FicWad

A/N: I am soooo sorry I didn't get this done sooner. I just had major writer's block. I will try to be better with Chapter 5.

A heavy mist swirls over a familiar orange head as a deep inhale is drawn into his lips. With a loud, rolling yawn, he flexes and stretches his tired limbs. His fingers brush against stalks of grass covered in dew, and shivers lightly in the cool air before sitting up. Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, he yawns again and peers about his surroundings: he sits on top of a prairie-hill near the edge of a thick forest; old, stony mountains rest opposite of the woodland, unaware of the morning sun behind them. Besides the calls of the early birds and the buzzing sounds of insects, he appears to be the only being around.

"Fuck..." he exasperates with a whine, and falls back flat against the moist earth. The second trial had already begun.

Rising once more, Jeice fumbles about his immediate area for a clue (they would not leave him without an idea of what he was supposed to do, would they?). He finally grasps a leather cloth and finds a parchment tucked within. IN Universal chicken-scratch, it reads:

Jheese-
Yu art u find yur wait u the centur of the forist. Der, yum us go tru the
undurwahter faves. We wil meat yu on the othur side.

With an irritated sigh, he pushes off the ground and stands. His expression perks up when he notices that the hide piece had unrolled into a loin cloth, his hands coming together for a momentary prayer of thanks before he grabs it. A minute later, he is strapped-up and striding into the brush.

Like the field, the foliage is wet from the early morning air; the rich shades of green and various speckles of other hues shine vibrantly in the young light as he passes through. The damp floor gives and sticks to his soles, while fern fronds and tree leaves bounce back against his skin after being parted. The sounds of the waking thicket envelop him, with the chatter of small furry mammals and low, undulating calls of larger ones adding to the winged-beasts' songs. Oddly, nothing seems disturbed by his presence, as if the whole wood knows his reason for being there. This feeling of familiarity refreshes the male's spirit, making him feel no longer like a stranger in an alien world.

A deep grumbling fills his ears, and a hand immediately falls upon his stomach; he has not eaten in days, he remembers. His gut growls again, this time a surging pain.

"Damn..." he grimaces. "Guess I'm gonna' make m' own breakfast..."

Out of the corner of his eye, he catches a rippling blue glimmer. Without thinking, he heads toward it, his primal instinct taking the reigns. His feet lead him to a smooth-pebbled shore of a small river, and his eyes scan up and down its course. Both ends bend around forested corners, leaving him scratching his head for a moment. He then rolls his eyes, as if to say 'duh', and jumps up. To his delight, he stays in the air. After performing an odd celebratory shimmy (the likes of which males are notoriously known for), he jets upward above the tree tops to survey the wood. Ahead of him, he spots a rocky outcropping in the middle of the sea of green, the beginning of the waterway spawning from it.

Without warning, Jeice drops out of the sky. Branches snap and scrape against his skin before he lands harshly on the ground. An angry, hollow rumble reminds him of his states while he rubs his sore rear; there might not be any enchanted spires around, but an empty stomach is just as bad, if not worse, on his ki.

"I better find something quick," he thinks to himself, rising to his feet, "or I'm gonna' pass-out."

Water splashes about his ankles as he trudges up the edge of the bank. His shoulders and tail droop and sway heavily with each step, his hunger, more than ever, driving him onward. What he would not do for a prime-cut steak smothered in spices with a side of crisp greens, topped with lavish dressing, and a tall glass of amber beer...

A silver flick in the air followed by a dazzling shower of blue and white ahead of him catches his eye and perks up his senses- fish certainly was not a bad, either. Picking up the pace, he presses up river. Rushing, crashing water tickles his ears, and soon he sets his sight on a small group of rapids. Arced green, silver, and red fish clamor upstream, fighting the river to spawn. The suitor pauses a moment, reflecting on the creatures' struggle with empathy; he, too, is battling against the current for an uncertain future. Reality quickly snaps back into play when his stomach reminds him he is likely not to die after breeding and that he has not had sushi in some time. He scrambles onto a small ledge overlooking a point in the water's rocky course and focuses his sight below him. Like a bear, he leans steadily over with one paw raised, waiting for the perfect opportunity. His dark pupils scan across the rough surface rapidly; suddenly, his hand jolts down, and-

Like a young bear, he misjudges his weight and face-plants into the water, his meal slipping through his fingers. Incensed, Jeice grapples on all fours after his prey. After tripping and sliding on a medley of bedrocks, the predator's chase is finally rewarded; clenching the tired fish in his teeth, he crawls ashore before ripping out a large chunk of pink flesh. When he finishes, the warrior wears a large, prideful grin and stretches out on the grassy shore.

The earlier escapade had landed him at a small reservoir, presumably near his target destination. The cerulean waters are calm, with a light breeze skipping across the surface. Hopefully, muses Jeice to himself, there will be more fish within the lake. One certainly doesn't satisfy my appetite.

His brown eyes skirt skim across the lake's surface. The late morning light dances on the rippled glass stage, a few stray leaves lightly drifting around the edges. However, nothing else disturbs the water. The sharp orange nose wrinkles; if he was going to eat any more, he would have to get wet again. Lifting his legs into the air and rolling onto his shoulders, he thrusts himself up off his back and onto his feet. He is soon dashing toward the lake; a few steps more, and he jumps up and dives, a cascade of spray swallowing him into the cool depths below. The clear blue swells gently against him as he rights himself, and the fresh ivory hair on his tail drifts in the subtle current while it curls and sways.

The Ginyu turns his head from side to side, trying to spot his next bite. A flicker of fin in the distance hooks his attention, and he bolts after it. As he swims closer, the end of his target grows larger and larger, though the front remains hidden blending into the environment. With the creature within an arm's reach, he makes a grab for it. The blue fins dodge out of his grasp; tries again, inching closer before reaching out. This time, not only does the tail slips out of his hands, it smacks him upside the face. Gritting his teeth, the mandarin fighter tries a third time. He succeeds, but quickly regrets the attempt. The fish whips him about, dragging him around in tight circles and snaps his back into an arch. Water rushes past his ears as he is suddenly pulled to the surface; moments later he crashes through and is flung through air. He rolls into a heavy landing upon the grassy shore.

"That was a bold move," a light female voice from the lake states irritably from the lake while Jeice staggers back up.

"W-what?" he sputters, spitting out dirt and greenery.

"Oh, come on," it continues. "I would think a royal suitor would have paid more attention to the lore."

"Huh?"

Before his lifted gaze rests a sitting blue-skinned woman with the lower body of the fish he was chasing earlier and finned ears, laid back in annoyance. Her short emerald hair is slicked back by the dripping water, and her sapphire irises on back eyes shine with attentiveness.

"Unbelievable," he breathes and takes a few wobbly steps forward. "Then again, you're not the first Sheila without legs in these parts."

"Well, yeah," she notes with aggravation. "I am Hydra."

"... Who?"

The alien mermaid's pupils widen in disbelief, then narrow while a fine brow rises in scrutiny.

"You..." she begins, "are not a Saiyan, are you...?"

He shakes his head in responses, feeling awkward in the world once more.

"Interesting..." she muses, the large fin flicking a bit. A smile spreads across her lips. "You seem... a little battered."

"Yeah," he replies and rubs his head. Today had been unusually rough on him.

"You know a relationship with a Saiyan is just as jostling, right?" she continues, her sharp teeth revealed in a smirk.

"Well... I hadn't really though about it..."

The marine being bursts into laughter, the sound imitating a babbling broke.

"You just dove straight in!" she exclaims. "Oh how rich!"

Now the suitor takes his turn to wear an agitated expression. Folding his arms, he exhales hotly through his nose.

"If you're lookin' to cast doubt on me, I've made up my mind," he states with an edge.

"Oh don't have a sea cow," she retorts cheekily. "Fear is Pyra's department. I am much more refined."

In one fluid motion, she pushes herself off the bank and back into the calm waters. Though irritated, Jeice's curiosity is peeked, and he follows her in. Underneath the surf, the mythical female circles about his submerged form. He tries to keep his eyes on her at all times, but winds up befuddled. Disoriented, he swims to the top, throwing back his head in a gasp for air. The bubbling giggling follows him up, and he abruptly turns around on impulse to face the mockery's owner.

"So, what's your department?" he inquires with a wary eye.

"Water is the element of emotion," she casually answers.

"You toy with men's hearts, then?"

"If you wish to see it so crudely," she bites, turning her back on him in a huff, "and if I wish to deal with them."

Feeling cocky, he shrugs his shoulders and jeers, "So I guess I'm done with this trial."

Without warning, she whips around and he finds five needle-like claws in his neck. He gags and coughs dryly as a hot, stinging sensation trickles into his flesh and down his throat. A cruel chortle twists about his head as his wide-eyes meet the beast's hard stare.

"I never said I wouldn't, alien," coldly states the lake monster with a sadistic smile. "There are many ways to break a male, not just temptation. And from the look of things, you're a truth man."

"Pyra... already... questioned... me," he gasps, struggling to pull her hand off him. "An' no... matter... what... Kerri... thinks of... me... I'm not... giving... up..."

"Who said anything about her feelings?" she heartlessly retorts with her ears perked in amusement. He can feel the quick bends and flicks of her tail by the vigorous vibrations in the water hitting against his feebly treading legs. "I was thinking more along on the lines of /yours/...

"As I said before, a life with a Saiyan is neither simple nor sweet. You will be lead into a false sense of comfort, teased, and battered by what you desire. In the end, you are left tossed aside, out of breath, and still hungry. Oh sure, you may care about her, but is any female worth so much hassle? Do you really love her?"

His lips shake open, raspily inhaling to speak, yet nothing but a weak exhale escapes him. A pointed black tongue slides across dark green lips before the creature presses him further:

"You really did just jump in, didn't you? You hardly know her at all, don't you? You're only here because of lust... No, not just that, you're here because of pride: you don't want to back down from this challenge."

Jeice bites his tongue as he feels her drive a nail through his body. She is right─ he is here for the challenge, something he has not had in years and longs for. How did she know? As if reading his thoughts, Hydra continues cynically, "You males are all the same. You get so caught up in the physical trials of life that you totally neglect the emotional and mental aspects. So tell me, suitor, why do you waste your time with a long-term relationship when a short-term is easier? Is the challenge that great to you? Are you willing to risk other's feelings for the sake of your own delight?"

"No...!" he coughs, though unsure of his reason behind the answer.

"Then why are you here?! Do you honestly love her?!" she hisses, unrelenting in her assault.

"Yes...!"

"Why?!"

"Because...because..." he wheezes while his fingers hopelessly slipping over her lodged digits. There was that question again─ why did he love her? The Saiyan female posed it to him once before, back at his flat. In his mind, he can taste the rich fruit flavor of her lips on the tip of his tongue from their first kiss and smell the flora aroma of her dark mane from the first time he held her close. These rich, natural accents are unique to her, along with her calm, yet head-strong demeanor. Females of his status usually wear excessively sweet scents and taste of icing variations, in addition to sporting masks of make-up and shallow personalities. Kerrigan is nothing like that; she is real, bold, and─

He inhales deeply, his neck free from barbs. The hand that was once clasped tightly around his throat now rests on his shoulder, and the hardened antagonist is gone, replaced by a calmly smiling mermaid.

"You better get moving," she nods with a fluid pat. "You need to follow the feeder river to the lake up to the cave. A little ways in, a spring bubbles up through a drop in the floor; you'll need to dive straight down and follow the rock tube for a ways, but the opening will be obvious."

"...That's it?" Jeice asks, a bit flabbergasted by her sudden change. "But... why?"

"Figuring out why you love someone is hard enough," she answers. "And I've had my fill of entertainment today."

With that, her form changes, her solid features melting into liquid, and she descends into the lake in a crash of water. The ginger male splashes backwards, shaking his head rapidly in disbelief; he rubs his eyes, making sure they are focused correctly, before looking around him. She really did dissolve before him. Remembering her words, he paddles to the back of the lake and climbs onto the bank. Wiping off what excess water he can, he turns his sight back to the lake to gaze upon its gentle surface. A light breeze skips across the surface, and, as he is about to turn away, it carries up a familiar bubbling laugh to his ear. He smirks, and then bows in the universal sign of respect.

"Thanks, Hydra," he murmurs. "I needed that lesson."

Straightening, the warrior turns and walks onward to his goal.