Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Strange New World (That Has Such Creatures In It) ❯ Family ( Chapter 5 )

Part Five

Flying a few feet in front of his brother, Raditz soared higher and faster, gazing down at the landscape as it appeared in the breaks between the clouds. He followed the river beside the city out into the countryside, beyond the thick orchards and fields, and as they flew on the trees grew taller and more wild, sharp and uninviting. He stopped and glanced over his shoulder. After only a few minutes, the tall castle spire was just a dot on the horizon. He wished he'd dressed before flying out the window after his prince, but now he was stuck on a tezra hunt in his pj's. He looked down at the swamps and spotted their prey.

A short distance ahead, Goku noticed his brother had stopped and he pulled short, looking at him. Raditz stared at the flock of tezra on the ground, but he noticed his brother's glare and turned to face him. "What?"

Goku kept his gaze. "Why does my mate call you brother?"

A thin smile crept onto Raditz's face. "Jealous?"

"I asked you a question." He clenched his hands into fists. "I've been through hell without my mate and now he can't stand me in the same room as him. I want an answer and I want it now."

The royal bodyguard held up one hand to silence him, shaking his head. "You say you've been through hell? You have no idea what that is. You've been dead twice, then you should have some idea of what hell is like."

"I only visited," Goku said, almost spitting the words.

"Oh? Then let me tell you about it. They try to break you there, force your soul to bend to their will so they can do whatever they want with you. They have many tricks and illusions to use for this, all the mental and physical tortures they can imagine."

"I didn't ask for a lecture on hell--"

"Shut up and listen. When you killed me, I landed in a fiery torment that lasted for years, I along with other Saiyans, the ones you see resurrected now. We screamed and we begged and we tried to fight, but we were weak. And when we were given the choice of being run through that damn machine, many of us broke. I lost a good many friends to that machine."

"The soul cleansing machine," Goku said with a nod. "It wipes away the evil in you and lets your soul reincarnate."

"You believe that lie?" Raditz snarled. "It makes us slaves."

"It cleanses away sin--"

"What are we without our sins?" He held his hands out as if he held the worst parts of his soul in them. "Our shames, our evils, they define us, they make us who we are. Without the bad there cannot be any good. Only Kigeta is perfect. We are imperfect, and to hope for anything more is foolish."

"But to hold onto that evil like it's vital..."

"Tell me, Kakarrot, did you go through the machine?" He laughed at his brother's silence. "Of course not. If it was so cleansing, then why is there still evil in the world? Surely everyone must've been reincarnated at some point."

Goku grit his teeth. He couldn't think of an answer and wished Bulma or Krillin or 18 was here, to take over the argument. A logical argument was unfair to him, he thought. He shook his head. "You still haven't answered my question. Why are you his brother?"

With a tired sigh, Raditz let his hands fall back to his sides. "Because I never broke. Because no matter what tortures they devised, nothing could hurt me more than living on Frieza's ship and seeing Vegeta's pain, and suffering it with him. Because he was a child, alone in his dark corner of hell, and he desperately needed someone to be with him." He raised one palm and held it up for Goku to see.

Expecting a ki blast, Goku went to block, but nothing came. He waited a moment, and when Raditz didn't move, Goku floated closer to his brother. There on his palm was a long scar, faded but clearly defined.

"Just after his father's death and the planet's destruction, he slashed his own hand and asked me to become his blood brother."

"You shared blood?"

"Yes. Not like a mating. More of a...I can't describe it, there's no other term than blood brother." He closed his fist to hide the scar again. "He wanted comfort. I gave it to him. Is that what you're so jealous over?"

Goku didn't answer. Raditz motioned towards the swamps beneath them. As they floated down, he looked at his brother. "I had the worst years of his life to earn his trust. Hopefully you won't need the same."

*

A cold compress on his eyes woke Vegeta, and he mumbled something as he reached up to take it off. Someone's hand covered his and pushed it back to his side.

"You need it," they whispered. "You have a fever."

"Mmm..." Vegeta couldn't argue, the compress felt good. He could feel Jalen's weight against his shoulder and hear his soft breathing. Jalen felt cool, but he figured that was just the heat of his own skin. The small fingers still curled around his and tightened and relaxed every few minutes. "Trunks...?"

"No, they're all still asleep. It's still early."

The voice was so familiar, but Vegeta hadn't heard it in so long that he only knew he knew it, not who it belonged to. Still, it wasn't Kakarrot and it wasn't a real stranger...and it was Saiyan. He adjusted himself so he lay more on his side, allowing his stomach more of a rest. Nestled closer, Jalen grumbled and fell back asleep. Their companion replaced the compress over his eyes again.

"Kakarrot..." he whispered. "Raditz?"

"Your father told me they went hunting for tezra. To help make up for the blood you've lost." Vegeta felt a soft touch on his cheek. "Some things never change. You were always pale after. You don't have much blood in you to begin with, and you go and spill half of it."

Now he placed the voice, and he smiled despite himself. "Some of us aren't so huge."

"True, but Vegeta's tend to be small," Nappa said. "Pregnancies take a lot out of your family."

"Doesn't feel so bad, this time." He gently touched Jalen's small flame of hair. "Nappa...on earth..."

"We were mad." Nappa's voice held a tone he'd rarely taken with the prince. Both of them despised self-pity, but there was a time and place for it and Nappa knew he'd have to lay it to rest. "We were mad. Years of insanity...there's no blame for it."

"...I still regret it. If I'd only remembered Kigeta--"

"None of us remembered him," Nappa said. "If we had, none of it would've happened. Hell, some of us were saying he didn't exist anymore."

"I don't recall any of that..."

"Little wonder, you were too young."

Hearing without seeing his only other companion through the years made the prince antsy. He raised his arm to take the compress off, but the motion yanked at injured muscles and sent a sharp pain through his side down to his abdomen. Vegeta winced and pressed his free hand to his stomach.

"Don't move too much." Nappa tugged Vegeta's hand away and peered at the bandages there. "I think you just pulled a few torn muscles. Raditz do the wrapping?"

"Mm-hmm."

"They give you any painkillers?"

"No more nuda," Vegeta groaned. "Sick of the stuff."

"Okay," Nappa laughed. He stood and went to a set of shelves carved into the wall.

Everything an attendant might need for father and child were there, clear water, medicines, knives, clean blankets, anything. A basket of dried leaves sat in a corner and he crumbled a handful into the stone mug next to it. A bit of ki gave him boiling water that made a quick tea of the leaves, and he took that back to Vegeta.

"Damned nuda," the prince muttered. "Downed buckets of it..."

"I'm not sure what this is really called," Nappa said, sitting back down. He helped Vegeta sit up farther and get his hands around the mug long enough to take a drink. "I just know it takes away all the pain."

"Bitter..." He took another sip. "But not bad."

"Shouldn't be. Freshly made by Kigeta."

Vegeta laughed once and would've looked at him but for the cold cloth still over his eyes. As much as he wanted to see his companion, it felt so good on his hot face. As they sat together, they both heard from the courtyard the faint grunts and yells of Bardock's miniature army. The second sun was hardly into the sky and he already had his conscripts lined up for practice.

"You're only here to get out of his training, aren't you?" he asked.

"But my prince," Nappa said and grinned, "how could you say something like that? The king himself let me know you needed someone to keep an eye on you. Besides," he said, "it's too damn early for practice."

"Is playing nursemaid so much better?"

"Yes. Bardock is a slavedriver. Things never change."

Vegeta smiled slightly and cradled Jalen against his chest, rumbling a purr to help him sleep through Nappa's loud voice. "No. Some things do change."

*

Tezra, as it turned out, looked like furry chickens, but stood half as tall as Goku, and although they had chicken-like useless front wings, their fangs and poison spit kept the two Saiyans back for a moment as Raditz considered the best plan of attack. The pair hovered over the swampy marshes, above the treeline, as tezra flapped their wings and squawked at the two hunters in the air.

"They like to aim for the eyes," Raditz said. "Their poison won't blind you, but it stings like hell."

"Are they strong?" Goku watched the flock jump up and down, kicking their legs as they spit upwards. The poison couldn't reach them, but he flew a few inches higher out of reflex.

"Their necks and their legs are. You can try to break their necks but it's hard. And you have to watch out for those hind claws of theirs. They could rip your stomach open in one kick."

Goku turned wide-eyed at his brother. "And why are we hunting one of these? Aren't there nicer creatures out here we could kill?"

"Earth hunting must've made you weak," Raditz said. "These are the finest prey on-planet. A good challenge, plenty of meat, and their blood is exquisite...and best for nursing a tezata back to health."

"Tezata?"

"A birth parent." He misunderstood Goku's look and sighed explosively. "The one who bears the young. Childbearers. They must have them on earth, or are you simply that stupid?"

"They're called mothers," Goku said and grit his teeth. He wondered if he would get in trouble for trouncing the royal bodyguard, but at their levels, he'd probably end up killing Raditz and then Vegeta would never let him get close. Oh, and no wishes. He'd have to remember that. "But only girls give birth there."

"Those annoying, screeching things?" Raditz finally spotted a single tezra on the outskirts of the flock, one wing bent at a crooked angle. Figuring his brother would only screw up the hunt, he dived without a word, dodging spit poison and avoiding the main flock. Flying so fast the grass parted before him, he grabbed the injured tezra and slammed it to the ground, gouging his fingers into its neck. It kicked at him, and its thick claws raked over his arms and shoulder.

Hot blood, both the tezra's and his own, oozed over his hand as he squeezed, strangling it. Its windpipe made a satisfying crack and its breath rattled as its struggles slowed, then stopped. Its body spasmed once and its eyes glossed over before its head hung limp on the grass. He bent to heft it up.

A shrill cawing made him look over his shoulder just before the biggest tezra in the flock rammed its head into his back and knocked him over. He landed sprawled on the dead bird while the pack leader reared its head back, its sharp beak gleaming in the sunlight. Raditz put his hand up, thinking to catch its head or blast it.

An orange streak landed beside the bird and wrapped around its neck, hauling it backwards. Raditz watched wide-eyed as his younger brother wrestled the muscular bird easily his own size, straining to get his hands around the thick neck. His boots dug deep gouges in wet soil. The bird highkicked, its sharp middle claw tearing the neck of Goku's gi and nearly tearing his throat open. It spit reflexively, sending volleys of brown goop into the air inches from his face.

After a few seconds of watching, Raditz saw that Goku didn't know how to strangle the bird. He was about to call out to him when Goku grabbed the bird's beak and wrenched its head to one side. It screamed as its neck twisted to the very limits to accommodate the severe turn, and even as it tried to force itself back, it shrieked as Goku's hand applied just a little more pressure to its beak and--crunch. The tezra sagged like a side of meat.

Flapping and squawking, the rest of the flock rushed into the marshes. Goku let the dead bird slide out of his hands into a heap. He stood over it, panting and noticing blood dripping from a cut in his palm. Its beak was covered in his blood.

"Good kill," Raditz said. "You've gotten better since you killed me."

Goku didn't hear the bite in his sibling's voice. He stared at the body at his feet. "I haven't fought like that in years."

"Ki blasts are no substitute for real fighting." Raditz stood and slung his own kill over his shoulders. "This'll do for the king, but you'd best take your prey back to Vegeta. Before the blood gets cold."

Moving like an automaton, Goku swept his tezra up. It took both hands to heave it.

"Poor things," Raditz said. "Come back only to live for a few weeks. Well, at least yours drew blood. It will make a meal worthy of a prince."

"Raditz," Goku whispered. "Is everything on this planet so vicious?"

"Of course. None of them want to die."

"No, it's...on earth, hunting was much easier. They didn't struggle so much, they never..." He shivered. "I never heard one scream."

"You were Saiyan on a weak planet. No doubt you killed everything before it could start to struggle." He looked at his brother and took in the haunted look in his eyes. "Don't be so emotional. It's natural to kill. It ate other animals, now it is food itself."

"But..." Goku put his hand over his face. He'd never felt them struggle before.

"Kakarrot...it is prey, food. And you need to take it back to your mate." Raditz put his hand on his brother's shoulder. "He is exhausted and weak. You must provide for him and return with your kill."

Self-pity would have to wait. The thought of Vegeta waiting for him made him stand straight again. He nodded and put two fingers to his head. "Don't let go."

"Huh?" Raditz blinked. "Why?"

When his eyes opened again, they were inside the nursery. Raditz yelped and dropped his tezra, spinning around a few times to make sure he wasn't hallucinating. "What the hell..."

"Quiet," Nappa whispered. He glanced at them from his seat beside Vegeta's bed. "I finally got him to go to sleep."

Raditz lowered his voice, but he took a step back from his brother. "How...we were in the marshes...how did we--?"

"Instant transmission," Goku whispered. "Vegeta hates it, but it comes in handy. What are you doing here?" The last question, aimed at Nappa, carried a threat with it.

"Tezatae should never be left alone," the bodyguard said. "Especially not this weak. Do you know how to prepare those?"

Goku glanced at the dead birds. "Uh..."

"Oh, for God's sake, watch--" Raditz said, but Nappa cut him off.

"No, you need to go get dressed." Nappa smiled at his old companion. "The king says breakfast is still on, even if these two are down here."

Looking down at his baggy pajamas, Raditz sighed and nodded. "I've been dreading it, but...can't be any more exciting than this morning."

"Yes...a very good morning." Nappa grinned and stood, stretching his arms out. "And an auspicious start for the new Saiyan empire."

"Empire?" Raditz laughed and shook his head as he walked toward the door. "We're barely alive again and you've already claimed the galaxy."

Nappa laughed. "It's good to have goals. Go on, I'll show him how to do this and stand guard here."

As Raditz left, dragging his tezra with him, Nappa knelt next to Goku's kill and lay a hand on its neck. "Good, its heart's not done beating yet. Get one of the larger bowls from the shelf while I make the cut."

Never taking his eyes off Nappa, Goku grabbed a wooden bowl as large as his head and handed it over.

"Now watch closely," the bodyguard said. "This is how we like to do this. You'll want to get the blood while it's still hot."

While Goku looked on, Nappa used his sharp nails to slice an artery on the bird's throat. Blood pumped out into the bowl in spurts. As the blood began to slow, Nappa grabbed the bird's chest roughly where the heart would be and squeezed. More blood pumped out, and he repeated the motion several times until the bowl was full. Steam rose as the cool morning air met the hot blood, and a spicy scent filled the room.

"Here," Nappa said. He held it up for Goku to take. "Make sure he drinks all of it, but slowly. When he's finished, pluck the feathers and butcher it. You know how to do that?" At Goku's nod, he continued. "There's a cauldron over there, just fill it with water and boil the meat. It's best without anything else, but he'll probably appreciate it if you crumble a few of those leaves in it. Good painkillers. And you'll probably get hungry, just remember it's mostly for 'Geta. You can always snag something from the cellar."

"What about Jalen?" Goku asked.

"What about him?"

Goku looked around at the nursery again. "I don't see much beyond the crib. There's no bottles, no diapers...and what do I give him?"

"Your blood," Nappa said as if he were an idiot. Goku was beginning to feel more and more like one. "All he'll eat for awhile is your blood, yours and Vegeta's. He'll sleep next to you, play with you, and he'll cry when he needs to relieve himself."

"Really? He'll let me know?"

"No creature wants to foul their bed. Just stick him on the toilet there. Otherwise, he doesn't need anything."

"Then why call this a nursery? There's nothing really for Jalen here."

"Of course not. Nurseries aren't for the brats, they're for nursing the tezata back to health." He held a hand up to stop Goku's next question. "You know what you gotta. Raditz or the king'll come down and check on you later, and I'll be nearby keeping watch. Right now, you need to take care of your mate."

He yawned and walked toward the door, checking one more time on Vegeta. "Try not to spook him. He's worn out enough so he shouldn't be able to hurt ya. As long as you make no sudden moves, you should be fine."

Goku watched Nappa leave, feeling mixed up inside. These Saiyans were nothing like his old enemies, still gruff and obnoxious, but without that insane glint in their eyes they'd had before. Even big brutish Nappa wasn't intimidating. How could the Saiyans he'd killed before have no ill will towards him? He sighed and carried the bowl to Vegeta. He'd puzzle over it later, maybe with Gohan and Piccolo. Right now he had a skittish mate to take care of.

Standing over Vegeta and Jalen, though, he didn't want to wake them. They fit together as they slept, his son curled in the prince's arms. Goku stared at their tails, Jalen's around his father's wrist and Vegeta's hanging off the edge of the bed, the end twitching reflexively. Strange, he'd never missed his own tail until now. Vegeta's tail wasn't light brown like before but darker, almost matching his hair. Even after the pains of birth, it still kept its glossy sheen. It looked almost pitch black next to Vegeta's pale skin. Goku shook his head. Feed his mate first, admire him later.

The bed was more comfortable than he'd first imagined. As he sat down, the stone seemed to give way beneath him like a mattress, almost like a firm sponge. He leaned forward and put his hand on Vegeta's shoulder, gently squeezing. "'Geta, wake up. 'Geta?"

Grumbling in his sleep, Vegeta yawned and turned his head away. Goku smiled and nudged him again. This time the prince opened his eyes, but the moment he saw Goku, he breathed in fast and tried to sit up. A vicious stab of pain in his side stopped him, and without hesitation he brought his hand up to Goku's face, fingers curled like claws, ready to fire a bolt that would take his head off.

Raditz's earlier warning echoed in his ears, but Goku didn't believe Vegeta would kill him. Brutally maim him, maybe, but not kill. Faced with Vegeta's glowing hand, he didn't try to defend himself. He closed his eyes and hoped.

He closed his eyes, the prince thought. Vegeta blinked and looked again. When he'd opened his own eyes and seen his mate leaning over him, he'd assumed the worst and hoped his attack would be in time to save his son. Now his mate faced him without one move in his own defense. He hesitated.

The room smelled of blood, and his first instinct was to look at his son. Jalen hadn't stirred, still fast asleep. Blood stained the bandages around his waist, but that was likely from his sudden move right now, and besides, the scent was different. Then he spotted the blood dripping from Goku's cut hand into the bowl he had. Vegeta breathed in again. Nothing had ever smelled so good as whatever was in that bowl. He looked back at his mate. Goku started to crack one eye, wondering if his face was about to be burned off or if Vegeta had changed his mind.

"What are you doing?" the prince asked.

"Bringing you breakfast," Goku said. Nothing was said for a moment, and he fidgeted in the silence. "Your dad sent me and Raditz out hunting these really big chickens called tezra, and we killed two of them, and Nappa showed me how to get all the blood out for you, and when you've finished I've gotta make it soup, and I was just sitting down here to wake you up when you kinda freaked out and..." From the look on Vegeta's face, he realized he was rambling again. "Um, they said you should have this before it cools. "

Not lowering his hand, Vegeta's gaze dropped to the bowl. He swallowed reflexively. He was hungry and Jalen would need to eat again soon, and he could see how ashen his hand was, how it was starting to tremble simply staying in the air. But it was his mate holding it. Raditz and Nappa had left him there alone. But it was Kakarrot. Big, dumb, irredeemably pure Kakarrot...

Vegeta gave a bitter laugh as he lowered his hand. Why not trust his mate? If losing his brats hadn't driven him insane, this surely would. He tried to sit up further, but the wound on his stomach threatened to tear again. A firm hand settled on his shoulder and held him still.

"It's all right," Goku said. "Don't move."

Even so, he couldn't help putting one hand on the bowl as Goku guided it towards his mouth, gently tipping it so he could take small sips. Part of his mind told him the flavor was exquisite, the spicy blood warming his stomach and already dispelling the blurriness he hadn't even noticed before. He ignored the taste and kept his eyes on Goku, watching him as he might a snake.

With the blood finished, Goku slowly stood and walked back to the dead bird, deliberately turning his back on his prince. If Vegeta wanted to, he could kill him right now, a straight shot through his heart or his head. Expecting a ki bolt any minute, Goku sat cross-legged and pulled the bird onto his lap, tearing out the feathers with practiced hands. Soon he had a pile of feathers as tall as he was. He exhaled and let his shoulders slump. The room had been pretty quiet, perhaps Vegeta had gone back to sleep. He glanced over his shoulder.

His prince stared back at him. Neither spoke. Goku went back to butchering the tezra and hoped his sons were having more luck with breakfast than he was.

*

There was some confusion early on as the new arrivals realized that all of their things and clothes were inside the Raider Six, and Trunks and Goten ran across the hall to Gohan's room to avoid anyone spotting them. After a quick argument about who should go out and a reluctant game of paper scissors rock, a new change of Piccolo-made clothing let Gohan fly out and look for the ship. It was easy to spot, even in the castle's shadow where they'd set it, and he floated down to it, hoping no one noticed him as he went in. Everything they needed was locked away in a handful of capsules, but as he came back out through a side hatch, he had the time to take a quick look at the city from the street.

What caught him first was that everything gleamed as if new. The walls sparkled in the reflected sunlight, and when he stepped closer he found that the walls were made out of a kind of white sand, the clear grains acting like crystals. Standing so close now, he could make out symbols carved into the sandstone, pictures of dragons that covered most of the wall like serpentine vines and the smaller Saiyans sprinkled around them like bunches of grapes.

"Hello, Gohan."

Acting solely on instinct, Gohan whirled around and faced the Saiyan in front of him. His whole body tightened. Why was it that every Saiyan enemy he'd ever seen was now alive and determined to talk to him? Every detail, the dark skin, the familiar features, even the sneaky smirk, all of it was the same. He growled under his breath.

"Turles."

The darker Saiyan smiled and looked him over. "I hardly recognized you. So many years must've passed...you've grown up. Got better looking." He stared into his eyes and couldn't help a small chuckle. "Didn't get much more confident, though."

Not expecting an answer, Turles wasn't flustered when Gohan didn't say anything. Instead he glanced back at the ship. "I guess you came with the others in that contraption. You're braver than I thought."

"It's a good ship." The jab at Trunks' honor made Gohan bristle. "It made it here, didn't it?"

"And in one piece, even more surprising. Tell me, though," and he stepped closer until he could have touched the demiSaiyan, "what are you doing out here when the king has called a small banquet in just a few minutes?"

"What do you care?"

"Well, if I'm going to be late, I'd like to know why I'm about to get my tail cracked. I saw you fly down here and thought you might need a hand, seeing as how your group forgot to bring supplies last night."

"How did you--?"

"Oh please," Turles stared at him as if he were an idiot. Gohan was starting to wonder if that was a natural talent among Saiyans. "The first visitors since we were reborn, and they just happen to be part of the royal family? The whole city watched you fly in. Besides..." He tapped the scouter. "I like to keep in touch with my brother."

"Brother?"

"Raditz. I think you met."

Figures, Gohan thought. My enemies know each other. "You know, it's a wonder the remaining Saiyans didn't kill themselves off, what with how many times we fought each other."

That took the smile off Turles face, but he didn't look angry. He tilted his head and his eyes took on a distant stare. "True...we nearly did wipe each other out. Hell of a coincidence." Gohan frowned and wanted to ask him what he meant, but Turles shook his head. "If we don't go now, we're going to be late. Come on."

"Wait, you're going to this breakfast thing too?" Gohan blinked a few times. "But I thought it was a family thing."

Turles' grin came back. "Yes it is. Come on, little nephew. I'm anxious to meet the rest of my long lost relatives."

Thankfully for Gohan's pride, Turles' back was turned when his words finally sank in. He closed his eyes and growled. "Next thing I know, I'll be related to Frieza." Without another word he streaked by his uncle and into the room he shared with Piccolo. Comforted by having his familiar family around him, his brother, his brother's mate and his own mate, he handed the clothes capsules out, but pocketed his own.

"What do we wear for a royal banquet?" Goten asked. "All I got is jeans and shirts."

"You could just let Piccolo make them," Gohan said. "It's not like we would bring our whole wardrobe with us."

From inside their bathroom where he could dress in private, Trunks called out "You have something, Goten. I made sure to pack them."

"Huh?" Both Sons looked up with identical blank looks.

A few seconds later, Trunks stepped into view. He wore a dark blue training suit, but with the white gloves and gold-tipped boots his father usually used. Over his chest he had the typical Saiyan breastplate with the scarlet crest of the Vegeta family on the left side.

"Trunks..." Gohan whispered. He blinked hard and stared again. "You look like your father."

"Are you sure we should wear these?" Goten asked, holding up his own blue suit.

"Every Saiyan I've seen is wearing them. We'll fit in better this way." He tugged one of his gloves tighter, spreading the fingers out. "Comfortable, too."

"If you say so." Goten popped his capsule open and grabbed the uniform. He walked past Trunks into the bathroom and stripped. A minute later he stuck his head out. "Um, Trunks? Could you help me with the top? I can't get it on."

"Sure." He disappeared inside with him.

There was a knock at the chambers door and when Gohan opened it, he found Raditz standing with his arms crossed as if he'd been waiting forever. Gohan narrowed his eyes. "Yes?"

"The king sent me to escort you to the banquet hall, since I doubt you know the way. Are you ready?"

Gohan had to squish his instinct to sigh or smack him. They're belligerent even when they're honest, he thought. "Yeah, we're about ready. Trunks, Goten--"

A loud grunt came out of the bathroom, followed by the sounds of a small scuffle.

"Ow! Careful."

"Why won't it fit? It stretches, it should fit."

"You're twisting it on this side. Ease up a little."

"Oof--there, I think we got it."

"Well next time don't fight so much."

Raditz blinked and leaned in a little. "Trying out this bathroom, too? Insatiable little things."

A solid flush seemed to color both Gohan's and Piccolo's face, making Raditz laugh. Goten and Trunks came out then, hand in hand and looking like proper Saiyans, except for Trunks' hair and Goten's wide smile. As a group they followed Raditz down the hall and down a spiral staircase set in the center of the palace. Goten leaned closer to Gohan and asked in a whisper what Raditz was laughing about, but Gohan wouldn't say anything.

When they arrived, the king was already there at the head of the table, with Bardock at his right hand and Turles beside him. The seating arrangement was Trunks' first clue that something was wrong. He counted five more settings, and although the spread looked delicious, he couldn't help but notice that there were two places missing. He didn't say anything though, instead sitting next to Raditz. Goten sat next to him, then Gohan and Piccolo. Trunks hid his wince. He knew there had been some fights before with Turles and Raditz, but he thought Gohan could at least try to settle down. As it was, Gohan sat nearly across from Raditz and just one seat away from Turles, and Trunks knew something as small as a misplaced word could set the older demiSaiyan off. But, he told himself, at least that tension kept Gohan from wondering out loud about their fathers. He wondered who the other Saiyan was, Goku's identical twin?

A round of introductions followed. To Trunks it came as no surprise that Turles and Bardock were brother and father to Goku, but Raditz's lineage made him blink. A different birth parent, maybe? He introduced his own side of the family, relaxing slightly when he saw Gohan manage a small smile towards Bardock. Maybe this wouldn't be as bad as he expected.

"Your majesty," Trunks started, but the king waved him down.

"No need to stand on formalities right now," he said. "There's only family here after all."

Trunks smiled and nodded once. "Okay. Grandfather, how...how has this all happened? We were sure Vegetasei was destroyed."

"It was. Frieza killed nearly everyone and obliterated the planet."

"Strange for a planet trader," Bardock said, "now that I think about it."

"It's partly why I didn't believe you," the king said to him. "In any case, we died, went to hell and remained there for...for a long time. Only a miracle restored us."

"Father spoke with me last night," Trunks said. "He said that the dragon Kigeta restored the world."

The king nodded. "None of us saw Kigeta besides Vegeta, but it's safe to assume he's right. He had the five black dragonballs, just as in our old prophecies. He mentioned that you have met dragons before."

"Yeah, but none of them were black," Goten said. "They were all green. And they had limits on what wishes they could grant."

"Lesser worms, then." Turles nodded once. "I heard stories about others on distant planets, but since they weren't considered powerful they were ignored. They could grant wishes?"

"Nothing like this," Trunks said. "Bringing back a whole planet and its populace was usually beyond them. Only rarely, when the kais were interested, did major wishes get through."

As they thought on that, there was a brief silence at the table. Goten started to fidget as he ate until Trunks put a hand on his leg, reminding him to sit still. Bardock glanced at his grandchildren.

"Is it true you can all ascend?" he asked in a rush. A second later he ducked a glare from his mate. "What? You didn't say I couldn't ask."

"At least I know where these two get their brains from," the king said, glancing once at Raditz and Turles. "Or the lack thereof."

"I'm curious," Bardock said. "You must wonder how it looks with Trunks' hair like that."

"That's not the point."

Goten looked back and forth between Bardock and the king and started to laugh. He looked at Trunks. "They sound just like our dads, don't they?"

He knew it was wrong, he knew he shouldn't, but Trunks couldn't help a snort of laughter. The king glanced at them and raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not sure if that's an insult or a compliment."

"Just an observation," Trunks said. "But where are they? I thought everyone would be here."

Raditz and the king shared a look. With a deep breath, the king looked at his grandson. "'Geta is in the nursery, as is Kakarrot. Last night the child came--" he paused as Trunks tensed, but the boy let him continue, "--both are well, but it was a hard birth. 'Geta's sleeping in the nursery while his mate tends to him. Perhaps after we finish here, if 'Geta is awake and in better spirits, you might be able to see him."

Trunks relaxed and nodded once. "What's my brother's name?"

"Jalen," the king said. "Redemption. He looks like a miniature of 'Geta. Remember, you must not speak a word of this to anyone. Royal births must be announced, but my son is in no condition for that yet. Maybe in a few days, when he's fully healed."

On the other side of the table, Gohan searched out his father's ki and found it near the base of the castle. It felt strong, if a little tired, and his father's answering brush let him relax somewhat. He resolved to keep an eye on Piccolo, as the only Saiyans he trusted were downstairs and exhausted. While the conversation slowly turned to other matters, like how the castle had been carved out of a narrow mountain or what kind of animal they were eating, Gohan inched a little closer to Piccolo while he ate. It seemed the water on this planet agreed with his mate. He himself hadn't noticed the taste of the food, though. His stomach was still a little queasy, even though he felt as hungry as ever. Maybe after this he would slip away with Piccolo somewhere warm and quiet where they could talk.

TBC...