Through the Looking Glass

It took a bit of doing, but Gira would begin to brighten back up; Zuqetta was more than happy to offer her hand, her tail following suit by wrapping lightly around Gira's waist. The conversation seemed to perk Gira up, giving her and appetite once more; much to Zuqetta internal strife however, Gira would go after the best looking thing first, the dino leg. Zuqetta would simply laugh however, happy to allow Gira the chance to regain her strength. She'd listen intently as Gira spoke of her previous intentions for the throne, and her desires to make positive change. Her explanation being cut off only only taken notice of the foreign beverage questioningly, something that caused Zuqetta to perk up with a bit of excitement of her own.

"What!?" She'd question, playfully acting aghast, "You've never had Berri Juice!? What kinda life have you been livin'!" she'd exclaim, laughing a bit before happily taking another satisfying sip of the chilled beverage, "Hmhmhmhm~ It's just about the bestest, sweetest drink this side of the galaxy! A surprising find on Plant of all places." she'd explain, "Freshly squeezed from the fruits of the Berri Trees over in Berri Forest! No added sugars or nothin'!"

It was clear Zuqetta was a bit of a berri enthusiast to say the least, but she wouldn't let the conversation derail due to said enthusiasm. Once she'd downed another drink, she'd reach out for the pitcher, refilling her glass and urging Gira to try it herself.

"Tira, hehe, nothin' would make me happier than havin' ya join in helpin' me out." Zuqetta would begin, her face reddening a bit as she smiled; though her smile would seem to fade quickly, as she adopted a more melancholic expression, "I began a council, something for each and every Saiyan to come and voice their opinions. Something that could help allow everyone's voices to be heard, so that it isn't just me rebuilding Sadala, but instead everyone, together." she'd explain; she was hopeful in her tone, but would sigh, "I tried to pitch this idea to... to Gandigan." she was hesitant to speak of the situation, but knew Gira deserved to know, "He wasn't for it, he said it would fail, that it was nothing but a dream." her expression tensed a bit, "If those were his true thoughts, then I don't know what kind of Sadala he was expecting you to build should you have shown to take the throne."

Zuqetta allowed a moment of silence, unsure of how much more she should say if anything at all on the matter of Gandigan. That fact that he was dead was also an unavoidable issue, but if he was anything like Lottus, he was sure to be back. Should he have returned, Zuqetta wondered exactly what Gira might've chosen to do next. Fight him? Join back up with him? She'd made it clear that her intentions for the throne were her own, Gandigan had merely given her the confidence to push through on her own.

"Actually-" Zuqetta would speak up, a curious expression coming to her face, "-I... that is-" she'd blush a bit, fidgeting as she held her drink a little closer; her expression seemed both confused and anxious, as if she was suddenly assailed with an abundance of questions and didn't know where to start. She'd blink, her eyes glancing towards Gira and away again before she would clear her throat, smiling a bit nervously, "Tira, I uhh, well I was gonna ask- I mean, I was curious as to why you might've wanted the throne to begin with." she's say, before facing Gira properly, looking up at her with a nervous smile, "But I just realized... we uh, well... you met me in my memories. I remember you, but... this is technically our first meeting. We uh, we haven't been properly introduced."

She'd take a small sip of her berri juice before placing the glass back on the table. A sudden realization would come to her mind, and Zuqetta's face would redden intensely as she recalled her first memories of meeting Gira, giving her a book to read and a plush animal.

"That was years ago, that time doesn't count!!" she'd exclaim as if Gira could even have an idea of what was going through her head. She recalled further however, the weakness she displayed while Gira defeated Yangcong, the disguise she wore when Gira visited Plant after Blizzards attack. Zuqetta would hide her face in the palms of her hands, shaking her head as she was tortured by the cringe of her past.

Zuqetta would seem unaffected by Gira's initial gesture, though this didn't mean she wouldn't take notice. A smile grew upon her face when Gira spoke, even if her gaze was hidden within her hands. She'd peek through her fingers, seeing Gira's hand upon her leg, only for Gira to panic and retake her hand. The tip of Zuqetta's tail flicked, her heart skipping a beat for reasons she couldn't wholly explain; her tail would tighten along Gira's waist, funnily enough, causing Zuqetta to be pulled in closer due to her small size, something even she hadn't quite expected!

"Gah! So-"

She'd intended to apologize, gazing up towards Gira with wide, curious eyes as she took notice of Gira's reddening expression. Zuqetta couldn't help but to blush a bit herself as Gira referred to her younger self as cute, then her current self... or not? No, she did, Gira had simply begun to stumble over her words before decidedly smacking herself in the face. Zuqetta hoped not to come off as rude, but she couldn't help but to laugh as the comical sight.

"Tira, stop!" she'd exclaim with a laugh, "I don't need THAT many compliments! You're makin' me blush!"

She would avert her gaze again, trying to both stifle her laugh as well as calm the smile she wore. She didn't even know WHY she was smiling so much, though the stammering of compliments could certainly be one reason. Yet there was something more, something deeper than the superficial that she hadn't yet come to realize. Her heart seemed like it was racing, her mind hyper aware of every little detail; their thighs touching as the sat on the bench, the feeling of Gira's hand firmly holding her own, the minute differences in the expressions Gira wore.

Zuqetta would smile, her face reddening a bit more; she was beginning to feel awkward with how aware she was, but tried to shake it off. At the very least she could agree with one thing-

"Hehe, Tira... you're pretty cute too-" she'd remark, leaning up against Gira and placing her head on the woman's shoulder, "And big, and strong, and super cool. I only barely remember it since it was so long ago, but when you went Super Saiyan and attacked my dad?" she'd explain, glancing up towards Gira with a thankful, almost loving gaze, "That was really cool." she felt so embarrassed by what she was saying, but wouldn't let that stop her from saying it. Leaning against Gira's sturdy frame, a testament to her constant training, Zuqetta couldn't help but feel that maybe it wasn't so bad being small... though very quickly a momentary scowl would come to her face as she childishly denied the thought! Being small was terrible!!

A good deal of time had passed from the point of their initial conflict, a great deal more for Gira due to her excursion through Zuqetta's mind, but in reality enough time had passed that the Hall would begin to see more and more frequenters eager for the free meals provided. From the occasional few children stopping by while the played in the castle, to soldiers either back from training or patrol, looking to get lunch. The private moment the two had been sharing was steadily being imposed upon, though, despite the attire that had been Zuqetta's clear give away as Queen, it seemed most saw to not disturb their Monarch, save for the occasional child excited to see the "princess".

A frown would come to Zuqetta's face, not one of anger or sorrow, but one of melancholic knowing. "Guess you'll be... leaving to Namek soon." Zuqetta would mumble, clearing her throat as she gripped Gira's hard more firmly, "Ticoga, he--" she paused, unsure of what to say, "Tira, Ticoga will be going after the Mazoku soon. And I'll be going to Namek to reclaim my cousin." she'd admit, her brow furrowing with worry; she dared to deny eye contact with Gira, worried of the expression she would see upon revealing this news, fearful of the rather enjoyable moment they'd been sharing being sullied, "You should go to Namek as soon as you can, and... maybe learn what you can, talk with the Mazoku about-"

She would stop, realizing how harsh her next words could have sounded; she wanted Gira to convince the Mazoku to surrender, but she wouldn't use Gira in such a way. She felt terrible by even having the thought, after all, should one had told her to do the same in regards to the Saiyans, she'd have certainly lashed out against such a person. Instead, she would keep the thought to herself, silently lamenting her inability to salvage what had already be lost.

Gira would explain her intentions, something that would cause Zuqetta's chest to tighten. Though it felt nice to be told she had no intention of fighting her, the moment was overshadowed by the information regarding the rest of the Mazoku. Of course things wouldn't be so easy, but there was nothing Zuqetta could say on the matter; not only did she not know any of the Mazoku personally, she also didn't know why Ticoga wanted to go against them so badly. Her only stake in this was to her cousin, and she was thankful to hear Gira speak in his favor. In the end however, she would rise, their time together seemingly reaching its end.

The feeling of having her hand released had never been so noticeable to her; a sudden chill went down her spine, and she would clench her now empty fist as her tail slide from its resting position upon Gira's lap. Something nagged her in the back of her mind, something she wouldn't quite approach. It was as though she was telling herself to stand up, telling herself to take Gira's hand back and to tell her to stay. Yet though it felt like her own intention, at the same time it felt more akin to a second voice deep within her mind, and a rather angry one at that.

In the end, she would indeed stand, and she would reach out, taking Gira's hand again and holding it tight within both her hands. She'd shake her head, refusing however to tell Gira to stay; she'd respect Gira's Saiyan Way, as well as her own, refusing to place any pressure on Gira that might obstruct her freedoms.

"I trust you." Zuqetta would say firmly, giving Gira a confident gaze, "I'll... focus on only one thing when I go to Namek, securing Lottus." her gaze averted for a moment as she swallowed nervously; the nagging feeling deep within her mind spoke louder, telling her to say and do so many things, but she would contain herself, "Just, don't do somethin' ta get hurt, ya?" she'd ask, giving a rather weak smile, "And, I know ya gotta defend Namek... and Earth, heheh... but... ya gotta come visit some time-" she'd say, her tail flicking about behind her anxiously, "You're my friend, and I didn't say it last time but... it gets lonely only seeing you once every several years or so..."

She was confused again, forgetting that what she remembered wasn't truly reality, but the feelings created by those altered memories were the same regardless. Zuqetta's lips would tremble, she'd open her mouth only slightly as if wanting to say more, but would refrain, shaking her head lightly once again before offering Gira a a bright, wide smile.

"I trust you." She say again, this time with even more confidence; giving a swift nod before suddenly rushing in to give Gira a hug, squeezing her tightly.

The moment felt quick, far too quick, if Zuqetta could have extended the moment she most certainly would have. From the feeling of Gira's hand within her own, to the warmth she felt from the woman's expression. It overwhelmed Zuqetta a bit, far more than she expected it would or even could. She tried to gather her thoughts, tried to focus on what was real and what wasn't, but it wasn't so simple to her. She understood Gira's previous words, understood that the past hadn't been changed and that it was only Zuqetta's memories, but she didn't care. To Zuqetta, it was all the same; the feelings she garnered from the experiences were as real as ever, and she wouldn't allow any to say otherwise.

She still recalled the feelings from before, the cold, the loneliness; the heartbreak, the solitude and and most importantly of all, the hate. She recalled it all, she recalled how she felt and the type of person she was before; she recalled what her experiences had caused her to do and to become. From her years in isolation being trained by her father, to the multitude of individuals who'd taken advantage of her, misused, and abused her. She recalled the found family she'd grown to love, and the pain she felt from losing them. She recalled it all, and knew that all of that was what was really the truth, but now? Now there was something new,something that had never been, something that she'd lacked all her life, a void that had now properly been filled.

Love...

Her experiences might have made her who she was now, and she wouldn't deny the growth and purposeful change she experienced from her past. Now however, there were the smallest moments of brightness in that past, and while these moments weren't native to reality, that didn't make them fake. She herself in these memories had no control, she could only see what the memories were; Gira however had traveled them, and in these memories, Gira had been herself. Gira had been there to save her from her abusive father, she'd been there to protect her from Yangcong, she'd been there to console her after Blizzards attack and she'd even been there when--

Zuqetta would flinch, a small chill going down her spine as she questioned what other strange memories was attempting to make its way into her head.

Her confuse grew, her face blushing a bit at the fact that she would think "love" of all things! Gira was certainly her friend... or he friend now? It was difficult to understand where the situation truly began, but she would trust her memories. She would trust the little girl she once was, and the friendship she'd made with the strange prince who'd arrived to save her. Yet, while friendship was easy enough to understand, she couldn't quite grasp why her mind would think of "love" so easily, why her heart would skip a beat or why she would find herself so speechless at times talking to Gira now.

The two should have barely known each other, this day was their first day meeting! But Gira knew her, she'd traveled through her memories and got to know her, and somehow, Zuqetta knew the same, finding herself able to recall some few memories of Giras as well.

The moment broke, Gira speaking up and snapping Zuqetta out of her overly focused thought. Zuqetta would not respond however, merely looking upon Gira quizzically for a moment after her remark. Yet quickly, the brightest smile Zuqetta had given would come to her face; despite her smile, she seemed like she would cry, but if she did, it'd have certainly been happy tears.

Gira was invincible.

Zuqetta loved to hear it, and would offer a confident nod along with her smile. Unbeknownst to either she or Gira, the two had begun to draw an audience with their rather flamboyant actions. Of course, it was likely no more flamboyant than any other Saiyan, perhaps a bit more affectionate than most; this display however, was between Gira, a Saiyan unknown to every soldier that sat and enjoyed their meal, and of all other people, their Queen. To say they were curious would have been an understatement, but to also see the display of affection their Queen would putting on and the expressions clearly of love that she was giving, the subtle beeps occurring from the occasional scouter through its camera function was sure to be heard here and there.

It mattered little to Zuqetta, in fact, she'd paid no mind to any others in the room besides Gira. She'd felt these feelings before, the tightening in her chest, the warming of her face, but perhaps never as strongly as she did now. She wanted to remain as happy as she was in this moment, but a slight fear would invade her thoughts; a recollection of a most recent time, a most recent loss, a most recent love. She recalled Xiaolan, the time she shared with him and the feelings the two had begun to grow together. While nothing official had come of it, she was certain that what she felt for him went beyond the simple crushes she'd had on others, yet his time had come before anything could come of it.

Would it be the same with Gira?

It was a sudden, unnatural fear that began to steadily creep into Zuqetta's mind, one that she struggled to push away. It was as though that second voice she believed she'd heard before was speaking again, egging her one and taunting her. The second voice, though it seemed like her own it felt so much more cynical; if it weren't for that voice, would she even have thought of Xiao right now? She could hear it again, feel it's frustration with her; it wanted her to just lunged at Gira now and tell her ho she was truly feeling, but Zuqetta was afraid. She trusted Gira, that much was certain, but she had no idea how Gira might've felt about her.

Gira went on however, speaking of the battle to come and her thoughts; Zuqetta far too clueless and air-headed to properly catch the hints. Despite her short comings however, she's still feel the enjoyment and embarrassment from the remarks; her face reddening as she directed her gaze to the floor, trying to stifling the grin that came from her bashful demeanor. "T-T-Tira! You can't do that! Thinking of me--"

"Woooooo! Yeah!! That's the Saiyan Way!!" A voice would cheer from the within the crowds of soldiers.

"That's how a warrior starts their journey!" Another would call out as well, being carried with further cheers and laughter.

Despite the time of day, many had likely drunken their fill; it didn't matter if it made their training any harder, such was the life of many Saiyan's in Sadala. As the room became filled with further cheers, and mugs being slammed together in celebration, it was hard to discern if the soldiers were drunk or truly invested however. It could have easily been both; to be fair to them all, a public display of affection was likely the last thing they'd expected to see this day, much less from their Queen.

Zuqetta's face reddened further as she realized what was happening, she'd look around the hall at all the soldiers that cheered for she and Gira, giving an equally annoyed and embarrassed expression. "S-Stop!! It's not like that idiots!! We're just friends!!" She'd protest, prompting further laughter from the crowds much to her surprise.

Gira would take her attention once more, mentioned her intent to return to help her rule. Zuqetta's expression softened once more as she ignored the crowds, happy to hear Gira's words for the future. Her heart was warmed by the intent, a tricky feeling as with the strength she gained from Gira's words, her heart would be equally as fragile should that trust have been betrayed. It wasn't a conscious concern however, such was how deep seeded trust such as what Zuqetta felt for Gira typically went. For now, she was just happy to be held,happy to be hugged, happy to be able to feel like the normal girl she always wanted to feel like. Her upcoming visit to Namek was certain to feel as far away from that as possible, but for now, in this moment, she felt... loved.

Her face reddened again by the thought, causing her to bring her hands up to her cheeks to rub them profusely. With how flustered she was continuously getting, someone was bound to be concerned over her blood pressure... well, maybe not anyone amongst the Saiyans, but someone! She'd been smiling so much now that her cheekbones were beginning to strain! As happy as she was, her overly emotive tail with it flicking and swaying had nearly taking out an unfortunate child just trying to run through the hall! She was certain now, what she was feeling for Gira was MUCH stronger than the similar feelings she'd shared in the past.

She would enjoy the deep hug Gira had given her, the disruptive soldiers deciding to give a toast and further cheers as if seeing off Gira as a warrior like she was no different than the rest of them. This was something that brought a smile, though one much more subtle to Zuqetta's face; that Gira could be accepted so easily had to be one of the happiest moments she would feel. Gira might have dressed strangely, and had no tail, but she was a Saiyan through and through. She was a determined warrior, a stalwart fighter, and believed deeply in her Saiyan Way. Zuqetta's tail would lift, wrapping around Gira as they hugged, a moment that made the world feel like it had come to a crawl, but sadly it wasn't a moment that could last forever.

Zuqetta closed her eyes as Gira whispered into her ears, an endearing message that Zuqetta felt much the same about. No matter how far apart they were, they'd be together. Zuqetta would nod, nuzzling into Gira's chest as she squeezed tighter; but the moment would come to an end, and Gira would release her and place some distance between them.

It felt difficult, and by Gira's reaction, Zuqetta was sure Gira felt the same. It had to be done however, Ticoga's plans were advancing and they couldn't simply stand around and let the world pass them by. Zuqetta would nod as Gira gave her final words, less a good-bye however and more a, see you later. "Right!" she'd exclaim, holding clenched fist to the center of her chest, "More than that, stay safe!!" she'd call out, but Gira would be quickly on her way, leaving Zuqetta once more alone. Zuqetta knew it wouldn't last forever, yet still, after all the smiling it was a strange feeling for her face to relax and return once again to a more neutral expression.

"To her highness!!!" a female soldier would yell, throwing a leg onto the table as she raised a glass, "Slayer of hearts across the galaxy!!!" with her remark, the upstarts of rambunctious soldiers would break once more into cheers and laughter, and eventually even a bit of fighting as they got a little too carried away.

"Gah!! You idiots!! Shut up!!!" Zuqetta would exclaim, her tail smacking the ground, "No one talks about this or I'll kick your butts!!" she was serious, but this would only prompt the already excited soldiers to simply rile up more at the thought of fighting the one who took the throne in such a grand display.

Zuqetta would merely sigh, deciding it best to just leave the soldiers be and make her own exit from the Grand Hall. Though they annoyed her, it would be a lie to say she didn't also enjoy the attention. Her mind returned to Tulse's words about the manner of living most of the lower class suffered from, when her time on Namek had concluded, that would be the next task she'd tackle for sure. She knew her people weren't brainless, vicious warriors; but between Tulse, Lottus, Jagaimo and more, she was finally starting to see them for the everyday lives they lived, not the stereotyped warriors everyone believed them to be...