Shin sat in the dark library, brooding in front of the fire. Hazel
sat beside him, about five feet away, watching him from the corner of her eye as
he stared into the fire. Her long, fuzzy brown tail hung over the armrest,
twitching once in a while. The rain spattered drearily on the windows. The room
was cold and quiet. Neither spoke. Shin broke the silence. “Have you made any
progress in your search?” he asked quietly, not moving a muscle. His eyes seemed
out of focus, as though he were not looking at the flames, but somewhere far
beyond them. Miles beyond. The firelight danced across his face, highlighting a
complete lack of wrinkles, yet making the expressionless face appear worn and
aged. Hazel took a deep breath. This would NOT be easy.
   
“Apparently,” she began tentatively. “It was a side effect of the potion I gave
you to separate you from Kibito. The potion included the blood of a child who
had a split upper lip. It’s possible that the gene that caused his split lip
overrode your normal genes causing the deformity to surface.” Shin’s head tilted
lower, as his eyes closed.
    “Is there a way to fix it?” he
asked quietly.
    “I’m sorry, Shin-sama, we’ve tried just
about everything. Lican blood is powerful stuff! Surgery, forced healing,
spells, none of it’s worked. I’ve only one alternative at this point.” She stood
and walked over to a table, where sat an enormous leather bound book. She began
turning the aged, thin pages. He walked over. “Two of Kitty’s sons have come
down with an odd disorder of the skin pigmentation. Their skin is literally
changing color, in blots and splotches, and we can find no clue as to why. Well,
while I was looking for something to help them, I found this.” She turned the
book around so he could see it. She was pointing to a page covered with unusual
characters. It was obviously written in Saijin, and from what he knew of the
language, it was a potion for ‘revealing true self.’ The list of ingredients was
long and unusual. Blood of a trusted servant, blood of a lover, grape lip balm…
“it’s a complicated potion,” she admitted. “Even so, no venture, no gain!” A
knock came at the door. “Enter.” she called out. One of the tall French doors
slowly opened a bit, to reveal two short figures. Hazel smiled. Two young boys,
about six years of age, crept into the room. Shin was rather surprised at their
appearance.
    One was tall and broad with flat silvery hair
and tail the same, bare, heavy brows, and pointed ears. He had no antennae, like
a normal Namek. His flesh was of a curious brownish green color, with a few red
patches. The other was shorter and had a single strip of fluffy white hair down
the center of his head, like a mohawk. His eyes were deep and black, slanted
like sharks teeth, and his ears equally pointed. His flesh was mostly a dark
bluefish green, but he had a couple patches of lavender. A long fluffy white
tail hung behind him, wringing nervously. Most noticeable of all was his upper
lip.     It was split.
    A bit younger, a bit
different, yes, but it was obvious whom they resembled. Hazel danced over to
them and they threw their arms around her. “Hi, Aunt Hazel!” the tall one said
in a rather coarse voice. The other just gazed up at her with adoring eyes.
Hazel ruffled his fluffy hair, and noticed the odd look on the Supreme Kai’s
face.
“Where are my manners?” she muttered. She led the two boys over to Shin
and introduced them. “These are two of Kitty’s boys. This is Kibitor Kaisire,”
The one who looked like Kibito shook his hand. She put a hand on the head of the
other. “and this is Kaizenore Shinoro.” Kaizenore blushed, and hid behind Hazel.
“He’s a little shy.” she whispered.
    “Interesting choice of
names!” Shin smiled. “though I’m not quite sure about the meaning of their
middle names.” (Those who are Licans, Shreahns, or children of Licans or
Shreahns usually are given a middle name or two which might be a description,
prophecy, or such.) Hazel giggled.
    “That’s because they’re
in Ancient Anin! Kaisire means ‘Kai born,’ and ‘Shinoro’ means he’s part of your
family. We were all so surprised that they so resembled you and Kibito, that
Kitty and Piccolo named them after you! We believe that mother Lica had a hand
in this as well.”
    “But she’s…”
    “Her
body is destroyed, but her spirit lives on, protecting us and altering our
lives. She knew of your predicament, and touched two of the three children kitty
carried at the time, making them appear to be you. One of the ingredients
necessary in the potion was the blood of someone who looks like you. That’s why
that potion is so rarely used. And we’re so proud of these
two…”
    “Indeed we are proud.” a husky voice said from the
doorway. There stood a tall Namek in a dark purple gi with a red belt, wearing a
roguish grin. “It’s about time for these young men to get to
bed.”
    “Piccolo!” Shin exclaimed. “So good to see you
again! Handsome boys you’ve got there.” Piccolo smirked.
   
“You WOULD think so!” he sneered. “Yeah, kids’re great. Got eighteen now.” Shin
gaped.
    “But you and Kittel were re-united the year Majin
Buu was released, and there were only two children then, one of which wasn’t
yours!” he protested. “How?!” Piccolo gave Kaizenore’s shoulder a gentle
squeeze.
    “Licans have a gestation period that can last
anywhere from five months to three. And it doesn’t help that they travel in
packs.” Shin looked lost. “Jasper and Celena came on their own, but Namekias,
May June, Kaizena, and Zirbonias were born just before Majin Buu attacked. A few
months after came Kaizenore, Kibitor, and Piccolai. After them came Holly and
Ivy, then Gozer, Geta, and Videlia. Four months ago, Kitty gave birth to
quadruplets---Gurudo, Dendedo, Saijinia, and Kamisai.”
    “So
you’re telling me these boys aren’t a year old?!” Piccolo smiled.
“Yeah.
They’re growing up so fast.” He gazed fondly at Kibitor. “His older sister May
June had a nasty fall last week, and split her brow open; almost needed
stitches. This little guy healed her with chi, just the way Kibito does. And
Kaizenore,” (who blushed.) “can already read, write, and speak Anin, Platyaon,
Saijin, Namekian, and Latin.” Shin’s right eye twitched a couple of times.
Kaizenore slipped over to Shin’s side while the adults were talking, and tugged
on his sleeve. Shin smiled down at him.
    “Yes?” Kaizenore
glared at the floor, tail thrashing, wringing his hands. He stood on one foot,
squishing it with the other.
    “I…I’m s…sorry Mister Shin.”
he screwed up his face as though he were ready to cry. Shin was
shocked.
    “Why? You’ve done me no ill…” The boy walked over
to stare into the fire.
    “The potion had my blood in it.
That’s what messed everything up.” (Sniff.)
    ‘I was right.’
Shin thought to himself. ‘It WAS his blood.’ He walked over to the boy, who had
sunk into the chair Shin had just vacated. He got down on one knee, and gently
lifted the boy’s chin so he could see his eyes. The boy’s deep black eyes were
watery, and he could tell the kid was trying not to cry. “It’s alright,
Kaizenore.” he smiled. “It wasn’t your fault. You can’t help your genes. I’d
have to be a monster to hold you responsible.” He moved his hand to the boy’s
shoulder, gazing at him kindly. “We have a lot in common, Kaizenore.” he said as
the boy wiped away a tear. “I’d like to get to know you better. Anytime you
want,” Shin ruffled the boys hair. “You and your brother feel free to come visit
Kibito and myself.” the boy’s eyes lit up, and he sniffed, breaking out into a
comforted smile. He flung his arms around the generous Kai’s neck, whose eyes
bugged in shock. Never had anyone done such a thing but his parents! It was like
asking King Yemma for a raise! Shin smiled. ‘You’re gonna go far, kid.’ he
thought. Piccolo carried his two sons back to their rooms, as they waved madly
over his shoulders.
    “He really looks up to you.” Hazel
smiled when she noticed the smile on Shin’s face. “Ever since the Licans and
their families were evacuated to planet Aniria, those two boys have been
watching you in their mother’s crystal ball. He admires you so much, Kitty
thought at first that he had PAINTED those splotches on. Well, back to business.
We’ll need to keep you here for a while. You know, observation, safety
precautions, treatment, all that happy crap. For safety’s sake, you’ll be
rooming with the finest warrior to ever come out of Beebalminus Aniria. I’m sure
you’ll get along well. It’ll also give Kibito a much needed vacation.” Just
then, a heavy man in a striped robe poked his ugly head through the door. “What
do you want, Yajirobe?” she sighed, annoyed at his very
presence.
    “Some chick down stairs sent me to tell you she
finished her ‘mission,’ but she was attacked by a couple of
Kais.”
    “Well, who were they?!” she snapped. “We’ll have to
talk this over with them.”
    “I dunno. She didn’t say. She
just went to her room and slammed the door in my face.”
   
“Go figure.” Hazel said under her breath. “Thanks, Yodge Podge. You can leave
now.” He left in a huff, without closing the French doors. “This is serious.
We’ll have to find those two and get things straightened out. Why would they
attack her?” Shin had turned pale with fear.
    “Uh, what’s
going on?” she sighed again.
    “Kitty sent Melaza” GASP!
“out to warn King Kai that Goku was coming to see him. She wanted to give him a
chance to pack and run. Apparently a couple of the Great Kai Planet’s
inhabitants attacked her.” Shin cleared his throat
nervously.
    “Kibito thought she was spying on us and
grabbed her tail.” Hazel’s eyes popped wide open. “Her eyes turned pure
lavender, she attacked and bit him, then they returned to black and she flew
off.” Hazel groaned.
    “He made her transform! When a Lican
is scared, angry, or hurt enough, she enters a disassociative state, and attacks
whatever smells dangerous. She didn’t know what she was doing, in the sense of
if we ask her now, she won’t remember anything but blacking out and waking up.
Her emotions tend to boil over a lot, like they did earlier, when she’s in
heat.” Shin blushed a deep violet. “Well, I’d better get the number of the room
you’re to stay in. let’s see,” She flipped through a notebook. “Alright. Your
room is in the west wing of the fifth floor. The symbol on the door,” she
sketched it out for him on a scrap of paper. “is two open semicircles with the
open parts facing up and down. They overlap at the curve, and there’s a vertical
line running through the middle. On either side is a small dot. I trust you can
find your way…?”
    “Yes. Thank you Hazel. Have a good
evening.”