It was late when Goten slipped from his bedroom and entered the halls of the palace. Sushi was walking silently beside the young saiyan both trying to comfort him and to protect his small master. One of his small hands clutched his dragon while the other rested on the panzaon's side as they walked.
He wanted his Tama and Daddy to come home. He wanted Gohan back too, and Grandpa Bardock. Uncle Tarble was sad a lot and he was always worried now. He needed someone to help his family. Since he couldn't sleep now was as good a time as any to ask.
The demi saiyan entered the room he found a few days ago. It was small compared to his family's rooms and a little dusty but it had a shrine of Tarro in it and a few benches. He knelt in front of the altar and clasped his hands together.
'Lady Tarro, please bring my family home soon.' He prayed. "Please, I don't want to lose my family. Me, Trunks, Uncle Tarble, we all need Daddy and Tama back home. Vegito too. They're not gonna see him grow up if they don't come back. And if they aren't here, some one could hurt him like they hurt me and Daddy. I don't know if I can stop them by myself. Please. I'm scared and just I want my Tama and Daddy back." Tears fell from his bowed face as he spilled his heart to the goddess. "Please Lady Tarro help them. I'll do anything, so please help them."
"Shouldn't you be asleep, young one?" Goten's head jerked up at the soft voice. A short slender woman in loose clothes and silver chain with a crescent moon pendant was standing near the entrance to the temple. Her shoulder length black hair had a silver sheen to it. Sushi was laying near one of the benches watching her contently before resting his head on the floor and returning to sleep. Stubbornly Goten wiped tears from his eyes.
"Who are you?" Goten asked curiously while getting up. "I didn't mean to bother anyone coming here."
"You didn't bother me little one, I care for the shrines. Night is a good time for it." She explained sitting on a bench near the altar. "Now what brings you here this late? You must have a lot on your mind."
"I couldn't sleep." He said moving to sit on the bench with her. "Uncle Tarble told us we could ask Lady Tarro for help if we ever needed it. I just want my Tama and Daddy to come home. That mean lady is hurting him. I keep having bad dreams about Tama hurting and crying." Goten said pulling his knees to his chest as his eyes watered again. "I'm scared and I just want them to come home. I need my Tama and my Daddy."
"Your Tama is a very strong person, young one. He will come home. All of them will come home." She said gently as she ran her fingers through the boy's hair.
"When?"
"Soon enough, little one." She said with a soft smile that reminded him of his tama, and it soothed the cub's troubled heart a little. "The Lady has heard your prayers, I have a strong feeling she will help your family come home." Goten sniffed wiping at his eyes again before he hugged her.
"Thank you for listening to me."
"You are welcome, little one." She answered hugging him back before standing. "Just remember to keep your hope and faith alive in here," The woman touched the spot just below Goten's collarbones with the tips of three of her fingers. "and Lady Tarro will always be close to you. Now...you should head back to bed, you wouldn't want to worry anyone if they find you missing. Young cubs need their sleep to grow big and strong."
"Ok." Goten nodded hopping down as he grabbed the stuffed dragon that had been resting against his hip and rousing his pet. He stopped and looked back at the woman in front of the shrine. "Can I come back and visit again?" The woman smiled softly.
"You are always welcome here, little one. Perhaps we will see each other again."
Goten smiled and waved at the woman as he left. He felt a bit better after talking to her, and he touched the spot on his chest that still felt a little warm. He frowned in thought and that made Sushi brushed his head on the black haired boy's shoulder.
"I'm ok, Sushi." He scratched under the panzaon's chin making the lizard purr a bit. "I just wish I had asked for that lady's name before I left."
As Goten turned to look back at the shrine, his eyes caught something on his reflection in a nearby window. Black eyes widened as he rushed to get closer to the glass, and his fingers trembled as they reached to part the neck of his large white sleep shirt so he could get a better look.
On the spot where the woman had touched him was a silvery white lotus flower with very light green vines coming from either side of the flower and winding around his neck. The marks shimmered faintly in the moonlight.
When the cub remained frozen for a long time, Sushi tilted his head. He whined as he nudged his small master's shoulder again, and the movement shocked Goten out of his stupor.
"What are these?!" He ran his fingers over the marks, and he noticed that his skin was smoother as he felt over the vines. Remembering the woman he met in the shrine, the half saiyan looked back at the lizard. "Come on, boy. I need to ask that lady what she did to me!"
Goten rushed back to the shrine with Sushi lopping beside him. When the pair got to the doorway, the boy was disheartened to see that the shrine was empty. He walked around the whole room to see if the woman might be hiding, but he was alone.
"Oh...Sushi, she's gone. What am I going to do...?" Goten hugged his dragon close to him as his tail wound around his leg. The dark reptile came around and nuzzled the side of the boy's face. "Do you think Uncle Tarble would know?"
Sushi chirped softly and wagged his tail in agreement purring and rubbing his chin on Goten's head. The black haired cub felt along the marks again as he looked around the room again.
"I hope he won't be mad..." A massive yawn shook his body as he grew sleepy thanks to his pet's attention. He wearily rubbed one eye with his free hand and climbed onto Sushi's back . "I'll ask him in the morning, Sushi. I'm sleepy now."
++++KV++++
The rattle of his chain and opening of his cage door finally drew Goku back into consciousness, as he weakly opened his eyes. True to her word Shiveria hadn't fed him anything for a little over a week. At least Oaklio gave him water when he checked on his wounds. He couldn't remember, but the beta was pretty sure it was a bad thing he didn't feel hungry any more. He could have sworn he heard Geta talking to him the other day.
"Get up, pet, your stitches are out and we have a busy day." Shiveria said with a hint of irritation in her voice. Goku pushed himself up slowly with a whine as he struggled to his knees to crawl out of his cage. He didn't have the energy to wonder if he did something wrong. His arms shook violently before giving out on him as his head spun with dizziness.
"I said get up, pet." Shiveria's tail lashed impatiently behind her and Goku trembled at the warning. With a grunt he pushed his muscles to hoist his body off the ground. He only made it two feet out of the cage before his weakness hit him hard. He swayed and braced himself up right breathing shallow breaths before his collar dug into his neck and he hit the floor with a whine. Shiveria's tail snapped near his ear earning a flinch from the beta.
"I am not in the mood for your games, pet." Shiveria snapped. "You will get up or I will make your last punishment look tame compared to what I will put you through." Goku whined in his throat as her tail hit the back of his head. He was so tired....
"Get up or so help me I'll replace you with one of your children." Shiveria snapped. "I'm sure one of them would be more obedient. Doesn't one of them look like you? You named him Goten I believe." He whined as his eyes looked up at her pleading. Shaking, Goku tried to force his limbs to move in spite of his exhaustion. Panting he got his upper body off the floor before his arms gave out. He lay on the floor feeling like he was about to have a heart attack for a second time. She struck him again and he didn't even have the energy to flinch.
"Last warning, pet."
"Mistress?"
"What is it, Oaklio, I'm busy. It seems I have to discipline my pet again."
"That's actually why I'm here, mistress." The goat said hesitantly. Shiveria looked away from the panting beta and fixed her enraged glare on the doctor.
"You had me monitor his vitals periodically through his cuffs, and I've noticed severe change in his condition."
"Being beaten nearly to death does have that effect, Oaklio."
"This isn't from his beating, mistress." He said handing her a tablet of some sort. "Since you acquired him your pet has been losing weight. It started small, maybe a pound every two days give or take, expected with his metabolism and change to a more sedentary behavior and controlled meals."
"Get to the point."
"Your pet has lost a total of 30 pounds since his arrival, most of which was lost since you stopped his meals several days ago. He isn't being disobedient, mistress, he physically can not lift his body in his current state. Saiyans have an incredibly high metabolism and your pet especially so. Your pet has been in the second stage of starvation since his arrival and gone straight into the third with his recent punishment because he had no body fat to burn."
"You're sure?"
"Yes, if you continue his previous rations your pet will die within the year. His body requires 4 times the sustenance you have been giving him and he needs protein daily. As it stands he will need fluid nutrients for a day or two to readjust his body to food without sending him into shock." Shiveria said nothing and knelt next to the beta who looked up tiredly.
"Oh pet, I'm sorry." He didn't even respond as she pet his hair. "It looks like I went overboard when I punished you. If you had just behaved yourself this might not have happened." She handed his chain to the goat. "I have business to attend to, apparently I have more insurgents to deal with in the alpha quadrant and one of the engines is severely malfunctioning. You are in charge of him, Oaklio. You may leave him out of the kennel until he gets enough strength to move on his own. I'll check back with you this evening and I will expect some progress."
"As you wish." Goku whimpered softly as two guards entered behind Shiveria as she left and he was lifted off the floor and taken to his cushion by her chair.
'Don't fight them.' Vegeta's voice whispered to the beta. Black eyes widened at the voice in his mind as Oaklio knelt beside him and held a needle in his hand.
"Trust me, monkey, this wont hurt you. If you don't get better its both our necks on the line." He said sticking the whimpering beta in the neck and injecting something. "That should help take the edge off some of your symptoms until the IV does its job. The best thing you can do is sleep until we can try you on some broth." In the end Goku blacked out as the goat started his IV, if they were going to do anything to him it would happen if he was awake or not and right now he was too tired to care.
+++VK++
Goten jerked awake and shivered before hugging himself. His own stomach twisted with uncomfortable familiarly at his tama's treatment. He wanted the dreams to stop.
"You ok, Goten?" Trunks asked sitting up from where he leaned against Sushi, the shoulder of his own sleep shirt falling off his small shoulders. The older boy had taken to staying in bed with him out of concern for his brother. "Was it another bad dream?" The dark haired boy nodded and crawled forward and leaned into Trunks for a hug.
"I want them to stop." Goten said with a whine. "I don't want to see tama like that."
"Its just a dream remember? Dad and uncle Tarble both said it's not real."
"It feels real though." Trunks frowned, he missed the happy Goten that wanted to play and wasn't upset. As they shifted to lean against the purring panzaon Trunks spotted something on Goten's chest.
"Hey what's that mark on your chest?" He didn't expect the smaller boy to bolt upright and run to the mirror across the room.
"It's really there!" He said as he pulled aside his shirt to look at it and touch it again. His tail quickly found its way to his hands. Trunks pulled away the fabric of his shirt and looked at it with bright inquisitive eyes.
"That is so cool, Goten! How'd you get it?"
"Get what?" Tarble asked from the doorway. Goten tensed up and pulled his shirt over the mark hoping Tarble didn't see it. "Goten, what is on your chest?"
"Nothing!" He backed away from Tarble and Raditz as his other uncle came in.
"He's got this cool mark, like a tattoo." Trunks said excitedly. "I want one too."
"Mark?" Tarble frowned as he looked at Raditz who was just as confused. "What mark?"
"Squirt, you need to let us see it." Raditz said squatting in front of his nephew. Goten shook his head and pulled his shirt closed tighter.
"No, you'll get mad!"
"Mahana, we just want to be sure you're ok." Tarble said kneeling in front of the cub. "We wont get mad." Goten relaxed a bit at the familiar nickname, my sunshine, from his uncles. Slowly he let his shirt fall open as his tail once again found its way into his hands. He wasn't expecting his uncles' eyes to widen in shock and flinched away covering the silver flower again.
"Goten where did you get that mark?" Tarble asked moving forward to gently grab the cub by his shoulders.
"I'm sorry, please don't get mad! I didn't mean to." Goten whined with tears in his eyes. "You said you wouldn't get mad!
"Why would I get mad mahana?" Tarble asked shushing the cub.
"I-I left the room last night." He sniffed as his hands rung his shirt. "I couldn't sleep and yo-you said we could ask Lady Tarro for help so I went to talk to her. I wanted to ask her to help Tama and Daddy."
"I wish you had asked us to take you, but I'm not mad at you mahana." Tarble said ruffling the cub's hair. "What else happened?"
"I met a lady there." Goten admit shifting his feet nervously. "She was nice and reminded me of tama. I felt better after we talked and she told me L-Lady Tarro heard my prayer and would help them. T-then she...."
"Then what?"
"She touched me here." The cub said pointing at the flower. "I-it was all warm. She, she said if I kept my hope an-and faith here, Lady Tarro would always be with me. I didn't know about the mark until I left, honest! When I went back and tried to ask her she was gone! I'm sorry!" Tarble said nothing for a moment before looking at Raditz.
"Raditz, call Vegeta and go get my father right now." The hairball snapped out of whatever trance he'd been in.
"Are, are you sure that's-" Tarble growled slapping the back of the alpha's head.
"Go get them!"
"I'm sorry, please don't be mad. You said you wouldn't be mad." Goten cried softly as Raditz fled from the beta's wrath. Tarble immediately pulled Goten into his arms.
"No, mahana I'm not mad I promise." He sat on the bed and looked the cub in the eyes. "No one is mad at you sweetheart. That mark is something very, very special. I promise, your Daddy and Grandpas will be very happy about this."
"Tama and Gohan too?"
"Them too." Tarble grinned.
"What does it mean, Uncle Tarble?" Trunks asked as he came up beside the younger half saiyan. His blue eyes kept darting to the marks on Goten's neck and back to the prince. "What are they anyway?"
"You'll need to wait for Vegeta before I can tell you!" The beta spoke with a bit of a mischievous look in his eyes. What the black haired cub had told him meant more than he knew, and the full blooded saiyan was almost shaking in excitement.
The boys continued to pester Tarble for answers as Raditz returned with K. Vegeta who held Vegito in his arms, and the com link beeped. Tarble moved the screen as he accepted the transmission so the three saiyans on the other side of the call could see everything.
"What is it, Tarble? Is everything alright?" K. Vegeta sounded concern as he looked over the boys. He bounced the baby in his arms as he watched with a lifted brow as Goten ducked behind his youngest son's leg with his hands keeping his shirt closed.
"Mahana, it's alright. None of them are going to be mad." Tarble coaxed the nervous half saiyan out and pulled the cub's hands away from his shirt. Once the mark was revealed, everyone was staring at Goten in disbelief.
"What?!" Bardock's voice came over the speakers once he got over his shock, and Vegeta and Gohan yelped as the older man shoved the two out of his way. His face filled the entire screen as he tried to get a better view. "Is that what I think it is?!"
"Yes! We have a Saibai-sha, and it's our Goten!" Tarble beamed at the rest of the room while Goten held his tail in his hands. "He also said the Lady Tarro is going to help you find Kakarot!"
Bardock grinned from ear to ear making him look very similar to his youngest son before he was pushed out of the way by Vegeta. The dominant looked at his still nervous son, and gave him a warm smile.
"Goten, this is a very good thing."
"It is?" The youngest half saiyan looked at his father from under his bangs. "What does it mean, and why is everyone so happy?"
"It means, tesoro, that you are Lady Tarro's chosen one. You represent her to the rest of us, and she watches over you. Essentially, you are her voice on Vegetasei."
The boy's eyes were wide as he looked at Vegeta. His eyes darted back over to Tarble, who was still smiling.
"You mean...that lady I saw last night was Lady Tarro?" Goten giggled a bit as he smiled a full smile for the first time in a long time. "That means- That means she's gonna bring tama home! Tama's coming home!" He shouted in excitement and landed in Tarble's lap purring in joy as he hugged his uncle.
By now, hardly anyone could speak. There hadn't been a representative of the Gods for almost 300 years.
"I had a feeling Goten would be a beta, but this confirms it. Ugh...I'll be beating alphas away from him once he comes of age." The older prince groaned as he slumped in his seat after studying the mark for a moment. Goten perked up again.
"I'm a beta! Like you and Tama!" He shouted happily looking up at Tarble who grinned and ruffled his hair. It soothed everyone's souls to see their mahana happy again.
"That's right squirt." Raditz said picking the cub up and cuddling him with a purr. "You're just like your tama, looks and all. We're going to have our work cut out for us keeping the alphas away until you pick one kiddo."
"But I already picked one." Goten said with a pout as Raditz set him back on his feet. "I like Trunks, I don't want anyone else."
"Yeah! Goten is gonna be my mate when we grow up!" Trunks said shocking the adults as he hugged the little beta. Goten blushed faintly as he smiled and cuddled into Trunks with a purr. Gohan broke the stunned silence as he began laughing.
"What the hell is so funny?" Vegeta snapped.
"You didn't see this coming Vegeta?" He said shocking everyone. "Seriously, they've always been attached to each other."
The older alpha sputtered a bit as he looked back at the two boys that had yet to let go of one another. He searched his memory looking at all the times Goten and Trunks were together, and his head fell forward with another groan.
"What is with our families being drawn together? At least that's the last of us to pair off."