Chapter 3
Zaabon laid in bed that night, afraid that the sounds he had heard from Furiza's inner
sanctum would haunt him in his slumber. He had told the prince not to withhold information from the
Changeling, but his warning wasn't taken as seriously as it should have been. Even if Vegeta really had no
idea what Furiza spoke of, he should have lied just to spare himself the torment.
There had been no pleading, sobbing, or screaming from the victim, but he knew what had occurred simply by
Furiza's satisfied grunts and moans. At first there had been shouting and profanity from Vegeta, but all had
gone silent fairly early on. Zaabon figured that Furiza had placed his hand over the prince's mouth. While he
did everything short of leaving the room to escape the sounds of abuse, Dodoria had his flabby pink face
nearly pressed against the door. The sight made him intensely angry for reasons he couldn't understand but
before he could pull him away the noise abruptly stopped.
Five minutes later Vegeta emerged from the room, his head still held high, and demanded that Zaabon take him
back to his prison cell. He had done so without a word.
'I'm sick and tired of dealing with Furiza every single day!'
His childhood home had been by the sea, so close that the sound of the waves was his lullaby and the salt
smell of the cool water seemed to permeate everything within seconds. In addition to the small four room home,
there had been a small stand of woods where wild berries grew in the shadows of the trees. He had spent many
long summer days playing there with the other children, though their number had been few. It had been Cezu who
spotted the ship hovering in their atmosphere and the terrified look on his face would always remain etched
into Zaabon's memory. His best-friend had been born with a very rare innate ability and could sense the
maliciousness coming from the occupants of that distant ship. After mumbling a few words, he had run home to
find his parents and join them in prayer for the safety of their people.
Zaabon had sat on the large boulder by the beach for hours, waiting. Fear had been making its presence known
for quite some time, but curiosity was doing battle and winning. He'd wanted to know who sat aboard the large
ship in the sky and almost wished that they would let him come along. Though it had been peaceful and pleasant
on his home planet of Taiyou-sei, sometimes the predictability of his people had been almost too much to
stand. It was as if the Great Mother had taken one Beibou-jin and cloned him many times. Zaabon craved
unpredictability and nonconformity; he was fascinated by the tiny things about people that helped to define
who they were.
His mother, for instance, almost always wore her hair loose and about her shoulders when most other women kept
theirs neatly bound. He felt that it symbolized how carefree and free-spirited she was when they played
together in the ocean. His father walked slowly, his eyes to the world around him, as if he were afraid that
he would miss something very important by looking away.
On that day, his father's steps had been hurried as he bodily carried him into the house. Zaabon had protested
and pleaded, but, after joining the dinner table where his mother already sat, he gave it up as a lost cause.
Celesia twisted her linen napkin in her small hands, silently praying that the crew who manned the ship
outside were of a good sort. Her deep green hair was pulled backwards into a tight bun so neat that not even a
single strand of hair hung free. A coldness settled over her son as he realized that the ship might mean
something more than just entertainment.
Nothing else had happened that night but the next morning, when Zaabon had awakened for the day, he
immediately noticed that the ship was gone.
Zaabon shook his head at the memory. 'I hadn't even imagined how bad life could get in just a few short
hours. Before I could even find an exciting adventure to go on, a sinful life of murder, robbery, and
destruction found me first.'
The first time he laid eyes on Furiza he'd wondered just why everyone was terrified of him. He didn't look
like much, just a short creature with pink skin and a long tail. Although physically he wasn't very imposing,
Zaabon knew that there was a very good reason why the Changeling commanded thousands of beings. That very same
day of his first meeting with the Master of Pain, a low-ranked soldier had been brought forward for execution.
His crime had been petty to even Zaabon's young ears. Upon returning from his latest mission, the man hadn't
brought back enough loot and was being accused of keeping a small portion of it for himself. Furiza was a
greedy lord and more than a little miffed over six gold coins.
The trial was quick and ridiculous. The accused wasn't even given a moment to defend himself and the only
witnesses allowed to testify were two of the Changeling's aides. If you were just going to make a mockery of
the justice system why even have a trial in the first place? Zaabon didn't understand it and figured that he
probably never would.
The poor soldier's punishment was cruel and unusual: he was to be flayed alive. Furiza had taken the knife
from a smirking aide and gently placed it against the damp skin of the man's arm, tormenting him with what was
yet to come.
He then cut his uniform from his body and settled down to work with a delighted grin on his face. Layer after
layer of skin was successfully cut from the soldier's body until the floor ran red with blood and the man had
fallen unconscious from the pain. The Changeling took a break, unwilling to continue while his victim wasn't
awake to feel it. The screams pleased him so.
Zaabon had stood in one corner of the room watching it all with an outwardly neutral expression. Watching the
suffering of another living being was almost too much to bear, but he could not allow Furiza to find out lest
he be on the wrong end of the knife. So he watched silently, sometimes with false encouragement, and hoped
that one day he would, at last, have a chance at freedom.
"Mother, Father," he whispered to the spirits of his parents, his mind returning to the present,
"I think that moment has finally arrived."
Bardock heard a sound that reminded him of the ones small animals made when afraid. Just on the verge of his return to sleep, he heard it again. Something called to him and urged him to return to full wakefulness and he did so with annoyance. 'What the Hell is going on?' he asked himself as he sat up. He followed the tiny squeaks to the source and was startled to discover that it was the prince. The young man tossed and turned, caught in the throes of a nightmare, and the older man had no idea what to do for him, but he decided to try his best.
He grabbed Vegeta's shoulder and shook him hard. "Wake up, boy."
The other Saiya-jin were beginning to wake, their internal clocks signaling that it was now sunrise. A few that were closest to the prince heard his cries and wondered what could make any Saiya-jin sound that way. Then they remembered whose ship they were on and suddenly understood. Furiza could make even the bravest warrior whimper for his mother.
Their prince, the Saiya-jin felt, was braver than most. He didn't come into their prison cell the night before sobbing with fear, but instead had his head held high, not daring to shame his race. How many of them could endure Furiza's torture and emerge with their sanity still intact? Not many, that was for sure.
Bardock shook Vegeta once more, cringing every time the cry passed through his lips. The older man wouldn't allow the prince to confront Furiza this day, he would go in his stead. He seriously doubted that any pain Furiza administered could compare with the agony of having someone place a hundred-pound weight on your tail.
Vegeta woke up slowly, the memory of his torture causing his body to ache. For a moment he couldn't remember where he was. Did Furiza leave him lying on the floor of his audience chamber? He could be coming back at any moment to take his sadistic pleasure from him again. Panic welled up inside of him, so great that felt he would burst. 'I will not scream. I will not scream.' This was repeated over and over, his mantra to whatever higher power was listening at the moment. If he allowed himself to scream, then there was little hope that he could ever stop again. The urge eventually passed and he opened his eyes.
He recognized the room and the expressions that covered twenty-nine Saiya-jin faces. No, it wasn't shock. It was understanding.
"My prince," said one man who had been a mechanic on the ship. Without him, they would have been stranded years ago. "We will all stand behind you in whatever decision you make. If our proud race ends here, then it will be because our best efforts to escape just weren't good enough. None of us will let Furiza's menace kill our warrior spirit."
Before him sat a group of warriors who would follow him into Hell just because he ordered them to. However, he felt he was unworthy of royal status and therefore unworthy of their loyalty. It was his job to devise a plan for escape, not to sit around and cringe with each remembered burst of pain. How could they put all of their faith into someone so young and so inexperienced?
"Bardock," he said, his voice hoarse. "I ask a favor of you."
"Yes, my prince?"
He looked the older man directly into his eyes, successfully conveying his thoughts. The color drained from Bardock's face as he realized the implications of his words. "You are much more experienced than I," Vegeta said. "For that reason, I make you the new leader of the Saiya-jin."
Bardock heard him but refused to believe. "What did you just say?!"
"You heard me." He turned away and rested his cheek against the wall. "You are the new heir to the throne."
"I refuse. The throne doesn't belong to me. You are the rightful heir." He searched for the right words to say, speaking was never his strong suit. "Ruling is in your blood just as it was in your father's. All seems dark and hopeless right now but, someday, we will be free. When that day comes you will have to be here to lead us."
"I'll try to be worthy of your faith," was all that he said.
Ten minutes later, after the soldiers on the ship had finished consuming what passed for breakfast in the mess hall, Zaabon appeared at the door. "Prince Vegeta, you have been summoned. The servants will feed your subjects, but you are to dine with Lord Furiza."
"So bet it, then," he said with a carefully neutral expression. "After our meal, will you give me a tour of the ship? It should prove to be a very educating experience." He had little hope for his request to be granted, why would a personal servant of Furiza show the enemy around? He was surprised, however, when Zaabon agreed to do it.
'I will show you the others and then I will help. No one deserves to be caged like animals.' Aloud, he said, "Let's go, Prince Vegeta."
As they walked, Vegeta felt as if this trip would be his last. Every step he took seemed to be bringing him closer and closer to death. He knew that it was just his mind creating imaginary dread based on the what happened the day before. Furiza couldn't kill him for the information he had would die with him as well. The Changeling did not become the most feared ruler in the Universe by being a fool.
Zaabon left him at the door to Furiza's chamber and walked away without a backward glance. His lord was changing tactics, attempting to gain Vegeta's trust by being kind and understanding so that he could extract information from him. It had had a better chance of working *before* the sexual assault, but no one could tell him anything.
A very strong sense of *something* welled up inside of Vegeta. He wouldn't call it fear, not yet. Saiya-jin didn't fear anyone or anything. Sights and sounds that would make people of other races wet themselves served only as amusement to his warrior race. Yet, Furiza intimidated his people and somehow it was okay for him to be afraid. No one in the Universe was strong enough to defeat the Changeling, so his tyranny would continue with no end in sight.
'I would give nearly anything to be free again,' Vegeta thought to himself. 'We should all be back on Planet Vegeta doing what Saiya-jin did before the treaty with Furiza. My father was a fool to sign that paper. A few Saiya-jin have escaped, sure, but at what cost? The babies were sent to planets I've never heard of and all the records were destroyed years ago. Still, there has to be a way for our race to survive. There just has to be.'
Dwelling on the past wasn't helping anyone, he had to continue forward. For both his sake and for the sake of his people. He was their leader, the one they depended on to get them out of this predicament. All thoughts should be focused on a plan, first, and then on a way to implement whatever he came up with. There was no time to waste worrying about what Furiza could do to him.
In front of the Changeling was a small wooden table, just four feet square, and two place settings were set upon it. Next to the table was a serving cart that held several covered bowls. It seemed Zaabon was serious when he said that Furiza wished to dine with him. Hesitant, he took the seat across from the lord and folded his hands in his lap.
"We have much to discuss, Prince Vegeta," Furiza said in a silky smooth voice as he lifted the cover from a dish. "Please, help yourself."
Vegeta wasn't a fool, in fact he was far from it. Something was going on and he wasn't going to enter the game without caution. "It would be rude of me to serve myself before serving you." He got up and busied himself with dishing food upon the Changeling's plate. The food would be safe to eat if Furiza tasted it first. His stomach was growling but, unlike some Saiya-jin, he wasn't going to allow it to control him. Once Furiza's plate was full, he served himself and the two of them watched each other over their plates. "On Planet Vegeta, the host always takes the first bite of any meal."
"Oh really?" he asked with false interest. "I could have sworn that it was the other way around."
"Aren't you the most important person on this ship?" Vegeta asked.
Furiza rolled his eyes and lifted his fork. "Really, Vegeta. All you had to do was ask if I poisoned the food."
"And all you had to do was lie to me. It wouldn't have been that hard for you." The urge to cram food inside of his mouth as fast as he could was great, but his willpower was even greater. All those hours spent learning the proper way to eat from his father weren't going to be wasted. While his hands were busy at his plate, he used his tail to grab the carafe of red wine that sat upon the topmost shelf of the cart. He spoke to his host as he poured. "May I ask why you wanted me here today? I doubt you want to be friends."
Furiza's face took on a regretful look that appeared almost to be sincere. "I went about the wrong way to get information from you."
"Oh really?" he asked, one eyebrow raised. He would play the game, and play it well. There was no time for personal feelings. "You seemed to enjoy it ever so much."
"How could you say such a thing, Prince Vegeta?" Mentally, the prince rolled his eyes at the performance. Maybe Furiza should have been an actor and not a tyrant. 'Only a monster would enjoy taking someone against their will.' The words were on the tip of his tongue and the Changeling seemed to expect them. It would be so easy for Vegeta to tell him just exactly what he thought about the entire affair, but it would be just as easy for Furiza to knock him into next week. So he remained silent and that surprised them both.
Furiza's eyes narrowed. "Surely you have more to say about this?"
"What would you like for me to say? You should know where I stand on this entire thing, but if you wish to question me again, go ahead." He served himself another helping and settled back into his chair for a potentially long conversation.
He leaned back in his own chair and regarded the Saiya-jin sitting across from him. "It would be a waste of my very valuable time to question you again, so I'll just bring out my trump card."
Pushing the chair backward, the little Changeling stood and walked over the door. Vegeta turned his head to watch, making sure that he kept the other man in his sight at all times. Furiza opened the door to the outer chamber and stepped away from the doorway. "I'm only going to say this once so listen up," he said as he yanked someone inside the room. Vegeta swallowed hard when he recognized the other Saiya-jin as Bardock. "Either you tell me what I want to know or I'll make sure this guy here dies in the very worst way." He smiled unpleasantly. "And you will be forced to watch every single second."
'I don't have a choice,' he thought to himself as he tried to figure out a way to free Bardock and tell Furiza nothing. There wasn't any other way, there just wasn't. The older Saiya-jin looked at the prince, willing to die to protect the most sacred secret of the Saiya-jin race, but Vegeta couldn't sacrifice him that way. 'I'm going soft, Father would be ashamed of me.' Then he snorted. 'Screw, Father. Bardock is more important to me than he could ever be.'
"A Legendary Super Saiya-jin is born every few millennia," he started in monotone. "He will be the ultimate warrior, superior in both strength and speed. A being without a conscience, the only goal the Legendary Super Saiya-jin has is to destroy everyone and everything in his path."
One small, pale hand waved his words away. "Get to the point, brat. I know that already."
This was the part he loathed to tell him, the part he swore not to tell anyone outside of the Saiya-jin race. "It is said that only those with royal blood can become the ultimate warrior. According to my father, I am next in line to inherit the power."
"Ah!" His eyes lit up. "This information was worth all of the trouble I had to go through to hear it." He smiled. "Well then, you will just have to stay here with me until you come into the power. Can't have you messing up my plans and getting in my way."
"Are you an idiot?!" Bardock spoke for the first time since his arrival. "Super Saiya-jin can't think rationally! What makes you think that Vegeta won't hesitate to kill you once he becomes one?"
A surprised look came over his face before he could mask it. "Kill me? Are you serious?" Furiza's tone was light but he was betrayed by the slight worry in his dark eyes. He had been considering that for a while now. What if Vegeta tried to kill him if he truly was the Legendary Super Saiya-jin? How could anyone stop such a warrior? He could always kill the prince while he was still weak, but it really would be wonderful to have a killing machine at his disposal. Greed and dark ambition eventually won and he smiled kindly at the young man.
"Why kill everyone when you could rule them?" he asked. "Your planet is gone, Prince Vegeta, and your people are scattered. If you choose to stay with me then I guarantee you a sizable chunk of the universe to govern. Not just one planet but dozens! Imagine all those billions upon billions of people doing exactly what you say."
'He's playing with you, Vegeta.' He said this sternly to himself, begging his own ambition to stay put in the tiny corner he had shoved it into. With very few people to rule over and no place to call his home, he had given up what few dreams he had a long time ago. Now Furiza's words slowly awakened hope and everything that went along with it. 'He won't hold to his end of the bargain, but it's awfully damn tempting to give in.' There were a few reserves of willpower remaining and he brought them forth to do battle with the Changeling's false promises.
He gave him a look. "The prince of the Saiya-jin will have no man for his boss besides the king." He vacated his seat and moved towards the exit. "Thanks but no thanks."
"I didn't give you permission to leave," Furiza said as he casually moved to bar their way. "If you will not join me voluntarily, then I will just have to make you join me." The corners of his mouth turned upwards in a cruel smile. "I can do things to you, little prince, that will make you beg for death."
For a moment his mind hesitated, deciding between negotiation and protection. As Furiza locked the door with a click that seemed deafeningly loud in the silent room, his mind retreated into the quiet place where nothing could ever hurt it. 'Let Furiza do whatever he likes to my body,' he thought before he tensed up unconsciously, 'he will never harm my spirit.'
As Bardock looked on in horror, Furiza began this second session of torture with great anticipation. And the lost little boy inside of Vegeta wept with each heavy blow.