AN: Another long wait, I know. I'm just going to do this thing on my own time. It'll be completed… eventually. Enjoy.

Disclaimer:. I don't own DB, DBZ or DBS or any rights to their characters. I'm just having fun with them. Mind the rating peeps.

Chapter 17 (Mermaid Biology)

Bulma collapsed back onto her stomach, panting, waiting for her vision to return. When it did she was facing the corded veins on Vegeta's flexed forearm as it lay on the rumpled bed linens over her shoulder. His thighs rested heavily between her own, pressing it deep into the side of the mattress and she could feel his diaphragm expanding and contracting on her lower back as he came down from his own peak. Today makes five days since the announcement of his departure, which makes… Bulma tried to count how many times he'd taken her to bed since, but her brain was still muggy. Their copulation was not limited to the evenings, as evidenced by the sun streaming through the curtains at this very moment. Nor was it limited to once a day either. She wasn't taking any form of contraception. He knew it and he must know what the consequences could be and yet... he withholds nothing. So far they haven't broached the subject of a possible pregnancy yet. Their hours together is often... otherwise spent. The past few days have seen a gradual increase in the frenzy of their lovemaking. Today he seemed almost desperate in his attempt to imprint himself on her. Her skin was blooming with red marks from his 'hickeys' as they call it, and the little nips he gave on her neck and on the inside of her thighs left twin indents from his sharp canines. Her thighs were slick with his essence and he was currently trailing his tongue lazily over her back. Bulma knew what it meant, she'd known since yesterday that the Gravity Trainer was almost fully stocked for a year long Space Trip. He was leaving soon; tomorrow at the latest probably. The thought caused a sudden tightness in her chest that had nothing to do with his weight on her back. She felt his breath on her neck as he sighed deeply and rose.

"Woman" he began cautiously, and she turned to face him, resting on her elbows. He looked wary. "My departure is scheduled for twenty-two hundred hours tonight." he finished, watching her in return. Bulma felt her jaw clench as she absorbed the information. She took a deep breath, and sighed. She had known it was coming and so was determined not to wallow… at least not until he after had left. Deciding a lighter mood was in order, she chose to change the subject.

"You know," she started, a mischievous twinkle in her eye, "I've been wondering how sex compares in my aqualine-form. Is it as mind blowing with a tail as it is with legs?"

His face momentarily portrayed relief at her seemingly easy acceptance of his news, then his eyebrows rose lecherously.

"I guarantee it would be even better if I still had my tail." he said with a smirk before reaching out grabbing a lock of her hair. Using the fuzzy edges he started tracing a circle around the peak of the breast closest to him, so softly it was almost ticklish. "It was long." He continued, eyes on her tightening nipple, "It had fine, extremely soft brown fur, about as thick as your wrist and was very dexterous,' he said, his voice dropped an octave, sending a shiver down her spine and her belly fluttered just imagining all sorts of kinky scenarios involving his tail. She squeezed her thighs together, amazed that her body could react this way after it was satisfied so thoroughly not even five minutes prior. A quick peek at his lap verified that she wasn't the only one with naughty thoughts.

"Well," she said with a breathy giggle, "that is quite a fascinating piece of information. However, I was referring to my tail."

"I admit, I am curious as to the logistics of merpeople coupling. What exactly happens to your… uhm parts when you transform?"

"It's all still there I guess, relatively in the same place but concealed behind scales. The scales are much more rubbery, you know, down there. Makes for, uh, easy passage" she said, suddenly feeling heat creeping up her face. This was so not where she was going when she started the conversation. When she met his eyes he was watching her expectantly. She cleared her throat awkwardly, deciding how to continue. "Remember I only know any of this in a theoretical sense and from inadvertent observation during my time in the, uh, barracks." she stumbled her explanation, and from his face she noted her bumbling caused much amusement on his part. The pig! He was enjoying this. No more! She determined, channeling her inner tutor she went full on lecture mode and decided to give him the most clinical, biological correct explanation possible. She cleared her throat.

"When the male genitalia of the merman becomes aroused it emerges from its pouch." she rushed through "Much like that of humans but a lot longer and… and thinner" she faltered and ended lamely, catching sight of his expression. His lips were twitching. She ignored him. '"To uh, insert the uhm aroused sh..shaft they kind of entwine their tails and uh just…" she realized he was unconsciously demonstrating the movement using her hands. She met Vegeta's eyes again. He seemed to be holding it together by a thread. Her face felt inflamed and Bulma just knew she had failed miserably in her attempt to be clinical. "Don't you dare!" she warned, pointing her finger in a threatening manner, but to no avail, he burst out laughing, peered at her, and laughed harder. "Gods, Woman, your face!" he got out between guffaws.

"I don't find this amusing at all." she lied, trying to control her own twitchy lips.

"Oh it's beyond hilarious." to which she replied by launching herself over him. His laughter ended abruptly as she straddled him. Hands beside his head with their noses almost touching, she whispered, "Not so funny anymore, I am?" to which her only reply was him tauntingly raising an eyebrow. Challenge Accepted. She thought, sliding down his torso until her mouth was at the apex of his thighs. "You know," she said saucily, "It's about time I tried this." She gave one last teasing grin, and went to work.

Vegeta was woken by the sudden appearance of his nemesis' ki in his sleeping quarters. He sat up abruptly, only reminded that Bulma was draped on top of him by her indignant squawk as she fell off the bed, dragging half the sheets with her and exposing his dangly parts to his rival.

"What the hell, Vegeta!" she shouted, a blue-tangled head popping up at the side of the bed at the same time Vegeta was screaming "Kakarot!"

"Kakarot?" the now enraged blue-haired a harpy screeched hysterically catching sight of the interloper, and started fumbling with the bedsheets to cover herself.

"Oops, my bad." was all the fool could say for himself before disappearing again. Vegeta noted that he hadn't gone far, down to the Brief's kitchen actually. He looked towards Bulma, who was staring at him in bewilderment. Her lips were puffy and swollen, and he suddenly remembered just how much havoc those talented lips could wreck on his control. The woman had no gag reflex, he recalled with awe, and wondered if it was a mermaid thing. The thought made his chest rumble with a growl, the stirrings of arousal awakening his body. His hands fisted in the sheets as he was reminded that he would be leaving her behind in a few short hours. These last few days he'd been fucking her like a man possessed, desperate to find some way to brand her as his, to make her stay when he'd be gone, yet also needing to find away to keep her from the battlefield when the time comes. Giving her a brat could accomplish both ends. They both knew the chances she would get pregnant are good but, with that damned prophecy it could also be the very thing that takes her from him. He couldn't lose her, the thought sent an icy sense of dread through him. She was his future, his hope for something other than the rage, regret and thirst for vengeance and glory that had been his driving force for most of his life. And yet, the fact that he'd come to need someone other than himself so desperately in such a short time both frustrated and scared the shit out of him. Attachments were weaknesses your enemies can use against you. He knew this. He'd done it himself. He needed to keep her far out of their enemies site, to hide his weakness. Make them think she was nothing to him. It's an easy feat, but for the risk of Bulma believing it herself and leaving anyway, hence the long hours spent in her bed. She needs to know what she means to him now, he thought, before he leaves, because afterwards, until his enemies were destroyed, she would be less significant to him than a speck of dust beneath his boot.

She was still fidgeting with the sheet, trying to fashion some sort of wrap. He rolled his eyes.

"Get back up here, you foolish woman." he ordered arrogantly.

"But.. Kaka- I mean Goku -"

"Kakarot can wait."

"But what if he appears while -"

"He wouldn't dare. Now get that 'sparkly blue tail' back into bed."

Bulma stood up and followed his instruction, moving to lay in front of him. He eyed her bent knees critically.

"Spread'em."

She complied, smiling slyly and said "Yes, please"

A freshly showered Bulma entered the kitchen to find a mountainous spread laid out on the tables. Peeking out from behind that spread was a few tufts of spiky black hair. Goku, it seemed was already making a sizable dent in the food, completely oblivious to the embarrassment he caused by his instant transmission.

"Goku, you idiot. How many times must I tell you you can't just teleport into a person's private space." she scolded exasperated as she sunk down into an empty chair.

"Bulma, honey. Is Mr. Vegeta going to be down anytime soon. I'm afraid his Going-Away feast won't last if he waits much longer." Mrs. Brief commented from her spot in front of the oven. She was currently wearing a pink frilly apron over her signature boob-tube and capri's outfit, eyes on the ever expanding lump of cake-batter. Its buttery-vanilla aroma was already filling the room, making Bulma's tummy rumble. She grabbed a plate and started dishing.

"Kakarot!" Vegeta bellowed from somewhere upstairs. "You'd better not be eating my food!"

"He is!" Bulma replied, raising her own voice. "You better hurry. It's going fast."

Vegeta suddenly appeared beside Goku. The only evidence of his arrival being Bulma's blue hair blowing violently around her face and a loud fleshy thwap. Through her still settling tresses obscuring her vision, Bulma noted Goku's palm wrapped around Vegeta's fist inches from the earth-Saiyan's jaw. A challenging smirk on Goku's face. He may act the idiot 80% of the time, Bulma thought wryly, but a Saiyan, apparently stays a Saiyan no matter his upbringing.

"Hiya Vegeta." Goku said, the Saiyan-smirk melting into a cheeky grin.

"Kakarot" Vegeta hissed through clenched teeth.

"I heard you' taking off for space." he said, and Vegeta suddenly shot her an accusatory frown.

"I didn't say anything" Bulma defended.

"What's it to you, Kakarot?" Vegeta spat. Goku suddenly regarded Bulma, his narrowed gaze dropped to her lap for a moment before a frown settled on his brow. Bulma squired, discomfited by his sudden interest. "What? Did I drop something" she said, smoothing her robe over her lap self-consciously."

"Is there a particular reason you're ogling my woman, Clown?" Vegeta said, his voice suddenly dangerously low.

"What?" Goku asked taken aback and jerked his attention away from Bulma. "That is - uhm. Just wanted to wish you well. Good luck Vegeta. Gotta go, bye." He stammered and disappeared. Both of them stared at his vacant seat in bewilderment.

"What was that all about?" she asked, scratching her head to which her reply was a dismissive "Hmm" as Vegeta took his own seat and started stacking plates.

The Briefs man did a good job at replicating his standard issue galactic armor, Vegeta thought, as he clipped the final piece in place. It had the added benefit of being able to deflect ki like the inside of his Gravity room and his training bots. His only critique being that it was rigid, and not elastic like his previous armor. For that they required a special alloy mined on Freeza planet 56. He wondered if it was still called so now that the Colds were exterminated. Well, with the exception of Cooler. No matter though. It's not as if he can still transform into the Oozaru. He thought, pragmatically. The armor will do as is. He did a quick sweep of the complex, locating his woman's ki-signature close to where his ship waited. Pity. He was hoping they could say their final farewells in private.

The laboratory was bustling with activity. People in white lab coat were moving around, pressing buttons and watching screens. In his peripheral he caught sight of Bulma in her tank, swimming lazily around the center control panel.

"Good timing Vegeta." Briefs voice chimed from somewhere in the bustle. "We were just finishing our final diagnostics." Vegeta ignored the scientist, turning fully towards the mermaid. He watched, almost hypnotized as her body surged and her tail rippled. It was sapphire blue, like her eyes, but if viewed at a certain angle it also shimmered green or purple. The kaleidoscope reminded him of one of the beetle species he witnessed on this planet while he was training on the island. Her tail emitted a faintly incandescent glow, her hair and eyes as well; eyes that sparkled with mischief as she made another lazy sweep past him. Her scales grew around her navel and ended below her breasts in the shape of a V. Her breasts, at least were covered. In a manner of speaking, Vegeta thought and scoffed, eyeing the tiny scraps of triangular material barely enclosing her ample bosom.

'The water is great, Vegeta. Why don't you come in?' Vegeta snorted. The woman was well aware he was preparing to depart. 'Don't I get a goodbye kiss?' she added teasingly with a pout.

'Time for kissing has passed, Mermaid.' he answered her telepathically. 'My destiny awaits.' he said arrogantly, catching sight of her exasperated eye-roll, and walked towards his ship.

The lab technicians were busily unplugging and clearing the space around his ship. He watched the Briefs doctor lift a panel on the side, where the fuel intake was located, and press a button. With a poof of smoke his ship vanished and Briefs picked up the capsule. He looked it over critically and tossed it to Vegeta.

"All yours my boy. Try not to blow this one up." Vegeta smirked.

Bulma arm drifted slowly from one side of her body to the other. Her weight was braced on her left leg while the right was cocked forward at an angle, resting on pointed toe and ready for quick forward snap if the need arose. It wouldn't. The purpose of the T'ai chi routine she was currently doing was not to promote violence, but to direct and align one's ki to promote balance and inner peace. In her peripheral Chichi was leading the Solo*. Bulma let her mind wander, allowing her body to fall into the flowing rhythm of the routine.

It's been three weeks since she watched Vegeta's ship disappear into the sky, trying her damndest to hold back that infernal eye-leakage that seemed to prickle just beneath the surface. Vegeta said tears were a sign of weakness, and weakness should be hidden at all costs. Still, she missed him dearly. Especially in the mornings as she subconsciously reached for the warm body beside her, only to find the bed empty and the sheets cold.

"Bulma-san?" Chichi's voice broke into her reverie.

"Hmm?" Bulma asked distractedly and noticed that Chichi had stopped moving.

"Where's your head at today, I wonder."

"In the stars." Bulma replied with a sardonic grin. Chichi sighed heavily.

"Honestly, I don't know what redeemable thing you and Goku-saa see in that maniac" She said with a frown. Resentment clear in her tone. Bulma sighed. As much as she would have loved to defend Vegeta, she knew Chichi had a valid reason to hold a grudge against the Saiyan prince. Vegeta was not a 'good' person. He had not only come to the planet with the intent to destroy it, he fought and almost killed the woman's husband and son. He had done atrocious things in his past. He had the blood of billions on his hands... And yet, Bulma didn't see him that way. In her eyes, he was a slave, a weapon made of flesh and bone in the hands of an intergalactic trigger-happy tyrant.

"Vegeta needed to opportunity to become his own person." she finally answered Chichi. "Goku knew that. He's had someone pulling his strings for as long as he can remember, molding and shaping him into the person he has become, but. his puppeteer is dead now, and I like the person Vegeta's become in his absence."

"You mean the person he's become in your presence." Chichi corrected slyly with a raised eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

"It doesn't matter, I guess" she dismissed with a wave of her hand. "Maybe you're right, Bulma. It's easier to think in black and white than shades of gray. I just wish Goku would be a bit more discriminating. He allows everyone a second chance. Sometimes it works out for the best. Like with Piccolo and your Vegeta. Other times, well, let's just say that I would have killed Dr. Gero along with his army. Goku's decision to give him a second chance allowed him time to plot his revenge and now the world is in danger again. You know, sometimes I wonder if he does it on purpose… He always seems happiest when he's training to defeat some cataclysmic threat."

The two women were silent for a moment, contemplative while in the distance little explosions littered the sky with shock-waves as Goku, Gohan and Piccolo prepared for the oncoming battle. Bulma stretched her recently acquired ki-senses to try and differentiate the three power-levels. It was like her mind was turning a dial, trying to zoom into indistinguishable blurs in the distance, trying to bring their individual characteristics into focus. Deep in concentration, Bulma almost missed the sudden appearance of an extra ki. The realization that the ki originated from herself shocked her so much that she lost her focus, and her sense of the extra little ki. It didn't matter, however. She already felt it. The life growing inside her. A child. An heir.

She was pregnant.

Heat blossomed in her chest, warm and tingling as the first strands of love wrapped itself solidly around her heart, binding itself to the little pocket of vitality in her womb. Then came fear. The sense of being completely out of her depth. She had no idea what to expect. She never expected to be pregnant in the first place. She was supposed to be infertile. She never paid any attention to the mechanics of labour, birthing and caring for babies and the little she did know was absolutely no help. She was a mermaid. The father of her baby was not even from the same planet let alone from the same species as her. What would her gestation period be? What will the genetics of the child be like? Will it be a child of the sea or of the land? Could it be both? It could be an abomination!

"Bulma? Bulma-san? What's the matter. Are you okay?" Chichi's voice slowly penetrated the haze of panic she found herself trapped in. Bulma realized he was staring at the grass beneath her legs and that her lungs were heaving with exertion. "Bulma, what's wrong?"

"I'm pregnant." she wheezed out.

"What! Did you just find that out? How did you find out? Is something the matter with the baby?" Chichi's own rising panic helped Bulma control her own. Her breathing slowed, deepened and she focused on lowering her heart rate in that manner. Chichi's own nerves were settling and she was currently rubbing soothing circles over Bulma's back.

"I felt it." she said, when she finally managed to calm down.

"It?" asked Chichi,

"The baby's life-force inside me." Bulma explained. "I was trying to sense them." she said, pointing in the general direction of the shock-wave fireworks. She looked at Chichi, who was watching her with evident concern. Bulma suddenly remembered that she should have been expecting this. She had a prophesy to fulfill. One that she hadn't exactly been trying to circumvent, going by her and Vegeta's actions during the week before he left. And still, the reality of it… the undeniable evidence. Bulma tried turning her senses inwards again, her hands rested lightly over her belly as she concentrated. And there it was, a little flicker, faint, but definitely there. The world's salvation, she remembered. A son, the first male heir to the Mammalian throne. It seemed incomprehensible. She let her telepathic senses brush lightly over the flicker and felt when it expanded and brushed her back in response. Oh my Neptune, she thought in awe. She suddenly felt fiercely protective over the fragile barely there blip of energy, already conscious enough to respond to her probe. Don't you worry baby, she whispered softly to it. I'll keep you safe, little prince. She crooned, So will your father. We'll make sure that the Androids do not prevail in this time.

The determined set of her shoulders alerted Chichi to the sudden change in the Bulma disposition. She met the blue-haired mermaid deep blue eyes, taken aback by the fierce look that sparked in them.

One week later Bulma found herself staring at the printout in awe, tracing the tiny bean-shaped form on the image that Doctor Briefs presented to her. Her baby. Her little prince. She would call him Vegeta, she decided, after his father and following the tradition of the Saiyan race. Her face was still wet from her tears. Tears that appeared as soon as the first sound of her baby's heart rate echoed through the examination room. Even though she could feel him and knew he was there, the rapid pit-a-pat of his tiny heart seems like it broke a dam within her and raw emotion came spilling through. She was more determined than ever to end the threat of the androids, to prevent the future that had befallen the earth in another timeline. Her room was littered with articles, white-papers, anything that she could find on Doctor Gero and his research into artificial intelligence and bionics. She wished to get her hands on the remains of his earlier experiments in android designs just to get an inkling of his methodology. Sadly his previous base of operation is completely destroyed.

She sighed, and grabbed a few tissues to mop up her tears.

"We'll need to monitor this pregnancy very closely. It's difficult to speculate on the genetics of the fetus at this time, but from the looks of it, you appear to be seven weeks along in stead of four or five. The fetus is growing at an accelerated rate compared to a human pregnancy." Dr. Briefs's stated.

"How long will I be carrying?"

"Hard to say. We can upgrade your tank to monitor the baby and record the growth rate during your swim sessions. We'll use the data to estimate your due date and adjust it as time passes. When you're further along, I can do a CVS test to check for certain genetic markers. I must warn you however, that this procedure is invasive and carries a small risk of miscarriage. The statistics in human pregnancies are about a 1% probability of miscarriage. I have no idea how your pregnancy would be affected"

"I'd rather not risk it" Bulma said, cradling her womb protectively.

"As you wish." Dr Brief's said. "As it scans, the heart rate is seems like that of a normal human fetus. Your own heart rate is lower than the average female resting heart rate but not abnormally so, your temperature as well." His words were accompanied by the slight clicking of his tablet stylus as he entered the data. "Vegeta's genetics have him running slightly warmer than humans with a higher resting heart rate. You're temperature seems to have risen to a level of a normal human woman to accommodate the fetus. Your heart rate remains as it was." Dr. Briefs mustache twitched. "This development brings many interesting observations it seems." He said, eyes shining with scientific glee.

"Well my dear," he said, "there's nothing left to say but congratulations. Oh and do go tell the missus the happy news. She was very concerned when you became sick at the sight of her pastries."

"Will do doc" she replied, and hopped off the examination table, not as graceful as she would have liked with her feet still in stirrups, but oh well she thought with a shrug.

Four hours later, Bulma found herself standing in a department store with three shopping carts full of baby equipment, accessories and clothes. She tried telling Mrs Briefs that she needed to get back to her research. The woman just smiled and nodded, saying "Of course you do, dear" and what should have been a trip to procure prenatal vitamins from the chemist ended with her standing here watching as everything from a car seat to breast-pumps were rung up at two till points, while the ditsy blonde babbled on about things like the importance of tissue oil, folic-acid and lactation-boosting diets.

"Oh honey I'm so excited!" Mrs Briefs squealed. "You know, the doctor and I could never have children." She said with a sad smile, "That's why we were so happy when Goku decided to come live with us, even if only for a short time. I'm glad that big-ol' house will finally have the pitter-patter of little baby feet running through its halls. Oh!" She said, clutching her cheeks "I'm going to spoil her -

"Him" Bulma corrected with long suffering

"Or him" Mrs Brief's conceded, "rotten!"

"Please don't" Bulma droned, but went ignored.

"Grammy Panchy… ooh, I like the sound of that! What do you think dear, too much? Oh, and what color would you prefer for the nursery? Something light like sea-foam blue or mint, or bold like navy or fire-engine red?"

Bulma sighed, and rubbed her temples, already mentally waving her research plans goodbye as she felt exhaustion creeping in.

'By Neptune, It's bright out here!' Marlin said and gazed upwards, then screamed and dove back underneath.

'Marlin, you idiot! Haven't you learned anything?" Ray berated. 'You're not supposed to look directly at the sun!'

'I thought it was the moon that you're not supposed to look directly at.' he replied from somewhere beneath the surface. 'Damn that stung… guys, I think I'm blind!' he exclaimed, telepathic voice loaded with hysteria. 'Seriously! I only see white. Abby, do something!'

Abby sighed, then dove too.

They were currently bobbing in the waves close to shore, with only their heads and shoulders breaching, having only tasted air for the first time bare moments ago. It was bright out and the sun sat high in the sky.

Razor had led them to a small underwater cave, where they found the remains of an old mer campsite. Blade said that Bulma seemed to have stayed for a time, but had left very long ago. The closest land was a few tails off: a small island. Ray had been working up the courage to go ashore, not really knowing what to expect.

'He's okay.' Abby's voice drifted up to him.

'Thanks Abby' Marlin said.

'What's the plan Barracuda?' Blade asked at his side, eyes also on the little island.

'We go ashore.' Ray answered decisively, and followed his words with action.

Ray lay on his stomach, having just spewed seawater from his throat, and waited, elevated on his elbows, as the process completed. Breathing through his nose and mouth was disconcerting. The heat on his back felt strange and his tail was tingling. Ray watched as the scales melted off his tail and turn into sea foam in the sand, washed away by the tide. What was left behind was smooth light-beige skin pulled tight over thick legs that ran into tightly bunched lumps on his backside. The sand was a strange sensation on his new skin, especially between his legs. He rolled over and watched wide eyed what was revealed as the last of his scales fell off.

'Duuude!' Marlin called out. 'Why is it outside?'

'That is quite disconcerting.' Blade concurred.

'Should we cover it?' Marlin asked.

'With what?' Ray answered. 'Our armour only covers us until the abdomen.'

'I dunno… ' Marlin said, looking around before pointing 'How bout those big green things? They look a bit like seaweed.'

'Whose bright idea was it anyway, to remove our armour before coming ashore?' Lapis sassed.

'We didn't know how it would affect the transformation.' Ray defended heatedly. At that moment Ray looked up to find Lapis peering over his shoulder at his lap with curiosity.

'Interesting.' she noted.

'Do you mind!' he shouted, attempting to shield himself with his hand. 'And cover yourself up too!' he said, averting his eyes as they caught sight of her exposed chest. To which she shrugged nonchalantly and went to gather her armour. He watched her round backside sway for a minute, tilting his head curiously at the hypnotic movement. Something twitched beneath his hand and he started, finding himself suddenly feeling very warm, and very guilty.

'Is it just me, or does the sight of the naked two-legged female form look very pleasing from behind?' Marlin asked.

'Hmm.' was Blade's reply. 'Curious indeed.'

'Men.' Abby scoffed, 'two legs or no, you're all the same.' she said and walked off after Lapis, wobbling a bit at first. Ray knew better than to watch this time.

A few hours later, Ray was staring blankly at the two females in their party as they rolled around on the sand in hysterics. The other two males were similarly unimpressed at the mermaids' antics. They had taken one look at the three mermen, emerging into the clearing with strands of leaves covering their lower half, and promptly collapsed into their current state. The sounds that came out of them were alarming at first, until it was established that this was apparently how hilarity was expressed on dry land.

'I can't!' Abby said, a strange wheezing sound emanating from her throat. 'I just can't… Oh Neptune, my eyes are leaking.' she continued, wiping at them.

'You sure you ain't dying Abby?' Marlin asked, arms crossed tightly over his broad chest, ''Cause you sure as Kelp sound like it.'

'I'm just glad us mermaids have longer chain-mail. Neptune, you guys look ridiculous. At least take off the armour. Bare-chests have got to look better with stringy leaves than that' Abby replied, before promptly dissolving into hysterics again.

Marlin seemed to think about it a bit, then shrugged and started unclipping his breastplate. Ray opted to keep his armour on. He'd rather have some protection, even if it was limited to his upper body.

'So,' Lapis prompted, after getting over her hilarity, 'You think Bull Shark is still on this island?'

'I don't know,' he answered, 'We have no way of tracking her on land. Outside of physically searching, that is.'

'Sounds tedious.' Blade commented.

'I don't think so.' Abby said, 'I might be able to track her psychic energy if she's still on this island. It's small enough to fit into my range... Only if she's not shielding, though.'

'Alright Abby.' Marlin cheered.

'Why would she shield?' Ray wondered.

'You never know.' Abby answered. Ray sighed, before nodding at Abby to start. She promptly dug her trident into the sand and went to sit on her knees. Ray shuddered at the sight, It seemed unnatural for one's lower half to able to bend into double like that.

As he watched, the crystals in her trident and on her circlet in the middle of her forehead began to glow simultaneously and a wave of power washed over him. He stumbled a bit at the sensation and decided to sit down himself until she was finished. His team followed suit.

Taking a day off from physical training, Piccolo had decided to strengthen his mental ability through meditation on an uninhabited island, which also happened to be the same island Vegeta had utilized for his own training not too long ago. The island was well isolated from the rest of society and therefore was well suited to this type of mental exercises. It was therefore surprising to suddenly encompass a massive psychic probe originating from that very island. Piccolo was caught quite unprepared, yet rigorous conditioning had him putting up shields almost instantly while at the same time tracking the source of the energy pulse.

The energy signals, five of them in total, felt somewhat familiar. They also felt strong. It didn't take Piccolo long to figure out where he felt an energy signal like that before. Sending a quick telepathic head's up to Goku about the new visitors from the deep. Piccolo went to investigate.

Abby's eyes suddenly snapped open just as her energy faded around them.

'I felt someone.' she said shakily. Ray was about to demand more answered when a sound cut through their gathering, coming from above them. They all looked towards the sound to find a dark shape hovering before the sun. A shape that vaguely resembled a land dweller, but that makes no sense, Ray thought bewildered. Humans can't fly. The shape started to descend and more of its features gradually become visible. He, well at least it seemed a 'he' had the most bizarre shade of skin. It was as green like the leaves they were currently wearing. Not only that, his ears were pointy and there were, what Ray could only describe as two 'anglers' on the sides of his forehead. His head was otherwise covered with a white cloth and he wore a similarly white cape. While Ray was still getting over his shock, the person opened its mouth, revealing long pointy canines along with otherwise merman looking white teeth and emitted some complicated sound.

It was like sticking your fist through a jellyfish and having it pop back out the other side, but the sound suddenly translated itself into words in Ray's mind.

"State your business, merman." was what Ray heard. Ray suddenly noticed that the 'man' was speaking directly to him and realized that his spear was up, pointed in the strangers direction and that his team had naturally fallen into formation behind him, declaring him the leader.

Ray realized he needed to get a hold the situation, and fast or things could get ugly. Thinking to reassure the stranger, Ray unconsciously spoke in the way of their people, only remembering that humans weren't telepathic right as the words left him:

'We mean no harm,' he started, stopped and was then quite surprised when they received a reply in the same manner.

'Then why are you here?'

This man obviously was not a regular human being. He also seemed to know far more about his kind than Ray thought safe. That and his tone seemed threatening. Ray tightened his grip on his trident and noticed the green man's eye catch the movement. Observant, Ray noted. Taking a deep, disconcerting mouth breath, Ray decided that introductions could go a long way to dissuade the situation. Trusting his squad to have his back, Ray lowered trident and saluted the green man with a slight bow of the head.

'Greetings, my name is Lieutenant Ray Naga of the Mammalian Queendom. My companions and I have traveled very far, seeking our missing Princess. She is heir to the throne and has disappeared from our Queendom many moons ago. Our journey has brought us to this location, where our tracker had indicated that she was last scented.'

The green man observed them for a moment before a frown creased his brow, causing the anglers to lower as well.

'I thought your kind were forbidden from leaving the ocean.' he remarked.

'We are, but we've been given leave to track down the Princess.'

'And what will happen to her if you find her, I wonder.' Now it was Ray's turn to frown. It almost seemed like this green man knew exactly who they were talking about. It's quite possible, Ray thought, that Greenman has already met Bulma. On the tail of that thought, it seemed the rest of his team must have been having the same idea because Abby suddenly spoke.

'Look Sir, if you know where she is… we just want to talk to her.' The man seemed to think it over before a wall suddenly slammed down onto their communication path. Greenman stared at the ground, brows scrunched in concentration, it felt like forever but was likely mere moments when he faced them again.

'My comrade will talk to her, and bring her here if she so wishes. Wait here if you like.'

And with that, the green man crossed his legs and sat, hovering slightly above the ground, closed his eyes and proceded to ignore them.

Ray wondered if he had the same comical look on his face that the rest of his squad was currently sporting.

*a Solo is like a kata, but it's what the T'ai Chi routines are called.

AN: Please send me a PM if you find any grammar or spelling mistakes and it bothers you. Sometimes I miss them.