Alatrunks, Chapter #09
Summary: What happens when two reckless writers mix Disney’s Aladdin and Dragon Ball Z. ^_^
Author’s Notes: Chapter Title: A whole new world
Trunks kept at a low bow, clenching his teeth and completely aware of the bead of sweat trailing down his nose while he waited for the Sultan to make the first move and terrified he would be thrown back into the lowest dungeon for trespassing.
Goku abruptly slapped his hands together and laughed. Trunks sighed and stood straight to great the sultan.
“Splendid, absolutely marvellous! You know how to entertain, young man!”
Trunks hopped off of Nimbus and smiled at the compliment before his eyes were drawn to the mass of broken toys beside the throne, and the turn of his lips became more confident.
“First—” He coughed and deepened his voice. “First impressions are essential in making new friends, your majesty. Or so I find.”
Nimbus floated lazily at Trunks’ elbows before nudging him, and Trunks remembered that he had to make his proposition while he still had the father in a good mood. Trunks bent down to one knee. “Your majesty, I am Prince Ali Ababwa, and I have heard of your son and have travelled far for a chance to claim his hand.”
He chanced a glance up, hope filling him like refreshing water at the sultan’s eager expression before he thrust his hand out and pulled Trunks to his feet for a hearty shake. “Prince Ali, of course! Of course! I am delighted to meet you. And of course this is Vegeta, my Vizier, he’s delighted too.”
The man all but sneered at him, and Trunks felt like even though he wore the finest clothes he ever possessed that the man before him still regarded him as a peasant. Worse than a peasant, a recently squashed insect.
Vegeta crossed his arms, still sizing up Trunks as he circled him. Your highness,” he sneered. “you of all people should be aware that royal etiquette does not allow such an intrusion—”
Goku squealed as Nimbus floated over to inspect him. Trunks sighed with the intrusion as the sultan stroked Nimbus like a kitten. “This is the most remarkable device I have ever seen.” He looked at Trunks imploringly. “You wouldn’t mind if I took him up?”
Trunks gaped at how the sultan himself could ask a question like that as if Trunks was in a position to refuse him anything. “Why, uh,” He had to shake himself out of it, remind himself that he was a prince now and very nearly equal to the sultan himself.
Confidence restored, Trunks bent down and offered his hands to give Goku a leg up. “Certainly your majesty, allow me.”
No sooner did Goku’s rump hit Nimbus’ yellow top did the cloud zoom off at a speed that Trunks had only once ridden, and very nearly fell off.
His heart jumped into his mouth but Goku’s shrieks of delight stopped him from calling the cloud back down.
“Vegeta look how high I am!” He called, determined to treat it like a ride.
“Splendid, your majesty.” Vegeta drolled, barely glancing at him before turning his suspicious gaze, worthy of a lion about to attack and eat its prey, back to Trunk.
Trunks stood to great him, grinning for all the world like he belonged there and was not an intruder.
“Just, where did you say you hailed from?” His questioned was calm despite how his master flew about in dangerous circles thirty feet above his head.
The question put a rock in Trunks’ throat. He had no answer to give. “Oh, I’m sure it’s much farther than you’ve ever travelled.”
Vegeta twisted his lips upward. “Try me.”
Goku zoomed between them. Trunks and Vegeta jumped apart before they could be hurt. Vegeta’s parrot panicked and flew from his shoulder, a mistake since Nimbus made the animal its target.
“Watch out, Polly!” Goku screamed, still laughing and ignorant of the bird’s suffering.
Trunks laughed too, he doubled over and slapped his knees. The sultan loved him! He would introduce him to Gohan and Gohan would love him too! “This is going better than I thought it would.”
“What was that?” Vegeta demanded.
“Here I come, I’m going to land!” Nimbus swooped in for a sudden stop, the rush threw Goku from his perch and he slid to a gentle stop on his gleaming floor, laughing like a child and clapping his hands. “That was the most fun I’ve had in such a long time!” He got to his feet, and Trunks bowed again as he approached. “None of that! I want you to stand before me! Gohan is sure to choose you if you can entertain like that!”
Trunks saw Nimbus hovering shakily from dizziness, and he reached his hand out to pet the cloud for a job well done. Then his ears caught the next words, whispered to his vizier.
“If we’re lucky, you won’t have to marry Gohan after all.”
Trunks paled. That long haired man wanted to marry Gohan! He wouldn’t have it!
No one saw Gohan enter the throne room. The noise drew him out of his room and after the odd parade his curiosity prompted him to investigate. His eyes were wide as he looked at his father and Vegeta before landing on the stranger. At their conversation his curious eyes narrowed into thin slits.
“I don’t trust him sire.”
Goku waved his hand, as though shooing away a fly and not the potential happiness of his only son. “Calm down Vegeta. He can hardly be a danger, and I like him!”
Oolong sneered softly in a corner, his feathers ruffled with the attack and lack of sympathy that followed it.
“Gohan will like this one.”
“And I am most sure that I will like Prince Gohan.”
Trunks smiled, Vegeta saw it and sneered at him. “You may like him but that hardly makes him worthy of the prince!” The last was hissed at Trunks.
By then he saw red, and for once having the opportunity to put someone in their place, he would not waste it.
Like Vegeta spoke to the sultan while truly addressing Trunks, Trunks decided to do the same, his quirky, confidant smile stronger than ever. “Why, your majesty, *I* am Prince Alice Ababwa! Just let him meet me and I will win his heart.”
“How dare you!”
Trunks’ breathe caught at the familiar voice, he spun around but the face he’d fallen for was twisted into an unforgiving scowl that made him cower and step back. Gohan’s fists were clenched and arms shook, Trunks, for the life of him, couldn’t understand why he was so upset. Didn’t he recognise him?
“I’m out of the way for barely a day and I come back to find you all standing around making decisions about *my* life!” He sputtered with rage, like if anyone stood too close he would hit them just to relieve it. “I am not some *thing* that anyone can come and claim!”
He promptly stormed out of the room. Trunks rushed to follow but Goku grabbed his arm. His formerly delighted face sagged with sadness.
“It’s usually better to give him some time to cool off.” He put his large hand on Trunks’ back and began leading him in the opposite direction Gohan stormed off in. “But I can give you my word that when he’s in better spirits I’ll send for you, until then I’ll have room prepared for your stay.”
Vegeta seethed, watching them leave the throne room regardless of the fact that he was not with them. Fury spit inside his blood and he shook with the effort of containing it. So close, he’d been so damn close!
Oolong landed on his shoulder, Vegeta reached up and snatched him by the neck before hurling him across the room, storming out before he could see where he landed. “I need to get rid of that little fake!”
***
As promised Goku showed Trunks to a room more lavish and extravagant than anything he’d ever seen before in his life. The room itself was three times the size of the little space he called home in Truhania, but with none of the broken furniture, shredded pillows, and raggy curtains.
The sight took away any happiness as quickly as it came upon seeing it. Trunks circled the room, touching the fine dressers, the silk beddings, and wonderful carvings, wondering if a sultan as welcoming and kind as Goku knew that the curtains alone could probably feed a whole family for a month.
Trunks frowned. No, he couldn’t know, the royals spent all their time in their palace, were never permitted to leave but for rare occasions. Something was amiss, somehow, over the years, Truhania decayed without the sultan’s knowledge.
Then he thought of Gohan, how the Prince’s hand struck out, snatching an apple and handing it to the boy who needed it most with a smile on his face. Surely Gohan hadn’t known at the time that, that apple was probably the only thing the boy would eat without stealing in a fortnight, but when Trunks took him to his house, it must have clicked. He wondered if Gohan was doing anything about the starvation in Truhania. Trunks hoped he was, otherwise he’d doomed himself to fall in love with a spoiled prince.
Trunks set his hat down on a carpet which was so fine he felt a sting of guilt for stepping on it, then stretched his body out on the bed. Piccolo seeped out of his cooker, looked around, and whistled.
“Nice. You’ve got a way with words to get the sultan himself to hand over such a place.”
Trunks shifted. “He did it because I’m a prince now.” He didn’t mean for the words to leave his lips in irritation. He hadn’t realized the thought bothered him until now.
Piccolo raised a brow. “Idiot. Do you think, prince or not, that if you presented yourself disrespectfully the sultan would have given you a minute of his time. You’re here because of you. I heard you speaking to him.”
Trunks shifted and smiled at his friend. “Thanks.”
Piccolo settled himself on some pillows nearer to the window for the breeze, Nimbus went down at his feet, and Trunks shifted and turned for fifteen minutes before groaning and punching his pillow.
“Something the matter, master?” The master part was still sneered with sarcasm but rest was true concern.
Trunks stared at the pillow and fingered the tassels. Somehow, being so comfortable, it was *uncomfortable*.
He leapt from the bed and found his shoes. “I can’t sleep. I want to go and see if Gohan is still awake.”
“Love.” Piccolo hissed, still rising from his resting place, Nimbus followed suit.
Trunks was shocked. “You’re coming?”
“How else will you find the prince’s chambers? I might as well go with you.”
Trunks hadn’t wished or demanded that he follow. He knew immediately that the genie only looked out for his best interests. “Thanks Piccolo.” He said, jumping onto Nimbus.
The cloud floated out the window, he and Piccolo circled the palace, searching for the royal bedchambers. When the found the stables Piccolo dashed off to retrieve elephant Yajirabu, then returned just as Trunks found what he searched for on the other side of the glowing palace.
Trunks hovered just under the balcony, a grim expression on his face.
“What’s the matter?” Piccolo said when he arrived.
Trunks looked up and then back at the green man, his shoulders sagged and defeated. “When Gohan first told me that his father was forcing a marriage on him, I knew it was awful, but didn’t think it hurt him so much.”
“How do you mean?”
“I think he’s been crying.” Trunks looked up in the direction of Gohan’s room. The balcony blocked his view but when he did take a peek he noted how Gohan paced and rubbed his eyes. “I didn’t see any actual tears but I heard some sniffling.”
Piccolo remained stoic and silent before finally answering. “This only means that you’re going to have to work harder at showing him that you’re not another man in line to get his money or his throne.”
Trunks blew out a deep breath. “He won’t even talk to me.” Then he smashed his fist back against the palace wall. “I should’ve known I couldn’t pull off this stupid prince wish.”
Piccolo crossed his arms, eyes half lidded and deep set frown scarring his face. “Well, you could always tell him the truth about who you are.”
“What! No way! If he found out I was that guy back in Truhania he’d never marry me. I’m—” It just about killed him to say it. Wish or no wish, it didn’t change who he was. “I’m beneath him.”
“Beneath him or not, that guy in Truhania, as you put it, was the one he nearly kissed, if I remember the story correctly.”
When Trunks stared at him blankly Piccolo rolled his eyes and pinched the bridge between them. “This is the part where I tell you that you need to have confidence, perk up, be yourself, et cetera et cetera.”
“If I wanted to be myself then I wouldn’t have wished to be a prince.” Trunks muttered, looking back up towards the balcony. “Listen, I’m sorry that I got you up, you and Yajirabu can go back to sleep.”
“Why?”
Trunks sucked in a breath, his chest felt empty of courage but he needed to do this anyway. “I’m going to go and talk to him.”
Amusement flickered across Piccolo’s face. “Really?”
Trunks straightened his turban and smoothed his prince outfit, barely sparing Piccolo a glance. “Yeah. You made a little sense just now. If I want to win him then I’ve got to show him that I’m not just out for his throne. I’ll get started right now.”
Nimbus, taking the hint, rose higher towards the half circle balcony and stopped just before the ledge.
Gohan lay on his bed, idly stroking a dragon that Trunks had never seen before. He didn’t notice that Trunks stood just outside.
Trunks took a breath. This was it, the moment he waited for since being thrown in that dungeon.
“Prince Gohan?” He called.
Gohan all but jumped from his perch. “Who’s there? How’d you get there?”
Trunks leaped over the rail. “It’s me, Prince Ali—” He stopped himself, realizing he wasn’t using the deep voice that he was sure would impress him. “Uh, Prince Ali Ababwa.”
Gohan stepped up to the see-through curtains and opened them just enough for Trunks to be able to see his angry face. “I do *not* want to see you.”
Panicked, Trunks rushed forward, forgetting all about his manly voice and being suave. “No, wait, please, give me a chance Gohan!”
Icarus rushed him back into the rail, growling as he protected his master. Trunks was forced back on the rail and raised his feet to push away the razor teeth that threatened him. “Down boy, I’m not going to hurt him. It’s okay.”
Gohan stopped in the middle of his march back to bed, he turned and gave the intruder his full attention. That voice sparked something inside of him. It couldn’t be that boy from the market, it couldn’t be!
Gohan stepped back to the balcony, his fingers shaking as he grasped the curtain and pulled it back for a better view. Prince Ali removed his turban and shook it at Icarus, desperate to shoo the protective dragon away from him.
The hair, those eyes! Gohan rushed forward. “Icarus stop!”
Confused with his master’s sudden change of mind, Icarus cautiously stepped back, but Gohan wasn’t looking at him.
Trunks stared into Gohan’s intense gaze, though he refused to come any closer.
“Do I know you?”
The question sucked the air from Trunks’ lungs, and with a start he threw his turban back over his head. “Uh, no, we have never met before.”
Icarus rubbed himself against Gohan’s legs for comfort, and Gohan absently reached his hand down to pet him. “You remind me of someone I met in the market place.”
Trunks forced a shallow laugh. “Today was the only day I have ever seen your market place, and I myself have never been to the market place even in my own kingdom. So the man you speak of couldn’t have been me.”
Gohan’s face fell. “No, I suppose you’re right.”
“Nice one fool.”
Trunks jumped slightly at the voice in his ear, turned his head, and saw a shrunken Piccolo sitting on his shoulder. The genie flew back to hide behind his ear and hiss at him.
“If you want to win his heart the last thing you need to be is a jackass, don’t depress him.”
Trunks cleared his throat and stepped forward. “Listen, Gohan,”
Gohan snapped his head at him. “I did not give you permission to use my name so formally!”
Trunks winced. This was nothing like the Gohan he met in the market place.
Piccolo pinched his ear. “He’s just angry. Remember you said he doesn’t want to be forced into a marriage!”
Trunks ploughed on despite Gohan’s anger. “I understand what you’re going through.”
“You do not! You’re here of your own free will! Nobody’s forcing you to be here so you might as well leave!”
“You’re right, nobody is forcing me to be here but I’m here anyway, and don’t say it’s for your throne or your money because I already have those!” He snapped when Gohan opened his mouth.
Technically it was true. With Piccolo he could make himself ten times richer than Gohan would ever be, and he was a prince now himself, though without a kingdom, but he wouldn’t dwell on that.
He took Gohan’s hand, who reluctantly let him have it while Trunks searched for the proper words. “You were right, back in the throne room. You aren’t some object that people should be fighting for.”
Gohan’s eyes softened. Pleased with the effect, Trunks released his hand and jumped back on the balcony rail. “I would like to court you as a normal man, and not a prince. Should you accept me, then I will be the happiest creature alive,” He then shrugged. “If not, then at least you will still have made that decision and not someone else.”
Gohan stared up at him with something very near to adoration in his eyes. Trunks grinned. He had him eating out of his hand already.
“So for tonight, I’ll leave you to rest.”
He jumped off the rail where Nimbus waited for him.
Gohan’s scream brought him back up. “No!”
“What? What is it?”
Gohan stared at him. “How? How are you doing that?”
Nimbus rose higher to give Gohan a view of him. “It’s a Nimbus cloud.” He explained.
Gohan couldn’t tear his eyes away from the golden cloud. “It’s beautiful. How did you come by him?”
Trunks scratched the back of his head. “Uh, we just sort of found each other.”
Gohan reached his hand out to touch but then jerked back, looking at Trunks as though he weren’t sure of his permission to do so.
Genius struck him. “Did you want to go for a ride?”
Gohan’s face lit up before darkening again. “I’m not sure I should.”
“We’ll be out and back before anyone knows you’re gone.” He promised.
A puzzled expression flitted across Gohan’s face. “Out? You mean outside the palace gates?”
Trunks nodded and looked up. The stars sparkled like diamonds, perfect for a romance. “Where else?”
“Last time I left I—” Gohan shook his head at himself. “Nevermind. Is it safe?”
“Sure, do you trust me?”
Gohan whipped his head at him. “What?”
Trunks held out his hand, not noticing the wheels spinning in the young prince’s head. “Do you trust me?” He asked again.
Feeling sly, Gohan slid his hand into Trunks’. “Yes.”
Trunks lifted him onto the cloud. Nimbus shot off like a shooting star, knocking them both into sitting positions, leaving Icarus behind to watch them disappear into the night.
Gohan laughed, his stomach flopping around inside him. When Trunks took his hand, he let him.
I can show you the world
Shining, shimmering, splendid.
Tell me prince, now when did you last
Let your heart decide?
Gohan couldn’t believe it. It was so laughable that this man, Ali, would actually sing to him, that he blushed. The man was serious when he said he wanted to court him. Everyone else barely shook his hand before demanding an answer for marriage.
I can open your eyes
Take you wonder by wonder
Over, sideways, and under
On a magic carpet ride
Obeying the wish of the master, Nimbus did loops in the air and swerved under bridges in the city. Gohan held onto Ali’s arm for dear life, still laughing and not about to let some shocking loops frighten him.
A whole new world!
A new fantastic point of view
No one to tell us no
Or where to go
Or say we’re only dreaming
Nimbus rose higher and higher into the sky, until they touched the clouds Gohan looked behind them and saw that Truhania, which he always thought so big was now but a tiny square in the whole of the desert.
The sight dazzled him and filled him with a giddy hope for himself, and without knowing why or where the words came from, he sang softly with his date.
Unbelievable sights
Indescribable feeling
Soaring, tumbling, freewheeling
Through an endless diamond sky
Trunks quirked his lips at his desire to make a fool of himself along with him. Nimbus did a sudden dive towards the earth, sure that they would crash and be killed, Gohan threw his arm over his eyes.
Ali laughed at him and tore it away as they lifted up again before soaring down peacefully over a lake Gohan had never seen before.
“Where are we?” He turned his head about, searching for anything that would be familiar with what he knew of as home. Dark trees he’d never seen before hung over the lake with pink blossoms gently floating into the water.
Ali picked out one and handed it to him, though Gohan didn’t know what he was expected to do with a flower. Certainly not put it in his hair, but he held onto it anyway instead of letting it drift back into the lake.
“Not sure, we were flying pretty fast there for a while.” He answered before an explosion of color erupted in the sky.
“Fireworks!” Gohan said. “I haven’t seen fireworks since I was little!”
“I’ve never seen them before.” Ali answered.
Gohan looked at him with a brow raised, sure enough, Ali stared at the spectacle like it was the most amazing thing he’d ever laid his eyes on.
Sensing eyes on him, he coughed and looked away. “That is, I’ve never seen them so small before.”
Gohan had only had fireworks that day of his birthday when men from China delivered them to him as a gift. They were small, and he lit them up himself, but still delightful. That thought in mind, he suddenly knew where they were, and that the boy sitting next to him was indeed no prince.
He tore the turban from Ali’s head. “You are the boy from the market place! I knew it!”
He reached to grab back the turban, but when Gohan held it away from him he sputtered. “Gohan, I’m sorry!”
“Why did you lie to me?” He demanded.
The boy seemed to be not paying attention for a minute, like he was listening to a whole other voice before scratching behind his ear. “The truth, uh, well the truth is I only dressed as a commoner that day, you know, to escape the pressures of my own palace life!”
Gohan crossed his arms and raised an eye at him.
This seemed to irk him. “Oh, come on! *You* did it!”
With a start and a blush, Gohan realized that, yes, he had done it. “Oh, I see. Well why didn’t you just tell me from the beginning? I thought you were dead!”
Ali jerked back. “You did?”
He nodded. “They told me you were beheaded.” He wished he’d known, he certainly would’ve reacted differently if he knew that the seemingly arrogant prince bargaining with his father for his hand was the boy he nearly kissed in Truhania. He would have welcomed him like a friend, given him a better chance instead of locking himself in his room.
Ali smiled and grabbed him by the chin. “Well, as you can see, I’m in perfect health.”
His face, his grinning lips, were so close that Gohan felt he were still in that little house in Truhania, only this time he knew he wouldn’t be interrupted. He kissed Ali soundly and allowed the flying cloud to take them back to the palace.
By starbearertm, June 10, 2008 @ 1:11 pm
This was very clever and very fun! It’s always nice to see people using DBZ characters in crossovers! All the characters you used in all the different roles fit perfectly. I especially chuckled at Goku’s part. And Icarus in place of the tiger!!!
Gohan and Trunks interactions were perfect. The personalities worked very well in their roles here.
By Daisy Girl, August 23, 2008 @ 11:00 pm
This is so sweet… You’ve once again out done yourself in capturing another sweet Disney movie for our own Truhan amusement. Have I mentioned how much I like your parodies? They’re cute and sweet. I think it’s nice that you’ve got Gohan as the prince instead of Trunks… That’s a different twist, but I suppose the names work better that way too.