Hey guys! I wanted to thank you all again for your patience while I rework the published chapters and polish them further. I know you're all awaiting Chapter 15, and I am working on it. It's just coming to me slower, especially with work and other stuff going on at the house, and I'd rather give you guys something great and polished rather than a rushed chapter. I hope you guys are enjoying the updated chapters and know that I might be taking longer between updates but I have not and will not forget about this story. You're all the best! Happy reading!
The title still comes from "Wasteland" by 10 Years but this particular lyric spoke to me a little more than the original.
Chapter 3: Eventually You'll One Day Know
Chai stood before the troops she was to send out, led by General Clove. It was rare for her not to lead her troops herself, not that Chai didn't have capable leadership in her military. She was just a touch bellicose. In actuality, the man was her best general, and an old friend. Under him, not only would her troops fight with the valour she expected of them, but most would return home.
General Clove was not the most imposing man, however, his merits laid in his mind and decency. He was a man of honor and a bit of a tactician. He followed every order Chai gave, though he would periodically disagree in private. She preferred interacting this way. A loyal drone was useless to her.
They'd finished reviewing the overall plan: head northeast towards the Horse Kingdom and coordinate with Yerba's troops. Hopefully, he'd agree to taking advantage of the thick forest to conduct guerilla warfare on the approaching Rats.
"Chai, enjoy the time with your family. I'm sure we'll drive back those Rats within a few days," he said with confidence in his magenta eyes. Clove tucked the orb into his pocket with a bronze hand, bowing to his queen before returning to his broad shouldered, at-ease stance.
"I have full faith in you, General."
He smiled. "Of course you do. Upon my return, perhaps we'd share a humble dinner? I'll make a curry to rival your own, My Queen."
Chai felt her stomach grumble at the idea, and could not hold back her smile at the friendly challenge. Perhaps she'd have to up the ante. "I look forward to it."
With a nod, Clove turned to the small army, arms briskly at his side. There was a low padding sound, similar to dominos falling as the rest of the troops fell into a similar stance. Clove let out a deep grunt, which the soldiers echoed.
"Ladies and Gentleman, let us show what the Ox Kingdom is made of, and make our queen proud."
Another grunt in response before the general mounted his steed and turned for the direction of the Horse Kingdom to help out their cousins.
"Clove," Chai called. She watched as he turned to her, saying nothing. "Remember, if things begin to look even a little bad…"
"I will reach out to you, Your Majesty."
"Thank you."
Chai stood back and nodded. Clove then continued on, leading 5,000 men and women to the Northeast. She knew they would do well, as they usually did, and not to her own credit. The demi-saiyajin would often hold back in order to allow her soldiers to earn honor in battle. Many came from generations of proud soldiers, and as a Saiyajin, she understood the importance of bringing honor to one's family. They even made her inner beast proud. The first battle the Ox had ever fought in her name, the Oozaru inside her thought they may have made good Saiyajins in another life. There was no heaviness in her heart as she watched them march away. She knew most, if not all, would return in a few days.
"Shall we?" she turned to Tsuchi.
The young girl eagerly nodded, already dressed in an orange and blue gi, her long hair in a neat bun atop her head and tail tightly wrapped. She had been waiting patiently at her sister's side as the queen gave orders to her troops. As Chai did when she was princess, Tsuchi would often be nearby for observation.
"Are we picking up Goten on the way?"
"He's already at Capsule Corps." Tsuchi gave her sister a small frown and Chai shook her head, smiling. "You know how the boys are. It's only going to get worse as they get older, so you'd better remind them who their best girl is. Go on ahead. I want to get out of his gown and I'll meet you there."
Tsuchi returned Chai's smile before taking to the sky with great speed. In no time, she already looked like a bead in the cotton clouds. Another thing the girl seemed to be practicing on her own. Chai smiled before jumping back onto her private balcony.
Even with the fifteen minute head start Tsuchi had, Chai still beat her to Capsule Corps. There was a small breeze and Chai was feeling more comfortable than she ever did in a dress. She wore her hair in a side braid and dressed in all black, from her tank top, leggings, and boots, with an old plaid shirt of her dad's. She had once stolen it from his closet after the Cell Games, taking comfort in how embedded his scent was in the rough fabric. It skimmed her knees and completely hid the pair of sai strapped to her only sign of regality on Chai's person was a piece of technicolor rock, the size of an egg, hanging by a thick chain around her neck.
According to the oldest stories, when Fire Mountain was first settled, 450 years ago, the original Ox King found this stone and gave it to his wife as a gift. Her name was also Chai, and from her the stone was passed to every Ox Queen. Why Chi-Chi had decided to name her daughter after the first Ox Queen, Son Chai never knew, but she wore the gem with pride. It was better than any crown.
She stood near the main house of Capsule Corps, observing as the twins and the smaller Trunks sparred two on one in the backyard. After ten minute periods, Chai would yell for them to switch and someone else would be the "target" for the other two to team up against. It was solid team-building and allowed the "target" to polish their defensive skills. The trio had done this under Chai's tutelage for seven years and thus knew the order. Goten was the current target.
Chai sighed, watching as her brother easily dodged Tsuchi, while Trunks met him blow for blow. Goten ducked away from a downward kick from his sister, causing her to nearly crash into her ally. Trunks dodged just in time while Tsuchi ended up knees in the dirt. Goten barely jumped away in time to keep his feet from being swept out from under him by the older boy.
Chai pursed her lips and shook her head. She felt her tail tense involuntarily. At this rate, the Ox Kingdom would quickly fall under her baby sister
"On Tsuchi-chan," she commanded.
The trio froze mid-air.
"Its-its not my turn," the girl sputtered.
"It is now," Chai said, "You clearly train less than the boys."
"I told you Sissy would notice," Goten scolded his twin.
"Don't worry, Tsu-chan. We'll go easy on you," Trunks smirked.
"I don't need you to go easy on me," the girl growled.
Chai smiled. "Go!"
As the boys began a coordinated assault on Tsuchi, a familiar ki leaned against the same wall, a foot away from the oldest demi.
"Prince Grumpass," she greeted.
"Queen Brat."
They observed in silence while Tsuchi slowly caught up, blocking Trunks' frontal punch to her abdomen but was caught by Goten's strike to her lower back. The girl snarled as her tail got crushed under the kick. She sparked for a moment, her Super Saiyajin form threatening to take over.
"I haven't seen your older son. I need to speak with him," Chai said quietly.
"He's sulking in his mother's lab. She informed him the repairs to the time machine will take two weeks and she's not letting him help, even though it would expedite the mission."
"That makes no sense. Are your little moochers helping?"
Vegeta sneered at the sound of his little moochers.
"No. Just Bulma."
Chai frowned, side-eying the Prince.
"It's a lie," he followed up.
The boys flew down for a dual kick to drive Tsuchi down, but the girl flexed her ki to full strength barely long enough to interrupt their movements. There was a moment of advantage where she grabbed Goten's tail long enough to paralyze him and toss him. It was the first good move she'd made, until Trunks took advantage long enough to kick her square in the ribs.
"Why?"
"Bulma thinks he needs to recuperate. I'm inclined to agree. A fatigued Saiyajin is worthless in battle and the boy is goddamn exhausted."
Chai bit her lip as the tip of her tail tucked itself further under the rest. Vegeta showing softness was a red flag, especially to Mirai Trunks.
"Switch," Chai called.
Again, they'd frozen mid-air, unsure of how to proceed. She'd earlier interrupted their precious routine.
"Ummm… " Goten hummed. He took the moment to stretch and swish out his tail. One section looked kinked where Tsuchi grabbed the appendage.
"On Trunks then resume normal order," the woman explained.
"That puts me right after him!" Tsuchi cried.
"Sure does," Chai said, unsympathetically.
Goten rewrapped his tail tightly and got into stance as did the other boy. Tsuchi, however, took another moment to pout before stiffening her lower lip and taking a wide legged position, her eyes on the boys.
"Does the Ox Princess need a break?" Trunks cooed.
"Does the Half-Saiyajin Prince need a boot to the face?" the girl retorted.
Atta'girl, Tsuch'.
The boy opened his mouth to speak when a new voice interrupted.
"Careful, he might like that."
The lavender-haired boy looked up at his counterpart and sneered.
"Aren't you supposed to be on my side?"
Mirai Trunks shrugged, taking up on Chai's other side, his posture nearly mirroring his father's: arms crossed, slight frown, eyes narrowed. This was a face of neutrality for both of them. A slight smirk then crossed the younger man's face.
"I used to think it was adorable when Chai got mouthy with me. She always lost though."
The memory of their old sparring matches sent a shiver down Chai's spine. They would spar a lot back in the day. Made it so much harder to keep her thoughts respectful when she could feel his hard muscle beneath her fingers and his raw power against her aura. It was almost like it was yesterday. The fact that Mirai still dripped power - even in his less-than-prime state - didn't help at all.
"I should beat your ass," Chai gritted.
"Hn," Vegeta snickered with a half-smile.
A matching smirk then crossed Chibi Trunks' face as he turned to Tsuchi.
"So let's see that boot to the face."
Tsuchi growled in response, causing all of the adults to smile at their bickering. The girl was easily the least confident in a fight - a trait all of the fighters attempted to remedy. Seeing her get angry was a good thing.
"Go!" Chai commanded.
True to her threat, Tsuchi started off with a high kick aimed at Trunks' jaw but he swatted it away while Goten aimed a kick at his shin, throwing the older boy off balance. Chai shook her head at her sister's foolishness. Don't ever tell your enemy your intent. That was Vegeta-level arrogance. It did seem, however, Tsuchi was learning to observe her partner.
"Boy," the Prince said, cooly.
"Father."
"I expect you in the gravity room in an hour."
Vegeta turned away before Mirai could respond. Chai caught the corner of the young man's mouth turn up in a slight smile, as if hesitant to show his delight.
After all these years, you still thirst for his approval.
With Vegeta gone and the small demi's preoccupied several feet away, she almost felt as if the two were alone together. She glanced over at Mirai and sighed. Her attraction wasn't merely the alcohol's doing last night. He was still as handsome as she remembered. Standing less than a foot away from each other stirred a plethora of memories Chai had been trying to keep locked up. Even in this very yard, memories only she and Mirai possessed.
She could still remember his large hands grasping the flesh of her butt and the wet grass against her knees. He brought her into a deep kiss where she could taste herself - nutmeg-like - on his tongue. How peaceful he looked sitting against the tree when she glanced up from his lap, and the satisfied way he moaned out her name the first time Chai -
"How have you been?" Mirai asked, pulling her from the memory.
I don't need to be thinking about that. It was twelve years ago, and I doubt he still remembers...
"I'm a ray of fucking sunshine," she chuckled. "About last night…"
"I-I didn't read anything into it," he answered, quickly.
Ouch…
"Good," Chai nodded. "I was being an idiot." She then turned her attention back to the kids, "Switch!"
"Still unfair," Tsuchi muttered but the older sister caught it.
"Complain one more time, little girl!" Chai dared. She was quickly getting sick of Tsuchi's attitude.
The younger girl turned her full attention to her sister while the boys relaxed their fighting stance.
"What are you going to do Chai-san? You already have me going two-on-one nearly twice in a row!"
Chai stared over at her, tongue clicking, as she considered what she was about to suggest. "Boys go Super. You cannot! Go!"
Three sets of eyes widened as Tsuchi froze. Her whole body seemed to tense as she waited to find out what Goten and Trunks would decide to do.
"That's an order!"
The boys each gave a stiff nod before charging up to Super Saiyajin, both suddenly donning the golden hair and teal eyes, then charged at their target. There was a definite change in the fight. Both were automatically faster, stronger, and not yet fully skilled at holding back in this form. Tsuchi blocked nothing, dodged nothing, taking their combined assault with yelps, grunts, and small cries as she was punched, kicked and thrown across the Capsule Corps yard.
"Don't you think you're being harsh?" Mirai whispered from the side.
Chai shook her head with her lips turned down. "She's been slacking. You should know more than anyone that those three cannot be apathetic. One day, this world will be on them. ...It's already had to be once…"
"What!?"
Chai turned to him, her arms crossed and lip quivering. She nodded her head shakily then turned back towards the trio, swallowing back the memories of Majin Buu.
"I'll tell you about it some other time." The woman then regained her composure. "So, not that I'm unhappy to see you, but I know you're not here for shits and giggles."
"No," Mirai looked down. "...Things are bad, Chai... We only enjoyed ten years of peace. Humanity rebuilding, reuniting families, restoring a civilization… I kept training so I could be ready for whatever came, and for a while I was ready..." Mirai shook his head disdainfully. "Then, he came. Did in a year what took the androids twenty."
She felt the trio calm their ferocity but didn't say anything. The boys were still transformed and Tsuchi was still receiving a beating but she kept getting back up. She'd block or dodge one out of every ten hits; deliver on one out of every eight blows. The girl stole a quick glance at her older sister and Chai nodded her approval.
"He who?" the woman asked.
Mirai looked away from her but she caught his hard frown.
"We...don't know who he really is… he's destroyed everything, Chai-chan. There's maybe 1,000 people left. No food. No medical supplies."
Chai only nodded, her breath gathering in her throat. She'd noticed Mirai had a few more scars than he did when she last saw him. Sure, scars were war badges. Chai had plenty of her own but as a saiyajin, the scars were left from things that nearly killed or maimed her. Mirai had at least a handful more, and that was in places she could see; his hands, his face, the top of his neck. Surely, he had more in places she couldn't see. The woman gritted her teeth as the beast inside her snarled.
I hope you made them suffer, whoever left those on you. Though I know you didn't. You never fuck around like that.
The boys left their Super forms and Tsuchi slowly sat back up, and eased onto her feet but Chai was no longer watching them but mildly monitoring their ki with her own.
Chai watched as he'd begun to tremble. This was probably the second time he's had to relive everything after barely escaping it, she realized. Without thinking, she'd begun closing the space between them, her tail unwrapping from her waist and trailing behind her.
"I can barely stand against him. I-I have to run and hide like a coward."
"Trunks…" Chai took one of his clenched fists in her hands and held it there while he stared at their joined hands. She felt the training session settle to a stop but didn't protest. They did enough. "I should have gone with you."
Tears stung Chai's eyes as he released the time machine behind her. She couldn't look at it. 'Don't leave me! Don't leave me!' screamed in her head, her own inner voice mixing with the guttural cries of her Oozaru. She couldn't make herself say it, though.
"I won't forget you," Mirai Trunks had whispered to Chai's lips before kissing her deeply, one last time. "Promise me. Promise me you'll be happy."
He glanced over at her and shook his head. "No."
"Wh-what do you mean 'no'? Sure, you were strong enough to finish the androids and Imperfect Cell but we also knew that big bads would keep coming.." Her voice suddenly rose five octaves. She could feel the eyes now on them but Chai couldn't stop herself. All of the guilt was hitting her at once. "I-I knew you were alone, the last Saiyajin left alive, and I just let you return by yourself."
I just let you go.
"No," he growled, fully turning to her. "I'm glad you didn't come with me."
She winced as her tail then wrapped down her leg in an involuntary motion of comfort. A strange saiyajin quality. Chai opened her mouth to speak but laughed instead, throwing his hand aside.
"Seriously? Why don't you plunge your sword through my chest? It might hurt less!"
Mirai's eyes widened and his mouth fell open, all anger leaving his face in seconds. Chai didn't care though. She didn't care how much her comment hurt.
"Chai, I don't mean it like that! If something happened to you -"
"YOUR MAJESTY! YOUR MAJESTY!"
Something within Chai's pocket glowed and screamed. She ripped the orb from the plaid shirt, and stared with her mouth agape at its smoky appearance. Screams and crashes erupted from within.
"YOUR MAJESTY!" came another scream. She recognized the voice but wasn't expecting to hear anything from him. She could not even see him through the smog inside the glass ball.
"Basil? Basil!" Chai yelled.
Her steward's face appeared in the corner, flesh full of soot and tarnished. His green hair was singed and coming out of it's kept ponytail. The sight sent a territorial rage through her. Basil, like Clove, was an old friend. No one hurt her friends. No one came after her castle.
"Your Majesty," he choked. "The castle's been bombed."
Chai's previously jumbled emotions stilled like the calm before the storm. Her mind began to work overtime, scooting pieces together to understand the whole. The timing was a little too perfect.
"You sent 5,000 troops to Yerba this morning..." Tsuchi pointed out. She limped towards her sister, bruises forming on her pretty flesh. "There should have been twice as many left."
Chai shook her head. "There weren't enough weapons for the remaining soldiers."
What happened?
She clicked her tongue. "Get the survivors to the river. I'll be there soon."
With a nod, Basil vanished and the glass became clear again. The queen replaced it in her pocket and took to the air, her furry appendage weaving around her waist once again. She turned to her siblings.
"Stay here. Love you."