Alatrunks

Alatrunks
By Herve and Freewater
Disclaimer: Not mine, no money is being made

oooooooooooooooooooooo
Meeting Prince Gohan

The next morning in the grand palace, the sultan found himself pacing outside the large oak doors to the garden nervously. Fumbling his fingers while Vegeta stood closely by, Oolong perched quietly on his shoulder, simply watching and waiting like him. The next suitor for his son had arrived the day before, and so far Gohan had yet to even spare the prince a second glance or look of interest, and the blonde prince was becoming impatient with his unwelcoming attitude. Something that he surely wasn\'t used to having been raised the wealthy son of a king.

Though Goku really couldn\'t blame Gohan for his behaviour, the newest prince was both cocky and rude, an attribute that made itself known to them when most of the previous night\'s dinner conversation was about himself, but the fact remained was that time was running out for him to marry, and the offers were becoming less and less.

If Gohan failed to impress him then the snooty prince would leave without so much as glancing back, and then Gohan would be in real trouble.

But Goku had to remind himself, that Gohan was perfectly well aware of his responsibilities, and surely he would use his last chance to make a good impression on someone who could easily be Truhania\'s next sultan.

The doors to the garden suddenly, and without warning, slammed open, and Goku cringed when an enraged looking prince stormed out. His clothes in disaray and shredded in some areas, the remains of his turban held in one bruised hand, a clear indication that Gohan had sicked Icarus on him like many of the others.

\"I\'ve never been so insulted!\" He roared, red in the face with a thick layer of dust covering him from top to bottom. And Goku could only imagine the fight the poor man had to go through in order to be spared by his son\'s pet dragon.

Goku stumbled forward, trying to calm the enraged man. \"Please, I\'ll have a word with him, you musn\'t leave so soon!\" He begged, but he hardly spared him a glance as he stalked off. Heading in the direction of the stables, to Goku\'s terror, to sadle his horse and leave. Disappearing with a sarcastic shout.

\"Good luck marrying him off!\"

Had Goku been looking, he would have seen a smirk of amusement on his Grand Adviser\'s face, but he was too angered to look at anything but the entrance way to the garden.

\"Gohan!\" He called, stepping forth into the sunlight, determined to set his son straight about a few things, Vegeta following closely behind.

Goku could easily see where his son sat, in the center of the garden by great sparkling fountain, an item the palace was most famous for having due to the rarity of water in the desert.

Gohan ignored his call, and continued to stare at the gold angelfish as they swam around playfully in the clear water. Gohan dipped his fingers into the cool liquid, and spared a small smile when, after the fish had all swam away fearfully, one of the more braver of the bunch went to inspect his hand.

Goku, thinking that Gohan simply hadn\'t heard him, called him name again, but was cut off when Icarus appeared out of seamingly nowhere and growled in his face, startling him.

\"Damnit, Icarus!\" Goku yelled, taking his anger from Gohan out on the dragon. Upon seeing that the animal had a piece of cloth in its fangs, Goku grabbed it and ripped it out, knowing where it came from.

\"What have I told you about sending him off on your suitors?\" He demanded harshly, not giving him a chance at answering. \"I mean really! What was wrong with this one?!\"

Gohan began counting off his fingers. \"He\'s rude, conceted, made several attempts at seducing me without even waiting form me to accept his proposals, AND he said that after we were married I would have to send Icarus away!\"

The dragon let out a snort of agreement when that was said.

Goku waved it off. \"Nonsense! I\'m sure that prince... prince...\" Goku trailed off, having trouble remembering the name.

\"Sharpner, your excellency.\" Vegeta quickly supplied.

\"That\'s it! Sharpner! I\'m sure that prince Sharpner meant no harm at all. He knows the protocal for marriage, and I doubt anything would ever be able to make you get rid of Icarus.\" Goku said, trying to be as understanding as possible.

\"That\'s not the point!\" Gohan shot back, effectively scaring all the fish away with his outburst. \"I don\'t want to get married! And you don\'t even know half the names of the men you\'re pushing me off on!\" He screamed. Icarus whimpered a bit at his shouting and nuzzled his hand with his head, but it did little to calm him.

Meanwhile, Vegeta rolled his eyes. To him, the boy had everything in the world that anyone could ever want, but when something didn\'t go his way he throws a fit. Whereas Vegeta would gladly marry anyone brought to him if it meant he could be the sultan.

Goku sighed, a swell of pity building in his stomach, remembering this very same scene involving himself and his own father.
Not really knowing what to say, he just repeated the words his father told him. \"We\'ve been talking about this for years, Gohan. The law says you must be married to a prince before your next birthday. There\'s nothing I can do to change that, and you\'re running out of time by being so choosey.\"

\"You\'re the sultan! You can change it, you just don\'t want to.\" Gohan hissed, folding his arms.

Goku shook his head. \"That law is tradition and has been around since... since...\"

Oolong rolled his eyes while Vegeta came to his aid once again. \"For the last two thousand years, your majesty.\" He said, covering for his bad memory.

\"That\'s it! Two thousand years!\" Goku shot at Gohan.

Upon seeing the look of dispair on his face, his heart sank for him as he walked over and knelt down to give him a hug. \"I\'m sorry Gohan, but there\'s nothing I can do.\" He said, patting his back. \"There are worse things, you know. It won\'t be all that bad, and you might even get to like your new husband.\"

Putting up a faint smile, Gohan nodded his head for his father, but despite Goku\'s best efforts, he still wasn\'t sure he believed it.

\"Now!\" Goku cried out with a new burst of energy and a great big smile. \"Now that, that\'s all settled, I think it\'s time for my mambo lessons, eh \'Geta?\"

Goku only realized what he said after it was too late, and he stiffened when Gohan raised an eyebrow at him.

Vegeta, thinking quickly, only this time more panicked, came to Goku\'s rescue again. \"Uh, the mambonian councellors your excellency. They requested a meeting with your presence.\"

\"That\'s right!\" Goku agreed a bit too quickly. \"I have a meeting to attend to. Very important things to discus and such. You understand, right Gohan?\"

Gohan sighed. \"Of course, father.\"

\"Great! C\'mon, let\'s go \'Geta.\"

\"It\'s \'Vegeta\' your highness.\" Vegeta corrected, but he was ignored as Goku grabbed him by the wrist and dragged him away for some fun, not hearing as Oolong snickered at his master.

With a huff, Gohan turned away from their retreating forms, Icarus whimpered at him for some attention in the hopes of making him feel better, but Gohan ignored him as he splashed the water, effectively scaring away the fish, before stomping off somewhere private to think.

Meanwhile, back in the palace, Goku was busy voicing his concerns to Vegeta as he led him away with their hands joined, his royal advisor doing his best to appear both interested and caring of his predicament while trying to free his hand from Goku\'s strong grasp.

\"I just don\'t know where he gets it,\" Goku said, shaking his head. \"I know Chi-Chi was strong willed, but Gohan tries to defy everything I set up for him.\"

\"He is young, your highness, it\'s in his nature to be disobedient.\" Vegeta gruffed, still trying to squirm free. The last thing he wanted to do was dance around with the sultan while more important matters were at hand.

Goku sighed, finally letting go of Vegeta\'s hand to rub his temples. \"I know, but what if it\'s more than that, what if he really thinks I\'m ruining his life?\" He whispered, silently praying that his son didn\'t think that.

Vegeta rubbed the circulation back into his hand, getting his staff ready now that he was free to do as he pleased. An evil glint in both his and Oolong\'s eyes as the snaked eyes glowed a bright blood red.

\"You know, your highness,\" Cooed Vegeta, bringing the snake eyes level with Goku\'s, effectively working the dark magic in the staff as Goku\'s body and mind became zombie-like. \"I could help you find the young prince a suitor if you give me your dragon ball,\" He suggested, sounding like a man giving orders to a mere child.

Goku blinked, coming partially out of his trance at the odd request. He turned his head to look over at where his four star dragon ball sat. Perched up on a stand and sitting on a velvet pillow beneath a glass case, locked up safe and tight to prevent any thefts.

\"But it\'s been in the family for so long,\" Goku said, pleading for Vegeta to let him keep it.

Vegeta rolled his eyes. How he hated it when Goku gained back some of his control when he was trying to brain wach him.

Vegeta sighed, and Oolong had to keep his face hidded beneath his wing to keep from bursting out laughing, knowing what was about to happen.

Vegeta placed a hand behind Goku\'s neck, gently bringing him forward so that their lips almost touched, their bodies now close. \"Please?\" He asked, shuddering as the word left his mouth before softly kissing him. He ignored the muffled laughter he could here Oolong make beneath his wing, shuddering and choking in delight at his expense.

To make his embarrassment more barable, Vegeta mentally promised himself to barbeque the pig-turned-bird later on for revenge, but right now, he was busy.

When their lips parted, Vegeta was proud to see Goku smiling faintly, a small look of contentment behind glassy eyes. \"Alright,\" He agreed happily.

Vegeta made an inward jump for joy, his face lighting up as he watched Goku pulled out a golden key from his inside pocket and calmly hand it to him. Vegeta snatched it up before the spell could have a chance to wear off, and walked quickly over to the stand where the dargon ball lay. He unlocked the case, grabbed the shining jewel and tucked it safely away inside his robes before locking the case again and returning to where Goku still stood.

\"Thank you, your highness, this will benefit you greatly,\" He said, leading him away from the room and towards their usual dancing spot, away from where Goku would immediately notice the empty case when he woke up. \"Why don\'t you go and get started on the dance floor, and I\'ll join you shortly?\" He asked.

Goku\'s glass eyes didn\'t blink as, like a puppet, walked in the direction of the ball room like he\'d been told. \"Yes, that would be... pretty good.\"

Vegeta smirked as he watched him leave, quickly turning tail and running for his secret lab. The sultan wouldn\'t stay in such a state for very long, so he had to hurry and set everything up now while he had the chance before Goku woke up and started wondering where he went.

\"You know,\" Oolong started. \"I don\'t see why you just can\'t hypnotize him into handing over the kingdom.\" The pig-turned-parrot mused.

Vegeta waved him off. \"Where would the fun in that be?\" He asked, the two continuing on in silence until they made it to their hiding spot.

Later on that night, after the stars and moon had risen over Truhania, there were no witnesses to Gohan\'s escape. Or at least none that could be seen, and he was extra careful to make sure the coast was clear whenever he turned a corner or entered an open area of the garden. The peasants robe he\'d stolen from one of the servants (but not before leaving a note of apology) held tightly around him to hide the fine clothes beneath them.

He quickly searched around for something that could help him climb over the palace walls, his heart pounding excitedly beneath his chest, hardly able to believe that he was actually going through with it this time.

Today, he was going to run away from it all and finally have his chance at being normal. Screw the marriage! He didn\'t want it. Perhaps now his father would see just how serious he really was.

Glancing in the far corner where the wall turned to circle the palace, Gohan\'s face lit up at the sight of a large and healthy looking tree. That would certainly help him out of this Kami-forsakened place.

Running towards it, he wrapped his hands around one of the branches before trying to hoist himself up.

A sharp tug on his rags stopped him, and he gasped, momentarily thinking he\'d been caught before turning to face his capturer.

He breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of a worried looking Icarus, and it was only then that he realized he almost left without so much as saying goodbye to his best friend.

\"I\'m sorry, Icarus,\" He said, wrapping his arms around the dragon in a tight hug. \"I just can\'t stay here and have my life lived for me.\" He explained, relieved when the dragon wrapped its wings around him, a sign that it understood.

\"I\'ll miss you so much,\" Gohan whispered, quickly letting go and making another attempt at the tree before his resolve crumbled and he found himself unable to leave after going through all that.

He was a bit surprised to feel Icarus pushing at the bottom of his feet to help him over, but no less grateful for the help. His friend understood that he wasn\'t being abandoned, that Gohan couldn\'t stay, and he was happy for at least that much.

Once on the wall, Gohan took one last look at the dragon that was his only friend. \"Goodbye.\" He whispered, climbing down the other side, not hearing his dragon whimper at his loss.

A light shone in one of the palace rooms in the higher towers, two figures dancing inside to the music. One of them not too gracefully.

\"OW! That was my foot!\"

\"Sorry \'Geta.\"

To Be Continued.....................