CHAPTER THREE : Preparations

"Kuso!!!!!" She yelled. "WHY does this hurt so much?"

Kakarott finished applying the paste to her arm. "You've got internal bleeding. The wound healed up too fast, and I kept hitting it. This stuff should do the trick"

Liena sneered and looked her arm over as if it had turned green. "Well the stuff smells bad enough, it'd better."

Kakarott smirked and sat back. It had been a long day, and they both had their share of aches. It was just evening, and they were off duty.

He stood "Lets go"

Liena raised both brows from her own seat "Nani?"

"Come on, I'll take you to the springs" he said, heading out the door.

Liena stood, surprised, and followed him down the halls. They walked fast, and she was still computing what he'd just said. Liena had heard of the springs. Hot water and peaceful surroundings. Not many went there, as it was considered a weak way to get rid of pain.

She had a feeling that Kakarott was a bit smarter, and as they took off into the air, she couldn't wait to 'relax'.

They flew for a few minutes at top speed, and were out of the kingdom in a split second, passing over immense fields and dense forests. The two reached the mountains, and the only above ground source of water; the springs.

He landed, and her after, trying to keep her arm out of harms way.

Without a word, he stepped in, and sat in the water, as if it were a usual thing. Liena looked at him as if he were crazy.

"Isn't that.. hot.. and strange feeling?" she asked, looking warily at the small pond of steaming liquid.

He shrugged. "I come here all the time. It acts as a quick heal for my muscles. Of course everyone thinks of me as weak." He snorted and waved her in.

Liena trusted him, and stepped in slowly. It felt so strange to have her leg ungulfed in liquid. She barely remembered it from the regeneration tanks.

Liena sat down in the hot water, and leaned back, finally understanding how this could easily heal ones wounds. Her arm was feeling better already.

She flicked her look to him, and found that his eyes were in the same place. "It's fine. " she said " how come you never brought me here before?"

Kakarott shrugged. " I just like to be alone sometimes... well, I did. " He smirked again leaned back, letting his eyes close a bit.

Liena smiled a little, and leaned her head back also. A day of sparring with her mate, and then this. How much better could this day get?

"Ohh.. you have yet to find out Li chan... " Kakarott said in a soft low voice. Her head jolted up and saw that wicked grin on his face, and his eyes still closed.

She almost jumped as she felt his tail coil around her lower calf.

Liena sighed, grinned, and wondered how tomorrow would go.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"OW!"

"Oh hush up BAKA! Mia get me that" Kijah pointed to a sharp tool.

Miaka did as she was told, and stood back as she watched Kijah cut the armor off of Chatsu.

They'd pounded each other, to say the least.

"KUSO KIJ! Thats right where the cut is!" Chatsu whined again.

Miaka actually found it amusing how openly pompus he was, but around Kijah, he was almost constantly submissive.

She got the armor off, and tore the under shirt around it. "ahh... baka, you've got peices of armor still stuck in there, that's why it hurts so badly." Kijah shook her head, and Chatsu rolled his eyes. His own pride keeping him from growling out of pain.

Miaka smirked and watched as Kijah picked out wehat peices she could, while Chatsu's face turned purple.

Kijah stood above him, working diligently, tail lashing behind her. She pulled a long string of thick cloth and wrapped it around the wound. "It'll bleed more now that those pieces aren't blocking the veins." she said and stood back, observing her work.

Kijah grinned. "Well well, looks like the tables have turned Chatsu! Remember back when YOU were trying to fix me up?" she laughed lightly as he eyed her.

Miaka stepped back, towards the door. She'd seen that look on a male before, and knew she'd be better to get out before he did what he likely had in mind.

She stepped out and walked down the hall slowly, reminding herself to call Golkor; the tourney was only a day away and he should have left already.

She heard the door slam, and turned to see Kijah trotting towards her, pulling her armor back over her head. Obviously she had been right about Chatsu's intentions. "Whats up Kij?"

Kijah scowled and kept her look forward "Queen calls" she said as she ran past, picking up speed as she got her armor on.

Miaka shook her head, smirking. What time had passed since their childhood.

She sidestepped into a public terminal room and sat at one of the many desks. "That brat had better be on his way, I'm starting to get cravings"

She thought of how much time she had left before her child should be put in the tanks;not much longer at all

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"She was just dizzy... you don't need to be here." Vikaro glared at Kijah as she tried to see into the queen's quarters.

Kijah flicked her black gaze to meet Vikaro's in challenge. "She called me here, now I suggest you let me in, whether her sickness has passed or not."

He straightened and folded his arms. Vikaro's height alone was enough to belittle any Elite.

Kijah on the other hand, could care less. She reached over, shoved him aside in one push, and strode in on her own whim.

Bulma smiled from her seat" Hello Kijah! I just got a bit dizzy there, and sick to my stomach. Probably morning sickness....at night" she made and odd face.

Vikaro stood outside scowling, his retaliation had been cut off by the sight of the queens smiling at Kijah. He shut the door, vowing to get her back sometime.

"Have you been eating well my Queen?" Kijah asked as she looked over the tech reports given by her eldest guard.

"The woman eats like a Saiyan" a sharp voice snapped from behind her. Kijah turned at attention to see the king. He was usually gone when she visited.

" Yes sire" she said simply, and looked back to the reports. Kijah had No idea what to do now. She'd gotten used to the Queen herself, but being under the king's watchful eyes actually made her nervous.

Bulma saw the display of heirarchy and bit her lip, wondering whether to relieve Kijah, or tell Vegeta to leave. Either way someone would get angry.

She sneered and looked to Vegeta. "Why don't you go check on the Arena... I gave your off world engineers the stats, and they should be done now. Last minute checks should start tonight."

Vegeta narrowed is eyes "The tournament doesn't start until tomorrow evening. You wanted last minute checks to start tomorrow morning." His tail lashed around behind him, raised as high as could be to show her his 'place'.

Bulma stood from her seat, making Kijah look to her. "I THINK you ought to take some responsibility and check on it first. Being the KING your foremost opinion counts more than anyone's." Her eyes narrowed in challenge also.

Kijah had the urge to duck and roll out of the way of this battle. She knew why the king had found this woman attractive: she was likely the only one brave enough to retaliate against his words.

Vegeta snorted and wheeled on his heel, his tail jerked around behind him now, showing anger. " Don't expect me to bow down to your whining tonight, I'll be training."

He made his grand retreat and took off in a blaze of light, forgetting all about the rules of the palace halls.

Bulma sat down, her eyes filled with victory. "Well sorry you had to witness that! I'm sure he'll be in a much better mood tomorrow!"

Kijah smirked, not knowing what to say. She looked back to the reports "I'd try to eat more meats. The plants and things you've been eating are alright, but your body will need much more energy to keep the Saiyan baby growing correctly."

Bulma nodded "Thats what my father told me. I just talked to him, and they'll be sending me some food from earth when they send the little knick knacks my mother insists on getting to me."

She rolled her eyes and looked to the report, and then to Kijah. "OH MY! Why do you have all of that blood on your armor!?.. are you hurt? what happened?"

Kijah gritted her teeth. She'd been in such a hurry to get to her, that she'd forgotten to clean Chatsu's blood off of her own armor, and fix the cuts on herself.

"Forgive me my Queen, I was training, most of the blood is my partners." She spat out quickly, knowing she was violating the Queen's strictly set armor code.

Bulma waved her hand around in the air as she spoke "Ohhh no big deal! I shouldn't have called you here anyway! Go on, I'll be fine. Just tell Vikaro to get me more meat next time! and thank you Kijah!"

Kijah bowed as a wave of relief flowed over her. She exited and walked out.

She turned as her tail lashed free of her waist and raised above her head. "Vikaro, the queen says get her more meat next time eh?" she winked at the scowling face and turned, walking back to her quarters for the evening.

She hoped to get a bit more practice in before the next night, but knew she needed sleep to go along with it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Shinto groaned a bit as she applied the liquid to his back.

"Oh stop it baby! This is just juiced up tank liquid! Would you rather go to the tank?" she purred.

Shinto snorted and braced his arms against the steamroom walls.

They both bathed in the thick moisture, while she applied the stinging stuff to his back.

"So I'm ready for that tournament?" he said deeply.

Raleiko nodded. "Just remember to block phase outs Shin. That's why I'm stuck listening to you whine. You aren't without weakness you know." She closed the top of the wooden looking flask, and stepped out, lashing her tail around to dry it.

Shinto let his eyes wander as he thought of a comeback for being called weak. But of course, his own begotten hormones took over as he slunk out after her, following her to the bed.

Raleiko grinned to herself as she curled up in the many cloths. She knew she had this male wrapped around her tail, and loved it. Maybe she'd just stay with this one. He seemed stubborn enough.

Her grin turned to a smirk as she felt him slide behind her, and slip an arm around her waist.

Nothing turned a Saiyan's heat on more than a good battle, and Raleiko needed some extra exercise before the next day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bulma sighed deeply as she lay on her side in bed. This baby was getting harder and harder to deal with.

Her mother ordered her to stay in bed, and eat like a horse, and her father was busy drawing up technicalities for the differences between a Saiyan system, and human.

Her eyes were heavy lidded, and all she really wanted was a good rest before the next day.

"You'll get that, and tomorrow, you'll do no running around." Her mate's voice pounded into the room as he did the same.

She was too tired to be surprised, and only opened one eye to catch a glimpse of him peeling off a sweaty shirt, before he dissapeared into another section of the room to take a steam bath.

Bulma smirked and sighed again. "I'll still be attending the tournament you know. All of my work wasn't in vain, you'll see."

Vegeta scowled as he rubbed sweat off of himself. "You will attend, but you will NOT be getting up and sitting down so often. If you need things to be done, you're guard will get them for you."

"Vegeta, they'll be in battle!" she said in a tired voice.

He stepped out and glared at her, still dripping with steamy water. "They won't be fighting at the same time Bulma. I thought you knew that. When they aren't up on the roster, they'll be at your side as their duties demand. As will my honor guard." He snorted, and mumbled something to himself as he dried off and wolfed down a peice of meat at the same time.

What talent. Bulma thought as she closed her eyes. not wanting to argue for anything.

Sleep finally came as Vegeta put on his stealth mind frame, making it impossible for her to hear him at all.

She loved it when he did this, as she knew it was all to let her sleep.

Bulma drifted off quickly, and didn;t even notice when Vegeta finally slipped in behind her, and slept himself.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She stepped in, and felt her way to the bed, pulling off the clothes she had worn to see the queen.

Kijah was particularly glad that she had been relieved of her duties, as tomorrow would be the biggest day of the season.

She sighed lightly as the cool cloth of the bed slid over her skin, and she settled in next to Chatsu.

"Well well....want to finish what we started?" he said in a low, sleepy voice. Or was it sleepy?

Kijah sighed and scowled. How was she expected to get any sleep at all.

She turned over on her side and folded her arms, trying not to be enraptured by his scent (which seemed all and too appealing about now).

Chatsu grinned, and got out of the bed silently, and Kijah figured he was just going to get another steam bath to calm down.

She sighed once more and began to drift off in a dream of victory.

And then, he pounced...