Pairings: A bit of Makaru/Kakkarrot

Madness of the Moon
CHAPTER ONE:

The light beeping of the regen tank snapped Kakkarrot awake from his light doze. Getting to his feet abruptly, he couldn’t stop the grin that came to his face as he practically ripped the door open in his excitement.

“Makaru! You sly dog you!!”

“Oof!! Kakkarrot…you…are…breaking…my…bones…” came the struggling words as Makaru found himself encased in a bone crushing hug.

“Sorry.” Kakkarrot apologized, looking sheepish and releasing his death hold. “It’s just that…I can’t believe that…YOU are different!”

Makaru found himself blushing furiously at the gleaming look in his friend’s eyes and he shifted restlessly from one foot to the other, hopelessly aware of how wet he was and the way the bodysuit clung to him like a second skin. He shivered.

“Stupid me.” Kakkarrot blurted out, trying to diffuse the suddenly tense situation. “I need to dry you up.” And turning around, he searched for something decent to cover the quivering boy.

Makaru couldn’t help himself. Kakkarrot looked…

~ Breathtaking. ~

The five years of training had certainly done wonders for the taller boy, and Makaru felt a small tug of need at his chest. He wasn’t sure if this feeling had always been within him. This deep need for approval from Kakkarrot. He figured that maybe it was. He had always thrived on his compliments, no matter how little they were. Whenever they had sparred, knowing that he could and never would be as good as he was, the taller boy had never made fun of that. He had, instead, encouraged him. Kayla and he.

Kayla. She had always been in the way of…

~ Za’ani ! What are you thinking?! ~

He jumped up as he felt the soft cloth brush against his skin. “Wha…what are you doing?” he asked in a shaky voice.

“What does it look like I am doing?” Kakkarrot asked with a puzzled frown on his face. “You don’t want to freeze to death now do you?”

“I can dry myself, thank you.” Makaru replied tightly, snatching the towel and turning away to hide his burning face.

“So much for helping.” Kakkarrot sneered lightly. He leaned against a wall and folded his arms across his chest, reluctantly admiring the new lithe form of his friend. He had always been aware of Makaru’s physical beauty, even though it had been hidden beneath wads of fat, but now…

“Ma’un  says that you have been training very hard. I would like to see how good you really are. So what do you say you and I spar sometime next week?” he drawled lightly.

“S…sp…spar?”

“Uh huh. Spar. Just you and I. Just like old times.”

“The moon…is…aren’t you worried about it?” Makaru asked, finally spinning around to stare at the relaxed looking saiyan.

“Of course I am.” Kakkarrot replied, pushing himself away from the wall and stalking towards his friend. Stopping within inches of the now trembling man, his eyes darkened with an unreadable emotion and with a strong finger he traced the lines of the handsome face before him, as if hoping to etch it’s strong lines and features in his memory.

Makaru closed his eyes and sighed softly, his lips parting as the finger made it’s way into his mouth. Without so much as a thought, he clamped them over the digit and sucked it within the warmth, groaning as the salty taste of Kakkarrot’s skin fueled his already burning flesh.
With great reluctance, he withdrew the finger and raised hooded eyes to meet onyx depths that stared back at him with curiosity and slight amusement.

“Sorry…” Makaru muttered in embarrassment, as he stepped away from the radiating heat before him. Bending down to pick up his clothes, he found himself ridiculously close to tears.

~ Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! ~

“I do not plan to hide indoors, Makaru.” Kakkarrot continued calmly, as if nothing had transpired between them. “It has been so long, I think I intend to enjoy it this time.”

Makaru nodded and stepped towards the stairs that led outside. “I might…I might not…I am still a bit weak, after all I had been pulverized by your brother.”

“I make no apologies for that, Makaru.” Kakkarrot said a bit coldly. “You know as well as I do that the Radditsu we both know would never have done such a thing.”

“Whether we both know or not, the damage has been done.” Came the snapped reply. “I do not enjoy being a punching bag for some lunatic…”

“You mind your words, Makaru.” Kakkarrot growled.

“Is that right?!” Makaru snarled, his frustrations finally making themselves evident. Storming back to Kakkarrot, he yelled out angrily. “Try to make me mind my words! I would just like to see you try! You have no idea what I went through today all thanks to your wonderful brother! I was minding my own business and what happens next? He starts using me as a practice target! I could have been killed today!! And you tell me to mind my words!! Well, guess what Kakkarrot?! I spit on them!!”

Following action to words, he spat out in disgust and raised hurt and angry eyes to the defiant ones before him.

“I saw what he did to Saida…” he continued, his voice breaking in pain. “He raped her; right in front of me…it was like watching your sister being ripped to pieces. And you know the worst thing, Kakkarrot…do you really want to know what the worst thing was…I COULDN’T DO A THING ABOUT IT!!”

By this time, the tears had set themselves free and without waiting for another word to slip out of Kakkarrot’s lips, he staggered up the stairs and out of the laboratory, leaving a silent and contemplative Saiyan behind.

~*~*~*~*~

Kazak watched the figure dart like a bullet past the hallways. He smirked in self-knowledge and walked steadily after it.

“Going somewhere, my Liege?” he asked calmly, as he caught up to the hunched cloaked figure.

Crazed looking black orbs stared at him in bewilderment and confusion for a few seconds before settling down back to a relative sane state.

“I need to get out, Kazak.” Vegeta replied simply.

The advisor nodded in understanding. “A horse has been stationed…or if you would rather fly…”

“I think I will fly…much faster.”

“Ahi , my Liege. You are going to meet him are you not?”

Vegeta snapped his head around to stare at the knowing eyes before him. He couldn’t recall speaking about Kakkarrot to anyone else. “How…how do you know?”

“He seems to be a constant in your dreams, my Liege. Night after night, that name, Kakkarrot, has escaped your lips always accompanied with a sigh of longing, am I not correct?”

“You listen to things that are of no importance to you!” Vegeta snapped, his face darkening with embarrassment.

“I agree my lord, but you forget that I am also a Saiyan, with flesh and blood and I too know the intense need for a mate…”

“WHAT MAKES YOU THINK I AM THAT DESPERATE?!”

“Calm down, my Liege. I apologize for assuming too much. But you must make haste, I see that the moon is nearly approaching its zenith.”

Vegeta snorted and with a curt nod, he powered up and took off towards the eastern quadrant.

Neither party noticed the twin eyes of amusement that followed their every move.

~*~*~*~*~*~

He practically ran into the house groaning as the effects of the moon had slowly begun to make itself evident. He had barely gotten out of the laboratory, when he had foolishly looked up at the still rising circle of light. His body had reacted almost immediately. His skin had begun to heat up and his tail had begun its wild dance. He had bared his canines about to howl out in delirium, when the sharp cry from a young boy had snapped him out of it.

The cry had come from within the house and sagging limply against the door, he stared blankly at the miniature frowning Radditsu in front of him.

For several seconds, both Saiyans stared at each other in silence.

“Uncle?”

“Fumiko?”

Fumiko’s face cleared into a bright beam of a smile and in a flash he had his arms clasped around the neck of a startled Kakkarrot. A small pang of regret flashed through him as he stroked the long locks, clutching the trembling small body to him. His nephew. The poor boy was never going to get a chance to see his father…at least his sane and real father.

“Come Fumiko.” The calm voice of Laetha said. “We must go down to the underground room.”

“You do not plan to participate?” Kakkarrot asked in bemusement, as he got up from his stooped position on the floor.

Laetha smiled wanly as she cradled the now throbbing boy within her arms. “Not for Fumiko yet. See how he shakes? It is already beginning. For a boy this young, the effects could be devastating and I do not think I can take much more excitement today.”

“Ahi , I understand.”

“You best be careful Kakkarrot. I want you to go as far away from here as possible. Hopefully, the house would not be destroyed by morning.”

And with a heavy sigh, she nodded in farewell and headed towards the doors that led to their second home.

Kakkarrot waited for the sharp click of the doors locking up before flashing pearly canines in excitement.

He couldn’t remember the last time he had had a chance to go oozaruu.
 
~ Your wedding night. ~

A sharp pain of remembrance flowed through him and he had to grip the table tightly to prevent himself from collapsing to the ground. He felt a bit guilty at not having thought about his late bride for the past few years, his mind having to be focused on controlling and harnessing his new found strength. He stared at his hands in acute fascination. He could already see the hairs beginning to grow. His tail seemed to have become even heavier and staring out of the window, he could make out the shadows of those ready for the activities.

Stripping out of his robes, his knuckles brushed against the sheath that had been tied securely to his waist. Unwrapping the precious sword carefully, he placed it on his bed, bowing to it in mute respect. There would be no need for that tonight.

In fact, he was going to go completely nude.

Grinning, he was quickly stopped again as the blueprint caught his eye. He picked up the paper and stared at the design in amazement. The possibilities! All he had to do was take this up to the institute and then…

~ N’ehi  Kakkarrot! ~

His father’s voice jerked him alert. ~ Pa’un ! Is that really you? ~

~ Hmm…unless you have gotten yourself a new father…I would have to say ‘yes’. ~

~ It is so good to hear your voice again father! How are you? Where are you? What has been going on? ~

~ Easy, Kakkarrot. All is well so far and I am not sure if I should tell you about my whereabouts. I feel a… ~

~ A sense of foreboding. Ahi, pa’un . I feel it too. ~

~ I see that you have sharpened your senses as well. I must remember to thank them…if I ever get to see them. ~

Kakkarrot swallowed tightly. ~ What do you mean… ‘if?’ ~

~ You know it as well as I do that my time is coming soon. I do not have much longer to live. ~

~ Pa’un …you frighten me… ~

~ I know. That is why you must listen to me and listen very carefully, Kakkarrot. You are the only one that can be trusted now. Your brother is too far gone to be saved and my heart weeps for poor Saida. ~

~ Who is the other one? There is one that I sense… ~

~ Ahi , Kakkarrot. The one that you sense has an evil far greater than any you have ever experienced. It is he that has taken the lives of your brother and his mate. His name is …Turles. He is your uncle. ~

~ Uncle? I was not aware… ~

~ I know that I have not told you boys about it and for good reason too. I thought he had disappeared from existence, but I was wrong. You see, Kakkarrrot, he is back and he seeks for me. ~

Kakkarrot dug his hands into the flesh of his thighs, drawing blood and never noticing or feeling the pain.

~ You are going to fight him. ~ A statement of fact.

~ Ahi , Kakkarrot. A fight to the finish. ~

~ This is madness, father! ~

~ For you it might, but for me…it is a whole lot more than that. He took away something from me that he had no right to and I will make him pay for that. ~

~ What if you do not survive? What will I do? What will mother do? ~

~ That is a risk I am willing to take, my son. If I do not survive then it will be all up to you. That is why you must not take that blueprint to the institute. ~

~ And why is that? ~

~ There are several people in there who work for the King. At least used to work for the King. The Old King. They are trying to get my works to him and I refuse to give it to them…~

~ The…Old..King…what…what are you trying to say, pa’un ? ~

~ The Old King is dead, Kakkarrot. His son is in power now. His son…I am assuming… ~

~ Vegeta…Ha’ji  Vegeta…he…he… ~

“THE KA’TAI !!!” he bellowed, getting to his feet, his entire body throbbing with golden energy.

~ Calm down, Kakkarrot! You do not know if he….~

“I DON’T CARE!! HE ORDERDED THE ATTACKS!! HE KILLED MY MATE!!”

~ KAKKARROT! STOP AND THINK BEFORE RUSHING HEAD LONG INTO SOMETHING THAT YOU WILL REGRET. ~

Kakkarrot was already stepping out of the door, all the anger and hurt rising out of the deep well that it had been buried in. All that filled his mind now were images of his bride dressed in her wedding robes, bleeding her life out in his arms. The agony had been too much to bear.

~ KAKKARROT LISTEN TO ME. YOU MUST LISTEN. ~

“Get out of my head, pa’un .” Kakkarrot said in a voice so cold, it sent chills of fear down Bardock’s spine.

“You have a battle with your brother.” He continued, his entire body tensed like a bowstring. “I have a score to settle with a certain…KING.”

~*~*~*~*~*~

Lieutenant Gradun of the first class elite warriors was not exempt from the effects of the moon. He paced and stalked around the empty throne room in agitation, his tail lashing wildly as the conversation he had overheard danced around his mind.

He dug his fingers into the palms of his hands and growled. So the Ha’j  was still infatuated with that boy? He could not believe it. After all these years, Vegeta was still as determined as ever to mate with an enemy! And not just any enemy, but the son of the one person that was personally responsible for the near collapse of their neighboring quadrants and allies! Was he crazy?!

Well, as Lieutenant, his duty was to serve his king and the welfare of his people came at a very close second and by Za’ani  if Vegeta had forgotten all about that, he was here to remind him.

“You sent for me?”

Gradun stopped his pacing and spun around sharply to face the not so happy face of a sleepy Nappa. “You were asleep?!” He asked incredulously.

“So what? Is this what you sent me here for? For a stupid question?!” Nappa bellowed in growing irritation.

Gradun shook his head and walking up to the burly man, he leaned forward in an eagerness that stumped the other for several seconds. Nappa took in the crazed look in the other Saiyan’s eyes and groaned inwardly.

~ Za’ani …Not another one of his stupendous ideas. ~

“I have a little mission for you, General Nappa.” Gradun said calmly, his eyes flashing with a danger that was gradually beginning to worry the taller man.

“What mission?” He asked warily.

A wicked smirk danced across the handsome visage and the Lieutenant replied. “You are going to bring someone here for me.”

“Umm…someone?” came the confused question.

“Ahi , Nappa. When the moon goes down and all is well again, I want you and your men to search for the one named Kakkarrot. He is a Ba’an  and a very dangerous one.”

“N’ai ? Has he done anything wrong?”

Gradun snorted. “It’s not a question of what he did wrong, but a question of what he might do! I want him arrested and if he protests too much or gives you too much trouble…”

The General visibly cringed at the next snarled words out of the others’ mouth.

“…kill  him.”