Crossover Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction / Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Vendetta ❯ Chapter Seven ( Chapter 7 )

Sorry for the delay in updating this chapter. I'm on spring break, and I've been a little distracted. The next chapter will be up on Monday, as scheduled.

 

Elsewhere In Space

 

A long hot shower and a change of clothing made all the difference in the world to Makoto. She felt fresh and revitalized, and was pumped, ready to show off her fighting skills. She followed Jakkin from her rooms outside to a barren field where the warrior she'd talked to earlier stood motionless, arms crossed and eyes closed in silent contemplation. She stopped a few feet from him, and waited for him to speak.

 

“I'm going to assess your skill in order to place you with the proper child. Attack me,” he commanded.

 

His seriousness set her in a fighting mood instantly. She focused her mind on the task at hand, pushing distracting thoughts from her head. She slipped easily into the familiar stance, feet apart and arms up slightly to protect her, and studied her opponent carefully. She had no doubt that he was a far better fighter, but she wasn't going to let him show her up. However, he didn't move. He just stood there with his arms crossed, glaring at her. After a moment, it seemed apparent that he was not going to move, so she shifted her stance and launched herself at him.

 

He made no move to dodge, and her punch connected directly with his face. She immediately got the feeling that she'd injured her hand more than his head, and hopped back. Cursing under her breath, she continued to study him, absentmindedly flexing her hand and wincing in pain. His appearance remained the same, however, and she was forced to attack in a similar fashion. Her kick landed, and like the punch, showed no effect.

 

She began to grow frustrated, and started punching and kicking wildly. Her speed was impressive, given her limited power, but the warrior was completely unfazed. After a few moments of her assault, he caught her mid-punch and tossed her to the ground. Upset, she got to her feet quickly and fell into a defensive stance.

 

“You hit like a little girl,” he grumbled. “Let's see how well you take a hit.”

 

She didn't even see the attack coming, he moved so fast. All she felt was a quick burst of pain in her stomach, before she crumpled to the ground. She fought the tears and panic that often accompany the loss of ones breath, determined not to show any weakness in front of this man, but she couldn't breathe. Gasping, she rolled over onto her back, only to see his scowling face looking down at her. She tried to sit up, but the attempt was premature, and she fell back to the ground.

 

It took a couple of minutes for her to regain her breath, but she managed to stand without help. Her legs shook from the effort, but she fell back into her stance, determined to keep fighting. Strangely, her whole body ached from that one blow, but she'd been in worse situations before, and wasn't about to stop now. Her opponent studied her quizzically for a moment, apparently not accustomed to such a display, and then smirked at her.

 

“That's enough for now, little puppy. I assume you don't know how to fly or manipulate ki?”

 

Makoto shook her head. She was pretty sure humans were incapable of flying on their own power, and she had never learned to manipulate ki, though Rei's grandfather had explained it to her. The fight seemed to be over, so she relaxed, dropping her arms to her side. Her stomach hurt badly, but she wasn't about to admit it. The warrior turned and spoke to Jakkin for a moment, and then turned back to her.

 

“I know exactly which child would be best. Follow me.”

 

“Are you sure?” Jakkin asked. “She didn't seem to fair any better than the others, and she can't even fly!”

 

“She has the potential, though. And she will work harder than the others,” the warrior replied. He didn't let Jakkin protest any longer, and walked into a nearby building. Makoto followed, as instructed, and stayed quiet. Jakkin grumbled to himself, but went off on his own business. “The child you will care for will have academic classes in the morning and will be trained in the afternoon. You will feed him meals at 0700 hours, 1200 hours and 1800 hours. After first meal, I will train you and some of the other girls until the second meal. Then, you will train the child until the final meal. After that, both will meditate until curfew at 2000 hours. Do you understand?”

 

“Yeah,” she replied.

 

“Our facility prides itself on producing well-rounded, effective soldiers. Children who fail either at their studies or at their fighting will be subject to strict discipline, so I suggest you teach your child to work hard. I also suggest that you take your fighting seriously, and try your hardest to become as powerful as you possibly can. Most of the children here are of races with far more potential than you will ever possess. It will become difficult for you, as your child grows older, to keep up with him. The child I have in mind will prove especially challenging for you, but I believe that if you work hard enough at it, you will be able to keep ahead of him for some ten years.”

 

Makoto groaned inwardly at that estimate. When raising a child, ten years really wasn't that much time. However, she wanted to hurry up and earn her freedom so that she could go find Usagi. The thought of spending the next ten or more years here raising a child was daunting. Still, she would be receiving some intense training, so whenever she finally found Usagi, she would probably be better able to protect her. Assuming the blond girl was still alive in ten years.

 

Inside the building, they followed a long corridor past rooms and staircases until they reached the room he was looking for. He opened the door and, in an almost gentlemanly way, ushered her inside. The room looked like a daycare center, with about a dozen children scampering around, playing. Two middle-aged women attempted to keep some semblance of order in the room, but the toddlers would have none of it. They chased each other around, and the little boys delighted in pulling the little girls' hair.

 

Two of the children sat together, coloring. They seemed far better behaved, ignoring the shouts of the others. Even as an angry little girl chased her attacker around them in circles, they ignored them. A moment later, the children noticed the two new people in the room and calmed down, curious looks in their eyes. The little girl hit the boy who had pulled her hair in the head, and then looked innocently at Makoto. The warrior surveyed the group of rowdy children for a moment, before picking up one of the two calm ones by the back of his shirt.

 

The boy looked no older than three or four, with shaggy black hair and dark, sad eyes. He didn't seem very happy about being picked up, and he glowered and started trying to kick the warrior. As he struggled, Makoto noticed that the boy had a furry brown tail. She was slightly surprised, but decided that, since the boy obviously wasn't human, it couldn't be that strange for him to have a tail. None of the other children seemed to have tails, though.

 

“What's your name, boy?” the warrior commanded.

 

“Gohan,” the child replied, his voice shaking.

 

The warrior turned and thrust the child into Makoto's arms. She instinctively pulled him close, as though to protect him. He seemed to calm down in her embrace, and began sucking his thumb. The warrior nodded his head at the two women in the room, and turned to leave. The women seemed a bit upset as Makoto took the boy away, but were quickly distracted by the wild antics of the other children.

 

“How old are you, Gohan?” she asked him, keeping her voice quiet and kind.

 

“Three an' a haff,” he said.

 

Makoto cooed about what a big boy he was for awhile, but inside she was fuming. They expected her to teach a three-year-old martial arts. The boy could hardly form proper sentences. She thought about arguing with the warrior about it, but she decided against it. She didn't want to upset the boy, and she would probably be told to shut up and follow orders. Clutching the little boy tighter, she vowed silently to take care of him and to prevent him from turning into some sort of homicidal monster.

 

Morning, Frieza's Ship

 

Hotaru grimaced as the woman who watched over her cinched up the corset tightly. She had been spared the discomfort of the undergarment the day before because they had been unable to obtain one small enough for her. Apparently, girls old enough to wear the garment were usually larger than she was. She had protested when the woman had started helping her dress, but not being one to argue much, she had relented. She had been relieved when the woman had informed her that the corset needed to be tightened only in public, and could be worn looser in private.

 

Now, the woman helped her into a lightweight, dark violet gown with a layered skirt and a somewhat revealing neckline. Hotaru felt a bit uncomfortable showing that much skin, but the slave woman started gushing about how beautiful she looked. Hotaru blushed self-consciously, but kept quiet. Glancing in the mirror, she winced. A large, purple bruise had formed on her cheek overnight. It throbbed painfully, and made her feel generally unwell. She still felt slightly nauseated at what had happened the night before, but was also thankful that things had not progressed any farther.

 

A knock at the door brought her out of her thoughts. A voice outside called “Are you dressed?”

 

“Yes,” she answered back.

 

Her voice was timid, but the person on the other side of the door appeared to hear her and came into the room. It was the green haired man, Zarbon, who had both killed Haruka and saved her the night before. At that moment, she wanted desperately to be angry with him, to hate him for what he'd done, and for seeing her in such a state as last night. But the concern in his eyes as he saw the bruise on her cheek washed that all away.

 

“Lord Frieza wishes to see you. He's concerned. After, I'll take you to see a doctor. That bruise looks awful.”

 

He crossed the room as he spoke, and lifted a hand to her cheek, gently brushing the discolored skin. She winced, and he pulled back, looking apologetic. He nodded to the slave woman, and offered an arm to Hotaru. Not knowing exactly how to act, she took it, blushing, and allowed herself to be led from the room. The walk was silent and uncomfortable, but blessedly short. They arrived at the door to Frieza's rooms within a few minutes.

 

Frieza sat at a small, round table, discussing something heatedly with two other warriors. He did not appear to be angry with them, but the two men seemed to fear him a great deal more than Zarbon had when he had been on the receiving end of Frieza's rage. They two were probably weaker than Zarbon, but Hotaru couldn't tell just by looking at them. They were both large, muscular men with harsh voices.

 

Frieza noticed Zarbon and Hotaru enter, and stood immediately. In a cold voice, he dismissed the two men and waited until they were out of the room before addressing Hotaru.

 

“Are you all right, child?” he asked. He seemed genuinely worried.

 

“Mostly,” Hotaru said softly, staring at the ground.

 

“I must apologize. I did not think any of my warriors would be stupid enough to try anything like that. Until we reach my home planet, I will have you guarded at all times to prevent such an event from occurring again. Once we reach home, no one would dare betray me in such a way. But, until then, Zarbon is going to be looking after you. I promise you, nothing like this will ever happen again while you are in my care. Now, have you been to see a doctor yet?”

 

“No.”

 

At this answer, Frieza glared at Zarbon.

 

“What were you thinking? What if she were seriously hurt?” His voice was low and threatening, but Zarbon seemed unfazed.

 

“I stopped him before he could do anything. The only injury is the bruise, so I thought it would be best to let her rest. Visiting a doctor would have been more traumatic. I was going to take her after we were through here,” Zarbon explained. Frieza turned his back to him.

 

“Get out of here.”

 

“Yes, my lord.”

 

Zarbon bowed deeply, and then offered his arm to Hotaru. She accepted it, and he led her from the room. They walked in silence, toward what Hotaru assumed was the medical wing, until Hotaru finally decided to speak. She took a moment to find the right words, and then spoke timidly, still afraid of the man she walked next to.

 

“Thank you for last night,” she whispered. She wanted to say more, but the words disappeared, and she fell silent, staring at the ground and blushing.

 

“Any time. Lord Frieza is quite fond of you, and he'd kill me if anything happened to you. I'll look after you.”

 

The last part was whispered in her ear, his face mere centimeters from hers. She trembled, half in due to fear, and half for a reason she couldn't quite place. Feeling light headed, she held his arm tighter and stopped walking. He cast her a worried glance, and reached out to hold her up. Her legs gave out on her, and she collapsed into his arms. Without her realizing it, tears began to run down her face. Then, she began to sob, clutching desperately at him and shaking.

 

He held her close as she cried, whispering comforting words in her ear. All the while, he thought to himself how great it was that she was already this trusting of him. He had assumed that she would be far more upset at him for killing her friend that she would be happy that he saved her, but he appeared to be wrong. Really, there were far too many emotions whirling through her head, and she didn't have the energy to hate him.

 

Finally, her trembling subsided and her weeping stopped. She sniffed occasionally, but the storm had passed. Silently, Zarbon scooped her up into his arms and carried her down the hallway. Even in layers of skirts and petticoats, she seemed tiny in his arms. As the thoughts of Haruka's death and last night faded to the back of her mind, she realized where she was and blushed.

 

“I want to hate you,” she said. “But I...” She trailed off and sniffled.

 

“Hush. I will understand if you can never bring yourself to truly forgive me for the pain I've caused you, but I couldn't live with myself if you really hated me.”

 

Hotaru didn't know how to reply, so she kept her mouth shut. He carried her the rest of the way to the medical wing in silence. It remained uncomfortable in both their minds, but something had definitely changed. Zarbon believed happily that she would forgive him, as this would leave her much more susceptible to his charms. Hotaru felt confused, unsure of whether she should place more emphasis on the fact that he killed Haruka or the fact that he had saved her. As they reached the medical ward, she found that she still didn't have an answer, and vowed to think of other things for awhile, if only to give her tear ducts a rest.

 

Afternoon, Shopping

 

The rainstorm the night before had done absolutely nothing to cool things down. It was midday, and the sun beat down relentlessly on Rei, Usagi and Orso, though Orso seemed too lost in his own thoughts to be much bothered by the intense heat. Though she felt ridiculous and costume-y, Rei had to admit that the parasol and fan she had bought earlier were the only things keeping her from melting into a puddle. She had also been slightly relieved to see other women dressed similarly, but wished desperately to be able to return to the cool of Vegeta's house.

 

Usagi had been quiet for most of the shopping trip, probably thinking about Mamoru, her family or the other girls. Occasionally, she would see something she wanted and would talk happily for a moment, but she would soon slip back into silent contemplation. Rei just took it as a good sign that she was able to express joy at all. After everything Usagi had been through, even a small smile could be considered good news.

 

The market area was a ten-minute walk from Vegeta's house. The streets were wide, and the sidewalks were lined with outdoor stalls selling foods and smaller items. Behind the stalls were two and three-story buildings with all kinds of stores. It had the overall effect of a giant, outdoor mall, and the girls had no problem finding the basic necessities. Orso was a great help, explaining the function of items the girls had never seen before. Most of these items were either for warriors or were specialized items for other races, and so Rei and Usagi had no need for them.

 

Rei soon discovered that the allowance Vegeta had left for her to use was an absurdly large sum of money. Even after all the basics, she had not even spent half of it, and asked Orso why he had left so much money. She had already figured that he was wealthy, but the house seemed to have all the items she could need already. She could buy little that would cost so much. Orso reminded her that she would be spending the next two weeks in the house alone except for the cook or the occasional visitor, and suggested that she buy things to amuse herself with.

 

By the end of the day, Rei had found ways to spend most of the money left for her. She kept enough saved in case of an emergency, but, as it was not her money, and because she really didn't care if Vegeta approved or not, she spent plenty. Most of the money went toward books. It had taken her awhile to find books written in Japanese, but she was determined to spend most of her days learning about the world she had been forced into. She also bought two novels for purely entertainment purposes.

 

Toward the end of their shopping trip, Rei discovered a music store, and upon learning that she had more than enough money left, purchased a baby grand piano. She had to dig through stacks and stacks of music to find things written in the same style as on earth, but once she found what she was looking for, she grinned. The pieces all looked challenging, and were by composers she'd never heard of. She bought three, and arranged for the piano to be delivered to Vegeta's house before returning to Usagi and Orso.

 

“Are you sure he'll be okay with you spending so much money?” Usagi asked. Vegeta terrified her, and she did not want to be around when he got back.

 

“I don't care. If he didn't want me to spend the money, he shouldn't have left it. Now, I'm starving. I think we've got everything would could possibly need, so lets go get some dinner.”

 

Usagi was never one to turn down an offer for food, and followed Orso back to Vegeta's house with a grin on her face. Rei offered a silent prayer of thanks that the girl was starting to get over the tragedies she had so recently faced.

 

Morning, Elsewhere in Space

 

Minako slept restlessly the whole night, waking often with the remnants of nightmares in her head. She could never remember what scared her so greatly, but she feared going back to sleep. Morning finally came, and the three girls got up and went through their morning rituals. Ottavia seemed to have slept just fine, and did not appear any differently than she ever did, but Unazuki was a mess. She looked like she had spent the whole night crying.

 

As the girls finished dressing, someone knocked on their door. Minako opened it to face Pacquette, the daughter of the woman who owned the house.

 

“You,” she said, pointing to Unazuki. “Mama want's to see you first.”

 

Pacquette was a small girl of no older than fifteen. She wore her reddish hair up in an ornate style, and dressed in beautiful kimonos. She could often be seen with young men, and Minako was a little worried about a girl growing up in such a place. She seemed already drawn to a life like her mothers, and Minako wondered if it was fair. The girl seemed to have no chance of finding any other career.

 

Unazuki tensed, and followed Pacquette out of the room. Ottavia glanced briefly at Minako before settling down on her bed with a book. Minako sat down in front of the mirrored vanity and started brushing her hair. By the time she had finished brushing it and putting it up in her customary style, Unazuki was back. She looked almost relieved. Ottavia went with Pacquette, and Minako turned to Unazuki.

 

“So you're going to cook and stuff...”

 

“Yeah,” Unazuki replied, nodding. “What about you?”

 

Minako laughed uncomfortably. The night before, Unazuki had made clear her opinions on prostitution, and Minako did not want her to get the wrong idea. It would be hard to explain to the other girl why she was even considering the option. Unazuki could never understand just how desperately Minako needed to find Usagi.

 

“I still don't know.”

 

It wasn't entirely a lie. She was almost sure she was going to become a prostitute. However, she still had many questions to ask the mistress of the house about safety and such. From what Minako could see of the place, she had a feeling the woman put the girls' safety before all else, but one could never be sure. There were so many bad men out there, so many diseases and always the risk of pregnancy that Minako still had doubts about her choice.

 

Ottavia and Pacquette returned, and Minako stood to leave. Unazuki gave her a comforting look, and Ottavia ignored her as she left. As she followed Pacquette, she though silently. The night before, she had been so sure of her decision, but now, as she continued to think about it, she began doubting more. Even if being hurt or infected with some disease wasn't a problem, she began to doubt that she would be desirable. She was pretty on earth, but would she be considered attractive to aliens?

 

Pacquette ushered her into a sitting room and kneeled on a cushion in the corner. Her mother sat on the other side of a table, and ushered Minako to sit as well. Minako complied, and wrung her hands nervously in her lap. For a moment, the woman shuffled some papers around and wrote things down. Then, she lifted her head and studied Minako's face intently.

 

“Before you make your decision, I want you to know that I hope you choose to work in my salon. You are one of the most beautiful girls I've come across, and it would be a shame to waste such beauty in a kitchen.”

 

Minako blushed at the compliment. She found herself unable to speak for a moment, but finally found the words she wanted.

 

“Thank you. I...I just have a few questions...”

 

“Of course. This is a big decision.”

 

“I was wondering about the risks of disease and pregnancy and...abuse...”

 

The woman chuckled at this, and Minako blushed furiously. She felt small and inferior, almost insignificant. This woman was bright, beautiful even in her middle age, and seemingly above her. She felt lucky to be in this woman's presence, lucky to have even seen this woman. It also surprised her that she would feel these things about a panderer.

 

“You have nothing to fear. I only allow men I trust access to my girls. I occasionally take recommendations, and at any sign of mistreatment, I will refuse a man service. As for diseases, well...they are rare, and even if you should contract one, there is no disease that does not have a cure. Proper measures will be taken to prevent pregnancies. It is not profitable for me to have girls getting sick or pregnant or beaten. Do not let such worries affect your decision.”

 

Minako supposed that what she said made sense. A pregnant woman was probably not very desirable, and no man would want to use the services of a girl who had some sort of embarrassing disease. Still, she did not give her answer immediately. She sat in uncomfortable silence for a few moments, terrified at what she was about to agree to. In her heart, she knew she had no other option, but the prospect of what she was getting herself into was frightening beyond anything she had ever encountered. Sacrificing her life on multiple occasions for the sake of her princess had been easy, compared to this task.

 

“I can't believe I'm even considering this,” she whispered quietly. “But, I'll do it.”

 

“Oh, good,” she said. Standing gracefully, she turned to a nearby shelf and selected a thin book. She set it on the table in front of Minako. “This is a sort of guide book. You will need to study it over the next few days to get a handle on everything. Later, you will attend lessons, but for now we do not want you to be too experienced. You are a virgin, correct?”

 

Minako blushed and nodded.

 

“Alright. For now, Pacquette will take you back to your room. After lunch, you will be given your own suite in another part of the building where you will entertain. You will have your first client in a couple of weeks, once you've gotten yourself adjusted. That book should explain everything, but if you have any questions, feel free to ask Pacquette or myself or one of the more experienced girls.”

 

The woman motioned to Pacquette, who stood and came over to Minako's side. Minako stood and picked the book up off the table, turning to follow Pacquette from the room. The book was no more than a hundred pages, and thankfully written in Japanese. Clutching it tightly to her chest, she sighed and stared down at her feet. It was done. She had made her decision, and there was no going back now. She would earn her freedom working as a prostitute, and then she would go find her princess.

 

Strangely, she did not feel as upset as she should have. The task at hand was considered by most humans to be something dirty, sinful, and yet she found herself pulling her head up, looking defiantly ahead. With each step, she gained a little confidence. Despite her personal thoughts on the matter, and despite the opinions of others, she would do this task, and she would earn her freedom.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

That's all for now. Thanks to those who have reviewed so far. You've all been very helpful, unlike many of the jerk-face reviewers at FF.net who think “good job, write more” is acceptable.