Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Ball Z or Full metal alchemist.  Funimation brings us these master works of anime on DVD.  Toriyama created DBZ, and Full Metal Alchemist belongs to its own creators.  I can only claim responsibility for the plot and the character of Atomique, Parsnip, Fermi, Bohr, Merlot, Cabernet and other fan characters here.  The only pay I get is your reviews so please keep them coming! And my thanks to those who have already reviewed!  Kudos and hugs to you!

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House that Bardock Built

 

They emerged from the warren of tunnels in the Citadel to an open complex like a town square.  Buildings rose to impressive heights, against a green sky.  One sun was setting while the other still hung high.

 

"Where are we?" asked Atomique.  "What star system?"

 

"It would have little meaning to you," said Bardock.

 

"Where is your home world?  I mean where WAS it?" asked Atomique.

 

"We could see it on a clear night to the left of the larger star," pointed Radditzu, tightening his grip on her hips.  "This is Alvegasei, the next planet out.  Terraformed and used for a training place till our world was destroyed.  What remains is Orchydsei, one of the major moons which now occupies the orbit of our lost world."

 

"And you will learn the significance of such things in time," said Bardock.  "Now let's go.  Unless you wish to join your 'squadmates' for more 'exciting' company."

 

"I thought everyone was going to be alone with their males," said Atomique.

 

"There is so much to learn, precious one," laughed Radditzu as he let go of her. Still his hand clasped hers, and she felt the alcoholic haze creeping over her from the drinks they had swallowed.

 

"Cabernet didn’t' tell us," Lyssra whispered to Bardock.

 

"Listen to this son of mine, and whatever he NEGLECTS to tell you, ask me," he snorted.  "Don't forget the most IMPORTANT parts.  Especially the Lunar festival, in a month."

 

"A full moon?" Atomique shivered.

 

"You already know?" asked Bardock.

 

"Yes.  You transform to your Great Ape form during that time.  And you're saying I have that capability?" she asked.

 

"Of course, silly female," Radditzu laughed.  "That tail of yours isn't just for ornamentation.  Though you be half blooded it has not thinned the potency of its power to unlock your true potential."

 

"No way, I'll go insane!"

 

"You'll learn in time.  But there are more pressing matters now, right Father?" Radditzu nodded.

 

"Stop bragging and let's get on with it.  I'll show you where you'll be staying," said Bardock pointedly.  He rose gracefully into the air, followed by Lyssra. 

 

Atomique levitated up, opposite Radditzu.  She had of course learned to fly from Goku's training.  Yet there were severe limits to how long she could go without needed rest.  In the last two months she saw that limit being surpassed.  Still rising into the air after the other couple took her breath away.  

 

"Catch me if you can," Bardock shouted to Lyssra.  Before she knew it, a blaze of white ki exploded, leaving them both alone.

 

"You heard him.  See if you can keep up with me.  I don't like being kept waiting," Radditzu laughed, giving her backside a swat.  She snarled streaking off after his trail that curled after him like a meteorite.  Wind slashed against her face till she generated a thin envelope of purple ki to cut down on resistance.  Beneath her the green carpet stretched as far as the eye could see, interrupted only by the meandering blue of rivers creeping away from the city. 

 

Radditzu chuckled with amusement, enjoying the gentle play foreshadowing what he hoped would be a very satisfying night and day.  Was the poor female aware of what would happen next?  For the next month or so there would be no escape from their escapades as he rutted with her nonstop in the hopes to conceive another generation.  While Saiyans often mated for sexual pleasure, the time that both male and female came into synch was determined by the higher ranking members of society or the 'alpha males'.  A pheromone triggered the communal rut where all members of the city or group would spontaneously quadruple their sex drives.  Little wonder that the females had been grafted before the largest contract they'd had in years. 

 

Radditzu hoped she would like the presents he'd brought.  Bardock had poo-pooed some of the likely candidates, yet agreed that some would be appropriate for a mate to be.  It was his sincere hope to get her mind off her previous life so she could adapt to being his mate without reservations.  Did she realize the enormity of what she had done, he wondered?

 

No, he would have to teach her.  As the males taught all the newly grafted females after their indoctrination via Cabernet's training.  Their absence increased the female's desire for coupling till they could no longer survive without sex.  It was deliberate separation that mimicked the old rites of passage for newly mated couples in the Vegetasei most of them hardly remembered.

 

That year, all mated couples would travel to the Prime capital.  The King would have a banquet in their honor.  Any females not wishing to mate would join his harem, while the remainder stuck to their mating pledges.  The official claiming began after a hunt, and the sealing of the bond in a five-day festival.  At the banquet the pheromones of the King triggered mating instincts in all his warriors.  Through the rutting phase as many would conceive offspring as possible.  Even older couples who had not created offspring would use the chance to do so.  Any elite and second classes that conceived after a month would have the fetus removed for the gestational period.  The Royal family and third classes would then sequester their females in home based assignments for the nine-month pregnancy.  Since concubines served only to breed, they could afford to be kept under lock and key, whereas third class females would simply take planet-side assignments while their males would be away.

 

At one or two revolutions, the young third classes would be placed into the instructional programs.  Subliminal learning would begin, and one family member, usually a mother, sister or brother would check on the progress and interact with the whelp.  When progress was made the youth would be placed into pods for shipment offworld, or else join the other teams for operations elsewhere.

 

Now there was no need for this drastic step since Lord Paragus and Brolli had made changes in the Alvegasei society.  It was easier to have the youths trained by their parents or in large class groups.  Far better to keep the children till they were young teens and strongest then to chance their fate of being killed offworld by the enemies of the Saiyans.  Losing the Prince was a nasty enough lesson.

 

Lyssra overtook Bardock only a mile or so from the patch of forest he approached by a small tributary.  They wrestled and yelped together thousands of feet above the jungle floors.  Laughter reached Atomique's ears as she streaked after Radditzu.

 

"You're going to have to try better then THAT, precious one!" Radditzu laughed, suddenly zipping out of view.  Her eyes barely tracked the swiftness of his movement around behind her.  Slowing to a dead stop, she glanced wildly around.

 

At the very moment his fist shot out, she raised her hand to block.  His kick landed in the raised knee she brought up.  Another punch landed against her other hand raised between them.  Rapid-fire punches collided with her hands and knees barely keeping up with his onslaught.  Radditzu shouted, bringing up both fists to bring crashing down.  Atomique veered out of the way then elbowed him sharply in the back.  Radditzu grunted, whirling over in surprise to right himself.  He hurled a purple sphere of energy towards her, shouting, "Saturday Crush."

 

Already she had gasped, "Atomic flux," raising her hands to generate three spheres.  His blast hit the first while the other two whirled around her body levitating there.  Two remaining swirling in continuous arcs to create the illusion of solid rings of energy.  Repeated blasts landed against her shield till she sent both whirling towards him.  Radditzu blocked both, then raised his palm.

 

"Double Sunday!"

 

"Atomic Blast!" she shouted, pointing her finger towards him.  A solid beam crashed against his twin one, shoving gold with purple.  Both generated the thick beams in a tug or push of war. Sweat poured down her forehead at the effort to thrust back his double Sunday with her blast. 

 

"Yes, fight me!  I'm enjoying this," he laughed.

 

She groaned, breaking the power of her beam.  A quick duck to the side and his blast continued.  It arched around, hurling towards her with twin beams gleaming in the night sky.  She crossed her wrists, blocking Radditzu's full power that shoved her backwards and sent her tumbling.

 

To her amazement she was still hovering there, panting with raised fists crossed before her face.  Her chest heaved in and out, her entire body shaking.  Sharply his voice cut through, startling her, "What was THAT?  Was that YOU?"

 

"I," she stammered, feeling his breath from behind.  She struggled, but felt his arms wrap around to squeeze her in anything but a dangerous hold.

 

"Relax precious one, that was just a test," Radditzu purred.  "Was that the same weakling I left behind?"

 

"Test?" she gasped, heart pounding.

 

"Which you passed beyond my wildest expectations," he laughed harshly, with a hint of pride that expunged any disgust she had previously offered.  All thoughts of the banquet veered away with the sensation of his hands sliding up and down her body through her armor.  His tail darted under the armored skirt at her hip, flickering over the AE suit stretching over her legs.

 

"IT feel so good," she gasped.

 

"Turn around and it will be better," he purred.  She levitated in a small turn, facing him to see the smirk and gleaming pride brimming in his dark eyes.  Instead of a superior leer his smile denoted his pleasure towards what he had seen.

 

Tomique caught him around the neck, kissing him hard before she lost her nerve.  Grunting he let her thrust her tongue into his mouth and wrapped her tightly in his arms.  Clumsily her tail latched around his hips simultaneously to his around hers.  Slowly they levitated, their hands wandering over the bare patches of skin left exposed by the armor and AE suits.

 

"Are you going to mate in mid air or are you two whelps going to actually come home?" Bardock shouted.

 

"Whoops," she blushed, pulling away from the kiss.  Hot embarrassment pounded just beneath her skin.  Radditzu grinned and held her possessively close.

 

"And I thought you'd be glad to see me in the throws of passion, Father," he called back.

 

"Shut up and get your tail down here.  I'll not have my son making a bigger ass of himself when he can be doing what comes naturally in the comfort of his own quarters!"

 

"I thought it was customary for others to watch," Lyssra whispered.

 

"Family groups dear one," Bardock corrected.  "Get down here and let your mate see where we live when we aren't chasing around the damn galaxy."

 

"Please?" added Lyssra.

 

"Idiots," he mumbled, releasing his hold till he only clasped her hand.  She matched her velocity with his, dropping through the canopy towards the source of Bardock and Lyssra's voices.

 

***

She giggled to see that their 'quarters' was a platform erected with bits of metal into a spherical cluster at the apex of the tree.  Long ladders could be tossed downwards to the floor below for emergencies.  Yet the only means of egress otherwise was landing on the wide platforms before the cluster of three globes alit with spherical windows from within.

 

"Tree houses?"

 

"On Vegetasei we lived in caves," said Radditzu.  "But since this world has an abundance of petrified forests among the living, these do nicely."

 

She was still giggling from her high as he led her through the forcefield barrier into the interior.  In many ways it resembled the ships' for the exception of a large opening leading to what appeared to be a laboratory off one way, while a sitting area was near a large repository of their equivalent of books and recording.  Another alcove held a VR fight simulator training that could be hooked up to the scouter.  In another alcove was a large unit with sinks and ranks from which a large animal carcass was hanging.  To her shock Lyssra was already skinning and gutting the thing with help from Bardock.

 

"Raw or cooked?" she asked, watching them remove the entrails.  The basin below collected the blood and other bodily fluids.  Other flat surfaces provided for the cutting and slicing of fruits and large nuts.  It seemed idea for hunting and gathering of all things, she shivered.  Little technology existed save the electronic communications devices.  The rest was sparse and not unlike a twentieth century cabin with racks of serving trays on shelves.  Large windows opened up to show the landscape around, covered with force fields or panes that were open to let the wind through.

 

Another passageway led to several other chambers.  "Come in, and show her where you'll be, you whelp," Bardock snorted.  "Naturally we'll continue to share a dwelling with you, unless you see fit to change that arrangement."

 

"I see no reason to, Father.  Now that there are two females to assist in its upkeep, while we remain," he said.

 

"I'm not going to be a house wife cracking open nuts am I?" she asked.

 

"I'll show you what fruits and life forms we require for meals," Lyssra said.  "They'll be hunting of course."

 

"Makes sense," she nodded. "Human societies did this."

 

"Did they?" asked Radditzu quietly.

 

"Yes.  Women gathered, men hunted.  Makes sense in an ironic way.  For all your ultramodern advancements you say THIS is superior?"

 

"There seems no other way.  What, live in some damned tin boxes when we can have the pick of the land to hunt?  Perhaps while on board ship, but this is far more civilized," Radditzu snorted.

 

"I suppose, it is," she whispered.  "Tarzan."

 

"Again with that infernal reference!" he snorted.

 

"No I’m serious," she said, reaching into her scouter.  "I wish I had a copy of the book here for you to know."

 

"Humph, you'll explain that won't you?" asked Bardock.

 

"While you're gutting I can, right?" she asked.

 

"Good, entertainment before dinner," said Lyssra as she continued to open the huge nuts and vegetables she lined up.  Atomique moved over to assist her as Radditzu grabbed another one of the carcasses that he had left outside. 

***