Koru stared around The Dungeons that she had lived in for years, and tears welled in her eyes. Could she truly return to her Planet? Was she a lost cause? It felt so strange to be beyond the bars that she had stared through for so long, but now…so many things were different. Treskor was dead, and now there was a new and kind man to rule in his place. The Council seemed to have changed their minds about the ways things would work around R’haksin now. And most importantly, her beloved sister lay at peace. Koru looked down at the Prince who was responsible, and suddenly felt as though she wanted to hug him.

"What’s wrong?" Vegeta asked, his forehead creased with frown lines. "Aren’t you excited?"

Koru shrugged, smiling through tears. "I’m more afraid than anything…" she whispered. "What if no one accepts me?" she limped around testing her ankle that had been chained in iron for so very long. It was hard to put all of her weight on it.

Behind them, Arden announced that there were only three females alive in the entire Dungeons. Koru replied that she had expected as much. There was a silence.

"How is Bulma?" Koru asked. She was still in shock that she now actually stood beyond her prison. She kept looking over her shoulder at the bent bars, shaking her head in disbelief.

"She’s alive, that’s all that matters." Vegeta said quietly. "She and Spider are at Strifelon’s right now."

Koru tried not to look at the repulsive green mess that used to be Tajil. She noticed that Arden was trying quite unsuccessfully to as well. She suddenly felt sorry for him. She could only imagine how he felt to discover the ugly truth about his best friend. It was a strange thing that Arden had not been angry with the Prince. She would have though that, being a proud warrior himself; he would have at least voiced his opinion on the matter. Oh well, she supposed. Nothing could reason with Vegeta when he was angry…and he had killed Tajil for a good cause. The man had tried to kill Bulma, and Spider. She swallowed and looked worriedly at Vegeta.

"Is Spider all right?" she asked softly.

The emotion in Vegeta’s eyes suggested that he wasn’t.

"Come on." Arden broke the silence and gave Koru an encouraging smile. "Don’t you want to go outside?"

Koru nodded. Together the three of them began to walk up the stairs.

* * *

"What’s taking him so long?" Bulma was sitting staring down at her hands and the mug of warm Storkrin ale that Onyx had brought her. It had been a while since Vegeta had left. She was beginning to get worried.

Spider lay at their feet. The blood from his wounds was soaking through the six thick layers of bandage, but he was still alive. Still alive, and fighting to continue to be so. He would have given his life for Bulma. He only hoped she knew that.

Bulma’s mind was swimming with thoughts about the Prince. What had he and the strange, quiet man they called Arden done? She thought back to Tajil and Koru. What had become of them? She hoped that whatever Tajil’s fate, it had been gruesome and painful. With Vegeta concerned, she had a feeling it would be.

Onyx looked down his snout at her. His eyes were gentle and calm like his fathers. She noticed him casting quick glances to Spider.

"Do you think he’ll live?" he whispered.

"He’s a fighter." Bulma said through tears. "And if he doesn’t, then by Kami, we’ll give him the best burial a dog could have had."

At the mention of the word, Spider whined and thumped his tails. Bulma leaned over the table and smiled gently at him. "Yes, you’re a dog." She grinned. "You know I’m right." She paused. "And you’re going to live. I promise."

"You ssseem to be very clossse to him."

"He’s taken a place in my heart that will never be replaced." She replied. "So has Ghost. This entire trip has changed me so much…"

Onyx caught the meaning in her words. "And the Prince…?" he pressed. "I sssee how he looksss at you." Onyx touched her arm lightly. "It’sss very impresssive, to make a victory over a beassst like him."

Bulma looked up, startled, and then the two shared an outburst of laughter. She had to stop almost instantly because of the sharp bolts of pain racking up and down her ribs. Onyx calmed himself and stepped down from the table. He extended a hand.

"Come." He said quietly, smiling softly. "You need ressst."

"He’s not a beast." She shot back, though she grinned while she said it. "Just a little bit of a weirdo sometimes."

"Of courssse." He replied and helped her down. "I will have my father prepare sssome sssoup."

"I’d like that." She looked up at him as he led her through the dark, narrow halls. "You’re a very kind boy, Onyx." She said. "You’re going to have a fine wife someday."

A blush spread through the already red-skinned cheeks of the young Storkrin. "Do…you think ssso?"

Bulma nodded. "I do."

* * *

When one has been living underground for three years, they become accustomed to the darkness. Much like a mole’s eyes, which never see the light of day, Koru’s eyes were much like this as Vegeta and Arden helped her out of the marble entrance and into the sunlight.

At first, she thought she had gone blind. R’haksin was a fairly dark Planet, she remembered it being that way, but compared to the lighting that she had stared out at in The Dungeons, it was as though she had stepped inside a gigantic lightbulb.

Koru gasped painfully and squeezed her eyes shut against the white-hot light that surrounded her from all sides. Her legs trembled beneath her and she stepped unsteadily upon the red earth as the Prince and the Guard led her forward.

"Are you alright?" Arden asked from beside her. Vegeta had released her arm and was walking ahead, watching for other Storkrin’s or any potential dangers. There were still many that did not know about this, and many that would react much more violently than should be normal.

Koru nodded and felt blindly ahead of her with her feet. The soles of her hardened feet touched down into the soft earth and she nearly cried in delight of the sensation of dirt sifting between her toes.

"Open your eyesss." Arden urged quietly into her ear. He was smiling; his entire being swelling with the happiness of seeing this poor woman at last set free. He was doing everything he could to help her, and the look in his eyes did not go unnoticed by Vegeta, who turned up ahead to regard them both carefully.

"Your eyes will need much adjusting." Vegeta said. "You’ll have to do it gradually. Don’t rush yourself."

Again, Koru nodded. She had opened her eyes but only enough to look through tiny slits at her feet. She did not wish to fall on her first day out of The Dungeons. She stopped, suddenly, and looked for Vegeta.

"Prince?"

Vegeta felt a strange memory twist inside him at being called by his title. He supposed he would always feel that way with the Storkrins, they all called him that. He was surprised to find that this strong, proud woman would as well.

"Hn?"

"What will you do, now, with The Dungeons?"

"Arden will deliver you safely to Strifelons. I will meet temporarily with The Council, and we will meet up back here." He gestured to Arden, who nodded in response. "We will retrieve the last three women, and then I will destroy The Dungeons, for good."

Koru’s breath halted momentarily. "Destroy them…?"

Vegeta scowled and crossed his arms. "You don’t mean to tell me that you object?"

Koru considered his question. "No…" she shook her head and tightened her hold on Arden’s arm. "I would like that very much."

"Good." He turned and continued heading toward Stifelon’s, in much of a hurry. All he could think of was Bulma.

* * *

All thoughts of Tajil and his death were gone for Arden. Now, he could think of nothing but this beautiful woman he and the Prince had just rescued. He watched her every step beside him as she leaned against him, so unwilling to accept help but at the same time, needing him.

Needing.

Had he ever been needed? He did not know. His thoughts were a strange mixture of nervousness, affection, and regret. He could not believe that such a beauty as this Storkrin had been shut away without another word. Tajil had not known that day, but Arden had been in charge of Site H; the back halls of The Dungeons, where he had locked away many women. It hurt him now deeply to know that he had been a contributor to this very woman’s suffering. He suddenly felt disgusted with himself. How had they allowed themselves to resort to such barbaric means that day so long ago? How had he?

Koru had opened her eyes, and was looking at him now. He blushed and was thankful for this dark skin tone. He tried to smile at her.

"Is anything wrong?" she asked, leaning against him. Her steps were still uncertain, but the thick cords of muscle in her thighs and calves were constricting and flexing with regained strength with every step she took.

"Nothing." He shook his head. "What isss it like, being out here like thisss, now?"

Koru paused for a moment before answering.

"It’s like…being born again."

* * *

Spider’s head jerked up when he heard the familiar click of the latch far above, signaling his masters return. The Sayajin’s scent permeated the air, a mixture of sweat, blood and anticipation.

Bulma hobbled to his side and gently lay a hand on his neck, gently but firmly pushing him back down. "No, boy." She whispered. "Don’t get up. You need to rest."

Spider whined and strained against her weakly, his tails lashing violently as he heard each step of Vegeta’s return. Bulma stood, wiped her hair away from her eyes, and turned to meet him at the stairs. She almost stopped breathing when she saw that it was Koru.

Koru broke out in a massive grin and stormed toward Bulma.

"Koru!" Bulma cried with a giant grin of her own. "What the hell…how did you…?"

She stopped when she saw Vegeta and the Storkrin guard from before. She made the connection silently.

"They helped me." Koru said, still smiling. She was crying now. "Oh, Bulma, you have no idea how it feels…it’s like…like I’m…" she trailed off, shaking her head.

Bulma turned and walked toward Vegeta, who looked back at her under thick eyebrows. Inside, he was trembling like a dog on the hunt, wanting to break out of his hiding place and run toward her. He wanted to catch her in his arms and swing her around, damn it, if it weren’t for the wounds. He wanted to go back out into the red Planet and beat the shit out of anyone that might have even had anything to do with her pain. He looked at her now, as she stood slightly bent at the waist, bruised and battered, and stepped forward to gently embrace her.

She leaned her head into him with a soft sigh, and uncertain hands fluttered at her back, not knowing where to hug, not knowing how hard to.

"Are you ok?" he asked softly, leaning his face into her hair.

"Mmm hmm." She nodded.

"I killed him." he said softly. "And I’m going to destroy The Dungeons. Arden and I will return in a few hours, retrieve the last few women, and then it will be gone."

She tightened her arms around him. She didn’t care. She only wanted this hug to last forever.

Then, from behind them, Spider hobbled up, limping, to where the two stood. With what was obviously a tremendous effort, the Roctorn nudged Vegeta’s hand, begging for a pat on the head. Vegeta pulled away from Bulma and leaned down toward the trembling, but smiling, animal.

"Spider, you idiot." He scolded. No one but Bulma heard the underlying heartache in his voice. "You shouldn’t be up."

Spider tried to wag his tails, but his back legs gave out, and he collapsed into the Prince’s arms. Vegeta stood and carried him over to his bed where he lay him down.

"Stay." He said softly.

The four stood together and stared down at the small animal who lay so helplessly at their feet. "He will be alright." Arden said, laying a hand on Bulmas shoulder. "Don’t worry."

"I hope so…," she said softly. "I hope so…"