Crossover Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction / Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Vendetta ❯ Chapter Six ( Chapter 6 )

I'll be quick. I just want to address something both my reviewers pointed out. The man who assaulted Hotaru was not from canon. He was just some warrior I made up, and Frieza and Zarbon set him up to try and get on Hotaru's good side. Zarbon saving her is the `perceived act of kindness' often factoring in Stockholm syndrome/battered wife syndrome. When this was posted on Fanfiction.net, a lot of people (in later chapters) thought Zarbon was being sweet or nice, and I'd really like it if you didn't see him that way. He's working his way closer to Hotaru because he wants to have sex with her. He's not a nice person, and I will try and make it more obvious in later chapters, but some people were missing that point before.

 

As for Hotaru's age...I've just recently seen the Stars season in the anime, and she seems younger than she was before she turned back into a baby. For the sake of this story, she continued her magical, super-fast aging to the point where she left off. She turned fifteen right before this story started.

 

That's all for now!

 

Chapter Six

 

Morning, Vegeta's House

 

Rei woke to light shining in her face. It was really a pleasant morning, warm and sunny, but she had not slept well the night before and was in a bad mood. She got out of bed, knowing she would not get any more sleep, even if she tried, and pulled on her robes. She wanted desperately to find a change of clothing, but her only other choice was her senshi uniform. She absolutely refused to run around in front of her `master' in such a skimpy outfit.

 

She stumbled down the hall to the kitchen, thankful that it was a direct route. It would be very easy for her to get lost in such a large house. In the kitchen, the cook was working busily at the stove, and Vegeta was doing pushups, shirtless. The bandages were still in place, but they did nothing to hide the fact that he was extremely well built. She stared at him for a few moments, half in awe and half in shock at his apparent stupidity. Just the night before, he had announced that he had internal bleeding and broken ribs, and this morning he was doing pushups.

 

“Are you a complete moron?” She asked, though it was hard for her to sound menacing early in the morning. Instead, she just sounded tired and dejected.

 

He glared up at her for a second before continuing to do pushups. She continued to stare, her brain slow to register. Finally, she started to get extremely angry. She stalked over to him, intent on giving him a piece of her mind. He didn't seem to notice, but she knew better.

 

“What the hell are you doing?” She shouted. “Do you want to kill yourself? Because there are a lot more effective ways. For God's sake, get up.”

 

He got up. And promptly shoved her against the nearest wall, hand at her throat. Instead of acting scared, she glared at him and tried to kick him.

 

“I know my body's limits. I suggest you quit screaming when you don't know what you're talking about.” He trailed off. It seemed he was going to continue his tirade, but instead he stopped and sniffed. “Woman, you should bathe more often. You reek.”

 

Needless to say, this did not please Rei in the least. She began screaming obscenities and attempting to kill Vegeta, ranting about being kidnapped by aliens and not being shown the bathroom. Vegeta ignored her and flung her over his shoulder, which only incensed her further.

 

“Keep breakfast warm,” Vegeta instructed the cook. She nodded and turned back to the stove, silently amused at the scene she had just witnessed.

 

“What? Where are we going? I'm hungry! Goddamnit, put me down!” Rei yelled. Vegeta ignored her and carried her out of the kitchen.

 

The nearest bathroom was located across the hall from his gravity room. He frequently used it to wash up after long training sessions instead of going across the entire house to his suite of rooms. Rei ended her fussing as he reached the door, but let him know of her disapproval as he dumped her in the middle of the floor. As she was doing so, he turned on the tap to fill the bathtub. It was a very large, very nice tub, and took only a few moments to fill.

 

“I can take my own bath,” Rei growled. “I don't need your help.” Vegeta smirked.

 

“I think you do.”

 

Before Rei could protest, Vegeta crushed her up against him, kissing her so deeply she almost didn't notice him loosening the ties of her hakama. She tried to wriggle away, but he held her close with one hand and undressed her with the other. She began to panic, and struggled more fiercely as the last traces of her clothing fell to the floor. Then, Vegeta scooped her up and dumped her into the bathtub.

 

Rei let out a piercing shriek as she hit the water. She surfaced, sputtering, and wiped her hair out of her face. As she was not feeling particularly rational or mature, she did what any girl in her situation would do. She splashed her attacker. Vegeta just chuckled, which didn't help Rei's attitude in the slightest. She glared and prepared another verbal assault.

 

“Get yourself cleaned up. By the time you finish, the cook will bring you something to wear for the time being. After you have breakfast, a tailor will come by to fit you for some more appropriate clothing. These will be washed and returned to you, though I can't think of any occasion for which you would want to wear them.”

 

And with that, Vegeta left the bathroom, and Rei let out a deep sigh of relief.

 

Morning, Goku's Apartment

 

Breakfast turned out to be quite strange for Goku and Usagi. While Goku had originally intended to have her cook meals for him, he couldn't bring himself to wake her up. He felt sorry for her, having been taken from her home and separated from her friends and family. He further decided that the long journey in the space ship must have worn her out, and so she should be allowed to sleep in, just this once. This conclusion reached, he prepared breakfast.

 

He figured she ate about as much as Chichi normally had, since they were both human females, and so made just a bit more food than he usually would have made for himself. By the time the smell of food had lulled Usagi out of bed, the kitchen was a mess, but the food had been mostly prepared, and Usagi didn't seem to mind the clutter. She looked tired, but smiled cheerfully at him and set about eating happily.

 

She ate a lot more than Chichi, and so Goku got less breakfast than he would have liked. However, he could live until lunch, and wasn't about to complain. He was pleased that Usagi started working on the dishes after the meal, and helped her to the best of his ability. Together, they managed to make the kitchen almost presentable. Once the cleaning was done, there was a moment of awkward silence before Goku decided to speak.

 

“Pretty soon I'm taking you back over to Vegeta's, so you and your friend can get some clothes made. Then, I think one of Vegeta's friends is going to take you shopping.”

 

The very mention of shopping made Usagi's eyes brighten. With all the trauma the universe had thrown at her lately, the idea of doing something normal like going shopping with Rei gave her a sense of peace. Goku was happy because Usagi was happy. And so they set out for Vegeta's house with smiles.

 

When they reached Vegeta's house, the mood changed slightly. Goku, who lacked subtlety more than anything else, remembered what had most likely happened to Rei the night before, and became very uncomfortable. Usagi, who had no idea what was going on, continued to smile. Thankfully, what Goku feared had not happened, and upon entering the house, they found Vegeta in an unhappy mood.

 

“Frieza is sending me on another mission,” he stated, scowling.

 

“What?” Goku asked. “We're done for almost two weeks.”

 

“One of his warriors got too powerful and had to be disposed of. Frieza claims the man tried to rape one of his toys, but I think he was getting too strong.”

 

The discussion continued, but Usagi heard none of it. She was quickly ushered into a nearby room. Rei stood on a box in the center of the room wearing nineteenth century looking undergarments and glaring furiously. Four other women occupied the room. One of them was measuring Rei, and the other three were debating as to what style and color of fabric would most suite Rei's “beautiful flawless skin.” When they noticed Usagi, she was ushered up onto a box next to Rei and commanded to strip.

 

Once she was measured in the buff, she was given a set of undergarments identical to Rei's. The woman helped her get them on in the proper order, and cinched up the corset to a nearly unbearable tightness. Then, she was measured again. She found this strange, and asked about it, but none of the women answered, and Rei was too busy glaring to pay her any attention.

 

Then women worked quickly in pairs, draping fabrics and discussing the best styles to suit the two girls' very different body types. Rei continued to be irritable and snapped at the youngest of the women when she was stuck with a needle. The woman, who was probably younger than Rei or Usagi, apologized profusely, but Rei turned her nose up haughtily.

 

About an hour later, as the dresses were nearing completion, Vegeta entered the room, dressed in full armor and holding a scouter in one hand. Usagi noticed him immediately, but Rei was too busy complaining to one of the women about the length of her dress. As soon as she noticed that someone else was in the room, she whirled about and glowered.

 

“I'm wearing a corset,” she hissed in a dangerous tone. By this time, Usagi was scared. Rei's normal, safe anger consisted of tantrums and screaming, but when she got quiet she was far more terrifying.

 

“Good to know you can recognize your underclothing,” he replied, smirking at her obvious distaste for proper ladies' fashions.

 

“You do realize that corsets can cause damage to the organs. I'm not going to sacrifice my health...”

 

“Calm down woman. You only tighten the damn thing when you're going out in public or receiving guests. And I can assure you that the quality of medical treatment available to you is far superior to anything you ever had on your backwater planet, should anything happen to your oh-so-valuable organs.

 

“Now, I've been called away to cover for someone Frieza felt the need to kill. I should return in about two weeks, so you'll be in charge of the household. You are free to go shopping whenever you need anything, but I would advise you not to go alone. This planet is crawling with unscrupulous characters, and isn't safe. Especially for a weakling like you. Kakorot will be checking in on you from time to time.”

 

“You're just...leaving,” Rei said, incredulously.

 

“I have no choice. Frieza is no doubt continuing to punish me.”

 

“If you'll stop moving, Miss, we're almost done with this one,” one of the women interrupted.

 

Vegeta set aside the conversation for a few minutes as the two women finished hemming Rei's dress. Then, she hopped off the box and went to examine herself in the mirror. The ensemble consisted of a sort of under-skirt and gown over the top, slit up the front to the waist to show the skirt. Layers of petticoats caused the skirt to flair out some, but it was by no means as dramatic as the hooped skirts so popular in European and American fashion until the late nineteenth century. Rei still thought the dress should be longer, but she chose not to argue.

 

Rei had to admit that she looked good. The square neckline dipped lower than she was accustomed, but she didn't find it too risqué. The entire dress was red, a color that suited her, with black stitching around the neckline and hem. The corset emphasized her naturally curvy form, which she was loath to admit. She could see Vegeta's reflection in the mirror, and he seemed to think she looked good as well. When she turned, however, his expression returned to its habitual grumpy appearance.

 

“So...why is that Frieza guy punishing you?” she asked.

 

“His excuse would be that Kakorot and I staged our battle in the tournament yesterday, but really he just hates me. The feeling is quite mutual.”

 

They were again interrupted by one of the women. She informed Rei that they would return in two days time with more dresses for adjustments. Then, the two went to help finish Usagi's dress. Usagi's skirt was pure white, and the gown overtop was pale blue with white stitch work in the same places, though in a different style. The corset made her look unnaturally thin, and though it appealed to the general male populous, Rei thought she looked ill. She made no comment, though.

 

“We'll let them finish. There are a few more things I need to tell you.”

 

Vegeta led her out into the hallway where a young man, perhaps a few years older than Rei, stood. He stared at the ceiling, seemingly unaware of the two. His shaggy brown hair fell in his face, and his blue eyes seemed dreamily vacant. He wore the standard armor, but Rei had a feeling he wasn't quite the same caliber of warrior as Vegeta or Goku. After a moment, he snapped out of his daze and turned his attention to Rei and Vegeta.

 

“This is Orso. He's going to show you around and get you familiarized with life on this planet while I'm gone. I suggest you pay attention to him. He'll let you know of your spending limit, and prepare you for anything that might be drastically different from your backwater planet. I expect you to act appropriately, and not cause him any problems.”

 

Rei nodded. She was about to introduce herself when a loud thump issued forth from the room. Rei opened the door and shook her head. Usagi had tripped on her skirt and was currently sitting in the middle of the floor, bawling. Closing the door, Rei put her head in her hands and let out an exasperated sigh. Some things never changed.

 

Present, Elsewhere in Space

 

It was evening on the planet where Minako had ended up, and she was supposed to be at dinner. However, she'd been delayed getting around, and was late. She tried to hurry, but it was especially difficult to run in a kimono, and she was starting to be overwhelmed by panic. However, upon entering the dining room, she saw that the mistress of the home she was in had not yet appeared. Sighing with relief, she settled herself down at the table.

 

Motoki's sister, Unazuki, had ended up with Minako, and the two had latched onto each other quickly. They were both extremely worried about their futures, but so far, nothing horrible had happened. They, along with a small group of about a dozen other girls, were purchased and loaded onto a ship. After traveling through space for what seemed like about a day, the ship landed, and the girls were shown to a large, Japanese-style building not far from the landing site.

 

Thus far, no one had explained to the girls why they were there. They were given rooms, which they shared with two other girls, and aside from eating and picking out kimonos, they had had little else to do. Minako and Unazuki shared a room with another girl, but she did not seem to speak Japanese. Either that or she was simply ignoring them. Minako and Unazuki gave up on trying to talk to her, and spent most of their free time reminiscing about Earth.

 

Now, at supper, the woman who had purchased them all was, supposedly, going to explain to them why they were there. The two girls had spent hours debating why they were there, but neither could come up with an answer that made sense. Most of the ideas they came up with were terrifying, and after awhile they had stopped discussing it for the sake of their sanity. All the ideas they had come up with swarmed back over Minako, and she tried desperately to keep her composure. Whatever happened, she had to get away and find Usagi.

 

The mistress of the house entered the dining room, and Minako felt slightly better. The woman was an elegant, middle-aged mother with dark hair and playful eyes. Her daughter, who could normally be seen following her about, was not present. The woman smiled at the girls and settled herself at the head of the table. She then nodded slightly to a servant standing nearby, and food was brought in.

 

Conversation was light and of no importance during the meal, and Minako could feel the tension in the room rise. The only one who did not seem affected was her other roommate, who remained silent the whole time. Unazuki seemed especially nervous, but Minako laid a hand on her shoulder in reassurance. Finally, the dessert was eaten and the servants cleared the plates from the table. All the girls focused their attention on the mistress, who seemed unaffected. She spoke quietly to a servant for a moment, before finally turning to the girls.

 

“I suppose you are all wondering why you have been brought here. You will all serve in my house in one of three occupations. You will either work at the preparation and service of meals, or clean the house. If you choose either of these occupations, you will live your entire life in servitude with no hope of returning to your homes. However, there is a third option available, should you wish to earn money to buy your freedom. I have openings for three girls in my salon, should any of you be willing to sell your bodies.”

 

It took Minako a minute to make the connection. When the woman said salon, she meant brothel. Once this registered in her mind, she went deathly pale, and gasped quietly. Unazuki looked worriedly at her and clutched her hand under the table.

 

“I don't want anyone to jump into a decision right now. I will give you the night to think things over, and in the morning, I will have a one-on-one session with each of you to determine the best path for you. Now, I suggest you retire to your rooms and rest.”

 

Without another word of further explanation, the mistress of the house stood and padded softly out of the room. The girls all began talking at once. Most of the girls were from Earth, and they all seemed terrified at the idea of becoming prostitutes. Minako took Unazuki by the hand and left the dining room. She would prefer talking in private, without the loud chattering of the other girls. Unazuki didn't protest, and their roommate seemed to have a similar idea. She followed them down the hall silently.

 

As soon as they entered the room and closed the door, Unazuki fell to the floor, crying. Minako kneeled next to her and wrapped her arms around the shaking girl. Their roommate went and sat on her bed, staring at them with a look Minako couldn't place.

 

“I...I want to see Motoki...but...” Unazuki could hardly get her words out.

 

“Is prostitution such a stigma on your planet?”

 

The two girls on the floor looked up, shocked. The girl hadn't spoken the whole time they'd been there.

 

“Yeah. In most places, it's illegal,” Minako replied. Unazuki sniffed.

 

“It's fairly common throughout most of the universe. It's considered quite a fitting profession for women, really. You can get really rich and famous, if you have the right patrons. I think it would be a lot more fun than cleaning up after people all day long for rest of eternity.”

 

“No way,” Unazuki sniffed. “I miss my family, but I'm just going to cook.”

 

She stood up, wiping her eyes. She grabbed her nightclothes and went into the bathroom to get ready for bed. Minako sat down on her bed and inspected her roommate. The girl was fairly tall and pretty, with long dark hair and bluish eyes. She seemed very cold, though, and didn't appear to want to continue the conversation. She lay back in her bed and stared at the ceiling.

 

“What's your name?” Minako asked.

 

“Ottavia.”

 

Minako gave up on trying to get the girl to converse. Unazuki finished in the bathroom, and Minako got up to perform her nightly ritual. Once this was complete, she snuggled down into her bed, laying on her side and staring at the wall. She had a major decision to make before tomorrow morning, and she had the feeling she wasn't going to get much sleep.

 

She had never really thought of prostitution as such a horrible thing. What people did with their bodies and money was none of her business. However, she had never considered the career for herself. She had always fancied herself a virgin bride, blushing as her husband carried her into the bedroom. It would be painful to give up that dream for something like this.

 

On the other hand, it was her duty to gain her freedom and find Usagi as soon as possible. The man who had taken her and Rei away had seemed especially cruel, and Minako could only wonder at their fate. She felt that, if it meant she could protect Usagi, it might be worth giving up her body for. She'd died for the princess on a number of occasions, so why should this be much different?

 

She finally decided that the decision was so difficult because she had a choice. If she had simply been told she was going to be a prostitute, she would have accepted it and moved on. However, the idea that she could get out of doing something so wretched made the choice nearly impossible. She remained up for most of the night before she finally came up with her decision.

 

***

 

Awareness came slowly, arriving with the sunlight that trickled in through the gaps in the heavy velvet drapes. Michiru opened her eyes and winced, trying to raise a hand to her pounding head. Something heavy restrained her and she bent her neck awkwardly, trying to see what it was.

 

A man lay half-naked and asleep across her body. Her naked body. She felt horror like an icy fist in her stomach and she struggled to get away. Another person was sprawled behind her, a woman who smiled and tugged her back down onto the cushions that covered the floor. Michiru felt tears spring to her eyes and a choked sob wrenched itself from her throat.

 

She couldn't remember what had happened the night before. A red haze covered everything that had occurred after her performance. She could vaguely recall a cloud of smoke rising through the room and a hand on her thigh…

 

She barely made it to the edge of the cushions before she brought up her supper. Several of the other people muttered protests but none opened their eyes as she knelt outside of their circle, hunched over and sobbing. What had happened the night before…it was too horrible to contemplate. That she could have actually…that she might have…that anyone…

 

“No,” she whimpered, her voice a bare whisper. Somewhere outside the tangle of guests, she knew she would find her violin where she left it. Her fingers searched for it, needing to touch it for reasons beyond her comprehension.

 

When she found it she felt something inside of her crumble, felt it dissolve in a new flood of tears. The scroll hung at an odd angle, connected to the rest of the instrument by the strings alone. It wasn't a clean break, the fingerboard snapped along a jagged edge that gaped up at her, its ugliness grotesque. There was no way to fix it. She wasn't foolish enough to think that such a thing was possible. Her last link to her old life was gone, destroyed completely, never to utter a single line of music again.

 

She was so caught up in her grief that she did not hear the cushions rustle behind her. It wasn't until a hand slid around her waist that she realized her master was awake.

 

“Don't cry now.” His words slurred and he kissed her neck, leaving a line of slobber on her skin. “I'll buy you another one tomorrow.” Then his hand moved to her thigh, squeezing. “Come on back to bed now. You did well you know, better than most I've ever had…”

 

Blinded by tears, feeling as though someone had taken a chain saw to her soul, Michiru passively let her master take her back to her place among the revelers. Underneath the shock she felt dirty, foul, and she found herself wondering if she would ever feel clean again.