Dragon Ball: Shattered Memories vol 1

Chapter 4: playful nature

Bardock's words took Frieza by surprise "you must be over exaggerating... right?" he said with some layer of confusion, but Bardock just shook his head

"she does it with me too but not as much, i can understand why her mother would have that effect she was the one that developed her after all... but i can't say why she's clinging to you so hard" Bardock pondered but while he was thinking shima was trying to get frieza to play peekaboo with her

'this is ridiculous- i can't believe i took the entire day to do baby sitting.... but... at least no one can say anything about it' frieza thought and relented with a sigh, using his tail to cover his eyes then uncover "... peekaboo... "

this caused shima to giggle and squeak with happiness "peee-kaaaa..." she covered her eyes again "boo! "

"im guessing that's the most complex thing you can say... that's pretty early for that amount of syllables isn't it bardock? " Frieza asked in a manner that was like he knew shima was developing at a faster rate

"indeed, she's quite the overachiever.... you know something, she's at an age where if she wanted to she could put holes in the walls if she were to throw a fit... but that day hasn't come yet, she's always happy and somewhat peaceful... " bardock stated

"you say that like there was an incident where she wasn't" frieza then got intrigued, what set someone this peaceful off?

"her mother was upset with one of her old friends and shima... well...when she was in her mother's arms and her friend got too close yelling and screaming at gine... shima basically launched her legs so hard at the man she kicked him across the room" bardock sort of was still amused by that moment "ever since then I've not seen hide nor hair of him, probably embarrassing to get your ass kicked by an infant"

this caused frieza to laugh, to genuinely laugh, a rare feat for anyone to pull off. it seemed he wasn't as wound up and was able to relax very slightly

"well then, at least we know her fighting style, i would give anything to have seen that happen"

frieza said trying to contain himself more properly

"ah so would have i, her mother said she broke several of his ribs on impact. so he was way too close in the first place, but leave it to shima to sense people's needs, she's very in tune with it"

bardock chuckled, and frieza tilted his head

"you mean to say shima can sense emotional states? i suppose that makes sense she is quite a...gentle being...and after the story you just told she would have to have sensed either the man's anger or her mother's anger to react or else she may have just frozen"

frieza determined this pretty easily, he looked down at shima who was idly playing with her own tail giggling lightly, he was definitely glad she could keep herself entertained for the most part

"that is one of my fears is that shima may be *too* in tune with emotions...other people's or her own...and may not make the best warrior as a result"

bardock admitted to frieza but he mostly brushed it off

"i don't think she'll be like this forever, it may just be a phase...even if it isn't though, with how powerful she can probably get, she won't be fighting every day...no she will likely be my backup before i call on the ginyu force to handle a situation"

frieza chuckled a bit sinisterly, he still wanted her to be powerful for him alone as a soldier but something was odd, it seemed he had some genuine care for her well-being, at least bardock thought so, otherwise frieza wouldn't be trying so hard to get her into better condition. weather he cared for her just as a soldier or as an actual person that remained to be seen, but without frieza saying anything bardock knew his family would be under some protection now, which meant dodoria couldn't antagonize bardock anymore. at least so long as shima was there but he didn't really care about the circumstances

'at least that walking wad of gum will be less of a nuisance'

bardock thought, meanwhile shima and frieza were playing together. she was pointing at things nearby to her and asking basically what that thing was and frieza would respond

"wha da?.."

shima pointed at a tree outside

"that's a tree"

frieza responded finding it cute that she wanted to learn on her own accord

"careful, that game your playing can get really long"

bardock said chuckling and he finished writing in his journal