Before long the pair of space pods entered the planet's atmosphere, piercing through a thick layer of dark grey clouds and colliding with barren ground. Vegeta looked through the pod window and saw nothing but wasteland. The ground was a dull purple, cracked from the lack of moisture. His pod computer system let out a moaning noise as it calculated the planet's atmospheric conditions.

"Scanning…scanning," the robotic voice stated, "85% of planet's atmosphere is toxic to passenger physiology. Please use respiratory stabilizer and use caution when exiting the pod." Vegeta moaned at the inconvenience but did as he was told. After placing the device over his mouth and nose, he pressed a sequence of buttons on the pod door and it opened. He was forced to cover his eyes from the dust that was kicked up by a violent breeze. He floated out of the crater left by the pod's impact and joined his father by the adjacent crater.

"I thought these Yousari were walking, talking weeds. How can anything grow in a place like this?" The younger Vegeta asked.

"From what I understand, the planet was once covered in a single gigantic forest. It remained that way till the Yousari were able to gain space travel. But those fools underestimated the fragility of their own planet and drained it of its energy." His father looked into the distance and pointed a gloved finger outward. Vegeta stood wide-eyed as he saw the remains of a giant tree that had long since withered away. "That, my son, is a Tree of Might. TheYousari's most powerful weapon and the very reason their planet's surface is no longer habitable. In their attempt to perfect it, they used their own planet as a pitri dish and this was the result. Now they cling to life underground, taking energy collected from the worlds they defend. Probably some pathetic attempt to atone for their mistake." Vegeta chuckled at the stupidity of it all. It boggled the mind how a race that was incompetent enough to destroy their own planet was causing his father so much misery.

The two continued to examine their surroundings, keeping an eye out for the contact that was supposed to meet them on their arrival. It wasn't long before they made out a silhouette in the sand storm. Vegeta guarded himself, bracing for a potential attack, but his father stepped forward and held out his hand in front of his son. Vegeta nodded and relaxed. He pressed the button on his scouter, sizing up this armored individual. The numbers climbed from ten, one hundred, five hundred until it settled on seven hundred. Vegeta gave a cocky smile; it was a respectable power level but nothing he and his father couldn't handle.

"King Vegeta, Prince Vegeta, welcome to Alastromeria." Said the male Yousarian. He was covered in armor made to look like tree bark but had the slightest glint of a metal material. The collar was wide, rising up to the back of the head. A dome covered the Yousari's face protecting him from the harsh elements. The creature itself was muscular but slim; his face pale but had a light green hue. Thick green leaves covered his scalp instead of hair. As the guard observed the two Saiyans, his sharp eyes narrowed at them.

The kind of eyes that said, 'we may be at peace, but I still consider you an enemy.' Vegeta stepped forward to show he was not afraid, but once again his father held him back.

"We've come for an audience with your Queen." King Vegeta raised his voice to be heard over the noise of the impending storm.

"Yes, she informed us you were coming. Best not stay out here for long, the storms on the surface can be deadly. Follow me please."

They followed the Yousari soldier, albeit hesitantly, behind a rocky outcropping. The soldier put a hand to an unusually smooth rock and a scanning light went off. The largest rock cracked open, revealing an enclosed elevator.

"Please, after you." The soldier said, in an attempt to be polite but he could not hide the contempt behind his voice. Vegeta huffed as he strutted inside, his father following behind him. The soldier got in with them and closed the door, the sudden sound of rushing air filling the room. As it dissipated, the elevator began its journey to the underground city.

"The air in here should be decontaminated. You can take off your masks." Vegeta hesitated and looked to his father for guidance. Getting the nod he went ahead and took of his respiratory device. He rubbed his ears as the underground pressure made them pop. He looked from his father to the soldier, hoping the two would start fighting to ease his boredom. After a few minutes of awkward silence, the prince noticed a light coming from the bottom of the dark shaft. Passing through the gap in the stone, the tiny shaft opened up into a gigantic cavern. The young prince couldn't hide his awe as he looked out from the glass elevator.

A thick forest of giant trees covered a majority of the underground city, with trunks the size of buildings. Some were so tall that they reached the cavern's very roof. Giant glowing gemstones let off a brilliant light from the ceiling, simulating daylight. Canals flowed through the city, lined like irrigation paths, that spread from the tree houses all the way out to the open fields of grass where there seemed to be an agricultural area. Yousari came in and out of the tree like buildings, going about their daily lives. Some were selling wares in an expansive marketplace that went for several blocks, children where kicking a ball around a street corner, and being yelled at by adults after they kicked it through a nearby window. A group of Yousari females walked down the street chatting and giggling as they went, their long hair resembling plant-produced silk. Every Yousarian, young and old, no matter what they wore all seemed to have light colored gemstones placed on their chests, just underneath their throats. Vegeta raised his eyebrow at the odd fashion statement as he eyes moved toward the heart of the city. Far in the distance, rising up on a hill surrounded by a field of flowers stood the largest tree in the entire cavern.

"That is the Yousari palace." Vegeta heard his father say. The young prince let out of unimpressed huff. He could have noticed that much by the amount of guards he saw stationed all around it. "The first time I came here was six years ago, and it hasn't changed a bit."

"We've attempted to mine further into the mountain, but the cave-ins have made those areas unstable. The queen has forbidden all projects to widen the main cavern." The guard said as a matter of fact.

"Hmm, unable to expand inward so she feels the need to expand her influence outward, is that right?" King Vegeta smirked, as he threw an insulting glare in the guard's direction. To the soldier's credit he didn't react with outright anger but Vegeta could tell his father's comment had gotten under the warrior's skin when he fidgeted from his position by the door.

"You'll have to take that up with the Queen herself, my lord." The soldier said in a stoic tone. The elevator slowed to a stop as they finally reached the ground floor. The door opened and the soldier led the two Saiyans through the main street leading to the palace. Yousari civilians stopped in the streets as they saw the two pass. The younger children who saw them ran to their parents, some pointing fingers. Vegeta wanted nothing more than to break their fingers for making such a spectacle out of him. However, he had a job to do and he would see it through to the end and earn the prestige he deserved in both Frieza's eyes and his father's. The streets emptied as the two Saiyans made their way to the palace, armored Yousari warriors lined the street, to ensure the two alien conquerors didn't wander into heavily populated areas of the city. Upon reaching the enormous wooden door at the front of the palace, the soldier that had been escorting them went ahead and spoke with the two standing guard.

"Inform her majesty that the Saiyan King and his son have arrived." The one soldier bowed and rushed inside.

"And let her know that I don't like to be kept waiting." King Vegeta added. All of the soldiers went on edge the moment the King spoke, some warriors even reached for their holstered weapons. The young prince gave a confident smirk on how that even in the heart of their empire, it was his father who seemed to hold the real power over them.

"I hope you can be patient my lord. You and your son did arrive a day sooner than we were expecting," said a soldier far more decorated than the rest, his armor much more elaborate in its design. Vegeta guessed from his appearance that he was in charge of the Yousari military or at the very least head of security.

"Ahh, Azera. It has been some time. How is your left arm doing these days?" King Vegeta asked, the smugness dripping from his voice. The soldier named Azera winced and glared at the Saiyan king. He held out his left arm, visibley a prostetic, and gripped it into a fist.

"Regrown and stronger than ever. I don't believe I will ever suffer an injury such as that again." Azera said practically growling.

"Unless you get in my way again, you shouldn't have to." The King said, turning his back on the Yousari warrior.

"Just because our Queen as agreed to this little pow-wow, don't think for a second that you are welcome here. You monkeys have caused far too much damage to this universe to ever be considered our allies."

Prince Vegeta lost interest in the argument and began to scan his surroundings. The area around the palace was nice enough; it would probably go for a good price if they cleared out all the vermin infesting the planet. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed his scouter beeping at him. Pressing the button, it locked on to an unusual ki signature. Curious, he walked around the palace garden to find the source. All the soldiers gave him evil looks, but he simple ignored them. They couldn't stop him even if they wanted to. He made his way around the palace's left side and looked out into the field of wild flowers. His scouter locked on to an individual hiding in the tall grass. He strained his eyes to get a better view and was finally able to make them out.

It was a young Yousarian girl, about his age physically. She had delicate looking features, her skinny body emphasized by her light green gown, a light blue gem on her chest. Like the other females of her species, her silky blonde hair went down to her shoulders, as she hunched over a tiny plot of earth. She was humming an unrecognizable tune with a sickening innocent smile on her face. Vegeta swore he was imagining it, but he could fairly make out a slight glow coming from her hands. He moved closer, only to accidentally kick a stone that loudly bounded across the terrace. The girl jumped and turned to face him.

The two stared each other down, neither one sure of what to do at first. The girl examined Vegeta from top to bottom, her eyes alight with curiosity. Uncomfortable and insulted, Vegeta gave her his best glare and stepped forward, unwrapping his tail from his waist to make sure she could see it. To show her that he was no one to mess with. Visibly intimidated, the girl took a step back but oddly enough did not run away. Was it because of her power level? He double checked his scouter and was surprised to see her power level at one. He tapped the button twice to make sure it was functioning right. He had seen her power level just now; he could have sworn it was over a thousand, almost on par with elite Saiyan children like himself. Could he have just imagined it? Given her weak disposition, it must have been an error in the scouter. He would have to ask father for a new one later.

"Princess!"

Vegeta turned when he heard a singsong female voice coming from the far end of the field. The girl turned and ran toward the voice as the other Yousari female came into view. The tall one gave a cheery smile in the Princess's direction as she ran to meet her charge. Her pale skin dusted with a pink coloring, with colorful flowers streaming down her long ponytail. She giggled like a simpleton as she wrapped her arms around the Princess, messing with her hair and tickling her. The princess was not the slightest bit amused by the childish abuse and struggled to get free, keeping her eyes on Vegeta. The elder Yousari female followed the Princess' gaze and spotted him. In an instant, her cheerful disposition vanished as he shooed the Princess behind her and held out her arm in a defensive stance. Vegeta smirked at the gesture, this caretaker or bodyguard had a decent enough power level, but she was no match for a Saiyan fighter, not even one his age. In fact he was beginning to wonder why this race of weeds were causing his father so much trouble in the first place. It certainly wasn't their power levels, that much was certain.

"Vegeta!" The young prince snapped to attention when he heard his father's call. He turned to see his father and yet another Yousari female walking beside him. This one was dressed much more elegantly than the others he had seen. Her hair was long enough that it touched the ground, tied back into three separate strands. The elaborate gold headdress decorated with gemstones and long flowing robe made her identity no secret. Vegeta raised as curious eyebrow as he took notice of her disposition. Most, if not all, the Yousari they had encountered so far looked down on them or were downright scared of them. This one however, looked at him with kind eyes like she was looking upon her own child. Vegeta sneered at her before walking over to his father.

"There you are my son. You know better than to wander off like that." His father said.

"It seems your boy has quite the independent spirit as well. May I be introduced?" The Yousari Queen replied. King Vegeta herded his son toward the Queen, sending an unspoken signal that this was their target.

"Of course. This is Prince Vegeta, heir to the Saiyan throne. My son, this is Queen Azelia. Ruler of the Yousari Empire." After a bit more goading from his father, Vegeta bowed, but made sure to keep his eye contact with her.

"There is no need for formalities Vegeta. As long as the ceasefire is in place this is as much your home as it is mine." Azelia said as she knelt down to the prince. The young Vegeta had to hold back a snicker. Was this woman for real? Saiyans had spilled the blood of her people more than the other way around, and she was stupid enough to give them this much hospitality? A mistake he and his father could no doubt exploit.

"Vegeta Jr. is it? It's a pleasure to finally meet you. Your father speaks very highly of you. I hope you enjoy your time here. Don't hesitate to let me know if there is anything I can do to make your stay more comfortable." Azelia said, her warm smile made Vegeta uneasy.

"You are too gracious your majesty, even to an old enemy" He said in his best polite tone, best attempt anyway.

"Oh, don't worry about that. The Saiyans and Yousari aren't enemies anymore. We've put all that bad blood behind us. The best way to for our people to coexist is to treat each other with kindness and respect. That philosophy has kept me alive for hundreds of years. And its something I hope to pass on to the next generation." The sincerity in her voice made Vegeta want to gag. How had such a moronic ideology kept this imbecile alive for five minutes let alone over a hundred years?

"I take it that's your daughter?" his father said, drawing attention back to the two in the field.

"Yes. Her name is Clemartis, Clem for short." The Queen said, nodding to the female bodyguard that all was well. The pink haired female dropped out of her fighting stance but still remained vigilant. The young princess remained latched to her bodyguard's leg, looking to her and her mother unsure of what to do.

"Its alright Clem. Come here my darling, I would like to introduce you to someone." The Queen said calmly, holding out her arms to her child. Princess Clemartis took a few hesitant steps forward, before running straight into her mother's arms. The Queen gave her a firm hug before turning her to face the Saiyan Prince.

"My dear, these are the Saiyan guests that I told you about. This is his majesty King Vegeta and his son Vegeta Jr. Now greet them like I taught you." The Queen released the grip on her daughter. Clemartis looked nervously at the two Saiyans before taking the sides of her gown and curtsied.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." She said in a meek voice. It wasn't long into the curtsey that she dropped out of it and immediately scampered behind her mother's robe. The queen chuckled while Prince Vegeta rolled his eyes.

"That was very good Clem but isn't there anything else you want to say?" the queen said while trying to remove her daughter from her hiding spot.

"I-I hope we can be friends." The young princess stuttered. Vegeta crossed his arms and began tapping his finger in irritation. This was what he was going to have to deal with for the next two days? Not only going to be bored out of his mind but irritated beyond physical limits.

"I must apologize for my daughter's shyness." The Queen sighed with embarrassment. "She's normally very outgoing, but it has been a long time since she has met anyone from off world. My adviser, Torga, may be a Namekian but she practically considers him one of us. I'm sure she'll warm up to you in time."

"How old is she now?" his father asked abruptly.

"Just a little over twenty years now. It will be another two hundred before she will be old enough to begin her life as an adult. She has plenty of time to enjoy her childhood before she takes my place on the throne." The Queen replied and she herded her daughter back to her bodyguard. As the two headed off, Clemartis took one last look back at Vegeta and gave him a small wave. He simply glared and looked away, not wanting her to believe she was worthy of his gaze. "Don't worry, you'll see her again at meal time. Shall we go inside? I'd be happy to show you to your quarters."

King Vegeta nodded and urged his son to follow. The young Prince looked back to the fields where the princess had left, then looked at the Queen's back. An eerie smile formed on his face. This mission was going to be much easier than expected.


The next day

After twenty four hours, Prince Vegeta could barely contain his anger and frustration any longer. He had shadowed Princess Clemartis last evening to find her quarters as ordered and had even given his father information about the guard rotation. Simple praise was not enough to ease the young Prince's irritation when his father told him to 'continue to gather information on the princess' and to 'leave the Queen's assassination to me'. That gave Vegeta an extra twenty four hours of nothing to do. He did his best to avoid the Queen where he could, but couldn't evade her when he accidentally bumped into her in the maze-like passageways of the palace. She had proceeded to show Vegeta where the soldier's training room was, exactly what he craved to ease his nerves. He was so grateful, he almost reconsidered killing her…almost.

It was far better than keeping tabs on that wimp of an heir. Her idea of amusement came in the form of picking flowers in the field, playing childish games such as hide and seek with her bodyguard, or pretending to be an explorer in areas of the palace she had probably been to a thousand times. No sparring matches, no Saibamen to kill, and no lessons about flying or how to use ki based attacks. Vegeta imagined that if the girl ever tried to punch anything her own arm would break before doing any damage to an opponent.

There had been one part of her daily routine that had slightly piqued his interest. Though it wasn't a destructive ability, usually the only thing interesting enough to investigate, he did observe her learning how to properly use the inherent Yousarian ability of absorbing and releasing ki. By coming in physical contact with a living being or even an inanimate object, a Yousarian had the power to take the energy from the object and add it to their own. This energy could then stored in their gemstones, implanted at birth and be used to heal wounds, enhance attacks, or stored for later use. Vegeta realized it was this ability that had given the Saiyan warriors so much trouble. The stronger the warriors, the more energy the Yousari could steal and use against their enemies. A powerful ability indeed, but it seemed that Clemartis was not the least bit interested in learning these practical applications of her power. No, what she seemed to enjoy more was learn how to distribute this energy through healing flowers, trees or any poor defenseless creature she came across. It infuriated Vegeta to see such a potentially useful power go to waste in the hands of such a fool.

He decided to hide out in the training room, waiting until his father met up with him to discuss strategy. He had only gotten through three rounds of sparring with drones that afternoon when the door to the training room burst open and the Princess' pink haired body guard stumbled in.

"Hello?! Is anyone here?" she called out, sounding a bit desperate. Vegeta let out a frustrated sigh before putting his training on pause. He was the only one in the room so it was only a matter of time before she found him.

"What is it? Can't you see I'm busy!" he yelled. The bodyguard noticed him and narrowed her eyes, not happy to have run into him. She quickly scanned the room for anyone else before letting out an exasperated sigh.

"Damn guards are never around when you need them." She mumbled. "Are you the only one in here?" she asked. Vegeta nodded. "Oh man this is bad. I don't have time to turn this entire palace upside down to find a single guard who can leave his post."

"If you've got nothing else to say to me, I suggest you leave. You're disturbing my training." Vegeta commanded more than suggested, but the adolescent body guard wasn't paying him any attention. "Did you hear what I said? Awnser me when I address you woman!"

"Should I? I mean, sure he's tiny but he is a Saiyan and aren't Saiyan's able to do just about anything from day one? Then again if I somehow manage to get him lost too I'll never hear the end of it…" the bodyguard continued to mumble.

"Stop ignoring me!" Vegeta yelled, ready to blast the female to smithereens.

"Oh what the hell, why not." She said before turning to him. "Hey kid, you like games?" The question caught Vegeta off guard as he tried to process the sudden change in attitude in the female. He could never understand how they could just change moods on a dime.

"What kind of games?" he said finally, deciding to play along.

"Nothing too complicated just a simple game of hide and seek. You see, the Princess and I were playing and it looks like she's found a really good one this time. So what I was thinking, if you can use that little device of yours to track her down for me?" she said putting her hands together, trying to make this ridiculous idea sound fun.

"No." Vegeta said flately. He had better things to do than to do this moron's job for her.

"Aww come on!" the bodyguard moaned. "I promise I'll make it worth your while."

"I highly doubt that." Vegeta said as he walked back onto the training mat.

"Oh, what do Saiyans like? What do Saiyans like?" The pink haired bimbo mumbled to herself. "Aha! How about food? I'll give you all the sweets I've been saving for the past week."

"No. And for your information those sweet berries are not the least bit appetizing. Nothing on this planet is! All you eat are fruits and vegetables combined in an abhorrent slushy substance. Real warriors, such as myself, require solid food. Meat preferably." Vegeta said proudly, but got visibly irked when the bodyguard gagged a little at the mere thought of meat. It wasn't long however till she began wracking her tiny brain for something to please him.

"How about this then? You like to fight right? Well, if you help me with this than I'll teach you a secret technique that no one but myself can use. Sound good to you?" she said. This caught Vegeta's attention. If he managed to master a Yousarian fighting technique, it would make learning how to counter that technique much easier when the time came. Still, it was not entirely worth the headache of using his scouter to find the princess, but he had already put up with a thousand headaches during this stay, why not add another one to the tab.

"Fine." He said finally, causing the bodyguard to pump her fist in victory. "But it had better be a good one."

After finding the highest point in the palace courtyard Vegeta set his scouter to track her energy signature. The grounds were looking particularly vacant of security, though there were still a few guards stationed at key points. Vegeta tightened the grip on his arm. His father must have moved to the next phase of the mission. Meeting with the Queen to discuss the violation of the ceasefire agreement, and continue negotiations. While he would have preferred to watch his father argue that female under the table, Vegeta had his own mission objectives to uphold. The Yousarian heir could not bear witness to their deed if she was lost or dead.

The young prince growled in frustration, as the scouter was not picking up anything, save the energy levels of the guards. He was about to change his location when his scouter began to frantically beep. Pressing the button on the side, the device honed in on a strong power level, around one thousand and dropping fast. It was a good ways away from the palace grounds, just beyond the field and in a dense expanse of trees close to the cavern wall. With no other leads to go on, Vegeta used his ki to levitate of the ground and took flight.

A shrill scream rang out as Vegeta got closer to the trees. He increased his speed as he looked for the source. He finally found the princess in a small clearing, cornered by a very large, very hungry looking insect. Its body was long, about the length of a standard transportation vehicle, and covered in tall sharp spines. Three beady eyes lay on each side of its head and sharp looking mandibles protruded out of its mouth. It let out a loud roar, clicking its mandibles together as it drew closer to Clemartis. To her credit, she had given the beast a run for its money, a few marks on its exposed belly were punctured with sharp branches. However, what little energy she had seemed to have been exhausted in the escape and her foot seemed firmly stuck in an exposed tree root. Vegeta let out an exasperated sigh when he realized what he was going to have to do. He just hoped he could stomach the aftermath.

In a matter of seconds, he shot down out of the air, letting loose a few ki blasts at the insect. It screeched in agony and began to writhe. Vegeta landed in front of the princess, separating her from it. He could feel her wide eyes on his back, but made sure to focus on the task at hand. The monstrous insect recovered from the initial assault and stared down the Saiyan prince, its mandibles dripping with sticky saliva.

"Lets see how strong you are." Vegeta said with his trademark smirk. He pressed the button on his scouter as it calculated the insect's strength. It didn't take long before it settled on a number. " Power level 10? Please." The beast made an angry clicking noise as it spun round, whipping its tail directly at its prey. Vetega caught the extended appendage with ease, holding it just far enough away from his face that it could only snap at him in vain. Using only a little bit of effort, Vegeta pulled the beast's tail clean off and threw it to the side. A chorus of angry clicks and agonized shrieks filled the air as the giant insect squirmed on the ground, thick blood oozing from its wound. It made a desperate attempt to flee, but it didn't move fast enough. The ki in Vegeta's extended hand was already charged and ready. In one large controlled blast, the creature was vaporized.

"Pathetic." Vegeta said, proud of his accomplishment even if it was easy. He turned to look at the princess who was still staring at him with awe. Vegeta felt a vein in his head pulse as his irritation rose. "What are you staring at? You've never seen an ki blast before?" His question seemed to knock her out of her stupor as she shook her head.

"No, it's not that." She replied, "I've just never seen a Saiyan fight before."

"Please, that was no real battle. It was barely a warm up." Vegeta said shrugging his shoulders.

"You mean, you've fought before?" Clemartis asked, her shocked expression returning.

"Of course. Saiyans are born fighters. A Saiyan infant can wipe out an entire population and those are only the low class. Being the prince, I'm in a league all my own. You would do well to remember it." He said smugly putting his hands on his hips.

"I suppose I will." Clemartis said hesitantly. Her shock faded and a smile blossomed on her face. "Thank you very much for saving me. Even though this was nothing to you, it was still very brave."

"I was merely looking for some excitement in this dull planet. Lucky for you I was nearby." He said as he kicked what little remained of the insect.

"I guess so." she said grimacing as she struggled to free her trapped foot. When she didn't make any progress. Vegeta walked over to her and held out his finger.

"Hold still." The Princess did as she was told. Vegeta focused his ki to his finger and a tiny beam of energy shot forward and cut the root. The Princess made no secret of her excitement as she examined root's clean cut.

"That is incredible. I had no idea Saiyans could use their ki in such a way." Vegeta sighed and turned his back to her.

"Sure we can. Don't you know anything?" he said in frustration. Clemartis was a bit taken aback by the insult but gave the Prince a sad smile.

"Not really. My Mother and Calla, my bodyguard, said that I don't need to learn such things."

"And why is that?" Vegeta asked.

"They said that you don't need to know how to fight to be a good ruler. Since I was never really good at it anyway they decided not to bother. Fighting scares me a bit, so I guess I'm just not the type who can do it." Vegeta clenched his teeth. How could the Queen be so stupid? From what his father had told him, the current ruler was just as skilled a warrior as he was. What in the universe could she be thinking, training her own daughter not to follow in her footsteps?

"Do you enjoy it?" she asked. Vegeta turned to her and raised an eyebrow. "Fighting I mean."

"What kind of question is that?" he said curtly.

"Its just…I don't think I could ever enjoy hurting someone else. So I was wondering, if you enjoy it. You seemed like you were enjoying it a moment ago." The Princess clarified as she brushed the dirt off her gown.

"Do you enjoy breathing?" Vegeta asked.

"Huh? Uh of, of course I do. But that's not the same-"

"It is to a Saiyan. Each challenge we face strengthens us and no matter how we are beaten down we will get back up stronger than ever. It is the thrill of facing even stronger opponents, obliterating them, and achieving victory that Saiyans crave. I am no different. Don't even bother trying to understand something you can't even begin to comprehend." Vegeta said proudly. He could see the gears turning in the girl's head as she tried to process this mindset vastly different from her own. Yet instead of getting angry or frustrated she seemed…sad.

"When you put like that, it is a pretty silly question to ask isn't it? I've only heard about your people from my mother, and even then she doesn't share much."

"What does she say?" Vegeta asked, intrigued.

"Well, she said that while your race is violent and dangerous when provoked, your tenacity and strength are admirable and can only be surpassed by your loyalty. No more than that." Vegeta grumbled at the last part. Loyalty huh? Sure they did Frieza's bidding without question but that didn't mean they were content to keep this arrangement forever.

"With nothing but that to go on, it made me more than a little nervous when I heard you and your father where coming. I'd thought you'd be scary and monstrous looking, like the big apes that I overheard the soldiers talk about." She made eye contact with him, her cheeks turning a bit darker green that they were before.

"I'm glad I was mistaken." She said with a kind smile. Vegeta felt a bead of sweat rolling down his neck. What could possibly be going through her mind? Was she misunderstanding him? Why was she nervously shifting her weight back and forth from each leg and fidgeting with her hands behind her back. Before the situation got any more awkward, he decided it would be best to get her back to the palace and forget this ever happened.

"Well…anyway." He said trying to change the subject. " You'd best be getting back to the palace now. Your bodyguard was looking for you."

"Calla? Oh my gosh your right! I need to find her and apologize." She said as she ran to the other edge of the clearing.

"You came all the way out here for a simple game of hide and seek?" Vegeta asked as he walked behind her.

"You would too if your body guard used their ability to fly to cheat at it. I had to think of somewhere she would never suspect." Vegeta felt the extreme urge to smash his palm into his face but somehow managed to resist.

"Oh, we're so far away. Its going to be late by the time we get back, and I haven't learned how to fly yet." The Princess whined. "Mother is going to be furious." Vegeta grimaced, as much as he would have enjoyed leaving her to be eaten by another ravenous insect, there was only one thing he could do. He walked in front of her and kneeled down.

"Grab on, and hold on tight." He said, trying to hide his embarrassment. The princess's eyes gleamed with excitement as she ran up behind him and latched on, squeezing his neck a bit tight. Vegeta swallowed hard as he used a cushion ki under his feet to lift into the air and head back to the palace. All the while he could hear the gasps and ahhhs of the Princess who was clearly having the time of her life. Vegeta could only hope that no one would be around when they landed.

Unfortunately for him, not only did several of the palace guards spot them as they landed but so did the princess' body guard who promptly fetched the Queen and his Father. The only way it could possibly be worse was if Lord Frieza had been there to bear witness to the entire ordeal. It was then Vegeta remembered, that the scouter he had been wearing the entire time was relaying all the events here to the young lord himself. The Saiyan Prince closed his eyes tight as the full weight of the humiliation hit him. Thankfully, he would be able to bear witness to the Princess' humiliation when her mother would no doubt scold her.

"What I have told you about going near the cavern walls?" He heard the Queen say in an unusually stern voice. "You know how dangerous it is and yet you still decided to disobey me and inconvenience our guests?"

"I'm sorry Mama." The princess whimpered, her lip trembling. Vegeta smirked; she was obviously not used to this kind of treatment, being the spoiled wimp that she was. The tongue lashing didn't last long however, as the body guard intervened.

"Um, your majesty. I was the one who involved the Saiyan Prince in this matter and I apologize that I did not clear it with you first. I had only hoped to make use of his scouter. I did not expect him to go gallivanting to the rescue as he did." The poor excuse for a guard gave the Saiyan Prince a mischievous smile. He went red in the face as he realized that this little event had caused not one but two misunderstandings. He was about to open his mouth in protest when he caught eye of his father.

He wasn't angry, wasn't disappointed or showing any signs of discomfort. He was carefully analyzing the interactions between the three aliens. It was the same look he wore when calculating a battle strategy. Vegeta looked at him and nodded. However as humiliating this affair had been, it seemed his father was looking for a way to use it to their advantage. He would have to accept his son's disgrace for now and discuss it with him once they had a moment to themselves.

"I must say, Prince Vegeta or should I say Prince Charming." Vegeta went straight as a pole when he realized that the air headed body guard was speaking to him again. "You certainly know how to sweep our little Princess off her feet. I can see it now." She said grinning like an idiot, pantomiming what looked to pass as an intimate relationship on this planet. Surprisingly it was Princess Clemartis who shouted in protest first.

"Calla! That's not it! You've got it all wrong!" Her cheeks flushed dark green as she ran over to the adolescent Yousari and began to pound on her waist with both fists. The bodyguard just grinned and held the young heir back with single hand. "Why do you always tease me like this?" the Princess huffed.

"Because its so much fun! I mean, you should see the look on your face." Calla giggled. The Princess crossed her arms and turned her back on her caretaker.

"You're gonna pay for this later." She said angrily. The Queen let out a fake cough to hint that she wanted to get a word in. The two girls immediately quieted down and stood at attention.

"Regardless of the reason, I must extend my gratitude to you Prince Vegeta. If you hadn't intervened when you did, my precious treasure would have been taken from me. You have my thanks." She said, actually bowing to him. Vegeta was taken aback and looked to his father for guidance. He nodded, indicating he should play along. Vegeta returned the bow, but said nothing.

"It is actions like this, King Vegeta, that I believe is your race's true calling. Not to conquer and destroy but to protect and defend. I'm sure even Frieza himself would fall in the wake of such might, united with our own of course." The Queen said without any hesitation. Vegeta looked at her in shock. What she serious? How could she say something like that so lightly without fear of reprisal?

"So you've said, your Majesty." His father replied. "But perhaps you've forgotten that it was Lord Frieza's clan that wiped out your original Royal line. I still say you are foolish to even suggest such a thing."

"I will not have my child become a slave to fear. Surely you feel the same about your son?" she countered. His father said nothing as he turned to look out across the underground city.

"I…will consider what you've said." He said finally. A smile returned the Queen's face.

"That is all I ask." She said with a slight smile.

Just then, a lone figure walked up to her, dressed in an unusual white and blue cloak. Vegeta had to identify the green skin, pointed ears and antenna to recognize the alien as a Namekian, since this was the first time he had ever seen one. He was an old warrior, with a few scars on his forehead and left cheek. His face was just starting to develop wrinkles but judging by his physique and yellow muscles, he look more than capable of handling himself in a fight. Vegeta exchanged glares with the Namekian as the two identified each other. The Namek proceeded to ignore the Saiyan Prince and went over to the Yousari Queen.

"Your Majesty, the heads of the noble families are eager to speak with you in regards to today's meeting." His deep voice was very commanding even though he bowed, showing his respect to the female Yousarian. The Queen turned to her aide, letting out an exasperated sigh.

"I suppose there is no putting it off any longer is there?" she moaned. "Thank you Torga, I will be there shortly." The Namek nodded and made his way back to the palace.

"I have to go and attend this feeding frenzy of a meeting my dear, but don't think you are off the hook." The Queen said before turning to leave. "We are going to have a long discussion about what your punishment should be as soon as I'm finished." The Princess winced but slowly nodded her head, accepting her fate. "I apologize for having to rush off like this King Vegeta but if there is anything else you would like to discuss it will have to wait. Just…promise me you will consider it?"

"Of course your Majesty." His father gave the Queen a low bow. She threw the Prince one last grateful smile before going on her way. As soon as she was gone, Calla breathed a let out a huge sigh of relief.

"Well, now that all that's settled. I think I owe someone a favor." She said, winking in Vegeta's direction.

"What is this secret technique of yours?" Vegeta asked.

"Oh, its nothing a Saiyan wouldn't be able to get the hang of I'm sure." She said putting her hands behind her head. "But it took a lot of practice for me to master, and you have to be experienced at focusing your energy in just the right way to pull it off. What do you say? Still want to learn it?"

"Of course!" Vegeta demanded, eager to get back to a pastime he was familiar with.

"I wasn't aware of a Yousarian technique that could be taught outside of your species." His father commented. Calla scratched the back of her head, taking a few minutes to think about what to say next.

"Well, its not a technique unique to our people. Anyone can do it if they have the aptitude. I just thought since it looked like your son has the potential, why not teach him? Besides I owe him one." She said nonchalantly. Vegeta's father didn't seem too convinced, making her even more visibly nervous.

"If my son is to be taught anything, it must be shown to me first. To make sure it doesn't have any drawbacks that could put his life at risk...that someone could take advantage of." His father said casting Calla a glare. When she realized what he was saying, her carefree smile disappeared and she returned in kind.

"Oh don't worry. I may not be a big fan of the Saiyans per se, but I'm am a huge fan of looking after kids, especially ones as cute as your son there." Vegeta's face went red and he cast an angry glare at the ground. "But if you want me to give you a demonstration first, who am I to argue with a concerned parent. If your highnesses will follow me to the training room," She said calmly bowing and extending her arms in the direction of the doorway. Vegeta's father took her lead, but did so while looking at her like she was nothing but trash. Vegeta was about to follow when he felt something grab his hand. He was about to punch them on reflex when he realized it was the princess.

"Um…if you don't mind, I would like to show you something. You know, as thanks for saving me." She said very quietly, eyes darting from her hand and back to the ground.

"Never mind that, now unhand me." Vegeta growled. He wanted to see this technique more than anything and he was not about to let this pest keep him from it any longer.

"That sounds like a great idea!" Calla called out. "You two can have some, you know, time to get to know each other while I give your father that demonstration. We'll come and get you when I get the green light, alright?" Vegeta was about to protest, but one look at his father silenced him. A look that said, 'bear with it and focus on the mission.' Vegeta swallowed his anger and looked down at the ground, defeated. "All right then, have fun you two!" Calla giggled as she escorted the King of the Saiyans back into the palace.

Once again, Vegeta was alone with the crybaby princess. Out of his element and not a hundred percent on what his next move would be, he decided to just give up and play along.

"Shall we go?" Clemartis asked. "It's in the deepest part of the palace courtyard." She took the lead walking into the garden with Vegeta slowly walking behind.

Making their way through hedge mazes and flower patches that were filled with so much pollen it made Vegeta want to sneeze, they reached their destination. Set in a cobble stone patio, were lines of elegant looking trees. Each was spaced out evenly so that the large ones wouldn't tangle with another. Some trees where tall enough to reach the roof of the palace while others where no bigger than a full grown humanoid. The princess skipped to the middle of the patio and looked back to him.

"This is it! What do you think?" she said with excitement. Vegeta rubbed his temples to stave off a rising headache.

"You mean to thank me for saving your life…by showing me trees?" He asked. The princess smile turned to a pout.

"Well, of course it sounds bad when you put it like that!" she said with a huff. "But these aren't ordinary trees. These are actually my ancestors. Your looking at the final resting place of the Yousarian royal line." She said trying to sound excited again. Vegeta was still confused as to why a bunch of grave…trees could be so interesting. His uncertainty must have been visible since the princess smiled and turned to face the trees.

"You see, when a Yousari gets too old, or badly hurt, we don't simply die. We actually take root in the ground and become tree's like this one. It is a bit scary at first since we loose our ability to walk and talk but we get something even better." She held the revelation in hopes to give it emphasis. "We get to share energy with the planet itself, becoming part of its very life force. And the best thing about it, we can see it! All we have to do is put our hands on the trunks and concentrate and we can see memories, emotions and if we're lucky even see into the heart of the planet itself!"

The way she talked about it, it seemed like a glorious achievement. To Vegeta however it seemed like a glorious waste of time. Saiyans lived for battle, even the oldest warriors hoped that their end would come in one last fulfilling fight. Not becoming helpless and loosing all sense of identity, the mere thought of it was downright disturbing. As Vegeta tried to make sense of it all, the princess beckoned him over to one of the largest trees.

"Come here, it will probably make more sense if you try it." Vegeta crossed his arms and stood his ground. He had no intention of moving or trying to understand this feeble race anymore than he had to. Which made it harder when the princess ran over to him, grabbing one of his arms and began to tug toward the tree. He could have kept her from moving him with his strength alone, but gave in only so she wouldn't pester him more.

Standing by the tree, she put his hand on the side of the trunk, before putting her own hand next to his and closing her eyes. "You gotta close your eyes and clear your mind if your gonna see it. Don't be too frustrated if it doesn't happen right away. I had trouble doing it the first time myself." Vegeta frowned and was tempted to try and do it right away, just to spite her. But after the first few minutes of trying to concentrate, nothing happened. Angry and bored, he took his hand off and began to walk away. He looked back at the princess who seemed to be having better success than he was. It didn't take long before bright lights of energy shot out from the tree's branches, shining a gentle light down into the courtyard. Vegeta dodged them like he would any attack and was about to retaliate when one hit him in the arm. He was shocked to discover that it didn't hurt. The light show continued for a few minutes before finally dying down.

The Princess took her hand off the tree and stared at it in contentment before turning to face Vegeta. There were the beginnings of tears in her eyes.

"Oh I'm sorry. I was so sure that it would work for you." She said wiping the water from her eyes. "I normally come here when I need time to myself, like when Torga is hounding me about lessons or Calla gets on my nerves, or even when I'm just lonely. I've never had any friends my age before so I'm never sure how much the adults can relate with what I feel." She said looking down at the ground, kicking a random pebble. "But when I come here, and I see what my ancestors saw, feel what they felt, all the things that make me upset don't seem so big. Sometimes I even see what our planet's surface used to look like before…." She trailed off. She turned away from the courtyard and looked out at the far end of the city, encased by a giant stone wall.

"I've never seen a real sky. Or felt the sun on my face during a sunset. When I become queen, I want to make this planet like it used to be. Full of life, clear air and water where everybody can live like they want to. Well, that's my hope anyway." She said, uncertainty in her voice. She looked Vegeta in the eye, a sad smile on her face. "You think…you think you can help me make that a reality? If our people don't fight anymore then I'm sure we can help each other out in so many ways." Her smile brightened. "I know, we can make a promise. Friends make promises right? Let's promise that we'll do whatever it takes to help each other out when we need it." The princess extended her hand, her smile full of hope. Vegeta's stomach began to churn. He wasn't sure if it was disgust, humiliation, anger, guilt or all those emotions wrapped up in one, but he didn't like it. This girl was clearly a fool if she took all of what she said seriously, and putting such trust in a stranger she had only known for just over a day. Like mother like daughter. Still, not accepting such a gesture would no doubt make her distrustful of him, which could endanger the mission. He had no other choice if this was going to go smoothly.

He took her hand and shook it.

"Then it's a promise!" the princess exclaimed, holding his hand firmly, her happiness was nauseating. Vegeta nodded, but did not return the smile.


Now I know what some of you might be thinking...and no there are no oc pairings in this story. That would make everything that is about to happen way more complicated than it needs to be. I'm trying to keep characters as close to cannon as I possibly can so please let me know if there is anything that seems out of place. Even after reading through this several times, there is only so many errors that I can catch on my own. But anyways, I hope you've enjoyed the first two chapters and I'll be back next week to post chapter three. From here on out, I'll post a chapter a week. Same goes for the sequel when its ready for posting. In the meantime, give me as much feedback as you can. Every little bit helps. ^_^