Chapter 53

Sitting down with a metallic film coating the topside of her tongue, an impatient Ryoko swings back in her chair. The bullet point list of instructions that came with this device, written in the language used by the Cold empire so as to keep the prying eyes of Jurai away, were brief and succinct; whilst it is taking the necessary 2 hours to give her taste she is forbidden from putting any food or drink in her mouth. As the protein sensors were created she found the thing in her mouth only slightly bothersome but after that time passed Ryoko has had enough of this device as it started to rewire the nervous system of her jaw to encompass this new data. Talking with something covering her tongue made her sound as if she had a speech impediment and now with her mouth either numb or locking up she has had to resort to another form of communication. With a pencil in her hand she underlines the word 'Food' for the umpteenth time and taps the pencil on the table. It was Ayeka's idea to use some spare sheets from the back of her diary so that she could still communicate and as Ryoko was raised on an outer colony of the Juraian empire she does still retain enough knowledge that she can write basic sentences. Reading Ayeka's diary is the closest thing she has to practise at this language. So far the two women have mainly only managed to discuss this sense of taste and what Ayeka should be cooking. Ryoko's focus to stay off all things Vegeta and to make this visit all about gaining taste-buds keeps the conversation from straying to any dangerous areas.

Meticulously peeling some vegetables with greater care than is necessary, Ayeka knows what Ryoko has written without turning to read it, Ryoko is restless and her usually short patience has waned to nothing. A stock is simmering on the stove at a low heat below boil. Ayeka was taught how to produce a simple broth and as the ingredients used are fairly flexible she can accommodate to Ryoko's wants, though her knowledge on how to cook some of the foods is severely lacking. She handles the knife with as much delicate precision as she can and the meal gets prepared at a snail's pace. The overly long and impractical sleeves of her red furisode have been folded and rolled up out of the way and a white apron protects her delicate and expensive clothing from any splashes and spillages. Her inability to read the labelling for any container or seasoning hinders her immensely, she hopes the spices she smelt and added do work. A few loud and curious sniffs sound from behind the princess, followed by a grunt that she takes to be disapproval.

"I will be the first to admit I am not the greatest or fastest cook, but this should all be done shortly after you have your mouth, and voice, back. Your faith in me to cook your first taste of food is appreciated, Ryoko, but … there is, we-we should talk, like you came here to do." Ayeka is acting out of the goodness of her heart to do this subservient task for this brash pirate and so is defensive of her cooking that she did work hard to improve. They both know that food is not the important thing here, nor is it what Ryoko truly wants. A few more greens got lowered into the pot to cook with the rest, irrespective of each ingredient's cooking time or their amount relative to the other foods already within it. The chair behind her creaks. Ryoko clears her throat and taps on the table.

'Do one right Jurai good?' The blocky and messy handwriting is barely understandable to the noble Juraian. Ryoko's crimson eyes lock onto her face as she reads her writing. A lot of her life might have been spent on a Juraian colony but the majority of that was in a detestable prison cell where her literacy was not a main concern, to Ryoko it is closer to a foreign language than the one she grew up with after her time in the Planet Trade Organisation. Ayeka sees this distraction for what it is yet answers all the same, for if they are to talk then the level at which Ryoko can do so should be taken into account.

"It is not the best but it is satisfactory for these purposes."

Ayeka dismisses the massive faults in the single sentence and is about to turn back around to focus on her meal when a ball of paper bounces off her head. Predatory eyes are glaring at her and the way Ryoko is sat makes it look like she is ready to pounce at any second. The royal was being polite however it seems as though she has done something to annoy Ryoko. She picks up the pencil and scrawls out another message.

'Bullshit. I wrote bad on purpose. No pity. No.' The pencil in Ryoko's hand snaps in two, there is anger written across her face but also a trace amount of fear and vulnerability. This is one of the reasons she waited for the place to be practically deserted before summoning up the courage to come back to this house. Ryoko cannot stand the thought of people looking down on her like some poor and tragic victim, a weak and helpless fool who brought about her own downfall by one stupid decision. She laid the bait and now she sees that Ayeka is pitying her with these acts of hers and cooking for her. Her rival who was the source of so much of her pain is feeling sorry for her and she hates it. A low rumble comes from her throat.

"Kindness and pity are not the same. I am a kind person, as I am sure you have realised, and I assure you that I am not pitying you."

'Why being kind to me?'

Ever since that moment she came back a ruined woman, Ryoko has had Ayeka looking out for her, talking reason to her and aiding her even if at the time she did not see it as thus. They are not friends, they are not nice to each other and so the only reason Ryoko can see for this abnormal behaviour is that she is being pitied and treated as some stupid charity case. If she is so lowly and abhorrent that no-one can bring themselves to even hate her then she is truly nothing. She does not understand. Wrapped up in her own massive problems, issues and pain she cannot see the other perspective as anything but pity. By default Juraians are not people she trusts. Ayeka has a large vested interest to hurt her and get rid of her. This black and white view of things is not something the princess shares with the mute rogue. Ayeka will not kick her whilst she is writhing on the floor, her feud exists but she will not act on and take advantage of this awful situation. She cannot do such a cruel thing to someone who has had to go through such a tragedy, to be empathetic with her does not mean she is necessarily pitying her. Ayeka shifts about under the stern and feline eye of a judging Ryoko. She has to talk. She has to say it.

" Ryoko, I am not the enemy, not now at least. … Lord Vegeta has told me. It's … I- what he- Congratulations are in order, I presume." Ayeka's shaky voice manages to say this painful fact. This is what Ayeka needs to talk to Ryoko about, she needs to hear Ryoko's side and how Vegeta is earning her forgiveness. Splinters erupt out as the pencil in Ryoko's hand explodes. Her golden eyes dart away from Ayeka and stare down at the floor. She shakes her head. Ryoko does not want to hear it. She does not want to discuss this, if she does then she will have to explain why she is back here as well and she cannot do it.

"It hurt him. If you seek vengeance then getting him to concede to that demand … it nearly broke him. I- I understand. It … It is good to have you back. He has pushed himself to the brink of his limits, but what we- … We can get through this."

'No.'

Ryoko points to the already written word and adamantly shakes her head. Through her uncooperative mouth she loudly growls out the word. She wipes at her face and then makes a show of focusing her sight on the boiling broth, telling herself that she has returned for a meal she can taste and this business can be wholly ignored. Those hopeful words of Ayeka's are so very dangerous to her mental state. The news of his pain and suffering would delight her if it did not stem from the very basic fact that it antagonised and destroyed him to accept her proposal to him, something the small seed within her heart despairs at. She has seen the pain he goes through due to his wife. Fingernails rake through the wood of the table as Ryoko repeats the mantra in her head about her hatred for Vegeta, for the man who nearly raped her.

" I remember clearly your own words to me concerning lying to oneself. I suppose truly we are a triad of hypocrites. Ryoko, why did you come back if not to-"

The fair maiden's words get cut off into a sharp yelp as her collar gets seized and Ryoko forcefully drags her out by the front room window. Harsh pants break from her nostrils as lockjaw immobilises her mouth, Ryoko points out to the super Saiyan 3 and points again and again as Ayeka looks out at the prince but does not get it. Her voice is gone and so is her pencil and she will be damned if to convey this she has to turn her own agony into a mockery of itself through charades. A crimson aura bursts out around Ryoko and Ayeka recoils in partial fear at this enraged woman. Ryoko points again to the golden warrior and then to her eyes and her ears. Ayeka does not get what her gestures are supposed to mean or even if she is attempting to answer her half asked question. Infuriated, a keening and muffled growl tries to come from Ryoko's throat.

"Lady Ayeka, the simple fact here is that no matter where Ryoko went that she could always sense my power, especially when I transform. For this whole time she could always sense my presence." A multiform with raven black hair now stands inside the room, stating what the Juraian royal was failing to understand due to her lack of ki sense. His sudden appearance is greeted by a raging growl from Ryoko and a middle finger stuck up at him, she does not appreciate him helping her in any way, shape or form. Vegeta has his arms crossed and faces the blatant aggression towards him. The two criminals stare at each other. Ryoko breaks eye contact first and a brief spike of ki flashes in her hands.

Ayeka jumps as a fuzzy creature bounds onto her back, Ryo-ohki is latching onto her as the least dangerous person and meows at the surprised woman. This makes sense now. As if a cloyingly foul smell hung about her neck, Ryoko could not escape from Vegeta's presence. She could run but never hide, and this constant ability to feel the one who wronged her added to the confusion brought on by what happened yesterday caused her to make this choice. Ryoko will be brave and face him. Her nerves, however, are not handling this situation. Ayeka can plainly see how much Ryoko is struggling with being in the same room as the Saiyan prince and how vastly different her temperament is to the blazing rage she stormed in with the day before. A second flash comes from Ryoko as her sword materialises in her hand, Vegeta looks unimpressed, turns to face away from Ryoko and sniffs the scent of cooking food drifting through the house. Ryoko's eyes narrow maliciously, a timid hurt hiding behind a wall of justified rage.

"Are you seriously trying to goad her into a fight to alleviate your boredom? Lord Vegeta, are you here to help or not? You know the rules and I have seen a large power switch to that machine inside your training room." Authoritative and in control, Ayeka enforces the peace and reprimands Vegeta and his silent mannerisms. This foul mood of Vegeta's will not be allowed free reign. A grumble comes from Ryoko, she does not enjoy having her rival standing up for her in a way that she cannot herself.

Both Vegeta and Ryoko disappear from the princess' view and a loud, incomprehensible shout and roar comes from the training room. An attempt to destroy the machine to spite Vegeta has been made, not caring whether it delays his ability to move on past his wife or not Ryoko wanted to be the one in power and to hold this threat. She kicks and thrashes as she is effortlessly overpowered and dragged back out of the training room. Being touched by Vegeta is aggravating her to no end and so he lets her go once there is a distance between her and his sacred room. Ryoko teleports again, off somewhere else and Vegeta does not follow.

"One of the main rules of cooking is to not leave food over an open flame unattended. It is almost as unwise as asking Ryoko hard questions when she is unable and unwilling to answer." His sensing abilities track Ryoko as he turns and faces Ayeka. With no slew of abuse being slung his way from the mouth of the rogue he is assuming that some side effect of gaining taste is a loss of control over her lower jaw. The super Saiyan 3 in the background powers down and the multiforms rejoin in the blink of an eye to rest his ki. He is seriously disliking the willingness Ayeka has to throwing around what weight he allows her to have and he is in good mind to remind her whose food she is cooking and whose house she is residing in. Him dealing with Ryoko now will lead to disaster, he has no patience to handle her and his rage will break. Ayeka does not let his semi-insulting words offend her for she accepts that asking Ryoko like she did was wrong and insensitive.

" … I should not have been so inquisitive, but you must understand my curiosity. Lord Vegeta, my cooking … it was supposed to be a surprise." With her sleeves rolled up and an apron on, this princess in exquisitely fine and expensive clothing gives off a contrasting domestic and regal aura with her conflicting outfit. She faces the Saiyan without fear but with the trepidation of her secret being outed. Her development of her culinary abilities were supposed to be a gift to him in repayment of her date, and after his mating season it became something she threw onto the back burner. She will not have him partake of her food now, even the cobbled together messes of flavour she creates are not worthy of him.

His sensible comment about the pot on the hob gets her to slowly leave the room to watch that her meal does not burn. Vegeta follows her into the kitchen. With her back to him she calmly states that her food is not for him. The Saiyan stomach of his requires sustenance. He could manoeuvre around her to make his own meal if that would not upset Ayeka by his proximity to her. Telekinesis solves his problem as he opens the fridge from across the room and levitates a few cans across to him and from a cupboard he gets a loaf of bread. Tearing the whole loaf in two, Vegeta superheats the cans and from them pours out the quickly fried fish onto the bread and has himself a sardine sandwich, bones and all. Ayeka stirs her broth, noticing his respect for her and her space, and turns the heat down as several items are overcooking whereas others are still partially raw. Looking down at the table as only crumbs remain of his snack, Vegeta sees paper and splinters. He does not seat himself. Ryo-ohki hops off Ayeka and nestles on top of the sheets of paper.

"You entrusted your sister to the care of Kiyone and the inept, have you yourself ever been to those noisy hell-holes my son calls amusement parks?" The immensely strong sibling bond between the two princesses makes it worthy of comment that the two are now separated from one another. Ayeka could easily have accompanied them if she wished, yet she stayed behind and Vegeta believes himself to be the main reason for that decision – and not the lack of awareness of her surroundings that it was. She asked him for a second date, and this topic is an easy place to fish around that area and see if he can earn some favour with her in such a way it won't severely tick him off in doing so. Ayeka frowns at the pot.

"My mothers did once take me to one before Sasami was born, I forget the name of the planet it was on. It was a fun day. … I do not want to waste time on small talk, Lord Vegeta. Mother could arrive any day now and you are trying to butt heads with Ryoko. Don't hurt her further. She is ..." Ayeka's voice is gentle as she tries to be delicate in her phrasing, both for herself and her rival, but as she turns her head to face the prince her voice tails off.

Ryoko is there. Warily hovering in the air by a corner of the room, her eyes glance between the two royals and her elfin ears twitch in anticipation to see what Ayeka will say of her. Clutched to her chest are a few pens she went in search of. She needs to be able to communicate and at the minute this is the only way she can fluently do so. Her back is against a wall and there are questions floating in the air that she both needs to ask and answer, even if it pains her to do so. Vegeta gives her a brusque and offhand apology as she steps towards the table and shoos away her pet. The predatory orbs of hers fix on him. She snatches a sheet of paper and begins to write in the standardised language of the Cold Empire, though she is more familiar with this language writing it is proving difficult. Vegeta has time to spare with no training room and his ki reserves depleted by his inefficient and exhausting transformation. Ryoko drops the paper and slides it across the table to him.

'What can I find if I read your head again? I need more. I need all. I never wanted you to agree to the joining. I hate you. You won't win.' She emphasises her standpoint against Vegeta and how her being back here is not his victory in winning her over in as few words as she can. A lack of vocabulary leads her to improvise a word for her engagement. Ryoko will not let herself be weakened by him or his words like she did yesterday, she will not let her emotions run her mouth and cause her to make another large and costly mistake.

"I do not know what you expect to find within my memories." Vegeta reads her message without touching the paper and answers in such a tone to get across how he is unwilling to let his mind become public property again. He is not in a giving mood. He is not willing to debase himself further. His mind is his and he will not let her reach Bulma or anything of the sort through his memories. Ayeka cannot read Ryoko's request but follows what is going on from Vegeta's words as she cooks. Though not wanting to say so, she agrees with Vegeta's viewpoint of not letting Ryoko read his mind for there is far too much dark and evil in there to be avoided.

Ryoko points to herself. Her fingers fiddle with themselves in the air for a while as a pained expression takes hold of her face and then she makes a signal with her hands that has the sole connotation of sex. No way could she have written those words. She cannot trust him or his words and so there is only one unthinkable source left to her to see what he truly did during her attempted rape. Ryoko loathes asking him and loathes him, this is a request she will not allow herself to accept no to. He said words to her yesterday that have sown many seeds of confusion and doubt in her and stewing on her thoughts by herself has gotten her nowhere. Vegeta nearly raped and killed her and she demands to know what was going through his mind then; how much he held himself back, how he tried to fight it, how much he enjoyed ravaging her and what was running through his mind in the aftermath.

Vegeta simply walks out of the room. A shadow follows.

An open and outstretched palm greets him, waiting at the front door to bar his exit. Ayeka anxiously watches from the kitchen as Vegeta approaches Ryoko. Her hand hovering in the air begins to tremble. She takes a step towards him.

" My power is enormous but my generosity is greatly limited. You had your chance to do this idiocy yesterday, not now. If you try to follow me and press this ludicrous idea I will strike you." Vegeta is not messing around, his threat is made in earnest. His words cause Ryoko to halt her advance however she needs this and will not give up on it just because he says so. This woman will not be getting anything from him this day. Ryoko's hand does not lower. After all that he has done the last thing he needs is for all the damage to be redone by her reliving her nightmare from his perspective. At least she has no tongue to argue back at him, any insults from her he is sure will trigger a fist to form.

Ryoko shakes her head. He owes her and he will do as she demands. Him saying no only makes her want it more, he is hiding this truth from her and that speaks to her and she wants to know. Terror strikes her. A smothering blanket of power coats her body and immobilises her, she cannot move an inch and the surrounding ki is interfering with her phasing ability. With a flick of his wrist he telekinetically moves her aside and out of his path and steps out of the house. As soon as he dispels the ki from her a sword is pointed towards his face alongside her open palm. She truly hated that. He made her powerless to do anything but teleport away, just like before, she will not give him the satisfaction of giving in. Vegeta stops and stares at this woman, their anger rising. Ryoko lunges her hand forwards and it gets intercepted by a hand of Vegeta's. He weds his fingers with hers and watches a look of disgust and unease creep across her face, trying not to lash out at her he is making her stand down of her own accord. She takes back her hand and swears as best she can under her breath. Flames lick across her flesh and her dirty outfit begins to flutter as Ryoko gathers power. This act is exceedingly difficult and so much of her wants to not go ahead with this course of action, yet stubbornly she refuses and keeps walking this hard path.

"Tomorrow I train for a year, it would be prudent of you to be patient. What I do not accept today might change by then. Save your bravery for whatever the hell Ayeka tried to cook and walk away from this with your hide intact." Vegeta speaks with as much tact as he can muster. He is itching for a fight to break this lull of no training and to relieve himself of the built up stress these past days have been dolling out to him. He is beyond the point of caring about the abrasiveness of his words. He waits for either Ryoko to get out of his way or for her to do something to warrant her being forcibly removed.

Ryoko does not retreat. She shakes her head and with deadly intent waits with her outstretched palm for him to concede to her. He might talk sense with it being reasonable to try this approach another time but Ryoko has had enough of waiting. She is not patient and all she ever seems to do is wait around until he decides it is time for something to happen, and that is not how she plays. Her jaw has no dexterity to it as she speaks her demand to him and he growls a firm declination back at her. Ryoko has had enough of this game and swings a punch which hits Vegeta's cheek. Black pupils looks down at this offending hand and gold highlights race through his black spikes. His own fist curls.

"Lord Vegeta do not do this. Please, stand down. You are better than this, control your rage." In the nick of time Ayeka manages to call out from the house to prevent Ryoko's nose from breaking. Vegeta's fist remains tightly curled as Ryoko starts unfurling her own, her fingers spreading about his face to see if this is her opportunity. Her hand gets swatted away, it smarts from the force. Vegeta frowns and blonde runs through his spiked hair. Lightning zaps the ground a metre from Ryoko, she does not back off from him.

"Why are those words directed at me alone and not to the one who is causing my actions? I am not in the wrong here for reacting to Ryoko's idiocy. Fools! I warned you, Ryoko, do you need me to check your ears? Or did me saying that I would hit you sound like some damn invitation!" His shouted words prove deadly weapons to Ryoko as she recoils back from his fury. He erupts into his transformed state as his thinly veiled questions stab at Ryoko and her own guilt. Vegeta has had to betray his wife for this woman and she still has not had to do a thing about the part she played, they cannot ignore the candle of blame she refuses to acknowledge. She teleported to him and chose her fate. His own actions were wrong but ultimately were quite preventable. Ayeka stands in a shocked silence at this attack he is making. The crimson aura around Ryoko flickers inconsistently. She tries to voice some counter argument but is unable to form any words and it devolves into a very angry snarl. The super Saiyan 3 takes a step towards Ryoko and she steps back.

"Let's go through your thought process, or lack thereof. I warn you for several days and threaten you and eventually act on those threats at the end of our date to scare you off, you discover that I was acting then and what? Your thoughts of why are not of a warning but that I do not want to end up having sex with you at that time? That I don't want to betray my wife's memory? And so you discard any of my wants to fulfil your own. You were thinking purely of yourself and trying to get an easy one up over Ayeka, to hell with me and my love for Bulma. Was that night in your bed not enough? And now, after all that, you still cannot respect my wants. No means no, Ryoko, you of all people should understand. And only Ayeka here seems to give a single fuck about my son! What is it, Ryoko? What do you want from me, my fiancée?" Vegeta rages at Ryoko, his aura blinding her as the Earth shakes beneath their feet. He has been compliant with her vengeance, charitable in his offers to her and so patient and kind in his handling of her delicate state but his limit was surpassed. Whether she truly wanted him to or not, she forced his hand into accepting her proposal and the guilt is maddening him. With Ayeka it was merely some arranged thing done by her parents, something he had no say in, but this he said yes to her with his own mouth. He is not going to stand here and continue acting as a lap dog to her every whim, he pushes back when pushed and his mind will not be read by someone who is so obviously in conflict with her own. His son matters to him and for everything he does for these women comes back to bite him in the form of an angry super Saiyan.

A wounded glare comes from Ryoko, staggering away from this verbal assault. Her form flickers as she goes to gain some form of defence. Ashes drift down from her hand as the leaves of paper disintegrates under Vegeta's power. She shrieks, in a loud explosion of her own fury she combats the harsh words of Vegeta, the garbled mess that she manages to yell at him only serves to infuriate her that much more. A spark shoots through her tongue. Golden eyes dare to defy the super Saiyan three as the sizzling device slides out of her mouth, its circuitry burnt to a crisp. Proper feeling enters her jaw, Ryoko snaps at the air and licks at her fangs as she regains control of her mouth.

"I paid for that mistake. I paid with my blood! So sorry that I had faith in you- th-that I got fucking lonely and wanted some company, that I didn't read monkey's do not disturb sign, that- … th-that I … . This is it then. This is all it ever is and ever will be. You're a bastard! All that yesterday was just lies, this is the true you isn't it. Isn't it! Where's all the 'Ryoko is beautiful' shit gone, where's my fucking apology and I told you NOT to accept my damn proposal … my fiancée! Why? I never wanted you to do it! All I wanted was for you to be your normal dick self so I could go, and now I have that. You're the arsehole who's crying over something you fucking chose to do. So why did you say it? Why string me along just that little bit extra, just to hurt me- hurt me some more! For- … All you had to do was say no and I would now be happy in space, so fucking happy that I left you." Ryoko seethes as she can finally voice herself and yell back her argument to the proud prince who she does not care she upset. She walks up as close to him as his pulsating power allows and snarls as she roars. Her cyan hair whips about her and her teeth grit together.

For a few seconds Vegeta merely stands there after her rebuke and then he descends back to his base form, reigning in his anger for the moment. His Saiyan blood sees this challenge set before him, this woman who will not bow down to him or submit, an indomitable spirit who is not fearing his power and still challenges him. He does not need his transformation to quell her spirit, he knows how little it will take and it will be all so easy for him. She can rebel and revolt against him as much as she pleases for she has already shown her hand to him and he knows how to claim his victory. Vegeta smirks in self confidence. A hateful growl reverberates from Ryoko's throat at this horrid sight. In the shadows of the house, Ayeka fearfully watches these two titans clash, not knowing whether it would be right to intervene or not, or even if she could – she fears that speaking out would turn both their wroth upon her. It is a hard choice for her to decide whether it is her place or not, for this deed was committed between those two and she saw how much Ryoko hates the idea of someone pitying her and standing up to defend her as if she could not do it herself. Due to this, the princess hesitates. A single low chuckle breaks from Vegeta.

"Liar. Pathetic liar. Hah, you still want to run with that idiotic line? Ryoko, you're not fooling anyone, you can't fool anyone, so stop wasting your breath and my time spouting that nonsense about space and wanting me to say no."

"No! I am not lying! Listen here you-"

" Monkey lover." One phrase, two words, it is all he needs and the winds are ripped straight from Ryoko's sails. Though he did have to use the racist slang for his own species, he felt it was a necessary component of this most potent weapon. His haughty smirk stays on his face. There is a reason that Ryoko is arguing with him face to face and not boarding Ryo-ohki and he has said it, plain and simple. "I said yes for the reasons I told you."

A deathly silence follows in the wake of his words and the illumination brought on from charging power deadens. This is a weakness that he has exploited before and it remains effective. Ryoko's secret she hides in plain sight from herself is in clear view for everyone else. With a pained and horrified expression she stares at him. No words come to her aid, she cannot think of what to say to dispute this. After the whole debacle of her proposal she could not keep her eyes fully averted from this terrible truth. She remembers what he told her as to why he accepted, about how he views her as someone he does consider to become his wife. Nervous fingers fiddle with her apron as Ayeka watches. The only reason she knows of is the ultimatum. Golden eyes close and a sigh escapes from Ryoko, she shakes her head slowly. Then she lets out a small chuckle of her own. Her feline eyes snap open and gleam wickedly as a sword is summoned into her hand.

"So what if I do?" Her canine teeth show through her grin as she casually twirls her blade about. "And I don't believe you still. Maybe if I got a look inside your head I might find some trust, or maybe poor Vegey is too scared of a woman touching him that ain't dead. Or I could just go back to watching you pathetically grieve and weep for her, that's always fun."

Determination burns within her. Ryoko will not let Vegeta do this to her again, she will not let him walk all over her by abusing the emotions she feels that are beyond her control. To go against Vegeta and spit in his face she accepts the festering within her breast and evens the playing field. There is no way that she will allow herself to be quelled by him. If he wants to use her feelings against her then she feels inclined to repay the favour. That undying mote of affection towards him has already wounded him and his pride greatly and so she will wield this double edged blade to as devastating effect as he has if push comes to shove. There is no other option left to her except to shamefully retreat and she did not choose that after he nearly killed her and she will not choose it now when the tables are so close to turning. Ryoko snickers to herself. It was a hard thing to say but she managed to say it and admit it, her sword levels itself with Vegeta's torso and swirls about in the air. The Saiyan observes her, checking her for any tell-tale signs as to whether this is another short lapse from sanity she has fallen into or not, his own grin grows seeing that she has the strength to oppose him to this level. He reaches out and crushes her sword in a motion too swift for her to prevent. This argument came about because he did not want her in his mind and his position on that matter has not altered no matter how much Ryoko wants to press for it. He sizes up his changed opponent and goes to test the water lest he lets his rage control him again.

"If you were smarter maybe you would tell me to read your mind, mine is off limits."

"As if you experiencing the hell you put me through would effect you, I mean it sounds good but I doubt you'd give a shit. But Vegey, my Vegey, my fiancée, you're gonna regret making me mad. What was that thing you said about Ayeka?" There is no pause or hesitation as Ryoko makes her push for the kill, a bright evil lighting up her golden eyes as she walks up to the short man. It pains her to call him her betrothed but she sees the tick in his eyes as she mentions so brazenly his desecration of his faithfulness towards his deceased wife. All of this yanking on the binding strings of her emotions will come back to bite him and make him bleed, she will not rest until it does, and in his time trying to appease her she gained ammunition to shoot him down with. Her eyes flash across to the princess listening in to the conversation she is no longer a part of as a very amusing thought crawls through her mind. "No, not the thing about you finding me so much sexier, or that I can shut down your training whenever I want, but that other teeny tiny thing. Oh Vegey, do me a little favour and bow to your queen like the monkey you are."

"A Prince does not bow to a common serf." A retort is barked out. No favour is going to be given from him, certainly not one of such magnitude. Fire burns inside both their eyes. Vegeta's anger is being abated by this opposition to him, his Saiyan nature lapping up this challenge. He takes things further, reaching out with one arm and placing a hand on Ryoko's collar. For a brief second her eyes flutter and an undercurrent of disgust runs across her whole face. Her ears then stick up further erect and she lifts her head to emphasise her height as she looks down on Vegeta. She hears motion and the rustling of fabrics and ignores whatever Ayeka is doing or how she is reacting to her words. A bare foot steps onto the Saiyan's boots.

"But you should bow to the Princess of all Saiyans, isn't that what I am now, my fiancée? And you give me bullshit about Saiyans and strength then I will wait for you to bow down to the mighty Kakarot instead, either way I win. … Now there's a thought. Is the great Lord of the Monkeys taking responsibility for his actions towards my innocence?"

"The custom on this planet for a proposal is for the proposer to get down on one knee, so why don't you go ahead and kneel before me first, Ryoko."

"That's Lady Ryoko to you, pipsqueak."

Ryoko cackles after watching Vegeta's annoyance at her mocking one of his useless gestures of good will. They both know there is a major factor being omitted from what is being said and neither bring up the fact that Ryoko cannot hold a meaningful title without actually belonging to the species she holds it over. It is simple politics, no populace openly accepts their ruler being an alien and it is simpler still why neither mention this. Vegeta could if he wanted to but a semblance of reason prevents him from prodding at that sore spot, in the back of his mind he still remembers his main objective concerning the appeasement of these two women. His anger, however, is still present and so is his want to train his super Saiyan 3 form.

"It will be such a shame after you get taste-buds that the only way you'll be able to eat is through a tube."

"I heal fast so go on stroking your own ego with your threats, the more you say the more I'll make your life hell. I'm going to enjoy this. You won't beat me. This is our game now, and I'm not gonna be the one who quits first. I know how weak you are and even with that year I'm sure this is still my victory. Ya gonna be either running into my arms like the slave you are, or you'll show everyone your cowardice as you flee me." An arm links around Vegeta's and a hand rests on his shoulder, a wide and toothy grin beaming down at the man as Ryoko voices her bizarre logic. Some part of her mind is either in a dark place or in a strange state as she issues this basic challenge of chicken. Vegeta sees the challenge and scoffs at its absurdity. She is rallying herself in this stand against him and her grand plan is for her not to be the one to end things but to force Vegeta to do so, or for her to conquer him in spirit and soul and have him in the palm of her hands ready for crushing. Ryoko has to be the strong one who wins, her grip on him tightens slightly, and for all her talk there is this rationalisation she is trying to make to herself. This challenge Ryoko may want but it also serves the background purpose of a handy excuse she can use to hide what she admitted. Vegeta's hand leaves her. He senses a possible weakness if he pushes this crude logic, and this weakness dissuades him from continuing.

"We shall see, but currently Lady Ayeka is about to set my house on fire so back down before I make you eat your own words." His nostrils pick up the smell of burning. The threat of fire is nothing to him or his property but he knows how Ayeka can be used against Ryoko as well as serving this reminder to the both of them of the meal being cooked. Her hand phases through Vegeta's chest as she removes it and she takes her foot off of his.

"My taste-buds aren't ready 'cos of ya temper tantrum, so I'll pass. Thanks anyway, Biter, but this one's all yours now. I might have another 2 hours to wait, who knows, so I'll have a soak. Then I might ransack this place, see if ya have anything of value." With a parting blow directed at the eavesdropping maiden, Ryoko lifts off the ground and quickly vanishes from sight. She isn't getting what she is after but she has made for herself a stepping stone, her nerves were beginning to fray and before any of that could become visible and undo her show of strength towards Vegeta she left. Ending on a high before that is taken from her. A luxury bath house is preferable to the cold stream she used yesterday, not being hit is preferable to her limbs breaking and she wants to get her first taste. The box contained two devices for her tongue, due to a minimal amount of forethought from Washu, and with a new coating inside her mouth Ryoko leaves to see if she can manage being in the same house as Vegeta whilst she makes her plots for his downfall.

A super Saiyan three hovers back over the lake as his training resumes. Several minutes pass until his brows furrow and he looks down at the lakeside to see that his solitude has been stolen from him. After having dealt with the unwanted broth and refrigerating it for storage, Ayeka stands outside looking up at the prince. He can still hear the machine within his training room so he knows he has some leeway in dealing with her. His bright aura makes it hard for her to look at him and so she shields her eyes as she asks him if he is available to talk during this form of training. Vegeta is, though he is not liking this assumption being made that purely because he is not doing any physical activity that this form of training is somehow lesser and can be interrupted at will. Sparks fly around him and in a blasé manner he says that he can talk whilst working on his transformation. His massive energy sears the air, strain shows on his body as he pushes himself to maintain his maximum and the light he emanates casts harsh and fluctuating shadows about. Vegeta lowers closer to the water.

"Before you stammer out the question I will tell you that it is true. Ryoko's physicality does slightly appeal to me more than your own and I told her such, I might be indecisive about the main choice but in this I do hold an opinion. Your youth works against you in this regard, that is the only real reason for your loss. Ryoko is a woman fully grown and you still have a few years ahead of you so take that as you will. And so no, I did not say those words as a kind lie to Ryoko, nor shall I lie to you about it." Vegeta cuts straight to the chase as he anticipates some form of envy from Ayeka, the quicker he gets this over with the quicker he can get back to focusing solely on his training. He will hold her to her word concerning her power over his training room being void if jealousy is the major cause for her disgruntlement. His piercing blue eyes watch as she reacts to these statements. She was not expecting that, and certainly not ready for such words straight off the bat. It is not a pleasant thing for her to hear. Her twin purple tails flutter in the breeze he creates as do the sleeves of her vivid red furisode. Ayeka opens and closes her mouth, not knowing how to respond after being told Ryoko is more beautiful than her in the eyes of Vegeta.

"She is infertile towards me. Issues concerning her body and her body image work well when combined with her vain desire for flattery and attention. Try not to take this too much as an insult to yourself or your pride." The Saiyan continues explaining to fill in the silence. He might be dealing with a young woman still going through the tail end of puberty but he knows that the insecurities Ryoko felt are more severe than the ones he most probably is causing for Ayeka. The blow was cushioned as much as was necessary to not seem cruel. Ayeka's crimson eyes look down to the rustling grass. She is taking this very personally and despite his words it is offending her greatly and damaging her pride as a princess. Honesty is a trait she appreciates and she can understand what he is saying about Ryoko's vulnerability around her body due to her differing biology, however it still stings hearing him say this.

"... Be that as it may, how are you?" Anger could lead her to shout at him how his lechery and intimate knowledge of Ryoko's body led him to this wrong opinion, jealousy would cause her to interrogate him over her own physical failings he deems unattractive and the easiest path of all to walk down would be away from him and to bemoan his decision. Ayeka calmly asks him a normal question to see how he is holding up. He did guess some of what was on her mind and thinking on Ryoko's issues she can understand how important it would have been for her to have heard truthful words like this from him. She might want him to hold the opposite opinion but her words will not alter it, she cannot openly discuss such things as her body with this man and her constantly barraging Vegeta with her jealousy would make her look so low and petty considering Ryoko's position. Some of her thoughts run back to the moment Vegeta pinned her down in the surf and a whisper voices how she was not as heavily pursued then due to his preference for Ryoko. She half turns her body away from Vegeta, trying to act as if it is only due to the brightness of his energy. Vegeta answers that he is fine and waits.

"Back then you said a multiform with me would cost you but seconds from your training, I want to talk. Any anger at me and you reform, take your time to calm yourself, and then return. … I really need a proper, and long, discussion with you, and for some- Lord Vegeta, do you believe that what I am- do you see forgiveness as a strength or a weakness?"

"Kakarot gives second chances. I can see the strength you are using for me, you still suffer some weakness, but not nearly as much weakness as Ryoko. I expect that I am not allowed to decline this request of yours, so be it."

The light dims as Vegeta descends before he splits off a small part of his power and this black haired Vegeta lands beside the princess as the main part of him flies high and transforms again. For several seconds this multiform stands still as he scans about and then he looks across to Ayeka who is motioning for them to go inside the house. Ryoko did not take this opportunity to attack a weaker offshoot of him and he highly doubts the super Saiyan 3 version of himself would be a deterrent for her. Ayeka does not know what to make of his comment regarding Goku but for now will take it as something positive and is glad that he put up no argument to this demand of hers. When inside she momentarily excuses herself to remove the apron she is wearing and then she sits down with Vegeta in the living room. His pitch black eyes are focused on the family photograph on the table. His foul mood has a reason, Ayeka starts by asking if he might require more than just 1 year. He replies saying that even with 2 years he might not be able to reach Goku's strength. Ayeka messes with her seashell necklace.

A very happy pair sit on a bench enjoying a treat of ice-cream that was bought for them. Mihoshi looks after Sasami as she was just a bit too short to be allowed onto the ride that Trunks and Kiyone are now on, they are having fun though and don't mind this little break. None of the thrill rides are that exhilarating for Trunks since he can very easily hurtle around in the air at speeds greater than that of the roller coasters, for Kiyone they are. She is not fond of loops or corkscrews in her rides and after going on one that went backwards she is becoming a bit shaky and would much prefer to be the one sat with Sasami than waiting in line for a large and foreboding log flume. Mihoshi and Sasami are enjoying their time experiencing Earth's culture and people. Smiling together, they chat about other fun places they have been before they came to this planet. Both happy innocents come from privileged backgrounds, Mihoshi's grandfather being the Head Marshall of the GXP and most of her family holding some prestigious position within its ranks. Whilst talking with the young Juraian princess the topic changes with little direction from planets they have been to to their favourite terrestrial television programmes to their parents and to how much they adore Ryo-ohki. Neither have to look to notice the return of the rest of their party, Trunks' mischievous laughter announces his presence, Kiyone is silent.

Water drips to the floor. Wringing out her headband and looking not too happy about her sodden state, Kiyone heavily sits down on the bench besides her partner who begins giggling. Trunks' ki dried him off after the log flume but Kiyone has no such ability. A squeal rises from Mihoshi as her best friend playfully leans against her with her wet clothing and hair and moans that she needs a rest. Sasami joins in the laughter as Mihoshi merrily pushes at her friend, the bronze skin cop complaining as a side of her t-shirt and skirt become damp. A few jokes get traded between the partners. A hand grabs a hold of the thin wrist of the royal lass and pulls, Sasami turns to see Trunks leading her off somewhere and she follows with her words about leaving the adults drowned out by the screams of a nearby ride. With a sly smirk on his face he jogs off with her in tow and only stops after rounding a few corners so that they are well out of sight and earshot. Sasami is confused and voices it as she asks him several questions.

"Y'see Kiyone told me she wanted to spend some time with her partner and so we're gonna have our own adventure now. They're too old to keep up with us anyway." This is a barefaced lie on Trunks' part, Kiyone never said that and the main reason he is doing this is that despite his current dislike for his father he has inherited several of his traits. More mischief focused than the pure sadism of his father, Trunks spices up this day out with a prank of abandoning the two policewomen in a foreign environment with no money. Sasami accepts this without question or doubt.

"Can we go buy a souvenir for my sister? You could get something for your dad as well." Smiling across at him as he still holds her hand, Sasami begins thinking about her elder sibling who she left behind. Things were still very tense back at the house when they departed and so if there is something she can do to help Ayeka then she will, Trunks is not too keen on her mentioning his father. He will not be buying something for Vegeta. Outright saying to Sasami that he hates his dad for getting close to her sister is not something he thinks would be the best thing to do, or that she would understand that well.

"My dad doesn't need gifts, he's got Ryoko and your big sis for that, and they only sell junk here."

" So we couldn't get her another shell then?"

Trunks shakes his head. He is not too sure what she is talking about, he might have seen Ayeka wearing some form of shell this morning but he does not pay attention to that kind of thing. With her free hand Sasami fishes around her neck and pulls on a silver chain to reveal out of her clothing a smaller sea shell that she is wearing. Trunks again shakes his head and says that this place does not sell any decent jewellery and so Sasami asks if they can have a look for some other gift instead, he agrees to this but excuses himself for a few seconds. Sasami patiently waits as he runs off and after a very short amount of time he comes back. Meanwhile Kiyone and Mihoshi having realised that they have been ditched, lost sight of the princess they were sworn to protect and are mostly helpless without Trunks head towards a voice they heard in the crowd. They both believe they heard Trunks calling out ahead of them, mentioning something about where the kids might be heading. Together they walk off in search of the children with Kiyone still soaked from the log flume and unknowingly towards the entrance to a haunted house style attraction.

Pink hair flutters lightly in the breeze. With a scarf and warm fur coat wrapped around her along with her lover's arms she smiles to herself. In the back of her mind a small niggle worries Washu, that being the fact that she is currently at an altitude more suitable for commercial flights yet she is gaily enjoying this moment all the same, and savouring the warmth of Yamcha against her as she rest in his arms. Bright oranges and reds dye the clouds beneath them. Utilising differing time zones they watch the Sun set from way on up high. She leans back and rests her head on his shoulder. Yamcha's ki keeps her warm but there is one factor that even he cannot protect her from. Experiencing the thrill of flight is fun but oxygen depravation is not something Washu can combat, her body is not some honed machine of fitness that can deal with these altitudes. She reaches a hand up and strokes his cheek as her other hand tightly grips onto his shirt. There is only one direction they can go for her to reach a place she can comfortably breathe and this being her 4th time up here she is preparing for it. Strength enters Yamcha's arms as he reads her signals and her laboured breaths. Neither wanting to terrify her too much with a lightning fast plummet or subject her to possible violent decompression sickness he simply stops flying and lets gravity do its job. Washu lets out a quiet and playful scream as they fall. She has perfect trust in her lover, this is another thing no-one else has done for her during a date.

" I pull the right strings and I think I could get the top priests of Tsunami for our ceremony, having friends in high places pays off sometimes." Washu raises her voice to talk over the rushing wind, she smiles but Yamcha cannot see it in this position. Her free hair streams upwards, she tucks her legs in closer and begins to daydream about this possibility of gaining the most prestigious wedding sermon she knows of. She chuckles to herself at the scheme she is weaving to make this future a reality, no longer is she some low born woman who will have her baby taken from her. They stop accelerating as they reach terminal velocity. Back on her planet they would have already hit the ground with its high gravity.

" You say that but remind me again how many of these friends you intend on inviting?"

" You expecting my father to give me away as well?"

At a safer elevation they come to a halt. Washu awkwardly rolls over so she faces Yamcha, a keenness in her eyes. She pushes herself up so she sits on his stomach. The fact that her whole species and most of the people she knows are dead is something she wants to make sure is hammered home well enough before Yamcha teases her. There are many people she wishes could come to her wedding, and she thinks they would probably be wishing the same thing for that would mean they would be alive. So far their guest list is sparse. Washu has offered up a mere handful of names and with Yamcha able to recognise more or less all of them does not say much about Washu's social circles. Her fur coat covers for her black skirt's failing in this position. He smiles playfully and reaches out his hands to her. She entwines her fingers with his.

"Just saying that all my friends I made in the same time span that you've had post Saiyan invasion, outside of the Juraian royals and who live in Vegeta's house name me one more guest you want to come."

"Yume. As far as I know she's still alive and working somewhere in the empire." Nearly a century has passed since she last held a decent conversation with this fellow from the Science Academy but Washu is quick to snap back with an answer. Yume was her rival in academia for a long time, a great mind she had to work hard at to make sure her title of greatest genius in the universe was not usurped, and then they naturally drifted apart. Washu sticks her tongue out impishly and Yamcha rolls his eyes at her answer. One name is hardly something she should be proud of. He lowers them down slowly, the forest they are above comes into view as they pass through the last layer of low hanging clouds. At this much lower altitude the Sun has disappeared from the sky altogether and a gloomy dusk is all they have. Yamcha grins up at her

"Look, I have an excuse to say things like that 'cos with my mates there's a good chance they're taking a holiday in Otherworld. You should know where your friends are."

"I'm getting advice from a man who's best friend is a talking cat?"

"You're getting advice from your fiancée who can actually populate our wedding with guests, unlike some shut-in."

"My work is important."

"Yes, very. So busy you have no free time at all, guess that means-"

"Want to grab a pizza to share?"

Yamcha pulls her close with her scarf, they share a smile. He takes it that the argument is his. Washu has plenty of time to spare for him so she cannot say that her work schedule is preventing her from having a social life, her age is the main factor in truth. People who warrant her interest are rare and few in number, her mind needs new things to keep it occupied. She needs the novel and unique to feed her curiosity, to learn from, to study, to make this person stand out to her and not fade away into the background with the thousands of others she has met before. Science gives her this, she makes the discoveries and the new laws and the inventions. Washu whispers in his ear that she thinks she might be heavily occupied with work when they get back and so they have to make their time now count.

In a swift motion, Yamcha rotates himself in the air so Washu is now sat astride his back and he can see forwards as he flies. It isn't long before Washu strikes up another conversation about their wedding, her eagerness spilling out of her. Though other styles were preferred, Washu has resigned herself to a wedding in the manner of Earth for Yamcha's sake and has also surrendered herself to another fact. Mihoshi is going to be her bridesmaid. She saved her life and despite her flaws was there when Washu needed her, Washu can already imagine her reaction when she eventually gets around to telling her. For this same reason Vegeta will also be invited, though if he wishes to decline to train then Washu will not complain as Yamcha is friends with Goku and neither of them want to deal with those two Saiyans inside the same building on their special day. Washu asks a question as to whether Yamcha knows any man who is senior to her and could do the role of giving her away. The emperor of Jurai is someone she is contemplating but he is still so much younger than her and it doesn't seem fitting with the way of this tradition. Yamcha lists off the few he can: Buu and the Kais. Washu indulges herself in this thought of having some form of higher being at her wedding before discarding it. Sensing some scheming and plotting from his lover, Yamcha jokes saying that he will make an honest woman of her yet which earns him a light thump on his back.

A wet towel covers her as Ryoko stares blankly down at her own reflection in the bath water she has exited. Ripples pass over the surface and distort her image as she powers up her energy to dry herself. It does not look right. Water explodes outwards as she blasts the pool. Crushed pieces of filament and circuitry litter the side. Two hours is an excruciatingly long time for her but it is done now, Ryoko keeps her mouth firmly shut and looks down at her body. This is her greatest tool and weapon yet she simply cannot find it in herself to use it against Vegeta. She wants to go down there are showcase it; make him uncomfortable, make him see she is not scared of him and push him that little bit further towards the tipping point. This is what he ruined. Ryoko disrobes and discards the towel. She has had plenty of time with herself to think things over. She said it to Vegeta, she said it to herself and she still has blood to shed. Before she gets to work with the ultimate gamble she made, her hungry tongue demands payment.

It has been a few days since she has last been inside her room, teleporting in she looks about to see if anything has changed or been moved in her absence. She promptly dresses herself in her red leggings, white top and black and orange jacket. These are clothes she is comfortable in, clothes that she owns and did not buy with Vegeta's money. Tying a black sash around her waist she spies her tail accessory. Ryoko hangs it on the door handle to Vegeta's room as she walks towards the stairs. There is no Vegeta inside the house. She brushes her cyan hair out from her jacket, instead of taking the stairs she phases directly downwards through the floor and walks over towards the sofa where Ayeka is sat with her diary in her hand. The princess hears her and automatically shuts her diary. Ryoko ignores Ayeka and looks out the window to the prince panting on the shores of the lake after his transformation has drained him. Ryoko fluctuates her power to get his attention. As soon as he looks his way she disinterestedly lifts a leg and kicks over the family photograph. Her golden eyes lock with his. She turns and leaves the room as quickly as she entered. Ryoko opens the fridge door, grabs a bottle and takes a large swig of milk. For most mammalian people the first food they taste is milk and so it shall be hers as well.