Current time: February 738

Current location: Yasai-kuni, Planet Vegeta

King Vegeta of the Clan Yasai looked down at the female that had been brought to his judgement. A common female of the Kaiyō clan, though this one had made herself a scientist. There was nothing more interesting about her, specifically. However, they, the studies, interested him… and with the last months' events, it made him more interested in the infant in question.

"All of what you've told to us, you're certain of it." It was a statement, not a question. She would be bent to answer it otherwise.

"Yes." The female glared up at her ruler, her sovereign. "I've told you everything."

"And you said your grandson was your subject."

"... Yes."

The King closed his eyes. From the extent of the operations, the infant would have suffered immensely. Every incision, every injection, every vivisection of his body; from what he had gathered from Bardock, the boy cried continually unless held by his dam or sire. He would flinch when touched, fearing whatever would come would also deliver pain onto his body.

When the Red Moon came at the end of the previous month, the infant became female as the studies had predicted. The form was stable, as though the infant had always been in such a body. When King Vegeta had first come to see the infant, she was crying unless held by Bardock or his mate. Her nose wrinkled as though smelling something foul.

"What affect does this have on his interactions with males?"

"... We don't know. Perhaps he will not see a difference in his behavior with males or females. Perhaps he will think of himself as neither. Perhaps he will find an honor in being both." The female shrugged. "This was for my own honor, not the infant's nor my daughter's… And to sate the curiosity of many."

The second time, only the next day, he came with his own son. Prince Vegeta stared at the infant in a curious manner. He questioned the male name of Kakarotto, and King Vegeta had chosen to explain the cruelties that the young Moto male had suffered. While the Prince showed no mercy on the field of battle, he did show some mercy as a son… and as a boy.

He had studied his son as he held the sniffling infant, Vegeta letting the girl-once-a-boy play with his fingers. The boy made a mention of his younger brother that he had been hoping for, to have a playmate; still, he whispered to the child in his arms to grow, so that they may fight against each other. Kakarotto had suckled on the boy's finger, gradually growing quiet.

"Perhaps you sated Our curiosity as well."

Prince Vegeta had asked about the girl-infant, wondering if he could have him as a partner when he was grown. He commented on the strength with which he held his hand. The scouter had read 98, something expected in a four-month-old infant. He would be a great fighter, and Vegeta and Raditz would teach him everything of how to defeat their enemies.

Never had the King seen his son so curious.

He turned to the guard that kept watch over the female. "Keep her alive. Barely. I may have use of her."

Kakarotto crawled on the floor of his family unit's dwelling, feeling the floor under his chubby fingers. It felt cold, hard… Different than what he had remembered when he was still inside of Gine. He could hear Gine preparing something in the Preparation room. Perhaps he'd go there…

"Kakarotto. Are you hungry?" The boy reached up to his dam, cooing as she began to expose her chest and latching onto her breast. Her milk was sweet on his tongue and he dug his nails lightly into her breast, making sure that he had a good hold on her. It wasn't enough that he made indentations in her skin.

Gine continued to move around the room, cooking a meat that Bardock preferred. It was getting easier to do it with one arm, especially since she had had Raditz' infancy to call on for experience. She hummed softly, muttering a tune that her dam's sister had taught her before her death.

Kakarotto let go of her after the meat had finally been put onto the table. Gine laughed lightly at the small burp that escaped the infant. She set the creature down into the special seat that would hold him in place. He babbled up at her in attempt to speak.

"Would you like to try eating, small one?" Gine remembered that Raditz began to eat solids at half a month old. As she brought a piece of meat to her mouth to chew and soften, Kakarotto quieted himself and stared at her, wondering.

"Here." Gine placed a small bit of the meat in her son's mouth. The infant quickly took to mashing it with his small teeth and tongue, moving the meat in his mouth. Kakarotto was crooning softly in happiness, opening his mouth for more when he was done.

"Slow down, little one." She gave him more, and Gine crooned at her son as he laughed after the second bite. "I think we'll all need to slow down…"

Bardock came into their dwelling, smelling of the Healing-Dan. Gine sighed at the familiar scent.

"Bardock, one day you need to come straight back here. You come back almost dead every time…" Gine smirked at him. "Do you like the nurses more than me?"

Her mate panted softly in her ear, and Gine almost regretted teasing him. She watched as Bardock extended his hand to Kakarotto. The boy purred softly, pudgy fingers wrapping around his sire's large fingers. He sniffed at the appendages, letting out a whimper.

"Wash your hands, Bardock."

"Wha-"

"You smell like that surgeon."

Kakarotto was still eating the chewed meats that his dam gave him, the infant the only one in the Preparation Room. Gine wanted to speak to the guests that had arrived, leaving the boy to his devices.

"Kakarotto." The boy looked up at his name being called and he saw another boy - or girl? He couldn't tell when they wore so much armor. He also didn't see enough people to really tell from sight, anyway. - enter the room. He smelled familiar. He smelled like Bardock and Gine.

The other Saiya-jin came closer and Kakarotto could smell Gine more strongly on him. Small arms wrapped around the infant, and Kakarotto squirmed for a moment as he was adjusted to fit more comfortably in the boy's grip.

"You're Kakarotto. You're my…" The boy pressed his lips to Kakarotto's forehead, and Kakarotto felt safe. He could recognize the other now; this was one of the voices he had heard while inside of Gine. It was a small voice back then, one that promised safety whenever he heard it.

"Raditz." The boy turned to the doorway and Kakarotto saw Gine smiling. "You've met your brother."

"After being away forever," the boy named Raditz whined. Kakarotto smelled relief on the other. He let out a small cooing noise of excitement and happiness and Raditz replied with a grunt. "He's little for a month-old boy."

"The surgeries wore his body down, Dee. He'll be stronger soon." Gine reached down for Kakarotto, humming in curiosity. Kakarotto turned towards Raditz, loosely wrapping his tail around his brother's arm. He smelled of other things, not just Bardock and Gine. He was curious of those things, of the scent of meat and sweat and excitement. He jerked his head up at a loud laugh.

"So there's the small one." A tall man that looked much like Bardock came in. His skin was darker than any that Kakarotto had seen, and it made him curious as well.

"Tarles, this is my brother." Raditz walked them both towards the large man, Kakarotto trying to bury himself in his brother's armor. "Kakarotto, this is our sire's brother, our uncle."

Tarles reached down to the infant, brushing away some of his hair so that it stayed out of the boy's eyes for a while. "Heh, I wondered if Bardock's next son would have this hair of ours."

Kakarotto smelled the appendages as they pulled away. This one seemed friendly. He reached out for Tarles, cooing.

"Come here, Small One…" Tarles plucked the boy out of Raditz grasp, throwing him up slightly. The infant let out a spiel of laughter after his initial shout of surprise. Tarles joined in the laughter. This was something he missed.

"How long will you be here on-world, brother?" Gine asked.

"Only two more days." Tarles tossed the boy into the air again, smiling at the laughs that followed. "Where the Hell's Bardock?"

"He went to meet with the Clan Yasai."

Raditz took his brother from his uncle, Kakarotto trying to jump in his older brother's grasp.

"The royal family?" Tarles hummed in interest. "My little brother must have gotten their attention with all of death wish missions that he's been on."

"You want me to… hand over my son?"

King Vegeta looked down to the third-class Saiya-jin before him. Bardock of the Moto Clan was a strong one, yes, possibly on par with the royal Yasai. The Prince, his son, looked down at Bardock with similar thoughts. The Prince looked up at him in certainty.

"Our son has taken interest in him. We met with you, your mate, and your son few weeks ago. His ability to change with the Niyo Moon is a precious thing. It should be protected." King Vegeta could already feel the tension in the throne room rise as the scent of fury and protectiveness filled the room. "What bothers you of this?"

"To consider my son, who is not yet a month old," Bardock growled. "To consider him for anything relating to have a partner during the Moon is too much. Even if it is to the Noble Yasai."

The monarch sighed heavily. "Our son has only taken interest in him as a comrade. I learnt that your Kakarotto is the first with this ability, and he is also the first that my son has grown interested in, even if he is male originally." He looked to the Prince, who nodded solemnly.

"I just want him to go on a mission with me in a few weeks, Captain Bardock," the boy stated. "I can even get the boy acquainted with our Lord and proprietor, put in a good word. It will be better for when he gets older." The not-yet-year-old boy tilted his head in curiosity, waiting for an answer.

They looked down to Bardock with scrutiny. He looked anxious under their gazes, and furious.

"... Where will my Prince take him?"

"To Marmash," Prince Vegeta explained. "It's a planet rich with energy but with weak in power levels. It'd be a good place to start his training. Raditz will be coming with us.

"That wouldn't be a problem, would it, Captain Bardock?"

Bardock lowered his head, raising up a hand. The King approached his most powerful captain of the lower-class. Looking down at the hand offered to him, the King Vegeta placed his hand upon it, palm to palm. For a moment, he felt fear coming from Bardock.

"We'll guard your sons. They are precious to a race with few. Kakarotto will come back."

Raditz turned towards his Prince and his brother. Kakarotto gripped tightly to Vegeta's armour, murmuring against the tough material. His short tail was hanging low, occasionally touching Vegeta's and loosely curling around it before letting go.

"Kakarotto, you need to raise up your power and attack. Don't worry about killing them for now. Just get stronger."

Kakarotto blinked at Vegeta's whispered words and turned to Raditz. He reached out with a small hand towards his older brother. At his older brother's touch, Kakarotto hummed and nodded.

"Di… Gi…" Kakarotto purred out. He let the older Saiya-jin go and let himself drop to the ground beneath them. The beings in front of them looked confused at the sight of the children.

For a while since leaving their pods, the three had continued to circle the first village they came upon. As the Maromash-jins grew curious, Raditz let his scouter read the levels there.

'They're greater than Kakarotto's, but they're not focused. He should be fine.'

One of the Maromash-jins shouted something in excitement turned fear, meaning in the Universal Language the name of the Saiya-jin. They came forward and the older Saiya-jins fell into a fighting stance. Kakarotto immediately copied them and Raditz felt the air against his skin change.

Kakarotto did not kill anyone in the first village, nor the second.

In the third, he broke an elder's neck with a well-placed, or perhaps just lucky, kick. No death resulted then, but Raditz quickly corrected that.

His power level was indeed rising, faster than Raditz and Vegeta had calculated. It wasn't much higher than how Raditz's power increased with age, but it was much like Vegeta's. The boy was fast.

"He's doing well, Vegeta," Raditz noted when the third village was eliminated, smiling with pride at his brother's power. Vegeta nodded, turning to see the infant placing his hands on one of the corpses.

"Kakarotto?" The older males approached the boy, prompting him to look up at them with wide, curious eyes. They seemed to be looking deep into their bodies, seeking something that neither Raditz nor Vegeta could explain in their youth. "What are you doing?" Vegeta asked.

"Gi…" Kakarotto reached up to Vegeta, his eyes still wide and searching. "Warm…"

"Yes, but they'll be cold soon."

Raditz watched as Vegeta picked up the boy who began to rub his nose against Vegeta's chin.

"Gi… Di. Don't be cold."

"It happens to everyone, Kakarotto," Vegeta answered. He pressed a kiss to the boy's lips, listening to the soft purring coming from the boy's chest, feeling it against his own. "We'll be together then, and we'll be ancient before that happens."

Raditz came to pet his brother's forehead.

Bardock looked up where his younger son stood on the altar by the Prince Vegeta. His mate beside him, his son on his other side… He never felt more alone.

The King stood before the small Moto family, between them and the boys at the altar.

"This will not be broken. The blood of the Moon and the Earth beneath us stand witness to this. The eyes and ears of the Stars and Air will maintain this for eternity."

His younger son was mated to the Prince Vegeta at only 246 days old. The Moon was upon them, along with the Beast, and Bardock could hear the Kanassa-jin again, laughing at the curse that began when Bardock returned to the Planet Vegeta.

The child's belly would one day swell and all that Bardock had hoped for his son, avoiding unnecessary blood-shed in the name of a ruler that wished to crush them in his palm, to not be under the power of another without a chance for independence, to be happy… it would be gone with the continuation of their blood.

'Perhaps it would be best if we all died, in the end.'

He saw the Prince Vegeta smile affectionately, at Kakarotto, who welcomed the warm touch and kisses of the older boy. There was no desire to consume in the Prince's eyes yet, but Bardock knew it would come; soon that desire to teach the boy to be stronger could become a desire to dominate. If it would be like that of he and Gine, Bardock could only hold out weak hope.

'Beasts.'