Papeera : The Elusive Saiyan

Chapter 3 : The Memories

A small child with a tail, and long black hair runs to her mother. "Mommy! What are they going to do to me!?" A troubled look crossed her mother's face as she looked over to her husband. "Don't worry, Everything will be just fine." Her father has a different opinion. "King Vegeta wants to send you away.  I don't know what we can do." the girl's mother pulls him aside, and all she hears is the grunts of her mother angrily arguing with her father.

Her mother turns back to her, and tries to comfort her daughter. "Don't worry, I wont let them do anything to you. " Her father worriedly turns and walks away, while the girl and her mother hurried in the opposite direction. "I know it will be hard, but you must hide. hide from King Vegeta, and all the other Saiyans on this planet." That was the last time she ever saw her father

Papeera was sitting in the corner, gazing out the window, reliving her childhood. Although it was many years ago, it seemed like yesterday. Papeera's own brother shunned her, along with the rest of her race. They had all thought of her as a disgrace. Her mother was the only one who had seen her as what she was. A Saiyan. But even she had left Papeera. And now, Young Talio looks up to Papeera as she did to her mother.

Many thoughts flooded through Papeera's head. Could Talio really be the one to save the planet? What if he failed, and the Saiyans killed him. "I will not let that happen. I would sacrifice myself before I let another be harmed by the Saiyans again." Once again, she thinks back to her horrid and traumatic childhood.

"Papeera. this is where you will be staying from now on." The girl's mother showed her the cold, dark, hidden room, where she would spend the rest of her childhood. She would never get to play with the other children. Or learn how to fight. She would remain locked away for the rest of her life. And with that, her mother disappeared. Rarely coming to slide food scraps through the door crack.

Years went by, with nothing but her childhood teddy bear, worn from so much use. "I remember that cold barren floor, and the dark gloomy room. And the hours I spent sobbing, knowing that not even my own parents wanted me. I would've died in that room were it not for Branson."

A strong man busts through the door, and a bright light shines on a young woman's face. The first light she had seen in years. The figure whispers, "Come on! We have to move. NOW!" The woman was happy to see another Saiyan's face, but was frightened that she was going to be harmed.

She followed the mysterious man out through the house she had not been in since being a young child. They snuck their way into the shadows of the canyon, and soon they reached an unusual cave mined into the canyon face. "In here. We have to hurry. We are being followed." The two slipped into the cave, and as the man pressed a button on the wall, the cave face began to close.

The young woman looks around, taking in the ornate decorations, and the beautiful furniture. soon, she collapses on the ground from exhaustion, and the young man begins to speak to her. "I'm sorry that was so sudden. I felt your energy beginning to weaken, and I had to save you. I'm Branson. " He walks over to the young woman, and helps her up onto a chair. "Here. Let me prepare you something to eat."

After Branson cooked some beans, the two sat down together and began to eat. "So. why were you locked up in there?" The young woman looks frightened, and continues to engulf every bean she could get her hands on. "It's okay. I'm not here to hurt you. Your mother told me about you years ago, and I've been looking for you ever since."

The woman's mood turned from frightened to joyful as she blurted out, "So you knew my mommy?" But the joy soon turned to sorrow, as she continued. "Then you must know why she locked me in that horrible place."

"Your mother was trying to protect you." Branson's voice was strong, yet soft. Loud, yet comforting. "The Saiyans were going to send you to a harsh planet to try and kill you. I heard it was because of your... personality? Your mother locked you in that room so that you couldn't be taken. And I was the only one entrusted with the knowledge of your existence on planet Vegeta after your exile. She left your location in the form of a riddle, and I just now solved it. Thank Vegeta too. The hunters were very close to finding you. I don't know who tipped them off, but whoever it was, they must really not like you or your family."

And so Branson began training the young woman, both in the ways of martial arts, but also how to count, and how to read. After a few months passed, there was a loud crash at the entrance to the secret cave. Branson's face turned red, and he screamed at the top of his lungs, "THEY FOUND US! Papeera. You have to get out of here. go through that door, and there is a ship. enter the passcode Asparaga, and get in. then press the red button. the ship will explain the rest."

The woman turned to run, but couldn't leave her savior. "No. I won't leave you. you trained me how to defend myself, so I will stay and fight." Branson looks at her with his firm but stubborn growl. "You have to go! I can only hold them off for a short while. GO! you are their only hope."

Before the woman could ask any more questions, Branson sprinted down the entrance to meet the army that threatened Papeera. Crying, she leapt into the space pod, slamming the red button. The door closed, and the pod shot into the sky, breaking the cave ceiling in the process. That was the last time she had seen Branson. That was only 5 days ago.

"Papeera, are you okay?" Little Talio crawled out of bed when he saw Papeera staring out the window. "I'm okay Talio. Go back to bed. You are going to need strength for your training." Papeera took another look at Talio. "I don't want to leave him all alone. He needs me." Papeera ran her fingers through Talio's silky hair, and lied back down and drifted off into a deep sleep.