And Part 6...
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Tail--Six
Kon'nichi wa, minna! Here's Part Six for you all to peruse and enjoy! I
backed up the story a slight bit, because it didn't make sense where it
wouldhave started. Finally, the Union of the Two Universes!! I know how
everyone has beeen waiting for this to come about. Hope you enjoy this
section! It's a little longer than the others, but, hey, you get what you
wait for, ne? Enjoy! Gie-chan.
PS--someone mentioned that the stories I wrote always end up with Ranma and
Akane having tails--that's cuz they're so useful!! So cool! So--handy in
certain situations *wink wink* LOL!
Ukyou stood up, wiping the tears off her cheeks. �Thank you,
both, for answering me truthfully. I�ll be going now.� Ranma and
Akane both stood up and walked Ukyou to the front door. Ukyou
turned around and gave Ranma a hug and a peck on the cheek and
gave Akane a hug. �Treat each other well.� They nodded and waved
goodbye to Ukyou, who bounded away to her restaurant.
Akane leaned against Ranma and wrapped her arms around his
waist. Ranma placed an arm around her shoulders and laid his head
upon hers. Their tails unconsciously wrapped around each other.
Suddenly, they saw a light flash in the sky. Akane pointed it
out. �Ranma, did you see that?�
He nodded, interest piqued. �Yeah, I did. I wonder what it
was?�
She watched the light move around. Her eyes widened as she
realized it was getting bigger. �Ranma, umm, does it look like it�s
getting closer?�
He squinted and nodded. �It does...it almost looks like...� He
shouted back into the house. �Minna, come here, quick!� Ranma
released Akane and stepped into the street.
The rest of the family appeared in the yard after hearing
Ranma�s call. Ukyou came bounding back into the yard. She had seen
the light in the sky and had a feeling she needed to come back.
Nodoka went up to Akane, who was watching the sky and asked her,
�What�s wrong, Akane-chan?�
She pointed up into the sky. �Look, Okaasan. Do you know
what it is?�
She shaded her eyes as she looked up into the sky. �No, I
don�t. What could it be?�
Nabiki pointed to it as well. �Well, I think we�re going to find
out, because it�s gonna land on top of us!� All of a sudden, it seemed
like it dropped out of the sky. It shot by the house, barely missing
the roof and landed in the empty lot a few doors down. Ranma and
Akane ran from the yard and to the crash site. Everyone else
followed.
All they could see was a giant cloud of dirt and dust. Soon,
that settled for the most part and everyone got a glimpse of what
crashed in their neighborhood. They all let out a gasp of alarm. For
what had crashed was a ship, not that different from the ones they
had seen on the picture earlier. Ranma walked up to the ship and
reached out to touch it, but stopped because he felt the heat
radiating off the sides. �It�s extremely hot.� He pointed out
several holes and rips in the metal plating. �It looks damaged, as
well.� He made a complete circle around the ship and came back to
the group. Ranma shrugged his shoulders. �On one side, there looks
like a spot for a door, but I didn�t see a button or anything to open
it.�
Suddenly, there was a creaking, like metal twisting. Ranma
turned around and moved in front of Akane and the rest of the girls,
the fathers joining him, preparing for whatever came out of the pod.
The group turned their eyes to the sheet of metal that opened from
one side, and watched as a hand and a head emerged from the ship.
It coughed, clearing the dust from it�s lungs. It stepped out
of the pod and looked around, taking in it�s surroundings. It wore
white baggy pants and a skintight black tank top. Ranma�s eyes
bulged out at the sheer size of him. He was massive! Muscles upon
muscles upon muscles. The alien�s stiff black hair stuck out
everywhere; it seemed to have a life of it�s own. Ranma could feel
the power radiating off it, although he did not see a visible aura. He
knew it was powerful, way too powerful for just him to take on.
Heck, if he had every available ally with him, they still wouldn�t be
able to bring him down. Ranma emitted a small amount of aura
himself, and prepared for the worst.
The alien creature turned to Ranma, when it felt his aura, and
to the group of people staring in its direction. It walked over to
them and stood in front of Ranma. It started to speak. �Kon�nichi
wa! I�m Son Goku. Do you know where the Capsule Corporation is
located?� It looked around. �I don�t think I landed in the Western
Capital...�
Ranma blinked. And blinked again. �This is Nerima. Part of
Tokyo.�
Goku�s face brightened. �I landed in Tokyo? Well, I wasn�t
too far off then! Could you point me in the direction of the Western
Capital?�
Ranma just stared at the male and silently pointed to the
north. �Arigatou!� He bowed and turned around. He flared his aura
and made to jump into the air.
�Matte!�
Goku turned around and looked questionably at who spoke.
Akane pointed at Goku. �You have a tail! Where�d you get a tail?�
Goku furrowed his eyebrows and smiled. �Yeah, I was born
with one. It was removed a long time ago, but it grew back last
night. Kami-sama said that he removed it permanently.� He
shrugged his shoulders. �Oh well. Why do you want to know?�
Akane and Ranma brought their tails forward to show the
new male. Goku�s eyes widened dramatically. �Sugoi! Are you
Saiya-jiin, too?�
Ranma and Akane both went slack-jawed at his careless use
of the name. �You�re a Saiya-jiin?� Goku nodded vigorously.
Everyone, except for Ranma and Akane, facefaulted.
Goku looked at the others with confusion. �What�s with
them?�
Akane stammered. �We just found out about being Saiya-jiin
this morning. We thought we were human...�
Goku nodded in understanding. �Ah...and then you saw your
tails and knew you were different.� They nodded in agreement.
�Well, you�ll have to come visit sometime. My family would love to
meet you!� He looked Ranma up and down. �And we�ll have to spar
sometime. I am always looking for a good fight.� Ranma nodded
silently, still too shocked to speak properly.
�Family? You have family here?� Akane asked. At this time,
everyone had recovered from their facefault and were talking
quietly to themselves.
Goku nodded, smiling brightly. �Yes. My mate ChiChi and my
son, Gohan.� His smile quickly turned into a frown. He glanced in the
direction Ranma pointed out earlier. �I should really get back home.
They�re probably worried about me.�
�Why don�t you come back home with us?� Kasumi asked
politely. �You can call them from there. We were just about to eat
dinner.�
Goku�s stomach rumbled loudly at the mention of food.
�Food? Well, that would be really nice of you...�
�Tendo Kasumi.�
Goku smiled brighter. �Tendo-san, that would be really swell
of you. I could call Bulma and have the gang come and pick me up!
Would that be a problem if I waited with you?�
�That would be no problem, Son-san.� Akane told him. �We
would be honored to meet your friends and family.�
Kasumi and Nodoka went ahead and everyone else followed,
bringing Goku along. �Should we prepare more food for everyone
else, as well?�
Goku�s stomach rumbled again. �I�ll tell Bulma to bring some
along. I tend to eat a lot. And if everyone comes, then there would
have to be a ton more food for two other Saiya-jiin.�
Ranma and Akane stopped in their tracks, and paled
noticeably. �Two...two more?�
They had reached the Tendo-ku and Kasumi showed Goku the
phone. He thanked her and dialed Bulma�s number.
�Moshi moshi! Is Briefs Bulma-san there?� Nabiki pricked
her ears up at the name of the CEO of one of the largest companies
in Japan.
�Hi, Bulma! It�s Goku!� Goku held the phone away from his
sensitive ears as everyone heard a scream come from the phone line.
�Yes, Bulma, I just got back now.� Pause �No, I haven�t called
ChiChi yet. I was hoping to surprise her.� Pause �Where am I?
Well...I landed in Tokyo.� Pause. He held the phone away from him.
�Could someone give her directions on how to get here?� Nodoka
stepped up to the phone and took the receiver from Goku.
�Moshi moshi?� Nodoka gave her an approximate location on
where the Dojo was located. �Do we have a big yard? Well, I think
it is pretty large.� Pause �Landmarks? Well, there is a pond.�
Nodoka turned to Goku. �Son-san, she wants to talk to you again.�
Goku took the phone back from Nodoka and listened to Bulma
speak. He glanced out into the backyard and responded agreeably.
�I don�t see why not. It�s big enough. Otherwise, you could always
land next to my pod.�
Everyone who was listening to the one-sided conversation
looked at each other. Land?
Goku was speaking again. �All right, Bulma. Who are you
bringing? Could you pick up ChiChi and Gohan for me?� Pause
"They�re already there? Okay.� Pause �They did? He�s there, too?
Yatta! He�ll want to meet my hosts. Make sure you bring some food,
too. I�m starving!� Pause �See you soon, Bulma. Bai-bai!� He hung
up the phone. �Well, they�re on the way!
�That�s good to hear!� Nodoka said, smiling at him. �By the
way, I am Saotome Nodoka.�
Everyone began to introduce themselves.
�Tendo Soun, and this is my home.� Goku bowed to him.
�These are my daughters, Kasumi and Nabiki.� Each bowed in turn.
Genma nodded his head. �Saotome Genma.�
Ukyou bowed. �Kuonji Ukyou. It�s nice to meet you, Son
Goku.�
Akane and Ranma stepped forward. �I�m Saotome Ranma, and
this is,� he said with a small bit of pride in his voice, �Saotome
Akane, my mate.� Both bowed, and Goku gave a bow in return to
everyone.
�Thank you for opening your home to me.� He turned to
Ranma and Akane. �You both are full-blooded Saiya-jiin, right?�
They nodded. �I think we are.� Akane looked confusedly at
Ranma. �Why do you ask, Son-san? Are you?�
Goku smiled at the two young Saiya-jiin. �It�s just that my
son, Gohan, is half Saiya-jiin. My mate, ChiChi, is Human. Vejiita is
the only other full blooded Saiya-jiin other than me.�
Akane went white. �Ve--Vejiita? Did you say Vejiita?�
Goku looked at her curiously. �Yes, Vejiita is the other
Saiya-jiin on Chikyuu besides me and Gohan. We thought we were
the last of our race.� He smiled happily. �He�ll be really happy that
there are others left.�
Ranma looked at Akane in concern. �Are you talking about the
Saiya-jiin no Ouji, Son-san?�
He nodded, thinking to himself out loud. �Please, call me
Goku. Yes, Vejiita is the Prince of the Saiya-jiin, actually, if you
think about it, the King, because the planet blew up, and everyone on
the planet died.�
The room went silent. �Blew up? Died?� Akane was as pale
as a ghost. �Extinct?�
Goku nodded again. �Yup. Friiezer blew the planet up.�
Akane and Ranma got chills down their spine at the name Friiezer.
�Hey, how did you know Vejiita was the Prince?�
Akane looked hesitant. �Well, you see, Goku-san, about
sixteen years ago...�
Before she could finish her thought, a loud noise was heard in
the back yard. Everyone turned and went outside. They watched as
a jet plane with the words �Capsule Corp 3� painted on the side, land
in the backyard. The engines turned off, and the door opened. A
woman with blue hair, wearing jean shorts, a white tank-top, and an
open baby-blue button-down shirt, emerged from the cockpit and
was greeted enthusiastically by Goku.
He walked up to her and waved. �Hiya, Bulma!�
�Son-kun!� She jumped into his arms and gave him a gigantic
hug. He returned it enthusiastically. Right behind her, a child with
spiky hair like Goku�s, wearing a black jumpsuit with a white collar,
jumped from the plane and literally flew to him, tail flying along
behind him.
��Tousan!� Goku opened another arm and hugged Gohan tight
to him.
�Hi there, Gohan-chan! How are you doing? You�ve gotten
stronger since the last time I saw you!� Gohan just laughed and
hugged his father�s neck harder. The crowd watched the happy
reunion.
A taller female stopped in the doorway and gasped aloud.
�Goku-saa?�
Goku looked up and saw ChiChi standing there. He put down
Bulma and Gohan and levitated up to the doorway. �Hi, ChiChi. I�m
home.�
ChiChi nodded and smiled. �Yes, that you are, Goku-saa.�
Goku opened his arms and ChiChi jumped into them willingly. They
embraced each other fiercely, trying to reassure themselves that
the other was real. Goku floated down to the ground but didn�t let
her go. Gohan came back up to his father and wrapped his arms
around his leg. Goku wrapped his tail around his son.
A voice sneered from the shadows of the plane. �Kakarotto.
You finally brought your miserable carcass back to Chikyuu. Ready
to get your ass whipped?�
Goku/Kakarotto looked up into the plane and smiled at the
shadowy figure. �Anytime you�re ready, Vejiita-san.�
Akane and Ranma gasped up on the porch and backed into the
shadows. They watched open-mouthed as Vejiita emerged from the
plane, floating in mid-air. He wore black pants and a black t-shirt
that emphasized his muscles very well. (Bulma made him shower and
change earlier.) His hair was all swept up and back, like normal. He
hovered inches above the ground, so he could look Goku in the eye,
smirking wide.
Bulma rolled her eyes and went to the plane. She pushed a
button and encapsulated it for better storage. She came over to
the two Saiya-jiin staring each other down, and reprimanded them.
�Now, don�t start fighting here. You can wait until we get home, and
Goku has settled in. We are guests here. There�s no need for
property damage.�
Goku nodded and smiled; Vejiita crossed his arms with a
snort. �Onna, don�t tell me what to do. I�ll do what I want to do.�
He did, though, give Goku a final challenging glance and fall into step
with Bulma, who had turned toward the house, and their hosts.
Bulma bowed and introduced herself. �Kon�nichi wa. My
name�s Briefs Bulma. Thank you for letting my friend Goku stay at
your home while waiting for us.� She pointed out everyone. �You�ve
already met Son Goku. The little one clinging to his leg is his son,
Gohan; and the lady on his arm is his wife, ChiChi.� They all nodded
and gave a small bow of greeting.
Bulma turned to Vejiita, who just smirked and crossed his
arms. �I am Vejiita no Ouji. Crown Prince of Vejiita-sei, and Heir to
the Saiya-jiin Empire.� He eyed their unfamiliar people and watched
for their reaction to his title.
Everyone threw each other a look and glanced into the
shadows of the porch. Needless to say, Vejiita was a tad
disappointed.
Soun stepped forward and returned the bow. �It was our
pleasure. I am Tendo Soun, and this is my home.� Vejiita, Bulma, and
Gohan looked up sharply at the name �Tendo,� and glanced warily at
each other. The others noticed this, but said nothing. He continued
with introductions. �These are my daughters, Kasumi and Nabiki.�
They stepped out and bowed. �These are my good friends Saotome
Genma and Nodoka.� They stepped off the porch, and bowed as well.
The same three gasped out loud at the name �Saotome.� They looked
back at each other in amazement. Could they have...
Soun went to introduce the rest, but was stopped by
Nodoka�s hand on his shoulder. He backed up and the other two
stepped off the porch and stood for everyone to see. Vejiita,
Bulma, and Gohan all gasped in shock when they saw who emerged
from the shadows. Akane and Ranma stopped in front of everyone
and bowed. �I am Saotome Ranma, and this is my mate, Saotome
Akane.� Ranma stepped in front of Vejiita and bowed deep. �Your
Highness.� He stood up and backed away. Akane stepped forward
and bowed as well, but remained bent. �Your Highness.�
Vejiita�s face was paralyzed and frozen in shock. It was her.
It was Her! He�d recognize her anywhere. Vejiita hesitantly
reached out and touched Akane�s shoulder. Akane stood up and was
eye to eye with him. �Seiika...�
Akane smiled. �Vejiita. Chan.�
Vejiita reached out again and barely brushed her cheek with
his fingers. �It�s you. It�s really you.� He said breathlessly.
She nodded. Tears started to form in her eyes. �Yes, it�s
me.� She stepped forward and threw her arms around him, crushing
him in her hug. Vejiita�s eyes were a bit misty as well, as he slowly
wrapped his arms around her and returned the hug.
A light flashed in their eyes and they remembered...
Akane was running. She didn�t know why she was running, but
she was. Fast. She slowed down and came to a stop. She was in a
forest of some sort. Green trees surrounded her on all sides.
Boulders lined the dirt path she was on. A few small birds could be
heard in the upper ceiling of the trees, but otherwise, nothing or no
one else was around her.
As she studied her surroundings, she felt something
approaching her from behind, before she heard it. It seemed to be
moving fast and furious, and headed directly for her. She jumped
into a nearby clump of bushes to see what was about to arrive.
Soon after she was hidden, a small figure broke through the
underbrush in the same direction she came from. The figure
stopped, and panted heavily, bending over and resting its hands on
its knees.
It stood up and turned around, apparently looking for
something, or someone. �Seiika-chan, where are you?�
Akane�s eyes went wide. It was looking for her. She crept
closer to the small figure, vainly trying to see who it was without
making any noise to alert her position. A branch snapped and she
froze.
The figure also heard the branch snap and swung it�s gaze in
her direction. It crept slowly to where Akane was hiding.
�Seiika-chan, is that you?� It called out hesitantly.
Akane finally got to see a closer view of her persuer. She
realized it was a male, a child, really, wearing a black jumpsuit with a
purple cape. He had black upswept hair that looked uncontrollable.
She smiled widely, for she recognized the boy in front of her. It
was Vejiita, and he was looking for her because the King had sent
for the two of them, and she didn�t want to go.
�Seiika-chan, where are you? We gotta go see Papa. He�s
gonna get really mad if we don�t show up soon.� Vejiita turned
around and directed his attention to another section of the
underbrush.
When Vejiita�s back was turned completely away from her,
Akane sprung from her hiding spot and jumped onto Vejiita�s back,
tackling him. �Ha, ha! I tricked you, Vejiita-chan!�
Vejiita struggled under Seiika, and finally pushed her off.
�Seiika, where were you? Papa called for us, and we gotta go!�
Seiika nodded her head. �I know he called, Vejiita-chan. I
just don�t wanna go.�
�Why not?�
Akane played with a few pebbles that were laying in the path.
�I just got a bad feeling about it. I think Papa�s gonna do something
bad to us.�
Vejiita looked skeptical. �Like what? Did you do something
that needs punishing?�
She shook her head. �No, not bad that way, but bad as taking
us away from each other.�
He shook his head. �Papa wouldn�t let anyone or anything
separate us, Seiika-chan. He knows better than that. Remember
when I was sent off-planet to visit the Moon? You and I had temper
tantrums that shook the galaxy.� Vejiita smirked. �He knows better
than to separate us for anything.�
She smiled at the memory. �I know, Vejiita. But I really
think something big is gonna happen.�
Vejiita furrowed his eyebrows, and stood up. �Yeah, Papa�s
temper is gonna blow if we don�t get there soon. That�s a �big� thing.�
Akane smiled. �I guess so. I still feel weird inside...�
Vejiita just scoffed and held out his hand to help her up.
�Come on, Seiika-chan. We�d better get back.�
Akane nodded and jumped up. �Okay. Race ya!� She took off
into the air and shot back to the palace.
�Hey, no fair! You got a head start! Come back, Seiika-chan!�
He jumped up into the air and took after his sister.
The image faded and Akane and Vejiita backed up from their
embrace. �That was the day you were sent off-planet.� Vejiita
mumbled under his breath.
Akane nodded. �I told you, I knew something was going to
happen.�
Nodoka shook her head, clearing it. �What was that,
Akane-chan?�
She turned to her mother-in-law, surprise written on her
face. �You saw it too? Well, that was one of the flashbacks Ranma
and I have been having.� She looked around at everyone gathered.
�Did you all see it?� They nodded, agreeing with her conclusion.
Kasumi smiled and turned toward the house. �You were a cute
child, Vejiita-san.� Vejiita scowled deeply, and a faint tinge of pink
hinted at his cheeks.
Vejiita grunted and turned his attention back to the female in
front of him. �I thought you died. You were gone. I couldn�t feel or
sense you anymore after you were sent off-planet. I thought you
didn�t make it, and Friiezer destroyed your pod.� Tears started to
form in the corner of his eyes and Akane hugged him close again.
Akane released her hold and wiped away the tears on his
cheeks. She smiled at him. �I guess I did.� She eyed him critically.
�Although, you seem to be quite a bit older than me. How�d that
happen?�
Before he could answer, Kasumi announced that dinner was
ready. Five stomachs roared in response and everyone looked at the
Saiya-jiin covering their offending noisemakers. Bulma laughed.
�It�s a good thing I brought a lot of food. I thought Son-kun would
be extra starving, so I brought a ton!�
Nodoka escorted Bulma to the kitchen and told her where to
lay out the food. Bulma then proceeded to release three capsules of
food in the room. Their eyes bugged out and their mouths started
salivating. Everyone helped themselves and gathered outside to eat.
All five Saiya-jiin had several heaping plates of food in each hand.
The others not used to Goku�s �style� of eating, watched in awe as
the large male stuffed his face as fast as possible.
�Kakarotto, your dinner manners have not improved. Didn�t
you learn anything in space?� Vejiita sneered, noticing Goku�s table
manners.
Goku waited until he swallowed, and replied. �Gomen, Vejiita.
I haven�t eaten since yesterday, and the food is really good!�
Kasumi and Nodoka beamed. �Thank you, Goku-san!�
Others had formed small groups; Nabiki claimed Bulma�s
attention right away, and both were talking very rapidly to each
other. ChiChi was deep into a conversation with Nodoka, while
Kasumi was busy filling Goku and Gohan�s plates as soon as they were
emptied, much to the two Saiya-jiin� extreme pleasure.
Ranma and Akane walked out of the house with their own
renewed piles of food. Vejiita stood and motioned for her to sit
near him. Akane gave him a small smile and pulled Ranma along with
her.
Vejiita was hesitant in talking to her, not knowing where to
start or what to say. He sat there, concentrating on his food.
Akane was the one to break the ice. �So, Vejiita, tell me a little
about yourself. What have I missed since me and Ranma were
blasted off Vejiita-sei?�
Ranma added his two cents, with mouth full. �Yah,
Gohkuu-sah sahd id bew yup.� Akane elbowed him in the ribs and
scowled.
�Swallow, baka.� Ranma swallowed and stuck his tongue out at
her. She tried to grab it, but she was too slow. He stuck it back
out once more, and Akane snagged it before he got it back in. She
smirked evilly and pulled, making Ranma grunt and follow her hand.
She winked at Vejiita and turned her attention back to him, still
holding onto Ranma�s tongue. �So where were we, Vejiita-chan?�
She smiled sweetly.
Vejiita smirked at Ranma, who was grunting and trying to pull
away from Akane�s grasp. �I see, Seiika-chan, you still have your
stronghold over Serori.�
She nodded and gave Ranma�s tongue an extra tug. He gave a
little squeal and she let go. Ranma immediately sat up, holding his
tongue in between his fingers. He gave her a hurt look and faced
the opposite way, feeling sorry for himself. She laughed at him and
curled her tail around his wrist in an affectionate manner. She
turned back to Vejiita and looked at him expectantly.
He quietly noted their affectionate behavior to himself and
nodded toward Ranma. �He introduced you as Saotome Akane.� He
said the statement simply.
She nodded. She pulled his tailed arm into her lap and held
his hand. �Well, I decided to take his family name now. I used to be
Tendo Akane, but after we revived and resealed our Bond, the
families decided we were married, so...� she trailed off, blushing
slightly.
Vejiita nodded and closed his eyes. �I thought I felt your
aura earlier mixed with another�s. That must have been the Bonding.
I knew then you had awakened your heritage.� He opened his eyes
and stared at Akane intently. �How much do you remember? I know
your memories were sealed away by the Kami.�
She thought a bit. �I think I remember pretty much
everything now.� Ranma nodded in agreement. He placed his chin on
her shoulder and added his two cents.
�Yeah, I think there may be some bits and pieces that need
to be filled in, but talking earlier flooded the gates.�
Akane raised her eyebrows and leaned back on Ranma a bit.
�You said Kami blocked our memories? Are you talking about The
Kami? As in Kami-sama?�
Bulma wandered over to the small group. �Hai, he means The
Kami-sama. Actually, Kami-sama isn�t a real Kami, or what we
perceive a Kami to be. He�s a Namek-seijiin; and actually half of one
person.�
Akane furrowed her eyebrows, confused. �How can he be
half a person? That�s not possible.�
Ranma teased on her shoulder. �Did you expect to be an alien
this morning when you woke up?� Her cheeks tinged a light pink and
shook her head.
Bulma sat down next to Vejiita, getting comfortable by
leaning on his muscular frame. He glanced at her and his cheeks
tinged a very light pink. He adjusted his position so she was more
comfortable. �So you had no idea you were Saiya-jiin?� Bulma
asked.
They shook their heads. �No idea whatsoever.� Akane
answered. �Both of us freaked out this morning when we woke up
with tails.�
�Actually, they were �reinstated� last night. It was Kami-sama
who did it.� Both raised their eyebrows in surprise. Bulma
continued to explain. �Kami-sama said that an enemy was coming, and
we would need all the extra help we could get.�
Vejiita frowned deeply and crossed his arms. �We will be
ready, Onna. No matter what.�
Akane sat up and looked to Vejiita and Bulma worriedly. �Do
you know who it is? Do you know what the enemy is capable of? Are
they here yet?�
Bulma shook her head. �Hold on! Iie. We really don�t know
who the new enemy is. Kami-sama had a feeling last night and he
called everyone up to his lookout in the sky. That�s when he gave
Gohan-chan and Vejiita-san their tails back.�
�Why were they taken off in the first place?� Ranma
wondered.
�You don�t know the significance of your tails, do you?� Bulma
asked incredulously. Ranma and Akane shook their heads. She put
her hand on he cheek. �Well, hmm.� She had an idea, turned to
Vejiita. �How far did you get in your training of Gohan-chan?�
Vejiita raised his eyebrow and smirked at her. �Onna, how do
you think he did? He can control his Oozaru form fine. I trained
him; of course he�d learn immediately.� He crossed his arms. �You
doubted me? I�m shocked.�
Ranma and Akane sat up straight at the mention of the
Oozaru form. �What do you mean, can control it? You don�t
normally?�
Bulma shook her head. �Well, if you aren�t trained in how to
control it, the animalistic side of the Saiya-jiin will overthrow the
rational side. The Oozaru-Saiya-jiin will rampage throughout the
land, destroying everything in its way.�
Akane shuddered. ��Tousan said we attacked them when we
transformed.�
Bulma nodded. �That�s because you looked at the full moon.�
�The moon?�
Vejiita nodded. �It�s what triggers the transformation.�
Bulma continued. �And the only way to switch back is for the
moon to disappear, or your tails to be chopped off. That�s why
Vejiita, Goku, and Gohan had their tails removed. Rampaging Oozaru
is not a good thing.�
�But if Vejiita-ouji was trainin� Gohan on how to control his
transformation, that means you can control yours, right? So why
was yours taken off?� All three Saiya-jiin unconsciously wrapped
their tails around their waists when Bulma mentioned �chopping.�
Bulma hesitated. �Well, when Vejiita first arrived on Chikyuu
he...� Bulma paused, giving the Prince a sideways glance. �Why don�t
you explain your arrival on Chikyuu, Vejiita?� She teased him,
knowing the conditions then, and now.
Vejiita scowled deeply, looking at all three faces. �That is in
the past.� He stood up and walked away from the small group.
Bulma winced and stood up, walking over to him. She talked
quietly to him, rubbing his arm in comfort and support. �If you don�t
tell them, I will. They have a right to know, especially Seiika-san.
Think of the repercussions later if she doesn�t hear about it from
you, yourself. What if Son-kun says it nonchalantly--and you know
him, he�ll say it eventually--Seiika-san would be offended that you
didn�t have the guts to tell her up front.� She rested her hand on
his forearm.
His expression softened and he glanced around, seeing if
anyone was watching. He led her away from the larger group, and
when he felt secure in their secrecy, he took hold of the hand on his
arm and brought her palm up to his face, brushing his lips across her
wrist, feeling the quickening pulse that beat rhythmically against her
paper-thin skin increase ten-fold. Bulma shuddered and molded her
form against his, feeling his own heartbeat quicken with her contact.
�I don�t think I can�t wait much longer, Vejiita-chan, for that
ceremony to take place.�
He nuzzled her ear, nibbling on the earlobe. �I know, Bulma, I
know. You won�t have to wait much longer.� He looked into her eyes,
leaning his forehead against hers. �You might want to talk with
Seiika-chan about the ceremony. She and Serori performed it
today. She could tell you all the details, and what is expected.�
She nodded and bit his nose. He responded in kind. �I will, if
you tell them right away.� Vejiita pulled back and turned away from
her. Bulma wrapped her arms around his chest and continued.
�Vejiita-chan, don�t be afraid of her reaction. If she cares for you
at all, she will understand.� She laughed ruefully. �Hell, I
understand, and forgave you back on Namek-sei. If I can, she can.
Give her the benefit of the doubt.�
He pulled apart her arms and turned around in her embrace.
�All right, I will.� He scowled and rested her arms around his neck.
�It better be worth it, Onna, or it�s all your fault.�
She smiled at him and gave him a hug. �It will, Otoko. The
truth always does. It may hurt at first, but it is better in the end.�
She released him, and held his face in her hands. �Facing your fears
is not an easy thing. I�m proud of you, my Prince.� She leaned in and
kissed his lips soundly. He responded by bringing her closer to him
and deepening the kiss with his tongue. After a few moments of
kissing, they pulled away, flushed and panting breathlessly. Bulma
ran a hand through her hair and sighed. �You really need to go talk
with Seiika. Now.� Vejiita smirked and nodded.
Bulma straightened out her shirt, which had gotten twisted
somehow, and walked out from their hiding place. Vejiita followed
closely, face solemn. Akane and Ranma stood up, looking at them
worriedly. �If you don�t want to tell us, Vejiita-chan, it�s okay. We
understand.�
Vejiita sat back down, and Bulma sat next to him. Then he
stood up, pacing in front of them for some time, tail thrashing wildly
behind him. He did not notice that he drew a crowd with his furious
pacing. The fact that he started to emit an aura didn�t help
matters, either.
Vejiita stopped in front of Akane, boring his glittering orbs
into her own. He started to speak. �When I arrived on Chikyuu, I
did not come on a peaceful mission.� Bulma snickered a bit. Vejiita
threw a hot glare at her and she quieted immediately.
�A Saiya-jiin by the name of Radiitzu arrived before me to
check on Kakarotto�s progress here on Chikyuu. You see, originally,
Kakarotto was sent to Chikyuu to prepare it for the arrival of
Friiezer and his planet traders. Radiitzu found the planet�s people
to be surviving and actually thriving. He went looking for Kakarotto
to see why he failed in his mission. When he found Kakarotto, he
saw that the Third-class reject was living peacefully on the planet
and had even mated with one of the occupants.� The �occupant� by
the name of ChiChi was listening to Vejiita�s account of the origins
of her husband and was starting to get angry. Goku put a hand on
her shoulder and calmed her down, shaking his head. He wanted
Vejiita to continue, and sensed that it was important for all of this
to get out in the open. By this time, everyone else was listening
attentively to Vejiita�s story.
He continued, unaware of the audience that formed behind
him. �To make a long story short, Kakarotto and Radiitzu fought,
with the help of some of his �friends,� namely that Namek-jiin,
Piccolo, and were killed. Both of them. How do I know this you
wonder, well,� Vejiita reached behind him and pulled a scouter from
thin air, or subspace as Bulma called it. �This is called a scouter.�
He handed it to Akane. She looked it over in her hands turning it
around. She handed it back to him and he placed it over her ear.
�What it does is measure the fighting levels of an opponent. By
pressing this button,� he activated it, �you can read their ki levels.
It also has a transmitter.� Akane was pointing the scouter at Vejiita
and taking in the numbers. She turned it to Ranma and took note of
his level compared to Vejiita�s. She pointed it around the yard,
reading the various levels of the guests. Finally she took it off and
handed it back to Vejiita.
He turned it off and put it back in his �pocket.� �Radiitzu�s
transmitter was on, and I heard the entire fight. The bald creature
that was one of the fighters there mentioned something about
Dragonballs. He said they could grant any wish. That sounded good
to me, so I decided to go to Chikyuu to get the wish from the
Dragonballs.�
�What would you wish for?� Akane asked.
�Immortality.� Vejiita said simply. Both Akane and Ranma�s
eyes widened.
�Can they grant that?� He nodded. Ranma asked, �Can they
grant any wish?�
He nodded. �Anything, except for resurrecting people dead
for over a year or from natural causes. The bald creature was going
to wish for Kakarotto�s resurrection.�
�When I arrived on Chikyuu, I came with another Saiya-jiin,
Nappa.�
�Is he a tall bald guy?� Ranma wondered.
Vejiita looked at him curiously. �Yes, he was. How did you
know that?�
He shrugged. �He was your Honor Guard, right?� Vejiita
nodded. �I remember him from the mating ceremony battle.�
Akane said something before Vejiita could continue. �What
did you mean when you said Kakarotto came to �prepare the planet�?
What was he supposed to do?�
Vejiita looked into Akane�s eyes and said it plain and simple.
He decided to not beat around the bush. With a large sigh he
explained the resident Saiya-jiin� origins on Chikyuu. �Kakarotto was
sent to Chikyuu to extinguish it�s inhabitants so it could be prepared
to be sold to the highest bidder. That is what the Saiya-jiin did if
they worked for Friiezer. It�s what Nappa and I did.�
Akane�s was frozen in shock. Wipe out Chikyuu? She spoke
slowly. �You wiped out civilizations?� Vejiita frowned and nodded.
He turned around quickly, though, when he heard cries and gasps
behind him. He finally saw the crowd that didn�t know about his past
watching him in horror. He scowled deeply and glared at them.
They immediately turned their faces away, blushing in
embarrassment.
�Vejiita...� Akane had stood up, and was touching his
shoulder. He whirled around to face her, and Ranma who was
directly behind her, aura flared. �Vejiita, were Ranma and I sent to
Chikyuu to wipe out the population here?�
Vejiita looked into Ranma�s face, seeing the fierce stare of
the warrior buried just under the surface. He then looked into
Akane�s gaze, seeing only the question in her eyes. Vejiita�s own gaze
softened and he shook his head. �Iie. You were not sent to Chikyuu
to wipe out it�s natives. I don�t know why you landed here, but you
did. You and Serori were sent off-planet because Friiezer wanted
to have control of the two of you. The King wanted to protect you
from the cruelties of Friiezer�s army, so you were sent away before
Friiezer could get his clutches around you.� Vejiita looked away and
into the sky. �No, you were not meant to see or hear anything of the
massacres.� He sighed and turned his eyes to his twin�s. �I went in
your place. The King knew I could handle Friiezer�s army better
than you could.�
That relevation shocked the Senshi that knew of Vejiita�s
bloodied past, and placed him in a different light within everyone�s
eyes. Akane�s gaze softened and she wrapped her arms around her
twin. �It�s all right, Vejiita-chan. I forgive you. Thank you for your
sacrifice.� Vejiita stiffened and relaxed, and slowly wrapped his
arms around Akane, burying his face in her hair, returning the
gesture.
Akane released him and stepped back. �As you said, that is in
the past. So how is this leading up to the removal of your tail?�
Vejiita frowned and scowled at the memory. �I was fighting
Kakarotto and transformed into the Oozaru form. A wimpy asshole
used a sword and sliced off my tail, returning me to normal size.� He
crossed his arms. �He still deserves a pulping for doing that to me.�
Ranma scratched his head. �But Bulma-san said that the full
moon is what triggers the transformation. And we didn�t have a
moon for the longest time. How�d you change?�
Vejiita smirked. �I can create a moon simulation through a
special ki-ball.�
Bulma called out to Gohan. �Gohan-chan, are you ready to
show off what you learned today?�
Gohan looked nervously between Bulma, Vejiita and his dad.
�I don�t know, Bulma-san. I don�t think I�m ready yet.�
Goku bent down and rustled his son�s hair. �What did you
learn today, Gohan?�
�Vejiita-san trained me on how to create the artificial
moonlight and on how to control my Oozaru form, �Tousan.� Gohan
winced at the memory of the �training� session. It was more like a
�beat the hell out of Gohan as a giant monkey� session. �Kami-sama
said we would need the extra strength that comes from the forms.
Kami-sama was also the one who asked Vejiita-san to do it.�
Goku stood up and looked surprisedly at Vejiita. �Did you do
that, Vejiita-san?� He just scowled and turned away. �That�s
awfully swell of you! Could you teach me, as well?�
Vejiita snorted. �Have your brat show you, Kakarotto. I
won�t lower myself again to baby Third-class Saiya-jiin.�
�What about me, Vejiita-chan? Will you show me and
Ranma?� Akane asked next to him. She smiled mischievously. �Or
are we too low for Vejiita no Ouji, Crown Prince of Vejiita-sei, Heir
to the Saiya-jiin Empire?�
He snorted at her. �Yes, you are. No one comes close to the
Prophetized Legendary Super Saiya-jiin.� His eyes glittered in
smugness and amusement.
She glittered right back. �Who said you would be the
Legendary One? I might be the Legendary One. The prophets said
the birth of us was a sign; they did not say which one of us would be
the one.� She snorted in his face and dared him to defy her logic.
He stared right back, getting in her face. They were locked eye to
eye, nose to nose, daring each other to back down.
Goku broke the moment. He blurted out amazingly, �Wow,
Akane-san, Vejiita-san, you two sure do look like brother and sister
doing that!�
Both turned and glared at Goku, flared their auras, and
shouted, �Shut up, Kakarotto!�
Goku�s eyes widened dramatically and backed up. �Gomen,
gomen!� The twins looked at each other and gave each other an
identical smirk. Akane turned around and sat back down next to
Ranma. Ranma, on the other hand, was just staring at her, wondering
where Akane went to, and when Seiika came back. Sensing that
Ranma was staring at her, Akane turned and gave him a smile,
wrapping her tail around his wrist. He smiled back, recognizing
Akane in the smile, and put those thoughts aside to think about
later.
Bulma spoke up again. �Well, Gohan-chan? Do you want to do
this?�
Gohan swallowed nervously, and looked up at his dad. Goku
smiled down at him, encouraging him. �If you don�t want to, Gohan,
you don�t have to. But I think you should. Practice makes perfect,
ne?� Gohan nodded and stepped away from his father. �Okay, I
guess so. Should I make the moonlight, Vejiita-san?�
�Matte,� Bulma stopped them. �Before you guys start
transforming, shouldn�t we get out of town first? Who knows how
the neighbors will react to giant monkeys running around town.�
Nodoka nodded in agreement. �That is a very good idea,
Bulma-san.�
Bulma turned to Goku. �Where�d your pod land, Son-kun?�
�A few doors down.�
Bulma nodded. �We need to get your ship and take it back to
Capsule Corp so the local authorities don�t think aliens landed or
something.� Bulma smiled. �Well, technically, they did, but still...�
Everyone nodded in agreement and trooped off to Goku�s crash site.
When they arrived, Bulma took out her capsule for the jet.
She found a big enough space and opened it up, revealing the plane
from earlier. She turned toward the spacepod and threw an empty
capsule at it. The storage capsule encircled the pod and contained it
within one puff of smoke. Bulma smiled and went over to the full
tablet and put in her pocket. �I am so glad �Tousan invented these...�
She turned to the group. �All aboard who�s going aboard!� She
turned to the Saiya-jiin. �How about the canyon back home? It
should be a big enough place for five Oozaru stomping around.�
Vejiita nodded and turned to the others. �You know which one she�s
talking about, Kakarotto?�
Goku nodded and took ChiChi in his arms and flew her up to
the plane. He placed her inside carefully and gave her a hug. �See
you in the canyon!�
�Why don�t you come with us, Goku?�
�Aww, ChiChi,� Goku whined. �I want to fly with the others!�
ChiChi knew she wasn�t going to win against Goku�s whining and
fidgeting. She sighed and pushed him out the door. �Fine! Go play
with Vejiita-san. I�ll see you in the canyon.� Goku brightened and
took off to rejoin the others. ChiChi just sighed again and went
inside, cursing her husband�s heritage.
The Tendo�s and Saotome�s hung back. Akane turned to them.
�You don�t have to come if you don�t want to. Ranma and I
understand.�
Surprisingly, Kasumi stepped forward and put a hand on
Akane�s arm. �Of course, we�ll come, Akane-chan. We should
support you and Ranma-kun in your new lives, right?� Akane smiled
and gave her sister a hug.
�Thank you, Kasumi-neechan.�
She smiled and turned to Vejiita. �Vejiita-ototochan, will you
fly me up to the plane?�
Vejiita looked absolutely startled. �Nani? Me?�
Kasumi nodded and smiled again, placing her hand on his arm.
�Of course, you. You are family, are you not?�
Vejiita just blinked at Kasumi. She stood there smiling and
waiting for him to pick her up. He turned to Akane and she nodded,
encouraging him. Vejiita scowled a small bit and gently took Kasumi
into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck and looked into
his face. He slowly floated up to the plane�s entrance. He carefully
put her down and waited for her to steady herself.
Kasumi let go of his neck and leaned over to give him a peck
on the cheek. �Thank you, Vejiita-ototochan. It was fun!� He put a
hand on the spot where she kissed him and floated back down.
Soun went to carry Nabiki, but she shook her head. �I�m not
going. I don�t want to take the chance of a giant monkey stepping on
me.� She waved to the others and returned home.
Ukyou stepped up and adjusted her spatula. �I�ll come along,
Ranma. I want to see for myself the were-monkey schtick.� Goku
went to go pick her up but she shook her head. She got a running
start and jumped into the door. She waved at everyone on the
ground and went inside. Soun followed right behind her.
Nodoka went over to Genma and wrapped her arms around his
neck. �Now, husband, I know you want to go along and support your
son and daughter-in-law, right?� She shifted the katana on her back
for emphasis.
Genma nodded violently. �Of course, Dear, of course.� He
cupped her in his arms and bounded into the plane.
Bulma turned to Vejiita and crossed her arms, raising her
eyebrow in suggestion. �Well, how am I going to get up there?�
Vejiita grumbled but picked her up and carried her up to the door,
setting her down as gently as he did Kasumi. She hung on to him for
a minute longer and whispered something in his ear. He let go
abruptly and floated down, a pink tinge highlighting his cheeks.
The five Saiya-jiin watched as Bulma fired the engines and
took off into the sky, heading for home. Goku turned to the newest
members of the Saiya-jiin Senshi Team and smiled. �Well, the
canyon isn�t that all far off, so it shouldn�t take that long to get
there. You can follow us with no problems.�
Ranma and Akane bigsweated. �Actually, there is a problem.�
Goku scrunched his face up in question. �What is it?�
Akane blushed and Ranma pulled on his pigtail. �Well, we don�t
know how to fly.� Akane explained.
The three Saiya-jiin opened their mouths in shock. �You don�t
know how to fly? Of course you do...don�t you? Even Yamucha and
the other senshi know how to fly. It�s easy!� Gohan exclaimed in
disbelief.
�Not if we weren�t shown how!� Akane started to get mad.
She didn�t like to be humiliated, and even though she didn�t know who
the others were, she felt like she was being made fun of.
Ranma felt her anger rising and moved to quickly dissolve it.
�Hey, Akane, don�t get mad over it.�
Vejiita sensed her anger as well, and got an idea. He started
to taunt her. �Seiika-chan, what do you mean you don�t know how to
fly? Babies know how to fly! Even the brat knows how to fly! Are
you sure you�re a Saiya-jiin? My sister could outfly me anyday. I
think you might be an imposter!� He sneered at her, provoking her
anger.
It seemed to work. Akane gave Vejiita a snarl and started to
chase after him. He laughed at her antics and slowly started to
levitate while he continued to taunt her. Soon, he was several feet
off the ground and Akane was level with him, yelling and swinging at
him with her fists. Vejiita laughed and stopped suddenly, catching
her arms in his hands. He smirked at her and pointed down. She
looked at gasped. She was floating in the air! She tried moving
around a bit, going back and forth. She forgot about her anger, and
the aura she had created without knowing, winked out. Akane yelped
and fell to the ground swiftly.
She did not impact because Ranma had caught her in mid-air.
He smiled at her and righted her into a standing position. �Goku-san
explained it to me. You need to keep your aura flared--that�s what
holds you in the air. It�s really easy! And actually, I noticed that
my aura is a lot stronger than it used to be. I don�t really need to
think about it for it to form. Try it.�
Akane concentrated on her aura, and it easily sprang to life, a
blue shield surrounding her. Ranma released her, and she remained
afloat in the air. Akane smiled, gave Ranma a peck in the cheek, and
flew over to Vejiita, who was looking smug with a smirk and his arms
crossed. �Okay, chibi-ototo, let�s see who can outfly who, now!�
With that, she blew a raspberry at him and shot off into the
distance, in the same direction as the plane.
Vejiita looked startled, and with a cry, shot after his sister,
yelling at her to come back. A laugh floated back to the three
remaining, and they watched as the two bright specks disappeared in
the distance.
Goku turned to Ranma, smiling. �Yup, those two are definitely
brother and sister!� Ranma shrugged and the three took off after
the dueling twins.
********** Nekohanten, Nerima
Not many customers were in the ramen shop, making for a
quiet day, perfect for inner reflection. Cologne was stirring a pot of
ramen lazily, thinking about nothing in particular. She glanced over
at her great-granddaughter, Shampoo, who was busily cutting up a
pile of vegetables, preparing for the dinner rush. She smiled
serenely at the girl when she looked up at her. Shampoo just
returned the smile and continued to chop the vegetables. Cologne
marveled at the serenity of her distant offspring, and started to
hum a tune under her breath.
Cologne looked up suddenly, ending the tune and staring into
space for a few minutes. She came out of her trance and blinked, a
worried frown taking over her wrinkled features. Shampoo noticed
this, and abruptly put down her paring knife and came over to her.
�What wrong, �Babachan?�
Cologne frowned at Shampoo and shook her head. �I don�t
know, child. Something is happening, or going to happen. I can feel
it in the air. I felt it several times today, actually.�
Shampoo blinked and smiled. �Shampoo bet it involve Ranma,
somehow.�
Cologne frowned again and picked up her walking stick. �It
usually does, child. Close the shop. We�re going to see what�s going
on.�
Shampoo nodded and locked the restaurant, shooing away the
few customers that were in there. �Okay, �Babachan. Shampoo
ready.�
Cologne nodded and bounded out of the store, heading in the
opposite direction of the Dojo.
�Why we not going to see Ranma?� Shampoo asked
confusedly.
�He�s not there, Shampoo.�
�Where he be, then?�
�When we find him, child, we will know.� Shampoo shrugged
her shoulders and bounded after her great-grandmother, trusting in
her senses to lead them to her Airen.
Looks like there's gonna be some foot-stompin' action in the next part!
Lucky you! And what does the old ghoul sense? Find out next time, in Part
Seven! Gie