Chapter 5:
It was the first time Goku realized that he'd never observed Chai in battle before. All of his other kids, sure.
Tsuchi practiced with Chi-Chi occasionally, which the Saiya-jin enjoyed for more reasons than one. Goten had faced off against Trunks in the World Tournament before Buu messed all that up. And Gohan fought Cell, then later defeated him with Chai - though that fight mostly belonged to his son. Chai, though… huh… Now that Goku thought about it, he wasn't sure if he'd ever watched the girl spar.
She was awesome.
The Son patriarch watched as the girl swept under a sword and swiped across her opponent's heels, falling them before blasting another through the stomach. She weaved around certain people, who Goku assumed were her own soldiers, put her sai through someone's throat, then jumped up to kick other poor bastard hard enough to break his neck. The man chuckled as he watched the head bob to one side like a broken doll.
"Hmm… your girl is more brutal than I thought, Kakkarot. Seems that softness your other brats have didn't infect her Saiya-jins instincts."
"Guess not," Goku chuckled.
Something seemed to catch the queen's eye. She walked with purpose, her wrapped tail fluffed, and a very unhappy look on her face. Gohan got that look sometimes. Huh, is that what my face looks like when I'm mad? Goku followed her field of vision and spotted his wife's nephew, Yerba… or was that Matei? He could never tell the difference.
Someone charged at Chai and she plunged an arm through them without looking, and whipped her hand to toss off the blood. Someone else came at her with an axe aimed at her throat. Chai grabbed their wrist at the last moment and lifted the entire man above her head. She tilted her head to the side and looked them in the face before throwing them against another soldier on a horse, knocking both to the ground. Five more came and she blasted them in a swift motion.
Goku smiled widely, his chest bursting with pride. He looked over to Mirai Trunks who watched with a frown. His eyes, however, gleamed with pride.
"Ya did good," he called over to the demi.
A shocked expression came over the young man's face momentarily, then a more humble smile. Trunks bowed his head in Goku's direction. "Thank you, Goku-san, but really I didn't teach her everything. A lot of it is pure talent."
"Yeah but you brought it outta her."
Mirai turned back to the girl with a look that Goku didn't entirely recognize. Doesn't Gohan sometimes look at Videl that way? Nah. "I-I just wanted her to protect herself. To stay alive."
Goku also brought his attention back to Chai. She was still heading in Yerba/Matei's direction, and taking her time doing so. He saw that her expression had grown more grave in the few minutes that he hadn't been watching. There was a lot of death on the ground. That much he could feel. Probably hurts her, he decided. It was honestly a pity that so many had to suffer but from what little he learned about the Twelve Kingdoms, this was part of the deal. Kingdoms meant war. It was a bit of the reason he never bothered himself with any of it.
Another woman on a horse did some hand motions and Chai stopped suddenly. Shortly afterwards, a sudden wave of weakness and fatigue washed over the three Saiya-jins in midair. They all faltered when Vegeta yelled for them to move back. They did so, now floating too far away for Goku to hear much of what was going on. But he could see, and that was important.
Wonder if King Kai would take her on? Though… I don't really want Chai to die…
"Those of you who rely on ki for battle, retreat! Take the fallen with you! No one gets left behind!" Chai's voice erupted from below. Huh, so that was the problem. "The rest of you, with me! May your gods be with you and your ancestors smile upon you!"
Trunks began to fly forward when Vegeta shouted at him, making the demi freeze.
"Boy, are you deaf?! Ki is useless down there!"
"I'm still a swordsman and a martial artist! I can help her!"
"Psh. She doesn't need help. Look!"
The older Saiya-jin was right. Chai didn't seem to slow down much at all, and yeah, Goku could feel from here how much weaker she was but the girl's power still dwarfed everyone else's. She changed direction entirely, heading for the woman who seemed to kill the ki. Now both sai were out as Chai chopped, ducked, sliced, dove, grabbed, kicked, and stabbed her way through. Goku smiled at his unstoppable daughter as more soldiers and another fancy lookin' prince on a horse came downwards. What is with everyone and horses?
"Man, Vegeta, even you use good ole fashioned legs."
"What the hell are you prattling on about?"
Goku then gestured downwards. "All these princes and princesses. They sit on horses and give orders but don't really fight."
"Hn. It's a weakling's way of rule," Vegeta paused for a moment, seemingly lost in thought. "It's why Frieza eventually fell. Strength is pointless if you hardly use it."
As the battle continued on below, several soldiers from the new army suddenly surrounded Chai. She stood tall, waiting for the first to attack. One on the left came at her with a barrage of kicks, attempting to force her into another soldier but Chai simply dodged each one from where she stood before delivering her own kick to his gut. He flew several feet as another came up from her other side with a flying kick. She ducked down, back kicking another as she did so. There was the sound of knee caps breaking. and the former caught himself in front of another soldier who was already mid-punch. Goku laughed as the guy punched his comrade. Another came at Chai with a series of palm strikes. One actually caught but she didn't give notice, instead stabbing him through the hand at the next strike. He screamed out loud enough for the Saiya-jins to hear before Chai sliced his throat open. Another actually caught the girl off guard and charged into her from the side, tossing the girl. She rolled, then caught herself on her knees just as he came again. She crossed the sai in front of her swiftly and he fell to the ground.
The demi then got to her feet and shouted at the fancy new prince, pointing with her weapon at the woman. There was more talking that Goku wished would hurry along, since he couldn't hear anyways, then the two nodded at each other before Chai continued towards the lady who killed the ki.
The young queen reached her target and grabbed the other woman by the arm, yanking her from the horse and threw her to the mud. There was some talking between the two but Goku couldn't catch it. He did catch, however, how Chai plunged her sai into the woman's head. After the lady hit the ground, Chai pointed her hand behind her and blasted another soldier who tried to sneak up on her.
"See, Trunks, she's fine! She even has her ki back!" Goku cheered.
He moved closer, not much caring if the other two followed or not. He wanted a better look and to hear what his daughter said. She could sometimes be as feisty as Chi-Chi and it was funny when it wasn't directed at him.
"MATEI!" Chai roared before taking to the air and flying directly into her cousin, knocking him over with her force. "DEFEND YOURSELF, COUSIN!"
"At least she knows which one that is!" Goku exclaimed.
There was clanging as the Earthling prince drew a sword and defended himself quite sparsely against Chai, who was not fighting nearly at her best. In fact, she was only parrying but not going at him.
"But, Goku-san, isn't that your nephew? How do you not know who he is?" Trunks asked, coming up from behind.
"Well, he and Yerba are twins so it's kinda hard. They have the same face and everything."
Both were now on their feet. Matei charged at Chai who simply dodged his blows, her arms at her sides. Why wasn't she attacking?
"More twins, Karrarot? No wonder you're all such clowns! The brains get split everytime you breed," Vegeta snickered.
"Eh… just Chi's side I think… Don't Saiya-jins have twins?"
"I can't really speak for everyone else, but not in my family. In fact, we only bear sons. A girl hasn't been born to the House of Vegeta in over 1,000 years."
"Is it true?" Goku barely heard Chai ask her cousin. "Is it true you killed your brother at the behest of Princess Rooibos?" That woman must have been the princess that she was talking about. She barely lifted her arm, parrying an attempt at her throat.
"Yes," the prince hissed. "She and I were going to join forces and kingdoms. Couldn't really do it with Yerba on the throne though, or her brother, Prince Hibiscus, alive." He then came at her with an overhead strike that the young queen easily blocked. With a forward thrust, she threw him off of her.
"Your own brother though. Why?"
"He was ineffective! Being merciful, making deals that didn't keep gold in the coffers, letting you do whatever simply because our grandfathers are brothers!? Absurd!" He came at her again and Chai just kicked him down. The thud as he fell gave her a slight twinge of satisfaction. She walked towards him.
"I always make good, Matei. And he was your brother!"
"I WOULD HAVE RULED BOTH THE HORSE AND RAT KINGDOMS! EVERY NIGHT ROOIBOS PROMISED ME! EVENTUALLY WE WOULD HAVE TAKEN YOURS AS WELL!"
Ah. Of course. Men do stupid shit for some tail. And take my kingdom? Not even with all of the other kingdoms at your side.
Chai looked Prince Matei right in the face, forcing neutrality into hers. She shook her head. It clearly didn't matter that they were cousins. Hell, it didn't matter to him that Yerba was his brother. Chai tightened her jaw and stared at the traitor. No matter they led different kingdoms - how many times did the bastard say "Family takes care of family"?
"I hope her pussy was half-decent," she spat then raised her hand to his face. She didn't even notice the energy used to blast him away. She only noticed the absence of his ki and body.
King Yerba was dead. Prince Matei was dead. Princess Rooibos was dead. Not only did that leave the Horse Kingdom leaderless, that decided the war in the Rat Kingdom. Chai rose into the sky several feet above the fighting.
"All of you, hear me and hear me well!"
The noises of battle slowly came to a halt, leaving only the sound of fires burning and the groaning of those injured or nearly dead. Moments later there was the sound of cheering and hollering, presumably from the soldiers of the Ox Kingdom at seeing their queen alive and unscathed.
"People of the Horse Kingdom, your King is dead! My cousin, King Yerba, has been dead for months!"
There was murmuring among the crowd, crying and screaming even but not much else. One person called her a liar but did not act on their accusation. Good. She had their attention.
"He who you've followed to fight on MY soil was Prince Matei, who murdered his brother for the throne! I should have ALL OF YOU put to death for disloyalty to your king, but even I could not tell the difference for quite some time! If you wish to make amends for your actions you will drop your weapons now and march back to your land where Duchess Chamomile will be waiting to deal with you! If any of you are thinking of continuing this mutinous treason once you arrive, do not bother for she and I are in good relations!"
Even from her position, Chai could feel the clattering of weapons. Not enough to be all of the remaining Horses but a significant chunk.
"And as for YOU of the Rat Kingdom! Those loyal to Princess Rooibos, you have lost! I have taken the life of Her Highness, not for any reason but her seduction of my cousin, Matei, which led to the death of Yerba! You have brought your BULLSHIT to my doorstep, to my family, and this is the result! I leave you to the mercy of your Prince!"
"I will not forget this, Your Grace," Prince Hibiscus called up to Chai, who simply nodded. He then turned his large coral eyes to the subjects of the Rat Kingdom. "Soldiers, please escort my sister's followers back to Peace Meadow!"
As they also made their exit, leaving now mostly only members of the Ox Kingdom. Chai could tell from where she floated that there were only a few thousand soldiers left, out of the 15,000 she started with.
"Fellow Ox! You have fought valiantly and with little warning to arouse your senses to battle! Yet here you still stand! I am proud to be your Queen! If you go to the river, you will find your families and those who are now in need of family! Please show to each other as much compassion as you have shown your enemies brutality!"
Chai lowered herself to the ground slowly, wishing only for her people to walk past her to hurry to their families. All she wanted to do was hurry to her own. She could already feel the death and destruction around her beginning to weigh on her. Saiya-jin or not, Chai did not like burying her countrymen. Worse, she could tell that whole families were gone now, after centuries of survival.
I need a bottle of pinot noir to cry into.
"Your Grace!" Basil called from a few feet away.
He was carrying a helmet in his hand, and something else. Chai recognized the helmet with the tall horns sticking out. She looked up at her courtier and nodded her acknowledgement.
The man bowed before her and presented the discarded bit of armor. His voice was as quiet as she'd ever heard it. "General Clove, Your Majesty."
Her throat trembled as she took the helmet. He wasn't just her general. They were friends. Good friends. One of the few people at court that she could be herself around.
"And this," Basil continued in an even quieter voice. His hand quivered as he handed Chai the small box.
She swallowed back her emotions. "If you know the name of his intended, I will personally pass on the misfortune."
Basil looked down, completely avoiding the queen's eyes and exhaled, shakily. He then nodded his head a few times. It occurred to her that Basil knew Clove's sweetheart.
"Your Majesty, the general… he was quite taken… with you…"
Oh, Kami, no.
"Basil…"
"You'd been... lonely... for quite some time… he was planning on… asking you to consider…"
"...Marrying him…"
"I deeply apologize, My Queen."
Chai simply nodded, her tail repeating that motion of comfort around her thigh.
"I wish to be alone."
She took off at the height of her Saiya-jin speed, not sure where she was going but sure that she needed to be alone. This was too much. It happened so fast. How did everything go to hell so fast?
When she stopped, Chai found herself in the middle of the charred remains of her castle. Her castle, which she had built, burned to the ground. The castle of Gyamao was destroyed again. It was like a never-ending curse, except in Chai's case, her castle did not burn by the accident of a mismanaged fire. War burned down her home. It burned down thousands of homes. It killed thousands.
She couldn't even recognize it. Even the paintings of the previous monarchs were destroyed. The last images of her grandmother were gone. The only portrait of the original queen, gone. Thousands of archives, centuries of history, gone. Families gone.
Chai's body shook as though the ground was trembling below her then she realized it was. The ground trembled under her agony. Her tail swayed wildly. The Saiya-jin screamed out, not even feeling the transformation her body took or the energy that poured from her veins. In her rage, Chai destroyed what was left of the castle and it almost felt good. The power flowing through her eased the pain, the loss, the utter fucking failure.
The woman dropped to her knees without realizing, tears falling like cascades down her cheeks as the screams echoed from her throat. When was the last time she lost control like this and just let the Saiya-jin in her rage?
Her people would probably fear her now, but what was the fucking point? How many of them were even left?
Three Saiya-jin's touched down near her, no doubt drawn by her sudden ascendance. She heard her name being called. Dad was finally here.
Papa… where were you? I needed you, Papa… I really needed you. My people needed you…
Vegeta-san was here too. His ki was calm as ever. What happened here was really of no concern to him, but Chai knew it'd been a long time since she felt the need to go Super Saiya-jin. Surely it made the Prince curious. And here she bawled in his presence.
How humiliating…
Chai swallowed and sniffled but the tears just wouldn't stop. The ki that was missing from the kingdom made it feel so hollow and empty. And Clove…
You… you cared for me. And I repaid it with your death…
Yet the guilt she felt at that only increased her guilt at….
No… no.
The rage-induced transformation burned itself out but Chai still knelt and cried. She felt like a child. Not the proud queen she convinced herself she was. She could still sense them calling to her but it didn't matter.
None of it mattered.
Someone crouched down before her. She didn't look up or try to differentiate the ki. She didn't want to know who it was.
It didn't matter.
"So-so many… so many died… entire families gone… bloodlines lost… just gone… half of my court… dead… loyal and dead… over 12,000 soldiers… in minutes… fucking minutes… gone… I sent… to their deaths… and left… i left and… we were attacked… i-i failed… I'm no queen…" Chai gasped out between sobs.
"We can just rebuild, hon," Goku said nonchalantly. "It's not the first time."
The woman just shook her head, violently. "There's so few left. What- what do I tell them… how do I face them?"
A familiar hand cupped her chin and turned her face upwards but she refused to meet his eyes. He didn't need to hear this… he had his own problems.
"Chai, look at me," Trunks said, softly.
She shook her head.
"I'm no queen…"
"Yes, you are. And this isn't your fault"
The assuredness of his statement sent another round of trembling through her body. How can anyone believe that? I have failed my people.
"No," she whimpered, shaking her head. The tears had stopped for now. "I'm a farce. So-so many died… " she then opened up her hands, gesturing all around her. "This… this was my responsibility."
"You didn't know the Rat War was going to end up here, and you didn't know Matei killed Yerba."
"How…?"
"We heard all of it, Chai. And saw. You were really awesome out there!" Goku said, gleefully.
So it wasn't me going Saiya-jin. It was the feel of battle.
The woman continued to shake her head. "I may be a warrior, but I'm not a queen."
"Fine, Chai. You're not a queen. And I'm not a time-traveling, half-alien prince," Trunks said, sarcastically.
There were chuckles from their fathers, but Chai didn't know what was so damned funny. It was true. She was queen for twelve years and managed to turn the Ox Kingdom on it's head. Her whole body shook and she looked away in shame. She felt another hand palm her other cheek and her face turned upwards so that she had to face Trunks in all of her blubbering glory. Yet he looked at her without an ounce of judgement. He was all softness, save for an intense gaze. Parts of her that she thought she locked away roared to be closer.
No. No. That was years ago. We aren't doing this again.
"Come here," he whispered.
She shook her head, tears still dripping from her eyes. Her inner beast, however, roared at her hesitation. We will hurt again… yet other words rolled around her mind. Safe. Comfort.
Mate.
No, the human side of her mind croaked.
"Chai," he whispered, thumbs running over the tears that fell on her cheeks.
Before she knew what her body was doing, Chai cleared the distance between them and buried her face in the time traveller's chest, his hands moving to the back of her head and her waist to hold the young queen as she fell apart. Similarly, her tail moved to embrace him in return. If the young prince still had his tail, Chai assumed the two would have entwined in an involuntary act of comfort, as she once heard they would do. The damned thing seemed to act entirely on the whims of her inner Saiya-jin.
"Ummm… Vegeta?" Goku whispered.
"Quiet, fool!" the Prince hissed.
There was murmuring between their fathers several feet away but Chai didn't care right now. She felt Trunks rest his chin on her head and she gripped his shirt, crying into the fabric and taking in the entirety of his presence. His smell, his embrace, his ki. Her inner beast calmed, no longer thrashing around inside her. She felt so safe, and knew she'd later regret this moment.
17 Years Earlier
"Another one has been taken care of! Your turn comes next! Or perhaps, I let you watch the brats die first!" Nappa shouted with glee.
The boy shivered, staring up at the behemoth. Chai filled with dread, though she refused to show it. If Gohan couldn't do anything, and Piccolo-sama and Ojiisan couldn't stand up to them either, then what could she possibly do? What was she doing here? What was being brave if you could do nothing with it…?
Piccolo-sama and Ojiisan took to the ground suddenly.
What are they -
"Here goes!" the giant Saiya-jin shouted, coming at the men at full speed. Chai could even see the glowing aura trailing behind him as he flew.
Gohan-kun covered his eyes and crouched down, yelling for Papa over and over again. He's just a baby! Just a baby! Chai wrapped her arms around her brother, her fear shivering through her. What do we do?! Do we fly away? Do I take Gohan to Muten Roshi-sama's? Will that monster follow us? Mama…. No, we must stay here…
He was getting closer. His ki rising. The air filled with terror. Even the plants writhed, knowing what was coming.
Stay here and die…
Piccolo-sama and Krillin-ojiisan screamed. Even they didn't know what to do.
Goodbye Mama… Papa we'll see you soon...
"Wait, Nappa!" the small prince called out.
The air stilled suddenly with Nappa's movement. He froze midair, fist and teeth clenched to finish his assault.
"Wh-what is it? Why don't you just let me get them?"
"Don't be hasty. There's something I want to ask them."
Still holding onto her baby brother, Chai turned her face to observe as the two talked. It was interesting how to giant one so obeyed Vegeta. Granted, he was the prince but if Chai understood correctly, they and her Papa were the only full-blooded saiya-jins left. Was it loyalty that kept Nappa towed, or was Vegeta that much more powerful than him?
"This Son Goku person you're talking about is Kakarrot, isn't it?" the small saiya-jin asked.
"Yes. What of it?" Krillin answered.
The prince only laughed. "To think that you are falling back on Kakarott…"
"You just wait until my Papa gets here! He's gonna whoop you!" Chai shouted over.
"He couldn't even stand against Raditz." Vegeta answered, cooly. He didn't even bother looking over at the girl. "What good will he do you when he gets here?"
"He won't be the same as he was back then! He's sure to be much, much stronger!" the monk answered.
"Don't you look down your noses at Son Goku!" Piccolo-sama added.
A venomous laugh came from above. The fiend, Nappa, righted himself and floated effortlessly above them. Only his shoulder plates were damaged, but otherwise the monster was untouched.
"But for all that, he's not here, is he?!" he laughed. "Are you sure he hasn't gotten scared and run away?!" Nappa continued.
"Papa isn't a coward!" Chai yelled.
"He'll be here!" Gohan-kun shouted, wriggling free from his sister's arms. "Papa will surely be here! He's going to take care of you guys!"
"That reliance of yours is something else." Vegeta replied. He was still unconcerned about the Z-fighter's claims but he seemed curious. "Interesting. We're going to wait until he gets here, however, only for three hours. We won't wait any longer than that."
The larger man began shaking and sputtering. A vein that Chai could see from the ground was popping off of his shiny head. The girl wished that the prince would put him down, if he really was so powerful. No. That's horrible… Then again, it'll be them or us in the end.
"That's absurd! I'm going to play with them right now!"
He shot down towards Krillin and Piccolo as if he had never stopped.
"Nappa! Didn't you hear what I said?!" the prince shouted out.
The giant man froze faster than he should have been capable of. He was moving and then not, as if time stood still.
"S-sorry. I got carried away." he muttered.
Even Chai bowed her head slightly at the sound. It was the first time Vegeta had spoken in a less than calm fashion. If the man claimed to be a prince, Chai believed him to be the real deal. He carried an unfettered presence that spoke volumes, so for him to shout… No… I will not let a man hardly any taller than me make me shiver by raising his voice. The princess straightened her spine and stood tall with her fists at her side and her tail wrapped around her waist. Normally, she let the thing trail behind her, tall as herself, and do what it wanted but instinct told her to keep it secured to her body.
Vegeta then smiled evilly at the two men.
"That's how it's going to be. Your lives have been extended somewhat. Be grateful."
Chai wasn't sure what made her angrier: Vegeta's nonchalance towards her father or his belief that their lives were his to decide. Were all prince's so pretentious!? Piccolo-sama and Krillin-ojiisan also stared wide-eyed at the prince's proposal. It did buy them time, at least. Slowly, the two men put their arms down and made their way over to the children.
…...
"Be reasonable. This is his first actual fight, after all."
Krillin had been defending Gohan's behavior to the Namekian for at least thirty minutes, but the green man wasn't hearing it. At first, he'd dug into Chai for returning to the scene of the fight, but those actions were easier to defend.
'Piccolo, did you really just expect her to sit back where it's safe? I mean she is Goku's daughter, after all!'
Unfortunately, Krillin's explanation not only made perfect sense, but also served to increase his disappointment in the boy.
'Okay, yes… they are both Goku's children… but Piccolo, c'mon! Gohan is only five! Chai is eleven!'
'And a girl…' the Namekian grumbled.
'Excuse -' the princess began.
'Aw, that doesn't mean anything. You met Chi-Chi?'
'Exactly my point! Gohan should be even braver!'
And so, the two men argued about Gohan's lack of experience, lack of bravery, lack of general usefulness to the fight, slowly forgetting about Chai disobeying orders entirely. Hopefully, her mother would forget just as easily though the girl somehow didn't think so. Chi-Chi didn't forget much.
"I'm the pathetic one for expecting anything from you," Piccolo said pointedly to Gohan. "Get out of here you coward!"
All the boy could do was shiver in shame at his master's words.
"None of you could even do anything!" Chai shouted up at Piccolo. The man was at least three times her size but she didn't care. "How do you expect him to fight when none of you even stand a chance!?"
"If Gohan had taken that one shot! That one shot that we discussed, Tenshinhan might not be dead!" Piccolo snapped back.
She felt her brother's ki shoot up then drop at those words. Guilt radiated from him in slowly building waves.
"Don't you dare put that on him!"
"Hn, you're awfully headstrong, Son Chai. Perhaps I should have trained you instead," Piccolo replied, looking not at her but her brother as he did so.
"What do you think they're talking about?" Krillin asked, suddenly.
The other three followed his field of vision towards Vegeta and Nappa. The prince was sitting on a rock, looking quite comfortable. Chai sneered at his contentment. Is everything your throne, Your Highness? Nappa, on the other hand, stood before him, laughing wildly at something Vegeta had said. The girl couldn't help but to imagine him suddenly being blasted through the chest and falling to the ground. As dead as Yamucha-san, Chaozu-san, and Tenshinhan-san.
"Say, what if we just ran away? There's no way we can win. This is no time to be stubborn!" Krillin figured, turning back towards his friends.
"Fool! They plan on wiping out all of humanity in any case." Piccolo chastised. "Even if you run away now, you'll end up the same."
"D-dammit! Please, Goku, get here! Show us how much stronger than them you've become!" Krillin cried out. The monk then shook his head and turned up towards the Namekian. "Piccolo, Goku is sure to be here in the next three hours, right?"
"Who knows?"
What…?
"Think of some way to inflict some damage on them, however little, before Son Goku gets here," he continued. "Regardless of how much power Goku may have gained at Kaio's place, his chances of fighting both of them and winning are next to impossible. We've made some tremendous enemies here."
Chai looked back down at her hands. They were still marked up and charred from that mysterious blast she put forth earlier. Stinging emitted from where her skin was a little black, but otherwise, they didn't hurt as much as she would have expected.
If it was her… her and not Gohan, would that have made a difference? She looked over at her brother, who still hung his head. She knew it wasn't just the age difference. Gohan used to get really upset at being lost or running into creatures he didn't recognize, even if they were just squirrels. He cried easily at being hurt too. Chai, however, loved tumbling around the dirt, ruining her dresses, and getting her Papa to chase after her and gently push her to the ground in play. And how many times had she gotten lost in the forests of Mount Paozu, just to reappear a few hours later, Mama bawling about how she thought her baby was gone forever?
The princess loved her brother and didn't fault him for being softer than her but...
"Piccolo-sama! P-please train me for the next three hours!" Chai cried out before she even thought through her words.
"Don't be foolish!" the Namekian turned from her. "Getting your coward brother out of here would be a better use of your time!"
The girl opened her mouth to retort, knowing she was likely in the wrong when Gohan slowly began to walk away from them entirely. Could… could he fly? Is he going to fly away? Ask Kinto Un? No… no she couldn't let him do that! What about the whole year he was gone!? All of Mama's tears… all of my tears… all of our worries… the sleepless nights? The meals Mama cooked but neither of us could touch… the schism that grew in our house…. for nothing?! No!
She turned to her brother, fully. "Gohan, come back! You've got to show Papa how big and strong you've grown!" Chai ordered.
The boy paused his stride and his shoulders began to shake.
C'mon. C'mon, turn around. Cry, whatever, but turn around.
He shook his head and took several more steps away from them.
"Gohan!" Krillin called after him.
A blindingly white blast, the size of a motorcycle came towards him and Chai's heart froze. The mountain next to Gohan blew up, the size of it crumbling to pieces and dust clouding her vision. As the debris flew away, she saw him on the ground. He shivered but he was fine. Chai ran at him and threw her arms around the boy.
"Trying to run away, are you?" Nappa laughed. "Well, that would be the smart thing to do."
That fired the kid up.
"Who-who's running away!?" Gohan jumped out of Chai's arms. "I've just got to go pee!"
Chai stifled a laugh at him but felt her chest swell with pride anyways.
"And if you guys are going to go home, now is your chance…" he trailed off.
Damnit, Gohan-kun. You were doing so good.
Nappa then leaned over and cupped his ear. "What was that? I didn't hear you."
Gohan began to shake again and Chai shook her head. Fine then, she'll put them in their place.
"He said - "
"YOUR MAMA'S BELLY BUTTON STICKS OUT!" Gohan cried.
."Your balls drop now!?" Chai hissed.
"H-How did you know my mama's belly button sticks out"?! Nappa yelled back in bewilderment, however did not act, remembering his orders. Instead, another malicious grin crossed his features. "I'm going to go have fun," he told his superior.
"Don't overdo it," Vegeta smirked then Nappa took to the skies, disappearing towards a van hidden behind a few large rocks. He was gone maybe 30 seconds before Chai felt death. Five kis that she suddenly didn't notice anymore. And with that, the fiend flew away from them all, his enormous ki still (feel-able) no matter how far he seemed to go.
10 more ki gone.
His ki got more faint.
20 more.
500 suddenly gone as well.
Chai trembled in frustration. What a monster he was. Was nothing sacred? Papa… Papa please hurry.
Minutes quickly turned to hours as Chai noted and estimated each sudden disappearance of ki. Her eyes teared up and her blood boiled but she couldn't not notice. How did she not feel all of this before? How densely populated the Earth was…
200.
10.
1,000…
Papa… Papa please hurry. We need you… Where are you?
The air stilled suddenly. The earth felt emptier as Chai's stomach dropped.
14,000.
What city was that? Is there… is there anything left?
There was a tingling in her fingertips, the anger she felt slowly coursing it's way through her body to concentrate in her hands. With an enraged yell Chai blasted the rest of the mountain that Nappa had earlier blown into, her instincts guiding her control of the ki.
"Chai…" Krillin breathed.
"Time!" Vegeta said, simply.
Everyone looked up and stared over at the Saiya-jin Prince, who rose to his feet and tossed his scouter aside.
"Looks like waiting for him didn't do any good," he smiled. Nappa touched down as well. Impeccable timing for a brute. "That coward Kakarrot did not come."
"Otousan is not a coward!" Gohan cried out to them.
"Papa…." Chai whimpered, allowing the tears to fall down her cheeks.
There was a boulder-sized thud as Nappa pulled off his chest plate, revealing more of his massive form. The man truly was monstrous, rivaled only by Goku in how impressive his built was.
"Now then, to take my time in making you hurt…" he chuckled. "It's too bad I couldn't show this to Kakarrot, though."
What… what is he going to do? Is he going to beat us to a pulp? Just pound on us until we are bloody and bruised and broken?
He came towards them, cracking his knuckles as he did so and nearly giggling, as if he was going to take apart a car or a machine rather than people.
"There's only one possibility for us to beat him," Piccolo whispered. "Of course, that is if everything goes well. Listen up! Krillin, you go all-out to draw his attention. And then I will find an opening to grab his tail, a Saiya-jin's weak point."
Chai involuntarily stiffened her own tail at her waist. That was a good thing to know. How come no one had told her this before? Surely Papa knew, right? He told her that he had a tail for most of his life, so he must have noticed the weakness. How come he never said anything?
"Once all of his power fails him, Gohan and Chai, you'll call up all of your power and rush him. Got that?," Piccolo finished up.
"This is our chance to prove ourselves, Ototo-san. No running away, right?" Chai smiled at her brother, determination in her eyes.
"Yes. It'll be okay," Gohan agreed. His face showed considerably more fear but his eyes were like hers. Focused, driven. Things would go better this time around.
"Of course. Remember that the fate of the Earth rests in your hands!" Piccolo-sama reassured, his eyes fixated on the enemy.
The princess would have been lying if she said that excitement wasn't stirring in her right now. She was terrified, no doubt, but her senses were aroused at the idea of battle. It would be like the stories Papa told her of his youth, taking down mercenaries and the Red Ribbon Army. Her and Gohan-kun would save the world, with the help of Krillin-ojiisan and Piccolo-sama. She'd have a story to tell her Papa.
The energy around them changed as all four comrades were filled with more confidence at the Namekian's words. It would be fine. They could do this. It worked on Raditz and it would work again on Nappa and Vegeta, especially when their numbers were double.
"Believe in yourselves!" the green master commanded.
The girl could hear her little brother's heart beating rapidly in his chest. It's rhythm matched her own and she was sure everyone else, save for the short monk, could hear their beating chests as well. It was like a war drum.
Nappa stopped a few feet from them. Chai glanced over at Gohan-kun and pursed her lips.
He can do this. He can. I-I can do this.
The girl stared down at her hands.
I just have to think of everyone who died.
The sun was beginning to get hazy overhead. Chai looked around at the two bodies that lay near. Yamucha… Tenshinhan…All of the innocent lives.
"Here goes!" Krillin yelled, charging after the Saiya-jin. The Earthling suddenly let go a blast and launched himself in the air before Piccolo charged in as well, appearing behind Nappa in seconds and grabbing the end of the monster's tail.
This is it!
The siblings charged at Nappa, both determined to not fail their master, not fail the Earth.
"You fools!" he hollered, elbowing Piccolo-sama in the head.
Chai and Gohan stopped, suddenly, thrown off by this turn of events. Wasn't the tail the weakness? What happened?
Piccolo doubled over in pain, his eyes rolling in the back of his head. No… no… it's hopeless. The monster picked him up by the back of his shirt and held his head with the other. Is he going to snap his neck?! Chai trembled, imagining his head bobbing off to one side and the absence of Piccolo-sama's ki. Please… please...
"Now, can't have you die yet," Nappa cooed. "We still have to have you tell us about the Dragon Balls."
The Prince then threw his head back in laughter. "Hell of a miscalculation, huh? Did you think we would leave our weak spot untrained forever?"
"The best the Earth has to offer, and this is what happens after one blow," Nappa said, tossing Piccolo at the kids' feet.
The two rushed to him. Gohan was now trembling as much as Chai, shaking the green man's back and calling out to him. His eyes wouldn't open though. He was alive but completely unconscious.
"Now that he's gone beddy-bye I think I'll toy around with the little squirts," Nappa suggested. His tone was somehow more sinister now, as though killing children was one of his favorite pastimes. Perhaps it was. A chill went down Chai's spine as her strength began to fail her.
He stepped closer. He smelled of musk and blood and soot. Hi ki was overwhelming, sending goosebumps along Chai's flesh. Somehow she knew he was barely pulsing his aura, no more than a person's normal breathing.
"I think I'll start with Kakarrot's daughter, for making a fool of me earlier." The fiend crouched down so that he was only a foot above her . "Too bad though… in five years, you'd be breeding age." Breeding age? She felt sick. Chai knew babies didn't come from big benevolent birds. "And there are no more female saiya-jins," he continued, his face now inches from hers. The man accentuated his next words. "Just you, half-breed."
The girl felt her blood freeze. She felt like she was being hunted, and not just by some random hungry animal but an apex predator stalking its prey for sport when it could just kill her. This was a type of fear she wasn't used to. Being treated to like a plaything.
"You're the daughter of a true saiya-jin," he continued. "So you should amuse me for a while, right?"
She.. couldn't move. She couldn't talk. She couldn't think.
"LEAVE MY SISTER A-OHHHHHH!"
Chai could only watch with one fearful eye as her brother was shot through a nearby boulder, cracking it's side, and collapsed to the ground face-first.
"Gohan-kun!" Chai cried out and reached for him but Nappa grabbed her by her tail.
The boy slowly raised up, a look in his eyes that she'd never seen before. There was a bloodlust in there.
Chai flashed back to when her brother had been kidnapped a few years back while Papa was fishing. He'd come back to find Okaasan and Ojichan unconscious on the ground, and a crying Chai hiding in the house. Papa had that same look on his face at finding his family in such condition. He wanted blood.
Gohan wiped his mouth, and stared over at Nappa who simply laughed joyously. The girl wriggled to get away from him but his grip was too tight. It was useless.
"That's more like it!"
Chai was suddenly airborne as she was thrown at neckbreak speed at her brother and Nappa followed behind, as if to force them both through the boulder at once. Out of nowhere, Krillin appeared, putting a blockade between the two. He kicked Nappa in the face and sent the man over onto his back. Gohan caught his sister and laid her gently down on the ground. They watched as Krillin continued after the Saiya-jin.
The princess lazily looked on, raised up on her elbows but her spirits were no longer with the fight. Her heart felt like a stone weighing her to the ground. Useless. She had been useless. Their plan fell through completely. And it wasn't like she could fight. She was just in the way. Good for no more than potential breeding, according to the behemoth.
She should have stayed at Kame House with the other females.
Nappa had caught himself last minute and flipped back to his feet. He launched himself at Krillin and punched the man into the ground. No, he missed. Krillin flipped around the ground expertly, keeping distance between him and the giant. Like David and Goliath. The Earthling then lifted one arm in the air with his palm flat. He called upon his ki with a growl as Nappa came at him. Suddenly, electricity emitted from Krillin's fingertips and formed themselves into a disc wider than his body. The monk smirked. Nappa froze.
"Kienzan!" Krillin shouted then began twirling it in tune with his body before throwing the glowing discus at the Saiya-jin. It spun as it flew, and the edges took on a sharp appearance.
"What a useless technique!" Nappa bluffed.
The disc came closer. Chai could hear her heart in her chest. Closer. Everything seemed to slow. Closer.
"Nappa! Get out of the way!" Vegeta ordered.
The subordinate snapped his head to the side just in time. The kienzan buzzed by him and headed for a tall mountaintop, slicing it in half as it went through and causing a small avalanche. When Nappa turned back towards them, there was a small cut on his cheek. If only he hadn't moved.
"Wh-Why you! How dare you wound my face!" he growled, readying a white hot blast of his own that crackled with energy.
Krillin steadied himself. Nappa came towards him and threw it. Krillin crossed his arms before his face but it threw him back anyways, fraying his clothes and burning him along his body. Nappa readied another. Aimed, then threw his arm forward to let go the blast when he froze in a glow of yellow. Krillin hit the ground, no more injured than he was before and when the energy dissipated, there was a large burn mark on Nappa's back that scorched the majority of the flesh.
"You bastard!" he roared at Piccolo, who knelt on the ground. The Namekian slowly stood, still panting from the energy he just used. Possibly the last of his strength.
Behind both of them, the Prince guffawed at the display. "Looks like you're having a hard time with them, Nappa." What kind of power did this jerk have?
"Dont you… don't you look down on Earth, Saiya-jin!" Piccolo gasped.
He and Nappa traded verbal blows when Piccolo finally looked up towards the East. "Wh-What ki is this?!" He then turned to the siblings. "Th-There's an incredible ki coming this way from far off!"
Similarly, Vegeta's smirk faltered.
"I-It's true!" Chai said from the ground. She got to her feet immediately. Maybe hope wasn't lost.
"A-an amazing, yet familiar ki!" Gohan agreed. The grin on his face was priceless, belonging nowhere on this battlefield. Both his and Chai's eyes began to tear up.
"You're all just spouting nonsense!" Nappa accused but Piccolo glanced at the giant with a smirk.
"It could only be him. It's Son Goku."