Last time: I basically laid the ground work for the beginning of the fic.

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The one thing the Almighty never counted on was the dishonor of mortal man. Centuries flew by and there seemed to be no hope for the humans, even with Divine Intervention, of which God saw fit to perform more and more as the years passed. His most favored angel, The First Angel, was at His side throughout all the turmoil and shame, though in the end she too found it increasingly difficult to keep optimistic in such hard times. Finally she asked to take a leave of absence and visit Earth for herself, disguised as a human, to live as they live for a short time and maybe figure out what went so horribly wrong.

To her utter surprise, her wish was granted and she was sent to Earth.

As His most trusted advisor and companion, she was allowed to cloak herself from His eyes and go about life as a mortal without worrying about Him. She found a small country cottage in the deep woods and settled there, finding a job as a maid for a local family. And although she normally wouldn't need food or drink, she was required to follow all the rules of an ordinary human; she loved fruits and wine most of all. It was three years before she contacted the Almighty again, and requested to stay longer.

Again, her wish was granted and she ran happily into the sunset, a sight only the eyes of mortals could appreciate.

It would be ten more years before she returned to Heaven, but by then her fate was already brewing.

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Afterlife in Hell was never dull and never quiet. The demons drank Demonic liquor and chanted Demonic words from human Demonic Bibles, laughing hysterically whenever "fire and brimstone" was mentioned. Lunaus was content with his minions, feeling that he would be ready to storm Heaven again very soon and win the rolling plains. The only thing keeping him at bay was the great number difference; he could only create demons, and recruit Fallen Angels and evil souls, while God could create Angels from nowhere AND make worthy mortal spirits into Angels, and he possessed the good dead. In an ever-rampaging cold war, God created more Angels then Lunaus could keep up with. He was desperate to win, though it seemed he needed a miracle, of which he was not allowed.

The First Demon, Lunaus' most ruthless and loyal demon, was ever ready to obey him. With his provided Council, a she-demon with a fiery temper, and his number one Lackey, The First Demon was prepared for anything. He took it upon himself to instruct many of the lowly demons and Fallen Angels, which Lunaus had no pleasure in and let him do as he pleased. And though his closest companions were his Council and Lackey, he found that The Keeper of the Damned Souls was his preferred company and to be most trusted.

But Lunaus was losing his faith in his demons, and God was getting closer and closer to winning. He called upon The First Angel and The Keeper of the Damned Souls, sending them to Earth to contract evil humans into demon-hood, the only way Lunaus could create demons from humans, which were far more powerful than those he could create on his own. They agreed readily and set for the Earth.

Little did they know that God's most divine of the Angels was present there as well.

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"Mama! Mama!" cried a little girl in the market place, her eyes glistening and threatening to let tears escape. She stood in the middle of the dirt road, her simple blue dress covered in dust and her hair in tangles. She was no more than four years old, and all alone.

"I'll help you find your mother," said a tall woman with aqua-marine locks and a friendly smile. "What's your name sweety?" she asked, though she knew exactly what her name was. She grabbed the child's hand and looked around, knowing also where the mother was.

"Celeste," she hiccupped, drying her eyes. She liked this tall woman with the weird colored hair. She smelled nice. The woman smiled down at the girl, loving the sound her name and the way it rolled off her tongue.

"Oh Celeste!" a smaller woman cried, her long black hair flying behind her. She ran to the girl and swooped her into her arms, kissing her face all over. "Where did you go off to? I was so worried." Suddenly she turned to the taller woman, just noticing her. "Thank you so much for looking after her. I told her to stay put, but she never listens."

"I'm just happy that you have her back," she said, then waved to the mother and daughter as they walked away, wondering if it were possible for her to have that some day.

"Not likely," came a deep voice from behind the woman. She jumped out of habit, then turned around and smiled at the man that stood behind her, his black hair sticking out in odd places. She wondered why he insisted on wearing it in such a way. "Because I like it," he laughed.

"Are you cloaked?" she asked, glancing around the crowded market. If anyone saw this man they weren't acknowledging it.

"No. I'm a human today, just like you."

"You haven't been down in months."

"It's seconds to me. I feel like I just saw you."

"What happened to Baiko? I thought you were watching over him."

"He died last night. Heart attack. I—" He cast his eyes at the ground, looking like a large, sad child. "I couldn't save his soul in time…He's with Lunaus now, I suppose."

"I'm sorry. Come. I bought some wine. Let's drink."

"You know I can't. I may be in human guise, but I'm on duty. My new assignment is close by."

"I see. Well, I'm headed home. You're welcome to follow me if you'd like." She turned and started walking in the opposite direction, until she realized her friend wasn't following. "What's the matter?"

"Don't you even miss it?"

"What?"

"Heaven," he sighed, pointing towards the sky, though it technically wasn't up, just in another plain. "We really miss you there."

"I thought you said it was like seconds passed…Look, I'm happy here for now. I plan on going back soon, or whenever I'm in desperate need. I suggest you take a break as well. I think all you Angels need to come here and relax. It refreshes your soul, my friend. Do try it sometime."

"Iuratus," he mumbled in Latin, then seemed to flicker. She knew what that meant. He was no longer a disguised Angel, but a cloaked one, and soon his brilliant golden feathers poked out from behind him. She smiled.

"I'm loyal, too," she sighed. "I'm just in desperate need of peace. I love it here."

"You want to stay indefinitely, don't you?"

"I only wish. But I know I cannot, and so I leave it as only a wish, nothing more." She walked back over to her friend and took his hand. No one in the streets seemed to notice. "Come back again soon," she said, kissing his hand. "And I'd only admit this to you…I miss my wings!"

"They're waiting for you. All you have to do is ask." His face darkened some and he bit his perfectly smooth bottom lip. "You know you can never have it. It's impossible. You—"

"I know. I know. I'm The First Angel, and I have a duty to my Father. I only wanted to know what it felt like to have so much love packed into such a small body. I envy human mothers."

"And that's how it shall always be, Bulma."

"I know, Goku…I know…"

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"You're an enigma," spat The First Demon, rolling his eyes and looking away. "Why can't we simply find the most corrupt souls and tempt them? It'll make this whole ordeal much quicker. I despise being here."

"Because, bellboy, it's more fun to tempt the innocent," the taller of the two replied; The Keeper of the Damned Souls. "Besides, even if you don't like it here, I do. Hell is fun," he said, as if it was an off-handed comment, "but I prefer the company of mortals. I know what demons are thinking, but you never know with a human. Very unpredictable."

"Like you," The First Demon laughed, throwing his head back, then straightened back up and smoothed out his hair; he was completely in love with himself.

"What do you mean, like me?"

"Must I recount your blunder back during The Great War?" He glanced towards the sky and sighed. He wondered what it would have been like to be an angel, to actually be appreciated for his work, instead of being a servant to Lunaus. Even Lunaus knew what lay beyond the Gate of Heaven, as did 17 and a whole slew of others that now resided in Hell. Would he have made the same choice as 17 and stayed with the Almighty? And if so, would he have then gone into Hell and become Lunaus' most prized and cherished demon? He honestly didn't know.

"God was my master. I was bound to him and my sister, and blinded, as well. I stayed because that's what I needed to do then. Now I see the error in my ways. Enough said. I'm one of the greatest demons there is." He turned his back on his friend, but called back over his shoulder, a smirk on his lips. "I have freewill."

After their little spat, The First Demon decided not to push his already hostile friend. If they harmed any innocents while on Earth, it was likely the Almighty would begin The Second Great War, and ever present and looming possibility. And Hell was not ready, not in the least, and so they kept themselves at bay and didn't continue their quarrel. Until they came upon a small village that is, and 17 simply couldn't help himself.

"Look, there," he whispered, as if he were a child and saw the most expensive and elaborate toy in a shop window. The First Demon followed his finger to a blue-haired woman who stood some ten yards away from them, bent at the waist and offering a crippled old man a drink of water from a glass. Her hair was thick and wavy, slightly unkempt, but not messy in a way that looked uncared for, rather she was busy with other things more important than appearance. Her clothes were simple, working-class style, black in color with a sash of white silk around her waist. She wore sandals on her feet and a cloak around her shoulders, its hood pulled away from her head.

She was absolutely gorgeous.

"She's perfect," 17 said, admiring her slender figure, despite the loose-fitted clothing, and the way she was so compassionate with this man that she had only just met. "I must have her soul. Can you imagine how powerful she would be as a demon?" He let his smile take over his features, growing almost out of control as he let out a booming laugh. Several people in the vicinity turned and glared at the strange man and his companion, though the blue-haired beauty did not.

"She's too perfect," The First Demon said before his friend could get too caught up in his earthly fantasies. "There's no way you can claim her soul. She'll never believe your fanciful stories. She's too pure. Look at her!" He pointed almost furiously. He did not appreciate his time being wasted. "She's lifting that cup to that man's lips. I wouldn't be surprised if she were named a saint by her people. Now come on. I'm growing weary of this. And you haven't successfully bagged one innocent. Give up on your foolish quest."

"You want her for yourself," 17 snapped accusingly, rounding on his friend. "You want that little human beneath you. I see it in your eyes!"

"I can know desire, 17. I'm a full-blooded demon. Not some half-breed celestial demi-demon."

"I can know desire too, Vegeta! I would take that frail human if I wanted to! But I want her soul instead! And I WILL have it! Mark my words, I will have that pure woman as my bounty and there's nothing you can do about it."

"If Lunaus knew what you had planned for this mission he would have never sent you without guards."

"Isn't that what you're for, oh great one?"

"I came alone because I wanted to. Lunaus never told me to come. Look." He grabbed his friend suddenly by the arm and pointed at the woman, now straightened and talking with the crippled man. "She cannot be persuaded to join our ranks. It's that simple. But," he sighed, "if you cannot hear that and don't prefer simple, then hear this. Lunaus will erase you from existence if you touch that woman. She is too good, and too pure, and too much like an angel. The Almighty will never over-look such a thing and will wage war on our kingdom. Have you any idea how much of an advantage He has? Both you and I would cease to be." A smirk curled at Vegeta's lips and he let go of 17's arm. "And I simply cannot have that. I enjoy my job far too much."

17 sighed deeply, defeated, and ruffled his blackened feathered wings, the single white feather clearly visible in the brilliant sunlight. He was ever trying to pull the feather out for good, but it always grew back, as a constant reminder that while his other eighteen Experiment siblings went into Hell, he had stayed. This he did now, tugging furiously at the while feather, only to grunt in frustration and stomp away from the blue-haired woman.

Vegeta only laughed under his breath at the Keeper of the Damned Souls' behavior. He was so angelically childish in his anger. Never would Vegeta act in much a manner, no matter how angry he became. For him it was: obliterate a few hundred petty evil humans and haul them off to demonhood, torturing the most foul of the bunch. If he had wings, he doubted he'd even given them a second thought. But he didn't need wings to fly. Nothing set him apart from humans other than his powers. He could completely blend in with them without cloaking himself, as 17 had to do.

He knew he was alone the moment he felt a rush of warm air rush by his face. 17 had fled to another part of the world in pursuit of damned souls, leaving Vegeta to his thoughts, his eyes positively glued on the blue-haired woman. He had to see her more closely. What was it that was so alluring about this simple earth female?

"Because she's so pure, and you know you can't have her," came a voice in his ear. He turned around sharply and glared at his Council, his Lackey at her side. They laughed for a moment, then their faces returned to their usual sullen appearance. "Why not find some whore? Isn't that what you male demons do?"

"And what do she-demons do?" he asked, smirking.

"Lunaus wants 17 to come back. He had a scout follow you two and he's fuming."

"A scout! What for!? I was with him! I stopped him from making a fatal blunder. Who was it?"

"Doesn't matter. He's long gone." She glanced around, her long black hair falling behind her head. She could have passed for an angel any day. "Where's 17?"

"Gone. I called him a demi-demon."

"Bastard."

"What?"

"You know what. Lunaus needs him, and not with his attitudes. So stop provoking him. Have to any idea how many souls we'll need to combat the Almighty!" She shook her head furiously and turned to the Lackey, as if he could help the situation.

"You're here for more, aren't you?" Vegeta asked, sensing the discomfort in her. "What has Lunaus decreed?"

"We're to help you and 17 with the collection of souls."

"What!" he roared. Nearly the entire group of humans nearby jumped and turned towards the group of demons, thinking them nothing more than rebel familiars. They didn't notice that the other was gone, and that there were now three instead of two, only that they were causing a disturbance and their newly humbled environment. Ever since the arrival of their blesséd blue-haired maiden, the town had never been better. "We do NOT need your assistance in the matter. I could collect the souls myself, but Lunaus seems to think 17 has a knack for it." He mumbled a few choice curses under his breath, then waved his companions away. "Go on. I'll be back soon. Try looking for the Keeper on the other side of the planet. I'm sure that's where he went. Ridiculous…"

"Just admit that you need our help," she huffed, crossing her arms. "We're skilled in contracting too, you know. All demons are. Only Lunaus, as you said, favors some over others. And he told us we HAD to assist you, so take it up with him."

"You're a wretch, Chi-Chi," Vegeta spat, turning his back on her.

"Well of course she is," the Lackey laughed, wrapping his arm around her waist. They would leave him be, that much was clear. "She's your Council, Vegeta. As such she's required to be a foul wretch, and so are you. Maybe you're just going soft."

"One more word and you're a pile of ashes, you got that Krillin?"

Without another word the two demons faded into nothing, leaving Vegeta once again alone and staring at the beauty. Only when his eyes settled on her, he found that she had been starring at him, her head tilted slightly to the right, her eyes wide and curious.

She'd never seen a man quite like him before, his muscles bulging and tight against the fabric of his coat. His hair shot straight up on end, reminding her instantly of her dear friend Goku. She smiled sweetly at the mysterious man and waved him over.

He reluctantly obliged.

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---Chapter 2! Well, would you look at that? Hmm…What's Bulma got in store for Vegeta? And will they ever find out their true identities? Vegeta thinks Bulma is a human, and vice versa with Vegeta. Hmm…

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Next time: They meet, duh :P