She Is Your Blood

Chapter 3

By Spitfire Maguire

Two years after the death of Vegeta-sei's Queen, life had become even more complicated for the royal family. The King was now negotiating heavily with Frieza for the preservation of his planet, his people, and their independence. Prince Vegeta had just turned five. His training was progressing at a rapid pace. Princess ChiChi had likewise been training, under the watchful eyes of her father and brother. King Vegeta had kept his wife's dying wish, and that doubled with ChiChi's natural innocence and beauty, had made him fall head over heels for his little girl. The Prince had likewise taken his role of protector seriously, even at his young age. The two were often playmates, and Vegeta made sure she never got hurt. He never coddled her and wanted her to be able to defend herself, but he never tried to purposefully hurt her either. The family had indeed become closer than ever following the death of the Queen.

One day, Vegeta was in the courtyard teaching ChiChi how to fly. She had not yet gotten the hang of it. She could float up, but going forward, backward, or any direction other than up or down was proving near impossible. She screamed in frustration and threw a small ki ball at the wall. A small hole formed next to the several hundreds of others that had been put there in the past weeks from the quick-tempered Princess. Vegeta smirked.

"Putting holes in the wall is not going to help you fly."

"But it makes me feel better!" she pouted. Saiya-jins could be highly articulate even at such a tender age. Vegeta sighed.

"You'll get the hang of it one of these days."

"Does that mean you'll still teach me, Vegeta? Until I get it right?" She gazed at him with innocent eyes.

"Until you get it right," he affirmed. He noticed his guard Nappa beckoning to them from the doorway. "Let's stop for now. I think Father wants us." ChiChi obediently followed her older brother into the castle. Nappa led them to the throne room, where he waited at the door after they entered. The King wished to speak to them alone. The children found him sitting in his royal chair.

"Papa!" ChiChi called out and ran up to her Father, launching herself into his lap. Though he'd had a serious look on his face, a smile slipped out at his daughter's exuberance. His son walked up with a little more dignity.

"Father," he said, and bowed. The King inclined his head. "Son." He sighed and a great sadness overcame him. His children looked at him curiously, waiting for him to say something. "As you know, I've been negotiating with Lord Frieza lately. He has a lot of power, and so do we, but a war between our forces would be very undesirable right now. We are not yet strong enough overcome him. I have entered into a tentative alliance with him. I'm afraid…" his voice broke off and he lowered his head.

"Papa?" ChiChi placed a small hand over his large, trembling one. He looked up, and she could see a great pain in his eyes. He took a deep breath.

"I'm afraid you will not like the terms."

"We will do whatever you ask of us, Father," said Vegeta, sticking his chin out bravely. The King looked at him with a mixture of pride and utter sadness.

"I wish I could take your place son, but it has been requested by Frieza that you train under his command until you are ready to take the throne."

"What?" The young boy's eyes widened.

"I cannot say it will be easy. It will probably be the most difficult thing you've ever done in your life. I wanted to say no. I wanted with all my might and power to say no to that ugly lizard. But I had to act for the good of our people. I had to put being a king before being a father." His voice broke with those last words.

"Papa," ChiChi cried and wrapped her small arms around his neck. "Don't cry," she said, not understanding what was happening. "It will be all right. Vegeta is strong. He will be stronger. He'll come back to us soon."

The King clutched his daughter as if she were a lifeline, then released her, steeling himself for what he was about to say. "You are leaving as well."

The girl gasped. "What? Am I to serve that lizard too?"

The King shook his head. "No, I have managed to keep your birth a secret, amazingly. Only Nappa, Vegeta, and myself know of you."

"But why?" ChiChi asked innocently. "Doesn't anybody like me?" The King smiled faintly at his daughter's naiveté. "They would like you just fine, but I had to protect you. Frieza would use you as a bargaining tool as well. It could not be prevented with Vegeta. He is my heir. I had to announce his birth. You were not supposed to happen. No one thought your mother could get pregnant again. When she did, people thought it was just rumors. When she died," he closed his eyes at the memory," we told everyone it was due to a cold and her weakened immune system from giving birth to Vegeta. We were able to keep you a secret for two years, but Frieza is very powerful and has many spies. You must leave the planet."

"No!" ChiChi cried and clung to her father. "Please don't make me leave! I love you, Papa! I'll be good, I promise. I'll hide all the time and I won't make a peep unless you tell me to. Please don't send me away! This is my home! I can't leave you and Vegeta!" At those words, she gave a tiny gasp as she remembered what her brother's fate was to be. She jumped from her father's lap and threw her arms around her older brother. "Vegeta," she sobbed. "Don't let him separate us! You can't! You told me you promised Mama that you would protect me!"

Vegeta stroked her hair, guilt plastered on his face. "I will always protect," he murmured, "even if it's from far, far away."

King Vegeta suddenly descended from his throne and picked up both his children, hugging them tightly. The three of them stayed like this for several moments, then with an agonizing sigh the King placed them back on the floor and took their hands, leading them to the door.

"Where are we going, Papa?" ChiChi asked, struggling to keep up with his long strides.

"You are leaving now," he said without looking at her.

"Now?" she stopped dead in her tracks. "I have to leave now? But I need to pack."

"Nappa has done that for you. Hurry along. We don't have much time."

ChiChi wasn't moving, so the Prince turned around and picked up his little sister, then followed his father out the door of the throne room, through the hallway, and finally at the dock, where a small pod was being prepared for take-off. As ChiChi eyed the small pod, reality hit her for the first time on this strange day. Panicked, she started to claw at her brother, trying to get away from him. He shifted her weight in his arms and rocked her a bit, attempting to calm her down. After a few minutes, she collapsed into a fit of sobs. Vegeta held her as several tears escaped from his eyes and poured down his cheeks. ChiChi looked up. She didn't want to see her brother in pain, so she took her sleeve and wiped away her tears. That was the last time she would ever see her brother cry. He allowed himself a small smile at her actions, then set her down. He withdrew a dagger from his belt and made a cut across his right palm. ChiChi watched him curiously.

"Give me your hand, princess," he said. ChiChi trusted her older brother innately. Without reserve, she extended her right hand, palm up. He drew a line across her palm. ChiChi bit her lip, but did not cry out in pain. Vegeta took her hand and clasped it within his own. "One day, I will find you. And even if our appearance has drastically changed, we will know each other by the scar on our hands that means we share the same blood." ChiChi nodded solemnly and tried to hold back a fresh wave of tears. Vegeta then took a little bit of his cape and wrapped it around his sister's hand. Likewise, she ripped a piece of her dress and wrapped it around his. The King took her suitcase from Nappa and placed it in the pod. He picked up his daughter and held her for a moment.

"I have arranged for you to be taken to a planet called Earth. We had sent a Saiya-jin baby there 2 years ago, but have not heard anything back. Hopefully you can find this Saiya-jin and he will protect you. His name is Kakarot. In the meantime, I have made arrangements with a King there, named Gyuu Mao. He has recently lost his own wife and daughter, and has generously offered to adopt you and raise you as a Princess. Be good. Learn well. And never forget your heritage."

"Papa…" ChiChi whimpered and hugged him. "I love you."

The King closed his eyes and held his daughter tightly, cherishing the last moment he would ever have with her. "I love you too, ChiChi. You will make your mother and me very proud." He kissed her forehead, and then placed her within the pod. He stepped back and waved to Nappa, who hit a button on the panel next to them. As the ship took off, ChiChi peered out the window and waved, the piece of Vegeta's cape wound tightly around her hand.

After the little pod had disappeared from view, the King turned to his son. "You know I will never see her again," he said. Vegeta nodded. Now that his sister had left, a burning hatred had filled the hole her departure had created. A hatred he directed at his father.

"I can't believe you sold me to that filthy lizard," he hissed. The King's face went white.

"I did what I had to do," he tried to explain.

"ENOUGH!" Vegeta yelled. "She may hold your memory dear forever, but I will always remember you as the man who sold his son out to the enemy!" He turned to leave.

"VEGETA!" his father's voice boomed. "Turn around now! You WILL hear me out!" The King was shaking all over. Vegeta turned and looked at him with a contempt no child should ever feel. The King walked over and placed a hand on his son's shoulder. Vegeta tensed but did not throw him off. The King knelt so that he was eye level with his son.

"One day, I hope you will understand the difficult choice I had to make. And I hope you will never have to make that choice yourself."

"Well thanks to you, I don't think I'll have to," Vegeta replied scathingly. The hand on his shoulder tightened, but his father remained silent for a long moment.

"You and ChiChi are all I care about, but I have an obligation to our people. I know you hate me, but I also know how much you love your sister. No matter what Frieza does to you, don't forget her, and don't forget your love for her. It may be all that you have left to keep you sane and from becoming truly evil. Remember where she is, and when you have finally escaped Frieza's clutches, and I know you will, find her. Find her and love her. She is your blood, Vegeta."

Vegeta flinched at those words. They were the same his mother had said to him on her deathbed. "I won't forget, Father. I promise." He looked his father in the eyes, and an understanding passed between them. Before he could react, his father hugged him tightly, then released him. He stood up and walked out, leaving a little boy to ponder the promise he had made, and the future he was about to face.