Sorry!! The boss was out of town for three weeks and left me in charge. Lots of stress. But, now she's back, I actually have a day off and I plan on doing some serious writing! So, here ya go!
Lucky boss…goes to the Philippines for three weeks and doesn't take me with her. GRR!!
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Kaoru…the Saiyan??
Chapter 10: Lessons in Saiyan Living
Kaoru waited patiently as Goku kept his head bowed and eyes closed. Finally, after what seemed an eternity, he raised his head and gave a small smirk. "Hi, King Kai."
A strange voice surrounded them, coming from all directions simultaneously. It was rather thick, as if the mouth was padded with gauze and high-pitched. Almost a screeching sound at times, but smooth as well. A very odd voice indeed. "Hello, Goku! I see you've found the princess."
"Couldn't have done it without your help." Goku smiled to himself, remembering how King Kai had woken him in the middle of the night, yelling what seemed like nonsense at the time.
^^^Flashback^^^
"Goku! Goku! Wake up!" Goku almost fell out of bed. Hearing King Kai in the middle of the night was certainly unexpected.
"King Kai? What's wrong?" Goku glanced around worriedly, looking for unknown enemies.
"It's about that Nakago character you've all been battling. He's found the last of your kind."
Goku looked questioningly off into space. "Last of our kind? What do you mean? I thought we WERE the last of our kind."
"Goku, Vegeta has a sister. I've kept her secret, not wanting to upset him and cause some sort of unrest in the universe. Furthermore, she seems happy and content in her life. She has no knowledge of her Saiyan identity and I was hoping to keep it that way. However, Nakago has found out about her and is headed her way."
Goku's eyes widened in fear. "What?! He can't! We have to do something!"
"Calm down, Goku. I'll tell you how to get to her. You still have about 2 weeks before he'll arrive at her planet. That gives you time to let everyone know and gather them to transport there. Use your instant transmission and you'll be able to help her."
The Saiyan warrior calmed down and began to breathe deeply. "Tell me what to do."
^^^End Flashback^^^
Goku began to grow serious. "King Kai, we need to ask a favor of you. Can you regenerate body parts?"
There was a loud sigh. "Are you sure that's a wise decision, Goku? You know what
having a tail is like."
Goku nodded once. "It will make her stronger and that's what we need. We can remove the tail later if she so chooses."
King Kai sighed again and a glow began to emanate from Kaoru's lower back. "Kaoru, first you'll feel some warmth. Then, a pressure. Try to bear it. It will all be over soon."
Kaoru nodded and closed her eyes. The glow grew brighter and Kaoru bit her lip in anticipation. The warmth, not bad. The pressure, still not bad. But then there was a tearing sensation and Kaoru whimpered and fell to the floor. As the pain subsided, Kaoru slowly let her eyes flutter open.
Vegeta was smiling, not a smirk, a real smile. All the men shared the same expression on the Z Gang side. The women however, looked dubious.
On the Kenshin-gumi side, Sano was staring wide-eyed, Megumi had fainted, Misao was looking on in wonder and Aoshi looked mildly surprised. Kenshin looked the most curious about it, a child who sees something shiny and expensive he has to touch.
King Kai broke the silence. "Well, give it a try Kaoru."
Kaoru was wondering what he was talking about when she felt the sensation. She had another appendage that she had control over, like an arm or leg. She flicked it around in front of her and gasped as she caught sight of the tail. She moved it around experimentally, flicking it like a pampered cat would.
King Kai spoke again. "Well, since it works, I'm done here. Contact me if you need anything else." And then the voice was gone for good.
Kenshin reached out to run a hand across the furry tail. Almost as soon as he made contact, Kaoru snatched it away and looked at him, shocked. The Z Gang began to giggle and she turned an inquisitive glance to them.
Bulma got her laughing under control first. "I wouldn't touch it if I were you, Kenshin. The Saiyan tail is VERY sensitive, if you catch my drift." The naughty gleam in her eye left no doubt as to what she meant by 'sensitive.'
Kenshin blushed bright red and lowered his head in embarrassment. Kaoru kept staring at her new body part, moving it every which way.
Bulma leaned over to whisper in Chichi's ear and the dark-headed woman nodded in agreement. "I think you should leave, children."
Goku and Goten started to protest. "But, Mom!"
Chichi put up a hand. "No buts, misters! Outside, NOW!"
They trudged outside, upset at having to leave when it was just starting to get good. Bulma looked at her two and gave them a slight glare. Catching the hint, the two Trunks' left the training hall as well.
Bulma gave her husband her sweetest smile. "Well, Prince of all Saiyans? Don't you think you should fill your little sister in on the details of having a tail?"
Vegeta coughed and fidgeted uncomfortably. "Well, the thing is…see, having a tail…it's
kind of like…oh, damn it, woman! You explain!"
Bulma smirked. "At a loss for words, Veggie-chan?"
The prince grumbled under his breath and sat on the floor, legs folded in front of him.
Bulma turned back to the questioning gaze of Kaoru and sighed. "You have a lot you need to be aware of now. First of all, this is the most important rule. Do NOT look at a full moon. Any moon is fine except for the full moon."
Megumi, who had come to, cocked her head to the side. "Why not the full moon?"
Chichi answered. "When a Saiyan with a tail looks at a full moon, they transform. The transformation is not a pretty sight. They turn into giant ape-like monsters, who forget who they normally are and what they normally do. Their only desire is to destroy and kill."
Kaoru grew pensive. "What else should I watch for?"
"Well, that's really the only dangerous effect the tail has, Princess." Goku was speaking and playing with the floor at the same time, looking strangely embarrassed.
Chichi giggled. "But, there's more to having a tail, isn't there?"
Goku looked up, startled, and stood up quickly. "Oh, listen there, the boys are calling! Here I come, kids!" He was out of the room before anyone could blink.
Chichi sighed. "Looks like Bulma and I get to tell you everything else. Ugh! We aren't even Saiyans!"
Bulma nodded. "We married two of the biggest idiots ever!" She took a deep breath and focused her attention on Kaoru. "Ok, Kaoru. One thing to remember, like we said the Saiyan tail is very sensitive. Most Saiyans would keep their tails wrapped around their waist to avoid accidentally brushing something. Trust me, it's best that way."
Chichi took over. "Second, Saiyans are rather primal creatures. There is a breeding season. It happens annually, and it doesn't really affect a Saiyan who's tail was removed when they were still a toddler. However, now that you have one…"
Chichi trailed off and Kaoru prompted her to continue. "Now that I have one?"
Chichi turned red. "Now that you have a tail, you'll feel the need to mate when the mating season arrives. It should happen right after the fight with Nakago. There was a mating season right after we got here."
Kaoru turned white, the fifteen shades of red. "Why wasn't I told about all this BEFORE I got the tail?!"
Vegeta glared at her. "Would you have let us get your tail regenerated if you knew about the effects? We need you to be at your strongest, and the Saiyan tail, while it's a small change, it does increase your power slightly."
Kaoru rubbed her temples, feeling a headache coming on. "Fine, fine. Is there anything else?"
It was Bulma and Chichi's turn to cough and grow uncomfortable. Chichi shifted
uneasily and Bulma gathered her courage. "Do you want me to say in front of your friends or would you rather I tell you in private?"
Kaoru glanced at her friends and looked back to Bulma. "They're involved in this, too. You can say it in front of them."
Bulma looked skeptical. "Alright, Kaoru. Here goes. The Saiyans don't actually get married in the human way. They have what is called a Bonding Ceremony. Basically, when a Saiyan finds a 'mate', they…well…you know, they…um…"
Sano decided to help out. "They get it on?"
Kaoru turned to glare at him, death-to-Sano flashing in her eyes. He put his hands up and started backing away. "Sorry, Jouchan. She seemed to be having trouble."
Bulma nodded. "It could have been put more tactfully, but thank you, Sanosuke. Now, when they're um…finishing…"
Kaoru grew redder with each syllable as Bulma continued. "The Saiyan bites the neck of their chosen mate, hard enough to draw blood. They lick the wound clean and then the human bites the neck of the Saiyan in the same fashion. The Saiyan has to bite first, or the human cannot pierce the skin of the Saiyan. It sounds gross, but when it's happening instincts take over and it becomes something wonderful."
Kaoru, beet red and holding her breath, managed to grind out through clamped teeth. "I bite somebody? Draw blood and lick it? That's disgusting."
Chichi shook her head in disagreement. "No, dear. Like Bulma said, instincts take over and it just happens naturally. You do need to realize the last part of the bonding ceremony. Once you bite each other, your minds are connected. You'll be able to communicate telepathically and feel each other's emotions. If you want to, you can block it out, but only for so long. And you can only bond with one person. Once you're bonded, it's for life and you can never bond with anyone else."
Kaoru bit her bottom lip, thinking. "That's rather severe. Being mentally linked and all."
Bulma smiled at her. "It's not that bad. You get used to it and after a while you wonder how you ever managed without it!"
Kaoru smiled shakily. "I think I need some time to let all this sink in." She left the training hall and flew off to be alone.
She landed on her favorite cliff in the mountains. She could see all of Tokyo from her perch and just let the scenery in, trying to make sense of everything that had happened since the Z Warriors had come to visit. She was too deep in thought to notice the light footsteps behind her.
"Princess?"
She turned slowly, eyes wide, disbelieving this person had come to see her. What was even more surprising was the gentle tone of voice he was using, not the usual growl.
"Vegeta?" The surprise turned to annoyance. "You haven't said more than ten words to me since you got here, even though I am your long lost sister. And now, when I would like to be alone, you come up here. What do you want?"
Vegeta smirked and sat beside her. "So much of our father's attitude shines through in both of us. His pride is strong in me and it seems equally strong in you."
Kaoru softened at seeing the far away look in her brother's eyes. He looked almost…sad. Like he was wishing for something that could never be. "What's wrong, Vegeta?"
He shook his head slightly. "Just thinking. Seeing you these past few months has been hard. It makes me remember our family, our race, our home, everything that's gone and can never be returned to us."
Kaoru dropped her gaze to the hands in her lap. "What were our parents like?"
Vegeta glanced at her and smiled. "Well, as far as our mother goes, you are an exact replica of her. Especially the eyes. It was always so strange. Mother had these large, compassionate, blue eyes. Most other Saiyans had deep brown or black ones that were emotionless, perfect for fighting. And earlier, I saw you chewing on your finger while you were thinking. Mother did that all the time."
Kaoru pressed further. "Our father?"
Vegeta almost laughed. "Our father was extremely proud. Always the tough ruler and an even tougher fighter. He would send me on training exercises constantly, telling me that being the strongest was in my blood and it was my birthright. As for how he treated you, you were the little princess, the most precious thing in the world. Of course when you grew older you would go through the rigorous training as well, but as a baby you had everything you could have ever wanted. We were both very lucky. We had great parents, Kaoru."
Her curiosity pricked at hearing her name. "What was my Saiyan name? Surely it wasn't Kaoru."
Vegeta scrunched his eyebrows together thinking. And thinking. And thinking.
Kaoru began to get irritated. "Well? What was it?"
"I don't remember."
Kaoru had to catch herself from falling over. "What do you mean you don't remember?! I'm your sister!"
Vegeta smiled sadly at her. "I only saw you once right after you were born. I was on missions constantly after that. I didn't see you again or even hear word of you until the planet was destroyed and then, I assumed you were dead. There were no reports of survivors except for the teams that were away when it happened. And you, being royalty, wouldn't have been on a mission until you were much older."
Kaoru nodded in understanding. "Vegeta, I'm glad you came up here. I was beginning to think you hated me."
"I don't hate you, Princess. What bothered me was the potential I could see in you. If I had known you were alive, I could have come for you, trained you, and we wouldn't be
sitting here right now worried about Nakago. He would already be defeated, that I'm sure of."
Kaoru turned and hugged Vegeta, a gesture that surprised him. He hesitatingly returned the embrace and stood afterwards. "We should both get back. It's getting late and we both have to train tomorrow."
Kaoru smiled brightly at him. "Thank you for everything. You've given me another chance at having a real family. I love my friends and all, but it's just not the same."
Vegeta just nodded once at her and flew off. Kaoru watched him for a moment and then headed home herself.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
A/N: Yes, very OOC in this chapter. Sorry, I was just dying for an affectionate brother/sister moment. Anyway, hope you liked and review! Oh, I have some plans for Misao in the next chapter. Yep, finally figured out what to do with her. So, be ready for that! Hugs and Kisses!
