Berter Beginnings: A Ginyu Force Outlook

By Son Rhandi

Part 13

"YYYYEEEEEEESSSSS!!! The Female Bouts are ended!! This completes it!! Our beautiful land of the Plateaus finally has its new champions to carry on her people!! If we could please have our ten of each gender emerge onto the arena, then we will introduce our new progenitors!"

They came out single file, males on one side, females on the other. The announcer read through the 10th through 4th ranks quickly, and the list went on…

"At rank 3 of males, we have Tage of Tamerlain!" He made his way to the stand, trying his best to hide a grin but failing miserably. "And his new mate, ranking 3rd of females, Rico of Ren'nin!!"

Jerin's eyes grew wide as saucers, and his jaw looked as if it was about to fall right off its hinges. His expression was a mix between total shock and utter disappointment. My sister… My beautiful sister… with that… that… that?! Jerin muffled a groan.

"Placing 2nd rank, Jerin of Ren'nin! And his new mate, Haidoren of Kausu!"

Applause. He could care less how beautiful or charming the girl looked. She wasn't Rico. And if she wasn't Rico, then she mattered little more to him than dust in the wind. The announcer cleared his throat as he prepared to call out the last two names on his parchment.

"And at the number 1 rank, Berter of Kyôrusan! And his mate of equal rank, Neizu of Roderin!!"

"WHAT?!!"

Berter's astonished outcry was lost in the cheer of the spectators. He muttered just about every curse known to intelligent life on his way to the stand, making direct eye contact with his new consort. Judging by the look on her face, she didn't seem to be any happier knowing she'd be stuck with him for the rest of her life.

"Can we get a Shrine Chevalier out here? Before we end this thing, let's get these young couples officially bonded!"

A black-cloaked figure stepped out from the sidelines, wearing a headdress of swept back horns and feathers and carrying with him a wooden container full of charred leaves. The Shrine Chevalier gathered a handful of them and crushed them in his palm. Then, he walked around the files of Tokage, sprinkling the blackened leaf bits around them. Finally, the Chevalier tossed the remained of the leaves into the sky, fluttering back down to the ground.

"With the grace of the gods watching o'erhead, I now pronounce you young ones bonded!"

Frieza stroked his chin as the proud family members cleared the bleachers. "Zarbon, make a note, please. The one ranking highest –what was his name?"

"Berter, I believe, sir."

"Yes, this 'Berter' fellow, make sure that I have a word with him tomorrow. These Tokage, they practice with ki attacks, do they not?"

Zarbon cast his sights down to the ring, where the fighters and their families were collaborating. "As far as I know, they do train with them in case of emergencies, but otherwise, they are regarded as honorless weapons, much like guns."

Dodoria scratched the back of his spikey head. "I hear they're a strong people. We could check some of their powers if you wish it, Master Frieza."

"No, that's quite all right, Dodoria," Frieza politely refused. "The average for these people is 10,000 Battle Points, I believe. A few of them would be good to have as front line soldiers, and perhaps with an adequate amount of training, we could possibly have a new member for Ginyu's force."

Zarbon formed a fist and gritted his teeth at the mention of Ginyu's name. Frieza peered out of the corner of his eye. "Is there a problem, Zarbon?"

Sighing, the Azureman replied, "No, sir…. No problem…."

"I'm so proud of you!"

"My little girl is bonded!"

"You did great, kid!"

"That's my boy."

"Berter's father patted him on his tan scaled head. "Heck, back when I competed in this, I pulled dead last in th' ranks. Who'd have guess that my son would place first?"

"I'm pleasantly surprised that he didn't fall dead last like his father did," his mother muttered under her breath, to which Kyôrusan whispered in her left auricle:

"Well, if ya weren't so damned attractive, I wouldn't have thrown all my matches."

"Oh, Kyôrusan! You're terrible!" Berter's mother giggled like she hadn't in years, and his father laughed along. He hoped to have a loving relationship like that, but then he remembered whom he would be with, and gave up all hopes of such.

"Well, great day in the morning! My boy placed third! That's five ranks higher than I got! ….I think… Oh, well! Who cares!" The boisterous laughs of Tage's husky father, who once again had his son in a deathlock of a hug, made up the vast majority of clamor in the area.

"Think of all we have to do, your mother and I! We have to get you fitted for a bangle, and prepare the dowry, and we still have to meet with the girl's parents! I'm so excited, I just might shed a tear or two!"

Tage's mother put two fingers to her temple and smiled. "And they say women are overemotional…."

Tage would have laugh at the comment, but that would have depleted what little air he had left in him. "Father…" He strained. "Air: good…. Suffocation: bad…." Catching his drift, he quickly released his son from the intended gesture of affection.

"I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry…"

Jerin held his sister in his arms, offering reassuring words that seemed to do nothing to comfort her. "Rico, it's not your fault. You didn't want us to be paired up in the first place, remember? You should be happy."

"If only…. If only I had won one more bout, then we'd be of equal rank. I'm sorry, Jerin…" She buried her face in his chest, on the verge of tears.

Me, too, Rico… "Don't worry about it. Didn't I tell you not to worry about my feelings? I'll get along just fine."

She looked up at him with sorrowful eyes. "Will you really?"

"We both will. So, no more blaming yourself, understandable?"

"Very much so."

"Good. Now let's go."

"So, Tage, I guess this is it, then."

"I guess it is, Berter."

"I hope you'll be very happy with your mate."

"Same to you."

"I'll, uh…. miss you."

"I'll miss you, as well."

"I guess this is good-bye, then."

"I guess it is. Good-bye, Berter."

"Good-bye, Tage. Have a nice life."

The two shook hands and took their separate paths. It was all that they could do to be so straightforward. A lengthy farewell would have only made things more difficult.