Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or the characters, just my OCs.

Yeah…I know it's been a while. Too long. I'm just going to say, writer's block sucks when you're trying to complete stories or get them to take off. Anyways, I tried my best with this chapter. I hope you like it and that maybe some of you are still out there reading it. I appreciate the support if you are, and I apologize for the delay.


The palace was bustling with activity. The banquet was underway, all the races coming together to celebrate the start of the tournament. The following day would hold the preliminaries. It was actually happening. Bulma's stomach churned at the thought.

She stayed with Kakarot's family, sitting beside her mates and sons. They said nothing to each other, still attempting to hold up the illusion that there was nothing between them, no love or compassion. Bulma felt Frieza's eyes on them, even though her mother-in-law made sure to sit him and his men far on the other side of the hall.

Music started, and couples began to aggregate on the dance floor. Out of formality, Vegeta asked his queen to dance, the two of them remaining on their side of the hall. "How are you faring?" he asked her, his voice stern and stoic.

"I'm fine," Bulma replied lightly. "This whole thing has me stressed beyond all reason, and I'm not feeling too well."

"Most likely you need more food," Vegeta pointed out as he eyed her dish from where they stood. To keep up with the fact that nothing was different, in public Bulma chose to eat virtually nothing. "After this dance, I will have someone escort you back to our room for the night and I'll station a guard there. I'll have one of the cooks send you more food."

"Won't it be suspicious if I go?" Bulma questioned. "Frieza's attention has been on us all night."

"It's more suspicious if you stay while feeling under the weather," Vegeta stated. "Look, everyone, most of all Frieza, knows this is a lot on you. The fact that you've made it this long without incident is impressive, but it's time you get rest. I know we're trying to keep up a guise, but you can't forget about what we're hiding."

Bulma flinched and frowned. "I haven't forgotten." Her eyes landed on her two boys who were dancing, Little Vegeta with Tomala and Trunks with Thia while her mother was glaring at the younger prince. The queen couldn't help but smile. "It looks like they're getting along nicely with those two girls."

"Trunks and Thia are now betrothed," Vegeta explained. "It was accidental, but now if we have a daughter, the Needellens won't try to pressure us. The Swarons, though...we still have to figure out something with them. I have no intention in betrothing a daughter we don't yet have to princes who will be nearly twenty years above her."

Bulma felt a wave of emotion, happiness, passed over her, but needed to taper it down. Vegeta managed to stay so stoic, but she could sense he felt the same. Still, they needed to be in the privacy of their own room to have an intimate moment. Luckily for them, the song ended, and Vegeta escorted his queen back to the table. "Hey, you two, everything all right?" Kakarot questioned before looking over towards Frieza's side.

"The queen is not feeling well," Vegeta stoically informed his friend. "She needs to return to our quarters and rest."

"I can escort her," Kakarot offered. "I'll stay until you return."

"I need to stay until the end of the banquet, especially if questions arise," Vegeta explained.

Kakarot nodded. "Then I will remain with her until then. Let's go, your highness."

Bulma flashed the man a look conveying her thankfulness before her sons returned to the table. "Mother, where are you going?" Trunks asked, concern etched on his features.

"Your mother isn't feeling the best right now," Vegeta told the boy. "She is retiring early to rest."

"Can I come?" Trunks pleaded. He was very concerned about his mother.

"Sweetie, you should stay here and get to know Thia more," Bulma reminded him. "I heard about your betrothal. Please, just enjoy yourself and have fun. I'll be all right. Kakarot is coming with me."

"Well, okay then…"

Before any more attention could be drawn to them, Vegeta sent his mate off with Kakarot knowing that the other Saiyan would keep her safe. He could see amusement dancing in their enemies' eyes, as if they knew something was going on. Vegeta's eyes hardened, but he realized it could not be helped. He needed to appear indifferent, no matter what, so he instead brought his attention back to the festivities.

It was going to be a long night without his mate beside him.


There were so many people, Tarble had gathered. He had never seen so many people in one place. These types of events were never held when he was a boy, and this was the first universal tournament Planet Vegeta held since the kingdom had been restored to its former glory. Of course, it left him feeling out of place and hesitant. He stayed off to the side, away from public view. He simply wanted to observe and to be there if his sister needed him. His concern for Bulma was growing, especially after Frieza had cornered her alone. How fortunate it was that he had been going in that direction.

Strangely enough, Tarble's eyes were drawn to the left. He could see a woman wearing scarlet spandex and the armor worn by Frieza's men. She, too, was looking off to the dance floor, but it didn't look like she had any intention of joining in. Like him, it appeared she felt out of place, though she still held herself with confidence. It intrigued the young Saiyan. He made his way over to her.

The woman did not look at him; however, she did speak, her voice smooth and enticing. "What brings you here, stranger?" she teased, her voice deeply seductive.

Tarble flinched at that, never having been so put off by a voice before. "Nothing," he answered before looking out at the dancers in the center of the room. "Just watching."

A grin appeared on the woman's face. "I'm surprised you aren't out there. This is your planet after all, and you are a prince, correct? Shouldn't you be out there dancing with all of the eligible bachelorettes to find your mate?"

The way she bitingly uttered the word mate caused Tarble to frown. "Don't disrespect our ways, stranger," he said lowly, his voice irritated.

The woman smirked victoriously. "I meant no disrespect, prince," her voice slurred. "In fact, I find the idea of mating very interesting. I hear it creates a very special connection between the two individuals. I find the idea of that consuming emotion and lust to be absolutely tantalizing."

"In some cases it works that way, but not all," Tarble said, trying to appear unmoved by her words. Still, the way she spoke was stirring something inside of his mind, and he wasn't sure he liked that. Clearly, this woman worked for Frieza, though she hadn't been anywhere near his men the entire night. Tarble caught himself wondering more about this woman, while the rational part was asking if this woman could be trusted. "So, um…uh…"

"Prada," the woman spoke, giving Tarble her name before he even knew that was what he was about to ask.

"Okay, Prada…tell me, how did you end up working for Frieza?"

"The same way, prince, that everyone ends up in Frieza's employ. Either through blackmail, treaty, or destruction of a planet."

"Which of the three do you fall under?" Tarble questioned.

Prada smirked viciously before answering, "The last one."

Tarble's expression remained neutral as he looked back out to the dancefloor. He couldn't believe how fascinated this woman seemed over the destruction of her world. To be honest, he was starting to think something was wrong with her, but then he remembered that she had most likely been in Frieza's employ for a long time. Heck, even a child that was part of Frieza's team was entering the tournament. It was possible Prada had been raised in a way where occurrences like this were normal. Maybe that's why she appeared unfazed.

The prince turned to leave, not wanting to linger on those thoughts, what he could have been had Vegeta not defeated their father. He remembered that one mission where everyone tried to protect him so he would never have to grasp the true horrors of the atrocities. Vegeta made sure that he never had to kill a single inhabitant. Tarble had never been more thankful.

"I'll see you around, prince."

Tarble glanced back at Prada to find her staring out into the crowd once more watching the festivities from a distance. He wondered what was going through the woman's mind, but decided to just abandon the party. After all, something about their interaction had left the prince feeling overwhelmed. He needed rest. He needed to make sure he would be able to keep an eye out for Bulma the next day. He couldn't afford any extra distractions.


Raditz and Peppan were the only ones who did not attend the banquet. Instead, they had remained at the bar, though they hadn't really been drinking. It had taken Raditz over an hour to force Peppan to eat anything, but the longer they were there, the more they talked and the lighter they both felt. Peppan was able to stomach more food the longer they spent time in each other's presence.

The two Saiyans spent time catching up, Raditz being the first to confide anything substantial. He owed it to Peppan after what he had put her through unknowingly all these years. Peppan listened and expressed her deepest sympathies over the tragedy that befell his mother. Peppan had only ever heard stories of Gine, but she knew the woman was a big part of Raditz's life. As he spoke of what happened, Peppan placed her hand atop his and Raditz felt his heart thump in his chest. He felt content, lightly laughing at the feeling while mentally berating himself. If this was all he had to do to fix things between them, he should have done it a long time ago instead of wasting his time with flings and rubbing them in the woman's face.

"So, how have you fared all this time?" he asked, making Peppan frown and pull away. He was afraid she was going to withdraw, but instead she hugged herself and looked away from him.

"After I quit purging, my mother threw me out of the house," she stated. "I had nowhere to go, so I got a job at one of the bars. I stayed at one of the homeless shelters until I made enough money to get my own place."

Raditz frowned at the thought of Peppan being alone all that time, having nowhere but a homeless shelter to go while she struggled. He had heard stories of the woman's mother all along, never liking what he was told. It bothered him that that vile mother had forced her daughter into such a horrid field and then sent her away when Peppan could no longer take it. "If you struggled so much, why didn't you come back to us?"

Peppan scoffed a laugh. "Yeah, that was an option," she bit out before glaring at him. "You made it perfectly clear you wanted nothing to do with me after I quit. You don't think I thought of you first? I couldn't stop thinking about you since the day you walked out on me."

Raditz sighed, unsurprised but not liking the snappish tone being directed at him. Still, he needed to make things right between them. "Peppan, I never let you explain, and that was wrong of me. You wanted to explain, but I let my anger get the better of me. Tell me now. Why did you quit the team, especially knowing you would have to deal with all this pain?"

"Purging was more painful than being homeless, honestly," Peppan retorted before she sighed. "Raditz, I can't…I can't go back there. If I tell you…I can't face it."

"Hey," Raditz softly chided, taking her hand. "I promise, this time I'll listen. I'm not going to act like an ass again. If nothing else, we were friends once, right? You can confide in me. I won't judge you."

He could see Peppan was still skeptical, but he could see in her eyes the moment that she surrendered. Her voice wavered as she spoke, still unsure of whether or not she could trust him not to hurt her. He had been the cause of a great deal of her pain. "It was after that mission…where all the people in the lines…" Raditz shivered, but nodded for her to continue. "Raditz, it was so horrifying. I couldn't sleep, couldn't eat. I felt so anxious and sick, especially after we…I didn't know what to do. I thought about asking you over because your presence always helped me sleep, but I didn't want my mother to give me hell."

"You could have come to my place," Raditz murmured. "My family would have accepted you with open arms."

"Did I deserve to be accepted, after all I had done to those women and children?" Peppan countered. "I was sick, Raditz. And one day, I felt such immense pain that I needed to go to the emergency clinic in the slum area. I was bleeding. I had no idea what was going on, only remembering being drugged. When I awoke, the Saiyan who had found me outside the clinic screaming told me that…that I had been pregnant…"

Raditz's eyes widened in shock, because he knew the implications of Peppan's words. "You…"

"I hadn't known I was pregnant, and that part of the sickness I had was due to a baby being inside of me," she continued, her voice wavering as tears appeared in her eyes. "By not eating, I had been causing harm to myself and the baby and I didn't even realize. To be honest, I thought that maybe it was my punishment for killing all those children, that mine was taken away because of the pain I had caused them all."

"Peppan…" Raditz breathed out, "you can't think like that. We all did things we weren't proud of. It doesn't mean that you deserved to go through all of that, especially alone. This…this had all happened before you had me meet you?"

The woman nodded. "Raditz, I wanted to tell you, but…"

But he had been an asshole, unwilling to hear what she had to say. Ashamed, Raditz looked down at his clenched fists. He still couldn't believe it. He could have been a father. After his and Peppan's night, he had been avoiding her as well, unsure of how to proceed in their relationship. He had no idea they had mated, nor had he been attuned to her emotions. He had no idea how much she had been suffering while he waited to make a move. "I'm sorry…"

"W-What?" Peppan uttered out, wiping away her tears.

"I should have been there for you instead of throwing a tantrum," Raditz clarified. "I can't imagine how alone you must have felt because of me…because of your mother." His rejection, though, probably hurt much deeper than her mother's. Raditz stood up, concerning Peppan, especially as he wrapped his arms around her. She tensed in his grip, so unlike the woman he remembered. It dismayed him, but he could only do what he could. He had tortured her for years, but now he needed to remind her that he was there for her. Gently, he stroked her face before leaning down and kissing her.

Peppan's body did not relax, but Raditz refused to pull away. He felt something in the kiss, something he hadn't felt since that night, and he was not about to let it go. Eventually, he felt Peppan shyly push back, kissing him timidly. Mentally, he declared it a small victory. Maybe this was the stepping stone to getting his mate back, to deepening their connection so that she would realize what was going on between them. He wanted her to come back to him. "I promise, Peppan, that I'll protect you from now on," Raditz whispered in the female Saiyan's ear.

Peppan jolted, pushing away from him and searching his eyes questioningly. There was no way that this was happening now, was there? She expected Raditz to leave her, to be angrier at her for losing their child, but instead he was offering her comfort. Part of her believed it to be a trick. Maybe Raditz was planning on betraying her, allowing himself to get closer to her only to rip the rug out from under her later.

She didn't care. Being with him, even in a platonic sense, was already doing her some good. Peppan decided to give in to her desire, to accept the comfort Raditz was offering, even if it was only temporary. Even if Raditz were to cause her pain in the future, she decided to be selfish and enjoy the feeling of being in his arms. For a moment, she even let herself feel like it was right where she needed to be.


The next day brought upon more festivities as the preliminary rounds of the tournament took place. Bulma was able to freely walk around the square with her mate to observe the many different fighters from their allied planets as well as the Planet Trade. Even their own warriors were able to display their abilities, many making it to the later rounds of the preliminaries. "The prince is doing really well," Nappa said, joining the two royals.

His words drew both the king's and queen's attention to their son. Prince Goku was in the midst of battle with a large, humanoid alien with purple skin and short, dark hair. His opponent was wearing the PTO armor signifying who he was fighting for. Bulma's heart nearly stopped beating. She refrained from gasping, but Vegeta could tell exactly where her mind was. Still, to appear indifferent, he offered her a consolation. "He is. That isn't a surprise. He is my son, after all."

Nappa nodded and went back to watching the fight. He could see Frieza not far from these makeshift rings. His eyes were on the young prince as well, and he was definitely amused. Knowing the Arcosian, he probably thought his soldier could take on the half-Saiyan child. As time passed by, the tables had turned and Prince Goku had been the one to take the fight. It was an amazing feat for a child so young to defeat a Planet Trade soldier. The Arcosian tyrant was not happy.

Bulma breathed out in relief, thankful that her son had been victorious. He had easily avoided his opponent's moves with his speed, using the alien's own strength and abilities against him, and then knocking him unconscious so that he could no longer fight. Her son was tactical, no doubt having been taught to fight that way by Vegeta. The woman looked up to her mate with adoration in her eyes but a frown on her face.

Vegeta released a frustrated sigh. "What, woman?" he demanded though in their minds he was not agitated in the slightest.

"Thank you," she whispered. "For training them both to protect themselves."

"As their father, it is my duty," Vegeta replied curtly. "There is no reason to thank me. Now enough with the sentimental rubbish."

He truly was warning her. Vegeta knew his mate, and she was an emotional creature. If Frieza saw any inkling of a spark between them, he'd use it. They still had no idea what his plans were, what he'd do if his men lost the fights. He already looked angry just from the damage a child did to one of his subordinates. Of course, by his son's victory, he had just cleared the bracket and would be moving farther into the tournament. That was both a positive and negative all wrapped together, especially when…

Loud cheers were heard from some of Frieza's rowdier crew over where that bastard, Zarbon, was currently fighting. He had been fighting one of their allies, the victim injured to the point where Bardock had needed to get involved. The Saiyan physician and Zarbon met eyes, Bardock looking incredibly angry while Zarbon just smirked before walking away. These people were vile. Vegeta needed to stop, though, because the second he pictured Bulma's memory, his eyes narrowed at the soldier.

Around that time, Kakarot had finished off his bracket, wiping sweat from his brow. A lot of these fighters were impressive, but they were no match for him. He actually had to hold a lot of energy back to prevent himself from hurting any of his competitors. Some of them were PTO, but others were allies and friends. He had defeats a few Saiyans as well as some from Rescue Star.

"Heh, yeah-ah!" he heard a familiar voice cheer from the ring next to his. Kakarot smiled reticently when he saw Hercule, the father of Gohan's friend, raising his arms above his head in victory. He held nothing against the man, and he was plenty strong for someone of Rescue Star, but he was also a self-satisfying man who liked to hear himself talk. Even Kakarot had had to deal with the man's constant bragging, chasing off others who tried to make attempts on him on other planets. It didn't seem like they appreciated being talked down to. Hercule probably didn't realize he was always enticing challenges. At this tournament, he'd have to be careful, and hopefully he wouldn't end up fighting any of Frieza's men.

A few moments later, Raditz had clinched his own victory across from where Kakarot was. Kakarot watched as he walked off, not allowing the commentator to commend him. His younger brother wondered where he was running off to, but then he saw Raditz go directly to the area where Peppan was fighting. His brother was watching her, his eyes studying. There was a hint of concern in them. Kakarot decided to head over and join Raditz, and he immediately noticed what had his brother so wary.

Peppan was panting hard, her breaths uneven as she fought to keep up with her opponent. It was the last match in her bracket, and she was refusing to give in. Still, her energy was becoming erratic, and it was worrisome. Kakarot was about to speak, but in that moment Peppan managed to outdo her opponent and achieve victory. While others cheered, she nearly stumbled, and that was when Raditz walked into the ring to balance her. Peppan was shocked by Raditz's public display. Even Kakarot looked stunned.

His attention was dragged elsewhere as he heard horrified hecklings towards another victor. Kakarot looked over, as did Peppan and Raditz. One of Frieza's men, someone registered as Brenten, had taken the bracket by storm. He didn't even look tired. The alien simply crossed his arms and walked off the stage while others hissed at him. Brenten did not look affected. What had happened over there?

"Dad said he put his opponents into comas," Turles said, walking up to the two. "I saw his attack only once. He put a lot of energy into it."

"But it's only the preliminary round," Kakarot said, aghast. "I figured no one would show their moves so soon. People can learn to avoid them."

"Not this one," Turles informed. "He called it the Exploding Pariah. You can avoid the ki ball, but it explodes no matter what it touches. The damage from it cannot be avoided. I heard a PTO soldier say, 'Yeah, that's our one-hit killer.' He never misses. Let's pray none of us have to fight him."

"No, let's pray that we do," Raditz countered. "Not many can handle someone like him. Us Saiyans are the best bet. I take it you both made it to the tournament rounds."

Kakarot nodded. "Yeah, just finished."

Turles scoffed. "I finished a while ago and have been checking out the competition. So far, a couple other Saiyans have made it."

"Who else?" Peppan asked.

Turles nearly jumped at the sound of Peppan's voice. He hadn't been paying complete attention to his brother and didn't even realize that she was among them. His brow furrowed in confusion as he looked to Raditz. His older brother simply glared, silently demanding he say nothing. "Kane for one, and also former guard Onoir. Rhudaba is doing fine as well, and then Prince Goku and the child he was training with have also managed to defeat their bracket."

"Two children made it?" Raditz said, surprised. Truthfully, he wasn't surprised by either Goku's or Tomala's strength, but he figured that their tactics would be nowhere near the level of trained adults. He smirked. If they had both power and tactics, they'd have an even better shot against Frieza's men.

Something caught his attention, someone staring at him in the crowd. Raditz looked up and saw that fighter Turles was speaking of, Brenten, staring directly at him. His eyes narrowed, his expression appearing bored, but something about the way Brenten was looking at him cut through his soul. Eventually, the PTO soldier looked away and continued walking towards the bracket where another child had just won. Raditz thought that the soldier's behavior was strange, but he pushed that thought away as his attention returned to his mate. "You doing okay?"

Peppan shakily laughed, but stood up straight and appeared unharmed. "Yeah, fine. It was quite the workout. It's been a while since I fought like this."

"I'd hate to say this, but maybe you should withdraw," Raditz suggested.

He noticed the hurt flash over Peppan's eyes. "W-Why?" she stammered indignantly. "You don't think I can handle it?"

"I didn't say that," Raditz retorted. "Peppan, you look wasted, like you used a ton of your energy just to get through the preliminary round. I don't want you to overdo it."

Peppan glared at Raditz, her hands on her hips. "It's my choice, Raditz. Besides, what do you care? You only just started talking to me again as of yesterday. You don't get a say in what I do."

"Peppan," Raditz breathed out feeling shocked. He felt a pang in the back of his mind, feeling something akin to that rejection he convinced himself to feel but much worse. He wondered if this was the level of rejection and hurt Peppan felt over these years. His expression relaxed, and he placed his hands on her shoulders. "Look, I think you can handle it. You're strong and determined. But I also think that you need to consider that this might be too much for you. I don't want to see you hurt again. It's bad enough I hurt you. Just think about it, okay?"

Peppan was surprised that Raditz had not only praised her but took responsibility for the hurt she had felt before. It amazed her, but it also made her feel wary. Raditz could be playing her, and what was worse was that she had told him about their child. It was possible he would damage her again, beyond repair. Perhaps, it would be his revenge.

Raditz could tell her train of thought, somehow. That had to mean that a bond was there. He felt guilty and angry that Peppan actually thought so low of him. "It won't happen again," he voiced jolting Peppan out of her doubt. She looked at him, shaken. It had been like he read her mind, but Peppan didn't think that possible. It didn't even occur to her that they could be bound to one another.

"Well, looks like the debutante twins are going to the tournament," Turles scoffed, once again earning attention.

Raditz and Kakarot both looked away to see that both Tri and Sri, the Swaron princes, had taken their brackets by storm as well. The Swarons had been trying to get Vegeta and Bulma to agree to marry off a daughter they didn't have yet with one of their sons, much like the Needellens had. They didn't know much about the Swarons, but they were much laxer than the Needellens. Still, the princes were arrogant pretty boys. Their skills were fine, but they were nothing compared to other races. Their race thrived in strategy. "I guess both King Pri and the Needellen king wanted to show off their sons to the royal family," Kakarot stated feeling slightly miffed.

This tournament was just a basin of drama, wasn't it? While the Saiyans were worried about the PTO and the PTO was trying to screw the Saiyans, two of the Saiyan allies were vying for Vegeta's favor. At least many of their people had made it to the tournament, and they were all excellent fighters. Somehow, they would stop Frieza. He wouldn't get his hands on Bulma's family's inventions. He didn't deserve it after what he had done to Bulma's planet and people.

Meanwhile, the last few competitors were finishing up their fights, both Needellen princes also making it to the end. The Needellen royals stared down the Swarons and vice versa. The three brothers deadpanned. Could they make it any more obvious, what they were after?

It was the end of the preliminaries, and former general, Nappa, took it upon himself to read off the results. Kakarot wondered why Vegeta was not and then looked around to see that Bulma and his friend were not around. He hoped Frieza didn't get suspicious, especially when he heard Vegeta's thoughts to him. Bulma was feeling ill, so we excused ourselves. We told Nappa to read off the names of the competitors, but also to say we received a call from an ally that chose not to attend the tournament.

Is Bulma all right? Kakarot questioned. He received an affirmative mental grunt before the connection severed.

Kakarot had to wonder when he and Vegeta had been able to share thoughts. After they had become Super Saiyans, mental communication between them took off. Kakarot wondered if it was a secret power that only those who went Super could achieve. It didn't matter. At least his unasked question was answered.

"King Vegeta and Queen Bulma needed to attend to a call from an ally that did not come to participate, so they have asked me to read off the list of competitors," Nappa said, his hardened eyes meeting Frieza's. The Arcosian tyrant smirked, his amusement clear as if he could see right through the lie. "We saw a lot of great fights today, some being downright impressive. You can be sure that this tournament is about to heat up. Twenty-four competitors will be competing tomorrow. Lots will be drawn then. For now, let me read off the names of those who have advanced.

"From Planet Vegeta, Tomala. Also from Planet Vegeta, Prince Goku. From the Planet Trade, Coo…i?"

"It's pronounced Cui!" Nappa heard over the crowd inciting a chuckle.

"Right, Cui, my mistake," he amended with a snicker. "From Swar, both Prince Sri and Prince Tri have advanced. From Planet Vegeta, Kakarot, Turles, and Raditz have all gone on to the next round, as well as Peppan, Gohan, Onoir, Rhudaba, and Kane."

Kakarot was surprised that even his son had made it in the lineup. He hadn't even realized that Gohan was competing. He found him in the crowd, Gohan blushing slightly as Videl elbowed him, probably congratulating the half-Saiyan on his victory. Kakarot grinned. That was yet another man on their side. He'd have to congratulate his son for getting through the preliminary round.

Frieza frowned when he heard even more of the Saiyans names being read. It seemed like not many of his men had made it to the tournament at all, though he hadn't been watching everyone's fights. His skepticism was replaced with glee when he heard. "From the PTO, soldiers Brenten, Dodoria, Zarbon, Prada, Tamē, and Sintia have also made it through."

Brenten was shocked to hear his little sister's name even though he had seen her victory. He couldn't believe that the child was already experiencing combat. He had not wanted this for her, but Frieza didn't care. He wanted Sintia's power and that was all. Brenten feared for his little sister's life should she fail in any battle. The terror he felt in his heart was almost too much to bear.

"From Rescue Star, both Hercule and Videl have made it to the tournament round. And finally, from Planet Needell, Prince Inone, Prince Zolid…and…" Nappa stopped reading because he was certain there had been a mistake when he read the next name. He honestly feared reading the competitor's name out loud for her own safety, but he could not withhold the information. Clearly, she knew what she was doing if she had entered the tournament. "And Princess Thia, have all advanced to the next round."

Both Needellen princes as well as their father were enraged when they heard the little girl's name being called. Thia was hiding off to the side somewhere, knowing that when her name was read she'd be in big trouble. When they had arrived on the planet, Thia had snuck away from her mother and entered her name, quickly returning before the woman had even realized she was missing. Unbeknownst to anyone in her family, Thia knew how to fight. She had watched her brothers practicing for years and when it was night and she was alone, she would go to the courtyard and train herself.

She had desperately wanted to enter the tournament way before ever meeting Prince Trunks and ending up betrothed to him. Thia knew that if she could win, she could ask to remain on Planet Vegeta and they would have to allow it. It wouldn't be seen as treason on the Saiyans' part, but definitely treason on her part. All that could happen was that her family would never want anything to do with her again, and she was perfectly fine with that arrangement.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" Thia jumped having been found, but relaxed when Trunks crawled up next to her. Their shoulders touched, and Thia blushed. Trunks was clearly unbothered by the contact. She wondered what it was like inside his mind, not having to deal with the constraints of her people's laws, to be free to move, say, and do whatever he wanted. "You should be out there."

"My father may kill me the next time he sees me," Thia said forlornly. "I went against our laws entering the tournament."

Trunks frowned at that and sighed. "Look, he can't hurt you. It doesn't matter what your laws are. You're on Planet Vegeta right now, and you're a competitor in the tournament. I'm sure my dad can talk down the king. If he or your brothers try to hurt you, dad can disqualify they're whole planet if he wanted."

"Prince Trunks…"

"Eh, what did I say about that?" Trunks scolded lightly while grinning at the princess. "It's just Trunks. You're my betrothed now, so you don't have to be so formal. We're friends."

"Friends?" Thia tested the word. "I…I know how that word translates in my culture, but I don't think it means the same thing."

"Oh, what does it mean in your culture?" Trunks prodded.

"Friends means amia which I thought translates to colleague in yours," she explained. "They are very diplomatic partners, but no woman is permitted to have amias."

"That sounds like hell," Trunks scoffed. "So women in your culture are just expected to exist and be alone until they're mated and then even then, they still aren't allowed to do or say anything."

"Basically," Thia confided. "What I'm doing with you now is technically not allowed either, discussing this sort of thing."

"Well, screw what's allowed," Trunks countered. "I think it was very brave of you to enter the tournament, and you must be an amazing fighter to make it through the preliminary round. I'll be rooting for you tomorrow."

Thia smiled at the lavender-haired prince, her friend and betrothed. "Thank you, Trunks."

Trunks grinned right back before he grew serious. "Now, we need to keep you away from your father and brothers. I think my dad would be okay if you stayed in a room in the wing where my brother and I stay. Tomala has been staying with us there for training. You could probably room with her if you don't want to room alone."

"Really?" Thia questioned.

"Yeah, let's go find my parents. They'll know what to do."

Trunks took Thia's hand, once again making the child blush. She tried to remember that Trunks only saw this contact as something completely platonic. They were only children, and he was attempting to prevent them from being separated. She smiled. It was kind of nice to have a friend that was oblivious to her world's strange teachings. At least soon, she hoped, she would be free of them.