Disclaimer: Something something chapter two something.

All right! Christmas break is here, and I'm cooking! Well, actually, I'm not cooking, because I can't cook… and, while we're on the subject, I don't clean very well, either. It's a good thing I'm a liberal pagan, otherwise I'm screwed when/if I get married/knocked up.

Setto grinned as he swished around the liquid in his bottle. "You know, Atsa was a cute kid. You would probably expect her to be a tiny version of herself now, but she really wasn't. Well, she was in attitude, I suppose. But the way she looked… a little green lizard, scurrying up the walls and swatting her tail around. She was still bipedal, certainly, and she could walk just as well as any adult could, but she was a cunning creature. And she didn't have any more qualms with killing then than she does now. In fact, she still decapitated people. She would run up their backs, grab on their neck, and sfft!—off went their heads!"

Piccolo stared darkly with a slight tinge of annoyance as he stood against the tall railing around the platform and took a sip of the alcohol that he was given. "…And?"

"Well, that wasn't the only way she killed them back then, 'cause it's hard for such a little girl to decapitate someone. Sometimes she stabbed them in the neck, and sometimes she poisoned them with her claws, which at the time could extend until they fell out. Yeah, when that little girl climbed up your back, it meant death… except for her father. When she got up their, she'd hug his neck and give him a big kiss on his cheek and say 'I love you, Daddy!'"

There was a slight pause before the Namek began to laugh loudly, holding his drink away from him as to not spill it. "She really did that?"

"Oh yeah. She was daddy's sweet little princess you could say. And she and Derosen were two little devils, especially when they combined forces. But she was a quiet girl otherwise, and really observant. Naiosai and his Aikanefi never were a picture of a perfect marriage.

"I would like to say that this was the only cause, or even a major one, but it wasn't. I suppose you've heard of the prophecies regarding Atsarute's to-be husband?"

"Yes. She told me about them quite a while ago. About Kenturion and Sanatoasu."

"What was the extend of what she told you?"

Piccolo closed his eyes, trying to recall her words from years ago when she was walking on Earth as Jin, then realized that she told him very little. "She told me that it was almost as good as being engaged to the people mentioned."

"As I figured; she didn't say much. Well, there's a whole process behind it… and its not like she's the only one in the family that got it. At every birth in the royal family, the highest spiritual leader on the planet, which is usually different each year and isn't always in a spiritual position at the time, goes into trance and compiles the predictions of the potential mates for the new member royalty, and it is locked away, not to be opened until they are at age for marriage.

"Thus, everyone born in the royal family had them, including Derosen and Aikanefi… not Naiosai or I since we weren't born in. But there is something different about Atsa's prophecies… Every prophecy up to this point has predicted three people, but Atsa's only has two."

"Only two? What does that mean?"

"Well, it is supposed by everyone that it's a warning that she may never get married. But I'll let you in on a little secret…" Setto coughed, as if steadying himself. "The prophecies, no matter what, include three potential people. The person who makes them is bombarded with a sea of terms that describe who the mate may be, and it is his job to separate them to describe three people. Sometimes they marry people with qualities from each person, or sometimes they don't get married at all. So Atsa's prophecy, no matter what, had to originally had a third person, and they did."

A twinge of anxiety came into Piccolo as he tried to suppress any hopeful feelings. "Do you know who the third was?"

"Actually, yes. I approached my brother after he read the prophecies out loud, for he stopped after the second one with this most horrified look on his face and announced that a third was not to be found. All three described people the family knew perfectly, and of good backgrounds so there wouldn't be a political qualm. First described Sanatoasu, the second described Kenturion… I'll get to the third later. That's a long story."

"Sanatoasu and Kenturion both knew Atsa from a young age. Sanatoasu tended to be closer to Atsa and would sometimes go with her on her missions, campaigns, and what not. He was humble and pure-hearted since childhood, and he had great respect for Atsa, despite his superior strength, and grew to love her since he claims he can find no other woman that was so bold as she.

"Kenturion, however, was a spoiled brat with a bad attitude, and didn't seem to be particularly fond of marriage with her at first, but his father forced him to enter the suitor trails for her all the same. It seems that as they fought, they gained an understanding of each other, and formed a friendship behind closed doors. Kenturion grew out of his pompous attitude, but he keeps the rouse up on Sui-sei to keep Aikanefi from annoying Atsa to marry him… this was after Atsa had gained her dislike towards marriage. Kenturion gained a love for her as well, and Atsa seems to have feelings for them both. Sanatoasu never challenges Atsa in the mating fight, and Kenturion only comes to fight with her for fun since he knows that he can't win… he has even decided to lose on purpose or decline the marriage hand if he somehow ends up being the stronger one."

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Neil rose slowly and made his way to the window. This planet seems to be eternally in twilight, he thought with a sigh, I've never been in such constant darkness as this before… even when I was locked up in Piccolo's mind, I could see the sunlight through his eyes. But this planet is almost always night, and the dusk lasts for what seems like days.

Another heave came from his chest. He had slept through the last short interval of light on Sui-sei, and it saddened him more than he expected. His home planet was always so bright… He remembered the day that the skies darkened with the summoning of Porunga while he lay immobilized by Freeza's attacks. For a moment, he thought he was blacking out, dying. And when he began to experience regular nights in Piccolo's body, he fidgeted and squirmed in his mind, more often than not annoying his host.

It took being detained by health issues on this planet for Neil to realize that he was afraid of the dark. Piccolo often joked that he was, while including that such a phobia was seen as childish on Earth. He couldn't wait until he could be taken on a different planet… any planet with regular daylight.

He shivered. This room is always so cold and dark… but I can hear the waves… seas pervade this planet as just as Namekku-sei did, at least. Fatigue bit heavily into his bones, and he gritted his teeth in attempt to thwart it. Those dreams… those fucking dreams… They won't leave me alone… They won't let me rest… Enlightenment came to him. Maybe it comes to me through the power systems! That could explain why it can't seem to come as easily when the lights and heat are off. It must come through electric impulses…

And those guys who captured me… they said that their equipment just lead them to my position when I was wondering around in my dazed state from lack of sleep…

That must be it.

Neil shivered and retreated into his covers, a grin forming on his face. He managed a dry cackle from his throat. "I know how to beat you. Now I just have to figure out what you are."

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

"The third prophesy, was connected to a wealthy Sui-sei merchant family that had a background in fighting, particularly as rangers, scouts, and espionage specialists. himself was a very well established warrior. He would sometimes spar with local warriors, and little Atsa-chan saw him training with the soldiers one day and watched him intently since his fighting style was so different from the straightforward moves of the castle guards.

"She began to bother him to fight with her as well, but he always pushed her away, laughing, telling her that she was just a kid. Of course, he couldn't keep saying that; Atsa soon began getting bands together to travel around on different planets, and she started gaining notice from it very quickly since they tended to be quite successful.

"So she got him into her group eventually, and got to spar with him during times that they camped. Her curiosity with him grew into a little puppy love, and she followed him around, even when he wasn't traveling with her. Of course, he still thought that she was an annoying child at the time. But that changed as she matured in the rapid pace from being the younger sibling in the family, and he noticed. It probably wouldn't surprise you to know that he noticed it when she wore the precursor of her arena outfits… which, at the time, was just an outfit she borrowed from a prostitute."

Piccolo curled his lip and shifted his shoulders uncomfortably. "Figures," he spoke in a surly tone.

"That last bit was told to me by Jako, so it could be wrong. But, I don't know if ever had a chance to actually return her feelings, and I really doubt he had. It wasn't long after before this man, who Atsa had respected as a fighter and felt love for, who she probably thought could never die, was found dead in his own bed. It turned out that his ex had killed him, snuck through his window and stabbed him through the eyes, out of spite…

"When Atsa found out, she didn't act particularly shocked or give a scene… she only lowered her head, cocked a brow, and walked off. She didn't go to his funeral, pay respect, or anything. In fact, I think she's only seen his tombstone once. But I think she began to see where long relationships failed, and being the way she is, sat and thought out her deductions carefully.

"Before we knew it, it was time to reveal her prophecies and begin her courtship. My brother opened the scrolls and read through the first two, but when he got to the third he stopped, and I watched horror pass through his face. He announced that there was no third, and locked up the papers immediately. He told me later the contents, and revealed to me that he perhaps might not have kept the third prophecy away from the others had the piece of paper not predict the lads circumstance of death. Naiosai just felt it would be too much on his daughter.

"Atsa didn't seem to care one way or another on the prophecies, and told the family just that. This seemed to upset Aikanefi, and since Derosen was at the time hitching up with a woman, she decided to try to force Atsa into marrying Sanatoasu since Kenturion was a brat. This flat out pissed off Atsa, and she ran off from home… I believe that's when she went to that planet you were on, Earth." Setto took a long drink and ended dryly, "And that's the story of Atsa-chan's bitterness."

Piccolo rolled his eyes and gave a scoff. "Indeed, the story. And how should you come across all of this knowledge, dear in-law of mine?"

"Because everyone loves me!" He stood straight and stretched before moving to go past Piccolo. "Besides…" He slowed his pace briefly and tapped his bottle on his mouth before passing the Namek completely. "Liquor loosens locked lips."

New poll! New poll! FF-net seems to still hate URLs, so remember to take out all of the spaces before using it.
piccylo. 8m. com /cgi-bin/ polls/ 002/ pollcenter . htm
It isn't about scenes from GVD anymore. Instead, it's all about the OCs. Which one will be drawn next? My readers get to decide! Of course, I plan to draw all of them eventually, but I might as well get some nudging from the readers since I've consulted them before.
Vote, so that I won't have to yell at you guys on every chapter to do it.