Disclaimer: Do not own it. (Damn)

Authors Note: This story will reach its warning in later chapters- you are warned now. Also, it is set A/U. The A/U will explain as the story goes, don't worry, but set all previous notions of the world of DBZ aside, this is different! But enjoyable!

Scarred and Beautiful

By: Keaira Akuji

Prologue

Goku shifted the weight in his arms as he dodged more ki-enhanced arrows. The sweat from his forehead rolled into his eyes, he blinked it away. It wasn't much farther now, they were only a few more miles from the horses. Then they could leave this hell behind. He glanced down at his brother. He could only see his mouth, the rest of his face was covered in blood. What had they done to him?

He glanced up and met the prince's black eyes. No words were said, but he could sense his pain and sadness mixed with his own. It was their fault his brother was taken, their stupidity. Now it was his brother's life that was destroyed. Would his brother live? Or were the wounds too great? Had the torture and pain taken his mind? Were they too late? It had taken two years to track him down and find him. Freeza's camp was too mobile and had the highest level of security available. Rescuing a prisoner was said to be impossible. Until now.

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Alexia watched the blood drip steadily on the floor and ground her teeth. She was determined not to cry out- after all she had agreed to this. But she did not know it was going to hurt so much! Surely the pain would numb out sometime soon. She dared not move, lest she disrupt the artist's hand. If she was to be marked, at least be marked without error. She took a long breath. Life was precious to her. She had sacrificed everything to keep it.

She shut her eyes tight, lest the tears resurface. She wished her mother was here- surely she would go with her. Her father would not even claim her anymore. Banishment was probably a light sentence in his eyes. The artist behind her grabbed her roughly by the arms, taking the rest of her dress off. A new wave of humiliation and embarrassment rushed over her features, turning her skin a deep shade of pink. How much flesh did they plan on taking? The artist, or butcher as Alexia referred to him was skinning her. They had started at her right shoulder and moved down her back, he was starting on the soft skin of her bottom. A new wave of pain ran through her, it took all her might not to cry out. The skin was removed in strategically to form a pattern- so all would know it to be deliberate and personal. She took another breath. She would get through this. She was strong. She was determined. She would have her life- would it be worth it?

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Goku urged the horse on faster, they were days away from camp and had lost the guards that had tailed them for two days after escaping Freeza's camp. Two days and still his brother had not opened his eyes. An occasional moan of pain when they hit rough terrain was all that passed through his parched lips. Goku looked down at his twin, even the sensu beans had not healed him completely. There was nothing else that could be done for him. His face was horribly scarred on the left side, the white, raised rough flesh starting just below his hairline and ending at his jaw. Luckily the torturers had not decided to take his eyes, nose, or lips.

"Brother," Goku sighed, "open your eyes, speak to me."

Turles seemed to hear his brother's words for his eyes opened, but it was not his brother he saw, it was his pain, his torture. Screams erupted from his mouth as he struggled against his binds. "I will kill you! I will see you dead by my hands!" He pulled, but Goku held tight, hugging the fighting man to him as tears streamed from his eyes. His brother was lost it seemed- the years of torture had taken his mind. His brother truly was dead to him, dead and lost. Lost.

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