Chapter 18

The conflict begins…

Raven diligently looked over the uniform before her trying to find an alteration that could separate them from the other armies' uniform and not alter their traditional colors. She had been awake the whole night and she hadn't the slightest idea of where to begin. She sat near the river the whole night trying to avoid seeing Goku, but all she could do was hear him.

He too had been up the entire night sparring with any solider that would wake and if there was no one he'd just practice. She had fought the urge of watch him the entire night till her task was long forgotten. She was certain he held a spell over her and she just couldn't break it.

"How is the alteration going?" interjected Radditz.

"It's going" she answered, sweetly. "Thank you for all the fish you caught last night."

"No problem" he replied. "I'm still bound on what I did to you and I feel terrible."

"Don't worry about it I can handle myself well and it was only a few scratches I'm well" said Raven. Raven glanced over at Goku as he spoke with David and then both disappeared inside of David's tent. "So Goku is your brother?"

"Indeed. What's it to you?" said Raddtiz, curiously. Raddtiz had noticed from the moment they first arrived that Raven had been taken by Goku and it slightly disturbed him. He wasn't certain how Raven looked below the full length suit but he imagined her beautiful and she was strung on his brother.

"Nothing, I was only curious. Do you know who the girl is that he likes? Does he really like her as much as he says" inquired Raven.

Raddtiz crossed his arms over his chest and looked down at the small woman slightly annoyed. Why did she want to know so much? Who was she really underneath the dark mask she hid behind? "He does so don't think you have a chance with him. His mind is wrapped on her and he won't look in another direction."

"You sure?" she asked.

"Certain" he answered.

"Good" tersely she replied.

Arching a brow Radditz took a seat before the girl and locked eyes with her trying desperately to understand what she was trying to do. "Don't try to cause any chaos, my brother might not be the smartest bulb all the time- but don't try anything stupid. You won't have to answer to my brother if you do but me."

"I guess I should be afraid" she chuckled. "Don't worry, Raddtiz, all is well and I'm not going to try and steal him away from his love. I just wanted to know if what he says is true. I haven't seen many men value their words lately."

"Well you've met quite a few that have" he added standing back up. "I'm going to wash up. Good luck on the design."

"Thank you" said Raven as she looked back down at the discard uniform next to her.

She looked around the small camp carefully at all the bustling soldiers. She had dreamed to be on the fields of war and never before had she the honor of standing; really standing for her country. Before long she looked back to the uniform trying desperately to find an opportunity in altering it without changing its entire form. She needed a break; she needed some time away from the project at hand.

She laid the uniform near her tent and made her way towards the river stream. How wonderful it felt to be in an open field with fresh air she had only wished she didn't have to wear her full uniform. She wanted to enjoy every bit of the gracious forest but she didn't want to lose her cover. She had been so wrapped up in excitement she didn't notice how far she had made it from the camp till she stumbled on a city of ashes.

What had happen here? It was the worst thing she had ever seen in all her life. The buildings were decaying and the stench of death fogged the air. Tears burnt at the corner of her eyes as she seen the destroyed town before her. She noticed mounds of dirt nearby that looked like graves and she couldn't hold back the tears. Who could have done this?

She walked to a house that was slightly caved in and peered inside only to see ashes and then a small teddy bear. She made her way careful to the dirty teddy picking it up from amongst the ashes and dusting it off. She wondered how the child whom the teddy bear belonged to must have died. Her heart burned at the thought and no matter how hard she tried to stop the images from coming she failed.

A crackle drew her from her daze and soon she heard footsteps. She hurried deeper into the darkness of the decaying house. She wondered who it could have been outside the house. The footsteps got louder with every passing second and then she heard voices that didn't sound the least bit familiar in fact they spoke another language. She tried hard to listen in order to decipher what language they spoke but she couldn't hear clear enough.

She inched forward the dirty doll still clutched in her hand. She crept quietly as possible to the frame of the door. She pressed herself against the wall adjacent to the door frame closing her eyes to block out all distractions and focus on the words of the two people. She was very certain now that one was a woman and the other a man and also certain it was the native tongue of Teriok.

"Such a shame they never just agreed to join us" said the woman to the man. "Now we have to come and clean up their mess."

"Not everyone will be willing to join and those that don't will have to suffer the same faith. I only wish they were smart enough to agree it's such a shame when a whole nation is destroyed" said the man.

The woman laughed pretentiously "such a pity, such a pity in deed. Well I have to admit it's a shame that I couldn't kill a few. I can't wait to be out among the men in war destroying all those that defy Prince Absalom."

"Don't worry dear sister, we will have our chance soon" said the brother. "Now let's burn this place all the way down."

Raven's heart sped up in her chest at the words of the duo. She glanced around to find an escape out of the building without being seen by the pair. She wasn't certain if there was more with them and she didn't want to take the chance, but the more she looked the more she noticed how overwhelming trapped she was. She could hear liquid splashing against the house and then the potent smell hit her nose and she knew exactly what it was. She peered quickly out the door and seen they were tossing flammable oil on every building and trailing it on the floor.

She had to run it was the only way. She was strong enough to hold her own for a few rounds if need be. However, she hoped it didn't come to that cause all she wanted to do was run and not look back until she got at a distance from there to alert the camp. She peered out the door frame one more time and when she caught sight of them south of her she braced herself sucking in a deep breath of air. It was now or never. Propelling forward she took off in the northern direction away from the duo not looking back once still clutching the bear and running as swiftly as she could.

With long even strides she ran her heart was in her throat and she was afraid they were behind her. She stopped abruptly in front of the rushing river her escape foiled. If she jumped into the river its current would certainly lead to her death and death would certainly be her faith by the hands of the two behind her. Inhaling a large breath of air she turned around catching sight of the duo running towards her.

She tried to evaluate them on looks but that was always deceiving. The woman had shoulder length blonde hair and icy blue eyes, and thin with no real evident sign of a fighter. However, Raven knew underestimating an enemy was never good. The boy looked like an exact replica only his hair was as dark as the night sky and he wore a scowl upon his lips. They both stopped running and walked slowly towards her now trying to rouse fear in her: for she had nowhere to run too.

She glanced around taking in all she could in hopes of devising a way of freedom. She had so much that she needed to say and do and if she lost her life at this moment everything would be fruitless. She had wanted to explain so much and fear had kept her silent for so many days, and she had no one to blame. "Well it seems you have me corner but I won't go out without a fight" she yelled as she charged forward.

Swiftly she propelled forward in a zigzag manner and just as she reached close enough she launched at the woman with a hard kick to the stomach sending her flying backwards. A blow to her side from the brother knocked her off her feet followed by a kick to the stomach. The woman was back on her feet and rushing forward but her assault was cut short by an unknown assailant sending her flying backwards before she could hit Raven.

"Is this the way that the Teriok believes a woman should be treated?" said Goku as he hurried to Raven's side helping her up.

"You're from Ox Kingdom? You think you can stop us?" said the man.

"I don't think I know" replied Goku. "Let's make this fair man against man and woman against woman."

The man looked over to his sister who struggled to stand on her feet and then to Raven who looked equally hurt. "Can you take her?" he asked his sister in his tongue.

Raven held her tongue as she noted that the man didn't think either her or Goku knew their language. She gasped out in pain and lean against Goku for a false support as they waited. Goku's cheeks burned at the closeness of the little woman against him and tried to salvage some type of space between them.

"My side is hurt but I'm certain with the way she appears that I'll be more than enough for her to handle" said the woman in their tongue.

"Fine sounds good" replied the man to Goku.

The four fell into fighters stance and Raven was the first to launch connecting her knee into the woman's side. The woman countered with a hard fist to Raven's stomach that was easily blocked and followed with a knee to Raven's leg. Raven yelped in pain but quickly recovered giving the woman a roundhouse kick and knocking her off her feet.

Goku glanced over to the Raven to make sure she was well and in that moment the man took his opportunity and gave him a hard punch in the face. Goku stumbled backwards but was quick on his feet returning the blow with one of his own in double the measure of strength the man had. The man fell backwards on the ground, and Goku hammer kicked the man lifting his leg straight up and with immense force brought it down hitting him square in the chest.

The man yelped out in pain as blood flew out of his mouth. Goku stood back to his feet ready to end the fight but the man swept kicked Goku and he fell backwards. Struggling, the man pushed himself up on his feet and tried with all his might to lift his foot up to replicate Goku's powerful hammer kick but Goku caught his leg in midair. The man broke free and then tried to bring his elbow crashing down into Goku's chest whom he stop with his two feet in his. Instinctively he propelled the man over him and falling into the flowing river.

"Seventeen!" shouted the woman and she tried to break away from Raven to rush to her brother.

Goku glanced at the woman and then back to the river where he noticed the man was clinging to a branch for his dear life. Quickly Goku rushed over to the man he never wanted to kill him only to defeat him and bring him back to the camp. Goku grabbed hold of the man's hand trying desperately to fight against the rushing water and pull the man freed from its death trap. As soon as the man's head rose from under the pounding of the river water and he saw it was Goku tugging him he struggled against his aide. "I'm only trying to help you! Stop struggling" cried Goku and soon he felt himself being pulled into the river.

"Seventeen" shouted the woman again, and she kicked Raven hard into the chest knocking her down. The blonde woman made a mad dash forward ready to kick the oversized man away from her brother and save him. Just as she was inches from her brother's rescue Raven had caught hold of her arm and flung her to the side face forward into the dirt knocking her out cold.

Raven looked over to see Goku battling the currents of the water to keep his grip on seventeen's hand and the other the protruding rock on land. She rushed to him pulling him back just as the seventeen pulled one last time in hopes of taking Goku with him into the crushing waters. "Ku!" shouted Raven as she felt his weight upon her and instantly he rose to his feet a dazed look on his face.

"Are you mad?" lashed Raven as she pushed herself to her feet. She rushed forward to Goku and begun to jab at his chest in a fit of anger. "You could have died! He was trying to take you in that river with you! Why wouldn't you let go when he made it clear he didn't want your help? Do you want to die? I'll tell you I nearly watched you die and I-"Raven bite her bottom lip and sucked in a large breath of air to calm down. Here she stood with Goku and she was shouting at him as if he were her child. She needed to tell him the truth. She needed to say what she had wanted to say to him all along. "Goku I have to tell you something."

"Raven can it wait? I really need to have some time" he whispered distantly. It looked like he had just seen a ghost and all that was in him drained away.

Raven wanted to tell him now after all she waited so long already, but who was she to deny him a request. She nodded silently and then looked over to the young woman that laid on the ground. She walked over and search for any sign of life left in her and when she felt a beat she smiled. "Will you carry her?"

Goku scooped the girl up and threw her over his shoulder gently and they both made their way back to the camp in silence. The men rushed to their aid when they finally made it back to camp one taking the fallen girl dressing her wounds bounding her and placed her in a small prison cage.

Goku needed to take a bath and to relax. It was a chilling feeling when looking into the face of death, and he did just that with seventeen. He never meant to kill the man he looked like he was just around his age and already he was gone. Had seventeen been fighting for his country? Did he just want the best for his people as he did? Now he was no more than a man taken by the river and murdered.

His bath never felt as great as it did in that moment. He let the cool night air steal away the broken moments of the day as he tried to think of ChiChi and her welcoming arms. However it seemed as he thought on ChiChi the full suit woman Raven came to mind as he remembered how close she came to him that day. And how he found an disturbing urge to search for her when she turned up missing. There was something peculiar about her but he couldn't place it. He shook away the thoughts of the woman just as swiftly as it came.

A/N: Thanks for all the reviews! You also still have time to think up a person for that OOC part mention in the previous chapter! Hope you enjoy this chapter I have quite a few written up already just as have to motivate myself to edit them! Your review certainly do remind me to do just that though. :)