Chapter One: Lessons

"Here we are, a careful distance."

Of the many lessons the Crown Prince of Planet Vegeta had to sit through, history was by far the hardest to keep awake in. It wasn't so much as how the subject bored him, far from it. The Prince knew and understood the importance of knowing his heritage, of how their struggles made his people grow stronger, craftier, until they laid waste to all their enemies and their empire flourished under the reign of his ancestors. It filled him with pride, made him eager and ready to prove himself just as powerful, just as deserving to rule his people as the next King, just as capable of leaving a glorious mark in their history.

The only reason why his eyes desperately wanted to droop shut was because of the unending, monotonous drone that was his tutor's voice. Vegeta canted his head to the side, absently avoiding the meaty fist that tried to cuff his ear and grabbing his mentor by the wrist at the same time. With a flick of his own wrist, he flung the larger Saiyan across the room.

The history tutor had stopped reading aloud from the textbook and simply taken to pressing himself flat against the wall as he had always done whenever the two powerful warriors got rowdy.

Nappa twisted his body in time to land on his feet, skidding to a halt a good distance away from his young liege. There was a disapproving scowl on the tall, mustached Saiyan's face as he growled, "You should be paying attention, my Prince."

"I was," the young boy smirked, folding his arms across his chest. "Unless you'd rather consider your failed attack as you losing your touch, old man."

The older Saiyan's eye twitched, knowing full well that despite the glazed look of boredom that had settled on the Crown Prince's features just moments ago Vegeta hadn't let his guard down. But Nappa also knew from experience as the Prince's bodyguard and battle instructor that even if he had caught the young man unaware, the result would have been the same. The burly Elite hadn't been able to lay a chastising hand on Vegeta since the Prince turned a decade old. And the gap between their raw power and speed had widened into a chasm over the next five years.

"Tutor," Nappa barked, fixing dark eyes at the cringing alien, "Check if he was listening to what you were yammering about."

Three eyes blinked before the alien asked: "Which ruler was it that defeated the Tsirunians?"

"That's a trick question," Vegeta shook his head, "You could be referring to the Tsirunian war that lasted three ruling generations, or you could just as easily be referring to when we first wrestled economic control of the Planet Trade Organization from them. Ask me something with a more definitive answer."

"Alright, name two major changes your grandfather implemented after the Tsirunian war."

"Female infants were no longer allowed to participate in purging missions, and infant purging missions were now optional rather than mandatory," his tone was disapproving, "Though I intend to make it mandatory again when I become King. The numbers of weaklings have been on a steady increase and I intend to correct that." He flashed a taunting smirk at his mentor.

Despite the blow to the bald Saiyan's ego, Nappa couldn't help but swell in pride at how much the planet's future ruler favored the ruthless nature of his ancestors, and he marveled at his young liege's Ki level, almost to the point of awe. There was only one individual capable of facing the boy should the Crown Prince ever lose control of his temper and that was King Vegeta himself.

Who was suddenly in the doorway.

Everyone fell to their knees in the presence of the King, even the Prince was bowing low to hide the confusion in his eyes. His father wasn't supposed to be here in the palace, not during Inspections.

The King acknowledged their show of respect with a simple command of "Rise." Then he turned his attention to Nappa, gruffly asking: "How goes the boy's studies?"

"He is doing very well, your Majesty," the Elite replied with a bow. "Knows his heritage and numbers like he does battling."

An approving nod before the King motioned for Vegeta to follow him into the hallways. And wordlessly, if not slightly suspicious, the Prince went after his father. As the pair walked down the corridors leading to the palace gates with Nappa not too far behind, the King began to speak.

"You've recently come of age, but you still have a long way to go before you are truly a man," the older Vegeta smirked, "It's high time you accompanied me on these Inspections. There is still much for you to learn."

"Why not just hire more tutors, then?" The younger Vegeta scoffed. "Old gods know you've gotten me one for just about every subject imaginable."

The King gave a hearty chuckle, each donning a scouter as the gates parted and they stepped beyond the palace grounds. "Some things can only be taught through experience, boy. Try not to kill anyone that displeases you, we're starting at the Science Complex after all."

Vegeta's lips curled in distaste, the young man had no desire to mingle with those who could not defend themselves without the aid of a machine. But the warning glare from his father as the King took flight meant any attempt to protest would be met with harsh punishment that went beyond physical pain. Grudgingly, with his arms folded across his chest, the Prince joined his father in the sky as they flew towards the outskirts of the Capital where the Science Complex stood.


If Vegeta thought it difficult to stay awake during his history lessons, the Inspection of the Science Complex was infinitely worse. He, his father, and a squad of Elite guards were led down corridors and into large rooms filled with half-finished devices that blinked and beeped and served absolutely no purpose as far as the young Prince were concerned. He had tried to pay attention, to understand whatever it was the Saiyain Mastertechs were building in their laboratories but it was getting harder and harder to keep himself from yawning.

Before he reached the point where he no longer cared whether or not he embarrassed his father by offending the Mastertechs, the King wisely suggested he learn the layout of the building.

"Alone," the elder Vegeta barked at Nappa just as the big man was about to shadow the Prince.

"B-but my King, it's my-"

"Sworn duty to protect the boy, I'm well aware of that. But I brought him here to begin his other lessons, and he cannot learn them with you hovering nearby."

Vegeta wasted no time in leaving, glad for the reprieve from boredom even for such a simple task. The workers in the Complex scurried out of his way even before they saw him coming, their scouters immediately picking up his approach. Their fear brought a satisfied smirk to his face; his reputation preceded him it seemed.

All the better, he decided, as he simply wanted to get this over and done with. As he silently made his way down to the lower floors of the Complex, he noticed his scouter was picking up fewer and fewer people and more and more machines.

As he entered the deepest level, he passed a large placard nailed to the wall informing him that he was entering the testing zone. There came a sharp squeal of static from his scouter, and Vegeta flinched in pain. He fiddled with the device, cursing it beneath his breath when the signal refused to clear then promptly flat lined. With a grumble he removed the scouter and continued on, eventually arriving at a cavernous antechamber where a group of Teliken free-man techs were struggling to carry a wide, metal panel towards the center of the room.

"Be careful with that, you idiot!" A broad-shouldered Saiya-jin barked when one the purple-skinned aliens lost his grip. He shook his head in annoyance; the movement disturbing not a single strand of his short-cropped hair. "And hurry it up! Everything has to be ready before Inspection!"

"You would finish setting up your station faster if you did something besides yell, Cabaj," a female voice grumbled from beneath the console of an empty regeneration tank.

Cabaj glared darkly at her direction, "I have to be presentable, brat," he huffed, meticulously adjusting the cuffs of his spotless, tech apprentice uniform. Even though he carried himself confidently, there was a faint hint of discomfort in his eyes, as if he was unaccustomed to what he was wearing. "You should remember to look in a mirror before presenting yourself to his Majesties."

A young Saiyan girl, younger than the Crown Prince, just scoffed as she emerged from the cramped space beneath the console. She was a stark contrast to her fellow tech apprentice with her slight frame and her sleek ebony hair. With grease smudges on her fair skin and permanent chemical-stains on her uniform, Vegeta guessed she was far more hands on than her senior. She fixed her wide sable eyes at what Cabaj was making the free-man techs assemble in his place, her lips curling into a smirk, "You're seriously going to present that project to the King and the Prince? You that desperate to embarrass yourself?"

"You think yourself so clever," Cabaj sneered down at her. "Why are you presenting mere modifications? Where's that special project you so proudly claim the Prince of Saiyans inspired you to create?"

A sly smirk danced across the girl's face, "Wouldn't you and your mentor like to know?"

Cabaj snorted, "What a noncommittal answer. You obviously have nothing. After all, what could you possibly come up with from watching that arrogant brat?"

Vegeta heard himself growl and felt his fists clench at the insult. He was about to make his presence known when the girl unknowingly mirrored the Prince's stance. Something about her outrage on his behalf gave him pause.

"You foist off your work on the tech-slaves and spend more effort in preening in front of a mirror rather than on your projects. What would you know about having the weight of the world on your shoulders and still finding the strength to keep fighting?"

"If it's about fighting, girl, then I can show you plenty," Cabaj flashed her a predatory grin.

She blanched at his words but held her ground, every muscle in her body tensing into a defensive stance as the older male stalked towards her. Vegeta knew the beginnings of a courtship spar when he saw one and even if it was not mutually reciprocated the young Prince knew there would be consequences if he got involved. The older Saiyan would consider it an affront to his honor, and while Vegeta had no qualms about insulting the apprentice, interrupting a courtship spar meant he himself had some interest in the female.

And because he didn't, Vegeta stayed out of it.

When Cabaj loomed menacingly over her, she bared her teeth and snarled at him, "Bardock will kill you if you touch me."

"You won't have your mentor's protection to hide behind you once you come of age in two years," he gave her a smug leer before promptly resuming to order the workers about.

It was several minutes before the girl regained her composure and schooled her features back into a stoic mask. A series of shrill beeps sounded and with a slightly trembling hand, she retrieved an unusual scouter from the pocket of her uniform. She slipped the device on, listened silently for a few seconds then started for the exit.

"Where are you going?" Cabaj demanded, his dark eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"The Prince is somewhere in the lower levels of the Complex, and as the junior apprentice I got tasked to escort him here." She glanced back, flashing him a mocking grin, "It's obviously not because you're so woefully behind on just about everything." She had recovered her sharp tongue.

Activating her scouter, she abruptly came to a halt so near where Vegeta stood in the shadows that he couldn't help but notice something odd about her scent. It was not entirely unpleasant but there seemed to be something unnatural to it. Then again, she had been tinkering with machines not too long ago.

Immediately, she got down on bended knee, the sleek strands of her ebony hair falling forward as she fixed her gaze to the ground in a respectful greeting. "How long have you been there, your Highness?" she asked, her voice a careful neutral while loud enough for the others to hear and follow suit.

"Long enough," he smirked at the sudden lack of color on Cabaj's face.

"I apologize for keeping you waiting. Your father sent word to wait for him here and that he will be here shortly," she recited automatically.

Vegeta was disappointed that she hid her fire and attitude in his presence. But it couldn't be helped. He was the Crown Prince and in a few decades time he would be the King. His subjects had to behave a certain way around him after all. He kept his thoughts to himself, shifting his stance to fold his arms behind his back, pulling his posture ramrod straight as befitting royalty when he bade them to stand.

"Why did my father contact your scouter rather than mine?" Vegeta asked curiously.

"The lower levels have special dampers built in the walls to keep our Ki from accidentally setting off the more volatile experiments. It also interferes with the frequency the scouters use to communicate," Cabaj explained before gesturing to the girl's device, "Hers is modified."

"Only one of its kind," she added in feigned modesty.

"If the logic and mechanics behind your modifications could be understood it wouldn't be," the male tech apprentice glowered.

Her wide eyes flashed angrily at the older Saiyan, her mouth opening to argue when her scouter alerted them of an approaching group. Cabaj immediately went into a frenzy to finish in time for the Inspection.

A beat and the girl cleared her throat, "Do you require anything, your Highness?"

He mulled over her question, looked her in the eyes, which Vegeta noted were flecked with specks of sky blue, and replied, "Your name."

She blinked, clearly not expecting that for an answer but all the same she acquiesced with a simple, "Bulma."


Author's Notes: I swear there is a reason that Bulma looks the way she does! I've also updated this to remove most of the "random Japanese" that my Ideas Taster was side-eyeing. Though I will still be keeping specific terms depending on who uses them.