Current time: June 737
Current location: Moto-kuni, Planet Vegeta
In their small family unit, the family of Bardock, son of Moto, sat in their sleeping space. Raditz, who had been at the dwelling of his uncle, returned and immediately took to the new infant. They cooed and bayed softly at each other, something that was interesting and lightening to see between a newborn and a year-old. Currently, the older boy was in his sire's lap, mumbling about how small Kakarotto was and how strong he might be as he got older.
The mother of Kakarotto, Gine, was holding her newborn up to her chest once more, knowing that he would still be hungry. She was perturbed, however, by her infant's disinterest, letting go of her breast. Kakarotto only continued to cry.
"Hmm. Strange."
"What's strange, Gine?"
"He's not eating."
Bardock stood up, pushing their elder son away gently. Raditz hummed in questioning. "Is something wrong with Kakarotto? Bardock?"
Bardock ignored the boy, only hushing him as he picked up his infant son and tried to examine him as best as he could. Kakarotto continued to cry as his sire put an ear to his small chest.
For a moment, Bardock's heart seemed to stop. This was his second son; how did he not see this coming? After what had happened on Kanassa, he and Gine had coupled once more. He returned from Meat with nothing to say, no stories to tell; he was the only survivor, was the story.
How did he not foresee this in his own son?!
"Gine? What's wrong?" Raditz reached out to his dam, who cooed softly down at him. Gine stood up on shaky legs, rubbing her face clean of any blood from earlier in the evening. Raditz reached out to hold her arm, steadying her.
"I don't- Bardock!" Gine reached out to her mate, the male covering the infant in a small blanket and heading towards the portal to their dwelling. "Where are you going?!"
"To the physicians. Stay here, Gine!"
"Bardock!"
"You must have missed something!"
"Bardock," the physician sighed. "We've done three examinations and two scans on your son. We haven't found anything that could be wrong with his health." The physician looked down at the infant, who was again refusing the synthetic nourishment that the nurse was offering to him. The infant began to cry again. "Perhaps it's an inability to thrive."
"Kim, he drank from Gine. He was fine and feeding for four hours." Bardock growled and hit a nearby table. Luckily, it had been one built into the floor, so only the dent of his fist was the difference that he made in the furniture.
"Yes, he may have seemed healthy for those hours, but he may have been holding on with what little energy he had left after the birth." The nurse approached them on quiet feet, her eyes alarming. "What is it, Rino?"
"I felt the creature's pulse as I tried to feed him again. It stopped for a small period, and that's when he began to cry again."
"What?" The physician looked into the room where the infant was being tended to by another nurse who lifted him up and began to rock him slowly.
"Have you examined him internally?" Bardock pressed forward. "His blood? Anything else?"
"Not yet," the physician responded, walking over to his instrument table. "But I will."
Bardock saw a needled syringe in the doctor's hand. "I offer thanks."
"Offspring of our kind are precious, Bardock. For a people so few in number, we cannot let your son die if we can prevent it."
Bardock returned with no infant that evening. Gine punched her mate's arms, leaving bruises that would last for several days certainly, and Bardock allowed her to do so. Raditz was contused by the behavior, but he allowed his sire to explain to him after the two adults fought in the Repose part of their dwelling.
"This is how Gine will handle this. Kakarotto is not well."
"She keeps crying."
"She is upset. Why is she so upset? What's happened to my brother, my Karo?"
Bardock raised his eyes to his son's gaze. "Karo? ... He has a virus of the heart. He will stay with the physicians for a month or so."
"A month?!" Raditz cried out in obvious displeasure "That's over 200 days! Past the next Moon Phase!"
"Yes. Imagine Gine now. She can only see Kakarotto in the Healing-Dan." Bardock patted Raditz's hair, and he was reminded about how much his elder son's hair resembled his mate's. "She's had the creature in her for a month and so soon after holding him, he's gone. You feel lonely, too, don't you?"
"... A little. I want someone to spar with, someone like me, from you and Gine." Raditz pouted. "It's not like the Yasai clan are the best of comrades. All of the Kaiyō clan is weak but they are kind. I want someone who is mine."
"Yours…" Bardock hummed. "Kakarotto is your brother. He'll always be yours. You must keep him safe, Raditz. Always."
Raditz nodded and totted away to Gine's room. To offer comfort, Bardock didn't know. He thought of his son in the Healing-Dan and his future. He closed his eyes and saw Kakarotto as an older Saiya-jin. He was strong and somehow innocent. He seemed healthy at least.
A flash of red and suddenly, Kakarotto was much different than before. He was stronger, softer, and Raditz was fighting him. A being stood, seeming to fight them both but continually targeting Raditz. They were of the same race! Why were his sons fighting each other, and why did Kakarotto look so different, so much like Gine?!
The red of the Moon on whatever planet they were on shone down on them, and soon the third being was dispatched and the fight was only between his offspring, under the light of the Red Moon. Soon they were baying at one another, and fighting again began in the oldest of dances that certainly clung to their blood, and clung to the future.
The Kanassan had only mentioned the future of the Saiya-jin when Bardock had encountered him and it made sense now.
"You have no future save that which is cursed! As it is with my people, there will be nothing but destruction for yours!"
His bloodline would continue, but at what cost to his offspring?
"A curse in our blood…"
"Think of it as a kindness… Heh heh…"
Notes:
Bardock - Root vegetable: Burdock
Gine - Root vegetable: Negi/ Spring onion
Raditz - Root vegetable: Radish
Kakarotto - Root vegetable: Carrot
Kim - Sea vegetable: Kim/Gim
Rino - Sea vegetable: Nori
*Reviews are much appreciated.