This will be a gore-free chapter - quiet and just a little fluffy. :) Thank you for reading!

AnonymousDBZFan, For sure! Vegeta needs Goku and Bulma to balance him out - though he'd never admit to needing the former, lol! I'm smiling right now reading how you were cheering Vegeta on! While Vegeta IS a self-serving guy, he also strikes me as one that doesn't always mean what he says. He's not going to say anything that he thinks could cast him in a soft light. His motivations here definitely walked a fine line, and he may not have even been entirely honest with himself why he was compelled to do this for Remmnya. There was definitely that pervasive guilt he feels for his family, and Remmnya represented that. There may have even been a little sympathy specifically for her because of the way she reminded him of Bulma and Trunks. By serving Remmnya he sought to alleviate his own guilt - which in and of itself was a bit selfish. You are absolutely right that when he brutally killed Kunthar, he was projecting his own self-hatred onto him. Nail on the head once again.

The primary reason Vegeta is my favorite character is because he's complex and mutable. He changes over time, gradually but profoundly. Your words mean so much to me, because I've been trying to capture that here. To get affirmation from you that it shows? Well, that just means the world to me. I so love to hear from you - I feel like we're on the same wavelength. Thank you so much for continuing to read and for sharing your valuable thoughts!

Marenna's Training

"That's not the way you hold her, give her to me!" Vegeta swiftly but gently took the bundled infant from her older brother.

"Wow, you're really good at this, huh?" Trunks observed with some surprise as his father cradled his newborn sister.

Vegeta turned his nose up and snorted in disdain, but a tiny giggle like tinkling bells captured his attention. He looked down at the infant in his arms. Wide, fascinated blue eyes looked back up at him. The baby broke out into a broad, gummy grin and laughed in delight. Quite against his will, Vegeta felt a smile begin to tug at the corner of his own mouth, his chest flooding with warmth.

Bulma observed her husband and newborn babe, captivated. She didn't think a newborn child could laugh like that! Not for the first time, she was filled with gratitude that her husband had returned. Her daughter wouldn't be here now if he hadn't. "Thank you," she thought, her eyes misting. Vegeta felt her eyes on him, and he looked up. His onyx eyes warmed at the sight of his mate that gave him this new life, and he offered her the smallest smile. The world seemed to close around them and their little family, the edges softening.

He began to fill with light, the growing energy permeating every cell, and the moorings of the world he was anchored to fell away like a dissolving dream. He was unafraid when his body began to break down and disintegrate, leaving his soul to become one with the universe, transcending his own existence. He felt at peace.

A dark presence flanked the side of his dissipating face."You have proven worthy of your family," it said, its deep voice filled with respect. "We will wait for you…Prince Touketsu."

"Gah!" Touketsu sat bolt upright and scrambled back until he connected with the bed's ornately carved headboard. He panted deliriously, his bare chest slick with sweat and his heart racing. His eyes dropped down to the shallow gash over his abdomen, visible under the subdued light from the flickering, blue-green flames in the hearth. A shaking hand went up to it, the fingers grazing over the scabbed wound. He lifted his eyes to absent-mindedly stare off into the dark, his brow furrowing. He took a few more moments to slow his shuddering breathing before flinging the blankets off and fleeing the room.

The doors to one of the palace foyers burst open and Touketsu blasted into the sky. Blindly he raced, as though he could escape his own thoughts. In the distance, the glowing caps of a mountain range came into view beneath the light of Nav's slow-waning moon. He was assaulted by the torturous memories of that night again. He couldn't escape them.

Damn them, damn them. "DAMN IT!" He increased his speed towards the mountains, his intense eyes widening as the madness overtook him, the ice cold air ripping tears from his eyes. Wreathed in his dark aura, he laid into the mountainsides. Every punch, every kick, every strained scream of fury echoed back to mock him, only serving to feed the memories he wished to drive back. He'd done this already. He had engaged in this feral rage, this madness the night Zhernobog and the Kagemazoku claimed him and robbed him of his life.

A deep voice suddenly erupted from the depths of his forgotten memories to blister across his brain like lightning.

"While we could not actually traverse onto your plane, you enabled us to reach through your world's shadows remotely to bring you here. The power you attained during the course of your life, coupled with your raw, animal emotion, had reached a peak. YOU forged the bridge that allowed us to reach across your plane and obtain you at last. Thank you, Prince Vegeta."

He had lead them right to him.

Touketsu caught his breath, barely faltering in his onslaught. He was suddenly pulled up against a soft body wrapped in silks, a slender but strong arm hooked around his neck.

"Calm yourself."

He stilled, embarrassed. "I'm fine, Marenna."

"You aren't. But if you are calm enough, I'll release you." With a snarl he twisted out of her grasp and faced her. She arched an eyebrow up. "Have a care with my planet, Touketsu." He tensed for battle when her staff appeared in her hand, and she swung it with a flourish above her head. The crescent above it, that of a waning moon, began to fill like a moon's phases in reverse. All around, the destroyed land reassembled itself with thunderous roars. He was eyeing the display with curious interest when her voice recaptured his attention. "What vexes you?"

He clenched his fists to his sides and looked away, memories of the foreboding dream filling him with renewed anxiety. She drifted closer to him and stopped, silent. He could feel her eyes on him. He dropped his eyes and caught sight of the festering bruises and cuts that littered his naked torso. Aware now that his weakness was quite literally on display, he crossed his arms self consciously in a vain attempt to conceal them.

"Why don't you visit the bathhouse? Heal yourself and get some rest." She suggested softly.

His eyes drifted closed. Was this what it was like to be terminally ill? Knowing the outcome, experiencing the breakdown of the body and being unable to do a thing but sit back and watch it happen? The burden was all the heavier when trying to hide it. He felt his defenses begin to crumble at alarming speed. What did it matter? She had already seen him at his lowest. He couldn't hide from her.

"It's weakening," he murmured. "My power…the Life Force. It's actually…weakening."

Marenna silently regarded him. "I warned you about this," she answered quietly. "Have you been practicing daily before the tournaments?"

He scowled "Of course."

"How much?"

"Enough," he muttered unconvincingly.

"Have you been meditating?" He growled. "Come with me to the courtyard for a meditation session."

"Oh come on with that bullshit-"

"You are in dire need of centering yourself right now, if your assault on these mountains is any indication. Come." She turned and drifted back towards the palace.

He groused for only a moment. He had suspected on an intuitive level that there was a link between Zhernobog and his own mental state. Marenna and King Kai echoed the same hypothesis. With this newly resurrected memory, Zhernobog told him just how that link was made.

He followed her. Meditation could in fact help.

A short while later he was sitting cross legged on the tiled floor of the courtyard, hands planted on his knees, back straight and eyes closed. It was quiet under the falling snow, the gentle trickling of water and the rhythmic knocking of a pivoting bamboo sozu the only sounds.

After a while, Marenna spoke. "Now. Focus on your true ki within. Do you feel it?" He grunted in affirmation. "How does it feel?"

"The same."

He opened his eyes when Marenna stepped up to him, stretching out her hand to hover over the top of his head. "Indeed, your ki signature feels no weaker than it was before. You're saying however that your ability to channel the Life Force is diminishing?"

"It would seem," he confessed quietly. "I relearned how to use my true ki quickly enough. But, over time, the power behind my attacks seemed to be…dwindling."

"And your healing has slowed." He huffed through his nose, his brows drawing downward. "But take heart, Touketsu. Your energy signature has not decreased further. Therefore, there must be just enough Life Force circulating throughout your body to sustain your life."

A sickly life. "I'll be a cripple. My body won't have enough Life Force to heal on its own. I'm losing the ability to channel it into attacks." He looked up at her. "Will I lose the ability completely? If this keeps up I won't even be able to fly anymore, will I?" Silence. "Well?!"

"Most likely, yes."

He looked away. He'd again be crawling around on the ground like some lowly animal, just like before. "It will be like living in Zhernobog's world again," he rumbled.

"We may still be able to find a way halt this, if we can understand more about your condition."

He stood, chuckling mirthlessly. "My condition? I'm a demon now, that's my fucking condition." To think this may have been rectified with the Dragon Balls, before he made those stupid choices that dragged his family to hell and barred him from his old life completely. Shenron had his limitations, but it could well have been within the dragon's power to make a demon into a man again. He scowled thoughtfully. "What would happen to a living thing if it was separated from the Life Force for too long?"

She fell silent for a few moments. "I think you know the answer to that," she said quietly.

He looked at her. "Now I'm not dead, but according to you I'm only a step above it. Zhernobog's realm is cut off from the Life Force, but it's also a stagnant place frozen in time. During my confinement I may have come just close enough to death without actually dying…hovering in a state just on the brink of it."

Her eyes lightened at this revelation. "That makes sense. But why then has your energy signature not rebounded after leaving his realm? Doing so should have been akin to filling oxygen starved lungs."

Touketsu snorted. "Why? Because he succeeded in changing me, of course. This new, shit ki signature is an attribute of this form." He stepped up to her, gesturing emphatically to himself with both hands. "This form isn't meant to channel the Life Force, Marenna. It's meant for destruction only - for the dark ki! It's meant for death!-"

"Do you remember how?" Her softly spoken words breaking his growing tirade. "Do you remember how he changed you?"

He faltered and looked away, then gave a short nod. "I believe so." He was standing across from Bulma in the hover jet as they approached Mount Eroso. Her hand was on his cheek. She told him she and her son missed him. Then…he recalled Zhernobog.

"Do you believe they miss you?"

Touketsu was being held up by the icy grip of his brothers, Zhernobog Daimao standing before him. His body stiff and cold, he felt the burn of deep lacerations on his arms, chest, and throat. He felt destroyed and abandoned. Tosho was plunged into his heart. He remembered the pain.

"How, Touketsu?"

He swallowed and gave a seeming indifferent shrug of the shoulder. "He used Tosho, and I was defeated," he answered, his gruff voice quiet and matter-of-fact.

"Tosho," she affirmed.

He looked sidelong at her, one eyebrow raised. "You know of it, I take it?"

"Yes," she said softly. "During judgement, the sword was sometimes used to draw out confessions."

He scowled and turned to face her. "Confessions?"

She nodded. "By going through the heart, Tosho revived memories of dark sentiments and sins committed. The sword reunited the emotions attached to such thoughts, however deeply buried, thus forcing a spirit to face their darkness and come to terms with it. Once that was accomplished, the soul had the opportunity to move to a higher plane. If the soul was unable to make peace with itself and permit it to move forward, it descended to a lower hell.

"This was back when Zhernobog was…what did you call him? A 'principled being'?" He sneered bitterly.

"Tosho's purpose was corrupted, as Zhernobog was. He used the blade to exploit," she answered, her tone laced with remorse. "Touketsu, all mortals must face their darkness and spend time in their personal hells before they can move on. Zhernobog…for his own ends…he kept you in yours."

Touketsu was silent for a few moments, his eyes casting downward. His mouth twisted into a bitter smile, and he snorted. He idly wondered if King Yemma would take this into consideration upon his death. Maybe he'd shorten his sentence.

"I wish to conduct a test, Touketsu." He looked back up to her, his expression guarded. "You've shared valuable information. We know that your ki is imbalanced, and we know that Zhernobog targeted your heart to affect your transformation. It stands to reason that your heart has sustained injury, and if so your condition could be the result of a ki blockage."

"A ki blockage?" He deadpanned.

She nodded and stepped towards him. Touketsu successfully resisted the urge to lean back when she brought her palm up to hover over his heart. She looked up at him. "May I?" Frowning, he nodded stiffly. The muscles of his pectoral jumped a little when she placed a hand over his bare skin, directly over his heart. She closed her eyes. They both stood motionless for several moments, then Marenna frowned a little as her hand slowly swept to the center of his chest. As though feeling for something, her hand trailed down and stopped to press against the ridges of his abdomen, just below the ice-jin stone in his sternum.

Uncomfortable under her ministrations, Touketsu cleared his throat, his voice coming out a flat, guarded rumble. "What are you do-"

Her hand drifted below his navel.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" He flinched back, his stomach sucking in as though she'd punched him.

She regarded him patiently. "I'm looking for unnaturally cold or hot spots on the body, specifically in the chakra centers which would indicate energy blockages," she explained. Eyes wide and hunched over defensively, he looked at her as though she'd gone mad. She sighed and stepped up to him. "This," she said as she rested her hand over the tensing muscles of his lower belly, "is the location of your Sacral Chakra." She again laid her hand over the spot beneath his ribcage. "This is the Solar Plexus Chakra, and this," she said, laying her palm over the center of his chest, "Is the Heart Chakra. Now be still."

Realizing he was making his discomfort far too obvious, he obeyed, straightening as she again placed her hand over his lower belly. She bowed her head, focusing. His breath hitched when her other hand came up to rest on his waist. "I'm going to examine your Root Chakra now." He did a double take over his shoulder as she leaned around him.

"My what!? There's nothing wrong with-"

His back went ramrod straight when her fingers pressed just above his reptilian tail, which flicked and began to corkscrew in anxiety before he forced himself to relax. "Hm. Your entire body is quite cold, but noticeably colder at your chakra centers," she observed, drawing back to address his bewildered, reddening face directly. "It is coldest in the region of the Heart Chakra. The heart is most susceptible to Tosho when the lower chakras are already out of balance, so I suspect you harbored pre-existing conditions before your abduction. The Heart Chakra is the bridge between the lower and upper chakras. If it is the source of your ki blockage, energy flow to the upper chakras will likewise be restricted or blocked. I'm going to examine your Throat Chakra next." She met his eyes. "Alright?" She asked carefully.

"O..k."

Her hand slid up his throat. He tilted his head up, his adam's apple bobbing beneath her palm as he stared straight ahead. He clenched his fists at his sides. He wasn't used to this. Only in a fight did anyone ever manage to get their hands around his throat. Her hand then drifted up his face and lay over his forehead, partially covering his eyes. It lingered there as she stepped closer. "The Third Eye," she explained quietly, her words gusting against his chin.

"Umhm," he mumbled uncomfortably through tight lips.

She submerged a small smile before removing her hand. "Lower your head a bit, please." Again he obeyed, tilting his head downward. Her hand moved to the top of his head, and his eyes widened a little when her fingers raked through his hair. She paused, eyes closed briefly. He hazarded a glance up at her, and she opened her eyes to meet his. "The Crown," she explained softly. She held his questioning gaze for a few moments before stepping behind him. He straightened as Marenna's hand briefly parted from his scalp, her arm lifting up over one of his curving horns.

Her fingers ran down through his hair, and he fought the urge to twist around when she stopped behind him. "You are suffering restrictions of energy flow through all seven of your chakra centers. Beginning at the Root, the restrictions become incrementally more severe. It is at the Heart however that the severity of the blockage suddenly jumps. The upper chakras are consequently effected: The flow of energy to the Throat is greatly restricted, next so the Third Eye. The Crown is completely blocked," she assessed as she buried her fingers beneath his hair at the nape of his neck.

He swallowed convulsively when he felt her press up lightly against him. "If we can reopen the Heart Chakra, the restriction of energy to the upper regions will be reopened, and the upper and lower chakras will be unified. I want you to channel the Life Force and try to bring forth your true aura. This time I'll monitor the flow of energy from your heart to your mind." She gripped him gently at the base of his skull, and her left hand slid under his arm to rest over his heart.

"Ah-" his voice cracked a little, and he cleared his throat. "Alright."

"Begin."

He huffed and clenched his hands loosely into fists at his sides as he focused on channeling the Life Force. He was dismayed to find that this simple power up was actually more difficult to perform than channeling the ki into an attack, for he had to sustain it. It was like pushing through a thick fog surrounding his brain, similar to being sick or drugged. His heart began to strain with the effort, much like it did the first time he used the dark energy on command to create a portal to Hell. Finally, a thin corona of his true, blue-white ki enveloped around him. Within seconds it sputtered and flickered out, and he had to reign in a gasp of exhaustion. He controlled his breathing so as not give away how difficult it had been, but he couldn't hide from Marenna how hard his heart was slamming against his chest.

"Hm."

He took a deep, measured breath. "Yes?"

"Their was an increase in the flow of energy, but it was little more than a trickle. It completely disappeared when you stopped channeling," she spoke, her hand still over his heart. "This time, channel your ki into a blast."

He took one more deep breath to gather himself and raised his left arm up at the sky, index and middle fingers pointed outward for a small Gallic blast. Again, it took several moments before the blast charged at his fingertips and the attack was released. It detonated in the sky, clearing away the clouds in a flash of brilliant light that would have been impressive to anyone other than Touketsu. He frowned at the reduced strength in the display. This was not the power he had on Namek, and it felt weaker than it had even a few nights ago. Marenna removed her hand and stepped around to face him.

"As before, the strength of your ki signature increased when you began charging the attack. Right before you released your attack, it actually rebounded to relatively healthy levels. However, once it was released, your ki signature dropped back down to its previous state."

"And this means what, exactly?"

"This confirms that your body is unable to have proper give and take with the Life Force. Doing so should be like breathing: it is done without conscious thought. This is what gives an individual a ki signature. Skilled beings such as yourself can exercise conscious control over the amount of ki that flows through them, channeling greater quantities through their bodies for use in such things as energy attacks. With continued practice, the body becomes capable of holding and circulating more energy which results in a stronger ki signature. In your case, the Life Force can only flow through you if you make a conscious effort to allow it. Due to the ki blockages, your body cannot circulate Life Force autonomically nor can it retain it, hence your low ki signature."

"Alright, So what's your solution? Or do you even have one?"

"Rehabilitation. Your body and spirit must remember how to breathe in the Life Force on its own again. Simply channeling the Life Force is no longer enough. Its flow through you has become so weak that your body fails to even register its influence. You need a stronger and more consistent dose of such energy." She paused for a moment, thinking. "You told me you've absorbed the ki of others to enhance your attacks?"

"Yes," he answered carefully.

"Can you remember how you felt when you absorbed their ki?"

"Tch. I was in the throes of battle. It's not as though as I was examining my feelings at the time," he sneered. His sarcastic expression soon gave way to a thoughtful one, his eyes flicking to the side in contemplation. His recent dream brought a particular memory to the fore. "There was this…one time however," he began reluctantly.

"Yes?"

He huffed and put his hands on his hips. "It was in my last confrontation with Zhernobog. An…ally lent me his energy that I used in an attack against him. In the end I drew the attack back into myself and incinerated Zhernobog where he stood. I was nearly destroyed in the process." He stood silent for a moment, reflecting on the brilliant, pure white energy that had suffused every cell in his body and the blinding aura he had given off. It was different. It felt different. "My energy changed."

"Really?" She asked softly.

Touketsu noted the intrigue in her voice and glanced her way with an arch of his eyebrow. "Perhaps you would now care to share something?"

"Your dark energy is like a void. We know that when you absorb ki, if not released immediately, it is swallowed to become one with your dark ki. The weaker the ki, the more quickly this occurs. It sounds as though your friend-"

"Ally!" He corrected, his eyes flaring. "Temporary ally."

"Ally," she smiled, "lent you such an incredible amount of Life Force that, from the sound of it, the opposite occurred: His ki overtook your dark ki."

Touketsu clenched his fists at his sides and looked away. That sounded similar to what happened when he used Kuroshimo on Goku's Super Saiyan 3 form. Goku's energy dominated his own; Touketsu's body couldn't handle the influx of power and he was nearly killed. He ground out his words with reluctance. "It was Kakarot, your…Goku. A Super Saiyan, level 3." He glanced in her direction. "His energy bested mine?"

"It sounds like that is essentially what happened, yes."

Touketsu growled low in his throat. Fuck you, Kakarot.

Marenna's smiled a little at his sour expression. "This is a very good thing, Touketsu. It means that the Life Force can in fact have greater influence over the Dark Energy."

"Yes, if I'm drawing in the concentrated energy of a Super Saiyan 3 idiot. Not exactly many of those around here." His nose wrinkled. Thankfully. "So what do you suggest?"

"You will produce that energy. Channel the Life Force yourself and release it quickly. Then, draw it back in."

He scoffed. "And just how would that help? You said yourself it isn't strong enough."

"Not presently, no. However the energy you produce is uniquely yours. Your body may recognize it. This is like massaging a heart that has stopped beating. It must be coaxed back to life through stimulation. By engaging in this exercise your body may remember what it is to have give and take with its true energy and thus help clear the blockages in your Chakra centers."

He mulled this over for a moment. "This works and the Life Force will flow through me properly?" She nodded. He crossed his arms with a sigh. He was skeptical, but he didn't have any better ideas. He nodded to her. "Very well."

For the next half hour Touketsu channeled and released his true ki, drawing it back into himself before quickly releasing it again. Over and over he repeated the process, like playing catch with oneself by bouncing a ball against a wall. It was every bit as boring as the training Marenna first prescribed, but increasingly more difficult. At length he stopped. Panting in exhaustion with his hands on his knees, he watched the released energy travel out to detonate into the sky.

"Why did you stop?"

He dropped his head and gave it a single shake in reply, unable to articulate a verbal response as he caught his breath. He could feel the strain on his heart build moments after beginning the training, and he had been enduring it for the last half hour. This was so fucking embarrassing! Channeling the Life Force for attacks was unbelievably difficult now. It actually hurt to have it constantly absorbed and circulated throughout his body, the accrued energy building each time the exercise was repeated. He paid no mind when he felt her move behind him, but his gasping breaths hitched when he felt her fingers trail over his back, her other hand again sliding over his heart.

His mind was suddenly racing when she leaned over him, her mouth less than an inch from his pointed ear. "That feels better," she whispered.

He had been actively willing his body not to react ever since her…examination. He did not fully trust that the long fur below his hips could cover that. He swallowed, straightening. "What does?" He asked tonelessly in a rush of breath.

"Shh. Be still a moment." His heart, which had been slowing down, picked up speed again when she pressed her body full against his back, her hand roaming across his naked chest to stop at its center. A sigh escaped her lips, and she rested her head on his shoulder, much to his surprise. He was opening his mouth to protest when she spoke. "The blockage in your Heart Chakra," she murmured against his skin, her hand sweeping back over to his left pectoral as she straightened. "The channel opened. Only a little, but it opened nonetheless, and the overall strength of your ki signature has increased slightly. Continue to practice this technique, and we may see more improvement."

Clearing his throat, he casually stepped forward out of her embrace and turned to face her. "Fine, I'll give this a chance. I'll incorporate it into my daily training regimen before the tournaments."

"Touketsu," she began haltingly. "This will require serious investment from you if you wish to continue seeing improvement."

His nose twitched. "And I said I will practice…in conjunction with my daily training. I need to stay prepared for Zeygorn's return."

She squared her shoulders and schooled her features as though preparing for a fight. "Touketsu, further use of your dark ki could well reverse the gains you've made. The majority of your time should be devoted to this training, and you can't well do that if you're distracted by the tournaments." His countenance darkened as she continued. "It would be wisest if you stopped attending.-"

"THAT AGAIN?!" he shouted over the end of her sentence. "Not an option. I seem to recall you preaching about how the spirit needs to 'breathe'. I need battle to breathe - to live! Those needs can be ignored for only so long, Marenna," he finished, glaring at her. "We're done here. I'm going to bed," he grumbled as he stepped around her.

She blocked his path, one hand on his chest. "Touketsu, what have I told you?" she asked, her voice slightly raised. "If Zeygorn doesn't kill you, you could risk exposing your past by continuing with the tournaments. If that happens, you may have to leave the palace."

"Yes, I know!" He snapped, stepping away from her touch. "Time after time you've told me this! Why do you care!?" She said nothing, her large, almond shaped blue eyes intense. His hard expression softened, and his brows drew together. Wait. Did…did she really… Unable to ignore the signals anymore, he asked quietly, "Do you want me to stay at the palace?"

She seemed to consider her words before stepping up to him. He stiffened but held his ground when she encircled his hand with hers. "Touketsu," she began earnestly, carefully. "I just want you to know that the option still stands." He held her hypnotic gaze, and his mouth dropped open slightly.

She wanted him.

…It would be easier. Everything would be easier if he could just take another and forget about her. But gazing into Marenna's eyes…still…all he could see was Bulma. He couldn't. He simply couldn't do it. He wasn't ready. His reeling thoughts crashed into each other as he watched the queen bring a hand to the side of his face, his eyes widening marginally. He closed his mouth and swallowed nervously, the muscles of his jaw jumping under her palm when it made contact.

"Think about it." He nodded jerkily, heat blossoming through his face. The corners of Marenna's sapphire lips pulled up in amusement; his blush was all the more prominent against his white skin. She gently stroked his pink cheek with a thumb. "I finally discovered a hot spot," she remarked lightly before her voice dropped to a sultry whisper. "But I don't think that indicates a problem. You are passionate for battle, aren't you, Touketsu? Would you at least permit me to oversee your training before and after the tournaments? It is important I monitor your progress and ensure your rehabilitation is moving along."

"I, uh. Very well," he replied dumbly.

She drew away, smiling fondly. "Good night, Touketsu."

"Good night, milady," he mumbled. She left. He stood in the courtyard by himself, the softly falling snow kissing his bare shoulders with each ephemeral flake.

Touketsu sat leaning forward on the edge of his bed, elbows resting on his knees and his hands hanging loosely between them. He stared into the dancing blue-green flames of the ever-burning fireplace, reflecting on his interactions with the queen. He rubbed his face. Lust for battle, whether in Oozaru form or not, dominated all else for any Saiyan. Next was the drive to eat and fuel the body for combat. Lastly, sex. The queen was beautiful, and unlike Bulma, she actually wanted him. Hell, she wanted to make him her king.

"Let it go."

And here he had thought Marenna was just pulling all the stops to keep him out of the tournament. He had been inches away from taking that drink, but thoughts of Bulma, just as they had a short while ago, stopped him. "Why can't I let her go?" He murmured to himself. The queen could provide a good distraction from the life he left. So why did he feel so conflicted when she was close to him, when she touched him like that? Granted he had never felt entirely at ease with…intimacy. He was far too uptight in nature to simply let his guard down like that. But there was something more, something foreign in this situation. It felt almost like self-mutilation.

He frowned, perplexed. He was part Oozaru now. Where was that animal drive for sex that overrode all hangups and logic? Were it not for what he now realized was his conscience, he would have taken an unwilling Bulma that very night at the Lookout, so powerful was the need to have her. Why was he not gripped by that same carnal desire for the queen? Had his animal lust been tempered after regaining his memories as Vegeta? He sighed. Maybe he just needed more time to get over everything. It couldn't have been anything more than that. After all, he and the human woman had shared over a decade's worth of history together, even if he couldn't remember it. There must have been a pervasive bond that-

His thoughts screeched to a halt, his forehead breaking out into a sweat as he straightened. He ran a nervous hand through his hair. They hadn't…it wasn't possible…

No, it couldn't be. It's not The Bond.

When he was approaching puberty, it was Nappa and Raditz that shared with him their knowledge of the Saiyan phenomenon in their own off-handed way, Nappa noting how only 'pussies' fell to it. The Bond was essentially a pact between Saiyans, forged through mating and done so unconsciously. A powerful psychic connection, it made two one, linking them mentally, physically, and spiritually and mating them for life; Soul Mates. The bond didn't occur often. The Saiyans, being a race that prized strength, viewed emotional attachment as hampering. Guarded as they were, it rarely occurred. The Bond had certainly sounded like a raw deal to a young Saiyan prince at the time. It sounded like power compromised.

It was an extremely rare occurrence among Saiyans, he thought. It would be IMPOSSIBLE with a non-Saiyan. There's no way. Ok, so he, the Saiyan prince, had apparently fallen to emotional attachment. But that's all it was. It was strong, yes, subconscious and forged through forgotten experiences, but emotions were always fleeting. He took a deep breath and nodded to himself. It was a damn good thing he was an Elite and Bulma was human. Being Bonded to someone that was no longer a part of his life was a hell he didn't want to imagine.

He lay down on his back and draped a heavy arm over his eyes. He knew it would be a while, but in time the ache for the family and life he left behind would dull. These strange, recurring dreams were just a symptom of the process. He didn't know what that part with the baby had been about - probably just some mixed up junk from that gold eyed woman and her infant. Sleep soon claimed him, and this time, mercifully, his exhaustion kept the dreams at bay.

For the dream sequence I pulled up the English dub of Super where Vegeta is holding Bra for the first time, and I wrote the dialogue word for word. I researched the principles behind the chakra centers as much as I could online. Not all of the information out there is cohesive (because Internet), but I made slight adaptations for the purposes of the story anyway.