Vegeta laid awake, listening to the calming sounds of the blue planet's nightlife and the susurration of crickets chirping. The faint din of the city was a low rumble in the distance, but still he could not go to sleep. He turned onto his back, feeling a sharp twinge of pain in his ribs. He rubbed the bandage where the odd purple haired man had affixed medical tape and sewed the wound up skillfully. It was not a fatal wound; it had most likely happened when the large blast hit the water and he was hit with a chunk of the submarine's hull.

Vegeta tried to think back and mentally map which way the blast had sent Nappa. He resolved that tomorrow he would return to the site and do a second sweep. Just in case. It would be unfortunate to lose the last of his kind simply because of his own incompetence to recover him. At the very least he could find his corpse so he could give him a proper burial; Nappa had once told him about the traditional Saiyan funeral. He mulled over the details as he heard a loud, jarring sound coming into the driveway. The sound was only dissonance and wailing to his ears that made him cringe as he could hear someone singing along to the music, if you could even call it that.

The woman's back so soon? He sat up in bed; he was wide awake and couldn't sleep anyways, and the sound of that horrible 'singing' was enough to make him go insane. The rumbling engine shut off as did the music, to his relief. He heard the jangling of the keys in her hand, then the sound of the tumbler unlocking. A soft sniffling sound reached his highly sensitive ears.

Vegeta rubbed his face, feeling agitated and weary as the woman made her way into the kitchen, and he heard the refrigerator door opening. His stomach rumbled and he looked down at it, then placed his hand there, frowning at the annoying, demanding feeling. He sighed heavily before standing, the white blanket falling in a puddle around his naked feet. He picked up the black pants with his tail and glared at them. I don't know what these earthlings consider appropriate dress; that woman was only inches away from exposing herself to me. He shook his head, shaking out the incessant, nagging images that made his body want to betray him. Vulgar woman.

"UGH! Don't we have any fucking Vodka? I need to get so trashed I can't think!" Bulma roared as Vegeta stood and observed her quietly for a moment. "Hmm, there we go!" She took out the pitcher of strawberry daiquiri from earlier and tilted her head back, pouring the blended mixture straight down her gullet.

"This oughta make me forget all about that cheating bastard! Fucking Yamcha! I can't believe him! He didn't even have the decency to wait until I was gone to start shoving his tongue down her throat! Maybe it's better that I saw it; who knows how long he's been keeping this from me!" She prattled on before gulping down more of the sweet syrupy goodness.

"Hn..." Vegeta made a soft growl, curious as he observed her strange activity.

Bulma jumped, gulping down a swallow of alcohol so large her throat should have bulged. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and stuttered.

"Oh! V-Vegeta! What are you doing up at this hour?" She said, righting herself and swinging the fridge door shut, then looking through the cupboards for an actual glass for her drink.

"Well, I'm currently listening to your racket. I haven't been able to achieve sleep status." Vegeta crossed his arms over his bare chest, his tail wrapped around him to hold up the loose sweatpants that had been the earthling Yamcha's. He didn't care about her silly problems with the earthling man, all he was concerned about was how soon he would get to eat.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I've been having a bad night... Normally, it's much quieter around here!" Bulma said apologetically as she finished pouring her daiquiri, topping it with whipped cream and strawberries. Vegeta sniffed at the sweet smell and licked his lips.

As if she could read his thoughts, the woman said "You must be hungry; that's the only reason you'd come out to see me," her tone almost slipping out of the friendly zone. Vegeta turned up the corner of his mouth just slightly and strolled closer to her, tilting his head at her as she sipped her drink.

"Want some?" She offered, pushing the glass towards him. Vegeta jerked his chin back in offense at the idea of sharing from the same glass. "Here." She sighed, popping a clean straw in. Vegeta took the offered glass but ignored the straw completely, burying his face in the whipped cream and gulping it down without hesitation. He pulled back suddenly, eyes wide as whipped cream dripped from his sharp, upturned nose. Bulma snickered into her hand as he blinked in sheer amazement, his eyebrows raising and wrinkling his smooth forehead.

"Is this fermented..?" He asked in wonder, licking his lips.

"It's alcohol, silly. Haven't you ever had it before?" She said, taking back the glass and sipping daintily from the straw.

"Of course I've had it. But it never tasted like that." The sweetness was so overbearing it almost fogged his perception of the alcohol's taste. The alcohol he was familiar with was a rancid slurry of fermented fruit and at times even had dead bugs and seeds in it.

He was distracted, thinking about the terrible times on Frieza's ship when he had forced the foul liquid down just to knock himself unconscious. Bulma took the opportunity to wipe the cream off his nose and popped her finger in her mouth, sucking it. He allowed his eyes to linger on her a second, narrowing suspiciously, then wiped his nose with the back of his hand and licked it. Bulma giggled at the almost feline action that he would hate to know was the same type of thing little Scratch would do.

She wiped her drying tears off her cheek with the back of her hand, genuinely smiling. "Would you like your own glass?" Bulma asked more cheerfully.

He shook his head no. "I require solid fare. Where are your kitchen slaves? I'd have them sample it beforehand." He hadn't liked the trick she pulled on him earlier with the spicy food. It burnt his tongue and numbed the taste buds for hours. Bulma stared at him with an astounded look.

"Um... no, we don't have slaves here. Sorry. Our world has outlawed slavery. But don't worry, I'll try it for you." She said brightly.

Vegeta scoffed, shaking his head at the foolishness of this planet; all castles should have slaves, and many of them at hand in case he wanted to take his anger out on something breathing. Bulma bit her tongue and rummaged through the fridge. "Something cold, something not spicy... Oh!" She stood back up holding a large, green oblong fruit.

"What is that? It looks like your mud ball planet." He said with a snort.

"Watermelon! It's a yummy fruit! You'll like it! I want some too!" She said chipperly then went to the counter and pulled out a large butcher knife from a drawer. Vegeta's eyes widened at the glint of sharp silver and he quickly flew to her, grabbing her wrist and taking the weapon out of her hand. He placed it behind his back and pressed her against the counter, her backside meeting his groin unintentionally.

Bulma gasped; one second she was holding the knife and in the next she had her wrist clutched in his hand, her body in his warm embrace.

"Wh-why... did you... do that?" She panted, her head of mussed blue strands falling back and resting against his chest.

"Fool! You could have been seriously injured! Are you so daft that you would risk hurting yourself rather than ask for assistance? You have no protective armor, no guard!" He growled into the nape of her neck, pulling her tighter until his form melded against hers like perfect pieces of a puzzle.

"It's just a knife for cutting vegetables, Vegeta! I'm not inept! I know how to use it!" She squirmed, rubbing her bountiful behind against his groin. Vegeta pulled back from her briskly, guiding her safely away.

"Nonsense! Sit and drink your fermented sugar drink. I'll cut the fruit." He walked her to the table, pulled out the chair and pressed her into it. It wasn't a gentlemanly motion but it sure felt like one. Bulma stared as he turned away and started slicing up the watermelon with great skill.

Oh... I see. He was protecting me... In his own way. She smiled and breathed a deep sigh of relief.

"Thank you, Vegeta. I appreciate your concern." She said warmly, sipping her drink.

"It is not concern, it is duty. You were undefended, and I defended you. If your earthling men were competent, you would have your own royal guard sworn to you at all times. As a princess, your life should be of more importance." He growled out with one last hard slice into the watermelon. His reasoning for getting himself into this mess was getting foggy. Vegeta knew his foolish promise to the princess stemmed from the tragedy that had occurred when his own mother was found dead without a guard when Frieza turned on the Saiyans.

"Here." He said bitterly, placing the cutting board down hard on the table. Bulma took one of the long, triangular slices and munched happily. Vegeta nabbed one quickly, filling his mouth to the edge of the rind and quickly disposing of the mealy, pink flesh. The rinds began piling up on the cutting board at lighting speed as he devoured them. Bulma took another and nibbled.

"Good, huh?" She said, as she was reminded of Goku in their early days, when he was just a cute little boy and had so many new things to discover; each new thing was an enlightening experience for him. Vegeta's hard eyes were dark and glossy like Goku's but bore no joy.

"Mmnn." He growled, scraping the rind clean with his teeth.

I see that part of him is like Goku, too. He was never a good mealtime conversationalist.

"Any more?" Vegeta grunted, tossing the rind into the large pile.

Bulma frowned, looking at the last piece in her hand."No... we don't have any more. Sorry." Water ran down her hand to her wrist and she watched his eyes follow the pink line. He licked his lips and a flash of a white canine shined as he made a low, rumbling sound.

"We could.. share?" She asked, tilting her head of blue locks that appeared a light lavender in the light from the kitchen window. He copied the motion.

"I don't mind." She responded to his gesture and broke the piece easily with her delicate pink fingers and held it out to him. Vegeta took her gently by the elbow and lowered his head, sniffing. Bulma's heart raced as she observed his odd actions.

The pink line of fluid was about to drip onto her skirt. He caught it with his mouth, quickly swiping the fluid up off her arm with his tongue. He took the fruit out of her hand swiftly and lapped up the juice pooling in her palm, his dark eyes glinting as he caught her stare. Bulma felt tingles shooting straight from her hand and down to the pit of her belly as his warm tongue tickled her palm.

Her legs quivered and she almost wanted to jerk her arm away and slap him, she was so startled. But she couldn't; she could only swallow with a suddenly parched throat.

"Vegeta... you.." She couldn't finish when he took her hand and licked between her fingers with a flicking tongue, his eyes not leaving hers. She gasped, feeling an aching in her breasts, her nipples hardening as if yearning to have the same treatment. Bulma crossed her legs together firmly and turned her face away, squeezing her eyes shut.

This is too...too weird!

"There. Your garb is now safe from ruin. Be more careful." He said flatly, pulling back and swiping that devilish red tongue across his lips, then munching on his watermelon as if nothing odd had even happened. Bulma was finally able to regain her breath and slumped her body against the chair as if exhausted. One more minute of that and I would've thought he wanted to eat ME! She huffed, crossing her arms.

"You can't just.. just lick someone like that!" She snapped, shuddering.

"Hm, why not? It seems to have rattled you." He said innocently, tilting his head. All he had intended to do was clean her, as he would have himself. His eyes gleamed with curiosity. Bulma stood quickly, her eyes widening in dread as she felt an unmistakable warmth pooling in her panties, then dripping down her thighs. Vegeta's eyes quickly darted down, as if following the minuscule trail down her leg that was concealed by the skirt. He scented the air sharply, then every hair on his head seemed to bristle.

Bulma cringed; feeling embarrassed she pressed her thighs together and glared at him. "Smell something you like, Rover?" She spat, backing away. He grinned, walking forward. He didn't answer, but the soft chuckle he gave told her everything she needed to know. She'd seen such a hungry look before, in the eyes of a lion stalking its prey. Bulma clenched her jaw; determined to not show her fear, she used her biting wrath to shield herself.

"Are you going to lick that up too?" She snapped, scowling. Vegeta only kept walking closer to her until she was backed up to the wall.

"Would you like me to, Your Majesty?" He asked darkly; a flash of forbidden hunger sparkled in his eyes as he licked his gleaming white canines.

His words shot throughout every fiber of her being. Bulma gasped; shameful thoughts flashed through her mind of pressing him down to his knees with her high heel on his shoulder, him holding her by her bottom as he licked upwards to 'clean' her..."N-no! Get away from me!" She cried out, and with tears spilling down her cheeks, she ran.

Vegeta started following the trail of her scent, then paused, as it was now tainted with her foul smelling tears. He growled to himself, turning away angrily. "That vixen!" He shook his head, fisting his hands at the roots of his hair, as if desiring to pull the distracting fog of lust violently from his mind.

I would NEVER lower myself to clean that human woman in such a place! Why would I even entertain such a disgusting thing?! He swallowed the saliva that had pooled in his mouth and stormed back to his own bedroom determined to sleep, and now. He would make himself immune to that vulgar woman's misleading scent.

Tien and Launch rode back to Kame House in silence, as she looked on at him worriedly from the driver's seat. "What's going on Tien? You ok?" She said softly, placing her hand on his arm as he was hunched over, shaking.

"Let's get ya some fresh air, hun." She got out of the car and walked around to the passenger's side. Tien opened the door, practically falling out onto the sand.

"I have to go. I have to get away!" He grunted out, and as Launch approached him she felt apprehensive when she saw his entire body was quivering and a golden aura was beginning to glow around him. Launch knew better than to touch him with his ki coming out onto the surface of his skin, so she knelt next to him, and softly whispered.

"It's ok, Tien. I'm here. You're alright, darlin'.'' Tien looked up at her and cried out in pain, his eyes wider than she had ever seen them, almost illuminated. She felt her heart aching with sympathy for him.

"Look into my eyes. Shh. Breathe. You have to breathe, Tien." Launch leaned so close that her face almost touched his, staring into his quivering, dark brown pupils. He took a deep, shaky breath, gazing back into her eyes. He exhaled, his ki calming gradually until it was so dim that Launch felt it was safe to lean forward and kissed him softly on the lips, feeling the hot sparks still lingering there, but he didn't return her kiss. He pulled back, clutching her firmly by her shoulders.

"Stay here, Launch. This is something I have to do alone. I don't want to hurt you, but I don't think we should see eachother like this ever again. What we did... was wrong."

She backed away, startled.

"What… Whad'ya mean, Tien? Where are you going?" She whimpered, fearing the way his voice had become altered, becoming deeper and guttural for a moment.

"Don't follow me, please...Launch, I..." He groaned, looking away. A stream of tears fell down his cheek, as he couldn't bear to look at her horrified expression any longer.

I'm a monster... She's better off without me! Large veins pulsed in his temples, and he felt a knot swelling in his throat as he looked away from her.

"No! I won't let you go!" Launch protested, grabbing for his arm before he tore it away, pedaling back from her as if stung. She winced and held her hand, feeling a stinging sensation there. Tien shakedly got his balance then bent his legs, leaping into the air and taking off into the dark sky as Launch watched him become a small dot. She felt her chest aching with pain, her mind racing frantically with panicked thoughts. What's wrong with him? Where did he go? Why can't I help him?

Tears trickled down her cheeks as she stood and looked to the darkened pink house, the galaxy behind her, bright with stars and an eerie violet glow of red and blue aura, melding together.

Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill them all...The raspy voice resounded in his mind again as Tien flew. Falling off balance, he teetered sideways and then fell, crashing through the forest below. His body plummeted through the canopy, breaking branches which tore at his clothes as he fell, then landed flat on the ground in a heap. His eyes rolled back in his skull as his entire body quivered with tension.

There are three of them in all. Two males you must kill, they are useless to me. Except the girl, you'll bring her to me. You know of whom I speak. The man whispered to him, the cruel astral fingers of his influence digging into his mind and refusing to release their claws.

"No..." Tien groaned, getting up onto his hands. "I can't do that, I won't... " He groaned, feeling his body contorting, as shapes shifted beneath his clothes in the darkness, rippling and distorting the shape of the man who lay suffering on the ground.

"I did as you asked, is that not enough? Why must we do this? What did they ever do to deserve this?!" Tien cried out in pain, then squeezed his eyes shut and whimpered, holding his pulsating head in his hands.

Launch, I'm so sorry... I just can't. I can't hurt you like this, just being with me... will hurt you. His whimpers turned to pants as at last, he pulled his hands away and his third eye opened. The tiny pupil slowly turned green and glowed. Tien's eyes all opened and his tension relaxed, his face suddenly slack.

Good. Good. Feel the power. Feel the power of the Celestials, coursing through your veins.

"Yes. Yes, My Lord." He whispered gruffly, then took off, running at a great speed. Tien lept and bound through the woods like a predator, before leaping up and landing on the back of a Saber Tooth Tiger, tearing out its throat with his bare hands, slaughtering it for the sheer purpose of enacting violence.

He shuddered, pulling back from the warm masses of flesh and blood his hands were buried in, panting heavily. He closed his eyes then stilled as the sound of a door opening made fresh tears of struggle run down his cheeks, eked out by those bony fingers squeezing him tightly once again.

"Who's out there? Hello?" A voice called, and Tien gripped the sinew in his hands tighter, shaking his head, refusing.

Do it. Do it now. They do not matter.

"I swear I heard something... Whoever's out there, you can't hide!" The person said and walked into the woods, shining a flashlight.

"You think I'm afraid? I have a shotgun! You'd better get off my property!"

Go. The shotgun boomed, and there was a bright golden light, both from the barrel, and the beast storming towards him as the man attempted to back away. There was a struggle, then the flashlight rolled away and all was dark as a gutteral tearing ripped through wetness, a muffled cry, then his laughter, which turned into a sob.

"Please... don't make me do this..."

It's too late. Now, finish them all off.

"Yes... yes, My Lord." Tien whispered, and his hulking shadow moved in the darkness, making a path for the small cottage in the woods.

Launch walked slowly to the house and shut the door with a soft click, her mind heavy with thoughts as she shuffled up the stairs to the small attic room that her other side shared with Raditz. She opened the door carefully, seeing only his dark shadow in the bed as she shedded her garments and walked to the bathroom, turning on the hot water to wash herself as she had promised the saiyan.

Launch stepped in and closed the curtain, then arched her face into the warm stream and allowed her makeup to run down her cheeks. She applied her face wash and scrubbed her face with a soft cloth until it was clean of the black tears that had marred her cheeks and the red lipstick that had smeared.

Was... it all worth it? I don't know. I don't feel like a different woman.. It hurts, but I feel the same. I don't feel like his. I took what I wanted from him; had it been his idea, I don't know that it would have even happened. Tien was such a stubborn man; he had refused for such a long time to stay in Kame House because he was a student of Master Crane and always would be. But after a few years he had slowly become closer with everyone (as much as he could with his shut-in personality), and although he had never changed his colors, he was still thought to be part of the team.

Over the years they had become closer, after she had nursed him back to health after King Piccolo's defeat, and became familiar with his daily visits to Kame House for training. She'd even grown to tolerate Chiaotzu and grew fond of him. Launch knew that Tien liked her; she had accused him of it when he so stubbornly refused to stay at Kame House, going as far as to build his own house, far up in the mountains.

Launch lowered her face, pouring shampoo in her hand and spreading it through her darkened locks, washing out the stiff hairspray. It feels like he doesn't trust me, he couldn't even tell me what was wrong. We should be able to share everything, shouldn't we?

Launch took her sponge and soaped her body, her chest still marked with fading bruises. She felt the soreness between her thighs and sobbed. I... feel dirty. Used. I don't feel loved. I should be in Tien's arms right now. Not.. all alone.

Launch cleaned herself gently with her fingers and sighed. She still ached for more. Switching to cool water, she rinsed herself clean until her hair was a curtain around her and she began to shiver.

Launch stepped out and wrapped herself in a towel, going over to the dresser and retrieving her grey sleep tank top and white panties. She wrapped the towel around her hair and dressed, knowing that Raditz was asleep by his loud snoring. She picked up her soiled black panties off the floor and tossed them in the trash, shutting the lid. As if that could make me forget the whole thing. Launch thought, scoffing.

Launch dried her hair, allowing it to fall in damp coils down her back and went and observed the sleeping saiyan on the bed, watching his relaxed face as he slept. Raditz looked so much younger when his face was fully relaxed, and as she gazed she thought maybe she could see some resemblance to Goku there. Launch pulled the sheets over his big feet which dangled off the bed, giggling softly as one foot twitched after being touched. Is it possible a saiyan could be ticklish? She wondered, scratching the bottom of his foot with her nail. Raditz stirred, twitching his foot again and making a husky laugh, his tail suddenly swiping around the area to bat away any predators that dared to attack his sleeping form. Launch drew back her hand quickly, not wishing to fight against even just his tail on its own. The tail eventually laid back down on his waist, and her eyes were drawn back to his body.

Launch gently took a seat on the bed, kneeling over to get a close look at the snoozing saiyan. He's so... big. She thought, letting her eyes really rake across his form this time, across his bandaged chest, down his abdomen with velvety, soft black hairs trailing down to the loosely slung towel over his lap. His muscular legs were spread in a way that reminded her of little Goku when he slept, with one leg hanging off the bed.

She smiled at hearing him make soft grunts and seeing his face twitch in his sleep. "Launch... Launch..." Launch turned her head quickly to watch his face as a spike of electricity shot down her back when she heard him speak her name, though it was slurred with sleep.

His entire body started quivering, and he tossed his head back and forth as the dream grew more intense. Launch backed up, feeling slightly nervous.

"Tastes like honey... so sweet." He mumbled and licked his lips.

She shivered, suddenly feeling like she was doing something very wrong by listening to his dream that was clearly about her other self and not her. She tore her eyes away, fluffing her pillow then rolling over on her side.

"Mine. My girl. She's...mine! " He mumbled, twitching. She heard a low rumble, then something like a wolf's snarl. Launch shivered. "Can't... can't take her.." She pulled the pillow up over her ears and felt like screaming for him to shut up. "No!" He gasped, sitting up in bed panting. She looked from the corner of her eye at the man now having a nightmare.

His eyes were squeezed shut, his brows furrowed. He growled even deeper, his hair bristling upwards as the bed began to shake. Sweat beaded his skin as he quivered, straining as if building up his ki. A fluorescent red began to glow around the large hands curled facing upward in his lap, slowly growing brighter until it crawled up his vascular arms. "Haah...haah... " He panted, and Launch sat up, suddenly frightened.

"Hey- uh, you better stop that!" She said, her voice shaky. "You're gonna blow up the place!" The red aura only continued to crawl, until it encased him completely and was even surrounding the large spikes of hair that grew back from his brow. "Stop! Hey you, stop that!" She yelled, taking the pillow and whacking him with it. It blew into a cloud of ashen feathers, and she dropped the singed corners.

"R-Raditz! Wake up!" She said, her voice panicked.

"Hnnn. Mmmm...?" He moaned, his eyelids lifting slowly. The pupils were unfocused, hazy by sleep. "Smell it… I smell him." He mumbled through his lips, his eyes slowly turning on her.

"Uhh.. I washed up like ya said!" She said, laughing nervously. He sniffed sharply, then exhaled, and the red began to fade slowly to a deep pink, then sunk back into his skin until it was pale again. The man slouched over, his head hanging from his wide shoulders.

Launch tentatively placed one hand on his back, and the other on his chest to carefully make him lie down, having to push hard until his head hit the pillow. With the shift in gravity her face met with his, their noses just touching as her arm was trapped beneath him. Launch pulled her arm out with a yelp, holding her shoulder.

His tail slowly snaked up her leg, then coiled gently around her waist and lifted her into the air above him. Launch gasped, squirming for balance mid air, feeling so frightened she practically screamed. Then, the tail pulled her down and settled her to lay in the crook of his arm and he made a deep, rumbling sigh.

Launch grabbed at the furry appendage and yanked. It wasn't going to budge. Launch sighed heavily, resting her head on his soft pectoral muscle, now relaxed of all its stiffness. Well, guess I'm stuck here.. don't have a pillow now anyways. Guess this is just as good, and it's not as if I got a choice. She sighed and allowed herself to fall asleep, feeling oddly comfortable.

...

Heavy, white smoke swept across a vast plain of powdery blue soil as she walked; each footprint marking her soles with sky blue. The owner of them paused to turn and smile at her reflection in the mirrored walls. The black sky overhead was devoid of a moon, only stars.

The little girl wore a large, red bow wrapped around bouncing blonde curls and a pink and black pinafore apron dress. "Blue? Are you there?" She knocked on the glass, her green eyes illuminated teal with the blue radiance of their dream realm. The swirling smoke surrounded her, tendrils dancing across the vaulted ceiling and skirting along the mirror walls.

"I'm here. What's wrong?" Her voice echoed, breathy and reverberating. The little blonde girl sat and pressed her forehead to the mirror.

"I'm sad." She said softly. Her mirror reflection placed its shadowy form across from hers. "Me too. Can I come out and play now?" Blue tapped the glass, her hand in the reflection fuzzy.

"I think it's safe." Little Launch whispered, looking up to the sky. She pressed on the mirror and opened a hidden door.

"I want to be with him." She whispered as she crawled out, a small child with long, curly blue hair and identical red ribbon that was on the opposite side.

"Why?" Launch said, touching Blue Launch's pale cheek and gazing into her dark, violet eyes.

Blue grasped her other self's hand, then nuzzled her cheek into it. "I don't know.. I can't explain why. I just do." Blue Launch smiled.

"...I want to go inside." The blonde said, lowering her face and nodding sadly. "It hurts."

Blue Launch nodded silently, her little face looking grim. The two girls passed by one another, then the blonde child crawled inside the mirror and the other closed the door. Blue knocked on the mirror from the outside. "Are you ok?" She whispered, her other side touched the mirror, now only a black shadow.

"Yeah. I'll go to sleep now. Be careful, Launch. He'll hurt you if you're not careful." She whispered.

Blue giggled, tears beading at the corners of her upturned eyes. "I know! But I'll be ok! I'm strong." She said, standing and making her way through the sand, her pink and white apron dress swaying across her dusty blue knees, small mouth bowed in a mischievous smile.

…

Launch's curled form against Raditz's chest smiled, nuzzled up to him as her blonde hair slowly darkened to chartreuse green, aquamarine, teal and then a rich, royal blue. Her features shifted from sharp edges to soft. She woke and opened her large eyes a moment to look up at Raditz's sleeping face, crawling up carefully to softly kiss his lips. He stirred only a small amount, smiling as she stroked his cheek and softly sang her unearthly tune. The red and blue aurora outside danced, the colors clashing to create a brilliant violet glow that flooded into the small window.

He opened his eyes; sitting up on one elbow, Tien stared out at the translucent waterfall before the cavern he had fallen to sleep in. His purple shirt fell away in strips, revealing his dirty skin covered in scratches and scrapes.

"I did it. I made it." He said, standing to walk through the waterfall and allow it to crash around him, washing him clean of the splattered blood and soil. Once clean, Tien walked out into the water reflecting with the Aurora's brilliant light.

"Only a few more days. Soon we won't be able to avoid it anymore." He whispered, staring at the celestial bodies in the sky. Mars and Neptune were so low in the sky that they were visible beneath the mottled light show, nearly the size of Earth's moon.

Yes... good, my son...

Hunger pangs ate away at his belly as Nappa opened his eyes wearily. He was still in the dark basement room. Above, he heard the rumbling of strange music. Flutes and drums made a ruckus, along with the pungent scent of incense. By the shaking of the ceiling, it seemed the people above were dancing in fervent worship of the skies. Nappa grimaced as he heard them bellowing with exaltation to the planets. A high pitched intonation rang out, causing the caged saiyans to growl and curl over, clutching their skulls. Nappa squeezed his eyes shut and could barely bear to hear the sound, groaning in pain.

"They're getting ready for the solstice. The dark times are approaching." A low voice spoke from one of the cages, then shuddered.

"Can you all speak..?" Nappa asked lowly, not loud enough for the leader to hear. He heard mumbles and agreeing sounds, grunts. "Are you able to use your power?" The caged saiyans looked at one another in confusion.

"Maybe."

"He cut our tails."

"He cut mine off."

"..Piece by piece."

"I don't know if we can now..."

"Mine is still half there."

Many voices rang out around him. Nappa shook his head, "That doesn't matter. There is no moon here. I mean your ki, do you know how to use it?" He growled out, frustrated as the siren song screeched in his ears.

"Of course I do..."

"No."

"What's that?"

" 'Is that energy?' " The many voices murmured.

"I'll explain to you all how to use it. But you'll need to eat in order to use it. We need sustenance." He said, having hadn't eaten in nearly a year, only being sustained by rations and the nutrient serum.

"She will feed us soon."

"They give us the scraps!"

"We can have the bones, the marrow is good!"

"I'm hungry."

The many voices echoed, and Nappa hushed their excited voices. "Shhh. When he comes back, pretend you are all weak." He said assuredly.

"Weak?"

"We aren't weak!"

"Why?"

"What's the point of that?"

Nappa turned his head to the side and snarled at them all, silencing them.

"Don't ask so many goddamned questions! I'll explain."

Gohan climbed up to the summit of Break Wasteland, now safe from the wild dogs that had been chasing him. He dragged his feet behind him in exhaustion, scratches marred his small face and tears threatened to burst from his eyes.

He sighed heavily and looked up at the beautiful lights, the red and blue planet on either side of the sky so visible that he could make out the planet's mottled surfaces. Gohan gazed for a while then rubbed his eyes with both fists. He looked around to see if there were any fresh apples left for him today. Seeing that there were none, he pouted. Though hungry, Gohan's weariness overcame his need for food, and he curled up in a ball and rested.

…

Far from where Gohan rested, Piccolo stood at the top of Mount Paozu. After cupping ice water in his hands to drink, he lifted his face and observed the planets with a thoughtful expression, his verdant skin illuminated to an almost bluish hue as the colors danced across him.

Why are the planets so close? It's never happened before... Could it be because the moon never returned? What could this entail? Piccolo grumbled with agitation, then pulled his white cloak around him and turned away.

…

The coals of a dying fire began to glow with the gentle breeze, as Chi-Chi rested from her long journey. Her head of black hair spilt out over her bundle of clothes, loose. Curled safely to her chest was a luminous orange ball, as the colors of the aurora danced across her pale skin.

…

Far from the forest, on the balcony of the second floor of Capsule Corps stood a figure draped in a white sheet, fluttering on the breeze. Bulma sighed, pulling the sheet closer around her shoulders as she clutched a teddy bear to her chest, tears falling down her cheeks.

"How can it be... It's so… stunning..." She said softly, her bright azure eyes quivering, tearful pools of sorrow.

The open window down the way caused the curtains to flutter into a darkened room, where in the darkness the soft whites of eyes were visible as Vegeta stared, admiring the colors and sight of the red planet so very much like his home planet.

What a strange and beautiful world this is.