Chapter 04
The elder man’s voice caused the visage to disintegrate into nothingness, leaving the palace to return to its present state, the darkness settling in on Trunks’ mind one again. The lavender haired boy spun around to face the two men at the top of the staircase, his heart beating a loud and fast rhythm in his chest as he spotted the two darker haired men watching him.
Gohan stared down at the young man in front of him, a ray of moonlight highlighting the lavender haired figure in front of Torankusu in the large portrait. Taken aback for a few seconds, the dark haired man stared, oblivious for a moment as Goten spoke up.
“You’re trespassing boy!”
“I.I.spoke to you earlier about travel papers.” Trunks replied in a dazed voice, blinking as he looked around the room.
Gohan poked the other man with his elbow, not taking his eyes away from Trunks.
“It’s him Goten!” he whispered.
“He’s him?”
“Look!”
Goten took another look at Trunks and finally realised what Gohan was getting at.
“Are you Gohan? I didn’t mean to trespass – I don’t want to do anything dishonest, but if you could just help me.”
The two dark haired men stalked down the stairs and up to the young man stood in the middle of the ball room, circling him
“Perhaps you heard of our brilliant plan to find a boy and.”
Gohan poked him hard in the ribs and shook his head, whispering quietly into the other mans ear.
“He doesn’t want to do anything dishonest.”
“Eww… the honest type,” Goten whispered back as he looked at Trunks.
“Just let me handle it.” Gohan whispered back, turning to face Trunks again.
“You look like him. Like Prince Torankusu. Has anyone ever told you that before?”
Trunks slowly began coming back to his senses, becoming increasingly annoyed at the two men circling him.
“Oh yeah – in the orphanage they constantly told me I looked like a Prince! Stop that!”
Gohan came to a halt, and ran through everything the young man had just told him, figuring out how using it would help him get what he wanted.
“People say Torankusu was the only member of the Royal to escape alive. That makes him an orphan too. What happened to your parents?”
“I don’t know, I don’t remember anything that happened before the revolution.” Trunks replied.
“You know it’s strange,” Gohan continued. “Torankusu’s father King Vegeta has been looking for Torankusu ever since the revolution. Why do you think he wouldn’t go to his own father?”
“I don’t know. And I don’t see what this has to do with me.”
“Perhaps it’ because he has amnesia too, can’t remember.”
“How much do you weigh?” Goten abruptly asked, a sharp poke from Gohan following.
“I was just wondering since we already have the suit.” Goten continued quietly.
“Look, I came here to get travel papers to Paris and.”
“Why do you want to go to Paris?”
“I have my reasons!” Trunks replied in a defiant voice.
“Torankusu’s father is in Paris. We’re going to bring Torankusu to him – in Paris. And I think you are Prince Torankusu.” Gohan replied in a calm voice.
Trunks laughed, not noticing as Goten mouthed a question to the other dark haired man.
“Do you think he’s really Torankusu?”
Gohan shook his head before continuing to talk to Trunks, ignoring the small admiring smile on Goten’s face.
“You never thought of the possibility?” Gohan asked.
“Looks, there isn’t an orphan in the world who doesn’t dream he or she is royalty, but come on. Look at me!”
Gohan pointed at the portrait that was now behind him. “No! You look at him! Look at him!” before continuing in a quieter voice. “It could be you.”
Trunks fiddled with the key around his neck and glanced down at the ballroom, remembering what had just happened there, wondering if it had been a dream or a memory.
Gohan studied the younger man for a few moments before adopting a casual air about him and walking off down the stairs. “You don’t have anything to lose. If I am wrong, the King will simply tell us you aren’t Torankusu and we’ll be on our way. No harm done – an honest mistake – but at least you will be in Paris.”
Trunks touched the painted hand of the young boy in the picture, singing almost silently under his breath. “Things my heart used to know, things it yearns to remember.”
Gohan turned to look at Trunks, continuing his previous speech. “Find out the truth – come to Paris with us!”
Trunks didn’t take his eyes away form the portrait, a frown covering his face as a debate raged inside him. //What if it’s true. It couldn’t be. But if. Then.//
“All right. I will go with you,” he finally replied.
A small bark came from Meetoo who had previously been silent, a loud whoop making its way from Goten, while Gohan smiled and bowed to Trunks.
“His Royal Highness Prince Torankusu”
Up in the rafters, Krillen sighed. “Oy.he’s gonna be so mad.”
Flying out a broken window and into the night, admiring the view of St. Pertersburg as he flew over it, gulping slightly as the city’s lights faded and the blackness of the Russian forest took over. Until the orange glow of fire sparked in the distance.
Entering a gypsy campy, Krillen swooped over the wagons, glancing around to be sure that everyone was asleep and then approaching an ominous black wagon at the end of the group, the largest and most elaborate wagon in the camp. Gathering his courage, he took a deep breath and flew into the open window.
A lone candle flickered in the dark wagon, intimidating the already frightened Krillen into stay on the windowsill.
“Umm. Master Cell? It’s, uhh..me. Krillen.” He paused for a moment before breathing a sigh of relief. “Phew! Not home.”
Cell’s face suddenly roared into appearance from the bed below, his normally pink eyes a fiery red.
“What?!”
“OH MY GOD!” Putting a hand to his chest, Krillen tried desperately to catch his breath. “Don’t do that! Feel my heart. Go ahead! I’m dying here.”
Smiling Cell replied in his usual smooth voice as he rose and began to pour himself a glass of Vodka. “And what do you want my little chrome dome?”
“Name-calling! That’s mature.”
Cell wrapped his hand around Krillen’s throat.
“I gave you that tongue and I can rip it out!”
“No, I really like my tongue. We’re very attached!” he replied in a strangled voice, gasping for breath once again as Cell released him. “Oyyyy. Okay, now promise you won’t get angry.”
“Why would I ever be angry with you little friend,” Cell replied in as sweet a voice as possible.
“Yeah, right. Keep that thought okay? So, I’m in town, stop by the old palace. You get a better class of bats out there, no tattoos or anything.”
He paused for a moment to dodge the empty vodka bottle s Cell threw it away, searching around for another as Krillen coughed slightly and continued. “So I’m cruisin’ the rafters and what can I say, I struck out. I thought chicks would like the fact that I can talk, you know but, I mean, the way things are going I couldn’t get invited to a plague.”
A bottle smashed.
“Someone’s gotta clean that up.”
“Get to the point sometime tonight. I’m late for a wenching.” Cell stated as he continued looking.
“Okay, you’re not gonna like this but, well, it looks like Torankusu is still alive.” He tensed, waiting for Cell’s explosion, but Cell only laughed.
“Impossible. That rumours been around for years.”
Krillen hovered face to face with Cell.
“Trust me, it’s him!”
Cell’s eyes narrowed as he replied. “How do you know?”
“Rodent’s intuition, how do I know? He looks exactly like him. Except he’s taller, which is natural. Of course my second cousin Choutsu – he never grew. Looks like a little peppershaker. He was so cute.”
A slow growl began building in Cell’s throat.
“Oyy.I knew this was gonna upset him!”
Cell howled in anger and smashed his gall against the wall. Moving towards the cabinet, he knocked over various pieces of furniture in his quest, and ripped the small wooden doors open. The Reliquary was revealed, glowing gently as if it were sleeping. Krillen covered his eyes in fear, even Cell calmed down a bit, nervousness penetrating his being.
“Source of my power. Owner of my soul. I need your help,” Cell said quietly with reverence. Removing the Reliquary from the cabinet, he carried it across the small room and set it upon the table.
“Hey, he’s just a kid, and he’s going to Paris. Outta sight, outta mind, outta Russia.”
“I cursed them all!”
“My Aunt Lunch, sweet woman not the brightest bat in the world – she used to hang right side up, anyway she always said “Curses were made to be broken”. Course, she said it in those irritating little bat squeaks, so it wasn’t quite so profound…” Krillen continued.
Pulling out a set of Russian dolls, Cell began taking them apart, each doll bearing an eerie resemblance to the royal family, eventually coming to the Torankusu doll.
“The Vegeta’s tried to kill me and I swore to destroy all of them! If he lives, if he should have a child someday, the Vegeta Family continues! And I won’t let that happen! THIS IS THE END OF THE LINE!” Cell finished his speech by crushing the Torankusu doll in his hand.
“You know, this is really obsessive behaviour. There is this doctor this doctor in Austria, Sigmund something and he feels.” Krillen started, landing on the table, his wing accidentally knocking the Reliquary on it’s side, sending it rolling across the table.
“YOU IDIOT!” Cell made a leap, grabbing it seconds before it was able to shatter on the floor. Holding it up, Krillen was able to view the spirits inside as they swirled around.
Turning to the Reliquary, Cell continued to speak in quieter tones. “Yesses – you’d all like to get out, wouldn’t’ t you? Sorry just one at a time and only when I call.” Spinning around, Cell spotted Krillen as he tried to sneak away and promptly slammed a goblet over him. “Do you have any idea what would happen if that broke?!”
“You’d lose your security deposit?” Krillen replied, voice muffled slightly.
“Evil, powerful beings – I have their power only if I contain them, control them. If they should all be released at once..well.” Leaning down, Cell removed the goblet away from Krillen as if to whisper in his ear. “YOU DON’T WANT TO BE AROUND IF THAT HAPPENS!”
Turning to the Reliquary, Cell’s voice quietened once again. “Where is he? Where is Prince Torankusu.?”
Inside the Reliquary, the awoken spirits began to move around at a faster rate. Suddenly the smoke inside exploded in a burst and forms into the smoke from a train engine. The picture broadened to reveal a train, Trunks, Gohan and Goten all hurrying to catch it. “He has friends. No matter.”
Edging towards the window, Krillen continued to watch in fascination, trying not to attract anymore notice.
“Finish my prophecy.”
Smoke began to pour out of the Reliquary, Cell, almost giddy with the thought of finally finishing his ambition began laughing hysterically.
“Ew, I hate when he does this!”
As Cell began to swirl his arms around, the smoke started to form into humanoid shapes, all wearing long capes with hoods.
“He is not to get off that train alive!”
Cell kicked open the wagon door and stormed outside, minions following him into the night as Krillen made a run for the window.
“Go! I don’t care what you do with the others but finish the boy!” KILLLL HIMMMM!!!” Cell shouted at the minions, voice carrying through the still night air, his voice slowly becoming much more sinister as he finished. “And have fun.”
The minions took off into the night, leaving Cell laughing wildly.
