I don't have any rights to Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, or Dragon Ball GT. I only created the OC for this story. Enjoy!
"Hey, Radz? What did mom always say?"
"…Not to emotionally scar and traumatize kids on other planets."
" And you did WHAT?"
" I emotionally scarred and traumatized my NEPHEW. That's white from black in my book."
If not for little Gohan's wailing, Sheriya would've given her brother the verbal smackdown of the millennia. It was bad enough their baby brother met them through such grimy circumstances, that surely left a bitter taste in the mouth, but now, their nephew growing more and more distressed by the second wasn't getting them out of the hole Raditz dug.
The female Saiyan's knowledge about little ones covered very little; The oldest of three children, scattered around the void of black and stardust to fend for themselves, babysitting Raditz for mama and taking him off from Papa's hands, along with looking out for him on missions, protecting him from cold and hunger and death and Prince Vegeta's sharp tongue, was where her experience ended.
Sheriya copied her mother in terms of looks, - deceivingly pretty with steel underneath, big eyes, sky blue, setting her apart from the rest of her family, small build but packing strength, long hair tied back in a ponytail with a red bandana, a single strand falling on her forehead, with a trademark Bardock scowl so strong he couldn't deny her lineage. Not that he would have in the first place. Their Papa loved them, a sin he carried in the grave, loved them all, as much as beings like them could love others.
Which is why if he was there, watching his two elders helplessly looking at their nephew crying, a tug of ears and boxing over heads and a disappointed sigh would've followed short. But then, soften by their mother, by her own good heart and gentle nature all of them got at some point, he would've picked the baby up and showed them how to properly care for him. "This is pathetic. You just stole a baby. And a baby? Really? I'm surprised you walked out alive."
" I panicked, alright?!" Raditz defended himself, pointing to the pod imprisoning their nephew, deep in the crater but just not enough to spare them the banging and crying neither of them knew how to deal with. Saiyan children screamed only once,- In victory, while blasting enemies clean from existence.
Never like this. Gohan sounded a lot like Kakarrot, who cried so much he had to be moved, as he bothered others, and their mama, who always wept when their father took off for missions, and like Raditz, who secretly did the same. " How was I supposed to know Kakarott wouldn't recognize us?! His only remaining family! That he'd screw everything so BADLY I'd have to do THIS. Vegeta is going to be pissed when he finds out we haven't purged this planet yet."
" Oh fuck off with that Vegeta bullshit," she hissed, nose scrunched. The walking exception of Saiyan loyalty, Sheriya scoffed, more than fed up with their so-called prince; Prince of what, she thought, darkly amused, of 3 space warriors flying through the galaxy to regain some bastardly honor. Prince Vegeta parodied a real leader, she thought, with nothing but status and power to show for it. "That rodent is no leader of mine."
" I'd love to see you say that to his face."
" You will, once I figure out where his forehead ends," Smirking, she slowly floated down to the pod, careful, doing her best attempt at gentleness as she knocked on the crimson screen, separating her from the tiny ball curled up in itself, hugging on a thick tail, just like theirs. White leaked from the ship as the woman opened it, causing Gohan to gasp, whimper, and scramble away, terrified and sniffing and sniveling. "Hey, it's okay," she whispered, as softly as she could, slowly trying to pry small hands away. "We're not going to hurt you," she gave Raditz a sideways look. "Anymore."
"Oh please, there's barely a scratch on him!" As he said this, his scouter scanned Gohan for injuries, with a nervous swing of his tail. That big bastard fool. As much as he loved to deny it, Raditz learned more from their mother than he let on.
The small baby boy sniffed, but hadn't flinched from her. Even with tears on his cheeks, he formed a glare, looking so much like their late mother when she was trying to appear angry, or a particularly small alien trying to show fangs, that she had to fight off a coo. "You took me from my daddy, and- and you injured him! You hit him in the tummy! That's the thing he needs the most!"
The female Saiyan smirked. If only he knew. "Yeah, we know. When he was a baby your father almost ate Vegetasei out of existence. " Their father wouldn't admit it, it'd be like pulling teeth probably, but he hated maternity tanks. He hated to know his child, the labor of his and his wife's strange love, would be treated as a product, like another digit in Freeza's countless soldiers. And he hated the sight of his mate crying. So it was no surprise all three of them were raised from the seed into the pot.
Surprised, the boy blinked. " You? You know my daddy? That big hedgehog said he was his brother-"
"Brat, I do not know what a hedgehog is, but it better be a compliment."
"That's your uncle Raditz for you; And I'm your auntie, your father's big sister. Though sometimes it feels like I'm Raditz's too." She winked, now sitting with her legs crossed, a non-threatening pose, far away from the pod and the cub. "He's no better than a baby anyway."
"Hey!"
A little more relaxed, Gohan stepped closer, until he sat across from her, tiny feet under his weight and hands on his lap. She may not know this planet's etiquette or customs, but that was formal even to her eye. His bearer must be really strict since her brother's goofy, easy-going personality certainly hadn't been passed along.
"But,- if you're his family, why weren't you with him? Mama says Grandpa Gohan found him in the woods, all alone. Does that mean he has a mommy and daddy too?" So that's what it was. The hit to the head, the lack of bloodlust, the simple goodness he radiated. This Grandpa Gohan. Important and loved enough to live through Kakarrot's son.
Sheryia tried to smile, even if a wave of sadness washed over her, intending to crush. But it takes a lot more to make her kneel, and a lot more to make a Saiyan shed tears. "He does. We did. But…"
Raditz grunted, annoyed, back turned. "Stay with Kakarrot's brat. I'm going to see if this shithole has any good food around." He flew away, leaving a trail of energy behind before she could even get a word in. The cub has noticed, though, his abrupt leave, more escape than anything, and she felt the need to supply. "It's hard for him. To hear about our parents. "
"Sometimes, daddy gets sad too, when talking about Grandpa. Especially when it's a full moon," he nodded. "What happened to them, that Mr. Hedgehog doesn't want to remember them?"
Honestly speaking, she doesn't like remembering any more than Raditz did. But this sparkly curiosity stirred something in her, basically making her unable to deny anything to this big eyed, breakable cub they took so easily, not a trace of Saiyan in him, not a bite of anything but pure and young and innocent. "Well," she sighed, "It's a story lost to time. It's sad, amazing, and not all that important to anyone else. But- my parents, they were important to one another. "
A long time ago, a tiny soldier danced among the stars.
"Gine, quit it!" Her friends gritted through their teeth, positions stiff, bodies trained and molded to look even with all the violence packing under them. They were soldiers. Gine was just a girl who smiled and laughed too much. "No one's going to take you seriously if you keep that up, you know!"
She twirled and swam through air as if it was nothing but a toy, as if she was playing a game instead of waiting to be scouted for war. For battle. Everything she hated and everyone else normal loved. "Oh, lay off, will you? It's not like I'll get picked anyway. I wouldn't be here if I wouldn't have to."
"Yes, well, some of us aren't quite as comfortable with laziness as you are."
Of course, that's what it all boiled down to, in the end. Motivation being confused with laziness. Why couldn't they just understand? That the cloth she was cut from obviously didn't fit the tapestry they made. How hard was it to understand she was simply sick of being disappointed, of disappointing? Of trying to be everything the world knew she couldn't be?
"Nah, you're just trying too hard. Look around you! This place is packed with future warriors. I don't know what soft-brained idiot would pick me of all people, but-," Their horrified expressions as her back hit something rock solid, made to tear and take hits as well as give them. She turns around, slowly, heart wild, body shaking with barely contained shivers. Even if her nose found the scent surrounding this something, or someone, oddly pleasant; Earthy, rich soil, toasted leather, different spices. Gine turned, hesitant to face whatever monster scaring her comrades to pieces.
She turns and her breath stops and she freezes.
He was pretty handsome, for a monster.
A foot taller than her, maybe more, imposing, of intimidating width and length, stood a soldier. The glare on his face, as well as the scar carved on the right side of his cheek, didn't take away from his strange attractiveness. Spiky black hair defying gravity, long in its own right, eyes sharp and dark but deep with an intelligence she never saw before in Sayian men, he was every inch the example of what Gine couldn't be. A son of war. Commanding respect with a single look and inspiring fear with cold seriousness. "Careful, soldier. You almost crushed me."
His voice was deep and rich and pleasant to listen to, as mocking as it was. "We're in space, and we can fly. Maybe pick a spot to float that's not in my direction." It was a dumb move on her part, but it wasn't like Gine to have any other moves at all. He was powerful and you wouldn't need a technological measurement to tell; A flick of his fingers and she'd be space dust, but as meek and docile and soft as she appeared, it was in her Sayian blood to bite back if bit first. Unfortunately, it had little effect on that bastard. He bit the inside of his cheek and subtle amusement watched down on her.
"What's your name, soldier?"
"If you were someone I'd want to know, I would've said it by now."
"I like her," a smooth, feminine voice joined in. Gine peeked her head over the man's side, trying to avoid a long, surprisingly fluffy tail from tickling her nose, and saw a group of Sayians grinning, among them the only woman. Short dark hair, beautiful violet eyes, built for combat and danger, despite her pink bodysuit suggesting something different. She gave Gine a wink. "I think we should keep her, Bardock. She's cute to boot."
"Second that," the taller Sayian with a ponytail commented, giving this 'Bardock' a knowing look. Something told her that even with his back turned, their grumpy leader saw it. "She's the one person today you haven't chased off with that scowl. Can't have cowards in our crew." That, she wasn't. Coward. A very dirty word to call their kind, an insult so offensive it was guaranteed to send someone in a healing tank, or slow death. She's been called every name under the moon, but never a coward. In fact, it was her stubborn determination to face danger instead of running from it that brought her even the smallest scraps of respect.
The larger of the five chuckled and eyed her up. Gine tried not to flinch. "Plus, Fasha has a point. She IS cute. If we can't use her for battle, then,-"
"Enough." They all lived in a void of black and cold, but Bardock's voice lowered the atmosphere with a few degrees. Finally, finally, she wasn't pinned by this invisible army holding her down and practically scrambled away. Doesn't she get a say in this?! Could she? Weaker Sayians were treated no better than cubs. All seen as insignificant, a bother, a burden. "What's your name?"
Her mouth moved without her. "Gine."
"Gine," Bardock repeated as if tasting it. She could listen to him say her name again and again. But that wasn't a thought she'd entertain. " You're part of my squad now. I want you in Sector Six, sunrise. I don't tolerate tardiness. You're late, we leave without you. You don't pull your weight, you die. " He said it all without a pause, without a hitch, with no weight, and her mind was spinning. "Being cute won't win you battles. So I suggested leaving slacking at the door."
Cute? Battles? Squads?! "Who even are you? You can't just- pick me like this. There's tests, and- and TRIALS, and-," and she intended to fail them, which he saw, of course. Maybe that's why he grinned. With that, he was almost gentle. Almost desirable, for someone like her.
"I'm the Captain. But you can call me 'soft-brained idiot'If you prefer." Gine's face burned with embarrassment, a deep red color on her pale cheeks. Bardock stared, a bit too long, a bit too interested to be considered just an inspection, or staring in disgust at such behavior from a supposed proud Sayian. "Sunrise. Sector Six. Don't be late." With that, he was gone, in his trail leading other five flying energies that waved, scoffed, and grinned her way before joining their leader. Gine froze.
She. Was. Fucked.
"And then they fell in love, right?! They got married and fell in love, didn't they?! " Gohan's small hands clapped, immersed and captivated, eager for details even if he quite clearly created his own ending by now. It was endearing. Clearly, Kakarrot and his mate shared a close bond. The cub wouldn't think it was so easy if it wasn't the case. "Grandpa bought Grandma flowers, right? And chocolate?"
Grandpa. Grandma. Wherever they ended up, Sheryia knew her parents were smiling.
The woman scrunched her nose. " Chocolate? Never heard of that. " The horrified gasp she got in return made her laugh. "But, no. Father did none of those things, as far as I know. Saiyans have a more…Aggressive manner of courting," it was maybe complicated for a five-year-old to comprehend, but it was certainly better than having to explain bringing your mate the corpse of an enemy was their idea of 'romance.' "How did Kakarrot and his mate meet?" Again, that adorable confused expression. "Your mom." She corrected, but it didn't go away.
"Why do you keep calling him that? His name is Goku."
The dark haired woman paused, a sad smile stretching over his lips. "It's mother's name for him. She got to pick it herself. Our Planet assigned names to cubs from birth. She didn't get to name me or Raditz, but Kakarrot got lucky, and I suppose calling him that honors her, in a way. Wouldn't you do the same for your mommy?"
Her nephew grimaced. "Mama wanted to call me Einstein, but daddy didn't like it at ALL! She told me he cried on his knees for her to change her mind and she only did it because she loves him so much. They met when they were little like me and, -" And she listened, closely. It relaxed the cub, made him feel more comfortable, and that was her ultimate goal, until Kakarrot found them like she insisted he would, and they could untangle this mess. Her brother's mate was named Chi-Chi, a strict character with a spine of steel, but holding all the love and loyalty in her heart. In another world, she would've made a fine Sayian. Perhaps their meeting won't go as bad as she anticipates.
The ground shook, pebbles dropped, and wind imploded. Raditz had returned, carrying a furry, big creature with horns coming out of its forehead. Gohan yelped, hiding behind her as the giant Saiyan slid inside down the crater, still grim and moody. "Done with your ghost stories, sister?" He asked, dropping the creature. Gohan gasped, unused to the blood, the death, or both, hiding his already teary face into her back. "Oh, stop that whining! We needed it for food, for survival! You're a Saiyan. At your age, I killed more than just animals!"
"You're mean! I don't like you!"
"I don't care!" A mutter, barely audible under his voice. "…I killed it quickly anyway. It probably didn't feel a thing…" Sheriya chuckled and shook her head. Males.
She turned, affectionately ruffling shaggy dark hair. "Gohan, it's not like we killed it for the fun of it. You said you and your daddy go fishing all the time, right? Well, we're going to cook this, and not waste a thing. Not all death is in vain, you know? And nothing can live forever." Gohan is small and still a cub, but there's an understanding in his eyes she finds very interesting. "Just wait until I get it on a grill. Best meat of your li-,"
Raditz, quiet until then, interrupted, a shade greener than he was before. "Oh, you are NOT poisoning Kakarrot's brat after just one day. His stomach isn't used to your horrid creations. Plus, mother and father would never forgive me if they knew I let him die. Step aside." The female Saiyan glared, huffing and pouting. Her cooking was adequate. Raditz was just a weakling. But she obeyed, handing her brother a knife, watching him yield it with their mother's touch. His food did taste amazing. "So you told him, about mother and father? About the proud Saiyan race, the greatness of prince Vegeta,-"
"Your scouter's out of juice, no one's listening. "
"Oh, good! Finally," Raditz's shoulders sagged, breathing easier, no longer worried about their fun-sized King eavesdropping on their conversation more than he already had. "So did you finally learned something useful, runt?" Gohan averted his eyes from the animal being carved open, but, clearly displeased at being called a runt, he stomped. "I'm NOT a runt! You're just a meanie, like grandpa Bardock!"
Raditz's hands stopped for a moment. Sheriya sighed. Oh, brother…
The tall man snorted. "Oh, he was mean, all right. Except with mother. He could never bring himself to scold her, or stay mad at her for long. She was…Different. But still his." Picking up the pace again, perhaps unaware, perhaps out of fucks to give about his mouth running, like a broken oil leak, he continued skinning. "Or Sheriya. She was his favorite."
"Father had no favorites!"
"Did so! Who else would it be?! You, he actually patted on the head, and hugged, and told you you made him proud, if it wasn't you who else,-"
"Kakarrot!"
"What? Well, I guess. He looks like father and acts like mother so it's not far fetched,-"
"No, idiot! Kakarrot!"
There, right above the hole in the ground, at the very edge, with a green alien, slug-like creature, Kakarrot glared down. He looks so much like him. He IS him, when he's like this. Protective. Powerful.
Pissed as all fuck.
DUN DUN DUN! Papa monke is not pleased, guys. Not pleased at all.
I'd love to know what you think so far! Pls Read&Review. It really motivates me to read your feedback. Until next time!
