The sound of a baby’s wails disrupted the peacefulness of sleep. Endo and Kinoko were lying together in their master bedroom when they heard Enoki’s cries. Kinoko turned to her husband and looked at him through half-opened eyes. “Honey, I believe it’s your turn to check on him.”
“I thought I did it last time,” he grumbled from the side.
“I was the one who checked last time,” she reminded him. “You do know I have to go to work in the morning to help sell the newest scouter models, don’t you?”
“At least you don’t have to get up early to do construction work. Apparently my strength is a “valuable asset” for their company.”
It was not uncommon for Saiyans to partake in janitorial work, garbage collecting and other menial jobs. He considered joining the military at first, but then learned that the focus was more on upgrading assault weapons than physical hand to hand combat. The fact that the strongest Saiyan fighters were put into the lower ranks disgusted him even further. Endo figured that with enough training, he could take out dozens of those weak soldiers single-handedly. Endo was thankful that he was not working in factories and treated like a slave like other unlucky lower-class Saiyans.
“Hello, Planet Plant to Endo,” Kinoko said, snapping him out of his thoughts. “Enoki’s still crying.” Apparently he still was, and it was starting to get on his nerves at this point. Endo could tell from the look in her eyes that she was not going to budge. Although Kinoko’s views about life were markedly different from his, her strong stubborn streak was a quality he admired.
Knowing that this battle late at night was one he was destined to lose, he groggily rose out of bed and made his way down the hall. He turned on the light and saw his son crying in his crib.
“It’s alright, my son,” said Endo. He picked him up and gently bounced him up and down in his arms. The crying continued. “What in the world do you want?” asked Endo. His only answer was more crying. Endo stared for a moment at the white diaper that Enoki was wearing and suddenly felt a twinge of dread. He lay Enoki down on the changing table, opened up his diaper and…holy Yamoshi!
Holding his nose and stifling a gag, Endo hurried to the nearby closet. Inside were stacks of diapers, bottles, baby wipes and other necessary items. Endo mentally gave props to his wife for being so organized and punctual. He quickly grabbed a clean diaper and hurried back into the room to finish the job. When all that was done, Endo found a blue pacifier and put it in the baby’s mouth. Enoki sucked on it happily and was finally starting to calm down.
To help Enoki get to sleep, Endo moved his finger across a nearby screen that displayed playlists of lullabies and calming sounds. Endo made his choice and pressed the “play” button. The sounds of thunderstorms and flooding rain played through the speakers. Both the weather and gravity were stronger and harsher than on Earth. Endo remembered one news report about a thunderstorm so powerful, it caused a mini earthquake under a dark red cloudy sky. Had it not been the weather, Endo would have guessed it was his Saiyan brethren duking it out in the badlands.
Just thinking of the Saiyans made Endo feel sad and guilty. He decided to tell Enoki his story, despite the fact that he could not understand much yet. Endo sighed and began.
Along with the Saiyans, Endo had arrived to Planet Plant after barely escaping the war that destroyed their home planet, Salada. It was rumored that one of the tribe members, Vegeta had defeated the ruthless chief in a high-stakes battle, risen through the ranks and became the new king after he and his men escaped. Endo lived among his kind, fighting with other tribes over land, food and goods. One day, he and his friends were fighting a rival tribe a little too close to the Tuffle border. The guards told them to move back, though Endo’s friends refused. They threatened to shoot his friends after a five second countdown. Endo’s friends were clearly starving, despite having naturally strong muscles. Being hungry was a great weakness and a bad situation for any Saiyan to be in. Without thinking, Endo offered to have him and his friends be a part of Tuffle society, if they would leave his friends alone. They agreed, but instead of inviting all of them in, a group of heavily armed soldiers came and took Endo instead. Even though it was tempting, Endo did not fight back. He turned his head to look back at his friends, who were now starting to retreat. He had a desperate look in his black eyes that said, “I will come back for you, I promise. I will work from the inside and be one of many to free us from oppression.” So, he worked at a variety of menial jobs, trying to get by. He would spread valuable information about Tuffle bases to the few Saiyans who were nearby, trying not to get caught. Endo was destined to live a homeless, shabby life.
That is until he met Kinoko.
From the moment he saw her, Endo could not take his eyes off of her beautifully formed hips, her slender legs, and soft red curly hair. She was often seen wearing dresses, pearl necklaces and earrings, having a good status as a middle-class citizen. Unlike many Tuffles, Kinoko was more willing to be accepting of those of a different race than herself. Kinoko wanted peace between the races, so much so that she once participated in a small protest, carrying her pistol blaster just in case. Nonetheless, the Tuffle government would not listen to their claims. Endo knew to be careful when Kinoko was practicing with her gun outside.
Kinoko was incredibly smart, having graduated from college and landing her first job as a teacher of anthropology, Tuffleology and Saiyan studies. (She wasn’t paid well when she taught the third subject). Eventually, she decided to take a more traditional job of helping to manufacture scouters, laptops, and various beauty products. Having a Saiyan friend was a major change to her ordinary life, an exciting one at that. Over time they got to know each other more and more, Endo appreciating her strength and Kinoko enjoying his sense of humor and laid-back personality. Endo was thankful that he had found the love of his life, especially one who could also cook amazing food. When Endo gradually replaced his brown animal skins for slender, formal Tuffle clothing, Kinoki was proud of him.
After many tests and negotiations, (including a wild wedding), Endo was fully included into Tuffle society (though “included” might be an overstatement.). His mouth was watering at the sight of Kinoko’s sushi, beef, and rice dishes she made in celebration of Endo’s new status. Endo pronounced that it was the best meal he had ever had, only for Kinoko to reply that he had always said that. The couple shared a passionate kiss and made their way upstairs after dinner. They climbed into bed and, well, the rest is history.
“So that leads us to today,” said Endo, finishing the story. “One day, you will grow up to be a proud warrior and maybe someday, you’ll get to meet the Saiyans too.” “If I am ever accepted back into the tribe,” he thought. Enoki was sound asleep at this point. “Yes I will be sure to train you well,” he whispered. “Be warned, I won’t go easy on you.”
“Are you done in there, honey?” asked Kinoko. “Yes,” said Endo, trying not to be too loud. He stood up to turn off the light and climbed back into bed. He and his wife embraced then fell back to sleep. Ten minutes later, a crying sound woke them up. “Oh you’ve got to be kidding me!” growled Endo.