"Very good, Veroca." Dronare stood with his arms crossed as he watched her push through the pain. Veltro felt sick to his stomach when he squeezed Veroca's tail. It was the same exercise that Dronare had done with him to get rid of his weakness, but still, it wasn't fun. Veroca's face was contorted in pain as he squeezed. She ground her teeth together forcing her arms to work through the pain. She pushed herself up as Dronare cheered her on. Veroca's arms wobbled as she pushed herself up. Then the pain eased away as Veltro released her tail and shifted uncomfortably.
"Dronare, why can't you do it?" Veltro asked with tears in his eyes "I don't want to, it's hurting her." Veltro sniffled and locked his hands behind his back.
"She needs you to help her, Veltro." Dronare said "help your friend." Veltro looked down as Veroca regained control of herself. She stood and shoved her tail at him "you said you'd help me." Veroca said determination etched onto her face "there are mean people out there that use this to hurt me." Veroca shook her tail at him "they'll kill me, they won't do it to help me like you are." Veroca pressed her tail into his hand "you said you'd help, didn't you?" Veroca demanded. Veltro looked to Dronare. Dronare raised his eyebrow at him "did you give her your word?"
"Well…" Veltro looked at Veroca's tail on her hand "yes…but…" Veltro looked up to Veroca's eyes "I don't want to hurt her."
"What do we do if we give someone our word?" Dronare asked. Veltro sighed and closed his hand around Veroca's tail. "We keep it." He looked into Veroca's eyes "are you ready?" he asked with a sigh. Veroca nodded and Veltro squeezed. Veroca managed to stay up a bit longer but it wasn't long before she fell to her knees.
"Keep pushing, Veroca." Dronare called watching the determination set on her face. Dronare knew Veroca wasn't going to make any noticeable change in one day, but she was a fighter, Dronare could tell by the look in her eye, she wasn't going to give up anytime soon.
Veroca made Veltro squeeze her tail all day, Veoca had trouble telling time on this planet because of the sun cycles but by the end of the day there was a contant ahce through her entire body even after Veltro let go. V let her tail drag behind her, she winced at every step.
"I'm sorry." Veltro blurted wrapping her arms around Veroca "I didn't want to hurt you."
"I know." Veroca wasn't sure what she was supposed to do when she was hugged, Veltro had hugged her so many times before the day before and today she wondered if she was supposed to hug him back.
"I told you to do it." Veroca pushed him off instead, why would she want to hug him back anyway? "it's okay because it's to make me stronger." Veroca nodded and thought about something Raditz said "the man who takes care of me." She used the term 'care' loosely "he said it's okay to hurt someone if it's to make them stronger." Veroca somehow couldn't relate Raditz's actions with Veltro and Dronare's, it was different… somehow. Veroca shook the thoughts away.
"What are you doing?" Veltro asked curiously watching her.
"Shaking my thoughts away." Veroca answer obviously.
"Why?" Veltro just couldn't understand this girl.
"Raditz says that thinking too much gets in the way of fighting, it makes you weak." Veroca couldn't help but notice that al lot of things made you weak, according to Raditz.
"That doesn't make any sense." Veltro laughed "you have to think to win a fight, especially if your opponent is stronger than you." Veltro grabbed Dronare's arm and yanked him in front of Veroca "Dronare says to be strong you have to know how to fight and how to think."
"Are you stronger than Raditz?" Veroca clicked her scouter and scrunched her nose at his power level "your power level is even lower than mine."
"I haven't even powered up." Dronare smiled "there's no use wasting energy by being powered up all day and night.
"Power…up?" Veroca asked curiously "like gathering energy for an attack?"
"Sort of, but it's like pulling all your energy together at once so you can be stronger." Dronare made a gesture. Veltro's face lit up "right." He grabbed Veroca and dragged her a few yards away.
"What's wrong?" Veroca asked.
"Watch." Veltro pointed "and turn your power reading thingy on too." Veroca didn't understand the whole point of this but her curiosity got the better of her and she did as shew as told.
Dronare stood with his feet apart, a white aura danced around him and Veroca's scouter beeped.
"woah, a thousand." A smile broke out over Veroca's face then the number jumped again "two thousand, you're stronger than Raditz!" Veroca couldn't believe it, I hope he didn't think he was going to be able to just take the dragon balls. Dronare smiled and looked to Veroca "what's ti say now?" he asked with a smile
"woah, three thousand seventy two." Veroca's jaw dropped "you must be the strongest person on the planet." Veroca threw her arms in the air making a gesture to cover everything around them.
"no, my power level is quite average here." Dronare smiled and the scouter beeped off as his power declined. "now lets get you kids fed." Dronare led the way to another village.
"Where are we going? You live over there." Veroca pointed. Veltro had a horribly contained smile plastered across his face. "No reason."
"Veltro." Veroca snapped grabbing his arm. Ouch Veltro thought but was far too excited to really care she's a lot stronger than she thinks.
"Just come on." Veltro grabbed her arm and lifted her off the ground it's a good thing she can't fly, I think she's stronger than me Veltro giggled and flew up over Dronare's head.
"stay low, Veltro!" Dronare called out.
"Oh, right." Dronare dropped just low enough so Veroca's feet couldn't touch the ground.
"Meanie," Veroca swung her fist at him, Veltro slipped out of the way she's strong but she's not very skilled he giggled to himself better not say anything to her though.
Be nice, Veltro. Dronare chastised him in his mind.
"Sorry." He mumbled knowing Dronare heard.
"Are you hearing voices again?" Veroca asked.
"Yes, Dronare told me not to do something." He frowned, he hated being chastised.
"What'd you do?" Veroca couldn't imagine Veltro doing anything bad.
"Never mind, we're here." Veltro dropped Veroca and cut off his ki completely so that he could fall.
"Work on your control." Dronare reminded Veltro, Veltro nodded and grabbed Veroca's hand
"Okay, Dronare." Veltro waved and pulled Veroca into the village.
"Why is it so quiet?" Veroca was a little on edge, usually villages were only this quiet after Vegeta, Nappa and Raditz were finished with it.
"Surprise!"
Veroca jumped back in surprise at the hooting and shouts from all the Nemekians surrounding them.
"Surprise, Veroca." Veltro yelled hugging her again.
"what surprise? I didn't do anything, I swear." Veroca squeezed her hands together. Veltro was taken aback by her reaction
"What's wrong?" Veltro asked "don't you like it? Everyone wants to meet you."
"I don't want a surprise." Veroca whimpered, Veltro didn't like the look in her eyes, it didn't look like Veroca.
"Come here." Dronare placed a hand on Veroca's shoulder and led her away "Veltro, occupy everyone, we'll be back in a minute."
"O…kay?" Veltro wrinkled his nose but turned back to the others with a smile "she'll be right back, I don't think the people she was with were very nice to her before." He scratched his head and went to mingle.
"What's the matter, Veroca?" Dronare asked.
"I don't want a surprise, I didn't do anything." Veroca dug her toe into the ground, she remembered the last surprise she got.. Veroca couldn't get her energy blasts to go very far before fizzling out and when she finally did Raditz had promised her a surprise, she wasn't sure what a surprise was, he had never given her one before but it wasn't a good thing. Dronare looked into Veroca's eyes, he couldn't believe he only saw the shadows just one day before. Veroca was a child, ready to learn and scarred. The girl Veltro saw in his mind was fearless and wild, looking at the same girl from his own eyes he saw she was a scared little girl.
"Maybe it means something else to you." Dronare said gently "but it means something good here." Dronare squeezed Veroca's tiny shoulders "everyone from all over the planet has come to meet you, they want to talk to you and know your name."
"What if they don't like me?" Veroca said looking at the ground not entirely sure if she should believe him.
"Why would you think that?" Dronare smiled amused, in his time there had been some other aliens that visited, one was even a girl, bigger than Veroca but still, there were similarities.
"You didn't like me." Veroca said. Dronare sighed "I thought you were the one that had gotten Veltro hurt before." Dronare admitted. Veroca just shrugged as if that were only to eb expected.
"The people you travel with." Dronare said "are they nice to you?"
"They keep me alive." Veroca offered uncertainly, Raditz said Nice was weak.
"What is a surprise to you?" Dronare asked, the look on her face was the look of a deeply scarred being. Veroca sucked in a breath, she hated to remember.
"Pain." Veroca shuddered. "a lot of pain."
"I see…" Dronare trailed off when another thought occurred to him "why are you here?" Veroca looked up at Dronare with sadness "Raditz sent me to find out if the Dragonballs were real."
Dronare's frown deepened, his hand tightened on Veroca's shoulder I think surprise means bad again Veroca had no chance against him, Veltro would never help her, not against Dronare. Dronare threw his head back and laughed, Veroca staggered back and fell.
"The-the dragon balls?" Dronare laughed harder "it seems we get people stopping by every other week about those things." He shook his head. "maybe they were real before but I've never seen them in my lifetime." Dronare patted her on the head and smiled at her, Veroca almost passed out from relief, there was no decision to make then. Raditz was going to be upset but he would just hit her once or twice, nothing she couldn't take.
"Most people are disappointed when they find out." Dronare said.
"I'm glad because I like you and Veltro, I don't want them to hurt you and they'd hurt you if the dragon balls were real." Veroca forgot about her aching body and jumped "is surprise still good?" she asked.
"Yes." Dronare questioned Veroca again, the people she was with were bad, she was glad there was nothing to report back.
"Veroca come on!" Veltro called waving "I want you to meet Nail!" Veltro dropped down again dropping his ki instead of controlling it. "Nail's the strongest Nemekian on Namek." Veltro grabbed her arm and rushed away before Dronare could get another word in.
Guru, do you think she's dangerous? Dronare asked
I think she's taken a liking to you and it would be counterproductive to shun her after building her trust like you have. Guru spoke calmly, evenly.
But, Guru-
She didn't have to tell you, Dronare, if she didn't want you to know, or if she was trying to deceive you, don't you think she would have played on your emotions more, don't you think she would have been disappointed about the dragon balls?
I suppose Dronare watched Veltro fly off with the alien I'm still going to keep a closer eye on her, there's something wrong here.
I would never ask you to drop your guard, watch over your son and your people Guru paused bring her to me first thing tomorrow morning, for now, let her enjoy the company of good people.
Yes Guru Dronare took off after Veroca and Veltro. She's confusing one alright.
"So this is Veroca." One of the Namekian examined her, he grabbed her tail, much more gently than Veltro did, "looks just like yours, Veltro."
"I know!" Veltro beamed excitedly "she said we're Saiyans."
"How do you know what you are, where are your parents?" another asked ruffling her hair. Veroca scowled at him, Veltro leaned in and whispered "good thing." Veroca brightened immediately.
"I don't have any, just my partners, they're…" Veroca tried to think of a way to describe them "Saiyans…" it was synonymous enough.
"Where do Saiyans come from?" a small Nemekian boy stumbled through the crowds, he wore the same thing as Veltro but his shirt was longer.
"Planet Vegeta." Veroca smiled at the tiny boy "What's your name?"
"Dende." He smiled at Veroca.
"So this is the alien." Another Nemekian stepped out, he wore a vest, the same neck thing as everybody else and loose fitting pants. "It's a pleasure to meet you." He offered his hand. Veroca couldn't help feel this Nemekian was different than the others, even more serene and Veroca had seen enough fighters to know when she was looking at a true fighter.
"I am Nail." He smiled at Veroca, there was definitely something interesting about this girl.
"I'm Veroca." Veroca smiled "you're the strongest on the planet." Veroca stated more than asked. Nail smiled.
"So they say." Another Nemekian said, he was one of the rougher ones, still peaceful but not quite as serene.
"You still haven't been able to defeat me, Limak." Nail smiled with an edge Veroca decided she liked it.
"Want to try again, Nail?" Limak challenged.
"Yeah!" Veltro encouraged "I bet Veroca wants to see it, don't you, Veroca?" Veltro reached for her tail again but finally caught himself and grabbed her arm.
"You guys fight with each other?" Veroca asked surprised, everyone laughed, Veroca blushed.
"You're young." Nail rested his hand on her head "and we're both warriors, we do value peace but there isn't peace all the time and there have been others who have come and tried to take our planet, we need to be ready." Nail stepped forward "let's spar, shall we?" Nail was confident Veroca had a feeling that his confidence was warranted.
"Watch, Veroca." Veltro said "you'll learn a lot from Nail and Limak." Veltro's excitement was contagious to Veroca, her tail swished back and forth as she watched the two Nemekians face off.
"Are you sure about this?" Nail asked with a smile, Limak smirked "I think you'll find I'm a bit more of a challenge than last time."
"Then you start." Nail stood with his hands at his sides, he was so relaxed.
You smell Veroca snapped her head to the side, Veltro's eyes were on the fighters but she was sure she heard him. She shook herself and turned back to the fight, Limak charged at Nail. Nail slipped out of his reach and twisted behind him. Limak punched and kicked and even blasted at Nail but Nail moved even better than Veltro. Veroca was amazed, not even Vegeta moved like this. Veroca could barely keep up with their speed, they were dashes of energy across the sky. The others cheered the two on, the young Nemekians seemed to mostly favor Nail, especially Dende.
"Go, Nail!" he laughed grabbing Veltro's hand. Veltro grabbed Dende's hand and lifted him off the ground so he could see better.
"Nail!" Veltro hollered. Veroca looked around at the people, although Limak was losing he wasn't angry, not really. The people around her joked with each other and called out their favored one, a lot of them were even calling for both names.
It's different, isn't it? Veroca jumped at the voice in her head "great, now I'm going crazy."
No, you'll meet me tomorrow. Enjoy tonight young warrior
Veroca had the impression of a smile as she felt the solitude of her own thoughts return. Veroca looked just in time to see Nail knock Limak into the water. Nail hovered down peering into the water, Limak burst through the water. Nail offered his hand "you have gotten better." Limak looked at Nail's hand and smiled, "not enough." Limak took Nail's hand, Nail pulled him out of the water and they set down on land side by side.
"Why did Nail carry him?" Veroca just didn't understand, he could fly and Nail didn't hurt him, not really. If I could fly I'd never walk again Veroca said to herself.
"It's because they don't want any hard feeling about anything." Veltro explained "if Limak didn't let Nail help him then it would mean Limak is upset and then Nail and him would have to find a way to smooth everything over. We don't like tension in our villages, especially not with Nail and anybody else."
"But why?" Veroca just couldn't understand these people.
"Nail is Grand Elder Guru's personal body guard." Veltro explained "it wouldn't be good for them to have bad feelings toward him, so we settle anything that goes wrong quickly."
"How strong is Nail?" Veroca wondered clicking her scouter on.
"Nail, power up." Veltro called "Veroca has this thing that tells her your power level." Nail looked at Veroca as she looked at him. Nail smiled and obliged the request. Veroca scouter beeped rapidly as the numbers rose. Her eyes bulged out of her head at the end result
"Four-four…" Veroca swallowed and stared up at Nail "you're power level is-its-how?" Veroca checked her scouter again.
"What's it say?" Veltro tugged on her arm.
"Forty…thousand…" Veroca fell to her knees "you're stronger than…Vegeta…"
"forty thousand?" Veltro squeeked "but Dronare is only three thousand." Veltro looked at Nail with renewed amazement. Nail powered down and landed next to Veroca "come with me." Nail walked passed Veroca expecting her to follow, veroca hesitated. He was even stronger than Vegeta, if he wanted to kill her she didn't have a chance.
"Go!" Veltro nudged her forward. Nail kept walked through the crowd.
"What's my power level?" one Nemekian called out "yeah, what's mine?" a few others called out.
"Here." Veroca handed Veltro her scouter "just push this button." Veroca showed him the button, Veltro slipped it on his ear and pointed went to find everyone's power level."
Nail walked away from the others, Veroca trailed behind. Neither of the said anything, Veroca wasn't sure if it was good or bad.
"Did I do something bad?" Veroca asked.
"Not at all." Nail said with a smile. When he didn't say anything Veroca tried to find something to say but she wasn't good at talking like Veltro was, Veltro seemed to never run out of things to say. Veroca wasn't too used to talking much, she usually only spoke when the others were asking her something.
"Veltro seems to have taken a liking to you." Nail smiled a different smile "you're from the same race?" Nail asked.
"Yes," Veroca nodded
"How do you know?" Nail inquired.
"WE have tails, it's the distinguishing mark of a saiyan that and the transformation." Veroca frowned at herself and looked at the two suns still in the sky. "I guess he would never have transformed here though."
"What transformation?" Nail asked stopping to look at Veroca.
"On the full moon we transforms into great big apes." Veroca threw her arms in the air to encompass how large they got.
"Really." Nail had no idea.
"Yeah, but when we're young it's not very safe, we don't have any control over it and we don't remember it either."
"Well, I guess it's a good thing we have three suns." Nail chuckled
"Yeah, but you'd be able to stop him, we get a lot stronger but not that much. Is power lever is two hundred regularly but as a big ape it would probably be like a thousand, anyone of you could take him down. Or just cut his tail off, that would make him normal again too."
"What's a saiyan without his tail?" Nail asked, he hadn't missed how Veroca used her tail more like an extra arm, using it to scratch her arm and bracing it on the ground to lean on. Veltro usually just tried to keep his tail out of the way.
"Well, it grows back, up until we're full grown. I've never lost my tail but Raditz said that it comes back eventually, usually when we're in trouble."
"Why when you're in trouble?" Nail asked.
"Well, our tails make us stronger," Veroca swished her tail back and forth. "Not even just with the transformation, they give us more access to our power I guess. That's what Vegeta said anyway."
"I see and is this Vegeta your guardian?" Nail asked, they had come to the edge of the land and stared out at the water.
"Um…" Veroca wasn't sure that was the right word for them "he's… our leader?" Veroca scratched her head with her tail "he tells us what to do." Veroca said.
"Yes, that's part of what a leader does." Nail nodded.
"Part?" Veroca asked.
"A leader isn't just someone who gives you orders, a leader also looks out for your well-being." Nail explained "they care for you."
"Well, then…" Veroca scratched his head "I guess he's not my leader...hmmm… oh" Veroca remember suddenly "he's a prince!"
"I see…" Nail had trouble reading this girl, she was brought up to be one way but he had a feeling that she wasn't what they wanted.
"Yeah, he's the prince of Saiyans." Veroca nodded "and the others are I guess…oh!" she exclaimed remembering what Nappa had said once "boss, they're my bosses."
"Don't you have someone that takes care of you?" Nail asked. Veroca considered his question, someone that takes care of her "you mean like what Dronare does for Veltro?"
"Yes, like that." Nail watched Veroca's face, it was scrunched up at first, like she was thinking really hard, "no, I don't think so…" Veroca shook her head "no, no one takes care of me." Veroca nodded as if she were affirming her own answer "but its okay." Veroca smiled "I don't know how to be taken care of."
"How old are you, Veroca?" Nail asked, she was small, she had to be younger than Veltro. Veroca shook her head "old?"
"How long have you been alive?" Nail clarified. Veroca had never been asked this question before, she shrugged "I don't know."
"You speak well, but you're awfully small." Nail said.
"I'm not small." Veroca snapped narrowing her eyes at him "me and Veltro are the same size, I'm his old" Veroca crossed her arms pouting. Nail couldn't help but laugh "Veroca, you're a full head shorter than him."
"Am not!" Veroca stomped her foot. "We're the same size and I'm stronger than him, his power level is only two hundred."
"Oh, really?" Nail asked "did he power up first or was he not doing anything?" Nail asked.
"He was-" Veroca stopped herself and frowned at the ground "he was practicing fighting."
"I see, I hate to break it to you, he wasn't powered up if he was practicing alone." Nail set a hand on her head "but then again, you're probably a lot stronger than you think too, what's your power level."
"Four hundred last time Raditz checked." Veroca frowned.
"What's the matter?" Nail knelt in front of her.
"Everyone's stronger than me." She sniffled, Nail hadn't expected her to start crying. "I can't beat anyone and I can't do anything." She let herself fall back onto the ground and stared at her legs.
"You make Veltro laugh." Nail said "you travel on your own to planets, you've seen things none of us have seen." Nail said "who told you these things?"
"Raditz, and he's right." Veroca punched the ground, her tail laid limply behind her.
"He's only right if you don't prove him wrong." Nail said standing, he offered her his hand "come, Veltro is looking for you." Nail grabbed her hand pulled her up, Veroca trailed behind, she wouldn't move at all if Nail hadn't been pulling her.