The sun sank low on the horizon, turning the sky around it a brilliant crimson. In the distance, Saiyan space pods launched in a series of small explosions, leaving long trails in the sky to mark their passing. Videl sighed. Things were so different now. Back on Earth, technology was less advanced, the streets were busier, noisier. But on New Vegesai everything was cold and mechanical. And the outside was so deathly quiet. To Videl, it seemed like everyone was afraid of making noise, afraid of angering the old king. Not that she could blame them. King Vegeta was short-tempered nowadays, probably because of his height (or lack there-of) and his newly graying hair, and it was getting worse by the minute. Luckily, his son, Vegeta the Younger, or just Prince Vegeta, would be replacing him soon. And replacing Queen Bulma would be Princess Skye. The blonde-haired, blue-eyed, half-monkey Amazon. Of course, Videl wasn't too happy about that. Bulma was a kind, understanding human, and despite her low power level, she was probably the only one who could keep the king in check. But Skye was half Saiyan, and it had gone to her head. She had once been a laid back girl, almost normal except for her high power level and her tail. But now she paraded around the capitol city in Saiyan armor, her tail wrapped around her waist like a belt. Her friend, Aresana, was always just behind Skye, in the position of honor, but Videl was practically forgotten. Or maybe she was too much of a weakling to be seen with the princess, in all her monkey-tailed glory. Videl had been her friend before the Saiyans had conquered Earth, but now Skye was too good to be friends with a human. What a brat.
"Daddy Vegeta!!!!!!!!!" King Vegeta glanced at Skye, not really caring what the whiner's problem was this time. But no matter how much she annoyed him, she was his new daughter-in-law. Even if she was a brat. "What is it?"
"Daddy Vegeta, that stupid human is insisting that I wear a dress!!!!" She pointed a finger at Videl, who put her hands on her hips.
"Queen Bulma is the one who insists Princess, I'm only following orders." Vegeta folded his arms.
"If the Queen says you're wearing a dress, you're wearing a dress." Skye frowned.
"But-"
"No buts."
Videl bowed to King Vegeta and muttered, "If you would leave us, Your Highness, I must help the Princess into her gown."
Trunks ran his hand through his hair as his father stepped through the door.
"Oh, hi dad." Vegeta frowned, then let the title slide. Trunks tried to turn around, and in the process, knocked over a table. Trunks bent down to try and pick it up, and got his tail tangled around one of the legs. Vegeta laughed hysterically until his face turned red.
"Nervous, Prince?"
Trunks blushed and mumbled, "What was your first clue?" Vegeta assumed his 'King of the Saiyans' stance and proceeded to give a twenty minute lecture about how easily a Prince should be able to handle his woman.
"You know boy, your woman is handling this whole situation a lot better than you are. Were I in your shoes, I would have Bulma pinned under my thumb. Women are so simple to control." The speech ended when Bulma walked in and gave him a dirty look.
"Vegeta, you're about as good at handling women as Goku is at going without food."
Videl jerked a hairbrush roughly through Skye's hair, and only succeeded in getting it tangled. Skye didn't seem to notice. But of course, she knew. She was making a mental note of Videl's every mistake, so that she could complain how clumsy and foolish her servant was. The same way with the dress. They both knew that Skye loved that gown, and would be perfectly happy to strut around in it. But more than that, Skye wanted to get Videl in trouble. Videl slowly picked the gold and violet hairs away from the brush, finally freeing it and running it through Skye's hair one last time. The finished result was a smooth, shining wave of blonde tresses, adorned with lilac streaks that went down all the way to the middle of Skye's back.
"Finished." Skye stood up and looked in the mirror, then gave her nod of satisfaction.
"Not bad human. When I'm queen, I might let you be one of the castle maids."
Videl's eyes narrowed and she snapped, "Oh, what honor!" Skye smirked.
"Actually, you'd be lucky to even go near my castle without a ki blast taking off your head." Videl's face turned red from anger.
"It'd take a few hundred ki blasts to remove your swollen ego!!!" Skye simply chuckled and fiddled with her bangs, purposely ignoring Videl.
"Maybe I should make it illegal for humans and Saiyans to interact... I wonder what poor Gohan would do. Oh, he'd probably just find an attractive Saiyan girl, nice and strong. What do you think about that, hmm?" That, Videl thought, was too far.
"Heeyah!" Before she even knew what she was doing, Videl was spinning around in a hard roundhouse kick... except she suddenly stopped spinning, and was thrown into the wall. Skye clucked her tongue and brushed her hands off.
"And I thought even you had enough brains not to do that. Now, how should I punish you for attacking me...?" Videl shakily climbed up and blinked back tears.
"Having to look at you for one more second is punishment enough, Your Highness." Skye's face darkened and she lunged forward, grabbed her by the shoulders and slammed her against the dresser.
"You know, I could kill you now and no one would care..."
"SKYE, WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?!" Skye dropped Videl and whirled around, glaring at Aresana.
"Is it any of your business?!" Aresana picked Videl up and pushed her out of the room.
"Go see a doctor before you change your clothes. Your shoulders look like they're dislocated, and your collar-bone is probably fractured." Videl tried to flip Skye off, but her fingers couldn't move. She settled for a death glare and stalked down the hall. Aresana glanced at Skye sternly.
"You could have killed her." Skye shrugged.
"Would you have cared?" Aresana shook her head.
"Well, not really." Skye smirked.
"See my point. Neither you nor I like her very much." Aresana cocked an eyebrow.
"You know, I've always wondered why you hate her." Skye shrugged.
"She asks for it."
Videl punched the wall of her room, not even denting the hard, domed surface. She immediately felt it in her shoulder. Saiyan doctors were good, but they couldn't completely mend a bone in just one day.
"Daddy Vegeta! Of all the ridiculous, sickening, childish nick-names!!!!! She's not even his daughter-in-law yet!"
Gohan knocked on the door, peeking in as it slid open with a metallic whoosh.
"Videl?" Gohan winced as she shot him an angry glare and a water glass hit him right between the eyes. "Leave me alone!" Gohan brushed his wet hair back and flicked shards of glass off his armor.
"Videl, what's got your tail now?" Videl's glare narrowed and she pointed to her trim butt.
"I don't have a tail! Or did you forget, Mr. Saiyaman?!" Gohan sighed.
"Look, I'm sorry. It's just that, everyone has a tail now, except for a few people. I'm getting so used to saying it." Videl turned toward the window and stared outside, watching the trees in the garden dance in the breeze.
"Everybody has a tail..." Her voice dripped with ice and hatred as she started counting on her fingers. "Except Bulma, Chi Chi, and ME!" Gohan seized Videl by the shoulders and spun her around, trying to restrain his strength.
"Look, it's not your fault that you're human!" Videl's eyes shone bitterly and she laughed.
"Tell that to your Princess!!!" Gohan reflexively tightened his grip, but then immediately pulled away. He could already see Videl's arms starting to bruise. But she didn't feel pain, she felt anger. Videl held up her arm, shoving the purple-blue marks in Gohan's face.
"You see these?!" she hissed.
"A Saiyan wouldn't bruise from an arm wrestling match, but I bruise when you touch me!!! When you touch me!!!" She pushed him away in disgust and stalked back to the window, looking wistfully at the clouds.
"I'm nothing but a weakling..... a tail-less, little... human.... weakling." Gohan shook his head and hugged her to him, not forcefully, but enough to keep her from punching him in the nose.
"Your power level doesn't mean a thing. I think you're beautiful, even without a tail." Videl sighed and rested her head on Gohan's chest.
"But I'm human. I'm scum. I'm nothing!" Videl's anger seized her up in its razor claws once more and she beat Gohan's chest with her weak- with her puny, human arms- and wept.
"I wish I was a Saiyan!!! I wish I was a god dammed monkey!!! I wish I had a stupid tail sticking out of my ass!!!!" The anger fell away and tears consumed her as she buried her head in Gohan's shirt.
"I hate being a freak..." Gohan stroked Videl's hair and gently wiped her tears away.
"You're not a freak... you're a normal person in a world full of weird people." Videl laughed at Gohan's pathetic attempt to make a joke.
"If weirdness were as important as power here, you'd probably be king!" Gohan blinked, obviously lost.
"I'll take that as a compliment... I guess..." Videl shook her head and pushed Gohan out the door.
"Get outta here! I have to change for the Princess's wedding."
Videl stood by a tree, all the way by the back of the crowd. She was so short compared to all the Saiyans, she couldn't see a thing. But, of course, it was illegal for any human to levitate. It was sort of ironic how Videl was the only surviving human that could fly. Speaking of humans, Skye seemed to have forgotten she was one. She smiled dazzlingly, gazing at Trunks like he was a god. Videl felt her hatred weaken, just a little. Was Skye really that bad? There had been people just like her on earth. Worse even. And now, she looked so happy. Music started, the traditional marriage theme, and Skye and Trunks hooked their arms. Videl had to admit, both were incredibly good looking. Trunks had that shocking purple hair, and Skye's was streaked in the same color, but unlike hers, Trunks usually had messy hair, not brushed and groomed. And his face, which was always so serious, now had a happy-go-lucky grin. Skye's hair and face, of course, were always perfectly styled, reeking the very essence of royalty. Only now, Skye's shining waves were pulled back from her face and fastened at the nape of her neck with an amethyst hair clip. Braids were nestled here and there between the loose waterfall of blonde and lilac, glistening like silk. The pair was both wearing white, Trunks, a stylish tuxedo that accented his aquamarine eyes. Skye's dress was the Chinese style gown that had irked Videl so much. She wasn't very fond of feminine things. They just didn't fit her personality. Still, even a tomboy could agree that the Princess had good taste. The gown was all white satin, an inch high collar, and short sleeves, with a skirt that flowed down past Skye's ankles. Just as delicately as any lady, Skye held her bouquet of crimson roses and lifted a part of the skirt so she could walk, revealing her dainty heels. They were white silk, embroidered with a pattern of vines and flowers, with white ribbons twining up her legs to the mid-calves, exactly like ballet slippers. The train behind her reached a good ten feet. Down the back of the skirt was the Eternal Dragon, its claws and teeth bared and eyes shining. The design was entirely made of beads hand-stitched to the fabric, the dragon's scales of emerald green, and the eyes a livid purple. Videl shook her head, making her hair fall into her eyes. Her black hair had grown down to her shoulders, and she was letting it hang loose for tonight. She was wearing a dark blue dress and high-heeled shoes, just a shade darker than her eyes, with sapphire earrings and a necklace. To her right, a group of young cadet Saiyans were jostling each other and snickering, gawking at her low neckline. Videl turned away, oblivious to their stares. So she didn't have a tail! Apparently, Saiyan males didn't really care. The Saiyans guffawed again, and Videl glared at them over her shoulder. All of them looked alike, with bushy, black hair, dark eyes, and 24-pack abs. They were the New Vegesai equivalent of jocks. One of the cadets, probably the one with the smallest brain and the biggest genitals, licked his upper lip and winked at Videl. Her reply was both of her middle fingers raised in a gesture of 'go jack off ass-holes.'
Skye detected laughing from the back. She turned her head ever so slightly so she could look. A few guards were bothering Videl. Men were such idiots, with the exception of Trunks of course. Skye almost broke away from Trunks and yelled for them to grow up, but she decided against it. It was the middle of the wedding, they wouldn't do anything really terrible, and Videl was an ass anyways. Besides, this was her moment, her day. Her eyes went back to Trunks, who was reciting his vows and sliding a ring onto her finger. White gold carved into the shape of a dragon, with its tail wrapped around its neck, clutching two small diamonds in its claws, and a larger, glimmering one in its mouth. Trunks kissed her hand once the ring was on and smiled lopsidedly. Skye's heart fluttered. He was so cute when he did that. "Princess, do you, or do you not, take Prince Vegeta the Second to be your lawfully wedded husband, till death do you part?" Skye blinked back tears of joy and nodded. "In a heartbeat," she whispered. Then, louder, she announced, "I do." Skye bowed her head and the silver crown, glimmering with hundreds of perfectly cut diamonds, was rested on her head. The new Queen stood up and turned to the crowd, beaming. She lifted her skirt to her knee and was about to pull the garter off her leg, but Trunks' hand caught hers. He smirked and bowed. "Allow me." He seemed to take his time pulling the garter down her leg, while Skye blushed furiously. Then, he tossed the ring of black and purple lace into the air, laughing as Vegeta caught it and winked at Bulma. Videl's expression softened. Could anyone be so happy and not be human? She immediately brushed the thought away. The reason she didn't like Skye was because the girl was a brat. And that was the only reason.
Videl turned sighed again, stiffening as she sensed the Saiyans coming up behind her. A low whisper filled Videl's ear as a thick, muscular pair of arms encircled her. "I know one thing humans are good for…" The cadet rubbed his pelvis against Videl's seat as his pals snickered. Fortunately, Videl knew the one place that she could actually hurt a male Saiyan. In half a second, Videl had spun around and jammed her knee into the cadet's crotch, making his eyes bulge until she could see her reflection in them.
"What, you mean that?" As the cadet slumped on the ground, Videl's smirk widened.
"Oh, I'm sorry Mr. Monkey-tail, did I hurt your little lump?" She stepped on the place where she'd kicked him, twisting her heel to emphasize her point.
"You little-" The other Saiyans grabbed Videl by the hair and threw her against the tree. Three of them surrounded her while the one she'd kicked slowly climbed to his feet.
"You're gonna be hurt more than that!" The fourth cadet rubbed himself and grinned evilly.
"I love a girl who can put up a fight." He planted his hands on either side of Videl's head and leaned his head towards hers.
"Having problems, Videl?" The cadets jumped back, revealing a stream of people leaving the clearing, and in the middle stood an extremely angry Gohan. He looked so tall and handsome with his cropped, black hair and his gold armor, not to mention the pissed look on his face. Videl heaved a sigh of relief and smiled sweetly.
"No Gohan." When they heard Gohan's name, all the cadets cringed. Gohan had been appointed Captain of the Royal guard, and was definitely not someone to mess with.
"I was just talking with these nice..." She glanced at their tails and her grin widened
"Boys." She walked past the shaking Saiyans and looped her arm through Gohan's, smirking.
"Should we go to the reception?" Gohan frowned at the cadets and then put his arm around Videl's shoulders.
"Yeah, we should go."
Videl tipped the shot-glass back, letting the whisky slide down her throat. It burned, but at the same time it distracted her. Kept her mind off the fact that every single Saiyan female that wasn't married was begging Gohan to dance with them. Videl was left off by the sidelines. Hence, the alcohol. King Vegeta had developed a taste for the stuff, so it had been one of the complementary beverages. Videl gulped down another shot and took a deep breath.
"I think you owe us an apology." Videl turned around sluggishly, leaning a little and blinking to clear her vision. She squinted and managed to make out four blurry shapes standing around her.
"Oh, you again?" Her speech came out slurred and slow, like she was half-asleep. The cadet who'd been harassing her stepped forward and angrily grabbed her wrist.
"Yeah, us again." Videl tried to jerk her hand away, and lost her balance in the process. The Saiyan let her fall, laughing as she sprawled on the ground. Videl frowned.
"Hey..." Three pairs of rough arms picked her up and set her roughly on her feet again.
"Quiet human! You humiliated us earlier. You deserve to be punished." His eyes flickered wickedly and a single, solitary thought made its way through the haze of jealousy and whisky. They weren't bluffing, and she wasn't strong enough to fight them, and that meant...
"No!!!" The word came out clear and forceful, not the lazy, slurred speech of a drunk. The Saiyans laughed and dragged Videl along without trouble. Hoping that Gohan would help her, Videl looked behind them. She could just barely make out the back of his head, surrounded by giggling, doe-eyed girls. He wasn't looking. Which meant that Videl was not only tail-less and weak- she was alone, drunk, and in deep trouble.
Videl tripped and stumbled, landing on her knees. The Saiyans laughed, and one kicked her in the stomach. Another kick. Videl felt the contents of her stomach trying to force its way back up, and she was powerless to stop it. She vomited, crouching on her hands and knees, which made the cadets laugh even harder. Videl wiped her mouth with a shaking hand, feeling slightly better. With the whisky out of her system, she could see her opponents, and she had moderate control of her limbs again. It was good enough for her. She slowly stood up, fighting to keep her knees from knocking together. The lead cadet was walking towards her, grinning like a cat that had a mouse by its tail. Videl snarled threw a right hook for his jaw, surprised when he caught it. Her arm was suddenly twisted around her back and jerked up, pinning her arm behind her back and straining the shoulder.
"Tsk tsk... naughty, naughty human." Videl clenched her teeth as the Saiyan jerked her arm up higher. She could feel her shoulder coming out of its socket for the second time that day.
"Let... go..." The Saiyan grinned ruthlessly, his tail twitching in excitement.
"Why should I?"
Skye grabbed Aresana's shoulder and jerked her head towards the palace.
"Let's go change. I want out of this thing." Aresana nodded in agreement. She looked beautiful, but as always, eager to get out of her dress. Her green were eyes narrowed from annoyance and black tail poking out from under the shimmering emerald skirt. The sleeveless dress revealed her graceful arms, her biceps constantly flexing. And the short skirt bared her long, slim legs and feet, tapping with impatience.
"Tell me about it." Skye turned back towards Trunks and kissed him on the cheek.
"I'm gonna change hon, I'll be back." Trunks sighed.
"You don't have to yet..."
He blushed and added, "I mean, you look good in a dress. Not that you don't look good in armor but..." Skye playfully punched him in the arm.
"Too bad. Besides, I won't be in armor tonight." Trunks' eyes widened and his jaw dropped.
"Okay... you can change." Aresana laughed as she and Skye strolled back to her room.
"Did you see his face?!" Skye nodded.
"Yeah, but he took that the wrooong way." Aresana looked at Skye and smirked.
"Come on, you meant it that way! I know you. You get him all hot and bothered and then walk off." Skye snorted, then froze in her tracks when they heard a scream.
"Did you hear that?"
"Yeah. Think it's a fight?" At the word 'fight,' Skye smiled like a six-year old who'd been given the keys to a hovercraft.
"Awesome!" They took off through the bushes, then started to slow down as the sound of a struggle got louder. They peered through the leaves of a tree, then exchanged a quick glance. Aresana frowned.
"Vid- I mean, the human isn't a match for them. That's not exactly a fair fight." Skye snorted.
"So?! We can pay her back now." She pushed the branches of the tree out of her way and folded her arms. "I thought I told you not to go around attacking your superiors?" The Saiyans instantly froze and bowed. "Your highness! Forgive us, we were just-" Skye waved a hand and smirked.
"No, please continue."
Videl felt her hip crack as one of the Saiyans slammed her against the trunk of a tree. She crumpled to a bloody heap at the foot of the tree, clutching her gashed forehead with her good hand. Aresana glanced at Skye worriedly.
"Skye, she's bleeding bad. Make them stop." Skye shook her head and smiled devilishly.
"In a little bit. This is kind of funny." Aresana winced as she heard another crack.
"They're going to kill her!" Skye rolled her eyes at Aresana, as if to call her a wimp.
"No, they won't. If she's so tough, then she'll be fine with a few Band-Aids. Get a grip Area."
Videl opened her eyes weakly. She felt like she'd been trampled by a million elephants. But, then again, elephants were extinct now. The Saiyan who'd been pummeling her was wiping his hands on his armor. "Poor human. Looks hurt, don't you think boys?" All the Saiyans snickered, even Skye.
"Well, like I was saying before... there's one thing that humans are good for."
Skye frowned.
"Okay, you can back off now." They didn't listen. Geniuses. Skye came up behind the ringleader and grabbed him by his long, black hair.
"Okay, playtime is over boys." The cadet yelled in pain and his friends quickly backed away from Videl.
"If any of you ever touch her again, I'll be knocking you around, got it ass-holes?" The cadets nodded, except for the one that was clutching his hair.
"Good." Trunks and Gohan strode around the bend, then gasped.
"Videl!" Gohan rushed to Videl's side and knelt by her, glaring at the cadets the way an axe-murderer stares at a cop.
"Did you do this?!"
Skye silenced the cadets and declared, "They were trying to rape her. Luckily, Aresana and I found them in time." Gohan looked at Skye gratefully.
"Thank you Princess. I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't shown up." Skye waved her hand dismissively.
"Don't mention it." Aresana folded her arms and pouted. She'd been looking forward to a fight.
Gohan held his head in his hands, glancing through the glass at Videl's pallid face. The liquid in the tank made her skin look blue, and the bruises were almost black. Her arms had been folded over her chest, to help relieve the strain on her battered arms and lungs. The doctors had been coming in and out of the room for the past few hours, glancing at the computer monitors and shaking their heads. The damage had been minimal: seven broken ribs, a shattered femur, a fractured pelvis, a broken jaw, a snapped radius, a three inch gash on her forehead, and a concussion. Gohan shoved the chair back and started pacing. This was his fault. If he hadn't been busy with all those stupid girls, Videl wouldn't be half-dead now. He turned back and placed his hand on the glass. He should have been there...
Videl's eyes slowly opened and she groaned, which came out as a rush of air bubbles.
"Videl?!" Videl tried to move, looking almost comical in a too-big oxygen mask and acid green hospital gown.
"You're awake!" Videl started to smile at him, but the mask slipped and she inhaled some of the liquid. Gohan heard her coughing through the glass and rushed to the computer. One look at the monitor and Gohan panicked.
"How do you open this thing?!" Videl pounded on the glass weakly, and finally Gohan gave up on the computer. He jammed his fingers under the crack underneath the door and yanked it open. A rush of blue liquid splattered on the floor as he picked up Videl's wet, shivering body and clutched her to his chest. "Take it easy...." Videl turned her head and retched, coughing violently. Gohan cradled her head until it was over, then brushed her dripping hair out of her eyes.
"You okay?" Videl's voice came out rough and weak.
"Do you think I'm okay?"
"Well... probably not... but thanks to Skye, you're still alive." Videl tried to laugh, and only succeeded in a hacking cough.
"Thanks to the bitch. Now that's a good one."
Gohan's eyes narrowed and he snapped, "You should be grateful. Skye pulled those men off of you."
Videl's eyes narrowed and she yelled, "Bullshit!!!" The strain of yelling made her slump weakly in Gohan's hold.
"She told them to go ahead..." Gohan laid her in a hospital bed next to the tank and roughly jabbed an IV into her wrist.
"Videl, you were dreaming. Now quit talking about the princess like that before you get in trouble." Videl managed to lift her head and look at him.
Her gaze was cold and she whispered, "You might as well be Skye herself for all you care about me...." Gohan looked hurt.
"Videl... I..." His words trailed off as Videl's head dropped onto her pillow, unconscious again. Gohan tucked the blanket around her, then tenderly kissed her forehead. He pulled the door shut quietly and walked out of the room. Trunks was standing outside the door.
"Awake yet?" Gohan snorted.
"She was. And mad as a hornet too." Trunks looked at him.
"Let me guess: she's blaming you." Gohan shook his head.
"Partially. She thinks that I didn't show up because I was living it up with the other girls." Trunks whistled. "Ouch. Who's the other blame-ee?"
"Your wife." Trunks winced.
"I felt that one coming." He looked at Gohan and shook his head.
"Skye has been kinda uppity... I guess Videl's pissed about that." Gohan rolled his eyes.
"Beyond pissed. Videl must have dreamed that Skye was there the whole time, because she was saying that Skye had given those punks her go ahead." Trunks bit his lip.
"She wouldn't do that..." Gohan nodded.
"I know... she was probably dreaming."
"Yeah, dreaming." The two Saiyans shoved their hands into their pockets while their tails twitched in agitation.
"Trunks... what if she wasn't dreaming?"
Trunks spun around and snapped, "I won't hear any more of this!" His face softened and he added, "I mean, I don't like you talking about Skye that way. Videl did get a concussion, and she and Skye have been fighting lately... besides, when we walked up Skye was pulling one of them off of her. It would make sense that Videl dreamed that sort of thing." Gohan nodded and ran his fingers through his hair.
"I guess you're right."
Videl punched, felt him catch it, felt her arm jerked up behind her back. She heard them laughing, with Skye's shrill giggling soaring above the rest of the voices. And, from somewhere, she heard Gohan's voice... "Gohan! Help me!!" No heroic charge, no angry face... no Gohan. Videl's assailant reached down her dress, squeezing one of her breasts.
"Ow! Let go!!!" Her arm was jerked higher, her wrist pinned between her shoulder-blades.
"Please!!!!! Let go!!!!!!"
The laughing voices got even louder, and Videl heard an especially familiar voice whisper into her ear, "There's only one thing that you're good for... Videl." Videl shuddered and whispered,
"Gohan....?" Gohan squeezed her breast again and laughed.
"Right on target, little slut." He grabbed her dress, savagely tearing it away from her body.
"Gohan, don't do this!" Gohan laughed.
"Shut up human, and take what you deserve."
"NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!"
Videl shot up in bed, nearly passing as from the blood rushed down from her head. She collapsed back on the pillow, her hair plastered to her forehead and the sheets damp with sweat. It had been a dream. Her eyes opened and she stared at one of New Vegesai's three moons hovering outside the window. They would be full tomorrow night. And Videl suddenly had a promising idea.
"Fuck this, fuck Skye, and fuck Gohan."
Videl jerked the IV out of her arm, pressing her finger against the cut to stem the flow of blood. Swinging her legs over the edge of the bed, she gently eased her weight onto her broken leg. The brace took most of her weight, reducing the burning pain to a dull ache. Biting her lip, Videl walked across the room, stepping gently and slowly. The brace held. Videl limped her way to the supplies cabinet in the far corner, opening the drawer and taking a scalpel. Then, carefully turning the doorknob, she eased the door open. The hallway was empty. A day of fighting was enough to wear out almost any Saiyan, luckily for her. Videl crept down the hall, sliding out one of the emergency exits and into the night.
The Dragon Balls were kept in the capitol building in case of an emergency. King Vegeta had used two of the three wishes in the last war against the Nameks. There was still one left, and Videl planned to use that wish. Trying not to give herself away, Videl levitated off the ground, quickly jamming the scalpel into the crack between the windows. She didn't know much about power levels, but she did know that a Saiyan guard could sense one. Not to mention the fact that the guards who watched the Dragon Balls were probably muscle-bound, even by Saiyan standards. Not exactly someone Videl could beat in a fight. The scalpel scraped against the window latch, and Videl bent the handle down, like a lever. There was a soft click as the latch came apart, and Videl froze. Saiyans had excellent hearing, but apparently, all the guards were downstairs. Lucky so far, Videl slipped through the window, latching it behind her, and slowly flew down the hall. Double doors with a keypad were off to the left, with the Royal Family's seal depicting the Eternal Dragon marking the door. Videl smirked. Queen Bulma had wanted to install a retina-scan, but King Vegeta had insisted that it wasn't necessary. Vegeta should have listened. Especially since his daughter-in-law was such a loudmouth. Videl had been walking past her quarters one day, and Skye had been boasting to Trunks' sister, Bra, about what she would do as queen.
"And the day after my wedding, I'm gonna have that stupid security code changed. Honestly, Daddy Vegeta could have been more original than that stupid code! All you do is put in King Vegeta's age and then Queen Bulma's. A measly four digits. What a waste." Videl made a mental note to thank Skye as she punched the numbers in. 4-3-3-8.
"Code accepted." The doors slid open with a metallic whoosh and Videl hurried inside.
The moonlight traced a pattern of pristine white bars on the metal floor, crisscrossing each other like laces on sneakers. Of course, Videl mused, nobody wore sneakers anymore. At the end of the room, glowing amber like the eyes of some forsaken demon, the Dragon Balls rested on a pedestal. Videl shuffled to the end of the room and picked up the 4-star ball, looking around. How could she get seven magical balls out of a fortified building without attracting attention? Or, maybe she wanted to attract attention... Videl glanced down and smirked. A ventilation shaft. Of course! Roll the balls down, create a distraction, and then haul butt down the chute. Easy enough, Videl thought. Videl set the ball down, then knelt by the vent cover. It was screwed into the wall, one screw at each corner. This would hurt... Videl clenched her jaw and jammed her fingernail under the head of the screw, and pulled. At first, the only thing Videl felt give was her nail, as it pulled away from the flesh, but then the screw broke, and the head clattered to the floor. Videl pulled the rest of the screws, then yanked off the cover. In went the 4-star ball. And then the 5-star, the 6-star, and all the rest. Each ball made a faint clunk as it landed outside. Videl listened for footsteps, and heard none. "Now for the scary part...." Videl crept back to the door, took a deep breath, and delivered a good, hard kick. The door was only faintly dented, but it was more than enough to set off the alarm system. "WARNING! WARNING!" Videl hobbled across the room as fast as she could, then ducked into the vent and started crawling down. She heard the guards pounding into the room behind her, but Videl was halfway out already. She tumbled out of the vent and landed on a pile of garbage, with the Dragon Balls spread around her. Gathering four of the balls in her arms and kicking the rest ahead of her with her good leg, Videl slipped through a hole in the fence that surrounded the compound and went down to the river. Kicking the Dragon Balls through the tall grass, Videl eventually came to a small ditch. They would have quite a lot of trouble finding her here, since she was hidden by the grass and a good distance away from the compound.
"Better do this fast." Videl arranged the Dragon Balls semi-neatly into a circle, then stood in front of them apprehensively. She took a deep breath, crossed her fingers, and shouted the password that would supposedly summon the dragon.
At first, the Dragon Balls didn't change, but slowly their amber sheen began to turn to more of a gold color. The light intensified, blinding Videl, and then there was an ear-splitting thunderclap and a bolt of lightning, as the Dragon emerged from the black, clouded sky.
"Videl Satan, why have you summoned me?" Videl opened her eyes and stared in awe at the gigantic creature hovering above her.
"I... I..." Videl jumped as she heard shouting.
"Over there! Hurry!" She turned back to the dragon and took a deep breath.
"I want to become a Saiya-jinn!"
The dragon's crimson eyes shone bright and it growled, "As you wish." Videl heard a thud and whirled around, only to be seized around the neck by a Saiyan. The soldier glared at her in disgust and grabbed her hair, getting ready to snap her neck, but Videl was suddenly enveloped in a crimson flash of light and the soldier was thrown back. Her back arched and she screamed in pain, but then the pain began to fade. There was a slight sensation of warmth, and the light was beginning to disappear. Videl opened her eyes and glanced down at her arms. They were about twice their previous size, and so were her thighs and calves. She reached up and felt her hair, which was now thicker and wilder, hanging down to her waist. Videl turned her head and glanced over her shoulder, catching sight of a twitching brown tail.
"Yes!!!"
The guards stared in awe as Videl levitated off the ground.
"What? You're not afraid of me as a human, but now you won't come near me?" The captain of the squad snarled and all the Saiyans surrounded her. Videl crouched, not really caring if they were trained and she wasn't. If she was going down, she would definitely go down fighting. Maybe not well, but fighting.
Gohan jumped down and grabbed Videl by the arm.
"Stand down, all of you." Videl tried to jerk her arm away and Gohan was surprised at how hard she pulled. He grabbed her by the shoulders and frowned.
"You're really in trouble now Videl. You think the queen hated you before, just wait till tomorrow." Videl's eyes narrowed and she grinned maniacally.
"You think I'm afraid?" Skye jumped off the edge of the ditch, landing gracefully in front of Gohan and Videl.
"You should be afraid girl. You should be..." Videl snorted.
"Afraid of you?! I have nothing to fear from a whore." Skye's eyes flashed and she cracked her knuckles. "Don't push me." Videl sneered.
"Oh, don't worry. I won't."
Vegeta stood behind Trunks with an angry scowl on his face. He'd been dragged out of bed, only a little after midnight, by a hysterical Skye.
"That human used the Dragon Balls to turn herself Saiyan!!!!" Vegeta rubbed his ears. They were still ringing. Vegeta had slapped Skye across the face, yelling at her to calm down, and she'd had the audacity to hit him back. That girl could punch. Still, Skye was the one with a bruise, not Vegeta. The mark had begun to turn yellow, marring her ivory face as she stared down at Videl with narrowed eyes.
"Videl Satan, you have stolen the Dragon Balls, the sacred relic of the Royal Family of New Vegesai, and used the remaining wish to transform yourself from human to Saiyan. Can you provide an explanation which will satisfy the court?" Videl's blue-gray eyes shone in defiance and she half-smiled.
"I turned myself Saiyan because I hated being human. Before the King Vegeta conquered earth, I found out that there were races other than the human race, and they were stronger. Naturally, I wanted to be like them."
Her new tail twitched and she added, "Besides, the Queen was so proud of her superior heritage." She looked Skye square in the eye, showing not a shred of fear.
"I decided to throw her pride and arrogance into her face."
Skye stood up and shouted, "I'll erase your heritage if you don't shut your mouth!"
Trunks and Bulma both gave Skye a death glare and she sat down, still flushed red in fury. Trunks glanced back at Videl and waved his hand with a half-hidden smirk on his face.
"You have a sharp tongue, and confidence to match. Give me a good reason to let you live, and the death penalty will be ruled out." Videl took a deep breath.
"I would be the best soldier in your army." Trunks threw his head back and laughed.
"Excellent joke. But all jesting aside, let's have a real reason." Videl glared at him.
"That is a real reason." Trunks tried to keep from laughing again.
"Oh really? I'd love to see that." Videl stared Trunks down.
"I'll fight any Saiyan military cadet and beat them to a pulp." A murmur ran through the court and Trunks nodded.
"Well, then a demonstration shouldn't be any trouble." Skye grabbed Trunk's hand for a moment, then set it back down and gently laid hers on top of it.
"I would like to choose her opponent." Videl glared at Skye, then looked back to Trunks.
"Well, since the Queen will no doubt pick the most challenging fighter of all the cadets, I think I'm entitled to a day of training." Trunks was definitely amused.
"You think you're entitled? And with whom do you wish to train?" Videl shrugged.
"Well, seeing as he knows some of the most advanced ki techniques and is one of the strongest of our race to ever have existed, Vegeta the Elder would be an excellent teacher." Skye opened her mouth to condemn this, but Vegeta suddenly laughed.
"So girl, you want to train with me? Since when was I a babysitter?" Videl smirked.
"Never. I'm no baby." Vegeta folded his arms again, mentally evaluating Videl's capabilities.
"What makes you think you could keep up?" Videl copied his motion and folded her own arms, her tail jerking to and fro.
"I have no choice, do I?" Vegeta smirked. She had guts. She didn't use her brain much though.
"Fine. We start in half an hour."
Videl stood in front of the gravity chamber, feeling clumsy and bulky in her Saiyan armor. It took some getting used to. She walked through the door, watching nervously as it slid shut. And suddenly, it hit her. Videl collapsed, crushed to the floor. Everything felt so heavy. Videl struggled to lift her head as Vegeta leaned against a wall without trouble.
"Having problems?" Videl grimaced and pulled her arms under her, pushing herself up until she was on her knees.
"I'm fine."
Vegeta smirked and asked, "Are you sure?" Videl crouched, straightening slowly and panting.
"I'm sure."
"Then you won't mind if we spar to warm up."
"Huh?!" Videl blinked, shocked, as a hard punch landed in her gut. She stumbled back, catching herself before she fell to the floor again. Subconsciously, Videl was amazed. Both the time it took to recover from a hit and the damage of she took had dropped dramatically. And her huge muscles weren't for show either. Still, she had more important things on her mind... like the round-house kick Vegeta was launching at her head. Videl ducked the kick, slipping inside Vegeta's defenses as his kick just barely missed her. Videl sprang back up, her fist connecting with Vegeta's rock solid jaw in an uppercut that sent them both reeling. Videl caught herself and held her limp arm to her chest, breathing heavily. She'd lost all feeling from her shoulder down, and her forearm had a strange bulge just below the wrist. Vegeta shook his head and stood up, eyeing her arm.
"Get up girl." Videl snorted.
"Umm, in case you haven't noticed, I have a little problem with my arm."
"You don't need an arm to walk."
"But something's wrong with it!" Vegeta sneered.
"No shit." Videl yelled as he seized her wrist and elbow, jerking the arm straight.
"Be quiet. Little girls have had worse. Hell, Skye has had worse even she managed not to whine." Videl clamped her jaw shut and ground her teeth. Two of Vegeta's fingers slid over the bulge, then pressed down roughly.
"Shattered. Not too bad for a child. Not only did you get though that opening, but you landed a hit. Of course, that wouldn't be good enough in a real fight." He flexed his jaw and smirked.
"Nor would shattering your arm be a smart thing to do." Videl rolled her eyes.
"Thanks so much. I'll keep that in mind." He dropped her arm and walked to a small satchel sitting against the wall.
"Tell me girl, do you know what a senzu is?" Videl shook her head.
"Not a clue." Vegeta tossed a small green object at her, and Videl caught it in the palm of her good hand. It was a dry, wrinkled bean, the same color as a lima bean, but the skin was rougher, like low-grade sandpaper. Videl looked at Vegeta questioningly.
"You want me to eat this?" Vegeta shrugged.
"It's your choice. If you'd rather live with a broken arm, that's fine." Videl wrinkled her nose.
"Well you don't have to put it quite so subtly." She pinched her nose and tipped the bean into her mouth, chewing tentatively. Surprisingly, the bean didn't really have a taste. It was grainy and bland, more like chewing year old gum than eating a vegetable. Videl glanced casually at her arm, then yelled, shocked, as she watched the bulging bones set themselves.
Vegeta snorted, "Don't tell me that scared you." Videl made a face.
"Ha ha your Highness." Vegeta held up the satchel and explained.
"Senzu beans restore energy and heal wounds." Videl smiled.
"I'm gonna need a healthy supply of these tomorrow." Vegeta cocked an eyebrow.
"You're afraid? Think you'll lose to that low-class slob?"
"No! Of course not." Vegeta nodded, as if he didn't believe her.
"Of course you're not." Videl sighed.
"Can we just train some more?" Vegeta shrugged again.
"If you want to. Of course, I'm actually going to work at it this time."
"You weren't trying last time?!" Vegeta looked at her for a second, the burst out laughing.
"If I'd been using half my actual strength, you would have been dead in a second!"
Videl flew down the hall, digging her heels into the floor as she missed the door to her room.
"Oops!" Videl laughed to herself. She landed on the bed, happy for the second time in months. Videl gazed around her room, her eyes resting on a cardboard box on a shelf. All that was left of her old life as a human, on Earth. Videl smiled. She didn't need those memories any more. She pulled the box over and lifted a thin, square plastic case out. On the cover, "Videl's Mix" was written in black marker. Scratch that. Maybe she would keep some of this stuff around.
The sun beat down, reflecting off polished armor and scouters. Videl gave the wire one last twist, then smiled at her handiwork. As a child, she'd loved to tap into her father's music speakers and splice gospel songs in the middle of his heavy metal CDs. Of course, wiring her stereo to the main speakers was much simpler.
"Will both fighters please report to the ring." Videl did one last check, stuck the remote under her armor, and slipped out of the power room. Skye and Trunks sat on their thrones, smiled at each other, and then nodded at the announcer. Down in the ring, Videl was stretching, like she knew what she was doing. Skye smirked. This was perfect. Videl would get quite a rude awakening from this. On the opposite side, joking and proclaiming his imminent victory, was the cadet who had almost raped her. He went by some short, simple name. Kronk, or Ork, or something like that. The brand of a Neanderthal. Videl finished stretching and stood straight, crossing her arms. She glanced up and locked eyes with Vegeta. He was leaning against the wall, next to Gohan, arms crossed, smirking as usual. Did he have any other facial expressions? Videl's gaze moved to Gohan, who met her eyes, then she looked away. Served him right, the jerk. Videl half-smiled, then the smile disappeared as her eyes met those of Queen Skye. The Queen of Bitches herself. If it were possible to kill someone by staring at them, both Videl and Skye would have dropped dead, so much hatred was flying between them. The announcer's voice broke through their staring contest, making both girls glance away.
"Ladies and gentlemen, Your Highnesses, it gives me great pleasure to announce this fight between Kronoc, a cadet from the Royal military, and the human Videl." A chorus of boos and hisses issued from all sides, making Videl roll her eyes. She could beat almost any of them. Nor was she human any longer. But that didn't matter right now. King Trunks stood and held his arms up for silence.
"This will be a one round match. The winner becomes a Corporal in the military. The loser becomes a house servant of the victor. To win, one fighter must knock the other out of the ring, or must render their opponent unconscious or unable to continue. Do the contestants understand what is expected of them?" Videl bowed to the king, along with Kronoc.
"Then my wife shall start the match." Queen Skye stood up and posed, holding her scepter in her hand. Videl watched from the corner of her eye as she deftly bent her wrist down, in a gesture that sent Videl's heart racing: begin.
Kronoc lunged, grinning. He punched, Videl only barely ducked. Kronoc came at her again, with a kick this time. Videl let it hit her, pretending to get the wind knocked out of her. Kronoc grabbed her by the neck and threw her across the ring. Videl skidded across the marble, trying to keep from laughing. Before, that would have hurt. Now, it felt like being tickled. Kronoc walked up behind Videl and dug the heel of his boot into her back. Videl groaned as realistically as she could, pretending to be half dead. She opened one eye just a little, to see him standing above her, flexing his arms and smiling at the crowd.
"So pathetic." Videl climbed to her feet, throwing Kronoc off.
"If you've played around enough, I'd like to get to fighting now." Kronoc's eyes widened and he frowned. "You don't know when to give up." Videl shrugged and Kronoc moved, trying to punch her in the gut. Videl sidestepped with ease. Kronoc blinked, then lunged again, trying to kick her. Videl crouched and jumped into the air, looking down at the top of Kronoc's head.
"You missed me," Videl teased in a sing-song voice. Kronoc jumped to her level, grabbed Videl's wrist and twisted it… or, he tried to. Her arm was tensed, set against his grip like steel. Videl reached into her armor and pulled out the remote control for her CD player, then pressed the play button. Drowning Pool's "Let the Bodies Hit the Floor" echoed through the stadium, and Videl smiled. Her favorite song. Kronoc's grin faded into shock and fear as Videl's lips twisted into a cruel smirk.
"There's only one thing you're good for, bastard. Target practice."
Never, in all her life, had Videl seen anything that could flee as fast as her late father, Hercule Satan. Kronoc qualified though, as he literally turned tail and sprinted towards the edge of the ring. "Oh no you don't!" Videl's boots lifted from the ground and she flew after Kronoc. She bent her arm and rammed it into Kronoc's spine, just at the bottom of his ribs. Kronoc screamed, a high-pitched shriek of agony, as he hurtled over the side of the ring and towards the turf. Videl caught him by the back of his armor, lifting him like a feather. She pulled her arm back and threw him up, into the air. She flew after him, her knee driving into his gut, then her elbow drilling into the back of his head. The beaten Saiyan rocketed towards the ground, only to be kicked back into the air. Videl caught Kronoc by the neck, then flew fast into a wall, holding him in front of her. Kronoc yelled again, as Videl shoved her knee into his gut. She withdrew her knee, then jammed it into Kronoc's stomach again, and a third time, until a trickle of blood began to flow from the corner of his mouth. Videl smirked, then released her hold on his neck and kicked him in the crotch. Kronoc arched into the air, and Videl caught him by his thick, black mane. She then grabbed a hold on his wrist. The weary creature opened one eye and whimpered.
"Now, tell everybody Kronoc, was the Queen there when you tried to rape me?"
Kronoc shook his head and croaked, "No," then screamed as Videl jerked his arm up and behind his back the way he'd done to her.
"Was she?!"
"Yes!!!" Everyone in the stadium turned to gape at the Queen, whose icy eyes were narrowed in absolute fury.
"And did she say that you had her permission to rape me?"
"No... YES!!!" Videl smirked and glanced up at Skye.
"And did she lie to King Trunks and Captain Gohan?"
"YESSS!!!"
Skye jumped to her feet and bellowed, "That is enough! I never gave them permission to do that!!" Her eyes were slits of rage as Skye pointed at Videl.
"You're lying." Videl dropped Kronoc, relishing in the sound of his ribs cracking as he hit the ground.
"I'm afraid, your Highness, that the only liar here is wearing a crown she doesn't deserve." Videl made a mock bow, her eyes never leaving the Queen's.
"I have nothing to hide, unlike you."
Skye clenched her fists and shouted, "YOU SHUT UP!!!!!!" Videl's eyes shone in challenge as she answered.
"Make me, bitch." The ring was deathly quiet as both women stared each other down. Then, in an explosion of energy, both girls flew at each other and punched. Videl and Skye both froze, as both of them caught the other's fist, then they ricocheted across the arena, kicking and punching. They bounced back and flew to opposite ends of the ring, both panting. Then, like lightning, they raced across the ring and met again, releasing thunderbolts of energy that crackled and sizzled like real thunder. Then, both girls locked wrists, staring each other down as they tried to shove the other off balance.
Skye whispered, "I hope that big ego of yours gets deflated when I beat you."
Videl hissed back, "I hope this fight takes a little off yours too." Skye smashed her forehead against Videl's, breaking the lock and making them both stumble. They recovered in seconds, both lunging and starting a roundhouse at the same time. Their ankles hit each other, reversing both girls' momentum and making them stumble back again. They both flew into the air, and threw a series of punches. The girls' knuckles collided, then Videl punched Skye in the nose, sending her down to the ground. Videl flew after her, then was launched backwards as Skye kicked her across the ring. Gohan leapt down from his place in the Royal Box as Videl was climbing to her feet. He landed in front of Videl and stretched out his arms.
"Stop it, right now." Videl sneered and slapped Gohan across the face.
"That was for not believing me, and this…" Videl dug her knee into Gohan's stomach, cracking his armor. "That was for getting in my way." Gohan slumped, taken by surprise. The air had been driven out of his lungs, leaving him gasping and helpless. He looked up at Videl with swirling vision.
"W-why?" Videl smirked and kicked him in the gut again, then in the kidney, and lastly in the head, sending him rolling off the edge of the ring.
"Because no one crosses me and gets away with it. Not even the Great Saiyaman."
Skye smirked and reached for Videl's tail.
"No one?" Videl whirled around in an instant, her fist swinging around with her shoulder. Videl's knuckles and Skye's cheek cracked against each other, then Skye tumbled back, one hand breaking her fall, the other clutching a twitching brown tail. Videl slowly became aware of a small trickle of blood going down the inside of her leg. She felt the base of her spine, and touched raw flesh.
"Bitch…." Skye threw the tail to the ground and smirked.
"Oh look, I got away with it." The fear, the torture, the insecurities piled up from eighteen years of Videl's life exploded. A flaring, iridescent aura surrounded Videl as she lost control of her temper. She finally had finally acquired the power, the ability, the status she'd always craved, only to have it torn away from her by the one she resented most in the world.
"BITCH!!!!!!" Videl launched herself at Skye, punching, kicking, screaming, not even taking the time to breathe. Skye had no time to react, no time to counterattack, only to put up her arms. Guards swarmed into the ring, only to be tossed into the stands as Videl attacked Skye. Finally, Skye punched Videl back, then powered up until a rush of iridescent silver flowed down her hair.
"You wanted to fight me?! Well here I am!" Skye flew after Videl, attacking viciously. She hadn't meant to rip Videl's tail off, but it had happened, and it had been sort of funny to see the wimp's face contort like that. But no one came after her like that. Videl had brought this on herself.
Videl jumped, blocked, ducked, and counterattacked as hard and fast as she could, but Skye was a Super Saiyan. Videl was too tired, losing too much blood through the gaping hole at the base of her spine. Skye kicked, Videl blocked, and suddenly, Skye's knee was in her gut. Videl slumped, breathing hard, then groaning as Skye's elbow drove into her back. Skye grabbed Videl's hair and slammed her face against the ground, smashing her nose. Videl's eyes rolled up into her skull as Skye's voice, cold and angry sounded in her ear.
"If you hadn't attacked me, maybe I wouldn't have had to show you just how weak you really are." Black.
Skye walked back to the Royal Box and powered down, smiling weakly at Trunks.
"Well that was interesting." Trunks frowned.
"Did you have to do that?" Skye cocked an eyebrow.
"Would you kick her ass if she tried to attack you?" Trunks winced.
"Well, yeah, but you almost killed her."
"Annnd your point is what?"
Videl groaned and her eyes fluttered open. She was in the hospital again, lying in bed. There were straps on her wrists this time, to keep her from leaving. It wouldn't have mattered anyway. Videl was so weak, so tired, so disgusted with herself she wouldn't have moved anyway. Vegeta walked into the room and leaned in the doorway, shaking his head.
"You won the battle girl, but you started the war." Videl's eyes closed again. She was in no mood to talk to him. She was in no mood to do anything. She hated herself. She hated Vegeta. She hated Gohan. But at the top of her list, was Skye. Videl had lost to Skye once, but next time, Videl would redeem herself, and Skye would be the weakling. The defeated. Next time, Skye would be the loser.