Worth Waiting For 
A short story by April CK (DoraMouse)

-Standard Disclaimer: If I owned the DBZ characters, this wouldn't be a fanfic. Think of this as in the GT timeline somewhere. I made up Chaotzu's last name. 'rei' is Japanese for soul, 'koki no' has to do with noble heredity. Tenshinhan's last name I also made up, 'sonkei' means honor. And for the record this is all just theory on my part.
My site - Web of the Fates:  http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Delphi/4003/index.html

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Chaotzu yawned, wondering what had awakened him. Nothing in his room seemed out of place and he didn't detect any abnormal ki readings yet the air held a quality of anxiety to it as if something were on the brink of happening. There was undoubtedly a metaphysical presence, a familiar one that was only half trying to conceal itself.

Chaotzu inclined his head as he sat up, listening to a telepathic voice that no one else could hear.

*Sorry to wake you but I've just heard back from them.* Dende thought.

Chaotzu held his breath, a whirlwind of emotions surging through him but receding as quickly as they came. *What did they say?*

The wish. His wish. Chaotzu had wanted to make this wish before he'd even known what the dragonballs were but something had always come up - saving the world, defending the innocent, surviving day to day in hostile environments, training for upcoming battles - and so the wish had taken second priority.

Over the years Chaotzu had sought help from everywhere but so far had only met with disappointment. Kami hadn't been able to grant the wish. Both Urnai Baba and King Kai hadn't been able to do more than offer Chaotzu advice. The eternal dragon Shenlong had found itself powerless to make the wish come true. So it had come down to Porunga, the Namekian eternal dragon was Chaotzu's last hope. Dende had been secretly sending telepathic messages to Namek for some time now on Chaotzu's behalf.

*They have agreed to your request and are gathering the Namek dragonballs Chaotzu. We'll know soon.* Dende reassured.

Chaotzu wiped at his eyes. *Please Dende, the second you hear anything from them...*

*I know. I'll be in touch.* Dende promised. The young kami's presence faded from Chaotzu's mind.

Chaotzu sighed. He was emotionally drained and exhausted from all the training he'd done recently but unable to return to sleep. As badly as Chaotzu wanted the wish to come true for his friends sake, he wasn't entirely certain what the consequences would be and that worried him.

He and Tenshinhan hadn't always been friends after all.

***Flashback***

A young emperor itched at his elegant black robes with red trim, trying his best not to show how annoyed he was. Chaotzu had never been fond of his families traditions but his distaste for the events wasn't enough to prevent them so he attended when he could and tried to make a good impression. After all if the citizens of his fathers realm favored him then he had a chance to rule - something Chaotzu's brothers would take from him otherwise.

They were a royal family of psychics - mental prowess was part of the genetic makeup - and Chaotzu balked at the idea of his brothers ruling because of where they had directed their psychic abilities. His eldest brother had successfully become pyrokinetic and most of his other siblings were working on being just as dangerous. While Chaotzu understood their need to feel safe he felt that his siblings were going overboard, that they had become cruel. He hadn't ever needed to say as much, everyone in his family was capable of reading each others minds.

Between family and guards, Chaotzu hadn't ever really had a private moment in his life. Despite the turbulent family relations it was the guards that were Chaotzu's main concern because most of the guards didn't want to be there.

Every few years the Emperor, Chaotzu's father, would host a martial arts tournament at his own palace. The locals were wary and hardly ever participated but the lure of prize money often drew visitors from outside the small kingdom. None of the warriors that won the tournament ever left the kingdom afterwards. The top ten warriors were taken aside after their final match and introduced to the royal magician. By the time the confused warriors woke up in the castle dungeon a week later, they had been cursed.

The curse was very straight forward. If Chaotzu or any member of the royal family felt physical pain, the warriors would feel that pain as well but at double or triple the intensity. This meant that basically for their own health, the warriors had to protect the royal family whether or not they wanted to.

Chaotzu shuddered. He was sitting on the steps beside his mothers throne now, watching the latest batch of captured warriors be dragged in so that they could be formally sworn to loyalty. A rather meaningless procedure but part of the process. His parents had insisted that the curse was an effective tradition, this was how their ancestors had recruited guards. The curse had always guaranteed some degree of loyalty from the unfortunate warriors.

Most of the warriors were quite intimidating in appearance and none of them looked at all happy to be there. Chaotzu's turned his attention to the floor, not wanting to make eye contact. Internally Chaotzu was just as unhappy at the prospect as they were - he hated to think that any pain he felt would cause amplified pain to others. It meant spending his entire life trying to be careful and avoiding fights with his siblings so that no one innocent got hurt.

That was the other part of the curse Chaotzu strongly disliked: the guilt. Because the amplified pain bit was a one way street. If any of the guards were ever hurt, Chaotzu wasn't forced to share their pain.

Once the pain connection had been demonstrated - two of Chaotzu's siblings had felt the need to practice their latest psychic abilities on each other - the reluctant warriors shakily regained their feet and began to repeat the oath that the Emperor recited to them...

Chaotzu's stomach tied itself in knots and he'd flown off, his head bowed. There was no dignity in such practices. There had to be a way to undo the curse.

***End Flashback***

That had been nearly thirty years ago but Chaotzu remembered it as vividly as if it had been yesterday. He'd had no idea the curse was so powerful. The magics... It was frightening.

Two years after that particular ceremony, the royal magician had attempted to overthrow the Emperor. He'd attacked the royal family directly. Because Chaotzu had concentrated all his years of study on defensive abilities, he'd eventually been able to paralyze the rebellious magician and escape. The struggle had cost him his parents and some of his siblings.

Chaotzu could recall staggering through the palace hallways after that narrow victory, dazed. He'd hardly noticed his own injuries. He was too numb to feel all the burns and bruises. All he could remember clearly about that time was the bodies... The guards collapsed in the hallways that didn't look like they should be dead but they were. It was eerie. Not even a scratch on them, no blood, no broken bones. The simple fact of the matter was that the guards hadn't been able to handle the immense amount of pain they'd been dealt. Their hearts and minds had stopped working.

All Chaotzu had wanted was to put the scene behind him, to get away from the terrible sight. He had half-flown and half-ran towards the closest room with an exit but he'd been so dizzy and traumatized at the time that he'd gotten lost in his own home.

*Thank Kami.* Chaotzu reflected. He had never expected to find another survivor and in all truth he wouldn't have accidentally tripped over a whimpering guard if he had simply left the castle. Chaotzu still wasn't sure how exactly Tenshinhan had survived the whole affair but it had given him a purpose, he'd been able to collect his wits long enough to drag the young triclops out of the palace with him.

They'd been together ever since, strategic allies at first since the curse was still in place but gradually also friends. Tenshinhan had grown into one of the worlds strongest human defenders and Chaotzu had remained one of the planets most adept telepaths.

In the years since then Chaotzu had died, willingly. Twice. He'd hoped that if he was dead the curse would be broken but it hadn't worked out that way. He'd just thrown poor Tenshinhan into pain-driven berserker rages. *Guess some of my brothers and sisters must still be alive.* Chaotzu reasoned that the curse must have been designed to remain in place until the entire royal family was dead.

He paced his room quietly. *It shouldn't take this long should it?* The Nameks had all their dragonballs in separate villages, they didn't actually have to search for the artifacts to gather them.

*The new Namek is much larger. They have further to travel than they used to.* Dende's presence returned.

*Oh.* Chaotzu rubbed the back of his neck, wondering how long Dende or anyone else might have been tuned into his thoughts and automatically raising his mental shields. He wanted to apologize for coming off as impatient but received the wordless impression that Dende didn't think that was necessary.

*But they've gathered now and they've made the wish.* Dende wasn't physically there but Chaotzu could imagine the young Namek smiling. It was a good omen but still, the suspense was killing Chaotzu.

*They did...?* He inquired nervously, fingers crossed.

*Yes. Porunga has granted Tenshinhan's freedom from the curse.*

It took a few moments for those words to sink in, to really register. It was so unreal. Chaotzu could hardly believe it. He was speechless with joy - finally, he wouldn't have to live in fear of accidentally causing his best friend pain. At least he hoped so.

*Thank you. I...thank you.* Chaotzu's thoughts were as shaky with emotion as his voice might have been. *Please don't be offended - I don't doubt you - but I have to test this.*

Chaotzu glanced around desperately for a moment then shrugged to himself, powered up and flew straight into a wall. Nothing happened. No painful screams from the room across the hallway, no Tenshinhan wondering why he felt like an anvil had been dropped on him. Could it be? Had it worked?

Footsteps, so quiet that only someone trained as both a telepath and a thief could have noticed them, crept down the hallway.

"Chaotzu? Are you okay? What the heck was that noise...?" A sleepy voice whispered.

"Did you feel anything about a second ago?" Chaotzu got to his feet, shaking his head and rubbing absently at the welt that was forming there.

"No."

Chaotzu grinned. "Oh. Guess it was nothing. Night Tenshinhan."

"...Night."

The small former emperor did a small victory dance in mid-air before diving to his desk. Chaotzu didn't trust himself to explain in speech or telepathy what had just occurred, his emotions were still overwhelming him. He took an envelope from the depths of his desk and smiled. Chaotzu had planned this day for years, hoping that it would come.

Finally the time had come. 

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Tenshinhan awoke early the next morning with the nagging sense that something had changed, he couldn't place what. Wearing his green bath robe over his pajamas he wandered out to the kitchen of the small hut. An envelope complete with an official royal wax seal was laying on the counter. His full name was printed neatly on the front.

For a moment Tenshinhan tried to remember the last time that he'd gotten mail actually addressed to him. He gave up after a bit and opened the envelope cautiously. It was an official royal decree to inform him of his honorable retirement. Chaotzu had signed his entire full name in red ink.

Tenshinhan blinked, read the decree several times then checked a calendar to make sure it wasn't April 1st. *This has to be some kind of joke.*

Someone knocked on the front door.

*Uh-huh. And now suddenly we have visitors. Sure. Right.* Tenshinhan shook his head as he went to the door. *I've got to switch to decaf...*

He cracked the door open about an inch and peered outside. Three grinning figures attired in orange gis greeted him. "Uhm. Hi Gohan, Yamcha, Krillen..." Tenshinhan couldn't keep the curiosity out of his voice. "What brings you guys all the way out here?"

"Now if we told you that it wouldn't be a surprise." Yamcha replied as he darted forward, the other two right behind him.

It took all three of them to tie Tenshinhan up and blindfold him. And to Tenshinhan's credit, it took them fifteen full minutes.

"But I don't LIKE surprises..." Tenshinhan protested as they flew from the house. Gohan and Yamcha supported the triclops between them.

"Obviously. Eesh." Krillen chuckled, it sounded like he was flying ahead of the group.

"It's not so bad Mr. Tenshinhan." Gohan reassured sweetly. "Sometimes surprises are good things."

"If it's such a good thing then why did you have to tie me up?!" It wasn't so much the rope that was keeping Tenshinhan tied up, it was his confusion. He could have escaped if he'd put any effort into it.

"Has anyone told you lately that you need to relax?" Yamcha wondered. It was a rhetorical question.

"Tying someone up is definitely a strange way to tell them to relax." Tenshinhan grumbled.

"Well what did you expect?" Krillen asked with a playful edge in his voice. "We're a strange bunch."

"Can't argue with logic like that." Yamcha agreed half-seriously.

Gohan laughed. "They've got a point."

They joked between them in this manner for most of the flight, eventually entering a warmer climate and flying much lower. The aromas of freshly baked food perfumed the air and jazz music drifted outdoors where it mixed with voices.

"Guest of honor's here!" Krillen announced cheerfully.

"About time." The voice was unmistakably Vegeta's.

"Hey Tenshinhan!" Goku sounded like he was wearing his trademarked goofy grin. "Hope they didn't rough you up too badly."

"Are you kidding?" Yamcha said as they landed. "I think HE did a better job roughing us up! It's a good thing we had Gohan tag along."

"There you go..." Gohan removed the blindfolds while the others untied him.

Tenshinhan blinked a few times as his vision adjusted. They were outdoors in a lavish garden. Nearby a tent shaded a long picnic table that had been prepared quite formally for a feast. Wreaths of flowers adorned the area and streamers hung down from the tent poles. The tablecloth bore the elaborate design of a familiar royal crest. Everyone present was dressed up. Chi Chi, Piccolo, Master Roshi, Android 18, Bulma, Oolong, Puar... There were so many people there. As a gesture of respect most of the warriors were in fighting attire.

"Uhm..." Tenshinhan wasn't at all sure what he should even ask. He was starting to feel very badly out of place though, being as he was in his pajamas and bathrobe.

"Cute slippers." Bulma said brightly as she hugged the confused triclops in greeting.

"...thanks..." Tenshinhan mostly ignored the many other greetings he got because he had quickly realized that someone was missing and panic was starting to set in. If he didn't know where Chaotzu was then they were both potentially endangered.

The music being played on the radio stopped and the chatter among the group died down so that a recorded anthem could be heard in the garden.

Yajirobe appeared in regal samurai armor. He carried a scroll and marched alongside a familiar figure in formal black and red robes. Chaotzu was even wearing his crown for once, a simple silver ringlet. They went straight to a small podium that faced the picnic table.

"Friends," Chaotzu stood atop the podium and spoke to all of them in a dignified tone of voice that made him sound close to his true age, "we gather today to witness the long overdue retirement of a most dedicated warrior."

There was a spattering of applause and murmur of approval from their gathered friends.

Tenshinhan was beginning to wonder if he'd actually woken up. As far as he was concerned there was no such thing as retirement from a curse. He was about to say as much when Chaotzu paused his speech to glance at Yajirobe.

Yajirobe nodded quite seriously and unrolled his scroll, reading aloud in a stiff and somewhat bored voice. "Dende wishes it to be known that that the Namek peoples send warm regards and eternal thanks to their Earthling kindred. Recently on behalf of Chaotzu the wish for certain freedom was made and Porunga was capable of granting it. May the ties which unite friends be honorable from now on."

"Then," Chaotzu took a deep breath, "by the power vested in me, Emperor-Heir Reikokino Chaotzu of the former Shinwa Empire, I am glad to proclaim that from this moment forward Sonkei Tenshinhan is truly an independent man and honorably discharged from the service of royal bodyguard." Chaotzu smiled. "Let us celebrate this parting of ways."

More applause and even some cheering. Tenshinhan hardly noticed. It was a bit much to take in all at once but Yajirobe and Chaotzu were being dead serious. Chaotzu never used his full royal title unless he was dead serious. He never mentioned Tenshinhan's adopted last name unless he was dead serious.

Tenshinhan was starting to feel dizzy. His entire way of life had been dictated by the curse and now...the curse was gone? Tenshinhan wasn't sure what he would do with himself. The future was suddenly full of uncertainties.

*Think of them as opportunities.* Chaotzu said telepathically with a smile. *And of course we're still friends - duh! But I won't hold you back anymore.*

Everyone had taken a seat around the picnic table except for Tenshinhan who was still reeling in shock and Chaotzu who hovered above the table holding a wine glass. "A toast." Chaotzu proposed, "To friendship, potentials and second chances. Better late than never."

"Amen to that." Piccolo finally said something.

"Agreed." Vegeta said tactfully.

"I'll drink to that one." Android 18 clinked her glass against Krillen's.

"To friendship." Goku agreed sincerely as he passed Tenshinhan a wine glass. "It's always worth waiting for."

Tenshinhan allowed himself to be ushered to a seat, he never took his eyes off his life long friend and found himself grinning. "With friends like mine...who needs second chances?" 

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