Chapter 10 - THIS CHAPTER HAS BEEN MODIFIED FROM IT'S ORIGINAL
Fingering the duct tape that was wrapped around her katana's hilt, Rettan smiled,
remembering the picture that Trunks had drawn for her that she had taped underneath it. It had
been almost two weeks since Rettan had seen any of her Prince's family, and she thought that it
may be a good idea to check up on them. She didn't know what she would do when she saw
Vegeta, but she really wanted to see Trunks again. When she told Piccolo what she was going to
do, he was adamant about going with her, for he knew what Vegeta had said to her that drove her
away in the first place. She didn't know if he thought that he could protect her from any of the
cruel words that the Prince may once again say to her, or if Piccolo himself wanted to have words
with the Saiyan prince. Knowing that she couldn't stop him even if she tried, she rose into the air,
heading toward Capsule Corp.
Piccolo was right behind her, his jaw set, He didn't know how Vegeta would react to the
fact that Rettan had become such close friend's with a Namek, but he knew that he wouldn't
make her go through the arrogant Saiyan's tirade a second time. After flying at a leisurely speed
for an hour, Rettan felt Trunks' ki spike slightly. She couldn't tell if he was just training again,
but when it jumped higher, Rettan kicked into a higher speed, forcing Piccolo to power up to
follow her. He could sense Trunks' ki also, but he wasn't worried, although he knew Rettan was.
Knowing that trying to tell her that Trunks was fine would do no good, Piccolo could only follow
her, and let her find out for herself that Vegeta's son was alright.
Landing in the front yard, Rettan's eyes darted left and right, looking for Trunks. She
could feel that his ki had returned to normal, so she relaxed slightly. Grimacing, she knew that
she was just being overprotective of the boy, but she also knew that the protectiveness had been
etched into her brain since the moment she was born. Seeing the front door open, Rettan froze,
knowing that it was Vegeta. She watched as the Saiyan prince stepped out onto the front porch,
crossing his arms as he leaned on the front stoop. His eyes were cold and somber, and his
features were hard as he looked from first Rettan then to Piccolo. Rettan could feel the Namek
stiffen at her side, and she growled under her breath. She didn't need this turning into a full scale
war. She unraveled her tail from around her waist and wrapped it around Piccolo's, stepping in
closer to him, putting herself between the two powerful warriors. She watched Vegeta's eyes,
staring him down, challenging him to make a move. If he moved against the Namek, he would be
moving against her. Seconds passed with their eyes locked on each other's until Vegeta huffed
and looked away, acting like he didn't care. Rettan exhaled, glad that Vegeta didn't challenge her
decision.
Turning to Piccolo, she unwrapped her tail from around his waist and spoke softly.
"I'm going into the house to see Bulma and Trunks, you can come in, or you can stay
here." Rettan said, knowing that the Namek didn't like large groups of people, even if the group
would only compose of three, other than himself. He nodded and choose a tree nearby to sit
under, crossing his legs and arms, he got comfortable. Keeping his senses on alert in case the
unpredictable Saiyan tried something, Piccolo closed his eyes and concentrated on raising his ki
level. Rettan walked slowly to the door, watching the Prince all the while. Walking up the stairs,
she could feel sweat on her brow. If he ever said anything to the effect of what he had said
before, Rettan really didn't know what she would do.
Keeping her head high, she walked by him. She could feel his eyes on her, and she tensed
as he reached for her arm. She could feel Piccolo's ki flare slightly, but waved him off. Looking
into the Prince's eyes, she stared him down.
"I am here to see Bulma and Trunks. Right now, they are all that matter to me. I did not
come here for you to make amends. If you want to do that, you can search me out. Later."
Rettan stated coldly. She could tell by the look on his face that Vegeta was about to retort, and
she knew that it would be ugly. Bracing herself for the tirade that was about to start, Rettan
heard her salvation in the opening of the front door. Trunks jumped at her with all his might,
trying to knock her off balance. Rettan caught him easily, and he wrapped his arms around her
neck. When he looked at her, she could see he was grinning ear to ear. She grinned back at the
boy, she realized that she truly missed him. Bulma stood in the doorway, concerned with the
intense look on her mate's face. Vegeta took one look at her and turned away, walking to the
gravity machine that was behind the house. Bulma sighed, and then invited Rettan in. Carrying
the young half-Saiyan in her arms, Rettan followed the human woman into the house.
Bulma poured some freshly seeped tea into the small cup in front of Rettan. Trunks was
sitting beside her, his chair drawn close to hers as he babbled on about everything she had missed.
Rettan listened to the boy talk with a grin on her face, she was almost as excited as he was that
she had come to visit.
"Aunt Rettan! You should see your spear! I polish it everyday, and, y'know what?
Goten tried to practice with it, but he cut himself. I told him that only you and I can practice with
it, because it's special! That's right, huh? Right?" Trunks asked Rettan expectantly. She could
only smile and nod, bringing an even bigger grin to Trunks face.
"Trunks dear," Bulma said, trying to get her over excited son's attention, "Why don't you
go and get the spear to show Rettan?"
"Um, okay. Don't leave, okay?" Trunks looked at her, his face concerned.
"Don't worry, I won't." Rettan promised as the boy jumped off of his chair and raced up
the stairs. Bulma shook her head as she watched her son race away.
"He won't let anyone else even touch it. He told Goten it served him right to get cut
when he used the spear without asking." Bulma with pride in her voice. As she sat down in the
chair that was across from Rettan, her eyes grew worried.
"Do you know what you are getting into with the Namek, Rettan?" Such a straight
forward answer shocked the half-Saiyan slightly, but she only smiled and shrugged.
"We are simply friends, Bulma. But I can ask the same of you concerning the Prince, from
the stories I've been hearing about him lately." Rettan answered with a question of her own.
Taking a sip from the hot tea in front of her, she thanked the Gods for her extremely fast reactions
when Bulma hit her with another question. Rettan dropped her cup but caught it just as quickly
when Bulma leaned toward her with a mischievous look in her eye.
"So...is it green?" Bulma smirked. Rettan almost chocked at the realization of the
question, but decided that if Bulma really wanted to play that game, Rettan herself was more than
up to the challenge. With a smile, she leaned back in her chair and casually took another sip of
her tea.
"Like I said... we are only friends, but if you really want to know, why don't you ask him
yourself? He's right behind you." Rettan caught the laughter in her throat that threatened to
erupt from her as she watched Bulma freeze, her blue eyes growing wide. She could sense it
now, there was someone standing behind her. Seeing the mirth in Rettan's eyes, Bulma forced
herself to turn around in her chair to confront the one who stood behind her. Rettan burst out
laughing suddenly as Bulma turned to see her young son standing in the doorway, holding the
spear carefully in his small but capable hands. He had a look of utter confusion on his face as his
mother exhaled deeply and slumped in her chair, glaring at Rettan. Trying to stifle her laughter,
Rettan bit her lip, but she started again as Bulma picked up the pot holder that the tea pot rested
on and whipped it at Rettan. The half-Saiyan was laughing so hard that she wasn't even able to
catch the soft potholder, and it flopped against her shoulder harmlessly and fell to the floor.
Bulma soon joined her laughter, and the two couldn't stop for another couple of minutes. Finally
calming down, Rettan wiped the tears from her eyes, shaking her head.
"So... I like what you did with your hair." Bulma said as soon as she recovered from her
laughter. Rettan only smiled and motioned for Trunks to bring her the spear.
"Have you been practicing with it?" Rettan asked the boy. She still felt little tremors of
laughter threatening to erupt from her belly, but she didn't want the boy to think that they were
laughing at him.
"Yes! Everyday! But," Trunks said sheepishly, "Papa says that weapons are for the
weak. A real fighter shouldn't have to rely on a weapon." He looked up at her through his
lavender hair, trying to see if she was mad or not.
"Your father is right Trunks. However, when you don't want to injure or kill, weapons
are great for intimidation. Especially when one knows how to use that weapon." Rettan
explained to the boy. Liking the answer that he got, Trunks pulled a soft cloth from his belt and
began carefully polishing the blade of the spear. Rettan smiled, she didn't think that even a child
of her own could make her as proud as Trunks did.
* * * *
ACROSS THE GALAXY (and a few miles North, heehee)
The Queen almost giggled with delight as she glimpsed her beasts form in front of her.
She had imbued them with enough magicks to search out the half-breed bitch and easily destroy
her and her little crew of Monkeys. Grinning from ear to ear, the Queen bent down to scratch the
ear of the beast at her side, grimacing slightly as her fingers slide easily into the soft substance that
the monster was composed of. Wiping her fingers on the flowing robes of her latest consort, the
Queen smiled at him. She could tell that he was scared beyond belief, as well he should be. She
leaned toward him, running a sharp nail down his chest.
"Do not worry lover. They will not kill you unless I tell them too." Queen Frost's cold
eyes glowed. Seeing the man relax slightly, she turned away from him, she wasn't bored enough
of him yet to let the beasts at him. She paced the marble floors, trying to think of any other spells
that would aid her hunting party. Thinking of none, she sat back down in her former husband's
throne, the throne that she had enlarged by a foot in height to accentuate her own stature. Her
tips of her stark white horns still almost reach the top of the heavily ornamented throne, but she
was happy with the height, and no one was foolish enough to question her.
"My beautiful pets." The Queen said as they lined up in front of her. She looked into the
glowing purple eyes of the beasts and smiled almost lovingly, in a perverse sense of the word.
She stood up, raisng her powerfully muscled arms and began to chant a simple spell that would
allow the beasts to zero in on Rettan's location and instantly teleport to the planet, if not her.
When she was finished, the Queen lowered her arms and looked at the anxious animals.
Following their gaze to her consort, she gave in. She could always get a new consort, and the
beasts looked so glorious when they fed, she reasoned. A malicious grin spread across her face as
she nodded her head to her monstrous pack. The beasts could instantly tell that they were
allowed to fed, and they were on the man in an instant, tearing him apart. The man could only
scream as the beasts went for his gut first, and his screams only grew louder as he watched his
own entrails spill out into the beasts slobbering mouths.
Being a warrior of Roganew, the man wouldn't die without a fight. Gaining a semblance
of composure, the large man powered up, gathering the room's energy together into the palm of
his hand. His clawed fingers held the cascading energy there for a second, and he was about to
unleash it on the closest monster when he thought of a better plan. Twisting in the beasts' claws,
the man flung his gathered energy at the Queen before he was buried by the oozing black flesh of
the beasts. He hit the Queen square in the face, burning her flesh and damaging one eye. She
screamed in pain, clawing at the burn. Her Healers were at her side in a second, and they quickly
treated the burns. They lamented greatly that the superficial damage would be permanent, and
with that the Queen instantly vaporized two of the five Healers, and then ordered the rest away.
She glared at the blood splatters that was now all that was let of the Roganew, but even that was
being lapped up by the beasts. Her eyes flared with anger as she called her monsters to order.
The beasts lined up in front of her, and the Queen finished her cantrip, creating a disk of
crackling energy beside her throne. The beasts all began to pace, each one eager for their chance
to please their Queen. Her eyes burnt with hatred as she commanded her beasts to enter the
portal. The beasts raced for the portal and leaped through without hesitation. As the last one
entered, the portal closed with a loud whoosh. Leaning back in her throne, the Queen ordered for
a mirror. When presented with the reflective surface, the Queen held it in front of her. She could
hear members of the court discreetly try to leave, for fear of her rage. She looked at the offending
individuals and they froze in their tracks, not sure of what they should do. Some tried to melt
back into the crowd, but the people around them shied away as if they were infected with a deadly
disease. The Queen looked to her guard detail and glared.
"Kill them. Slowly." Was all she said as wails of protest rang through the room. "And
kill those who protest even slower." The Queen instructed. The room fell silent as the guards
dragged the sobbing court members to a torturous death in the dungeons beneath the great palace.
The Queen glared at the crowd, daring someone to make a noise. When she was satisfied with
the silence, she looked to her steadfast council, her good eye burning.
"Raid the Roganew planet. Kill the warriors, and bring me the children and some good
breeding stock. And then... Haze the planet. The Roganew will pay for their son's crime." The
Queen nonchalantly ordered the death of the planet. She leaned back in her throne, fingering the
damage done to her beautiful face. Cursing, she stalked from the throne room, to watch the
coming battle on Earth from a scrying glass in her private quarters.
* * * *
Piccolo remained on edge during the whole time that he waited for Rettan to finish
visiting. At first he thought that it was because of the unpredictable Saiyan Prince that was
training maybe three hundred yards to his left, but soon he felt his anxiety rise. It was like a
foreboding, like something dark was hanging over his head. His eyes snapped open as he
searched the terrain. Finding nothing, he rose into the air, searching the sky. Glancing back to
the house that Rettan was in, Piccolo scowled. He didn't want to leave her, but he knew that if he
could sense this foreboding presence, Dende, with his superior psychic abilities may be able to
pinpoint where the threat was coming from. Powering up, Piccolo headed toward Dende's
Lookout, using all the speed that he had gained while training with his half-Saiyan comrade.
Rettan stopped Bulma mid-sentence as she felt Piccolo's ki flare, and she heard the sonic
boom he created as he kicked into a supersonic flight. Concerned, she jumped up from her chair
and ran out the door, with Trunks close behind her. As she stepped into the sunlight, Rettan's
body shivered. She could sense something, something that was incredibly wrong. Feeling
Vegeta's ki flare slightly, she saw him rush out of the gravity machine, he could feel it too.
Rettan searched the skies, trying to feel out any unknown ki's, but she could find none. Looking
to the Prince, she knew that he could feel none, either.
"What the hell is going on?" Vegeta growled. Rettan could only shrug, but the dark
feelings that surrounded them seemed to be closing in. Somehow, she could tell that whatever
was happening, it was happening because of her. Not wanting to place Bulma in danger, Rettan
streaked high into the air, leaving the others in her wake. In seconds, she could feel both
Vegeta's and Trunks' ki's follow. The dark feeling hung about Rettan oppressively, she almost
felt that it was choking her. Soon they left land behind, and began crossing over open waters.
Coming to a large island, she searched for any human ki's. Satisfied that there were none, Rettan
landed, feeling that they were far enough away from Capsule Corp.
"What the hell is going on?" Vegeta reiterated. Rettan searched the horizon, almost
praying that there was something material that this feeling belonged to, so that she could at least
defend against it.
"I have no idea, Prince." Was all that she could say. Looking to Trunks, she could tell
that he was nervous, but he was doing a good job hiding it. He still held the spear, twisting it in
his small hands. The dark feeling closed in even further, causing Rettan to collapse to her knees.
She knew that it was directed to her, and her head began to throb with the pain of it. Trunks was
at her side in a flash, while Vegeta searched the horizon for any possible enemies. Not knowing
any way to rid herself of the feeling Rettan powered up, which caused her head to hurt more.
Releasing the gathered energy, she slumped even farther to the sand, trying to sort out the mess in
her head. Her thoughts began to swim, and she wasn't even able to cry out in surprise as she saw
tiny black oozing tendrils rise from the sand around her hands. She could sense that these 'things'
were the cause of her pain, and she knew that Trunks was close to her. With her remaining
strength she gathered enough energy to loose a small ki blast at the boy, knocking him away from
her. She couldn't see where he landed, but she hoped that it would be far enough away that the
tendrils wouldn't get him too. Her head swimming from gathering even that minuscule amount of
energy, Rettan could barely make out the tendrils oozing their way up her arms. She could hear
Vegeta yelling something, but she couldn't make it out. The only thoughts that seemed to cross
her mind were of dispair, desolation. She could see only darkness, and with the last ounce of
willpower she had, she called out to the only one that she knew could help her, to the only one
she ever felt truly safe with.
"Piccolo." A desperate whisper escaped her lips, while in her mind, the name sounded as
loud as an atomic bomb.
The Namek cringed as he heard Rettan's plea enter his mind. It was so powerful that it
stopped him mid-flight. He began heading back to Capsule Corp. but as he searched for her ki
there, he couldn't find it. Stopping dead in the air, Piccolo berated himself for not realizing that
Rettan, Vegeta, and Trunks had all left Capsule Corp. Searching the horizon for her ki, he
cursed, finding only a faint signal. He could feel Vegeta and Trunks close to her, both powered
up. Pushing himself as hard as he could, Piccolo headed toward them at an incredible pace. with
the surrounding countryside blurring past him. Reaching the island in a matter of minutes, Piccolo
was sickened at the sight that he beheld. Rettan was slowly becoming entwined in a mass of
oozing tendrils, while Vegeta and Trunks shot at the sand around her, destroying as many of the
black tentacles as they could. Powering up himself, Piccolo concentrated on reaching out to
Rettan's mind. Remembering the times when they tried it during training, Piccolo braced himself.
He could remember, that even for himself, Rettan's mind was closely guarded, she had to be, for
all that she had endured. Gritting his teeth, Piccolo growled, trying to push through the static that
the tendrils themselves seemed to be giving off.
Closing his eyes, he let his mind take over completely, leaving his physical form open for
an attack. At first he only searched out Rettan's ki, and through that he locked onto her,
searching for her thoughts, her feelings, her very soul. Finally, he sensed her mind, and he
reached out for it with his. He could feel relief in Rettan's thoughts, but that relief soon turned to
confusion, and then extreme fear. Not for herself, but for him. Piccolo felt the darkness begin to
overwhelm him, he could almost taste the despair in his mind.
With an overwhelming rushing sound, the Namek's mind was forced back into his body,
as a huge black tendril rose out of the fine white sand before him. He was barely able to register
the oozing tendril as it easily batted him out into the water. Piccolo skipped like a stone across
the waves until he finally plunged under the water.
Rettan's instincts took over when she felt that Piccolo was under attack. Knowing that
powering up would do her no good, Rettan pulled her katana from the sheath strapped across her
back, desperately trying to cut her body free of the ooze. She deftly cut so that the tendrils had
nothing to hold onto but razor sharp steel. She cut so close to her own skin that it looked as if
she was cutting into herself, but as the blade left one part of her body to attack the clinging
tendrils on another part, both Trunks and Vegeta could see that she remained unscathed. Not
being able to keep their hold on her any longer, the oozing black tentacles gave up on their attack
on Rettan and splashed to the ground. The tendrils conjoined and rushed to the large black blob
that had just hit Piccolo, sending him into the ocean.
Rettan felt completely drained, but she forced herself to stand, keeping her katana ready.
She searched the waters for Piccolo, and when she felt that his ki was still powered up, she quite
her worrying. She knew that the Namek could hold his breathe for a very long time, and she
smiled slightly at the memory of her and Piccolo's contest on who could stay under water longest
in the glacier lake that they claimed as their training grounds. Turning her attention back to the
writhing blob, she watched as it separated into seven different forms, each convulsing and
beginning to take shape. Rettan hissed under her breath as the blobs took on the forms of huge
black cats, each with flaming purple eyes. The cats, however, never fully formed. Rettan could
see a shifting muscle here, or a loose tendon there. The cats looked as if they were trying to turn
into something else, they looked as if they were actually struggling to get out of their own bodies.
Rettan grimaced, the stench of death clung to them.
There was one blob, however, that stood out from the rest. It constantly shifted from
what looked like a great cat to a cross between a great cat and a man. It kept it's glowing purple
eyes on Rettan, and she could see the natural hatred burning in them.
The beasts howled in unison, a sound that was caught between the bowels of hell and the
land of the living. Rettan could feel the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. Breathing
hard, Rettan could only manage two words.
"Oh, shit."
* * * *
The Queen watched with displeasure as the treacherous half-breed was able to free herself
of the grasping tendrils. Sighing, she realized that her Quatroe (Black Death) spell was only one
of hundreds that she had stored in the beasts arsenal of magicks. With an evil smile crossing her
now disfigured face, the Queen sat back, she was going to enjoy this.
* * * *
Deploying a contingent of powerful warriors to the planet Roganew, the Queen's superior
officers grinned at each other. The slave pens were running out of breeding stock, and
Roganewians were known for their prolific nature. The males weren't really needed, but the
children and women would make a great addition to the slave detail. Watching as several pods
blasted off into space the officers were confident that they would soon have another victory under
their belt.
* * * *
Okay, this is for everyone who read this fanfic before. I am totally sorry for changing the
storyline, but I really, really hated that I had Piccolo and Rettan mate. Really. It didn't bug me at
the start, but the more I thought about it, the more I hated it. I hated it so much that I didn't
want to write on this fic anymore. So I changed it. Sorry again. I beg your forgiveness, really.
But I really think the two can bond just as easily as friends. Okay, I know that a couple of you
are gonna be mad, but please resist the urge to flame me, PLEASE!?!
Fingering the duct tape that was wrapped around her katana's hilt, Rettan smiled,
remembering the picture that Trunks had drawn for her that she had taped underneath it. It had
been almost two weeks since Rettan had seen any of her Prince's family, and she thought that it
may be a good idea to check up on them. She didn't know what she would do when she saw
Vegeta, but she really wanted to see Trunks again. When she told Piccolo what she was going to
do, he was adamant about going with her, for he knew what Vegeta had said to her that drove her
away in the first place. She didn't know if he thought that he could protect her from any of the
cruel words that the Prince may once again say to her, or if Piccolo himself wanted to have words
with the Saiyan prince. Knowing that she couldn't stop him even if she tried, she rose into the air,
heading toward Capsule Corp.
Piccolo was right behind her, his jaw set, He didn't know how Vegeta would react to the
fact that Rettan had become such close friend's with a Namek, but he knew that he wouldn't
make her go through the arrogant Saiyan's tirade a second time. After flying at a leisurely speed
for an hour, Rettan felt Trunks' ki spike slightly. She couldn't tell if he was just training again,
but when it jumped higher, Rettan kicked into a higher speed, forcing Piccolo to power up to
follow her. He could sense Trunks' ki also, but he wasn't worried, although he knew Rettan was.
Knowing that trying to tell her that Trunks was fine would do no good, Piccolo could only follow
her, and let her find out for herself that Vegeta's son was alright.
Landing in the front yard, Rettan's eyes darted left and right, looking for Trunks. She
could feel that his ki had returned to normal, so she relaxed slightly. Grimacing, she knew that
she was just being overprotective of the boy, but she also knew that the protectiveness had been
etched into her brain since the moment she was born. Seeing the front door open, Rettan froze,
knowing that it was Vegeta. She watched as the Saiyan prince stepped out onto the front porch,
crossing his arms as he leaned on the front stoop. His eyes were cold and somber, and his
features were hard as he looked from first Rettan then to Piccolo. Rettan could feel the Namek
stiffen at her side, and she growled under her breath. She didn't need this turning into a full scale
war. She unraveled her tail from around her waist and wrapped it around Piccolo's, stepping in
closer to him, putting herself between the two powerful warriors. She watched Vegeta's eyes,
staring him down, challenging him to make a move. If he moved against the Namek, he would be
moving against her. Seconds passed with their eyes locked on each other's until Vegeta huffed
and looked away, acting like he didn't care. Rettan exhaled, glad that Vegeta didn't challenge her
decision.
Turning to Piccolo, she unwrapped her tail from around his waist and spoke softly.
"I'm going into the house to see Bulma and Trunks, you can come in, or you can stay
here." Rettan said, knowing that the Namek didn't like large groups of people, even if the group
would only compose of three, other than himself. He nodded and choose a tree nearby to sit
under, crossing his legs and arms, he got comfortable. Keeping his senses on alert in case the
unpredictable Saiyan tried something, Piccolo closed his eyes and concentrated on raising his ki
level. Rettan walked slowly to the door, watching the Prince all the while. Walking up the stairs,
she could feel sweat on her brow. If he ever said anything to the effect of what he had said
before, Rettan really didn't know what she would do.
Keeping her head high, she walked by him. She could feel his eyes on her, and she tensed
as he reached for her arm. She could feel Piccolo's ki flare slightly, but waved him off. Looking
into the Prince's eyes, she stared him down.
"I am here to see Bulma and Trunks. Right now, they are all that matter to me. I did not
come here for you to make amends. If you want to do that, you can search me out. Later."
Rettan stated coldly. She could tell by the look on his face that Vegeta was about to retort, and
she knew that it would be ugly. Bracing herself for the tirade that was about to start, Rettan
heard her salvation in the opening of the front door. Trunks jumped at her with all his might,
trying to knock her off balance. Rettan caught him easily, and he wrapped his arms around her
neck. When he looked at her, she could see he was grinning ear to ear. She grinned back at the
boy, she realized that she truly missed him. Bulma stood in the doorway, concerned with the
intense look on her mate's face. Vegeta took one look at her and turned away, walking to the
gravity machine that was behind the house. Bulma sighed, and then invited Rettan in. Carrying
the young half-Saiyan in her arms, Rettan followed the human woman into the house.
Bulma poured some freshly seeped tea into the small cup in front of Rettan. Trunks was
sitting beside her, his chair drawn close to hers as he babbled on about everything she had missed.
Rettan listened to the boy talk with a grin on her face, she was almost as excited as he was that
she had come to visit.
"Aunt Rettan! You should see your spear! I polish it everyday, and, y'know what?
Goten tried to practice with it, but he cut himself. I told him that only you and I can practice with
it, because it's special! That's right, huh? Right?" Trunks asked Rettan expectantly. She could
only smile and nod, bringing an even bigger grin to Trunks face.
"Trunks dear," Bulma said, trying to get her over excited son's attention, "Why don't you
go and get the spear to show Rettan?"
"Um, okay. Don't leave, okay?" Trunks looked at her, his face concerned.
"Don't worry, I won't." Rettan promised as the boy jumped off of his chair and raced up
the stairs. Bulma shook her head as she watched her son race away.
"He won't let anyone else even touch it. He told Goten it served him right to get cut
when he used the spear without asking." Bulma with pride in her voice. As she sat down in the
chair that was across from Rettan, her eyes grew worried.
"Do you know what you are getting into with the Namek, Rettan?" Such a straight
forward answer shocked the half-Saiyan slightly, but she only smiled and shrugged.
"We are simply friends, Bulma. But I can ask the same of you concerning the Prince, from
the stories I've been hearing about him lately." Rettan answered with a question of her own.
Taking a sip from the hot tea in front of her, she thanked the Gods for her extremely fast reactions
when Bulma hit her with another question. Rettan dropped her cup but caught it just as quickly
when Bulma leaned toward her with a mischievous look in her eye.
"So...is it green?" Bulma smirked. Rettan almost chocked at the realization of the
question, but decided that if Bulma really wanted to play that game, Rettan herself was more than
up to the challenge. With a smile, she leaned back in her chair and casually took another sip of
her tea.
"Like I said... we are only friends, but if you really want to know, why don't you ask him
yourself? He's right behind you." Rettan caught the laughter in her throat that threatened to
erupt from her as she watched Bulma freeze, her blue eyes growing wide. She could sense it
now, there was someone standing behind her. Seeing the mirth in Rettan's eyes, Bulma forced
herself to turn around in her chair to confront the one who stood behind her. Rettan burst out
laughing suddenly as Bulma turned to see her young son standing in the doorway, holding the
spear carefully in his small but capable hands. He had a look of utter confusion on his face as his
mother exhaled deeply and slumped in her chair, glaring at Rettan. Trying to stifle her laughter,
Rettan bit her lip, but she started again as Bulma picked up the pot holder that the tea pot rested
on and whipped it at Rettan. The half-Saiyan was laughing so hard that she wasn't even able to
catch the soft potholder, and it flopped against her shoulder harmlessly and fell to the floor.
Bulma soon joined her laughter, and the two couldn't stop for another couple of minutes. Finally
calming down, Rettan wiped the tears from her eyes, shaking her head.
"So... I like what you did with your hair." Bulma said as soon as she recovered from her
laughter. Rettan only smiled and motioned for Trunks to bring her the spear.
"Have you been practicing with it?" Rettan asked the boy. She still felt little tremors of
laughter threatening to erupt from her belly, but she didn't want the boy to think that they were
laughing at him.
"Yes! Everyday! But," Trunks said sheepishly, "Papa says that weapons are for the
weak. A real fighter shouldn't have to rely on a weapon." He looked up at her through his
lavender hair, trying to see if she was mad or not.
"Your father is right Trunks. However, when you don't want to injure or kill, weapons
are great for intimidation. Especially when one knows how to use that weapon." Rettan
explained to the boy. Liking the answer that he got, Trunks pulled a soft cloth from his belt and
began carefully polishing the blade of the spear. Rettan smiled, she didn't think that even a child
of her own could make her as proud as Trunks did.
* * * *
ACROSS THE GALAXY (and a few miles North, heehee)
The Queen almost giggled with delight as she glimpsed her beasts form in front of her.
She had imbued them with enough magicks to search out the half-breed bitch and easily destroy
her and her little crew of Monkeys. Grinning from ear to ear, the Queen bent down to scratch the
ear of the beast at her side, grimacing slightly as her fingers slide easily into the soft substance that
the monster was composed of. Wiping her fingers on the flowing robes of her latest consort, the
Queen smiled at him. She could tell that he was scared beyond belief, as well he should be. She
leaned toward him, running a sharp nail down his chest.
"Do not worry lover. They will not kill you unless I tell them too." Queen Frost's cold
eyes glowed. Seeing the man relax slightly, she turned away from him, she wasn't bored enough
of him yet to let the beasts at him. She paced the marble floors, trying to think of any other spells
that would aid her hunting party. Thinking of none, she sat back down in her former husband's
throne, the throne that she had enlarged by a foot in height to accentuate her own stature. Her
tips of her stark white horns still almost reach the top of the heavily ornamented throne, but she
was happy with the height, and no one was foolish enough to question her.
"My beautiful pets." The Queen said as they lined up in front of her. She looked into the
glowing purple eyes of the beasts and smiled almost lovingly, in a perverse sense of the word.
She stood up, raisng her powerfully muscled arms and began to chant a simple spell that would
allow the beasts to zero in on Rettan's location and instantly teleport to the planet, if not her.
When she was finished, the Queen lowered her arms and looked at the anxious animals.
Following their gaze to her consort, she gave in. She could always get a new consort, and the
beasts looked so glorious when they fed, she reasoned. A malicious grin spread across her face as
she nodded her head to her monstrous pack. The beasts could instantly tell that they were
allowed to fed, and they were on the man in an instant, tearing him apart. The man could only
scream as the beasts went for his gut first, and his screams only grew louder as he watched his
own entrails spill out into the beasts slobbering mouths.
Being a warrior of Roganew, the man wouldn't die without a fight. Gaining a semblance
of composure, the large man powered up, gathering the room's energy together into the palm of
his hand. His clawed fingers held the cascading energy there for a second, and he was about to
unleash it on the closest monster when he thought of a better plan. Twisting in the beasts' claws,
the man flung his gathered energy at the Queen before he was buried by the oozing black flesh of
the beasts. He hit the Queen square in the face, burning her flesh and damaging one eye. She
screamed in pain, clawing at the burn. Her Healers were at her side in a second, and they quickly
treated the burns. They lamented greatly that the superficial damage would be permanent, and
with that the Queen instantly vaporized two of the five Healers, and then ordered the rest away.
She glared at the blood splatters that was now all that was let of the Roganew, but even that was
being lapped up by the beasts. Her eyes flared with anger as she called her monsters to order.
The beasts lined up in front of her, and the Queen finished her cantrip, creating a disk of
crackling energy beside her throne. The beasts all began to pace, each one eager for their chance
to please their Queen. Her eyes burnt with hatred as she commanded her beasts to enter the
portal. The beasts raced for the portal and leaped through without hesitation. As the last one
entered, the portal closed with a loud whoosh. Leaning back in her throne, the Queen ordered for
a mirror. When presented with the reflective surface, the Queen held it in front of her. She could
hear members of the court discreetly try to leave, for fear of her rage. She looked at the offending
individuals and they froze in their tracks, not sure of what they should do. Some tried to melt
back into the crowd, but the people around them shied away as if they were infected with a deadly
disease. The Queen looked to her guard detail and glared.
"Kill them. Slowly." Was all she said as wails of protest rang through the room. "And
kill those who protest even slower." The Queen instructed. The room fell silent as the guards
dragged the sobbing court members to a torturous death in the dungeons beneath the great palace.
The Queen glared at the crowd, daring someone to make a noise. When she was satisfied with
the silence, she looked to her steadfast council, her good eye burning.
"Raid the Roganew planet. Kill the warriors, and bring me the children and some good
breeding stock. And then... Haze the planet. The Roganew will pay for their son's crime." The
Queen nonchalantly ordered the death of the planet. She leaned back in her throne, fingering the
damage done to her beautiful face. Cursing, she stalked from the throne room, to watch the
coming battle on Earth from a scrying glass in her private quarters.
* * * *
Piccolo remained on edge during the whole time that he waited for Rettan to finish
visiting. At first he thought that it was because of the unpredictable Saiyan Prince that was
training maybe three hundred yards to his left, but soon he felt his anxiety rise. It was like a
foreboding, like something dark was hanging over his head. His eyes snapped open as he
searched the terrain. Finding nothing, he rose into the air, searching the sky. Glancing back to
the house that Rettan was in, Piccolo scowled. He didn't want to leave her, but he knew that if he
could sense this foreboding presence, Dende, with his superior psychic abilities may be able to
pinpoint where the threat was coming from. Powering up, Piccolo headed toward Dende's
Lookout, using all the speed that he had gained while training with his half-Saiyan comrade.
Rettan stopped Bulma mid-sentence as she felt Piccolo's ki flare, and she heard the sonic
boom he created as he kicked into a supersonic flight. Concerned, she jumped up from her chair
and ran out the door, with Trunks close behind her. As she stepped into the sunlight, Rettan's
body shivered. She could sense something, something that was incredibly wrong. Feeling
Vegeta's ki flare slightly, she saw him rush out of the gravity machine, he could feel it too.
Rettan searched the skies, trying to feel out any unknown ki's, but she could find none. Looking
to the Prince, she knew that he could feel none, either.
"What the hell is going on?" Vegeta growled. Rettan could only shrug, but the dark
feelings that surrounded them seemed to be closing in. Somehow, she could tell that whatever
was happening, it was happening because of her. Not wanting to place Bulma in danger, Rettan
streaked high into the air, leaving the others in her wake. In seconds, she could feel both
Vegeta's and Trunks' ki's follow. The dark feeling hung about Rettan oppressively, she almost
felt that it was choking her. Soon they left land behind, and began crossing over open waters.
Coming to a large island, she searched for any human ki's. Satisfied that there were none, Rettan
landed, feeling that they were far enough away from Capsule Corp.
"What the hell is going on?" Vegeta reiterated. Rettan searched the horizon, almost
praying that there was something material that this feeling belonged to, so that she could at least
defend against it.
"I have no idea, Prince." Was all that she could say. Looking to Trunks, she could tell
that he was nervous, but he was doing a good job hiding it. He still held the spear, twisting it in
his small hands. The dark feeling closed in even further, causing Rettan to collapse to her knees.
She knew that it was directed to her, and her head began to throb with the pain of it. Trunks was
at her side in a flash, while Vegeta searched the horizon for any possible enemies. Not knowing
any way to rid herself of the feeling Rettan powered up, which caused her head to hurt more.
Releasing the gathered energy, she slumped even farther to the sand, trying to sort out the mess in
her head. Her thoughts began to swim, and she wasn't even able to cry out in surprise as she saw
tiny black oozing tendrils rise from the sand around her hands. She could sense that these 'things'
were the cause of her pain, and she knew that Trunks was close to her. With her remaining
strength she gathered enough energy to loose a small ki blast at the boy, knocking him away from
her. She couldn't see where he landed, but she hoped that it would be far enough away that the
tendrils wouldn't get him too. Her head swimming from gathering even that minuscule amount of
energy, Rettan could barely make out the tendrils oozing their way up her arms. She could hear
Vegeta yelling something, but she couldn't make it out. The only thoughts that seemed to cross
her mind were of dispair, desolation. She could see only darkness, and with the last ounce of
willpower she had, she called out to the only one that she knew could help her, to the only one
she ever felt truly safe with.
"Piccolo." A desperate whisper escaped her lips, while in her mind, the name sounded as
loud as an atomic bomb.
The Namek cringed as he heard Rettan's plea enter his mind. It was so powerful that it
stopped him mid-flight. He began heading back to Capsule Corp. but as he searched for her ki
there, he couldn't find it. Stopping dead in the air, Piccolo berated himself for not realizing that
Rettan, Vegeta, and Trunks had all left Capsule Corp. Searching the horizon for her ki, he
cursed, finding only a faint signal. He could feel Vegeta and Trunks close to her, both powered
up. Pushing himself as hard as he could, Piccolo headed toward them at an incredible pace. with
the surrounding countryside blurring past him. Reaching the island in a matter of minutes, Piccolo
was sickened at the sight that he beheld. Rettan was slowly becoming entwined in a mass of
oozing tendrils, while Vegeta and Trunks shot at the sand around her, destroying as many of the
black tentacles as they could. Powering up himself, Piccolo concentrated on reaching out to
Rettan's mind. Remembering the times when they tried it during training, Piccolo braced himself.
He could remember, that even for himself, Rettan's mind was closely guarded, she had to be, for
all that she had endured. Gritting his teeth, Piccolo growled, trying to push through the static that
the tendrils themselves seemed to be giving off.
Closing his eyes, he let his mind take over completely, leaving his physical form open for
an attack. At first he only searched out Rettan's ki, and through that he locked onto her,
searching for her thoughts, her feelings, her very soul. Finally, he sensed her mind, and he
reached out for it with his. He could feel relief in Rettan's thoughts, but that relief soon turned to
confusion, and then extreme fear. Not for herself, but for him. Piccolo felt the darkness begin to
overwhelm him, he could almost taste the despair in his mind.
With an overwhelming rushing sound, the Namek's mind was forced back into his body,
as a huge black tendril rose out of the fine white sand before him. He was barely able to register
the oozing tendril as it easily batted him out into the water. Piccolo skipped like a stone across
the waves until he finally plunged under the water.
Rettan's instincts took over when she felt that Piccolo was under attack. Knowing that
powering up would do her no good, Rettan pulled her katana from the sheath strapped across her
back, desperately trying to cut her body free of the ooze. She deftly cut so that the tendrils had
nothing to hold onto but razor sharp steel. She cut so close to her own skin that it looked as if
she was cutting into herself, but as the blade left one part of her body to attack the clinging
tendrils on another part, both Trunks and Vegeta could see that she remained unscathed. Not
being able to keep their hold on her any longer, the oozing black tentacles gave up on their attack
on Rettan and splashed to the ground. The tendrils conjoined and rushed to the large black blob
that had just hit Piccolo, sending him into the ocean.
Rettan felt completely drained, but she forced herself to stand, keeping her katana ready.
She searched the waters for Piccolo, and when she felt that his ki was still powered up, she quite
her worrying. She knew that the Namek could hold his breathe for a very long time, and she
smiled slightly at the memory of her and Piccolo's contest on who could stay under water longest
in the glacier lake that they claimed as their training grounds. Turning her attention back to the
writhing blob, she watched as it separated into seven different forms, each convulsing and
beginning to take shape. Rettan hissed under her breath as the blobs took on the forms of huge
black cats, each with flaming purple eyes. The cats, however, never fully formed. Rettan could
see a shifting muscle here, or a loose tendon there. The cats looked as if they were trying to turn
into something else, they looked as if they were actually struggling to get out of their own bodies.
Rettan grimaced, the stench of death clung to them.
There was one blob, however, that stood out from the rest. It constantly shifted from
what looked like a great cat to a cross between a great cat and a man. It kept it's glowing purple
eyes on Rettan, and she could see the natural hatred burning in them.
The beasts howled in unison, a sound that was caught between the bowels of hell and the
land of the living. Rettan could feel the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. Breathing
hard, Rettan could only manage two words.
"Oh, shit."
* * * *
The Queen watched with displeasure as the treacherous half-breed was able to free herself
of the grasping tendrils. Sighing, she realized that her Quatroe (Black Death) spell was only one
of hundreds that she had stored in the beasts arsenal of magicks. With an evil smile crossing her
now disfigured face, the Queen sat back, she was going to enjoy this.
* * * *
Deploying a contingent of powerful warriors to the planet Roganew, the Queen's superior
officers grinned at each other. The slave pens were running out of breeding stock, and
Roganewians were known for their prolific nature. The males weren't really needed, but the
children and women would make a great addition to the slave detail. Watching as several pods
blasted off into space the officers were confident that they would soon have another victory under
their belt.
* * * *
Okay, this is for everyone who read this fanfic before. I am totally sorry for changing the
storyline, but I really, really hated that I had Piccolo and Rettan mate. Really. It didn't bug me at
the start, but the more I thought about it, the more I hated it. I hated it so much that I didn't
want to write on this fic anymore. So I changed it. Sorry again. I beg your forgiveness, really.
But I really think the two can bond just as easily as friends. Okay, I know that a couple of you
are gonna be mad, but please resist the urge to flame me, PLEASE!?!