The
Birth of an Empire
Chapter 1
"We're moving to the city."
Those were the first words that made their way past the foggy senses of Son
Goku and Son Goten as they inhaled their breakfast.
Goku coughed as he nearly choked on his food. "What?!"
"You heard me Goku! We're moving to the city, I want to be near Gohan, I'm
not getting any younger! And Goten needs to be around kids his own age, he
can't stay out in the middle of nowhere on his own! Look what happened to Gohan
as a child, and you need to settle down now, Goku. Try and find a job of some
sorts to help support us in between these tournaments!"
"Does this mean we'll be near Trunks mum?" Goten asked, voice lifting
higher than usual in excitement.
"No Goten, we're not moving to West City, we're moving to Satan City
instead," Chichi replied.
The Son men's eyes widened.
"But Chichi, that's even further away than we are now. How am I supposed
to spar with Vegeta as often..."
Goku wasn't given a chance to finish his protest before Chichi retaliated.
"THAT is one of the reasons we're moving that far away! Both you and Goten
need to spend more time away from that man! I don't mind Trunks so much, he can
be a nice boy when he wants to, but both of them are bad influences! Like I
said, you need to settle down. Now finish your breakfast please."
Silence reigned over the kitchen, as the previously enthusiastic eating efforts
died down to nothing. Goku frowned at his food, trying to imagine life in the
city, away from the open lands, people prying into what he was doing, where
he'd have to hide his powers to make sure his wife fit in...
Sighing, he put his fork down on the table and stood up, mumbling quietly
before he left. "I'm going fishing, Chichi."
“I'll
come, daddy!"
Goten dropped his cutlery onto the table. He speeded after his father, heading
outside and into the open air.
Goku flew at a slow pace, lost in his thoughts while Goten stayed alongside him
watching the ground as they passed over. He occasionally glanced at his father
for reassurance, looking away again when he received none.
"Hey, Goten!"
The young demi saiya-jin looked up again, eyes watering slightly until he saw
the usual happy expression on his father's face.
"Race you to the river!"
Goku sped off ahead, only pausing to laugh when his youngest son yelled in
protest. "You could've said 'Go'!" he complained and powered up unto
Super Saiya-jin.
Letting his son catch up with him, Goku kept even with the young demi saiya-jin
until the river came into his view. Dropping back a little, he watched with a
smile as Goten put on a large burst of speed and won the race.
"I won! I won!"
He landed on the ground, watching with a smile as his son celebrated his
victory.
"Right, Goten! I'm gonna go catch some fish for us. Can you get me some
wood for a fire while I'm gone?"
"Okay!"
With that, Goten bounded off towards the nearby trees, leaving Goku to do as he
wished. Quickly removing his gi, a boxer-clad Goku leapt into the crystal
waters of the river in search of a fish.
Swimming along the bottom, he kept on the look out for some of the bigger fish.
Spotting a nearby school of largish fish, he swam closer to the bottom, trying
to inconspicuously sneak closer to them. Pouncing less than a minute later, he
charged into the centre of the school, grabbing the largest fish he could find
and throwing them onto the bank.
Surfacing, he pulled himself out of the water and watched with a small smile as
Goten ran around the fish in excitement. Turning to the pile of logs, he picked
a few out for the fire and set them down on a bare piece of ground, the grass
cleared away months before for previous fires. Embedding two small logs into
the ground, he walked over and grabbed one of the now dead fish. Shoving a
large, thick stick into its mouth, he pushed it through until the end burst
through the skin just above the tail.
Balancing it on the two standing logs, he sat himself in the shade of a nearby
boulder, opening his arms as his smallest son leapt at him. Wrapping his arms
around the miniature version of himself, he stared into the fire and began
wondering how his life would change once he moved into the city. He knew Chichi
would force him to find a job of some sort, leaving him no time to either spar
with Vegeta or relax in the middle of nowhere like this.
"Daddy?"
The high-pitched voice interrupted his thoughts, a large pair of dark eyes
focusing on his face.
“What is
it, Goten?" Looking down, he took in the nervous look on his sons face.
“What's
the city like?"
“There’s a lot of people there,
and lot's of buildings. You have to be really careful not to show your power
there, or fire ki blasts because there isn't enough space and people get scared
easily of us. But there's a lot of other children your age there, you'll be
going to a school and meeting new friends."
Hoping that by combining the warning with the good points, he could calm the
young demi-Saiya-jin down, he waited for a response while Goten mulled over the
information.
"I don't want to meet new people though. I like playing with Trunks all
the time. At least I don't have to hide my energy around him or Vegeta or
Bulma..." trailing off, Goten lowered his eyes and bit his bottom lip,
tears gathering in his eyes.
"I know Goten, I don't want to go either, but it's best for your mum,
she's right, she isn't going to live as long as us, and she's not as strong as
she used to be. It'll be easier for her in the city, where she'll be closer to
Gohan and everything we need, like food from the stores and things. You
see?"
Goten nodded. Still not looking up.
"Hey, look at it this way. When you're older, you can move wherever you
want. And maybe your mum will let you stay at Trunks' house in the
holidays."
Shining black eyes finally rose to meet his own. A small glitter of hope in
them.
"Do you think so, daddy?"
"Maybe, I'll ask when we go home OK?"
"Yay!"
Diving out of his father's arms, Goten leapt into the air and began flying in
figures of eight, making the elder Son laugh as the dull mood between them
lightened up.
Time flew by all to fast after that day, and before long Chichi was stood
outside the house supervising the workers as they moved the furniture into the
large truck. Bulma stood with her as the two women spoke, Goten and Trunks sat
on the grass near the house looking decidedly depressed, the younger of the two
staring blankly at the men as they wandered in and out of the house, while
Trunks glared at each of them as they passed by.
Near the edge of the forest, Vegeta leant against one of the trees and silently
watched the continuous activity near the Son house, half his body hidden in the
dappled shadow of the tree. A few feet away, Goku sat on the grass, as silent
and unmoving as the Saiya-jin Prince as he watched the pack of strangers
removing all the furniture and boxes from his house.
"Vegeta?"
A slight movement of his rival's eyebrows signified that he was listening.
“I know Chichi is gonna make me get a job, but I might
still be able to get out of the city on weekends. So we can keep our weekend
spar the same, I just have to make sure she doesn't find out."
A snort was the first response.
"Kakarrot. You're thousands, probably millions of times stronger than she
is. You should develop a backbone and stand up to her! Don't let a weak ningen
woman tell you what to do! And yes, our weekend sparring will stay the
same."
Goku didn't reply, just sighed and fell back into silence while trying to
ignore the territorial feelings that ran through his body each time one of the
moving men wandered into his house, only to return with a new piece of
furniture.
Before long, Chichi was calling for her husband and son to climb in the car,
setting off in silence after the movers truck.
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