bounding towards Bulma.

“No, I don’t.”

“Yes you do!  I see it in your eyes!  He likes you too, you know.”

Bulma didn’t reply, so Iiovana merely shrugged, a smile on her face.

“Want to explore the palace?” she suggested.

Bulma nodded, returning to her bedroom.  “Sure.  But let me finish unpacking first!”

Chi-Chi skipped down the road, heading for Bardock’s house.  She supposed that he and Kakarroto might be finishing up lunch by now, and she was probably a little early, but hey!  She had nothing better to do, and Kakarroto could only benefit from it.

She slowed down her pace as she heard shouting coming from the other side of the street.  She immediately realized that it was the eye-patch lady’s residence.  Chi-Chi blushed.  She still hadn’t gotten over that incident.

“Get off my lawn you crazy kids!” the old woman threatened.  Chi-Chi saw her come hobbling out of her doorway, chasing several punkish-looking teenaged boys that were laughing hysterically.

“Come and get me grandma!” one teased.

“Why you!” she growled, sending a small Ki blast his way.  He laughed, and easily dodged it.  The tiny blast caused an explosion a ways off, and Chi-Chi ducked down to the ground to keep from being blown away.  The door to Bardock’s house shot open, and Bardock stepped outside, looking livid.

“WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!?” he shouted for anyone to answer him.  The boys paled considerably at the sight of the furious Commander Bardock.

“Come on!” one hissed to the other, and they quickly took off into the sky.

“Damn kids today!” the old woman wheezed.  Chi-Chi looked up, and realized that that blast took a lot out of the hag.  It was just then that Bardock noticed she was there.

“Miss Chi-Chi?  What the hell do you think you’re doing?” he yelled at her, helping her up.  She shakily got to her feet.

“I… I…”

“Dad, do you need my help?” Kakarroto’s voice asked.  Chi-Chi looked over to find the source, and saw the young man standing in the doorway, looking concerned.

Bardock sighed.  “No thanks son.  I think I can handle this.  But take Miss Chi-Chi inside, would you?”

Kakarroto nodded and jogged over to where his father and the distressed female were.  He glanced once at the old woman curiously, before grabbing Chi-Chi’s arms and leading her towards the safety of his home.

“Who is that lady?” Chi-Chi asked as soon as they were inside.  Kakarroto moved to the window, and peered out at his father.  Chi-Chi followed suit, and saw that Bardock was walking over to the hag, gesturing to that explosion with his hands, and saying things indistinguishable to her.  The woman tiredly answered back, having to look pretty far up at Bardock, seeing as how tall he was.

“That’s Mrs. Witters,” said Kakarroto, turning back from the window.  Chi-Chi stared at the two outside for a moment longer.  Several other close neighbors were emerging from their houses to investigate.  It seemed that Bardock was questioning her about something by the way he was moving his hands.  She could almost hear his voice in her mind…

Mrs. Witters, what the hell possessed you to do some shit like that?!  Do you realize that you’re disturbing the peace?  Who were those two boys…

She smiled at the thought.  He got so cute when he was angry.

“So…” said Kakarroto.  She turned around to find him staring at her intently, something indistinguishable in his eyes.

“So… what?” Chi-Chi asked, trying to rid herself of his gaze.  It was unnerving.

“So… why’d you come over here so early?”

She shrugged.  “I don’t know.  I was lonely.  Bulma’s gone, you know.”

“Oh yeah, that’s right!  She had to go to the palace today!”

Chi-Chi nodded.

“Well… come on,” he said, grabbing her wrist and leading her through the house.

“Where are we going?”

“Got to show you something.”

He led her to the backdoor of the house, and opened it.  “Don’t want to get mixed up in the mess father and Mrs. Witters are in…” he mumbled, holding the door open for her.  She stepped out, and Kakarroto shut the door after himself.

“Come on!” he whispered into her ear, and took off into the sky.  She watched him for a moment, completely stunned, and it was a while before he realized that she wasn’t following him.  He turned around.

“WHY AREN’T YOU COMING?” Kakarroto shouted down at her from high up in the sky.

“BECAUSE I CAN’T FLY!” she yelled back.  He seemed appalled for a moment, but then slowly drifted down towards her.  She watched him as he descended, and then stopped in front of her, his feet a couple of inches from the ground.  He crossed his arms, and looked puzzled.

“Why not?”

“I never learned how.”

“Oh.”  He bit his bottom lip.  “Well… I suppose I could always carry you…”  Chi-Chi’s heart stopped beating inside its cage for a second.

“Really?” she whispered.  Kakarroto smiled at her.

“Of course.  Hop aboard!”  He swooped down, and whisked Chi-Chi off her feet, and into his arms.  She squealed as he took off into the sky again.

“Now just tell me if I’m going too fast for your liking,” he muttered, so close to her that his lips brushed softly across the skin of her ear.  Chi-Chi shivered.

This is going way too fast, she thought.  But still, she smiled, and clutched him closer to her small frame as the ground seemed to disappear beneath her feet.

“Oooo, wow Bulma!  Look at all the food!”  Iiovana was practically drooling as she stared at the cooks do their work.  They were in the kitchens, and the chefs were already preparing dinner.

Bulma and Iiovana walked up to a table of delicious looking treats.  Even Bulma licked her lips.  A nearby cook laughed.

Bulma blushed.  “May we…?” she asked, motioning to the treats in front of her.

“Just one each,” he said.  “We’ve got to save some of this food for King Vegeta!”

Iiovana pounced on the nearest one, and shoved it in her mouth.  Bulma hungrily grabbed another, and bit into the tiny morsel.

Her eyes closed in bliss at the taste.  It was like a tiny tart, sweet and sour at the same time, but not one ounce of it was bitter.  She quickly placed the rest of it into her mouth.

“Oh yum!” Iiovana mumbled, savoring the taste on her tongue.  “Too bad we only get one…. I can’t wait for dinner tonight, can you Bulma?”

“No,” the blue-haired female answered truthfully.  The chef smirked at the responses she was getting out of the two girls, his tail lazily waving in the air around his head.

“That was wonderful,” Bulma said.  “Thanks so much!”

“You’re welcome,” he said.  “Now shoo!  Out of the kitchens, you two.  We’ve got work to do.”

They nodded and scurried out the door.

“Let’s go back to our rooms.  Maybe the outfits are there!” suggested Bulma.

“Good idea!”

They raced down the hallways, laughing whenever someone would stop what they were doing and stare at them.  Bulma yelped with joy, and jumped into the air for no good reason.  Iiovana laughed good-naturedly, doing a cartwheel.

The girls’ door swung open, and Bulma and Iiovana rushed inside.  They bustled into their bedroom, and gasped at what they saw.

There were clothes racks next to their beds, every square inch of them covered in gowns and outfits.  Actually, Bulma noticed as she went closer to inspect her clothes, about ¼ of the rack was made up of gym clothes.

“What’s this all about?” she asked, picking up a pair of tiny, tight gym shorts.  “Do they expect us to parade in clothes like this?”

“They’re for training Bulma, duh!” Iiovana answered, examining a pair herself.  She then looked up into Bulma’s face, and blushed.  “Oh, that’s right.  You don’t… spar… do you?”  Bulma shook her head.  “Oops,” her brown-eyed friend muttered.  She turned her attention to another large item on her bed.  “Oh wow!” she whispered, coming to inspect it closer.

Bulma looked at her own bed.  She had one of those things on her comforter too.

“What is that?” Bulma asked.  Iiovana punched hers extremely hard, and Bulma’s eyes must have widened twice their size as she watched.  Iiovana squealed with joy.

“A punching bag, Bulma!  Our own personal punching bags!  Oooo, I can’t wait to try this baby out!  I’ve been craving to hit something…”  Bulma raised an eyebrow in surprise.  Iiovana just didn’t seem the type to want to beat the crap out of something… or someone.

“Come on Bulma, help me hang this up!”

“Kakarroto, where are we going?” Chi-Chi asked after a few minutes.

“No one’s ever shown you the sights of Vegetasei, have they?” he asked, not looking at her.  She thought about it.

“No,” said Chi-Chi truthfully.

“Then you’re going to love this.”  Suddenly, Kakarroto nose-dived, heading strait for the ground.  Chi-Chi screamed, and clutched him tighter, burying her face in his clothes.

He slowed down as they neared the ground, and softly landed.  It took a lot of persuasion, but finally he convinced Chi-Chi to let go of him, and Kakarroto lowered her to the ground, gently out of his arms.

She gazed around her in complete awe.  They were in some type of a forest.  Light shown through the leaves of the trees above her, and illuminated the ground.  Before her was a small stream of water that was gurgling softly.  Around it were several smooth stones that looked large enough for her to sit or possibly lie down on.  But besides from the stream’s soothing sounds, everything was completely, and almost eerily, silent.

“Kakarroto… where are we?”

“Shhh,” he silenced softly, covering her eyes with one of his hands.  He pressed his body behind hers, and trailed the fingers from his other hand up and down her arm.

Chi-Chi blushed and shivered.  “Kakarroto…” she whispered.  “What are you doing?”

“Listen, Chi-Chi, just listen…”

Chi-Chi obeyed.  She had nothing else to do anyway.  Her eyes were covered.

She listened for a while.  At first she heard nothing besides the water… but then something seemed to reach her ears.  It was like a low murmuring at first, but then it grew louder and louder.  It was the soft whispering of voices.

“Do you hear it?” he whispered, still stroking her arm, and covering her eyes.

“Kakarroto… what is that?” she asked.  “Who is that?”

“Glad you hear it,” he replied, nudging the back of her neck.  She moaned softly.  “They’re the spirits of the forest.”  He paused for a moment, listening.  “They say they like you, and are pleased to have you here.”

“Who?”

“The spirits.”

“What spirits?”

“The spirits that live in the forest, Chi-Chi.  The spirit of the trees, of the water, of the leaves… they all like you.”

She didn’t quite understand, but she could hear those tiny whisperings well enough to know that they sounded like voices, even though it must have been in another language.  “Is that a good thing?  For them to like me, I mean?”

“Yes,” he mumbled, nipping at her neck.  She gasped as he bent foreword, and his teeth lightly scraped the area just above her collarbone.  “It’s wonderful.”

“Wh… why?” she whispered.

“The spirits of the forest choose who the want to talk to,” he said, moving his head around hers, and scraping the skin above the other side of her collarbone.  “They like those with clear minds and innocent spirits.  And let me say, not many Sayians can hear them.”

“Then why can you hear them?” Chi-Chi asked.  “And Kakarroto, could you quit covering my eyes now?”

He did, and picked her up.  She was about to ask him what he was doing, but a look in his playful eyes wouldn’t allow her to say anything.  Kakarroto walked over to a large, flat stone, and laid her body out on it.  He sat on one next to her.

“Hey,” Chi-Chi said, noticing something odd.  “The stone isn’t cold!”

He nodded.  “The stone spirit seems to particularly favor you.  I don’t think they’ve ever sensed a presence like yours before, and all of them are excited.  Their voices are a little louder than usual…”

Chi-Chi looked at him.  “You didn’t answer my question,” she said.  He raised his eyebrows.

“And that would be…?”

“Why can you hear them?”

“Because they must see a clear mind and an innocent spirit inside of me.”

“Oh…”

Well, DUH, Chi-Chi, she thought.

Chi-Chi placed her hands behind her head, and relaxed, looking up into the seemingly endless treetops.  “Do you come here often, Kakarroto?”

“Sometimes.  If I’m ever stressed, or worried, or…”  He paused.  “Frightened.”

“You get frightened?” asked Chi-Chi, bewildered.  She looked over at him, eyes wide, and he chuckled slightly.

“Everyone gets scared at some point in their life.”

“When were you scared, Kakarroto?”

He paused, thinking.  It seemed like almost forever, and his face was suddenly taking on a deadened look, as if he were recalling something miserable.

“I was scared when my mother died,” he whispered.  The spirits seemed to hush themselves.

“Oh…. I’m sorry.”

He nodded.  “It’s ok.”

“How did she die?”

He took a deep breath, and looked down at the ground.  After a moment or two, he picked up a smooth, solid black, onyx stone.  He began to rub his fingers on it.

“What is that?” Chi-Chi asked.  Kakarroto looked up at her.

“Worry stone,” he answered.  “You usually find them in rivers, where sand has beaten all the rough edges off them.  If you rub them, they supposedly take all your worries away.”

She nodded, and he sighed, and hung his head.  Then, out of nowhere, he muttered, “The plague.”

“What?” she asked.

“Mother.  She died of the plague when I was but 5 years old.  It was a dreaded sickness that only affected Sayians with a certain hormone, mostly females.  It was an awful disease, more commonly known to Sayians now as Itok-ocv.  Itok-ocv affects Sayians in their spinal cord, and in their brain cells.  They become paralyzed in a lower part of the body, such as a toe, or a foot.  Then it spreads upwards, and eventually, it painfully paralyzes them from the neck down.  And then it works at their mind, at their sanity.”  He shook his hanging head, and sniffed.  Chi-Chi’s eyes doubled their size.

He’s crying!

He continued in a shaky voice, and a tear fell into the ground below.  “I would sometimes wake in the middle of the night… and hear mother’s cries for help.  She would claim… would claim that she was on fire and burning.  Or sometimes that she was being stabbed to death.  She even once called for my name, and when I entered her bedroom, she looked over to my father and said that ‘That bastard is trying to kill me’.  Father was sitting in a corner, watching her, and… and crying.  It was the first time I’d ever seen him cry.”

Chi-Chi got up worriedly, and sat next to Kakarroto.  She wrapped an arm around his broad shoulders, and hugged him tight.  It was the only thing she could think of doing.

He took in several steadying breaths, trying to keep himself from crying any more.

“I’m sorry,” Chi-Chi whispered.  “I’m so sorry….”

“Are you ready Bulma?” Iiovana asked her friend.  “We’ve got to be there in five minutes!”

Bulma stepped out of the bedroom in a beautiful, silk, hoop skirt dress.  It generously draped around her shoulders, and was light violet in color. A pair of black high-heels finished it off.

“You look wonderful!” Iiovana whispered.

“Thanks.  So do you.”

This was true.  Iiovana was dressed in a canary yellow dress that had yellow feathers spotted around her at random.  It, unlike Bulma’s, wrapped around her neck, was sleeveless, and ended at the knees.  She had a pair of yellow, platform sandals to finish it off.

“Well, shall we go?”

Bulma offered Iiovana her arm playfully.  Iiovana took it, and in a royal voice said, “Let’s shall.”

Ok.  This is just the first chapter of your Christmas present, so there’s more.  I first thought about ending it where Chi-Chi whispered, ‘I’m so sorry…’, but decided against it.  That part was a little depressing, and that’s something that I don’t really want to do to my readers.  Leave them all depressed, and stuff.  But anyways, what did you think about this chapter?  Could Mrs. Witters be something more than just comic relief?  And what is it about Phoenix that Bulma doesn’t like?  Review please!