[ficlet] ; How the Saiyan Lost His Tail
Title: How the Saiyan Lost His Tail
Fandom: Dragon Ball Z (Mirrored Images AU)
Character(s): Kakarrot, Son Gohan
Pairing(s): none
Word Count: ~800
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Akira Toriyama does along with assorted others.
Warnings: none.
Author's Note: In the main story, Chi-Chi wondered how Kakarrot lost his tail. This is basically how
Summary: He was entirely unaware that humans had the capacity for energy blasts. Were they holding out on them? Should he tell the king? Was he still losing blood?
--
Kakarrot hated having to patrol this boring-ass mountain. No one even lived up here. At best, he could nab a tiger or bear to take home for dinner since third-class soldiers like him got the worst crap to eat. At worse, he’d waste his entire afternoon and report back “All clear!” to General Nappa.
Feeling particularly bored, he rolled over onto his back in mid-air and folded his hands behind his head. It wasn’t like he was going to find anything. Of course, the moment he thought this, he heard the distinct thundering of dinosaur stomping below. Kakarrot whirled back around, grinning madly. Most of the Elites had already killed off most of the dinosaurs but apparently there was at least one left.
Happily, Kakarrot swooped down towards where the footsteps were originating. He spotted the dinosaur alright-a big t-rex-chasing after a little old man. In all of the times Kakarrot had been sent to this shit-fuck mountain, he had never seen a person.
The dinosaur was catching up on him fast. Before he could think, he flew down there and snatched the old man away just before the beast chomped down on him. Unfortunately, his tail took that moment to spring out from where it was tied around his waist and got caught between the massive t-rex’s teeth. Kakarrot let out a pained cry as muscle and bone tore and his strength was sapped. He landed in a heap on the ground, blood oozing from the stump at the small of his back that had once been his tail.
“You idiot Saiyan,” the old man said in a reprimanding tone. “You just got yourself killed, didn’t you?”
Kakarrot lifted his head and weakly smiled at him. “Yeah, probably. But a little gratitude’d be nice, old man.”
“Just keep out of the way and maybe you’ll only have nearly gotten yourself killed.”
The old man turned to face the lizard and brought his hands to his waist. Kakarrot watched as white-blue energy formed between his palms.
“Ka me…”
He struggled to pull himself up. Whatever the old man was doing was getting seriously strong. The light was nearly blinding.
“…Ha me…”
Kakarrot watched in awe as the old man thrust his hands forward and shot the energy towards the dinosaur.
“HA!”
He was entirely unaware that humans had the capacity for energy blasts. Were they holding out on them? Should he tell the king? Was he still losing blood?
The dinosaur was barbecued.
“What in the hell was that?” he demanded, staring wide-eyed at the old man.
Instead of answering, he looked him up and down, his eyes lingering on the bloody stump where his tail had been.
“You should come with me,” he said. “You’re hurt.”
Having really no other choice, Kakarrot struggled to his feet and trailed after him. The old man stopped.
“Wait-are you strong enough to lift that dinosaur?”
Kakarrot regarded its corpse and shrugged. “Prob’ly. Why?”
“Come on, then. Lift it. I’ll make us dinosaur steaks.”
With the prospect of food on the horizon, he happily lifted the lizard up onto his shoulders, despite the pain in his lower back and the fact that he was dripping blood all over his boots.
The old man led him to a little shack in a relatively flat expanse of the mountain. There was a fire pit next to it and neatly stacked firewood.
“Drop it there,” he instructed. “And let’s get you bandaged up.”
He put the dinosaur’s body next to the fire pit and followed the man indoors. It was a horribly small shack but, then again, he seemed to be the only one who lived there.
“Sit.”
He did and then hissed in pain when the old man rubbed alcohol on his tail stump and bandaged it.
“There,” he said. “You should be fine.”
“Thanks,” he mumbled, rubbing the spot around his tail. “You know, really, some gratitude, old man. I saved your life.”
“And I saved yours,” he countered. “Besides how is you saving my life once even remotely equal to all of the headaches the Saiyans have caused us?”
Kakarrot stretched. “Whatever. Can I have that dinosaur now?”
“I have to cook it, first,” the old man admonished as he put the alcohol away. “You can’t eat it raw!”
“Why not?”
“Because you’ll get sick.”
Kakarrot grinned and put a hand over his stomach. “I’ve never gotten sick.”
The old man sighed and started out of the little house. “Then you’ve been incredibly lucky, Saiyan. What’s your name anyway?”
“Kakarrot.”
He chuckled. “What a strange name. Sounds like ‘carrot’ to me.”
Kakarrot scowled and folded his arms over his chest. “Yeah? Well what’s yours, old man?”
He paused as if considering whether or not he was going to answer his question or live with the annoying youth referring to him as “old man” until he left.
“It’s Son Gohan.”
Fandom: Dragon Ball Z (Mirrored Images AU)
Character(s): Kakarrot, Son Gohan
Pairing(s): none
Word Count: ~800
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Akira Toriyama does along with assorted others.
Warnings: none.
Author's Note: In the main story, Chi-Chi wondered how Kakarrot lost his tail. This is basically how
Summary: He was entirely unaware that humans had the capacity for energy blasts. Were they holding out on them? Should he tell the king? Was he still losing blood?
--
Kakarrot hated having to patrol this boring-ass mountain. No one even lived up here. At best, he could nab a tiger or bear to take home for dinner since third-class soldiers like him got the worst crap to eat. At worse, he’d waste his entire afternoon and report back “All clear!” to General Nappa.
Feeling particularly bored, he rolled over onto his back in mid-air and folded his hands behind his head. It wasn’t like he was going to find anything. Of course, the moment he thought this, he heard the distinct thundering of dinosaur stomping below. Kakarrot whirled back around, grinning madly. Most of the Elites had already killed off most of the dinosaurs but apparently there was at least one left.
Happily, Kakarrot swooped down towards where the footsteps were originating. He spotted the dinosaur alright-a big t-rex-chasing after a little old man. In all of the times Kakarrot had been sent to this shit-fuck mountain, he had never seen a person.
The dinosaur was catching up on him fast. Before he could think, he flew down there and snatched the old man away just before the beast chomped down on him. Unfortunately, his tail took that moment to spring out from where it was tied around his waist and got caught between the massive t-rex’s teeth. Kakarrot let out a pained cry as muscle and bone tore and his strength was sapped. He landed in a heap on the ground, blood oozing from the stump at the small of his back that had once been his tail.
“You idiot Saiyan,” the old man said in a reprimanding tone. “You just got yourself killed, didn’t you?”
Kakarrot lifted his head and weakly smiled at him. “Yeah, probably. But a little gratitude’d be nice, old man.”
“Just keep out of the way and maybe you’ll only have nearly gotten yourself killed.”
The old man turned to face the lizard and brought his hands to his waist. Kakarrot watched as white-blue energy formed between his palms.
“Ka me…”
He struggled to pull himself up. Whatever the old man was doing was getting seriously strong. The light was nearly blinding.
“…Ha me…”
Kakarrot watched in awe as the old man thrust his hands forward and shot the energy towards the dinosaur.
“HA!”
He was entirely unaware that humans had the capacity for energy blasts. Were they holding out on them? Should he tell the king? Was he still losing blood?
The dinosaur was barbecued.
“What in the hell was that?” he demanded, staring wide-eyed at the old man.
Instead of answering, he looked him up and down, his eyes lingering on the bloody stump where his tail had been.
“You should come with me,” he said. “You’re hurt.”
Having really no other choice, Kakarrot struggled to his feet and trailed after him. The old man stopped.
“Wait-are you strong enough to lift that dinosaur?”
Kakarrot regarded its corpse and shrugged. “Prob’ly. Why?”
“Come on, then. Lift it. I’ll make us dinosaur steaks.”
With the prospect of food on the horizon, he happily lifted the lizard up onto his shoulders, despite the pain in his lower back and the fact that he was dripping blood all over his boots.
The old man led him to a little shack in a relatively flat expanse of the mountain. There was a fire pit next to it and neatly stacked firewood.
“Drop it there,” he instructed. “And let’s get you bandaged up.”
He put the dinosaur’s body next to the fire pit and followed the man indoors. It was a horribly small shack but, then again, he seemed to be the only one who lived there.
“Sit.”
He did and then hissed in pain when the old man rubbed alcohol on his tail stump and bandaged it.
“There,” he said. “You should be fine.”
“Thanks,” he mumbled, rubbing the spot around his tail. “You know, really, some gratitude, old man. I saved your life.”
“And I saved yours,” he countered. “Besides how is you saving my life once even remotely equal to all of the headaches the Saiyans have caused us?”
Kakarrot stretched. “Whatever. Can I have that dinosaur now?”
“I have to cook it, first,” the old man admonished as he put the alcohol away. “You can’t eat it raw!”
“Why not?”
“Because you’ll get sick.”
Kakarrot grinned and put a hand over his stomach. “I’ve never gotten sick.”
The old man sighed and started out of the little house. “Then you’ve been incredibly lucky, Saiyan. What’s your name anyway?”
“Kakarrot.”
He chuckled. “What a strange name. Sounds like ‘carrot’ to me.”
Kakarrot scowled and folded his arms over his chest. “Yeah? Well what’s yours, old man?”
He paused as if considering whether or not he was going to answer his question or live with the annoying youth referring to him as “old man” until he left.
“It’s Son Gohan.”