Zafira's Story  

CHAPTER 3: The Brolli Incident


The baby came one wild and stormy night. Zafira lay in the infirmary bed, screaming as if she were dying. King Vegeta was out giving a speech, welcoming in a new group of saiiyan elite. "I am honored to have such great fighters defend and uphold the saiiyan name," he said. "AAAH!!" Zafira screamed as she clutched the bed covers. "Make it stop! Make it stop!" she screamed over and over until the doctor came up to her, dressed and prepared to deliver the baby. "Your highness, in order to do this, I must insist that you calm down," he said, calmly. "Calm down? Calm down?! How can I calm down when this thing is pushing out of me through my-AAAH!!" she resumed her screaming again as the doctor's aides desperately tried to keep her restrained. "You not only make your family and friends proud, but also your king and queen and ALL the people of Vegeta," the king went on. "Push!" the doctor said to Zafira as he stood at the receiving end and she did so. "It fills me with pride to stand here before you all today. To know that one day you will return from the planet, boasting about another succesful planet trade..." he said. "AAH!" Zafira screamed. "If you settle down and have children, you will teach them what you will be taught, and they will teach their children..." he said. A baby's cry filled the air and Zafira's head fell to the pillow under her. "It's a boy," the doctor said.

After the speech, Vegeta came back to the palace. As he walked down the halls, one of the servants came up to him and said something inaudible. Vegeta's eyes widened and he sprinted down the hallway to the infirmary. The doctor came up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder and smile filled his face. Vegeta smiled in return and quietly walked up to Zafira was calmly feeding the hungry baby. His hair stood up like fire, like his father's, only his hair was black like his mother's. "He looks so much like you," Zafira said. "But he has some of your features too," Vegeta said. "And your appetite. The boy doesn't stop," she chuckled and the king joined in. "Have you chosen a name for him?" the king asked. "Yes, I've decided to name him...Vegeta," Zafira said with a smile and the king quickly hugged her. The baby began to whine and the two chuckled and pulled away from each other to allow the baby to continue to feed. "So greedy," Zafira said.

Soon, Zafira began to regain her strength and was on her feet again. Of course, Vegeta (the baby), wouldn't stay with a complete stranger for very long. Oh, it was the same routine: Zafira would wake up, leave the bedroom, the servants would come in to feed the baby, he'd be fed, but after a few minutes with them, he'd start crying just as Zafira would get settled down to breakfast with her husband. The king and queen would sigh and the servants would carry the infant back to his mother. As soon as was placed in her lap, he would grow silent and act as if nothing happened. The queen would sigh,"So spoiled."

One day, a saiiyan soldier came bursting into the royal court room. "What is the meaning of this?" the king asked. "A saiiyan baby was just born to a third class family. The baby has the power level of 1,000!" the soldier exclaimed. They all murmured amongst themselves. So the king personally went over to the house of the baby. His mother and father bowed before him and stood aside and he went to the crib of the baby. "What is his name?" the king asked. "B-Brolli, your majesty," the father said, still bowing. "The child's power is extraordinary," the king said as he settled himself down in his seat at the royal court. The men all agreed.

Zafira happened to be walking through the halls when she noticed the pediactrics infirmary and grew curious. When she stepped up to the doors, the soldiers, who were really surprised to her, bowed. The doors opened and she stepped inside. It was so dark and quiet, save the sound of one crying baby. She walked through the aisles of baby carriages, reading off the names. "Nappa...Cabbat..." she read. As she continued to walk down, "Kakarrot...Brolli..." and she stopped. She read the one for Kakarrot. "Son of Bardock and Cassia. Second-born. Brother to Raditz," she read. She paid it no mind. The baby was a third-class saiiyan compared to others she had just read. What truly caught her eyes was Brolli. "Impossible," she said in a hushed whisper. "It's just not possible," she said again, reading his information. "Yet, there it is," she said. The baby continued to cry and cry. "Shh," she said, "you're a saiiyan, be strong." And she stroked he cheek gently and he calmed down to nestled down to sleep. "It's a shame, really," a guard came walking up to her. "Why's that?" Zafira asked. "With a power level like that, he'd make a great saiiyan warrior. Unfortunately, the court would suspect the loyalty of one so powerful, they might have the baby killed," the guard said. Zafira gasped and stormed out.

      Zafira came storming through the halls angrily. Just outside the royal court, Brolli's father was being carried out by two saiiyan guards. "Please, spare my son! PLEASE!!" the man pleaded. Zafira and the man got one glimpse of each other and that was all. Then, King Vegeta came walking out. "What is the meaning of this? Is it true that you're having his baby killed?" she asked, angrily. "Yes. A power like that is likely to get corrupt and overthrow us all," the king said. "You don't know that! A power like that is a blessing! The child would grow into the greatest saiiyan warrior ever known!" the queen replied. "We can't take that chance! I want the future of our son and this planet to remain intact. I can't jeopardize it over some third-class saiiyan baby!" he yelled. Zafira glared at him. At that moment, one of the servants came up to her with Prince Vegeta fidgeting in her arms. He quickly extended his arms to his mother and Zafira picked him up. "Just remember who you're really doing this for. Are you doing this because you're afraid he'll become corrupt, or are you afraid he'll be even greater than our son?" she asked and stormed past him, leaving him speechless.

      Zafira refused to eat or speak to him after that, much less, see the baby. As the baby spoke gibberish in her arms, she spoke to him. "Tell me, Vegeta, why is your father so paranoid? We already both know that you'll be a great monarch, even if some miracle child is stronger. Yet that's not enough for him. As much as I want to defy him and protect the child, I'd be a traitor to the crown," she said. Prince Vegeta merely look up at her and held onto her top, oblivious as to what she was saying. She sighed and held him close.

      Inside the infirmary, Brolli had woken up and started crying again. As he cried, Kakarrot began to stir and soon started crying too. In the darkness, someone lifted Brolli by his tail and then brought out a dagger...

      As Zafira held Prince Vegeta in her arms, she walked about the room, looking at the child's crib and looking at all gifts given to the prince on the day of his birth. Just then, a bright light blasted through her window. She rushed over and shielded the baby's eyes. The light was immensely bright and eerie, but as she shielded her eyes, she could see the sillouhette of a baby and a man, floating away from the planet. She then realized that the baby would survive, that he was so powerful, that not even Vegeta's men could destroy him. She sighed with relief, but also knew that if the child got older, he'd exact his revenge on the throne. Telling King Vegeta would only provoke him to send him men to destroy the baby in space, so she kept quiet about it and told no one.