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Survival of the Fittest	By : 2dragonkat Category: Dragon Ball Z > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 11967 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ and its characters, they belong to Akira Toriyama. The only parts that do belong to me are the plot and the twins. I also do not make any profit/money from this either.

Chapter List
- 14
- 15
- 16
Chapter 15 - "Divergent Populations"

WC: 3,600

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Trunks gulped as he shifted in discomfort on his chair. He was sitting in a grand dining room, though its grandness was in its size rather than its decor. This was the interior of a ship so the look of the room was limited to metal bulk heads and twisting circuitry. In its own way it was a sight to behold. But the aesthetic appeal of the room was lost on a sweaty palmed and trembling nerves Trunks.

The table he sat at was small, with only four place sets. The rest of the room was filled with stationed guards. Trunks chanced a glance over his shoulder at the silent men behind him as he waited for his hosts. His earlier assumption that he could take care of himself against this species was a little premature. Even though their power was less than his they were almost twice his size, all of them.

Trunks fiddled with a utensil on his place set, getting more and more anxious as the minutes ticked on and the man he had talked to had yet to show up.

Suddenly a large set of doors opposite to where Trunks had come in opened and three figures entered. His eyes widened as he looked at them. Two of the men were members of the species that lived on the fleet of ships. They had hair covering most of their bodies, looking a lot like the level four of super saiyan. They lacked tails though.

The third man was the one who shocked Trunks. The last man to enter the room was a Saiyan. And he looked a lot like his papa, Vegeta. The Saiyan was very petite, more so than his papa was. His hair stuck up in the same flame shape as Vegeta's did but this Saiyan had bangs. The Saiyan had his eyes on the floor, walking close to the largest of the other two men who entered the room.

As they approached Trunks stood up from his seat, holding his chin up just as his papa had taught him. Never show fear, even when your opponent has the advantage.

The largest man stepped forward, holding out a fur-backed hand. "Greetings, honored guest," he said loudly, his voice booming in the large room. "My name is Decebal. I am the leader of the Bakulans."

"Umm, nice to meet you. I'm Trunks," he replied, grimacing at the other man's strong grip as they shook hands.

"I am pleased to meet you Trunks. I was worried my mate, Tarble, was the last Saiyan," Decebal said cheerfully as he gestured to the small Saiyan at his side whose eyes were still on the ground.

Trunks smiled hesitantly, glancing at the un-introduced man beside Decebal and the guards surrounding them. Decebal caught the look and scoffed, saying. "I apologize for my people. They are wary of strangers after so many years in space."

Decebal snapped his fingers and the guards bowed in unison and then filed out of the room. The place seemed suddenly much larger now that all of those bulky, giant men were gone. Decebal smiled and gestured at the small table. "Please, sit. Let's have a meal together as we share stories. This is Kudret, my second in command," his host said, gesturing to the last man in the room.

Kudret nodded respectfully and Trunks returned the gesture. They sat down at the table just as a flurry of servants scurried in with their food. They quickly disposed of their platters before leaving as quickly as they came. Trunks closed his eyes as the smells wafted over him, the food smelling foreign but still delectable. "These are delicacies from our home world," Decebal said with a great sweeping motion of his arms. "Enjoy."

Trunks grinned but kept himself from eating anything until one of the people in front of him had. He marveled at the different tastes of the food in front of him. It was all very good. Not as good as Goten's cooking though. Trunks paused mid bite and sighed, his chest aching as thoughts of his mate washed over him.

"Is the food not to your liking," Decebal asked, drawing Trunks' attention back to the present.

Trunks smiled sheepishly and shook his head. "I'm sorry. The food is wonderful. It just reminded me of my mate's cooking," he replied honestly. It was harmless information to divulge.

Decebal smiled. "Your mate can cook?"

"Yes, he learned from my father."

"Why is your mate not with you?"

"He's back on our home world. We needed some time apart so I decided to travel in space. It's something I've always wanted to do."

"I see. Were the two of you unhappy?"

"Sort of. We just weren't happy. We'd been together all our lives and it felt like our mating didn't really change anything. We're even soul mates. But that doesn't seem to matter as much as it should for us. We decided maybe some time apart would help fix things between us."

Trunks noticed an immediate reaction from all three men when he mentioned 'soul mates.' Trunks was able to see Tarble's eyes for the first time (the same eyes as his father) and he saw a flash of shock on Kudret's face, his first expression of the night. Decebal seemed particularly interested. He leaned forward in his seat and rested his elbows on the table. Trunks wasn't sure, but he thought the man's smile turned a little wicked for a moment. It was probably the light.

"Well how have your travels been so far?" Decebal asked, returning to his food after he spoke, his mate and subordinate following suit. It was like the reaction Trunks had seen hadn't happened at all.

Trunks was a little surprised. He expected more questions about his relationship with Goten based on the man's look. Maybe he really read them wrong. If Decebal was going to drop the topic then Trunks would too.

"It's been quiet. Seems Space is mostly made of...well space," Trunks said sheepishly with a little chuckle.

Decebal and Kudret both laughed at his unintentional joke. Trunks joined them but Tarble stayed completely silent.

"I'm happy to meet you though," Trunks continued. "You guys are my first alien encounter."

"We are not as alien as you might think," Decebal replied with a grin.

"What do you mean?"

"The Bakulans are related to the Saiyans. We were once one species. Then my ancestor gathered together some people who wanted to live a little differently. They set off and founded our home world." Decebal explained around mouthfuls of food. He sounded like he was repeating text from a history book.

"Well why are all of you traveling now? It looks like your whole species are on these ships," Trunks pointed out, leaning forward and eager to learn more.

"Our home world was destroyed by Frieza," Decebal said softly, bowing his head.

Trunks lowered his eyes in respect, nodding understandingly. "The Saiyan home world was destroyed too," he said softly.

"Yes. We heard. It's when I heard that horrible news that I decided to find any Saiyans who had survived Frieza's wrath. I'm hoping to reunite our species so we can help each other start over."

Trunks sat back in his chair, wiping his mouth with a napkin. This all seemed...reasonable. The Bakulans did look like they could be related to Saiyans. Granted they were larger and lacked tails but that could be due to living on separate worlds for generations. There was still a part of Trunks that was hesitant. No doubt Decebal would soon ask where he came from and how many Saiyans were there. Trunks wasn't sure if it would be a good idea to divulge that information.

He glanced up as Decebal sat back from his empty plate with a belch. "Kudret, would you go get that bottle of wine. The one I made the other day. I want to toast meeting another Saiyan."

Kudret nodded and stood from the table, leaving the room. He came back moments later with a black bottle in his hand, three glasses in the other. Kudret set the glasses on the table and filled each one partway with a dark purple liquid. Trunks grasped the glass that was handed to him.

Decebal smiled over his glass, lifting it in cheers. Trunks hesitantly smiled back. He glanced over at Tarble who continued to look down at his lap, his food barely touched on the plate in front of him. He hadn't spoken a word the during the entire meal. He glanced in the other direction and saw Kudret drinking from his glass, swallowing loudly.

Trunks looked over at Decebal. The man was staring at him, eyes glittering in a suspicious way over the rim of his glass. Trunks glanced back at Kudret. The other man had finished the drink and looked fine. It seemed safe to drink. Trunks stared into drink before taking a deep breath. It would be rude not to even have a little, and the last thing Trunks wanted was to offend these men who could probably destroy his ship and strand him in space. Trunks was powerful, but even he couldn't take all of them.

So he brought the glass to his lips and drank deeply and quickly. As he put his glass down Trunks saw Decebal finishing his own drink. He gave as much of a smile as he could as worry settled heavily in his gut.

Suddenly, Trunks' body jerked and he gasped, clutching a hand to his chest. He panted in fear, eyes wide as he felt it...or felt the lack of something. Goten was gone.

Trunks waited anxiously, knowing any moment he would die. That's what his father had told him. If one member of a pair of soul mates died then the other would follow after.

But...Trunks wasn't dying.

"Is something wrong, Trunks?"

"I can't...feel my mate."

"Perfect."

Trunks froze, looking up slowly. The Bakual sat in his chair, chuckling darkly in his throat. His laughter grew until it encompassed the whole room. Dawning realization slapped Trunks so hard in his face that he felt like he would pass out. "What did you do?" he asked lowly when he had caught his breath.

Decebals satisfied laughter died down and he stood up from his seat. Decebal grinned down at Trunks and he finally saw the man's true nature. The look in his eyes, the evil sneer, and the dark tone to his voice.

Trunks realized he had made a very grave error trusting Decebal.

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Goten weaved his way through a market place, dodging un-tethered animals and over-enthusiastic vendors. He had a large bag swinging from the crook of his arm, filled with exotic ingredients from this valley. Goten had always known he loved to cook, that he had a calling for it. He loved experimenting with cooking. It was the whole reason for this trip.

He had been gone for about a month now and had no intention of returning home anytime soon. Goten had been to seven different countries to learn about their local foods. He bought local ingredients and played with new and old recipes. The people had been nice and Goten's creations were getting better and better.

Goten had been hearing good news from home though, which had temped him a few times to return. Gohan was giddily pregnant and Piccolo was unnaturally openly affectionate and protective. But Goten could see the bit of strain in them both. Until they got all the way through the pregnancy and were able to hold their healthy child in their arms, neither will be able to let go of the fear the past invoked. They were both still worried a miscarriage would occur.

The other Saiyans were gone and happily settling into their new home, a planet created by Shenron (Goten had wondered why the dragon had been summoned not long after he had left). His younger brothers were happy and healthy. His parents looked a little worn to Goten, and he hoped that it wasn't too serious...and that it wasn't because of him and Trunks.

Trunks was doing well, and that made Goten the happiest. While a part of him was still sad his mate was gone, another part of him was a tad relieved. It felt good to be apart. He was finding out all about who 'Goten' was. He was liking what he was finding each and every day. Still, Goten did hope Trunks would return soon. Being celibate wasn't easy. Phone sex (or in this case communicator sex) just wasn't as satisfying as the real thing.

Goten smiled at a vendor selling spices as he made his final purchase of the day. A few gold coins for some ginger. He tucked the ingredient into his bag full of others before making his way out of the market place. Goten quietly hummed to himself as he walked along the dirt road leading from the market towards the small Bed & Breakfast he had rented a room in. This area was full of exciting new confections and ingredients so Goten suspected he would stay an extra few days. Besides the woman who owned the B&B was happy to let him use her kitchen to experiment in.

Goten turned his head to the sun, smiling as his skin was warmed by its rays. He took a deep breath of the hot, dry air of the mountain valley he was in. Goten needed to take some pictures of this place before he left in a few days.

Suddenly Goten froze, eyes wide as he dropped his bag. He fell to his knees, trembling horribly as he wrapped his arms around his middle. A cold sweat broke out on his forehead as he gasped in ragged, short breaths. His stomach turned with nausea and his heart pounded in anxiety. Tears fell uninhibited from his eyes.

One moment everything was fine then it all went to hell. It was gone. It was something that he had felt for so long that he barely thought about it. It was a part of him. It was always there, even unnoticed, it was always there. But now it was gone.

Goten couldn't feel Trunks anymore. Their bond was broken.

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"What did you do?!" Trunks shouted, since the first time he had asked that question it had gone unanswered.

Decebal chuckled darkly. "I was just conducting a little experiment Trunks. You see my scientists were able to develop a tasteless toxin that can destroy bonds. It has worked famously on my people and now I wanted to try it on Saiyans. And what would you know, it was a complete success. And not only that, but I was able to break a regular bond and a soulmate bond all at once."

Trunks gapped at the man in front of him, digesting everything he had been told. Decebal had broken his bond with Goten? But that was impossible. He clenched his fists in anger, top lip curling in a sneer as the desire to kill the man in front of him consumed Trunks.

"How dare you."

"Now Trunks, you really should be thanking me. You said you were unhappy with your relationship. I simply lended you a hand and gave you an out," a smug grin stretching across Decebal's face.

"To what end?" Trunks seethed.

"All in due time," Decebal said with a nod of his head.

Trunks howled in rage, launching himself across the table to land a punishing blow on his host's smug face. The punch landed with a resounding crack, sending Decebal into the far wall with a crash. Before Trunks could follow after Decebals' limp body, he was assaulted from the side by Kudret. The silent subordinate knocked Trunks off balance. Before he could recover Kudret had pulled out a pistol like device and shot Trunks with a dart.

He knew immediately that the dart had been coated with a sedative because he was suddenly staggering on his feet. Trunks slipped and collapsed in a heap on the floor. The last thing he saw was Decebal standing up and wiping blood from his grinning lips.

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When Trunks awoke he was in a dark room with chains around his wrist and ankles. His head was fuzzy and it felt like his chi was blocked. He growled and struggled in his bonds, the chains rattling against the metal of his cage and breaking the deafening silence around him.

"Don't struggle. It'll just make the toxin in you bloodstream work more and make you weaker."

Trunks whipped his head up as someone spoke, finding another figure chained up on the other side of the room. He squinted his eyes in the dark, just barely making out the outline of a small body topped with a flame.

"Tarble?" he questioned, shifting around until he faced the other Saiyan. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm a prisoner, like you," Tarble replied quietly. His voice was much lighter and airier than his father's.

"But why?"

"I am of no more use to Decebal." Tarble hung his head, looking away.

"...I don't understand. What's going on? Why did he break my bond with Goten? Why is he searching for the Saiyans? Aren't you his mate? Why did he lock you up? Why-"

"Calm down Trunks. Getting aggravated will also make the toxin more potent."

"But I don't understand. What's happening?"

"You want answers. And if you calm down, I'll give all the answers that I know." Tarble said softly. Trunks sucked in a ragged breath, closing his eyes and counting to ten. When he felt calmer and more in control he opened his eyes and sat back. He looked at Tarble, nodding to show he was ready for some answers.

"When Decebal spoke to you, part of what he said was true. The Bakulans and the Saiyans were once one species a couple thousand years ago. Decebal's ancestor wanted to be in control but he was a tyrant. He killed hundreds of people before the king at the time banished him and his followers. Technology was lacking and they ended up stranded on a harsh planet in the deepest shadow of the universe.

"Over time the Bakulans evolved. Each subsequent leader of the first bred a hatred in his children and people for Saiyans. Most of the time the hatred was used to make the Bakulans avoid the Saiyans. But Decebal was different. Instead of desiring to avoid the Saiyans like everyone before him, he wanted to control us.

"A few years ago he convinced his people to leave their home world. Most are under the impression of what Decebal told you. That he wants to reconcile with the Saiyans. But others, those who are closest to and as heartless as Decebal, know his true intentions."

"So...this was all a trap." Trunks said softly, feeling like an idiot that he had fallen so easily into such a trap. His papa would clock him something fierce for his stupidity.

"Yes. Your ship has already been dismantled and all of the data you had has been seen by Decebal. He knows about your family and Earth. He's planning to go there." Tarble said, his voice regretful.

"Damn it! I knew something was off. Shit, why didn't I just listen to my instincts and high tail it out of here?!" Trunks slammed his head against the wall behind him, staring up at the dark ceiling as anger at both himself and that bastard Decebal simmered beneath his skin.

"If you had, Decebal would have killed you."

"I need to warn everyone." Trunks gasped, realizing that everyone, his family and the new Saiyans, had no idea what was coming and would be completely unprepared.

"You can't. Decebal injected you with a toxin that suppresses your energy. The more you struggle the worse it gets. Not to mention he's destroyed all communications on your ship." Tarble said, reaching out like he wanted to comfort Trunks but the restraints around his arms stopped him short. Tarble sat back, sympathetic eyes watching Trunks.

Trunks sighed in frustration. He could hear his father's voice in his head berating him over his stupidity. He was too trusting like his dad. Trunks closed his eyes for a moment, trying to calm down so he didn't make the situation any worse. He opened his eyes and gazed at Tarble's silhouette, marveling at the similarities with his father.

"How did you get mixed up with Decebal?" he asked after a few moments of silence.

"My father sent me away when I was a baby to keep me safe. A few years back Decebal found me and forced me to mate with him." Tarble's voice was monotonous, but Trunks could hear the pain buried beneath the sound.

"Why the hell would he do that?!" Trunks asked in outrage. The thought of someone being forced to be mated…it was a rape of both the body and the soul.

"Because he thought I was the heir to the Saiyan throne. But he heard from some former minions of Frieza about another Saiyan who claimed to be the Prince of Saiyans. And thanks to your ship's logs he no knows that I'm not who he wants."

Trunks' eyes widened as he put two and two together. The shape of the hair, the features, the subtle regal air...

"Are...you related to my father?" Trunks asked, voice barely above a whisper.

"Yes. Prince Vegeta is my big brother."

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AN: We've finally gotten to the point of the story that begins to explain the title selection for this story. Took a while, but we got here. Next several chapters will be building up to my big climax and finale.

Next time: Find out Tarble's history and more.

Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and been following this story. Your words of encouragement and knowing you're all still interested is so helpful to me. I'm excited we're nearing the end because I've got some big stuff planned.
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Survival of the Fittest