Remember Me

Disclaimer: ^_^ You're a moron if you think I'm making money off this or I own Dragonball.

By: Selenity Jade (Jadesama@aol.com)

Chapter Two: Dinner and a Plan

Knocking politely on the large wooden door, Buruma waited patiently for one of the members of Bardock's family to answer. Within a few moments, the door opened to reveal the young man she sparred with earlier in the day, Kakarotto.

"Hello, Buruma-san!" he greeted cheerfully.

She grinned happily. "Kakarotto, nice to see you again."

He returned the grin and opened the door, motioning her to enter. "Mother and Radditzu aren't back yet, but Father is here. He'll be down in a moment. You want something?" he asked politely, playing the perfect host.

Shaking her head, she giggled slightly in merriment. "No, thank you, Kakarotto. I'm fine."

"You're sure?" At her nod, he smiled. "Okay, if you say so."

"I say so, brat," she told him happily, following him into the cozy living room. "You're family consists of Bardock, yourself, your mother, and Radditzu, correct?"

He nodded. "Yes."

"Can I ask you a few questions?"

Frowning thoughtfully, he nodded.

"Your parents are life-mates, yes? Do you know if they have bonded?"

"I don't know-"

"Yes, we have," a voice interrupted them, and Buruma looked up to find Bardock walking into the room. "My mate and I have a bond."

Buruma nodded thoughtfully. "I had wondered, with Kakarotto's strength. It is common knowledge that bonded mates have the strongest offspring. But that doesn't explain your strength. Were your parents bonded, Bardock?"

He nodded. "Yes, my parents as well as my mate's parents were bonded."

She blinked in surprise. "Are you serious? That's almost unheard of!"

Bardock smiled slightly. "I'm aware. Bonding doesn't happen often, even in the lower classes."

Buruma grinned. "It's wonderful though!"

Both Saiyajin males blinked in surprise. "You don't have the usual Saiyajin disgust with the bond," Bardock commented, sitting on one of the couches. He nodded at Kakarotto to sit as well, before motioning Buruma to sit with a polite wave of his hand.

She shook her head. "No, I'm not your average Saiyajin, if you haven't noticed," she commented, unwrapping her blue tail suddenly and flicking it in front of her face. She then re-wrapped it around her waist. "Vejiita-ou isn't as against it as most either. Most Saiyajin, while they despise the weakness, tolerate it because of the strength of the offspring." She shrugged. "Personally, I think the bond is a wonderful thing for those lucky enough to find their mate."

Nodding thoughtful, Bardock gave her a warm smile. "Thank you, Buruma-san. I had feared that you might be like most Saiyajin elites and despise us for our class, and even more for our bond."

Grinning, she gave him a wink. "Nope. I'm an odd one."

"I see that," Bardock stated.

"Buruma-san?" Kakarotto asked suddenly.

She turned to him, her eyebrow raised in a silent question.

"Am I to be trained under you? Or... what?"

She smiled. "Yes, Kakarotto, you will train under me for a year, and after that time, you will be granted the elite status if I deem you worthy of it. I have a few more Saiyajin I need to check out first, so you may have some peers. It won't be with the regular classes though."

"Yes!" Kakarotto exclaimed, standing up happily.

She grinned at his antics, but his father was less than thrilled at the outburst. "Kakarotto, sit down!" Bardock snapped irritably, but with no real heat. It seemed the warrior was used to his son's un-Saiyajin-like nature.

"And," she began with a mischievous wink, "Bardock is to be raised to elite status as well, but without the training. How you got to be classified as middle-class, I'll never know. I'd also like to spar with your mate and other son tonight if possible. They may raise a class or two."

Bardock gaped at the odd colored female in shock. "Me?"

She nodded seriously. "Yes. Vejiita-ou had decided to change the class rules almost 20 years ago. Testing will still be done when one is born, but they will also be periodically tested later in life. But this plan hasn't gone into effect yet, not while Furiza is breathing down our backs. The system is originally Furiza's, so we cannot just up and change it, alerting the tyrant to our... less than overwhelming trust in him."

"I see," he said thoughtfully, a bit shocked by her openness about the oppressor of their race. "Will I keep my team if I change class?"

She sighed. "I don't know. I'd have to test them as well, which I will do later. But if not, you may have to change, but I'll try to find a way around that. Teams are made for life, and adjusting to new members is difficult at best."

He smiled in thanks. "I'd appreciate that."

She returned his smile with a grin and then turned towards the door as her sensitive hearing picked up a couple pairs of soft footsteps coming up to the door. A few seconds later, it opened to reveal a tall, very pretty female with dark black spikes that fell down her back, wearing the traditional third-class armor. And beside her, a young man, slightly older than herself stood, glaring at her. His hair resembled the female's, trailing down to the back of his knees. His black eyes were narrowed coldly at her, and she had an urge to wipe the sneer of his face.

She blinked. She wasn't normally this affected by someone sneering at her, she was long used to it. Buruma tended to ignore the hostility directed at her for her differences, but this male's obvious prejudice pissed her off.

"Ah, Buruma-san, I'd like you to meet my mate, and my oldest son, Radditzu. Radditzu, Tatopo, this is Buruma-san, Elite Class."

Buruma stood up as the female nodded and saluted her politely, and Radditzu resentfully followed suit, a bit sloppily.

"I apologize for our tardiness," the female said softly, her voice strangely gentle coming from a Saiyajin warrior. "Radditzu and I had business in the palace."

Buruma smiled warmly at the female, nodding. "It is fine. I was just chatting up the males, and asking some questions."

To Buruma's surprise, the female mirrored her warm smile. It was odd, especially for their race. Perhaps the whole family, outside of Radditzu, was a bit different. Bardock wasn't too abnormal, but he wasn't as harsh as most males. "Thank you, Buruma." Tatopo turned towards her oldest son and frowned. "Get washed up for dinner, Radditzu."

He nodded curtly and disappeared up the stairs. Kakarotto sighed suddenly and looked up sheepishly at Buruma. "Radditzu isn't always so... rude, Buruma-san."

Bardock grunted and followed his oldest, leaving the two softer Saiyajin alone with Buruma. She smiled at the two. "Tatopo, would you like to be re-tested?" she asked suddenly.

The female blinked. "Excuse me?"

"For class. You know that your son, Kakarotto, will be trained as an elite. I'd like to also test you and your other son, possibly see if you two can move up in class just as Bardock and Kakarotto will."

Tatopo grinned. "Bardock is moving up to elite?"

Kakarotto nodded. "Yep, Mom. He's going to be an elite, and I will be too!"

Buruma smiled. "Yes. I train the elite children at the palace. I'd like to spar with you and your other son later, to see if you both need to be re-classed. What classes are you?"

"I'm third-class, Radditzu is second."

"Thank you," Buruma said softly.

"No, thank you, Buruma-san," Tatopo said just as quietly. "Dinner will be ready in a few; I just need to finish it up. Bardock is a wonderful cook for a male." With that, the female winked slyly at Buruma and disappeared into the kitchen.

Buruma turned to her new pupil. "So, Kakarotto, what is your brother's problem?"

Kakarotto winced and looked down slightly. "He failed on a mating hunt a few days ago, and apparently he really liked the female. He's been grouchy ever since."

"I see," Buruma said thoughtfully.

"Buruma-san?"

"Hn?"

"Are you mated?"

She coughed suddenly, shooting the naive young male a glare. "No, and I have no wish to be."

"Why not?"

She growled softly, moving her glare from the young male to the wall in front of her. "Because, Kakarotto, not many Saiyajin males want to mate a *freak*," she hissed angrily.

He cocked his head curiously at her. "A freak? You aren't a freak!"

Giving him an incredulous look, she nearly choked at the complete innocent sincerity on his face. "Haven't you noticed, brat?"

"Noticed what?"

"I'm blue!"

He blinked. "So?"

She gaped at him in shock. "I'm a genetic defect, brat."

"That's not a very nice thing to say. So? You have blue hair and fur; it's not a defect. It's pretty."

She suddenly blushed, and smiled at him. She never received compliments; Saiyajin weren't prone to praising anything, but this one young male complimented her and honestly didn't see what was wrong with her coloring. She was strangely touched. "Thank you, Kakarotto."

He returned her smile with a grin. "Welcome, Buruma-san."

Tatopo peeked into the room at that moment, smiling. "Dinner's ready!"

~~~

Buruma walked tiredly into the Saiyajin no Ou's private chambers without knocking. Vejiita-ou glanced up at the intrusion, and blinked, not at her rudeness, but at her exhaustion. Vejiita-ouji, on the other hand, growled loudly at her apparent disregard for royalty.

"Buruma? Who beat you up this time?" the King asked curiously.

She shook her head and padded slowly over to the pair who appeared to be going over space charts of some sort, but she didn't even care at that moment to do more than glance at them. She suddenly plopped down next to the King with a tiny whimper. "No one beat me, Vejiita. I just had the spar of my life, though," she murmured tiredly, closing her eyes. "I wouldn't have even come here except that you wanted a report on what I found out."

The Prince crossed his arms, glowering at the female, but stayed silent. The King, however, frowned worriedly. "Buruma, you could have just sent me a transmission telling me you were too tired and see me in the morning."

She waved a hand slightly. "No, I wanted to come here. I don't sleep well anyway, you know that."

The King nodded, but didn't press, despite the fact that Vejiita suddenly wanted to know *why* she didn't sleep well. That was odd for a Saiyajin. But he wouldn't ask, because then it would seem like he was actually interested in the little female's answer. And he wasn't.

"Kakarotto will be trained under me and rise to Elite Class should I wish it, and trust me, he will. Bardock should be raised as well, he's middle-class now, but he's possibly near your strength. His mate Tatopo is third, and should rise to middle, and his eldest son, Radditzu is middle and I wish to have him trained as Elite as well."

"The whole family?" the Prince asked incredulously.

Buruma nodded slowly. "Yes, the whole family."

"Did you find a reason why their birth rating was so wrong?" the King inquired.

She sighed and rubbed her temple with a finger absently. "I know why they're so strong, and I have my suspicions about why they're initial testing was so off."

"Why?" Vejiita-ouji demanded.

She shot him a glare. "I was getting there, Vejiita. Shut up for a moment!"

The younger Saiyajin's eyes narrowed angrily and she could feel his anger directed at her as he rose to his feet. "Leave her be, Vejiita," the King interrupted. "She is the way she is."

"I am the Saiyajin no Ouji, Onna. I will not be ordered around by some freakish female!"

"Oh, shove it, Vejiita," Buruma told him tiredly. "I don't care about your status."

For the first time since he could remember, Vejiita was speechless. 'She doesn't... care?'

"Bardock's and his mate's parents were both bonded. Tatopo and Bardock are also bonded. Therefore the increase in strength. But I do believe the initial mistakes were made because the bonding not only increases strength in the offspring, I think it might also increase their strength growth."

The King frowned thoughtfully. "That makes sense."

She nodded. "But I have a problem."

"What problem?"

"Radditzu's training will be challenging, but not overly so. However, Kakarotto is already too strong. I may be able to keep ahead of him, but I'm nowhere near strong enough to train him indefinitely. I need someone to help me. Someone stronger than you, Vejiita," she told the King. She sighed regretfully. "That means I need your son, Vejiita."

"What?!" the younger Vejiita exclaimed in outrage.

She winced at his loud voice. "I really don't want your help, Vejiita, if that makes you feel any better."

"It doesn't!" he snapped.

She sighed. "Let's put it this way: Kakarotto is beyond strong, Vejiita. It might be a challenge, especially when he gets trained enough."

He opened his mouth to refuse again, but he found the idea appealing. "I leave in two months, Onna. That doesn't help you."

She opened her eyes and grinned at him. "What if I told you, I think I have a way around you going back to Furiza?"

The King started. "Buruma, what are you talking about?"

"How could *you* possibly find a way to-"

"Easily," she interrupted. "Furiza would prefer you on the throne rather than your father, correct?"

Vejiita nodded curtly.

"Now, in order to claim the throne, you need to find a mate, yes?"

He growled, but nodded again.

She smirked. "Tell Furiza you're going on your mate search, Vejiita. Since the royal males take one year to search for a female, and one year exactly, that'll give you one year. During that time, find a mate. That also gives us a year to plan a revolt against Furiza. Or a way to kill him. He'll most definitely attend your marriage, Vejiita. And if not, he *will* attend the royal succession where you kill your father and assume the throne. We can assassinate him then, or wait until you are crowned King, and declare war, depending on what we're up for."

Both of them gaped at her, completely shocked. And both were slightly disgusted neither of them thought of it.

"I don't want a mate," he growled.

"Tough, Vejiita. We all have to make sacrifices."

He nodded angrily. "Fine, I'll inform Furiza at the end of my two month stay. But before I help you train that brat, you and I will spar."

She shrugged tiredly, and stood up. "Fine."

"Tomorrow."

~~~

AN: *blinks* I just noticed something very odd. ^_^ All of Bardock's family's names are named after root vegetables. AND the word their name comes from is from English I believe. I may be wrong about the English part though. But look, Bardock is a type of root you can eat, Kakarotto I believe is just an odd spelling or pronunciation of Carrot, and Radditzu is Radish. ^_^ So, Bardock's mate is Tatopo, a scrambling of the word Potato. I couldn't think of another word to use, outside of beet. And that just sounds and looks funny. ^_^

Lovies!