Warnings: This is PG-13, but might not stay that way. Oh, and the character, Flare, is my own. Suing will only get you an extended session with me, and, of course, my dog Rusty, who is my accomplice in this little excursion.
Rating: PG-13. I think there's some swearing. Of course there's swearing! It's only decent, after all.
Disclaimer: I don't own DragonBallZ, or any of its characters, and am not making any kind of profit out of this, just the warm, fuzzy feeling I get from reviews.
Author's notes: Um.... Enjoy! And don't hesitate to tell me exactly what you think of it! I promise I won't blow up. I have a temper, of course, somewhere. I just don't know what to do with it. I haven't quite figured out where to go from here, but don't worry!
Cold Tears.She lay on the ground on a Planet called Earth, her ki level dangerously low, and her body heat almost gone. The small, pathetic looking woman made no sound as her body was hit with the steady rain. The sky thrashed and growled in its anger, and her eyes closed. If only she would go numb already! Her body was being devoured by wave after wave of racking pain. It hurt so bad; it hurt to breath and she had to fight for every inhalation of the chill air. In her mind, the bond was breaking, tearing apart. Her mate had rejected her utterly, leaving her to fight this battle alone. She had no chance of winning, and even less chance of coming out of it alive. Yet she endured it, feeling the pain and ignoring the temptation of waiting for it to stop. And so she lay there, not noticing the hours that passed while her body chilled even further. Eventually, someone did come, feeling the powerful ki land on Earth. He saw her body, with the sword thrown wildly away and her ki steadily decreasing. He was a lavender haired man with the same color of eyes and a half-Saiyan. He knew what was happening here. It was a female Saiyan who, for one reason or another, had bonded and then been rejected. Through her ki, weak though it was, he could feel the waves of pain emanating from her body. He made up his mind and picked her up in his arms, getting his knees wet in the process. She hissed, her tail clenching his wrist, and then blacked out, going completely limp.
Soon, she awoke to a blinding light in her eyes, making her grumble and turn over. Her eyes snapped open, and she sat up quickly, forgetting the tender condition her body was in and taking in her surroundings, looking for danger and then curiously at the furniture. Her clothes were over the back of a chair, washed, and neatly folded. The room was obviously a spare, since there were no personal touches that she could see. She was on Earth, in a stranger's house, and had no idea if she could even walk.
"Well, only one way." She swung her feet over the side and stood, letting her tail flare out behind her to find her balance. She didn't notice that she was completely naked. She paced the room, getting the feel of her body back and hesitantly doing a few stretches and then warm ups. When she felt warm again, she pulled on her clothes, which consisted of a pair of tight leather pants and a tight shirt. She pulled on the leather armbands that fit snuggly onto her forearms, and then proceeded with her dark gloves and boots. She looked into the mirror that graced the dresser in the corner of the room. In front of her was a proud Saiyan woman, her lush body perfectly matching her features and hair, which was a bloody red with golden streaks, and eyes a deep, forest green. She was wild and beautiful, proud and honorable, and empty. The bond, which had originally been forced on her in the first place, had nonetheless gained a special place in her, and her mate along with it, even though it was a false love. She wrapped her tail around her waist, feeling a little better with a light squeeze. The bond was gone, but it left her weak for now, hurting and vulnerable. Her mate, however, traitor that he was, had left the brunt of the battle to her, not even bothering to remain intact with her after he'd left, not even to help a little. Her life was like a candle to him; to be blown out when greater lights appeared. Damn him and curse bonding for what it was! She clenched her fists tightly, not noticing the drops of blood as they fell off the end of her knuckles. Just then the door opened and she whirled, falling instantly into her fighting stance. A woman of about 30 came into the room, holding a towel and a bowl. She started, giving the woman a smile before she set down the bowl.
"Well, thank goodness you're awake! We thought you were going to sleep forever, if you take my meaning." She said, raising an eyebrow. "It's a good thing Trunks found you when he did." The Saiyan woman blinked in confusion.
"Trunks? What's going on here?" She asked. The other woman laughed, the sound hurting her ears a little.
"You landed on Earth and were laying in the rain when Trunks found you. I must say, I'm surprised that another Saiyan is around without either Goku or Vegeta knowing about it." The Saiyan woman paled, and had to grip herself to keep from falling over.
"W-what did you say?" She asked, trembling. Vegeta-sei was her home planet before Frieza had destroyed it, and Vegeta was the name of the crown Prince of Vegeta-sei. "Did you just say... Vegeta?" She asked, almost fearing that it had been her imagination. She was his sister. Their father, King Vegeta, had separated them too long ago for him to remember, but she could now detect his familiar ki coming from near by.
"You're at Capsule Corp. dear, and you can stay for as long as you wish, on Bulma's orders." She said, smiling again. She handed her the towel and disappeared out the door, throwing a parting sentence over her shoulder as she descended stairs. "Oh, and I almost forgot; Goku and the others would like to see you as soon as you're able to come downstairs. You can eat while they study you." She laughed, though did not notice the other woman shiver. She wondered what had become of her brother under Frieza's rule, though she could guess, having been through it herself. The towel dropped to the floor as she walked down the way the other woman had gone, sifting through the various scents till she found hers and followed it till she came upon a roomful of talking people. She stood in the doorway, listening as they talked in low tones. She leaned against it and wrapped her tail around her waist while crossing her arms, unknowingly assuming a scowl as she listened. A lavender haired boy was speaking, his voice insistent.
"But I found her laying in the rain." He protested. "She was so hurt and banged up that she couldn't have been sent to start trouble. I could have killed her with one blast."
"Don't get overconfident, boy." She growled, causing everyone to start and turn to her. She looked about the room, searching for one face in particular. She felt tangible disappointment when she didn't see her brother anywhere. She could smell him, but his ki was outside, it seemed. "Where's Vegeta?" She asked. A blue-haired female of Earth stood a bit cautiously.
"Why do you want to know?" She asked with a slight edge to her voice. The woman had Vegeta's scent all over her. It was plain as day that she was his mate. Then she looked back at the insolent boy and made the connection. He had a brat of his own now. Well, it was about time! She looked back at the woman, unconsciously letting her mask of indifference come over her face.
"I meant no disrespect, woman." She said. Bulma's eyes went wide.
"What did you call me?" She asked, her voice incredulous. She shrugged.
"I addressed you by 'woman', since you have not yet seen fit to grace me with your name, it was all I had." She said truthfully. This was Vegeta's chosen mate, and she would treat her with respect, even if the woman was weak. He must have had his reasons.
"Where is he?" She asked again. The woman shrugged.
"Training. Where else? Here, I'll show you. But be warned. He does not like to be interrupted." The Saiyan woman smirked. The rest got up to follow, curious as to how this would turn out. They all trooped outside to the GR, where both Bulma and the Saiyan woman walked up the ramp. Bulma turned to look at the woman beside her. "You sure you want to? He can get pretty angry sometimes." The woman nodded, her eyes a mystery as her tail lashed the air in impatience. Bulma sighed and turned off the power. There was a thud from inside, followed by a roar. Bulma quickly scurried off the ramp, leaving the woman on her own. She wasn't going to risk getting blasted away just to see his face when he opened the door. Just as she got off the ramp, the door was jerked open, practically flung off its hinges, and a livid Vegeta walked out, covered in cuts and sweat.
"WHAT?!" He yelled. The woman sucked in a breath and yelled right back.
"HOLD YOUR TONGUE BRAT!" She yelled. Vegeta was taken aback, and blinked in confusion before growling.
"Woman, how dare you use that tone with me. Do you know who I am?" The woman smirked.
"Sure do. You're Prince Vegeta. No one else would yell at me and still be here." She said, still smirking. Vegeta found himself staring at his own famous smirk. The woman was familiar, as was her scent.
"Who are you, woman?" he asked. Then he noticed her tail. A Saiyan! She laughed at his confused expression, and then smiled.
"You remember me, brat. I used to throw you into the wall when you were six." She said, eyeing him like a mother would. Then what she had said struck him.
"Flare?" he asked, the word sounding strange coming from his now grown voice. She grinned and nodded, and then reached out and ruffled the front of his hair, like she used to when he was still growing. He felt memories rushing back so fast he thought he might fall over. Her running through the halls of the palace with him on her back, holding out his arms to pretend he was flying, and then gripping her hair as she took off, streaking through one of the open windows into the night like a bird. There had always been a special connection between sister and brother. During his short time with her, he would come to know her as the rough, gruff sister with a hard exterior, but a soft place that he was kept in. He remembered one time where he had discovered just how much she really had loved him. She was training, and he, as usual, wanted to play. He had snuck up on her, intending to scare her, when suddenly one of her previous blasts was headed his way. He yelled, taken by surprise, and put up his arms to ward off the deadly light, but then opened them as he felt his sister appear right in front of him. The ball had singed her badly, but she acted as though it was merely a scratch, barely worth her attention. He remembered her checking him over before kicking him out of the training room. Only when she realized he wasn't hurt did she become angry and scold him. As a child he adored her and looked up to her. He remembered how enraged she was when she had learned of his being sent off to Frieza's ship to live there. She had gone literally berserk on their father, sending many guards and subjects fleeing the palace for their very lives. That night, she had come to his room, which she never did before. It had always been vice versa. Vegeta would come to her room when he was scared or just lonely. She would always scoot over and make room for him, wrapping her arms around the much smaller Saiyan, cradling him against her, the way many brothers and sisters did on Vegeta-sei. But that night she crept into his room, careful to keep her ki real low so he would not be alerted by that. But she did not know that he was already awake. He knew he was leaving soon. He had longed to hug her when she stopped by his bed, reaching one arm out to him. Then it hesitated and drew back. His sister left the room, whispering something as she left.
"Just remember that I love you brother. No matter what you may do or what you may become, I'll always love you." And with that, she left. What she had said bothered him. He knew that his own sister had trained under Frieza before when she was younger, but she had never sounded this afraid, and her fear made him afraid. She had not been there when he was sent away, nor was she there after Frieza destroyed their home planet. She just was gone. Yet now here she was, standing in front of him. He stared at her in shock.
"B-but... You... I... Frieza." He began, wanting to say everything at once. She shook her head, still grinning.
"Brat, some things never change. Lets go inside and talk." She said, taking his arm and leading him into the house. He just followed, allowing himself to be led, at least by someone he trusted, into the house and then into the kitchen. The others looked at each other, not believing what they had just heard.
"Vegeta has an older sister. Who'da thunk it?" Goku mused while following the rest into the kitchen. But Bulma shooed them all out, closing the door firmly, leaving the two to be alone. She wisely ordered out for food that night, thinking those two were likely to be in there a while. She was feeling confusion, fear, and a severe love through the bond, all directed at this one woman from his past. This evening was likely to be interesting.
In the kitchen, Vegeta was watching his sister as she carefully sat down across from him.
"You're the one that Trunks found last night." He said. She grimaced and nodded. "What happened?" She sighed and then told him.
"Well, to make a very long story short, I ended up having a man force himself on me as his mate several years after I was taken as a slave. I was a troublesome nuisance to them, and they soon just let him have his way. I made it complete hell for him, of course. He didn't do it for love, he wanted me for sex and in order to hurt me as much as he possibly could, he bonded me." Vegeta stared at her, his hard mask slowly dissolving. She shook her head and went on. "A few days ago, he started to break the bond, and he left, leaving me with both sides of a broken and rejected bond." Vegeta shot to his feet.
"WHAT?!" He roared. She put her hand to the side of her head.
"Please brat, my hearing is very sensitive right now, even for a Saiyans ears. Anyway, I sort of went crazy and burst out of the side of the ship, tearing a hole in the side and causing it to blow up. I didn't even have a ship when I went out into space. I don't know how I did it, but I ended up on the planet, with no idea how I had gotten here, or how I had survived space." She said, finishing and yawning. Vegeta was pacing back and forth.
"Give me his name. I'll kill the bastard! No one uses Saiyans like this and gets away with it!" He burst out. She watched him calmly till he sat back down. He knew better. She was his older sibling, and she took care of herself. She smiled at him, causing him to grin. It was just so natural around her.
"So what have you been doing so far?" She asked, leaning back and putting her boots up on the table, growling as she stretched, catlike. He smirked. She was so tom-boyish sometimes.
"Training." He said shortly, though it wasn't flat or rude, as it usually was. Flare looked at him, a familiar sparkle in her eyes.
"So does that mean that you think you can hold your own against big sis, without her kicking you out again?" She asked, smirking so much like him. He couldn't help it. He started laughing. He laughed so hard he fell out of his chair and lay on the floor, holding his stomach. Flare sighed, rolled her eyes and leaned down to look under the table at him. "Since you seem to be very indisposed at the moment, I'll just accept this as a challenge." She said, smiling as he managed to bring his laughter down to a manageable chuckle. He sat back in the chair and wiped away the tears. "So, I see you have a mate, and I thought that was your son in there, though there seems to be an age difference that I can't quite make fit." She said, eyeing him. He actually blushed, and she laughed, causing him to blush even more. Then he started to feel, of all things, ashamed! Like he had not done in years, he lowered his head, his face flaming. She realized this and stopped laughing, standing and moving behind him to put a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, like it matters! I think she's a great mate, really. She would make father proud, and you know it. What spunk! I liked her the first time she bit my head off!" She said truthfully, putting her hand behind her head and staring up at the ceiling. Vegeta succumbed to another giggle fit as he put his hand against his forehead. It was just like when they were children. No matter what happened, she had an unchangeable spirit. He realized that he didn't even mind it when she called him brat. It was not linked to scorn or arrogance, but seemed to be an affection between them. It was just as if she'd given him a nickname. Then he heard some noise and looked up. His sister was lashing her tail in irritation as she stood over Goku, who was sitting on the floor with an embarrassed expression on his face.
"Oh, hey Vegeta. Um, I was just going to get a snack till the food got here." He said, getting to his feet and edging away from the woman, who looked at him as if she wanted to deck him. Goku looked at her, a slightly hurt expression on his face. "You didn't have to hit me so hard." He complained, feeling the side of his face, although there was no bruise, Vegeta noticed it was a bit red. His sister smiled sweetly, a sure sign of her anger.
"You're lucky you got away with a love slap, kid. Next time don't try to sneak up on me." She said, wrapping her tail back around her waist. It was a beautiful red color, almost blood red and had a gold tinge to it, like her hair. Goku looked confused.
"But I didn't try to sneak up on you. I was just coming in here and you hauled off and slugged me." He leaned against the frame and sighed. "I swear. If it's not Chi Chi's frying pan, it's going to be your sister, Vegeta." He said in an accusing tone. For once, he got a smile. The Prince actually looked proud of someone other than himself. His sister's tail suddenly lashed out, practically smacking Goku, who ducked just in time. If he knew her, she'd probably accuse him of trying to grab her tail, and then kick his ass. She was unusually strong, and she wasn't even powered up that he could see, but totally relaxed. She was also impatient, as her tail attested.
"Well, are we going to spar or aren't we?" She asked the Prince, who watched her with practiced ease. He then gave her a smirk.
"Of course, but right after a meal. Your sudden appearance has left me famished." He said, rising and going past them and into the room where the others sat. She followed, growling and mumbling about the Saiyan appetite. Vegeta grinned as he listened to her muttered obscenities. She was just as he remembered her. He knew then that she wasn't really angry. He had learned as a young Saiyan boy to read his sister's emotions and temper. She had been widely known on Vegeta-sei for her temper, and her power had convinced suitors to heed her warning when they became too forward. He walked through the archway to the living room, sitting down beside Bulma where she sat by herself on one of the larger couches. Everyone had gone quiet, and watched as the female Saiyan walked over and plopped down by her brother, throwing one arm over the back of the couch and crossing an ankle over her knee. Her tail tapped her thigh nonchalantly. She looked about the room, then a friendly smirk formed on her full lips.
"My name's Flare. Anyone care to introduce themselves?" She chuckled as some of them flushed. Bulma laughed and introduced each of them. There was Krillin, Piccolo, Yamcha, she already knew Goku, Gohan, Mirai Trunks, who she learned was actually their son from the future.
"So that's why it didn't make any sense. I was wondering if that bond had messed up my nose or something." She said with relief. Vegeta snarled, remembering the tale from earlier. He still wanted to take her previous mate in his hands and slowly squeeze the blood out of him. She playfully slapped his shoulder. "Hey. Save all your growling for when we spare." She said sternly. He smirked.
"Better be careful Flare. This six-year-old has learned a few new tricks." She grinned and leaned back, putting her boots on the table and her hands behind her head, the muscles rippling along her stomach, which was so muscled as to curve inward a bit. She was the image of a female Saiyan. She closed her eyes and sighed.
"That's all I wanted to hear." She said. Her tail lazily wrapped around her slender, curved waist. Suddenly a loud rumbling sound disturbed the peace. She sat up, glaring at Goku, who had a hand behind his head and a goofy grin on his face.
"Uh, Bulma? When did you say that food was gonna get here?" He asked sheepishly. Flare shook her head.
"Men." She stated as she lay back once more. Vegeta grinned and nipped his wife on her neck. She giggled, hunching her shoulder. If Flare's eyes had been open, she would have rolled them. Her brother was such a cute little chibi sometimes. Then the doorbell rang, causing her to jump out of her skin and turn angrily to the door. Vegeta chuckled at her.
"It is just that stupid door bell. Pay it no mind." He said as Bulma got up to answer it. Flare looked after, her tail wasn't moving, but in shock.
"So that thing calls and she obeys?" She asked, looking at him with slight disapproval. Vegeta shook his head.
"No. The bell is rung when someone comes to the door to seek admittance. Right now, that's probably the food that the woman ordered."
"Vegeta?"
"Hmn." He replied, turning to face her. "Will you show me how to block out sounds?" She asked, wincing as the front door shut. "It's getting annoying." Vegeta nodded, and then smirked.
"You're going to need to learn anyway, if you're to survive the verbal fights my mate and I have." He said, catching her around the waist as she passed him. Flare smirked at him, and Trunks stared, marveling at how much like her brother she could really look.
"And should I expect these fights to take place all over the house, or just in your bedroom?" She asked. To everyone's surprise, Vegeta grinned back viciously.
"What do you think?" He asked, nipping a furiously blushing Bulma's cheek. Flare chuckled and rose. They all trooped to the expansive kitchen, which had been remodeled since the Saiyan Prince's stay. The Saiyans were given plenty of space while they ate. Together, Goku, Gohan, Vegeta, and Flare consumed a goodly amount of food. The gang watched, transfixed at the sight, and then in disgust. Goku and Gohan were by far the messiest eaters they had ever seen. Flare and Vegeta, on the other hand, at least had some table manners. Bulma commented on that acidly as Goku burped loudly. Flare rose and stretched, much to the appreciation of Yamcha, and then smacked her brother on the back. He growled softly before opening one eye to stare up at her. He grunted and then stood. Wordlessly, the two strode out of the kitchen to the outside grounds. Goku jumped up excitedly.
"They must be going to spar now! Come on!" He grabbed his son and literally dragged him outside. Piccolo sighed and followed more slowly, accompanied by the rest of the gang. Outside on the grass, well away from the house, the two stood facing each other. Each one was smirking, as usual. Vegeta suddenly powered up to Super, watching her face the entire time. He caught a glint of pride for him before she smiled and began to power up. He almost laughed in joy. His sister was proud of him. He had always looked up to her, after all, and that meant a lot. He watched in curiosity as she continued to power up. He wondered how far she had... All of a sudden, the air hummed and then exploded. Flare was standing in the middle of the ball of energy, coaxing it to grow. It was her power, and she had more where it had come from. Red ki surrounded her, making her skin and everything else appear a light red color. She threw her head back and roared at the sky, her tail lashing about in ecstacy. It had been too long since she had powered up to maximum. Her brother was now offering her the chance, and she gladly accepted. She flew at him, the playful smirk gone, and the serious sister in her training mode back. He was completely amazed at her speed. It was far greater than his, but her power was less than even with him. She still had a ways to go before catching up to him. But, with the balance between speed and strength, it was anyone's guess. They went at it for hours till it was sunset, and then decided to call it a day when they parted from a deadlock. They were both beaten and bruised, but deliriously happy. It was a moment brought to them from out of decades of wait. The Z gang was impressed, and let them know it. Yamcha sidled up to Flare, eyeing her sweaty form. Her skin looked like polished gold under the sunset.
"Wow, you fought really well out there." He said, hoping to gain a smile. All he got was a grunt and flip of the tail. He frowned, but shrugged and ignored the silent command to leave her be. "I mean I didn't think anyone but Goku could hold his own...er...I mean her own against Vegeta." He said truthfully. She suddenly spun.
"Can't you take a hint?" She asked him, her eyes flashing. Yamcha opened his mouth, but all that came out was a squeak of surprise as she lifted him by his shirt collar to bring him up to her eye level. "I'm tired. I'm bleeding, and I'd take care to stay away from me." She said, putting him back down and walking into the house. Yamcha rubbed his collarbone, eyeing her retreating form.
"What's up with her?" He asked no one in particular. Vegeta laughed from where Bulma was trying to examine every cut while walking. She finally gave up and settled for wrapping his arm around her shoulders.
"Nothing is wrong with my sister, boy. In fact, I'm surprised you got off that easily. If you had been a Saiyan male, you would probably be lying on the ground fifty feet away." He said, his tail lazily swishing the air in contentment. Yamcha shrugged.
"She just needs more sleep." He murmured. Vegeta shook his head.
"Have it your way boy, but a little advice for you since Bulma doesn't want you killed. She gave you first warning. So you're on your own now. She won't be soft next time." He warned, disappearing into the house, leaving the Z fighters to blast off without an audience. Once they were inside, Bulma snuggled into Vegeta's chest, inhaling the scent of his sweat.
"She's going to stay with us, right?" She asked hopefully. The woman had produced a change in Vegeta. He was less angry now, it seemed. She wondered if it would last. He nodded.
"Yes, she will. I asked her to before you came outside to watch the spar. She agreed. I wouldn't have it any other way. How can I protect her when she's somewhere else? And besides," He added, looking his mate in the eye. "She produces a change in me that you like." Bulma blushed. She kept forgetting about the bond and its closeness. Mirai Trunks and Chibi Trunks looked at each other, and then disappeared down the hall to their bedrooms. Chibi Trunks looked up at his future self.
"Doesn't it feel weird to have an Aunt?" He asked, playing with his sash that tied his pants. Trunks looked down and smiled softly before nodding.
"Yeah, but I wouldn't call her that if I were you. She's pretty tough for an Aunt. Just call her Flare for now." He said, closing his bedroom door. Chibi Trunks nodded, and then disappeared into his own room. Bulma offered her the guestroom upstairs next to their own, but she declined politely, saying she would prefer to get some sleep tonight. Bulma had blushed madly, and Vegeta smirked. Flare flung herself onto the couch, an arm over her forehead and one across her stomach. 'Damn kids,' she thought idly as she drifted to sleep. Her dreams that night, however, suggested that she did not need as much rest as she thought she did. She spent the night tossing and turning; holding back sobs and screams. Tears rolled silently down her cheeks and dropped off her jaw line. Before sunrise, she bolted off the couch and into a fighting stance. She blinked her sleepy eyes and then yawned, straightening and stretching.
"Just a dream." She murmured, and then looked down at her hands. She had dreamed she was in the middle of killing her false mate. His blood had covered her hands and arms, and it had been filled with cold hate. Well, her hands were clean now. She sighed and made her way to the bathroom, padding softly along the carpet, making no sound. She washed her face and went through her normal routine, minus the uniform which she already had on, and then exited the house. Outside, the sun was just peeking over the horizon. She checked her brother's ki before blasting off in search of a lake or something deep enough to swim in. He was relaxed and content, and asleep for the most part. She chuckled as she sped into the air, the surroundings blurring slightly. When she found the lake, it was a good distance from Capsule Corp., and in the backcountry around mountains and grassy plains. She dove headfirst into the lake, swimming deep. It was shockingly cold, but she enjoyed the feeling of being cleansed. She stayed down for a good twenty minutes, Saiyans having a greater capacity for oxygen than the average human, and then shot out of the water, flinging what was left of a fish skeleton onto the shore. It had been quite large, and was satisfying even though she'd eaten it raw. Then she felt a powerful ki approaching. It was a young man on an orange cloud of some sort. Then she recognized him as Goku's brat, Gohan. She crossed her arms and scowled as he stopped in midair, the cloud making noises like an engine.
"Good morning Flare." He said cheerfully. She smirked.
"So it is. What are you on, boy?" She asked, eyeing the cloud distrustfully. Gohan looked down at the large skeleton.
"Oh, it's just nimbus. What happened there?"
"I got hungry." She said shortly. She liked the boy well enough, but she was Saiyan, and had a temper to rival even their standards. Gohan smiled obliviously.
"You ate it raw?"
"It's the only way to do it, boy." She said, and then dried herself with her ki, droplets flinging everywhere. Gohan grinned as he wiped a drop off his cheek.
"Well ok. I've got to get to school now. Say hi to everyone at Capsule Corp. for me would you?" He asked, flying off on his speedy little puffball.
"No guarantees!" She called after him. Then she floated down to start her workout. "Hmph. Strange planet. Kids flying around on clouds." She got quiet as she fought the air, imagining her opponents, attacking the air with anger. She spun and kicked, flipped and blasted and dodged her way around the lake and on it. Then she fell as a wrenching pain attacked her body. She collapsed, curling herself into a ball and wrapping her tail around her waist. "Ungh!" The pain flared throughout her body, striking where she was most sensitive and shooting through her head. ".........." It hurt so bad she couldn't draw in enough breath to talk. Then there was a ki approaching. She groaned inside. Please don't let it be Vegeta. She didn't want him to see her like this. If she could have, she would have let out a relieved sigh as Chibi Trunks landed a little ways away, along with his friend Goten, Goku's other brat. They walked up and Trunks laughed.
"Taking a nap Flare?" He asked her. Flare's eyes snapped open and she drew in a painful breath.
"Get away from me boy." She hissed. Goten backed away, dragging Trunks with him. The mysterious Saiyan woman looked to be in a lot of pain, but she was also really angry at something. Trunks wrestled his shirt out of Goten's hand and knelt by her, touching her back.
"What's wrong, Flare? Should we go get Vegeta?" He asked. She snarled and whacked him with her tail.
"Just move your tails. Don't worry about me, boy." She hissed again. Then she gasped and buried her face in the ground as her body shook. Their eyes widened as she howled in pain, and they blasted off. Trunks looked worried.
"We should get Vegeta." He said to his best friend. Goten nodded and they sped over toward Capsule Corporation.
"Don't you think we should have taken her with us?" Goten asked. "It would have taken less time." Trunks shook his head.
"It would have, but did you want to try picking her up? She would have blasted us away. She's as proud as my father." He shook his head. "No way. We'll let dad handle it. He's her brother." Goten nodded. The building loomed into sight, and they slowed so as not to blast through the door. Vegeta was upstairs, and Bulma was in the kitchen, cooking a Saiyan sized breakfast. She turned and lifted an eyebrow at the two.
"Back so soon? I thought you were going over to Goku's to play." She said, narrowing her eyes at the two Chibis. Trunks nodded.
"We were, but we found Flare on the way there. She was curled up on the ground and wouldn't let us touch her or tell us what was wrong. She just hit me with her tail and told me to go away." He said in a rush. Bulma's eyes widened and she went to the bottom of the stairs and yelled for Vegeta. He banged open the door and came down the stairs.
"What is it now woman?" He asked, still pulling on his shirt after his shower. Bulma told him what Trunks had told her, and his eyes narrowed. He stood there for almost two seconds before blasting out the door in the direction Trunks indicated. Bulma grabbed both boys by the back of their shirts as they were about to blast off after him.
"No way. You two stay here. I don't think either Flare or Vegeta would appreciate an audience. This is between brother and sister. Go play in Trunks' room." The two sullenly went up the stairs.
Vegeta hurled himself through the air at top speed. He could now sense his sister's wildly fluctuating ki. He knew what it was to be rejected through a bond. Many Saiyans had died from rejection, often in pairs. Somehow her so-called mate had pushed both sides to her, and her overloaded mind had to deal with both sides. Being her brother, he could help her somewhat. He just didn't know if she would let him. She was almost as proud as he, and he knew that he wouldn't let anyone help him if he'd just been rejected. The main thing was how to get her not to kill herself. He knew how, but he growled just thinking about it. He would have to swallow his pride if he wanted to keep his sister in the same dimension with himself. He slowed as he saw her, lying on the ground in a spread-eagle fashion. He touched down next to her head, crossing his arms and waiting for her to wake up. She opened her eyes at his grunt and her tail slapped the ground in irritation. Well, at least she could move, which was a good sign.
"What happened to you, pest?" he asked in a gentle tone. She smirked, her tail wrapping around her waist as she struggled to her feet. He knew better than to offer help. She would deck him for even hinting that she could not do it on her own. He raised an eyebrow as a rivulet of blood ran down from the corner of her mouth to drop off her chin and leave a small, dark stain on the front of her leather shirt. She shrugged and wiped it away with her thumb.
"Stage two of the rejection of the bond." She replied. He raised the other eyebrow.
"It was worse than last stage, I take it?" She nodded.
"Stage three is the last one, and the most difficult to resist."
"Resist what?" He asked, checking her body with his ki for internal injuries. She had none, and he could not figure out how the blood got into her mouth, since there was no injury.
"Suicide." She said. "If you are not strong enough to resist, you go completely mad. Your eyes turn bright green during the stage, and as a norm you lose control of your Saiyan tendencies." She said, her voice never wavering.
"Which ones?" He asked intently. There were several of the more savage urges.
"The urge to taste blood, any blood; the urge to kill. The animalistic side takes over, robbing you of your Saiyan wits." She grimaced. They both knew that if she could not control the animal side of her, then she would have to be restrained. "That's why I hit your brat," She told him. "To keep him away from me." She rubbed her arm as a chill went up her spine. "If he'd touched me while the urge to kill was in my blood, I don't think I could have held back." He nodded.
"I understand." He said shortly. Then he hesitated. "You know you can't, don't you?" Her head snapped up, from where she was examining her wrist. She'd bit it pretty hard, but her ki had healed it before Vegeta could see it.
"Can't what?"
"You can't kill yourself." He said quietly. "I need you here with me, to keep me grounded, to keep me Saiyan." Her eyes widened, then narrowed.
"Are you saying that we are the only ones left?" She asked incredulously. He nodded.
"Except for Kakarot, me, you, and the two halflings, the Saiyans are all gone." She jerked her gaze away as she felt hot tears sear through her, but never come to the surface. She suddenly lifted off the ground.
"Lets go back now. Suddenly it's very cold out here." He nodded and took off beside her.
"What are you going to do?" He asked curiously. Her face was unreadable.
"Train." She said shortly. He smirked and crossed his arms in flight. She was so much like him. But then again, maybe he was so much like her. After all, she had been Frieza's victim first. He turned his head to her.
"What did Frieza do to you?" He asked. She flinched in shock, and then pulled the mask back on, but not before he had seen the terror his question had struck. He wished he could have taken it back. Now he knew.
"About the same thing that he did to you, brother." She said. "Even though you are male." He closed his eyes, and then snapped them back open. He felt a few large ki's approaching. He groaned as Goku and Gohan stopped in front of them. Vegeta and Flare both stopped, identical scowls on their faces. Gohan flinched. God the woman was so much like Vegeta it was uncanny! Flare growled, startling him out of his thoughts.
"Well?" She asked, tapping a finger against her crossed arm. Goku smiled and tucked both hands into his pockets.
"Well heh. Um, we felt your ki drop real low, so we thought we'd come check on you." He said, smiling. Flare's scowl twisted into a frown.
"So you decided to butt in, is that it? What, you didn't think Vegeta or I could handle it?" Goku shook his head, while Gohan was fighting the urge to fly away, fast.
"No, no, that's not it! We were just worried, that's all." Vegeta opened his mouth to retort, but Flare cut him off.
"That's really very touching Goku," she said acidly. "But I can take care of myself. I don't need a babysitter." She angrily took off, with Vegeta not far behind her.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
*Snicker * Yeah, I'm so mean to leave it there. I must have this evil streak somewhere.
Vegeta: No, you're just around me too much.
..... I suppose you could be right.
Vegeta: Of course I'm right. I'm always right.
You've got one hell of an ego, you know that?
Vegeta: I know everything.
No you don't. Otherwise you'd be screaming bloody murder.
Vegeta: Oh?
Yes. Because you'd see what I do to you in the next chapter.
Vegeta: *Warning tone * Woman...
That's my cue. By people, and please, please don't forget to review! I need it bad! Your words are my entire world! *Slaps self * Whoa... Okay.