Disclaimer: 2nd chapter. Lime warning…

Taking forever, taking forever, taking forever… Oh, hi college life!
The big reason that I've not been updating is because, along with a nice little writer's block, I got infatuated with Naruto and One Piece. I even wrote some fics… which I would suggest by the way. The manga and anime (do not watch the American version if you value your IQ) are heavily inspired by Toriyama, and my one shot "Jaded Lullaby" is about Hawkeye Mihawk (I think most Piccolo fans would also think he's cool)… plus it's like reading 8 chapters of BAW. (Lengthwise anyway, since it's 16,000 words long! I'm mostly just trying to show it off 'cause I worked pretty hard on it.)

Setto had long since gone when Piccolo realized that he didn't get the information about Atsarute's precise stand towards the male-must-be-stronger attitude in her family. It sure as Hell didn't seem to stem from the same traditional values that Humans might have had on the subject. He was sure that there had to be a practical reason… but what?

Not getting any sort of repose from contemplating this subject, he shifted to thinking on the third prophecy, ignoring to the best of his abilities the illogical pang of jealousy. "What was his name? Ferkon Sawl? Fakan Scar? Damn!" Setto must have been mumbling… or my mind blocked it out for some reason…

"Faukan?" A familiar voice said behind him. He turned to see Kenturion and Sanatoasu, both with serious expressions. "Faukan, from the Shkaw family?" Kenturion repeated.

"Yeah, that's the name," Piccolo knit his brows. "How did you know it?"

"I heard that he was someone Atsa was… Atsarute-sama was once quite fond of."

Piccolo shook his head. "You can spare me the air, Kenturion. I am aware of your relationship with Atsa, and it does not bother me… And the same goes for you, Sanatoasu…the fact that you two had sex is of little concern."

The two men looked at each other and back at the Namek, as if trying to confirm the validity of Piccolo's statement.

During this silence, Piccolo had scanned the kis on the base and spoke again. "I sense that Atsa is here as well. Did you come together?"

"We did," Sanatoasu spoke this time, "She insisted on bringing us here since we have offered our forces at her disposal against Funzen and Komugiko as well. We… couldn't really bear to see her plotting so feverishly over it, making sure that none of her men would get killed in the process."

The Namekku-sei-jin nodded. "That's part of the reason I agreed to become a general myself. I couldn't stand seeing her write until her hands cracked and bled."

Instead of saying anything further, the other men solemnly nodded their heads.

What would have been an awkward silence for Piccolo was interrupted by his father's disembodied voice, coming to him from a Three Twenty-two. "Piccolo! Piccolo, do you hear me?"

All three of them looked around themselves by instinct for the speaker before realizing what exactly was happening. Piccolo took on an angered face and answered his father. "Yes, I hear you. I'm at one of Atsarute's bases."

"I know. That's why I'm trying to contact your sorry ass. I sense others with you. Who are they?"

"Sanatoasu, lord of the Karigo-sei, and Kenturion, prince of Bella-sei. They are some of Atsarute's allies and personal friends."

"How personal? Since I have business to talk with you over her."

"Personal enough that I imagine they won't learn anything new from it. Go ahead." If they don't already know, then I don't mind if they learn.

"I see. Well, I had to contact you to tell you that you'd better hurry up and forget about Atsarute if you want to keep your relationship with her a secret from the family. My mother… your grandmother… Resuma, is already getting impatient with your single status."

"Really? What's the hurry?"

"Well, normally males can wait to look for their mates, but the females can't… and if a male get picked by a female instead of the other way around…"

"So some girl picked me because I have an army and I'm in the royal family?"

"Not just some girl. Several girls. You became the most sought male of the family. You've gotten a reputation for appearing so suddenly as being mysterious and… a bunch of other romance ideals."

He groaned. "For gods sake, I'm not interested! I don't care how fucking pretty they are or how much money they have! Tell her that I decline all of them."

"It's not that goddamn simple, and you know it! I told you that she's getting impatient, and that means that she could arrange your marriage. My father Katatsu might have founded the planet, but my mother Resuma is who, ultimately, calls the shots. And you don't have any binding with Atsarute… and if you're smart, you'll never make a binding and pretend that you two were never an item to begin with… I know how you feel, but this whole thing has dark shadows around it." Then his presence and voice was gone; he had turned off the Three Twenty-two.

The younger Namek's furious boiling seemed to have dropped suddenly into a still anxiety, and the truth in his father's words didn't settle well. What should I do… about Atsa…

As if reading his mind, Sanatoasu spoke up. "Atsa told us about how careful she was while she was with you… and told us that she was able to handle it," his tone was unusually sage-like, something like Goku's tone of voice when he actually says something somewhat intelligent and profound, "Trust her. If we didn't think that she had the strength for it, then we certainly wouldn't be so civil to you now about it."

A small smile came on Piccolo's face at such a random assurance. "Now I just have the problem… of avoiding an arranged marriage. With my luck, my grandmother would have something set up in stone before I could do anything about it…" And even if she didn't, he knew that he and Atsa couldn't… wouldn't… do anything legally.

Luckily for Piccolo, his father's words ran across his mind. 'You don't have a binding with Atsarute.' The smile slowly contorted into a mischievous smirk, and a deep, evil chuckle came from his chest.

"Sanatoasu, Kenturion… how aware are you of Namekku-sei-jin rituals?"

"Not all of them, I'm certain… but a good deal seems to be common knowledge," Kenturion said.

Sanatoasu nudged his head in agreement. "I am quite aware of them as well."

"Good, good… Do either of you know much about the binding ritual?"

Sanatoasu seemed confused, but Kenturion began to laugh. The lavender-haired prince spoke amongst his chuckles, "Don't tell me that you're going to do that to Atsa!"

Piccolo simpered. "With the help of you two, of course. I certainly hope you don't mind."

The lord's quizzical gaze didn't cease, so Kenturion brought him aside and whispered into his ear. Then he brought his head back with a look of surprise. "Oh gods! We couldn't do that to her!"

Kenturion's sniggering still had not stopped. "So what? She'll probably kill us afterwards, so we'll have the entire afterlife to repent afterwards!"

"Sometimes I think you're logic can be severely flawed, Kenturion." Sanatoasu smiled and turned to Piccolo. "But I'm in."

Piccolo spotted an infantry soldier from Atsarute's army passing my. "Oi! Where's the general?"

The young man looked back at him from the passageway he was about to enter. "Ah, I believe Atsarute-sama is training at the moment. Why?"

The three men burst out laughing. "Perfect!"

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

By request, Neil was sent immediately to a Sui-sei villa, on an island far from the cities. The villa had no electronic devices, and it was determined that his levels were to be kept in check by advanced nurses and doctors who were trained in observing symptoms of instability in his blood levels without the luxury of said devices. They used less conventional means and tools, such as specific stones and plants that would change colors or positions depending on the magnetism and other qualities that radiated from his body. The domicile was heated through means of baked stones and steam, and it was lit up with a complex system of mirrors and outdoor torches.

It seemed that as soon as Neil was brought to the island, his condition improved dramatically. The doctors were baffled about how he had gone from definitively bedridden to almost perfectly healthy from such a transition. He was, however, still weak from being bedridden for so long, and he still suffered physical health issues whenever his blood levels did destabilize, but it was a definite improvement. It was if he had been completely cured of a mysterious disease from just the relocation.

Neil was asked again and again about how he knew that this distancing from electronic equipment would affect his health so positively, but he declined in explaining it. He knew that what little evidence he had was incredulous, and he still had no idea what this thing was that was attacking him in the first place. He thought about perhaps bringing it up with the more illustrious doctors, perhaps to find some answers, but he really felt that it had mostly to do with how all this political tension was shooting around, that it had something to do with Piccolo and Atsarute, with his mother and cousin, with the armies of every denomination involved.

What doctor would seriously consider an illness from political aggressions? he thought, Never mind that, even though it seems connected to all that, the cause of my illness seems to be this amorphous, spiritual form. Even if they did believe me, could such a thing be measured and eradicated by them?

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

Two Puroeriun soldiers busied themselves with a conversation as they walked down the halls of the base, coming into a minor debate that actually caused them to stop pace, as if they subconsciously wanted the rhetorical advantage of sight while they motioned their hands during the argument.

"I'm just saying," one soldier continued, waving his hands in the air as if he were smacking a podium, "that if there's going to be equality in the system, then the balance has to be tipped a little. That's all."

The other brought his hand to his waist and tilted his head with a raised brow. "But wouldn't the additional privilege ultimately infer more separation? This classification…"

"It's better than nothing, isn't it? If it's left like it is…"

"I see what you mean, don't misunderstand, but—"

One felt himself shoved forward. They turned to see that he had been elbowed by their general, Atsarute, still nude from training alone. "Out of my way!"

They watched, confused, as she ran down the hall. The soldiers were used to seeing her undressed, but it was unusual for her to be sprinting through the halls clothless in any case. Neither of them was without a thick blush.

"Wait, Atsa!" Three men came turning around the opposite corner and rushed past them as well. They were even more bewildered to see the Lord of Karigo-sei, the prince of Berra-sei, and the general of the Namekku-sei-jin forces, giving chase, laughing with wide grins on their faces. "You're afraid of a little bit of touching?" one crowed as they disappeared at the next turn.

"You guys suck!" Atsarute growled several halls down, followed by a trio of masculine laughter.

The two men were left blinking for a few minutes, speechless. Finally, one turned to the other. "Should we intervene?"

"I… don't know."

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

The Humans and Saiya-jin (the Chikyuu-jin, as the people of this universe like to call them) were given full authorization to come and go into Atsarute's bases as they pleased, and they did so. But besides Bulma and her father (who would come continuously out of scientific thirst), Goku and Gohan would often cross over to visit. Of course, it was given that Goku would have to come, seeing as his Instantaneous Movement was the only means of transport through the Three Twenty-two, but they seemed to have found a purpose there…

After the Saiya-jin pair took through some sparring with the soldiers, they decided to seek Dr. Arufuredo out. He didn't take long to find; he was still in an office, chatting with Dr. Briefs and Bulma about studies.

"Have you done much work with the Atlas balls and the training environments," Dr. Briefs asked just as Gohan and Goku entered the room.

Arufuredo nodded. "There're several people who can perform maintenance, but I try to do so myself whenever I can on them. Atsarute seems to see it as valuable to have a training soldier have this capability, so that training doesn't get terribly detained because of a breakdown."

"Hmm… Perhaps you could show me the components and the prints? I have my curiosity, of course, but Vegita's been wining on us both to have this made for him ever since he had the luxury to use the equipment here."

"The little prick's still bitching, eh?" Arufuredo laughed. "Well, I suppose if you make them over on your planet, he wont be coming over here to stink up the sparring chambers. Sure, I'll show you some of the prints and components."

Bulma was the first to acknowledge the entrance. "Goku! Gohan-kun! Are you finished training all ready?"

Gohan spoke first. "Well, actually, we want to speak with Arufuredo about some things."

"Ah, I see." She motioned to her father and they both rose.

Arufuredo stood and put his hand up. "Wait a moment." He opened a drawer and rooted through it, pulling out several blueprints and passing them to the older Human before him. "Here. Those are the prints you want. If you like, there's a disassembled Atlas ball in the lab three doors down to the left. No one would care if you took a poke."

Briefs nodded his thanks, and they both left the warriors alone.

Arufuredo sat again. "What is it exactly you wanted to talk to me about."

Goku's normally pleasant smile darkened. "It's about Atsarute."

Chikyuu-jin – Pretty much "earthling", since they all live on Earth.
Yeah, I'm trying to be all cool about Faukan's name, like Quinton Tarantino. But the real reason that his name was blacked out in the last chapter was because I forgot to put his name in before I uploaded it, and I didn't realize it until well afterwards. Heh.
And reading reviews is fun. That's why it's always good to feed your authors, kids. It gives their updates a healthy, hearty coat.
School is ending. So that means…! DUN DUN…!
Maybe.