Chapter 20
Taking every individual step as a minor accomplishment, a milestone towards liberating herself from her authoritarian father, Ayeka gradually walks hand in hand with Vegeta down the stairs. His grip is firm and unrelenting, hers clammy and with the slightest of tremors running through it. Chewing nervously at the nail of her thumb, Ayeka's big, round eyes go from the steps in front of her feet to the face of the stoic prince. Having managed to persuade her to take a final stand against Azusa, Vegeta is not giving her any leeway in this hold. If her nerve breaks and she tries to flee from something inescapable for a third time then he will be there to prevent her retreat. Even if he has to drag her out kicking and screaming, he will make her do what must be done and say what should have been said a long time ago.
The fair Juraian princess' progress falters and halts as feline eyes lock on to her from across the room. Sitting up and with her cabbit familiar perched on her shoulder, Ryoko looks displeased by their holding of hands but her wry smile soon returns upon remembering the promise made to her. Confidently, she walks up to the Saiyan and Juraian and takes hold of Vegeta's other arm. Ryoko smiles at Vegeta as she snuggles up close to him. With her shoulders hunched and head bowed, Ayeka tries to ignore this woman trying and succeeding in making her life a living hell and to summon up the courage to continue out of Vegeta's house. Sniggering away like a naughty child, Ryoko makes a sad, sullen face at Ayeka in mockery of her depression.
"Aw boohoo, is little non-princess Ayeka still all upset and sad that daddy doesn't approve of Vegeta? The private, alone time with Vegeta in your room not help at all? Oh, so sad it didn't work out for you. I guess parents aren't all they're cracked up to be. I mean, me and Vegeta didn't have any family and we turned out fine. Ha-ha, you were crying even more than you did yesterday, maybe I -"
"Ryoko, hush. Don't go there. For now, silence." Vegeta's stern expression turns to face her, his words putting a lid on her verbal attack on Ayeka. He stares her down as Ryoko pouts. The jitters he feels coming from Ayeka die down but he can still sense great tension in her body. If Ryoko pushes too far then Ayeka will snap, and snap hard. But Ryoko couldn't care less about what happens to Ayeka or her fragile mental state, only that her family problems are holding all of Vegeta's attention and turning the spotlight far away from her and leaving her in the darkness.
"But Vegeta, it's my time now. Just let Ayeka sod off home or send those losers packing, I don't care. But you promised me, Vegeta. You promised me!" Ryoko's arms tighten their embrace around Vegeta's biceps. The Saiyan prince slowly shakes his head side to side before facing the space pirate latched onto him. As he goes to address Ryoko, Ayeka's brows furrow in confusion and her head rises slightly. Perplexed by what this promise Vegeta made to the brash and brazen rogue is, Ayeka listens intently.
"The prerequisites for that promise have not yet come to pass. Soon, but not now. Just hold your tongue and don't do anything stupid and I will uphold my end of this bargain." Vegeta states coolly and calmly. As Ryoko's face turns to a grumpy scowl, Vegeta checks on the princess. Putting one booted foot in front of the other, he tries to get moving again, they aren't getting anywhere just standing around like a bunch of lemons. Neither woman takes a step with him. Hushed voices drift from the kitchen of Sasami and Misaki to disturb the silence of the household. Grumbling to herself, the space pirate Ryoko steps up beside Vegeta and tugs on his arm.
"Come off it Vegeta, leave that mopey princess to deal with these things on her own. If she ain't tough enough to handle this little domestic on her own then who needs her? The weak will only drag you down and get you killed, isn't that right, Vegey?"
Vegeta lets out a slow and deep chuckle. Around 10 years ago he would have agreed to that without any doubt in his mind, but it is not 10 years ago. She has so much to learn about life and living for more than just herself, exactly like he did all that time ago when Bulma invited him to stay whilst he awaited for Goku's return. Ryoko continues to pull on his arm to drag him away from Ayeka but no force she could muster could move him even in this fatigued state, if only she had eavesdropped on what he told Ayeka then maybe she wouldn't be behaving like this.
His face turns to hers as Ryoko begins to smile hopefully at him. The smirk on Vegeta's face though is not one that holds any warmth in it, he is not smiling with Ryoko but at her. Vegeta pulls his arm from her grasp, Ryoko's smile falls and drops from her face.
"The weak, huh. Let me ask you something Ryoko, is being weak so objective like you say? The answer is no, it is not. Strength is subjective, one minute you can be the strongest being alive and the next nothing. From my standpoint everyone without Saiyan blood is a weakling, including you." Vegeta's voice is calm and pensive. He turns his body to face the woman he is addressing but retains his hold on Ayeka. Ryoko takes a few steps back, Ryo-ohki meows and looks up at her master's face. "Do you stand by your words now? Should I discard all except my son and my sworn enemy? I could make you get on your hands and knees and beg for your life and forgiveness exactly like you did with Lady Ayeka here, yet I choose not to. Don't try and make me revert backwards and undo all Bulma did for me. Life is not so black and white as I believed it was back in the day, my life now is just a mishmash of mediocre greys."
Vegeta has said his piece on this matter and shut Ryoko up for the moment as she recoils from his threat. She doesn't see any call for him treating her like this and that is something Vegeta wants to try and rectify, if she cannot see what behaviour is and is not acceptable she will have to be taught accordingly. Annoying a tired man will always have its repercussions as Ryoko now knows. The slightest amount of pressure comes into Ayeka's hold of his hand, she delicately places one of her hands on his shoulder and he looks at the princess.
"L-lord Vegeta, I will pay you handsomely if you do what you just suggested. Please, for me?" Her eyes beseech him at the same time her voice implores for him to do this for her. Ayeka has not forgiven Ryoko one bit after her fight and she has no intention of doing so. If it will silence the pirate and stop her causing more mayhem and damage then Ayeka is all for it. Her hatred of Ryoko is clear to see, as is Ryoko's of Ayeka, but although this is sure to make the princess feel better it is certainly not a route Vegeta will take. He will not solve a situation through torture just to make Ayeka momentarily forget her woes … he might not be able to stop himself if he starts down that dark path again. Ryoko starts to feel uneasy during Vegeta's silence as he doesn't verbally deny Ayeka's request, he feels he doesn't need to say it as it is so obvious but Ryoko uses this moment to turn the tables back on the hurting princess.
"Why, Ayeka, is that the kind of thing you like? That's Juraians in a nutshell I tell ya. But my Vegeta would never do such a thing to me, unless that is … I suppose I'd have to wait till your mating season begins to find out if you're into any of that kinky stuff, right Vegey?" At this Ayeka's eyes lock on to Ryoko's, the space-pirate once again takes hold of one of Vegeta's arms and presses herself up close to him. There is great mischief in those golden eyes of Ryoko's as Vegeta sighs to himself. He wishes they wouldn't do things like this because of him. The hand on Vegeta's shoulder retracts to Ayeka's chest, confusion fills her dark pink eyes.
" 'Mating Season'? Lord Vegeta, what does she mean by this? I haven't heard this term before, please explain."
"I suppose miss goody two shoes is just all too innocent to know 'bout some of the facts of life. Well, not too innocent 'cos that cloud certainly didn't seem to think so, hehe. Let's just say Ayeka that one day Vegeta here will not be able to hold himself back from me anymore. He won't be able to resist my superior feminine charm which you clearly lack and will act like a ravenous beast consumed by lust at the mere sight of me. … You can guess the rest." Ryoko giggles to herself as images of a certain kind fill her head, her hands go to cover her blushing cheeks. Nonplussed by this discussion, Vegeta lets out a lengthy exhale. He doesn't want to go there, not now of all times, and he certainly does not want to know what filth Ryoko is fantasising about. When thoroughly exhausted, Vegeta is not too keen on a very private time in his life being so openly talked about and revealed. Neither is Ayeka apparently. Her grip tightens on the front of her dress, her lips turn into a snarl and the fires light in her eyes. The Saiyan prince is all for bringing the Juraian's fighting spirit out again but not for it being directed in such a non-constructive way.
"What?! You are just making this up Ryoko, I don't believe you! These things your filthy mind fantasises about will only occur if Lord Vegeta suffers a horrendous and crippling injury to his brain." Knuckles turn white as Ayeka's hold on Vegeta's hand strengthens. Ryoko merely continues to grin cheekily at the angered royal. One of the space vixen's fingers starts tracing paths along the warrior's strong and sturdy chest, taunting and insulting Ayeka is so easy now that she knows for sure that she is of no threat to her if things start to get physical like they did yesterday. There is but one good thing that Vegeta has gotten out of this little discussion so far, he has heard no aggravated shouts or threats arising from outside his dwelling so his nemesis has at least played his part better than expected of him.
"Not at all princess. You see, he won't be using his brain much at all when the time comes. I don't see why you continually accuse me of lying, maybe you just can't handle reality. Just ask Vegeta, he'll tell you. Won't you, Vegey?" Purring like a very pleased cat as she talks, Ryoko slyly winks at Vegeta. Ayeka continues to stifle a growl towards Ryoko as the trembles in her body change from ones of fear and trepidation to fury and anger. Acting silently, Vegeta sends a message to Ryoko telepathically to drop this now or her time with him will be very short indeed. Huffing in disappointment, Ryoko concedes to him and detaches herself from his side to go and fly off outside and back on the roof. Ayeka's mood noticeably improves the moment that Ryoko disappears out of sight, yet she does not smile.
Looking worried and perturbed by something on her mind, she nervously leans in close to Vegeta and whispers to him that she still doesn't understand what Ryoko was talking about. Noticeably cringing at the thought of trying to politely explain this biological secret of Saiyans, Vegeta rubs at his tired eyes then absently scratches at the protruding stump of his amputated tail. This secondary dark side of Saiyans he is loath to discuss. He much prefers the Oozaru transformation for at least then he is still in full control of his mind and body, the last Saiyan able to do so.
"Lady Ayeka, there is truth to what Ryoko says. Some time in the near future I will not be myself for a couple of days but let us not worry about that now. I always take full precautions around that time and leave the planet. … If you really must know more I will tell you later, and quite possibly Trunks while I'm at it." The thought of having to go through that particular conversation with his son concerning the birds and the bees and his Saiyan blood is a repugnant thing, honestly he will wait until a few more winters have passed and his son begins his journey into manhood before attempting it. Talking to either women about it on the other hand is still an unsavoury task, but one he shall have to do before the day ends. A quiet 'oh' escapes from Ayeka.
Before her mind starts troubling itself too much on the implications of this fact, Vegeta squeezes her hand as gently as he possibly can and advances towards the door. Ayeka has to hurry slightly to keep up with his pace. Her feet begin to turn leaden when they reach the exit, the mere thought of what awaits her on the other side rooting her to the spot. The door is opened before her by the Saiyan prince. He lets go of her hand and steps forth into the sunlight. Ayeka stands still, her nervous trembles reappearing in greater magnitude.
By the shore of the lake two men stand: Goku and Azusa. Their voices start off at a conversational level but soon they escalate, hands begin motioning in junction with their words. Yamcha looks up from what he was doing and chuckles to himself before setting back to his self appointed task of checking on the injured Juraians littering the floor. Trying to hide herself in the shadows of the building she has still not left, Ayeka cowers from her father's tone. One hand grabs onto the side of her dress and another hand places itself on her shoulder. Looking around, Ayeka sees her mother and sister standing beside her, both smiling at her warmly. She smiles back half-heartedly before facing Vegeta again. His eyes though do not wander from the Saiyan at the water's edge.
"No, no, no, you fool! You've got it all completely wrong. How do you hope to catch anything if you don't bait the surrounding water to draw them in first? You're not even holding it properly, are you complete dimwit?"
"I've caught plenty like this so it must work. Maybe your technique's just better for Jurai."
"It's better, end of. I've fished on dozens of planets and never before have I seen an angler of such appaling quality, you don't even begin to understand the greater finesse and art to this sport."
"I just do it for the fun of it. I don't really care if I make a few mistakes, they all taste just as good when Chichi cooks them."
Azusa and Goku continue their debate into this shared hobby of theirs with a cast fishing pole resting between them. Off by the edge of the forest, Washu and Funaho start wrapping up their dialogue concerning Washu's progress and her estimations concerning the finalised product. The Juraian empress nods thoughtfully at the information she is receiving and makes several mental notes before her eyes go to the open door of the house to look at her half-daughter. Motioning to Washu, the two intelligent women begin their walk back from the side-lines. Funaho drops her voice as she approaches where her family are to inquire to Washu about her thoughts on the Saiyan prince; Washu merely groans and waves her hand dismissively as her small feet crush the unkempt lawn.
Small, encouraging nudges are offered by Sasami to Ayeka as she tries to get her to go outside, but Ayeka does not budge. Misaki pats her youngest on the back and escorts her past the doorway, separating the sisters as Sasami looks back at Ayeka. Nervously chewing on her robe's sleeve, Ayeka shuffles her feet about, edging her way slowly but surely to the threshold. With her arm reaching out from the darkness and into the light of day, she tries to join hands with the prince again. She cannot reach him from her current position. A chasm of several inches still separates them, she will have to take one more step. One single step is all that is required. Before she can consider taking that leap of confidence, Vegeta is off and on the move towards his nemesis.
"You truly are a complete idiot, Kakarot. First, that method of using a rod is highly inefficient when it would be child's play to catch the fish with our bare hands. Second, there aren't any fish in my lake. Not anymore, so beat it clown." Vegeta strides up across the downtrodden grass to the taller men. Azusa fixes the Saiyan with a freezing glance as anger begins to rage within his eyes, in the time that Vegeta spent inside, Azusa has donned his cloak that he strew on the floor immediately after departing Kirito.
"I didn't know you fished, Vegeta." Always his cheery self, Goku welcomes back the only other of his species. He gets no return greeting from Vegeta. The Saiyan prince isn't going to say that the lack of fish is due to his early morning massacre of them brought on by boredom, he is sure Azusa would not take kindly to news he kills stuff to pass the time.
"I don't and I will hit you Kakarot if you don't shut up right this second." Goku picks up his rod and backs away from Vegeta and that threat, it's probably for the best if he tries to avoid angering the irascible prince. The low class Saiyan reels in his line and places the fishing pole down on the nimbus cloud as he moves to a safe distance. Azusa crosses his arms across his chest and stares down at the Saiyan before him, his eyes flickering to his wife and daughters stood in the doorway of the Saiyan's house.
"I have nothing more to say to you Saiyan and no wish to speak with you, except to say that I pray Tsunami smites you down soon for all the evils you have done." Cleansing the garden of life of the last remaining roots of the Saiyan weed would bring Azusa much satisfaction yet he knows he is not capable of doing so himself. He was never a very religious man, as emperor he had to of course follow the ways of the single religion of Jurai devoutly or else face unpopularity with the masses, but he would offer up his soul to Tsunami to see the Saiyans erased from life altogether. Knowing they still cling on to existence will force him to rethink his stance on the idea of diminishing a third of his navy which has been circulating since the war ended, a move that will degrade his standing with the populace for sure. Vegeta is accustomed to death threats, he lived with them constantly as a child and adolescent, so he just grins in a sardonic fashion at the prideful emperor.
"I'd like to see that also, it'd be fun to find out what a god or goddess is truly capable of. Maybe then I would find a fighter other than Kakarot worthy of my time, but alas I highly doubt your deity is going to strike me down where I stand. I just come to say this: you made both of your daughters and your wife flood my house with tears, yet did you see my son crying? Tell me, what do you think that might say about who is the better father here?" Smirking up at Azusa, Vegeta watches the insult work its magic as veins pop on the Juraian's forehead. Through clenched teeth, the emperor keeps himself from rising to the bait until he stops and his eyes dart about the landscape. Something has puzzled and worried him at the same time.
"You have a son? Where is this menace?" Azusa's voice is low and gruff as he continues to survey his surroundings, wary of another murderer being out there unseen by him. Chuckling in amusement at the slight hint of fear shown, Vegeta answers the question troubling the Juraian emperor.
"Yes I do, lavender haired child that was here earlier, you might have seen him flying towards that hunk of wood in the sky. Right now he is on-board your spaceship and exploring it with Kakarot's brat." Right on cue as soon as Vegeta ends stating the facts, Azusa's face gasps in alarm as he looks skywards at his beloved flagship. His serious eyes scan its hull for any signs of damage or forced entry as another low laugh escapes from the Saiyan prince.
"WHAT?! A filthy Saiyan is trespassing aboard my Kirito? How dare -"
"Talk to my son about his actions, not me. He is old enough now to make his own decisions in life and face the consequence of what he chooses to do … as is Lady Ayeka." The shouting of the riled up father stops at the mention of his daughter, the one he disowned. Silently, Azusa turns back around to face Vegeta, both stand there without uttering a single word. The form of Vegeta vanishes momentarily, reappearing back in the entranceway to his home. He tells Ayeka that it is time for her to have her say, and with that he steps aside and awaits for her to do this herself. The dark and disapproving eyes of Azusa bore into Ayeka, but they don't linger for long before going back to the Saiyan prince.
Amidst this growing animosity between royal houses, Yamcha continues to check the pulses and breathing of the wounded and staunches and bandages the worst of their haemorrhaging wounds. As he is carefully slotting a dislocated shoulder back into its rightful position he hears a loud clatter of metallic objects along with a girlish scream. Turning around in alarm, Yamcha sees a mess of guns and rifles now scattered amongst the downed Juraians and one police officer moaning in dismay as she picks herself back up. Quickly she begins to hurry and pick up all of the weapons she inadvertently dropped when she tripped over one of the prone bodyguards. Yamcha grabs one of the firearms that landed near him and walks over towards this clumsy female.
The police woman's skin is a dark and bronzed hue and locks of wavy blonde hair have spilled out of her askew hat - a hat adorned with a fluffy white bobble unlike the rest of the assorted law enforcers. At the sound of footsteps nearing her position she turns to look at the tall, muscle-bound man walking towards her with her widening, angelic blue eyes. Like a frightened rabbit caught in the headlights she freezes, scared by this stranger approaching her with a gun. The police woman still on her knees wails as she closes her eyes and draws one of the pistols still close at hand on the man stood before her. Her fingers pull on the trigger but all the firearm does is make a high pitched beeping sound, the gun is out of charge and cannot fire. She begins to babble uncontrollably and beg for him not to hurt her as her lips tremble and moisture forms in her eyes.
"Hey, no need for that babe. I ain't here to hurt ya, just thought you could use a little help. C'mon, what kind of guy would hurt a pretty girl like you?" Turning the gun he is carrying around so he holds it by the barrel, he offers the large rifle to the police woman. Nervously, she opens her eyes and takes the gun from him and quietly nods for him to help her. Yamcha smiles at her as she stands back up and begins collecting the police property that was stolen from them by Vegeta and he picks up the remainder with ease. Shifting all the weapons into a precarious balance in one hand, Yamcha catches the unobservant police woman from falling over again and follows her lead back to the rest of the gathered members of the galaxy police. Dropping off the many guns in a heap, Yamcha heads back towards Washu as the clumsy police woman heads through the ranks to her teal haired partner.
Back over by Vegeta's house, Ayeka still stands motionless and petrified of her father. Her dry lips crack open into the slimmest of slivers as she tries to form words but still no sound leaves her throat. Eyes staring at the ground and fiddling with her fingers, the confidence she built up when with Vegeta continues to continually ebb out of her unlike the pain in her heart that is still growing from the Saiyan's fateful words. Vegeta turned her down, he rejected her love for him and nothing he says or does will lessen that emotional blow to her. It aches inside, her chest hurting nearly as much as it did when she grieved over his temporary passing. She can't concentrate on both this and her father, just one of those things is too much for her to bear … she just can't do it. The thought of fleeing gets more and more tempting to her by the second, she wants the pain to stop and for it all to just go away and the easiest way for that to happen is for her to make herself go away.
Vegeta clears his throat nosily at the first sound of Ayeka's shoes moving backwards instead of forwards, reminding her that retreat is not an option that Saiyans are want to ever consider. She hears him and stops moving deeper into the house, though the sound of his voice claws at her insides mercilessly. He doesn't love her back, she knows that. Vegeta is a man who rarely shows his deepest thoughts and emotions but from his words she knows, her feelings are not reciprocated. However, he still kissed her, that single memory of the fleetest of actions continues to throw her mind for a loop. Ayeka can't decide whether it is a ray of hope glinting at the end of this long and dark tunnel or a ki blast waiting to be fired her way. If not for Vegeta, Ayeka asks herself, what reason does she have to stay on Earth and disobey her father. If he doesn't love her back and has admitted he will not for however long it will take him to get over his wife, why should she spend her time here instead of back on Jurai?
The simple fact of the matter is, no matter how much it hurts or how great the pain intensifies, she cannot bring herself to give up on a future here with him. Time is what he needs and that is something she is willing to give. There is one other thing preying on her mind over the issue of Vegeta, if Ayeka did resign herself over to her father and returned home to the palaces of Jurai then she is sure that the worst possible thing she can think of would come to pass. In her absence, Ryoko would swoop in and steal the heart of Vegeta and she would be left with nothing. She will not yield herself to such a future coming to pass, she would rather go through the pain and humiliation of yesterday's fight ten times over than ever concede the Saiyan prince over to the grimy paws of Ryoko. That grim determination is what she was lacking before, now she has it she will not let it go to waste.
"F-f-f-fa-father, I will not go with you to Jurai. I r-re-refuse. M-my place is here, on Earth, for the time being." Ayeka's tentative words begin to take on volume as her left foot leaves the safety of the building and sets down on the minimalist paving by the front door. Her right foot, however, remains. From her mother she gets a thumbs up and warm smile, Sasami replicates what her mother does albeit not fully understanding the full ramifications of what is occurring around her. The shaking of Ayeka's hands intensifies dramatically when her father's gaze slowly turns back on her. Azusa shakes his head in great disapproval.
"Ayeka … you don't know what you are saying. You are not the one who gets to make the decisions, if you keep up this childish stupidity then I shall continue to treat you like the impetuous youth that you are. Snap out of this madness or I will make you." Azusa says in a dead serious tone, not a smidgen of warmth or affection to be heard within his words. Purple hair billows in the wind as the emperor's long hair and beard get blown about by an unseen gale, a wake forms across the entire length of the lake behind where the emperor is stood. Vegeta smirks, one fist outstretched and pointing at the shocked ruler. The Saiyan will not tolerate any threats unless they come from his own tongue, Azusa would do well to remember that.
An unintentional boost for the princess comes from the roof where someone casually surveys the scene, a little chuckle from Ryoko brought with a slight breeze. The shaking of Ayeka's hands instantly stops as they curl into fists, knuckles whiten on her already pale skin. Hearing that voice, the voice of the space pirate who scarred and branded her like an animal, distils all the other rampant emotions circulating inside her being into one pure and refined solution of hatred. Her fear is forgotten in an instant, gone to the winds as her eyes narrow on her father still recovering from the suddenness of the shockwave that severely irritated the pressure within one of his ears.
"I am not a child! Even m-mother has come to realise that fact you blind yourself from. I am of age now and this is my life and I have decided that I want nothing to do with the arranged marriage to brother Yosho. I-if need be I will abstain from the throne!" With every word she says, some of the determination and courage she has diffuses out at the same time. She has enough reserves though in her now to get the job done, for if she pauses or hesitates now then it is game over for her. She will not let herself be controlled by her father ever again or used for political purposes against her will, she is a citizen of Jurai and has the basic right to a life free from oppression. Azusa, on the other hand, is under the understandable impression that the fate of this argument will dictate whether his daughter will live or perish at the hands of a foul ape.
"Don't be ridiculous Ayeka, for one you cannot abstain from something that is no longer your right to have. Unless you stop this stupidity then I will not acknowledge you as my daughter or princess to the Juraian throne. Honestly, how long do you think you will survive here? That is not a man, that is a demon! You cannot comprehend what he has done. Ayeka, do you know how many innocent people -"
"No! Shut up! It is you who doesn't understand, Vegeta is a hundred times the man you will ever be!" Ayeka shouts at the top of her lungs, her breathing is fast and hard and her eyes have taken on a fraction of that menacing glance that her mother has perfected over so many years. She might not be acting in what is deemed the proper ladylike fashion but she does not damn well care at this point, etiquette will do her no good now. Being nice will only get you so far in life before you have to bare your teeth and show you have some bite. Sasami does not like all this shouting though, in her innocence she does not see why these problems can't be sorted out in a more peaceful and less aggressive manner. Seeing this slight distress in her youngest, Misaki quietly comforts her daughter so as not to disturb this brave stand her other daughter is making. She might not truly know about the man Vegeta but from what she has seen from him she knows that her daughter will be in safe hands here, he has the blessings of Tsunami upon him and so the crimes Azusa keeps bringing up are of no consequence.
"… Ayeka … being a murderer does not make someone a man, it makes you something lesser. You're lucky this scumbag has lost his tail or else you'd see the true horror that answers to the name of Saiyan." Azusa has seen Oozaru, he has seen what they can do and the devastation left behind on the planets they visited. He will never forget those sights for as long as he lives. His people suffered at the hands of the savages that came from Planet Vegeta and most of that can be chalked down to the father and son of the same name. One of the first things he noticed about this Saiyan keeping his daughters was the lack of the bestial appendage they use to fuel their transformations, for that he thanks Tsunami in her wisdom. Scowling at the emperor, Vegeta snarls at the mention of his amputation. He is the only Saiyan or half Saiyan present who did not voluntarily yield their tail but had it sliced off by a katana on his first visit to Earth.
In the brief interlude offered as Ayeka forms her counterargument under seething breaths, Azusa's brain makes a startling connection. It is a horrifying thought, but the subject matter he was just talking about could also apply to one other individual here. The woman that Vegeta was seen with, Ryoko the pirate, had a prehensile tail just like Saiyans do … and Vegeta did mention something earlier about having a child. The emperor puts two and two together to come to conclusion that they are a mated pair, spawning more of their dying race on this cursed planet; even more of a reason to try and put an end to this once and for all.
" This 'scumbag' as you so quickly call him is the reason Jurai still exists! Lord Vegeta is the reason why Frieza and the Planet Trade Organisation fell! Not you or our army, but this one man and his few comrades."
A stunned silence falls across the lakeside after Ayeka finishes vehemently shouting. Both her feet are outside of the house now. This was something Ayeka realised some time after learning of Vegeta's past, his actions were the reason why the Earthlings and Goku went to Namek and why they survived long enough on there for the tyrannical ruler to be forcefully deposed. For over a decade, people of Jurai wondered what suddenly happened to the Cold Empire and how the war abruptly came to a stop. The populace of the Juraian empire thought it was their victory won by their hard working and brave soldiers, the government saw no reason to dissuade such thinking as propaganda quickly began to circulate. Azusa knew that was never the case, one of his wives is the head of intelligence so nothing gets past him but the truth always eluded them to that mystery.
"Lies. He did the bidding of his wretched master like a rabid hound. Do you believe every tall tale he tells you from that stinking maw of death?" Azusa will not accept this answer. Vegeta had nothing to gain from the slaying of his boss and he cannot think of a motive, Frieza supplied him with missions that allowed him to reap death over the galaxy which Vegeta relished. The man is a monster and cannot have done such a great, heroic deed that in doing so has allowed trillions of lives to be lived safely.
"No. This is the truth. Ask Kakarot or Goku if you will and he will tell you that I am speaking the truth. Even Miss Washu has seen the evidence and agrees with it. Without Vegeta, there would be no Jurai! There would be no Juraians, no trees, no empire and no Juraian royal family. The entire universe might not even exist if this brave man did not risk everything to protect it! We all owe him our lives, even you, father! Without him we would all be dead!"
"I wouldn't go that far, Lady Ayeka. If you want to go around placing honour on someone for those deeds then it should go to Kakarot. He earned it by doing things I could not at the time. He defeated Frieza, destroyed Buu and sired the one who killed Cell … not me. I will take credit only for what I have done, that last battle in particular." Vegeta steps in, his own pride not able to accept the things Ayeka says. He cannot take credit for all those moments he was inferior to Goku, when his strength failed him and he was reduced to being a mere spectator of events or a corpse. With pride comes also shame, Vegeta cannot have one without allowing the other into his life.
His steely eyes meet those of Azusa's as Ayeka falls quiet. Flexing his ungloved fingers, Vegeta moves his hands over the left hand side of his chest and rips a great hole in the battered fabric of his clothes. The circle encompassing part of his pectoral muscle that is visible for all to see is the entry wound of the death beam with which Frieza killed him. Minimally turning his head, Vegeta nods at Goku who nods back.
"This, among many others, was what I got when fighting Frieza and yes the blast did pierce me entirely. Don't kid yourself Azusa, I wanted Frieza dead more than you ever could. I risked my life to stop him, did you? Did you have to bow before him day after day after day, grovel and beg for forgiveness at the most trivial of mistakes, be subject to regular punishments and beatings from Zarbon and Dodoria … or watch your entire planet get destroyed before your eyes as your young and childish mind struggles to comprehend? You think you had it bad, but you lived the comfortable life on your side of the war not knowing on our side we had as much love for Frieza as did you. The only payment we ever got was being allowed to see the next sunrise, we fought out of fear of being slaughtered like the countless others before us. All my species died and perished because of him, because he feared us. Never did he do the same for any other race, not even Juraians with their superior and powerful fleet. Saiyans were the threat to him, Saiyans were the ones who paid with their blood and Saiyans were the ones to scatter his and his father's ashes on this very planet, not you." Walking casually towards Azusa as he talks, wisps of gold circle around Vegeta's body. The ghostly lights of purest white and bronze grow in number as the skin of the Saiyan prince begins to luminesce with energy. In a brief flash of light, a super Saiyan stands before the Juraian emperor.
"We are no longer the same Saiyans as you recall. Through the hardships we faced and the trials our bodies went through, we ascended beyond all others into the realms of legend. Every living being with Saiyan blood running through their veins now is capable of becoming a super Saiyan, the very thing that brought fear to the invincible Lord Frieza and troubled his dreams at night." Arrogance begins to seep into Vegeta, a mental change that overcomes all when in this transformed state as the immense power at their disposal warps their perceptions. Vegeta suffered greatly at the hands of this mental alteration during the time the future counterpart of his son was about, it is a hard thing for him to counteract. With his augmented arrogance and pride, he continues to push his superiority over Azusa and humble this man he feels needs to be brought down a few rungs. For him, power speaks so Azusa better be prepared to listen as Vegeta smugly continues on, chuckling in amusement. "Tell me, how close did any of your men – no, let's make it more realistic - how close did any of your ships come to putting a scratch on Frieza? Jurai never saw his true and terrible power. You didn't even know he could transform, did you? Hey, Washu! Tell him the power levels, I want to see his reaction as reality hits him and the truth of the matter gets through his thick skull."
Clearly surprised by this glowing man stood before him, Azusa hurriedly steps back all the while feeling the utmost chagrin at the Saiyan's words. Never before has he heard of super Saiyans or the like, so he is sensibly wary of the fiery aura radiating off this man. Vegeta might not exactly be himself when in this state but even through the fatigue and Goku's presence he can easily now subdue his violent urges, he finds it much more amusing to whittle this opponent down with words.
" I'm not your servant, Blondie." Washu's annoyance at being treated like a slave to do the Saiyan's will is something that will never abate. Although she knows better than to directly argue against this warrior who has threatened her life on several occasions, she never ceases to rise to the bait. Her own pride and ego causing her to be unable to let things like this drop. Vegeta clears his throat, he is stood inches behind Washu. The scientist feels an icy shiver of dread rattle its way down her spine, she decides to do as she is told. "… But, I'll do it anyway because I'm such a kind and generous person. Umm, well as you correctly stated Juraians only ever witnessed Frieza in his base form, so at a maximum that's around 530,000, give or take. Frieza's maximum though was, as far as I can tell, in the region of 120,000,000. So hazarding a rough guess, 0.4417% of his power is what kept Jurai and every other force at bay, 'cept you Saiyans. My readings for his mechanical form are largely inaccurate so we can skip those and I'm not going to start trying to estimate your peak, Vegeta. I'll just tell you this Azusa, at their maximum either of these Saiyans could sneeze and end up totally obliterating Frieza, his family and whatever else is unlucky enough to be in that galactic sector… so don't piss Vegeta off too much."
Walking back out from behind Washu and Yamcha, Vegeta descends down to his dark haired state and stands next to his arch-rival. A sardonic smile is lighting up Vegeta's face as he observes Azusa's mind try and wrap itself around such incomprehensible power, a power he was locked in war with for years. Thickset hands stroke at the long, violet hairs on his chin in ponderment. In a hushed voice, Sasami asks her mother what all the big and confusing numbers mean, Misaki says she is too young to understand such grown up matters. A clink of glass on slate resounds out as Ryoko rests a bottle of sake down next to her on the tiles of the roof, she stretches out and yawns in boredom as she takes a few sips of her favourite drink.
" … I see. Less than one percent though? It would have take everything from the whole fleet then to pose the slightest threat of damage to him then. But Saiyan power is not what is in question here. You being stronger than the entire Cold family changes naught. Until I see the evidence, I strongly doubt your intentional involvement in liberating the North Quadrant of the galaxy. But surely you, Washu, of all people understand my stance on Saiyans. You lost everything because of them and yet you still live here with the crème de la crème of murderers, why?"
"Saiyans did exterminate my people but he was not one of them. Vegeta wasn't even born then so my genius mind will not hold him to blame for that, he wouldn't care in the slightest anyway about the racial guilt. However, the Tuffles might have fared better if Jurai wasn't so neutral concerning planets that weren't annexed into your empire. Azusa, you are far more to blame for what happened over that decade than Vegeta can ever be and you know it." Washu's emerald eyes freeze over with a bitter coldness. She might work for him, obey his orders and be good friends with his wives but that does not mean she can't harbour a seed of resentment to the emperor who abandoned the Tuffles to their own fate. The Saiyans had no means of defending themselves from an orbital bombardment that the Juraian ships could deliver, a blitzkrieg bombing could have saved her friends and fellow scholars. It didn't help that the Arcosians had sabotaged their own shipyards and fuel harvesters so badly that most of the science academy had to be drafted in as engineers, engineers they didn't have the manpower to protect when the Saiyans struck … then they found out Oozarus can easily shoot a spaceship out of the air whilst withstanding their missiles.
"We had our own battles to fight. Our forces were spread paper thin as it were, Jurai could not afford to protect planets not of its own despite our ties with your race. You even insisted that we need not aid you as the Tuffles had everything under control. … By the time news reached us of the Oozaru event it was far too late already. We still managed to save you though Washu, count yourself lucky for that."
Over three decades it has been that Azusa and Washu have clashed over the fall of the Tuffles. He showed her the logistics involved, numbers of their troops and positions of the Juraian armadas but Washu continued to stubbornly insist that there was a way, even if she could not find it herself. Her bitterness towards Azusa grew as the Saiyans were wiped out, losing her own chance to take vengeance against the King that had outsmarted her. Just like with Vegeta, she doesn't hate Juraians just the ones involved within this matter; she never did get along with people in higher places than her to begin with anyhow.
Yamcha links one of his arms with Washu and gives her petite hand a gentle squeeze. She let's up on Azusa, for now. Washu never forgets a grudge and after living for millennia she has plenty of them despite most of the people they pertain to being long dead and buried. The warmth of Yamcha's natural ki soothes her. Her face doesn't lose its hard expression though. Vegeta takes it upon himself to stop this derailment of progress thanks to this little, unexpected revelation.
"As interesting as this all is, how about we don't deviate from the point? Lady Ayeka has made her decision, now you make yours." Vegeta's usual deadpan brings the Juraian emperor back to the matter at hand. The Saiyan is careful to not stand too close in proximity to Ayeka, he has a feeling that it would be for the best if he showed some distance between them to her father.
"What decision is there to make? I cannot sit back and let my daughter allow herself to be killed by one of you." Vegeta is in half a mind to remind Azusa that he has a second daughter living here as well, but then again pissing him off by being smart won't serve his cause too much. The ball is no longer in his court, he did his bit now and allows Ayeka to take over the reins again. Her nerves still appear to be holding steady, which is good because her father still has not been swayed at all by any of their efforts. This time though Ayeka keeps her composure and doesn't shout, she will not appear like someone blinded against reason and logic by emotion.
"Father, please, listen to what I have to say. You dwell too much on what Vegeta was in the past when he didn't have any options in life, except whether he wanted to live or die. He is a different man now, so much so it scares him to truly admit to it." Ayeka hit a painful nail on the head there. For as much as Vegeta is willing to go with this so that Ayeka will not be forced into such a dishonourable and desperate act as to marry a close relation, his inner pride is severely agitated by this mention of the change that took place within him and this announcement of him having fear at something like that. It is a truth Vegeta would rather avoid and skirt around more than any, his warrior mind-set unable to accept the fact he can no longer do what he did for most of his life now for moral reasons – things he previously thought only handicapped the weak. Ayeka notices the slight shift in his face and the minute tension in his arms and hands at hearing it but she knows saying things like these are all she has left to win over her father.
"A potential change in a heart blacker than night does nothing to bring back the souls he forcefully sent to the afterlife in droves. No amount of scrubbing will cleanse the blood covering his hands." Azusa, will not be so easily swayed. Every time he looks across at that smirking Saiyan he sees that same face of the man who cut him down in his prime, the man who left him verging on death itself and afterwards colonies in smoking ruin being sold off one by one into the Planet Trade Organisation.
"You talk about it as if Lord Vegeta were the only one to kill during that war. You yourself told me you fought on a few battlefields and not to mention all those death warrants you signed."
"I am not denying my involvement in battle before …before the Saiyans took away my ability to do so, but he destroyed planets! Whole planets at a time, peoples and cultures and civilisations gone in the blink of an eye. There is no comparison between me and that vile harbinger of death!"
"But there is! He was a soldier, a warrior. Did you expect him to not kill? If he did not, he himself would have been killed and then who knows if Frieza would still be terrorising our borders. Lord Vegeta was a better fighter than any and all on our side, because of this he had that destructive capability which we lacked. He was a weapon, don't judge him because he was too good of a weapon for any of us to defend ourselves from. If one of our people had that power then would you not send them out to take out captured planets of Frieza? Can you honestly say that you would never have tried to win the war by such means?" Ayeka's voice begins to rise in volume again, passion enters her words as she whole heartedly tries to convince her father that the man she loves will not murder her. Her words though sound an awful lot to Vegeta like the same justifications Bulma made, women try and explain away and reason his deeds and crimes for they cannot face the truth of who he is. Most of what Ayeka says is true, he was a soldier following orders like anyone else would have done in service to their faction whilst at war but just like his wife before her she is blatantly omitting from her mind something that debunks it all. Vegeta killed for fun and pleasure. Frequently he arrived late to jobs as he stopped off along the way to experience the adrenaline rush of battle and to keep his skills honed. He went beyond what was required of him for he loved the feeling of war and the taking of lives. Crossing his arms, he keeps this to himself as he always has done no matter how much someone should know this dark truth.
One lone exhalation of contentment comes from Ryoko as she takes a hearty swig and feels the burning warmth of the alcohol coursing down inside her, the tail attached to her outfit merrily wagging from left to right. Azusa is paused in contemplation. A question of how far he would go to save the people under his protection in the Juraian empire has halted him. Hazarding a glance at first Funaho and then Misaki, he sees he will find no help from either of them at the time being … or until he undoes the wrong he did to his eldest daughter not too long ago. After a short time of thinking, Azusa does not like the answer his mind has finally come to rest on.
" … I cannot. … If there were anything in our arsenal that could have wiped out the home planet of Cold and his sons then I would have used it in an instant. I would not have, however, attacked or destroyed residential or highly populated planets with it like Vegeta so often did. Such power should only ever be used tactically and sparingly, not at whatever planetary object is closest or takes your fancy." Uneager to say that he would willingly resort to such forms of combat to secure victory, Azusa makes it clear there is still a line between doing so and the hundreds of war crimes the Saiyan prince committed. In the background, Yosho nods. All is fair in love and war, victory at any cost. If it limits casualties on their side whilst annihilating all of the enemy it is just foolhardy to ignore when lives depend on you. Ayeka was not actually expecting her father to so readily admit to such a horrible way to wage war, she loses her momentum in the argument as she thinks on what to say next. In her stead, Vegeta clarifies something that he feels could clear the air.
"I was not aware of who or what were on the planets beneath me most of the time when I fired upon them, looking around too much back then could have led to an unwanted transformation. However, I do know why your densely populated planets were the ones struck. Frieza anticipated that you would put most of your defences around your industrial and military planets, the ones where you make those ridiculous spaceships of yours, so naturally I struck where I was least likely to get my space pod blasted out of the air. Asphyxiating in a vacuum is not the death of a warrior." Azusa glowers at the Saiyan whilst he speaks, he continually talks about his sins without any tinge of guilt or remorse. Ayeka seems all too eager to accept these words and assimilate them into her argument, her father though beats her to it.
"It matters little now about the why. You were indeed correct in your predictions of our battleships' locations but that does not ease the fact of all those Juraian citizens being killed. How could anyone willingly time and time again do it? I fail to understand how a being who was a brutal beast of destruction and carnage can now stand here and try and get me to believe that my daughters should stay here and will not have the threat of death hanging above them."
Vegeta can very well understand where the emperor is coming from, he himself would probably be doing the same thing in his shoes or actually something more violent. Azusa still doesn't understand his situation or the reasons behind what he did, Vegeta will provide him a rough example. The sole of his left boot falls off as he walks away from Goku and towards Misaki and Sasami. Keeping a watchful eye on him, Azusa does not like the looks of things. Smiling at the mother, Vegeta slowly approaches the two Juraian females. Instantly, he stands between mother and daughter, separating them as he places one hand firmly between the ponytails of the little girl. Sasami looks up at him curiously. His smile darkens.
"If I said to kill all those cops behind you in the next minute or else Sasami dies, how long would it take before the bodies started hitting the floor? It's all down to motive. I did not want the only person I cared about at the time, myself, to die and so I did what was necessary to prevent it from occurring so I could build my strength and bide my time … until Namek." Vegeta's hand slowly and gently pats the top of Sasami's head as he keeps eye contact with the Juraian emperor frozen in place. Small, fretful noises come from behind the Saiyan as Misaki nervously worries, she normally would go to try and protect her child but she tries to reign in her extreme maternal instincts. If she attempts to attack Vegeta then it will show her husband that she has no faith in the prince, her other daughter would not want that and she hopes her earlier judgements of Vegeta prove to be true. Sasami herself seems frightened, scared of the word death and killing being used so frequently and how her dad is so angry. The only Juraian not showing fear at Vegeta's actions is Ayeka, she knows what he is doing and can see it working on her father. Azusa's scowl deepens and a gruff growl can just be heard from under his beard. With his cape billowing out, he turns around to look at the galaxy police officers and raises his right arm.
A hand materialises and forces the arm pointed straight at the police back down by Azusa's side. The face of the Saiyan prince slyly raises its eyebrows at the emperor, knowing exactly what he was going to do. Misaki hugs her daughter tightly now that the man obstructing her has moved, her prayers to Tsunami that Vegeta would do the right and honourable thing were answered – however, she is not too sure what her husband just did was. Releasing his hold on Azusa, Vegeta gives a slow clap to the emperor
"Impressive. I didn't think you would take so little time to decide on commiting a mass murder of law enforcement officers, Jurai does have a strong leader willing to do anything for his empire then. I never even said I was going to go through with it, merely posing a question and you jump the gun and are about to start firing away. Azusa, I would not harm a hair on Sasami's head. If I did, I wouldn't have anyone cooking me such gourmet style meals every night. Same goes for Lady Ayeka, though I haven't tasted of her cooking yet."
"Trust me, you wouldn't want to. All the skill in that area skipped her and went on to Sasami… Well done, you have made your point Saiyan. The barbaric savage has outwitted me at my own game … I still cannot allow my daughters to stay here though. Ayeka's rash decisions will harm all of Jurai if she does not return at once, I have to follow Lady Seto's plan to guarantee the wellbeing of our empire." Irritated beyond belief at being bested by something so simplistic and how he has been shown to also be capable of cold and callous acts of murder, Azusa acquiesces. For now he will agree that his daughters' lives are no longer in impending danger from Vegeta. He might not like it but he would only look like a stubborn old fool if he continued arguing the same point over and over again after Vegeta brought him down to his level. On the other hand though, there was more than just one reason that his eldest daughter had to be brought back from this backwater planet. He might not be stepping down from the throne for many centuries still but these things have to be sorted out in advance, he has postponed it as long as he possibly can. Lady Seto has been breathing down his neck and putting enormous amounts of pressure on him to follow through with her plan, if it were anyone else he would have ignored it but she is the one Juraian he cannot rule over.
Lady Seto was the one who forced Azusa's hand into marrying Misaki, her own daughter, when he already had Funaho as his wife to assure herself access into the Juraian royal family. Misaki was barely as old as his own son Yosho at that point, things got quite messy for him for a good while. Not many emperors before him ever had polygamous relationships and for one good reason; it makes matters of lineage very complex on Jurai. The Juraian empire does not abide by the rules that govern Earth's monarchies of the eldest child having the priority and so all children of the current emperor or empress have an equal right to claiming the throne; with him having two wives this means Funaho's family will press for Yosho to become the next emperor whereas Lady Seto will use her power to try and start the reign of Empress Ayeka. Luckily for Azusa, he took Sasami out of the equation by persuading her to become the high priestess of Tsunami in the Temple of the First Tree when she is of age - only one child per generation can be anointed as such so Azusa still has to contend with the issues of his two wives.
Truth be told, he hates the idea of his daughter having to marry his son – no matter even if they are only half brother and sister, he never agreed with that side of Juraian politics. Unfortunately for him and his children, that is the only option he has been left with. None of the fairly small Masaki house apart from him have children, or are suitable for marrying a potential leader of the empire for various reasons. In the end it all boils down to the plan of Lady Seto, the plan of the woman who always gets her way and cannot be refused. He is sure that woman hates his guts and has had it out for him since the very beginning, but she is his mother in-law after all. If there were another way then he would accept that over an incestuous marriage of his own children.
"Actually father, can't we just think of an alternate solution now?" Out of the blue, Yosho makes his presence known. The two proud fathers turn to him. The two powerful princes lock eyes as Vegeta tries to gauge the man's intentions, Yosho weakly smiles. He has stood around in the background enough now, as his father has come to accept Vegeta as much as he ever will, Yosho thinks it is about time he offers his thoughts on the issue that has arisen and pertains to him.
"Sister Ayeka said she was willing to abstain from the throne and her right to ascend to empress one day if she were to remain here and without that then the only issue remaining is a suitable marriage for me. … I, uh … Well, I do have someone in mind …" Yosho nervously laughs as all eyes fall upon him, especially those of his mother. Her eyes widen in shock, she is the head of Juraian intelligence and she did not know the slightest bit about this. Everyone was so caught up with Ayeka and her side of this marriage that they were literally blinded to Yosho, allowing him the opportunity to sneak out of the palace grounds. Funaho does not look too impressed that her son has been meeting up with a girl behind her back and without her knowledge or consent, Azusa though doesn't mind that so much as his wife. The emperor sees that his son has found an escape route for himself and Ayeka, something he had almost given up hope on being found. For that he is grateful.
"Her name's Haruna. She's not exactly part of the Masaki house yet but I have talked to Uncle who controls the checkpoint systems of our borders and he has said he is more than willing to take her in as his adopted daughter to help me out. It might not be perfect or what Lady Seto wants but the plan can still be refined and I think it's reasonable enough. At least for now anyway." Quietly, Ayeka thanks her big brother for helping her and congratulates him on finding a woman he cares about. Azusa lets out a grumble about Yosho not choosing someone already of high birth or status, the woman doesn't even have a second name showing her to not be part of any known house of Jurai. Two blue haired beauties seem to be barely able to stop themselves jumping for joy at such news as Misaki and Sasami beam merrily at Yosho.
"Tell me son, how long have you been seeing this Haruna behind our backs?"
"Long enough that contemplating marriage would be a very reasonable step for me to take in our relationship." A straightforward answer to a straightforward question, Yosho might have kept this affair in the dark up until now but he will not hide any parts of it from his family if they ask about it. Azusa solemnly nods as he accepts this decision on his son's part and the implications of it, for now it is the lesser evil by far. A political adoption to allow marriage, Azusa knows this will work even if it does ruffle a few feathers. He should know, he had to do the same thing for Funaho as she was not of high birth when they first met and he began courting her. The answer was staring him in the face the whole time, as long as Haruna proves herself worthy to be of the Jurai royal family. On that note he reminds himself to be careful where he treads and what he says concerning his son's girlfriend unless he wants to piss off his wife again.
Before anyone else has a chance to speak, Funaho briskly marches over to her son and drags him off by his ear to have a little discussion with him. From the looks of things he is about to get a right earful from his mother concerning his subterfuge and deception. Azusa leaves his son to his fate and looks at his second wife and youngest daughter smiling at him, he nods at them but his lips fail to crack a smile. There are still too many elements about this with which he is dissatisfied to say the least, yet for the sake of keeping his family together he has to give some ground. He asks Misaki what her views are concerning this arrangement and their daughters and resigns himself over to the reply he knows will follow.
"Do you really need to ask? You know already, Azusa, what my answer is, I am all in favour for letting darling Ayeka g-go and follow her heart here. I'm sure she'll be fine here with Sasami looking after her. I-i-it's time they spread their wings a on this little holiday of theirs, I'm sure they will return to Jurai some day soon. Though Azusa, you have to take it back. Now!" Despite her own preference for her children never leaving her side so she can mollycoddle them forevermore, Misaki has already accepted her daughter's plea for independence and a break from the stress of Jurai. She puts on a brave face for her youngest, affectionately pinching her cheeks as she mentions her. Azusa does not need to be told twice nor see the flicker of wrath burn dangerous close to the surface in his wife's eyes. Again, he nods at his second wife then turns to look at his first still scolding his son on his behaviour. Misaki might not be the only mother who does not like accepting the idea of the maturity of her children, even with Yosho being several hundred years old at this point in time.
Sighing to himself, he brushes his violet locks out of his face and clears his throat. Vegeta smiles to himself, this mission has been successful and Goku is no longer stood by him. The other Saiyan went off into his house to search for Chichi's purse, the reason he came here in the first place and got to witness Juraian politics first-hand – not like Vegeta thinks Goku understood most of what was going on. Azusa faces his daughter Ayeka and she stands firm facing him, still slightly insulted for the last thing he said about her was, apart from the marriage, being unable to cook food at all. Without warning, Azusa gets down onto his knees before his daughter he slandered.
"Ayeka, I apologise for what I said. Saiyans put me in a terrible mood, they have taken much from me but that does not excuse my behaviour. I retract my previous statements, you are, and always will be, my daughter... You may stay. Please forgive me for the hurt I caused you and for the impossible demands I have made of you." As much as it hurts his pride to be seen in such a position, his duty as a father and a husband always have the utmost priority to him. Azusa is not proud of what he said to his daughter, in hindsight he could have handled things better very easily. Perhaps starting off by physically assaulting someone was not the right way for him to make an entrance and it all went downhill from there for him. Only a few people ever have made him kneel before them and they all were women: his two wives, Lady Seto and now his daughter Ayeka. But he feels the time in which he prostates himself before Misaki's mother is coming to a close and if Vegeta ever does visit Jurai he will make sure that those two meet.
Azusa, the emperor of the largest empire in the whole galaxy, waits with his head bowed and facing the floor and his knees in the dirt, staining the front of his robes. He waits for his daughter to speak, to say anything, but all he hears is silence coming from her way. That is until he sees a pair of fine slip-on shoes come into his very limited view. Ayeka kneels next to him and hugs her father. Fresh tears rolling down her face but these do not stem from sadness or pain, a radiant smile lights up her face as she accepts his apology wholeheartedly. His arms wrap around her and not before long the mother fails to hold herself back any longer and Azusa and Ayeka feel the tight embrace of Misaki with Sasami holding onto her still. All smiling, it seems as if the troubles of the family have been overcome.
As lovely as such a scene is, it pains Vegeta to look at it. He once had a family unit like that: father, mother and child. It is not the same now with the vital link in the chain missing, he is not a good enough father to make up for the absence of his loving wife. It is a good thing that Trunks is still not around because this sight is the one thing that is forever denied to him now and it will hurt him remembering that fact. If he were of pure Saiyan blood then Vegeta would not worry so about his son's emotional wellbeing but he can tell that being raised on Earth and having a much more human personality that he is more easily affected by feelings than Vegeta. The Saiyan father knows he is strong and his future counterpart grew up under much worse conditions, but still even he had Bulma with him. Vegeta does little as a parent, not from lack of trying or effort but because he just doesn't know or understand such things very well. He tries, but these things don't come naturally to him.
He will let them have their moment, undisturbed and uninterrupted. Funaho and Yosho come walking back after their talk before the embrace ends, Yosho appearing as if he were just chewed up and spat back out again. As the hug dissolves and the four stand back up, Vegeta yawns and his impatience at the dealings with Jurai taking so long begin to show.
"Do I get an apology too?" Vegeta snidely comments. Azusa harrumphs at the notion of such a thing.
"You will the same time I hear an apology for the destruction you caused in the name of Frieza, until then I will speak to you only if I must. On that note, even though I am placing my trust in you Vegeta, the criminal with the highest bounty on his head, I will not leave my two precious daughters on this primitive planet unprotected… As none of my own personal guards are available, I hope you don't mind if I station a few officers of the law here to protect my children."
"More guests? I don't run a goddamn hotel here. I might not have any rooms free, you don't know that. Saiyans aren't a communal species." He is unhappy enough as it is that he foolishly agreed for Washu and Yamcha to continue living under his roof, any more and his ability to control his anger might be pushed beyond its breaking point. Vegeta has no love for cops and they no love for him, although they have a very good reason for disliking him. Smiling, Azusa decreases his offer to something he deems as reasonable but still infuriating for the antisocial warrior prince.
"Ok then, the bare minimum. Two officers, that is all. Either accept this or you can expect plenty of visits from me and my wives, especially my wives... maybe even Seto." By now, Azusa has a minor feeling that Vegeta will not harm his wives or any other women entrusted to his care. It's not a lot of trust but he is gambling on it. If he won't hurt his wives then he won't be able to stop Misaki from seeing her daughters and Azusa can tell that is something Vegeta would prefer to not become a common occurrence at his household. Vegeta thinks about it, he doesn't like being given orders or to be threatened with social contact.
" I don't have to accept any of your terms, I have the power to deny you whatever you ask of me. What good do you expect the police to do where you yourself have failed? They couldn't even detain or arrest me when I was 6, starving, separated from Nappa and half dead. Is this simply to ease your mind, because you already have Washu to provide you with inside knowledge on me and my doings on this planet?"
"It will give me peace of mind to know that there is someone here besides my flesh and blood who is not a criminal or a killer, if they pose no threat to you or that pirate woman then what have you got to lose? This is non negotiable. As I said, I will talk to Saiyans freely when they have atoned for their wanton carnage."
"I suppose I already lost my solitude and tranquillity a long time ago here, two worms will hardly cause me, the Saiyan prince, too much trouble. One condition, I get to choose the two. … If they are to live in my house I want to check a few things first." Azusa agrees to Vegeta's single condition. The emperor doesn't truly understand his reasoning as Vegeta has never met any of those before – he can tell as they are still alive – but maybe the Saiyan just wants to choose those of a race he didn't commit genocide against. Azusa doesn't particularly care why, it means little to him, but he will be able to get some sleep at night knowing there is someone here for Ayeka and Sasami if they require help or assistance.
Vegeta's form vanishes. Reappearing before the regiment of assorted offices, Vegeta grins insidiously as his eyes peruse over the trembling and fearful lot of alien species. His left boot falls apart completely as he walks up and down the ranks inspecting each and every officer, stopping before random individuals to watch them quake in fear or pretend to be adjusting some part of their equipment. Mutterings and murmurings are silenced when he approaches them. A small puddle even forms beneath the insectoid legs of the last Arlian. Finishing his inspection he once again stands in front of the group, darkly grinning. With one hand he fires a ki blast over their heads, they all turn anxiously to watch it zip across the sky before one of the few mountains still standing around his house stands no more. With the boulders still falling and the shockwave rustling through the trees, all of the police officers scarper and flee back towards the transporter back onto Kirito. They all break rank and retreat seeing that he is too powerful for any of them to take on. All except for two.
But two of all of the small gathering of available members of the galaxy police force remain stood where they were with a Saiyan smiling and pointing at them. Swearing under her breath, one of the officers tries to remove the other one from her as she pathetically clings on out of pure fear, anchoring both of them to the spot. Fearful whines come from the blonde police officer holding onto her teal haired partner, the teal one desperately trying to escape so she too can take cover and try to get somewhere safe. However, it is too late for either of them. Even if they did move they have now been selected by Vegeta. Seemingly all of them failed his test of courage but this pitiful sight spawned in him the idea that they will make for great amusement on his part.
He asks his new playthings their names. The blonde officer fails to reply as she moans about not wanting to die and being scared and for her partner to save her, the same clumsy woman from before who was sent to retrieve the weapons Vegeta temporarily confiscated from them. The other one fumbles about as she tries to access her pocket which is being covered by her partner. Brushing back her teal fringe past her orange headband, she raises her badge without any trembling in her arms. Her eyes seem determined and serious and miffed off at finding herself in another bad situation because of the one cowering and stopping her from getting away from this madman who just blew up a mountain effortlessly.
"Detectives second class, Kiyone Makibi and Mihoshi Kuramitsu. … Is this classed as a promotion, Emperor Azusa?"