Natural Selection

The Berri Forest, a surprising humdrum of activity... or at least, that was what Zuqetta had thought. Yet to break her assumptive surprise with true surprise, was all there was to be found out in the Tuffle forests of the Lychee sector! From the outposts that had been established after Taori won his war, to the strange girl that'd come crashing from space like a meteor; it was clear that if Zuqetta was to rule properly, she needed to assess not merely the Saiyan regions of Plant, but the Tuffle regions as well.

She'd not heard from the Tuffle leadership since taking the throne, nor from Sen, so it was clear they weren't maintaining their own lands. Reports from the outposts indicated as much as well, with scouts mentioning seeing less and less Tuffles traveling the wilds.

The question was, why?

An impromptu census did show a drop of Tuffle citizens compared to past years, for... rather obvious reasons; however it wasn't so massive as to be the reason for the drop to near zero when it came to those traveling the forest. Zuqetta had reservations as a plethora of worrisome assumptions ran through her mind. Could they have been preparing for war again? Were they evacuating the planet in secret? There were plenty of assumptions she could make, but she refused to allow her thoughts to cloud her judgement.

Messages to Hatchi failed to reach anyone of import, those that did respond spoke little of any strange changes; plain and simply, for scientific reasons they claimed Zuqetta wouldn't understand, they had ceased ninety percent of their research involving the flora and fauna in a particular sector. To be fair, they might've been right, and updates from outposts in other sectors confirmed continued activity... so why not here? This was what Zuqetta was keen to discover...

"Remember my lady, the ecosystem in this area is INCREDIBLY sensitive to changes in the atmosphere. I'll advice you again AGAINST any brutish display of higher energy consumption." A diminutive Tuffle in a rather curious "expedition" getup would insist with a haughty attitude, "Why, the mere trickling of your unnecessary power for somethings as mundane as flight could cause the fauna in the area to flee to further sectors, and have you ANY idea what that might do to the environments!? Invasive species, SCATTERING in all directions! Flora and fauna in other areas DESTROYED, all because you couldn't CONTROL yourself!"

Zuqetta, riding atop her trusty Saiya Wolf, Wulfo, wore a bored expression. The singluar Tuffle that accompanied her was a lesser researcher, but a researcher still. He'd continue to drone on in this manner, as he'd been doing so since the start of their adventure. He, Zuqetta, and a platoon of five Saiyan guards; which included a pair of scouts, had already been trekking through the forest for an hour.

Why not fly? Because the damned scientist INSISTED!

It made no sense, people flew through these areas all the time, yet something was "special" about this particular sector. When Zuqetta had issued her submission to the Tuffle council, or whoever must've received it, indicating her intent to investigate, that was when the tag along appeared. He was small, skittish while surrounded by such huge Saiyans, and yet was surprisingly aggressive when it came to his research. He'd accepted Zuqetta's desire to learn the secret that dwelled in the sector currently; a secret that was apparently one that moved often enough, but he'd only accept her investigating on his terms.

She didn't have to listen... not only was she the damned Queen of the Saiyan, but it was the Tuffles that had lost to Taori! By all logic, they should have been subservient to the Saiyans technically!! Still, he had a point... she had no intention of disrupting the ecosystem, but damn was he annoying...

Then finally, they would stop-

"Hold it!" A scout several meters ahead would speak up; holding up a fist and bringing the group to a standstill, "Reaction on the scouter... damned forest, readings are all over the place."

The scout would examine the surrounding foliage, taking note of disturbances while his buddy chimed in. "Hey, I think I hear water-" he'd remark, turning his attention towards the scientist, "Dwarf, is there a stream or river 'round here?"

"Well, BRUTE, let me first correct your ill-informed self that I most certainly am NOT a dwarf. In fact, my personal height averages several centimeters taller than the national record! Furthermore-"

Of course, bickering would ensue between the two; Saiyans and Tuffles, an eternal conflict. Zuqetta however, couldn't care less about their bickering; what surprised her the most, was how few in the wider universe had the ability to sense energy. She met plenty of fighters who could sense energy, and even magic; yet none of her guards could, nor could the Tuffle, each of them relying on scouters and technology that the forest made faulty. Even Ticoga, the actual emperor of Arcose used a scouter, though Zuqetta wasn't sure if that was due to a lack of sensing ability.

The surprise however, was for a different reason; what she was most surprised about, was how people like them could survive for so long. None were all too powerful, she certainly didn't need them as a guard, but it had been insisted, especially if she was going to refrain from using her power. They each had energy's barely a percentage of her own; and what she herself sensed on the other side of the thick foliage her eyes were silently transfixed on, was at least thirteen times stronger than the strongest of her guards.

"And to THAT end-!"

"Enough." Zuqetta would say firmly, bringing the bickering of the two to an end, "I think we found what we're looking for, unfortunately, I think it found us first."

It was there, she could sense it keenly; the guards raised their weapons while the Tuffle pulled back and hid behind Zuqetta and Wulfo. Was what she sensed hostile? She was certain it noticed them, but it hadn't yet made a move. Zuqetta own energy stay hidden within the blanket of her Mana Veil, so at the very least she wouldn't be spooking it; but the same couldn't be said for how it might feel about her entourage. Zuqetta would place a hand on Wulfo's mane, the saiba-wolf neither growled no whimpered; a good sign, but the step back that Wulfo took was a clear indicator that the wolf knew it was outmatched.

"Letto, cut through the shrubbery and make a path, but do it cautiously."

The scout would give a nod, taking out his blade and getting started; the waterfall, a mere sixty meters beyond the thick shrubbery they stood behind...

A shaking of the ground, a quake of the ground they stood upon? No, this was something else; Wulfo reared back, forcibly turning about and rushing Zuqetta away despite her commands for him to stop. The guards would perform the same, rushing back to keep their queen safe, with the reluctant scout grabbing the Tuffle as they fled. They'd only make a short distance, with Wulfo willing to stop quickly enough; fleeing was to their credit however, as the foliage they'd sought to cut through would be smothered under the toes of a now absolutely massive creature. Having found themselves unfortunately in a clearling however, well within the gaze of the creatures eyes, the guards saw fit to refer to it as another name.

"MONSTER!!!" One of the near guards would yell, immediately raising his blaster upward; the rest of the squad doing the same, though with a thankful reluctance.

"Cease immediately you fools!!" The Tuffle would exclaim, still held under the arm of the scout like a piece of baggage.

The blaster in the soldiers grip lit brightly at it's tip; the energy reading emitting from the device skyrocketing, if the bright shine aimed directly for the massive creatures face wasn't enough. He was mere seconds from a preemptive strike, before just as suddenly, he'd find himself slammed into the ground by Wulfo's paw, his blaster being thrown from his grip. The captain of the squad was quick to take notice of the queens actions, and would raise a fist; each of the soldier lowering their weapons cautiously.

"Do NOT engage you apes!! Do NOT, I INSIST!!!"

"Shyaadap, already, will ya!?"

"My liege, if you insist on restraining yourself for this damned place, then I recommend an immediate withdrawal. We've got no idea what that thing is capable of, and you ain't gonna keep this place safe fightin' it." the Captain would speak out in a rather gruff tone, keeping himself between the massive monster and his queen.

"Enough!" Zuqetta would call out, bringing the group to silence, a nervous air falling upon them as they were sure the monster had likely noticed them by this point.

Wulfo would step off of the soldier, stepping forward reluctantly as Zuqetta's command as she stroked his mane to calm him down. The captain walked as well, maintaining a few steps in front of the two to continue acting as the forward guard as Zuqetta looked up at the creature. Holding to Zuqetta's order, he'd lower his weapon completely, giving a gesture of command to his squad to do the same; each stepping back to potential escape routes of things went south.

While the creature was big, Zuqetta was focused on a specific detail; angered as he might have been, he was speaking, not roaring mindlessly. He was no monster or beast by traditional definition; his use of words denoting intelligence well enough, but Zuqetta would remain cautious, as intelligence didn't mean willingness towards communication.

"Hi there!!" Zuqetta would shout, cupping her hands around her mouth to be as loud as could be; as high up as he was, she was completely unsure of how well his hearing was, "Sorry! We didn't mean to startle you!" she'd yell, "We're not hunters, we don't mean you or any of the animals here any harm, I promise!"

Hearing Zuqetta's words, Wulfo would give an approving howl-like chortle; the saiba wolf far more intelligent than even Zuqetta knew, his hopes were that if this massive creature sought to protect animals it wouldn't be so keen to strike if it knew there was one such endangered animal who had a bond of friendship with this Saiyan intruder. Whether the massive creature would understand this intent or not was another story however, and so Wulfo remained at the ready to whisk Zuqetta away if need be.

To the surprise of the group, this wasn't just some giant monster that had emerged in the forest. Not only did it display skills of reasoning, but an impressive ability to alter its size as it shrank rapidly before landing heavily before Wulfo and the queen. the captain was keen to stand between the two, still untrusting of the monster regardless of it's reduction in size; he took a quick glance towards Zuqetta who would subtly sake her head and offer a smile. Begrudgingly, the captain would take a step back, allowing the impromptu meeting while giving a hand gesture to the squad to maintain their distance, but with an added vigilance.

"Wow, even shrunk down, you're pretty big, aren'tcha?" Zuqetta would remark as Wulfo leaned forward curiously towards Bane, "My name's Zuqetta, and this here is Wulfo!" she'd introduce happily; she thought of dismounting the saiba-wolf, but could already feel the alarm and displeasure the accompanying platoon would have if she left herself more vulnerable than they already thought she was, "Hehe, yeah, I raised her from a pup so she's pretty nice!"

Wulfo would look down at the curious Bane, lowering slightly to begin sniffing the air; the previous threatening aura Wulfo had previously felt was gone, and with Zuqetta choosing to accept the beast, Wulfo would lower to a resting position and move her head towards Bane. She would give strange, low chittering, as if telling Bane it was okay to approach her; in response, Zuqetta as well would reach down and begin stroking Wulfo's mane.

"D'aw, look at that, I think she likes you!" Zuqetta would remark, "She loves head pats, go ahead, she won't bite!" she'd assure, with Wulfo's own low purring acting as a second level of reassurance, "So, you're Bane huh?" she'd ask, taking note of his previous remark, "What're ya doin' out here in the forest? Where's your father?"

She was pretty curious of the creature; judging by the reaction of the Tuffle tag along, it seemed that while he knew of the creature, he didn't KNOW the creature. Was this perhaps some secret project like the thing that stuck to Korado? Or maybe some other alien life form abandoned on Plant due to the planets harsh environment? She didn't want to make too many assumptions, and luckily she wouldn't have to; the creature spoke well enough, and seemed to understand his own situation to a degree, so she hoped if answers were to be found, they'd be from the creature himself.

Zuqetta would blush with a rather surprised and astonished expression at Bane's remark, but her expression would quickly soften into a bright and loving smile as she looked down towards Wulfo. "Hehe, I suppose it does~!" she'd remark softly, but excitedly as she reached down to hug her beloved Wulfo.

Bane went on to speak further, and despite his rather childish way of speaking, Zuqetta found herself rather impressed by the creature. He gaze a brief explanation of himself and his reason for being in the forest; it left much to be desired and many more questions, but Zuqetta chose not to linger on the unnecessary. She was able to piece together enough by his explanation; at the very least, she understood he was a creation, much like her old friend Rensou had been, though Bane was much more monstrous than Rensou, at least in appearance.

There was an irony to Banes appearance, for as monstrous as he appeared, he came off rather gentle, seeking only to protect it seemed. Rensou on the other hand had appeared gentle, but ended up having rather violent tendencies. She never wanted to ask Bane if he knew of Rensou. Would if have been wrong to assume they knew each other? Surely there weren't THAT many Tuffle creations walking around after all. It'd be yet another thing she'd refrain from mentioning for the time being, perking up at the mention of Bane encountering another Saiyan.

"Daika?" she'd question, thinking a bit on the familiarity of the name, "Jaggy's ward? What was she doing way out here?" she'd remark curiously; Bane didn't seem bothered by her however, so it must not have been anything negative.

Zuqetta brushed it off, choosing to speak up to hopefully dissolve any misconceptions Bane may have had. "I'll be the first to admit things aren't perfect, everyone is different, and while we might be working together-" she'd remark, gesturing to her group, "-unfortunately, there are plenty that aren't. Plenty still hold grudges against one another and still get into scuffles." she'd explain with a bit of a huff, but would look back too Bane with a smile, "Your original programming doesn't bother me, I'm glad ta know you're here protecting the forest and its wildlife!" she'd say happily.

Her guards began to relax, having become more at ease while listening to Bane speak; his previous monstrous visage had become much more humanized. The captain was the only one to remain with his guard up, bound firmly to his duty. Before Zuqetta could say more to Bane however, the previously terrified Tuffle expeditionary would quickly rush before Wulfo, now examining Bane curiously, apparently deeming him safe enough to approach.

"Remarkable! Utterly remarkable!" he'd cheer in a giddy manner, "Sir Bane, you say you are a creation? I must say the work put into YOU is incredible! Tell me, might I know the name of your creator?"

"Remarkable!" The Tuffle would exclaim, taking out a data pad and recording his finding, "A destron immunity? Why, if not for the aversion to your programming, you would be an all but perfect creation! Imagine the potential! Typically destron strike inhibit both sides from assault, but with you in tow, the battle could have continued in Hatchi's favor!"

"Hey!" Zuqetta would exclaim, dropping down from Wulfu and giving the Tuffle a swift conk to the back of his head, "That's rude to Bane! Weren't you payin' attention to a thing he said!?" she'd exclaim, though was quickly pulled back by the Captain of the unit who felt uneasy with her not being atop Wulfo.

"W-Why yes, I certainly was! Does the potential of an army of these creatures not intrigue you?" The Tuffle would ask with a rather confused expression.

"Hello! Think about your current company!" she'd state, giving a wide gesture to everyone around as the Captain lifted and placed her back upon Wulfo; Wulfo would merely give a low grunt, resting peacefully upon his paws having enjoyed Bane's scratchies and pets, "Saiyans aren't exactly keen on hearing Tuffles talk about dropping MORE destron bomb! And Bane JUST said that his creator didn't like them!" she'd explain with a huff, "Heck, he was forced to sleep for... ten, twenty-" she'd count on her fingers momentarily before holding out her hand, "Forty years because of it!"

"Ah! I see the misunderstanding my lady, while of course a brutish mind such as a Saiyan would be focused on war, I myself have no inclination towards the scenario." The Tuffle would explain, raising his nose smugly, "I merely find the concepts intriguing, the science behind it alluring even. A scientist must always ask, What If!? after all!"

Zuqetta would give a long drawn sigh, her gaze skeptical, "Regardless, daydream stuff like that on your own time. Right now, it's rude to my soldiers, it's rude to Bane, and it's rude to the memory of his father." she'd give a shake of her head, before pausing with a bit of a realization; so caught up in what the Tuffle had been saying, she'd completely missed Bane's remark of his second father, "Wait, did you say Budoshi?" she'd question, her attention turning once more towards Bane, "Budoshi of the Novas?" Would he have told Bane such a thing? Maybe not, but Budoshi wasn't exactly a common name, "Blue hair, just a bit smaller than me? Super cool guy?! I think we know the same Budoshi!" she'd say excitedly, grinning widely, "He's one of my friends!"

The Tuffle was taken aback by Bane's statement, but before he could say more in retort, the massive Bane would speak and move with excitement. It seemed Budoshi hadn't mentioned the Novas to Bane, leaving him unaware of the group; that was fine, it certainly didn't hamper things. Though, as Bane grew more excited, to say his motions were unnerving for the rest of the group was an understatement. The Tuffle would pull back, surprisingly along with the aid of the Captain to prevent the little man from getting crushed. Suddenly however, Bane had lunged forward while the Captain was distracted; beyond Banes excited cheers, the ambient sounds of nature would be overwhelmed by the intense hum of several blasters charging up.

"STEADY!" The captain would shout, his own blaster aimed up towards Bane.

From their spaced positions, each held a blaster out, all aimed upon Bane; their only moment of hesitation being their worry of blasting Zuqetta, a saving grace as it allowed them to consider their actions a moment longer. Wulfo had shown no signs of aggression at first, sensing no ill-intent behind Bane's movements; on the contrary, with blasters now aimed upon the tranquil Bane and now his own master, Wulfo would rise and place himself between Bane an the aim of Saiyans, giving a low growl like hum as if in warning to the group.

As for Zuqetta, other than a brief moment of puffed up cheeks from the overly tight embrace, she was otherwise fine. A quick readjustment in Banes arms, pushing herself up a bit, and she could take a breath of relief. His hug certainly wasn't spine shattering, and considering his words and excitement, even she herself was certain he meant no harm.

"Will you guys calm down already!?" she'd exclaim, glancing back towards the Captain who could merely grit his teeth aggressively in response, unsure of his next action.

"Indeed you fools! Do you not remember the point of this expedition!? The rules behind your movements here!?" The Tuffle would exclaim, though from a safe position some few feet away behind a rock with a noticeably quiver in his voice, "The creature has merely taken your Queen into a friendly hug, what, are you so brutish you do not even have hugs of all things!?"

Between the Tuffle's mockery and Zuqetta's own stern gaze, the Captain would relent; it was gonna be a helluva an experience if he ended up having to report that the Queen died to a hug, but it was becoming ever clearer that their new monarch acted far outside the norm. He gave a long, heavy sigh, lowering his weapon before finally turning his back to the whole ordeal. He didn't necessarily do it out of trust, but it was becoming far too exhausting to stick to his rigid ways and continuously be countered by their Queen.

"Weapons down-" he remark, making his way over to a large tree and decidedly taking a nice rest against its base, "- I'm done, let her majesty do as she likes."

The captain would cross his arms, closing his eyes and seemingly going immediately into a nap; in actuality he was simply keeping a more subtle eye on the situation, choosing now to only spring into action should things escalate. It was impossible for him to tell what the actions of the massive beast might have meant, so with no other recourse, he'd simply await the command of his Queen should she have called for his aid. The rest of the squad, though with heavy reluctance, would do the same. The charge of their weapons would fade, and their stances would lower; the scouts would take more hidden positions just slightly out of sight beside some trees, with only the accompanying foot soldier remaining out in the open, directly in front of a tree like his Captain, though with a surprisingly curious expression on his face.

Zuqetta would smile, happy to see everyone calm down further; Wulfo too would relax with the momentarily threat having passed, and would lie beside Bane's feet. She'd give a quick happy hum, before turning her attention back towards Bane with an even wider smile. Throwing out her arms, she'd finally return the hug Bane had attempted to exchange.

"Hehehe, more friends for Bane and a new friend for Zuq too!"

Of course, despite her best efforts, her arms didn't come close to wrapping around Bane as his did to her; hopefully he wouldn't mind her significantly smaller hug.

Zuqetta would giggle a bit as she was placed down, enjoying the interesting experience; being moved about by another in such a way, the only times she could recall typically didn't involve such affection. Bane bringing himself down to a sitting position was just as amusing, as the impact of his enormous self upon the ground shook the area just a bit, though didn't seem to disturb much. Wulfo laid comfortably beside Bane, a low guttural hum coming from the creature, akin to a purr if anything at all while it enjoyed the head pats.

"Heh, you're tellin' me!" she'd remark, choosing to sit as well in a cross legged position, shooting a knowing glance towards the platoon captain as she spoke, "Everyone's a bit different though! Happy, grumpy, lonely; I don't fault no one on how they act, so long as we can understand each other and reach a compromise, then no harm done." she explain, her tail swaying about behind her happily.

With Bane having become more passive in his posture, the Tuffle once more would approach, seeking to interject as Bane brought up the use of their powers.

"Bane my boy, you have much to learn about the sensitivity of the forest and its creatures!" he would explain, "Why, just earlier, have you any idea how many birds escaped the area from your roar? Abandoning their nests and their young? Now, I'll admit this is minor, and most are sure to return once they've calmed; but intense energy fluctuations are felt much more acutely by animals than by people, such as when animals are alerted to natural disaster well before the event occurs!"

The Tuffle seemed quite proud of himself as he explained things, with a couple of the Saiyan's yawning from boredom as he spoke. Zuqetta however, seemed to show an interest, a curious awe present in her expression; she couldn't be sure of how much was true of what the Tuffle said, but it was interesting none the less.

"That said, while you might not know this as she seems keen to keep it hidden with her strange abilities, her majesty here boasts a mass of energy well beyond the normal! Why, were she to merely drop the ability which hide her presence, I fear her energy would shake much smaller creatures to their core and make them believe the area dangerous, disrupting our beautiful ecosystem!" He'd continue to explain, crossing his arms and nodding profusely as he spoke, "Indeed, such is why our party here is equipped with armaments of defense! They're not to strike unless struck upon first! Not all creatures as so peaceful as I'm sure you've surmised my boy, predators would prey upon one as small as myself or her highness without hesitation!"

"Dwah!? What's that supposed ta mean!?" Zuqetta would interrupt; a scout behind a tree stifling a laugh at the same time.

"I merely state the facts as they appear your highness, predators strike at what they believe to be easy prey. Compared to those of your escort, you're quite diminutive yourself- I of course mean no offense."

"Another reason we allowed ya ta ride that saiba beast ya tamed-" The captain would speak up, "-that and your slow pace." he'd say, still leaning against a tree with his arms crossed, relaxing a bit more with a smirk.

"I wasn't THAT slow!!" she'd say defensively, her face a bit red from embarrassment.

"If I may, even to one such as myself, you seemed to tire easily. It's quite clear you rarely move without the use of your enhanced Ki control." The Tuffle would remark, adjusting his glasses, "If I didn't know better, I would assume you lived quite the lackadaisical lifestyle; it's rather interesting to wonder what society would look like should access to this ki energy become scarce. Ah, a topic for another time perhaps!"

The back and forth of the group would slow to a halt, Bane speaking further of his experiences; one such experience striking a chord with Zuqetta. So too would the platoon captain flinch, the entire group falling silent as all recognized the name.

"Yangcong..." Zuqetta would say lowly, clenching her fist tightly as she felt a surge of anger from her center; she would take a breath, closing her eyes as she focused on what Bane said, "Bane... are you saying someone was trying to bring Yangcong back to life-?"

Suddenly, a hand upon her shoulder; her gaze would look back, sharp and piercing, only to find the Captain having moved from his previous position. He shook his head silently, feeling Zuqetta's anger, before looking off towards the trees and giving a gesture with a nod. "Be a shame if the mere mention of the war criminal ruined what you were workin' so hard to protect."

Zuqetta would grit her teeth, her body shaking a bit more than she realized, before she would take a long calming breath and focus on the lessons Patience had taught her. With a subtle smile, the Captain would decide to take a seat as well just a small space away from Zuqetta, looking up towards Bane and crossing his arms.

"Yeah, even your explanation was confusing, I don't blame ya for leavin'." The captain would speak up, "Ya ain't attackin' either us, or our guide, so I'm guessin' ya don't care ta kill either unless they present a harm. Can't say I'm not still skeptical, but if you're not fightin' us then I couldn't care less." he'd remark with his usual gruff tone, "More importantly, can you tell us anymore about the war criminal, Yangcong?"