Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ A Light in the Darkness ❯ General Discussions ( Chapter 95 )

A Light in the Darkness - Part 95: General Discussions
by Mia Skywalker & Wataruo

 

PAIRING: None
RATING: PG-13
WARNINGS: none
C&C: Please! ^_^
DISCLAIMER: Neither of us owns any of the DBZ characters or anything about DBZ, but we both wish we owned the Saiyans. All of them. At least all of the ones with hair. And yes, we're including Yamcha, Ranma, and Ryouga in that, now you know. Dragonball Z and the associated characters are owned by Toei, Viz, Akira Toriyama, and FUNimation. Ranma 1/2 and the characters of Ranma Saotome and Ryouga Hibiki are owned by Viz, Rumiko Takahashi, and some Japanese studio I don't know the name of. We do own what we've written here, and our specific storyline, just not Dragonball or Ranma 1/2 themselves. We make no money off of any of these guys, nor off this fic. We just have fun writing it. Oh, I guess we do own Hakusai and Serori. But I doubt anyone cares. ^_~
SUMMARY: General Kabu has a few discussions with different people, and surprising information comes to light.
NOTES: The rest of this story is completely unbeta'd, as I can't seem to find a beta who will be as brutal or thorough as I like, and will get me chapters back in what I feel is a timely manner. I have, however, had training as an editor, and I've edited the remainder of this pretty thoroughly. I would simply like people to be aware that no one else has gone through it to catch any errors or inconsistencies, so it may be more flawed than I realize.

 

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Vegeta opened his eyes as the fluid in the tank drained away from him. What the hell? His eyes narrowed, not trusting what he saw, only believing it when he felt their power levels. Saiyans? Here? How? He was only vaguely aware of Bulma removing the electrodes from his skin.

 

Yamcha held Vegeta upright as Bulma gently removed the monitors. Yamcha pulled him from the tank when she finished removing the harness, but allowed the smaller Saiyan to keep to his feet, not taking away his dignity by being lifted or carried. As Vegeta shook his head, slowly clearing the fogginess from it, Kabu abruptly fell to her knees, her head bowed subserviently. Without hesitation both of her lieutenants followed suit, prostrating on the floor in front of him slightly behind Kabu. Their positions were more subservient than hers; elites they were, but they weren't of her rank, and their postures indicated so.

 

“Your Majesty. “ Kabu's voice was pitched low. “My troops are yours to do with as you will.”

 

She didn't move from her position on the floor in front of him, but kept her neck bent in a vulnerable position. Although a human might not understand it, it was a Saiyan signal, a sign that if he chose to remove her head or kill her she wouldn't fight him. It was a tradition from days long past, showing her absolute loyalty and obedience to him as her ruler.

 

Vegeta blinked few times before it hit him; the unknown Saiyan woman was bowing before him and acknowledging him as her King. A corner of his mouth lifted in his trademark smirk as he looked down at her.

 

“Who are you?” he asked abruptly.

 

The fact that he didn't know who she was surprised her for several seconds, causing her to regroup her thoughts. Before she could do more than open her mouth to reply, Yamcha had already done so.

 

“She's my mom.” He released Vegeta, once he sensed that the Saiyan Prince - no, the Saiyan King - could stand on his own again. “Don't you remember seeing her in the hologram?”

 

“It is hard to recognize someone from the top of their head, baka,” Vegeta replied. “You are Kabu?” He crossed his arms over his chest. “What are you doing here?”

 

Kabu still didn't raise her head. “We were following Frieza. When we saw him come here, I....” She stopped abruptly.

 

She couldn't refuse to tell her monarch if he asked her why coming here was so important, even though it wasn't something she wanted her troops to know. She wouldn't lie to her king. She had been trained that part of one's fealty to one's king was the absolute truth, even if it cost a soldier his life.

 

Yamcha looked back and forth from both Vegeta and Kabu, and then without any further hesitation, knelt awkwardly to Vegeta. “You killed Frieza, Vegeta. That means you are the king now.” He didn't bow his head the way Kabu did, not really understanding everything, but he scratched his head in confusion, looking puzzled. “Don't know what I'm supposed to be doing, Vegeta, but you are our king now.”

 

It was Bulma's turn to feel surprise. Yamcha was swearing fealty to Vegeta? That's what it looked like, although he was doing it rather clumsily. She glanced swiftly at Vegeta, wondering how he was going to take this particular development.

 

Vegeta felt a moment of surprise when his former rival declared his fealty to him as his King.

 

“Get up, baka.” He glared down at the demi-Saiyan to cover his astonishment. “If you are going to grovel at least learn to do it properly.”

 

Hakusai blinked. “Excuse me, but I am really confused.” She watched Yamcha get to his feet and then looked back at Vegeta. “What did he mean by that? What does Frieza's death have to do with you being King?”

 

Vegeta arched a brow. “You don't know how the succession works?”

 

“Mother never talked about it. So how would I know?” She shrugged. “I didn't grow up on Vegeta-sei.”

 

“For me to inherit the throne, I needed to kill my father.” Vegeta studied Hakusai's shocked expression. “Frieza beat me to it. So to become King I had to kill Frieza. Does that make sense?”

 

“So then Trunks has to kill you to inherit.” Hakusai glanced over at the lavender-haired teenager then looked back at her brother. “Sounds like some things need changing.”

 

“Oh, things have needed changing for a long time,” Bulma agreed, glaring at her lover. She tapped her foot impatiently. “Are you going to get dressed, Vegeta?” she asked acidly. “Or are you going to keep your cute little monkey butt naked for everyone to see?”

 

Vegeta turned his head as he heard Hakusai stifle a giggle at Bulma's comment. He glared at her until she got her mirth under control, then looked back towards Bulma. For a moment Kabu noticed that Vegeta's expression was so fierce that she thought he would kill the woman where she stood. Instead he merely unfurled his tail from his waist to sway at his back as he smirked at her.

 

“What's the matter, woman? Jealous that people other than you have seen my `monkey butt'?”

 

Bulma didn't want to admit it but she was slightly jealous. Although Hakusai was Vegeta's sister so obviously wasn't any sort of threat, it was always possible Vegeta might be attracted to the imperious Saiyan woman kneeling before him.

 

“Fine, then!” she snarled at him. “You can hang out for the whole world to see for all I care!” She turned her back on him, lifting her nose in the air in disgust.

 

Kabu listened to them, and turned her head slightly to watch them out of the corner of her eye. Technically it was disrespectful to be viewing anything other than the floor itself while kneeling before her monarch, but Kabu hadn't had to deal with anyone in authority over her for more than thirty years. She was shocked at the insolence of this slave towards the King, and was surprised that Vegeta hadn't obliterated her already. Or was there some sort of understanding here? Perhaps this slave was a favored concubine of the King's and he was more lenient with her. Kabu frowned. She never agreed with allowing slaves that sort of leniency for any reason. She would have put the woman in her place long ago, favorite concubine or no.

 

Vegeta chuckled, pleased with Bulma's show of temper. Vegeta's nudity didn't bother him at all, and he knew it didn't bother the other Saiyans who had arrived. Saiyans had no nudity taboos; as far as he was concerned humans were downright prudish.

 

“Temper, temper,” he chided, mirth threading its way into his voice. “We can discuss this some other time. I have more important things to discuss with the general than my lack of clothing.”

 

Yamcha shook his head. “Uh... Vegeta,” he said quietly, too used to the smaller Saiyan to remember to call him by his title. “Maybe not wearing clothing doesn't bother you, but what if Bulma's mom is around? Don't you think it would be better to... um... wear something?” He blushed at the idea of Bulma's mother seeing any of them nude.

 

Vegeta rolled his eyes in annoyance. “What is it with humans and clothing?” he asked rhetorically, eyeing Yamcha. “Her mother didn't seem to mind before.”

 

“Before?” Yamcha gulped in surprise.

 

Bulma rolled her eyes. “I'll bet she didn't!” she snarled acidly. “Sure, Vegeta! If you feel like showing off that cute little body of yours, don't come crying to me when every female in the neighborhood wants to jump you!”

 

She threw the regeneration tank harness into the tank and stormed out of the infirmary, pushing her way past the various warriors who parted before her anger as straw in a hurricane. Most of them trembled, afraid to speak and bring her wrath down upon themselves as well.

 

Goku put one hand behind his head sheepishly after she left. “Gee, Vegeta! Maybe you should put something on! I mean, you don't really want Bulma mad at you that way, do you?”

 

Vegeta smirked. “Hardly, Kakarotto. Making up with her is rather enjoyable.”

 

Goku simply looked blank, and Hakusai rolled her eyes at the comment. “I bet,” she muttered, while both Trunks and Yamcha blushed. Even Krillin and Tenshinhan seemed to catch the intended nuances of that, and their faces turned slightly pink as well.

 

Vegeta suddenly remembered Kabu kneeling at his feet. He had forgotten her presence during his argument with Bulma; now he schooled his features back into his usual scowl.

 

“We have much to discuss,” he informed her. “But first I need to get something to eat and get dressed before I am forced to sleep alone.” He looked back to the door Bulma had exited, a slight smirk touching his lips. “And that is something I will not accept.”

 

Kabu nodded inwardly. So she had been correct, this slave was a concubine of the King's. Possibly the only one he had currently, which might explain his leniency with her. Kabu would have to explain to him that this was not how a king allowed a slave to behave; if a slave got it into her head that she could get away with whatever she pleased, then others would soon become restless and follow her lead and eventually it would lead to rebellion.

 

Such rebellions had happened in the past and were regrettable. Not because they were difficult, or because it put the Saiyans in any danger - not with the power levels that most slaves had - but because it meant that they had to go out and search for new slaves, and had to do without for a while. And of course, new slaves always took time to train, something which Saiyans tended to be very impatient about, and it usually led to a large number of further deaths until the remaining slaves learned their new places.

 

“Your majesty, whatever I have is yours. Whatever you wish to discuss with me I will be honored to oblige.” She remained kneeling on the floor, even though it was beginning to put a cramp in her, unaccustomed as she was to the position.

 

“Good.” Vegeta was pleased. “Your son can lead you to the kitchen while I settle things with my mate.” Vegeta simply turned on his heel and strode from the room, leaving nothing but a stunned silence.

 

“At least he acts like a King,” Goku commented.

 

Kabu stood up. Since Vegeta had left the room she no longer had to kneel. She frowned in annoyance. By not giving her permission to rise in his presence, he was essentially telling her that she was beneath his notice. She tried not to let it bother her, but as a Saiyan warrior who had risen in the ranks and was now the highest ranking warrior besides the king himself, it rankled slightly. She wouldn't give anyone the satisfaction of knowing it bothered her, however, as she glared indiscriminately at the various warriors in the room, then strode out of the building, followed immediately by her two lieutenants. It didn't occur to her that Vegeta might simply be unaware of custom, and not have known he should have told her to rise.

 

Trunks was still blushing slightly at the comments made earlier regarding Vegeta parading nude in front of the woman he knew as his grandmother. “I think I should make sure my father doesn't get into any trouble,” he said quietly, as he followed his parents out. Yamcha sighed, and followed after him with Hakusai, the others trailing behind.

 

~~~*~~~

 

Partway through the discussion, the other Saiyans didn't notice Ranma and Ryouga slip out. Actually, Ranma slipped out, dragging Ryouga along, who didn't appear all that eager to go with him.

 

When they were outside, Ranma pulled Ryouga a little distance from the infirmary, and then turned to face him.

 

“Yo, Ryouga. Have you gotten wet since you've been here?”

 

Ryouga shook his head warily, his face a knot of suspicion.

 

“They found out about your other problem yet?” Ranma asked curiously.

 

Ryouga's eyes dropped, a faint blush staining his cheeks. “Yeah. That happened the first morning after I was here. I woke up and then couldn't find my way to the bathroom. I ended up somewhere else. I'm not sure where. Yamcha said it was another continent.”

 

Ranma nodded, looking thoughtful. “I been thinkin' `bout that. Y'know, your parents - the one that adopted you - have the same problem. The general - I guess she's our mom - said that Yamcha's dad was human, but she kinda implied that ours wasn't. I'm wond'rin' what our dad mighta been.”

 

Ryouga blinked. “But why would my parents have the same problem? That doesn't make sense. And we're twins - why didn't you have the same problem?”

 

Ranma shrugged. “I dunno. But ya know, we ain't identical twins. And you ever think about it, Ryouga - I can't get lost. I always know where I am, no matter where it is. I can always find my way around anywhere. Ya ever wonder about that? Maybe we're like... opposites, or somethin'.”

 

Ryouga looked at him in surprise. “I'd never thought about it. I didn't realize that was the case. You can't get lost?”

 

Ranma shrugged again. “I ain't never gotten lost before. I always seem to know where I am, what direction to go and how far. My pop on the other hand ain't got no sense a direction, although it's better'n yours.” He grinned roguishly at Ryouga.

 

Ryouga ignored his teasing, frowning thoughtfully. “So you think that whatever our father is, he's the reason I always get lost, and you never got lost? But what does that have to do with my par- with the parents who raised me? Do you think they're related to our father? Or maybe my father really is our father!” He looked startled by that thought, and even slightly pleased.

 

“Could be.” Ranma appeared indifferent to the idea. “I think they're connected somehow. Don't know how though. I think we should ask our mom.”

 

Ryouga nodded decisively, his eyes lit with an inner glow that meant he had become intent on something. Ranma held him back before he could head back to the infirmary. “I don't think we oughta interrupt them,” he warned. “I don't understand all this stuff about Saiyans and Kings and all that, but it seems important to them. They'll probably get mad if we interrupt them. We oughta wait out here for Mom to come out.”

 

Ryouga sighed and nodded, and the two waited. They didn't have long to wait, however. Less than a minute later they saw Bulma leave, heading towards the house in an apparent fit of pique, followed closely by Vegeta. Bulma didn't appear to notice them, and considering the temper she seemed to be in they were relieved about that. Vegeta, on the other hand, had not a stitch of clothing on, which startled the two boys. Ryouga reacted with a blush and turned away in embarrassment, but Ranma merely chuckled. Like Vegeta, he didn't have much use for modesty, at least not his own. Seeing a woman with nothing on might embarrass him if he was in his boy form - although for some strange reason it didn't bother him if he was in his girl form - but it never disturbed him to be naked himself.

 

“I don't think we oughta bother them,” Ranma quipped with a grin, and, with a blush tinting his cheeks, Ryouga nodded in agreement.

 

Only moments later the others trailed out of the lab, a few at a time. The last to leave were Kabu and her lieutenants, and Ranma moved to intercept her as she headed towards the house.

 

“Hey um... Mom?” he called out, touching her arm lightly as he ran towards her.

 

She paused, but the expression on her face, controlled as it was, betrayed a sort of affronted surprise that he had the audacity to not only talk to her so informally, but to touch her without her permission. Ranma chose to ignore it, however, and continued on.

 

“Me'n Ryouga gotta ask ya something. Since you're our real mom and all that. You said that Yamcha's dad was human, but you kinda implied our dad isn't. If he wasn't, what was he?” Ranma asked curiously.

 

Kabu studied the young demi-Saiyan for several minutes. He looked hauntingly like his older brother, and Kabu wondered almost wistfully if this was what Yamcha had looked like when he had been younger. She looked towards his twin and studied him as well. Saiyan births commonly ran multiple, so the fact that they were twins wasn't unusual. They hadn't been identical twins; that would have been far more unusual, in fact. Yet because of their Saiyan heritage they all had similar features - they shared her nose and mouth, although only Yamcha and Ryouga shared her eyes. No Saiyan had ever had blue eyes like Ranma's. Yamcha could almost be a male version of herself, and his two half brothers were amazingly similar.

 

She made a decision then to tell the boys what she knew of their father's heritage. It wasn't much, but if they wished to pursue it, it was entirely up to them. She nodded once.

 

“Very well. I met your father.... Perhaps I should start at the beginning. I met your father when I was out hunting one night. Even with the job I'd taken on Chikyuu to blend in, it was not sufficient to pay for the amount of food a Saiyan requires. Besides, a Saiyan needs meat, and it seems that Humans do not eat as much meat as they do other substances. I had to hunt fairly frequently in order to supplement my diet. Fortunately, there was game in some of the more remote locations of this planet of sufficient size and ferocity to be acceptable to me, and to last me for several days in the cooling facilities that I'd purchased for storing my kills.

 

“One night when I was hunting, the beast I was stalking was more intelligent than I'd been accustomed to, and it had doubled back on me and attacked me from behind. I was surprised and the beast knocked me down. He was about to take advantage of my temporary disability and finish me off when someone else entered the fight. He was a large male, larger than I'd yet met on your planet, although not quite as large as a Saiyan male would be. He distracted the beast long enough for me to regain my bearings, and then between the two of us we managed to kill the beast.”

 

She paused a moment. “Have either of you hunted for yourselves before?”

 

The two boys looked at each other, then looked back at her and nodded. Both of them, in their travels, had had to hunt in order to survive, although often for entirely different reasons.

 

“Have you ever felt the bloodlust after a kill?” There was an intent gleam in her eyes as she asked this, and she looked piercingly at the two of them.

 

Both boys gaped in astonishment. Ranma shook his head slowly, blinking in confusion. Bloodlust? After hunting? He had heard of fighters who got a bloodlust while fighting, but it had never happened to him. For him, fighting was a game, a competition, a way to hone himself. He always wanted to be the best, and he would try to compete against anyone better than he was in order to get there, but it wasn't for any desire to hurt others. It was simply a way of showing that he could do something better, and could improve himself.

 

Ryouga had to think about it for a few minutes. He had gone into berserker rages before, but never from hunting - usually he only got into them when fighting against Ranma. If he was able to admit it to himself, Ranma had always been the one to stretch him to his limits, to force him to develop new skills and new techniques. No one else he knew was good enough to manage anything like that, not until he had met the people here a few days ago.

 

Ryouga shook his head reluctantly. “Not from hunting...” he clarified, but Kabu wasn't listening to his explanation.

 

She frowned for a moment. “Perhaps it is your non-Saiyan blood. When a Saiyan fights a battle, sometimes afterwards there is a bloodlust a Saiyan gets. Sometimes it makes the Saiyan desire battle, and sometimes it makes them desire... other things. When the beast we had killed was fallen, both your father and I ate our fill, but the bloodlust was still upon us. We found... another way to sate that desire to our mutual satisfaction.”

 

Both boys blinked, and then a slow blush spread over Ryouga's cheeks while Ranma just grinned. “So ya had sex right after you ate, huh?” he asked candidly.

 

Kabu gazed at him a moment and then nodded. “Yes. During the night, as we were eating, he told me his name and the city he was from. He mentioned it because he said he hadn't been there in a while, that for some reason it was difficult for him to find. I did not understand what he meant at the time.”

 

Once again she looked piercingly at both of them. “When I discovered I was carrying the two of you, I searched him out. I could not find him, but I did find another with his name. It turned out he was his litter-mate - his older brother. He agreed to take one of you, but he said he could not take both. He was living with his younger sister - the two would raise you as though you were their own child. In a way, you would be - they would be kin, if not your direct parents. I found another family for the other one.

 

“It wasn't until I'd done the modifications to your DNA that I discovered there was something strange about the two of you and I realized your father wasn't entirely human, if he was even human at all. I wasn't sure what my tampering would do to the two of you - I was afraid it might damage you in other ways, but I couldn't do anything but continue the modifications.

 

“After the two of you were born I dropped one of the brats off with the other parents, and took the other one to your father's brother. I waited three months before his sister finally arrived - it was then she told me about their curse, the fact that you are unable to stay in one place for very long. It seems your father's people have a strange gift - the ability to travel at will to anywhere they want. However, in your father's family something seems to have gone wrong with that gift - instead of always knowing where they are and being able to control it, it works without their control, taking them to random locations. It seems to be tied in to the fact that although their people are supposed to have the ability to always know where they are, in your father's family this is not the case at all.

 

“I do not know how this... gift has affected the two of you. If you have inherited their ability to travel, but learned how to control it....”

 

Ranma interrupted at this point. “Ryouga has it. He can move around like that.”

 

Kabu studied the bandanna clad boy. “Can you control it?” she asked, betraying a faint curiosity.

 

Ryouga blushed slightly and shook his head.

 

“Nah, he always gets lost,” Ranma said, apparently oblivious to the other boy's embarrassment. “He never knows where he is. But I always know where I am!” he proclaimed proudly.

 

Kabu studied both boys carefully. “You may wish to see if you have the gift as well. It's possible you've never used it, but that does not mean you do not have it. I suggest the two of you find out.”

 

She didn't bother to give them a chance to answer at that point, but turned and headed towards the kitchen door. The two boys shared a glance before trotting after her, following her into the house.

 

 

To be continued.....

 

~~~~~*~~~~~

 

And in the next exciting episode of DragonBall Z: A Light in the Darkness... More discussions with General Kabu, in which Kabu learns a few things about the Chikyuu Saiyans.

 

~~~~~*~~~~~

 

Reviewer Responses:

 

Rena Tsukino: Hello! I'm glad you're enjoying the story! Yes, I like this Trunks as well. I like Trunks in general, even if he WAS a Mary Sue of Toriyama's. ^_^