Disclaimer: And on the first day, Toriyama created Dragonball and it was good. On the second day, he created Dragonball Z and it was very good (yeah Vegita). On the third day, FUNimation took over the dubbing of DBZ and the world was plunged into darkness. The moral of the story is that I don’t own DBZ.

This story contains the general sex, violence and cursing of the previous chapters. If you feel uncomfortable with these topics and/or you are under legal age, I would suggest you don’t read this.

As always, the email address is there if you have any comments, concerns or questions.

"Who’s next?" The shout rang out in the crowded hall. A fearful chill passed through those assembled as if the mouth of the hells had opened before them; and in a way it had. Before them, upon a massive black marble throne was a creature that could and had inspired fear and terror in almost all whom had dared to gaze into the pure, black depths of his eyes. Black was truly the only way to describe the figure; jet black hair, clothed in black armour; the very aura of death surrounded him.

"I have the scouting report from Bushi, oh Scourge of Fate." One tentative individual finally spoke out, removing himself from the general mass.

"Well soldier, what have you to report?" Enleo snapped at the cowering man; patience had never been one of his virtues.

"Sir, I’ve been doing night observations for the past three nights; examining fortification, sentry rotation, any signs of weapons build-up."

"I don’t care what your mission was, what have you to report?!" Yelled the seated man, his anger rising every second.

"My Lord, it seems that Bushi has been expanding their armoury, guarded convoys have been arriving from Modulus since I first took my post. I’ve gathered word from the surrounding villages that they have already been warned about the coming invasion."

"So, the little cub has a spy in my own camp, the creature has more brains or balls than her father did. Apart from hiding in the bushes and in safe villages, did you get inside?"

"I was going to make my move yesterday morning, sir, before it came."

"It? What, pray tell, is ‘it’?"

"Did you not see it, my Lord; it was a fireball in the sky, it came right from the heavens themselves. Early yesterday morning, an object from space crashed to the ground about a mile from Bushi. The thing lit up the sky before it fell and I knew I could never enter the house after that, the entire guard would be ready for an attack. I decided to investigate the site myself. My Lord, it was like nothing I had ever seen; a small round ball with a window in the centre. And then, something came out; a beast."

The hard, frightening sound of laughter followed the scout’s comment as the once dignified façade of the ‘Scourge of the Fate’ cracked into a wicked grin. The amused noise filled the hall as the first utterance had, producing much the same effect, particularly with the few female slaves in the hall. A look of fear and terrible recognition flashed before their defeated eyes; that sound was one they had heard when they first arrived in this hell and every night after, either in their nightmares or ringing in their ears.

"A beast came from a sphere that fell from the sky? I’ve heard some farfetched stories about what happens around the new Moons but that is the best one yet. Pray tell, what else did this creature from outer space do?"

"I swear to you, Oh destroyer of kings, I am telling you the truth. The creature looked like a man, you couldn’t tell him from any other man except for the tail he had wrapped around his waist, and … and…"

"And?" A more annoyed tone entering Enleo’s voice.

"It, it flew."

"So, ‘it’ had wings?"

"No, my Lord. It flew with no visible effort at all, just glided through the air like he didn’t weigh a feather. He also glowed, my Lord, a yellow light surrounded him like he was some kind of mythic creature or some kind of angel."

"I see, an angel. And where were you during all of these proceedings? Surely such an intelligent and clever individual would not have left himself out in the open so this ‘flying man with a tail’ or this angel with no wings could attack you."

"I was in my hiding place, around the road through the Ignatieff Pass, watching for any more convoys I could join to sneak my way into the fortress. I was but a quarter of mile from the crash site. The creature didn’t notice me but he did notice some soldiers from Bushi. It stopped its flight and confronted it."

For the first time since he had decided to reveal the tale he had to tell, he stared up at the man on the throne. An expression of annoyance and curiosity crossed the darkened features. Since joining Enleo’s ranks, Denapi had allowed held an inner awe of the man who sat before him. Seeing that thing, and what it could do, had made the man who sat upon that throne a small threat in the much larger scheme of things.

"Continue, soldier. If your story proves to be in any way true I wish to know if I have a new ally or enemy."

"The thing is neither an ally or an enemy to any, it just was evil. The men from Bushi stood to meet it, questioned it about his origins, why it was on their land, even fired their weapons at it; they never knew. It attacked; it was like nothing I had ever seen. It struck in the blink of an eye, there was no chance to defend; it felled the first warrior as if he were a mere child. The next two were death almost before the first one could hit the ground. Only one escaped, running back in the direction of Bushi; the creature was on his heels, hunting him like an animal."

"What kind of weapons did the soldiers of Bushi carry?" A new sense of interest snapping to attention in the warlord’s manner.

"I didn’t see them that closely, the creature was the only thing that had matter. They looked like normal fighting and projectile weapons only they glowed, a little like the tailed thing. It fired a shot of light, like lightning only in a small ball. It hit the spiked hair man without so much as a flinch."

The usual stony mask of indifference fell over Enleo’s face as he stood up, walking down from his raised throne to confront the man who had woven this wild tale.

"And yet again, I’m wondering where you are, or better yet, where were you after the little episode in the woods. What happened to this great tailed angel or the man he was chasing? Did the thing attack Bushi or just stop at the unfortunate bastard before he could reach the gate? Or better yet, did you bring back any of these lightning weapons that you said the Bushi warriors possess?"

"No, my Lord, I could think only of my survival and that meant getting as much space between me and that monster as I could. Doing my duty, sir, I came back to tell you what happened."

"Rather stupid of you, wasn’t it? As far as I can tell, you hid from the enemy, didn’t gather one scrap of useable information about their operations, and when danger came, you hid in the shadows and thought nothing more of your own hide." A glint of sadistic amusement flashed in those soulless black eyes. "As you have revealed your true colours, your punishment shall be show you what you truly are made of. Guards; take this maggot to Dolore and his staff; I want this one alive and awake the entire time. Tell them they may remove his tongue before hand, I grow very tired of his stories and the cries tend to get annoying after a few hours."

Screams begging for mercy echoed through the cavernous hall, all of which were ignored.

"Tioce, send out a messenger to Bushi. If a new master sits at the head of the house, inform them of the state of war between us. If they are agreed to a truce and will hand over that Amazonian bitch, then give them my blessing. If they refuse, tell them I look forward to meeting them on the battle field."

Calling out of one of the young soldiers on duty in the throne room, s boy walked to the middle of the room and repeated the message. After receiving a nod of acceptance, the boy knelt before the large doors leading to the hallway, raised his fisted hand in reverence, and took his leave.

"My Lord?" The vassal asked. "Why did you just send that boy out with that message?"

"Questioning my methods, Tioce? I saw that fireball our unfortunate scout saw last night. He was probably telling the truth about the monster, so I’m going to confirm it for myself."

Tioce nodded, trying not to think of the man in the torture chamber who may or may not have a tongue. Hoping he wasn’t pushing his luck too much, he asked another question.

"My Lord, I must make one more inquiry; why did you not give a message if the lady Bushi is still in charge?"

"Know your enemy, know yourself. If the half-breed is still in power, that boy will be dead before he gets five steps past the main gate. It doesn’t matter either way; I’ll be attacking in a few days anyway. What is next?"

"Lord Enleo, Reismen has returned a few hours ago from the rebel territories." Tioce replied.

"Reismen, I trust you have good news for me about the state of the rebels."

Kneeling before his commanding officer, the lieutenant gave a salute and began his report. "Oh Scourge of the Fate, we were unable to locate the rebels."

"Unable? You will be explaining this further, of course."

"When we arrived at the village of Iuch Ar, sir, we found that it had been abandoned; all of the villages had. Nothing remained but the women, young children, the sick and the elderly; every available man had left. We gathered from the survivors that the men had left weeks ago to form a guerrilla resistance movement. Do not fear, My Lord, we left nothing of the villages but charred remains and broken corpses. It was then decided that the Coltello would hunt them down, and the main forces would return to prepare for the battle with Bushi."

"The Coltello, a bit excessive don’t you think? I suppose it’s not important; have you anything else to report?"

"I have brought back a few prisoners for your enjoyment, sir. Bring them in!" The attention of the room turned to the door as it swung open. Walking in single file in front of two guards were four women; clothes tattered over their bruised bodies, terror reflected in their tired eyes. The women walked up to the throne, their gaze darting about as if looking for a way out of the nightmare their lives has now become. The guard pushed them forward and forced them to their knees before the marble throne. Three of the four shivered as the felt the gaze of those soulless eyes on them.

"These were part of the spoils left after the attacks on the rebel villages. Rather attractive creatures are they not, My Lord; the men enjoyed them immensely. I felt they would make a good addition to your collection."

Smirking at the connotation, Enleo walked to the first girl. Watching his descent towards her, the girl averted her eyes, staring intently at the floor as if to hope it would swallow her up from this nightmare. Since her husband had left to join the rebel forces, life had become hell for her. Thoughts of him dying, of never seeing him again were replaced by pleas for her own death as her husband’s enemies tortured her. Every night, after they used her, hurt her, she would pray for the end of her pain, questioning why her husband had left her to this. And now, as she knelt in the presence of death itself, she wished for the end of everything. Why were the Fates cursing her?

"Such pretty pets you’ve brought me, Reismen; I can smell their fear from here." Bending down, he grabbed the first woman’s chins, turning her face towards himself. Smiling at her frightened gasp, he began to stroke her cheek, noting the black and blue marks along her jaw and cheek. She shivered against his touch, the memory of being raped overcoming her. Leaning in closer to her, he whispered into her ear.

"Did they hurt you, little one?" She nodded. "Don’t worry, what you ever happened to you before you came here will be nothing compared to what I have in store for you." Moving away, he snickered at the tears that flowed down her cheeks, the look of utter hopelessness on her face. It was only a matter of time before she broke. Motioning to one of the attendants by the fire, he was soon presented with a white- hot brand.

"That you never forget who your master is." He calmly said as he positioned the poker to her upper thigh and pressed down. A scream of complete agony, helplessness and defeat rang through the hall. Enleo just savoured the sound and walked to the next woman in the line. Annoyed that her attention was on her screaming companion, he passed the brand to an attendant and grabbed the woman by her hair. Looking into her grey eyes, he experienced a moment of shock when at the look of defiance that met his gaze. Using her moment reprieve, the woman spit in his face and stared back into his eyes, awaiting her punishment. Slapping the woman across the face, he increased the pull on her hair, making her wince.

"Reismen! What is the meaning of this? Who is this woman?"

"My Lord, that is the village Wisdom, a Bruha." Looking over her face once again, he noted her unmarked face and body, the proud look on her face. Stupid fools, believing in children’s stories and curses, they didn’t beat or touch her.

"What is the matter, witch? No spouting of curses and the coming of the end, I don’t think your doing your job right."

"I saw this, this moment, my death and yours. I don’t need to curse you, the blood of thousands is already on your hands, one more will not make a difference. The Fates will come to you, Oh destroyer of kings, your time will come, your reign, like your life, will end."

"What a stupid bitch you are. If there were any Fates, why would they let this happen to you, to these women," he said, turning to kick the branded woman who had now lost consciousness. "Man makes his own fate, just like you did by not running when you knew that this was coming. You should feel privileged though; I haven’t seen such a look of anger in another’s eyes in four years, in the eyes of an Amazon princess. Well, as you share her courage, you should share her fate, be a beacon for those who seek the truth. Guards; take this woman to the wooden gate. I want her placed on the main spire and let gravity impale her. I want it nice and slow: no weights, no knocking her out, nothing. When she starts to beg, I want her to be set on fire, bright enough to see a mile away. Oh, and let this one keep her tongue; it’s hard to understand grovelling when they can’t talk." Looking over at the other women, their eyes reflecting cold terror, Enleo just laughed.

"Don’t worry, it won’t be long now. After the branding, you will be made ready for harem duty. Then you will know hell."

A pair of guards walked up to the women, forcing them to move. Dragging one of the women to her feet, she quickly fell to the floor sobbing, her knees giving out on her. Angered at the woman’s weakness, Enleo again grabbed the brand and walked over to the figure prone on the floor.

"Shut up, bitch." He shouted as he kicked her onto her side, holding her still with his foot while he positioned the brand. Weeps and pleas poured out of the terrified creature, all of which were ignored as the pressure on her side increased, straining her ribs. The cries for mercy soon turned to screams of pain as hot metal scorched her upper thigh. The four were then carried out of the hall with no further struggle; shock and pain numbed them into complacency as they walked towards their new lives, Iuch Ar and their loved ones lost to them forever.

"Tioce, is that transmitter of Gero’s set up yet?" Enleo asked to his vassal, the voice of perfect calm, even after he had sentenced five people to the slow agonising hell.

"I’m afraid the techs have yet to get it operation, sir. They’re still trying to install the main generator they brought for the Slaver’s equipment."

"This had better be worth it, joining forces with that freakish old man. The rumours that surrounded that man years ago where enough to destroy him, they finally did in the end. I even remember this one, it was during the last New Moon, twelve years ago now. There was another fireball in the sky and it landed near An Ceitean and Gero was given the order to go investigate it. They said he went insane shortly after that. Argh, technology, if I didn’t need those weapons to defeat Bushi and Modulus, I’d never have had this aggravation. Tioce, send out a messenger to Okazaki, and tell Gero his weapons better be ready in two weeks; if that little bitch is arming herself I can’t let her get too much firepower. Oh, and Tioce, send out a messenger to the Coltello, tell them after they finish with the guerrillas to head towards Ignatieff plains in two weeks time. I want my enemies to know that death is staring them in the face."

~~~~~

As Kayra paced back and forth through the hall she wonder was insanity had made her agree to this. It was madness that had made her accept Bulma’s invitation to talk to the Saiyajin and a further madness that had actually made her keep her word to come here to meet him. By the Fates, maybe it was madness that had brought her to Modulus as well. Grumbling to herself, she felt the weight of her sword on her back shift a little as she walked through the spacious chamber, glancing at the elaborate tapestries to in an attempt to keep her mind off the situation she was in. She made several turns about the room before the door swung opened and two figures walked through the door. Her eyes caught sight of the Saiyajin first, forcing down the fear she felt every time she saw him. Behind him stood one of the servants, dressed in the same white loincloth uniform as the Saiyajin. Bowing low, the servant left the room, leaving the two remaining occupants to stare at each other in contempt, an uneasy tension filled the room.

"I gathered from what I have heard from the other humans of this house that you are a creature of some powers and abilities, is that correct?"

Wondering what possible motive he would have for asking such a question, she felt for one of the smaller throwing knives in her sleeve in case he decided to attack.

"Yes, I am a Bruha, a witch. I took on the position of healer in this house not more than a week ago. That is my you asked for my presence?"

"No, I do not require your healing services, more your wisdom. Do you have any higher perceptive abilities, to see the future?"

"I have dreams of what has been and what will be, I see as far as the Fates allow."

"Then tell me, you seemed to have an idea of who or what I was when I awoke to see you and your Mistress several days ago, how did you know such things?"

"I have seen you, in my nightmares about the comings of the end. You are the one who will bring an end to this planet. You and the doll."

"I see you are wise, if not a little cryptic; though I doubt I will need a toy to help me destroy this planet. I do not care about something I know will happen, I wish to know about the Super Saiyajin, the greatest warrior in the universe."

"I’ve never heard of this creature you speak of, I have seen your face only twice in my visions. The Fates have shown me your face before, when you fought against the knight of air in a duel before the Lord. They said you were a being of great power and will, a thing to be feared. I have also watched as you killed a wise woman on another planet many months ago. I saw and felt you shot her through the head, but not before she told you of your fate."

Vegita growled at the nonsensical nature of her responses; she was as aggravating as everything else on this insane planet. What was she talking about, a knight of air before a noble, maybe there was something in the air on this piece of rock. One point that did make sense to him was her mention of the old woman, maybe she knew of the curse and a way to reverse it.

"If you felt that woman’s death, you know with what she cursed me with; tell me how to reverse it."

"I cannot reverse the path of the Fates, she was the voice they choose to speak through, as they have chosen me. They give you this as a reminder of how your anger and selfishness will be repaid. The forces of Karma and Dharma will come to you soon, Prince Vegita."

"Is that all you can tell me, riddles and half-stories about my fate? About the forces of unseen things, I knew this planet was insane."

Kayra bristled at the comment, indignant that he would think her a slave. "I tell you what you wish to know, what Dharma the Fates have proclaimed for you. I do no more than protecting my Mistress as the Fates have given me my duties; such is my Dharma. If you are unhappy with the answers of the Fates, maybe the answers of the cards would suit you better."

Vegita scowled at the girl’s superior attitude, she would be one of the first to go after he was free. Though the idea of a competition between himself and this stubborn little wench was interesting, it would be good to beat her at her own game to show her who was her superior.

"I have no interest in playing games with a child, if I wished for that I would play Kaissa with the ‘Mistress’ of this house."

"The cards are not a game; they are a tool to see your past and present and how it can affect your future. You need only to shuffle them and I will lay them out and interpret them." Reaching into one of the pouches around her waist, Kayra brought out the silk covered bundle and waited for Vegita to make his decision. Nodding in agreement, Kayra turned and walked towards the small serving table that she had used not a few days earlier for the Mistress’ reading. Following behind her, Vegita watched as the girl sat beside the table, and unwound the silk scarf from around the deck and handed the cards to him. Staring at the cards in disbelief, He turned the deck over and looked with disinterest at the images on the small pieces of parchment.

"Do you fear a set of cards, Prince Vegita, or is it your future you fear?" Snorting at her comment, Vegita placed the cards in his palm and began to shuffle; the angers of his recent past running through his minds as his fingers brushed across the cards smooth surface. Stopping after a few minutes, he handed the cards back to the seated girl, deciding to stand through this little proceeding of hers.

Gripping the top card on the pile, she began to flip the cards one by one into their positions in the spread; something told her the Saiyajin would be much less patient than the Mistress had been. Laying down all ten cards, Kayra slid the first card from under the second card and placed it to the side.

"This spread is known as the Celtic spread, an arrangement of the cards which forecasts your future and the influences of the past and present that impact you the most. The first card to be lain is the Querent’s card, the symbol of the seeker. The Green Man is the very essence of power; raw and untamed by also unharnessed, without direction or purpose. It is the sign of the beginning of a path, a journey to self-discovery."

"What in the name of Vegitasei does that mean?"

"It can mean any number of things, it all depends on who hears it. As far as I can tell, it means you are unfocussed in your life, though have the potential to be something very great but it is a long road you must take to that point, the point of self-awareness."

"I know who I am and what am I, who are you to tell me what I do and do not know?"

"I am but the messenger, you choose these cards, they have your energy on them and they tell your story, not I. Now, the second cards is your obstacle, what is keeping you from reaching the potential that is locked away in the Green Man."

"Even you should know what that is; the collar around my neck."

"The binds of Fate are stronger than iron and came be dragged through all time. Your chains are your obstacle but whether they are the chains around your neck, or the evil that chains you I do not know. The five of Discs represents bondage, the being tied to something with superficial meaning. The thorns around the Discs must be broken if you are ever to be free."

Placing the card back into position, Kayra continued with the second card; something told her that this particular querent was not going to be very responsive.

"The third card is your present situation, the two of swords. This card shows conflict, opposition between two wills and intellects. The swords are the symbol of the wind and the symbol of the intellect and mind. You are a person eternally in conflict, but you have found one in particular which you cannot defeat and who cannot gain victory over you. The swords of your wills will clash many times."

Pausing in her reading, Kayra looked up, almost to see if the other occupant of the room was still there. He had not made a sound for more than three minutes and she was beginning to think he had tried to escape. Nothing was further from the truth as she found herself staring into those hard black eyes and wondered again why she was here.

"Go on, unless the energies of the Ouji no Saiyajin are too much for you to understand."

"The fourth card," she growled angrily. "Is the sign of what has made you, what forces have moulded your life." Taking the card from its place in the spread, she placed it high on the table so that he may see it.

"The Page of Wands shows a youth with great potential, a will that is strong and yet under developed, creating a stubborn person. The power of the Green Man flows through you and as others have seen it, so have they used it, moulding your personality to great heights of egotism and arrogance. The Page has all the right elements to be a power for the good but is bound by things that have no true substance."

"Your recent past has been influenced by a past that is far older, by traditions and the inheritance that comes with it, the mountains surrounded the Discs the sign it is a strong and ancient tradition. Material matters and possessions placed a strong role in your life and coupled with the immaturity of the Page can create a dangerous combination. The hawks in the background are the watchers and protectors of the tradition, they have shielded you but are quick to attack if the need arises."

Kayra glanced up at him again as she replaced the card and picked up the next one. Every time she had looked at him during the reading she was met with that stony expression; but this time it was different. His manner was still the same but a new tension seemed to radiate from him, his jaw clenched a little tighter, as if holding something back.

"Well, what are you staring at me for? Are you going to finish your little game or not; I’m tired of waiting for your dramatic pauses."

She had struck a cord; hopefully it wasn’t too deep. Every since she had seen this creature in real life, out of her nightmares and in stark cold reality, she had feared him. His little light display a week ago didn’t help in to calm her nerves either.

"While it seems your past has been greatly influenced by male or masculine powers, your future seems touched by female influences and powers. The High Priestess is the protector of knowledge and intuition, sitting at the head of the temple of understanding. She is the Moon therefore influences emotion, a side that your past has never touched. She holds in her hand the scroll of knowledge, the path of self-awareness; she is the key."

Vegita bit back his surprise at the girl’s comment, he had not wanted to show how close she was but this was just too much. That woman was getting into everything he did, everything he thought. Even her boast when they first played that game of hers came back to him; ‘I am the Key’. Looking down at the card, he had to acknowledge it even looked like her, those blue eyes staring out at him, as if examining his soul and his worthiness. The card was so much different than the ones before it; the beautiful blue tints a great change from the greys, greens, and reds from the previous cards.

"The seventh card is your attitude, how you personally effect the circumstances that you have and will become a part of. The two of wands denoted courage, intellect and strength. You are a strong warrior, who can use all of his resources if the need is there, and when it is not you go searching for it, for the fight. You are a force in yourself, never taking the easy path in anything. As the previous cards show, it is not power or drive you seek, but a goal with which to direct your energies."

"The eighth card is the views of others, the Lord downturned. As the Lord right side up is the symbol of authority, the reverse position is the reverse opinion. It shows someone who in authority who you upon with contempt. What you pride, they can nothing about: self-control. They are a part of the binds of your past, an energy that does not allow you to reach your true self and keeps you back. They look at you with contempt as well, it is a hate/hate relationship."

"The ninth card is the symbol of your hopes and fears, a fitting card has been lain here for one with immense pride like you. The six of wands downturned, you fear failure. You build yourself on pride and the potential you have been prescribed but the thought that you may become what you most dread; the downturned Lord hangs over you like eternal shadow. This fear of failure colours you even further, ironically forcing you to embrace the traditions that stifle you. In the end, the joy you feel from victory is overshadowed by your fear of failure."

"How dare you say these things about me, you stupid wench. You talk about finding some mystic goal or path and yet with all your great knowledge from the ‘Fates’ you cannot even give a clue as to what it is. If you were my slave I would have you beaten for such an annoyance, how the ‘Mistress’ of this house bought you I will never know?"

Kayra felt her blood begin to boil at the Saiyajin’s comments. How dare he, a slave, say such things to her, a free person, a Bruha, Haruspex and healer. Pushing herself up and away from the serving table, she stared him down, the fear that once griped her overwhelmed by her ego.

"You delude yourself, oh great Prince, you could not do as you wish and neither would the Mistress of this house. It does not surprise me that you do not see the meaning behind the cards, the close-minded rarely do. You know that I am right and that scares you, doubly as much because you are now a slave. I live in this house of my own accord, a free person in these walls. I guess my services are more important than sex."

Adrenaline rushed through Kayra as the words flooded from her mouth. Her fear of the creature before her soon turned to malice as she laughed at their positions. Just as quickly her laughter turned to a gasp as the Saiyajin attacked her, using far greater speed than she thought he could possibly muster from that collar. Ducking under his grasp, she faced the Saiyajin, the two circling the room like a pair of caged tigers. Fingering the small knife in her sleeve once more, Kayra jumped at the Saiyajin, slipping the knife from its hiding spot and ready herself for her attack. It never hit, as Vegita recognised that familiar glint in her hand and struck a hard blow against her extended arm. Roiling away from her opponent, Kayra unsheathed her sword and tried to regroup from his lightning quick movements; he hadn’t been that fast a few days ago. Maybe the collar was losing its hold over him, or maybe there was more to hold than the collar could take? She watched him with unblinking eyes as he walked to where the knife had landed, and knelt down to retrieve it from the ground. Standing to face her, a smirk now on his lips, he began to slowly walk towards her, showing that there was no escape. Backing up slowly, Kayra’s attention was soon drawn to the door as it swung open and Dazu walked into the room. Both occupants turned to face him, their little contest at an end from the interruption.

"The Mistress wishes for the Saiyajin Prince’s presence in the study." Nodded at the request, Vegita began to walk towards the now open door and waited for Dazu to lead the way. Stopping outside the entrance, he looked back at Kayra and crushed the knife in his hand like it were a piece of parchment and threw it back to her. When she was finally alone, she let her rational self look at the situation her stubborn nature allow her to get in. The Saiyajin was getting stronger, this was the second time the power drainer had be readjusted and he still seemed to get stronger. Turning to collect her cards, she noted a shadow blink past her line of sight and disappeared again. Feeling her senses tingling for just a moment before she ignored it, her mind trying to figure out the paradox of the collar.

~~~~~

The pounding sensation was so great, when she awoke it almost knocked her out again. What happened, what hit her in the head? Raising her hand to examine the bump she let out another grunt as her elbow hit something cold and hard. Opening her eyes, her vision blurred as her mind had not yet completely woken up. Squinting her eyes against the bright lights, she tried to stretch out her cramped muscles, only to hit into something cold and hard again. Frustrated by her ignorance of the situation, she slammed her fist to the ground and was rewarded with another shot of pain and a dull ringing in her ears. Her uninjured hand reached forward, trying to find something to use to push herself up with. Cool realisation hit her and her fingers grasped around thick cool metal bars of the Kennel cage.

"Oh Mistress, you’re finally awake. We were worried for a while that the bump on your head had done some major damage, you were moaning and writhing around in your sleep. The doctor said you might have a concussion but he didn’t know for sure. I don’t have any medical knowledge so I just had to wait until you woke up."

"Sar’in, what is going on here? What are you babbling about and why am I in a cage?"

"Mistress ChiChi, don’t you remember yesterday? The Saiyajin attacked the house and he challenged you to a fight. You fought for almost an hour but he knocked you out. Afterwards he was declared the head of Bushi and gave the order to send you to whatever containment facilities we have available."

"What, you mean my own men put me in here? I can’t believe this, I’m a prisoner in my own house. Well, whatever orders that Saiyajin gave I can still ignore; he’s not my master. Sar’in, your oath of loyalty was given to me, not Bushi, you can still help me. Where is the key? I know every corner and tunnel in this house, if I can get to Modulus I might be able to warn Bulma and prepare a defence against that thing."

"I’m afraid, My Lady, that I don’t have the key. When you were starting to wake up, the guard went to Kakarott and to inform him that you had awaken. He gave the order to keep you here at all costs. There are sentries posted everywhere along this passageway and all your security clearances have been revoked. The only reason I could get to you is that they didn’t see me as great threat in helping you escape. It’s only a matter of time before they come back and him with them."

The gravity of had truly happened yesterday finally hit ChiChi full force. She had lost her house, her power to a much stronger opponent, a stronger opponent who had no alliance with Modulus. If Enleo or Gero attacked Modulus now, Bulma would be a sitting duck. Even worse, if this Kakarott found out about the pod, he might attack Modulus as well. No matter how strong Bulma’s defences are, they could never stand up to something like that. Wait a minute, the pod; that creature is after one of his comrades that landed here but somehow that Saiyajin was defeated and contained.

"Sar’in, you said you were working on the Saiyajin pod, the first one, right?" The tech nodded, not following ChiChi’s line of thought. "What happened to that Saiyajin, why isn’t it running rampage over the countryside?"

"Mistress, when the Saiyajin first arrived at Modulus he was badly injured and passed out as soon as the guards grabbed him. We were just lucky that the Lady Modulus had a device that contained its power, its ki."

"Do you think we could do something similar with this one, is there anyway you could produce one of those collars?"

"I’m afraid not. I don’t have the equipment or the expertise to make something like that. My Mistress is the only one who knows exactly how the device works and it took her quite a lot of time working with it to get it to work on the Saiyajin. Even then, I don’t think you will be able to get him to hold still long enough to allow us to measure his ki energy and adjust the collar accordingly. I might still be able to do something to help. The creature still hasn’t found the pod, your men are following him but they will never give him the loyalty they gave you. He also doesn’t know about me, or at least what I am."

"Sar’in, do whatever you have to get in touch with Modulus and inform Bulma what has happened; she has one Saiyajin under her control, maybe she can think of something. Until then, I want you and Thak to keep working on the pod, go through it with a fine tooth comb, do anything to find a way to beat that thing. Also, change your uniform, that white thing makes you stick out like a sore thumb."

Bowing to her, ChiChi as soon alone, trying to think of a plan and secretly hoping that her defeat yesterday did not mean her death. Floating in her own mental limbo, ChiChi’s mind snapped to attention as she heard the Kennel door creak, the sound quickly replaced by the jangle of keys and the low thud of footsteps patting closer to her cage.

"I’m very sorry, Mistress, but he challenged you and you lost. It is the rules of Bushi that the best warrior is to be the head of the house and lead the others by example. We are still loyal to you, My Lady; it is just that we now follow Master Kakarott. We will not allow him to harm you; I can give you my oath on that. You are still the Lady of Bushi."

The man then unlocked the small cage, allowing ChiChi to stand up and stretch her sore muscles. For the briefest of moments, she got it into her head to over power the guard and just run, escape to Modulus to lick her wounds. Sar’in’s warning words came back to her, how her house, HER warriors pledged themselves to this monster, that her every escape or exit would be blocked and guarded. While she could take several attackers at a time, anymore than four became a problem. She had also trained these men, they weren’t stupid fighters and that would make them even more dangerous against her now. They had been given an order, one to stop her from escaping, and as loyal as they were to her, they could only serve one master, and it was not her. Walking away from the cage, she took in step behind the guard and followed him out into the hall and through her house to her bedroom. After giving a knock on the thick wooden door, the guard opened the door and bowed for ChiChi to precede him into the room. Taking the gesture, ChiChi walked into the room that had been since the death of her parents her sanctuary from the weight of her responsibilities. There, standing between the bed and the door, was the creature that had in only one day destroyed all she had worked for in the last three years, desecrating her sanctuary. Keeping her anger just below the surface, she stood her ground and faced her enemy. Her attendant by this point had entered the room and kept his post by the open door.

"Soldier, might I ask what you are waiting for?"

"Sir, you sent me to ensure that Mistress ChiChi would be delivered to you with no injury."

"Yes, and what are you still doing here?"

"My duty, my Lord, protecting my Mistress."

Smirking at the innocent treason the man has committed, Kakarott decides he must try to nip this little insurrection in the butt.

"Soldier, were you present during the fight against myself and your Mistress?"

"Yes, my Lord."

"Then you would know that she can defend herself, and that you couldn’t help her in that respect, correct?"

"Yes, my Lord."

"Good, then leave us." Waiting for their unwanted company to depart, Kakarott’s eyes swept over the woman before him. Now that he could see her close up, with combat not on his mind, he had to admire her appearance. She stood at his shoulder level, with lustrous raven black hair, pale creamy skin and those soft inviting brown eyes, which revealed a rage worthy of an Elite. Still looking for a brown tail hidden under the folds of her clothing, he was again disappointed by the lack of true Saiyajin traits. Deciding to met her stare and get to the important business at hand, he concentrated on his questions about Vegita’s pod and the Prince’s whereabouts while ignoring his tail, which had begun to sway at the tip.

"First things first, what is this planet and where is Prince Vegita?" Kakarott began out calmly, using the diplomacy he had had to learn while living with Nappa in close quarters for over two months.

"How dare you take over my house and my quarters, who do you think you are?" the human bit back; this was going to take longer than he had anticipated.

"I AM Lieutenant Kakarott of the Saiyajin Royal Guard and I didn’t take over your house, you lost it to me in a fight and as for your quarters, they are mine now. Now answer me, what is this place?"

"This is the planet Gaia." Her answer barely held back the disdain she felt towards him.

"Don’t think I came to your planet for a holiday; I’m on a mission to find Prince Vegita. I followed the signal of his pod to this planet, this very location. As ignorant as I’m sure you are on this backwater planet, I doubt you wouldn’t notice a space pod. Tell me where it is?"

"I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about, the only fireball I’ve seen in the sky in the last month was when you crash landed yesterday morning. I’ve never heard of this ‘Prince Vegita’ of yours but if he needs a nurse maid, he mustn’t be very strong; hardly one to deserve such a title."

"I’m sure he would have something to say about that when I find him and tell him. That is, if he doesn’t just blow this dust ball up without a second thought."

"That would be rather stupid. If he does that, then he would kill himself as well, unless you and the Prince intend to share your pod." Kakarott was taken aback by her comment, she had revealed more to him than she had meant. In one mere slip of the tongue she had hinted that the Prince was on the planet, or at least could be, it was a better answer than what he had received from any of the other soldiers in this house. Impressed by their loyalty and customs, he still came to the conclusion that Vegita was not being kept at this house, nor was there anyone here that could repair the damage that Reshce had described. He had met with all one thousand soldiers that resided in this house, even the man he had chased to find this place. He was still unsure of what they expected of him until one of the higher ranks, Kreden he had called himself, approached him and told him of the customs of Bushi. He was then given the oath of every man there, all wearing the red and black of their former leader, the daughter of their leader before he had learned. Yet, one face in the sea was missing, the man in white he had once thought was the leader, the one with a blue crest of an eagle over his heart. No one had spoken of him either, nor had he seen him since the end of the duel.

"Who is the man in white I saw when I first arrived here, the one who stood with you on the platform?" From under her mask of disdain a flicker of shock blinked through, maybe he had struck something with this question.

"He is my pleasure slave, my lover. He was given the special colours as a sign of his duties in the house." She answered, nervousness creeping into her voice. An unexpected anger flashed through Kakarott as he thought of this girl in the arms of another, especially one who seemed so weak. What a weakling she has chosen: a man that is not even willing to face him and defend her. Some one like her should be possessed by someone who was strong, or at least as fearless as herself. She was small in size but she was strong of her species, the closest he had come to finding a real warrior in this house. She would have made an excellent Saiyajin. Well, she might not be a Saiyajin, but she knew what they were, or at least gave the impression.

"What do you know of the Saiyajins? How did you know what they are?"

ChiChi racked her mind, trying to think of an answer that would not reveal the whole scheme to the creature before him. It had been pure luck that she had thought of saying Sar’in was her pleasure slave, remembering that Bulma had kept a male slave or two for that purpose. She didn’t even know how much her men had told him, though Sar’in had insisted that no one had thought much of him so hopefully they would not have revealed his identity.

"I’d never heard of anything called a ‘Saiyajin’ before you told me, I was just shocked to learn that you were not human."

Hoping that her answer would satisfy him until she could think of something else, she stared into his eyes and found them boring into her own, bottomless pools of black.

"Why did your lover not defend you after you had been defeated? If you were my mate, I would not allow you to fight at all, or I would come to your rescue in a situation like that."

A growl escaped ChiChi clenched teeth; she didn’t know what enraged her the most, the fact that he had stated that she shouldn’t fight or take care of herself or that he had considered her his property.

"My lover would never do something like that because he knows that I do as I wish. I am an Amazon warrior, I fight and do as I wish and will never be dictated to by a man until I am defeated by one. It is an Amazon’s pride that she is her own woman until she is defeated."

Kakarott smirked at that comment, he must have struck a cord somewhere and she just made another slip up, a big one.

"Struck a cord then, did I, little Amazon. In that case, I would definitely not allow you to fight, as is seems that you are mine."

"What, what are you talking about?"

"You said it yourself, your very pride and honour demands that you give yourself to the man that has defeated you. Unless I hit you harder than I thought yesterday, that means you belong to me."

Shocked at his statement and at her own stupidity for revealing that to him, her reflexes were slow as the Saiyajin walked towards her, his tail swaying lazily back and forth. She blinked out of her trance when he was within arms’ length of her, that smirk still on his lips.

"What do you think you’re doing?"

"Claiming what is mine by right. I would suggest that you give up your lover, you will not be needed him anymore."

"What are you talking about, I swear if you take one step closer I’ll …"

"You should use your mouth for something far more useful." Kakarott said as he lowered his head and his lips descended onto hers. The second ChiChi felt the pressure of his lips on her own she froze, not knowing what to do or what would happen next. Like her mother before her, ChiChi never took a lover, preserving her virginity as a sign of her pride; she had only been kissed by one man, and that was her father who would kiss her on the forehead. This was very different, feelings and sensations she had never experienced flowed through her as this man that she had known only one day moved his lips across her own, beckoning to her to open her mouth. She gasped at the feeling of his hands brushing against her side, and felt his tongue slide into her mouth, tasting her. His roaming hands travelled up her spine, making her shiver, and held her head to deepen the kiss. Her lungs began to ache from the lack of air as his tongue probed the inside of her mouth while his hand tangled in her hair, loosening the binds that held it up. Finally gathering her wits, ChiChi shoved her hands against his chest, trying to create some distance between them before it went any further. Panting to fill her empty lungs, she looked away from Kakarott in an attempt to regain her bearings. The hand that held the back of her head kept her close to him, too close it seemed as his tail wound around her lower thigh and skimmed down her calf, trying to find a way through her clothes. His head then descended to her neck, kissing and suckling the delicate nerves that ran along it. One of his hands still held her head stationary while the other moved down her spine again, slipping under the folds of her gi pants to massage her buttock. A groan escaped ChiChi lips as she leaned her head back, exposing more of her neck to Kakarott’s hunger lips. Not having an idea of what to do, ChiChi merely followed his lead, running one hand through his wild black hair while the other trailed down back, stopping at the base of his tail and stroking it gently. A shock went through Kakarott as he felt her pet and rub his sensitive tail. His hand cupped her ass and his teeth nipped at her neck, breaking the skin.

Gasping loudly at the sudden feeling of pain it was soon drowned out in a series of groans as her Saiyajin began to suck on the puncture marks on her neck. In that brief moment she had accepted him, welcomed him. He was her lover now, the only one worthy of her and she wanted this. His lips on her neck and hands on her body were like liquid fire through her veins, bringing a warm aching feeling to her body. Grabbing at his tail again, she moaned loudly as he moved his hand from her body and ripped off her pants. His hands were again on her, one slipping up her shirt to fondle her breasts, the other rubbing her, making that wonderful warm feeling increase. He pressed into her and began to rub; making her knees go weak and he began to chuckle. Wondering what he found so funny, she whimpered when he felt his presence leave her.

"More, please. I want to feel more."

Raising his hand to her eye level, he watched in amusement as she noticed the liquid that drenched his hand, hers. Kami, she was beautiful. Those slender legs were strong enough crush a normal man, but all he could imagine were them wrapped around his torso. Her hands, trained to hurt and kill, stroking his tail and caressing his body. And her eyes, the rage that once burned in them nothing compared with the look of utter need and confusing reflected from those deep brown depths. When she had revealed to him the position of the man in white, an unheard of anger swept through him at the thought of this woman with another. Now, staring at her half naked body, hearing her moans and pleas, he decided to kill the man who had dared lain a finger on her before him. His frantic mind was soon brought to attention when he felt small fingers grasp his wet hand, and soft lips tickle his palm. Moving up to his fingertips, her little kiss became a hesitant lick, as she tasted herself on his hand. Looking up into his eyes, as if to check for approval, he growled low in his throat and his free hand went around her back holding her close again. Not being able to stand the barrier anymore, he quickly discarded the top to his battle suit, leaving his chest bare. He almost smiled at her nervous but appreciative gaze as she stare at his bare torso. Quickly toeing off his boots, his mouth returned to hers and he moved her towards the bed. Grabbing the collar of her gi top, Kakarott merely flexed his wrists and tore the material from the rest of her body, his hands returning to cup and fondle her breasts while he leaned her down on to the bed. She continued to moan and writhe beneath him, giving him signals that she was close to the edge. Wanting to feel her around him, he ripped the rest of the battle suit off of him and positioned himself over her. Lowering himself onto her, he slipped himself inside her wet entrance, not noticing the thin barrier until it was too late. Her brown eyes welled with pain as she held back a scream, stark reality hitting her and reminding her of what he was; her enemy. The shine of tears came to her eyes as she held back her pain, refusing to let him know he had hurt her. Using whatever sense and intuition his Saiyajin nature possessed, he held still in her, waiting for her to get used to him. Slowly, she began to relax and started to grind against him, pushing her hips against his. Holding her down, Kakarott took control and began to move against her, the soft pleasurable noises returning and growing in volume. Increasing his tempo, he was being pressed between her thighs as her legs wrapped around him, letting him in deeper. Soon his growls and grunts began to match ChiChi’s own gasps and shouts. Finally, ChiChi’s head feel back and she screamed as he felt her walls pulsate around him, her wetness surrounded him. Unable to hold back, he let out a low shout and released into her, propping himself on his elbows to avoid crushing her. Her breasts pressed against his chest as she began to recover, flashing imagines into his mind of what he had missed a chance to explore this time. Expecting a battle to rival their match yesterday from her, he was amazed when looked him straight in the eyes, shifted closer to his warmth and fell asleep. He must have tired her out, poor little human. Enfolding her small frame in his arms, he propped his chin on the top of her head and forced himself to relax and sleep until the morning. He had had no rest since he had been declared the head of this house and the constant meetings and oaths he had listened to were enough to drive even a Saiyajin to exhaustion. He tightened his hold on her, the scent of her hair filling his senses as his eyes closed, trying to sort out the events that had taken place a little over thirty hours after he had landed here.

~~~~~

"The tower, the card of enlightenment; casting off of the old to make way for the new." Kayra said as she held the card in hand, studying its surface to look for a deeper meaning beyond what she knew. It had been the last card in the Saiyajin’s reading, the outcome card. After the incident in the hall, Kayra had to get outside; the house gave her a claustrophobic feeling. Sitting at one of the stone tables in the garden, she flipped through her cards, if they were the key to helping other people see their path she should be able to use them to figure out her own? Placing the Tower card down, she skimmed her finger across the surface, tracing out the image. It had always reminded her of chaos, this card; a great stone tower struck by lightning, people falling out to their deaths while the tower burns. Fitting that the Saiyajin would choose this card, he lives for fighting and it seems even his path to self-awareness is directed by his need to fight. Looking over the cards in the spread, she noted with some interest that the Prince was right on one account, the cards all pointed to a problem but not a solution. There was one card, the High Priestess which pointed towards something much different than the cards around it, but there was never a card which gave a hint to what he must do to reach his goal. Looking again at the tower, she sighed, the path to enlightenment must be one he is not ready to accept or face, not even the cards could extract it from him.

"Beautiful evening, don’t you think?"

Kayra gasped as a voice echoed through the supposed empty garden, the sound breaking her from her trance. Recognising the voice, she quickly turned to look behind her, her last encounter coming back to her.

"I see you have learned something but unfortunately I’m right in front of you."

Quickly turning, Kayra found herself face to face with a young woman, one who had no cloak of hood to hide her face. Green eyes stared amazed at the face before her, the girl had golden hair and eyes, even her skin had a pale glow like white gold. The girl before her was about an inch shorter than herself, with a build far slighter than Kayra’s larger frame.

"Is that any way to greet your guardian angel, I almost had to save you again today."

"How did you get in here, past the security system?"

"I have my ways, as you seem to have yours. So you really are a Bruha, cards and everything; though the sword is still a mystery."

Not knowing what possessed her, probably the madness that brought her here, she decided to tell this stranger what she had not told anyone else in the house.

"My mother was a Bruha, my father was a soldier; I told you this already. My father taught me how to fight and defend myself and after my parents’ death I took his sword for protection and remembrance. It is all I have left of my family and village after it was massacred."

"So you didn’t make the journey to Modulus for the excellent wine?"

Almost laughing at the good-hearted jest, she gave a little smile and stared back at the girl in front of her again. A kind-hearted smile graced those thin lips, there was even a twinkle in those gold eyes, it was amazing what the black cloak hid from view. Kayra wondered why she even wore it, someone as unique as that shouldn’t hide themselves from the world.

"What did you mean, ‘I almost had to save you again’? You were in the hall when I was fighting with the Saiyajin?"

"Yes, rather a shame that a creature that looks and fights like that is merely a slave, though from what you were saying it seems he was not always so."

"As far as I could tell, he is or was a Prince, but how he exactly got here my sight has not discerned. Prince Vegita he calls himself, and he is the pleasure slave of the Mistress Bulma."

Smirking at that comment and the connotations, Mata thought back to the scene between the little Bruha and tailed man, or Saiyajin, the girl had called him. Oh well, either way she would have to congratulate the Lady of Modulus on her taste; much better than that onore head guard. Still, breaking away from her revelry, she wondered what force had made her return her for no other reason than to see this girl, and to see if she was okay. When she saw her being attacked by that creature it took all her will power not to reveal herself and attack the thing that could hurt the young girl. When she saw what he did to the knife the fear for her charge increased; it was Dazu’s timely interruption averted a blood bath. What was such a brutal animal was doing in Modulus, and the lover of the Mistress. Her light mood from earlier turned cold as she thought of what that creature could do if he escaped, that collar would not hold him forever.

"Why did you come here?" Kayra finally asked, her curiosity getting the better of her. The other girl remained silent, her stare turning hard as if the question had offended her. Hearing the rustle of leaves nearby, Kayra turned to see who had been listening to their conversation. Seeing no one, she turned back to the girl with the golden eyes only to see that she had vanished without a trace.

"This is just getting weirder and weirder." she said, gathering up her things, glancing at the setting sun before waking back into the house.

~~~~~

"When did I become the nursemaid of Elites?" Oningo muttered to himself as he paced around the bridge. First the Prince decides to go off purging, the heir to the throne doing the work of third classes, and he gets lost in space. Then that high guard goes looking for him, he even leaves orders not to inform anyone of his or the Prince’s whereabouts until he contacts the ship again. Oningo’s nerves were shot just thinking about what would happen when he’d have to face Nappa. The ship was already a month behind, travelling at half speed while the Prince was on the purging mission and who would the King blame but the captain. Not that the King could even get through if he tried, Nappa had decreed that all the line of communication between the ship and Vegitasei would be cut off while the Prince was missing. The official line had been that if rumours of the Prince’s disappearance were broadcast back to the planet, it could create a panic or cause an unnecessary crisis. Oningo knew very well that Nappa didn’t want it being discovered that the Prince was missing, or a certain commander would be out of a job and probably a lot more when the King found out.

"Captain, we’ve just received word from Commander Nappa that he and the Elites have landed on Soloe."

"Thank you; just keep me posted if they happen to disappear." Oningo said and continued his pacing from where he left off. Slow to leave the Croix galaxy, Nappa decided that he and the Elites needed some real training and began scanning the surrounding planets for signs of life and high power levels. Finding one that was deemed suitable, he left orders for the ship to maintain an orbit around a nearby planet until their ‘exercises’ were over. ‘Exercises’, sounded like a purge to him. Oningo absently wondered what Nappa would do if he found out that Kakarott had found the Prince, or at least his pod. The clueless Elite had yet to ask him about Kakarott’s absence, probably just glad he doesn’t have to see the guard anymore.

"Enre, is there any change in the status of the Prince’s pod?"

"No, Captain, it seems that some of the other back up systems have come back on line but the homing device is still on. We still haven’t received word from Kakarott’s pod either, sir. The communications link went down as soon as he entered the gas cloud."

"Why was I given the job to baby-sit elites?" Oningo grumbled again, returning to his pacing. Something told him things were going to get a lot worse before they would get better.

~~~~~

"And you say you’ve seen it with your own eyes?"

"Yes, it’s around the neck of a powerful tailed man-like creature called a Saiyajin. It’s being used to suppress they things ki energy so that the beast can be subdued and used as a pleasure slave."

"And is it successful?"

"It is, but it seems that the creature still has the use of its power, if a small portion of it."

"I see my little runaway has been enjoying the fruits of my work; wouldn’t her father be ashamed? And you say you can get past the security systems?"

"I told you I can disable the security systems as long as you can give me your word that you will not harm the girl."

Gero turned his back to the cloaked figure behind him and smirked at their naivete. Whoever this person thinks they are going to protect by coming here they obviously don’t know anything about what is going on. What amazing luck I have, he thought, when I needed it the most, the powers that be have dropped an idiot on my lap.

"I give you my word as a scientist that I will not harm her. Now all you have to do is disable the defences of the house tomorrow night and this Saiyajin will be taken care of. Do we have a deal?"

The figure in black nodded and took Gero’s hand in their own, gripping the old man’s hand firmly, sealing this deal that they made with the devil. Turning, they left the room, leaving Gero to his study. Looking out into the black night, Gero smiled at how his patience had paid off. After all the time he had tried and planned to get to the little blue haired bitch it was finally all coming together, maybe someone down there liked him. He heard the rustling of the curtain as two shadowed figures walked out from behind the their hiding place.

"You heard all of it, right?"

"Yes, Lord Gero."

"Excellent; we strike Modulus on the night of New Moons."

* * * * *