CHAPTER ONE:

Kayla beamed happily as she watched her mother put the finishing touches on her Sai’joun  robes. The intricate designs on the white cloth seemed to twinkle in the early afternoon sun as the older female shifted the heavy garment in her able hands.  In a few more days, she would be wearing these special robes, ready for her mate, Kakkarrot.

“Za’ani , Kayla.” Miriam said lightly, watching her daughter’s dreamy look. “Can you not stop thinking about that sa’an  for one moment? You should be honing in your skills for the hunt and yet here you are, dreaming away.”

“E lli g’aru, ma’un .” Kayla said, blushing. “You are right, I must get back to my training. I do not intend to make the hunt easy for Kakkarrot.”

“That is right. You must never show your weakness. Now get going. I think I see Makaru waiting for you in the front yard.”

“Ahi, ma’un .” Kayla said, giving her mother a light kiss on her smooth brow. Jumping up to her feet, she discarded the she’olai  she had been wearing over her training clothes and with a loud whoop, she ran out to meet her friend.

Makaru, who had been biting his nails idly and leaning against the front gates of Kayla’s home, jerked alert as he watched the long-legged beauty approach him.  ~ Za’ani . Kakkarrot is one lucky ka’tai . If I didn’t love him like a brother, I would have been envious. ~

“Ready to get beaten today again, Makaru?” Kayla asked teasingly, as she flexed her bare arms in the black sleeveless bodysuit.

“Hn. Don’t allow me to use my super strength on you.” Makaru teased, knowing that he wouldn’t be much of a challenge to Kayla. The female was as strong as any other male and she had shown her worth by defeating her own mate-to-be, Kakkarrot, during several of their spars.

Listening to her light laughter as they took off in flight towards their sparring grounds, Makaru couldn’t help but feel a bit resentful about the situation. He had known Kayla and Kakkarrot since he could think. The three of them had spent more time together than with even their own families. He knew he wasn’t as tall as most males or as lean, but he could hold his own in battle. He was made fun of a lot because of his height and weight and it had been Kayla and Kakkarrot that had always stood up for him.

He had watched as the two friends had slowly turned childhood crushes to the blossoming love that was to be displayed in the upcoming festival. When they had finally disclosed it to him, he hadn’t been that surprised, in fact he had been happy for them. Both had the same fire and lust for adventure that he was sure no other Saiyan would have been capable of handling. They looked happy together and although they tried to include Makaru into their new relationship, he still felt left out, somehow. He needed someone for his own and he could never get himself to actually initiate any sort of move on any Saiyan, either male or female. He was always tongue tied around them and had had to watch in dismay as he was either rebuffed or ignored. He sighed aloud. His parents were beginning to pressure him and it was turning out to be a pretty hopeless…

“Hey, sleepy! We are here!” Kayla announced loudly, as she landed on the bare terrain.

“Huh? Oh…hehehe…sorry…I was just thinking…” Makaru began sheepishly as he surveyed their environment. He loved coming here. This was their private training ground. Far away from the main cities, the high mountains and flat dusty earth was perfect in absorbing the enormous energy blasts that they were sure to create.

“If you are done thinking now, I think I would like to begin while I am still young, that is.” Kayla said, smirking as she crouched into her defensive position.

“Is that right?” Makaru asked, already forming an energy blast in his hands. “Well, Kayla sa’una ni  Maika! Get ready to meet your doom!!’

And just like that, the sparring began.

-*-*-*-*-

Let us move a few miles to the east of Kayla and Makaru, where another sparring is taking place. One that is much more intense and brutal.

Twin flashes of light streak through the bright sky, creating a loud boom as they clash together. Another hapless cliff crumbles to the ground as the shock is absorbed into its hardened stones. Loud roars fill the quiet afternoon, as birds and beasts scurry away from the avalanche of blinding energy blasts that crash onto the earth.

The landscape is quickly becoming a mass of rumble as the streaks lunge for each other again. The earth trembles violently once again as the two powers collide, each one straining to get the upper hand. Canines are bared as the opponents face each other. Twin flashes of identical grins grace the sweaty, bloody faces as the two fighters continue in their quest to topple the other down. Powerful bodies heave and ripple as tatters of their clothing flutter softly in the breeze. Blinding and electrical energy flash around them both as breaths become even more strained. With a sudden move, the older fighter, smashes his head against his younger opponent and without waiting for a moment of recovery, he forms an energy blast that sends the disoriented fighter crashing into one of the few mountains left standing.

Sucking in precious amounts of air into exhausted lungs, the fighter hovers in mid-air and waits for his opponent to recover. After several minutes of silence, he floats down softly to the earth and running towards the crash site, he calls out,

“Kakkarrot!! Get your lazy self out of there now!!”

No answer.

“Kakkarrot!!” This time with a little twinge of anxiety laced in the strong voice. “Kakkarrot?! Can you hear me?!”

Still no reply. Frowning slightly now, the fighter walks into the large cool cave, searching his senses for the tell tale sign of his opponent. ~ Za’ani ! The blast wasn’t that strong. Where the hell could he…? ~

“Surprise…” comes the soft voice next to his ear. And before he can think, he feels himself flying out of the cave, a dull pain flowing through him as the energy wave directed into his stomach sends him crashing back out into the bright sunlight.

Landing with a heavy and painful thud, he opens up his eyes weakly, only to stare into the grinning face of his younger son.

“I should kill you, Kakkarrot.”

“Ahi, pa’un .” The look-alike replied, chuckling as he lifted his father to his feet. “You had your chance and you blew it.”

“Hn.” Bardock grinned as well, slapping a hand on his son’s back. “I think we need to go wash off. Your mother is going to have a fit, if she sees us like this.”

“Fine! Race you to the stream!!” Kakkarrot yelled happily, as he took off for the nearby waters. His grin widened as he heard his father approach him. Gritting his teeth, he increased his speed. He did not want his father to beat him.

Landing triumphantly on the lush terrain, Kakkarrot quickly stripped out of his remaining clothes and with a loud war cry, he dove straight into the cool stream, hearing his fathers’ light chuckle faintly. Sinking beneath the soothing depths, Kakkarrot allowed his mind to roam freely.

His brother had left last week to much weeping from a very pregnant Saida and a somber Laetha. Kakkarrot had watched with pride, fear and trepidation as the royal guards had come to take him away. Bardock had been stoic about the whole affair, but Kakkarrot had no doubt in his mind that his father had been far from calm. Sighing deeply, he rose out of the waters in a rush, sucking in large gulps of air. He wondered if he dared ask his father about…

“I thought you were never going to come out.” Bardock said lightly, scrubbing away at a dirty part of his arm.

Kakkarrot just gave a small smile in return and began his own bath. A comfortable silence fell between the two males as the sounds of the forest around them, sprang to life. The late afternoon rays dusted the relative dark coolness of the greenery and Kakkarrot gasped softly at the ethereal beauty it projected.

“Beautiful…” he said softly, closing his eyes and breathing in the fresh air.

“Ahi, nu sa’un . Just like your bride to be, ne?”

Kakkarrot flushed and opened his eyes, glaring at his father’s teasing visage.

“Ahi . Kayla is something else. I think she and Makaru are sparring again.”

“Poor Makaru. I hope he survives.” Bardock joked, as he joined his son in laughter. “She is going to be a tough hunt, Kakkarrot. I hope you realize that.”

“Of course, I do.” Kakkarrot said indignantly. “That is why I chose her, is it not? I refuse to have a female that will not be able to keep up with me.”

“Or a male?” Bardock said quietly, his eyes glittering with a strange light that suddenly made Kakkarrot feel uneasy.

“I…I… do not understand, father.” He finally replied.

“If a male were to court you, Kakkarrot. A male that was capable of keeping up with you. Would you forsake Kayla for him?”

Kakkarrot stared at his father in puzzlement. Where was all this leading to?

“Of course not! I would never forsake Kayla…”

~ You lie, nu sa’un . ~

Kakkarrot frowned as his father’s thoughts filled his mind.

~ How so? ~

~ I can search your feelings, you know. Ahi , you love and cherish Kayla, but yet there is a part of you that longs for someone else, is there not? ~

~ I do not know what you are talking about. ~ Kakkarrot thought almost frantically, as he began scrubbing his body faster, now unable to stare at his father’s face.

~ So I do tell the truth, Kakkarrot. There is someone else. ~

“There is no one else, father!” Kakkarrot finally yelled out in frustration. With a weak groan, he squeezed his eyes shut, as a vivid memory flashed through his mind.

~*~*~*~

In the caves…his body burns with a fire he cannot control. The softly whispered words of passion flow into his ears. Lips of sweet honey caress his feverish skin, creating sensations that he never thought possible. Eyes of darkest coal stare into his soul; burn into his spirit, searing it for all eternity.

“Nu…ha’ji…e ra’hi …”

~*~*~*~

“NO!!” He screamed, as his eyes flew open, staring about him wildly. He couldn’t still be thinking about that. It had happened a long time ago. It was a mistake that wasn’t supposed to happen. He stopped short as his dazed eyes fell into the knowing ones of his father.

“I was right.” Bardock said calmly. “Hn. Anyway, Kakkarrot. Let us not worry about that right now. I am sure that you have other things to worry about, like say a certain hunt…”

“Ahi, pa’un .” Kakkarrot replied dully, as he began wading out of the stream.

And picking up his clothes, he began to dress up quietly; his mind now wondering why it was no longer so thrilled about the upcoming festival.