Mina looked up from her meal, blue eyes going wide with fright. "Darien?"

Hearing the strain in her voice, he glanced in the direction of her gaze and gasped, jumping to his feet and snatching Mina's wrist. "Run!" He barely had enough time to shout a warning to the sleeping Saiya-jins. Vegeta snatched Amy and Mina, Turles grabbed Lita and Darien, while Raditz held onto Raye. They could only watch in shocked horror as a 100 ft tsunami wave smashed into the island, followed by several other that left nothing behind.

Having been taught how to sense ki, all heads turned to the war being waged several miles from the island. "Damn idiot!" Vegeta snarled. All of them, except for Darien, had shrugged off the need for a guard at night; thankfully Darien took his job seriously at night or all of them would be buried at the bottom of the ocean.

Turles wanted to strangle his twin, not wanting to think how close they had been to becoming fish food. Raye gasped, closing her eyes to concentrate; "Oh god..."

"What now?" Raditz snarled, his eyes almost red. To say the Saiya-jins were angry was an understatement, all of them setting off sparks of energy as they listened to the battle being waged.

"Serena..."

"What about her?"

"She's heading straight for them."

"I can't feel her," Vegeta growled.

"She doesn't have ki like the rest of us. All her power comes from moon energy."

"Do we go after them?" Darien asked.

Vegeta was tempted; "No." Before the others could protest, he silenced everyone with a glare. "This is Kakarot's battle and his battle alone. To interfere breaks every code of honor among our race."

"And Serena?" Raye growled, wanting to go after her friend. The other senshi agreed with the fire senshi, but Vegeta refused to change his mind.

"Is she not your leader?" None of them could deny it, nor his next comment. "Respect her wish as we do Kakarot's. Serena knows Kakarot better than any of us."

"What if..." Mina didn't know Serena as well as the others, having not spent any time with her in this time line. She hated for Serena to die before she had the chance.

"Serena won't be harmed." Darien knew this for certain, placing all his faith in Kakarot to keep the moon senshi safe.

Bardock's and Kakarot's appearances had changed dramatically. They twisted and turned in such ways that made taffy seem stiff, their blows destructive by their sound alone. Long hair fell to their ankles, streaked with red, gold and black. The same colored fur covered their bodies, their clothes having vanished after their fourth transformation.

There was no name for the level at which they fought, nor was Bardock using his full abilities. He only focused on shielding as much of the fight as possible, and wearing Kakarot down enough to make his move. Bardock understood Kakarot's rage, and the need to release it. Until now, Kakarot had no way to vent his frustrations, and Bardock found he rather enjoyed the work out.

Kakarot struck him in the neck with a powerful roundhouse, but Bardock didn't seem to notice as he drove his fist into the taller man's chest, grabbing his son's wrist and twisting at the same time. There was the sound of his arm breaking, but Kakarot didn't seem to notice as he released a serious of ki blasts that never hit their target.

Bardock phased in and out, bringing all his years of hell and training to the battle field. If he had been any other, Kakarot could have easily killed him. Bardock saw his opening when Kakarot over extended one of his punches, moving in behind his son to place him in a choke hold. Kakarot exploded, snarling and scratching at the arms cutting off his air supply.

Locking his legs around Kakarot's waist, Bardock held on for the ride, gritting his teeth every time his son would slam them into the ocean floor. He felt his shoulder start to give, but he didn't dare allow his grip to loosen. Using his muscles, he squeezed, feeling Kakarot gradually weaken. Not until he was completely unconscious did he stop struggling, hanging limp in his father's arms.

Bardock threw Kakarot on his good shoulder, watching as Serena slowly descended. Her silver eyes were sad, a contrast to the last time he saw her transform. Their was a gold, crescent moon on her forehead, confusing him slightly. Gently she brushed aaide Kakarot's blood soaked hair, feeling responsible for his pain.

"We should go," Bardock growled. She nodded, setting off in a different direction than the island. He wasn't entirely sure if Kakarot was safe to release, but if he knew Serena, his warning would go unnoticed. Landing on the coast of Japan, she waited for Bardock to set Kakarot down before she knelt beside him.

Taking his hand, she brushed it against her cheek, her expression never changing. Kakarot was torn with guilt, and she didn't know how to ease his torment. His Saiya-jin pride had been shaken not once, but twice. Her powerful wings continued to beat a steady rhythm, cooling their over heated bodies.

She had thought Jekkanadar's personality too terrifying, but it suddenly dawned on her that Kakarot's gentle nature was too soft. Watching him sleep, covered from head-to-toe in blood, Serena found that she wanted all of him. Thanks to their mental link, she had seen the battles he had waged in the past and present.

Saiya-jins seemed to have a cursed fate, never able to rest before a battle threatened their very existence. She had never understood why he had become the fighter he was, but with his memories, she could only cry. He deserved so much better; Jekkanadar or Kakarot, they were both so very alone.

He had been willing to change for her, but just as she was needed to fight the Negaverse, so was Jekkanadar's abilities as a leader and protector for the Saiya-jin race. Serena could only pray that she could ease the burden of his heart, to make his decisions easier to bare. He had wanted to be her best friend, the boy that had saved her from a group of bullies. To her, he would always be Kakarot, gentle but deadly. All he wanted was for her to be safe, for her to need him as badly as he needed her.

She had accepted him a thousand years ago, and Serena was no longer afraid to do so now. This Saiya-jin wasn't a cold blooded killer. His past had been harsh and cruel, making him into what he had to be in order to survive. Serena wondered if any of the other Saiya-jins realized how old Jekkanadar really was before he appeared on Lunaria?

He had been the oldest, always in one battle after the other. The Saiya-jins that he had originally known had either died from a mortal injury, or grew too tired to continue. He was of the first Saiya-jins, fading with time throughout the planet's history.

Closing her eyes, she began to concentrate all her energy, sending it into his battered body. He was so motionless, and she could feel his desire to let everything go. 'I need you,' she whispered in his mind, placing all her emotions into those three simple words.

Serena couldn't imagine her life without him; he had been a part of it for two life times. A single tear slid down her cheek, to fall towards Kakarot's unconscious form. Before it could hit his face, it began to glow, pulsing in sink with her heart. Bardock was mezmerized by the pure energy, his shoulder suddenly better.

Suddenly the world was bathed in a silver light, a crystal forming from a little tear drop. Her desire to save Kakarot and mend his bleeding heart, had been the key to releasing the full powers given from her mother's side. Bardock could only watch in respectful silence, amazed at the love she had for his son. Could a person care for another so completely, to give her life willingly into another's?

Bardock thought about Serena and his son. At first he thought it was a crazy match, but both possessed dark and gentle personalities. 'One cannot exist without the other.' Funny how Damien's words seemed to fit this situation. The crystal fell into her hands, the light fading and Serena too exhausted to remain awake.

He started to approach, but changed his mind when he noticed the brown tail wrapped around Serena's waist. Bardock growled, but decided to trust Serena. He was curious about the planet the Lunarian called home, and knew he could find them both again later. Ensuring that they were both asleep and safe, Bardock left, intent on exploring his new surroundings.

He remembered the beginning, the centuries travelling from planet-to-planet. Always a lone, always in battle, and never a moment of rest. Kakarot was so damn tired of it all. What did it matter that he was Jekkanadar, Goku or Kakarot. They were the same; was there never a time where he wasn't fighting for the lives of his friends or himself?

His first memory was of a small room, surrounded by a glass wall and separated from other creatures like himself. He had a tail, but it wasn't until later that he was actually given a name. All he was to his creators was an experiment, and expendable. According to the pale men that poked him with needles, he had no feelings. Why should they care if he wanted outside of the little cell that imprisoned him?

Time had no meaning in his world, his creators constantly finding ways to torment and inflict as much pain as possible. It was in that lonely world that he first began to hate, waiting and searching for signs of weakness. They had created a new race, a breed that they wanted for military exercises. Their experiments had succeeded, but not in their favor. He wanted them dead, slowly, and torn limb from limb.

They feared him, the burning fury in his eyes. He was cunning, and far more intelligent than their reports indicated. There were females, all of them pregnant by the others. The Tuffles, his creators, didn't care if the babies were too big or powerful for the females to carry. One-by-one, he watched the females die, a minor few surviving and unable to give birth to another child.

After ten years of life, the Tuffles wanted their creations destroyed. He didn't want to die, and his desire to protect the few females that had yet to carry a child gave him sudden strength. Their were only a hundred of his kind, twenty murdered by the Tuffles. As they entered his cell, he pretended to tremble in terror, waiting until they were nearly on top of him before he exploded in a fury.

He could hear the others calling to him, demanding to be set free before it was too late. Like himself, his kind wanted to live, hating their prison. With ease, he tossed the inferior creatures, satisfied to hear them crumple with broken necks and backs. Blood flowed like a river on the marble floors, and in minutes everyone had been freed.

They fled, learning how to survive in the harsh climates of Vegeta-sai. He had named himself Jekkanadar, taking control of the runaway Saiya-jins. The first year was brutal on the females, the males savagely searching for ways to keep them alive. One out of every ten children were born female, and it looked as if the Saiya-jin race would self-destruct.

Jekkanadar refused to give into failure, hunting for his people, destroying the Tuffles and making shelters that would keep them warm through the cold winters. He didn't hesitate to steal the techonolgy that had created them, needing them for medical reasons. Never again did he wish to become a slave or an experiment. Those ten years made him the heartless fighter he had become, expanding across the planet and later throughout the glaxay.

He wanted no mate, just the survival of his race. Eventually he decided it would be wise to have a son, but only through the labs that had discovered a way to have children without endagering their precious females. Within a century, the Tuffles had been completely annihilated.

The first time he had seen her, Jekkanadar couldn't comprehend such pure innocence. All he knew was hate and betrayal, kill before being killed, enslave before becoming a slave and ignore those that were too weak to defend themselves from warriors such as the Saiya-jins.

The Terra system had almost destroyed themselves through sheer stupidity, but one Lunarian courageously walked up to him and surrendered herself into his hands; her life for the lives of the nine planets. Her friends and mother had protested, but she had refused to heed their warnings, knowing the full capabilities of the man that towered above her.

Everything he had learned screamed that he should hate this girl, not allow her to become too close. To trust anything or anyone would be his destruction. The few weeks he spent on Lunaira, he discovered things about the girl everyone thought happy and content with her life. Serenity was her name, and their was a sadness in her eyes that possessed a thousand secrets.

He wasn't even sure when he started treating her like one of the females from his home planet, his every instinct to protect her from those that made her cry. She never voiced her nightmares, but he knew about the nights she would wake in sob filled screams. Serenity would only sleep if she were in his presence, pacified by his savage and protective nature. She never saw the heartless killer, but a man that had no choice but to be who he was.

Jekkanadar never had the words to describe how he felt. Love had no room in his life, but he couldn't ignore the fact that she had managed to give him a sense of peace and acceptance. By the time he had discovered the Terra system, he was nearly two thousand years old, his son barely a year old. The boy had been born because Jekkandar wanted to join the warriors he had been born with; he was the last of the men and women created in the labs.

It wasn't until Serenity's death that he discovered how badly he had needed the girl, the pure emptiness and loneliness he hadn't known before meeting the Lunarian. In a battle with the Ice-jins, he had destroyed the planet he had been fighting on, forcing the Ice-jins to hide for a thousand years before they would strike again.

He had wanted to die then, and he wanted to die now. Re-born as Kakarot, he was doomed to re-live that life of loneliness and constant battle. Would it never end? 'I need you...' Three simple words pierced through the darkness, pulling him back where nothing else could. He knew that voice, but how could he be what she needed the most?

Serena needed her best friend Kakarot, not a warrior that only knew death as a way of survival. He wanted to give her everything she never had on Lunaria, but they were doomed to repeat the past. Kakarot could give that to her, but he hated pretending to be a persona that couldn't keep her safe. Deep down he would always be Jekkanadar. She deserved someone that could love her the way she needed and deserved.

Jekkandar wanted to roar in agony, pulling away from the voice that called for him to return. 'Please, you mustn't go...' Kami, he needed her to need him for himself. Was it so much to ask that she love him as Jekkanadar, the Saiya-jin that was never loved nor wanted until he met her on Lunaria? 'If that's what you wanted, all you needed was to ask...' Her voice was filled with tears, an emotion he dare not look to closely. It would destroy him if it were to be a false hope.

'I love everything that is you; Kakarot and Jekkanadar. You're one and the same. Kakarot did know friendship and love, but it was Jekkandar that could never allow any harm to befall upon me, even as a little five-year old girl. Please don't allow the past to win. Is it so hard for you to believe that you didn't know love, even when you were on Lunaria? It was that emotion that stayed your hand. Don't let me fight the Negaverse alone. I can't do that again.'

'It was my fault...'

'We never had a choice to become what we are, but we do have a choice to defy the fate destiny has decreed. I wish to live and I want to have the man I fell in love with twice.'

'I'm not as gentle as you would need me to be, Serena.'

'You would never harm me; not then and definitely not now. Were you always so protective? Do you not remember how you beat up those other kids? That was definitely a Jekkanadar personality; I just didn't realize that until a few days ago.'

He slowly began to hope, daring to believe what she offered. 'Be sure of what you want. I won't, I can't, let you go.'

'I never asked you to. From the beginning, my life has been yours, our fates connected. You were my choice, not a marriage that was arranged by my mother.'

'What marriage?' He was a bit startled by the wave of black jealousy, wanting to annhilate any competion for what belonged to him. Immediately he was awake, latching on to Serena for everything he was worth. He'd be damned if he allowed any other to claim his chosen mate.

His eyes snapped open, staring at the star filled sky. He dimly recalled the battle with another Saiya-jin, and it hadn't been with his brothers or Vegeta. Kakarot remembered being angry and depressed, yet he felt it quickly fading. Something had changed, or rather somone had changed his dark aura.

Growling, he glanced down at the warm body pressed against his side, pleasantly surprised by the golden carpet of hair draped across his chest. He blinked, "Where the hell are my clothes?" Afraid she was a dream, he gently touched her cheek, watching her shoulders fall and rise as she continued to sleep. His gaze continued towards her waist, discovering his tail possessively wrapped around one of her thighs.

She didn't wake as he stood and lifted her into his arms, wondering where to go and what to do? Truth be told, he had never spent much time in the presence of females as Jekkanadar unless something or someone was trying to harm them. He lowered his head, sniffing at her neck. To his satisfaction, she was pure, and yet to be claimed.

Her last comment still had him boiling. Dammit, Serena was his! What marriage had she been talking about? He knew it had to have been on Lunaria, but who would Queen Selinity hand her daughter to and why? Before he took off, he licked her neck, liking the taste. She was extremely light in his arms, Serena curling closer to keep warm. Kakarot wondered how long it would be before the Negaverse would make their move? He simply wouldn't allow anything else to happen to her; it hurt too damn much.

There were pieces of his past he had never told anyone. The last thing he wanted was anyone's pity, but Serena was different. Like himelf, she was a warrior and knew what it was like to watch everything vanish in the blink of an eye. He needed to return to the others, but for a few minutes he wanted the girl to himself.

He traveled long into the night, discovering a large cavern with a lake and crystals in the walls. It was the perfect place for her to sleep, and he would keep watch until she would take her first breath upon opening her eyes. Her chest rose and fell, her face peaceful. She was exhausted, and one of her hands was tightly closed around a pulsing light.

Curious, he slowly took it away, a silver warmth spreading through his soul. How could something so small, be so powerful? He sighed. Whatever the object was, it would be a magnet to Serena. Gently he placed it back in her hand, pulling her close.

Letting himself relax, he kept a hand on her thigh, feeling a sense of security with her presence. This was how it should be; Kakarot never wanted to fail in his duty to protect her again. As if she were one of the precious females he had given life times to protect, he pulled her close, guarding her sleep. Nothing would take her this night, not even her nightmares.

Bardock silently moved through the streets of Tokyo, curious about the humans that moved fearlessly from one location to another. Were they so unaware of the danger that surrounded them? Serena had told him of the negaverse, but these humans didn't have a clue of the battle that would soon take place or that it had in the past.

He couldn't quite figure out why the Lunarian was so willing to sacrifice everything for such inferior creatures? Would they even thank her? Bardock snorted in disgust. From the way Damien acted, the humans were no better than the Tuffles that tried to annihlate the Saiya-jins in the beginning.

Humans relied on their techonolgy to survive and killed each other over trivial matters. Did they not understand the basic laws of survival; that one must never become complacent with their surroundings or way of living? Bardock sighed; if it weren't for Serena, he would say to hell with these creatures.

Bardock felt the breeze in his hair, enjoying the different smells. He had forgotten the simple joy of being alive, no invisible chains keeping him a slave. No destination in mind, he was startled to see a green light, a woman materializing before him.

She was tall for an onna, green hair falling to her waist. In her hands she held a staff shaped like a key, and her eyes held a deep loneliness and sorrow that caught his immediate attention. The woman appeared on the verge of exhaustion, dark circles beneath her eyes. "Why do you come here?" She asked, her shaking knees the only indication that she was about to collapse.

"I'm not in the habit of socializing. Go away," Bardock snarled, already turning and walking away. On his world, turning one's back was the ultimate insult and often resulted in a challenge to the death.

Suddenly she was before him, her garnet eyes flashing. "Answer the question! How is it that you come to be here? You're dead!"

Bardock smirked, his tail weaving hypnotically in the air. "I believe you're challenging me, onna. Are you?"

Pluto tried to read his expression, but Bardock revealed nothing as he waited for her response. Not for the first time, she had wondered about her decision about bringing the Saiya-jins to this time line, but Pluto would have never dared to interfere with the dead. Other than his last battle with Frieza, she knew next to nothing of this Saiya-jin's powers, or how he came to exist on Earth.

Bardock took a step in her direction, curious to why she didn't step back. He sensed her fear, and yet she stood her ground. Her garnet eyes flashed with a fiery rage, her hands raising her staff. Before she could call forth its power, Bardock moved, phasing in and out, and capturing her in a choke hold that had her defensless. "Who are you, onna?"

She couldn't conceive of anyone, other than Damien and his father, being able to move so fast. His grip wasn't painful, but impossible to break as he tossed her time staff several feet away. "You don't belong here."

His grip tightened, leaving her gasping for air before he relented. "Do I look dead, onna?" When she didn't answer, he tilted her head back, forcing the woman to meet his gaze. He could see the seething rage, trying without much success not to smirk in amusement. "Now answer my question; who are you and why do you challenge me?"

"Only an idiot would challenge a Saiya-jin!" Pluto struggled in vain to free herself, furious when he started to laugh. "Let go of me, dammit!"

Bardock, judging from her clothes, figured her to be a sailor senshi. He didn't recognize this one, having spent too many years in Serenity's head as he trained her. He thought about what to do with this woman, "you will answer."

"Like hell I will!"

"Been there, done that. It's not a pleasant place to live." He was intrigued by her defiance, a common trait he was starting to associate with the so called sailor senshi. Bardock could have killed her, but he seldom had any fun. "We can do this of two ways; one you can simply answer my questions. However, that wouldn't be much fun and hope you'll choose the second option."

Pluto's eyes widened in surprise, feeling his breath drift to the nape of her neck. "What are you doing?" she gasped, straining to escape the razor teeth scraping her scentive flesh. He lifted his head, a red glow in his obsidian eyes. "You wouldn't!" She growled. The red heat in his gaze only intensified, fueled by her rage and defiance.

"It's been over five centuries since I last had a female companion. Normally I wouldn't even consider the second option, but death seems to change one's perspective. Force me to repeat my question and I'll assume you want the second option."

"Pluto! My name is Pluto and I'm the guardian of time." Bardock frowned, clearly disappointed that she had chosen to finally cooperate. That didn't prevent him from nibbling her ear, hoping she would change her mind.

"How do you know about the Saiya-jins?"

"I brought them here to help the Sailor Senshi fight the negaverse, in return, they would gain the strength and power to combat Frieza."

"I don't understand."

"Kakarot, Vegeta, Raditz and Turles come from the past."

"I don't remember Kakarot and Turles, only that Serenity says they're the brothers of Raditz."

"They were born two days before the destruction of Vegeta-sai. Kakarot was sent to Earth, while Turles was raised on a pirate ship, later captured by Frieza."

"Why?"

Pluto sighed, too tired to resist anymore. He felt the tension drain from her body. If he hadn't been holding her, she would have collapsed. "I haven't quite figured that one out yet. As the guardian of time, I've broken every law imaginable by bringing them here, but the future was so terrifying that they were my only hope."

"What future?"

"I can't..." Before she could finish, Bardock spun her around and slammed her body against a wall. He didn't hurt her, but Pluto knew he was capable of snapping her in half. Bardock was furious, and she started to think he was just as deadly as Damien. There was only one difference; Damien would have never asked her the same question more than once. And why her? Couldn't he find another woman to harrass?

"Your bringing them here endangered the last four Saiya-jins in existence. I want to know why! Messing with time is dangerous!"

"The Carnassians gifted you with a curse; correct? Stop and think about what would have happened without them! Serenity was in love with Kakarot's past self, Jekkanadar, but with him in another time line, she would have married another. Without the protection she needed, everything would have been destroyed! She was the only survivor and not by choice! I know I wasn't suppose to interfere, but..." Tears swam in her eyes, Pluto trying not to allow them to fall.

"Is the future any different now?"

"That's what I haven't been able to figure out. Ever since I brought them here, I haven't been able to see the future."

Bardock suddenly knew there was more to her story, but didn't really have the time to speak with her further. "Is Frieza still alive?"

"Hai."

"Can Vegeta kill him?"

"Kakarot will have it no other way."

"Who was he before?"

"Didn't Serena tell you?"

"I never asked."

"Kakarot is the re-incarnation of Jekkanadar."

Bardock smirked; he had just fought with the legendary Saiya-jin and won. Stepping back, he released the time guardian and lifted his gaze towards the sky. "How long before he reaches this planet? Is he even still a threat?"

"Frieza will arrive on Earth in less than five years." Bardock started to walk away, no longer appearing as if he were interested in her. "Will you answer my question?"

"Ask Damien."

Pluto decided to pass on the idea. If Damien chose to bring Bardock back to life, nobody was suicidal enough to demand why. Sighing, she picked up her staff and watched his retreating back. "You'll find them in the Juuban district." He didn't have to ask whom she referred. With the flick of his tail, he flew away, not looking back to the woman standing in the heart of Tokyo.

The rain continued to poor, a foreshadowing of the approaching battle to come. Sitting in the living room, the Sailor Senshi and the Saiya-jins waited for Vegeta to turn from the window and discuss their battle plans. He had been so quiet, but no less intimidating as he would pace for hours while everyone slept. There had been no sign of Kakarot or Serena, and none of them had discovered whom he had been fighting.

Vegeta had immediately bought the shrine Raye's grandfather had owned before he died, giving them the privacy they needed. The fire senshi had been devastated by the loss, and Raditz tried to keep her focused on anything other than her grandfather. He hated the soul wrenching sorrow in her lavendar eyes, nor did he like how sullen she had become. It was as if she had lost the will to live, too tired to bother with a thousand year old enemy. Raditz was familiar with the mind numbing despair, and knew Raye would die if he allowed her continual withdrawal.

Coming to a decision, Vegeta turned to the group and studied everyone for several minutes before he spoke. "No one is to be alone at any point. The senshi will continue to be guarded and trained by the Saiya-jins they've been placed with for the past ten years."

Lita started to protest, but Turles quickly snatched her waist and pulled her down beside him. Leaning in her direction, he whispered a warning, "Never question him. Vegeta is far stronger than he appears, and he won't hesitate to remind you of it. His objective is to keep everyone alive and you need to trust him."

"Why?"

"It's because of Vegeta that Raditz and myself are still alive. We owe everything to him; not even a life time will be enough to repay that debt."

A glare from Vegeta silenced them, "We take the enemy on as a group. I want no heroics. The negaverse is the least of our problems, but still a major threat. In less than five years, another enemy will approach Earth that will either enslave the population, or destroy the entire planet. He's far more powerful than the enemies we fight now; if we can't fight the negaverse and win, we'll stand no chance when he arrives in the future."

"He's coming!" Raditz growled, immediately on his feet. Startled, Raye studied the Saiya-jin that had trained her for so many years. He was terrified, his features pale. "We..."

"...Will be ready for him!" Vegeta roared. Angry sparks licked at the walls of the room, threating to bring the building down around their heads. "We're no longer helpless, nor will I live the remainder of my life in fear. Kakarot said we can win, and I believe him. The Saiya-jins will take on the Ginyu force while the Sailor Senshi take on any other fighters that Ice-jin throws at us. As for the Ice-jin himself, he's mine!"

"No!" Turles snapped, placing himself in front of Lita. "This isn't their battle."

"It became their problem the minute this planet became a target. He'll destroy everything, and he'll use them to get to us!"

"They'll be slaughtered!" Turles would have never dreamed of challenging the Saiya-jin prince, but the idea of seeing Lita torn limb-from-limb had him trembling in mind numbing terror.

Vegeta's obsidian eyes flashed in fury, prepared to attack when a voice had all of them frozen and turning their attention towards the door. "You underestimate the abilities of those girls. Not only that, you dishonor them by not allowing them the choice to fight. They could argue that the Negaverse is their battle to fight."

"But..." Raditz started to object.

"Those girls are strong enough to hold their own in a fight, at least as a group."

"Who are you?" Turles demanded, watching Raditz sink to his knees in shock. Vegeta held an expression of pure disbelief and awe, two things Turles would have never associated with their over confident Prince.

"Isn't it obvious brat! Vegeta has every right to ask the Sailor Senshi to fight; is this not their planet to protect?"

"Women are to be protected, not..."

He moved so fast none of them knew what was happening until Turles was lying half way across the other side of the temple, a new hole in Raye's roof. "Any other objections? These women are the last of their respective planets and race. We have no right to deny them the battles they choose to fight. No, they're not as strong as the Saiya-jin race, but their abilities are not to be ignored. Elemental attacks can be just as painful and serve as the distractions necessary for you to win."

"How...?" Vegeta was still staring at the stranger in shock, at a loss for words. "You... Frieza..."

"Serena should be the one to thank. My original plans had nothing to do with protecting Earth."

"She's alive?" Amy gasped, no longer afraid, but eager to see her friend. She walked up to the Saiya-jin, seeing another version of Kakarot and Turles.

"She will appear when needed."

Raditz was the first to recover, storming up to the man and throwing a punch that would have normally landed. He didn't seem to care that his fist had been easily caught, only that he had an obsessive desire to continue attacking. "You choose now, after everything we've gone through, to appear? Dammit, I needed you!"

The fight was over before it began, Raditz pinned to the floor with a foot on his chest. He looked away, unable to hold the man's gaze. "I can't undo the past, nor was it my intention that the three of you become slaves. All I can say is that Frieza won't win a second round, and Vegeta will be the one to win your freedom. He will do what his father was too much of a coward to do himself."

Vegeta smirked, "I take it Kakarot lost..."

The stranger smiled, the Sailor Senshi staring at the man as if he were the devil. He started to laugh, "I would take that title, but there's another far more worthy of it than myself. "By rights, Kakarot would have been the most powerful of this group, but not even he can defeat a Saiya-jin that's been training in hell for the past five hundred years. Every day there is like a thousand."

"Where is he? Is Serena alright?" Raye demanded, wanting to see her friend. Despite the senshi's recently returned memories, she would never forget the friendship that Serena and Darien had offered when everyone thought her a freak.

Bardock growled, reminding Vegeta of what the Saiya-jin General had once been. He had heard rumors that he was quickly becoming as powerful as his father; a few more battles and he would have. Bardock had taken on the missions the elite refused, outmatched and with no possible way of winning; yet he did. Bardock was a mystery to him. How could a man, labeled as a third class warrior, become so powerful so quickly? There had to be something...

"Later..." Bardock warned, a promise for a more private conversation. He could see the intelligence burning in Vegeta's expression, a pleasant change compared to the prince's father. 'Good...' He thought silently. 'I would have killed him if he had been other wise. The last thing we need is for him to make the same mistakes.' Turning his attention back to Raye, "She lives." He refused to say anything about her health, leaving it for Serena to reveal.

Vegeta was eager to challenge the older Saiya-jin, but judging from the way he easily dispatched with Raditz and Turles, he decided to wait for Kakarot. Bardock was just as much of legend as Jekkanadar was, only Frieza was the one that feared him, and not the surviving Saiya-jins. He was the reason Frieza had demanded the annihilation of Vegeta's race, but the Saiya-jin prince knew better than to blame Bardock.

Bardock had been the only Saiya-jin to resist in the end, but to no avail. No other Saiya-jin had believed the dying man, laughing and throwing back his warning. He had more enemies on Vegeta-sai than he had in Frieza's army. Vegeta's tail was the only indication of his excitement, refusing to display any emotion other than anger. His enemies would use anything else against him. He'd rather feel nothing, than have his heart torn out, a reality that could happen all to easily if they were aware of what he felt for the ice senshi.

Sensing the young Saiya-jin's thoughts, Bardock frowned. "Saiya-jins are never denied their desires, Vegeta. By holding back, the enemy has already won." Vegeta's eyes widened. "Unless of course you're not interested. It's been a while since..."

"No..." Vegeta snarled, taking a step before he could stop it. "I defend what is mine!"

"Then stop treating them like children! Saiya-jins did protect the women, that I will not deny. However, we never denied them the right to battle, nor did we ignore the instincts that makes us the savage fighters feared by Frieza himself."

"The senshi are none of your concern, Bardock!"

"They became my concern the minute Serena had me brought here! Their deaths will destroy that girl and I didn't spend the last ten years training the link and hope of the Saiya-jin race! Know that if something were to happen to Serenity, this entire dimension would cease to exist before her death."

The senshi gasped, Vegeta paled, and Darien didn't seem to be affected one way or the other. He had a feeling Serenity was important to the balance of life and chaos. What could possibly destroy that balance? Was it the negaverse, or something far worse?

Raye rested in her room, lying face first on her mattress. She had tried to read the future in her fire, but had been unsuccessful. The only positive aspect was, she never saw their deaths as she had a thousand years before. She felt the bed shift, a heavier weight sitting beside her feet. "Having second thoughts, pyro?"

Normally she would have screamed and ranted about her hated nick name, but watching Raditz so easily defeated had shaken her resolve. If he couldn't defeat even his own father, what chance did they have against the Negaverse? The Saiya-jins were so confident, but none of them had been ripped limb-from-limb, suffering horribly before they were allowed to die.

"No," she lied. Suddenly she was on her back, Raditz straddling her waist and holding her wrists above her head. His black eyes flashed dangerously, his lip pulled back in angery snarl, and revealing very white and sharp teeth. "Rad..."

"This will stop! So what if the negaverse is stronger. Never allow fear to take control, or you've wasted my time! I didn't train a coward, but a warrior chosen to protect a girl fighting with every breath of her body. She never gives up, with or without a voice! My father would have never agreed to help her if she had been anything but a fighter, willing to die for what she truly believes in! Will you be the guardian she needs, or do I wash my hands of you?"

Angry tears slid down her face, and she struggled to break loose of his iron grip. He wasn't even trying, and the fear she had been keeping at bay rushed to the surface. She was no match for the negaverse and she would only serve to endanger her friends. "Let go!"

Raditz didn't dare tell Raye that her hair was falling and rising with her fear, feeding her the power she needed. He wanted her to loose all control, to release the power Vegeta and Jekkandar both sensed. She couldn't afford to hold back any longer, but as long as doubt remained, she would never defeat the Negaverse. Raditz never imagined he would choose any female other than a Saiya-jin, but considering that was now out of the question, the fire senshi would and could satisfy anything he needed.

"Is Serena not your friend?"

"Hai."

"Will you not give your life to keep her safe?"

"Hai."

"Then nothing else matters."

"But..."

Raditz leaned forward until their noses practically touched. Raye held her breath, terrified and curious about what he could possibly want from her. He was always pushing her to the breaking point, but never over. "You question your trainer?"

"Do I have a choice?"

Raditz chuckled, moving his head to sniff at her neck. She was trembling, but Raye was slowly relaxing, shivering every time his breath tickled her throat. "Yes." Startled, she tried to see his expression, but he decided at that moment to nip at her sensitive neck with sharp teeth. "Make your choice... Deny your instincts, and I will turn my back and walk away."

"No!" The idea of Raditz leaving her was more terrifying than dying at the hands of the Negaverse. He had never demanded she be anything but what she was. Raditz could care less if she were psychic, or that her only friends had been a couple of crows. All he demanded was that she fight with pride and never give up. Still, the idea that she could never win against his superior strength was irritating. An idea began to form and she slowly smiled, her eyes sparkling with mischief and a hidden secret.

Raditz froze, sensing a change in the priestess. Lifting his head, he stared down at her, trying to read her. "Raye..." He warned. She was completely relaxed, so why did he suddenly feel so uneasy.

"You're right..." she agreed, throwing him completely off guard. Releasing her wrists, he started to question her sudden change in attitude, but never had the chance when he was suddenly covered in a picture of water. Not giving him a chance to recover, Raye managed to throw him off long enough to grab his tail and push him face down on the bed. "Fear was my problem. Thanks for the lesson."

Raditz snarled, his eyes completely red. She gulped, knowing she had pushed him too far. Before he could snatch her, Raye bolted, not realizing she had Raditz by his weak point. His smile was that of a predator, his focus locking in on his prey. He had planned on giving her more time to adjust to his demanding nature, but Raye had issued a challenge he would be an idiot to refuse. "Little pyro," he roared, "you're mine!"

Everyone scattered as he tore threw the house, determined to catch his little pyro. No one touched his tail; not unless they wanted to die, or initiate a bonding ritual. Raye didn't want the first, so he chose to assume it was the latter she had chosen.

"Vegeta, the girls are gone."

Turles, in the middle of preparing a thirty foot sub-sandwich, dropped his knife and glared at Darien. Growling, Vegeta snatched a black leather jacket that matched his newly bought black jeans and white t-shrit. "How long?" he demanded.

"Thirty minutes... An hour... It depends on how long they stayed after Bardock arrived."

"Did you check outside?" Turles snarled with barely restrained fury. The enemy was so dangerously close to striking and the girls couldn't possibly hold their own if they should become outnumbered. "Lita knows better!"

Darien tried unsuccessfuly not to laugh, the effort escaping as a snort of disbelief. "You don't know Lita! She's always defied authority, especially when you question her strength and the ability to handle herself in a fight." He almost wanted to take it back when he saw Turles's eyes flickering between red and black, more red than the latter. 'They've all become so dominating and down right possessive. Was this normal, or is it because none of these Saiya-jin males have ever had a girl at any point in their lives?'

"That doesn't explain the other two," Vegeta whispered, his voice a frightening promise. His fingers curled and uncurled, his entire body trembling in rage and confusion. He didn't understand why Amy would suddenly take off, not when he had ordered her to rest.

"Amy doesn't defy anyone; she's too much of a peacekeeper and my bet is she didn't want to hurt Lita's feelings by saying no. Lita would have dragged along that shy girl, regardless of any objection. The lightning senshi never takes no for an answer, at least not without a fight first. Mina would have gone to ensure that none of the girls were left to face the enemy alone. Thankfully, Raditz is keeping Raye occupied. She would have gladly conspired with the lightning senshi for a day of freedom and defiance."

A shadow fell over Darien, the Earth Prince forced to glance up at the Saiya-jin towering over him, his gaze focused on Turles and Vegeta. On his face he could make out an amused smile, a rare display of emotion for a man that only knew battle. "Your little birds have declared their independence. There are two options, allow their freedom, or..."

Turles was too angry to understand Bardock's implied meaning, but Vegeta wasn't and quickly snatched the younger Saiya-jin by the arm and headed for the door. "Darien," Vegeta growled, "get Mina and keep her with you."

"Happy hunting," Bardock chuckled, watching his son and Vegeta take off. Darien was confused, but didn't have to wait for Bardock to explain. "I told them to leave."

"Why?" Darien gasped. "The negaverse..."

"...is a threat whether you lock them away or not. They can't live their lives in fear, nor should the Saiya-jins require them to. It'll be interesting. Lita's a spit fire, Amy has brains to protect her and Mina is far more deadly than her group gives her credit for. She may appear to be quiet and gentle natured, but she's never hesitated to take out the enemy with a coldness that would rival even one of our toughest warriors on Vegeta-sai."

"Lita, don't you think we should go back?" Amy asked, having an uneasy feeling.

"Why? We've been trapped on a tiny little island for ten years, and I for one, want a damn break. I don't need a male telling me where I can and cannot go, and I won't allow you to be treated the same way either."

"You can't possibly defeat Turles in a challenge!" Amy protested, paling at the thought.

"You're right, but that's where you come in."

"Me..." Amy looked for the nearest exit, ready to bolt through the crowd of shoppers at any moment. She knew Vegeta would never hurt her, but Turles on the other hand... She was terrified, and wanted no part in the Saiya-jin's volatile temper.

"Stop thinking of yourself as the weakest link, Amy." Lita shoved her through the swimming area of Victoria's Secret, tossing her several bikini tops and bottoms. "How many times did you win on Lunaria because we were too impatient to think things through? You're going to lay out a battle strategy and we're going to follow your command. I'm for one, tired of having those damn males thinking they can just walk all over us. I'm not a baby and I won't be treated like I'm made of glass! It's insulting!"

"Lita," Mina finally spoke, silent through most of the taxi ride to the mall, "Why are you resisting them so much? Saiya-jins have always been loyal to those they've chosen to protect."

"I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself!" Mina and Amy exhanged glances and sighed. Lita was afraid of the emotions between Turles and herself, not wanting to trust another person with her heart. Mina couldn't blame the lightning senshi, having her heart wripped out time-and-time again. It had happened twice on Lunaria, and Lita couldn't take another rejection. However, she couldn't dismiss the powerful desire Turles had for Lita.

"Turles won't hurt you, Lita."

"Don't be so sure of that!" Came a furious snarl. Amy gasped, Lita crossed her arms, and Mina simply smiled. To their surprise, the shy girl tossed every outfit in her arms at the startled Saiya-jins and fled, Lita quickly on her heels. Mina chose to stay put, satisfied that the males wouldn't harm either girl. Gently, she touched Turles, sensing a deep confusion and hurt. "She's terrified of giving you control."