Chapter 51
Mud splatters as Ryoko falls heavily over backwards, reeling away in shock as the foundations supporting her crumble into dust. Her mouth hangs agape as she sits on the dirty and wet ground with her legs sprawled out. A faint rosiness enters her cheeks and tears compete with the rainwater as they spill down her face. Ragged breaths break fast and hard from her lips, fear binds and paralyses her whole body and she stares up in horror at Vegeta. Her lungs soon begin to burn as she hyperventilates, her mind panics and her limbs shiver and shake. She closes her eyes and cries. A few days worth of stress has accumulated to such inordinate extremes that she can no longer move or think straight, Ryoko openly sobs and loudly wails. She lost.
"No! No-n-no-no, no, that's not fair!" Her voice is hoarse as she screams out whilst weeping. This is not how it was supposed to go, this was not supposed to happen, the chains binding her have grown ever so tight and warm. She wanted to break free, to rid herself of this curse called Vegeta and to end her suffering at his hand, but now something terrible has happened that she cannot escape from. A happiness is spreading within her bosom, a tender fire that is so terribly burning her and filling her head with intoxicating smoke.
" … I – I -I-I'm -I'm … I'm engaged?" She sounds so timid and fragile as this question frees itself from her lips. The blush on her cheeks grows as Vegeta nods down at her. It is welling up inside her to blissful heights that terrify her so deeply. This man broke her, he tried to kill her and rape her and now she has successfully proposed to him. None of this is making the slightest bit of sense to her. She cannot stop her tears.
This has to be some trick or deception meant to hurt her, for it is causing her so much grievous and ambivalent pain, she asked for something she did not want and now she has it and so much of her does not want to yield it. There is no hiding the feelings within her now, much as it pains her to stop denying them, she cannot hide from them any longer. She feels so utterly worthless and pathetic and shamed and humiliated for getting herself into this mess but at the same time she feels so ecstatic that her heart could burst. Ryoko hates him and cannot be around him without hurting so she cannot understand why she has to be so happy that newly wrought and thick manacles are bonding her to the cruel Saiyan. She cannot let herself love him, he has done too much wrong, there can be no forgiving, and it frightens her so much. Ryoko is scared out of her mind at being engaged to Vegeta, at what he is doing to her, how vulnerable she has become and at the power of the feelings he controls so absolutely within her.
No-one in her century long life has ever hurt her as much as he did in that single moment out in space and no-one has come close to making her as happy as she is right now in spite of herself. She does not want to be happy at this but there is no way that she can bring herself to say no to his accepting of her proposal that was meant as a threat. He made her equal in stature to Ayeka just like she asked. She wants to just hate him and hate him and hurt him, and cherish this moment. Ryoko mouths the word 'why' for her voice fails her.
" You are, and always have been, a woman I look at with the prospect of becoming my wife in the future. I believe that is what the term fiancée also refers to. This is what you wanted and I complied, I came here with the intention of helping you and appeasing you and that I have done by accepting your proposal. If you think me to be lying then read my mind anytime." Speaking in a purely pragmatic sense, Vegeta glides over the drastic choice he was forced to make. Showing strength and conviction in this decision will be good for Ryoko and thus he hopes this facade will fool her better than his last one did. She challenged him and he had no intention of losing to her, but this price he had to pay is so high. No matter what Ayeka said he knows she will not take news of this well, he did what had to be done even if he likes it no better than Ayeka will herself. Taking another fiancée is causing damage within him that part of Ryoko would love to see. His wife is not a ghost he can lift from his shoulders and her arms squeeze tight at this betrayal and unfaithfulness. If the option presented itself Vegeta would choose to go for several more horrific beatings than having to have said those words to her, guilt grinds away at his mind as he tries to silence the voice of Bulma inside him. Luckily for him, Ryoko is not in any state where she can pick up on this for signs of Vegeta's turmoil at this choice are showing.
"But -! ...But you lo-love Bulma."
"Yes, I do. With my year's training I will overcome my grief for my wife and become a man capable of thinking about your affection for me."
There is no question in his mind, he will overcome his weakness during that year one way or another, failure is never an option for him. His answers have to come out favourable for Ryoko, he cannot exactly go telling her how much he hates this thought of accepting an engagement proposal from her. Vegeta does love Bulma and he will not deny it, Ryoko knows this and knows first hand now how much of an effect his dead wife has on him. He is hoping that this fact that he said yes to her in spite of all those hundreds of reasons he should have declined is winning him some form of favour from her in all her confusion. As she continues to weep and sob on the floor and try and form any semblance of sense within her head, Vegeta runs his fingers through his hair and absently stares up into the clouds. With a burst of power he could clear the skies and also frighten Ryoko even more. She is having a hard time of it all and offering a hand to help her would be unwelcome.
A few weak flashes of red glow and dye the rain crimson. An aggravated growl breaks through Ryoko as she tries to channel her failing rage but it all breaks down. Nothing she tries or does succeeds, for so long everything she has tried has blown up horribly in her face and this is her crowning failure, the failure that is deceiving her into believing she has won something. Ryoko impotently hits at the wet ground and pools of mud splash everywhere, over both Vegeta and herself. She screams in frustration at herself, at Vegeta, at this whole messed up situation and everything about her recent life, it is all confusing and hurting her so much. Vegeta's well thought out and kind words are twisting the knife embedded in her. In all the bleakness and darkness this single light of hope she sees is the thing scaring her the most. A plug has been pulled, draining the hatred and rage from her, or springing a leak that will sink her into the sea of despair she is so haphazardly keeping afloat on.
"I hate you." Ryoko feels secure when saying this to Vegeta. He does not wipe at the dirt coating the lower half of his outfit and boots. Some strength enters Ryoko's arms, not enough so she can rise up from the floor but enough to somewhat steady her. She repeats these words like a mantra several times at a steady rhythm and her breathing regulates with it. So much stress is built up in her muscles and her bones and it is exhausting her. Laying down in the rain sounds strangely nice to her. She moves her legs and with great effort manages to manoeuvre herself up onto her knees. Feline eyes glance up to the Saiyan, wary of any hand being offered her way. He keeps his hands to himself, Vegeta knows Ryoko has the strength to do this herself. She loudly proclaims her words again and wipes at her face with her dirty hands, spreading stains across her cheeks that begin to run in the downpour.
"Of course you do. Most of today and tomorrow my training room will be inoperable as Washu tinkers with it, so let us go home now and we can discuss this out of the rain for as long as necessary. You look like you could use a bath so go relax and have your time to think. I have a son to wrangle with after this." Ryoko stands up quietly as Vegeta talks, outlining how he will not be training and making a gamble by asking her to return home. It is worth the attempt. Vegeta has not seen his son since before his mating period, Gotenks was the one who brought him back, and he knows that he is now a villain in his child's eyes and he has not told him about the year of training yet. He thinks as to how much force he will have to use to subdue his super Saiyan son. The woman before him is still his priority, she is the victim of his attack, and she is now also linked to him through betrothal. Her ears hang limply by the side of her head as she shakes her head at him. He accepted what she asked of him but it is not going to make her accept what he says.
" … He hit me, that brat. And – and I don't – I cannot go back." There is no way that she can go back like this and show her face in his house. Trunks might have visited her when she was flying about to give her the tip about the cigarettes so that she could get back at his father but after she attacked Vegeta and began hovering over West City he was not so lenient to her. He puts equal blame on her for what happened as she was the one who decided to teleport there against all the warnings. Ryoko rubs at her face more to rid herself of her tears, she sniffs and continues shaking her head. A bath is something she could do with, stewing in the hot waters with her thoughts and relaxing her body, but not the bath in Vegeta's house. She won't let herself be led back there like some docile pet just because Vegeta has put a collar on her claiming her to be his. Bathing would be nice yet she needs to be by herself and back there she could get visitors she would not want. Princesses and cops looking at her either in contempt, disgust or worse, pity. Going to his house now would be another loss for herself.
" Ryoko, it is OK now. We both have the strength to sort this out, you do not have to be scared, you have the power to kill me or read my mind whenever you want. Come back to your home, my fiancée." The most potent word in his arsenal is unleashed against her to try and win her over. Vegeta can still smell the fear rolling off her and tries to ease it with reassuring words that have the opposite effect on her. Ryoko clamps her hands over her sensitive ears at the noun she was just called. The blush returns to her face, her heart skips a beat and a terrified yelp escapes her lips.
"No, I – I won't go back, it's – it's … no. … I mean sure it would be fun to go and rub t-th-this – this – this , y'know, in Ayeka's face, but I ain't going back to your place. You said today and tomorrow … if I want to talk I'll find you, don't make much difference where I am for the rest. I- … Vegeta, what is- I don't … Is this real? Are we – are m-me and you- we're engaged?" Ryoko turns herself half facing away from the Saiyan, trying to move her hands to cover more of her face as a womanly glow diffuses into it as she stammers out her question. She tries to laugh or smile at her joke towards Ayeka but the tight knot that is her stomach prevents her from doing even that. All this disorienting confusion within her needs to be dispelled, she needs her head cleared before she can do anything and the more she thinks on it the more obscuring emotions well up in her and distract her, hurt her and she does not know what to do. This is far too much for her, it all happened too quick for her to process and she is still in pain, a different pain than before with new hues tinting her emotions but it still hurts. Vegeta betrayed every last shred of faith she held in her heart for him, trusting his words is not something she can do and she dares not enter his mind again.
" We are." Vegeta states again that he accepted her ultimatum and she now has what she asked for, even if it was the minority part of her that wanted it. He watches as she shuffles her feet about and slowly nods. No weakness will escape from him in her presence. Another harsh gale rips past them and ruffles their wet spiked hair. Ryoko covers her chest with her arms and mumbles to herself her mantra.
"But I saw. I saw inside. Bulma and- I don't understand it. I told you to say no! … Do you just have some blind spot for women saying no? I hate you. All this, it doesn't change it, it doesn't, it doesn't, it can't. … It's just that I- … Go to your brat of a son, I can find my own bath. And, you better start- I mean you have to but- more, I need more. Lots. More. Go, I wanna be alone and away from you."
"As you wish. And once again, I am sorry, my fiancée. I take my leave now."
Two fingers touch his forehead and Vegeta goes. Ryoko shoots a blast at where he was stood. She inhales a deep breath and screams into the wilderness and up at the clouds. She cannot stand him or being anywhere near him and both her body and her heart feel as if they will give out at any second. Surrendering to him is not something she will even consider. Her feet gently lift off from the ground, plasma burns the scene of the broken boulder and she too teleports away in search of some place to clear her head, clean her clothes and maybe grab something to eat if her stomach settles down.
Pleasantly warm water laps around her body and soaks into every pore of her skin as she relaxes back. The longer strands of Ayeka's hair are wrapped in a covering to prevent them from getting wet as she lounges in the bath to escape from the oppressive heat. Inside here she can cool down and rinse off her perspiration and take care of any minor grooming task she sees fit to occupy herself with. Her velvety purple hair was already shampooed, conditioned and thoroughly brushed when she had her daily bath in the morning, Ayeka lifts a small hand from the bath and watches as the water pours out from between her fingers. She rises out of the bath, dries herself off and begins moisturising her fair skin. Lifting a few tiny bottles up Ayeka decides on which perfume she will wear. Minutes pass quickly as she sees to her appearance, redoes her hair and wraps a towel around her waist, her bust and drapes one over her shoulders. As far as she knows Vegeta is not in the house and Yamcha has no reason to come to this floor of the house but even so she prefers to be covered up and it will not do for a princess to don her dirty clothes. Back in her room she dresses in light yellows and creams, feeling the fabrics for the thinnest material, double checking the fastenings and ties to make sure they are tight and secure and she looks out the newest window of the house to the blazing sun and the woods outside.
Two thunderously loud male voices slice the peace of the household apart and Ayeka closes her red eyes. Downstairs, Mihoshi and Kiyone look over their shoulders from the sofa to the two stopping them from watching the television, they shrink away as bright light startles them. There is no easy escape route for them and so they continue to sit there and listen to the fury raging just behind them. Mihoshi is not the only blonde in the house anymore. The television screen crackles and switches off, as do all the other electrical devices in the house, Washu lets out an aggravated moan. She recently fitted the house and many of her devices with ki sensitive fuses so they would not get too damaged by the high power levels but she was trying to work. Laying on the metal tiles with a whole armament of tools spread out around her she pauses her work on the training room as she cannot do this by hand and her tools require power. The only thing working is the main console she is half inside which she designed to have special shielding as it would lose all functionality if it switched off whenever Vegeta's power rose. Her pink hair is plaited to stop it getting tangled up or in the way and Washu has slimmed down her body to an adolescent age so she can fit easier in between the gaps of this machine, she wriggles out of the console and peers out of the porthole to see golden light.
"And why should any of my training matter to you? I'm not gonna waste a year of my life in there with you attacking me throughout all of it. Just because mom's gone doesn't mean you can start turning me into one of you now!"
" Your training is falling behind. Do you want Kakarot's youngest to surpass you? He will if you give him the chance, he is stronger than you were at his age. You will train."
" So what, you only care about my strength so you can brag about it to Goku as if it somehow makes up for you being weak. Me getting stronger is not something you want, if I do any training in there then you won't even be second place. I'm not stupid, I got my brain from mom not you, I train in there and Gotenks becomes number 1 in the universe."
"As if some cheap fusion matters, that childish fool of a fighter is no threat to me, his cocky-"
"That cockiness comes from you, you idiot!"
"I am your father, Trunks, mind how you speak to me. You are going to train with me, whether you like it or not, whether you want to or not. That power you are so often to use like a toy is what I gave you, you are half Saiyan and you shall train. Act the child if you want, throw a tantrum, this is decided and you have no say in the matter."
The blazing super Saiyans flare at each other. Vegeta is in no mood at all to tolerate his child showing him such disrespect, or using any opportunity to insult him. He maintains his power several steps ahead of his child's as he keeps a tight grip on Trunks' shoulder. Trunks is reacting to what his father is telling him as well as any child would given the circumstances. His father tried to rape another woman, he is flirting with other women, betraying his mother, his father is evil and he will not spend a year alone with him just because his dad needs it to keep up with his selfish goal of beating Goku. Several bruises dot Trunks' arms. Openly rebelling against his father did not go too well for him. Their bright golden auras crackle. Trunks squirms against his father's hold that he used to instant transmission him back home and hits Vegeta's arm for release. The grip tightens. Blue eyes stare hatefully at each other.
A quick scan of the house reveals everyone's location to Vegeta. Washu is inside his training room working like she should be and he sends her a quick telepathic message informing her of Ryoko's want for the ability to taste. He can see the policewomen with Ryo-ohki resting on Mihoshi's lap as her fur sticks up from the static build-up as his energy electrifies the air. Sasami's power is very low and with both he and his son being super Saiyans he is finding it hard to pinpoint her as she is not that close by, there are no scents coming from the kitchen so he assumes she is not in there but somewhere outside. His son hits him again and Vegeta lifts his child up and clenches his other hand into a fist. This is not a day where his patience can be tested. Far too much has happened and he will make his child behave. Trunks growls in anger at him and charges a large blast in his free hand and points it threateningly behind him at the rest of the house. The grip on his shoulder relents and Trunks immediately begins to fly out of the house with the charged blast still in his hand.
"See ya, loser." Impudently sticking his tongue out at his enraged father, the half Saiyan child gets half way across the room before his father appears blocking his way and crushes the blast into oblivion. Veins pop on Vegeta's forehead. His son strikes him again in the chest.
"Trunks Briefs! You dare turn your back on me, I am-"
"A hypocrite. You power down and lower your fists right this second, Lord Vegeta." The glacial tones of an extremely annoyed princess come from the bottom of the stairs. She sorts out her wooden tiara that she has just put on and flicks her hair back as she locks eyes with the Saiyan prince. Vegeta's blue meets her red, his bright aura stays illuminating the scene along with his son's. After all that this prince has said in her defence to Azusa concerning controlling her life here she finds him being the tyrannical despot to his own son.
"I gotta fly, wish I could stay for the show but my dad has a lot to tell you. Bye, dad." Trunks flies past his father, leaving these last remarks to the princess who has given him the distraction he needs to escape. He raises his middle finger to the back of his father's head as he flies out of the house and over the horizon. Vegeta clenches his teeth in rage. He lets his son flee for now, there is plenty of time left to track him down and leaving Ayeka right now will not be good for him, especially after his son has said that to her.
Several seconds pass as Ayeka stares down this angered super Saiyan. Black hair and eyes eventually return. Vegeta shoots a menacing glance to the partnered duo sat beside him and begins walking at a brisk pace towards the kitchen, he motions to Ayeka to follow him. She does so and keeps up with his fast walking. He holds the door open for her and closes it behind her, the metal of the doorknob contorts and the door hinges creak in protest. Ayeka crosses her slender arms and faces him.
"You can drop that anger around me or I will be walking back out of that door. So what is it that you have to tell me, apart from your frankly horrendous treatment of your own child." She had just been relaxing herself in a lovely, soothing bath and that calm state of mind she was in has already been replaced. Ayeka will not ignore any wrong actions from him. Confronting him head on and stopping him in his tracks, she is making sure that despite her kind and forgiving nature that she does not come across as some soft touch that can be swept aside. Her cute face is stern with her brows almost as furrowed as those of Vegeta's permanent scowl. A tremor runs through the building and shakes the glass in the windows. She will not let his power scare her, she is the crown princess of Jurai and Vegeta is massively indebted to her. His temper is a terrible thing and she can empathise that with all these happenings he will be on edge and has been pushed far but she will make him quench his rage when in her presence, if he wants to be angry he can go and vent in his training room.
"I guess this is where I get to see your own hypocrisy in action." Vegeta closes his eyes and snarls as he rubs at the bridge of his nose. Being affronted by his son has set his mind into its combat state. His words come out as a callous sneer as he senses his son flying further and further away. Getting attacked by a super Saiyan is a serious thing for him, it is not dangerous but he has to respond harshly to attempts on him by his son, and between trying to rectify things with the women he is stretched far too thin to deal with his son's open aggression. He is struggling with what he had to do for Ryoko and his son has spent a while rubbing his betrayal of Bulma in his face and attacking him with it after he told his son. Indoor shoes slam down onto the wooden floorboards, Ayeka's irritated stomp gets his attention.
" Do not take that tone with me. Speak, I assume this is to do with what transpired with Miss Ryoko, as she is nowhere to be seen then would it be reasonable to say that you have failed in your task?"
"Lady Ayeka, I did as you asked. I did all possible to appease her and I put that effort in that you crave so much, so I hope this makes you glad. You are no longer my only fiancée, Ryoko asked and she now holds that title too." Vegeta growls out the truth to her. His gnarled fingers tighten into fists that want to slam down onto something and cause mass destruction. He knows that now after having to deal with both Ryoko and his son he will have to go through the whole song and dance of jealousy with Ayeka for the actions she wanted him to make. Washu is in his training room. Vegeta wants her gone so he can release his rage against some worthy simulation of Buu and do what a Saiyan should be doing not this domestic hell he has got stuck in. A breeze flutters through his erect black spikes.
" Lord Vegeta, please move. I wish to leave now."
The purple fringe of Ayeka veils her lowered face. Vegeta is stood in front of the door and she cannot leave the kitchen. Her slender shoulders tremble, her arms hug across her stomach and her voice is nearly mute. His words have shot right through her. This is not what she anticipated. She cannot believe this, she sent Vegeta out there to make nice with Ryoko but this is beyond what she thought would transpire by so much. It is selfish of her she realises to be so green with envy and hate over him doing this for Ryoko, and she was the one who sent him there even after he voiced his concern about her jealousy. Her dainty and pale hands rise to her face and cover it. Ayeka heard the bitterness in Vegeta's voice at confessing this and that lessens this colossal blow to her somewhat, this is taxing him greatly and she can hear plainly how much he is against it. If he were to have said this flippantly it would have stung too much for her to hold back her tears.
Vegeta remains stood, unmoved from his position. Despite Ayeka's words she has not budged an inch towards him or the exit she wants to retreat through. A minute passes and then another as Ayeka deals with what he has told her. Not a word or sound comes from her covered lips. Ryoko had to suffer hearing Vegeta call Ayeka's name and now the Juraian princess feels she can sympathise with that sense of betrayal and hurt. She is trying to keep her thoughts in check and think about this logically and how even if Vegeta has done this it has not changed a thing about how he does not love either of them and that it was done so that she no longer held an advantageous position towards Vegeta. Her brain is telling her that this is nothing like the time that she was led to believe that her prince had shared a bed and a night with Ryoko, her heart is not listening and still bleeds at this unwelcome news. Vegeta begins to speak and explain what occurred.
" She gave me the ultimatum of either I make her equal to you or she leaves the planet. I gave you the chance to-"
" Do not speak down to me like that! How dare you try to worm this around back at me, you are supposed to be begging for forgiveness here not assaulting your child and treating me like some common fool. You cannot hide your cowardice from me behind your rage." Ayeka's words snap out in a sudden rage as Vegeta mentions how she had the option to prevent this, to basically assure herself victory and to be the only one engaged to her prince. There was no way she could have known. The last time she saw Ryoko it could not have been further from her mind that the wounded pirate would propose to the sadist who tortured her. She does not want to hear excuses from him and so she lashes out and insults the already angered Vegeta. Her own emotions are peaking due to this revelation.
A booted foot splinters the floor. Cutlery and other loose items and appliances within the kitchen begin to levitate, a window pane cracks and lights on the refrigerator start to blink as it shuts off. Vegeta was trying to explain the situation to her in a relative calm manner, he gave her time to gather her thoughts and now he is being repaid with more insults. His pride will not stand for this. A spark of energy coils around him.
"You insult me with the slander of cowardice whilst trying to flee!" The distance between the prince and the princess decreases as Vegeta slams another foot through the flooring of his house. He shouts at Ayeka in the same thunderous tone of voice he just used to scold his son. She winces at each word he yells back at her. She might have been privy to a rare moment in which his feelings for his wife overpowered him but no-one has the right to call him a coward. Vegeta keeps his hands low, he manages this much control. Ayeka trembles.
" V-Ve-Vegeta, calm down. Now! Do-do not try to threaten me. Quench your power. Stop trying to scare me! You are a vile wretch of a man, thinking that you can get out of this by terrifying me further after telling me you have betrothed another! I do not want to use that term, but you are behaving like some wild animal. Are you so weak that you always let your biology control your actions?" Frightened by his display, Ayeka stands her ground and raises her own voice to Vegeta's level. For what it is worth she summons her Juraian guardian logs around her. Compared to Vegeta this act of power is nothing but she has fangs and she will bare them if Vegeta thinks he can shout at her. The racial insult she accidentally called him at the primate enclosure hangs in the air. She will not be bossed about, intimidated or subdued by him just because he likes to throw his weight around, as a princess of Jurai she has her own pride. Ayeka locks horns with the Saiyan brute even though she is scared of him and is still reeling from the news of Ryoko. Ever since she asked him out for a second date she has been regretting how much of a pushover it made her appear. She had let herself be moved by his chivalry in allowing Ryoko to let loose on him but here he is the aggressor, here he shall learn that the fear she holds towards him will not prevent her from forcing him down the path of redemption.
"I shamed my wife, I shamed myself, I had to spend a night with only her bones for company, I get greeted by open hostility in my own home, your sister treats me like some misbehaved dog whilst you force me to bend the knee and belittle myself to you. Ryoko openly insults my wife, threatens her remains, attacks me and destroys one of my testicles where you dare to intervene and step in to aid me. My mind gets invaded by Ryoko as she pelts blasts and insults at me and then you both twist my arm so I am forced against my will to accept her ludicrous demands. Now it gets all thrown back at me. My son shouts in my face how he would rather me be dead than Bulma! Why do you care for my efforts when it all counts for naught in your eyes and you lie about how you want me to treat Ryoko? Do you understand at all the insurmountable effort I am putting in for you both here that that was the first time I had even talked to my own son in several days? I live with enough failure hanging around my throat without being chastised for just being a Saiyan. I achieve the impossible but I cannot at once do everything and do nothing!"
Ayeka slaps him. She strikes him hard across his cheek with her palm. There is a fire burning in her crimson eyes. This is the first time that she has touched him since being instant transmissioned back from the beach, his skin is hot, his jaw is hard and she retracts her hand. Vegeta snorts out pent up breaths through his nose. The hovering items crash down, Vegeta steps back and diffuses the anger as best he can so that nothing will drive him to use his own hands. Air briefly pulses out from him and he drops his power. That slap he barely felt but he registers what it means and how backed up into a corner Ayeka has to be to attack him. His sharp mind has not been blinded by fury. Not being able to control himself is the reason he has fallen from grace so spectacularly and he is not one to be defeated by something twice. Vegeta repress his rage with effort. This is not constructive for him and is worsening his already abysmal position, Ayeka is not the one he is truly enraged at.
"I-I am sorry for striking you, violence is unbecoming but it seems there is little else you take notice of. I am not some unjustified villain here so do not talk about me as if I am one. No training from now on until that work you want done to your room is completed. Your behaviour and attitude are atrocious, I can understand the stress you are facing but if you dare to lash out in anger or speak thus to me again I shall have you bowing in submission to me until your next meal. Apologise this instant. And keep apologising and explaining yourself until you find yourself in a mood less abhorrent so you can perform the simple task of holding a proper conversation. Do not make me say such a term to you, but if you push me it might just slip my tongue again." She is glad that Vegeta stood down and backed away from her after she slapped him, for at that instant she dreaded any retaliation from him. Ayeka speaks with the composure and authority of royalty as she reprimands him and threatens him with the power she holds born from his debt. Standing up to him is challenging, backing down is unthinkable. Her guardian logs dissipate. Vegeta stands there, still in the midst of repressing his rage and controlling his broiling emotions.
Her light robes rustle as she raises her reddened palm and looks at it in distaste. She shakes her head to herself. Vegeta has not apologised yet. Ayeka motions her head back past him to the front room and quietly asks him who instigated the scene between father and son. The Saiyan lifts the top half of his outfit to show large and nasty bruises decorating most of his stomach. Ayeka is not keen on him exposing flesh to her but she understands the effectiveness of his actions, Vegeta covers his scarred torso again.
" Trunks transformed first and got these blows in. He needs the year of training to adjust to the fact that you and Ryoko are a part of my life at the minute, otherwise attacks on you will follow. My training room is already being upgraded by Washu, so-"
" Then she shall be pleased to find herself with a three hour break to delay her work. You will serve all your due punishments and atone for your recent actions and words. … I know that this cannot be easy for you and the position you are in is beyond my comprehension, but that does not entitle you to act out in a violent and aggressive manner. Control yourself, or those three hours will swiftly turn into three days." She feels better to learn that Vegeta did not start the attack on his son and was defending himself, but that does not excuse how he shouted and raved at her. Her hand smarts. Keeping the dominant position and tone is imperative to her, still she reaches out showing that she is not trying to be unfair to him and is thinking about his side of the story. The species he was born to is the main reason he did what he did. Ayeka clears her throat. She is beginning to feel the heat now. This lashing out she does not like from Vegeta one bit, his temper is an issue, yet it does show to her the lengths he is going to that it stresses him out this much. Her mind drifts off in contemplative thoughts of Vegeta accepting Ryoko's request, it is wrong of her to think so on this however some part of her is rationalising that she still has a much stronger link to Vegeta than her rival.
"... I'm sorry, Lady Ayeka."
Ayeka is interrupted from her self indulgent thoughts to ease her heart in turmoil about Ryoko's engagement. She looks at Vegeta and waits. An expectant gleam is in her eyes and she raises one eyebrow. Vegeta lets out a deep breath and scratches his head. After a pause he continues his apology like she wants him to.
"I am sorry, my rage overtook me and I spoke out of line. It has been an incredibly stressful and testing time for me and I apologise for venting it on you… And I will warn you that as I mentioned earlier Ryoko now has the power to read minds. You know that I did not-"
"I do know. I dislike it immensely and for that you do have the right to call me a hypocrite after what I said to you earlier, my overconfidence in my position compared to hers was to blame for that. If what you say is true and that ultimatum was given to you then … it-it was the correct decision to make. What you said to her … when you called my name to her, I can understand perfectly why she would crave this equality. So long as she was the one to ask, so long as this is something done in name only, so long as there was nothing else to be done … then I- I can a-a-accept this choice. But know this, right now, my dislike of you, Lord Vegeta, is in great excess of my jealousy towards Miss Ryoko." Talking in a sombre fashion, Ayeka struggles to move the discussion past her envy and past that which is paining her to speak about. She justifies his forced decision and tries to keep her own emotions out of it. Her bias against this is powerful. Ayeka wants to be the only woman that Vegeta cares for, in a twisted dichotomy though she also wants Vegeta to be a person who would be kind and accept Ryoko's desperate request. Vegeta nods his head.
"I am sorry, if there was another way I would have taken it. Bigamy is not an intention of mine and by accepting Ryoko's request I have degraded your status. At the moment you are taking this news far better than Ryoko herself is, due credit to your strength. What Ryoko honestly wanted at that moment was for me to decline. She was in open hysterics and even prying in my mind only nicked the tip of the blade she is, Ryoko wanted me to say no so that she had that one final reason to leave and be free. I am not that kind. Until my training is complete my wife will remain the only woman I care for in a romantic sense. I will try and keep better control over myself." He takes a few steps away from the doorway, giving Ayeka room and an escape route so that she will not feel cornered as he explains the basics of Ryoko's lightning proposal. Wording it as best as he can, Vegeta aids the Juraian princess' efforts of accepting his choice. She is finding it tough with the man she loves having accepted another woman's proposal with no prior warning, as he is for separate reasons. Ayeka moves part of the way towards the kitchen door, listening to what Vegeta has to say. It makes more sense to her now that he speaks Ryoko's reasoning. This thought of reading minds she does not like, it is a perverse invasion of privacy and she is glad that she has been warned about this: Ryoko has already taken the liberty of reading her diary as if it were some novel.
"No trying, just do it. … What I find to be a good course of action when stressed is to enjoy a nice, relaxing cup of tea. The weather unfortunately is too warm for a hot drink, but I recall that cold beverage you brought to me at the zoo that had a similarly pleasant flavour and you said was also tea. If you would be so kind as to run a short errand and fetch plenty of that drink, I would like you to set a blanket outside under a parasol with that fan. Oh, and fix this flooring you just broke. You can meditate and calm down there, no exercise, and when you are ready we can talk. My sister will most likely join us so you can hone your skills in dealing appropriately with children then as well. I will be informing Miss Washu of her 3 hour break and then join you outside, Lord Vegeta. There is much we can talk about, all you have to do is keep a cool head and behave like a prince."
"... Not like a Saiyan prince though. I shall do this job and meditate, though it would be prudent of me to go after my own flesh and blood. However, I sense him hanging around Goten, obviously he believes the threat of Gotenks is enough to dissuade me …"
Vegeta quickly says his farewell to the princess as he instant transmissions off, he cannot train and so his options on what he can do are limited and meditating would be one of his first choices. His son can wait. He gave Ryoko time to calm down and he shall treat his son the same in that respect. Being ordered about he dislikes but the threat of having to go even longer without training keeps him in line. A long breath is exhaled from Ayeka after Vegeta vanishes. She props up her slender frame by leaning on the table, her mind awhirl but she believes she pulled it off. Spending time and talking to her prince are her main goals in getting him to earn her forgiveness. She would like gestures as large as the ones he gave Ryoko but her hopes for that happening are slim after all he has been through today. Ayeka closes her eyes and shakes her head to herself about Ryoko. She forlornly smiles as she thinks how neither of them managed to have any romance attached to their engagements. Pushing herself up, lightly slapping her cheeks to invigorate herself and checking her outfit, Ayeka leaves the kitchen.
Neither Kiyone nor Mihoshi look her way. They are not deaf and could clearly hear all the shouting and arguing but they know better than to get themselves mixed in the middle of this sensitive issue; Kiyone has the criminal report on standby to be filed whenever she is given permission. A crime and detective show is broadcasting and is keeping Mihoshi's attention as she lazily pets the snoozing cabbit in her lap. Kiyone watches to learn what she can about the Earth's legal system and policing agencies. Both are wearing loose t-shirts and shorts to combat the heat. The quiet and faint footsteps of Ayeka go unheeded, the princess is appreciative of the way they are keeping out and respecting her wishes. Vegeta told her that Washu was already working and so she stands before the metal door to the training room and knocks. A voice calls out to her asking who it is, the scientist asking with little urgency for if it were Vegeta she knows he would never knock. Ayeka answers.
" Miss Ayeka? Good, 'bout time someone showed up. Would you kindly open the big, heavy door for me, please? My Yamcha has such a fun sense of humour closing it knowing I cannot open it, oh his jokes of not wanting me to get distracted were so hilarious as he swanned off leaving me here." The scientist jokes in a heavily sarcastic tone as she sits by the main console with her holo-top feeding data into it. There is grime and oil coating her hands after fiddling with the innards of the machine, with some spots of it even leaking into her pink hair. She watches as the door locking her in slowly begins to move as Ayeka struggles against its massive weight, it stops moving when it is halfway open and wide enough for a person to fit through. Ayeka pops her head around the door to check on Washu and smiles at her.
"There you go, and I have come bearing the good news that you are also free to leave this room and do not have to return here for 3 hours." The smile on the Juraian's face would be forced if it did not give her pleasure to announce this to Washu, to use her power over Vegeta that he has willingly surrendered to her and buy herself time with him, even more time than the one and a half days she already has. Washu reciprocates her smile. The break does not mean much to her, Washu loves to work and construct and research, yet she does enjoy this idea of Vegeta having someone restraining him and his actions. Long legs extend out, her chest expands and her voice deepens as Washu progresses herself back to an age similar to Ayeka's. Her keen emeralds flicker across the princess' face and the confidence shown on it that nearly disguises her nerves and fear.
"My, my, Misaki will be so happy to learn how much her child has grown. Thanks, Ayeka. You keep him dancing to your tune and wrapped around your finger like that and I would be very appreciative. I guess that's all, I see there's more but you won't tell."
Washu chuckles to herself, Ayeka doesn't seem too keen on what she thinks is supposed to be a compliment which make it all the more amusing for Washu. The scientist does one deliberate motion and with that she determines all she needs to. She slips on her emerald encrusted engagement ring after having taken it off to work and as her fingers had been a few sizes too small for it. The way Ayeka's blood red eyes fix on that object before glancing off gives Washu the information she needs to confirm what she overheard, the princess begins to look agitated and uncomfortable. She messes with one of her long tails of purple hair as Washu stands. Ayeka makes a short quip in her defence, to keep up appearances.
"Is there much point in having to tell you?
"No. I like keeping in the know. Well informed geniuses are often known to give good advice to princesses when asked. But for now I guess I'll either do that other work of Vegeta's or find Yamcha." A hand rests on Ayeka's delicate shoulder and gives it a short and friendly squeeze. Ayeka nods and smiles at Washu as she backs out of the door so Washu can leave like she told her she can. For Washu the act of adding taste-buds to Ryoko's tongue is simple enough that all she has to do is find a pre-made formula and personalise it for her, the Juraian she walks past has no clue about this and believes Washu to be going to work on Vegeta's medication. The bulkhead door gets left open. Washu lets the braid out of her hair so it can return to its natural ponytail and disappears back into her laboratory.
An alert woman suddenly leaps up and startles Ayeka who is walking past the two policewomen watching television and greeting them. Mihoshi look down to her partner and then dashes full pelt out of the house as both Kiyone and Ayeka stare in confusion at the sprinting blonde. A question hangs in the air but neither woman asks it. As Ayeka was on her way to leave the house anyway she proceeds to follow in the wake of Mihoshi. At the doorway she is happy to see that her prince has already set up all that she asked of him and that he is peacefully sat in the shade beside a cooler filled with bottles of iced tea. Sasami stands in the lake in a pink swimming costume pouting and looking unimpressed at the woman apologising for forgetting. From what Ayeka listens to as she walks towards the parasol she learns that Mihoshi had said that she would play with her sister in the lake but at some point got distracted by the television and had left her waiting outside for many minutes. The young princess accepts her apology and Mihoshi begins to ask for some time to change when an unexpected and powerful gust of wind blows her over and into the water. Vegeta lets out a dark laugh as Mihoshi's short lived scream is replaced by spluttering and moans that the water is cold.
"Ahem, was that entirely necessary, Lord Vegeta?" Petty bullying is not something Ayeka wants to see from Vegeta at this moment in time. She stands over him under the parasol and looks down at him. He hands her a chilled bottle of iced tea which she thanks him for and awaits him to either apologise or explain why he felt the need to push Mihoshi into the lake.
Heat shimmers off the surrounding grass. Sasami giggles at Mihoshi as all she saw was a clumsy person falling over and tells her it is time for them to play now. The soaking wet cop has blonde bangs hanging limp across her face and mewls that she wanted to change into her bikini to enjoy the sunshine, a smiling girl says that it doesn't matter and playfully laughs as she tugs on her arm to get her deeper to play. Ayeka watches the scene and looks back to Vegeta. The Saiyan leans forward and switches on the fan. A pleasantly cooling breeze blows against the bottom of Ayeka's light coloured robes and she seats herself down on the blanket beside her prince. She sits as she was taught to be proper, in a seiza position with her lower legs tucked underneath her, it is not a formal occasion but she sees the blowing air from the fan to otherwise be a hazard to her modesty by disturbing her robes. Mihoshi and Sasami soon begin to play together, the officer conceding that as her clothes are already wet it would be pointless to get out and change. Vegeta opens up a drink for himself and drains it.
" Maybe. I needed something to improve my mood and this causes no harm, in-fact it improved things for your sister who no longer has to wait. I did as you asked, do you intend for me to talk or meditate as -"
Water splashes over Vegeta as a beach ball bounces off the side of his turned head. Ayeka lets a small smirk grow on her face at this karma in action as Mihoshi says sorry after having completely missed a throw in the game of catch she is playing with Sasami. A thick, black eyebrow twitches. The droplets of water on him evaporate and the ball by his side gets blown off into the lake for Mihoshi to go and fetch, which she is somewhat thankful for as the Saiyan scares her and this way she does not have to deal with him. Ayeka nods to herself at Vegeta not letting anger best him and takes a small sip from the iced tea, she finds it to have a slight difference in taste to the one she sampled on their date but it is equally refreshing in this summer heat. The princess then lets a few seconds pass as she watches her sibling enjoying herself and not antagonising Vegeta like she presumed she would, and then Ayeka answers Vegeta's question. She wants to chat with him. He agrees that he will talk to her and maintain a civil manner and tone with her. She takes another sip.
"I am putting my trust in you here, Lord Vegeta, by such an awful amount it truly terrifies me, even now I have to trust that you have not multi-formed and are only humouring me now. We are not here to discuss heady topics and get ourselves worked up, however if you do want to make some offer to me or apology then I shall listen. We are here to have a pleasant chat and get to know each other better. … I want to get to know the real Vegeta... How about we start off simple, instead of butting heads over cultural differences or your criminal past, what is your favourite colour, Lord Vegeta?" Ayeka continues watching her sister frolic in the water as she outlines what is on her mind and why she asked Vegeta to be with her. Small talk is something she only really got to enjoy with him when they were on their date together and learning about her prince will help her to understand him better. She takes another sip of iced tea. Staying in his company is not the easiest of things for her, for this to work out for her and to find it in her heart to forgive him though she sees no other way than for him to spend ample time with her. Basically two days she gets to spend without him being distracted by training. Two days is not enough for her to forgive him, but it will set the foundations as long as he makes no mistakes and is kind to her. Instead of asking about his new fiancée or the troubles his engagements are causing with his son, Ayeka much prefers this simplistic and nonsensical topic to start things off. Nothing important hinges on his answer, no ill can come of it and it feels as if it is knowledge, like when his birthday is, that she as his fiancée should know.
"Gold, if I had to pick one. Yours?" Power is what he strives for. His transformations give him power hence he makes his decision based upon that. He guesses he will not get to meditate any time soon but at least this will not be a stressful activity and he can calm himself down, unless Mihoshi hits him with that beach ball again. His senses see that his son is still on high alert with a raised power level and that being with his friend Goten has now put him in very close proximity to Goku, a primary line of defence that in his current mood Vegeta would challenge. Ryoko's low power eludes him. She must be purposefully suppressing it so that he cannot find her. He wants to train and if Washu is on a break then his training room should be empty.
"I have always been partial to blues. The Ocean, my mother and sister, many of my favourite clothes, objects and people have some blue colouration and so it is to be expected. -Sasami, don't swim too far out the water is too deep for you there and keep close to Miss Mihoshi, please. Sorry about that, Lord Vegeta, do you have any hobbies at all outside of your fighting and training? I have asked you a similar question before but I find it hard to believe there is no past-time that interests you."
"Hobbies are for those with spare time, a commodity too rich for me to waste on fun. I rest, I eat, I sleep, apart from that any time I had was spent either with my son or my wife, most of the times I was not training were mostly due to Bulma exercising her control over my training room like you are now. Bulma did tell me that for the social events I was required to accompany her to that I should answer physical fitness, food and family. Kakarot might fish, Yamcha might play sports, and I do not. There is no physical activity on this planet challenging enough for me outside of my training."
"Not all past-times have to utilise the body, I might enjoy a swim or a walk but reading, literature, drawing and art are intellectual pursuits that should not be beneath you. Despite many of your actions, you are a smart man, though without any formal education you do have intelligence. Do Saiyans not appreciate the arts?" That small dig at him slips her tongue before she realises herself, she does not apologise for it for he has made many decisions that have caused her pain in some form or another. A common interest that they share would be nice for her. She holds little hope in this hard ask of trying to awaken any interest in art in Vegeta.
The Saiyan unfolds his legs and lays back half on the blanket and half on the grass. A straightforward 'no' rests on the tip of his tongue as he closes his eyes. Ayeka has not yet cottoned on but his mentioning of his wife has troubled him. His mind is replaying all those precious few times he spent with Bulma whilst reminding him how all that is gone now. He sighs to himself causing Ayeka to look across at him. She can see now by his creased brows that he is not relaxing or calming down and it does not take her long to piece together why.
"Ask Washu, she has more knowledge on that side of Saiyan culture than I do and might have seen it for herself. No art made by Saiyans exists now, Nappa never said anything about it and as a child I was too occupied with my 'education'. Is art not supposed to be something reflective of a culture or a thought? … I believe Bulma said that to me once, for the works of humans does not mean a thing to me." Vegeta pushes through it and answers her question. His emotions will not best him, a simple conversation will not defeat him. He opens his eyes to see Ayeka staring down at him, she smiles at him in a reassuring manner as he speaks of his wife. She thinks to herself how it is true that he would know little of anything to do with his race outside of war, all he has is a skewed perspective of Saiyan life given to him by his parents, Nappa and Raditz. Ayeka thinks for a while on the philosophical statement before discarding it and thinking to herself how best to steer the conversation in such a way that they avoid talking about Vegeta's deceased wife.
" That is an interesting thought concerning the perception of art, yet it does sound like an excuse to cover up your indifferent attitude towards all things not related to fighting. As a princess I have travelled far and seen many museums and galleries and never did I have that problem that you say you have. Then again ..."
"Do I detect some underhand insults towards my race's intelligence or my own? You might have had yourself some fancy education in your palaces but I have years of experience and learning. Space travel for me either involved meditation or learning, and on top of that I had to be competent in my technical skills so that I could repair our space pods for I put no trust in those weakling fools. A warrior's mind is a sharp weapon. And let's not forget, I was married to the smartest woman on this planet, and she taught me much."
"I expected some boast about being the smartest Saiyan alive. What you say might be true but I feel as though you are underestimating me. You are too competitive for your own good. This should prove interesting with our different knowledge bases, and Washu is only on a break due to me, would you mind going and asking her for some fair test to settle this?" Ayeka's plan to lead the topic away from Bulma did not work but she sees this opportunity to take a more playful approach working off of Vegeta's innate competitiveness. She feels that this interaction with him could prove both fun and fruitful to her, she even gets a chance to showcase her intelligence off to him. This way she also sidesteps the underlying issue of Vegeta saying something offensive or cruel by occupying themselves in an activity. She takes another drink and faces forwards to observe her sibling as Vegeta stands without a word and walks off back towards the house.
A couple of minutes pass before the Saiyan rejoins her bringing a single electronic tablet and as he sits down beside her he sets it down between them. She looks across at it, perplexed why there is only one device when they are supposed to be going against each other and why it is showing 17 questions having already been answered. The Juraian language that she is familiar with is on screen as well as the Terran Alphabet from which she knows only a few select words. Before she asks the obvious, Vegeta tells her that Washu thought it would be better for them to co-operate on a test, work together and pool their knowledge to complete this test. The proud Saiyan does not like the word co-operate or the implication that this is something beyond his singular ability but he heard the logic behind Washu's words and how this idea would be more to Ayeka's liking. He has already flicked through to check that there are no inappropriate questions and Washu was not stupid enough to sneak any in now she is in good standing with Vegeta. Ayeka smiles and nods at him. This is a pleasant development and the 18th question she finds easy enough to answer for it is on Juraian history. For several minutes Ayeka methodically fills in the answers with Vegeta only joining in when she tells him that a certain question is beyond her, she will let him have this moment for his wounded pride to recover. The princess smiles, enjoying this and through it she also gets to learn about Earth some more through the questions tailored towards what Vegeta should know. His largest font of information is never touched, all his battle tactics and strategies, the ways he knows to kill and main, no questions about his speciality arise.
Half an hour flies by as the test gets completed and with that done Ayeka strikes up a new conversation based off of what she learnt about Earth. Vegeta answers but his mind is elsewhere. For close to an hour the princess tries to keep a discussion alive with him until they both fall into silence and the prince starts to meditate. Being sat so long on her legs has become uncomfortable for Ayeka and so she excuses herself as she stands, stretches her legs and walks about the lake towards Sasami. The young girl has been in the water far too long now and she is told as much as Ayeka gets her to stop her fun before she catches a chill, Mihoshi helps Sasami out as she exits the lake as well.
Vegeta ignores the goings on of the women around him as he focuses inwards and broods over this day. Events are in motion and he needs to conjure up plans quickly to deal with these happenings before he gets left in the dust. He knows how close he came to absolute ruin with both Ayeka and Ryoko but his past is not leaving him. An engagement to Ryoko is carving him up with a sense of guilt and betrayal that is not lessening. His mind is failing in its meditation as these distracting emotions bother him incessantly. A year training, a year with his son, a year without the women pestering him and forcing him into actions he does not want, a year to focus on the memory of his wife and his widowed state, he needs the year. His son requires the year as well. Neither woman will forgive him unless he does things which he simply cannot do. He did something that he should not have and failed.
"Mr Vegeta, sister Ayeka said you have to be nice to us and so I thought of a treat that would make her happy. Can you get something so I can turn these into pendants for us?" Dressed back in his son's clothes, Sasami taps Vegeta on the shoulder as she stands behind him to get his attention. She talks with a sense of entitlement that displeases the proud Saiyan, at the very least she is being less confrontational than before. Having watched her sister and him be together and talking for a long time she feels less animosity towards him.
The Sun is lower in the sky than he last recalled it being. Vegeta rises and turns to face Sasami. In her petite hands she holds the two sea shells that Ayeka found on the beach. The Saiyan nods at her and takes them from her hands as he sends his ki sensing abilities outwards. Washu is back in his training room, his time spent attempting to meditate was longer than he thought by a large margin. The form of Vegeta vanishes, leaving Sasami on her own looking about and after a minute passes she sits down under the parasol which only shades some of the blanket now. A fine silver chain threads through each miniature conch shell and the two pendants drop into Sasami's lap. Vegeta immediately tells her that he is going to find his son and then he instant transmissions again. The girl says her thanks to the empty space he was in, puts her pendant on and skips off inside to give this surprise gift to her sister.
