Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Thicker Than Blood ❯ Sisters ( Chapter 8 )

Alaura stood with as close to Piccolo as she could without falling into him, her small hands clutching his arm so tight that her nails dug into the soft part of his flesh. He made no sound nor seemed to take no note of her nervousness other than to whisper in her ear that nothing bad would happen. Alaura did not believe him.

They stood, Alaura, Piccolo, Tae, Neko and Mira in front of the large house Alaura had built soon after her first had been destroyed by Vegeta some years ago, watching as a female shape shimmered in front of them and then took solid form in a matter of a few heartbeats. Two more shapes, decidedly male and decidedly armed, appeared on either side of the woman.

"Greeting!" Her voice was low-pitched with just a bit of a purr and held a regal tone, as she stepped forward, the half-cape she wore over one shoulder moved with her. She carried a length of brown and blue silk that perfectly matched her cape, half-shirt and short skirt. Piccolo noticed how the gaurds glared at everyone and everything, keeping their mistress in sight at all times, "J'Kaar. Aethor." She said with a wave of her hand, not even looking at them, "Please occupy yourselves elsewhere for a bit."

"B-but, Lady…" One of them began, his eyes huge with fear, glancing towards Piccolo's towering form.

"Do not quarrel with me, Aethor." Her tone broke no protest and promised hardship if not listened to. Without waiting for Aethor or J'Kaar to reply or to leave, she approached Alaura and dipped her head slightly towards her, "I am The Princess Larajin of the Planet Jalamir. I assume you are leader here?"

Alaura flushed heavily and stumbled over her reply. She had never come into contact with royalty before! "No, Your Highness…uh…Majesty…ummm…"

Larajin noticed her struggling and smiled slightly before coming to her rescue, "Just address me as Larajin, Please, I don't stand on ceremony were one of my own is concerned."

"One of your own…" Alaura looked confused, she was human…not…Jalamirian! "But, I'm not…"

"I meant your gender, dear one." Larajin laughed, "Oh! I must have made a mistake! Women do not rule this world?"

"Curious." Larajin mumbled under her breath, "I've heard of this planet and it's ways…I just thought the stories were fables, to be taken with a grain of salt. It seems I was wrong."

"Anyhow." She continued, clapping her hands abruptly, as if she needed to gain their all ready rapt attention, "As you must know, I've come for my little sister, Jalamira. Jalamira?"

Mira looked at her, she was nearly as tall as this strange otherworldly Princess now and was beautiful in her own right. After some coaxing, she had allowed her long reddish-white hair to be cut into a cute style just above her chin which not only looked nice but did not hinder her while in training. Piccolo had explained to her how an unscrupulous foe may take advantage of her long tresses and use them against her in a fight.

"I'm called Mira." Her hand flexing absently above the small dagger held securely to her upper thigh, as she stared through unblinking eyes at this sister. "What is your business here?"

"Oh, I know it's been awhile since I ordered you left on this godforsaken rock, but you can't tell me you don't remember your own sister? My God! We're flesh and blood!"

Mira did not reply but Neko stepped up to her and looked up into her bone-pale and flawless face, "You leave my friend alone!"

Mira tried not to smile or show concern for the little imp and Larajin looked down her nose at the child, noticing the stance she'd taken as if about to defend her friend, "Be gone, child. You are no match for a royal born…"

"Larajin, what do you want?" Mira asked, "I have a feeling this little visit is more than just a family reunion. You left me to die in the forest here, you wanted me dead. I take it you have no love of me."

"No match…?!" Neko muttered as the two girls were talking, they hardly took note of her until she began a flying ball of arms and legs and tail and lauched herself straight for Larajin's throat. Alaura gasped and instinctively lurched forward to stop her child before the unthinkable could happen, but Piccolo jerked her back, hissing in her ear; "Let the child go, Alaura. She needs to learn on her own. Who knows, maybe she can take her."

"Are you seri…" But Alaura did not have time to get the words out, she watched in horror as Larajin's sandled foot came up and caught her daughter's head full-on, the impact sending the child flying and landing several yards away within a tree. Off balance, and about to fall, Neko used her tail to wrap around a branch and hold herself up. She dangled there for a few moments, trying to will the stars to fly away from her skull. Piccolo winched inwardly as he felt his heart lurch as his daughter's slammed into the tree. He knew she was all right, but still…

"Stupid infant." Larajin muttered, "Perhaps I shouldn't have sent my gaurds away…"

"Neko!" Tae ran to the tree and the little girl dropped easily into his strong arms, "I have a feeling this meeting isn't for us…come, we'll go for a walk…"

"Now," Larajin said, smiling and turning back to them, "As is custom on my world, the favored daughter of the Queen takes over after she steps down. As long as your still alive, Jalamira," She said, ignoring Mira's desire to shorten her birth name, "I shall never attain the throne as is my life's goal. Our mother, although she longs for you to be Queen in her stead, realizes that I would be the far better choice…"

"Then what's the problem?" Piccolo asked, already irritaited with this female's long-windedness. He hated people who didn't get to the point. "Just go back to your world and be Queen or whatever.…"

"It's not that simple, my dear green fellow." She said, raising her delicate blonde brows at him, "Custom is that we must have a battle to determine who shall lead. If two sisters are still alive upon the time of ascension, they must fight. Custom and law need to be obeyed. It's not my doing, I don't make up the rules!"

"Yes, but I have the feeling you love to enforce them!" Mira said, and her sister did not argue.

"So, it's settled then?" Larajin asked, sweetness dripping like honey from her voice, "My darling sister will meet me on our ship for the battle in…" She glanced at her wrist, and Mira noted a small watch there, "48 of your Earth hours. Transport will be furnished. I expect you to show, sis. Do not disapoint me."

Larajin called her gaurds back to her and the three shimmered and vanished in mid-air, leaving the group gaping after her and her words. "That gives me less than a few days to prepare." Mira said softly, "Not nearly enough time…"

"Your not going to go ahead and…" Alaura ran over to her and embraced her, "Mira! No! She'll kill you!"

"I have to, Alaura!" Mira shoved the older Earth woman off her and stood straight, "I have to." She said grimly upon seeing the look of disbelief in the kind female's tearful blue eyes, "Gentle one, I thank you for all your kindness, but this is something you can never hope to understand."

"But…" Alaura was reaching out but Piccolo stepped in front of her, blocking her way to Mira and said, "Alaura. Listen to her. Your not a fighter. You…"

"I know I don't understand!" She cried, frustrated, "How can I understand willful killing and dying! I wish never to understand!" She turned and fled into the house, the door slammed shut behind and with his sensitive ears, Piccolo could hear her quiet sobs. He knew what she feared, she could see Neko easily following in Mira's, in his, footsteps and losing her someday. She had been against him starting to train her from the onset. Still, Neko would choice her own path, one day, be it fighter or…other. Just as he had choisen his own path and Tae his.