Disclaimer: 'We all live in a Yellow Submarine, Yellow Submarine, Yellow Subma…' what, you mean I don't own that one either. First DBZ and now this, and I really wanted that submarine, how else am I going to find the sea of green?

Note: This chapter contains sex, violence, swearing, evilness, a lot of fighting and general bad stuff. If you are under legal age or not mature enough to handle these issues, I suggest you go read something more tasteful. The descriptions of the 'Cuibhreach' sequences in both this and the last chapter were inspired by the story 'Forces of Nature', a truly great, original Bulma and Vegeta fic by J. K. Ross. There is also a part of the 'Cuibhreach' process that was directly 'borrowed' from Katchan's 'Saiyajin', and I do apologise for not asking permission to use ideas from either of these authors. Believe me when I say that imitation in this case is the highest form of flattery. All of the ' Saigyno' words, ones that look really weird that aren't Japanese, can found at: http://www.ceantar.org/Dicts/search.html

If you have any questions, or comments, ponderance, conundrums, curiosities, or criticisms, please feel free to write to me.


Chapter 12

 

It had come to him last night lying awake with his little Amazon by his side; his restlessness, his anger at his home world and the caste system based on the purity of one's blood making the gears of his mind whirl endlessly through out the night. It had not been easy, lying awake with his uncertainties, facing the demons, his pride and fear and humility. The light from the stars and the thin slivers of the Moons flooded in through the open window, exposing the room, the bed, and the head of the sleeping woman by his side. Staring down at that fearless face, so powerful and yet vulnerable, it struck him, his true purpose. Never a believer in a higher power, the injustice of his life pounding such faith out of him, he wondered at all the coincidences, everything it took to get him here, a very rip in the fabric of existence. Everything that had happened to him here, all that he had been given, as if some great reward for a life had lived and hard fought and his own stupidity had cost him all of it. Brushing the soft hair from his lover's face, he kissed her lightly on the forehead and he made her a promise. He knew what he was doing was right, it was just, more just than any one action of his entire life, fuelled by the warnings of that boy and the pleas of that young woman just a day ago. Leaving instructions with the head guard on duty, the Saiyajin took to the sky, following an energy signature he knew as well as his own, asking for the blessing of his Prince.

Flying past the thick silent woods, his eyes, ears and nose took in all that this place had to offer, every kilometre he flew hardening his resolve. Such beauty there was here, he wondered if these humans even realised it; the thick smell of pines and the clean smell of the earth filling his nostrils. His eyes caught sight of the ragged cliffs in the distance, falling away into the horizon as he blindly followed the signal of a strong ki. Below him, the sights and smells changed again, giving way to soft field and low lying river valleys, the sweet smell of the late summer grass heavy in the air. And still he flew, running from the rays of the rising Sun, the ground turning rocky, the air salty, the crashing roar of the waves filling his ears. The strong, tempest wind rushed across the Saiyajin's body, the power and rage of the storm so fitting for the man he was about to meet, that would and had shaped his destiny since the first day they had met. Coming into view, standing at the top of a narrow outcrop of rocks, a towering sentinel against the wide expanse of the violent green sea, was Vegita. Kakarott began to slow and steady his flight against the fierce wind, regarding the Saiyajin Prince in awe. Vegita watched the war between sea and sky, the clashing titanic struggle reflected in the fluctuations of his aura, a great internal battle ragging within his fellow Saiyajin. Scrutinising the Prince's stance, the very feel of death that radiated off him, Kakarott's own emotions and loyalty conflicted within himself, fighting against his loyalty to the Prince to the new purpose he had now attained, his curiosity and resolve winning out in the end.

"My Prince, I have a request to make of you." Kakarott yelled out across the distance and over the howl of the relentless wind.

"You presume too much, third class; how dare you speak without first being requested, how dare you come to me unannounced." Vegita snarled back, the turmoil in his aura burned away in his righteous rage. Such anger shocked the lieutenant; the Prince had always had a short temper but on such a small matter, something he had often done before? Looking again at Vegita's turned back, he decided to throw caution to the wind. Oh well, what was life if you didn't tempt fate just a little.

"A third class that is nearly your equal, in strength, smarts, fighting ability, though you do come up rather short when it comes to height." A howl of pure unadulterated hatred was torn from the Saiyajin Prince's throat worthy of the screaming winds and crashing waves that overwhelmed the air. The howl was soon followed by a cocked back fist and a determined look in those black eyes, the promise of pain and punishment glowing out clearly from their depths. Anticipating such a move, amazed that Vegita could attack so blindly and with no battle strategy, he easily side stepped the attack.

In all the time he had known Vegita, being a witness to the rules and ways of court, he had never seen or heard of anyone making a comment on the Prince's diminutive stature. No one, that was, but the King, who used it as a constant source of scorn and amusement against his son and the Prince's colossal pride. He knew he was hitting low and deep with that one, he just hoped he could keep away from that fist long enough to make his request. Watching Vegita stagger with the over shot momentum, Kakarott didn't try to attack; this wasn't just some spar, the problem went much deeper than the graceful necessity of combat. What was bothering the Prince went much deeper, but if anything was to lift it to the surface, it would be that universal drive to fight.

Throwing himself once more into the fray, Vegita flew at the larger Saiyajin, his white-hot rage burning through all conscious, reasonable thought. All of the maelstrom of emotions were directed at one individual, one purpose, against one enemy. Clenching his fists, adrenaline running through his veins, the Prince smirked and allowed his ki to flow through him; his mind once clouded with uncertainty burned with singularity. As before, Kakarott stood his ground, dodging only at the last minute, and was caught completely off guard as Vegita opened his other fist and shot a short range ki blast at his unshielded opponent. His enemy now staggering, he completed the combination with a swift kick to knock the other warrior off balance; an elbow aimed at Kakarott's exposed throat to finish off what he had not done those five years ago. Too fast for him to notice or adjust, Kakarott swung around in mid air, kicking out his legs and landing a solid hit to the Prince's stomach; the other leg kicking under his chin to snap Vegita's head back. Disoriented from the blows, Vegita let his ki explode around him, offering a measure of defence until he could gather his wits about him. Looking back he was amazed at the sight that met his eyes; the other Saiyajin had not moved, had made no attempt to attack or take advantage of his weakness. This insult, this refusal to face him as a proper opponent infuriated Vegita all the more; to say that he, the Prince of all Saiyajin wasn't worth the effort.

"You fucking, third class bastard, fight me!" Silence, not but the whirling wind, the roaring ocean and the constant hum of ki energy answered Vegita in his command.

"What's the matter; you dare insult the next ruler of the Saiyajin empire and now you refuse to fight? You've reached the end of the line, low class; give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you when you stand?"

"Because I'm not standing, and I don't deserve your wrath. You know this as well as I, that is why you are all the more mad; though why you are mad in the first place I don't know. I have known you, been your loyal servant since the day I took my oath of fealty and service to the crown of Vegitasei and I come here to ask you if I could break it." The King's Guard stated, staring at his liege without fear, and without the defence, waiting for an answer, a reply, and a possible shot between the eyes at his impudence. Vegita's impassive stare never wavered or faltered, didn't betray anything of the inner turmoil that was raging in the light of his ki. Time stood stock still, every second like an hour that they floated there, above the churning waves and blowing wind of this unknown world. The silence ate away at Kakarott's resolve, the waiting stretching his nerves near the breaking point, yet not one iota of his uncertainty showed through. It was with a tiny sigh of relief when Kakarott sensed the backlash of Vegita's ki die down to normal levels and the blue-white aura disappeared from around his body.

"You will learn your place another time then, soldier; now, you will explain to me why I should not beat you within an inch of your life for dishonouring your race and yourself by breaking a vow." Vegita finally replied, breaking the silence between them. A slight smirk played on Kakarott's face as he nodded his agreement, following the Prince as the pair flew down the shore towards calmer waters.

~~~~~

"I want to be Overlord of this world." Kakarott finally proclaimed as they touched down, the Sun rising over the trees and turning the sky a glorious combination of pink, orange and blue. As always, Vegita stood stony faced against the abruptness of Kakarott's grand announcement, his expression a shining example of rock hard composure that was a hallmark of the Saiyajins. It was another period of silence which followed, the tension so thick, it could choke out the air and Kakarott went through all of the conclusions he had reached that night and early morning, anything to explain his irrational actions.

"What makes you think I would possibly allow this world to remain in existence after I have left it? And better than that, what would make you think that I would allow you such a high post, that of an Elite, on this planet?" Kakarott had to hold back the grin that threatened to spread across his face at the calm even tone of Vegita's low baritone, a direct sign that he would be allowed to say his peace and that a ki blast was not coming at the end.

"If I might be frank, my Lord …"

"I've never known you to be any other way." Vegita replied back, no hint of humour or expression in his tone.

"Please, Ouji-sama, I believe such a world as this could be a great boon to the empire, to your empire. This planet is full of riches and resources that could be used for our use, the beauty of his planet, what they must have for mineral deposits, usable resources, technology that could be used for the betterment of the Empire." Kakarott blurted out nervously, his bravado dying with the intense, emotionless look in the Prince's eyes. He had seen that look a dozen times, but always in a spar, the call to fight stronger than any fear. But now, he was in a territory unknown, dealing with Vegita the ruler, his words now to prove himself worthy, instead of bringing down they who thought themselves so.

"Yes, but this is not about the planet is it, I could give a damn about this hunk of rock. Tell me the real reason, soldier, why you and this planet? You could have any post you desire when I ascend, do I bore you now that you have these little peasants to terrorise?"

"Nothing could be farther from the truth, Vegita-sama. I have felt your power surge, my Prince, even being out of practice, your power now greatly exceeds my own. I can also say, without hyperbole, you will soon be called to become King; the Saiyajins will gladly accept you as King when you kill your father, but you know as well as I that I can never attain a level higher than lieutenant of the King's Guards. That a third class warrior would have such a relationship with the King, with the next Super Saiyajin would bring dissension and chaos, worse than any your father might have wrought during his reign." Vegita looked as if he was about to speak was oddly silent as he allowed Kakarott to continue.

"I am now a liability to you, my presence and service is no longer necessary, and I have found a new calling, a reason. I did not only take over a house, or a group of men but a responsibility, a duty, such as you yourself, Ouji-sama, when you ascend. They want me to protect them, to guide them, to lead them into battle against their foe. Vegitasei is too set in its ways, as long as factions such as the Elites exist, I will still be nothing more than the son of a third class squad commander, but here, I am a Lord, a Master. This planet still has yet to be touched by any outside forces, it has a chance to grow and to become strong. If I were to kill the tyrant, this Enleo, my Lord, I could easily win over the allegiance of the people for the empire." Kakarott looked up into Vegita's face, his own expression neutral and calm but inside he was being eaten away by the silence, the uncertainty. A look of odd calm descended over Vegita's normally angered expression and the other Saiyajin let out a sigh he didn't even realise he was holding.

"What do you know of cuibhreach, Kakarott?" The Saiyajin Prince finally asked, giving the Palace guard the greatest shock of his life since, well since a black haired woman accepted his challenge. Of all the tirades, refusals, or arguments he had expected, a question, especially about that, was not one of them. Why, of all things, would the strongest Saiyajin in a millennium ask him about bonding, a practice so rare, even among the lower classes, that it was said to be merely a legend. The notion that two souls becoming one, that a warrior was tied to one other being for all of eternity was outrageous; of course, the possibility of a Super Saiyajin had become that of legends as well, until the current Prince had been born.

"I know it is considered merely a story of the old days of the Empire, believed to be the first descriptions of telepathic abilities between two Saiyajins. Such happens with an oral history, facts misshapen over time and tellers. All I know is that it is considered to be the greatest weakness a warrior could possess, a bond that ties him and his mate together for all eternity. But why do you care of a legend that must be as old as that of the Super Saiyajin?"

"Do not question me, maggot; as you so eloquently put it in that little speech of yours, I am the Prince, the next King and, if I wished, I could turn this planet into a pile of dust. I have my reasons, and that should be good enough for you. Do you know nothing else, I know the third class mate with almost anything that moves, there must be some occurrences of such a thing happening in the lower ranks. I might have thought you must have done it with one of the natives, it is not unknown for off world soldiers to become enamoured by alien women, so much so that they leave the service. These Gaians, they look similar to Saiyajins, the lack of a proper tail and the strength aside; didn't you also mention something about a female?" First the Prince was asking him about bonding, and now his love life? He hadn't hit Vegita that hard during their spar.

"Vegita, are you okay? I know my leaving your service must be a shock to you but …"

"You complete baka, I merely wished to find out why the only half decent sparring partner I've had since I was named wishes now to be the saviour of some back water planet. By the way, as you so went on about the Saiyajin Empire, I would ask you where is the ship, and when is it coming for us? You said you had been on this planet a week give or take, somehow I rather doubt you just ran off with no plan; I would only accuse someone very bald and stupid of such a feat." Amazed at Vegita's sudden levity, he smirked despite himself, now there was a thorn in his side he was not going to miss. What was he thinking, Vegita had yet to say yea or neigh to his departure, though he was acting strangely, even more than usual.

"I gave directions to the captain that I would contact him when and if I had found you, and until such time not to reveal any of it to Nappa. I'm not sure what condition my pod or your own is in at the moment but those humans I'm sure could get the two way communicator operational again, if such is your wish." He had to admit it now; Vegita was thoroughly confusing him. It would seem that he had won his life but his petition had fallen on deaf ears, his power over words not enough to save the planet. Or was it, either way he knew it was going to be a long shot; after hearing Vegita's tale of his arrival and capture, the hell he had endured at a woman's hands, and so beautiful a one at that. Maybe though, he had won, and the Prince had already had his revenge against the woman; that might explain the conflict in his aura, or possibly something else. But why the mention of cuibhreach, an event so rare that it was considering nothing but a myth. But Vegita was definitely right on one account, he was doing this for her, for himself but mostly he wanted this for her. Why he felt himself the defender of the downtrodden, but he did, the look in that human woman's eyes the day before, they burned through him, with kindness and compassion, and he felt complete in a way that he had never found on Vegitasei. There was a common bond he had felt, that camaraderie that existed between the people here, a bond with his men, like his father with his squad. And beyond that, the little Amazon, so strong, brave, innocent, so like a Saiyajin woman and yet much more. When he had found her the night before, battered and bruised, yet victorious over him, he knew he wanted her as a mate, but that she would not accept him, not until she could move beyond her parents' death. More than anything he wished to see her happy, a state that had been absent most of his own life, he wanted to see her smile.

"Do not contact the ship yet, I do not wish to return to that dust ball and have to endure my father or Nappa." Vegita said, looking towards the rising dawn, his mind seemingly occupied by something else, his eyes looked lost, as if in a dream world. The scowl returning to his face, he stared over at the other Saiyajin in anger, only to turn his back to Kakarott, his head lowered in deep meditation.

"Do what you must, Kakarott, you have my blessing. I expect you to report back to me when you have made a final decision and battle plans prepared and I will provide you with anything you could wish from the woman's house." The solemn tone of the Prince's voice again caught Kakarott off guard; he seemed so lost, so not like himself. About to question Vegita once more on his strange behaviour, he felt the massive force of the Prince's ki swell around them and the illuminated figure launch into the air and flew back inland, flying South into the rising Sun. Inexplicably Kakarott knew to leave the other Saiyajin be, allowing Vegita to gather himself together; there was nothing he could do anyway. Besides, he had his orders, he had a battle to prepare for.

~~~~~

Awaking to the soft warmth of sheets and the sound of last few song birds that lingered in the trees, singing the last song before flying away to escape the winter, Bulma searched the room for the familiar figure, tears coming to her eyes as she realised she was alone. She was safe, if only for the moment, but what would become of her now, what she had risked just the night, in this bed. Before, this bed had afforded her comfort, a fortress against her troubles, her own personal sanctuary against the world, but last night, oh Fates, last night. She had almost broke, given herself to him; to feel him all around her again, touching and kissing her body, what she had wanted and needed for so long, even her dreams did she imagine him. It was almost too much, to feel such pleasure at his touch, to know such wondrous ecstasy in his lovemaking and to have it ripped away from her, like a part of herself died. The loss had, for the most part, gone unnoticed as she spent her days cursing him and her current predicament as she catered to his every whim, all the while fearing for the lives of her people but at night, the emptiness flooded into her. The aching feeling were only quelled by thoughts of Vegita, her dreams turning the simple thoughts into something far more vivid, putting her more on edge. That dream only the day before had been a cruel reminder of the power he had over her, both physically and sexually. And when he held her last night, promising her everything she had so longed and wished for, what her body had screamed for, she almost gave in; she shuttering at the very memory. Everything she had dreamed of and tortured herself over was before her and all she had to do was say yes, and dishonour herself, sacrifice her soul, her pride, her independence, admit defeat against all the trials she had faced in her life, for mere sexual pleasure. And then he had grabbed her, nothing of that tender, seductive man she had pined for was there anymore, the violent, power hungry Saiyajin warrior staring down at her, and the memory of the dead guard, the pain at his touch. And then, he bit her, hard and she had bit him back, after that it was a blur, so much so that she could not remember anything until awakening but a few minutes ago. She was not so optimistic to think that he would not have raped her but somehow, a small part of herself knew Vegita would never truly hurt her.

Rolling to her side, Bulma grabbed at her hair and ran her fingernails hard through her scalp. Whatever had happened last night, her mind was in turmoil, she hurt and ached inside, her brain pounded violently inside her skull, memories flooded through her mind, wholly new and completely terrible, and yet as present as if she had lived it all herself. And the loneliness, the complete emptiness that had infested her, the shame at her weakness, that she had been so close to giving in, coupled with the ever present ache for that Saiyajin and something new, something larger and more powerful than anything she had ever felt. It weighed more heavily than anything she had ever felt, frightening and oddly comforting, beyond anything she could describe or explain, mere words paled in comparison to it.

Slipping out of the bed, she could not look down at herself, the brisk early fall air caressing her bare skin, reminding her of the night before. Eyes forward, she walked to her closet, grabbing a robe and wrapping it around her body; her eyes burning as she caught sight of the torn violet silk, the last remnants of her favourite dress. Uncaring of the terror that might be lurking beyond the threshold of her door, she pushed it opened, her sanctuary now suffocating her, the essence of Vegita everywhere within those four walls. Even the smell stayed with her, his scent all over her body, the conflicting emotions the aroma brought her causing her eyes to burn even harder. Sliding down the smooth marble wall, she wrapped her arms firmly around her bent legs; she had fought for too long, too long against life, at everything that life had thrown at her. How cocky she was to think she was Master of her Fate, even believing herself master of other's and their fates; the sin of her egotism had finally come back to her, the backlash of her Karma. That loneliness again rushed into her soul, the intensity of the void she now found herself causing her to gasp out in pain. Self pity, hate, lust, confusion, rage, empathy, exhaustion, regret all moulded into one, her mind a void as black as the infinite space that encased Gaia, making her wish to die, to stop existing all together and wilt away. Wallowing in misery, she was jolted out of it by a flash of an image of an old friend that she had never met, but she felt peace at his presence. The warmth of the sun beat down upon her body, though the rays of light which streamed from the hall windows were not anywhere near her. Even the loneliness faded, a warm, soothing, something filling up the emptiness, her taunt body relaxing in reply and she sighed lightly at the relief from her pain. The vision within her head changed once more, a harsh, threatening stare looking out at the world with contempt and seeing the creations around them, seeing her. The stare regarded her closely for a moment, ending at her eyes at the realisation that she was staring back and the vision snapped back to black. What was that, Bulma thought, if I hadn't known better I would have thought that someone had been watching.

"Mistress?" a quiet voice echoed through the uninhabited hall, a scream coming from Bulma's mouth in shock, the tension of the last few days keeping her on edge. Clutching her hand to her heart, her breathing slowed and turned to light giggles at the reaction of the poor unfortunate soul who had broken her reverie, looking just as startled as Bulma herself; the younger woman's own scream now echoing through the corridor.

"I'm sorry to have scared you, what is the matter?" Bulma asked, small giggles breaking through her words, the gambit of her emotions swinging from despair to amusement.

"I was wondering, My Lady, where the Lord Vegita is? He has not made any kind of appearance today, we might have thought that he and you …" The servant girl's voice trailed off into silence, the girl's meaning obvious even without the use of words. The hand Bulma had clutched to her heart drifted slowly to her neck, the fingers searching out the small puncture wound on the crook of the shoulder. An unconscious gesture, it did now as it had before, soothed her nerves again, causing her to smile. He was gone, not from the planet but from her house, leaving in the night like a breeze through her open window. She was safe, but only for a short time, he could come back at any time to finish what he had not the night before and there was nothing she could do to stop him. Or, she thought, glimpsing over at the concerned face of her servant, protect her people from him.

"The 'Master' of the house is gone, he has given us a reprieve, if only for a little while. Inform the guards to be on alert, we don't have much but tell them to ensure that all patrols are armed with the ki weaponry." Bowing her leave, Bulma was some alone once more, her thoughts once scattered were now focused and intent. She only had a little time, and was defenceless with her current weaponry, yet the ring of battle pounded through her brain; she was not with hope or options. She now had her lab back, and with it all the data she had collected on the Saiyajin from his first week under her control, before she had fitted him with the collar. Her head spinning with the possibilities, she almost forgot about what she was wearing, or more importantly what she wasn't. Running back into her room, the giddiness overwhelming all other thoughts, she grabbed at an old, dirty outfit, one she kept only for working in the lab, along with other odds and ends. Glancing over at her mirror, she smiled again, a silly evil smile at the thought of a new challenge; she had a purpose now and nothing from heaven, hell or the space between was ever going to allow her to be destroyed again.

~~~~~

Dodging out of the way of the quick punch, ChiChi fired off a short snap kick to her opponent's ribs, smirking at the sudden groan of pain from the man in front of her. That's for thinking I'm a weakling, she mentally chided, that move was so obvious an eight year old could have seen that coming. One week and my men think I've forgotten how to fight, I guess I'm going to have to prove myself; but not until I can get my mind on my match, she realised, almost loosing her balance when the man nearly kicked her legs out from under her. Rolling to the side, she jumped at him, landing a flying sidekick into his back, rolling away again, revelling in the silly theatrics as she knew the fights around her were being forgotten and the attention of the room was shifting to the duel between herself and Kreden.

"You've grown slow, Kreden, or blind. I might have been defeated by that overgrown ape but that still doesn't mean I can't whip your ass." ChiChi taunted, adopting a stance and slowly circling the other warrior.

"Mistress, I was given instructions by the Master that you were not to fight or be injured in any way." Kreden explained, just his luck, being stuck between loyalty to his new Master and the desire for a good spar. It was a choice between facing Mistress ChiChi wrath now or Master Kakarott's later. A palm strike to the chin, light of being a kill move answered his question, the experienced fighter putting up a guard against hammer fist aimed at his temple; he would deal with Master Kakarott when the time came.

A knee rammed into ChiChi's stomach and she cursed out in pain, embarrassed that Kreden had caught her off guard. Knowing her opponent would take full advantage of her state; ChiChi tried to spin out of the way, his next blow grazing her shoulder. Weaving away from her opponent, the young woman growled angrily as she gained some distance between herself and her opponent. Kreden smirked in reply, it was a rare thing to catch the Mistress so off guard; if he was going to pay for disobeying orders, it might as well be worth it. Jumping at the dark haired woman in front of him, Kreden began to punch out in paid succession, using the skills that the new Master had taught him.

Before ChiChi could even recover enough to form a plan in her hand, Kreden was on her again, fists flying, forcing her back against the wall. She almost laughed out joyfully at the challenge, so long cooped up in that cage, her natural instincts returning as she blocked his blows unconsciously, a few getting through to keep her honest and alert. It was wonderful to feel that rush of battle, to know the respect and pride of her men, hers. Forcing Kreden's arm across his body, she took advantage of the momentary opening to jab her elbow into his nose, cartilage cracking under the pressure. That hit was for telling her that she was not able to fight, that that asshole commanded that she not fight, as if she would ever listen to him. Why of all people did he have to beat her; it was the ultimate downfall of the Amazonian sisterhood, living in total freedom from the authority of a man, only to give up to one when you face your greatest defeat. She might not even have minded the whole ordeal really, if nothing else you know you have lost to a better warrior, one believing in the warrior's code, but no she was stuck with, with him. How could she possibly deal with someone so unpredictable and volatile, who traded insults and barbs back and forth one minute, and threatening her life the next. And worst, beyond all the hate and loathing she felt for that man, she still truly did want him, he could make her smile, feel such unparalleled bliss at his touch, a fierce warrior that she could learn from, who could protect her when she needed him. Why did it have to be him, why did it have to be that infuriating man, she mentally screamed to herself, her sudden anger transferring into the fight as she punched through her jaw, kneed him in the stomach and ended with Kreden's feet being swept out from under him. Walking over to the stunned combatant, she placed her foot on his neck, a look of stone cold purpose flashing from her deep brown eyes.

"You've improved, Kreden, I see you've gotten over most of your queasiness about hitting a woman." ChiChi smirked and growled out, displaying the hidden affection she felt for the man whose neck she had poised under her boot. Kreden groaned back in pain, opening his eyes for only a second before grabbing at the leg pressed down on his windpipe, catching the boastful woman by surprise as he swung his body around and slamming his legs into her own, a heavy thud and a yelped curse echoing through the now silent arena.

"Still haven't lost your father's arrogance, I see." the down man replied back, breathing heavily through his mouth as blood began to trickle from his nose. Flailing out in anger, ChiChi's knee connected with Kreden's cheek, bumping his already injured nose and the man cried out in pain, the sound startling ChiChi. Rolling away, she got to her feet once more, extending a hand down to her now wounded friend, her icy cold stare replaced with a light smile.

"It's over, Kreden, I'm going to get into enough trouble for disobeying the 'Master's' orders, I don't want to add breaking the second in command's nose to my crimes." Smiling as well as could be expected against the pain, the older soldier accepted the offered hand and righted himself, dabbing at his nose to try to stay the blood.

"That'll be two lovely black eyes there, Captain." a voice called out and a collective chuckle echoed through the cavernous hall.

"If you don't get back to work, I'll do the same to the whole lot of you, fine shape you'll be to fight against the enemy. For that one, physical training for the next half an hour; I think resistance training would be good to toughen you all up." A groan sounded through the hall and ChiChi's eyebrows furrowed into a scowl.

"I said, NOW!" she screamed out, the screech reverberated off the thick stone walls, and the men around her jumped like frightening mice at the distorted sound, it had been a long time since anyone had yelled at them so.

"Quicline, you lead it and if I hear one complaint, I will personally deal with the pansy," ChiChi commanded once more, the sound of counting now filled the monstrous room. "Kreden, please, might we have a word?" Returning to her normal tone, she bid the injured Captain to follow her to one of the more silent corners of the hall.

"What the hell is going on; first I'm being dragged in before all of you and nearly killed, now I'm free to do as I wish and leading my men once more. What is that tailed freak doing, and where is he?"

"Master Kakarott left early this morning, he said he needed to discuss something with his Prince." Kreden answered calmly. "As to why you have been freed, I thought you could answer that one better than I could, I would imagine it would have had something to do with the events of yesterday." he replied in a conspiratory whisper.

"Do you know anything, when is he returning? If he thinks he can put me back in a cage again I will fight him, but I will not expect any of you to help me, this is my fight and I will not have your loyalties spilt." A warm smile spread across the older man's face, like that of a father looking with pride on a child.

"I know not when he plans to return, just that he didn't think he'd be back in time for the morning exercises, and quite possibly longer. I don't think he would allow you to be placed in a cage, though; his words to the guards were that you were to observe and take part in the practice if you wish but you were not allowed to fight or injure yourself. I wouldn't worry about loyalty either, these men respect power but they also respect leadership; you led them through hell and that is not easily forgotten." Mahogany brown eyes softened at the murmured words, reassuring her confidence that everything was going to be okay.

"Either way, you will go to a medic and get your nose looked after, better if I am here to face his wrath than the two of us; fates help us if you have some broken ribs to go with that bruised nose." A strong large palm squeezed her shoulder before she heard the low click of boot heals against the tiles, now alone with her thoughts. A shiver ran down her spin at the memory of yesterday, her blood turning cold at the harshness of his words, that he would hunt her down like a wild beast, an animal. How close he had actually come to finding her, to capturing her and killing her, she didn't even want to think; she had nearly jumped to her death. After finding her way out of the labyrinth of tunnels, she had foraged through the sparse wilderness, finding food and fuel for a fire, always looking over her shoulder for her enemy. The last thing she remembered before she feel asleep by the small cooking fire was the beauty the sunset was, and where that stubborn Saiyajin was now. There was a smile on her face as she closed her eye lids, now matter what, she had beaten him at his stupid little game and nothing he could do would take away that victory. Her night after that was relatively peaceful, dreams of being held in his arms and flying over the tree tops, of finally being in her own bed, and he kissed her forehead and told her he would make it all better. She nearly fell out of bed this morning when she realised that she truly was in her own bed, alone in nothing but her undergarments. Donning one of her old uniforms, gladdened by the familiarity of the garment, she walked out to the training arena in time for the afternoon exercises. Her body felt alive as she practices the difficult kicks and combinations, finally challenging Kreden to a spar when the time had come. To think that jerk forbid her to fight, when she saw him again … The ear splitting crash of heavy oak against solid stone catch her totally off guard and her heart pounded wildly in shock. The sound grabbed the rest of the room's attention as the hundred of pairs of eyes focused on the newly opened door and the tall figure that walked unabashedly through the crowd. The sea of black parted before his way, staring in quiet reverie at the man who did not waver in his sight, but merely walked towards the central platform of the hall. The cold look of determination radiated off of the man as it had when he had faced her that first time and ChiChi walked out of the shadows, hiding in the sea of bodies away his words.

"After much time and consideration, I have decided that I will continued the fight against the forces of Enleo." A murmur of wonderful shock mixed with equal amounts of disbelief rang through the hall at the announcement, all the emotions felt through the room clearly evident on ChiChi's face.

"In the days I have been on this planet, I have seen and discovered much, more than any other planet I have encountered in all my travels. The honour of the people on his world, the warrior spirit that exists here, is rare in all the universe, especially for so physically weak a species." Kakarott continued, a lighter tone entering his voice, belying any insult that the harshness of his words might have produced, and a collective chuckle was his reply. A humorous smirk found its way on the Saiyajin's face, receding slowly as he looked over at the masses of eyes focused on him, the hard seriousness returning.

"I do not know the hardship that you have suffered, the sacrifices you have faced," his roving eyes centring on ChiChi, a sadness entering his tone. "The loved ones you have lost. I have done nothing to truly win your trust or your loyalty but I ask you now to join with me and fight. I can do nothing more than to pledge my service to you against your foe, to do all within my power to destroy the 'Scourge of the Fates'. In two days, I will issue a challenge to the warlord Enleo that in four days hence, six days from this day, for an all out battle of the combined forces of Bushi and Modulus against that of Enleo. I ask you now if I have your support in this, if, of your own free will will you follow me into battle?" This last words were swallowed up in a wave of shouts, every voice joining together in agreement to risk their lives now as they had for every leader they had ever fought under. For all the voices that cried out, only one was silent, caught in a contests of wills between herself and the tailed man on the platform. As the ring quieted down, the man spoke once more, a mocking air in his voice.

"Might you tell me what happened to Kreden, he was suppose to be leading this practice."

"He went to the infirmary with a broken nose, dispatched there by our Mistress ChiChi." a soldier called out, a few laughing at the statement, only to be silenced by the hard look on the Kakarott's face.

"What a dangerous woman you are, especially to be going against my direct order." The Saiyajin softly stated, jumping from the platform and walking towards the woman.

"You should have known better than to have tried to forbid me to do anything, knowing that I would never listen to you." ChiChi replied, squaring her shoulders and staring him down as he came ever closer.

"Have you forgotten that you lost to me, Amazon, which by your own laws makes you my property?"

"How dare you insult the tradition of my mother's people; you victory makes me your servant, not your lot or property. I will follow your order, not cater to whatever pathetic torture you wish to create for me." she snarled back, the two now nose to nose, staring daggers at one another. As if suddenly realising that they were being very closely watched, that smug look bloomed once more in Kakarott's eyes.

"Stubborn woman, we'll finish this right now." he whispered to her and before ChiChi could reply, she found herself slung over his shoulder, her legs secured by his arm, her small fists beating again the large expanse of his back.

"Let me go, you asshole!!" ChiChi screamed, the shrill cry booming off the walls, the rest of the house stunned silent by the mini war enfolding before their eyes. Walking cocksuredly towards the door, he turned back to the speechless crowd.

"Well, what kind of warriors are you, just gawking around. Get back to whatever exercise you were doing, we have a battle in six days, everything you have done has been for this point. Now!" Kakarott yelled out and the whole house stood at attention, giving one last look at their new master before centring on Quicline, the screams of their Mistress still ringing off the walls.

~~~~~

"You Hentai Beast, put me down!" Damn all men, particularly ones with tails, ChiChi growled, the furry appendage once more flitting out of her grasp. Another list of blasphemes were about to come from her mouth when she found herself lightly slammed against the thick stone wall, gasping in shock, looking up in fear at the savage glare of those ebony eyes.

"Stubborn bitch, don't you ever talk down to me like that again in front of others, or question my authority again. I've seen entire armies reduced to ashes because of such things; you don't think the enemy won't destroy you all where you stand if our armies show any kind of weakness or indecisiveness? Or are you so slow-witted to think this as some game?" The harsh growl in his voice rocked her to the core, reminding her of the time he nearly killed her in the arena and yet of all those nights together. Here was another face again, harsh with concern, making her show of defiance into some petty game and regret welled up in the young woman, her eyes shimmering with tears that she could not hold back, it was just too much.

"No," she turned her head to the side, not wishing him to see her on the brink of tears. "I just thought…"

"You thought what?" His cold even tone fed her remorse even more, his face so close to hers that the light whisper disturbed the delicate hairs by her temple.

"I am a member of this house as well, a founding member. You talk of hardships and sacrifices but you would deny me the one thing that would me to find peace. I am a warrior as much as you are, I fought you, I nearly defeated you, I did defeat you yesterday, and yet you treat me as though I am cattle, property that you can use and discard when you like. I will accept your rule, if you allow me to fight by the side of the other soldiers of this house; I've earned my place and I want my revenge." The grip on her arms lessen slightly but ChiChi still did not look up; she had encored so much of his wrath already, she did not wish to see more anger in his eyes, knowing it was all directed at her.

Kakarott swallowed hard and stared at the small woman before him, his little Amazon. His emotions warred against one another, his desire to please her against that to protect her. He knew strategically he would need her, as a fighter her skills were unmatched, as a symbol she could inspire more fervour towards Enleo than almost anyone else. Even beyond the logical necessity, he knew her love of fighting, a knowledge all Saiyajins knew too well. He could only imagine if he were forbidden to fight again, the loss of the rush of combat would infest his blood; like a madness that would probably overwhelm him. Yet, the only response he could ever give in reply is an image of her body, bruised and beaten, or being run through by a weapon, slaughtered in front of his very eyes before he could stop it. The weakness of finding a mate, even if they are not bonded; remembering his own father's reaction when his mother was killed before his eyes in combat, the death of his mate propelling the squad captain into more and more dangerous missions, all to erase the memory of her death. He was never going to let that happen, he would keep her safe, protect her.

"Yes, and that desire will not allow you to think straight, it will cloud your judgement and make you an easy target; you'll already be one of their main targets as the Wolf's daughter and a woman. At least I merely knocked you out at the end of our match; they would swarm and slaughter you. I will not allow that to happen." At the concerned words, albeit with the severe tone, she looked back at him, collecting her curiosity and a large degree of her resolve.

"Oh, but you chase me like a wild animal, but you don't wish me to get hurt; what is it, only you may try to kill me? And then, you find me and bring me back, put me back in my own bed and treat me like a stranger. You talk about me like your possession and yet you will have nothing to do with me; and you accuse me of not thinking clearly? Kreden said that he thought it was unlikely that you would send me back to the Kennel, does that mean you think I will just hop into your bed? I will never allow a man who does not respect me as an equal to touch me, and just because you believe you've won the right…" Her voice was beginning to rise in volume as he completely released his hold, turning to the side to give her a profile of his scowling face.

"You will be staying in your own room, I will take another. Whatever you think of me, Amazon, I am not the raper of unwilling women. You will lead the training of the troops; do what you must, they need to be ready for battle, but if I find you have fought I will take actions against it. Is that clear?" He waited tensely for her reply, his conflicting emotions making a mockery of his common sense. He actually wanted her to scream and rail against him, to not accept his demands. He sighed when she nodded in agreement and walked towards the training room to fulfil the duty he had put to her. As much as he wanted her, he must wait until she accepted him and gave of herself freely, he would not just take her, Kakarott mused, walking over to a small lookout window as he watched the sun sink from view.

~~~~~

"I swear if you don't fix that stupid piece of crap I'll get another spike ready outside on the outer wall, that is if I don't kill you right now. You've been working on that piece of junk all night, what the hell is wrong with the piece of crap now? "

"Nothing, Lord Enleo, we finally corrected all the bugs in the program; we just have to wait until we can get the signal for Okazaki." The frightened tech pleaded, gulping every few minutes at the thought of being impaled on a spike. His hand moved furiously over the keys of the console, feeling that pure black stare burn through his back. Why someone of the genius of Master Tech Gero's was associated with a barbarian like the man behind him he would never know, of course, if even one of the rumours regard his master was true, he had almost as much blood on his hands as the warlord. To think that even he himself had once been a member of one of the greatest Scribe houses in all of the Eastern Provinces, before all order fell apart. It might have been an honour to work with so intelligent a man but there were corners of that house he didn't dare go in, and there were men who lived there that looked as if they would kill their own mothers on a whim. Concentrating back on his work, the sound of a door creaking open shifted the attention of the room and that intense stare to the new occupant.

"Tioce, have all the messengers returned; I'm starting to learn why the old ways are the best." Enleo's gruff voice questioned of his chief slave.

"I fear, My Lord, that the young boy that was sent to the Coltello has not yet returned. That area is very dangerous, sir, he might have been killed before he delivered the message."

"He should hope, one could only imagine what would happen to him if the rebel got hold of him. At least messengers actually work," he proclaimed loudly, sneering at the man working on the communicator. "The boy was trained against torture techniques, correct?"

"Yes, sir, he was one of the boys from the seizure of An Dubhlahd, the orphans."

"Ah, yes, stupid little shits, to think that I killed their parents and they all willingly gave me their oaths of fealty and vowed their lives to me."

"Sir," the tech finally piped up, drawing back that unwanted gaze. "Ah, ah, I have the feed, Master Gero is on the line."

"Excellent, it's about time. Now leave, after this is finished I want those damn laser cannons to be tested." Pressing one last button, the man quickly took his leave, relieved to be escaping from that piercing glare and the promise of painful death. Tioce stood amazed as the image of the grey haired slaver flash on the black screen, all of the stories he had heard about the mad scientist had not truly prepared him to see the decrepit man in person.

"Well, Gero," the gravelled voice of the notorious leader thick with sarcasm. "I must ask you about the raid on Modulus, were there any difficulties?"

Never wavering in his hard glare, Enleo saw the flash of nervousness and unsettled fear in Gero pale eyes, the weakness showing but a moment on the slightly blurred screen, but it did not escape the warlord's notice.

"I am afraid that the plan did not go as expected, and it was not as successful as I had previously calculated."

"You failed."

"I can assure you, it was not my fault but the assassins I hired were met with some on foreseen difficulties; if nothing else, the subsequent events have helped our cause, Modulus is in turmoil."

"I don't care if anarchy is sweeping across the whole Central Continent," Enleo growled, "I will not accept any kind of failure with this battle. As soon as I can, I am going to be organising my forces to attack Bushi, Modulus is but a practice run to me, something I would rather not have to waste the time and resources on it. I do recall that you said you would handle this little headache, in exchange I would deal with Bushi and provide you with the necessary man power to secure your own position and defeat Modulus. Now you say that this small, albeit painful thorn in my side is still there, please tell me how this will help our cause?" Enleo was again met with that look of unsettled weakness in the old man's eyes; idiots, why was he forever surrounded by idiots? Who could have possibly thought that one silly slip of a girl could be so difficult to defeat?

"As far as I can tell, Lord Enleo, the Mistress of Modulus has been overthrown by one of her servants, the house would be reeling from the loss of their founder and the establishment of a new master."

"And what do you know of this new 'Master'?" Contempt dripping off every word.

"I know that his is a warrior, but we could still find an ally, or at least a neutral party in them."

"Amazing as it may seem to you, Gero, but it has been in my experience that those could become potential allies are the first to stab you in the back, or to make a fool out of you. If he truly is a warrior, I doubt he will just lie down so easily, or bring the people under his command to join the enemy. You forget, Gero, we were originally dealing with women, they can be even more dangerous than men, they can win the total support of their subjects, and once it is won it is rarely broken. It does not matter, the best strategy now is to attack quickly, there is relative unrest at both Bushi and Modulus and now is the time to attack, when their guard is the weakest; but our efforts have to be stronger, as our foes have grown in strength as well. Tell me, Gero, how are the weapon systems coming along?"

~~~~~

It was with a heavy heart and a tired step that Bulma left her laboratory, a full two days of experimenting, tinkering, developing and building and she was no better off now then she was, on that night. A lump still formed in her throat as she thought of what happened, what almost and could have, and what still could, if there was only more time. So far she had made great improvements to the alarm systems, the sensor array now covering up to twenty feet around the house, picking up the radiated ki energy of any strong source. She would also soon install the new lead shielded window and door coverings, getting the proper wiring and power source to have the coverings electrified would take at least until the next week. All of this to stop one person, and she knew no matter what gadget she could come up with it wouldn't stop him; he'd probably just blast his way through the stone walls. And the worst of all of it, what had gnawed at her every moment of the last two days was that she didn't want to stop him, wanted him to be here with her.

"Stupid hormones." she whispered to herself, playing idly with the latest little gadget in her hands. At least she had also upped the power on the weapons; if anyone, Vegita, Gero, the boogie man, tried to attack at least she would definitely have a good amount of fire power to protect herself. Walking through the now torch lit halls, she swore she felt eyes focused on her, the endless shadows playing games with her mind. There was one big problem with the new projects though, they drained her generator faster than she possibly would have liked, she'd definitely have to work on a new generator with a better energy source. Thoughts of the Saiyajin space pods and the possibilities she could discovery with that came to her mind, but from what she had gathered, ChiChi had almost the same problem she had. Gazing back at her hands, she clutched them tightly around the warm metal under palms; to think she had caused all of this, dragging another soul into this mess, possibly even bringing the down fall of her only ally. No, she couldn't be like this, she had her house back, her people and when she made sure they were safe she would help ChiChi and drive away both Enleo and Gero, and the Saiyajin threat. At the thought of the absent Vegita, she again felt that terrible, painful incompleteness well up in her, Fate had never been truly kind to her and this was no exception; why of all the men she had known did it have to be him? It couldn't have even been someone from her own species, and why, why did it have to be her now sworn enemy? Ignoring the little voice in her head that proclaimed it was more her fault than the powers of Fate, she silenced it in her pity, walking to the bathing chambers to wash away the grime and the emotional struggles she was facing.

~~~~~

There was just something about hunting prey, the watcher smirked, hunting animal of the four, or two legged variety that was so invigorating. To stalk one's intended; watch, listening, observing, waiting, like the hand of death to pounce, startle and eventually overcome everything; death was always victorious. Not that this quarry was great sport, hardly a fighter or a dangerous animal, ah but they are the most dangerous, the most elusive, with hidden claws and luck always on their side. Oh well, as had been stated before, luck was fleeting, death was not. Following their unsuspecting prey, the hunter blended in perfectly with the shadows, the darkness a source of power and comfort, such for their kind; a bit of stolen knowledge though never hurt. Hearing a muffled curse, the stalker's smirk widened and a faint chuckle almost left their mouth, nearly blowing their cover. Silly creature, them and their sexual frustrations, mentally chuckling as the pungent smell wafted through the air. Such a weakness, far too exploitable in this one, of course, trained properly it could be used greatly to their advantage. The fools that acted so in front of her, because of her, it would be all too easy.

Amazed when the quarry stopped so suddenly, the hunter thought their cover might have been blown; no just silly human, female sentiment once more, the chemical signals of determination, conflict and fear. Breathing in more heavily, the hunter smiled; there was nothing better than the smell of fear. Slipping into the protective safety of a nearby corridor, the oblivious woman was still unaware of the eyes that followed her every move, or maybe not so clueless; the smell of fear growing stronger and more defined every step down the hall. To follow, but there was too much at stake to just allow for wasteful play, the shadows are too weak in this area; besides, she is alert now, she could possibly trip the alarms if startled now. Later, when the pull of sleep is stronger. The smells of the hall reveal quickly what sort of a place this is, mist tickled the watchers nose, mixed with soap and more flowery scents associated with females and their tastes. Maybe it would be too hasty to just do it and leave, there could be much more gained than just a new slave, remembering the beautiful clothes from earlier. The delicate swish of a heavy door barely touching their ears; that was quick, how considerate to not make the wait a long one. As if tracking so unsuspecting prey wasn't easy enough, the hunter smirked to themselves, the smell of flowered soap around the quarry like a nimbus. Slinking slowly back into the shadows, the hunter growing bolder with each step, getting closer to the white clad figure. Walking silently through the halls, they can only follow the woman's lead; damn house, even labyrinths don't have this many twists and turns. If she would go into a room, an enclosed space, where she cannot run; that door up there has some possibilities. Let's see if that old woman had anything truly on the ball. It took only a whisper of suggestion, aided by the coming of sleep which lured the blue woman into the room, how pathetic. The door swings open, one with a lock for which this place is so well known, and suddenly light floods the darkened hallway. Damn it, there were all suppose to be out, if she turns around they could lose everything. So close, they could not give up now. The image blazed before her eyes again, as she charged up a means of extinguishing the light.

'Juu-chan, avenge me.'

~~~~~

Bulma didn't know why she had the sudden need to enter her study, all the worrying and working and nights in the Kennel had begun to catch up with her, she was surprised she was still on her feet. The warmth of the bath had definitely soothed her tired muscles and taunt nerves and all she could think of was getting into a bed and sleeping for an eternity. And now she couldn't even sleep in her own; that would be the first place Vegita would try to find her. For whatever reason, she disabled the security lock and walked into the lit room, the light almost blinding her sensitive eyes. It happened faster than her tired human senses could compute as the electric lights exploded, the sparks flying everywhere and the room plunged into darkness. Darting her now alert eyes around the room, she couldn't even scream out as a small, cold hand grabbed her by the throat and slammed her against the marble wall. She flailed as hard as she could, her metal gadget getting in one good hit before it was struck out of her hand and landed at her feet. Her lungs were burning for air, tears of pain formed in her eyes, but she continued to fight against the hold. There was something about that hand, it brought back the half remembered piece of a forgotten nightmare, of that cold inhuman grip, it hurt her, had touched her and yet made no move now to do such a thing. She must be going nuts, her eyes could not even see an attacker; but she knew they were there, and they were not Vegita. The grip on her neck lessened marginally, only to be pressed against a small hard body, an oddly feminine body. Panting heavily now that she had the freedom, she screamed out as a pair of pale blue eyes appeared before her, set in a lovely pale skin face that was framed by shoulder length corn silk hair. A solid punch landed in her stomach and she slumped into the other woman in pain. Feeling the brush of lips against her neck, but not the warmth of skin and breath.

"An amazing chase you have proven to be, though not as impressive without your mechanical junk and little tailed man to protect you. Rather anti-climatic, don't you think?"

"I don't know who you are, or why you're doing this to me?" Bulma gasped out against the pain, trembling against the deathly cold body of her capture. A slight chuckle greeted her replied and Bulma prepared for another strike.

"You don't have to know me; I know you, I know why Gero wanted you, and I know you are the reason my brother was destroyed. You are going to help me get my revenge though, bitch, against that tailed freak, not that you'll have much choice in the matter. I suggest you relax, I hear death is a very painful experience." Stunned at the mentioning of Gero, the thought died in her head as sharp fangs broke through her skin and the vampyre started to suck the life right out of her. How often had she felt this over the time that she had been with Vegita, waking up to find bite marks on her neck, remembering ecstasy at the bite? Even now, as she weakling tried to fight against the woman, Bulma melted against the feeling, so like that of the Saiyajin and yet, it felt wrong; a cold, iciness creeping into her body. Her body began to feel heavy beyond belief, heavy and cold. Letting her head fall against the young woman's shoulder, she felt her breathing grow faint and darkness entering her mind. It was like she was falling into a black pit, at first cold and then progressively getting hotter, and more painful. Clawing at the walls of rapidly receding prison, she couldn't stop herself from falling, the sensations growing strong, until her body fell to the ground, warmth starting to flood back into her body as she gasped for breath. With shaky hands, she raised her fingers to the two puncture wounds on her throat, blood still slowly seeping from the wounds but the blood had begun to clot. Shifting the pressure of her fingers downwards, she softly sighed at the steady pulse of her heart; she was still alive, but how? Opening her eyes, she saw nothing in the all consuming dimness of the room, the girl was gone, the air heavy with dust, and the smell of burnt flesh as the vampyre must have disintegrated; but how had it happened, who could have killed her? Touching the fine ashes that now covered the wall, her vision gradually picking up a form, a face, and two pure black eyes staring out at her through the darkness. His obsidian eyes held her gaze, the look radiating from them as unreadable as the man himself, infinitely cold and yet burning with that inner fire of his. She was held paralysed by that gaze, as helpless as in her dream; the thought of why he had returned and what he would do to her now grabbed hold of her and she grabbed at the metal cylinder by her side.

Even with the exhaustion he could sense from her, the loss of blood and the measure of shock she must have been facing, coming so close to death, she could move surprising fast. When he had found that blond woman, the one from that Moon struck night who had escaped, who was attacking his, his; he couldn't say the word, he reacted beyond thinking and punching through her back and crushed her heart, amazed beyond belief when she turned into dust before his eyes. Drifting her eyes away from his gaze, he noticed the small flash of metal and her hands darting to grab it. Lunging at her, he stopped short as a controlled beam of pure blue light blazed to life, the tip of the ki beam aimed right at his throat. He stared down at her in pure contempt, anything to hide his amazement at her work; all of this created to fight and destroy him. She held the hilt of the ki sword in both hands, those eyes that were just a moment ago so weak, stared back at him like those of a warrior; two burning pools of rage. Getting unsteadily to her feet, she advanced on him; Vegita, his gaze never wavering but taking cautious steps back, the heat of the ki burning against his neck. Silly weak fool, though not quite as weak as he first had thought; she finally found the means to try to kill me, or at least hurt me. If she had a warrior's training, the opponent she would make, but she was too slow, did not have the skill to do any real damage. He growled in annoyance as a voice inside his head reminded him or what she had already done, the damage she had inflicted to his pride and his sanity in the time he had known her. It also questioned him on why he came back, only when he known she was in danger, had destroyed that thing before it could take her life. But he knew the truth, she didn't need ki to fight, she had her mind, from the cuibhreach he knew her as a fighter; but he couldn't, he couldn't allow the bond to completely form. That was why he came back, to kill her, to end that weakness; even Kakarott had noticed the change. What was he really suppose to do, bond with her, she could never be good enough to be the Queen of the Saiayjins, the second she walked on Vegitasei she would be crushed by the gravity, if not killed for being a lower species. So this was your revenge, you old witch, to accept her is to become an outcast, to let her live would become a weakness, to kill her would have him suffer with the one ended bond for the rest of his days. Even now, her skin chalk white and her hair dishevelled he wanted her, two days of hell and the prospect of an eternity of the same becoming more than he was willing to face. There would be no way she would be accepted by his people, by his father; but then again, when had he ever cared what anyone thought of him, and when he became a Super Saiyajin, they would never question him. He knew though, he'd have to get that sword away from her if he hoped to accomplish anything. He felt a flash of something in his mind, something strong but feminine. The chains grew tighter with her nearness, the conflict and confusion in the aura calmed with the smell of her hair and that soap she had always used. Looking into those eyes, those soul stealing eyes, he finally relented; what did it matter, when he was king, he would do whatever he wished.

"Why are you here, Vegita? Come to finish what you started? I won't let you; I swear if you touch me again, I'll kill you." Grasping the warm metal cylinder with all the strength she had left, she waited for his reply, mentally calculating the chances of striking with the sword. Smirking in reply, the Saiyajin blinked out of existence, Bulma swinging the beam out around her, the long shadows cast by the light making it difficult to see anything.

"What's the matter, Vegita, are you scared of me, scared of a weak, human female? Where are you; come out and fight me!" That low, rumbling chuckle, so familiar to Bulma's ears, filled the room and she stood her ground, her shoulders squaring at the thought of him laughing at her.

"Please, woman, as if I would be afraid of you."

"Is that why you ran, is that why you are hiding from me now? What's the matter, oh mighty Prince, because I have defeated you, are you scared to lose again?" Keeping the sword raised, the low, comforting hum of ki buzzed in her ear, that and the soft even sound of her breath the only noise that permeated the almost liquid silence of the room.

"I would never be scared of you, woman." He laughed out, the words sounded oddly hollow to his ears, that infinitesimal link between his soul and her own was pulling on him again. He couldn't believe how he had craved this over the past two days, just to be in her presence, annoying her, sparring against her, enjoying the challenge she brought him. As much as he hated to admit it, he wanted this, needed it, needed her; but none of that matter if she wasn't ready; if, if she didn't want him. The signals and flashes he had picked up from her had been confusing and maddening at best but on that first morning he had felt it, felt her need mixed with his own. Walking silently up towards her, he allowed his voice to echo through the chamber.

"I would say, that you are more scared of me, little one. Ai sibh ann an boid sibh sam diong ab bith mo seis?" The heavy growl of his native tongue emulated throughout the room, the words like an old song, never taught but always known; words of a ritual so old and rare their common knowledge had been lost centuries before his very birth. Bulma whirled around again; the confusion gone and a confidence flooding through that strengthen link.

"I can accept anything you can give me, accept any challenge you could ever give me. I'm just as worthy as you are." She didn't know how she knew what he had said, in truth it was nothing more than a series of low growls but she knew, through a knowledge beyond the book learning she had acquired and the battles she had faced over her life. Like a song they were, or a poem, or something greater than mere words it was, and she answered back, giving the only reply that she could.

"Silly fool, think you are worthy?" Taking the cover that the darkness offered him, he smiled at her answer, all the while provoking her anger. He loved to see her angry, and the affects it had on her. He wanted a fight, a challenge, and he knew she was now committed to giving it to him.

"At least I'm the one who isn't afraid to hide? I'm right here, Vegita, come and get me." The lightest brush of a heel against the floor caught her ear as a hand grabbed her around the waist and a hard, warm body brushed against her back.

"I already have." he whispered in her ear, his touch on her feather light and she whirled around, positioning her weapon to strike him down; the only man she had found that could truly hurt her. As fast as she was, he was faster, and the sword went flying out of her hands; the brilliant light disappearing before it hit the floor. Plunged into darkness once more, Bulma stared up into his eyes, his closeness, his arms surrounding her gave her a feeling of contentment and peace; of being warm and safe in his arms and never wanting to leave. She felt another sensation creeping into her mind, as if being watch or observed by a benevolent force, the one that had pulled her from the void so many days ago. A warm hand brushed against her back and she closed the gap between them, winding her arms around his neck and burying her face in his chest.

"You came back to me." she whispered against his skin, the link of emotion between stronger than the measure of their words. The sensation grew stronger and deeper and she let it in, accepting this challenge of his. She gasped in shock and felt her legs weaken under the waves and waves inundating her, pain and pleasure moulding into one, love and hate, joy and sorrow; of foreign emotions, memories of a life she had not lived and yet knew it all the same. Flashes of him as a child, training, being disobedient and rebellious against his father and the weight of all of his responsibility lain upon his shoulder at such a young age. She saw him becoming older, wiser, stronger, yet no less head strong or stubborn, and fighting always fighting against anyone and everything; his life never at peace. He was showing her his life, his trials and tribulations, everything he had inside of him; and in turn, she showed him her life, not holding back any part of herself; the shared emotions like chains binding them together, making them one being, two halves to a whole. Sighing in wonder at the beauty of it all, a soft almost inaudible thought crossed the link.

"Not complete, bond … flesh and blood to make … whole." His warm breath brushed against the skin of her neck and he nipped at it, breaking the flesh and sucking every so lightly at the blood that flowed from the wound. Guiding by a sense of rightness, Bulma lower her head to his corded neck, the charged air around his body dropping suddenly and she sunk her teeth into the smooth flesh of his shoulders, pricking his skin and licking at the blood that welled up from the tiny wound.

"Woman, say it." It was not like that other time, there was no fear or pain, no game of revenge but a mutual need and understanding. No words needed to be said as she lifted her head to his and kissed him full on the mouth. Vegita crushed her body against his own, slipping the cotton robe off her shoulders as his hand slid over her soft flesh; the bond pulled at him again, the sensation of her soul mixed with his own more powerful than anything he had ever experience, making him strong, making him whole. Maybe it was why he understood Kakarott so well, knew that in some way, space or form he was always incomplete. The means he had used to fill that void: power, violence, cruelty; the total of his sins paid back in the form of overweening pride and the humiliation of being made the slave of such a weak creature. The pay back of his sins, and the means to his Dharma, his duty he had learned from that little witch with the cards, his destiny, bound to her forever by invisible chains of cuibhreach, forever drowning in the blue eternity of her eyes. Now there was only one more step, the last ritual of the bond to make it whole, the last binding step that would make them one. Feeling her pull and tug at his clothing, he toed off his boots and allowed her to peel off the rest of his clothing; the two standing naked in each others' arms. Lowering her to the floor, Vegita kissed her mouth and whispered to her the final question.

"Ailleas sibh breith mo muirichinn?" Bulma whimpered into Vegita chest, kissing every inch of skin she could, kissing his throat as if to ask pardon for the sins she had committed against him. He had growled to her once more, the mysterious words that she did and didn't know softly crooning in her ear. He had asked her something, she could sense his fear, his need, the importance of her answer; it was this that decided their fate, that tied them together, completed them both in a tie born of flesh and blood. Kissing his chin like she had that first true night they spent together, she whispered against his face and began to kiss his mouth, her hands caressing his body and stroking the fine fur of his tail.

"Yes." Breaking the kiss, Vegita nipped her nose and skimmed down her neck, licking and lightly biting her throat until he reached her ear, and for the first time in his life, he sang the ancient song. About to ask him what he was doing, Bulma stopped as the whisper quiet growl touched her ears and she melted against him, her body growing warm and heavy, her mind joining it; the strength in her very limbs seeping away. With her hands lightly stroking his wonderfully broad back, she closed her suddenly tired eyes and just let Vegita make love to her, gasping and sighing in delight as his hand caressed its way down her body, massaging her breasts, her sides, her buttocks. His mouth followed the same path of his hands, his song breaking only to kiss and nip and her breasts, his warm breath heavenly as it tickled her skin; Bulma could only coo and moan at his ministrations, nothing else existing but his love making. And still the Saiyajin simply touched her, kissing her body; his movements so gentle, and when he slipped his tongue into her entrance, she moaned loudly, allowing him to part her thighs as he suckled her clitoris and teased her nether lips. A warmth started to spread through her body; she so wanted to touch him, to stroke his skin and make love to him in return, the best she cold do against the haunting growls was to run her fingers through his thick hair. His movements were so slow and gentle, like nothing she had never experienced. When he removed his mouth, she murmured a tiny protest, the words dying in a loud groan as he pushed himself into her, his own song dying in a groan at the feeling of her all around him. Looking down at her, he kissed her once more, waiting for her eyes to open again so that he could look into them, know if this was what she wanted, it was already too hard to hold back, but he had to know. Her warm, tightness squeezed him and he held back another groan; after all the torture he had went through, the pulling influence of the bond, he needed to know. Slowly Bulma's body began to overcome the power of his song, opening her eyes and staring into his smoky black one, his eyes pleading with her, and taking his tail, she ran her fingers through his fur, his song starting again. Humming in time with his strokes, he watched his woman, her breathing going ragged and her eyes go smoky and clouded in ecstasy. He felt himself coming closer and closer to the edge, his control slipping, his muscles slowly tensing as the wonderful intense sensations burning through his veins. The build up was so slow but so intense, it felt as if he would be burned alive, every sweet breath between them bring them closer. Finally losing control, he reached his climax, followed immediately by the woman beneath him; never in his life had he experienced such a strong, passionate, pure feeling in his life, he could not even scream out, he was robbed of speech. And through the bond, Oh Kami, he could feel her ecstasy as if it were his own, wave upon wave of unspeakable pleasure passed between them, the bond growing in strength with every second, every touch and suddenly it was there, complete and whole and wondrous. Rolling to his side, the mighty Saiyajin Prince collapsed, his chest heaving with the need for air, caught in the last petering moments of his orgasm, and at side, his mate cuddled against his warmth. She stared at him for a moment, not hiding or holding anything back, panting as he was, her blue eyes shining out, even in the dark. Smiling softly at him once more, she closed her eyes and rested her head on his shoulder, one small arm wrapped loosely around his waist. Curling his arms around her body, he stood up on shaky legs and looked down at her peaceful face.

"Sibh ailleas bi a iongantach ribhinn, ann an ma sibh sam a simleag." he growled once more, chuckling at his own words as he walked towards her room.

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Want to know what those 'Saiyan' words were? Click here for the glossary.

Table of Contents
Chapter 11
Chapter 13