Hello again. This is the first chapter of 'the hand that feeds me', screened and checked. Enjoy, and please REV. I love them REVS.

The Hand That Feeds Me, chapter 1.

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(from Grimm fairy-tales)

Once, long, long ago, a fox ran through the forest.

It was thin as a lat. Skinny and it's fur was rough from live in the wild.

The Fox was hungry, and so it snuck to the edge of the forest, looking for food.

There, it saw a magnificent looking creature.

It was big and strong, and it's fur shone with health.

It's belly was obviously full, and it stood at an easy that showed it feared no predators to pick on him.

It was a dog.

The Fox, curious to this odd creature, approached it.

"Hello," spoke the Fox, for this story takes place long before the animals forgot how to speak.

"Who are you?"

Dog turned his face to Fox, it's ears flapping lazily:

"Why," it spoke. "I am dog. and who are you? so skinny and run?"

"well, I'm Fox," the Fox spoke truthfully. "But for run-down. why are you not?"

The dog cocked his head to the fox, thinking on this. "Does your master not take care of you?"

-"Master?"

the fox asked incredulously.

"What is that?"

"A master? You do not know? A master is the one that feeds you and cares for you.

Puts you in a house at night, takes care of you and brushes your fur."

"Hmmm,.." answered the Fox. "I do not have one of these 'masters'.

It would be good though, having a place out of the cold, having something to eat every day."

Dog sniffed and nodded.

"But then, if you have none, come home with me Fox!

I am sure my master would like one more for company, for he is always saying such."

-"You mean that?" asked the Fox, excited at the prospect of a meal.

"Well then, waste no more time and lead the way!"

Dog smiled, then turned to leave.

Just then, Fox caught sight of it's neck.

There, it's skin was rough and no fur remained.

"Wait!" called Fox, wondering. "What is that, at your neck?"

-"What?" and dog lifted a paw to scratch the roughness.

"Why, it is nothing. It is just from the chain the master puts on me at night."

-"Nothing?" Fox hissed, not believing what he heard.

"You live on a chain, and call it nothing? Forget it, friend Dog. I have changed my mind.

I would rather live in freedom with a hole in my stomach, then full and warm at the end of a chain."

And with-out further a word, Fox turned and ran.

And ran, and ran.

And if he has not stopped his running, he is running still...

Vegeta had not been on the great, lumbering vessel called Freeza's flagship for more then an hour,

before he'd made up his mind about the place: it sucked.

The big, looming corridors sucked.

The little, dark rooms sucked; his room certainly sucked.

And, most of all, the ugly brightly coloured and obviously misshapen aliens that un-graced every hall certainly

-And without any exception- all sucked.

Vegeta finally reached the grand doors to the dining room. They swished open soundlessly, and the Prince of the Saiyi-jins entered. When he finally –and not without great difficulty- managed to spot the 'master of the universe', he was, again, not disappointed.

It (for calling this creature a man would be an insult to his gender), too, totally and in every way SUCKED!

It was seated at the head of the table, amongst the other 'trainees'; children, no doubt all picked up from planets everywhere. Green kids, red kids, yellow kids. Kids with tentacles, kids with antenna. Even a kid covered in slime.

The only reason Vegeta could tell they were children at all was by the fact none of them were as big as an adult.

And maybe the fact there bodies were proportioned.

It was hardly distinguishable from any of those children.

For one thing, it wasn't even close to being the biggest one their; no, more like the smallest.

Deducing from its sitting height, Vegeta reasoned that the pinkish freak was hardly a head taller then the five-year-old Saiyi-jin no-Ouji himself.

Pathetic!

An ugly, Purple and stocky creature -obviously no older then eight- was at least a head taller then the horned little ruler of the galaxies! Not that Freeza himself was any better to look at, mind you! To Vegeta, it seemed alien species made a special point of being as ugly as was absolutely possible.

If he'd been anywhere else, the little Prince would have laughed his head off at the sight this dinner table provided him.

As it was, the fact just served to fuel his temper.

This was what his father had sent him to? This poor collection was to provide him with training? Teach him more then he could have at home? They thought alone of having to spent dinner with these things, ugly enough to sent any lesser boy's stomach lurching, was infuriating!

Uncharacteristically, though, he tried to keep smooth on the surface.

His father had told, quite explicitly, him to behave. - 'Behave' as in: 'no fighting or name-calling'.

And that, on itself, was enough of a rare occurrence for the Prince to keep on his toes.

After all, the king usually just laughed when he caught his son breaking stuff or harassing guards.

Another thing he'd probably not get to do around here.

Vegeta sighed inwardly. He already hated this place, and he hadn't even been here more then an hour.

"Aaah! Welcome, welcome my prince!"

The pinkish abomination spoke up: Master Freeza, the midget.

Even its voice was disgusting.

Crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow, the prince wondered if he was supposed to respond to this.

He hoped not; he couldn't think of anything nice to say at all.

Luckily, the wart continued.

"I am soo honoured to have you here. Why, I couldn't _believe_ my ears when you father suggested it.

Naturally, I jumped at the chance to have one so famous at my little court."

Vegeta smiled at the praise.

As far as he knew, the only thing he was famous for was pot-shooting guards. He was the youngest kid to ever master Ki-blast, though just small ones so far, and he used them frequently. Those dolts called guards never had the guts to fight back, so Vegeta always had a ball.

Just chasing them about.

It was fun.

But what had it said? This had been his father's idea....?

"Now, my prince, you must take a seat. Here, next to me."

Vegeta stifled a groan; staring at its ugly face all meal was sure to ruin his appetite.

"Here now, come on, Mawi, scoot over a place."

Mawi, the purple, stocky kid looked disappointed about this for some reason. Oddly enough; Vegeta would have jumped at every chance he got to get farther away from freak-face Freeza; though, seeing as how ugly this Mawi-character was, it wasn't unthinkable it actually liked sitting close to the monster.

Whatever the boy's motives, Vegeta felt no sympathy; now he would be stuck listening to the pink bull-horned ravings all night. Ravings was right; already, Freeza's mouth was running like some muddy waterfall.

"Well, well, I _so_ hope you've enjoyed your flight here,.. Here, have some extra bandth'-thoc. It tastes like chicken, but it's pretty good. Mawi, give our prince some extra, would you? I _know_ how you Saiyi-jins eat,.."

Vegeta deigned not to listen any further, and looked over the faces at the table.

Twenty-one odd, he counted; all ugly aliens. Some humanoid looked remotely humanoid, but most of them creatures so ugly Vegeta didn't even want to bother finding out what they were supposed to be.

All of them had obviously been aboard for a while, and all were obviously used to sharing a meal here.

Great.

That meant that this was going to be a nightly ritual.

Sneering at their faces, he turned his head to the side. Trying to avoid they ugly eye-fulls so he could at least eat his supper. There, one lone presence caught his eye, and his gaze rested there.

Finally, something remotely good-looking!

A blue creature, with earrings of all things! But at least, it wasn't so ugly it made him want to throw up.

So Vegeta studied it a bit while eating. Realising the creature was staring back at him, resting lazily against a wall in the shadows, Vegeta just scowled at it.

He didn't really care anyway.

But it was rude to stare, and he was a prince!

And still, that annoying midget was talking to him.

"You must be really ravenous!

Go on Mawi give the poor thing yours. You know you don't really need it anyway..."

When the plates were cleared and the youngsters all had left, the room was left empty save for two.

Freeza still sat at his place at the head of the table, absentmindedly looking down into the empty wineglass.

He smiled a predator's smile, and then turned his head to the only other person in the room.

"Well? What do you think?"

The green-haired creature moved his weight to the other leg before answering, still standing against the wall.

"That was... a most pleasant evening...?"

Freeza sighed. He kept forgetting Zarbon had never been part of his little 'games' back when he was a boy.

"I hardly think Mawi would agree, think you not?"

The blue man fidgeted some more. "Yes. But."

Not being interrupted, he continued carefully.

"I would think that it would be the Saiyi-jin Prince you would want to keep from this bunch..."

Freeza smiled broadly at the ceiling.

"Yes, well done, Zarbon. You hit the notch there.

Just when I doubt your intelligence you go and show some insight."

Tilting his purple head, the little creature continued.

"You are right. The Saiyi-jin is the only one from this stock that I expect to really be worth the trouble. They only one I really care to keep, really. Not because he is the strongest now, for he is not. But his species do manage to grow in power a lot as they age. But at this moment, my friend, the only thing he exceeds the others in is his attitude, do you not agree?"

Zarbon was obviously confused, remembering last night's talk.

"Yes, I guess. But what about the grapes?"

Freeza sighed, sitting back in his chair and looked up, as if expecting help from above.

Just when you'd think he had a brain under there too!

"Good, sweet Zarbon. Do you really expect me to get my feet dirty for a few drops of wine? I assure you, I have others, more suited for the job. But if you still do not understand what I mean, I suggest you take position outside of the Prince's 'quarters' tonight. It should be an interesting night, if not entertaining.

Why I'm almost temped to join you, but I think I will settle for your detailed report this time..."