Three days before the Tournament, the Ox Kingdom was a chaotic bustle of excitement and hurried preparations. King Vegeta was pinching the bridge of his nose, eyes closed, as the crowd of people around him kept trying to talk over each other to get his attention. Strangely, Kakarot was standing on the opposite end of the room, arms crossed, seeming to find his predicament amusing. Scowling, King Vegeta suddenly bellowed, "ENOUGH!"
The room got very quiet.
King Vegeta turned to Radditz. "You. What is it?"
"My sister's been missing for days, and I can't find her anywhere," Raditz repeated, now that he could be heard.
"And how is that my problem?" King Vegeta asked, arms crossed.
Raditz scowled. "It's not, Sire. But, I need my brother's help, and he's been guarding you-"
"Kakarot!" King Vegeta said, glaring at his Royal Guard, who's face seemed to fall. "Go help your damned family, find your sister, don't come back until you do," he ordered. Kakarot scowled, but gave a single nod, and walked out of the room, followed by Raditz.
King Vegeta turned to Matou. "What?"
"Sire, we should have enough food for this thing, but not enough hands to prepare it," Matou said, keeping it simple and to the point.
"What about that boy, Baga?" Vegeta asked.
"I need two more like him. Five more if they're less capable," Matou replied.
Vegeta scowled. "What about the hybrids? You should have no shortage of hands," he reasoned.
"Useless in the kitchen, I've tried," Matou replied.
"Then go ask the Ox King. Go into the human cities if you have to," Vegeta said, then turned his attention to someone else as Matou bowed and left.
"What is it, Tarble?" he asked, a bit less roughly, though there was no hiding his annoyance.
"Brother, the Tournament is three days away, and we still don't have a way to organize it," Prince Tarble said, crossing his arms. After all, he had been trying to bring his brother's attention to that fact for days now, to no avail.
"Yes he does," a female's voice said, softly sighing as she walked into the room. The blue-haired queen scowled at the group of people clustered around her husband. She walked up to him, eyebrow raised, and people moved aside for her until she was standing beside Vegeta. He was smirking at her, and Bulma shot him a glare, then turned to the others. "I've created a computer program that will randomly pair contestants together. The matches will be held in the same domes we use for training, and I'm working on a holographic display that will allow everyone in the Arena to see the matches as they occur simultaneously. I have a system set up for the Preliminaries, the Semi-finals, and the Finals, no matter how many people decide to join in at the last minute," she said, crossing her arms smugly.
"Wow… you did all that?" Prince Tarble said, eyes wide.
"Of course she did. Do you expect anything less from my mate?" King Vegeta demanded. Smirks and looks of admiration lit up the people's faces, and Vegeta turned his eyes back to Tarble. "Prince Tarble, take care of the rest of this, let me know if any of it's important. You people are giving me a headache," he said, and turned and left the throne room, his hand on Bulma's back guiding her to follow him.
Once they were behind closed doors, Bulma turned, scowling at him. "You expected me to do that," she accused, arms crossed.
King Vegeta shrugged. "I did," he said, his arms also crossed.
"And what if I hadn't stepped in and saved your ass? What if I'd let you just try to figure your way out of your own mess?" she demanded.
"Then I'd know my faith in your abilities was misplaced," Vegeta said, eyes narrowed.
Bulma glared at him intensely. "So, that's my job, then? I'm supposed to bail you out every time you get yourself into trouble?!" she demanded.
Vegeta returned the glare. "You are my mate, aren't you?!" he retorted.
Bulma blinked at that. She'd thought he was being an ass for not even asking for her help, thought he was being irresponsible for not planning ahead, when… when he'd just trusted her to know what he needed, and to provide it to the best of her abilities. Tanmen had been right, after all.
But to show weakness now wasn't in her nature, any more than it was in Vegeta's to tolerate it. Bulma scowled at him, then leaned forward, pressing her lips to his forcefully.
The next instant, she was being pressed against the covers of their bed, his arms around her.
000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
Shouting could be heard all throughout the wasteland. Tienshinhan gazed at his students, arms crossed, as they sparred with each other in preparation for the big Tournament. He wanted them to get a feel for how strong their enemies were, to better prepare themselves for when they inevitably attacked. He'd told them to practice for a while without their turtle shells, so they'd get the hang of their newfound strength. And they had increased their strength…
But two of them had increased it a lot.
Maaya and Tasha sparred with each other fiercely, the force of their energy crumbling the ground at their feet, and causing cracks in the boulders around them. It made no sense… those two were always last to finish their daily chores, they always seemed to move more slowly, and have a harder time lifting heavy objects, than the others. Yet, here they were, fighting with such power. And Tien sensed they were still holding back. He narrowed his eyes at the two. "Maaya. Tasha. Come here," he called. The two girls glanced at each other, then stopped what they were doing, and came to stand before him.
"Yes, Master Tien?" Maaya asked meekly.
Tienshinhan frowned down at them. "How is it that my two weakest students are suddenly my two strongest?" he asked, noticing how the others stopped what they were doing and began to watch. He kept his eyes on the girls, who sent each other guilty glances. "Well?"
Tasha scowled. "Maybe 'cause we haven't been taking the shells off when you're not looking," she said, looking down. She, too, had been guilty of doing the same thing, before she'd started training with Maaya in secret. After having worn Maaya's turtle shell all the time, the way they were supposed to be doing it, she had felt less and less inclined to cover up for the others. After all… they were there to get stronger, not just play around.
Tienshinhan turned a glare at the others. "Is that true?" he demanded.
The others looked down in shame, confirming Tasha's accusation. One of them, a young boy, stuck his lip out. "But… Master Tien… they're just so heavy," he said, kicking the ground, earning nods from many of the others.
"Of course they're heavy! They're supposed to make you stronger!" Tien growled, causing the children to swallow their complaints. "What are you going to do when the Saiyans come to attack? Are you going to complain to them that they're hitting you too hard?" he accused.
One of the older boys, Ketsu, scowled at that. "Those shells get in the way of our movements, Master Tien. Why can't you just teach us how to fight like normal? At this rate, we'll never be able to stand up to the Saiyans," he said angrily.
"Do you all feel that way?" Tienshinhan asked the others. Everyone but Maaya and Tasha nodded. He turned to them. "You two. When you were sparring just now, you were holding back. Am I right?" he asked, eyes narrowed.
The two girls glanced at each other, and blushed. "Yes, Master Tien," they said in unison, looking down.
"Fight me. Both of you. Right now. And no holding back, because I won't be," he told them darkly, slipping off his own turtle shell.
Maaya and Tasha glanced at each other again, then scowled, taking up fighting stances as they faced off against him. The others watched in amazement, as in the blink of an eye, Tienshinhan sent a punch towards Maaya's face…
…only to be blocked by one small hand.
Behind him, a swift kick sped towards Tien's head, and he ducked just in time, spinning around to send a kick towards Tasha's side, which did not connect. The girls worked in tandem, moving swiftly, blocking effortlessly. Tien called more power to himself, and true to his promise, stopped holding back.
The battle that commenced lasted a full hour, before both girls had been slammed into the ground. Unsteadily, they pulled themselves to their feet, but a heavily winded Tienshinhan held up a hand, calling a stop to the spar.
"Enough," Tien said, catching his breath as he stood. The other students were standing by, watching with wide eyes and open mouths. He smirked at the girls. "That wasn't just the turtle shells that made you that strong. What was it?" he demanded.
"Prayer," a voice said from behind him, and Tienshinhan spun around to see a short bald teenager wearing a white robe, with half a symbol on it. "These girls have been asking us to help them get stronger. Go ahead, pick up their shells," Krillin said, and Tien walked over to Tasha and Maaya's shells, picking them up.
They were heavier than his own.
His eyes widened, and he looked at the two girls in surprise. "If you wanted to advance in your training, why didn't you just come to me?" he asked them, frowning.
The two girls glanced at each other, then back at Krillin.
"It's okay. Tell him. Don't worry, things aren't as dire as you think," he said gently.
Maaya bit her lip, and turned her eyes to Tienshinhan. "We were afraid… because… because we don't think the Saiyans are as bad as you do," she said.
"And they're not planning to attack us, either," Tasha added, scowling. "They're just minding their own business. They even…" she shared a glance with Maaya, who nodded. "They even offered to let me and Maaya join the EDS," she said.
Tienshinhan scowled at them, then turned to Krillin. "You knew about this?" he demanded.
Krillin returned his scowl with one of his own. "Upa and I asked you, Chiaotzu, and Twelve to train these children, in hopes of strengthening humanity. But instead, you've focused more on fostering your own hatred within them, instead of finding out what would motivate each of them to get stronger. Look at the strides these girls made, because they're training for something they believe in," he said.
Tienshinhan glared at the girls. "Those two are traitors, Guardian. You're helping them betray humanity, which means you're betraying humanity, too," he said, eyes narrowed at Krillin.
"You can't protect humanity by walking away from what makes us human," Krillin replied.
"How would you know what it is to be human? You stopped being human when you became a Guardian! How dare you judge us from your peaceful lookout, when we're the ones down here having to face the Saiyans?!" Tienshinhan yelled.
"The Saiyans aren't fighting us!" Tasha retorted, scowling. She looked to the other students. "He's so angry at the Saiyans, but haven't any of you noticed, we haven't been attacked by them once? We see them fly over all the time, don't you think they'd try to blast us or something if they really wanted to stop us? We've even been to the Ox Kingdom, and fought with one of them. They want us to get stronger, because they just like to get stronger, and they want someone as strong as they are, to fight with. Not 'cause they want to take over our planet. Just 'cause, when you fight against someone stronger than you are, then it helps you get stronger, too!" she said.
"You two are so naïve," Tien said, shaking his head in disgust. "Do you really think that the Saiyans don't have some hidden agenda for wanting to recruit you? Don't you see what they're doing? They need humans to breed with, to keep from dying out. That's all you are to them. Incubators for their offspring," he told them.
"That's not true!" Maaya said, scowling. "We've seen how they treat each other, and if you cared to go visit them, you'd see it, too! You're just so blinded by your anger, you can't see what's right in front of you!" she accused.
"Listen to her, Tienshinhan. She's right," Krillin said softly, his eyes sad.
Tienshinhan glared at them all. "To hell with this. You lot," he said, scowling at the other students. "If you want to learn martial arts, really learn it, then come with me. I'll show you how to truly strike fear in your opponent… the Crane School way," he said, sending a glare at Krillin.
"Finally," Ketsu murmured, and went to stand beside him, followed by a few more, then a few more after that. Only four stayed behind, the really young ones, who looked at each other hesitantly.
Maaya stepped forward, looking at the small children. "Tasha and I will get you guys somewhere safe, where they can find homes for you. Would you like that?" she asked them.
Their faces fell, and one of them, a little girl in pig tails, walked up to Maaya and motioned for her to bend down. When she did so, the little girl whispered, "Can we please stay with you and Tasha? We'll train hard…"
Maaya gave her a warm smile. "Sure you can," she said softly, and the little girl clung tightly to her hand, and the other three ran up to her and Tasha, hiding behind their legs from Master Tien's dark glare.
"Don't cross paths with us at the Tournament, traitors," Tienshinhan said darkly. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a capsule and opened it, revealing the sky bus they often used when they weren't training. The students that decided to stay with him filed onto the bus, and in no time they disappeared into the sky.
"Guardian…" Maaya said meekly, causing Krillin to look at her. "I just wanted to say… thank you. For helping us. I know things look scary, but… it helps to know you're watching over us," she said.
Krillin waved a hand. "Nah, don't mention it! I should be thanking you. I think we all got so caught up in whether the Saiyans were good or evil, we forgot to focus on whether we were good or evil ourselves. You helped remind us that being human means something, something more than just what species you are," he said. He smiled. "How about you guys come up to the Lookout to train, until the Tournament? There are some things that Upa and I would like to teach you," he offered.
The girls' faces lit up. "Now we're talking!" Tasha exclaimed. At Krillin's odd look, she fidgeted. "Oh, and… uh, sorry for not believing in you at first, Guardian," she said, embarrassed.
Krillin snickered. "Don't worry… if I wasn't one of the Guardians, I don't know if I would believe in us, either," he said, earning a wry grin from Tasha. "Now, everyone gather together," he said. Once they had, they were surrounded by a bright golden light, and soon began to lift up into the sky…
0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
The Ox King watched Kakarot argue with his brother Raditz from afar. He couldn't hear what they were arguing about, but the two of them soon split up, flying off in different directions. He wanted to follow Kakarot, but knew that doing so would give him away… the downside of his disguise was that a Saiyan would smell him coming from miles away. He needed to stay around the humans, to blend in. If he couldn't keep an eye on Kakarot, he could at least keep an eye on King Vegeta.
Besides, he had to sign up for the Tournament.
The Ox King felt the line he was standing in start to move forward, so he took another step. It seemed like every man from the Ox Kingdom was signing up for this thing; they all wanted to test their strength against the Saiyans, in the hopes that they could at least beat a few of them. Everyone knew King Vegeta would probably win, and unlike the Saiyans, none of the humans seemed to be gunning for the top; no, from the conversations he overheard, they considered making it past the preliminaries to be their ultimate goal. In fact, it seemed his grandfather had promised a sizable treasure to the human who made it the farthest in the Tournament. Which probably accounted for all the humans in line to compete.
Luckily for the Ox King, that included a number of humans from outside of the Ox Kingdom, so no one bothered asking who he was. He really hadn't given his disguise proper thought… of course everyone would know everyone else in such a small kingdom. After all, he knew most of his people.
He wondered how Prince Vegeta was faring in Saki's cavern. They had spent quite a bit of time there with the hermit lady's older self, and the crazy lady, while a genius in her own right, was a bit much to handle. The older Saki was paranoid, absent-minded, and hit on anything that moved (that she didn't kill, anyway), especially Prince Vegeta, despite the fact he was still a cub. Of course, most of that was probably from living alone all those years… Prince Vegeta was probably just fine…
00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
Prince Vegeta sneezed as he explored the dusty cavern. Saki had obviously not been here long, none of the robot sentries she'd been so proud of had been built, and there didn't seem to be a single booby trap in place. But, there was one thing that was here, that she had said had been here even before she came along…
There. Smirking, the small Saiyan prince flipped on the switch that powered this room, and all the lights and computer consoles came to life. On the wall, large as life, showed the surrounding solar system. The young Vegeta walked up to one of the computer consoles, entered a few commands, and the scene on the screen changed.
There, floating above one of the planets on the edge of their solar system, was a large, glistening white disk, waiting in the darkness.
His ship.
Vegeta's smirk grew as he gazed at what would one day be his. Beautiful, unscratched, ready for all the adventures he would take her on.
As though it had never met Dodoria.
As soon as the Ox King returned, hopefully with Kakarot still alive, then it would be his turn to change the past. Because, somewhere out there, Dodoria was-
The sounds of shouts and laser blasts interrupted his thoughts, and he scowled. What the hell was she doing now?!
000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
Saki held her laser aimed at the four policemen who had shown up at her cavern, guns drawn. She had been so entranced with the book she'd been studying, she hadn't noticed them until they had already entered.
That had to change…
"We're warning you, kid-" one of them began to shout.
"No, I'm warning YOU!" Saki yelled back, narrowing her eyes. "Go away, or I'll drill holes straight through you!"
"What the hell is all of this, Saki?" a short lavender-haired boy asked, as he entered the cavern, looking bored. One of the police officers turned his gun on him.
"Look, kid, you need to run out of here. This girl's a wanted criminal, she killed five people, and you might be next!" the officer said, scowling as he looked the boy over.
Vegeta raised an eyebrow at that, glancing back at Saki. "Five? What'd they do, try and steal your granola bars?" he asked, still sounding relatively unconcerned.
Saki looked down, her cheeks turning red. "I… I thought they were aliens," she said, embarrassed. She glared at the police officers. "What the hell else was I supposed to think? Aliens come and kill everyone in my city, and then, some more people show up, wearing strange suits and masks over their faces? Of course I killed them!" she said, scowling. "It's called survival, and I'm good at it. Come any closer, and I'll show you what I mean!" she said, her finger over the button.
"Look… I'm sure it was a mistake, and the judge will go easy on you, since you're a kid, and didn't know what you were doing. But, if you threaten us, and keep aiming a gun at us, we'll have no choice but to open fire, kid. If you want to survive, your best shot is to come with us right now," one of the officers, an older one, said calmly.
Saki blinked at that. Should… should she? She couldn't imagine a life where she wasn't running or hiding… should she just turn herself in? Those people had been innocent, after all…
But… that book…
Saki swallowed. "I'm sorry. I have a job to do. I can't go with you now," she said, preparing herself for a fight.
"You don't get it, kid. You don't have a choice," the older officer said. "We are officers of the law. You have to come with us, right now. Or else," he threatened.
"You don't have any jurisdiction over her," Prince Vegeta said, stretching and rolling his eyes.
The older officer glanced at him. "Kid, I thought we told you to beat it," he said.
The boy scowled. "You don't have jurisdiction over me, either," he said, walking over to Saki's side. "Forgive me for not introducing myself. I'm Vegeta, Prince of all Saiyans. And you are harassing one of my people. More importantly, you're annoying me," he said, his eyes narrowed.
The officers glanced at each other hesitantly, but one of them pointed, his eyes wide. "He… has a tail!" the officer said, pointing to the tail wrapped around the young prince's waist. But the older officer merely scowled at him.
"Look, I don't care who you are. This girl's a murderer, and we will bring her to justice! You Saiyans can't just nab people and call them yours! This is still our planet!" he said, aiming his gun now at Prince Vegeta.
Suddenly, a large hole appeared in his chest, and in the cavern wall behind him. His eyes glazed over as he tried to gasp for air, only there was no longer anything left of his lungs. The gun clattered to the ground, and seconds later, his lifeless body joined it.
Saki aimed her laser gun at the others. "I can't let you tell them where to find me," she said, eyes cold. She fired the laser at another officer, who turned to run at the last second, causing half of his head to disappear, as another perfect hole was drilled into the wall behind him.
The other two officers found their way out blocked by Prince Vegeta, who cocked his head at them. "Sorry, but she's right," he said, and lifted his hand, blasting both of them into nothing.
When he looked up, he was being attacked by Saki, who was smothering him in a tight hug. "Ugh… get off me!" he demanded, trying to wrestle her off of him without actually hurting her. She was pretty strong, for a human. Soon enough, however, she let go of her own accord, stepping back and looking down, cheeks red.
"Uh… Prince Vegeta," she said, kicking at the ground. "Did you mean that? That I was one of your people?" she asked.
The lavender-haired prince blinked at her, and frowned. "Don't read too much into it. I need you, for your skills. You said you'd do what I say, right?" he asked. Saki nodded quickly. "Then you're one of mine. Now, get back in there, and get back to studying that book. I'll take care of the trash," he said, referring to the two corpses still in the cavern.
"Yes, Prince Vegeta!" Saki said excitedly, and ran back into the cavern, practically beaming.
Prince Vegeta watched her go, and shook his head wryly. "Girls are weird," he muttered. At least she didn't seem to be as creepy as her older self…
000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
Maca gently wrung the water-soaked cloth over the man's open mouth. "That's it… just a little at a time. His throat muscles will naturally begin to swallow, but if you do too much, he'll choke," Twelve advised, watching her closely.
"And he needs water to make more blood, right? To replace what he lost?" she asked.
"That's right," Twelve said, nodding. "Hey, who knows, you might make a pretty good doctor one day," he said.
Maca blinked at that. "A doctor? Like Dr. Gero?" she asked.
Twelve grimaced. "No, that's not what I meant. He was a scientist. I meant, the kind of doctor who helps heal people," he said.
Maca grinned. "Like Uncle Turles," she said, easing more water into the sleeping man's mouth. "He tells people what's wrong with them, and gives them medicine to make them better," she said.
"Yeah, that's what I mean. You should think about doing that. I think you'd be good at it," Twelve said, faltering for a moment. He reached out for something to hold onto, and suddenly felt a chair behind his legs, and Maca's hand on his, guiding him to sit down. "You're really weak, aren't you?" she asked him as he did so, her voice subdued.
"Sorry…" Twelve said, trying to get his bearings. "My energy's almost gone," he said. He'd removed his heavy turtle shell yesterday, but he was still feeling less and less like he'd make it to the next sunset. Pretty soon, he wouldn't have the necessary energy to maintain his cognitive functions, much less to provide movement.
Maca frowned. "Is this what dying is? For… for androids?" she asked, gazing up at him innocently. "Is this how it's gonna happen for me?" she asked.
Twelve shook his head. "Maca… listen to me. Never forget the things that your family teaches you, that your sister and brothers teach you. It's… it's what makes you, you. I know you don't feel like a Saiyan, but a part of you will always be Saiyan, no matter what Dr. Gero did. Holding onto that, is the best thing you can do… because if you ever lose that part of you… then Dr. Gero wins," he said.
Maca blinked at that. "O….kay. That did not answer my question," she said, as the android's eyes began to close. "Twelve? Master Twelve?" she asked, trying to shake him awake.
His eyes remained closed.
Maca glanced at the man on the cot. "That guy is not gonna make it with just me cleanin' him up and givin' him water. He needs someone who knows what they're doing," she said, and looked back at Master Twelve, then down at her hand. "I've only done this with my sister… and it was to take energy, not to give it. But…" she bit her lip, and placed her hand on his chest. "I need you not to die… this guy needs you," she murmured, and closed her eyes. She concentrated on giving her energy, to him. Instinctively, the tiny little slivers of flesh emerged from her hands, piercing Master Twelve's chest, in search of where to put the energy. There…. it wasn't a heart, but a metal device, that was barely functioning. And… it was leaking… 'Ok, this thing sucks…' she thought to herself, not terribly impressed by this so-called genius and his handiwork. 'It should be more… like this…' she thought, allowing it to melt into her. Then, she put it together again, only this time, differently… this time, instead of metal and wires, it was a sort of heart, made of flesh, with wires emanating from it, connecting to the rest of his body. She poured her energy into it…
…and it began to beat.
When she removed her hand, she felt drowsy, and very hungry. Master Twelve's eyes fluttered open, and he gave her a confused look, gazing down at himself, and at the small handprint-shaped scar on his chest. "What… what did you do?" he asked, frowning.
Maca looked down at her hand. In her palm, she was holding the leftover bits of his energy unit that she hadn't used. "I re-made your energy unit. It was leaking energy. You must've cracked it," she said, holding up a cracked piece of metal for him to see.
Twelve gazed at the pieces, wide-eyed. "But… if those are the pieces of it… what's… what's giving me energy?" he asked.
Maca shrugged. "At the moment, I am," she said, yawning. "I put a piece of me inside you, and gave you some of my energy. But it ain't much… I didn't have too much to start off with."
"There's…. your cells are inside me?" Twelve asked, eyes wide with horror.
Maca rolled her eyes. "You're welcome," she said, shaking her head as she yawned again. "I need a nap. You mad at me? Gonna kill me in my sleep or somethin'?" she asked sleepily.
Twelve reached out, and placed a hand on her arm. "Maca… thank you. But, you shouldn't have done that. Some things are best left to die," he said, frowning.
"Not me, or you, or that guy," she said, jerking her head towards the man in the cot. She yawned again. "Do whatever, but… can ya please just save the guy? And stop being so ready to die all the time… it's annoying," she said, and walked towards the stack of spare blankets on the side of the tent. She knocked them over, and curled up into a ball on top of the haphazard pile, falling asleep almost instantly.
Twelve watched her, then looked down at his chest again. Thirteen… was a part of him, now. He swallowed. How long would it be, before her cells reproduced…
…before they took over him completely?
00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
Tanmen entered another name into the laptop Bulma had given her. "Ok… Sammy Black. Got it. Please take this number, it will tell you when it's your turn to fight," she said, handing the small piece of paper to the tall smelly man, who nodded and left. Next was a young dark-skinned girl, wearing a yellow dress with her hair tied back in a red bandana. Tanmen smiled. "Looking for someone, sweetie? Or are you here to join the fighting?" she asked.
"Here to join the fighting," the girl said, determination in her eyes.
Tanmen beamed at that. "About time some of the girls got in on this," she said, eyes shining. "What's your name?" she asked.
"Heaven Sora," she said proudly.
Tanmen smiled, and typed her name. "Heaven… Sora. Okay, you're added. Take this number, it will tell you when it's your turn to fight," she said. Before she handed the paper to her, she paused. "Uh… Heaven… do you have anything you can fight in? Dresses… aren't really a good idea…" she said.
Heaven frowned. "Uh… no, I don't… most of our money goes to our ingredients…" she said with a sigh.
Tanmen glanced down the table. "Hey, Snow! Can you sit in for me for a few minutes? I need to do something," she said.
The red-haired girl smiled easily. "Sure thing," she said, and sat down, looking for the next person in line. "Ok, next!" she called.
Tanmen gripped Heaven's hand. "Ok, Heaven, come with me!" she said excitedly. Tanmen led the younger girl out of the crowd, and cast her a glance. "Ready to be brave?" she asked the girl, with a grin. The girl gave a decisive nod. Tanmen moved behind her, and hooked two hands beneath her arms, taking to the air. Heaven saw everything grow distant beneath her with wide eyes, and laughed out loud at the sensation.
"Wow! You do this with just your energy?" Heaven asked in wonder, as they flew up towards the Upper Rows, where members of the EDS usually stayed, so they could be the first line of defense if there was an attack on the Ox Kingdom.
"That's right. You can learn it, too, if you want," Tanmen replied, eyebrow raised.
Heaven's expression fell somewhat as they landed in front of one of the curtained doors. "Yeah… I know. Before my dad died, I wanted to try out to join the EDS, but… with him gone, my mom needs help keeping the booth going…" she said solemnly. She fidgeted. "Momma wants me to be what I want to be, and I want to fight… but I also love to bake. I guess, I'm joining the Tournament, 'cause I want to see if I'm good enough to…"
"To give up one dream for another?" Tanmen asked, a look of gentle understanding on her face. Heaven nodded. "You know, it doesn't have to be either-or. Sure, training for the EDS will take up a lot of time, but you will still have part of the day to help your mother, and you'll be well taken care of," she said, as she led the girl into her small home, going to the shelf where she had outfits carefully folded. "I still have my clothes from when I was close to your age. One of these should fit you," she said as she went through each of them. "Here… try this on. Go ahead, I won't look, and no one else is here," she said, handing her the body suit. It was black, with a red sash around the waist. "It's supposed to be worn under armor, but if you're not used to it, you should fight without it. With your size, speed and flexibility are what you want to go for, not durability," she said, turning around so Heaven could get undressed.
"Yeah… that makes sense. I used to have a fighting gi, when my papa used to train me, but I' grew out of it," Heaven said, slipping out of her dress and into the black body suit. "Wow, this fits perfectly, Miss!"
"Call me Tanmen. Wow, that really suits you!" Tanmen said when she turned around. "Since it fits you, you can have it," she said, smiling.
Heaven bowed. "Thank you so much, Tanmen. This is so neat… I can't wait to fight in this!" she said excitedly.
Just then, a slap could be heard at the door, the equivalent of a knock for the Saiyan-style dwellings the Ox Kingdom was made of. "Come in!" Tanmen said, eyebrow raised in surprise. The curtain drew back, and a short spiky-haired Saiyan poked his head in. "Prince Tarble!" Tanmen said, her cheeks turning crimson. She had tried to speak to him the way Bulma had suggested the other day, but she had lost her nerve part-way through. She hadn't spoken to him since.
Prince Tarble entered the room, and saw Heaven. "Oh, sorry, Tanmen… I didn't realize you had company," he said.
Heaven was nothing if not perceptive. Smiling, she quickly gathered up her yellow dress. "Oh, I was just leaving. Thanks for the outfit, Tanmen! See you at the Tournament!" she said, and ran out the door giggling before Tanmen could stop her.
Prince Tarble blinked. "Oh… well, I guess I just came, because…" he began, then blushed as Tanmen turned away. "Uh… Tanmen… you were trying to tell me something the other day, and…" He took a deep breath. "Tanmen… our cultures are very different. I'm sure you know, in our culture, the… the females usually pursue the males… but… in yours, I think it's the other way around, isn't it?" he asked softly.
Tanmen's face was pure crimson, and she nodded, unable to speak.
Prince Tarble shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "Then… if that's the case… then I think the awkwardness between us is… is a result of… of our both wanting the same thing, but being afraid to ask for it…" he said, his cheeks also turning crimson.
Tanmen dared a glance at him, and bit her lip. "Prince Tarble… I…." she said, and swallowed past the dryness in her throat. "If you and I both want… the same thing…" she said, wringing her hands.
Prince Tarble's eyes focused on hers. "Tanmen…. we… we don't do the asking, because the females tend to think of what's important, and we tend to… only focus on… well…"
"I know. I've been getting tips and advice from everyone, but…" Tanmen said, continuing to wring her hands. "I just… why can I face monsters in battle, but I can't even…." she looked away.
Suddenly, two hands held hers, and her breath caught, as her eyes moved to meet Tarble's. "Do you want to ask if I'm interested in you? As… as a mate?" he asked bravely.
Tanmen swallowed, and nodded. "A-are you? I-interested, I mean?" she asked, her face turning an even deeper shade of crimson.
Prince Tarble smirked softly. "I… have been, since you kissed me…" he said, his blush deepening as well.
Tanmen bit her lip. "You know… that was to save your life… right?" she asked, her eyes searching his.
Prince Tarble blinked. "Then… maybe you should do it again…" he said softly.
"Maybe… you should…. kiss me…" she said breathlessly.
Prince Tarble smiled. "I think the only thing that will work with us… is if we both do it… together," he said.
Tanmen smiled, and gave a nod. "Together," she said in agreement.
Slowly, they each leaned forward, and pressed their lips to each other's, softly at first, then with much more intensity…
After a few blissful moments of that, however, Tanmen gently pushed him away, causing Prince Tarble to blink in confusion. Tanmen took a steadying breath. "In… in my culture… we don't… we don't rush in," she said, biting her lip.
Prince Tarble frowned slightly. "So… you haven't truly decided…"
"I have," Tanmen said, definitively. She unclasped her necklace, revealing it to be a strange black and white disk. "This… this is a yin-yang," she said, and pulled the disk apart, revealing it to have two interlocking pieces. "It's a symbol that means many things to my people..." she said, and handed him the white half of the disk. "I want you to keep this half with you. It's… it's my way of…"
"Of marking me?" Prince Tarble asked, an amused glint in his eyes.
Tanmen blushed deeply. "I… I don't want to do anything physical… until, you know, we've been…. well… acclimated to each other," she said, clasping the other half of the necklace back onto her neck. Seeing that he was having trouble with his, she gently reached around and clasped his necklace onto his neck, as well.
Prince Tarble looked down at it, and smiled. He then turned his eyes to Tanmen. "In my culture… there's also something we do, to signify a warrior has joined a family," he said, and tore a strip of cloth from his blue cape. Gently, he tied it tightly around her wrist, the one that held her red glove, so that it showed in stark contrast against the red beneath it. "You're mine, then, Tanmen. I'll wait for you… but, if you change your mind…"
"I know, and I won't. Not ever," she promised, her hand on the blue strip of cloth around her wrist. She bit her lip. "You should probably go… before…"
Prince Tarble nodded, but leaned forward, and gave her another kiss, causing her to melt into his arms. "I'll see you tomorrow, Tanmen," he almost whispered. Then, he turned and left the room.
Tanmen's knees were weak, and yet, she felt like she was going to burst. She… she had to…
Like a bolt of lightning, she flew out of her home and towards the Arena… and Queen Bulma's workshop.
00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
When Tanmen arrived at the workshop, something didn't feel right. She could hear one of the machines speaking, which wasn't that odd… but it was asking for her to select a program. Over and over.
It was annoying. "Bulma?" she called, walking over to the console. 'Surely she wouldn't have left this run-'
"Bulma!" Tanmen shouted, as she kneeled over the form of her friend, lying on the floor. She turned her over, and checked her pulse. Still alive. "HELP! SOMEONE HELP!" she yelled, knowing it wouldn't be long until someone did.
She wasn't wrong. Seconds later, King Vegeta had burst in, and was on Bulma's other side. "What happened?!" he demanded.
Tanmen shook her head. "I just found her like this," she said, frowning. The king gave her a nod, and placing a hand on Bulma's arm, pressed two fingers to his forehead, and disappeared.
Knowing where they went, Tanmen quickly left, heading straight for Turles's. King Vegeta's edict not to use instant transmission within the Ox Kingdom may not be strictly followed by many, due to the impossibility in enforcing such a law, but Tanmen was a stickler for rules.
She did, however, fly there as quickly as possible.
00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
Turles scowled over the computer console. "Hey, Zohan… look at this," he called to the human doctor. Dr. Zohan came over to look at the console. "What the hell is that thing?" he asked.
Dr. Zohan blinked, looking from Queen Bulma, to the readings. He raised an eyebrow. "Well… it's a device many young women have inserted, to…"
"To what?" King Vegeta demanded, scowling. Tanmen, however, blushed, glancing away.
"Well, Sire, to regulate their menstruation, and, quite frankly, to prevent pregnancy," Dr. Zohan said, cocking his head. "Queen Bulma's had it in since she was a teenager, if memory serves from reading her medical reports," he said.
King Vegeta's eyes narrowed. "She's… preventing pregnancy?" he asked, not exactly sure how he felt about that.
Turles smirked. "Not that it's working very well… look what else we found, Sire," he said, moving the monitor where the king could see it. Turles pointed to something else… something unmistakable.
"She's with cub!" King Vegeta said, a slow smirk appearing on his face. A slow burning pride began to form for the child strong enough to blatantly ignore the technology designed to prevent its very existence. But then, his face fell. "Then, why is she unconscious?" he demanded.
"Dehydration," Dr. Zohan said.
"And vitamin deficiency," Turles added. As Dr. Zohan began to start an IV, Turles pulled out a syringe of a strange green liquid, and inserted it into the line, turning the clear liquid a pale green. "When she comes to, she needs to eat raw. Make sure it's fresh, humans are highly susceptible to food-borne illnesses. Preferably liver, I'll give Matou a list of foods she needs to bulk up on. She needs to eat at least six times a day, if not more… humans only have one stomach, and they digest food slowly, so she needs to be always eating something. Keep an eye on her, make sure she doesn't pass out again, make sure she drinks at least a gallon of water a day. Have her talk to Raditz's mate, Launch; that woman's becoming an expert on bearing half-Saiyan cubs," he said.
King Vegeta scowled. "So… I'll need to remain with her while she's pregnant…" he said, glancing down at his mate, as the blue-haired queen's eyes began to flutter open.
"Wh… what happened? Vegeta? Where am… oh, god, I passed out again, didn't I?" she groaned.
"AGAIN?!" Vegeta demanded, scowling at her. Turles rolled his eyes.
"Like I said. Watch her," the medic said, and double-checked the IV. "Queen Bulma, I'm happy to inform you that, despite all your attempts to prevent such a thing, you're having a cub. Eat what you're told to eat, drink what you're told to drink, rest when you're told to rest, and you just might survive the process. I have no doubt your cub will take whatever it needs from your own body otherwise, and rip its way out of your desiccated corpse should you choose to ignore my advice, because any child of the two of you has got to be a force to be reckoned with," Turles said.
Dr. Zohan gave Turles a dubious look, then turned his eyes to Queen Bulma. "We can remove the IUD once the cub is born. It isn't really healthy for the cub, but it seems he or she has already built up an immunity to it, so we should be safe leaving it in there for now. At this point, it's more of a choking hazard for the cub than anything…" he said with a patient smile.
Bulma blinked as she took in all the information. "Oh, yeah… I forgot about that thing," she said, raising an eyebrow as she glanced at Vegeta, who was scowling at her. "What? Do you remember every little thing doctors put in your body?"
"Of course I do… it's my body!" Vegeta said, incredulously.
Bulma shrugged. "Well, I guess it doesn't matter now… human technology seems to be no match for Saiyan genetics," she said with a wry smile, which caused Vegeta's expression to turn from exasperated to merely smug. She looked down at her arm. "Uh… Turles? When's this thing gonna be done? I need to get back to work…"
"You are going home to eat and rest. No more work for you until you can go for at least a week without passing out!" King Vegeta said, glaring at her.
Bulma returned the glare. "I can't go that long without working, any more than you can go that long without training!" she retorted. "What are you going to do, give up your duties as king, not to mention training, to watch me every minute of the day?" she taunted.
"Sire…" Tanmen said, stepping forward. King Vegeta glanced her way. "I'll keep an eye on her. I won't leave her side, and I'll make sure she follows the doctor's orders," she said evenly.
"What? Look, guys, I'm not a child…" Bulma protested, but was interrupted by Vegeta, who was looking straight at Tanmen.
"Do you think you have what it takes to stand up to her?" he asked, eyes narrowed.
"I won't let anything bad happen to her, or her cub, I swear it," Tanmen said, her voice calm, but rock-like determination in her eyes. Turles froze, watching what happened next very closely.
"Look, I can take care of myself!" Bulma protested, but neither Vegeta nor Tanmen were listening to her. After a long moment, Vegeta spoke.
"Your life for hers, then… royal guard," he said, and turned his gaze to Bulma. "Do everything she tells you to. I'm authorizing her to use whatever force necessary to get you to comply. I will not hear that you have passed out again because you refuse to take care of yourself!" he growled, and turned and left with a flutter of his cape.
Tanmen blinked. "Um… what just happened?" she asked.
"You just became Queen Bulma's Royal Guard," Turles said, shaking his head. "Shoulda just let him deal with it… stupid humans," he muttered as he went back to his computer console.
"My life… for hers? Does that mean…?" Tanmen asked, but Bulma interrupted her.
"It means my husband's an arrogant prick, who thinks he can take whatever he wants. You don't have to be my royal guard, Tanmen, Vegeta's just being stupid," Bulma said, scowling.
Tanmen scowled back. "No. He's right. You need someone who will be with you every minute of the day, and keep you from hurting yourself or the cub. And if I have to stake my life on it, then so be it. I'd be honored to be your royal guard," she said bravely.
Bulma sighed. "I don't suppose you'll let me break the rules, then? Even a little?" she asked, knowing full well what the answer would be.
Tanmen raised an eyebrow. "I thought you knew me, Bulma," she said, crossing her arms.
"I do…" Bulma said, groaning as she covered her eyes with the back of her hand. "I'm never getting out of this, am I?" she asked plaintively.
Tanmen smiled sweetly. "Not even a little."
A/N: Okay, hope you guys enjoyed that! When will the actual fighting happen, you ask? Why, in the next chapter! The Tournament will begin (FINALLY), and we will have our first preliminary round!
Now, for those of you who haven't been fidgeting while reading this, waiting for the actual fighting to begin, and are more interested in the back story… I'm sure you all have questions. What will happen to Maca? Is Twelve going to become a mutant? What will happen if Tienshinhan faces his former students in the Tournament? If Turles isn't in the dome with Ruta anymore, then where's Ruta? And, most importantly… will Tanmen tell Bulma that she finally popped the question to Prince Tarble? (hehe… in case you guys thought I dropped my girl card or something) Yes, all of those questions will be answered, too.
Stay tuned for the next episode of Dragonball ASF!
