X Chapter 6 X
A/N: Thank you for your kind words. I don't write these stories for the views or favorites, mostly for myself. But it's always nice to hear compliments to my work, so I thank you.
Warning: Language, Suggestive Themes
The seasons changed. It had been autumn when Iseber disappeared. Less than a month later, winter crept in. It was harsh; the harshest of any winter for years to come. Snowfall piled the powdery stuff up to the roofs of the saiyans' meagre clay dwellings. Sickness and hunger nearly claimed the lives of many, but miraculously everyone pulled through, barely. Spring came and the ice and snow thawed. The river, which was frozen over, once more flowed and offered a bounty of fish and small game. The children ate well, making up for hard times.
Through summer and into autumn, they feasted every night. When winter returned, the river froze over again and once more they greeted hunger. However, the saiyans were spared the obscene amounts of snowfall, which only came up to their windows this time around. Spring came again and thawed everything out. Again, they ate like fat, happy kings. During one of their daily outings for food, Ginge discovered a kind of wild onion. When she bit into it, it tasted delicious and sweet. Because they had been eating an all meat diet, the onion which was filled with missing nutrients, tasted like heaven to her. Beginning that spring, the saiyan children grew onions in gardens around the camp.
The seasons cycled three more times. It was now the fifth winter. A little over four years had passed since they had been spared Planet Vegeta's fate before their subsequent banishment. Ginge sat alone in the living room, warming her hands near the fireplace. The pod-lings had all grown into young kids and were outside 'playing' in the deep snow; saiyans didn't play so much as spar, even as very young kids. An onion 'stew' made with bird meat was boiling in the kitchen on the stove. She got up to tend to it.
Ginge was now fourteen. She had grown a foot taller, standing at five feet. She was tall for a female saiyan her age. Her frame was still lean and slender, though natural feminine curves had begun to form. The oldest boys had begun to notice her inflating chest, though they weren't old enough to understand their fixation. They just smiled awkwardly and did as they were told whenever she was around. However, the oldest girls including Celle, began to clash with Ginge on a weekly basis. She always put them in their place with a measure of restraint, but it was getting harder to stay calm and reasonable with all the hormones in the air.
The laughter and sounds of rough-housing outside put a smile on Ginge's face as she stirred the pot of stew. Though she had to deal with bratty, preteen, saiyan girls, she had settled deep into the role of 'momma'. She truly viewed the pack as her adopted children. The sun fell low as she took the pot off the stove. "Guys! Dinner's ready! Come inside!" The little ones dropped everything and scurried inside the house. Ginge poured them each a bowl, which they ate from standing and sitting around a round wooden table. She giggled as they elbowed and shoved each other for a spot at the table.
Wrapping herself in a fur cloak, she stepped outside with a steaming bowl of stew. Levitating over the deep snow, she went to the hill outside camp where baby Quash had been buried that day. Two crude headstones lay next to each other there. Iseber had never returned. Though there was no body, a large rock bearing a carving of his name was placed there as a memorial.
As she came closer, a figure standing at the graves came into view. It was Pinach. He stood at about four feet eleven inches; just shorter than Ginge. He was also impressively tall for his age. His arms and legs were very muscular now, looking like a fully grown earth man's. His shoulders had broadened and his chest bulged. His facial features had become roughened and sharp. His jet black 'Fasha cut' was barely visible against the dark sky, while his pale skin phased into the snow.
Ginge called to him as she came close. "Pinach! What are you doing out here with no cloak?! You're gonna get sick!" Pinach turned his head to her and scoffed. Being the second oldest, he acted much like a lieutenant to Ginge, organizing the children and watching over them when she was out. This didn't stop her from doting on him, however. He had eventually forgiven her for 'killing' Iseber, but her constant nagging and coddling pissed him off.
She sighed when he ignored her. "I brought you some food. I jus-" Ginge stopped when Pinach glared at her, angry. Her inner nature screamed at her, demanding to let loose on the ungrateful bastard. But she bit her tongue. She had never even raised her voice at him since that day. Quietly, she melted the snow near his feet with ki and placed the bowl next to him. Pinach stared ahead silently while Ginge slinked heavy-hearted back to camp.
For fuck's sake, finally! Does she seriously have to do this every night? I can take care of myself, damn it! A bone chilling wind blew past him, causing a chill to run up his limbs. The vapors from the stew floated up and into Pinach's nostrils. His stomach rumbled. Crossing his arms, he huffed, defiant. No way was he gonna give in and prove Ginge right. A minute passed and he looked down at the bowl, sighing. He placed the bowl between the headstones and began walking back to camp. Goodnight, Iseber. Quash.
About half way from the graves to camp, Pinach was hit by a giant snowball that knocked him down to his side. Someone laughed while he scrambled up, shivering. It was Arti, who was nine now. He levitated a few feet off the ground and about ten yards from Pinach. His spiky, upright hair barely moved in the wind. A cheeky smile stretched across his face. "I was trying to sneak up on you when you were alone, but my sister got in the way." Pinach smirked at Arti. They had become close. Arti looked kinda similar and acted just like Iseber back then. Pinach viewed Arti like a little brother and Arti: his older brother.
"You're so fucking dead Arti. You have no idea." Pinach started scooping snow and packing it in his hands. Arti giggled and replied. "I propose a race. First one to Ginge wins. If you win, you get to 'kill' me. If I win, you have to say 'yes momma' to everything she says for a week." Pinach turned red. "Readysetgo!" Arti took off like a rocket, spraying Pinach with snow. "Hey! I nev- Fuck it!" He bolted after him, kicking up snow. The race was very close with Arti just ahead of Pinach. Beelining it for the entrance, Arti dove into Ginge's house. Pinach wasn't even a second behind him. "Arti! Wait!" It was too late. Arti scurried into the bear's den; the bedroom.
Pinach heard shrill feminine screaming, then a smack. Then more smacks which turned into beating. He hid around the corner, slightly peeking and shivering. After a minute, he saw a nude, long and curvy leg step out of the dark room. His eyes went wide. He stopped peeking and sat shivering behind the corner. There was a loud thud like a body hitting the floor, then a door slamming.
When Pinach finally worked up enough nerve to look, he found Arti on the ground, softly groaning. He was covered in red hand marks and bruises. The door to the bedroom was closed. Sighing, Pinach walked around the corner and knelt down next to Arti. "I tried to warn you." Arti was covering his face with his hands. He parted them and grinned evilly at Pinach. "I won. You know what that means?" Pinach leapt up and pointed his finger at Arti. "Maybe I should give you an extra beating for pulling that shit! Maybe I should throw you in there and lock the door!"
Inside the room, Ginge could hear them arguing and wrestling. She had finished slipping on a fresh jumpsuit. Her face was bright red. The year before, she kicked everyone out of her house to live in the others. Privacy was becoming an issue and she knew it would only get worse as the rest of the children grew up. Damn it, Arti! Why is he here? Things were awkward enough without Pinach seeing her naked. The argument accompanied with wrestling continued, muffled by the door. "Say it!" - "No!" - "But I won!" - "I don't care, it's not happening!" - "Come on!" - "No!" - "Come on, say it once!" - "No!"
They went back and forth. Ginge was beginning to think it would never end. She stood in front of the door with her hand on the knob. What the fuck are they talking about? What does Pinach have to say to me? Curiously, she peered through the keyhole in the door. She saw Arti and Pinach on top of each other. Pinach's face was bright red and Arti was laughing uncontrollably. She shrunk back. Does he... She shook the thought away. I'm never gonna get any sleep with this racket! Ginge wanted to storm out there and throw both of them out into the snow, but her embarrassment overtook her anger. Come on, think Ginge. How am I gonna get them to leave? After a moment, a sly smile crept across her face; she had an idea. Through the door, the boys heard her muffled voice. "I swear on my grave that if I have to come out there, my naked body is the last thing you'll ever see!"
Ginge heard the boys go silent. Arti spoke after a time, giggling. "You have to say it!" Pinach stood immobilized and mute. "Say it, you little bitch!" A long awkward pause followed. A very long one. Finally: "Yes momma..."
Arti started cracking up, then laughing uncontrollably. Two people turned a very bright red. Pinach punched Arti in the arm before storming out. Arti winced but kept laughing. Ginge stood frozen behind the door, hand on the knob. That was the last thing she expected to hear out of Pinach's mouth. She stood there, processing the moment for several minutes. Arti's laughter broke her out of the trance. She cracked open the door and glared menacingly at him. His mouth closed and his eyes inflated. He turned away and quickly marched out.
Closing the furnace hatch to darken the room, Ginge crawled into bed. Momma, huh? The thought of Arti forcing Pinach to humiliate himself made her smile. She shut her eyes and tried to drift off to sleep. All she could hear was 'yes momma' over and over, echoing through her mind. She tossed and turned. Pinach had invaded the back of her mind a long time ago, since before she could remember. To her, the boys were all her sons, even Arti. But there was something different about Pinach. It's not that I feel bad for him… It's...
Ginge couldn't pin the feeling she was experiencing. Pinach was the only one she could rely on. Their relationship was more like partners than mother and son. Sure, she doted on him and cared for him deeply, but he didn't really need her, yet she did it anyway for no obvious reason to herself. When he would return from a long hunt, a subtle but euphoric feeling filled her that she felt at no other time. She would offer to wash his armor or fix him something to eat like tonight, but he would always wave her off, choosing to do everything himself. Surely it's not... disappointment?
The next morning, Pinach awoke in his bed. He had dreamed that he beat Arti in that race. When he made it through the bedroom door, he was greeted by an 'intriguing' sight. The interesting part of the dream ended when the 'intriguing sight' spun its head around to reveal Iseber's face. Pinach awoke in that instant.
Rubbing his eyes and yawning, he climbed out of bed and tip-toed out of the house. Though he lost his old friend and training partner, Iseber, he still trained early every morning. The frozen river was the perfect place to practice ki control. If even a little ki leaked from a person's body, it would melt the ice and they would fall in. Pinach spent his training time punching logs and boulders on the ice, managing his ki. In the winters he would practice control on the river, while any other time he would practice projecting power. Pinach had grown very strong; if a scouter were to measure him, it would read 5525.
The other children, while not having scouters, recognized him as the strongest in the pack; stronger than even Ginge. Nobody really knew for sure because Ginge never showed her full power, but they never saw her training either. Regardless, no one except the oldest girls dared challenge her.
Pinach always went alone to the river. He had tried bringing Arti along a few times, but it was a hell of a matter getting him up that early, and another getting him to focus on the training. He usually fell in the ice in the first five minutes, giving up afterwards. So Pinach simply stopped bothering. Maybe when he got older, he could train with him.
Eying a large boulder, he thought. Hmm. If I could toss that boulder high in the air and catch it without cracking or melting the ice, it could make for good training. Pinach walked over and picked it up. Jeez it's a lot heavier than I expected. Lifting it was a trivial matter for him. It was the tossing and catching that would prove to be troublesome. With a heave, he launched it high in the air. It came back down in a blur. Pinach barely stopped it; the ice cracked as his feet were forced down. Yep, this is hard as hell. But that's exactly what I counted on.
Levitating a few inches off the ice, he heaved again, throwing the boulder sky high. This time when he caught it, he barely moved an inch. Perfect! He repeated the action, over and over. His movements became rhythmic and he began catching it with ease. Over time, he began to get a strange feeling in his mind. He looked around, trying to spot someone or something. It felt like he was being watched.
After a moment of silence and observation, he threw the rock up again. Before it came down, Pinach heard a rustling in the frozen reeds. Not paying attention until the last second, he scrambles to grab the rock but his hands slip on an icy patch. It slipped through his hands and smashed him in the face, taking him with it through the ice.
Ginge put her hand over her mouth, giggling at his carelessness. She had been the one spying on him through the reeds. Several seconds passed, and Pinach hadn't resurfaced. She became worried and dashed from her hiding place to where he had fallen in. Just before she could reach the spot, she heard the ice break behind her. Pinach leapt up from below and tackled her into the other riverbank. He pinned her, breathing heavily, fist raised and dripping frigid water on her. It had been a ruse to lure her out.
Realizing it was just her, he stood up. She looked at him with awe at how much stronger he had gotten. The moment was broken when with a stern face, he spoke. "Why are you here?" Ginge blinked at him, unsure of what to tell him. "I just wanted to see you train... and maybe join you." Pinach turned his nose up. "I don't need you to train with me, I get enough of your pestering when I'm at home." She frowned and looked away before looking back with a cheeky grin. "Yeah you don't need anyone... You have all these lively rocks to go diving with!" He scoffed and turned his back to her, walking away. "Whatever."
Ginge's grin widened. "And aren't you supposed to be saying 'yes momma' to everything I say?" Pinach turned around, cheeks brilliant red. "Has anyone told you you're the most annoying person in camp?! Kindly fuck off and leave me to my training!" His words stung her a little, and she hung her head. He leaped in the river to fish for the boulder, then resumed his training. Ginge sat on the riverbank, watching him juggle the boulder with her chin resting on her knees.
Pinach threw that boulder higher and higher, trying to get the most out of the training. After half an hour, he had worked up quite the sweat. His arms strained to catch the boulder, yet he carried on. Eventually, he threw the boulder up, but when it came down it exploded. Ginge had shot it with a blast. Chunks of rock sprayed Pinach. Fuming, he turned to her. "Ok, what the hell is your deal?!"
Ginge walked up to him and put her finger on his chest. "My deal is that you're a moron that can't do anything right. Doing this retarded training with rocks isn't gonna take you very far. You need a sparring partner." He slapped her hand away and snarled. "And you think you're the one that could be my partner? How long has it been since you trained? You might have been stronger than everyone a couple years ago, but not anymore! You're weak!"
Internally, his words made her blood boil, but she hid it. She smirked cooly at him. "I didn't hear a 'yes momma'." Pinach rolled his eyes, still scowling. "Oh fuck off with that, your brother is a sack of shit." She couldn't contain her laughter. "Yes, I'm well aware. You forget, I lived with him long before you." He scoffed while she reeled herself in from laughing. "I'll tell you what, Pinach. If you can beat me in a fight, I'll leave you alone forever." She stretched out her hand for a handshake. "Deal?" He eyed the hand suspiciously. After a time, he reached and shook it. "Fine. But I'm not holding back, got it?"
Ginge laughed loudly. "You had better not hold back, or you're gonna be 'momma's little boy' forever!" Groaning at the thought, Pinach took his place on the riverbank. Ginge took hers on the opposite side. They both got into battle stances. She picked up a small rock and called to Pinach. "When the rock lands!" Winding back her arm, she tossed the rock high into the sky. Their eyes locked. Their muscles tensed.
Several seconds went by until the rock fell onto the icy river with a clack, creating a huge crack. The two saiyans clashed before the sound could reach their ears. The speed of their attacks and counter attacks was remarkable. Each blow from both sides was blocked, a shockwave from each cracked the ice below. Within a few seconds, the ice had been completely shattered. The battle carried on. Pinach, within those few seconds, had developed a new sense of respect for his opponent. She's no slouch! I didn't think she'd still be training! She must have snuck out like I did!
After another few seconds of intense melee, the two fighters leapt back and landed on either side of the river. Pinach was breathing a little heavier. Ginge was breathing like normal. "I told you training without a partner was a deadend! You might as well give up now and become my little pod-ling! At least you'll spare yourself the spanking!" Pinach bared his fangs, snarling. "Fat chance!" He shot a blast at her feet, prompting her to shield herself with her arms. When she did so, he popped behind her and kicked her in the back of the head. She tumbled along the ground and into the river. Like a rocket, she shot up from it, soaring high. This behavior made Pinach curious. Could she be... Hmm, let's test it.
He flew high into the sky after her. They clashed once more; a storm of punches and kicks. Gradually, they descended, still clashing. Yeah, that's it. A little lower... a little lower... Soon, they were only ten feet above the river. Pinach peeled away and dove for the river. When he did so, he noticed that Ginge hesitated following him. A-ha! She's afraid of water!
Following the river, flying only feet from the surface, Pinach zoomed away with Ginge in tow. She began to gain on him, reaching out and almost grabbing his boot. Just before she could, Pinach fired a blast in front of him, parting the water. He dove into the space created. She hesitated to follow him, stopping. The water closed behind him and it appeared that he had disappeared beneath the surface. She smirked. What the hell does he think he's doing? He can't be thinking of hiding from me down there.
Raising her hand, she began firing a rapid volley of blasts into the water. The splashes created were several meters high. When the water settled, there was no sign of him. Wait a minute. Something's not r- Something slammed into her from above, sending her flying into the ground. Laying in a crater, she opened her eyes to see a hand with a glowing orb of blue ki pointed at her face. Pinach had pinned her to the ground once more. Checkmate.
Staring in awe at Pinach, she was speechless. After a few moments, he felt comfortable in his victory, lowering his hand. He stood up and smirked at her. "What kind of saiyan is afraid of water?" Her cheeks turned red and her gaze fell away. He began laughing. She fumed and shouted at him. "It's not funny! That was a really dirty tr-!" She stopped mid sentence as he sat down next to her. He sat leaning on his hands, staring ahead. "Why though?"
Ginge looked at her feet, recalling the distant past. "I was a little girl; only a month out of the pod. Our family lived in Amaranth, a village built around a river. One day, I snuck out of the house when my mother wasn't watching. I walked to the river. It was only a hundred feet from my house. When I got there, I decided to play on the bank. Being a young, careless girl, I slipped on something and fell headfirst into the water. Of course, being young, I didn't know how to fly either. So the swift currents swept me away, while I desperately tried to keep my head above water. I couldn't scream; the water hardly let me breathe. Soon, I found myself getting tired. I couldn't keep my head above water any more. It was the most helpless I've felt in my entire life. From then on, I've always hated water. The memory is too much."
Pinach looked at her while she stared at her feet, a mournful look in her eyes. His stern face softened; the most it had in years. Not since Iseber disappeared had he truly felt pain for someone else. "I'm sorry that happened." Ginge's eyes widened and she turned to him. That was definitely the last thing she ever expected to hear from Pinach. Turning away from her, he looked ahead again. "So how's the rest of it go? How did you survive?"
Ginge blinked at him, still processing that last thing he said to her. "I was saved by a man I had never seen around town before. He told me his name was Bardock. He was in town to see my uncle, Tora. On his way, he dropped me off at my home. My mother was in hysterics when I got there. She had turned the entire house upside down looking for me. She thanked Bardock and scolded me."
She looked over at Pinach. His serious expression had returned. "Bardock... Iseber mentioned that name to me once. I've heard it somewhere else too, but I can't remember." She looked back ahead. "After Bardock came into town that day, I never saw much of uncle Tora from then on. He never cared for me, but he loved Arti. On the rare occasions he visited after Arti was born, he doted on him like... well like I do with you. He said it was because Arti looked just like him when he was a boy. Dad would just call him soft."
Pinach turned to her, leaning a bit and with a cheeky smirk. "It sounds like you're pouting, Ginge. Aww, are you upset because your unkey Tora didn't share the love?" She huffed and threw a handful of dirt at him. "Shut up! You're such an asshole!" He started laughing. She threw more dirt at him and shouted as he spit it out. "Go to hell, Pinach!" While they knew what love was, to them it didn't mean the same thing. In saiyan culture, love was a word only used behind closed doors, if ever. Many saiyans did love at least one person, but to be accused of love was a great shame and insult, especially if it was true. Though these kids only lived for a brief time under such customs, strict indoctrination from peer pressure and the army academy still weighed on their minds.
Ginge leapt up and started storming off. Pinach ceased laughing and got up to follow her. "Oh come on, Ginge. I was just teasing." She kept walking, ignoring him. "Ginge! Wait!" Finally, she spun around and hammered into him. He seemed to shrink down to the size of a mouse as she yelled. This was the angriest he had seen her in years. "Fuck you, Pinach! That was the first time I've ever told anyone that story, and all you can do is make fun of me?! You're always a fucking asshole to me, putting me down or pushing me away! Well, no more! You won our little bet, so if you don't mind, take your fucking prize!" With that final word, she turned around and took off into the sky.
She didn't get very far before feeling her hand be grabbed. Pinach's burly and warm hand firmly grasped hers. He sighed. "I'm sorry." Ginge stared coldly at him, but didn't pull her hand away. With a sheepish grin, his eyes met hers. He let out a nervous chuckle before speaking. "The funny thing is, I had my fingers crossed when we shook on it... so I guess it didn't count." His face turned red and his gaze fell away from hers. They slowly descended to the ground.
They stood in the snowy field, their hands never parted. Minutes passed. Pinach would sometimes look at her, seeing her staring intently at him, then turning his gaze away once more. Internally, he was screaming each time he looked into the deep black pools that were her eyes. Her unruly hair blew towards him in the wind. She drew closer. His heart felt like it was gonna pop from overwork. With her free hand, she reached to his head and gently caressed it. Every alarm in his head was going off as her face got closer, yet he stood as if claimed by the ice. Tails unraveled from waists.
Their lips touched for an eternity it seemed. The warm sensation was unlike any other to both young saiyans. When her head craned back, they stared everlasting into each other's bottomless black pools, only a few inches apart. The snow began to fall, creating a night sky on both of their hair. Each wanted to stay there forever, standing in the snow together. But as it began, it had to end.
They heard shouting. Arti had come looking for them. He was panting heavily, having been in a rush. The two young saiyans that had passionately shared a kiss only moments before, jerked their hands away simultaneously and rapidly. Their faces turned a brilliant crimson and they both shouted at Arti in unison. "What the hell do you want?!" Arti stood before them, breathing hard with his hands on his knees, bent over. Both Ginge and Pinach became worried. She spoke to him. "What's wrong?! Did something happen to someone?!" Arti stood up straight, collecting his breath. "It's Iseber! He's back!"