The Nature of Moonlight

Chapter 2

Come the morning, Goku found himself alone. Sunlight bled through the room from the window, illuminating the luxurious mirrors and lamps and furniture, to the shimmering sheen on the onyx and burgundy bedsheets. From the outside world came the sound similar to cooing birds, paired with the gentle whistling of wind. He wiped the sleep from his eyes as he came to his feet, walking towards that window and gaze out at what laid before him.

Bright blue sky, clear of any clouds. Endless fields of green out in the horizon, paired with rolling mountains and numerous trees of varying shapes and sizes. It almost reminded him of his own mornings waking on Mt. Paozu, except there was no Chichi snapping at him from downstairs to wake up and eat already so he could get to work sooner, no Goten pouncing on his bed to rouse him from the last of sleep until he finally caved in and poke and prodded him back, right into a wrestling fight. But the sight was similar, so similar it eased away whatever terrible remnants of yesterday off his shoulders and from his mind.

Out in the distance, Goku noticed a few stacks of smoke. His eyes traced the lines of grey down to a bustling city beyond the towering spires, the brick walls and the guards that marched in perfect rows inside the palace grounds. Colorful tents of varying heights and lengths, people of different shapes and sizes, walking, talking, children playing, laughter, the roar and snarls of animals he didn't know paired alongside pieces of food that made his stomach growl—and Goku rose a hand to his belly, his lips licking in time with his eyes shining.

Three small, succinct knocks to the door caused him to turn away from the sight. A familiar woman from last night stood at the slightly open door, dressed in royal Sadalan attire. She greeted him with a small nod. "Breakfast is ready," she said.

"Thanks! Is Vegeta there?"

She nodded again. "Your mate—" A bright blush instantly appeared across her cheeks as simultaneous as her sharp gasp, a hand flying to her mouth. Goku found himself mimicking her very blush as he watched her shake her head a few times. "My apologies. I mean, yes, Prince Vegeta is in the royal quarters, awaiting your arrival."

It took a moment to clear his suddenly dry throat before he replied, "T-Thanks."

Her hand fell to the side of her chest, her fingers curled, close to her heart. She attempted a small smile, one that looked as wobbly as the one Goku felt himself giving her. "I'm Chikora, by the way," she said. "King Sadala's eldest daughter."

"Oh. Yes." He turned fully to face her, a shaky hand rising up to gave her a tiny wave from across the room. "Nice to meet you."

"And you as well, Kakarot—" She flew that hand up to the side of her face, slapping it once. "Oh, wait. No, no." She winced as she pointed at him. "Goku. It's Goku, right? You prefer that, correct?"

"Um..." His shaky hand lifted to the back of his head. "Uh..." The blush on his face burned his flesh deeper. Suddenly the urge to melt into the floor again, like last night, hit Goku as hard as a slap across the face. "I, uh... yes. I do."

Chikora must've picked up on his emotions, because she ducked her head and muttered, "My apologies," and slipped past the door, adding on at the end, "Come when you're ready."

He stared at the closed door for a while, enough where he felt his feet start to tingle, his skin turned to gooseflesh from the cool breeze outside, and his stomach growled loud enough that it startled him in place. To his chagrin, he noticed then his arms had wrapped themselves back around his bare torso, the fingers digging right back into the same place as last night, causing the bruises there to darken just a tiny bit more. He took a big, long inhale, held it for a moment long enough so his lungs could nicely burn, and then released it all in an equally big, equally long exhale, before he felt ready enough to walk towards the bathroom and prepare himself for the outside world.