Neka stood under the flowing water, letting it roll over her bare shoulders. It was amazingly comforting, and steam rose up around her. She washed the blood from her skin and hair, hearing muffled voices outside of the room. She knew Goku was informing Bulma of everything that had happened. Apparently, Goku had known this girl since he was a child. He had happy warm feelings toward her, and Neka could tell he enjoyed talking with her.

It was strange, feeling his emotions in the back of her mind, bouncing around her head. She wasn't alone in her mind anymore.

None of this was fair. Neka's mind was the one place she could retreat to, and now there was someone inside it, waiting for her. She felt vulnerable, not only to Goku himself, but to anything that might hurt him and therefore hurt her. She had to figure out a way to get rid of this Bond. It was too much of a risk.

Shutting the water off, Neka stepped from the stall and grabbed a cloth from a nearby rack, rubbing her hair with it. Even wet, it still stuck straight up like her brother's. She dried her body the best she could and looked around. Someone had taken away her armor that she had been in, and in place of it were strange clothing Neka had never seen before. She picked up a small thing that looked like it was to cover her back side and front. Another piece next to it looked to be for her chest, to hold her breasts, she assumed. A sort of padding perhaps? It didn't seem very protective.

"Girl!" Neka called to the door. "How does this contraption work? Which of these are supposed to go on first?"

The door opened and Bulma slipped in. She let out a yelp when she saw her standing there naked and averted her eyes.

"I thought you would at least be in a towel!" she said.

"You humans aren't that different from us, what's the problem?" Neka demanded. "It's not as if you're a male."

"Well still, it's a little awkward," Bulma muttered and looked at her again. "What are you having problems with?"

Neka held out the cupped thing.

Bulma began laughing. "You mean they don't have bras on your world?"

"'Bra'? Is that what this is called?" Neka looked it over. "Does it go on over the thinner cloth?"

"No, it goes on first," Bulma said, still giggling a bit.

"Very well, and these others won't do, there needs to be a hole for my tail," Neka said, picking up the tiny cloth and holding it out to Bulma.

"Tail?" Bulma echoed and her eyes went to the furry limb that was flicking behind Neka. Her eyes grew wide and she pressed a hand over her mouth.

"What?" Neka demanded. "It's nothing to get so surprised over."

"Holy shit," Bulma rasped, looking at Neka's eyes. "You were born with that?"

"Of course, all Saiyans are," Neka spat. "Now are you going to stare at me or help?"

"I'll help, but we're going to have to talk about that tail with Goku," Bulma said.

"Why?" Neka asked as Bulma took the bra.

Bulma sighed. "It's better if we're all in one room to talk about it, and best you're dressed before then. Put up your arms, will you?"

Neka obeyed and Bulma quickly looped on the strange contraption. As she hooked it together in the back, she let out a small breath. "You're a bit smaller than me. We'll have to take you shopping, but this will have to do for now. And I guess you can make holes in the panties and jeans, I grew out of them anyway. Vertically mind you! I'm still the same weight I was when I was sixteen."

Neka didn't know what Bulma was talking about at that point, so she grabbed what Bulma referred to as 'panties' and swiftly poked a hole in the fabric. It was extremely awkward trying to guide her tail in and get them on properly, but she finally managed to do it. She then yanked on the 'jeans'. Bulma made to assist her when Neka had trouble guiding her tail, but the Saiyan snapped at her, "You've done enough! I'm not a child!"

Bulma scoffed, folding her arms. "Well you're the one who didn't know was a bra was. On this planet, you practically are a child."

"My armor was always simple to put on," Neka grumbled.

Finally she managed to get the jeans on properly, but couldn't figure out the strange contraption in the front that was meant to fasten it. She allowed Bulma to assist her with it after a few failed attempts, and paid close attention to how she buttoned it so she wouldn't have to degrade herself asking for help again. The shirt she pulled on without any difficultly. It had a symbol on the front that looked like two curved near circles inside one another with a complete circle around the two of them. She had seen the same symbol on the outside of the building.

"You're boots are already clean, so you can use them," said Bulma, handing her Neka's white and yellow boots, and then a pair of cloth tubes.

"What are these?" Neka asked.

"Socks, they go on your feet before the shoes," Bulma said with a sigh. "It's almost adorable how ignorant you are.

Neka narrowed her eyes dangerously, and Bulma laughed, backing up.

"It was a compliment!" she insisted.

Neka figured out the socks on her own, luckily, and pulled her boots over them. She had to admit, the socks made them more comfortable. She made to tuck her tail around her waist, but Bulma held up a hand.

"Wait, leave it out," she said. "Come on, now that you're decent, we can talk to Goku about that."

Goku was waiting outside on a balcony, sitting at the table, humming cheerfully to himself. He looked over when the two females came in and grinned.

"You look great, Neka!" he said. "I knew Bulma could- WHOA!" Goku suddenly bolted upright and rushed over to Neka so fast she nearly punched him out of reflex.

"Hey!" she yelped when he grabbed her arm and lifted it to better look at the tail flicking behind her.

"You have a TAIL!" Goku bellowed.

"And you have an annoying tendency to touch me- LET GO!" Neka shouted back.

"Yeah, I thought you might want to ask about that, Goku," Bulma said.

Goku released Neka and took a step back, but his eyes were still on her tail, mouth agape.

"What's the big deal?" Neka demanded.

"Goku was born with a tail," Bulma said. "His grandpa Gohan actually found him in the woods and took him in to raise him."

"You… had a tail?" Neka breathed, eyes going wide. "Where did it go?"

"Kami made me remove it so that he could restore the moon," Goku replied.

Neka stared.

Holy. Fucking. Shit.

Could it be possible? But how? How?! How could this strange overly happy boy be a Saiyan?!

"You mean to tell me…" Neka took a step back, closing her eyes for a moment. "How is this possible…"

"So Goku must be the same race as you," Bulma said, looking at Goku. "I knew you couldn't be human!"

"Wow!" Goku cried, eyes going wide. "I suppose that explains why no one else ever had a tail."

"No, I refuse to believe a moron like you could ever be a Saiyan!" Neka shouted. "It's not possible, there's only four of us left!"

"Only four?" Goku echoed, blinking. "What happened?"

"My planet was destroyed," Neka muttered. "Only four of us were off planet when it happened."

"But maybe Goku was sent off," Bulma said. "Maybe someone stuffed him in a ship and sent him away before the explosion!"

"Infants of the lower class were often sent off world to conquer minor planets, but that's we'd have known," Neka said. "It can't be possible."

"Well, let me ask you something." Bulma grinned at her, which made Neka scowl. "Something happens when you look at the full moon, right? Something, you know, big?"

Neka crossed her arms. "Are you trying to talk in code or something, girl? When a Saiyan with a tail looks upon the full moon, they are granted our ultimate weapon, changing shape into the great ape, making our powers increase ten fold."

"I knew it!" Bulma cheered.

"Wait..." Goku was looking between them. "You become a giant ape…?" A strange shadow shrouded his eyes and Neka gasped when she felt a sudden stab of pain in the back of her mind.

It was the first negative emotion she had ever felt from him. She frowned wondering what had made him so upset. Perhaps he was frustrated that he no longer had his tail, and couldn't gain that power. But somehow, that didn't seem like him.

"Bulma." He looked up at her. "I used to change into this ape, didn't I?"

Bulma's cheery face fell. "Oh…" she let out a long exhale through her nostrils. "Well… yes, Goku, you did. We never wanted to say anything because…"

"Because it was a giant monster that killed my grandpa," Goku whispered, his gaze fixating on the ground as his head bowed. "You all knew it had to have been me. Ever since you first saw. Jackie Chun blowing up the moon, Kami only restoring it if I gave up my tail… it all makes sense now."

"I'm so sorry, Goku," Bulma said softly.

Neka grunted and turned away, hating the strange emotions assaulting the back of her mind. "So you are a Saiyan…" she muttered. "And you didn't know how to control you're ape form. Indeed, you must have been sent to this planet to destroy it. I wonder what happened to make you so soft."

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Bulma demanded. "Goku's the strongest person I know. He's anything but soft."

"True strength comes from more than just physical ability," Neka said, shooting a glare back at her. "One must have the strength to do what's necessary to win. And silly emotions do nothing but hold you back. Saiyans are a warring people, we are born with blood lust. But this boy somehow has 'friends' and 'family' here. Something happened to take his true potential away."

"That's not true," Goku suddenly snapped, making Neka blink and look at him. "My friends are part of the reason I fight. I fight harder when I know their lives are on the line."

"Tch." Neka crossed her arms. "Worrying about someone else's life makes you sloppy in your desperation. It's why this whole predicament-" she gestured to him then herself- "-is ridiculous! And you're stupid soft emotions are getting in my head. It's infuriating!" She threw a punch into the wall, leaving a hole.

"HEY!" Bulma yelled. "That's my house you're breaking! What do you think you're doing?"

"Neka stop it," Goku snapped. "You can't just break things here."

"You're not my authority," Neka spat back at him.

Bulma sighed heavily. "Goku, really, how do you get yourself into these messes?"

Goku looked at her and shrugged. "I dunno, trouble just seems to find me," he said, grinning a bit.

At least his grief was fading. That feeling reminded her too much of her father's death. Neka scowled at the ground. How did she get herself into these messes? All of this wasn't fair in the least.

"Well, Goku, where are you staying until the tournament?" Bulma asked.

"I'm not sure now that I have an extra." Goku laughed a little. "Maybe we'll just go to Papaya Island early and stay there."

"Well, you better be careful where you stay, Goku." Bulma shot Neka a glare. "She might break down the building."

Neka lifted a hand, aiming it at Bulma, who flinched. "I've had just about enough of your lip, girl-! WAH!" Neka yelped when Goku suddenly scooped her into his arms and jumped onto the balcony railing, snatching up a bag that had been left by the table, "Well thanks for the clothes, Bulma, bye!" he called, and jumped right off the balcony crying, "NIMBUS!"

The cloud swooped in beneath them and Goku landed on it sitting crisscross with Neka in his lap, smiling cheerfully.

It had all happened so fast it took Neka a second to get pissed.

"What am I to you, some rag doll to be thrown about?!" she bellowed. "I'm a Saiyan Princess, you should treat me with respect!"

"That's right!" Goku gasped, clearly clueless to how irritated she was. "You're a princess! Of our whole race? That's really neat!" He grinned at her. "Should I call you 'Your Highness'?" The Bond told her he wasn't being sarcastic, which left her somehow even more infuriated.

"Y-you-!" Neka clenched her fists. "Stop insulting me!"

"But I'm not trying to-" Goku began in a put out tone.

"Well you are!" Neka snarled. "My name is Neka! Just Neka!" She rolled off of him and through the cloud into the open air, catching herself and flying up beside him. "And stop touching me!" she added through bared teeth.

Goku chuckled. "You really need to lighten up! I bet you'll burn off steam when you fight in the tournament."

"Since when are you deciding if I'm entering your stupid tournament or not?" Neka demanded. "What fighter could they possibly present to me on this rock that could be a match for a warrior like me?"

"Well, there's always the chance you could be facing off against Piccolo," Goku said, his voice turning grave.

"You mentioned him before," Neka said. "When I punched you."

"I defeated King Piccolo three years ago," Goku said. "But before he died he spat out an egg containing his son. That's the evil that's going to the tournament this year. I have to stop him, or he'll destroy the world like his father tried to do."

"This great evil is only three years old?" Neka asked blandly.

"Well, his kind ages differently than humans, and Saiyans too I guess," Goku said, frowning. "You know, we're a lot like humans with how we age and our looks."

"Don't compare our race to the trash on this world," Neka snapped, looking around with narrowed eyes. "Now where did you find me? I want to get my Scouter before we go to this island."

"I thought you said you were going to stay on this planet after all," Goku said.

"I am, at least until I'm strong enough to defeat the bastard that nearly killed me, but I need my Scouter."

"What for?"

Neka felt irritation hit her and Goku must have felt it too because he laughed nervously. "I'm just curious!" he insisted.

"I want to listen to the com chat it sends out," Neka said. "To see what he's up to."

And to make sure Vegeta was okay. But she wasn't going to admit that to Goku, knowing he would tell her that she must have emotion for her brother and that her previous statement about emotion was hypocritical. It wasn't. She knew Vegeta could handle his own in a normal battle. But with Frieza…

"Alright," Goku said. "This way!"

"I thought you said you didn't remember earlier," Neka snarled as she followed him when he changed course.

"I didn't, but now I do," Goku replied cheerfully.

Neka glared at him. Goku acted like a child. How the hell was he a Saiyan? What happened to him to make him like this? All Saiyans were killers at birth.

Goku led her to a forest not too far from the tower she had awoken in. He jumped off Nimbus when he was close to the forest floor and Neka landed lightly beside him. There were pieces of her ship scattered all around the clearing. And there was a bloody crater where she must have landed. She stepped forward, her tail twitching behind her. It was a little odd not keeping it around her waist protectively, but at the same time, it was nice to stretch it out. She knew there were no threats on this world that would threaten it, and she had trained it to withstand people grabbing it.

In the crater, she rummaged around the pieces of ship and armor. Goku waited for her, whistling a happy tune. Finally, Neka upturned a piece of metal and there it was.

Her terribly damaged Scouter.

Neka picked it up. The screen was broken, and the plastic cracked, some wiring poking out. She held it to her ear. Not even static was coming through. She nearly tried to power it on, but stopped. If she did that and it somehow worked, Frieza's transmitters would pick it up and he would know there was a chance she was still alive. He would at least send a scout to insure she was dead.

"Shit," she spat and sat back on the ground, stretching out her legs in front of her with a scowl, glaring at her Scouter.

"What's wrong?" Goku asked, walking to her side. "Is that you're Scouter? It looks kinda banged up."

"It's broken," Neka confirmed. "Or at least, I think it is. I dare not risk powering it on. I forgot that he can track the signal. I don't want him knowing I'm still alive, not yet."

"I bet Bulma could fix it," Goku said.

"You mean the human girl that gave me these clothes?" Neka asked dryly.

"Sure, she's a genius," Goku replied. "We'll have her look at it when she gets to Papaya Island for the tournament."

"Don't tell me she's entering."

"Bulma?" Goku laughed. "No way, she's not a fighter. She's just going to watch."

"There's an audience?" Neka blinked in surprise.

"Of course!" Goku said.

Neka grunted and got to her feet, looking at Goku, then the bag that he had grabbed from the table back at Bulma's house. "What's in there?"

"More clothes," Goku said. "Bulma gave me a few sets for you to wear until after the tournament."

Neka held out her Scouter. "Well put this in there with them."

Goku took it and tucked it into the bag before grinning at her. "All set, then?" he asked.

Neka scowled at him. He was just too damned happy. It was all over in the back of her mind like an infection. She detested it.

"Let's just go," she sighed.

Goku beamed and called, "Nimbus!" again.

With him on his cloud and Neka flying beside him, they headed across the large blue ocean. Neka glanced at Goku as they flew. He was still smiling contently. Neka wondered if his cheeks hurt from grinning all the time. Surely there was something wrong with him. It just wasn't normal to be so cheerful. Especially for a Saiyan.

She wondered who his parents were, and if she had known them.

"Tell me something, Goku," she said.

Goku looked at her. "Yeah?"

"At this tournament, other than Piccolo, will there be any decent fighters?" she asked.

"Well, Krillin, Tien, Chiaotzu, and Yamcha will be there," Goku said, grinning. "They're pretty strong."

"Is that so?" Neka smirked slightly, looking forward again. "Well I'll be the judge of that."

She really wished she could test Goku's strength fully, but since they could feel one another's pain that wasn't going to happen. She figured that she was going to have to figure out a way past that. Maybe they could train their bodies to ignore the pain from each other. But that was going to take time, surely.

This entire situation was going to take nothing but time.

Neka frowned again. How was she going to survive this if she got yelled at just for punching a wall? She was a warrior, and needed to train, but there were so many limitations on this rock!

Goku was humming happily and Neka felt his cheerful feelings snaking in the back of her head. How did he do it? He had just found out not but twenty minutes ago that he had killed his own grandfather- well, it couldn't be his blood relative, but all the same- and now he was just humming along! How did he keep himself so carefree?

"Goku."

"What?" Goku looked at her again.

"Did you hit your head as a child?" Neka asked bluntly.

"Uh, Grandpa Gohan told me I did when he first found me," Goku said. "Why?"

Neka sighed heavily. "That explains it."

"What?"

"Why you're so damned happy," Neka muttered.

"What's wrong with being happy?" Goku asked.

"It's unrealistic," Neka said softly.

"How so?"

"Life isn't just positive, idiot," Neka snapped. "And if you ignore the negative, it will catch you unawares. It will drag you down into the jaws of death."

"But I don't ignore the negative side of life," Goku said with a frown.

"Then how are you so cheerful?!" Neka demanded.

"I dunno. I just am," Goku replied, smiling.

"This is unbelievable," Neka sighed, looking down at the ocean.

"Not really," Goku said. "But you need to cheer up some, Neka. I think ignoring the positive side of life is just as dangerous as ignoring the negative."

Neka narrowed her eyes, refusing to look at him. She didn't need coaching from the likes of him. A defective Saiyan was all he was. Neka always thought if she found another of her race she would be happy. But this just disgusted her. How could a member of their proud race be this blubbering fool?

"Oh, and Neka?"

"What?" Neka snapped.

Goku grinned at her. "When you fight in the tournament, just be kind of careful. I mean, I know you must be really strong, and I just don't want you to accidentally hurt anyone."

"Isn't that the point of a fighting tournament?" Neka demanded.

"Well, yes, but there are rules, and you can't get carried away. Not a lot of people on this planet are strong like you and me," Goku said.

Neka scoffed, turning away. "Whatever," she muttered. "I'll play by your stupid rules for now. But I am allowed to kill this Piccolo in the end, am I not?"

"Well, only if we have to," Goku said, his smiled fading.

"What do you mean? Didn't you say he would destroy your world if you don't stop him?" Neka said.

"Yeah, but there's always a chance he could change," Goku said. "Tien changed at the last tournament. He used to be bad like Piccolo, but he's good now."

"Tch." Neka scowled. "Not everyone is capable of changing, you know."

"Why do you say that?" Goku asked.

"Personal experience," Neka said.

"Well I think you're wrong." Goku laughed.

Neka looked at him, but he didn't say anymore, he just started humming again.

As she looked ahead again, she felt his softness in the back of her mind and tried to push it away. Was he suggesting that he thought she could change? Neka felt a spike of anger and she gritted her teeth. It wasn't that simple. She was raised to be a monster, a warrior, a weapon. Maybe in Goku's mind things were simple, and maybe things always turned out for the better, where there were always happy endings and good triumphing over evil and people changing for the better.

But life wasn't like that. Life was full of darkness, and someone like Neka couldn't just change how she was after living so long in the shadows of blood and carnage. No matter how simple Goku was, or how simple he thought life was, Neka wasn't that simple.

Nothing about her or her life had ever been simple.


AUTHOR'S NOTE:::

Just so you guys are aware, the timeline is a little switched up in this fic. Goku left planet Vegeta six years before it was destroyed. I wanted Neka and Goku to be close in age, so there you have it. In any case, thanks for the reads, reviews, follows and favs!

-Red