Summer of Love
Age 782, Planet Basur
More than a year has passed in peace since Towa’s defeat at the hands of our heroes. The mid-summer sun shown down on a pair of homes next to a pristine lake that was settled in the mountains. Above the lake, Korian was hovering just above the waterline with his arms folded across his chest and his eyes closed, deep in meditation. He had been like this for several hours, trying to focus his racing mind and bring on a sense of calm to his mental exercises. He groaned to himself in frustration as he sensed uneasiness around him, a lurking feeling of danger crept into his mind. Suddenly from beneath the water a pair of hands burst forth to reach up and grab his ankles, his eyes sprang open with urgency when he looked down to his attacker, “What the?!” Below him was a young lady with wet, dark brown hair, bright red eyes, and a pair of wet rabbit ears, she was smiling mischievously up at him from just above the water, “You’ve been busy getting nowhere all day. Looks to me like you need to cool off, Papa.” Shihori pulled down hard on his captive feet just as she submerged herself underwater, dragging a surprised Korian down with her into the depths of the lake. On the shore, a white rabbit wearing a yellow bikini top, a pair of green cut off shorts, and a wide brimmed straw sun hat. She tilted down a pair of sunglasses to get a better look at the commotion in the lake. Sorrel turned her attention to the red fox wearing a white sarashi and black harem pants, sitting crossed legged under the shade of an umbrella while reading a book. “Did you ever teach Korian how to swim?” Sorrel asked very much after the fact. Kitsune said flatly without looking up from her book, “Yes, why?” Sorrel turned back to the lake with a smirk as she placed her sunglasses back over her eyes, “No reason.” Shihori emerged a few moments later from the water wearing a purple bikini, her hair now shorter in length that came to her shoulders. She maintained a very physically fit appearance, yet her feminine curves were not lost amongst her defined muscles. The only thing that gave any indication that this wasn’t your normal lovely young lady was she bore two noticeable scars along each side of her abdomen. She had received these wounds during the course of her battle with Towa’s majin creature named Mak. Each set of claw marks seemed to have faded since that time but were still noticeable upon closer inspection. The young lady seemed to be dragging something along behind her from the water. Sorrel quickly realized that it was a waterlogged Korian being towed by the back of his collar. He appeared motionless like a drowned corpse, his legs sliding along the ground as he was dragged by his daughter. Shihori tossed him down carelessly like a sack of potatoes at Sorrel’s feet. She began to wring out her wet hair and ears perched atop her head. She settled with her hands on her hips in a cocky yet self-satisfied manner. “Here you go, Mama. You deal with him because he’s being a stick in the mud. He won’t even come for a swim with me.” Korian sat up and started to shake like a wet dog which caused both mother and daughter to shield themselves from his splashing. Sorrel pushed up off the ground to stand up and Korian immediately popped up to help her onto her feet. She graciously accepted the assist but complained about it anyway, “Don’t worry, I’ve got it.” It became apparent why Sorrel wasn’t her usual nimble self, she had quite a large belly showing, and it wasn’t that she had let her physique go downhill since her revival. She looked up to Korian with his still dripping hair, “You need to relax. All you do is train, train, train, day in and day out.” She took his hand and gently placed it on her stomach, “When this little one comes. Neither you nor I will have any free time to be able to enjoy ourselves. So pretty please, Korian, go swimming with your daughter.” Korian looked at her and then down to his hand on her stomach thoughtfully, “But I need to train so I can get stronger and ensure you all stay safe.” Sorrel smiled at him and slowly reached up to touch his face, “Korian my dear….” She abruptly pinched and pulled on his cheek to bring him down to her level. Her demeanor quickly shifted from sweet to some form of angry demon rabbit. A cold, calculated fury was alight in her eyes, “Did you not hear a f*#$ing word I just said?!” Korian winched in pain and looked to his wife with pleading eyes to release him from her clutches, his pleas for release being soundly ignored. Even Shihori gave a pained expression at the level of violence her short statured mother was bringing down on her father now that he pissed her off. “YOU did THIS, Korian!” She gestured to her protruding stomach. “All I f*#$ing want before I have another super powered baby is a little time for RELAXATION! Do you think you can do that for me?!” Korian nodded with tears in his eyes. He began to look like a troublesome child that was being scolded by their mother. When she released him, he rubbed his cheek which clearly bore a red mark from her pinching. Shihori came over and threw her arms around both her parents’ shoulders, planting a kiss on each of their cheeks as a sweet gesture to break the tension in the air, “I was thinking maybe we should go on a trip before the baby comes. Mama is right, ya know?” She turned her attention to Korian. “You do need to learn to relax once in a while, Papa.” Even Kitsune chimed in from under her umbrella without looking up from the page she was reading, “Listen to your daughter, Korian. Life isn’t always about training. Even the wisest of martial arts masters know their bodies need proper rest.” Korian threw his hands up in the air and gave a sigh of exasperation, “Alright, you win. I’ll take a break from training.” Sorrel looked quite pleased with his decision in a complete reversal of her sour mood. Korian turned his attention to Shihori, “What did you have in mind?” Shihori locked her bright red eyes onto her father and a sly, conniving grin began to form on her face, “Well…..”
Earth, Capsule Corporation
Bulma was busying herself in the lab seated at her work bench. She had a dissected circuit board in front of her and was checking the resistance on the various circuits with a meter. She was so immersed in her work that she didn’t hear the audible *snap* of energy appear in the room behind her. A figure loomed up behind Bulma and stuck a spikey haired head right next to her face while she was busying herself, “Whatcha working on?” Bulma screamed and jumped with such a fright that she grabbed the first thing she saw, which was a crescent wrench, off the table and swung it like a batter going for the fences onto the head of the suspected home invader. When she swirled around her next attack to finish the job, she saw Korian flat on his back in a disheveled state with a growing bump on the side of his head. “Geez, Korian! Don’t sneak up on me like that!” From across the room Shihori dashed over to throw herself into a hug with Bulma, “Bulma! I missed you so much!” Bulma was surprised to see her and warmly gave the young lady a hug. Shihori stepped back from the embrace wearing a cute blue sun dress and leather wraparound sandals, she completely ignored her father who was still twitching on the ground. “Oh, I almost forgot….” Shihori turned and gestured over to Sorrel who was wearing a maternity romper in her favorite yellow and orange pattern of clothing. Kitsune also joined them wearing a maroon yukata coat and gray harem pants. “Bulma, this is my mom, Sorrel, and my grandma, Kitsune.” Sorrel stepped forward to introduce herself yet Bulma couldn’t contain her excitement at her first glimpse of Sorrel “Oh my goodness, you are adorable, now I know where Shihori gets her good looks.” Bulma noticed her stomach and maternity clothing that she was wearing and let out another outburst, “You two are going to have another baby?! Congratulations!” Sorrel was embarrassed to say the least, she managed to crack a shy smile amid the onslaught of compliments, “You’re too kind. Pleased to meet you, Bulma. Thank you for taking such good care of Korian and Shihori.” Kitsune came up beside Sorrel and politely shook Bulma’s hand, “Kitsune, dear. A pleasure. Thank you so much for taking in my sweet granddaughter and umm….” She looked down to the ground at Korian who was beginning to rouse from his wrench induced nap. “…spirited son while they were in your company.” Bulma graciously accepted her polite introduction and turned her attention back to Shihori, “So what brings you guys to Earth?” Shihori gave her a big smile and she exclaimed, “I wanted to surprise my mom and grandma by bringing them to Earth for a vacation. I enjoyed my time here so much I thought it would be a great idea before the baby comes. I hope we’re not imposing on you.” Bulma waved her hand dismissively at the notion aside from the fact that she had clobbered Korian upon arrival. “Nonsense. You’re always welcome here, sweetie.” Korian slowly managed to climb to his feet holding a large bump on his head. He looked around in a daze, “Wha…. what…happened?” Sorrel gently placed a hand on his shoulder to steady her uneasy husband, “There, there dear just take it easy. Mama’s got you.” Shihori took her father by the hand with a lighthearted smile and suddenly Bulma felt a little bad about beating the tar out of him. “Let’s get everyone settled in and I’ll get the family together so we can catch up.” Bulma began to lead the group out of her lab with Shihori and Sorrel on either side of a woozy Korian who began to mutter, “Now I know how she keeps Vegeta in line. Sheesh.”
Not long after, the group was gathered on the patio to enjoy the beautiful summer weather. Bulma told them that Goku and Vegeta were off world for the time being doing some training and hopefully they would get to see one another before they finished their trip. Everyone sat around making idle chat and playing catch up on each other’s lives. The now toddler Bulla was seated in Korian’s lap while he played games with her much to his own amusement. Sorrel blissfully watched and thought to herself that Korian was still a good father and she rested easy knowing that he would be hands on in their new little one’s upbringing. Bulma phoned Trunks to let him know they had guests but didn’t exactly let him in on who their house guests might be. Not long after Trunks and Mai made an appearance from the main house and when they spied who was in their midst, they both smiled with excitement. Shihori leapt up from her chair and charged toward her friends, nearly bowling them over when she went in for a hug. Trunks and Mai had grown a fair amount in the last year or so since the group had seen one another. Shihori took a step back with a big smile after seeing her friends for the first time in quite a while, “You guys, I missed you both so much.” Trunks started to look like a proper teenage boy, dressed in a t-shirt bearing the Capsule Corp. logo, a pair of jean shorts, and sneakers. Mai was the picture of a raven-haired beauty, she was the same height as Shihori now, dressed in some cut off shorts and a tank top. Mai excitedly took Shihori by the hands and gave her a look from head to toe, “Shihori, you look gorgeous. We have to catch up on everything.” Trunks held out a fist for Shihori with a smirk which the young lady pounded, “You look handsome, Trunks. I see you’ve finally started to eat your vegetables and grow up….” She held her thumb and index finger slightly apart “…. just a little.” Shihori and Mai chuckled much to the consternation of the young man. “Ha ha, laugh it up, bunny girl.” Shihori happily pulled them both into another group hug, “I’m really glad to see you, I mean it.” Trunks suddenly pushed back from the group and gave Shihori a look like he was up to no good, “I nearly forgot, we have to let your boyfriend Goten know that you’re here.” Trunks pulled his phone out of his pocket and started to thumb his way to Goten’s contact information, he briefly looked up from the screen giving Shihori a devilish grin. Shihori froze in terror at the thought of seeing Goten after so long, her heart began to beat fast like it was trying to escape her chest and make a break for it. Mai took notice of her reaction to Trunks’ antics. She placed her hands on Shihori’s shoulders and guided her to take a seat while Trunks did his dirty work, “Breathe, Shihori. It’s going to be alright. Goten missed you a lot, trust me for the longest time you were all he would talk about.” Shihori tried taking a couple deep breaths and listened to Mai trying feel reassured. The thought of seeing Goten after so long gave her so many dizzying thoughts, every ‘what if’ scenario her brain could muster raced through her mind. “I think I’m going to be sick.” Trunks came over to the ladies with a satisfied smirk on his face, “Well, he knows you’re here now. He’ll be over as soon as he can.” Shihori began to sweat and fanned herself with both hands while focusing on taking calming breaths. Mai began to chuckle at the reaction she was seeing over the mere mention of Goten. Little did any of them know, Goten was on her mind quite frequently since they last parted ways. Never in her life had she experienced these feelings for another person, let alone a boy. Their experience fusing with one another had given them both a unique and unexplained connection. There was so much to process that she hung her head in her hands to steady the sickening feeling.
Sorrel strode over to the group after noticing the arrival of Trunks and Mai as well as Shihori’s current state of distress. Sorrel put her hand on Shihori’s back, “Want to introduce me to your friends, honey?” Shihori forced a smile as she still wasn’t over the whirlwind of emotions, “Guys, this is my mom, Sorrel.” Trunks stepped up to the small rabbit and gave her a quick inspection from head to toe, “Hmm. So Shihori’s mom really is a rabbit. I always thought she was adopted.” Mai looked beside herself that Trunks was being rude and elbowed him in the ribs. Sorrel gave him a cheeky smirk, “Guilty on really being a rabbit. You know you’re right about her. We just haven’t told her the truth yet. We found her in the woods and decided to take her home. We tried raising her like a pet, but she steadily grew on us.” Shihori smacked her hand against her face and began to shake her head, “Mama, you can’t be serious.” Trunks chuckled and gave both Mai and Shihori a look as if saying ‘See? She likes my sense of humor.’ He politely shook her hand with a smile, “I’m Trunks, Bulma’s son. I’m glad to finally meet you.” Sorrel looked surprised, “Oh, you must be one of those half-Saiyan boys Shihori told me about. You’re not the one she has a crush on, are you?” Sorrel gave Trunks an inquisitive yet fiendish smirk as she questioned his motivations pertaining to Shihori. Trunks waved his hand and shook his head as he felt Mai’s eyes upon him, “No, we’re just friends. I think you’re about to meet the other one though.”
A white streak cut its way across the sky before a young boy with dark hair came in for a landing at the far end of the patio. Goten checked to make sure his clothes were not messed up from flying over in such a hurry. He appeared to have grown just as tall as Trunks and started to let his hair grow longer, losing that disheveled appearance Goku always wore. He was wearing a pair of jeans and a gray t-shirt with the words “GOOD VIBE” printed across the front. Once Shihori spotted him she snapped up quickly to her feet and took a deep breath, she gulped as he approached the group. She thought he looked more grown and very handsome. It appears he was about to say something when Sorrel jumped in between them and the little rabbit snatched him up by the hand with a big grin spread across her face, “Oh my, you must be Goten. I’m so happy to finally meet you, I’m Sorrel, Shihori’s mom.” Sorrel turned toward Shihori keeping that big grin on her face, “Dear, you never said he was so handsome.” Shihori’s entire body froze in such a state of horror and embarrassment that her mouth fell open from the shock. Trunks began to snicker behind his hand and Mai elbowed him again in the side and pulled him by the arm away from the scene so he wouldn’t make it worse. Goten nervously rubbed the back of his neck as he was introduced to Sorrel. He nervously smiled and began to sweat a little as the tiny rabbit wouldn’t let him go, “The pleasure is all mine. He he he.” Shihori came to his rescue as she came up behind her mother and whispered in her ear, “Mama, stop it. You’re embarrassing me.” Sorrel just laughed it off and finally released Goten from shaking her hand. Her fiery red eyes opened and locked onto Goten for a moment as if she was a predator staring down its prey. She gave Goten a hawkish smile that showed some teeth and one could almost imagine that she was bearing fangs at him under the guise of being well mannered, “Be seeing you, Goten.” She strode off back to the other adults and Goten could swear he noticed her eyes following him as she walked by.
Shihori stood shyly in front of Goten with both her hands clutched in front of her body. Goten took the opportunity to fully take in her appearance and he became struck by her beauty. Although he had gotten some pointers from Videl on how to engage such a strong-willed young lady. Goten took her by both hands and they looked into each other’s eyes for what seemed like an eternity. Goten opened his mouth to speak, “H-h-heey…” His voice began to crack, he cleared his throat trying to cover it up, “Long time no see, beautiful.” Shihori began to blush and she gave his hands a tiny squeeze, “It’s been too long. I like your hair.” She stopped and cursed herself for blubbering out such nonsense. “I mean, I missed you, Goten.” He smiled and chuckled which made her laugh it off as well, “What are we doing? Being so formal.” Shihori stopped laughing and smiled when they both realized they were being silly about their reunion. She reached out and pulled him into a hug, resting her head against his shoulder. Goten couldn’t help noticing the wonderful floral scent her hair gave off. “I missed you too, Shihori.” Shihori stepped back and looked at her friend and long-time crush but she was interrupted by Trunks making his reappearance and throwing an arm around Goten’s neck, pulling him into a headlock, “Hey, buddy! Where have you been hiding? I haven’t heard from you in days!” Goten grumbled and struggled to free himself from Trunks’ horseplay but Mai rendered an assist by yanking Trunks backwards by the collar, “Trunks!” Both boys were surprised and took a moment to straighten themselves out after horsing around. Trunks put an arm around Mai’s shoulders to keep her placated, “So we were talking. There’s a carnival in town this week and I thought that it would be a good idea if we went on a double date together. What do say?” Shihori looked nervously to Mai who was too busy cozying up to Trunks at the moment to be of any support. Goten’s eyes went wide with shock at the mention of date from Trunks. He had so brazenly pushed him into manning up and taking Shihori out on a date so soon after reuniting. He swallowed his pride and promised himself that he would get him back for this but used the opportunity to impress the girl he liked, “Shihori, would you like to go to the carnival with me?” She stared at him blankly like he had asked her the meaning of life. Goten patiently awaited her answer but she just continued to stare in a state of shock. Mai noticed what was happening and took it upon herself to prod Shihori in the back. “I’llgotothecarnivalwithyou!” she rapidly blurted out after her dear friend forced a reaction. Goten began to laugh and took Shihori by the hand, “I’ll take that as a yes.”
The group of teens then headed over to the adults to inform them of their plans for the evening. Sorrel pushed herself up out of her chair rather excitedly for such a heavily pregnant woman, “A carnival?! I’ve always wanted to go to one!” She pointed at Korian like a boss ordering around an employee, “You! Take me to the carnival!” Korian stopped playing blocks with Bulla and just blinked at his bossy wife. Shihori was beside herself that her mother and father would be intruding on her first date, “Mama, can I talk to you for a minute?” The ladies separated themselves for the others and Shihori began to excitedly protest their attendance, “Mama, this is supposed to be a double date with the four of us. That is so lame that you and dad are going to be there!” Sorrel waved off her protest and made a face like she was overreacting, “Now, now, Shihori. We’re not going to be tagging along with you. We’ll just happen to be at the same place. You won’t even notice us, I promise.” Shihori pinched the bridge of her nose with her thumb and forefinger and sighed with exasperation, “Fine. Just please don’t do anything to embarrass me in front of him.” Sorrel nodded in agreeance and walked back over to the group with her. The teens were going to depart a bit ahead of them, so both Korian and Sorrel gave Shihori hugs. It was Sorrel who took it upon herself to bid Goten farewell for the evening and offered the boy a hug. Goten thought nothing of it and accepted the kind gesture from the tiny, white rabbit, but much to his surprise she clung onto him much longer than he anticipated and she stood on her toes so she could whisper very sweetly close to his ear, “I’ve got my eye on you. If you do anything inappropriate with my baby, I swear to you that I will use a dull knife to cleave it off. Your mother will cry when she sees what I do to you.” She stepped back with a smile and patted him very gently on the cheek, “Such a handsome young man. You kids have fun!” She waved very innocently as she stood by Korian’s side. Goten didn’t know what to do or say in the moment. This innocent looking woman struck a chord of fear in him that he didn’t know how to process. Shihori came up and took Goten by the hand as they began to depart. “Ready, Goten?” Goten could swear that Sorrel was giving him the evilest smile he had ever witnessed as they walked toward the house. He gulped and turned his attention back to Shihori, trying his best to mind his manners and enjoy himself.
A short while later, the quartet of teens had arrived at the carnival. Shihori’s eyes went wide with wonder and excitement at all the lights and activity, “This is so cool. I’ve never seen anything like this before.” Trunks shrugged off her enthusiasm and looked to Mai and Goten to plan out their evening, “So, you girls want to go on some rides?” Mai took Shihori by the hand with a smile, “Come on, Shihori. Let’s go on all the rides that make you feel like you’re going to puke; it’s going to be great!” Goten and Trunks just blinked at the duo and decided to follow along while Mai lead the charge toward the rides. The group decided to go on a crazy looking contraption that turned upside down and spun around in a circle at a rapid pace. Shihori was a bit hesitant at first but once she saw Goten sitting next to her, her nerves eased a bit. He gave her a smile as the shoulder harnesses were locked down into place and offered his hand to her which she clutched onto. The ride got going and once they were fully into it Shihori felt elated like she was free and flying in the sky. She gave Goten’s hand a squeeze as she cried out, “Woo-hoo!” Once the ride was finished, they all clambered toward the exit with laughter. This carnival was better than Shihori thought it would be and the fun was just getting started. She threw Mai an excited high five and smiled as she naturally started to hold hands with Goten. It just felt right to be there while she was enjoying every minute of it.
After a few more rides the group decided to grab some yakitori before they continued on having fun. Trunks offered to pay but played the good wing man to Goten and handed him enough yakitori to give to Shihori. He patted his best friend on the shoulder and turned to head back to Shihori and Mai while Trunks waited for his change. Next to the yakitori stand he caught sight of a tiny, white rabbit wearing an oversized hat, she was staring at him intently with an expression far too serious for someone enjoying themselves at a carnival. Goten froze in his tracks as Sorrel reached up and slowly drew her finger across her throat, after she completed the gesture, she stuck her tongue out pretending she died. Korian walked up behind Sorrel and handed her a chocolate ice cream cone which broke her serious expression immediately as she now paid attention to her husband like nothing ever happened. “Thanks, my love!” Goten turned away quickly and retreated back to the girls, preferring to pretend he didn’t just see that. Goten handed Shihori her yakitori which she gleefully accepted, “Thanks!” She immediately began to dig into the food and rolled her eyes in pleasure as she munched on the tasty grilled chicken, “So good!” Goten forced a smile as she was still a bit unnerved by the sudden appearance of Sorrel. He thought to himself, ‘Was she stalking me?’ He shook the notion out of his mind and figured it was just a coincidence running into her.
Later in the evening when the sun had gone down and darkness made the bright, flashing lights even more chaotic and engaging. The group of teens headed to the haunted house which was Trunks’ idea. He put his arm around Goten and leaned in so he could stealthily whisper into his ear, “Going to be dark in there. Great time to get close, if you know what I mean.” He nudged his friend with his elbow and gave him a devilish smirk. Trunks separated himself and paired back up with Mai, putting his arm around her as they got in line for the haunted house. Shihori was eagerly waiting their turn to go in and seemed more excited than anything to go inside. Once it was their turn Goten was surprised by Shihori grabbing onto his hand and rushing into the dark interior of the haunted house. Inside it was your typical cheap carnival affair with plenty of cheesy jump scares and loud noises. None of it seemed to effect Shihori in the slightest as she just giggled at all the props meant to inflict fear. There was a graveyard scene set up with zombies and opening coffins. Shihori pointed at the dumb looking display and began to chuckle with her eyes closed in a hearty laugh. Goten noticed some rabbit ears sticking up behind one of the gravestones. Very creepily and much to his horror there arose the glowing red eyes of Sorrel giving him the same horrific, serious face as before. This time she was mouthing some pretty harsh language at him that included plenty of F bombs and threats of dismemberment. She quickly disappeared back the way she came before Shihori noticed her presence. Goten was so unnerved by the encounter that he didn’t even realize that he had let Shihori’s hand go which caught her attention, “Huh? What’s the matter, Goten? You’re not scared, are you?” Goten sheepishly began to chuckle and he rubbed the back of his neck nervously, “Who? Me? Nah! Hey! We should go catch up to Trunks and Mai!” Goten led the way with Shihori feeling confused and a little let down by his aloof demeanor.
Once everyone gathered outside Mai ran up to Shihori and took her by the hand, “Want to get some sweets? They have candied apples and taiyaki with ice cream!” Shihori shook off her thoughts that she did something wrong to make Goten act so weird and smiled to Mai, “Sure, sounds great!” The girls ran ahead to the dessert vendors to take a look at all the offerings. This gave Trunks the opportunity to check in with his best friend, “So, how’s things going with Shihori?” Goten stopped nervously looking around and focused in on Trunks, “Huh?! Oh, its, uhhh, great. Thanks.” Trunks arched a brow at Goten, “What’s up with you, man? You’re acting weird all of a sudden.” Goten sighed and confessed to Trunks, “Its nothing. I just keep thinking I’m seeing Sorrel. Must be my mind playing tricks on me.” Trunks chuckled and slapped him on the back, “Stop being such a wuss. You afraid Shihori’s mommy gonna come kick your ass if you get fresh?!” Trunks shook his head and began to walk away to join the ladies leaving Goten alone and feeling defeated by his own thoughts, “Aww man.” He caught up to the group as the girls were excitedly ordering a bunch of sweets to share. Goten noticed that Korian was approaching from behind with Sorrel, the couple was walking arm in arm with the tiny rabbit leaning against her husband’s arm with a smile. They both appeared to be having a great time and that’s when Goten figured that his mind must be playing tricks on him. Korian and Sorrel stopped near Goten and Trunks trying to play it casual like they weren’t interrupting their date, “Hi guys. Everyone having a good time?” Trunks nodded affirmatively and remained nothing but quiet and polite about the whole affair. Mai called out to Trunks which drew his attention to head over to the stall. Goten on the other hand just managed a creepy forced smile which made both Korian and Sorrel look at one another. Sorrel very sweetly took Korian by the hand, “Babe, would you get me some taiyaki with red bean? I’ve got a craving.” She touched her stomach which prompted Korian to not ask how many desserts she was going to have today and hop right to it. This left Sorrel and Goten alone for the time being with the pair facing one another in an awkward smiling stare down. Sorrel cut to the chase, “Enjoying your time with my baby girl, Son Goten? Better keep those hands to yourself or so help me I will chop them off and shove them so far up your ass.” Goten’s eyes went wide just then not from the take down that Sorrel was initiating but by the other set of rabbit ears that appeared through the crowd and stopped behind Sorrel. Goten pointed to get Sorrel’s attention which incensed her even further, “The f*#$, kid?! Are you even paying attention to me? I will f*$# you up!” Sorrel was cut off by a sharp *Ahem* from behind her and she whirled around to see Shihori holding a candy apple that matched the red color in her face. The young lady was fuming at what she witnessed Sorrel doing to Goten and she was angrily tapping her foot while awaiting an explanation for her behavior. Sorrel broke out into the surprised and sweet routine, “Shihori, my baby! Are you having fun, honey bunny?” Shihori pointed at her mother accusingly, “Don’t you f*#$ing honey bunny me! Just what do you think you’re doing?! I can’t believe you, Mama! All I ask is that you don’t interfere and not embarrass me. Look what I find. Are you trying to intimidate him?!” Korian appeared behind Shihori holding Sorrel’s taiyaki and seemed utterly confused as to why Shihori was going after Sorrel so angrily, “Shihori, what’s going on?” She whirled around and started to poke her father in the chest, “Are you in on it too? Huh?! Trying to chase away my boyfriend?” Goten was surprised to hear that come out of Shihori’s mouth even though she seemed angry as hell at the moment. Sorrel butt in on Shihori going after Korian, “No, no, no, leave him alone. He didn’t do anything. It was all me.” Shihori immediately refocused her attention on Sorrel and stepped up face to face with her mother, “I can’t even with you! You don’t even trust me enough to make my own choices?!” Sorrel waved her hands in protest, “I’m just trying to look out for your best interests! Teenage boys can be scum bags and I don’t want you getting heart broken or worse!” Trunks and Mai were hanging back in shock at the battle going on between mother and daughter. Mai took a bite of her chocolate banana and offered some to Trunks. Korian interjected and tried to separate them before it came to blows, “Both of you knock it off! You’re both acting stupid! Sorrel you have to trust Shihori. We raised a smart, beautiful lady and I know that she knows right from wrong.” He turned his attention to Shihori now, “And Shihori, I know its hard to understand but your mother loves you more than anything. Everything she does has your best interests at heart, even if it does seem a little misguided.” Both Sorrel and Shihori still seemed pissed off but appeared to be placated into being civil for the time being. Sorrel reached out and placed her hand on Shihori’s shoulder,” Shihori, I’m sorry for ruining your night. I love you and I trust you.” She looked over to Goten, “I’m sorry, Goten. You really do seem like a sweet boy and you didn’t deserve what I did to you.” Shihori frowned when she noticed that Sorrel had tears in her ears, “Mama, I’m sorry I yelled at you. I want to keep the trust you have in me. I really like him. He’s a good person and I want you both to understand that too.” Shihori reached out and pulled Sorrel into tight hug as the rabbit eared ladies cried during their embrace. Sorrel wiped her eyes and nodded to Shihori, “Go on now. You kids have fun.” Shihori hugged both her parents and handed off her candy apple to her father as she jogged over to Goten, “There’s going to be fireworks soon. Want to go on the Ferris wheel together?” Goten smiled as he took her by the hand and looked over to Sorrel and Korian who gave him a slight nod before they turned and disappeared into the crowd enjoying the taiyaki together.
The young couple hopped into their car of the Ferris wheel followed by Trunks and Mai in the one behind them. As the ride began to slowly circle around Shihori took Goten by the hand, “I’m sorry for what happened Goten. I hope aren’t weirded out by my family. I meant what I said earlier, I like you. I like you a lot.” Goten gave her a reassured smile and squeezed her hand, “Don’t even worry about it. You think your family is crazy? Wait until you meet my mom. Sheesh.” Shihori chuckled and felt better that he was taking everything in stride. The ride stopped them near the top and suddenly off in the distance fireworks began to explode in the sky. The wonderful display of lights left Shihori in awe and forgetting the argument she just had with Sorrel. She turned her head to Goten to direct his view at some of the display but noticed that he was focused on her instead of the fireworks display. She looked him in the eyes and her heart began to race when he seemed to be getting closer to her. “Shihori.” She turned her body to face him and to get a better look at his eyes, “Yes, Goten?” He reached out and touched her cheek, “I’d really like to kiss you now. Is that oka….” He was shut up as she threw herself forward and began to kiss him. Even though Shihori initiated the tender kiss, it turned out to be messy at first as she had no idea what she was doing and neither did Goten, but the two found their rhythm after a few sloppy moments. Shihori ran her fingers through his long, dark hair as her ears excitedly stood on end. Goten held her close and let his hands do some searching which prompted her to push his hand away from her chest. He muttered, “Sorry” as he broke the kiss and Shihori breathed heavily, “Shut up.” She pulled him back into a deep kiss as the fireworks display continued in the sky. In the car behind them Mai was on top of an incredibly surprised Trunks whose arms and legs flailed as she attacked him with her lips.
A week later, everyone was gathered outside the main house of Capsule Corp. bidding each other farewell. It was time for Korian and company to return home as summer was nearing its climax. Korian was busying himself pestering Bulma to make him some spare battle armor sets while Sorrel stood by and sighed at childishness. Goku reappeared on the lawn with Vegeta in tow, both were looking disheveled from their days spent training. Goku spotted Korian first and excitedly snapped him a wave, “Yo! Korian, how’s everythin’?” He stopped once he caught sight of Sorrel and gave her a strange expression like he was leery of her. After a moment, the Saiyan walked right up to Sorrel and began to inquisitively exam her. Korian was confused, “Uhh, Kakarot, this is my wife, Sorrel.” Sorrel stuck her hand out in his face to shake hands which caused Goku to take a step back, “You don’t turn people into carrots do you?” Sorrel looked at Bulma who shrugged and shook her head, “Kakarot or Son Goku, if you prefer, I finally get to meet the man responsible for getting my entire universe erased. Thanks, a lot!” Sorrel said very sarcastically and put both hands on her hips in a bossy manner. Goku shyly scratched his head, “Sorry about that, but fightin’ all those strong guys from the other universes was too much fun to pass up.” Sorrel closed her eyes and shook her head, “Hmph. Saiyans.” She offered her hand to him again which Goku shook which prompted Sorrel to give him a cocky smirk, “No hard feelings, Son Goku.” Vegeta walked over with his arms crossed over his chest and stood next to his wife, “Hmph. Perhaps the results would have been different if the Universe 9 fighters weren’t such weaklings.” Bulma lashed out at her husband and shouted right next to his head, “Vegeta, stop being so friggin’ rude!” He grumbled to himself which caused Sorrel to cover her mouth to stifle her laughter, “Ahh you must be Vegeta, I’ve heard so much about you. Take care not to upset your wife too much or you’ll wind up on the sofa.” Sorrel shot Bulma a wink which caused her to snicker like they were plotting together. Korian interjected and got in the midst of Goku and Vegeta, “What kind of training did you guys do? You have any new techniques to share?! I’m dying for a fight! Anybody want to fight?!” Sorrel took a quick glance around the area and said to Bulma, “Have you seen, Shihori?”
Not far away, Goten and Shihori were in the midst of a heavy make out session when Shihori gently pushed him back, “Did you hear that? I think I heard my dad.” Goten shrugged and the young lady happily looked into his eyes. “I wish you didn’t have to go.” Goten said with a tinge of sadness in his voice. Shihori touched his face to reassure him with a smile, “It’ll only be for a little while. I was talking to my mom and dad about coming here to study on a more permanent basis.” Goten grew excited at the notion that they could be together which caused him to pick her up and spin her around in the air, “That’s awesome!” Shihori chuckled and grabbed him by the hand once he set her down, “Bulma said I could stay with them however long I want. This way we can see each other whenever we want. I’ll even come visit you at your house if you want.” Goten nervously laughed as he thought about the implications of having a girl over with his mom around, “Ummm, he he he, we’ll take our time with that. My mom can be a little…. intense.” Shihori smiled at the warm, fuzzy feeling she got when they spent time together, “Thanks, Goten.” He looked puzzled by her appreciation, “For what?” She closed her eyes and shook her head as she put her hand on his chest and leaned in close to him, “For being such a sweet guy.” Shihori kissed him gently at first but got into it pretty quickly. Their teenage hormones getting the better of them. After a few more breathless minutes of discovering all the new ways they could kiss one another, Shihori tugged on his hand, “Come on, lover boy. Let’s not give my parents any funny ideas about what we’ve been doing this whole time.”
Back at the main group, Korian and Sorrel had just finished saying their goodbyes to their friends. Korian was finishing pestering Vegeta about getting in some training in his gravity chamber. The surly Saiyan prince tried to wave him off with, “Fine, whatever.” When Sorrel came to take him into custody and get him prepared to leave. Kitsune was calmly holding a conversation with Bulma’s parents. Dr. Brief was trying to explain the finer points of golfing to the sagely martial artist. Kitsune just politely smiled and bid them farewell when she realized it was time to head home. Goten and Shihori walked over holding hands and stopped near her parents. Korian clapped Goten on the shoulder, “You take care, Goten. I know I don’t have to say anything about being nice to Shihori. You’ve already heard enough from Sorrel.” Goten chuckled and nervously rubbed the back of his neck, “Yeah, I hope I can live up to her lofty expectations.” Sorrel surprised him by making a sudden appearance in front of him while he was distracted. This made Goten jump back with fright which caused Sorrel to smile, “Easy, Goten. I come in peace. You have my blessing to date Shihori.” As a peace offering, she opened her arms to hug him which he hesitated in reciprocating, but it wasn’t a trap as Sorrel just gave him a hug with a pat on the back. Once it was time to go Shihori and Goten spent the last few minutes wistfully looking into each other’s eyes. Shihori dealt out hugs to both Trunks and Mai, promising them both to see them real soon. Goten became brave and dared to sneak Shihori a kiss on the cheek in front of her parents. Shihori trotted over next to her mother and held hands with her as she was latched onto Korian’s arm for the journey home. Kitsune stood on the other side of her son with her hand on his shoulder. Sorrel looked over to Shihori and squinted as she noticed something on her neck. It was a small mark that looked red around the edges. “Shihori, what is that on your neck? Is that a hickey?!” Her eyes went wide as she threw her hand out and pointed accusingly at Goten, “Goten, you son of a bi….” Her words were cut off as Korian had used the Kai kai technique to take them back home, saving a young man’s life in the process.
Age 782, Planet Basur
More than a year has passed in peace since Towa’s defeat at the hands of our heroes. The mid-summer sun shown down on a pair of homes next to a pristine lake that was settled in the mountains. Above the lake, Korian was hovering just above the waterline with his arms folded across his chest and his eyes closed, deep in meditation. He had been like this for several hours, trying to focus his racing mind and bring on a sense of calm to his mental exercises. He groaned to himself in frustration as he sensed uneasiness around him, a lurking feeling of danger crept into his mind. Suddenly from beneath the water a pair of hands burst forth to reach up and grab his ankles, his eyes sprang open with urgency when he looked down to his attacker, “What the?!” Below him was a young lady with wet, dark brown hair, bright red eyes, and a pair of wet rabbit ears, she was smiling mischievously up at him from just above the water, “You’ve been busy getting nowhere all day. Looks to me like you need to cool off, Papa.” Shihori pulled down hard on his captive feet just as she submerged herself underwater, dragging a surprised Korian down with her into the depths of the lake. On the shore, a white rabbit wearing a yellow bikini top, a pair of green cut off shorts, and a wide brimmed straw sun hat. She tilted down a pair of sunglasses to get a better look at the commotion in the lake. Sorrel turned her attention to the red fox wearing a white sarashi and black harem pants, sitting crossed legged under the shade of an umbrella while reading a book. “Did you ever teach Korian how to swim?” Sorrel asked very much after the fact. Kitsune said flatly without looking up from her book, “Yes, why?” Sorrel turned back to the lake with a smirk as she placed her sunglasses back over her eyes, “No reason.” Shihori emerged a few moments later from the water wearing a purple bikini, her hair now shorter in length that came to her shoulders. She maintained a very physically fit appearance, yet her feminine curves were not lost amongst her defined muscles. The only thing that gave any indication that this wasn’t your normal lovely young lady was she bore two noticeable scars along each side of her abdomen. She had received these wounds during the course of her battle with Towa’s majin creature named Mak. Each set of claw marks seemed to have faded since that time but were still noticeable upon closer inspection. The young lady seemed to be dragging something along behind her from the water. Sorrel quickly realized that it was a waterlogged Korian being towed by the back of his collar. He appeared motionless like a drowned corpse, his legs sliding along the ground as he was dragged by his daughter. Shihori tossed him down carelessly like a sack of potatoes at Sorrel’s feet. She began to wring out her wet hair and ears perched atop her head. She settled with her hands on her hips in a cocky yet self-satisfied manner. “Here you go, Mama. You deal with him because he’s being a stick in the mud. He won’t even come for a swim with me.” Korian sat up and started to shake like a wet dog which caused both mother and daughter to shield themselves from his splashing. Sorrel pushed up off the ground to stand up and Korian immediately popped up to help her onto her feet. She graciously accepted the assist but complained about it anyway, “Don’t worry, I’ve got it.” It became apparent why Sorrel wasn’t her usual nimble self, she had quite a large belly showing, and it wasn’t that she had let her physique go downhill since her revival. She looked up to Korian with his still dripping hair, “You need to relax. All you do is train, train, train, day in and day out.” She took his hand and gently placed it on her stomach, “When this little one comes. Neither you nor I will have any free time to be able to enjoy ourselves. So pretty please, Korian, go swimming with your daughter.” Korian looked at her and then down to his hand on her stomach thoughtfully, “But I need to train so I can get stronger and ensure you all stay safe.” Sorrel smiled at him and slowly reached up to touch his face, “Korian my dear….” She abruptly pinched and pulled on his cheek to bring him down to her level. Her demeanor quickly shifted from sweet to some form of angry demon rabbit. A cold, calculated fury was alight in her eyes, “Did you not hear a f*#$ing word I just said?!” Korian winched in pain and looked to his wife with pleading eyes to release him from her clutches, his pleas for release being soundly ignored. Even Shihori gave a pained expression at the level of violence her short statured mother was bringing down on her father now that he pissed her off. “YOU did THIS, Korian!” She gestured to her protruding stomach. “All I f*#$ing want before I have another super powered baby is a little time for RELAXATION! Do you think you can do that for me?!” Korian nodded with tears in his eyes. He began to look like a troublesome child that was being scolded by their mother. When she released him, he rubbed his cheek which clearly bore a red mark from her pinching. Shihori came over and threw her arms around both her parents’ shoulders, planting a kiss on each of their cheeks as a sweet gesture to break the tension in the air, “I was thinking maybe we should go on a trip before the baby comes. Mama is right, ya know?” She turned her attention to Korian. “You do need to learn to relax once in a while, Papa.” Even Kitsune chimed in from under her umbrella without looking up from the page she was reading, “Listen to your daughter, Korian. Life isn’t always about training. Even the wisest of martial arts masters know their bodies need proper rest.” Korian threw his hands up in the air and gave a sigh of exasperation, “Alright, you win. I’ll take a break from training.” Sorrel looked quite pleased with his decision in a complete reversal of her sour mood. Korian turned his attention to Shihori, “What did you have in mind?” Shihori locked her bright red eyes onto her father and a sly, conniving grin began to form on her face, “Well…..”
Earth, Capsule Corporation
Bulma was busying herself in the lab seated at her work bench. She had a dissected circuit board in front of her and was checking the resistance on the various circuits with a meter. She was so immersed in her work that she didn’t hear the audible *snap* of energy appear in the room behind her. A figure loomed up behind Bulma and stuck a spikey haired head right next to her face while she was busying herself, “Whatcha working on?” Bulma screamed and jumped with such a fright that she grabbed the first thing she saw, which was a crescent wrench, off the table and swung it like a batter going for the fences onto the head of the suspected home invader. When she swirled around her next attack to finish the job, she saw Korian flat on his back in a disheveled state with a growing bump on the side of his head. “Geez, Korian! Don’t sneak up on me like that!” From across the room Shihori dashed over to throw herself into a hug with Bulma, “Bulma! I missed you so much!” Bulma was surprised to see her and warmly gave the young lady a hug. Shihori stepped back from the embrace wearing a cute blue sun dress and leather wraparound sandals, she completely ignored her father who was still twitching on the ground. “Oh, I almost forgot….” Shihori turned and gestured over to Sorrel who was wearing a maternity romper in her favorite yellow and orange pattern of clothing. Kitsune also joined them wearing a maroon yukata coat and gray harem pants. “Bulma, this is my mom, Sorrel, and my grandma, Kitsune.” Sorrel stepped forward to introduce herself yet Bulma couldn’t contain her excitement at her first glimpse of Sorrel “Oh my goodness, you are adorable, now I know where Shihori gets her good looks.” Bulma noticed her stomach and maternity clothing that she was wearing and let out another outburst, “You two are going to have another baby?! Congratulations!” Sorrel was embarrassed to say the least, she managed to crack a shy smile amid the onslaught of compliments, “You’re too kind. Pleased to meet you, Bulma. Thank you for taking such good care of Korian and Shihori.” Kitsune came up beside Sorrel and politely shook Bulma’s hand, “Kitsune, dear. A pleasure. Thank you so much for taking in my sweet granddaughter and umm….” She looked down to the ground at Korian who was beginning to rouse from his wrench induced nap. “…spirited son while they were in your company.” Bulma graciously accepted her polite introduction and turned her attention back to Shihori, “So what brings you guys to Earth?” Shihori gave her a big smile and she exclaimed, “I wanted to surprise my mom and grandma by bringing them to Earth for a vacation. I enjoyed my time here so much I thought it would be a great idea before the baby comes. I hope we’re not imposing on you.” Bulma waved her hand dismissively at the notion aside from the fact that she had clobbered Korian upon arrival. “Nonsense. You’re always welcome here, sweetie.” Korian slowly managed to climb to his feet holding a large bump on his head. He looked around in a daze, “Wha…. what…happened?” Sorrel gently placed a hand on his shoulder to steady her uneasy husband, “There, there dear just take it easy. Mama’s got you.” Shihori took her father by the hand with a lighthearted smile and suddenly Bulma felt a little bad about beating the tar out of him. “Let’s get everyone settled in and I’ll get the family together so we can catch up.” Bulma began to lead the group out of her lab with Shihori and Sorrel on either side of a woozy Korian who began to mutter, “Now I know how she keeps Vegeta in line. Sheesh.”
Not long after, the group was gathered on the patio to enjoy the beautiful summer weather. Bulma told them that Goku and Vegeta were off world for the time being doing some training and hopefully they would get to see one another before they finished their trip. Everyone sat around making idle chat and playing catch up on each other’s lives. The now toddler Bulla was seated in Korian’s lap while he played games with her much to his own amusement. Sorrel blissfully watched and thought to herself that Korian was still a good father and she rested easy knowing that he would be hands on in their new little one’s upbringing. Bulma phoned Trunks to let him know they had guests but didn’t exactly let him in on who their house guests might be. Not long after Trunks and Mai made an appearance from the main house and when they spied who was in their midst, they both smiled with excitement. Shihori leapt up from her chair and charged toward her friends, nearly bowling them over when she went in for a hug. Trunks and Mai had grown a fair amount in the last year or so since the group had seen one another. Shihori took a step back with a big smile after seeing her friends for the first time in quite a while, “You guys, I missed you both so much.” Trunks started to look like a proper teenage boy, dressed in a t-shirt bearing the Capsule Corp. logo, a pair of jean shorts, and sneakers. Mai was the picture of a raven-haired beauty, she was the same height as Shihori now, dressed in some cut off shorts and a tank top. Mai excitedly took Shihori by the hands and gave her a look from head to toe, “Shihori, you look gorgeous. We have to catch up on everything.” Trunks held out a fist for Shihori with a smirk which the young lady pounded, “You look handsome, Trunks. I see you’ve finally started to eat your vegetables and grow up….” She held her thumb and index finger slightly apart “…. just a little.” Shihori and Mai chuckled much to the consternation of the young man. “Ha ha, laugh it up, bunny girl.” Shihori happily pulled them both into another group hug, “I’m really glad to see you, I mean it.” Trunks suddenly pushed back from the group and gave Shihori a look like he was up to no good, “I nearly forgot, we have to let your boyfriend Goten know that you’re here.” Trunks pulled his phone out of his pocket and started to thumb his way to Goten’s contact information, he briefly looked up from the screen giving Shihori a devilish grin. Shihori froze in terror at the thought of seeing Goten after so long, her heart began to beat fast like it was trying to escape her chest and make a break for it. Mai took notice of her reaction to Trunks’ antics. She placed her hands on Shihori’s shoulders and guided her to take a seat while Trunks did his dirty work, “Breathe, Shihori. It’s going to be alright. Goten missed you a lot, trust me for the longest time you were all he would talk about.” Shihori tried taking a couple deep breaths and listened to Mai trying feel reassured. The thought of seeing Goten after so long gave her so many dizzying thoughts, every ‘what if’ scenario her brain could muster raced through her mind. “I think I’m going to be sick.” Trunks came over to the ladies with a satisfied smirk on his face, “Well, he knows you’re here now. He’ll be over as soon as he can.” Shihori began to sweat and fanned herself with both hands while focusing on taking calming breaths. Mai began to chuckle at the reaction she was seeing over the mere mention of Goten. Little did any of them know, Goten was on her mind quite frequently since they last parted ways. Never in her life had she experienced these feelings for another person, let alone a boy. Their experience fusing with one another had given them both a unique and unexplained connection. There was so much to process that she hung her head in her hands to steady the sickening feeling.
Sorrel strode over to the group after noticing the arrival of Trunks and Mai as well as Shihori’s current state of distress. Sorrel put her hand on Shihori’s back, “Want to introduce me to your friends, honey?” Shihori forced a smile as she still wasn’t over the whirlwind of emotions, “Guys, this is my mom, Sorrel.” Trunks stepped up to the small rabbit and gave her a quick inspection from head to toe, “Hmm. So Shihori’s mom really is a rabbit. I always thought she was adopted.” Mai looked beside herself that Trunks was being rude and elbowed him in the ribs. Sorrel gave him a cheeky smirk, “Guilty on really being a rabbit. You know you’re right about her. We just haven’t told her the truth yet. We found her in the woods and decided to take her home. We tried raising her like a pet, but she steadily grew on us.” Shihori smacked her hand against her face and began to shake her head, “Mama, you can’t be serious.” Trunks chuckled and gave both Mai and Shihori a look as if saying ‘See? She likes my sense of humor.’ He politely shook her hand with a smile, “I’m Trunks, Bulma’s son. I’m glad to finally meet you.” Sorrel looked surprised, “Oh, you must be one of those half-Saiyan boys Shihori told me about. You’re not the one she has a crush on, are you?” Sorrel gave Trunks an inquisitive yet fiendish smirk as she questioned his motivations pertaining to Shihori. Trunks waved his hand and shook his head as he felt Mai’s eyes upon him, “No, we’re just friends. I think you’re about to meet the other one though.”
A white streak cut its way across the sky before a young boy with dark hair came in for a landing at the far end of the patio. Goten checked to make sure his clothes were not messed up from flying over in such a hurry. He appeared to have grown just as tall as Trunks and started to let his hair grow longer, losing that disheveled appearance Goku always wore. He was wearing a pair of jeans and a gray t-shirt with the words “GOOD VIBE” printed across the front. Once Shihori spotted him she snapped up quickly to her feet and took a deep breath, she gulped as he approached the group. She thought he looked more grown and very handsome. It appears he was about to say something when Sorrel jumped in between them and the little rabbit snatched him up by the hand with a big grin spread across her face, “Oh my, you must be Goten. I’m so happy to finally meet you, I’m Sorrel, Shihori’s mom.” Sorrel turned toward Shihori keeping that big grin on her face, “Dear, you never said he was so handsome.” Shihori’s entire body froze in such a state of horror and embarrassment that her mouth fell open from the shock. Trunks began to snicker behind his hand and Mai elbowed him again in the side and pulled him by the arm away from the scene so he wouldn’t make it worse. Goten nervously rubbed the back of his neck as he was introduced to Sorrel. He nervously smiled and began to sweat a little as the tiny rabbit wouldn’t let him go, “The pleasure is all mine. He he he.” Shihori came to his rescue as she came up behind her mother and whispered in her ear, “Mama, stop it. You’re embarrassing me.” Sorrel just laughed it off and finally released Goten from shaking her hand. Her fiery red eyes opened and locked onto Goten for a moment as if she was a predator staring down its prey. She gave Goten a hawkish smile that showed some teeth and one could almost imagine that she was bearing fangs at him under the guise of being well mannered, “Be seeing you, Goten.” She strode off back to the other adults and Goten could swear he noticed her eyes following him as she walked by.
Shihori stood shyly in front of Goten with both her hands clutched in front of her body. Goten took the opportunity to fully take in her appearance and he became struck by her beauty. Although he had gotten some pointers from Videl on how to engage such a strong-willed young lady. Goten took her by both hands and they looked into each other’s eyes for what seemed like an eternity. Goten opened his mouth to speak, “H-h-heey…” His voice began to crack, he cleared his throat trying to cover it up, “Long time no see, beautiful.” Shihori began to blush and she gave his hands a tiny squeeze, “It’s been too long. I like your hair.” She stopped and cursed herself for blubbering out such nonsense. “I mean, I missed you, Goten.” He smiled and chuckled which made her laugh it off as well, “What are we doing? Being so formal.” Shihori stopped laughing and smiled when they both realized they were being silly about their reunion. She reached out and pulled him into a hug, resting her head against his shoulder. Goten couldn’t help noticing the wonderful floral scent her hair gave off. “I missed you too, Shihori.” Shihori stepped back and looked at her friend and long-time crush but she was interrupted by Trunks making his reappearance and throwing an arm around Goten’s neck, pulling him into a headlock, “Hey, buddy! Where have you been hiding? I haven’t heard from you in days!” Goten grumbled and struggled to free himself from Trunks’ horseplay but Mai rendered an assist by yanking Trunks backwards by the collar, “Trunks!” Both boys were surprised and took a moment to straighten themselves out after horsing around. Trunks put an arm around Mai’s shoulders to keep her placated, “So we were talking. There’s a carnival in town this week and I thought that it would be a good idea if we went on a double date together. What do say?” Shihori looked nervously to Mai who was too busy cozying up to Trunks at the moment to be of any support. Goten’s eyes went wide with shock at the mention of date from Trunks. He had so brazenly pushed him into manning up and taking Shihori out on a date so soon after reuniting. He swallowed his pride and promised himself that he would get him back for this but used the opportunity to impress the girl he liked, “Shihori, would you like to go to the carnival with me?” She stared at him blankly like he had asked her the meaning of life. Goten patiently awaited her answer but she just continued to stare in a state of shock. Mai noticed what was happening and took it upon herself to prod Shihori in the back. “I’llgotothecarnivalwithyou!” she rapidly blurted out after her dear friend forced a reaction. Goten began to laugh and took Shihori by the hand, “I’ll take that as a yes.”
The group of teens then headed over to the adults to inform them of their plans for the evening. Sorrel pushed herself up out of her chair rather excitedly for such a heavily pregnant woman, “A carnival?! I’ve always wanted to go to one!” She pointed at Korian like a boss ordering around an employee, “You! Take me to the carnival!” Korian stopped playing blocks with Bulla and just blinked at his bossy wife. Shihori was beside herself that her mother and father would be intruding on her first date, “Mama, can I talk to you for a minute?” The ladies separated themselves for the others and Shihori began to excitedly protest their attendance, “Mama, this is supposed to be a double date with the four of us. That is so lame that you and dad are going to be there!” Sorrel waved off her protest and made a face like she was overreacting, “Now, now, Shihori. We’re not going to be tagging along with you. We’ll just happen to be at the same place. You won’t even notice us, I promise.” Shihori pinched the bridge of her nose with her thumb and forefinger and sighed with exasperation, “Fine. Just please don’t do anything to embarrass me in front of him.” Sorrel nodded in agreeance and walked back over to the group with her. The teens were going to depart a bit ahead of them, so both Korian and Sorrel gave Shihori hugs. It was Sorrel who took it upon herself to bid Goten farewell for the evening and offered the boy a hug. Goten thought nothing of it and accepted the kind gesture from the tiny, white rabbit, but much to his surprise she clung onto him much longer than he anticipated and she stood on her toes so she could whisper very sweetly close to his ear, “I’ve got my eye on you. If you do anything inappropriate with my baby, I swear to you that I will use a dull knife to cleave it off. Your mother will cry when she sees what I do to you.” She stepped back with a smile and patted him very gently on the cheek, “Such a handsome young man. You kids have fun!” She waved very innocently as she stood by Korian’s side. Goten didn’t know what to do or say in the moment. This innocent looking woman struck a chord of fear in him that he didn’t know how to process. Shihori came up and took Goten by the hand as they began to depart. “Ready, Goten?” Goten could swear that Sorrel was giving him the evilest smile he had ever witnessed as they walked toward the house. He gulped and turned his attention back to Shihori, trying his best to mind his manners and enjoy himself.
A short while later, the quartet of teens had arrived at the carnival. Shihori’s eyes went wide with wonder and excitement at all the lights and activity, “This is so cool. I’ve never seen anything like this before.” Trunks shrugged off her enthusiasm and looked to Mai and Goten to plan out their evening, “So, you girls want to go on some rides?” Mai took Shihori by the hand with a smile, “Come on, Shihori. Let’s go on all the rides that make you feel like you’re going to puke; it’s going to be great!” Goten and Trunks just blinked at the duo and decided to follow along while Mai lead the charge toward the rides. The group decided to go on a crazy looking contraption that turned upside down and spun around in a circle at a rapid pace. Shihori was a bit hesitant at first but once she saw Goten sitting next to her, her nerves eased a bit. He gave her a smile as the shoulder harnesses were locked down into place and offered his hand to her which she clutched onto. The ride got going and once they were fully into it Shihori felt elated like she was free and flying in the sky. She gave Goten’s hand a squeeze as she cried out, “Woo-hoo!” Once the ride was finished, they all clambered toward the exit with laughter. This carnival was better than Shihori thought it would be and the fun was just getting started. She threw Mai an excited high five and smiled as she naturally started to hold hands with Goten. It just felt right to be there while she was enjoying every minute of it.
After a few more rides the group decided to grab some yakitori before they continued on having fun. Trunks offered to pay but played the good wing man to Goten and handed him enough yakitori to give to Shihori. He patted his best friend on the shoulder and turned to head back to Shihori and Mai while Trunks waited for his change. Next to the yakitori stand he caught sight of a tiny, white rabbit wearing an oversized hat, she was staring at him intently with an expression far too serious for someone enjoying themselves at a carnival. Goten froze in his tracks as Sorrel reached up and slowly drew her finger across her throat, after she completed the gesture, she stuck her tongue out pretending she died. Korian walked up behind Sorrel and handed her a chocolate ice cream cone which broke her serious expression immediately as she now paid attention to her husband like nothing ever happened. “Thanks, my love!” Goten turned away quickly and retreated back to the girls, preferring to pretend he didn’t just see that. Goten handed Shihori her yakitori which she gleefully accepted, “Thanks!” She immediately began to dig into the food and rolled her eyes in pleasure as she munched on the tasty grilled chicken, “So good!” Goten forced a smile as she was still a bit unnerved by the sudden appearance of Sorrel. He thought to himself, ‘Was she stalking me?’ He shook the notion out of his mind and figured it was just a coincidence running into her.
Later in the evening when the sun had gone down and darkness made the bright, flashing lights even more chaotic and engaging. The group of teens headed to the haunted house which was Trunks’ idea. He put his arm around Goten and leaned in so he could stealthily whisper into his ear, “Going to be dark in there. Great time to get close, if you know what I mean.” He nudged his friend with his elbow and gave him a devilish smirk. Trunks separated himself and paired back up with Mai, putting his arm around her as they got in line for the haunted house. Shihori was eagerly waiting their turn to go in and seemed more excited than anything to go inside. Once it was their turn Goten was surprised by Shihori grabbing onto his hand and rushing into the dark interior of the haunted house. Inside it was your typical cheap carnival affair with plenty of cheesy jump scares and loud noises. None of it seemed to effect Shihori in the slightest as she just giggled at all the props meant to inflict fear. There was a graveyard scene set up with zombies and opening coffins. Shihori pointed at the dumb looking display and began to chuckle with her eyes closed in a hearty laugh. Goten noticed some rabbit ears sticking up behind one of the gravestones. Very creepily and much to his horror there arose the glowing red eyes of Sorrel giving him the same horrific, serious face as before. This time she was mouthing some pretty harsh language at him that included plenty of F bombs and threats of dismemberment. She quickly disappeared back the way she came before Shihori noticed her presence. Goten was so unnerved by the encounter that he didn’t even realize that he had let Shihori’s hand go which caught her attention, “Huh? What’s the matter, Goten? You’re not scared, are you?” Goten sheepishly began to chuckle and he rubbed the back of his neck nervously, “Who? Me? Nah! Hey! We should go catch up to Trunks and Mai!” Goten led the way with Shihori feeling confused and a little let down by his aloof demeanor.
Once everyone gathered outside Mai ran up to Shihori and took her by the hand, “Want to get some sweets? They have candied apples and taiyaki with ice cream!” Shihori shook off her thoughts that she did something wrong to make Goten act so weird and smiled to Mai, “Sure, sounds great!” The girls ran ahead to the dessert vendors to take a look at all the offerings. This gave Trunks the opportunity to check in with his best friend, “So, how’s things going with Shihori?” Goten stopped nervously looking around and focused in on Trunks, “Huh?! Oh, its, uhhh, great. Thanks.” Trunks arched a brow at Goten, “What’s up with you, man? You’re acting weird all of a sudden.” Goten sighed and confessed to Trunks, “Its nothing. I just keep thinking I’m seeing Sorrel. Must be my mind playing tricks on me.” Trunks chuckled and slapped him on the back, “Stop being such a wuss. You afraid Shihori’s mommy gonna come kick your ass if you get fresh?!” Trunks shook his head and began to walk away to join the ladies leaving Goten alone and feeling defeated by his own thoughts, “Aww man.” He caught up to the group as the girls were excitedly ordering a bunch of sweets to share. Goten noticed that Korian was approaching from behind with Sorrel, the couple was walking arm in arm with the tiny rabbit leaning against her husband’s arm with a smile. They both appeared to be having a great time and that’s when Goten figured that his mind must be playing tricks on him. Korian and Sorrel stopped near Goten and Trunks trying to play it casual like they weren’t interrupting their date, “Hi guys. Everyone having a good time?” Trunks nodded affirmatively and remained nothing but quiet and polite about the whole affair. Mai called out to Trunks which drew his attention to head over to the stall. Goten on the other hand just managed a creepy forced smile which made both Korian and Sorrel look at one another. Sorrel very sweetly took Korian by the hand, “Babe, would you get me some taiyaki with red bean? I’ve got a craving.” She touched her stomach which prompted Korian to not ask how many desserts she was going to have today and hop right to it. This left Sorrel and Goten alone for the time being with the pair facing one another in an awkward smiling stare down. Sorrel cut to the chase, “Enjoying your time with my baby girl, Son Goten? Better keep those hands to yourself or so help me I will chop them off and shove them so far up your ass.” Goten’s eyes went wide just then not from the take down that Sorrel was initiating but by the other set of rabbit ears that appeared through the crowd and stopped behind Sorrel. Goten pointed to get Sorrel’s attention which incensed her even further, “The f*#$, kid?! Are you even paying attention to me? I will f*$# you up!” Sorrel was cut off by a sharp *Ahem* from behind her and she whirled around to see Shihori holding a candy apple that matched the red color in her face. The young lady was fuming at what she witnessed Sorrel doing to Goten and she was angrily tapping her foot while awaiting an explanation for her behavior. Sorrel broke out into the surprised and sweet routine, “Shihori, my baby! Are you having fun, honey bunny?” Shihori pointed at her mother accusingly, “Don’t you f*#$ing honey bunny me! Just what do you think you’re doing?! I can’t believe you, Mama! All I ask is that you don’t interfere and not embarrass me. Look what I find. Are you trying to intimidate him?!” Korian appeared behind Shihori holding Sorrel’s taiyaki and seemed utterly confused as to why Shihori was going after Sorrel so angrily, “Shihori, what’s going on?” She whirled around and started to poke her father in the chest, “Are you in on it too? Huh?! Trying to chase away my boyfriend?” Goten was surprised to hear that come out of Shihori’s mouth even though she seemed angry as hell at the moment. Sorrel butt in on Shihori going after Korian, “No, no, no, leave him alone. He didn’t do anything. It was all me.” Shihori immediately refocused her attention on Sorrel and stepped up face to face with her mother, “I can’t even with you! You don’t even trust me enough to make my own choices?!” Sorrel waved her hands in protest, “I’m just trying to look out for your best interests! Teenage boys can be scum bags and I don’t want you getting heart broken or worse!” Trunks and Mai were hanging back in shock at the battle going on between mother and daughter. Mai took a bite of her chocolate banana and offered some to Trunks. Korian interjected and tried to separate them before it came to blows, “Both of you knock it off! You’re both acting stupid! Sorrel you have to trust Shihori. We raised a smart, beautiful lady and I know that she knows right from wrong.” He turned his attention to Shihori now, “And Shihori, I know its hard to understand but your mother loves you more than anything. Everything she does has your best interests at heart, even if it does seem a little misguided.” Both Sorrel and Shihori still seemed pissed off but appeared to be placated into being civil for the time being. Sorrel reached out and placed her hand on Shihori’s shoulder,” Shihori, I’m sorry for ruining your night. I love you and I trust you.” She looked over to Goten, “I’m sorry, Goten. You really do seem like a sweet boy and you didn’t deserve what I did to you.” Shihori frowned when she noticed that Sorrel had tears in her ears, “Mama, I’m sorry I yelled at you. I want to keep the trust you have in me. I really like him. He’s a good person and I want you both to understand that too.” Shihori reached out and pulled Sorrel into tight hug as the rabbit eared ladies cried during their embrace. Sorrel wiped her eyes and nodded to Shihori, “Go on now. You kids have fun.” Shihori hugged both her parents and handed off her candy apple to her father as she jogged over to Goten, “There’s going to be fireworks soon. Want to go on the Ferris wheel together?” Goten smiled as he took her by the hand and looked over to Sorrel and Korian who gave him a slight nod before they turned and disappeared into the crowd enjoying the taiyaki together.
The young couple hopped into their car of the Ferris wheel followed by Trunks and Mai in the one behind them. As the ride began to slowly circle around Shihori took Goten by the hand, “I’m sorry for what happened Goten. I hope aren’t weirded out by my family. I meant what I said earlier, I like you. I like you a lot.” Goten gave her a reassured smile and squeezed her hand, “Don’t even worry about it. You think your family is crazy? Wait until you meet my mom. Sheesh.” Shihori chuckled and felt better that he was taking everything in stride. The ride stopped them near the top and suddenly off in the distance fireworks began to explode in the sky. The wonderful display of lights left Shihori in awe and forgetting the argument she just had with Sorrel. She turned her head to Goten to direct his view at some of the display but noticed that he was focused on her instead of the fireworks display. She looked him in the eyes and her heart began to race when he seemed to be getting closer to her. “Shihori.” She turned her body to face him and to get a better look at his eyes, “Yes, Goten?” He reached out and touched her cheek, “I’d really like to kiss you now. Is that oka….” He was shut up as she threw herself forward and began to kiss him. Even though Shihori initiated the tender kiss, it turned out to be messy at first as she had no idea what she was doing and neither did Goten, but the two found their rhythm after a few sloppy moments. Shihori ran her fingers through his long, dark hair as her ears excitedly stood on end. Goten held her close and let his hands do some searching which prompted her to push his hand away from her chest. He muttered, “Sorry” as he broke the kiss and Shihori breathed heavily, “Shut up.” She pulled him back into a deep kiss as the fireworks display continued in the sky. In the car behind them Mai was on top of an incredibly surprised Trunks whose arms and legs flailed as she attacked him with her lips.
A week later, everyone was gathered outside the main house of Capsule Corp. bidding each other farewell. It was time for Korian and company to return home as summer was nearing its climax. Korian was busying himself pestering Bulma to make him some spare battle armor sets while Sorrel stood by and sighed at childishness. Goku reappeared on the lawn with Vegeta in tow, both were looking disheveled from their days spent training. Goku spotted Korian first and excitedly snapped him a wave, “Yo! Korian, how’s everythin’?” He stopped once he caught sight of Sorrel and gave her a strange expression like he was leery of her. After a moment, the Saiyan walked right up to Sorrel and began to inquisitively exam her. Korian was confused, “Uhh, Kakarot, this is my wife, Sorrel.” Sorrel stuck her hand out in his face to shake hands which caused Goku to take a step back, “You don’t turn people into carrots do you?” Sorrel looked at Bulma who shrugged and shook her head, “Kakarot or Son Goku, if you prefer, I finally get to meet the man responsible for getting my entire universe erased. Thanks, a lot!” Sorrel said very sarcastically and put both hands on her hips in a bossy manner. Goku shyly scratched his head, “Sorry about that, but fightin’ all those strong guys from the other universes was too much fun to pass up.” Sorrel closed her eyes and shook her head, “Hmph. Saiyans.” She offered her hand to him again which Goku shook which prompted Sorrel to give him a cocky smirk, “No hard feelings, Son Goku.” Vegeta walked over with his arms crossed over his chest and stood next to his wife, “Hmph. Perhaps the results would have been different if the Universe 9 fighters weren’t such weaklings.” Bulma lashed out at her husband and shouted right next to his head, “Vegeta, stop being so friggin’ rude!” He grumbled to himself which caused Sorrel to cover her mouth to stifle her laughter, “Ahh you must be Vegeta, I’ve heard so much about you. Take care not to upset your wife too much or you’ll wind up on the sofa.” Sorrel shot Bulma a wink which caused her to snicker like they were plotting together. Korian interjected and got in the midst of Goku and Vegeta, “What kind of training did you guys do? You have any new techniques to share?! I’m dying for a fight! Anybody want to fight?!” Sorrel took a quick glance around the area and said to Bulma, “Have you seen, Shihori?”
Not far away, Goten and Shihori were in the midst of a heavy make out session when Shihori gently pushed him back, “Did you hear that? I think I heard my dad.” Goten shrugged and the young lady happily looked into his eyes. “I wish you didn’t have to go.” Goten said with a tinge of sadness in his voice. Shihori touched his face to reassure him with a smile, “It’ll only be for a little while. I was talking to my mom and dad about coming here to study on a more permanent basis.” Goten grew excited at the notion that they could be together which caused him to pick her up and spin her around in the air, “That’s awesome!” Shihori chuckled and grabbed him by the hand once he set her down, “Bulma said I could stay with them however long I want. This way we can see each other whenever we want. I’ll even come visit you at your house if you want.” Goten nervously laughed as he thought about the implications of having a girl over with his mom around, “Ummm, he he he, we’ll take our time with that. My mom can be a little…. intense.” Shihori smiled at the warm, fuzzy feeling she got when they spent time together, “Thanks, Goten.” He looked puzzled by her appreciation, “For what?” She closed her eyes and shook her head as she put her hand on his chest and leaned in close to him, “For being such a sweet guy.” Shihori kissed him gently at first but got into it pretty quickly. Their teenage hormones getting the better of them. After a few more breathless minutes of discovering all the new ways they could kiss one another, Shihori tugged on his hand, “Come on, lover boy. Let’s not give my parents any funny ideas about what we’ve been doing this whole time.”
Back at the main group, Korian and Sorrel had just finished saying their goodbyes to their friends. Korian was finishing pestering Vegeta about getting in some training in his gravity chamber. The surly Saiyan prince tried to wave him off with, “Fine, whatever.” When Sorrel came to take him into custody and get him prepared to leave. Kitsune was calmly holding a conversation with Bulma’s parents. Dr. Brief was trying to explain the finer points of golfing to the sagely martial artist. Kitsune just politely smiled and bid them farewell when she realized it was time to head home. Goten and Shihori walked over holding hands and stopped near her parents. Korian clapped Goten on the shoulder, “You take care, Goten. I know I don’t have to say anything about being nice to Shihori. You’ve already heard enough from Sorrel.” Goten chuckled and nervously rubbed the back of his neck, “Yeah, I hope I can live up to her lofty expectations.” Sorrel surprised him by making a sudden appearance in front of him while he was distracted. This made Goten jump back with fright which caused Sorrel to smile, “Easy, Goten. I come in peace. You have my blessing to date Shihori.” As a peace offering, she opened her arms to hug him which he hesitated in reciprocating, but it wasn’t a trap as Sorrel just gave him a hug with a pat on the back. Once it was time to go Shihori and Goten spent the last few minutes wistfully looking into each other’s eyes. Shihori dealt out hugs to both Trunks and Mai, promising them both to see them real soon. Goten became brave and dared to sneak Shihori a kiss on the cheek in front of her parents. Shihori trotted over next to her mother and held hands with her as she was latched onto Korian’s arm for the journey home. Kitsune stood on the other side of her son with her hand on his shoulder. Sorrel looked over to Shihori and squinted as she noticed something on her neck. It was a small mark that looked red around the edges. “Shihori, what is that on your neck? Is that a hickey?!” Her eyes went wide as she threw her hand out and pointed accusingly at Goten, “Goten, you son of a bi….” Her words were cut off as Korian had used the Kai kai technique to take them back home, saving a young man’s life in the process.
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