Fulfillment

Hello, fans! I'm baaack! I know I sorta left you hanging there, so I figured it was high time I updated this sucker. Although, it might be short; definitely shorter than the last one, that's for sure. Plus, I've a few announcements to make at the end of the chapter.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 5

Juuhachi had been ecstatic! Her human had been up against insurmountable odds, yet he still pulled through. Not once had he given up, not once had he retreated. He'd done all but actually spit in Prince Vegeta's eye! That was more than enough to please her, to, in her eyes, avenge her brother's memory. Then she noticed him flat on his face and she began to worry.

It was about that time she noticed her father speaking in hushed tones with the King, as if he were conducting some sort of business dealing. Oddly enough, the King didn't look all too pleased and spoke just loud enough for her to overhear: "You, sir, should not encourage your daughter to consort with the likes of him! If it's company she needs, I'm sure there are plenty of her own race she can be with!"

"But sire," Daifu pleaded, "think on this. In all the years, how many people has my Juuhachi ever taken a shine to? The only friends she's had were her own brother and his mate; she really seemed to get along with that girl. But none of the others will come near her due to her... condition. If she really wants him, I don't have the heart to deny her that one pleasure."

What exactly was her father doing? Whispering about her to the King, acting as if he were ashamed of the way she looked... even her own father thought she was horrid! She turned away from him, tears stinging at her eyes as she looked down at the arena below. She knew it wasn't too much longer until the full moon ceremony would begin, and were she not mated by then, she may not be able to at all. Most Saiyans bonded a while before reaching her age, and she was pushing the limit as it was; only the royal family had the distinct privilege of escaping that fate, or so the theory went.

She felt another pang in her heart. If Juunana were here, he'd know what to do. He and Keya had always been able to advise her, even when she sometimes refused to listen. The results always proved them correct, such as when they'd warned her about that long haired scum that was constantly staring at her whenever she was near. She needed someone like them again, someone who would understand her, accept her. But now, they were... A single tear ran down her cheek as she fixed her gaze at the human being loaded onto a stretcher by a couple of other slaves and her heart seemed to reach out to him. 'You would understand me, wouldn't you? You wouldn't fear me, wouldn't think me a freak. You'd be my friend, wouldn't you?'

He was different, this human. He was like her, feared for what he was, scorned for his appearance. She smiled. He was special. He would understand her, help her like her brother had so many times before. And maybe, just maybe, she could help him, too.

"Juuhachi," her father's gentle voice called out to her. "Juuhachi, I need to talk to you about something."

----------

Prince Vegeta wasn't sure what the old man was saying to his freak of a daughter and frankly, he didn't care. He was too intensely focused on what had transpired in those final few moments of the games. It was impossible! There was no way he could've fired that thing off without destroying the entire arena. It would've taken at LEAST that much energy to finish off a Mark II in one blast! And with a beam attack, no less! At least, it appeared to be a beam.

But this was an outrage, nonetheless. That... human was to have been killed in the battle, not... not THIS! The little animal had humiliated him, his family... his entire race! He wasn't about to allow this to continue, as he stood and started for the door.

"Vegeta! Where do you think you're going? I did not dismiss you!"

Vegeta didn't turn around as he replied. "I'm not just going to sit here and let this happen, Father. I will defend my- your honor. He must die!"

The King growled slightly. He was slightly inclined to agree with his son on this issue, but there were... mitigating circumstances now. He had made a deal, and now he had to honor it. "I'm sorry, my son, but I cannot allow you to do that."

"And why, may I ask, can't I?"

"Because, my son... he's been sold to Daifu's daughter."

----------

"WHAT? Father, how could you?! After everything you thought us about slavery, you now contradict yourself by buying one? What were you thinking?!"

"Juuhachi, please. I was only thinking of you." Daifu attempted to reason with her. "I've seen the way you look at that one I know you want him-" Daifu's eyes widened at his own statement. "Well, that sounded different than intended, but the fact remains that you've had you're eye on him since you first heard he existed, to say nothing of when he arrived." He smiled at her. "Besides, this way you can treat him as you wish. He'll be a slave in name only; more of a companion, really. Juuhachi, if we don't take him, he'll be executed by the Prince himself, and you know how he deals with those who humiliate him..."

Juuhachi shuddered at the memory of the executions of those unfortunate enough to incur the Prince's personal wrath. It wasn't a sight one would soon forget and certainly not one she could ever wish on... what was his name again? Krillin, that was it. And she had to admit, she'd been thinking of him as hers for quite some time... Reluctantly, she agreed. "Fine. But I don't want anyone interfering with how I keep him. If he's mine, he's mine. Understand?"

Daifu smiled. He'd spent years learning to read his daughter and he knew, even though she tried hard to hide it, she was happy. VERY happy. "Of course, my dear. Of course. You'll not be harassed for how you deal with him, at least not by anyone I have say over. The Prince I'm not so sure of."

She snorted. "Yeah, well the Prince can kiss my-"

"JUUHACHI! What have I told you about speaking like a lady?"

She rolled her eyes. "Yes, father. I'm sorry. It won't happen again. Jeez, you'd think I killed someone."

Ignoring her remark, her father went to close the deal with the King. Her eyes then wandered to an irate Prince Vegeta, his fists clenching and unclenching as he stared at her. No doubt he was fuming over the fact that he couldn't kill her human. She smiled and made her way toward the door until she was grabbed rather roughly by the arm and forced to face Vegeta, his nostrils flaring as he spoke. "Be glad my father is doing you this favor, wench! Were it not for him, I'd kill that little freak myself!"

She smiled sweetly at him. "Well, it's not up to you, is it?"

He let go of her arm and growled as his eyes flashed dangerously. "You're scum, you know that?! Scum from the day you were born, you freak! You and your family DARE to speak out against my father's wishes, your brother runs and hides from the Purging like a little coward, and now you betray your race in favor of the ugliest excuse for a living thing I've ever seen. I honestly don't know who's more pathetic, you or that coward you call broth-" He was stopped short by a powerful slap to the face.

Vegeta took a step back and raised a fist of his own to retaliate, when he heard the voice of his father ring out. "VEGETA! Stop this! You're acting like a spoiled child!"

"Father, she struck me! I am well within my rights to-"

"And as I see it, she was well within hers! I thought I taught you never to speak to a lady in such a way."

A smirk came across Vegeta's face. "You taught me never to speak to a lady Saiyan that way, Father. What I see before me is a freak of nature that happens to be female, nothing more." With that, he left the booth, mumbling curses under his breath.

Juu tries very hard to keep herself from crying. Not so much for herself, she was used to that sort of treatment. But her brother's memory had been attacked, and she was certain that if Vegeta had anything to do with it, it wouldn't be long until his opinion of Juunana was 'accidentally' leaked to the public.

King Vegeta groaned as he rubbed his temples; all this stress was giving him a headache and his son's attitude certainly wasn't helping him any. "I'm sorry, young lady. My son still has yet to learn that being royal doesn't mean you can do whatever you wish."

"I-I'm fine. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have things to attend to." She bowed to the King slightly and started for home.

When she had left the King turned to her father. "He should be there by the time she gets to her room. Are you certain that's the best place for him? I can't exactly keep people from talking, you know."

Daifu smiled at his daughter's gradually decreasing frame. "No, this will be fine. It's just what she needs, a companion to talk to. Nothing unscrupulous will come of this, I assure you." He gave a small chuckle. "It's not like those two will fall in love at first sight or something."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

She never felt so happy. Well, not for quite a while anyway. She was sure Krillin was dead when he went into that arena, especially when he had to face all those green things at once and then the big blue one... it was nothing short of a miracle! She had been thrilled! Ecstatic! So much so that, in that moment she forgot herself and threw her arms around Kakarot's neck and...

And kissed him full on the lips.

After a moment she realized what she was doing and panicked slightly. She pulled away from him and shuffled a few more inches away from him, her face downcast and her cheeks rapidly going red. What did she just do?! In all her years, she'd never done that to anyone, let alone someone she'd just met earlier that same day! It wasn't proper; it was something the ladies of ill repute did back home. It was... it was...

Kinda nice, actually! Something she wouldn't mind doing again.

It was then she noticed the reaction of the other occupant of the cell. His eyes seemed glazed over and his cheeks the same color as hers. He seemed to have a look of shock, happiness, and confusion as his tail twitched slightly behind him. She waved a hand in front of his face, attempting to get his attention, when he suddenly gasped for air and began stuttering. "I-I... um, that- that w-w-was... uh... um... oh boy! I don't really know what to say. That was unexpected... but nice!" He smiled at her. "I'm glad your friend's O.K., Chi-Chi. Whoa, when I get outa here, you've gotta introduce me to him! He seems pretty neat."

"I'll be sure to do that. If I ever see him again, that is. Or you, for that matter..."

He reached over and took her tiny hand in his. "Chi-Chi, I can promise you this: you'll definitely be seeing me again. You're a special lady and I'm not about to let you go. As for your friend, I'll see about helping you find him, alright?"

Chi-Chi began blushing profusely, when her brain suddenly snapped back into reality. "Wait a second. Are you asking me out?"

Kakarot scratched his head with his free hand. "Huh? 'Asking you out', what's that mean? Is it anything like a courtship ritual?"

"Well, that depends. What's a courtship ritual here?"

He smiled at her again. "A courtship ritual is when you ask someone you really like for permission to court them to see if they're compatible to be your Life Mate."

Chi-Chi tilted her head and squinted slightly. "Life Mate, is that anything like a husband or wife?"

"Um, maybe. A Life Mate is someone that you're bonded with, body and soul for the rest of your life. The bond's so strong that the two can actually hear and see each other's thoughts, if their mate allows it. And usually, when one dies, the other isn't too far behind. It's like the two live and die together."

Chi-Chi's eyes began to water. That was so... so romantic! It was basically her dream, to be married, to have a family. To grow old with the one she loved and then one day go on to be with them forever. It sounded perfect. But, her question still stood. "W-which one is it, then?"

Kakarot's big, dopey smile returned. "Well, I guess it's a courtship ritual, then. That is, if you don't mind courting someone that's confined down here."

Chi-Chi returned the smile as silent tears till cascaded down her cheeks. "I-I'd love to!" She then noticed the time and jumped to her feet, narrowly missing a collision with the low ceiling. "Oh, no! I've gotta go! If I'm late getting back, I'm sure to get ANOTHER slap to the face. I swear, I don't know what it is with you people an-" Her eyes widened as she realized what she had just said. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I wasn't thinking. It's just... well, you're so different, I-"

"Hey, it's alright. I can't exactly say I'm too fond of my own people either." He handed her the glowing sphere that served as her light in the dungeon. "Well, you better get back. I don't want you getting hurt on my account."

She smiled as she took the sphere from him. "Okay. I'll see you tomorrow at the same time, then." She gave him one last smile as she started out the door. "Goodbye."

Kakarot smiled broadly and waved to her. "I'll be looking forward to it. G'bye, Pretty Eyes!"

Chi-Chi sighed dreamily as she practically skipped down the hall of the dungeon, ignoring the same cat calls and jeers she received upon entering that horrid, yet wonderful place. It was strange; this was supposed to be the most horrifying experience of her life and it was still quite unpleasant, yet...

Yet she couldn't be happier.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Juuhachi walked down the hall of the palace to her room, her heart heavy with Vegeta's earlier words. How could he say that about her brother? He'd been nothing but respectful to him throughout the years, yet all he received was contempt, especially when he'd bonded with Keya. She was different, much like Juu herself was, and Vegeta seemed to be the type of person that couldn't stand anyone who was different than him and he scorned those who did.

She reached into her handbag searching for her key. Stupid annoying thing, she hated having to lug it around every time she went out. Yet, her father insisted she wear something other than he armor when in public to avoid giving anyone an eyeful. A ridiculous notion in her mind. Even if she did walk around with fully exposed legs and form-fitting armor, who in their right mind would even give her a second glance? They all saw her as hideous. Thus the dresses, which she really didn't mind. The bags however, were a nightmare.

Finally finding what she was looking for, she pulled the key from its place in her bag and inserted it into the lock. Upon turning it, however, she noted with some shock that it had already been unlocked. 'What the...? I know I locked this thing when I left!' She opened the door and slowly pushed it open, bracing herself to come face-to-face with whoever had broken into her room. Instead, she was greeted with a sight that made her heart leap like a small child receiving a gift for their birthday. There, lying in her bed, was her human. Her Krillin.

She tip-toed across the floor, trying hard not to wake him as he slept. He looked so peaceful, more so than he had appeared in the entire time she'd seen him. His eyes were closed, but she could still see them, those dark pools filled simultaneously with joy and sorrow, happiness and pain. She noted the many scars he had in various places about his body; some old, some disturbingly new. They were present on his hands, his arms, that very well-sculpted chest of his... she found herself once again blushing at the sight and struggled to regain her composure.

She sat on the edge of the bed and gently ran her fingers through a short crop of hair that was starting to grow and smiled. He was hers now. She could protect him, and in return he could be her friend. She liked that idea. Very much. Overcome by a desire to, she gently leaned down and kissed his forehead.

She pulled back quickly, however, as he began to thrash in his sleep, his eyes whipping open wide with fear. He sat upright as his eyes began to scan the room, dazedly trying to take in his strange new surroundings. Acting mostly on instinct, Juu reached out and pulled him to her, holding him close as he breathed in ragged gasps and, to her displeasure, began to cry softly. He was scared of something. Was it her? Did he too think her that hideous?

Hoping that wasn't the case, she began to rock him slowly, her tail coming around to caress his cheek gently as she whispered, "It's okay, I'm not gonna hurt you. I won't let anyone hurt you anymore. I'll keep you safe, little one."

Krillin pulled away from her and found himself staring into that same pair of hypnotic blue eyes that he had seen earlier that day. It was her, that girl from the wall. She had the same eyes, the same gorgeous face, the same soft blonde hair... "Am I dead?" he asked.

She looked at him, confused. "What do you mean?" She found herself blushing like she never had before at his next statement.

"Well, how else could I be seeing the most beautiful angel in heaven?"

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Somewhere on a planet far away, an entire capital city, an amazing, floating masterpiece of architecture, lay in ruins. The various homes had been completely smashed and places of business were aflame, the resulting light exposing a great deal of corpses that had been completely mutilated. Many had been crushed, smashed, or snapped in half, but still more seemed to have a large puncture wound near a major artery the bodies almost completely drained of fluids. All in all, it was a grimly familiar scene.

One lone survivor was left to witness this carnage, his palace burning brightly behind him. He grasped desperately at the scaly green hand wrapped around his throat, his already bulging, fish-like eyes sticking even further out as his webbed feet kicked at the air. "Please," he begged, "let me go. Why are you doing this? We did n-nothing to deserve this!"

The monster that held him looked up at him with glowing yellow eyes. "I already told you, your majesty. All I wanted from you was the location of the homeworld of a race known as Saiyans. Instead, you refuse to aid me and even order me apprehended." He wagged an index finger at him. "That wasn't very nice of you." He increased the pressure slightly. "Tell me where they are and I'll leave. Simple as that. Now, be a good little fishy and cooperate!"

The king pointed a slimy finger toward the western sky. "That way... they're a two month trip that way! Now p-please... let me- auugghgh!"

Cell continued squeezing until he heard the telltale snapping of bone and dropped the lifeless corpse, kicking it into the sea. "Thank you. And now, I'll keep my part of the bargain." He started down the ruined street, but stopped when her heard the cries of a small child coming from nearby. He smiled that same terrifying grin. "But first," he raised a blood-covered tail and twitched it expectantly, "I think it's time for a little snack."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Well, heck of a place to end it, eh? And it seems Krillin stole one of Yamcha's cheesy pick-up lines, which is weird, since he never met him in this story. Actually, he was quite sincere with his last statement. So much for Daifu's prediction, at least at one end. And, for those of you who didn't already know, Cell is a psychotic sadistic, vampiric creature, much as he was in the series, but without the drive to absorb any Androids. Freaky, eh? And where did Vegeta head off to, I wonder? You'll have to come back to findout!