Disclaimer: Do I really need one? I mean, you don't really think I own the characters and junk, do you? O_o;;;

Author's Notes: I had a really horrible idea for this chapter a long, long time ago, but I didn't go forward with it. o_o; Trust me, it's better this way. You'll see so too, 'cause I think you'll be able to determine what it was for yourself. At the time I think I'd just wanted to do something that would get attention, but I'd prefer not to offend people in such a way. Anyhow, this chapter has a bit of a discussion about religion in it, but nothing preachy and what not. Anywho, go on and read, and for the love of God review, because I just want to know that someone is still reading this thing. ~_~

Chapter Six: All Sorts of Truths

"You… You've met God?" Serive stammered.

"Yes… well, this planet's God, anyhow. He's quite nice, although a little young. He took over after the other one-"

"There was another one??"

"Yes, you see-"

"But that can't be!" Serive exclaimed. "There is only one supreme being that rules over the universe!" She whirled on the girl. "There is only one deity who oversees all!"

Bra bit her lip. She had forgotten how defensive people could get when their beliefs were challenged. "I know it's hard to accept, but it's all true." Serive was about to denounce her claims again, but she rose her hand to hush her. "Each planet has its own God. All those Gods are presided over higher Gods, who are also presided over by others… It's quite an extensive chain of command. Every time we thought we had it right, there was another more powerful being."

Serive opened and closed her mouth a few times, then with a huff folded her arms and rose her nose in the air. "I refuse to believe such drivel!" she snapped before quickly walking ahead of the girl.

Bra rolled her eyes and was quick to catch up. "Well, if you want to hear the rest of the story, you'll have to humor me." She thought for a moment, then recalled where she had left off. "So Kami-"

"What's this place?"

Bra suppressed a groan. She hadn't gotten very far in the tale of Son Goku because Serive kept interrupting about almost everything in sight. The woman was far too curious for Bra's sanity.

The half-Saiyajin girl looked across the street and saw what the Wycanian had been pointing at. "Oh, that's a church."

"A church…?"

"It's a place where people who are parts of certain religions go to pray. Collectively, they're all part of Christianity, which includes different specific faiths."

"You have more than one religion here?" Serive raised an eyebrow at Bra.

Bra gave her the same expression. "You only have one on your planet?"

"Of course! We're all part of the same species! Why should we need a different religion?"

Bra shrugged. "People on Earth each have their own individual opinions. Actually, it's impossible for even one country to have all its residents to agree on anything."

"Country?? What the hell is that?"

Bra yawned. She was getting so tired of explaining literally everything to the alien princess. "Well-"

"I'd like to go inside," Serive interrupted, seemingly forgetting her own question.

Bra blinked. "Inside??" She bit her lip. "I don't think we…"

Serive was already crossing the street.

"This is not a good idea," Bra muttered to herself as she reluctantly followed.

The church- its cross on the steeple standing proudly before all- was a rather large building, with the outside walls painted pure white. A simple wooden cross hung above the set of wooden doors that led inside the place of worship. There, row after row of sturdy, dark oak pews were lined up before a tall podium, covered by a green cloth highlighted with a gold cross and yellow tassels. Off to the left of the pulpit was a massive organ, and between the two was a bare area for a choir to sing.

It was very dim inside. The lights were only turned on in the evening, and in the day illumination was provided through the frosted skylights carved in either side of the pointed ceiling and through the open door. Hundreds of white candles planted in various areas of the church also did their best to brighten the church, and multi-colored light streamed in through the stained-glass windows, each depicting a scene that had been inscribed in the Bible.

The most resonant feature of the church hung on the far wall across from the front doors. A likeness of the Savior, Jesus Christ, was crucified on a wooden cross much larger than the other cruciform on or inside the structure. His hands were nailed onto either arm of the large T, and his feet were attached to the tail. His head, with eyes closed and mouth frowning, hung in sorrow, and a crown of thorns stretched around his brow.

It was a tribute to the Lord that would never allow Christians to forget how one loving man gave up his life for their sins.

"Depressing place," Serive muttered as she walked inside.

Bra anxiously trailed after her. "I don't think its proper for us to be in here," she said softly. "I'm not really part of any religion, much less Christianity."

"Ah, yes," Serive replied. "You've supposedly met this planet's divine one face to face… I guess there really is not reason for much religion for you…"

"Not really…"

"And these people… would not accept your presence if they knew you did not share in their beliefs?"

"No… They would actually be happy to see that we're 'considering' their way of thinking."

"Alright then." Serive walked further into the church and sat down in one of the pews.

Bra sat next to her uneasily. The distinct feeling that they should leave wouldn't leave her. "Why did you want to come in here?" she said quietly.

"I find other cultures interesting. With Vejita hounding your okaasan constantly about getting that ship built, I doubt I will have much time to observe, though."

"I could easily get you some literature on the world's culture."

Serive looked over at her. "It's much more fun this way," she said with a smirk.

"Fun?" Bra was getting worried.

"Do you know one way how you can tell a lot about a faction of people, Bra?" Bra shook her head. "By how they react to things. You can sense harmony if they all act the same, disturbance if behavior varies, and such."

Oh-kay… Bra was a bit confused now. "What do you mean?" she whispered. "Why would you want to know their reaction to something?"

"Well, in cases that you want to take over, you need to get to know a race very well to spot weaknesses and strong points." Serive chuckled at the horrified expression on Bra's face. "Don't worry. That's not why I'm here."

Bra exhaled gratefully. She would've race home right then if given one more moment to comprehend another attempt at world domination.

"In other cases, you might want to see how people react just for your own amusement."

Now Bra was no longer at ease. "What are you doing?" she hissed.

At that moment there was a sound of many footsteps, and a group of people emerged from a doorway near the front of the church. There was about twenty men and women, all dressed in yellow chorus robes with green trim. They assembled themselves between the podium and the organ, which one man sat in front of. One woman surveyed the choir to be sure everyone was ready, then set herself before them and rose her arms gracefully. At the signal all murmurs hushed and the singers stood up straight with their arms at their sides.

The organist began playing. His notes were spaced and low, and when the singers' voices joined in a disconsolate melody was formed. It echoed off of the tall ceiling and far walls so that the dreary song surrounded its listeners.

"This isn't anything like our religious gatherings on Wycan," Serive commented.

"How do you guys celebrate your faith?" Bra asked, leaning close to Serive's ear. She didn't want to disturb the chorus, nor their small audience that was scattered about the church.

"With an actual celebration!" Serive whispered, gesturing to the melancholy singing group before them. "This noise is the most depressing song I've ever heard! It makes me feel like I'm drowning in the sorrows of existence. And the implied mandatory silence is absolutely absurd."

"Not all of the songs are depressing," Bra interjected. "And in many other kinds of faith they are very animated in their services."

"Well, in our services we do not dress the same way." The princess pointed to the singers. "And there are no audiences or performers. Everyone dresses in the most expressive way they can, and everyone sings, dances, plays an instrument, or whatever it is they can."

"It sounds like a party."

"Well, yes, I suppose they would be parties." Serive snorted. "They do attract an awful lot more people than there are here right now."

"Well, this place is usually packed on Sunday mornings. That's when the standard services are."

"We have 'standard services' every day."

"And everyone has to attend?"

"'Has to'? All the people who come are there of their own free will." Serive paused, then leaned closer to Bra. "Do you mean that they forcefully herd people here?"

Bra giggled. "No. It's pretty much implied in their beliefs."

"You seem to know a lot about this religion even though you have no part in it."

"Most of it is common knowledge. Christianity is one of the major belief structures."

"Well, with your common knowledge, how do you think they'd react if that statue there began to move on its own?" Serive asked, nodding at the cross at the head of the room.

Bra raised an eyebrow at the odd question. "Well, they'd…" Bra trailed off.

"Well, for instance, if a Wycanian puts them onto an object, he or she will be able to lift it using their mind."

She turned her head to stare at the woman. "You will do no such thing," she hissed dangerously.

Serive appeared amused at the girl's anger. "Why? What harm could it do? I only want to learn."

"Well then you can learn on your own, but no while I'm around." Bra darkened her glare. "That is a visage of these people's savior, a man who died to redeem all of their sins. If you sadistically play with that statue as if it were a puppet… You have no idea of the reaction."

Serive's eyes never left Bra's, although her gaze was impassive. After moments of studying each other, Serive's mouth quirked up into a smirk. "I shall leave them be if it will upset you that much."

The girl was shocked at the other's callousness. "What kind of religion do the Wycanians have to produce someone with morals such as yours??" she said through her teeth as she strained to control her voice.

"Morals?" Serive scoffed. "We have only morals that apply to each other. Other peoples with their ignorance and technology deserve little respect from us when they cannot even respect the natural environment that spawned them. We revere our planet, as it was that which brought us into the universe, while others ignore and destroy it ungratefully for selfish purposes. Your planet is the same as so many others, and we do not think highly of any of them."

"Oh, so that just gives the right to toy with innocent people?" Bra turned from her with a huff. "You are just sick, Serive," she rebuked softly. The teenager stood and moved to the aisle, then leaned over a bit to the other woman. "As if you have some sort of divine right to decide who deserves respect and who doesn't. Don't feed me that bullshit. You just enjoy messing with the lives of people you don't even know." She straightened, and with a snort said, "I don't believe I need to be around any disgusting sadists."

Bra left then, but when she'd made it to the sidewalk outside the church a hand grabbed her shoulder and spun her around. The same hand grabbed the front of her shirt, and Serive was snarling in her face.

"You stupid girl," Serive hissed. "How dare you scold me! I am your senior by at least forty years!" She shoved Bra away. "And while you're admonishing people, I suggest you have a good talk with your otousan! By the time he was your age, he'd sent about a few million people he didn't even know to their deaths without so much as a thought."

"Papa is different now!" Bra spat back.

"Tell that to the men, women, and children he murdered."

"That was at Freeza's bidding-"

"Free will, Bra," Serive interrupted. "Vejita always had a choice. That decision was whether to kill or be killed, and he chose the path that benefited him. He could have very well chosen to die so he wouldn't be responsible for the deaths of millions of innocents, but he didn't. That, my dear, is not Freeza's fault, which is the excuse I'm sure that your whole family uses to comfort themselves." Bra tried to respond, but the Wycanian continued before she had a chance. "And while I do indeed find some pleasure in the suffering of others, at least I acknowledge it and have a justification for it. Vejita has just hidden his senseless sadism away and tried to deny it was ever there."

Bra stood her ground. "Don't try to change to subject, Serive. We're talking about you here, not otousan."

Serive leaned down a bit to Bra's height. "I'm just pointing out the irony of you remarking that you do not need to be affiliated with anyone who has ever enjoyed the pain of others."

The blue-haired girl felt the strongest urge to hit the woman just then, but with a glance around them she saw that they had already attracted some curious expressions. "I'm not getting into this," she muttered, turning away from Serive. "Let's just go."

With that she set out for home, the visitor following behind her.

They walked back to the Capsule Corporation compound in silence. The sun was high overhead, so Bra assumed that it was about noon. Hunger was clawing at her stomach, and she was yearning for a good lunch. She glanced sideways at Serive, who had fallen into step beside her. They hadn't spoken since their argument in front of the church.

While Bra preferred not to think of the points the woman had made, she could not say that some of what she had said wasn't true. Yet, at the same time, she was sure that Serive has just been trying to get a rise out of her; the woman did seem to have an interest in psychology in addition to culture.

All in all, though, Bra did not want to make Serive more of an outcast than she already was. She recalled how at school new students were rarely accepted without a hitch. There was always a period of criticism from the locals, as they tried to discern whether the new person was worthwhile. Eventually most of the newcomers found a friend or two, or was even brought into a clique. Some, however, never found their niche and were left as outcasts until graduation.

Bra had always hated watching it, and hated even more how she was a part of it. She could never bring herself to just introduce herself to some new random person, not to mention it was one of the untold rules of her social class to never affiliate with someone who didn't fit in with them. As one of the richest girls in the world, Bra has predictably fallen into the popular crowd, albeit the outskirts of the caste. Many girls had tried to befriend her, but once they realized she had concerns past clothes and boys, they usually returned to their regular circle. Really, Bra only had a few real friends; all others in the so-dubbed "snobby" group were just acquaintances.

But Bra knew that being half-ostracized was so much different than being completely exiled. She didn't want that to happen to Serive, no matter what she had done or how many vicious personality flaws she had. Her own father really used to be just like the princess, and if he could change for the better after receiving some compassion, surely some friendship could also send her in the right direction.

Besides, it was not good to have such a dangerous guest in a feud with everyone in the household.

They finally reached the Capsule Corporation compound, and Serive followed Bra around to the side door that led into the kitchen. The girl placed her hand on the handle, but before she opened it she looked up at the house's guest. She hesitated before saying, "So… you hungry?"

Serive blinked a bit, then recognized the need for a truce. "Sure," she replied indifferently.

Bra smiled, then opened the door. Serive passed through and she followed her inside. As the teenage girl looked at the clock on the wall, she saw that it was nearly one in the afternoon. "Oh, time for 'Kaasan's tea."

"Tea?" Serive repeated in the tone that she had been using all day when she did not know what something was.

The youngest Briefs filled a metal teakettle with water then set it on the stove. "It's a drink we have on Earth." She turned on the burner, twisting the knob to the moderate heat setting. "Like everything, there are many varieties. 'Kaasan just likes the regular kind." Bra picked up a tin on the counter and opened it. She took out a tea bag, then replaced the container.

"What does it taste like?"

"Like… tea, I guess," Bra laughed. "I don't like it much, but it helps keep 'Kaasan awake when she's working in her lab." She leaned against the counter, waiting for the kettle's whistle. "She'll probably want to talk to you about any specific modifications you'll need for your ship."

"Hmn." Serive thought over the things she would need, and worried a bit about the great possibility that the human woman would have never heard of any of them. "I fear that all my needs won't be met."

"What will you need?"

"Well," the ghostly pale woman began, "I would prefer to have the ship be able to accommodate more than one person. Back on Wycan the rebels only have access to solitary modes of transportation- the outdated pods- so if as a last resort we needed to flee the planet altogether, we'd need quite a large ship."

"Okaasan already has some pretty big crafts in development for the government," Bra informed her. "We can probably just give you one of them."

Serive stared at the girl skeptically. "Will they withstand longterm space travel?"

Bra nodded. "Yes. She's actually had experience cruising outer space before, and she's actually been able to improve upon the ship she used."

"When was this?" Serive said with interest.

"Heh. That's all part of the grand story I was trying to tell you earlier," Bra said with a smirk.

"I am eager to hear more."

"Well, you'll just have to wait until you and 'Kaasan are done with the plans." Bra cocked her head to the side. "Anything else you need?"

Serive was quiet for a few seconds. "A adaptable fuel tank. I doubt the same fuels are used here that are given at standard refueling stations."

Bra frowned. "That might be a problem. You'll have to help Okaasan with it. It's difficult to modify an engine to use a source of energy you've never encountered."

The princess shrugged. "Many fuels are quite similar. Hopefully it won't be to much of a concern."

A high-pitched whistle rang through the air, and Bra turned back to the stove. "Well, I'm sure she'll do her best to accommodate you. Gohan and Trunks will surely be helping her, and I might be able to pitch in." She got out two mugs and filled them with the hot water before dipping a bag in each of them. The smoky water clouded with brown.

To Serive's surprise Bra offered her one of the mugs. "Try it!" she insisted with a smile. "You might like it!"

The Wycanian took the mug hesitantly, sniffing the tea. She eyed Bra cautiously.

The girl laughed. "It's fine, I promise. It might be a little hot though."

Serive carefully put her lips to the cup and took a sip. Instantly she grimaced and stuck out her tongue. "You people actually drink this shit??" she exclaimed, setting the mug down on the counter.

Bra shrugged and put her mother's cup and the kettle on a tray with a small plate of cookies. "Actually, 'Kaasan is the only one who actually drinks it." She picked up the tray and turned to Serive. "Same time every day," she said, rolling her eyes.

"I'm surprised anyone could stand that."

"Yeah, well…" Bra walked to the doorway. "Come on. It's about time you and 'Kaasan started plans for your spacecraft. I'll bring you guys some trays before I eat."

Serive watched as Bra left the kitchen with the tray. There was an itching in the princess' brain, and she blankly stared at the open canister of tea bags. She approached the counter and took a fresh bag from the can. Carefully, the Wycanian ripped open the top to reveal the soluble brown powder inside. After only mere moments a sinister grin overcame her lips when she saw how familiar it was to-

"Hey, Serive!" Bra called. "What are you waiting for?"

Serive chuckled and threw the bag in the trashcan. She was waiting for nothing. Everything had already fallen into place.

_________________________

Ah, and the stage is set… The next chapter should be coming along.. um… sometime… _; This is probably how I lost those fifteen people that actually reviewed…

Speaking of which, please say something, ANYTHING in a review or e-mail. If you loved it, hated it, whatever. I want to a) improve and b) just know that people are reading this! Thank you.