Happy Valentine's Day! Nothing says romance like...oblivion. Hmm.

AnonymousDBZFan your reviews are always such a delight to read! :D sincerely love to hear that I've been able to elicit some feelings of sympathy for this guy, because I truly do want to redeem him. Your words move me every time. I agree with you - he has got a LONG way to go before he can make up for what he's done...but I'm so moved that you're pulled to forgive him right now. :D

I am so, so heartened to hear how much you enjoyed the ending of this chapter. I re-worked it and rephrased the dialog many times over, but his expression and words at the very end stayed about the same. Both "Touketsu" and "The Burning Bridge" had their inspirational chapters that the entire story ended up getting built around. In "Touketsu", it was Chapter 6: "A Dark Place". For "The Burning Bridge" it was the scene at Kalyna Bridge.

Oh you are REALLY picking up on some of those clues from earlier in the chapter! I'm so looking forward to revealing them! Thank you so much for reading and for your reviews!

Oblivion

It was snowing out. The fluffy flakes drifted down gently from a pale grey sky as a platinum dawn embraced the vast kingdom of another dimension. The cool light filtered through a large window of pastel stained glass, barely illuminating one of the palace rooms with anemic color. Weary crimson eyes cracked open to rest upon the fireplace on the opposite side of the bedroom. The blue-green fire still burned in the hearth.

Touketsu rolled over, turning his back on it. He had avoided looking at it last night too, when Marenna brought him back to his room. She had bid him goodnight and quietly left, leaving him alone with his thoughts. Not wishing to engage in them anymore, he went straight to bed to fall into a dreamless sleep. An empty sleep.

It was a reprieve.

He lay there for a while, thinking on their conversation last night. Marenna claimed that she wanted to keep Zhernobog imprisoned, so it made little sense to him why she nonetheless offered him refuge here. She knew he hosted Zhernobog. It was safer for everyone and everything for him to have remained in the Kagemazoku's realm where the dark god would be imprisoned with him. It didn't seem a very rational or responsible decision for a ruler to make, much less a goddess.

He scowled. She felt sorry for him.

He didn't stir when his sensitive hearing picked up on footsteps approaching from far down the hall. He stretched out his senses and flared his nostrils; only the distinctive scent of masonry and winter air met his nose. After a minute there was a knock on the door, and his pointed ears pricked up. "What is it?" He growled.

"Queen Marenna has requested your presence." It was one of the palace attendants.

Touketsu instinctively rankled at the order, but he supposed if anyone knew where he could get breakfast around here it would be her.

"Gimme a minute," he grumbled.

Several minutes later and he was walking through the palace hallways, escorted on either side by a pair of lupine females, one black and the other white. They stopped before a pair of elaborate silver doors, and the attendants opened them to reveal a stately dining hall. Queen Marenna sat at the head of a long table, a breakfast spread laid out before her on silver plates. Her daughters were at the table with her, the red-haired Likha and the blonde Zeema seated to the queen's left, Kuma to her right. Touketsu frowned at the sight of the princesses.

"Good morning, Mr. Touketsu," Marenna said pleasantly. "Thank you for joining us." She was dressed more casually in a white and silver embroidered kimono, dangling sapphire earrings in her ears and an understated kokoshnik tiara upon her head.

He crossed his arms. "Well, yes. That's what one does when summoned." He glanced at her daughters contemptuously. "I'll just take some plates back to my room, thanks."

"Please sit down, Mr. Touketsu. I actually have some matters to discuss with you after breakfast."

Touketsu's lips pressed into a thin line, his teeth clenching behind them. Fuck it. He dragged the chair out from the far end of the lengthy table, its ebony wood legs scraping noisily across the marble floor. He plopped down into the chair, his eyes never leaving Marenna as the servants immediately busied themselves setting plates of food before him. His sour mood mollified somewhat by the attentiveness, he tucked in and tuned the others out.

The three daughters had been watching Touketsu surreptitiously while they all ate. He didn't seem to notice, but Marenna did, however.

"My daughters, is there something on your minds?"

They straightened before exchanging glances between one another. "How long will Touketsu be staying here?" Zeema asked.

Marenna returned her attention to her plate. "Perhaps you can ask him that yourself, my Bright Day," she replied patiently.

"Touketsu?" Zeema asked as she turned to him, the others following suit. Thoroughly embroiled in the task of plowing through his breakfast, the demon-Saiyan didn't seem to notice.

"Touketsu," Kuma repeated firmly.

"Touketsu!" Yelled Likha.

Touketsu's head snapped up at the redhead, a furious scowl descending over his features. "What?!" he snapped.

"Geez, don't you recognize your own name?"

"Likha," Marenna warned sternly. "Mind your tone and apologize to Mr. Touketsu at once."

Likha pouted. "Sorry," she grumbled.

"How long are you staying?" Kuma repeated.

Touketsu continued glaring at Likha before deciding to drop the matter. He reached over and grabbed an apple, leaning over the table before sinking his fangs into the fruit with a crunch. "Indefinitely," he grumbled over a mouthful as he looked away.

There was an exchange of excited glances between the three girls. They had missed out on the tournament the previous night, and they were now very curious to see Touketsu in action. Could he defeat Zeygorn again, or did he just get lucky? He was kind of fun having around, but this may be the last time they'd see him.

"Are you fighting at the Tournament again tonight?" Zeema asked.

"Yes-"

"Mr. Touketsu that is actually one of the matters I wish to discuss with you." Marenna interjected, dabbing the corners of her sapphire lips delicately with a linen napkin.

Touketsu raised an eyebrow at her interruption. "Go on."

"I would like you to reconsider. It was one matter to participate in the Tournament a single time as a guest, but if you've chosen to stay in Nav as a resident there are some things you must be made aware of. Not the least of which, is your ongoing responsibility," she said pointedly, holding his gaze.

Touketsu scowled. He tossed the apple onto the table, the fruit rolling before falling over the edge to hit the floor. "My 'ongoing responsibility'," he echoed. "I have everything under control, and there is nothing to consider, woman. I've made my decision."

"I merely wish for you to make an informed one." She rose from her seat. Excuse us my daughters, I have some business matters to discuss with Mr. Touketsu." She beckoned to him. "Please, come walk with me."

He stared after her incredulously as she headed towards the doors at the opposite end of the room. He abruptly stood, his seat pushing back as he grabbed a napkin and roughly wiped his mouth. He threw it onto the table in a huff and stalked up to her.

Shortly after they were walking side by side along the broad palace ramparts, its sparkling gypsum mirroring the appearance of the falling snow. A vast view of the kingdom sprawled out far below, the streets and buildings rippling out from the palace grounds in labyrinthine, concentric circles. Beyond the city walls lay wooded landscapes dusted with snow and embraced by a bone-white shoreline. Chalky cliffsides pockmarked with caverns butted up against a sea as dark as wine.

"Touketsu," Marenna began haltingly, "why do you wish to fight in the Tournament?"

"I need to."

"Why?"

"It's my nature, damn it."

"The nature of a Saiyan?" She stopped and looked at him very seriously. "Many of your kind, the Saiyans, have come through Nav. A culture that embraced violence and conquest the way your people did cannot escape judgement." She beckoned to him as she walked on. "I respect free will, and I knew better than to argue a Saiyan out of battle the other night. That would have created quite the public scene," she said, amusement in her voice. "Fortunately things worked out. Now that we have a moment and some privacy however I must apprise you of Nav and its laws in greater depth. This kingdom, this entire planet, is a sort of halfway point for souls."

"Yes, I've heard. It's a pitstop for resentful women and kids and their murderers."

"Essentially."

"It's ridiculous," he muttered. "These dead families actually choose to stay in purgatory and share space with the people they hate."

"They must come to terms with their hatred. They wish to move on, but they can only do so in their own time."

"And what kind of punishment is this for their murderers?"

"The Inimicus? How do you mean?"

"They get to fight and eat like kings every single night! Some punishment. Do you realize I thought I had stumbled into heaven when I got here?"

"You are not living as an Inimicus here. The Inimicus are of low caste in our society. They are banished to the outskirts, far beyond the city walls where they must fend for themselves, and they must experience death nightly to the satisfaction of the spectators."

"And take advantage of the free food afterwards," he snorted.

"The banquet hall Susmir is open to all after the Tournament. Dining together offers an opportunity for the Familia and the Inimicus to make amends."

"Didn't see much mingling between them at your little dinner party the other night."

"It isn't a common occurrence, no, but the option is there. While Inimicus don't have to attend the banquet, most do. Outside the kingdom walls, food is scarce and of low quality."

He crossed his arms, his brows drawing together thoughtfully as they walked on. "Huh. Didn't think the dead needed to eat."

"You may have noticed that Nav is governed by laws similar to that on the physical plane. Food is still important here, for it is how the spirit sustains energy. The food offered in Susmir is special. It strengthens the spirits of those who consume it. Without adequate energy, one cannot fight their fullest at the tournament."

"Eager to fight huh? People after my own heart."

"If Familia do not sustain their spirits they are at greater risk of being killed in the arena and fed to the flames. Through the Realm of Fire, a weakened spirit may succumb to a lower purgatory. This also holds true for Inimicus. It is something they tend to avoid, for it sets their progress back for an untold amount of time. Most Inimicus wish to move on just as the Familia do. They must atone for their sins, which is why, unlike their attendance at Susmir, their attendance at the Tournament is mandatory."

"Is that so? They're forced to fight because you want them to say 'I'm sorry?'" He sneered. "And what if they refuse?"

"It is very rare that Inimicus refuse participation. If they do however, they are instantly sent back to a lower part of Hell, the hell they came from before gaining entry here."

"Uh huh. And what hell is that?"

"It varies from one soul to another."

"Hm. Well, their hells must be pretty bad if they're willing to put up with forced attrition. Tell me Marenna," he said, turning to her as he put a hand on his hip, "what's your success rate in converting the unrepentant?"

"Zero, for I do not convert anyone. That is entirely up to them. I only enforce the law here."

He walked on, a smug smile on his face. "Well, perhaps I can succeed where you have failed," he said, cracking his knuckles as the snowfall picked up and the winds began to buffet his long hair. "I'll have them begging for forgiveness tonight."

"Touketsu, I have concerns about your prescence in the arena."

He rolled his eyes. "Oh gods, out with it."

"During our spar last night, I could sense Zhernobog's energy within you build, however minute. As long as you have give and take with this energy you lend him more power. You are his warden now," she said emphatically, stopping him with a hand on his arm. "Engaging in nightly battles is hardly a sound way to go about things."

He scoffed. "Before your three headed freak of a bodyguard, did you see me use that ki in the slightest?"

"What will you do tonight when you face Zeygorn again?"

"What, are you going to ask him to go easy on me?" He sneered. "Tell him that he could jeopardize 'Creation itself' if he doesn't hold back?"

"No. We came to an understanding last night, did we not? I am risking my position by harboring a felon: you." He scowled. "No one can know you were Zhernobog's instrument, and I cannot alter Zeygorn's role as executioner to accommodate anyone without good reason. It could look suspicious. Now, If you are to live here, you must exercise your responsibility in keeping Zhernobog caged."

"Believe me woman, after what I did to your dear husband he won't be back for a long, long time," he smirked. "I told you, I have this under control."

"Like your emotions?" His smirk dropped from his face with the humiliating reminder that she had seen him at his weakest. "I am familiar with the power of such things," she told him quietly. "I thought on what you said last night. You had suspicions that Zhernobog was able to reach you from his prison as a result of your mental state?" His mouth in a tight line, he nodded stiffly. "The North Kai had also suggested as much."

Right. She mentioned him. "So what did he have to say on the matter?"

"When King Kai attended the meeting following your disappearance, he offered valuable insight when we broached the convoluted subject of Zhernobog's escape. He said that his disciple Goku-"

Touketsu burst out laughing.

Marenna arched one fine eyebrow. "Yes?"

He was pinching the bridge of his nose, still chuckling. What a small fucking universe. "Kakarot," he said, looking up at her. "Kakarot is that fool's name." That's where he'd heard the name 'King Kai': Kakarot had called him by name after briefly teleporting them both to that tiny planet.

Marenna took in his exasperated, borderline hysterical expression and decided not to linger on the subject. "Through him King Kai learned of your true identity as Prince Vegeta. He had in fact known of you and your life as the Saiyan Prince a while back." Touketsu sobered, his countenance growing ever more stony as she continued. "He monitored you on a planet called Namek. He said you were violent, cruel…and very powerful. Your actions led to your downfall, and you died."

Touketsu crossed his arms, expressionless. He chuckled darkly. "So. Still wish to help me? Knowing what a bastard I already was before I became this?"

She didn't answer his question, her blue eyes softening with her voice. "You were resurrected. Some time after, you came to reside on planet Earth. You took a woman, fathered a child. You at one point fought in defense of your adopted home. When the battle had been won, The North Kai stopped monitoring the planet, for peace reigned there for the next seven years. That is, until the Kagemazoku launched their attack."

"You going somewhere with all this?" He asked tonelessly.

"King Kai believed that Prince Vegeta remained a deeply troubled individual, given his history. It was his suspicion that your negative mental state, paired with the strength of your powerful spirit energy, somehow established a connection with Zhernobog. Just how that could have enabled him to reach you physically however remains a mystery. This brings me to my point: You may not only have to exercise caution in use of the dark energy. You may also need to be aware of your mental state. He is a being attracted to negative energy, after all. He will exploit it wherever he can.

"Point taken."

They stood at a seeming stalemate for a few moments, a gust of wind sending the ever growing snowfall whirling around them. "Touketsu, here is my other concern, so please listen carefully. If you choose to participate in the tournaments, you could well invite your old life back into your new one."

Touketsu's cool expression became thunderous. "My new life. As what exactly - this thing?" he said, gesturing to himself. "I'm merely putting up with it. What would you have me do? Cower in the shadows? Like I did before? You speak of hells? That was my hell, Marenna - having this kind of power at my fingertips and keeping it leashed. I now know that I must use it if I'm to master it. It needs an outlet, I need challenges, and the tournaments provide that-"

"IF you are recognized for who you were," she talked over him, "then any Familia that may have been wronged by Prince Vegeta will seek recompense."

"WHAT'S IT TO YOU!?" he thundered.

She sighed, her tone softening. "Only upon death are souls judged. You are in a truly unique situation, Touketsu. Neither you nor your double are dead. However, it is you that is existing in Nav. Any residents who may have been wronged by Prince Vegeta will look to you to alleviate their pain."

"That's a lofty way of putting it," he sneered. "I'd be their scapegoat."

"Are you implying that any ill acts Prince Vegeta may have committed were not also your own? You are the same person, are you not? If he has any Familia here, they may come forward to identify you. You will be treated as Inimicus, all of whom are required to serve their time. As queen of this world, I must uphold the law." She looked at him imploringly. "I do not wish to be placed in that position, Touketsu. I invited you here to give you sanctuary, not make your life more difficult."

An animal-like growl rumbled deep in his throat, the spikes of his hair bristling. He knew it. She pitied him. "Just who do you think you are, my mother?" he growled, his voice low and dangerous. "I choose my own path, woman."

"Touketsu," she began evenly, "I believe your emotions are getting the better of you." He grappled with his indignation over that remark as she continued. "For your own best interests, you should not participate any further in the tournaments. In fact, it would be best to avoid any more public appearances for the foreseeable future."

His mouth dropped open in shock before twisting into a snarl. "So this is a prison upgrade, is that it?" he spat, his body darkening. "You intend to keep me under house arrest?! Well I've got news for you, lady. You can't prevent me from doing shit! I'm not afraid of them - not the gods, or your miffed little townspeople. They should fear me! And for good reason! I could obliterate their very essence like THAT!" he yelled with a snap of his fingers.

Mareena frowned at his outburst. "Touketsu, you would do well to curb your arrogance. You mortals are as children to the likes of us. How many more times must I remind you that there are gods stronger than you?"

The barest smirk twitched his lip. "At least once more."

Her cool, blue eyes warred for dominance against his burning red. She tilted her chin up haughtily. "You are certainly lucky that Beerus the Destroyer slept through his death. Had he awoken he would have been most upset by the Supreme Kai's desperate decision, one motivated by you, I might add." Touketsu's body faded back to white as he frowned, mouthing the word 'Beerus' to himself as though to jog his memory. "Thankfully, their lives were soon after restored, with Lord Beerus none the wiser. Fortuitous, for if he knew of your whereabouts and your hand in his death he would have killed you in an instant."

He looked to her. "Oh really?"

"You need to exercise more humility and caution, Touketsu. As I said, I respect free will, but know that anything you do will always elicit a reaction."

"Thank you for your little lecture, woman," he snorted. "Now you listen to me. I've stagnated long enough. Waiting around for years…for what, I don't know. If I am to continue existing, I can't be still. I can't. I'm fighting in the Tournament from here onward. Battle is in my blood."

She studied him for a few moments, the winds calming. "So is royalty," she said quietly. He blinked at that. "Come," she said, suddenly changing direction. "We will continue our discussion over some refreshments."

"I think I've had my fill of conversation," he grumbled.

"Please," she said, beckoning to him.

With a huff he decided to humor her. She did interrupt his breakfast, after all. "Fine. We're done after this, got it?"

"Of course. Thank you, Touketsu," she said with a deferring nod.

They walked back inside and through an elegant study, a large fireplace at one end of the room and books lining the walls. Marenna led him to a set of crystal clear double doors, and a pair of attendants opened them to lead them out to a broad balcony overlooking a waterfall, the snow still gently falling. A small, stately table and a pair of chairs were situated there while a corvid attendant poured a libation the color of cherry amber into a pair of translucent stone goblets. Another corvid being was laying a cloak over the backrest of each of the two chairs, one garment of white fur, the other black. Marenna stepped forward and exchanged respectful bows with the attendants, grasping the hand of one of them in gratitude before appearing to adjust her kimono. The two attendants returned inside, leaving Marenna and Touketsu alone.

Marenna draped the cloak of white ermine furs over her shoulders and fastened the jewel encrusted silver chain as she looked expectantly back at Touketsu. He remained where he was, eyeing the liquor of sanguine gold suspiciously. She smiled and walked up to him.

"Come, join me for a drink," she said as she grasped him by the upper arm. The muscles of his shoulder and pectoral flexed reactively at the contact as he leaned away from her.

"A bit early for that, don't you think?"

"You could stand to relax a little," she smiled before chuckling. "It's not quite what you think. It will rejuvenate you. Come," she insisted with a tug of his arm. A bit self-consciously, he allowed her to lead him to the table. She picked up the other cloak of dark furs from off the chair and turned to him. Covered in a mantle of black bearskin and adorned with jeweled, gold clasps and a chain, it looked fit for royalty. He stiffened imperceptibly when she draped the cloak over his shoulders. "It suits you," she smiled. She caught his eyes ticking back down at the cup on the table.

The goblet sat innocently as any inanimate object would, yet it was undeniably alluring. The stem of the translucent, white jade goblet was carved in smooth, swirling designs of an exotic bird of prey, faceted rubies inset into its raging eyes and its plumage curling and ascending like flames. The honey-like elixir within glowed like a warm sunrise through a window pane of frosted glass.

"Are you afraid it's poisoned?" Marenna chuckled as she stepped around the table and took a seat.

He glared at her. "…I suspect that it is, yes."

She picked up her cup with an affable smile and took a sip. "I assure you it's not. This is a special libation, a drink of the gods. Mortals have imbibed in it, safely, I might add. It is prized for its restorative qualities, though its initial effects can be soporific for some. It is referred to by several names - 'Ambrosia' is one of the more popular. Have you heard of it?"

"No, I haven't" he replied suspiciously. Nonetheless curious, he relented and sat down. He put the cup to his mouth, tipping it just enough to wet his lips with the warm liquid. If it was poisoned, he'd know soon enough without it actually killing him. He grunted. "I've been lulled into a false sense of security before, madam. Experience demands that I remain vigilant."

"Your experience as the Saiyan Prince?"

"My experience as a Saiyan and a soldier, let's just put it that way."

He waited for her to begin harping on him about the Tournament. She didn't press him however, and he was in no rush to break the blessed silence. He stole a covert glance her way. She was looking ahead, occasionally taking a sip of her drink and for all the world looking like she was simply enjoying his company. Subtly tuned into his own body, he awaited for any tell-tale signs of a tampered drink.

After a while and finding none, he took a small sip. He almost choked; it was very sweet and unexpectedly strong. It was nonetheless undeniably pleasant and warm going down. He felt his tense muscles ease almost instantaneously. Touketsu looked out pensively at the wintry landscape before them, his eyes dulling as the minutes ticked by.

"What troubles you, Touketsu?" Marenna finally asked.

"This is my resting face," he replied, not looking her way.

"Do you mourn the life you lost?" He didn't answer. "You were the prince of your people. What was life like for you?"

He sighed. "I don't remember much about it."

"Why is that?" She hesitated before asking, "Is this because of Zhernobog's interference?"

He gave a single shake of his head. "No. I've recalled quite a bit since his…'interference,'" he sneered hatefully as he shot her a glance from the corner of his eye. He fell into sullen silence after that, and he ventured another sip. The lethargy and fatigue of his poor night's sleep began to lift, his body rejuvenating. They spent some more time in polite silence, and he swallowed, his tongue loosening. "I don't remember much of my life on Earth before Zhernobog took me, but I remembered my childhood up to the point that I…" he trailed off.

"Died?" She softly asked. "Do you care to talk about it?"

He hesitated and took another sip. Like dilating blood vessels, he began to feel more open, receptive. "It was on Namek. I was trying to get these…things, these orbs called "Dragon Balls" and wish for immortality. I thought that if I managed that, I would be able to defeat…him. My…" he broke off with a shake of his head.

"Who?" She prompted softly.

He closed his eyes, and sighed, silent for a while. He felt himself begin to uncoil, his chronically uptight attitude abating. "My oppressor," he admitted quietly. "He was a powerful emperor and my employer. Frieza was his name. He ran a lucrative and far reaching business called the Planet Trade Organization. I was his hired muscle, but I didn't have a choice in the matter, not if I wanted to keep my life. While I and the other soldiers were compensated for our service, it was just another form of his control. I knew the truth. We all did. It was serve him or die. When I finally decided to defy him it cost me my life."

He stared off at the beautiful landscape before him, not really seeing it. "I actually wished him back into my life. When I overthrew Zhernobog I traveled to Hell to destroy Frieza…and instead, I actually wished that son of bitch alive and back into my life." He chuckled derisively to himself. "He was always a manipulative bastard, not that I knew that at the time. I was an ignorant fool, basically a child, and I had no clue how to use my power at will. Had my memories been intact I would never have wished him alive again with the Dragon Balls. When I finally remembered who I was and what my history with him had been, all I wanted to do was send him back to Hell. By that point, I had fortunately remembered how to use my ki again."

"You had forgotten?"

He nodded. "With my memory restored I regained the strength and abilities I'd had up until my death on Namek. But it wasn't enough then, and It certainly wasn't enough when I faced Frieza the second time. Through the Dragon Balls, he obtained a power that reached insane heights." He took another drink, a contented smile on his face. He felt as though he was steeped in a warm bath that relaxed not just his muscles but his very mind. "I destroyed him body and soul. Huh. I should have thanked him. It was he that unlocked my ability to use the dark ki at will. Had he not done that, I wouldn't have been able to destroy him."

"You truly hated him."

"Of course."

"Do you feel liberated after destroying him?"

His eyes dropped. "I feel better," he answered neutrally.

"How is it that you came to work for him?"

He sighed and rubbed his face. "The king, my father, sent me to live and work in his ranks as part of a political deal. I was young, around five standard years old at the time. Frieza destroyed my planet and my people shortly after."

"I'm sorry."

He shrugged. "It's not as though I can remember any of it."

She studied him as his expression grew wan again. "Perhaps it is not a childhood home that you miss but a newer one?" His eyes flicked downward. "You look as you did last night, at Kalyna Bridge," she said softly. "You had a family."

"What of them?" He growled, his voice low.

"You miss them." Again, he didn't answer. "You asked me if I still wished to help you, knowing…how did you put it? 'What a bastard' you were?" He could feel her eyes on him. "Yes, Touketsu. I do. I don't know what the specifics of your past as Prince Vegeta were, nor will I pry or judge you for them. That is King Yemma's job," she said, a smile in her voice. "While mortal souls face their final judgement upon death, it is in life that a person can begin making reparations for wrongs they've committed. Zhernobog disrupted that process when he took you from your plane, but from what I witnessed, your family seemed to have set you on the right path."

Touketsu didn't trust himself to speak yet. He took another drink, uncaring that it was beginning to go straight to his head. "I didn't tell you who sent Frieza to Hell in the first place." He said after a minute, a warm smile spreading over his face. "It was my son. He did what I couldn't. He liberated me. He…he's a good kid. Still find it hard to believe I had a hand in creating him. But then, he does share half his genes with his mother. My mate…she made my boy possible."

"I can't claim to understand everything about you, but I think I can relate. While my bond with Zhernobog has long since dissolved, I do share a bond with my daughters. I often wish I could have had more," she chuckled to herself before taking another sip. She looked thoughtfully at Touketsu. "What kept you from visiting them? You possess the power to do so."

He glanced sidelong in her direction. "By your claims 'powerful gods' would try to hunt me down, right?"

"You were not aware of being monitored until I informed you, yet after you awakened you still stayed in Zhernobog's prison. What kept you from seeing them?"

Was this an interrogation? He barely refrained from shattering the goblet when he put it down hard on the table. "They did," he hissed at her. "Have we not been over this? They are safe from me and Zhernobog. They have…Vegeta," he choked out his own name, envious it was no longer his. "There is no need for me to be there."

"You still have needs though. Your decision to step back was responsible, selfless. Doing so has kept Zhernobog out of the picture and Creation safe. You are still tempted, though, aren't you? Tempted to return to that old life? Trailed by it. You've resisted to this point, but do you really think you could resist indefinitely?"

He scowled. "You thought I would eventually cave. You thought I'd leave and risk unleashing this parasite again."

"You are strong, Touketsu, but no one can go on alone forever." He swallowed at those words…Bulma's words. "Touketsu, are they the reason you wish to fight in the nightly Tournaments?"

That's what this was about? Fuck, he should have known! "What are you insinuating? That I'm trying to distract myself? I'm Saiyan. I enjoy battle. I need it. Period," he said turning away to brood.

"What if you didn't need it. What if you could forget your Saiyan influences. Forget the ghosts of your former life. Do you think you would have this drive to lose yourself in battle if these were absent?"

"What are you getting at?" He asked peevishly as he glanced over at her. His annoyed scowl melted away into dawning horror when she produced a small, clear ampule of shimmering liquid from her kimono.

He pushed away from the table and shot to his feet, his head swimming as the mantle fell from his shoulders onto the floor. "What have you done?" He demanded, the panic evident in his voice. "Did you just-"

"I have done nothing…yet," she said calmly and held up the vial. "I wish to offer you an option. This water is from Lethe, the River of Forgetfulness. Just before reincarnation, a soul must either drink of it or pass through it. When they do, the moment they are conceived within a new body, they forget all their experiences from their past life as well as their experiences in Otherworld. Thus, they are ensured a clean slate. In the rare case when a soul is not reincarnated but is reinterred within its original body, such as in a resurrection, the soul is simply washed of its memories of the spiritual plane."

She uncapped the gold stopper from the vial and upended the contents into the remainder of Touketsu's drink. The liquid was clear and bright, scintillating with the brilliant rainbows of a diamond's fire. When it met the rosy liquor within the snifter however, the combined liquid became black as ink. The sparkling waters from the vial were reduced to pinpoints of light, tiny stars that swirled in a vortex within the blackness of the altered libation. Transfixed, Touketsu watched.

Mareena picked up the goblet and approached him. "When the waters of Lethe are combined with Ambrosia, it creates the Drink of Oblivion. It will instantly obliterate the past identity of any mortal who drinks of it, alive or dead." His eyes shot to hers, and he took a step back as she extended the goblet to him. "Your past is weighing you." She said gently. "It also tempts you. If you drink this, you will be able to forget your past life and fully embrace what you are now. Drink this instead of fighting in the tournaments. The desire to fight will leave you, and you will no longer be haunted by the life you left behind."

His eyes flicked down to the cup for a moment. He shook his head, the simple act leaving him dizzy. "No, I don't want it. I've already had the option to forget, and my answer is the same."

"You truly believe that by retaining your memories you'll avoid making the same mistakes?"

"Of course!" He barked back defensively. "I can't well avoid mistakes if I can't remember making them in the first place! I discovered for myself what kind of mistakes I can make when I'm ignorant of my past! Did you not hear a thing I said?!"

"Self awareness is more difficult to master than you'd think, Touketsu. Even when your mind is aware, your heart can pull you in another direction. It can overpower rational thought and set you up to walk the same path without you even realizing it."

"Thanks, but I've been preached to about this before. I know what I'm doing." He made to step around her, his movements uncoordinated. How the hell strong was that drink?

She easily blocked his path, placing her free hand on his chest. "You can start over."

His lip curled into a snarl. He went to grab the offending hand off him when it flew up to catch him deftly by the wrist. Caught off guard by her speed, he watched as she pressed the jade goblet into the palm of his captured hand.

"Drink it," she insisted, her voice commanding his attention. "Live out your days peacefully in the palace and have solace. With a new life, you will start from the beginning, before other influences disrupted your path. You won't be tortured by your past anymore." She encircled both her hands around his own. His mind now hazy after imbibing in the powerful libation, he watched almost in a stupor as she guided the cup up to his lips. "Start over," she coaxed. "Live here at the palace forevermore. You could be ruler of this world if you so choose. A king…as you were meant to be."

King? Dumbly, he looked down at the cup of darkness swirling with brilliant, minute points of light like a miniature galaxy. His brows drew together. Oblivion. The destiny of a soul beyond redemption, the very personality scrubbed clean until all that remained was pure energy. Energy to be interred into a new body. Energy could be neither created nor destroyed, but identify could. Identity could be nullified. This…this was death of the soul itself. But, wasn't he destined for that anyway? What would it matter? He could live here. He could fulfill a destiny that was taken from him and rule a world. He looked back to Marenna with indecision in his eyes.

"It will be all right," she whispered, her gaze holding him captive. She stepped closer, one hand moving to the small of his back in encouragement. "Let it go." He was drowning in the ice-cold oceans of her blue eyes.

Let her go.

What was he really clinging to his old life for? A woman that he could never return to? Hell, who didn't even want him? Lost in the queen's mesmerizing gaze, he was taken back to the depths when he gazed upon his reflection, to that flickering image of Bulma…

"In a fascination spell you see what you want to see."

Was it Bulma that he saw in that ice, or Marenna? Did he really want to forget about his mate? Toss aside his memories of her and trivialize the sacrifices she had made on his behalf? Run from his mistakes like some coward? He felt himself sobering up; the queen was adamant he stay out of the arena. She didn't think he could use his power responsibly. Her faith in him was so little she was ready to trick him into wiping his very personality clean, ready to tell him anything to get him to do it. His countenance darkened.

He handed the goblet back to her. "Marenna," he said firmly, "Thank you for the…option. But I decline."

She looked somewhat disappointed, but she nodded her acquiescence and drew away. "Know that the offer stands, if you change your mind." She turned and placed the goblet back on the table before picking the fur cloak up off the floor, smoothly changing the subject. "Here," she said, extending the mantle to him. "As you are staying, you'll be provided with any attire you'd like. Is there anything in particular you want?"

"Yes." He pushed the royal mantle back towards her, rejecting it. "Armor."

Thank you for reading! A little mix of both Greek and Slavic mythology in this one. The whole scene near the end was inspired by a Slavic mythological tale wherein Goddess of Winter and Death Morana seduces the God of the Sun, Dazbog with the "Drink of Forgetfulness" and binds him to the Underworld. The tale is very much like that of the Greek story of Hades and Persephone; both stories explain in a fanciful way why the sun and its warmth is largely absent during the winter months.