Crossover Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction / Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Vendetta ❯ Chapter Thirteen ( Chapter 13 )

I'm uploading two chapters today, and will probably upload two more later this week. That will be the end of the consistent updates, though. After that point, you'll get uploads as soon as I finish chapters.

 

Major thanks to Neominitails for supporting me consistently. For those of you who keep reading this story and never review...you suck. Seriously, I take a lot of time writing this and making sure it's as good as possible, and you won't even take five seconds to let me know what you think. That's just rude.

 

Anyway, on with the story.

 

Vegeta's house

 

Vegeta only allowed her that one night alone and then went back to showering her with physical affection and sleeping in her bed. She refused to talk to him, though. He didn't allow it to bother him, and more often than not would just smirk at her when she tried to shrug him off. If she got too huffy, he'd leave her alone for a few hours to go train before returning to annoy her further. A few times he left the house to visit friends, and Rei allowed herself to relax only during those times.

 

A few days later he disappeared from the house for about an hour with Orso and upon his return presented her with beautiful necklace made of blood red stones and a blackish metal Rei had never seen before. She assumed it cost a great deal of money. He seemed to think that he could buy her forgiveness with expensive gifts, but she wouldn't let him off that easily. She refused to wear it, and he laughed at her, leaving it with the few other pieces of jewelry in her room. The gesture only made her more angry at him because she knew he wasn't really sorry about what he did to Minako.

 

A week later, he was gone again on a mission, and she and the cook had the house to themselves. Goku had also gone on a mission, and Usagi spent nearly all of her time with Rei. When Rei told her what Vegeta had done to Minako, she reacted with surprising calm. Where she would, in the past, have started bawling loudly, she simply stared in disbelief, sniffling a bit.

 

“All for me,” she'd whispered, feeling numb. The statement terrified Rei. She insisted Usagi spend the night with her, afraid Usagi would start feeling guilty and try something rash. While Usagi did feel guilty, the precaution was unnecessary. The last thing she wanted to do was make light of or waste her friends' sacrifices by killing herself.

 

When Vegeta and Goku returned from their respective missions, only a day apart, Usagi returned to Goku's apartment and Rei didn't see her for almost a week. She could only hope that the responsibility of keeping Goku fed and his apartment clean would keep the girl busy and her thoughts off the horrible things her friends had to endure. Surely, without such tasks, the blond girl would drive herself crazy with worry.

 

Rei, on the other hand, had no such chores to keep her preoccupied, and couldn't help but worry incessantly both over Usagi and over Minako. She also couldn't help but wonder what had become of her other friends. Were they forced to do things like Minako? Or were they simple house slaves like Usagi and herself? Were they even still alive?

 

Vegeta returned with another gift for her—a gorgeous pair of ravens in a large, gilded cage. She immediately took it out back to his garden and set them free. She firmly believed that caging an animal so connected with flight was unnecessarily cruel. She knew she would hate to be forced to live in a cage, no matter how large or pretty. Also, she hoped the gesture would anger him, but he simply nodded as if in approval of her decision.

 

The birds took up residence nearby, and Rei fed them daily. They reminded her of Phobos and Deimos, the ravens she kept at Hikawa Jinja, and she ached to return to Earth. Vegeta seemed to sense the change in her mood, and spoke to her even less. He still insisted on sleeping in her room and kissing her sporadically, but he did little in the way of verbal button pushing. He also spent more time training, leaving her to herself.

 

He stood with her in the garden a few hours before he was set to leave on his next mission, arm wrapped lightly around her waist. The weather was just beginning to cool in preparation for the rainy winter season, and Rei was slightly less anxious to pull away from him.

 

“Do they have significance?” she asked him, staring at the two birds. They were hopping about in the grass, looking for bugs. It was the first full sentence she'd spoken to him since he had revealed what he'd done to Minako.

 

“They have always been considered the smartest of birds by my people. My mother kept them as pets, and they became associated with the royal family,” Vegeta replied. He kissed her temple.

 

“I had two, on Earth. Phobos and Deimos...” She shivered slightly and Vegeta pulled her closer.

 

“Fear and Terror?” He chuckled and she glared at him, pulling away. Briefly, she wondered how he knew the translations of the words.

 

“Why don't you go kill people?” she snapped, storming back into the house. Vegeta stood, smirking, and watched as one of the ravens flew away.

 

* * *

 

Usagi didn't notice that Goku was drunk until he nearly collapsed on her the third day he was back home. She had noticed a bit of an odd smell from him, but couldn't place it and wasn't about to jump to conclusions. He'd been nearly silent at meals, and spent the rest of his time locked in his room. Occasionally, she thought she could make out the sound of weeping, but that didn't seem like something a large, strong man like Goku would do.

 

When she realized he was drunk, her first instinct was to get as far away from his as she could. Her mother had insisted that drunken men were dangerous, even men who are usually nice, and in the movies, the drunken guy always did something horrible to the poor, defenseless girl. But then, Goku had started sobbing, and she decided that she couldn't just leave him as he was.

 

He clung to her like a child and she wrapped her arms around him, whispering soft words to calm him. She let one hand stroke his hair and pulled him closer. When at last his crying ebbed, she ushered him to his feet and helped him stagger through the apartment to his bedroom. As soon as he lay down he fell asleep, snoring lightly. Usagi took off his boots and left the room, thoroughly shaken by the experience.

 

The next morning he stumbled in to the kitchen for breakfast, his eyes red and his hair even more tousled than usual. His face was pale and he looked terrible. She said nothing, setting out his usual enormous breakfast, and he ate it in silence. Instead of helping her clean up as he normally did, he left the table, fished around in a cupboard, and disappeared back into his room with a bottle.

 

She left him alone when he didn't show up for lunch, but when it was dinner time and he still showed no signs of leaving his room, she decided to try to talk to him. She knocked lightly on his door, and upon receiving no reply, nudged it open a bit. He sat on his bed, staring at the ceiling. The empty bottle was laying on the nightstand.

 

“Goku?” she asked softly. He turned to look at her, his depression obvious in his dark eyes. “Are you alright?” She approached the bed tentatively.

 

“I hate it,” he murmured. She sat on the edge of the bed next to him and wrapped her arms around him, letting his head rest on her shoulder. He did not cry anymore, but he hugged her back fiercely. “Sometimes I wonder if it wouldn't be better if Frieza just killed me.”

 

“Shhhh...” Usagi whispered. “If you didn't do it, someone else would. And anyway, you have to keep living. So you can find your son, right?” She stroked his hair again.

 

“If he's still alive,” Goku mumbled morosely. Usagi pulled back and looked him in the eye.

 

“I think you'd know, if he weren't. What reason would anybody have for killing an innocent little boy? And, I don't think your wife would want to see you like this. I'm sure she'd want you to make the best of your situation. Now, come eat supper.” She tried to coax him off the bed, but he was much larger than she was and too stubborn to be moved.

 

“I'm not hungry. I feel sick.” He pulled his knees up to his chest. She looked at him with her best imitation of Sakurada-sensei's “you're in trouble” look.

 

“That's because you drank way too much. It's not good for you. Next time promise me you'll just come talk to me.” She laid her hand on the side of his face and made him look her in the eye. He nodded dumbly and then sprawled out on the bed. Usagi took the bottle and left him to sleep.

 

He looked better the next morning, his eyes less red and swollen and his skin less pale. He ate breakfast and helped her with the dishes. He even smiled a little at her.

 

“You're so beautiful,” he said softly. “Thank you.” She blushed and turned away, focusing all her attention on the dishes. “We're going to go over to Vegeta's.”

 

As soon as they arrived at the large house, Vegeta and Goku disappeared. Vegeta was set to leave in a few hours, but wanted to get a little training in beforehand. Usagi went to the sitting room where Rei was reading and sat down next to her friend on the couch. Rei marked her place in the book and set it down on the table before wrapping her arms around her friend.

 

“You look upset. Is everything alright?” Rei asked, her tone suspicious. While she liked the big Saiya-jin more than Vegeta, she still didn't truly trust him. Usagi sighed, hugging Rei tightly.

 

“He...he got really drunk.”

 

“Did he...” Rei began to accuse, her face flushing in anger.

 

“No, no, nothing like that,” Usagi insisted. “He just cried. He said he wanted to die. I'm so scared...”

 

“You need to get out of there, Usagi. I know he's normally nice, but alcohol messes with people. Maybe Vegeta could help,” Rei said. “Not that he'd want to help, but I could...” She blushed at the thought. If it meant keeping Usagi safe, she'd do it. Usagi seemed to read her mind.

 

“Don't. He...he needs someone to take care of him. If he's all by himself, he'll do something really horrible. I can't just leave him like this. He's a complete mess, and I have to help him.”

 

Rei wanted to urge her to try and get out, but said nothing. Something about Goku made her really uneasy, but until she could put a finger on it, she wouldn't worry Usagi. Usagi, meanwhile, realized what Rei was thinking and opted not to mention Goku's comment about her being beautiful. Rei would certainly take it the wrong way and do something drastic to get Usagi as far away from the Saiya-jin as possible.

 

They spent the next few hours talking about lighter subjects. They were both reading in an attempt at learning more about their surroundings, and Usagi was surprisingly picking it up fairly well. So long as she wasn't forced to do things she had no interest in, and so long as she didn't have to get out of bed at any specific time, she could learn material just fine. They shared their findings and conclusions, and then reminisced about Earth. The talked about what they thought their families and friends must be doing, and about what they would do if they could go back.

 

Their discussion was interrupted when Vegeta and Goku returned. Goku sat down and looked at Usagi with a tired smile on his face. He looked as though he'd been working out rigorously, though Vegeta seemed no worse for the wear. The shorter Saiya-jin pulled Rei up and kissed her softly.

 

“I have to go now. I should return in a few weeks.”

 

She turned up her nose and looked away. “I couldn't care less. I hope you get killed.”

 

He laughed and kissed her again, not bothering to comment. Once he'd left, Rei huffed and sat back down in her chair. Usagi was staring at her in disbelief. She had not seen Vegeta show any such affection up until this point, and couldn't help but wonder if her friend had gone insane. Rei noticed the look, and explained.

 

“We have a bet. He thinks he can get me to sleep with him willingly within eighteen months. If I win, I get my freedom.”

 

“What...what if you...lose?” Usagi asked, horrified. Rei rolled her eyes.

 

“I'm not going to lose. Why would I ever sleep with someone I hate?”

 

Usagi didn't respond, but thought to herself that there was one reason Rei might. If Rei thought Vegeta would help her save Usagi from the big, bad Goku, she'd offer herself up as a sacrifice, submitting herself to whatever the penalty might be for losing the bet. Knowing that so many of her friends were risking such things just to try to protect her made Usagi very uncomfortable.

 

It had been different when they threw their lives on the line in battle. They weren't just protecting her—they were protecting the people and the future of Earth. She could understand their justification there. But, to protect one person? It seemed such a huge sacrifice, and hardly worth it. As far as Usagi was concerned, now that she wasn't going to become queen of Earth, there wasn't much point in protecting her or worrying about her future at all. She certainly wasn't so special that multiple people needed to give up their dreams or their futures just to ensure her safety.

 

Silently, she made a vow to keep herself safe, if only so her friends wouldn't be forced into uncomfortable or dangerous positions ever again.

 

House of Élodie

 

Minako could understand the purpose of all the things she had been taught over the past few weeks, but that didn't make it any less embarrassing. She was subjected to written material with detailed illustrations and lectures by older, more experienced women. A few times, she even had to watch the practical application of the things she was learning. Those instances were both terrifying and fascinating, and on a couple of occasions she began to wonder whether her personal morality were somehow declining. On those couple of occasions, she could see the appeal.

 

She managed to remind herself that she did not want to be in this position, and felt slightly better. Her goal was to earn her freedom quickly so that she could find Usagi, and to do that she needed to be good. Men would be more likely to give generous gifts if they enjoyed themselves, so she would make sure they enjoyed themselves. Even if it meant pretending she was enjoying herself as well.

 

She had seen little of Unazuki since those first few days, and missed the girl's company a great deal. Even though they hadn't been close friends on Earth, the fact that they were the only two from said planet was enough to create a sort of bond. She assumed Unazuki was doing well in her work, as cooking and cleaning had never been hard for the redhead, but she was probably terribly lonely. Unazuki was very close to her parents and her brother, and being separated from them with no real prospect of ever being able to return must be very hard to live with.

 

Minako, on the other hand, hardly had a chance to feel lonely. Whenever she wasn't learning about how to be a good prostitute, Pacquette was hanging on her, gossiping and introducing her to people. The girl had taken quite a liking to her, for whatever reason, and Minako couldn't help but find her cute. And, whenever she was given the opportunity, Minako tried to hint subtly that Pacquette was not predestined to become a prostitute. She wasn't sure if her message got across, but she felt better for trying.

 

Along with her chats with Pacquette and her daily lessons, Minako did not let up in her training. She wasn't going to allow herself to fall out of shape just because she had the option of a life of leisure. She would be absolutely no good to Usagi once she'd earned her freedom if she were unable to fight whatever threat might be present, so she pushed herself daily with an intensity that had been lacking even on Earth.

 

She was in the dojo, early one morning before her lessons were scheduled to start when Pacquette appeared with a summons from Élodie. Minako was told not to bother with cleaning herself up, and just to go to the woman's office. She was apparently excused from lessons as well.

 

Élodie was reviewing paperwork, as usual, when Minako entered her office. The older woman waved her over and motioned for her to sit, never lifting her eyes from the paper. Minako complied and waited patiently, aware that Élodie took on a great deal of work in the management of her salon. Finally, she pushed the papers aside and looked up.

 

“I hear you're progressing quite well in your lessons,” she began. “I think it's about time you started taking patrons.”

 

Minako blushed a bit, but in truth, the faster she started working, the faster she could earn her freedom. “If you think I'm ready,” she said. Élodie nodded.

 

“There are still a few things for you to learn, of course. But I know which of the men are more adventurous and can keep them at bay for some time. You have already been noticed by more than a few men, and have a few offers. I think Vegeta must have spoken highly of you.”

 

Élodie set three pieces of paper in front of Minako. They were each contracts from different men interested in hiring her.

 

“You have a choice for now, though you may meet all three men on different days if you wish. I would suggest starting with this one.” She pushed one of the contracts forward and Minako picked it up to inspect it. “He has visited here many times before, and the girls have nothing but praise to offer him. I hear he is gentle and willing to reciprocate pleasure.”

 

Minako blushed again. She was willing to do what she had to do to earn her freedom, but she had never given serious thought to enjoying the process. “I...I'll trust your judgement,” she said. She gave the contract back, and Élodie signed it with a flourish.

 

“He'll be here day after tomorrow. You may take the next two days off from your lessons if you wish. I think that's everything...”

 

“If you aren't too busy, I had a question about something...” Minako started. She had been thinking about it for some time, and decided that it wouldn't hurt to ask. “About Unazuki...”

 

Élodie nodded. “A nice girl. Too nice to work for the salon, unfortunately. Very pretty.”

 

“I was wondering...if I could put some of the money I earn towards her freedom.”

 

It would take her twice as long to earn her freedom if she had to give up half the money, but she couldn't very well sit back and watch Unazuki spend the rest of her life in servitude. She felt guilty being able to work her way out of the situation, while Unazuki would be cooking and scrubbing for the rest of her life.

 

Élodie stared at her for a moment and then burst out laughing. The sound was melodious, and Minako was again struck by the feeling of inferiority.

 

“Nobody has ever made such a request before,” she explained. “I do not normally allow kitchen workers to buy their freedom, but your selflessness is beyond compare. I shall make an exception, and put half the money you earn aside for her use.”

 

Minako's eyes widened in delight, and she smiled. “Thank you,” she said. She stood, bowing deeply. “You have no idea how much this means to me, and to her.”

 

Élodie nodded. “Go on, then, before you wheedle any further favors from me.” Her tone was light, teasing. Minako's grin broadened and she left the room.

 

Pacquette had opted not to wait for her, so Minako went back to the dojo to continue with her training. She couldn't wait to find Unazuki, to share the news. The girl would be elated.

 

Vegeta's House, about two months later

 

The months following Vegeta's confession were surprisingly easy for Rei to bear. In two months' time, Vegeta had gone on three missions and had spent less than two weeks total in the house. Granted nearly every second he was home he spent in her presence, holding her or kissing her or saying things to make her angry. She wasn't sure if it could be considered a positive or a negative that she was starting to grow accustomed to him. Probably negative...

 

He had also developed the annoying habit of buying her presents. He never came home from a mission without an exotic pet or piece of jewelry for her. It only made Rei feel like he was trying to buy favors from her, though, and certainly brought him no closer his goal. She never wore the jewelry he bought her, but the two other pets he'd gotten her besides the ravens she couldn't just ignore. They were both quite cute, and both had taken to her immediately.

 

One of them resembled some sort of fluffy blue lizard. It flicked its tongue frequently, and liked to cling to the bodice of her gown and ride around with her. Its fur was softer than anything Rei had felt on Earth, and it never did anything disgusting like leaving presents for her to find, so she let it do as it pleased. She named it Ninigi, after the grandson of the sun goddess Amaterasu, who was sent to pacify earth.

 

The other creature looked like a large, tawny cat, standing higher than her knees and able to put its paws up on her shoulders like some dogs were wont to do. Its thick, shaggy fur was not quite so soft, but it followed her around like a puppy and liked to have its ears and belly scratched and it would do all kinds of cute things for attention. It also liked to sleep in the bed with Rei, and she encouraged it. Vegeta was unlikely to do anything too inappropriate with a large cat staring at him. It had to be unnerving in the least. She named it Susano, after Amaterasu's mischievous younger brother.

 

Vegeta had inquired about the names one afternoon. They were in the sitting room, and he had been letting her read peacefully for nearly an hour, the only distraction his arm thrown carelessly over her shoulders. Ninigi had taken up residence in Rei's lap, sleeping peacefully. Susano was lying upside down with his head in Vegeta's lap, begging to have his stomach scratched. Vegeta complied absentmindedly, apparently more interested in playing with Rei's hair than anything.

 

Rei explained briefly the mythology behind the Shinto religion—Izanagi and Izanami, and how they created the Japanese islands. She told him about Amaterasu and Susano, how, through his carelessness, he had caused Amaterasu to hide herself up in a cave, and how she had been tricked out again. And, she told of Ninigi, who went down to earth with a sacred mirror, a sword and jewels, and how his descendants became the Emperors of Japan.

 

Vegeta listened far more attentively than Rei would have thought. He seemed genuinely interested, and did not scoff at her for her `silly human beliefs' as he normally did. For the first time since she'd arrived, she had the feeling Vegeta actually wanted to listen to her talk, actually respected some aspect of her other than her looks or her temper.

 

The next morning, as she dressed, she made an impulsive decision and donned the first necklace he'd given her as an apology for the Minako business. She told herself she hadn't really forgiven him, and that the necklace happened to match her dress perfectly.

 

When she entered the kitchen, Vegeta, who was sweaty from a pre-breakfast workout, quirked an eyebrow at her but didn't say anything. Usagi and Goku were in the kitchen as well, and Rei wondered why they had all gotten up so early. Surely she had not developed a habit of sleeping in later than Usagi?

 

“Happy birthday!” Usagi shouted when she entered the room. Rei stared at her.

 

“Birthday?” she asked. It was possibly the last thing she had been thinking about since her enslavement. “How...I didn't even know what day it was...”

 

“I've been keeping a diary,” Usagi explained. “April seventeenth.”

 

She beamed and held a box out to Rei. It didn't have wrapping paper on it, but that didn't really surprise her at all. Rei sat down at the kitchen table and opened the box. It contained jars of ink, brushes and paper, along with a couple of books. Rei hugged Usagi, a genuine smile on her face.

 

“Thank you,” she said, resisting the urge to cry. Vegeta would definitely have something sarcastic to say if she started weeping about books and paper and ink.

 

“How old are you?” Vegeta asked. Rei looked at him in surprise.

 

“Eighteen,” she said. Ninigi had found his way into her lap, and she petted him absentmindedly, his fur soft and warm. Vegeta's brow furrowed. “What?” she asked, snappishly.

 

“I thought you were older. You really are just a girl,” he smirked at her. She turned her nose up at him.

 

“Well, I guess that makes you a dirty pedophile, then. How old are you?”

 

Vegeta thought about it for a moment. “On your planet I'd be...twenty-eight.” Rei nearly fell out of her chair. Vegeta sneered at her. “Don't look so mortified. I'll probably still outlive you by a few decades.” He bent down and kissed her. “I got you a gift as well, but you will have to wait until this evening for it.”

 

Rei gave him a questioning look, but the cook took this opportunity to place breakfast on the table, and the Saiya-jins immediately forgot about all else. Rei sighed as she watched the three others eat. Usagi couldn't match the Saiya-jins in sheer quantity, but she put up a good show none the less. Rei had always had a hearty appetite, stemming from a physically active lifestyle, but she could still only eat so much.

 

Frieza's Palace

 

By the time the weather had cleared up enough to allow one to go outside without risking frostbite in a matter of minutes, Hotaru was actually anxious to get out of the palace. For all she loved to curl up in a comfy chair with a good book, two straight months indoors would drive anyone crazy. So, she asked Zarbon if she could go outside, and, after a few days waiting for clear weather, he took her out to the gardens in back of the palace.

 

They were like nothing Hotaru had ever seen on Earth. Everything looked completely frozen, ice crystals glinting in the pale sunlight. Even the flowers, vibrantly colored and alive-looking, were encased in ice. A frozen stream wound around the grounds, and only a few animals could be seen. It was, far and above, the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen, and when she first looked around, she couldn't help but gasp.

 

“It's amazing, isn't it?” Zarbon asked, stepping next to her and nodding his head so that he spoke close to her ear. “Everything has been frozen this way for nearly three thousand years. Very few of the animals you see are native to the planet. Frieza imports them from other parts of the planet or other planets entirely, and it costs a bundle to keep everything fed.”

 

Hotaru, too busy taking in her surroundings, was hardly listening. Her eyes were bright and wide, her cheeks flushed partially in excitement and partially from the cold. She looked, and felt, healthier and happier than she had since before she'd left Earth. After her sickness on the spaceship, she had recovered slowly, but had not gotten sick again, and was in wonderful health. Being out in the fresh air felt wonderful.

 

It wasn't so much that she lacked things to do in the palace. The library in her personal suite contained books all either in Latin or Japanese, and she had no shortage of things to read. Also, Frieza often allowed her to sit in on his meetings, and she had learned more about politics in the past two months than she had in all her schooling on Earth. In addition, Frieza and his family were quite intrigued with her and her way of life.

 

Frieza's brother, Cooler, was not quite so interested, though he always treated her politely and glared at people when the looked at her in a way he determined `wrong.' After what had almost happened to her early on in Frieza's care, she didn't mind so much. Frieza's father, King Cold, on the other hand, adored her and was not afraid to show it. He would take her aside, setting his huge hand on her shoulder, and would ask her endless questions about Earth, and more particularly about her history as a warrior.

 

Frieza, as well, was interested in her fighting style, and would sit patiently with his father as she tried to explain it. It unnerved her a little, having the full attention of two incredibly powerful warriors, but they never threatened her and she grew more comfortable around them every day. Occasionally she had to remind herself that Frieza had killed more people than had lived on Earth, but those times grew farther and farther apart.

 

Zarbon still followed her around quite a bit when he wasn't busy with other duties as Frieza's right hand man. However, she had enough time away from him that she felt less smothered. He was always very kind to her, making sure she was comfortable and well fed, and he was starting to grow on her. She'd never had such a good-looking man show any interest in her whatsoever, and she could help but occasionally wonder what it would be like if they had met under different circumstances.

 

She spent a good fifteen minutes poking around the garden, an expression of pure joy on her face. She wasn't sure why she felt so happy, but it was a wonderful feeling and she couldn't bring herself to end it. Still, she was starting to get cold, and it was starting to snow softly. She tugged her cloak closer around her and shivered slightly. Zarbon noticed and returned to her side.

 

“Cold?” he asked, smirking slightly at her. She blushed and nodded. Instead of steering her inside, as she suspected he'd do, he pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her. Her blush deepened, but at the same time she felt inclined to snuggle closer to him. He was so warm and strong, and he made her feel safe. “I understand, if you can never get past what I did to your friend. But I don't think I could take it if you hated me.”

 

He removed one of his arms from around her waist and lifted it to cup her face, making her look him in the face. For that moment, she couldn't tear her eyes from his, too shocked to say anything. Then, so softly, his lips were pressed against hers, and her eyes closed on reflex. No one but her father had ever kissed her at all, and he certainly had never kissed her like this. Zarbon's hand moved from the side of her face to stroke her hair, and his arm pulled her closer.

 

Eventually he pulled back, his breath a little heavy, though he did not remove his arms. “Forgive me,” he whispered. “I was to protect you from such things, and yet here we are...”

 

“You...you don't have to be sorry. It's not the same at all,” Hotaru said, blushing profusely. She turned her head away, embarrassed. She felt so warm and so special, and felt a bit guilty, part of her wishing he'd kiss her again. “I just...no one's ever...”

 

“No one's ever kissed you before?” Zarbon asked, incredulous. “The men on your planet must all be blind.”

 

“I...I'm too young, really, to know much. And...the boys my age were all afraid of me.”

 

“You aren't so young, really,” Zarbon said, sweeping a glance up and down her body. “I assume you've been capable of bearing children for some years, correct?” Hotaru nodded, wondering if it were possible to blush any harder. “Why were you feared? You didn't broadcast your ability to destroy planets, I assume.”

 

“Not that. I...can heal minor injuries, and they thought it was weird.”

 

“Healing is a rare gift to be treasured. They were all obviously brainless fools who didn't know a good thing when it was right in front of them. Anyway, you should get inside before you make yourself ill again. I will give you time alone to think, if you like.”

 

She nodded, and he took her arm, leading her back into the palace. It was warm inside, and she was glad to remove her cloak when she entered the privacy of her suite. Zarbon left her at the door, as promised, and she was silently glad for the time alone. For all part of her had wanted him to kiss her again, she realized that she would be setting herself up for trouble if she let such desires overrule her common sense.

 

She had known him for three months, and under normal circumstances she decided that it would have been plenty of time for things to progress as they had here. But, she was on an alien planet, and he had killed Haruka. Granted, he had done so under orders from a being who showed no mercy and would have killed him on the spot had he disobeyed, but he was still a murderer.

 

The thought made Hotaru shiver. He didn't act like a murderer, and she felt a twinge of guilt pegging him thus. He had no say, really. He had the choice to follow Frieza's orders or die, and she could hardly fault his self-preservation instincts. The only real problem she was facing was the fact that everything seemed to be happening so fast. Sure, it had been three months, but it seemed as though it were only a week or two. Perhaps, if she could convince him to take it slow, then everything could work out.