A/N - That's it! I officially deserve a time-out! This ep got way too invloved and dramatic! VoV I need a cookie!
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******************Episode 43****************
**Stop this Cole!! Death's Two Marked Victims**
Two guardsmen shoved Cole down to his knees, keeping a tight hold on his bound arms. Coles glared at the pair of them, but held his head close to the ground like a wild animal. When the time came, he prepared to pounce.
Sir Rubaru emerged from his mansion, and growled at the sight of the captain. "Kisama,"* he snarled. "What do you think to do coming here!?"
"Why else," Cole snarled back, voice dangerously soft. "I won't let you push my friends into this dispute! If you want me so badly, here I am!"
"I assume you heard of the arrangements for your lieutenant's son."
"Didn't you hear me?! I said they are not a part of this feud!"
"You made them a part the moment you decided to train them in your father's style." He smirked. "They will merely be leverage in your downfall."
"Not if I have anything to say about it!!" Cole flipped over his cuffed hands and split-kicked the two guards, knocking them out. Back on the ground, he ripped apart his hands, breaking the chains.
The bars of the gates contracted to seal off the exits on foot. Then, like vines, they grew, intertwined, and twisted, forming a dome over the estate. Rubaru's smirk widened to that of an evil grin, his fists glowing bluish-gray. Cole Took no surprise and forced his hands to glow gold. An earthquake shook the compound, many of the statues collapsed.
Far above, the dome began to close. Two shouts outside died away from the noise of the quake, but quickly picked up once again when the voices shouted "HELL'S OPENING BLAST!!!!"
A red, flame blast emitted at the moment the metal met. The bars melted slightly from the heat, and Bardock and Tora entered the dome.
Bardock punched Tora side and pointed at Cole, who was engulfed in gold ki. "Ittai dare,"** asked Tora. Bardock only saw his lips move, but understood the intension. He pointed to Rubaru, now engulfed in blue/gray ki. "Watch him," Bardock said in sign language. Tora nodded and Bardock dove.
Cole raised a platform of earth and began riding it like a wave. He set up for a strike, but Bardock kicked the side of his jaw, knocking him off. Cole landed in a heap a few feet away.
Bardock floated above the crashing wave, gave Rubaru a dirty look, and flew to Cole. The captain shook the stars out of his eyes. "How-" He noticed Rubaru roar with anger, and Bardock flying above towards him, and sneered. "Bardock! What the fuck are you doing here!?"
"Stoppin' you," Bardock hollered back.
Cole tried to move past Bardock, his eyes menacingly on Rubaru, bloodthirsty, but Bardock grabbed his arms and kept him back. Cole tried again and again, but each time Bardock intercepted.
Mustering up as much self control as possible, Cole spoke in a rumbling, low voice, "Get out of my way, Bardock." His dark circled eyes focused soling on his target, never once glancing at his companion. It frightened Bardock. "No way," he said firmly. Not 'til ya stop actin' like a nut!"
"I'm warning you . . ."
"I ain't movin'!"
"Get out of my way," Cole rumbled, his voice gaining ferocity, "or I'll make you. . ."
Bardock's mind raced, thinking of something to stop his mentor. "'To fight effectively, a Sayin must fight like water.' Remember that Cole!? 'Be cool and lenient, flowin' with your surroundin's ta reserve energy. When storms blow, act as a part of that storm, and become an unyielding fury.'"
Cole stopped struggling, but remained with his eyes on Rubaru.
"You fight back like this, without a cool head, ya ain't gonna win! Cool down a bit first, then fight 'im! But not now! Don'cha wanna see yer son before you put yerself in danger?"
Cole still didn't look at his pupil.
Bardock's blood boiled with frustration. "Dammit Cole! If you turn your back on the work your father died for, I'll never respect you again!!"
Boy, did /b get Cole's attention!! He glared at Bardock, eyes flashing dangerously. "Don't talk about something you don't know nothing about!!" The look on Cole's face would have made Freiza quiver, but Bardock refused to back down.
Tora fidgeted nervously in the air. He could not hear what they were talking about, but he did know he had never seen Cole so pissed! His sharp eyes became aware of a shiny glint behind the two talking Sayins. Not caring what it was, he dove down in between it and his comrades. The shiny object vanished, but Tora kept an eye out for it.
Just then five elite soldiers flew through the gap in the dome and landed. "What's going on, Sir Rubaru," asked the lead soldier, dressing in shining red/orange armor, with a sweeping read cape. "I got reports about some sorta disturbance. What's with the high fence?"
Rubaru, who had remained still and silent the whole time, smiled respectfully at the officer. "Nothing, Commander Zorn. Simply a security measure." He pointed and accusing finger at Cole, Tora, and Bardock. "These three knocked out my guards and were going to attack me!"
Tora helped Bardock hold Cole back, but then spotted the object again. It was a very small, but very sharp spear, aimed directly at Commander Zorn.
"Well, I'm afraid these particular Sayins have been released from all charges," explained the oblivious elite. "It was set several months ago. No formal account can be set against them."
"I know, so I was about to kill them myself."
"King's protection means just that, king's protection. You can't-"
"Look out!!" Tora yelled so suddenly, the commander jumped. The spear shot out and missed the elite's leg by less then an inch. Rubaru caught the spear with one calm hand. "So sorry, Commander! My security must be malfunctioning."
"Bullshit," yelled Tora. "You can control that thing!"
Zorn stood back up, dusting off his uniform. His subordinates surrounded Rubaru as the commander approached cautiously. "Nasty trick, Rubaru. I said they were safe, not you!"
Rubaru feigned a look of shock. "I - I did nothing, sir!"
"We'll see what the king reports. If you are lucky, you'll only remain in the dungeons for a couple of months."
Rubaru turned to Cole, unobserved by anyone else, and mouthed, "We finish this once I get out, boy!" With that, they escorted Rubaru away.
Bardock sighed with relief. "Phew! That was some smart going, Tora!"
Tora grinned. "Never thought saving an elite would actually pay off!"
Cole's eyes were in shadow, and he said nothing. "Cole," asked Tora. "What's up?"
Bardock gulped, worried what Cole would do. But the captain tilted his head up, revealing a much, much calmer face. "Thanks, Bardock. You really saved my tail that time."
The addressed smiled brightly. "You did me th' same ages ago, ne?"
Cole nodded, then looked up to the sky, eyes reflecting the solitary moon in view. Powered up or not, he was a figure to be revered, and both Tora a Bardock thanked the heavens he calmed down.
"Maybe tonight is not the right time," said Cole, reflecting. "But, I swear on the grave of my father, uncle, and entire family, I will destroy him, to the last of his and my bloodline!"
Tora gave a shudder and bit his lower lip. Bardock silently promised to find out if Cole knew that Rubaru was Tora's biological father.
Hovering above, invisible to mortal eyes, my brother and I watched the events with completely different reactions. Bardock had grown so much; I was extremely proud of him! Uno, however, raged on that Bardock's progress. I knew he'd come up with something, but if I'd known what . . .
Another unnoticed figure to the three Sayin men was a red-velvet cloaked woman, smiling and cheering inwardly about her friends. Not wanting to be spotted, Zucina quickly set off on foot back to the place.
.
.
.
In the months before the Cole/Rubaru Near-Fight incident, Zucina tried, with difficulty, to get accustomed to her new life. She was forbidden to wear male clothing (she was pregnant, so the king didn't allow it), but in return she insisted she still be able to train.
At first, Zucina hated the "thing" that grew inside of her. She refused to consider it partially hers; she was only the vessel to hold it for a while. Of course, this attitude was due to her hatred towards King Vegeta. No matter how much he pampered her, she only grew angrier. She loathed special treatment, what he had done to her, and the apparent result.
But when she felt the child kick for the first time, everything changed. The full weight of the circumstances fell on her like a mallet to size of a luxury ship. She had become EXACTLY what she in no way wanted to be: a tool for a mate yearning for power. And she dragged an innocent life, one connected to her so much, into a loveless union. It sickened her!
Ashamed, she vowed never to let her friends know of her condition, and escape the planet as soon as her son was born. Her son would never grow to be like his father, and Cole-tachi (especially Bardock) would never know of her disgrace.
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===========================================================
[Commercial Break]
* - Kisama = "you" in a very vulgar way
** - Ittai dare? = "What the heck is that
===========================================================
.
Zucina remained contented with this vow for several months. She Aspa, her former nanny, to the palace to become her son's. Nappa, whom King Vegeta ordered to guard her, turned out to be a good sparring partner. He was fascinated with the fact that a third class woman was stronger then him, and he griped about it every so often. Zucina grinned, not mentioning that both Bardock and Cole were even stronger!
The night she saw Cole nearly fight Rubaru, she realized how much she desperately missed them all. Two weeks later, she sent Nappa out to find information on where Rubaru was being held, and what his charges were.
Nappa returned to find her punching a bag savagely. As normal, she drifted off into a pained trace, attempting to exercise the anguish she really felt. "Uh, Lady Zucina . . ."
Zucina missed her punch and almost fell, but Nappa caught her by the arm. "Arigato," she muttered, standing upright.
"You should not be training now," he warned for the tenth time that week.
Zucina waved her hand. "Bah! I'm fine! My weight is just a bit off!"
It was more then just a bit off! The woman had gained forty pounds, and her smaller-then-average form bulged at the mid-section strangely. 'I still have one month to go,' she thought, trying to cheer herself on. 'Then, I can get out of here and find a new life for myself . . . and my son.' "What did you find out, Nappa."
The giant saluted. "Sir Rubaru is being held in the dungeons of Arognim, 3546 kilometers from the palace. His sentence is short, but hopefully he will not carry out his death threat. Young Radditz shall be trained by Lord Cornell, another first class. Rubaru is stripped from his titles."
"He'll try to carry out his threat," said Zucina, grabbing a wet towel to wipe off the sweat from her brow, "but the bloody bastard won't carry it out! Cole's far too smart!"
"Don't place your hopes too much on low class scum, M'lady. The Goddess Fate always looks more kindly on higher class Sayins."
Zucina smirked, wiping her hands. Fate did seem to be favoring the opposition recently. She threw the towel at Nappa, ordered him to get her some water, then noticed the gold blood stains on her hands. A full twelve months had passed since her battle with Morteon, Elemental of Death, and his blood could only be seen by her. His words still rang in her head: "Fate will no longer favor you, and you shall perish for delaying the inevitable."
She clenched her fist. 'I won't let some freakish specter frighten me!'
Aspa entered the room. "Hai," asked Zucina.
"Aspa want to know if little mistress wanted information on Cole-san."
"Please, Aspa-chan."
Aspa fidgeted. "Cole has been out in the forest for whole two weeks. Bardock's family is worried, Mistress!"
Zucina sighed. "He's meditating for guidance, or preparation for the upcoming battle. He always said that one must be mentally, emotionally, and spiritually ready for any fight, whether you are physically or not! I still remember the night he taught Bardock and me that lesson, in that forest . . ." She shook her head. "When is he due to go home?"
"That's the problem, Mistress. No one knows!"
This worried Zucina more. Why would Cole meditate for so long, unless he felt capable of defeating Rubaru. But . . . Cole? Unsure?
"Aspa," Zucina said uneasily, "I think I'd better talk to him."
"But-"
"If Bardock hasn't by now, there must be something deeper going on that I don't know about." She walked past her old, alien friend and to her bed chamber.
"But, what about Mistress' condition! Cole will see you!"
"I'm pregnant, not brain dead! I'll go wearing this." She pulled out her mate's velvet cloak. "Its large enough to hide an elephant!"
.
.
Wordless, powerful emotions rushed through the captain's mind, trying to sift away the instincts accompanying them. Pictures, soundless, more meaningful then any sound, appeared one after another: His father's death, his mate's sweet, Snoino's abusive taunts, chibis Bardock and Zucina practicing his father's exercises, Saladus' deformity, camp-outs with his crew, his families' graves, his up-coming son's cradle . . .
"Cole-kun?"
Cole jumped at the interruption. Reality set in, and he embraced it for the first time in two weeks straight. Physically, he was weak from no food or sleep. Mentally, he spun from such a workout!
He turned his unfocused gaze to his surroundings. He forgot for a moment who or where he was. Before the pictures came back into focus, he remembered the small cave behind the waterfall, his private hideaway from the universe, that he called 'The Fortress of Solitude.'***
A new figure, dressing in red, stood at the waterfall entrance of the cave. Two purple spikes and half of a feminine face were visible beneath the hood of the cloak.
"Zu . . . Zuni-chan!" Cole made an attempt to stand, but fell back down, dizzy from the sudden action.
"Better if you keep your distance anyway, Cole-kun," she said, smirking.
"How long have I been in that trance?"
"About two weeks."
He rubbed his hairless head. "Heh! No wonder I'm so dizzy."
Zucina threw him a box. "Here. It was meant as a present."
Cole smelled the contents of the box before seeing them. "CHOCOLATE!!!!" He grabbed the treat, ripped it open, and scarfed them down quickly.
Zucina laughed for the first time in months. "Glad you do not change!"
Cole eyed the figure both gratefully and suspiciously. "Where the fuck have you been?"
"That's not as important as what you've been doing." She stepped further into the cave and removed her hood, revealing her whole face. "Honestly! I leave you children for a few months and everyone gets rowdy!"
Under calmer circumstances, Cole would have laughed at the joke, but he remained stern. "Zuni-chan, we've all been worried sick about you!"
"Glad I'm so loved. Please Cole, tell me what's going on. Think of me as a way to talk things out." She looked directly into his eyes. "Please?"
"You've changed, Zucina." Cole put the box to the side. "I can see it in your face. For some reason, you've matured. I'll talk if you do."
Zucina bit her lip. "You first."
"Fine."
As Cole recounted the events of the past two episodes in more detail, Uno floated outside of the waterfall entrance. The Sayins were far weaker divided then reunited. He needed to separate them for good, no matter how much time it took. I cleansed these two Sayin's souls more and more each day. My brother knew he had to destroy both of them in order to destroy Bardock utterly.
And he knew the PERFECT way to take care of Zucina. He snapped his fingers.
A horrible jolt shook Zucina's body, stemming from her mid-section. She groaned and held her stomach.
Cole paused. "What's wrong?"
"I . . ,"Zucina clenched her teeth, terrified. "I must go." She took off, flying straight through the falls and sped as fast as she could towards the palace.
Uno grinned. He loved pain! He snapped his fingers again.
The pain forced Zucina to fall from the sky. She landed recklessly, on her elbows and knees. Trying not to panic, she grabbed the grass to get through the contraction. "No," she groaned. "Not now! Its too soon!"
Cole, ignoring the ache in his head, searched in the air for his pupil. Spotting her on the ground, he landed and placed his hands on her tense shoulders. "Zuni-chan! What is it?" His eyes bugged out when he realized the situation. "HOLY -"
"Cole," Zucina pleaded. "Help me! Get me to the palace! Something's wrong!"
Without needing more of an explanation, he lifted her and flew as fast as he could to the palace.
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*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
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*** - Fortress of Solitude - Superman's home. Bad joke? HELL YES!!!!
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Hello everyone! Zucina here, singing her swan song.
Judgeing by the above, any clue what's going to happen in the next episode? A lot! I won't give too much away, but I'll say this much: I'm going to kill Una for writing this next episode!! Nothing too explicit, but very moving.
Next time on DragonballBC: A Mother's Love; Zucina's Final Stand
I'll miss you all, lovely reviewers.
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Fun Fact - I named Cole's hideaway after Superman's because my brother, who invented Cole, has an obsession with Superman. He even calls himself "SuperDan."
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******************Episode 43****************
**Stop this Cole!! Death's Two Marked Victims**
Two guardsmen shoved Cole down to his knees, keeping a tight hold on his bound arms. Coles glared at the pair of them, but held his head close to the ground like a wild animal. When the time came, he prepared to pounce.
Sir Rubaru emerged from his mansion, and growled at the sight of the captain. "Kisama,"* he snarled. "What do you think to do coming here!?"
"Why else," Cole snarled back, voice dangerously soft. "I won't let you push my friends into this dispute! If you want me so badly, here I am!"
"I assume you heard of the arrangements for your lieutenant's son."
"Didn't you hear me?! I said they are not a part of this feud!"
"You made them a part the moment you decided to train them in your father's style." He smirked. "They will merely be leverage in your downfall."
"Not if I have anything to say about it!!" Cole flipped over his cuffed hands and split-kicked the two guards, knocking them out. Back on the ground, he ripped apart his hands, breaking the chains.
The bars of the gates contracted to seal off the exits on foot. Then, like vines, they grew, intertwined, and twisted, forming a dome over the estate. Rubaru's smirk widened to that of an evil grin, his fists glowing bluish-gray. Cole Took no surprise and forced his hands to glow gold. An earthquake shook the compound, many of the statues collapsed.
Far above, the dome began to close. Two shouts outside died away from the noise of the quake, but quickly picked up once again when the voices shouted "HELL'S OPENING BLAST!!!!"
A red, flame blast emitted at the moment the metal met. The bars melted slightly from the heat, and Bardock and Tora entered the dome.
Bardock punched Tora side and pointed at Cole, who was engulfed in gold ki. "Ittai dare,"** asked Tora. Bardock only saw his lips move, but understood the intension. He pointed to Rubaru, now engulfed in blue/gray ki. "Watch him," Bardock said in sign language. Tora nodded and Bardock dove.
Cole raised a platform of earth and began riding it like a wave. He set up for a strike, but Bardock kicked the side of his jaw, knocking him off. Cole landed in a heap a few feet away.
Bardock floated above the crashing wave, gave Rubaru a dirty look, and flew to Cole. The captain shook the stars out of his eyes. "How-" He noticed Rubaru roar with anger, and Bardock flying above towards him, and sneered. "Bardock! What the fuck are you doing here!?"
"Stoppin' you," Bardock hollered back.
Cole tried to move past Bardock, his eyes menacingly on Rubaru, bloodthirsty, but Bardock grabbed his arms and kept him back. Cole tried again and again, but each time Bardock intercepted.
Mustering up as much self control as possible, Cole spoke in a rumbling, low voice, "Get out of my way, Bardock." His dark circled eyes focused soling on his target, never once glancing at his companion. It frightened Bardock. "No way," he said firmly. Not 'til ya stop actin' like a nut!"
"I'm warning you . . ."
"I ain't movin'!"
"Get out of my way," Cole rumbled, his voice gaining ferocity, "or I'll make you. . ."
Bardock's mind raced, thinking of something to stop his mentor. "'To fight effectively, a Sayin must fight like water.' Remember that Cole!? 'Be cool and lenient, flowin' with your surroundin's ta reserve energy. When storms blow, act as a part of that storm, and become an unyielding fury.'"
Cole stopped struggling, but remained with his eyes on Rubaru.
"You fight back like this, without a cool head, ya ain't gonna win! Cool down a bit first, then fight 'im! But not now! Don'cha wanna see yer son before you put yerself in danger?"
Cole still didn't look at his pupil.
Bardock's blood boiled with frustration. "Dammit Cole! If you turn your back on the work your father died for, I'll never respect you again!!"
Boy, did /b get Cole's attention!! He glared at Bardock, eyes flashing dangerously. "Don't talk about something you don't know nothing about!!" The look on Cole's face would have made Freiza quiver, but Bardock refused to back down.
Tora fidgeted nervously in the air. He could not hear what they were talking about, but he did know he had never seen Cole so pissed! His sharp eyes became aware of a shiny glint behind the two talking Sayins. Not caring what it was, he dove down in between it and his comrades. The shiny object vanished, but Tora kept an eye out for it.
Just then five elite soldiers flew through the gap in the dome and landed. "What's going on, Sir Rubaru," asked the lead soldier, dressing in shining red/orange armor, with a sweeping read cape. "I got reports about some sorta disturbance. What's with the high fence?"
Rubaru, who had remained still and silent the whole time, smiled respectfully at the officer. "Nothing, Commander Zorn. Simply a security measure." He pointed and accusing finger at Cole, Tora, and Bardock. "These three knocked out my guards and were going to attack me!"
Tora helped Bardock hold Cole back, but then spotted the object again. It was a very small, but very sharp spear, aimed directly at Commander Zorn.
"Well, I'm afraid these particular Sayins have been released from all charges," explained the oblivious elite. "It was set several months ago. No formal account can be set against them."
"I know, so I was about to kill them myself."
"King's protection means just that, king's protection. You can't-"
"Look out!!" Tora yelled so suddenly, the commander jumped. The spear shot out and missed the elite's leg by less then an inch. Rubaru caught the spear with one calm hand. "So sorry, Commander! My security must be malfunctioning."
"Bullshit," yelled Tora. "You can control that thing!"
Zorn stood back up, dusting off his uniform. His subordinates surrounded Rubaru as the commander approached cautiously. "Nasty trick, Rubaru. I said they were safe, not you!"
Rubaru feigned a look of shock. "I - I did nothing, sir!"
"We'll see what the king reports. If you are lucky, you'll only remain in the dungeons for a couple of months."
Rubaru turned to Cole, unobserved by anyone else, and mouthed, "We finish this once I get out, boy!" With that, they escorted Rubaru away.
Bardock sighed with relief. "Phew! That was some smart going, Tora!"
Tora grinned. "Never thought saving an elite would actually pay off!"
Cole's eyes were in shadow, and he said nothing. "Cole," asked Tora. "What's up?"
Bardock gulped, worried what Cole would do. But the captain tilted his head up, revealing a much, much calmer face. "Thanks, Bardock. You really saved my tail that time."
The addressed smiled brightly. "You did me th' same ages ago, ne?"
Cole nodded, then looked up to the sky, eyes reflecting the solitary moon in view. Powered up or not, he was a figure to be revered, and both Tora a Bardock thanked the heavens he calmed down.
"Maybe tonight is not the right time," said Cole, reflecting. "But, I swear on the grave of my father, uncle, and entire family, I will destroy him, to the last of his and my bloodline!"
Tora gave a shudder and bit his lower lip. Bardock silently promised to find out if Cole knew that Rubaru was Tora's biological father.
Hovering above, invisible to mortal eyes, my brother and I watched the events with completely different reactions. Bardock had grown so much; I was extremely proud of him! Uno, however, raged on that Bardock's progress. I knew he'd come up with something, but if I'd known what . . .
Another unnoticed figure to the three Sayin men was a red-velvet cloaked woman, smiling and cheering inwardly about her friends. Not wanting to be spotted, Zucina quickly set off on foot back to the place.
.
.
.
In the months before the Cole/Rubaru Near-Fight incident, Zucina tried, with difficulty, to get accustomed to her new life. She was forbidden to wear male clothing (she was pregnant, so the king didn't allow it), but in return she insisted she still be able to train.
At first, Zucina hated the "thing" that grew inside of her. She refused to consider it partially hers; she was only the vessel to hold it for a while. Of course, this attitude was due to her hatred towards King Vegeta. No matter how much he pampered her, she only grew angrier. She loathed special treatment, what he had done to her, and the apparent result.
But when she felt the child kick for the first time, everything changed. The full weight of the circumstances fell on her like a mallet to size of a luxury ship. She had become EXACTLY what she in no way wanted to be: a tool for a mate yearning for power. And she dragged an innocent life, one connected to her so much, into a loveless union. It sickened her!
Ashamed, she vowed never to let her friends know of her condition, and escape the planet as soon as her son was born. Her son would never grow to be like his father, and Cole-tachi (especially Bardock) would never know of her disgrace.
.
===========================================================
[Commercial Break]
* - Kisama = "you" in a very vulgar way
** - Ittai dare? = "What the heck is that
===========================================================
.
Zucina remained contented with this vow for several months. She Aspa, her former nanny, to the palace to become her son's. Nappa, whom King Vegeta ordered to guard her, turned out to be a good sparring partner. He was fascinated with the fact that a third class woman was stronger then him, and he griped about it every so often. Zucina grinned, not mentioning that both Bardock and Cole were even stronger!
The night she saw Cole nearly fight Rubaru, she realized how much she desperately missed them all. Two weeks later, she sent Nappa out to find information on where Rubaru was being held, and what his charges were.
Nappa returned to find her punching a bag savagely. As normal, she drifted off into a pained trace, attempting to exercise the anguish she really felt. "Uh, Lady Zucina . . ."
Zucina missed her punch and almost fell, but Nappa caught her by the arm. "Arigato," she muttered, standing upright.
"You should not be training now," he warned for the tenth time that week.
Zucina waved her hand. "Bah! I'm fine! My weight is just a bit off!"
It was more then just a bit off! The woman had gained forty pounds, and her smaller-then-average form bulged at the mid-section strangely. 'I still have one month to go,' she thought, trying to cheer herself on. 'Then, I can get out of here and find a new life for myself . . . and my son.' "What did you find out, Nappa."
The giant saluted. "Sir Rubaru is being held in the dungeons of Arognim, 3546 kilometers from the palace. His sentence is short, but hopefully he will not carry out his death threat. Young Radditz shall be trained by Lord Cornell, another first class. Rubaru is stripped from his titles."
"He'll try to carry out his threat," said Zucina, grabbing a wet towel to wipe off the sweat from her brow, "but the bloody bastard won't carry it out! Cole's far too smart!"
"Don't place your hopes too much on low class scum, M'lady. The Goddess Fate always looks more kindly on higher class Sayins."
Zucina smirked, wiping her hands. Fate did seem to be favoring the opposition recently. She threw the towel at Nappa, ordered him to get her some water, then noticed the gold blood stains on her hands. A full twelve months had passed since her battle with Morteon, Elemental of Death, and his blood could only be seen by her. His words still rang in her head: "Fate will no longer favor you, and you shall perish for delaying the inevitable."
She clenched her fist. 'I won't let some freakish specter frighten me!'
Aspa entered the room. "Hai," asked Zucina.
"Aspa want to know if little mistress wanted information on Cole-san."
"Please, Aspa-chan."
Aspa fidgeted. "Cole has been out in the forest for whole two weeks. Bardock's family is worried, Mistress!"
Zucina sighed. "He's meditating for guidance, or preparation for the upcoming battle. He always said that one must be mentally, emotionally, and spiritually ready for any fight, whether you are physically or not! I still remember the night he taught Bardock and me that lesson, in that forest . . ." She shook her head. "When is he due to go home?"
"That's the problem, Mistress. No one knows!"
This worried Zucina more. Why would Cole meditate for so long, unless he felt capable of defeating Rubaru. But . . . Cole? Unsure?
"Aspa," Zucina said uneasily, "I think I'd better talk to him."
"But-"
"If Bardock hasn't by now, there must be something deeper going on that I don't know about." She walked past her old, alien friend and to her bed chamber.
"But, what about Mistress' condition! Cole will see you!"
"I'm pregnant, not brain dead! I'll go wearing this." She pulled out her mate's velvet cloak. "Its large enough to hide an elephant!"
.
.
Wordless, powerful emotions rushed through the captain's mind, trying to sift away the instincts accompanying them. Pictures, soundless, more meaningful then any sound, appeared one after another: His father's death, his mate's sweet, Snoino's abusive taunts, chibis Bardock and Zucina practicing his father's exercises, Saladus' deformity, camp-outs with his crew, his families' graves, his up-coming son's cradle . . .
"Cole-kun?"
Cole jumped at the interruption. Reality set in, and he embraced it for the first time in two weeks straight. Physically, he was weak from no food or sleep. Mentally, he spun from such a workout!
He turned his unfocused gaze to his surroundings. He forgot for a moment who or where he was. Before the pictures came back into focus, he remembered the small cave behind the waterfall, his private hideaway from the universe, that he called 'The Fortress of Solitude.'***
A new figure, dressing in red, stood at the waterfall entrance of the cave. Two purple spikes and half of a feminine face were visible beneath the hood of the cloak.
"Zu . . . Zuni-chan!" Cole made an attempt to stand, but fell back down, dizzy from the sudden action.
"Better if you keep your distance anyway, Cole-kun," she said, smirking.
"How long have I been in that trance?"
"About two weeks."
He rubbed his hairless head. "Heh! No wonder I'm so dizzy."
Zucina threw him a box. "Here. It was meant as a present."
Cole smelled the contents of the box before seeing them. "CHOCOLATE!!!!" He grabbed the treat, ripped it open, and scarfed them down quickly.
Zucina laughed for the first time in months. "Glad you do not change!"
Cole eyed the figure both gratefully and suspiciously. "Where the fuck have you been?"
"That's not as important as what you've been doing." She stepped further into the cave and removed her hood, revealing her whole face. "Honestly! I leave you children for a few months and everyone gets rowdy!"
Under calmer circumstances, Cole would have laughed at the joke, but he remained stern. "Zuni-chan, we've all been worried sick about you!"
"Glad I'm so loved. Please Cole, tell me what's going on. Think of me as a way to talk things out." She looked directly into his eyes. "Please?"
"You've changed, Zucina." Cole put the box to the side. "I can see it in your face. For some reason, you've matured. I'll talk if you do."
Zucina bit her lip. "You first."
"Fine."
As Cole recounted the events of the past two episodes in more detail, Uno floated outside of the waterfall entrance. The Sayins were far weaker divided then reunited. He needed to separate them for good, no matter how much time it took. I cleansed these two Sayin's souls more and more each day. My brother knew he had to destroy both of them in order to destroy Bardock utterly.
And he knew the PERFECT way to take care of Zucina. He snapped his fingers.
A horrible jolt shook Zucina's body, stemming from her mid-section. She groaned and held her stomach.
Cole paused. "What's wrong?"
"I . . ,"Zucina clenched her teeth, terrified. "I must go." She took off, flying straight through the falls and sped as fast as she could towards the palace.
Uno grinned. He loved pain! He snapped his fingers again.
The pain forced Zucina to fall from the sky. She landed recklessly, on her elbows and knees. Trying not to panic, she grabbed the grass to get through the contraction. "No," she groaned. "Not now! Its too soon!"
Cole, ignoring the ache in his head, searched in the air for his pupil. Spotting her on the ground, he landed and placed his hands on her tense shoulders. "Zuni-chan! What is it?" His eyes bugged out when he realized the situation. "HOLY -"
"Cole," Zucina pleaded. "Help me! Get me to the palace! Something's wrong!"
Without needing more of an explanation, he lifted her and flew as fast as he could to the palace.
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*** - Fortress of Solitude - Superman's home. Bad joke? HELL YES!!!!
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Hello everyone! Zucina here, singing her swan song.
Judgeing by the above, any clue what's going to happen in the next episode? A lot! I won't give too much away, but I'll say this much: I'm going to kill Una for writing this next episode!! Nothing too explicit, but very moving.
Next time on DragonballBC: A Mother's Love; Zucina's Final Stand
I'll miss you all, lovely reviewers.
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Fun Fact - I named Cole's hideaway after Superman's because my brother, who invented Cole, has an obsession with Superman. He even calls himself "SuperDan."