The Road to Home

"I've... been in a few battles." Zuqetta would admit as she sipped upon the mixed fruit juice first, "Not exactly enough ta leave me scarred, but... well, enough ta have a proper opinion." She would explain as she though her her encounters since running away from her home.

The bloodshed of battle wasn't for her, that was how she felt; while she may have enjoyed fighting, killing was another matter entirely. Luckily, she'd yet to cross that line, and with Taori and Cheri taking charge of their respective provinces, it was hopefully something she'd never have to experience herself.

"Let's just say that, when someone dedicates themselves to a cause and goes into battle with conviction; nothing else matters to them." She would state with a sigh as she remembered the Tuffle soldiers that attacked her and Rensou, "Soldiers on either side don't care if they're attacking children, or if the person they're after isn't fighting back. An enemy is an enemy to them, and they won't take the risk of showing mercy..."

As Dark said, she had a great deal of power, and she'd placed that power where she believed it was needed. Power was nothing without skill however, and she was still highly untrained; little more than a walking bomb rather than any kind of finely tuned weapon. Worse yet, was her judgement; no matter all the power she had, her poor decisions had caused problem after problem. What good was it then if she never learned from her mistakes? Zuqetta could only finish with a heavy sigh before taking to finish off her first drink; she felt like she had soured the mood with all of her talk... at least the drink was good.

---

The rush, the was a concept Zuqetta understood; and it was one of the few things she was afraid of. She'd felt it time and time again, a blood boiling feeling that would overwhelm her, causing her to make one bad decision after another. She hadn't always felt such a feeling, and maybe that was the issue. As a child, she'd hated training with her father; she'd always been so passive, holing herself up in her bedroom whenever she had the chance to escape him. As she grew older however, that strange feeling began to appear; she first felt its intensity when she ran away from home, and watched her manor burning away from the distance. Since that time however, the feeling had only become more and more extreme; taking her to the point of fighting those far beyond her skill level, win or lose, in those moments it was only the fight that mattered.

Zuqetta had become lost in thought as the mention; but with the foods arrival, she would snap out of it and return to her senses. She didn't know whose was whose, and hardly cared. Before her was a steamy slab of meat, and considering what she'd been eating in Hatchi City, she couldn't help but pounce upon the meal without reservation.

"Meat!!!" She would exclaim as a bit of drool dripped from her mouth, "It's felt like ages!!!" She state with a heavy sigh of relief before quickly clutching the slab of meat with her bear hands. Zuqetta would hardly let the heat of the food bother her as she chomped down widely upon the slab; taking several quick breaths as she chewed in an attempt to cool it down, "Back in Hatchi, I had nothing but fruit, and salads, and fruit salads! THIS IS THE GREATEST!!!" She would explain excitedly before munching down on another mouthful, licking her fingers as the juices of the slab of meat tricked down.

As she dug in, Dark would speak up once more; what he would say however would elicit a bit of a pout from Zuqetta as she glared at him. "Af aif fa fus-" Rolling her eyes, Zuqetta would cease her attempt to speak; taking a deep breath as she quickly chewed up her food before attempting to continue.

"That's is-!" She would begin, clearing her throat, "Who said I didn't like a tussle!?" She would protest, "I train a lot ya know! and I've been in a TON of fights!" She'd explain as she placed the remaining half of her slab of meat back on the plate and begin licking her fingers clean, "But a fight for fun, and a fight for life and death... they're different!" She'd state as she took hold of the Freezie Berri juice and began to sip at it with a stern expression; before muttering quietly, "Just don't wanna KILL anyone..."

She felt offended by Dark's comment, but not so much so as to chastise him for it; he wasn't entirely wrong after all. If she could have continued to enjoy the rest of her days in peace back in Hatchi City, then she might very well would have; but she couldn't ignore the potential plight of her kin. She didn't want to be a coward; she wanted to be stronger, but she also refused to allow herself to stray from the kind of positive person she was. She'd already run away once, ignoring her people and allowing a Demon to take over; only for her to run away again when she saw the after math of those who had been affected by Rosemary's mind control.

How many more times was she going to run away?

---

To take on an army? This certainly didn't seem like a good idea, or one that Zuqetta should even consider. If she couldn't take on an army of Saiba-wolves without the help of Zriracha and Rensou, then there was NO WAY she was capable of taking on an army of trained Saiyan soldiers. Zuqetta couldn't help but laugh a bit at the mention however; besides being a surefire way to die, it'd probably be one of the most epic fights she could imagine.

"If it comes to a fight..." Zuqetta would begin as she sipped on her juice, "I won't like it... but I'll be there. Whether the Tuffles wage war, or vice versa." She'd state firmly before giving a sigh, "But it shouldn't come ta that!" She'd say with a smile, "Hehe, while I was in Hatchi, I got some good Intel ya know! Their new Chancellor is in favor of peace, and apparently, there are a good many Tuffles who trust in Sadala's new King as well!" She'd explain with a sharp grin, "With those kinda odds, heh, I wouldn't be surprised if the war ended before the end of this month!"

She spoke proudly before returning to her slab of steak; though in truth, she was still doubtful. Considering how the first, now forgotten King had started a war, and how the Queen that followed attempted to mind control her people; Zuqetta's trust in Sadala's leadership was heavily wavering. She'd been told by everyone about how kind Taori was though; she would hold onto that sliver of hope.

"Hm... it's easy ta see your point though; compared to Rosemary, I guess anyone would wanna follow the new King." She would say curiously as she ripped another piece of her steak and chewed it down before glancing towards Dark, "Hehe, do YOU swear fealty?" She would ask teasingly, "Ichin' for a fight?"

She hadn't even thought about it until now, but she was telling her honest opinions about everything to someone who may have been a complete stranger! He could have been a military officer even! Would he arrest her or fight her for these statements she was making? Was what she was saying considered treasonous?? She didn't believe so, it wasn't like she made any mention of whose side she would take or that she would take down Taori if things came down to it. If anything, she just kept going on about how hopeful she was; even if it was coupled with the hesitation and worry she felt.

---

Finishing off the remaining slab of steak an downing the rest of her fruity beverage, Zuqetta would give an enjoyable sigh of relief at having been replenished after such a disastrous trip. While she may have been procrastinating to begin with, and while her initial meeting with a resident of this town wasn't the best; Zuqetta was happy to have bumped into Dark here, even if their ideals seemed to clash.

"Hmph, well, any who DON'T agree with bringing about peace are fools in my opinion." She would state harshly as she leapt out of her bar stool, "This war began before I was even born, and continues to wage in small skirmishes even now. On both sides, people are killed, and on both sides, more and more people keep vowing revenge." She'd say sternly as her tail beat against the floor, "I don't see anything wrong with what you've just said; it's an absolute truth." She'd continue; crossing her arms, "But how many more are going to needlessly die? And how many more after that are going to vow further vengeance in this endless cycle of death? I know how my people are... how Saiyans are... such stupid resolve as the 'Saiyan Way' is what killed my sister and so many of my friends..."

Zuqetta would stop her rant, realizing her emotions were beginning to get the best of her. Dark hadn't been the first to basically tell her that peace was never an option, and he most certainly wouldn't be the last. Still, this was no reason to go off on him when all he had done was give his viewpoint.

"I'm..." Zuqetta would begin once more, biting at her lip as she glared at the floor, "Sorry about that." She would state plainly before calming herself with a deep breath, "Anyways, thank for the food, Dark! I owe ya one!" She would continue with a feigned smile as Dark continued on his serving of seconds, "I'm goin' back to Sadala, time ta stop procrastinatin'! Hehe, hope ta see ya again soon!" She would exclaim before quickly departing the bar with a wave; unknowingly leaving Dark to foot the bill.

Her battle power had already begun to fluctuate from her aggression; the last thing she wanted was to suddenly lose herself to her anger and take it out on Dark. Better to continue on her journey with haste, and apologize to Dark another time about her behavior properly. With that, upon exiting the establishment, Zuqetta would quickly take to the sky; deciding it best to continue her journey with haste, lest she be swayed to procrastinate once again.

Her only regret, she hadn't had the chance to pet Dark's fulffy tail...

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