Zukki's day after returning home for the first time in just a little over a month was deeply eventful. Her life beforehand was peaceful and bland, merely a spectator until she had been initiated. Purpose washed over her innocence, where thrills and duty would follow. Except that she was sent to a prison of rejects right after the fact.
She and her father had returned to the home he had built, where Mizu waited. Zukki was ready to rush towards the bedroom when the smell of recently cooked food hit her in the face. Something much more complex, although a tad bit burnt too.
Entering their home Zukki and Kappa were greeted by the fluttering eyes of the person that anticipated.
Something didn't sit right with the way her mother slumped in the chair, how she let the blanket fall to the ground. Mizu's tail barely wiggled as the woman brushed her hands through Zukki's hair.
Then the happy chirp of her mother's voice pushed the idea to her poor health far away. The normalcy sold to the naive girl before any doubts could creep in.
They ate like a family for the first time in over a month.
"Mmm i was so humgry!" Says Zukki with her mouth partly full of food.
While Kappa pays no mind to her daughters manners, eating his own plate of food, Mizu planned to admonish the bad manners.
"Finish your food before you speak honey" Mizu responds, her fork brushing around the food on her plate. She was watching Zukki enjoy the cooking vicariously.
Zukki's mouth snapped shut at her mother's warning. Going back to eating her food and swallowing.
"Aren't you forgetting something" Mizu points out with her stern, yet oddly gleeful, motherly gaze.
"Thank you mother!" She realizes her mistake right away.
"Yes, Thank you Mizu" he added to the woman's genuine grin.
The peaceful scene of this family eating their dinner continues for a little while longer. The girl forgot about the previous month briefly. Though some desire deep inside her was unfulfilled.
After they ate dinner Mizu made it back to her bedroom.
"Go to bed with your mother, I'll join the two of you after I take care of the mess" he decided, looking over at the piles of empty plates.
Zukki nods her head before trodding off. Making it onto her parents queen sized bed and leaping onto the bed. Her gut told her to not pounce on momma bear and it was the right choice for a different reason than what she expected.
Her mother reaches out and caresses the girl's cheek.
"Hehe, hey mother."
"Hi my little ember. So do you have some stories to share about your time in the prison? Was it a horrible experience?" She asks softly.
The room was dimly lit by a candle light by the bed. Zukki could hardly see her mother's expression.
"There were alot of faces..but they all ignored me.. unless they were weak. Those people always pick fights with me."
"Oh, is that so?" Mizu says, listening intently now that the key word weak was mentioned.
"Yeah! And this well..this one lady is super Strong. I think she called herself Negi" Zukki continues her story, the name registering in her mothers mind. "She's way too strong...and.."
"And?" She says wondering why her daughter hesitated.
"She mocks you..and says I'll be stuck in that prison until i can beat her" Zukki says as if she already got the answer to that line of thought, she would not be stuck there, because she's here now to tell this tale.
Though Negi had taken care not to overdo the mockery, that one significant moment where Zukki raged like a beast unafraid to die stuck out to the girl. Because from the moment she snapped, the world was blurry and then it went dark. Not after an agonizing battle she only remembers through phantom pains across her body.
Mizu showed a puzzle expression, titling her head till it rests on the pillow. Her sideways gaze lingering thoughtfully.
"Can you beat her?" Mizu finally asks.
"If she stops moving" Zukki responds with some random confidence.
"What if she blocks?"
"I'll tear at her face"
"Tear!?" Mizu giggles weakly. "With your fingers and nails? Where did you learn that"
"Father said our hands and feet are our weapons" she said, not knowing there was a vast array of knowledge predicted on properly using these weapons. "So I grab and I hit–and kick sometimes too"
"Oh!" She starts by putting her palms together and gripping her hands. "And I do this!" She mines a slow hammer strike to the pillow at her head.
"Wow" Mizu coos in her low proud motherly voice. "How's your flame conjuring going?"
Zukki spares no detail, not even hiding the failure of it. Mizu just listened intently, her eyes fluttering shut out of exhaustion beyond her control.
"And..mom? Mother?" She whispers and pushes at Mizu who remains asleep. Thinking nothing of it, especially due to the sleepy smile on her mothers face, Zukki nuzzled into her.
Later Kappa would join them, albeit on the floor with his back to the bed like a guard dog.
***
In the capital, where the king resides, Vegeta was approaching the throne room. Confidence exuding in nearly every step as his boots loudly announce his presence. Though there is a lack of aliens as he reaches the large door.
This was earlier in the day a few hours after Zukki had been reported as stolen. Kidnapping would have been a better status if not for the fact that the prisoners lost the right to their own citizenship. They were a pile of scrap set aside to waste.
Vegeta kept his lips pressed together in a line as his father whispered over to one of his advisers. The woman with a body builder's physique promptly exited the room.
Then the young prince stepped forward. His curiosity and royal matters peaked his interest, but first he floated off the ground and towards the king.
"I mastered flight father" he announced with arms crossed, his expression did betray the nonchalant attitude he was trying to foster.
"Of course you did, you are my son, you will be the strongest saiyan to ever live"
Vegeta felt his father's words down to his core. ("Of course I'm able to do this much") He mentally puffs himself up. Then onto his curiosity.
"The advisor you sent off, That's for the prison isn't it. I understand that our family trees are connected, but why are we wasting time with those weaklings... actually why mess around with them at all" Vegeta complained to his father for the dozenth time that week.
"It's exactly because someone strongly made this rule that we respect it, and it's the stronger being that gets to use the weaker ones for all they are worth.." he pauses to emphasize this next fact. "And let me tell you son, you don't want to mull around in the mud just because you can. We should be destroying civilizations while the insects prattle with the lizards"
Once again Vegeta was convinced to look the other way. Though he wondered what exactly the point was, the actual meaning behind what the prison was for. The prince was already at the point of seeing lesser warriors as nothing more than the cultivars he slaughters for a warm up. At least they could be summoned with decent strength at will.
Strength was everything, otherwise you die a pile of nothing or as space dust. Prince Vegeta was to be the strongest in the universe by his father's measure.
"Would you like to meet one of our valued warriors? You'll learn a thing or two from meeting such a man" the king says learn, but what he really means is observed. He wanted his prince to recognize his status as royalty right away.
"Father, do you mean I'll get to fight with one!?" Vegeta's eyes lit up at this opportunity to show his growth and dominance, not to mention a chance to get front line level experience.
"Why not, it could be something great to witness" The King allowed the possibility with some decent
Meanwhile word was sent to the flame Squadron about them retrieving a prisoner seemingly without permission. The messenger who accepted the message was an energetic woman with pale skin.