Heh heh… (sweat drop) …please don't hurt me… Well, the important thing is that I'm back, right? Finals are over, I've got a good week of vacation… Okay, I'll just shut up and type…

Chapter 37: Something Just Gave

"An unjust peace is better than a just war." –Marcus Tullius Cicero

(A/N: I've decided to add these little quotes to the beginning of every chapter. Sometimes they'll have to do with the plot that follows, other times they'll just make you think. Hope you like.)

By the time the two princesses were wrapping up their discussion, it was close to four in the morning. Goku had long since fallen asleep with his head resting in Pan's lap. As they talked, she stroked his hair lovingly, the thought of revealing his past constantly nagging her in the back of her mind. Bra couldn't seem to take her eyes off the sleeping child, as though trying to implant every detail of his image forever in her mind. Now the two sat in silence, listening to the soft dripping sounds of water falling from the massive stalactites all around them. The light from the eastern sun was beginning to break through the shadows of the cave, and shone upon the two girls in faint rays.

It was Bra who broke the silence first. "The sun's starting to rise, Pan. We've stayed here much too long. We'd better head back soon."

Pan nodded. She slowly lifted Goku's head from her lap, and with Bra's help, carefully hoisted him onto her back so she could carry him home.

"Well, it's been great seeing you again, Onee-san." Bra smiled. "You… don't mind me still calling you Onee-san?"

"No, not at all!" Pan grinned. "So, we've been at this for hours, and still haven't come up with anything to help end this conflict… Kinda sad… Well then, I guess we'll just have to keep trying!"

"Yup." Bra nodded with a doubtful smile on her face. "We really have to do this again sometime. I didn't realize how much I missed taking risks like this! See ya around!" And with that and a grin, she dove gracefully down into the water.

Pan smiled to herself before turning and heading for the eastern entrance from whence she came, her sleeping brother nuzzling his head against her shoulder.

As Bra emerged on the other side of the submerged tunnel, her mind was now fixed on one thing; getting home before anyone realized she was gone. She hurried along the labyrinth of tunnels until she could just make out a glint of light from the outside. But as she stepped out of the cave into the morning sun's warm rays, Bra sensed two kis quickly heading towards her. Struck with sudden panic, she couldn't concentrate long enough to identify them. But once the two soaring forms came into view, she breathed a sigh of relief, and rose from the ground to greet them.

"Hey, Zamuri! Keiko-chaaaan!!" Bra called, waving enthusiastically.

"Princess Bra!! You're all right!" Keiko exclaimed as the three came to a halt in midair.

"Of… course I'm all right…" Bra raised an eyebrow. "And… Zamuri-kun, how did you get out?"

"It's a long story, and there's little time for explanations." Zamuri rasped. He hadn't flown in five years, and it proved difficult to suddenly fly a long distance at top speed after doing nothing but sit in darkness, let alone carry Keiko as well.

"Why, what's going on?" Bra asked.

"Your father found you missing, and perceived it as a kidnapping!" Keiko said quickly, sensing Zamuri's haste. "He thought one of the rebels had done it, so now he's launching a full-scale attack!"

"WHAT?!? No, he can't!!" Bra cried.

"And it gets worse…" Keiko grimaced. "Your brother… came after Zamuri, thinking he had something to do with your absence. He attacked us…"

"Wait, that can't be true! My brother would never do something like that!" Bra protested.

"He almost KILLED Zamuri!" Keiko wailed. "With all due respect princess, you need to wake up and look around you! You brother is a Warrior Elite for a very good reason; he's a killer! His powers are deadly!"

Bra floated in defeated silence for a moment. At last, she whispered, "Then… how did you escape?"

"I'm not quite sure myself, but I think I managed to knock him out cold. He's going to have one nasty headache when he wakes up, that's for sure."

"Oh, this is just PERFECT." Bra growled sarcastically. "Well, I'd better hurry back so I can straighten thing out." She glided past her two friends, the only ones who had kept her sane in that dark, lonely castle for the last five years. "So, Keiko… I guess this means you're free. Where will you go now?"

"Wherever Zamuri goes." Keiko said lovingly, resting her chin on his shoulder.

"First, we're going to my father's place to warn them of the attack." Zamuri said. "And we'd better get going." He urged.

"Well then, good luck to both of you!" Bra smiled weakly, acknowledging the fact she was about to lose both of them one way or another. "I hope we meet again someday."

"Me too, princess." Keiko said. They said their quick goodbyes, and sped off in their opposite directions.

King Vegeta had, for the most part, regained his cool composure, and had fully taken control of the situation. He had ordered his generals to mobilize all of their troops and get them ready for battle. Now he was pacing in his throne room, awaiting news from a scout he had sent out to see if Kakarot had assembled any sort of army.

Finally, the man he had sent came running in, halting in front of the king and kneeled.

"State your report." The king ordered. The younger man stood up.

"Sire, it seems Kakarot has given no signs of battle preparation at all. No troops, no fortifications, nothing!"

"Hmm… Very well, you may go." The king waved off the scout. He bowed again slightly before dashing back out of the room. The king then turned to one of his sentries. "Summon my son." He ordered. The sentry bowed and ran off. After a few minutes, he came hurrying back, a look of concern on his face.

"Sire, it seems Prince Vegeta is out cold in the dungeon! And the cell containing that rebel kid is empty!"

"WHAT?!?" The king cried, pushing the guard out of the way to go and see for himself. Sure enough, he found his son unconscious just inside the doorway of an empty cell, which, until earlier that morning, had housed Son Zamuri, the last advantage the king had against his enemies.

"Vegeta!! Wake up!!" The king called, shaking his son. The prince finally stirred, and looked up at his father guiltily.

"Otou-san…" He mumbled.

"What happened, my son?" The king asked anxiously.

"I don't know… One minute I had that Son punk by the throat and the next…"

"What did you think you were doing?" King Vegeta questioned, a little more sternly now. The prince rose to his feet, shaking off the dizziness.

"I'm sorry, Otou-san. I thought he might have had something to do with Bra's disappearance. If he knew anything, I was going to find out…"

"Then how on Vegeta-sei did you get knocked out?!"

"It must have been… that scrawny maid! She must have come up to me from behind, and… Oh MAN, I feel stupid!!" He stomped his foot in frustration.

"What? What maid?!" King Vegeta inquired apprehensively.

"The very same who was responsible for Goku's vanishing five years ago! One of her punishments was a heavier work load, but she seems to have been spending too much time with the prisoners. I guess this one got to her, and she turned against us."

"Well then, I'll make sure she feels the consequences for her mistake! Everyone she cares about will suffer because of her!!"

Prince Vegeta stared at his father, full of bloodlust and vengeance. Never before had he felt emotion this strong from him. After taking a few deep breaths, the king turned back to his son.

"Of course, you know how it angers me when you show weakness. And getting beaten by some scrawny girl beats all."

"But Otou-san…" the prince started, but shut his mouth quickly after reconsidering an argument. "Yes, sir."

After pushing herself beyond her normal speed limitations, Bra had finally reached home. It didn't take her long to realize the castle was in a state of frenzy. Troops were mobilizing in the town square and men were frantically running in and out of the castle.

"Oh no… It's worse than I thought!" Bra exclaimed to herself as she burst in through the front door. "Hey, you!!" She hollered at the first sentry she saw.

"P- Princess Bra!" stuttered the sentry, nearly forgetting to bow. "You're all right!"

"Of course I'm all right! Now, where's my father?!"

"He's… down in the dungeons, Lady…" The stunned man pointed through an archway to his right. Bra rushed past him without another word, and practically flew down the spiral staircase, through the stone hallways, and up to her enraged father in front of Zamuri's empty cell.

"Otou-san!!" Bra screamed as she landed swiftly in front of the king.

"Bra…?" King Vegeta stared at his daughter in what was unmistakably amazement.

"BRA!!!" Her brother cried, pulling her into his embrace with an overjoyed look of relief. "Are you hurt?" He said, holding her at arm's length with one strong hand on each shoulder. "Did they harm you? How did you escape?"

Bra looked into her brother's protective gaze, and then shook her head fiercely. "No, it's not like that at all! They didn't kidnap me!!"

"Wha…?" The prince stared, releasing his grip.

"Then what were you doing all night?!" The king questioned sternly, pushing past his son. "Why could I sense you in the mountains with two unfamiliar kis?! Do you know how worried I've been about you?!?"

"Otou-san, what's with all the troops in the city?!" Bra cut in, trying to avoid the topic. "What are you planning to do?!?"

"Do NOT change the subject, young lady! Now answer me!"

"You're planning an attack, aren't you?" Bra continued with a note of escalating validity in her tone.

"Bra… stop it…" The prince urged quietly. But Bra took no notice.

"Seriously! Why can't you just leave those people alone?! They've already signed that peace treaty that YOU made! How can you just go back on your word like that?!? You're HEARTLESS!!"

"SHUT UP!!!" King Vegeta yelled, a brief white aura bursting forth from all around him. It was just enough to knock Prince Vegeta off balance, though Bra had completely fallen over in surprise. When she looked back up at her father, she suddenly regretted questioning him. His eyes were staring menacingly down into hers, flickering between black and blue-green, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles had gone white.

"Otou-san…" The frightened princess mumbled.

"You… have no right… to say those things!" He said through grit teeth, trembling with rage. "You have… no idea… how long I've waited for this day. And if you think… that you can talk me into prolonging this any longer… you are quite mistaken." Suddenly, a wave of calm seemed to sweep over the king, and he dropped his arms to his sides, his eyes closed and chin lowered. Then, the King of Saiyans did the most unexpected thing… he laughed. Not the kind of laugh that came after a comedic or ironic moment, but the kind that sent an icy chill down the spines of both his children. Bra shuddered.

"After all… they still have my son, Nappa. And the fact that one of my own servants deliberately attacked my son just adds to my anger." He muttered almost insanely. "Yes… this battle can't be detained any longer." Opening his eyes once again, both children could see his pupils had stopped wavering indecisively, and remained a constant, eerie aqua-color. "For this… this is fate… destiny!" Simultaneously, his hair burst into its familiar, golden hue, electric sparks dancing wildly around his aura. "And it is destined that I, Vegeta, King of the Saiyan race, shall defeat Kakarot once and for all! I WILL EMERGE AS THE GREATEST SAIYAN WARRIOR IN EXISTENCE!!!" He screamed with pride, once again causing the entire castle to tremble. Bra could only look on in fear, while her brother gaped at the amazing strength and power that he one day hoped to achieve.

"My lord!" A man called, hurrying down the stone hallway. Bowing deeply, he stated, "The army is mobilized, and awaiting your word, sire."

"Hmph… excellent." The king smirked. "I'll be right there. You may go." He waved the man off, and then turned to his daughter, still shaking on the floor. "We shall have to finish this later. Come, Vegeta." With that, the king and prince strode up the stairs and out of sight, the bright, golden aura never withdrawing as she watched it fade into the darkness of the corridor.