Free Time
After a 'light' breakfast, Velvet and Ikra left the house to train. They had gotten up before dawn to eat and the morning light had just arrived. Vegeta and Kakarotto were still sleeping. The four teens had spent yesterday taking care of Velvet's youngest brother, Karnal, who had proven to be quite a handful. They all still had two days until the ceremony that would deem Vegeta as king and Velvet as his queen. Then, the planet would return to usual life… Until then, the four had to cure their boredom somehow… Sparring seemed like a good idea to Velvet and Ikra so they left to find a good sparring spot. After finding a suitable clearing, the two warmed up.
"Do you think that… the guys will… catch up with us later?" Ikra asked as she dodged Velvet's blows. She stopped and caught her breath.
"Maybe… But until then, what do you say we try and get a start on these attacks? What did you say you were gonna learn?"
"I was gonna try to master... what's it called? I can't remember... But anyway, how about you? What attack do you want to learn?"
"I'll wait until I can control my Super Saiya-jin mode before I try the Massacre Dragon attack… So… I'll try Dragon Carnage…."
"How?"
"I have to learn how to control my power and form it into a long strip of pure energy… then, I'll work on creating the serpent…" Velvet grinned. Ikra looked at her friend sceptically.
"Give it a try then…"
"Alright…" Velvet closed her eyes and concentrated. Ikra folded her arms and watched as Velvet's aura began to blaze a pale blue. Velvet's gritted her teeth and opened her eyes, holding out one arm towards a nearby tree. Ikra stepped back in case Velvet had a bad aim. She watched as her friend channelled her power into her arm, energy spiralling round it. Velvet balled her hand into a tight fist. As she did, the energy burst from her arm and shot straight ahead at the tree. There was blinding light and when it faded, there was no tree left… Ikra grinned and clapped her hands.
"Not bad…"
"That's not easy…" Velvet's panted as she wiped her brow. Ikra flew over to where the tree had been and kicked at the charred ground. She smiled.
"Not a trace! You're a pretty good aim!" Ikra shouted to her friend. Velvet smiled.
"I had to practice…"
"I can imagine… Your aim used to be so bad!" Ikra laughed as she landed beside her friend. Velvet pouted.
"I wasn't THAT bad…"
"Oh come on! You aimed at a mountain and managed to miss once!"
"Zephyr stood on my tail!" Velvet said defensively. Ikra couldn't help but laugh.
"Lame excuse!"
"Oh yeah?!" Velvet growled. "Don't mock me like that…"
"Want to take that complaint up with me?" Ikra teased. Velvet snarled and lunged at her friend. Ikra managed to side step out of the way, infuriating Velvet all the more. Ikra continued to dodge as Velvet kept lunging at her, fist cocked. When Velvet passed her again, Ikra stuck her foot out and tripped Velvet up. Velvet landed on her rear and yelped. She scowled at Ikra, who was laughing.
"What's with you all of a sudden?!" Velvet frowned. Ikra shook her head.
"I'm just trying to get you angry… That way, you'll give me more of a challenge…"
"Ikra! Don't be foolish! One of the main motivating factors of the transformation to Super Saiya-jin is anger! If you get me angry and I transform, I won't be able to control myself!"
"Is Super Saiya-jin really that much of an increase to your power?"
"Yes… Vegeta explained it to me briefly… I still have to find out a lot more but… I don't want to go on a killing spree or something… Vegeta is the only other Super Saiya-jin on the planet at the moment and if he's not here to stop me…"
"Ah, but I am…."
"Vegeta?!"
Velvet and Ikra turned to face their mates.
"What are you doing here?" Velvet asked. Vegeta was suddenly right in front of her. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her.
"Can't I come train with my mate?" He asked when he had pulled away. Velvet smiled. Ikra turned to Kakarotto.
"What about you? Same reason?"
"Kind of…" Kakarotto walked over to Ikra and picked her up. "Come on, we'll be back before long so don't worry…" He assured her with a smile. Ikra couldn't help looking confused. Kakarotto gave her a quick kiss before taking off with her in his arms. Velvet watched them go, Vegeta still holding her to him.
"Where are they going?"
"A little surprise for Ikra…" Vegeta said quietly into her ear as he rested his head on her shoulders. Velvet smiled and nuzzled her head against his.
"I need to talk to you…"
"About Super Saiya-jin?" Vegeta asked as he lifted his head to look at her. Velvet nodded. Vegeta kissed her again before letting her go and stepping back. His aura flared brightly and he changed quickly and easily. Velvet looked at the Super Saiya-jin before her.
"What about me? Should I try it?" She asked, pointing to herself. Vegeta nodded slowly. Velvet concentrated and let out a loud cry as her aura burst into flames of energy. Vegeta waked over to her.
"Try to get angry about something…. It's made the first couple of times a lot easier…" Vegeta told her. "Concentrate… Don't lose it…" Vegeta stood at her side, holding her stomach and back to keep her on the ground. Vegeta was quite surprised when her hair flared a bright golden soon after he did that. He let her go and walked round her, examining her. Velvet watched him circle her with a sceptical look.
"What are you doing?"
"Full Super Saiya-jin… Sometimes, only the hair changes the first couple of times…" Vegeta chuckled. Velvet frowned.
"Thanks for the vote of confidence…."
"That's another thing… You'll feel in a constantly bad mood, which will only fade when you're fighting… You have to train in this mode so that you can get used to it…"
"Okay, I'll… What do you mean 'bad mood'?" Velvet asked suddenly, cutting herself off. Vegeta grinned.
"Oh come on! You know yourself that you feel constantly angry!"
"Yeah, but…" Velvet looked down at her hands. "I have to fight so that I don't go crazy…" She said, more to herself than Vegeta. Velvet watched as Vegeta dropped into a stance.
"Come on, attack me!"
"What?"
"I could do with a good warm up…" Vegeta's arrogance slowly returned to him. "And you could maybe force me to break a sweat…"
"I'll do more than that!" Velvet yelled as she charged at Vegeta.
"Where are we going?" Ikra asked as she held onto Kakarotto's neck. He simply smiled.
"You'll see…. Just be patient…"
"Kakarotto, I can fly on my own…"
"But if you fly on your own, I can't do this when I feel like it…" Kakarotto said teasingly as he leant forward. Ikra turned in time for her lips to meet with his, causing her eyes to widen in surprise. She quickly closed them and pulled his head closer to deepen the kiss. She groaned in complaint when Kakarotto pulled away. He chuckled. "Still want to fly on your own?"
"Unheard of!" Ikra giggled. Kakarotto laughed and went back to concentrating on flying in a straight-ish line. Ikra couldn't help but wonder where he was taking her… I mean, he hadn't mentioned anything to her… Hopefully, she would find out soon…
"Not bad…" Vegeta smiled as he helped Velvet up. She dusted herself off and smiled.
"Thanks… I'm still a little outta control though… I can't think straight…" She said as she rubbed her wrists. Vegeta grinned.
"You're face is covered in mud…" He said in a voice tinted with amusement. Velvet turned to face him and blinked.
"Where?"
"Right… there…" Vegeta walked up to her and tapped her cheek. Velvet rubbed the spot.
"How's that?"
"You got it…" Vegeta smiled as he stroked her cheek softly. Velvet smiled before her expression turned serious.
"Vegeta… I want you to tell me how I can learn Massacre Dragon…"
"What?!" Vegeta took his hands away, his expression showing his shock. "Velvet, not even my father could master that attack!"
"That's why I want to try it…" Velvet smirked. Vegeta snorted.
"Sorry, Velvet-chan…. Not even you could manage it…" Vegeta said, folding his arms. Velvet pouted.
"Why not?"
"If you want to have even a chance, you have to learn Dragon Carnage first…"
"I'm already trying… I'm working on concentrating my energy into a beam…" She told him. Vegeta pondered for a moment.
"I suppose that's a start… We have to work on holding the beam and controlling it though…" Vegeta told her. Velvet nodded and watched as Vegeta powered down. She blinked in confusion.
"Vegeta…"
"Oh come on! We've been training for an hour or two now… why don't we have a break?" He grinned, his eyes watching her hungrily. Velvet smiled and also powered down. She wandered over to a nearby rock. It had a few ledges and Velvet pulled herself up and sat down on one of the higher ledges. She noticed Vegeta had disappeared but he soon appeared beside her, startling her.
"Don't do that!" She scolded as she punched his shoulder. Vegeta grabbed her fist as she pulled it away and grinned. He intertwined his fingers with hers and pulled her closer with his other hand. Every time he tried to kiss her, Velvet kept leaning out of his reach with a smile. He groaned.
"Stop playing around…"
"What are you gonna do to stop me?" Velvet teased as she squirmed out of his grasp and stood up. Vegeta simply grinned.
"This…" Velvet watched as he let her hand go. She let out a yelp as her feet were pulled out from under her. She waited for the thump that would signal she'd landed on the rock but instead, Vegeta managed to catch her and set her down softly before pinning her underneath him. By the time Velvet realised she was pinned, she was in the middle of receiving a passionate kiss from Vegeta. Velvet smiled and tried to wriggle away but Vegeta was using his weight to keep her stuck beneath him. Her will power to resist disintegrated and she just lay there and allowed him to kiss her…
"Where are we?" Ikra asked as they landed in a large clearing. It was incredibly dusty and barren. She face-faulted. "Nice place…"
"Come on…" Kakarotto put her down and took her hand before leading her to a large array of rocks. She looked around curiously as he led her right into the middle of them. Ikra turned to face him as they stopped.
"Why are we here?"
"There's someone I'd like you to meet… He trains here. Give me a sec, I'll be right back…" Kakarotto kissed her before heading off in the opposite direction from where they had come. She folded her arms and looked around. It was pretty empty, no plants or even weeds… no water…. Who would train in a place like this? Okay, so there would be no interruptions but still… Ikra wandered over to one of the rocks and pulled herself up. She sat at the edge and dangled her legs over the edge, her arms folded. She heard someone approaching her and looked in the direction of the noise. She could see a familiar silhouette walking towards her… then there was two the same. Ikra rubbed her eyes and blinked. Surely she was seeing things… Wait… Ikra gasped as she realised who it was as they approached her and stopped in front of her.
"I don't… believe it!"
"Now… try and follow me with the beam as I move… I'll just walk so it's not too hard…" Vegeta told her. He waited for her to create a beam of pure energy and watched as she struggled to keep in under control. Vegeta waited until it was pointing at him before moving. Velvet gritted her teeth and struggled to keep the beam behind him. Vegeta smiled and looped his tail around it before closing the hole and breaking the beam. Velvet scowled.
"HEY! I was doing well!"
"You have to do better!" Vegeta growled. "That should have at least hurt me a little! I even used my tail! Velvet, that was such a weak beam!"
"Oh shut up!" Velvet snarled before turning her back to him and folding her arms. "I'm trying but it's not easy! I'm still not used to Super Saiya-jin and you're flaming me about an attack! What's the deal?!"
"You not concentrating! I know for a fact you can do better!" Vegeta said as he stormed over to her and stepped in front of her. Velvet scowled at him.
"I'm trying… It's not easy for me, okay?"
"Well try harder…" Vegeta said firmly, folding his arms. Velvet frowned.
"Just because you're just bloody fabulous at this doesn't mean we all are!"
"I never said that!"
"You didn't have to!" Velvet snapped.
"Stop putting words in my mouth!"
"Then stop acting like an arrogant bastard!" She hissed. Vegeta scowled at her.
"I am not the only one… you're twice as bad. Since you decided to learn that attack, you've been acting like a complete bitch!" Vegeta yelled. Velvet scowled before turning away.
"If you're just going to criticise me instead if helping me, I'll be better training on my own…" Velvet said, lifting her head high. Vegeta growled low in his throat.
"Fine… you just do that…" He said harshly. Velvet looked over he shoulder in time to see Vegeta power down and take off into the air. Velvet also powered down. She watched as Vegeta flew out of sight before dropping to her knees. She buried her face in her hands, gritting her teeth in anger.
"What have I said…?"
"Ikra, this… is my father." Kakarotto said with a slight smile. Ikra jumped down from her seat as Bardock stepped forward. She walked over to them both, suddenly feeling very short.
"Bardock-san…"
"So you are Ikra? I've heard quite a bit about you…" Bardock smiled. He was very softly spoken but apart from that, he was a Kakarotto double. Everything about the two was the same except Bardock had a large scar on the left side of his face and wore a bandanna. Ikra couldn't believe she was meeting him…
"It's an honour, Bardock-san…" Ikra smiled. Bardock chuckled.
"Is it true that you battled Sheikh for my son as your mate?"
"Yes…"
"Has your stomach healed?"
"Um… It's still a little tender…" Ikra looked down at herself and softly patted the armour that covered her stomach.
"Hmm… You should try and sleep to recover your strength…" Bardock said with a frown. Kakarotto looked at him.
"Will there be a battle, father?"
"Yes, tomorrow…"
"How… How do you know this?" Ikra asked in surprise. "There is to be no battle during the three days after the night of the full moon… Why will there be a battle?" She said, more to herself than anyone else. Bardock smiled
"Trust me… There will be a battle tomorrow… Make sure you're in top condition as it will be difficult…" Bardock's expression turned serious. "An army from the planet known as known as 'Yggdrasil' will be coming. They have a massive army and it will take all of the saiya-jins to try and defeat them. The Yggdrasians are powerful and also have the ability to read power levels, but not through a scouter…"
"Without a scouter? But father, that is impossible!" Kakarotto exclaimed. Bardock shook his head.
"No, it's not… A lot of people will die tomorrow…" Bardock said sadly. Ikra was freaked out. How did Bardock know all this?
"Father…"
"Go rest up, Kakarotto… Tell your brother to do the same and anyone else you want to live…" Bardock warned. Kakarotto took a step back.
"Will it be that bloody?"
"Yes, now go… I also have to prepare myself…" Bardock told his son. Kakarotto hung his head and Bardock put his hand on his son's shoulder. "Be careful tomorrow… Spend today carefully as we may never have a peaceful day again for a while…"
"I will, father…" Goku smiled. Ikra was still a little confused but she understood… She trusted Bardock and his premonition. Kakarotto and Ikra said farewell to his father and they flew off to tell everyone they knew…
Velvet splashed her face with water. It had been over and hour since she'd seen Vegeta last and, to be honest, she was worried. She had a terrible feeling. She dried her face and went through to the main room as Ikra and Kakarotto suddenly burst in. In a jumble of words, they managed to tell Velvet what was going to happen. She couldn't help showing her shock…
"Who told you?"
"Bardock-san…"
"Then it must be correct…"
"Can you warn Vegeta too?" Kakarotto asked. He noticed Velvet suddenly saddened.
"What's wrong?" Ikra asked. Velvet bit her lip.
"We had a fight… I don't know where he went… He took off about an hour ago so I came back here…"
"Well, go find him!" Ikra yelled in frustration.
"What?"
"You have a fight and then just leave him to fume? He's probably the more stubborn of the two so you better give in if you want to see him ever again… If he doesn't have warning about tomorrow, he may be…"
"No!" Velvet cut her off. "No! He can't die! He can't!" Velvet was quick to leave, neglecting to put her armour on. Ikra watched her leave before turning to Kakarotto. The two left to warn Raditz and the rest of the saiya-jins that were at the palace.
"Where can he be…?" Velvet groaned, completely worried by now. She tried to think of where he might be. Her scouter had told her that he was to the south a little while ago when she tested to see if he was near. Velvet decided to try there and flew as fast as she could. When she got there, she saw him. He was on the ground, seemingly unmoving. Velvet gulped down a ball of worry and flew down. Sure enough, it was him… She knelt down beside him and shook him gently. "Vegeta? Vegeta, can you hear me? Please…" Velvet shook him a little more roughly. He still didn't move. There was a large scrape down his back, tearing the material of his top. She crawled round to the other side which his face was turned to and touched his cheek gently. "Please… Wake up… Has the battle already begun? Have they already come and defeated you?" She felt her throat dry up as she imagined Vegeta being unprepared for the enemy, and being defeated. With that thought, she fell onto him and wrapped her arms around him, sobbing quietly. Velvet lifted him a little so he was cradled in her arms. "This is my fault… If I hadn't argued…" She buried her face into his chest. "I'm so sorry…"
"Glad to hear it…" She heard a familiar voice say with amusement. Velvet lifted her head and looked down at Vegeta. He smiled back at her.
"Vegeta?" She wiped the tears from her eyes. "What the…?"
"I faked it to see if you worried or not…" He grinned with satisfaction. Velvet's sadness turned to rage.
"You selfish bastard! Here I was, worrying about you and crying because I thought you were dead, and you were faking it?!?!" She dropped him and stood up. "I hate you, Vegeta!"
"Love you too, Velvet-chan!" He laughed. Velvet growled and turned to leave. She was tripped up and landed on her stomach, face down. She lifted her head and coughed out the dust. Velvet rolled over only to come face to face with Vegeta. He pinned her down and she growled disapprovingly. Vegeta smiled and leant closer. "I think it's sweet that you worried about me…"
"Get off me!" Velvet yelled, struggling to get free. Vegeta held her down and grinned all the more. She kneed him in the leg and he called out in pain and surprise.
"Hey!"
"I hate you! Get off me! Now!" She hissed. Vegeta snarled.
"Stop struggling!"
"Then let me go! Now, before I-…" Velvet was cut off as Vegeta pressed his lips firmly against hers. She squirmed and tried to pull away but Vegeta only kissed her harder. Velvet felt her eyes falling shut and she wriggled again as she felt Vegeta's tail brush against her leg. Her anger had melted into a pool of slush, much like her muscles as her entire body relaxed and she couldn't resist. Velvet felt her lips work as she kissed him back. Vegeta, seemingly satisfied that she'd calmed down, pulled away. He looked down at her as she opened her eyes.
"Calmer now?" He asked. She simply nodded slowly. Vegeta shifted off her and helped her to her feet. Velvet dusted herself off before turning to Vegeta. Vegeta gasped as he feel a sting in his cheek as her hand slapped across it, sending his head twisting to the side and making him dizzy. He rubbed his cheek. "What the hell was that for?!" he yelled. Velvet scowled before her expression softened completely.
"Oh Vegeta!" Velvet wailed as she fell into his arms. Vegeta was confused but he wrapped his arms around her and held her close as she sobbed into his chest.
"And who told you all of this?" Raditz asked. Kakarotto stepped forward.
"Father did…"
"What?!" Raditz didn't hide his surprise. "Father told you this?! We have to warn everyone! Thank you, brother. You may leave…" Raditz told Kakarotto before running off to warn the king. Ikra watched him go.
"He believed that pretty easily…"
"Everyone believes my father… He has the ability to see the future…"
"What?!" Ikra gasped in surprise. Kakarotto explained before the two took off and left the palace.
"So what now?" Kakarotto asked as they flew towards Velvet's house. Ikra shrugged.
"No idea… We don't have anything to do… There's no way we could train enough to raise our power and besides, I don't want to spend what may be my last day doing that…" Ikra smiled. Kakarotto flew over to her and moved under her so he was looking up at her. He folded his arms and frowned.
"Nothing's gonna happen to you! I swear it!" He told her firmly. His frown faded into a mischievous grin. "But there are some things I'd like to do in our free time…"
"Looks like you've been influenced by Vegeta!" Ikra laughed before grinning. "But I agree… I wouldn't mind spending my last night-…" She was cut off as Kakarotto grabbed her and kissed her hard. Ikra's eyes widened in surprise before closing. Kakarotto pulled away and held her close before raising two fingers to his head. Ikra gasped as they suddenly teleported away.
"Vegeta!" Velvet laughed as she felt someone run their finger down her spine as she flew close to the ground. She turned but Vegeta managed to stay behind her. She laughed again as he grabbed her waist. Her laugh turned to a purr as Vegeta began to kiss her neck. They soon arrived at Velvet's home and went inside.
"We've done all we can… All we can do now is wait for the battle!" Vegeta grinned as he slammed his fist into his palm. Velvet smiled.
"I know.. I can't wait!"
"Well, since I get to do one of my hobbies tomorrow, wanna do the other tonight?" He purred as he swiftly moved behind her and wrapped his arms around her. Velvet smiled.
"How can I say no? I might have some injuries after the battle and be unable to move…"
"Don't kid about that!" Vegeta moaned. Velvet laughed and turned in his arms to face him. She ran a finger down his chest.
"Do you think Ikra and Kakarotto will be home tonight?"
"Not a chance…" Vegeta shivered at her touch. "They'll be off somewhere doing pretty much the same as us…"
"Probably…" Velvet smiled. Her smile faded. "I hope Ikra will be okay… her stomach isn't completely healed from her battle with Sheikh…"
"Isn't it? I thought for sure it would have healed…" Vegeta saw worry in Velvet's eyes as she turned her head to look away. He cupped her chin in his hand and turned her back to face him. "Velvet…"
"Do you think she'll be okay?"
"Ikra? She'll be fine! She's skilled enough to handle herself! Those Yggdrasians won't know what hit them when they take Ikra for injured!" Vegeta said truthfully. Velvet smiled. She knew Ikra was strong; of body and spirit. She wouldn't go down without one hell of a fight first…
"You're right… She'll kick tail!" Velvet said, brightening. Vegeta grinned before leaning down to her slowly. Velvet leaned up and pressed her lips against his in a soft kiss. She pulled away to see Vegeta looking at her. His lips turned up in a grin and he licked his lips. Velvet held his shoulders as Vegeta began kissing her hungrily. He picked her up and carried her to the main room.
"I wish you would warn me next time!" Ikra whacked Kakarotto upside the head. He simply grinned and Ikra looked around; her bedroom. She laughed.
"Why did you bring me here?"
"Don't act coy…" Kakarotto purred into her ear before kissing her neck. Ikra smiled and closed her eyes.
"I swear… Vegeta has completely turned you into a hormone driven-…Ah!" Ikra was cut off as Kakarotto nipped the skin around the mark on her neck; the one he had left as a reminder of him and his loyalty to her… Ikra pulled his head up in front of his and made him look at her. She grinned.
"What?"
"Plan on drinking me half-dry again, eh vampire?"
"Nah, I'd prefer if you had more energy this time…" Kakarotto said in a low, seductive voice, turning Ikra's legs to jelly. Ikra let out a yelp as she was suddenly dipped right over by Kakarotto, who then kissed her passionately. The only thing stopping Ikra from falling was Kakarotto's arms, since her legs were refusing to work at all. She threaded her fingers into his hair. Kakarotto growled and picked her up before carrying her to the bed…
Velvet was awakened by a scream of pain. She sat up. For some reason, she was alone in the middle of nowhere. Velvet was confused as she realised she was wearing her armour. She looked around and let out a cry of horror as she noticed something beside her. That something was Zephyr's dead body. Velvet tried to get up before realising something. Not only was she missing her tail, but also one of her legs. Blood flowed freely from the wound as she tried to pull herself to her brother. Tears streamed down Velvet's face as she reached him. He was battered and bruised, his eyes wide. She lifted him and hugged him to her, rocking back and forth.
"Oh Zephyr! This can't be happening! It just can't!" She cried. Velvet heard another cry not far off. She laid her dead brother down and stroked his forehead before closing his eyes. She had no time to mourn; the battle was still on. Velvet floated into the air shakily. Her missing leg meant she was losing a lot of blood and she felt dizzy. She hurried to where the scream came from and returned with a scream of her own. Ikra and Kakarotto lay dead beside each other in a pool of their own blood. Kakarotto had been decapitated and his head lay upon Ikra's body. Her best friend's armour had been ripped off, exposing her stomach, which had been torn into, and her organs pulled out. Velvet had to cover her mouth to stop from being sick. A tall, dark alien with spiky green hair stood near them, his arm lifted high. In its grasp was a struggling Vegeta, who was choking to death. Velvet was crying full force. "Vegeta! VEGETA!" She screamed his name as she sped down to him. As soon as she got to him, he gasped her name once before the alien snapped his neck like a twig. Velvet could do nothing as the alien flung him aside and turned to her. It stared at her with unblinking red eyes before reaching out for her.
Velvet screamed again. When she did, she sat bolt upright. She was in the main room in her house in front of the fire. She rubbed her forehead before covering her face, sobbing at her nightmare. She felt two hands rest on her shoulders and turned round. Vegeta was sitting beside her with a concerned look on his face. Without a word, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against his chest. Velvet couldn't stop crying. The dream had been so vivid, so real… Vegeta rubbed circles in her back to comfort her.
"Shh… It's okay, Velvet-chan… It was just a dream…"
"But… it was…" Velvet couldn't stop crying. The nightmare had been pretty realistic and it wouldn't have been a first time if it was actually a premonition… Velvet buried her face into Vegeta's chest, trying to calm down. She hated crying and felt weak and useless when she did. With that thought, Velvet took a deep breath and calmed down. She pulled out of Vegeta's arms angrily and turned away, clutching the sheet, which lay over her, to her chest. She felt Vegeta's hand on her shoulder and squirmed to get it off. Vegeta turned her to face him and held her face in his hands. He stared into her eyes as if he was searching. Velvet bit her lip to keep from crying again.
"Are you okay?" He asked softly. Velvet had to hide her surprise; Vegeta wasn't usually this concerned about anyone..
"Yes." She said with a nod. Vegeta gazed at her for a moment before kissing her softly, still holding her head. Velvet neglected to close her eyes to stop herself from getting lost in her emotions once more. Something about his kiss was different… It was more gentle than usual, like he was relieved about something… Velvet remained unmoving as Vegeta pulled away and looked at her. He stroked her cheek with his thumb.
"Come on… Let's get some sleep…" He said almost in a whisper. Velvet watched him as he lay down. She stared into the fire that had been lit in the fireplace, it's orange-yellow glow captivating her for a moment. She stared long and hard as images of her dream danced in the flames. Zephyr, Ikra, Kakarotto and Vegeta… all dead… And her? Was she to die too? Were any of them going to survive this battle? Velvet lost herself in thought as she stared at the small blaze. She let out a yelp of surprise as something gripped her waist and scattered her train of thought. She turned quickly to see Vegeta sitting up right in front of her, grinning.
"Vegeta!"
"What's wrong? Still jumpy?" he asked with amusement. Velvet growled low in her throat before turning back to the fire, her expression softening.
"I was just thinking…"
"About the dream?"
"Yeah… I can't help but wonder…"
"Oh, you and your dream… It probably means nothing so come and lie down… You have quite a bit of energy to regain…" He purred into her ear as he rested his chin on her shoulder. Velvet smiled as his hands slid under the sheet and wrapped around her waist.
"Fine…" Velvet turned to face him and kissed him. Vegeta pulled her down to the floor again and deepened the kiss.
"At last…" Ikra pulled her training suit on with a grin. "We finally get to face these aliens! I can't wait!" Ikra clenched her fist and her grin widened. She turned to her mate, who still lay in bed. He was watching her with a sceptical expression on his face, his arms crossed behind his head and the sheet pulled up barely past his hips.
"You're pretty eager… It's still early…"
"Kakarotto, you're so lazy…" Ikra said with a roll of her eyes. Kakarotto pouted.
"I am not!"
"Yes you are! Look at you! Still in bed…"
"Which is where you should be…" He said in a teasing voice as he patted the space beside him. Ikra smiled. "Care to join me again?"
"You are unbelievable." Ikra laughed as she went over and sat beside him. She laughed harder as Kakarotto suddenly pulled her down on top of him before rolling over and pinning her under him. He kissed her passionately but quickly pulled away with a yelp as a single hair was pulled out of his tail. He rolled off and rubbed his tail.
"What was that for?" he whined. Ikra smiled and rolled onto him.
"Baby…" She smiled as she leaned down so her head was inches from his. Kakarotto raised a single eyebrow as Ikra grinned mischievously. He was quick to burst out laughing as Ikra began to tickle him. She managed to pin one of his arms under him and held the other down so that she had one hand free to torture him. Kakarotto was in hysterics.
"Ah haha! Stop it… ha, ha, ha.. Ikra! No fair! Haha, ha, ha! You know all my ticklish spots already!" He laughed as he tried to wriggle away from her. Ikra simply grinned again and tickled him all the more. The saiya-jin's laughter could be heard from outside…
"Do you think we should go meet up with Ikra and Kakarotto?" Velvet asked as she pulled her glove on. Vegeta shrugged.
"If you want… We'll probably see them later anyway…"
"Maybe…" Velvet turned to Vegeta, who had his back to her. He had nothing but his pants on as of yet. Velvet walked over and wrapped her arms around his waist from behind. She nuzzled her head into his back and he wrapped his tail around her. "Do you think this new enemy will be powerful"?
"I hope so…" Vegeta smirked as he turned to her. Velvet smiled up at her mate.
"You and me both… I want to try out my Super Saiya-jin powers against someone I can afford to kill!"
"You mean someone you could kill…"
"I could have killed you!" She proclaimed. Vegeta smirked.
"Is that so?"
"Yeah!"
"I doubt it…" Vegeta kissed her before turning to walk away. Velvet whipped his behind with her tail before running off, laughing as he bolted after her.
"What was that?" Kakarotto asked as he pulled his armour on. Ikra shrugged and went to the window. She opened in and looked out before smiling and waving.
"Yo Velvet! Up here!" She called down. Kakarotto looked over as Velvet and Vegeta floated up to the window. He finished fixing his armour before walking over. Vegeta folded his arms and smirked.
"Ready to kick alien ass?"
"You bet!" Kakarotto grinned as he climbed out the window. Ikra followed him out and closed the window. Whilst the two guys discussed the best way to kill the enemy, Velvet floated over to Ikra she whispered behind her hand.
"Hey Ikra! I'll bet you spent last night as wisely as I did…" She grinned. Ikra grinned just as much.
"You bet! Have fun with Vegeta, did you?"
"You have no idea!" Velvet giggled. The two females shared a laugh.
"Where to?" Kakarotto asked. Vegeta shrugged.
"No idea…"
"I'm going to make sure my brother, Zephyr, heard about this… If we hurry there and then head to the castle, we should be in time for an early attack…"
"My father said they would arrive around…" Kakarotto looked up at the sun. "Well…. In about an hour or so…"
"Then let’s go!" Ikra smirked as she suddenly shot off in the direction Velvet had pointed. The others watched her go before racing after her.
"Come on!" Zephyr shouted to Navet as they both tried to stumble out of the front door. Navet managed to trip and roll down the stairs in his rush. Zephyr turned round to see Navet fall onto him and they both rolled down the stairs as the front door was opened. They rolled right out and were stopped by a pair of feet. Velvet looked down at the tangle of arms, legs and tails. She reached down and yanked Zephyr to his feet. Navet quickly got up beside him and grinned.
"Velvet-chan! Long time no see!" Navet smiled. Velvet rolled her eyes. The fourteen year old had a crush on her and had felt like this for about a year now…
"Hey Navet… And that's Velvet-san to you…" She warned. Navet just smiled. He was as tall as she was. He had a wild mohawk of dark purple hair and green eyes. He wore armour much like Zephyr's, but his was purple like his hair. Despite his somewhat attractive appearance, Navet was quite immature…
"Aw come on Velvet-chan! You know you love me…" He winked.
"Of course I do…" Velvet said in a voice that was dripping with sarcasm.
"What's wrong? Forget our plans for celebration after the battle?" He asked with a mischievous grin. Velvet smiled.
"Navet, I don't think you've met my mate… Otherwise known as Prince Vegeta…" Velvet stepped aside to reveal a slightly pissed Vegeta, who was none too happy about this kid's attempt at flirting with his mate… Navet laughed nervously.
"Uh, Prince Vegeta… I… Well, I was only joking with Velvet-chan… I mean, Velvet-san!… Of course, I was just kidding… Ahah… hah… ha…"
"Just shut it, brat…" Vegeta snorted as he turned and took to the skies and floated a little way above them. Velvet couldn't help but giggle. She turned back to her brother and his very embarrassed friend.
"Come on, you two… We have half an hour to get to the castle…"
"And then…" Kakarotto cracked his knuckles with a grin. "The REAL fun begins…"