It's social night in the Underworld! Sorry for the delay; I ended up adding an entire scene and did more revisions. I cringe a little because I was originally aiming to edit stuff out. ._.; I've never written a chapter with so much chatter between different characters, so I hope it turned out ok.

AnonymousDBZFan, thank you for checking out "Touketsu" on AO3 and for your kind comments on the art! 3 Toriyama's style doesn't come too easy to me (even though I enjoy trying), so your comments mean a lot to me! I have "Burning Bridge on AO3 too, but aside from the illustration on the first chapter I wasn't planning on doing anymore.

Your reviews make me smile so much! :D 3 LOL, oh I had the evil smile on my face when I was writing Touketsu Vegeta's scene with the vampire gals. Yeah! Payback's a bitch (or 3), lol! I'm gratified though that his experience garnered sympathy from you. 3

I melted at your comment about my writing seeming like a movie. I think that is the highest compliment I could ever receive! I've said this very thing to authors of my favorite fics, so to hear you say the same about mine means so, so very much! Thank you, thank you!

Susmir

The banquet hall Susmir was a longhouse of ridiculous proportions, separate from the palace and impressive in its own right. The massive structure resembled a capsized Viking longship, its hull-like roof pointing skyward as though moving through the seas of an upside down world. Queen Marenna and Touketsu were approaching the entrance when she stopped and turned to him.

"Touketsu," she began haltingly, her voice hushed, "I would appreciate your discretion concerning the…incident with my daughters."

He clenched his jaw and gave a curt nod. He was still burning with furious humiliation over being seduced and nearly killed by them. As if he'd ever divulge this embarrassing information to anyone.

Inside, the rich wood walls were carved with intricate scrollwork and scenes of battle and feasting featuring all manner of beings. Everything about its interior was warm: Cheerful fires burned from several large hearths spaced intermittently along the walls, and the floor was a rich mahogany wood. Pillars and walls were inset with panels of translucent amber glowing in honeyed shades of olive, yellow, gold, and russet. The torches on the walls and the great, circular candelabras that hung suspended from its high ceiling burned in flames of gold and orange, very unlike the oceanic flames that illuminated the palace.

Long, richly carved and beautifully polished wood tables and chairs were lined throughout the seemingly infinite hall, laden with exotic dishes and drink from all manners of planets and cultures. Many occupants were sitting, eating and drinking with great enthusiasm while others were moving about, food and drink in hand as they visited. Queen Marenna escorted him towards the front of the building, where a raised platform lined with elaborately carved wood chairs sat: A place of honor, reserved for the queen and those closest. Touketsu bristled at the sight of the three people standing before it.

"Ah, my daughters. Good of you to join us."

The three daughters had since cleaned themselves up and changed into more formal attire. The colors of their embroidered kimonos pairing perfectly with the tiaras of sapphires, rubies, and emeralds that they each respectively wore, they looked the picture of elegance. Touketsu's upper lip curled in disgust. The memory of the three ghoulish creatures covered in his own blood was still firmly entrenched in his memory. He clenched his fists at his sides, physically restraining himself from slaughtering them right then and there.

"Zeema, Likha, Kuma, I trust you have something to say to Mr. Touketsu?"

Each stepped up one by one and bowed deeply in apology. "We're terribly sorry, Mr. Touketsu," they said in unison.

The redheaded Likha straightened, clearing her throat sheepishly. "Please accept our apologies. We…didn't understand your reason for being here."

That makes two of us. Touketsu crossed his arms, raising his chin to disdainfully look down his nose at them. "That is no surprise…you three do strike me as the vacuous type." All three girls' lips thinned in an effort not to sass back at him in the presence of their mother. "Still, I thought you'd at least be smart enough to discern a man from cattle."

The blonde shrugged. "Well you do have the horns," she said innocently.

Touketsu's eyes flared with indignation as the other two barely reigned in their gasps and giggles. Behind him, Marenna slowly shook her head in disapproval before stepping up to her daughters.

"This is my Bright Day, Zeema," she gestured to the blonde, smoothly changing the subject. "the eldest of my three daughters. My dear Red Sun here is Likha, my second born," she said as she nodded to the redhead. "And my beautiful, Dark Night is Kuma, my youngest," she said as she gestured to the brunette.

Kuma bowed her head, the curious green highlights of her raven hair flashing with the iridescence of a magpie's feather. "Again, we are sorry," she said, careful to bite back her smile. "We will treat you as a brother from now on."

"If that means never touching me again, then GREAT!" Touketsu snapped.

"Mr. Touketsu, would you care to eat?" Mareena offered.

In fact he did. His appetite had returned with a vengeance and it was doing nothing for his mood. If he was going to glean Marenna's motives from the residents he would do so with a clear head. "Fine," he growled, snatching a turkey leg off the plate of a passing attendant. He turned to leave when he stopped, leaning towards Marenna. "You should think about teaching those little ingrates of yours some better manners," he growled. He shot the girls a look of contempt over his shoulder and stalked off, taking an aggressive bite off the meat.

"What a self important jerk," Likha muttered.

"You were incredibly rude to him," Marenna admonished. "I don't know what else you expect."

"Oh Mom, please! He's no Prince Charming."

"Mother, I don't understand," Kuma said as she approached her mother. "Why were you so upset?"

"I told you all, he is a guest."

"You didn't mention he was alive!" Said Zeema.

"Yeah, you should have just told us 'don't touch him'. Sheesh," Likha snarked.

"Oh, I am sorry. I assumed my daughters had the good sense to know NOT to attack a guest." Marenna sent telepathically, her cobalt eyes hardening in reproach. "Now hush. Do not speak so openly about our personal affairs."

"We never would have thought this would be such a problem for you!" Likha sent back emphatically.

"Yeah, what makes that guy so special?" Zeema asked, blue eyes wide with curiosity.

"That is my business and mine alone. Now, you are not to speak of this, understand? It is a private matter."

"Fine," Likha huffed before she and her sisters went off to mingle.

Touketsu grabbed more food as he walked by tables, passing by a trio of white haired, silver skinned people. He thoughtlessly bumped into the elbow of the only female among them, oblivious as she glared at his back. Touketsu scanned the banquet hall, occupied with finding some of the warriors he had spoken to at the tournament.

"Touketsu! Hey, there you are!" Touketsu turned in the direction of the voice; it was the smallest and youngest of the anthropomorphic wolf warriors, flanked by his larger brother and sister.

"Aw man, we're so glad you came! Come over and sit with us!"

Touketsu's nose wrinkled a little in distaste. Gods he hated dining with others. He had to remind himself that he was attending this banquet primarily for information. He grabbed a goblet of wine off a table and took a big drink, making the three young people eagerly await his response. "Sure," he replied with an indifferent shrug of his shoulder, and he let them gleefully lead the way.

The youngest, gray furred one enthusiastically began introductions. "My name is Bergamius! This is my sister Casia," he said gesturing to the tall willowy, yellow-furred female, "and this is my big brother Ocimus."

"You kicked serious Inimicus ass out there!" The stout, red-furred wolf laughed.

Touketsu grunted in agreement as he took another drink. He had already forgotten their names. The four arrived at a long table where Touketsu received a warm welcome and more introductions. He sat down and suffered it, more than placated by the array and quantity of food and drink being passed around.

"So this place is called Nav, huh?" He asked, not looking up from his food. "Am I in Other World?"

The others' affable smiles tempered a little in confusion as they traded looks. "Um…you didn't know?"

"I wasn't sure until your dismembered corpses waltzed out of that bonfire."

"Oh," Casia blinked. "Uh yeah, Nav is a place in Other World where some spirits from the 7th Universe go. So where are you from?"

"Marenna's basement," he snorted before ripping into a loaf of bread.

"Huh?"

"Forget it," He answered around a mouthful. "Tell me, how can you be in Other World and manage to die again?"

"Those participating in the tournament must walk through the Fire of Life," answered Bergamius, who was sitting at his right. "Doing so grants them temporary bodies."

"'Fire of Life'," he deadpanned glancing sidelong at the gray wolf.

"Yes sir. Um, The bonfire in the Volkfangr Arena?"

Fire of Life, Water of Life…a lot of 'life' going on in a dead land. Touketsu thought derisively. "So does that give you an edge? Having temporary bodies for the tournament?"

"Yeah. We fight as hard as we can knowing anything less would bring indescribable pain."

"Hmph. Prudent."

"Heh, you don't want end up in the fire before you die," chuckled a crustacean-like fighter. "You'll enter the other realm, but it'll burn like hell before you do!"

Touketsu blinked. "What's this realm you're going on about?"

"The Fire of Life is a gateway to a pocket dimension, the Realm of Fire," answered Bergamius. "You can only access it after death in the match where you'll be benched for the rest of the tournament."

"Benched?" Touketsu asked, eyebrow raised.

"Yes. During the course of the tournament the gateway between the Realm of Fire and Nav remain open until the Tournament concludes. From there, we can view the rest of the Tournament. After that we can cross back into Nav and participate in the Great Banquet or we can stay within that dimension."

"Some benefit to staying in there?"

"Training," said a fish-like fighter. "A fighter can stay there and train for as long as they like, but each night they are given the option to again participate in the Tournament. If they forgo participation, they won't be able to view the proceedings. I haven't seen some fighters return for many nights - some for so long that I've lost track."

"That so? So when these fighters show up is it safe to assume they put up a better fight?"

"Oh certainly!" Bergamius said. "If they got the most out of their training, that is."

Touketsu grunted. "Interesting." He found himself curious as to what sort of stronger fighters could emerge in the coming nights were he to stay. "Well I'll say this, for dead people you know how to have fun," he said before popping an entire egg roll into his mouth.

The table fell silent for a moment. "Well, I wouldn't exactly say that," Bergamius said. "The kingdom is a sort of purgatory, you see."

Toketsu looked at him blankly. "Are you joking?" He deadpanned around a mouthful of food. He swallowed and swept an emphatic arm out to their surroundings. "THIS is purgatory. It's a little weird, sure, but I've been in purgatory and this is not it."

"Well, as I understand there are a lot of levels," Bergamius answered thoughtfully.

"Hey how could you have been in purgatory if you're alive?" Asked Ocimus from across him.

"And how am I here, boy? Trust me, it's possible."

"By the way, are you like, somehow alive and dead?" Asked Casia at his left.

"He is an oni," said an authoritative voice behind Toukestu. He and the others turned around.

It was a grizzled soldier, a scar running down over one blind eye. He had dark, deep set eyes, his chin lightly bearded and his expression stern. He wore a helmet with an elaborate, horned headpiece and plated armor tied with braided silks. Rectangular pauldrons were equipped over his shoulders as well as matching thigh guards, and a long blade sheathed in a lacquered wood scabbard hung at his side.

"Normally, evil people may become oni after death. Only the most wicked beyond all redemption are turned into oni while still alive," said the stone faced soldier.

Touketsu scowled a little before his mouth broke into a mocking grin. "Well old man, you certainly seem to know a lot on the subject. Where are you from?"

"Japan."

"Pfft. I've never heard of that planet."

"It's a country. On Earth." Touketsu's grin faltered, and the warrior scrutinized him. "I couldn't help but overhear that you are from a basement."

Touketsu gripped the edge of the table. He wasn't about to let some obsolete soldier from that backwoods planet get under his skin.

"That is not surprising. Oni are notorious for hiding in the darkness, emerging only to cause turmoil for the living." He gave Touketsu a pointed look before walking off.

"Oh never mind old Hideyoshi, he's always like that." Casia said with a roll of her eyes.

"Huh. As if I care what that old Earthling thinks." Touketsu turned back to the table and pulled over a bowl of donburi. "Not too happy about being in purgatory, is that it?" he growled, forcefully jabbing at the beef and rice with his chopsticks.

"He's an Inimcus."

"Not a popular team, huh?"

"They're war criminals."

Touketsu looked up at her, the loaded chopsticks halfway to his mouth. They lowered. "What are Familia?" he asked, his voice low.

"Women and children murdered in the midst of wars," answered Ocimus. "Invading enemy soldiers targeted them. In their eyes, they were living representations of whatever it was they were fighting against, and they projected their rage onto them. They were weak and easy to subjugate. They'd rape the women in front of their children, kill children in front of their mothers…"

Touketsu swallowed, the faces of his estranged family flashing through his mind. A sick feeling began developing in the pit of his stomach. He quickly stuffed the donburi into his mouth as though to push the sensation down. "Sadistic cowards," he mumbled.

"Yeah," rumbled one of the warriors, a massively built young man that looked like something between a komodo dragon and a rhino. "We were all children when we were slain."

Touketsu stopped and looked up at him before looking around at the other formidable warriors at the table. "So you're telling me I'm at the kiddie table." There was a round of boisterous laughter, and Touketsu grinned a little in spite of himself. "How does a bunch of little kids grow to your size after death, huh?"

"All the children here continue to grow until reaching the prime of adulthood, something that was denied us in life," answered the rhino-creature. "Some Famila may live in Nav for quite a while before our Inimicus come to reside here. When they do arrive, and if we are of proper age, we are allowed to engage them with our mothers' permission.

Touketsu recalled the obvious favoritism demonstrated by the fans during those matches. "So that's what the Third Quarter was all about."

"Yes. Killing our Inimicus helps release some of our resentment. We may have to kill them many times over before we feel ready to move on to a higher realm."

Touketsu slowly resumed eating, his long, spiky hair bristling slightly. He didn't like these unnameable, warring feelings that these 'Familia' were placing in him. Pushing on him. He was fast becoming less tolerant of their company. "That have something to do with all the ritualistic crap with the fire?" He growled, his tone borderline defensive.

"Uh, yes," Bergamius answered, perplexed by their celebrity's strange sullenness. "Familia slain in the arena must be interred into the fire with the utmost respect," he answered.

"Unlike the Inimicus."

"Um, right. Doing anything less for Familia is a grave violation of the rules and a punishable offense. Usually Queen Marenna officiates a Familia's interment, so it's a very noble thing when Inimcus take it upon themselves to do this. It is a small gesture but it helps mitigate resentment."

Touketsu continued working through his food with grim determination. "Hn. Didn't witness any such grand gestures from your opposing team tonight," he said sarcastically.

Bergamius and the others were growing more and more puzzled by Touketsu's attitude. "Y-yeah, it's rare. When it happens it can reduce the length of our stay here, for both the Familia and their Inimicus. Most of the time our wins have to exceed theirs before we're able to move on. It's a monumental thing when an Inimicus forfeits and allows his Familia to kill him. It doesn't happen often."

Touketsu was hunched over his bowl, his lip twitching in a barely restrained sneer. "I imagine so. It isn't…natural to not fight back." He glanced to Bergamius. "You're still here," he said, flicking his chin towards him. "Not over it I take it?"

Bergamius's face grew serious. "No. But, we've spoken to each other. I understand our murderer far better now, how he ended up the way he did to do the things he did. But, that said…no, I haven't forgiven him. I can't yet."

Touketsu stabbed the chopsticks straight down into the remainder of his rice before shoving it away. He turned to Bergamius, his red eyes drilling into him. "So. Tossing your dead butts in the fire rubs you people the wrong way, huh?" He said, his voice hardening. "What does it matter? You're already dead."

The young man's ears flattened, his bewilderment evident in his eyes. "The matches are about making reparations. Showing disrespect of that nature sets the process back, and both Familia and Inimcus will be unable to move forward."

"That's what it takes for them to move on? Your forgiveness?" He sneered.

Bergamius leaned back. "Well, it's up to them as much as it is to us. Sometimes even with our forgiveness they're unable to move on if they can't find peace within themselves."

"And then there are Inimicus that are completely unrepentant," Ocimus said stiffly. "They'll stay here just to keep fighting and increasing their strength, rubbing the Familia's faces in it. They actually want to stay in purgatory, going through these pointless motions. They've held back their Familia a long time as a result."

Touketsu folded his arms over the table and leaned towards Ocimus. "Tell me kid. You Familia want to leave?"

"Well…yeah."

"Well shit. If you want to go all that much then just go!"

Bergamius gaped, speechless for a moment. "We do wish to go," he said emphatically. "You can't understand why there's difficulty?"

"Oh I understand. I understand that you want stay pissed off little victims," he hissed as he pushed back from his seat and stood. "Pathetic. You hate them so much then say fuck those that wronged you or whatever and get over it."

The warriors at the table stiffened in their seats, put off by Touketsu's acidic dismissal. "Mr. Touketsu, that's easier said than done."

"Huh. Of course it is, kid. Everything is easier said than done. Doesn't mean it can't be done. You need to learn to rise to a challenge. Now excuse me, children. I can stomach only so much weakness and excuses." He strode away, officially done with what he saw as sad-sack whining. His disgust certainly had nothing to do with anything else.

Touketsu wandered around and struck up conversations with the Inimicus, trying to glean what they knew of Marenna. All they knew was that she was the ruler of Nav and she enforced its laws. Others had some conflicting belief or another about her origins. He ended up striking up a conversation with a group of Earth Inimicus that were huddled in their own corner. After some brief introductions, they all began offering their own opinions on the subject.

"She's a goddess."

"A demon."

"She was once mortal."

"A witch."

"She's a being made of many souls, women who were executed by burning or drowning," said a man who had introduced himself as William.

Touketsu raised an eyebrow. "That so? What would they have been executed for?"

"Withcraft. Women who were suspected to engage in dark arts, who seduced men in power in order to bend them to their will."

Touketsu eyed the chainmail clad warrior shrewdly. "Is that your belief? That such women used dark magic?"

"There was no other explanation as to how they could gain such power over men."

"You think so, huh? Know anything about her daughters?"

He leaned forward, and his voice dropped to a whisper. "They're revenants."

"Rumors," grumbled Connor.

"They are not vampires!" Ivan dismissed with a wave of his hand, his drink sloshing. "They'd have to have been ordinary women once in life. They're Zimadevushka!"

"Yes, the Yuki-onna," said Hideyoshi before taking a bite of his apple. He was leaning up against one of the wood pillars, not looking the others' way. "I had heard tales of the Snow Woman in my youth. She is not of the world we know. She appears to men lost in snow storms in the mountains, then freezes them before taking their life force."

"Well I've seen the Winter Girl! Back when I was alive, I saw her!" Ivan exclaimed. "And it is true. That is exactly what they do…before feeding on blood and flesh. I will tell you what I witnessed."

All the humans gathered around to listen, with the exception of Hideyoshi who had apparently heard this story before. Touketsu maintained a disinterested stance that mirrored that of the shogun, belying his own intrigue.

Ivan put down his drink, now fully invested in regaling the tale as his voice dropped to a hush. "My army was crossing the mountains. We had set up camp for the night, and I awoke to some noise. I stepped out of my tent to see one of my soldiers stumbling through camp as though he was sleep walking. It was like a small snowstorm surrounded him. For just a moment I saw her: a beautiful, tall woman with light blonde hair and ice blue eyes, her skin as white as the snow around them. The soldier was on the outskirts of our encampment when he disappeared into the dark. I went after him and I stumbled upon his bloody skeleton, frozen solid as though it had been lying there for days to be scavenged by the wolves."

"You're drunk," scoffed Erik into his cup before tipping it back, the beer running down his braided beard. "You really think the princesses are these things you're talking about?"

Ivan leaned on the table in front of him, his serious features underlit by the surrounding candles. "I do. Marenna is the most fearsome Zimadevushka of them all, a goddess of winter and death. She is said to haunt battlefields, walking among the dead and the dying. After the battle I had thanked the gods that I didn't encounter Marenna herself. If I had seen her…I'm sure death would have come for me that day." Ivan abruptly straightened and casually picked his drink back up, dropping out of story-teller mode. "Couldn't escape her forever, though," He shrugged before knocking back his drink.

Silence followed. Then Touketsu took a deep breath, eyes widening in exaggerated condescension. "Well," he huffed. "Thank you for your little ghost stories, gentlemen. I'll leave you to it."

He turned and walked off, positively blue in the face. He could imagine those Earth weaklings being eaten alive by those ghouls, but him?! The power of this form put that of his original one to shame, and he had been MORE than formidable as the Saiyan Prince. He suddenly very much wanted another drink, preferably alone.

A few minutes later Touketsu was sitting at a table in a corner, having quickly downed a couple beers before setting to work on more food. He was reaching for a leg of venison when a large hand dropped down on top of it. Touketsu snarled, looking up at who dared to take food off his plate. The snarl on his lips broke into a grin. "Come to congratulate me again?"

Zeygorn straightened, his center head stone faced while the left and right heads ripped at the meat like a pair of hungry dogs. "Decided to attend after all?" The snake-like head deadpanned.

Touketsu grabbed a peach and leisurely propped his feet up on the table, crossing them at the ankles as he leaned back in his chair. "Your queen begged me to stay for dinner," he replied cooly, not looking at Zeygorn as he took a bite. "She's a clingy one, that."

All three heads snapped to attention. "You will show the queen due respect as long as you're here."

Touketsu raised an eyebrow, deigning Zeygorn a glance. "Well. I'll have time to learn if I'm staying at the palace, won't I?"

Zeygorn glowered resentfully. "So you have accepted the queen's generous offer."

"I was feeling generous myself and decided to humor her. Her pleading was embarrassing." Touketsu took another bite of the fruit, barely able to keep from laughing at the expressions of outrage on Zeygorn's three faces.

"It is the queen that is doing you a favor. You are an uncouth cretin not worthy of residing here."

Touketsu studied Zeygorn, a dawning grin of amusement creeping across his face. "Oh. Oh, I see. Only enough room for one male at the palace, eh? Heh…or is it three? Didn't think the frosty little woman was into that sort of thing-"

"You watch who you are insulting!" Zeygorn snapped, six eyes flashing indignantly. "She is the Queen of Nav, and I was chosen for the prestigious position of executioner." Zeygorn straightened, his broad chest puffing with pride as each head began taking turns pontificating.

"We were kings in our time on the physical plane, establishing order on every corner of our planet, unifying the countries and enforcing the law with an iron fist."

"We were merciless in our adjudication, and upon our deaths we endured the fires of purgatory like any other." Zeygorn chose to ignore that Touketsu was now idly throwing the cleaned peach pit up and down in apparent boredom.

"The gods nonetheless recognized our accomplishments in life, and after cleansing by fire we were elevated to the divine status of lesser gods."

Touketsu chuckled. He snatched the peach pit out of the air, his fist tight around it as he quirked an eyebrow at Zeygorn. "Think you'll still have a job after tonight…lesser one?"

Zeygorn's eyes flashed. He leaned back and scornfully tossed the stripped bone back onto the plate with a clatter as Touketsu jerked his legs out of the way. Snarling, he whipping the peach pit at Zeygorn with the speed of a bullet.

The center head was struck between the eyes, knocking his head back and stunning him as Touketsu brayed with laughter. The other two heads roaring in outrage, Zeygorn hurled himself across the table at him. Plates were sent crashing to the floor, capturing the attention of everyone nearby.

"HA HA-hurk!"

Zeygorn grabbed Touketsu by the throat, hoisting him up as the center head shook off the impact. The dragon's hand was so massive he could only hold the demon prince by a thumb and a curled forefinger. Still chuckling in amusement, Touketsu choked on his laughter when Zeygorn tightened his grip.

"Gentlemen!" Marenna's voice rang out. Zeygorn and Touketsu looked up in the direction of the goddess levitating high above them, her white aura giving her a lunar glow. "What is the meaning of this?"

Dangling by his throat with his hands over Zeygorn's, Touketsu grinned pleasantly. "Nothing, milady!" He answered, his voice strained from the pressure on his vocal cords. "Zeygorn here is just bringing the arena to me."

"Zeygorn, put him down immediately."

Zeygorn quickly put Touketsu down. "I'm sorry, milady." On all three heads, a muted red glow burned behind the black scales on their cheeks.

"Would you like to be relieved of your station as Royal Executioner? Your defeat does call into question your ability to perform your duties."

Zeygorn bowed his heads deeply. "No. Please, my queen."

"With the exception of the arena, fighting anywhere on palace grounds is strictly forbidden. Mr. Touketsu, your transgression will be overlooked as you were not informed, but the penalty is expulsion from Nav to lower purgatory. Zeygorn, you of all people know this. Would you like me to banish you from Nav?"

"No, my queen."

"He probably just had a bit too much to drink in his efforts to 'find peace' since he didn't 'emerge victorious'," Touketsu chuckled in mockery of the tournament motto. He looked back at Zeygorn, smirking. "You have three throats but only one liver. Maybe pace yourself."

Zeygorn's left head glared at Touketsu before returning his attention to the queen, who was now watching him sternly.

"You'd best be sure I don't witness this again, Zeygorn."

He bowed his three heads. "Yes, my queen." The queen bowed in turn and disappeared in a flurry of snow.

Touketsu crossed his arms and leaned towards Zeygorn. "Did I just save your necks?" He asked in quiet amusement.

Zeygorn's heads whipped in his direction. "The queen would not dismiss me so easily," the Yudoch head growled. "And if you're looking for me to go easy on you, you are sorely mistaken."

Not intending to stay longer than the night, Touketsu chuckled low in his throat. "Desperate much? Perhaps I'll just leave you pining for that rematch."

His giant fists quaking at his sides, Zeygorn looked like a volcano on the verge of exploding. He turned on his heel and left before he gave into another brawl. Touketsu watched him thunder off, snorting in amusement. Why did that freak stay fused when he wasn't even fighting? What a poser.

The three princesses had been waxing on about their exciting excursions to the physical plane when they were interrupted by the admittedly entertaining altercation. "Wow, Zeygorn really has it in for the new guy, huh?" Likha remarked.

"I imagine so, milady," said a nekojin Familia, a cat-that-ate-the-canary smile spreading over her face. At LAST an opening to deliver the real news of the night. "Mr. Touketsu bested him, after all."

"He WHAT?!" The three sisters exclaimed.

The group of Familia simultaneously erupted in excited chatter. "Oh it's such a shame you missed his performance, miladies!" Said a pink skinned woman, secretly delighted that they were privy to something the princesses were not.

"Wait a second, he was in the arena?! What the heck for?" Zeema asked.

"He just wanted to punish the Inimicus! Oh you should have seen it," another gushed. "He tore them to shreds."

"Cut them down like they were nothing!"

"I can't believe you hadn't heard yet, miladies!"

The princesses grappled with their envy. What the hell?! They were the first to know all the hottest news. Period! Dying to trump their friends who were now all deep in conversation about Touketsu, they traded conspiring glances with each other. They were sitting on some juicy gossip of their own…though they wouldn't tell anyone about their little gaffe.

"He may not be much to look at," said a gelatinous being, her green body rippling as it took on a red glow, "but seeing him in action was kind of a turn-on."

"What? You don't think he's handsome?" Asked a bovine woman.

"Not in the conventional sense, but personality goes a loooong way-"

"Well, ladies!" Likha loudly interjected, capturing their attention, "I'll have you know he cleans up well."

The gathered Familia paused. "How do you mean?"

Likha smiled lasciviously. "We got a little…peak of him in the bathhouse, and we saw something that I'm sure you all didn't." Her would-be ladies in waiting leaned in, intrigued, and the redhead smirked. "The Water of Life didn't just make him more handsome…it made him a different person."

The group of Familia collectively gasped. "WHAT?"

"Basically it was like he got a haircut and shaved," Kuma said simply, earning a scowl from Likha.

"It was more than-"

"Yeah, like, shaved everything," Zeema giggled, blushing.

"His eyes, though," the brunette smiled in appreciation. "They were as black as jet-"

Likha shouldered her sisters aside. "Oh he was completely different. His hair was like a black flame, his skin the warm color of caramel and just as smooth," Likha said, running a tongue over a fang in fond memory. "Altogether he looked like a refined version of himself…like a noble."

"Well, it makes sense that the Water of Life made him appear as a noble, considering the way he brought justice on the Inimicus," the nekojin said thoughtfully. A dreamy smile spread over her feline lips. "Truly noble."

"Oh, and his tail!" The redhead went on, reveling in the attention their story was getting. "Totally different - like a cat's or a monkey's, and it was covered in soft, auburn fur. She giggled, her voice a purr. "It almost begged to be touched-"

"Excuse me, my ladies," Queen Mareena announced, startling her daughters as she seemingly appeared out of nowhere. The group parted around her. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but I must have a word with my daughters." She looked pointedly at her children. Taking the hint, they reluctantly excused themselves from the gathering.

On the outskirts of the small assemblage was the silver skinned woman, her crystalline blue eyes wide as though she had seen a ghost. She turned away and took a sip of her wine. "It couldn't be," she murmured to herself.

Touketsu had sat back down when he noticed the three princesses approaching him. His fleeting good mood shriveled up in a hurry. He stood, his eyes settling on Likha as he crossed his arms. "Ah. Lucy, was it?"

She gave him a withering look. "Likha," the redhead corrected, her blonde sister stifling a giggle behind her.

"Sorry about that," he answered, his tone suggesting the opposite. "Hard to put a name to a face when the face changes."

Likha pouted. This mysterious 'Bulma' must have been a pretty sore spot for him. She sighed dramatically and rolled her eyes. "Look, I didn't assume her form, dummy," she sent telepathically. "I have no idea what this chick looks like! In a fascination spell you see what you want to see."

"Get out of my head, bitch!" He shot back. He frowned to himself, disconcerted. That was one powerful spell if he not only saw Bulma, but smelled her and sensed her ki as well. It was unnerving to think how much his own mind lent power to this witch's magic.

"Mother asked us to show you to your room," Kuma interjected.

He turned his attention to the brunette. "Oh yeah? Didn't think there was a curfew."

"There isn't," Likha said snidely. "We're just showing you where it is so you don't end up roaming the halls later like a lost puppy."

Touketsu's jaw clenched. Whatever. He had eaten his fill and gathered enough information for now. He was ready to get away from this little social scene. "Fine. About time you made yourselves useful."

The milky crystal of the palace walls had a curious way of channeling the ambient light. A soft white during the day, at night they took on a muted blue-green from the torches that lined the hallways. The three sisters were escorting Touketsu to his room when Zeema fell in step with him to his left. "So we overheard Mama call you a prince."

"Tch. I'm not surprised at all that you were still lingering around, eavesdropping," he sneered. "Your mother was mistaken."

"So you're not?"

"No."

"But you used to be?" Likha asked as she flanked his right. He walked on, intent on ignoring them.

In the lead, Kuma looked over her shoulder. "The water changed you into that other person-"

"Oh I know, I know!" Zeema exclaimed. "I remember the name of that race now! A Saiyan!" Touketsu was suddenly subjected to three, annoying voices ping-ponging around him.

"Oh yeah! We've seen a bunch come through here."

"That's your ideal self?

"Is that what you used to be?"

"A Saiyan?"

"A prince?"

"He didn't confirm he was royalty."

"He didn't deny it either!"

By this point Touketsu was gritting his teeth so hard he could have ground them to dust.

"Well? Were you a prince?"

"What happened to you anyway?"

There was the briefest of reprieves while they waited for a response. "Were you changed into a demon?" Kuma prodded in a knowing voice.

He didn't respond right away. "I guess you could say that," he grumbled, and the three girls 'oooohed' in hushed voices. "Now mind your own goddamn business."

"Well, if it's any consolation you're still not bad looking," offered Zeema.

"Ha! He must not share your opinion," Likha teased across to her sister, the hapless Touketsu sandwiched between them. "He looked pretty pleased when he changed. Do you want to look like a Saiyan again?" she asked him.

"Or do you just want to be a prince again?"

"He never said he was, Zeema."

"Should we call you Prince Touketsu? Zeema asked.

"NO!"

"Here's your room," Kuma announced.

"GOOD!" Touketsu practically threw himself at the door. "Thank you for making yourselves useful, wenches, you can go." He turned and pulled the door open.

"So, Touketsu…" Likha began slyly from behind him. Touketsu slowly turned, his eye twitching in exasperation. Zeema giggled while Kuma smirked. Likha clasped her hands behind her back and smiled coyly. "Who's Buuuuuulma?"

Touketsu launched himself at the three girls, much to their delight. They instantly dissipated into a whirling cloud of snow flurries as he ran through them and into the opposite wall in the hallway. He glared after their ephemeral forms fleeing down the corridor to round the corner out of sight, their shrill peals of laughter and mocking wails of "Bulma!" and "I'm sorry, Bulma!" bouncing off the stone walls.

He forced away the shadow that was creeping over his body and got up, stalking into his room. "Little shits!" He hissed, slamming the massive door shut in disgust. With a huff he ran his hand over his face before looking around.

The room was quite large, with a vaulted ceiling. Gorgeous raised relief cameos were carved into a tall panel of two layer onyx that ran the entire periphery of the room. Intricate scenes depicting battle and burial, the translucent white figures seemed to emerge from their black backdrop like ghosts. The dark, polished floor was a fossilized precambrian ocean bed, the pale skeletons of entombed ammonites resembling galaxies in the void of space. Near the center of the room were a pair of elegant chairs and a small dining table carved from streaked, black marble.

To the right of the room a large fireplace burned with blue-green fire, another door nearby presumably leading to a bathroom. Across from the fireplace was a king-sized canopy bed, its ornately carved ebony crown reaching clear to the ceiling. Draped in silks of deep blues and greens, it was laden with exotic furs all in tones of white and black. Across from Touketsu there was an alcove that housed a desk and a large, peaked window, its stained glass the colors of the aurora borealis. He stepped up to it and put his hand upon the pane, leaning forward to squint through. He couldn't see anything.

Touketsu walked over to the bed, running his hand through the furs experimentally before pulling back the covers. He flopped in and let out a breath. He wasn't one to relax. Not in strange places such as this and certainly not after nearly becoming food. Well, fool him once. It wouldn't happen again. Pulling the covers up, he reclined back against one of the pillows and laced his fingers behind his head. He studied the raised reliefs of battle on the walls, the sounds of war almost audible as the firelight flickered over them. He had vague recollections of similar murals gracing the palace walls of his youth. Artistic depictions of proud Saiyan might and the spoils of conquest, they spoke of glory and honor.

Not so the depictions carved in these walls. They were of war, yes. There was conquest and death, of course. However, any sense of honor and pride were absent. Armies took torches to villages. The unarmed were put to the sword. Babes were wrenched from their mother's arms, the infants held dangling by an ankle while the females knelt on their knees, imploring arms outstretched for mercy. These were stories of anguish and defeat, of loss and despair. These were the stories of the losing side. His thoughts swung back to his conversation with the young Familia, that heavy feeling of…something again overtaking him. He quickly became embroiled in memories from a seemingly not so distant past.

"I had my orders."

His voice rang hollow in the empty room.

During routine purges, killing civilian women and children was part of the job. They offered Vegeta no challenge whatsoever, and as an adult he executed Frieza's commands swiftly and efficiently. When he was younger however, he'd toy with them to make it more interesting…and to give himself an outlet. From childhood throughout his late teens, he was so filled with frustration and hatred he'd often single out individuals on which to take out his rage. He felt so much more powerful and in control when he saw them bowing and weeping at his feet, pleading for the lives of their loved ones.

As he grew older he became bored with the pastime, but he still occasionally played his games. The last time he had really toyed with his victims was when he and Nappa were en route to Earth and made a pit-stop on Planet Arlia. They went so far as to allow themselves to be captured, feigning weakness before springing their terrible surprise on their captors. Together they overthrew the planet's tyrannical king and liberated the people. The Arlians were so happy to be freed, praising him and Nappa as saviors before he and his bodyguard took their leave. The little buggers didn't even know what hit them when they were atomized in Vegeta's planet-destroying blast moments later.

Though he had engaged in his own sadistic games, primarily in his adolescent and teen years, he had never raped. While he looked down upon the act as being beneath someone of his royal breeding, it was also a quirk of his own genetic influence. As a general rule, Saiyans tended to express their drive for conquest and domination through battle. The fight came first, and as a model Saiyan, Vegeta craved a worthy adversary.

He felt as though he was pitted against such an adversary while he listened to the Familia. He didn't enjoy the fight, however. It was like he was on the ropes, losing to an invisible foe. He hated how weak and vulnerable it made him feel. He hated them for making him feel that way. He felt judged. He felt angry and defensive. He felt…shame.

He had killed countless women and children as a soldier and even more recently as a demon. It's not as though he had ever cared. His eyes went to the dancing flames of blues and greens in the fireplace, and aqua hair and eyes briefly rose from his mind. He supposed those foreign feelings were yet another indelible mark made by a life he couldn't remember having…a life he had somehow created on Earth after dying on Namek.

He scowled as he watched the fire. "Is this all a dream?" He murmured to himself, acknowledging not for the first time how he had taken to talking to himself, a holdover from his time spent alone in Zhernobog's domain. "I had fallen asleep there. Am I still there?" He didn't know how long he had been in that place, ruminating on what had happened and how he had come to be before apparently drifting off. Did he dream? He did seem to have vague recollections of dreams…maybe. He watched the ocean-blue fire in the hearth and sighed, the growing heaviness in his eyelids pairing with that in his heart.

Purgatory. There indeed seemed to be different levels.

Lots of folklore references in this one.

Baba Yaga's Horsemen:

"Bright Day"= horseman that brings the dawn

"Red Sun" = horseman that brings the midday sun

"Dark Night = horseman that brings the night.

Sticking chopsticks straight up in rice is not only considered bad manners but is also taboo due to the association with death. Doing so to your own rice declares yourself dead. I read that if one is Japanese and does this, it declares yourself dead to your family and is very offensive.

Susmir is inspired by "Sessrumnir", the name of the hall of the Norse goddess Freya. Freya gets first pick of those felled in battle, and they join her in her kingdom Folkvangr. The remainder go with Odin in Valhalla.

The name of the arena, "Volkfangr", is a word scramble of "Folkvangr", which is Old Norse for "people's field" or "army field". "Volk" means "people" in German, but "wolf" in Slovene. "Fangr" is Old Norse for "catcher".

Some may have recognized the three wolves as 7th Universe versions of the antagonists from Universe 9 in DB Super. I gave them Latin inspired names based off their original ones:

Bergamius = Bergamo

Ocimus = Basil

Casia = Lavender

I was looking around for name ideas for the samurai and I settled on Hideyoshi, after that of the historical figure Toyotomi Hideyoshi. When I was hashing out a much later chapter, I coincidentally found out that this very real person (whose nickname was "little monkey") actually has a connection with Vegeta. I'll reveal just how later. ;)

Hope you enjoyed the banquet! Thank you for reading!