Empire: A Family Affair
Chapter 13: Influenced
Bra rolled her right shoulder around, trying to ease the soreness of it. She was waiting to be let off the ship. They had arrived back at Vegeta-sei in near record time. She spent most of the trip training with her father instead of bots and other sparring partners on one condition: she had to learn the language of Vegeta-sei.
"If you want to rule, the first thing you must know is how to speak our language," he had said to her. After she said it was useless as it was a language only used in homes, Vegeta had struck a nerve. "The boy knows the language inside and out; as well as several other planetary languages."
That had been enough to make Bra spend half her days learning the language and the other halves training with her father. She was now sporting a pretty nasty bruise on her right shoulder. What troubled her most at the moment was not her shoulder, though. It was the aching in her head and the violent whispers of death. The princess had never slain anyone before; at least not intentionally (as far as she knew). She had no idea where these thoughts were coming from. They did not even seem as though they were her own.
But at the same time, they were her inner voice.
"What ails you, brat?" Vegeta asked as he stepped up next to Bra.
Bra visibly flinched. Her mind was so preoccupied that she had not even sensed her powerful father approaching. She shook her head quickly. "Nothing, Daddy. My shoulder is just a little sore."
Knowing she was lying through her teeth, Vegeta decided to let it slide and simply nodded. When she was ready, she would tell him her problems; she always did. Unlike his son, Bra felt much more comfortable talking with her father. Trunks was far more open with his mother. Vegeta was not surprised by that, as he had been the same way.
The moon's influence is probably already getting to her. I wonder who the unlucky soul she encounters will be. Heaven forbid that this soul think he is lucky, he thought.
Vegeta never explained the influence the moon had over the Saiyans to Bra. The most she knew was that when they looked directly at a full moon, they transform. She knew that her tail was the purpose of that. She had seen her father do it once on Earth as a simple demonstration for her when she was... smaller. She herself had never transformed because her mother kept her inside during Earth's full moons.
Other than that, Bra knew nothing about the full moon's influence; especially Vegeta-sei's moon, which was much larger than Earth's measly ball of dust. Vegeta wondered briefly if he should tell her or just allow nature to take its course. He was certain that as the full moon drew nearer, she would come to him and ask just what the hell was wrong with her. She always came whining to him.
I should tell her, but if I do she'll simply take it to mean a challenge and rush forth into it without giving it a second thought. It'll be far easier to control her if she comes to me about it, which she will, Vegeta mused as the gate to the ship opened. He could feel his son and his friends waiting just outside.
Trunks watched as his father sauntered off the ship. He raised an eyebrow when he noticed Bra just behind him. He appeared even more shocked when he saw Marron walking next to his sister. He had not seen her in a few years, but the sight of her was indeed a pleasant one.
"Who's she?" Paris asked Goten.
"That's Marron, the Senior Delegate's daughter. I didn't know she made friends with Bra," Goten said quietly.
Marron saw the prince and tried to not to smile. He had often spent his training breaks on Earth and most of his time traipsing about the cities and palaces with her and Goten. It was good to see them both again. She looked to her left at Bra. She narrowed her eyes when she noticed the hard look she was giving the group of teenagers.
"Princess, are you okay?" she whispered.
Bra snapped out of her trance with a few blinks. She glanced over at Marron. "I'm fine," she replied curtly.
"I didn't know you were returning with Bra, Father," Trunks said as Vegeta came level with him.
"Hn. The brat was restless on Earth. She can stay for this silly event and then she's going back to finish her lessons with the woman. Have you made any progress?" Vegeta asked, never breaking his stride. The six others followed after him, trying to keep up with his brisk pace. Only Trunks remained by his side.
"As a matter of fact, I have. I hope you don't mind but we borrowed the terrain simulator from your training room in Aenire." Trunks watched his father glare at him through his peripheral vision. "It's just for the tournament."
"I told you that this was your event to set up. Do what you must." Vegeta stopped and rounded on the teenagers. "Stay out of my way. Brat, you will go see the scribes in the library for your lessons in the mornings. After that, you will go to the training facilities. Your assignments will be there," he said.
"Yes, Daddy," Bra said, sounding like she was in a hypnotic stupor. She was staring directly in front of her. Vegeta seemed to ignore his daughter's strange behavior and continued on without them. Bra shook her head. She turned towards her brother's friends. "Anyone up for a spar before dinner?" she asked.
The older kids looked among each other. Paris looked at Bra. "I don't mind one," she said plainly. Personally, Paris needed a challenge. Goten and Trunks still refused to fight her on an even keel and Liss was not nearly as strong as her.
Bra nodded. "Let's go." She turned and stalked off towards the palace's training facility. Paris followed quickly after her.
Goten was first to catch up with them. "Paris, are you sure you want to spar with the princess?" he whispered.
Paris chuckled softly. "Afraid I might hurt her, Goten? I had no idea you cared so much," she said.
"It's not that," Goten said. He looked ahead of them and saw how briskly Bra walked. Something was definitely up with the princess. He rarely saw her so serious, even if it had to do with fighting.
Trunks, Goten, Liss, and Marron went to the observation area of the training room. Trunks pressed the intercom. "Okay, this will be best of three takedowns. Would you ladies like the gravity on?" he asked. He seemed oblivious to his sister's behavior.
"Whatever," Bra called. She had her back to them. "One hundred times normal gravity okay for you?" she asked Paris. Paris simply shrugged.
When the gravity simulator came on, both girls visibly felt it. Both had trained under such conditions. Bra had only recently gotten used to this type of gravity while training with Vegeta on the ship. She had a hard time throwing full force blows, but there was one thing she had on her side.
When Paris attacked at first, it took a moment to realize she was only swinging at air. The next second, she was kissing the floor. It was not a particularly strong blow the princess had dealt her. However, she had not expected Bra to be so fast; especially not in this gravity.
"Wow. Her speed has increased a lot since we last sparred. I didn't think she would be so fast under this gravity yet. Father must be working her hard," Trunks observed. The others simply nodded numbly as they watched the other two girls go at it in the air.
Paris landed a punch in Bra's midsection. The princess doubled over. Paris then sent her to the ground with an elbow to her back. Bra landed harder than she would have liked due to the gravity. Paris followed her. Bra pushed herself up and off the ground, narrowly avoiding Paris' next blow. Paris managed to slow herself enough to land on her feet. She turned her head to see Bra's foot coming towards her. She grabbed Bra's ankle and threw her towards the far wall.
"Play to your strengths. Your size enables you to be agile and speedy. Think when you fight. Keep a clear mind. When you are over-powered, use your strengths to your advantage to avoid exposing your weaknesses." Bra remembered her father's words. She quickly turned her body so that her feet landed on the wall. She rebounded off of it and flew towards Paris.
Fucking foolish to attack head-on, princess, Paris thought, a smirk coming to her face. She waited until the last moment to swing. Once again, she was swinging at air. With her fist hanging in the air, Bra reappeared right in front of her and decked Paris right in the jaw. The older girl slammed into the ground, knocked dizzy.
"Looks like Bra has taken round one!" Trunks said through the intercom.
"You shouldn't underestimate me," the princess said. Bra approached Paris and held out her hand. Rubbing her jaw, Paris took it and stood. "Another round." It was not a request. Bra turned around and walked a good distance from Paris. The moment Bra turned back around to face Paris, she was punched.
The spectators all winced as Bra was knocked into the wall. Marron frowned. "That was a sucker punch!"
"No one said there were any rules," Goten said. He glanced over at Trunks. The prince's big brother instinct was starting to kick in. His glare had become more prominent. In the first round, he had not worried too much about Bra's wellbeing. But he knew how competitive Paris could be and when she was losing, she forgot the common courtesies of sparring. Cheap shots became fair game to her.
For all her speed, Bra was beginning to find it tedious trying to dodge and block everything Paris was throwing at her. Obviously, the girl hated losing. That or she was definitely not used to it. Despite her obvious anger, Paris' blows were accurate as well as powerful. She caught Bra in the stomach with a kick, sending the princess back to the ground. Bra coughed as she landed on her knees.
"Trunks, who is more powerful?" Marron asked, never taking her eyes off the fight.
Trunks shrugged. "At the moment, Paris is stronger. Bra is faster, though. This will probably come down to tactics. On that front, I have no idea who's better," he answered, looking at Marron. He was surprised she could follow the fight. Most humans could not follow when two Saiyans fought.
Bra was dealt a particularly painful blow to her side. As she winced, she was knocked backwards by a hook to her jaw. She hit the floor hard, nearly losing consciousness. Paris really was physically stronger than her. It was clear that it was going to a third round.
"You've won this round, Paris," Trunks said before Paris could advance on his sister. He looked at Bra. She was making her way to her feet. He could see her left eye beginning to swell. Both girls were pretty bruised up. "Are you up for one more round, Bra?" he asked.
"What the hell do you think?" Bra growled.
Goten glanced back at Trunks. "This is going to get ugly. Neither one of them like to lose," he said. It was more a warning than a statement. Trunks simply nodded.
Bra and Paris were now circling each other. The two eventually flew towards each other. In a surprise move, Bra put her hands on the floor, kicking upwards. Paris managed to barely dodge her feet. She kneed Bra in the stomach, flipping her over. Bra gained her footing back to see Paris running towards her. Bra immediately dropped to the floor and swept her leg underneath Paris, tripping her up. As Paris fell forward, Bra punched her. She ran after Paris' falling form. The other girl turned quickly, kicking Bra in the face and sending her backwards again. They both landed on the ground, breathing hard.
The princess wiped her mouth. She looked down at her hand and saw the blood. As she stared at her own blood, she failed to notice Paris charging towards her. She did not seem to notice Paris' attack. However, she did grab Paris' arm as it came close to her head. Bra pulled her forward and smashed her forehead against Paris'.
Vegeta blinked. There was something strange about his daughter's energy. It was spiking violently. The fluctuations had already been present but now it was dangerously high. He doubted his daughter would have control over her next actions.
The moon has more influence over her than I initially thought, he thought. Figuring Trunks and Goten would be able to subdue her, he monitored the situation as he continued to listen to the council report to him.
Liss and Marron visibly winced at the attack. Both Bra and Paris now sported bloody marks where their heads made contact. As Paris was falling back, Bra grabbed her again. She pulled her into a punch. Without letting go, Bra twisted around, taking Paris' left arm with her. She heard the somewhat satisfying crunching sound of bones breaking. She finally released Paris, sending her into the ground.
"Trunks, this is getting out of hand," Goten said.
"You're right." Trunks stood up and rushed out of the room.
Bra jumped up and towards Paris' fallen body. She landed hard, planting her knee right in Paris' ribcage, breaking several of them. Then she straddled her opponent and began pummeling her. Paris was not exactly taking the beating lying down. Even though she was at a clear disadvantage, she still tried to fight Bra off. They barely noticed the gravity in the room being shut off, although it made breathing slightly easier for Paris. Bra did not hear her brother yelling for her to stop. All she heard was what sounded like her blood being pumped by her heart. Her only intent at the moment was to cause Paris as much pain as possible. She intended to kill the girl. If she killed, maybe the voices would go away. Maybe the rushing blood would stop. Before she could deliver what would be the final blow, she was yanked backwards, pulled into a full nelson by someone much stronger than herself.
Trunks held his sister as tight as he could without hurting her. She struggled in his arms. He dragged her back and away from Paris. Goten tended to the other girl. She was barely recognizable after the vicious beating Bra was giving her. She still managed to sit up and glare at Bra through her bloody and swollen eyes.
"Paris, calm down. We need to get you to a tank," Goten said, trying to get the girl to relax.
Bra watched the two. She continued to fight in her brother's grasp, growling and screaming. Sighing, Trunks released her. Before she could do anything, Trunks phased in front of her. He planted his fist in her stomach. Bra's eyes widened. She stumbled back and fell to her knees. Before she hit the floor, she had lost consciousness.
Goten walked up to him as he gathered Trunks hoisted his sister up on his back. "What the hell was that about?" he asked.
"I don't know exactly. It wasn't like she was in one of her rages. Her power was too erratic for that. She was just... violent. Get Paris to the tanks. I'll meet you there after I drop Bra off."
Vegeta rested his head in his hand as he listened to his council go on and on about fiscal matters. Once again, the Galactic Council was concerned about the Saiyan Empire making too much money. "Why does it matter how much money I make?" he grumbled.
Bardock cleared his throat. "The logical answer to that is they don't think it is good for... their authority. It makes it seem as though the empire is a monopoly," he said.
Vegeta raised an eyebrow as he looked at the senior councilman. "In other words, they're afraid of us," he said bluntly. Bardock cleared his throat and simply nodded. "That's the biggest load of bullshit I've ever heard. I don't doubt it's true though."
"Perhaps that is why they want this tournament; use it as a chance to spy on the empire and see how things are run," Paragus said.
"I agree. We should tighten security up more as the tournament date nears. I daresay that the prince is certainly doing a fine job of getting things together. By the way, a few days ago the base on Ganymede reported seeing a suspicious craft heading towards Earth. Should we alert the forces on Earth of potential danger?" Bardock asked.
Vegeta nodded. "Yes. Send two squads of Elite and first-class soldiers. I don't want an incident," he said. "Is that all?"
"That's everything, sire," Bardock said.
Vegeta nodded and stalked back out of the room. He needed to find his kids. Bra's energy was no longer irregular. Now it appeared that she was unconscious. He could tell she was in her quarters with Marron. Trunks and Goten seemed to be in infirmary.
I wonder who she tried to kill, Vegeta thought with a slight smirk.
He found Goten and Trunks arguing while standing in front of a healing tank. Vegeta recognized the girl inside as Goten's... Well, he did not know what their relationship was exactly. She looked like she had gotten her ass handed to her. The other girl that was usually with them was sitting and watching the two boys argue. Vegeta cleared his throat loudly.
Trunks faced his father. The king just crossed his arms over his chest. "Hey, Father. I thought you had..."
"What happened here, boy?" Vegeta cut his son off.
"Well, Bra got a little carried away during the sparring session." Trunks gestured towards the healing chamber.
"She went crazy," Goten said loudly. He noticed Vegeta narrow his eyes and swallowed. "Sorry, but that's the only way I can describe it. Trunks had to knock her out before she killed Paris. She barely stopped when Trunks pulled her off."
Vegeta raised an eyebrow. "Your sister is feeling the effects of the moon. She's going to get extremely violent. Although she is young, her body says otherwise." The king placed a hand to his temple. "It's times like these when I wish the brat was a boy."
"Why? Can't she just do what I did during my first full moon? All I did was go out and kill something while transformed. I felt loads better afterwards," Trunks said. Goten nodded; he'd done the same.
"How I wish it was that simple. Usually, that would do the trick. However, the brat is... different. Females in general are different. There's a reason why most go into hiding during the full moon," Vegeta said.
"He's right," Liss said quietly. Everyone looked at her. "Women... change. We feel different. I was only ten, but I could tell the difference. My parents sent me to this camp. Paris came too. We stayed there for the duration of the full moon."
"So what does Bra have to do to satisfy whatever need she's feeling?" Trunks asked.
Vegeta shook his head, trying not to think about it. He needed to consult with his wife. He turned and left the boys and Liss alone.
"Wow. It must be pretty bad if Father's that wound up about it. But, you're a girl too, Liss. Why aren't you all nuts like Bra?" Trunks asked, looking back down at the girl.
Liss shrugged. "The feelings are easier to deal with the second time around. Besides, we're older now. However, Paris is naturally more inclined to fight than I am. That's part of the reason why she was so fierce against the princess during the spar. That and the fact that she doesn't like to be bested by anyone."
Bra opened her eyes. She blinked a few times. Her face felt heavy and her left eye hurt. She knew without touching it that her face was swollen. She felt someone rubbing something over her wounds. She turned her head and saw Marron over her.
"Hello there. Feeling any better?" Marron asked.
"What happened?" Bra managed to whisper through puffy lips.
"Your sparring match got a little out of control. I think it's safe to say you won, though."
"I won? How?"
"Well, you're here and your opponent is in a healing tank. Like I said," Marron picked up some bandages, "you won."
Bra hummed as Marron started wrapping her arm in the bandages. "I barely remember the third round. There was this awful rushing sound and pounding in my head. Felt like I was underwater or something. The only thing I can remember clearly is seeing..." She stopped herself short.
Perhaps I should keep that to myself until I ask Daddy just what the hell is wrong with me, she mused. She was a bit shocked at her language, as she rarely cursed in her own thoughts. Bra sat up slowly, holding her abdomen. I guess my body isn't completely used to that gravity after all.
"Are you hungry?" Marron asked as she put away the medical supplies. Bra mumbled something that sounded like a yes. "Then I'll have some food brought to you. You just stay there and rest." The blonde human got up and left Bra's bedroom.
Bra noticed the moonlight that flooded her room. She could not help but to look at it through the sheer white drapes. She felt the voices become louder before managing to pull her gaze away. By the next month it would be completely full. She was a bit afraid of what was going to happen.
Bulma walked out to her balcony. It was nighttime on Earth. Her little alien bodyguard was perched on the railing, staring up at the stars. She had a feeling at what he was looking for; she'd already spoken with Vegeta. She walked up next to him and leaned over the balcony.
"Something coming for Queen," Buu said.
Bulma smirked and followed his gaze. "Is it something we should be worried about?" she asked.
"Buu thinks it might be his master."
"I see. At the speed in which the ship is moving, it should reach Earth in a little over six months. Considering how fast our spacecrafts move, that's fairly slow. Is this master of yours powerful?" Bulma asked.
Buu shook his head. "Master was afraid of Buu, so Buu thinks he is more powerful than master. But master had magic powers," he answered.
"Magic, you say? Well, you still plan on protecting me and Earth right?"
"Buu promised to protect Queen. Queen is important to Bra. Buu will not let harm come to Queen or Queen's home. Buu no longer follows that master."
Bulma nodded. She knew he would most likely stay on the balcony for the duration of the night. She walked back inside and returned with a plate of cakes. Buu took them happily and went back to staring up at the sky.
At least his loyalty will not sway. However, I don't know what kind of power this "master" of his possesses though. It could bring Buu back under his control. Hopefully, Buu is strong enough to fight it, she thought as she got into her bed. What's even more disconcerting is Bra's condition. I hope Vegeta knows what he's doing...
Two weeks later, Goten was overseeing construction in the stadium outside of Venova along with Trunks and the other girls. Marron had accompanied them as Bra was doing her language studies.
"So... How exactly do these machines you've installed work?" Paris asked Trunks. She was still a bit salty about losing to the princess. They gave each other nasty looks every time they saw one another. At times, she would take her saltiness out on Trunks and sometimes Goten. Trunks did not take up for his sister, but Goten constantly did which saved him the trouble. His recurrent excuse was that Bra was "still new to being a teenager."
"The final rounds will take place in a pocket dimension..."
"In simple terms, Trunks. I don't know what a pocket dimension is," Paris snapped.
Marron rolled her eyes. "A pocket dimension is just that: a dimension within our dimension that can be created and destroyed at will. Since the prince expects only the strongest fighters to make it into the later rounds, they cannot very well fight in this venue without destroying it. That's why he's creating pocket dimensions; so the final fighters may be free to fight without fear of hurting others."
Trunks and the others all stared at Marron in awe. A smile came to the prince's face. "I don't think I could've explained it better. Thanks," he said.
Marron blinked at his compliment. She turned away from him quickly. "Thanks," she mumbled.
"Let's go back. I'm starving," Goten said, turning away from the construction zone. The Saiyans all agreed. Marron sighed, having no choice but to follow them.
Bra tried to concentrate on the different rune-like letters that involved her father's native language. She'd been told the official name of said language was Saiyago. It made no difference to her. She still saw it as useless, but if Trunks could learn it as well as several other languages, so could she. But her attentiveness was not nearly what it should be. She started listening to what the voice in her head was screaming at her. It did not help that a certain someone's face kept appearing in her face. Even after trying to avoid said person, she always seemed to think of them. It was getting tedious. Finally, the princess slammed her pen down.
Her assigned scribe, an old man named Kosho, looked up as the princess stood up. "Is something wrong, your majesty?" he asked.
"I need to speak with my father. I promise I'll make my lessons up double tomorrow." Bra ran off, leaving the old man in the library.
Trunks and friends were entering the dining hall just as Bra rounded the corner. She saw them and immediately ducked into another corridor. The other five all looked around at each other.
"That was strange. You'd think she was running from us," Marron said as they all filed into the dining hall.
Trunks snorted. "She's not avoiding US, per se. However, she IS avoiding Goten. She's been avoiding him like the plague," he said.
"She is not! What did I do to her?" Goten pouted slightly. "I haven't done anything but be nice to her."
"I thought she was avoiding me. The most I get is a nasty glare when we cross paths. I thought she was at least on good terms with you, Goten. You know? Seeing how you're always kissing her ass," Paris said, playfully pulling his hair. "Maybe you should just talk to her and see what's up her ass."
Goten shrugged at her suggestion. "Right now, I just wanna eat."
Kakarrot stopped his assault on Vegeta. "She's coming, Vegeta." He looked at his opponent. Vegeta'd already headed over to shut off the gravity simulator. Chuckling, Kakarrot patted Vegeta's shoulder, earning a low growl from the king, "I'll be taking my leave now." Kakarrot left the room through a side door while chuckling.
The king could also feel his daughter's troubled soul approaching him. He was surprised she'd lasted so long without seeking counsel from him. If he didn't know any better, he would think the princess was a little shy about talking to him. Fat chance, he thought with a snort. It was only five more seconds before the girl in question burst into his private training room. Vegeta just crossed his arms and waited patiently.
"Hello, Eschalot," he said.
Bra raised an eyebrow. It was no surprise he knew she was coming. After all, he could sense everyone. But, did he know what she wanted? He used her real name. Obviously, he did. She slowly came to a stop about five feet from him. "Hi, Daddy."
"Don't play coy with me, brat. Tell me what's on your mind. Or rather what it's telling you to do," Vegeta said.
"Um, okay." Bra looked down at the floor for a moment. "It's awful, Daddy! I keep thinking horrible, horrible thoughts. I mean, I'm not against violence or anything. I like fighting. However, I keep thinking I should do very bad things to, um, someone. But another part of me doesn't want to do those things. I don't want to hurt... them."
Vegeta almost smirked. He knew if he did, she would probably run away from him in a fit of anger. Instead, he focused on how she was going through great lengths not to reveal who this someone was. He just continued to stare at her.
Bra could feel her father's piercing gaze on her. He wanted her to look at him. She could not bring herself to do it. She felt almost guilty about the foul thoughts she'd been having. They were not befitting of royalty, but rather of some heathen.
"Brat, look at me," Vegeta implored in a firm voice. She complied slowly. "There's nothing wrong with you. I'm actually surprised you managed to refrain from acting upon those thoughts. I know that it took a great deal of willpower. Most your age have already experienced this before. However, seeing how your actual age does not coincide with your body, that you are having a tougher time is no surprise. Because of that, you must actually... satisfy these urges rather than delay their effect."
"So, you know what's happening? Is it something I can fix? Do I have to meditate? Do I have to go back to Earth? What is it?" Bra asked eagerly. She was hopeful her father had the answer.
Vegeta groaned inwardly. "The object of these thoughts," he began, "is the solution."
Bra shook her head. "But I don't wanna harm... them. I don't wanna kill them. Why would I do that?"
"You don't have to kill them." Vegeta went along with her. He was not sure he wanted to know who she was having these thoughts about. He could easily find out via telepathy, but that would be a complete breach of her privacy. "Just attack them."
"Attack? But why would I do that?"
"Just listen to what I say," Vegeta said loudly, restraining himself from outright yelling at her. This was hard enough without her interrupting him every time he spoke. "Walk right up to them and deliver a haymaker. Then simply walk away. Whatever happens after that... happens." The words were almost painful to say.
Bra noticed the sick look on her father's face. She got the feeling that this was somehow like the OTHER talk about "becoming a woman" she'd had with her mother before coming back to Vegeta-sei. Only this one was something she had to hear from her father and her father only.
"Okay, Daddy. This won't hurt will it?"
"I hope not, princess," he mumbled. It was barely audible, but Bra heard him. She bounced forward and hugged her father. No matter how much Saiyan was in her, she was still HUMAN enough to hug her favorite person in the universe. Then she let go and ran towards the door.
"Thanks, Daddy!" With that she was gone.
The others were just now sitting down with their mountainous plates of food. Marron simply had a bowl of fruit. She sat down next to Trunks just as Bra opened the door to the dining hall.
"Hey, Bra! We were just..." Marron fell back into Trunks as the princess rushed past her. Trunks caught her and they turned just in time to see Bra deck Goten just hard enough for him to feel pain. Then there was just silence. Bra stood there for a moment, completely in awe of what she had just done. Then, she simply turned and ran out of the room.
Goten touched his face. The punch had only stung a bit. However, the principle was just that she hit him. Just as the door shut, he took off after her, leaving the others simply staring in wonder.
"What the hell just happened?" Trunks whispered.