"What-I-I...oh," I stammered, not knowing what to say. I knew that Vegetasei's Queen had been well-liked and powerful, and had died early on in Vegeta's life. I had no misgivings that this had also helped him to become the royal pain he was today.

"Don't go all tense on me, Bulma," She said in her wonderful voice. "I am here for your help."

I glanced up to look in her eyes when she said this, to see if she was true. Her eyes were sincere and worried. I bet I could take two guesses and only need one to know what this was about. I felt my cheeks grow warm and looked down to hide my emotions that were displayed on my face like a children's storybook. I had been getting a lot visits from 'The Dead Mother's Society' lately.

"I know exactly what you are thinking, Bulma, and no, there isn't a 'society' for dead mothers," She laughed, and I felt myself pale. If she knew everything I was thinking-

She laughed again, and crossed her arms, a real smile on her face. A smile fit her face, and I guessed that Vegeta's horrible temperament came from his father. She looked at my face, as if reading my thoughts. I was a storybook again.

"H-how could *I* help *you*?" I asked, gaining my composure again. I had to remain calm so I wouldn't make a hasty decision. My fists clenched and unclenched with a will of their own, and my long nails dug into flesh once again, sending memory shooting through my brain. My head began to pound and I felt two cool fingers on my temples, calming my deep breathing.

"You are the only one who can, my dear. You are broken, honey, I need someone with plenty of anger and sorrow to do this little feat," She said, and put an arm around my shoulders, like we were old friends. "You have more than enough of both. You have experienced far more than even *I* have...no small thing, either."

I looked up at her, my face unsure. I didn't like the thought of something that could only be done with such strong feelings. It wasn't safe to screw around with your own emotions, and I well knew it.

"You are perfectly correct, Bulma. Messing with your own head is far worse than messing with someone else's," She said. "But you are the only one who can do this for me."

"What?! What is it?" I asked, anxious and impatient.

She winked at me knowingly. "*You* my dear, are the first person to get Vegeta to open up! I know he is a real *ass*," She smirked. "But somehow you are almost as bad as him, and you two can relate."

I gave her a suspicious look and crossed my arms. She knew what I was thinking, of course. I hated knowing that I could hide nothing.

"No, I am *not* playing matchmaker, dear! Never would little bitty *me* mess with fate like that!" She claimed, but the twinkle in her eyes told me otherwise.

I rolled my eyes and pulled from her grip. "No, no, and *no*! I have definitly thought it since you have been here, he is way too arrogant for me! No! I won't have any part!" I said, a little loudly.

She smiled and gave me a judging look. "I have to admit, when I first saw you as a child, I wasn't sure myself. You were really moody, not as much as you are now, but way too moody for someone of your age. You were pretty and smart, something I liked, yet you were obliged to start fights and be bold. Almost too much for your own good."

I glared at her, I hated being analyzed. Who was *she* to guess on my own personality? She didn't even know me!

"Oh, but honey! I have been watching you for far too long. I know you better than you yourself do! Enough of your temper, girl, I am sick of it!" She said, and stepped back to examine me. She probably was wondering what I was wearing, as these were human clothes. "You will have to do. After all, I myself handpicked you over my very own *race*!"

I frowned, but held my tounge wisely. I didn't want any trouble, no more than I already was in! I pulled at my short tee-shirt, a nervous habit. The Queen noticed, of course, and smiled.

"This empire is looking down, and Kami is angry with it. Vegeta isn't leading it the way it should be. I even see this, him being my son and all. Not *only* is it impossible to hold such a large palace up on his shoulders without help, but he is leading it the wrong way. I am afraid that his father got to him, and he is following in his bloody footsteps. *You*, my dear, are the only one who can stop him. You are the only one smart or brave enough to get to him."

A million different feelings and theory's flew through my head, threatening to suffocate me. I knew *exactly* what she was planning for me to do, and it made me sick. I had liked him for awhile now, but was I bold enough to do *this*? I didn't think so, so I sat down on the large windowsill, looking over the barren planet and horribly cruel warriors below. I felt like I was caught in the middle of *everything*! I had to find Goku and Yamcha and Chichi, I had get peace and solitude either on Earth, my old life, or here on Vegetasei, the dark future. This had just been dumped on my already full shoulders, like the straw that broke the camel's back. One more thing would drive me to the ground, and squeeze the life out of me. A single tear rolled down my cheek, and I knew that I could never refuse, it wasn't my natural way.

She caught the glittering tear on her finger, and smiled gently. "You have agreed. But first, dear, I cannot have you so depressed like this."

I looked up, my eyes wet. She put a hand on my forehead and her smile got larger.

"Your Earth friends are safe now. I have sent them to their home, and no one will harm them," She whispered, and stood up. "Be brave, Bulma. I am counting on *you*...." She faded away, her hair blowing in an invisible breeze.

I sniffed and watched her materialize. I decided on getting some rest, so I returned back to my room to sleep the thoughts and deeds out of my mind.

~*~

If he were just a normal guy, I would wear good clothes and everything, but since this happened to him basically every day, I had to be natural. I guessed that I was at least a small bit more than a 'friend' in his eyes, but deciding on how far to push it was a real test. It was a big risk, maybe even a fatal one. One wrong move to set him off bad, and there goes everything. Another reason *she* had picked me, he wasn't as harsh with me, considering our record.

I hadn't much experience with sort of thing, and it was reasonable, I wasn't really his age, I was fifteen, he was seventeen. Amazing how just two year's difference can seem so much more. Well, it wasn't that much, it was a matter of days until my sixteenth birthday. But then his *own* birthday was too much after mine. I sighed and looked through my closet and drawers, trying to find a 'naturally beautiful' outfit. I threw things behind me, and pushed shoes away from my line of vision.

I had to be casual, I had to pretend that nothing had happened, he would probably be able to guess that *something* had, for I didn't usually pull any astounding moves on him in reality. Maybe I had wanted to, but had never had the guts to do so. His own mother believed in me, why shouldn't I believe in myself?

I decided on a little more than casual. I put on a black sweater with a dress shirt under it, and a red plaid skirt. I pulled on knee-highs and went for some high-heeled oxfords. The schoolgirl look had always been something I had liked and though I looked good in. It didn't look dressed up, either, something I was glad for. I held back the front sections of my long hair with a red headband, and went light on the makeup.

I set off for the greenhouse, something would bound to be happening around the palace, and the nobles used it for sort of a place to relax and gossip. If I was going to find out anything, there would be word of it there! I walked through the doors, and saw that a decent amount of people were standing around, talking. It wasn't strange for me to be here to them, I had helped develop the place, and it was a reminder of my old life on Earth. Some of them nodded or waved or smiled at me as I walked past. I was looking for a place where I could sit or stand and not be noticed, but be able to hear everything that was being said by a group of people. Such a place was rare, but the years spying with Vegeta had payed off, and I sat down on the familiar bench, where I could hear a particularily chatty group of mostly women, with a few men mixed in, gossiping. I was surprised to know that *I* was the subject today.

"She is far too spoiled, she can get away with anything!" One woman said.

"Yes, she had been with Frieza, and I don't trust her!" Another one declared.

"A little temptress, for sure."

A man spoke up. "She can get anything that she wants with Vegeta-sama, you have seen him put slack on her for some horribly cunning things."

"She isn't like that, I don't think, she had been nothing but a help to the crown, with only a few scars on her record, after all, you are not considering that she was stolen as a child. Her father was the most powerful man on Earth, and now that liberty had been passed to her, with her mother's death, you know," Another man said, shaking his head. "A damn shame, it is."

They all agreed to his point of view and walked in the opposite direction, their conversation falling away from my ears. But I was too surprised to care. Did everyone really think that I was playing their King? I shook my head and sat on the bench, thinking about the different points of view possible. I realized that yes, it probably did look like it from a view of someone who didn't know either him or me personally. I rolled my eyes and put my chin in my hands, angry. How dare they jump to conclusions! I didn't even know them, and already they thought me a slut!

I wasn't sad, I was really mad! I felt the powerful emotion fill me with coldness, and I narrowed my eyes. What right did they have anyway?! I clenched my fists, and grabbed onto the tops of my knee-highs to help my tension. I had never really experienced the feeling of being talked about behind my back, no, *hearing* it before, and now I understood how some people could get so depressed from it. It hurt, and I couldn't get the words out of my head.

'You foolish, foolish girl! Don't listen to those twits! Why do you think I chose you?! Duh, because you are supposed to be strong!' A voice, I recognized it as the Queen's burst through in my head, surprising me. How had she-?

'Remember your tear, girl? When you agreed with me, I made sure you wouldn't back out! What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger, honey, literally in a Saiyan's case! So keep your chin up, there's a girl, and do this!'

I shook my head, smiling. She really was so ironic! I felt her laughter in my head and her presence faded. Somehow, I felt better, knowing I had someone's support. The smiled turned to a smirk as I thought of those stupid Saiyan gossips, who probably backstabbed each other, without even realizing it. It was perfectly pathetic, a reason I never gossiped about people or hung with the nobles, an option I had had frequently. They were ready to accept me, but I wasn't ready to accept them or their ways.

I stood up, smoothed down my skirt, and walked over to them. "Hello, anything *interesting going on?" I asked, an innocent smile on my face.

One of the women, one with a pinched face and ugly hairdo, frowned at me like I was a whore or something, like she disapproved. Another one, one that I knew and had spoken to once, smiled a faint smile then looked down when Pinched Face glared. The two men looked at my clothes, not used to the human look.

"Nothing, really, unless you count a scandalous outfit interesting," One of the men said, the younger one. He looked to be a little older than myself, and had a horrible sense of humor. Annoying, really.

"It wasn't *just* a *scandalous outfit*, it made her look like trash! Shasta really shouldn't show so much skin," One of the women said, and shook her head disdainfully. "Really, she doesn't have anything to show off. Unlike myself." She smirked haughtily at me after this last comment, and I knew that she was dissing my boldness when it came to appearances.

"I think that it is admirable when someone takes so much courage as to show their true colors, something that little people have the guts to do," I said civilly, and they tuned in to listening to my strange point of view. "It is a form of showing that you know that you are naturally beautiful. I believe that people that follow trends their whole lives know that they don't have much to show off, or else they are too ashamed to try."

They all looked at me, shocked at my statements. Kuso, you would think that Saiyans were *used* to being bold and straight-forward. Apparently this was only so with warriors and royals. I smirked evilly and sauntered away from the little group, the malicious smirk still on my face.

I had really pushed the limits with my very own bravery, and had sent them crashing down, making new opprotunities for myself. I beamed, and felt the Queen's presence, a happy and supportive feeling to behold. No longer was I alone in my doings, I had guidance.

~*~

Well, tell me what you think!! Luv yas all!!

Back to Fiction
Chapter 46