High Enough
~~~~~

I'm here,
Just like I said.
Though it's breaking every rule I've ever made,
My racin' heart,
Is just the same,
Why make it strong to break it once again?

And I'd love to say I do,
Give everything to you,
But I can never now be true,
So I say,

I think I'd better leave right now,
Before I fall any deeper.
I think I'd better leave right now,
Feelin' weaker and weaker,
Somebody better show me how,
Before I fall any deeper,
I think I'd better leave right now.

~~~

There stood Frieza. He smiled as he watched his men purge the planet. Zarbon looked at him. As usual, seeing Frieza's happy - or just satisfied expression made Zarbon feel like the job was worthwhile. Especially on this planet. How ugly could people get?! This would be a nice planet if - it wasn't inhabited by these disgusting creatures. They had eyes and tentacles everywhere. They were more like blobs than people. And they left a trail of slime behind them as they ran. Disgusting! Zarbon couldn't wait until they were gone and he could get his eyes away from their ugly faces.
He let his eyes settle on Frieza for a few seconds, then turned his head to look elsewhere before Frieza noticed Zarbon staring at him. Zarbon swallowed, and looked at his victims. They couldn't move very fast, so they were easy to hit. He began firing at them - killing the creatures in just one shot. They were so weak!
"Come on! If you lot do this any slower you'll stop!" Frieza growled. "This is a small planet and they are incredibly slow inhabitants!"
"You heard him!" Ginyu growled. He looked at the other members of the Ginyu Force. "Work faster!"
"Mmmhye!" one of the creatures screamed as it ran past Zarbon. He frowned, and ran after him/her/it. The creature fell over clumsily. Zarbon stood over it. It looked up at him with its many eyes, and shook its head, begging him to spare its life. Zarbon just smirked, and killed the creature.

"Hey! Zarbon!" Jeice called. Zarbon turned his head.
"What?" he asked.
"Come and look at this." Jeice beckoned him. Zarbon made his way over to the orange alien.
"What?"
"Look at this. She's not one of them." Jeice pointed to the ground. Zarbon looked down. A woman was lying at their feet. Unconscious. Jeice probably knocked her out. Zarbon gasped. That pale green skin... she was one of his race!
"What's she doing on this planet?" he asked, crouching down beside her. Her checked her pulse. She was alive alright.
"I don't know." Jeice shrugged. "Your home planet's still around, right?"
"Of course it's still around!" Zarbon replied, frowning a little.

"What are you two doing?" Frieza demanded, coming up behind them.
"I found a Zarbon." Jeice said.
"A what?" Frieza asked.
"She's of my race, sir." Zarbon told him, indicating the woman. Frieza looked at her.
"Hmm... I suppose you want to keep her?" he turned his head toward Zarbon.
"Well... unless you don't want me to...?" Zarbon asked.
"I know, she can work for me for a week. If she proves to be of any use, she stays. If not, she doesn't." Frieza said.
"Thank you, sir." Zarbon nodded.
"Go on, then." Frieza ordered. "Take her to the ship. Get her healed." Zarbon picked up the woman, and flew her away.

*later*

Zarbon looked at the woman. She hadn't been in the regeneration tank for long. Her injuries weren't that bad. She was lying on a bed in one of the guest rooms now. Zarbon studied her. She was a beautiful creature. Her green skin was just a little darker than Zarbon's. She had straight, dark blue hair that she wore in a similar style to Zarbon. It was tied back in a plait, and she had a few strands dangling down, covering parts of her eyes. These strands were wavy. She had a purple diamond shape on her forehead. Was that a tattoo or a birthmark? Zarbon couldn't really tell. He brushed back a bit of her hair to look at her ears. She wore three sets of earrings. One pair was two golden balls that dangled down from her ears. The second were plain ruby chandeliers. The third pair were a couple of golden butterfly-shaped studs. Around her neck she wore three necklaces. All three were golden. Zarbon looked at her clothes. She was dressed strangely. She wore a pale pink skirt, which went from her waist to her feet. It was thin, loose, and almost see - through. Her short - sleeved top was the same, except a little darker. Her stomach was showing. The woman's nails were painted a dark purple colour. She wore three rings on each hand - six altogether, and she had several gold and silver bracelets on her left arm, and a couple of gold bangles on her right. A couple of the bracelets had jewels on them. Man, she had a lot of jewellery. Zarbon wondered if she was wearing anything on her feet. But her skirt was covering them, and there was no way he'd lift up her skirt!

She stirred. Zarbon looked at her. He saw her eyelids flicker. Eventually, they opened, revealing a pair of golden eyes.
"Are you alright?" he asked. The woman looked up at his handsome face.
"If I'm not, I've died and gone to heaven." she replied. Zarbon smiled a little, flattered by this remark.
He looked at her.
"What's your name?" he asked.
"Who want to know?" she replied.
"Zarbon." Zarbon introduced himself.
"My name is Maria." the woman sat up. She tossed back her head, and looked at him.
"So... wanna tell me where I am?"
"You're in a guest room on Lord Frieza's ship. I am his right hand man." Zarbon told her with a touch of pride in his voice.
"Lord Frieza?" Maria repeated. "I've heard of him."
"It's hardly surprising." Zarbon said.
"What happened to that planet I was on?" Maria asked.
"I'm sorry to tell you that we wiped out its inhabitants." Zarbon informed her. "We're going to sell the planet." he looked at her. "What were you doing there anyway?"
"Well, first of all, don't be sorry." Maria said. "Those creatures are horrible. I can't stand that place."
"So why were you there?" Zarbon asked.
"Um..." Maria got off the bed.

She stood with her hand behind her back, looking at the ground.
"My space pod crash - landed there." her face had reddened slightly with embarrassment.
"Tch! If you don't know how to drive those things, you shouldn't have one." Zarbon lectured.
"I do know how to drive it!" Maria protested, frowning at him. "I... just got a little distracted. I was tired."
"You fell asleep?" Zarbon looked at her. "That really is stupid." he shook his head. "Why didn't you put it on auto - pilot?"
"It's too cheap to have that," Maria told him. "Listen, when you're stealing something you can't be picky. I had to find the first one I saw and get outta there."
"You stole it?! Off who?!" Zarbon gasped.
"Oh, just some planet I went to once. I don't remember its name." Maria shrugged.
"What's the name of your home planet?" Zarbon decided to ask if they were even from the same place.
"Er.... I don't exactly have one." Maria admitted. "I travel from planet to planet. Buying, selling, doing jobs. Anything to get a bit of money." she shifted so she stood sideways on, one hand on her hip. She looked at Zarbon and said with confidence:
"Mary the Mercenary! That's me."
Zarbon didn't seem too impressed.
"It sounds like you're just a nomad, to me." he said. Maria frowned, and went back into a normal position.
"I prefer to be called a traveller." she told him matter-of-factly. She noticed that Zarbon wore a bit of jewellery.
"You know a bargain when you see one, right?" she asked. "Cos I've got some really nice jewellery. Bracelets for your wrists and feet, bangles, earrings and necklaces."
"You mean they're not yours?" Zarbon asked.
"They are now. Those people you lot destroyed aren't going to be wanting them back, are they?"
"You stole them." Zarbon stated.
"That's not true!" Maria protested. She held up her thinnest necklace. "I bought this one."
"I prefer to buy my jewellery when someone hasn't been wearing it." Zarbon told her.
"I'll wash them!" Maria promised. "Come on! You won't find a better bargain anywhere else. I'll even knock a few zenie off because you're cute."
"Hm," she knew how to get a customer's attention, Zarbon had to give her that. "How much for those golden earrings?"
"These?" Maria touched the earrings. "Sorry, they're not for sale. But everything else is."

Zarbon looked at the jewellery. There was a bracelet that caught his eye. It was golden, and had red stones on it. They looked like real rubies. Still, best to make sure.
"Are those rubies real?" Zarbon asked.
"Course." Maria confirmed. She took the bracelet off, and held it out to him. Zarbon took it, and examined the bracelet.
"You can even get it checked if you want." Maria suggested.
"I'll trust you." Zarbon mumbled. He looked at the bracelet. It was a pretty thing. It'd look good on him.
"How much?" he asked.
"Usually, I'd say about 70z, but because it'd you, I'll take it down to 60." Maria replied.
".... Go on, then." Zarbon said. "I'll take it."
"Nice." Maria smiled.
"Come on, I'll get your money." Zarbon exited the room. Maria followed.

He led her down one of the ship's long corridors, and stopped out side a door. Zarbon opened it, and went inside. Maria went in after him. She looked around. She'd ignored Zarbon's jewellery before, when she was trying to sell him stuff, but now that she looked around at the colour scheme, Maria began to wonder about him. Was he... funny? The walls were a pale purple. They looked nice, but she wouldn't expect that colour in a man's room. The wardrobe, cabinets and units were white. The floor was pale blue. Maria's eyes moved over to the bed. It was round, and wore a dark blue quilt and two dark blue pillows.
"Here." Zarbon said.
Maria turned her head to look at him. He was holding his.... purse... in one hand and her money in the other. She took it.
"Thanks." Maria nodded. Zarbon's jaw dropped when he saw her putting the money down her top. Maria just looked at him.
"What? It's much cheaper than buying a purse or clothes with pockets. Besides, no pickpocket will be able to nick my money if it's down my bra."
"What's wrong with you?!" Zarbon gasped.
"Nothing at all." Maria said, and went into her confident pose again. "Maria the Marvellous, that's me. I'm perfect."
"Right." Zarbon rolled his eyes. Maria giggled.
"You really are cute." she said.
"I'm really more handsome than cute." Zarbon told her. Maria turned her head away, blushing slightly at his charms.

"Hey..." she lifted up her head to look at him as something came into her head. "Shouldn't you tell that Frieza guy I'm awake? I could do some jobs for him?"
"Oh yeah!" Zarbon was surprised at himself for forgetting to tell Frieza. "Come on, I'll take you to him."
Maria followed Zarbon through the big ship. He took her to a door. They stopped outside. Zarbon looked at her.
"Listen, behave yourself around Lord Frieza. And for god's sake don't hit on him!"
"Why? Has he got something against female traders?" Maria asked.
"He won't appreciate being flirted with - especially not by a complete stranger of a foreign race." Zarbon replied.
"Frieza isn't one of us?" Maria questioned.
"No. He's a changeling." Zarbon told her. "Anyway, behave."
"Cross my heart." Maria promised, crossing her heart. Zarbon sighed, and went through the door. Maria went in after him.

She looked around. What was this? Some sort of cafe? It was mostly just seats in the room - they were all fixed to the walls. There were a couple of tables. Maria saw someone sitting at one of them. He had a glass of wine in his hand, and a half - empty bottle on the table. He was pretty much naked. All he wore was black underwear and armour that was almost identical to Zarbon's, except it was purple where Zarbon's was white - and it didn't have a cape attached to it.

He had two sharp, black horns sticking out of.... was that a helmet or part of his head? His black lips looked kinda cute on his pale pink, delicate-looking face. His red eyes stared into space. He had long, black fingernails and a scaly dark pink tail. His arms were scaly, too. But his hands weren't. Maria wondered if that armour - like thing on his arms was really armour, or just part of his body.
"Lord Frieza, our guest has woken." Zarbon announced. The changeling figure turned his head to look at Maria.
"Is that her?" he asked. Zarbon nodded.
"Yes sir."
"What's your name?" Frieza asked.
"Maria." Maria introduced herself. "And you must be Lord Frieza?"
"I must be." Frieza replied.

He stood up.
"Well... I have agreed to let Zarbon keep your here for a while. If you make yourself useful, you may stay for as long as you like."
"It was Zarbon's idea?" Maria looked sideways at Zarbon, who lowered his eyes to the ground. There was a slight touch of redness on his cheeks - just a little, though.
"Great," he thought. "Now she thinks I like her! I only wanted her here because she was one of my own!"
"What can you do?" Frieza asked Maria.
"Anythin' at all." Maria told him. Again, she posed. "Maria the Mighty. I can do anything you want from driving to fixing." Maria went back into a normal position, and smiled. "And if you don't need any of that, I'm a good cook, too."
"Oh, really?" Frieza looked at her. "But can you fight?"
"Umm," Maria mumbled. "Well, I've not done many fighting jobs, but I've got a bit of experience. I'm pretty strong when I want to be."
"Hmm..." Frieza looked at her. "Tell you what, for now, you're in charge on the slaves. Keep them in order - and make sure they do a good job."
"Can do. I won't let you down, Frieza." Maria promised.
"It's Lord Frieza." Frieza corrected her."
"Okay. Don't worry about a thing, Lord Frieza." Maria said. Frieza smiled.
"Good."