The Soul and The Flesh Part XXIII Raimi was still shaking while the Queens ladies dressed her in a simple but beautiful black gown. It was off the shoulder, with long sleeves and a tight bodice down to the hips, where the full-length skirt began. She had been allowed to go and rest at the Temple for a while, and she had taken advantage of this time to pack her things and gifts for her friends in a couple of capsule cases, and hid them on her person.

She then was taken to the lab, and the Royal Crest of Vegeta-sei was tattooed on her left shoulder. She couldn't think of a way out of it. Then the Queen sent for her, and gave her this dress. Now she was dressed for her celebration, her hair freed from its braid, only the six small braids holding it out of her face. What Raimi really wanted was to leave. She was calling to Kami-sama in her mind, praying he would bring her home quickly. This celebration was not something she was looking forward to at all.

Later, after too much of a drink that tasted like plum wine, Raimi sat staring sadly at the sunsets. She had hardly spoken to any of the people who had congratulated her. Kakarrot had frowned at her lack of pleasure in her victory, and went off to talk to Togarashi. The Queen had left a while before, and Raimi had yet to see the Brat at all.

"Prob'ly jealous, lil' assh...hhh...hole." Raimi slurred. She was seriously drunk, easing her pain the only way she could, for now. She grimaced as she thought of what the Brat was probably plotting to do to her. He was undoubtedly pouting. She saw Nappa coming closer, and wondered if he was actually going to praise her victory. Wow, just what she wanted right now, Cabbage-Head's approval. Just then, the King and Kakarrot sat on either side of her. Raimi looked from one to the other, and frowned at them.

"Wha's up, Senshei, My Lor'?" She said, and sighed. The King smiled delightedly; Kakarrot shook his head and sighed as well.
"Raimi-san, we were wondering why you're not pleased with your conquest today. It's not...normal for a Saiyan to be so unhappy about killing." Kakarrot said carefully. Raimi glared at him, forgetting the King behind her.

"Well, I'm no' yur normal Shaiyan, am I? Come on, you mus' be blind, Kakarrot..." she snapped. "I hate it here, I hate all thish love of killin'. I hate that I'm now a Shaiyan..."

"Now? You hate that you're now a Saiyan? What were you before? A Yardratian?" The King said, his quick wits doing him well in the face of Raimi's slip-up. He had always known that she had more to tell him than she was willing to say. Raimi blinked at him, not sure what he meant, not realizing about her slip of the tongue. She was alarmed when the King took her arm and pulled her from the room, ignoring Kakarrot's bafflement at his actions. He dragged Raimi to his own chambers, and threw her onto the bed. She struggled to sit up and get off the huge four-poster, but he held her down. She sucked in a deep breath to scream, but he just covered her mouth and grabbed his scouter.

"Send me the Green man, I need TTS quickly!" He growled. He was forced to turn his attention to Raimi, who was struggling with him. "Little Girl, stop it, I'm not going to hurt you. But I think you have information that I need, so I'm going to get it, one way or another, understand?" He hissed. Raimi stopped fighting, and stared at him, wide eyed.

"No...you wouldn't! I don' know anythin' useful, really my King! I'm juss a lost shoul who needed training, you have ta believe me!" She gasped, trying to clear her alcohol fogged brain. A green creature of the same race as her Physician appeared next to the bed.

"My Lord...TTS, as you asked?" It said, its voice a slick purr. It held a large hypodermic needle filled with a pink serum. Raimi screamed at the sight of it, realizing what TTS must be.

"Don't bother, my dear, no one will help you here. This is a truth serum, and we have a full size dose ready for you, since you are so strong. You will tell me what I want to know, like it or not. The needs of the many, you know!" He nearly pulled her arm out of the socket, holding her so the creature could inject her. Raimi struggled, and did get away, but it was too late.

"Kami! Please hurry! Oh no, no..." She moaned, feeling a numbness sweeping over her, starting with her injected arm. She wished she could pass out, but realized it wouldn't matter. He would just force her awake. She struggled to her feet, staring at the Kings expectant face, and snarled at him defiantly.

"Fine, King Vegeta! But be warned, sometimes wanting and getting are disappointing. Your time is nearly over, this whole evil place will be gone in less than one hundred years..." she shook her head, not believing what she had said, or the Kings reaction to it. His face went white with shock, then red with fury. He stood, and backhanded her, making her spin around and fall to the floor. Raimi felt him grab her bare shoulder and haul her to her feet. The King dragged her to a chair and dropped her into it. He bent down to stare into her blurring eyes.

"I suggest you explain that comment, Little Girl, I don't think I heard you correctly..."

Raimi woke on the floor of the throne room, the muted colored light from the stained glass soothing to her painful eyes. She sat up slowly, and sensed the King sitting on the throne. She looked at him numbly, not angry anymore. He looked ill, wan and gray. He stared at her morosely, not moving. She stood carefully, and winced as she realized that she smelled like the tank; again.

"You should leave, however you do that. I don't know how long I can control my temper. The only reason I don't kill you is because the Queen and the other women would revolt, and we need them. Especially now, when I have to move to prevent this genocide you have predicted." He said quietly, his voice a bass rumble in the silent room. Raimi walked closer to him, and shook her head.

"You can't prevent it, if you try, something else will happen to destroy the Empire. It's over, can't you feel it? Saiyans have killed too many, destroyed too much, and now have been turning on each other, like animals. I remember the piles of dead Saiyans, killed not by invading armies, but by each other, for nothing." His face didn't show any emotion, she could have been talking to a statue.

"The conditioning is too deep set now, no one can convince these people to change, tell them that they are wrong to ignore the rights of others. What do you care anyway? You don't love your people; you don't even love your son, the son of your dead mate. He needed you, and you couldn't break with tradition enough to be there for him." She saw him start to rise to her prodding, getting angry at her harsh words. He stood and raised his hand, like he was going to blast her. He probably would have too, but then Raimi felt it; the Ki signature of a massively powerful being. She looked around, trying not to be obvious. She shuddered at the sensation this Ki caused in her; this guy felt like he had a power level in the millions!

"Stop, Vegeta." A soft, cold voice came from the shadows. Raimi could barely turn her head to see who it was. She knew anyway; Korudo-sama, King Cold, the hidden power behind the ruler of the known Universe. He was a tall reptilian creature, towering over the King. He was physically powerful, with a muscular build and a cruel face that made Raimi shiver. His lyre shaped horns added to his height, and made him that much more menacing. Raimi saw that even King Vegeta seemed affected by this monsters presence. Cold strode into the room slowly, and smiled at Raimi.

"So, my Baby Boy is going to destroy the Monkeys, eh? Interesting..." Both Saiyans stared at him in shock. The King clenched his teeth as it occurred to him just who had informed Cold of what Raimi had told him; only the Green Man had been that room with them. Cold nodded, smiling. He turned to Raimi and came closer. Raimi stepped back, her dress swirling around her ankles. She cursed under her breath, realizing that both she and the King were going to die, and there was no way to stop it.