Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ A Light in the Darkness ❯ Flying Lessons ( Chapter 90 )

A Light in the Darkness - Part 90: Flying Lessons
by Mia Skywalker & Wataruo

 

PAIRING: None
RATING: PG-13
WARNINGS: none
C&C: Please! ^_^
DISCLAIMER: Neither of us owns any of the DBZ characters or anything about DBZ, but we both wish we owned the Saiyans. All of them. At least all of the ones with hair. And yes, we're including Yamcha, Ranma, and Ryouga in that, now you know. Dragonball Z and the associated characters are owned by Toei, Viz, Akira Toriyama, and FUNimation. Ranma 1/2 and the characters of Ranma Saotome and Ryouga Hibiki are owned by Viz, Rumiko Takahashi, and some Japanese studio I don't know the name of. We do own what we've written here, and our specific storyline, just not Dragonball or Ranma 1/2 themselves. We make no money off of any of these guys, nor off this fic. We just have fun writing it. Oh, I guess we do own Hakusai and Serori. But I doubt anyone cares. ^_~
SUMMARY: Ranma learns to fly. The Zed warriors sense another uninvited and unwelcome arrival to Chikyuu.
NOTES: The rest of this story is completely unbeta'd, as I can't seem to find a beta who will be as brutal or thorough as I like, and will get me chapters back in what I feel is a timely manner. I have, however, had training as an editor, and I've edited the remainder of this pretty thoroughly. I would simply like people to be aware that no one else has gone through it to catch any errors or inconsistencies, so it may be more flawed than I realize.

 

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Yamcha was surprised at how easy Ranma took to learning how to fly. It was almost as though it was second nature to him, as if he had been waiting all his life to learn how to fly, and he had just been shown what he had always known subconsciously. Ranma couldn't resist turning cartwheels and doing all sorts of flying stunts, zigzagging around quickly and easily, taking to it as naturally as a bird.

 

Ryouga watched enviously; he had been taught how to fly earlier, yet was still having more trouble with the basics than Ranma was. He sighed unhappily. Saotome always did pick up techniques more quickly than he did, Ryouga thought, almost turning green with jealousy. He began to simmer deep inside, still wanting revenge on the young man, this time for the insult of being better than Ryouga once again.

 

~~~*~~~

 

Krillin had been heading to Goku's when he felt several large ki blasts. The little monk was worried. Those blasts contained a tremendous amount of power and it made him nervous. He relaxed only slightly when he realized it was Vegeta. He hoped Vegeta was training and not trying to take over the world again. The other ki he did not recognize and for a moment he debated about what to do.

 

He decided to go and see what was going on. It didn't feel like a battle, but just in case he wanted to be there. When he arrived he was surprised to see two different groups training. Krillin was a little hesitant about approaching Vegeta and the purple-haired teenager he was with, so he walked over to where Yamcha appeared to be coaching the others.

 

“Hey!” he called up to his friend. “What's going on?”

 

Yamcha was surprised to see Krillin, and he smiled in obvious pleasure. “I was teaching my brother how to fly! Look, he's a natural!” He pointed up at where Ranma was doing loop-de-loops in midair.

 

Krillin blinked. “You have another brother?” he asked. “How many more of them do you have?”

 

Yamcha grinned broadly. “Just the two. That I know of, at least. Mom said they were twins. We found Ranma yesterday at the Budokai. He's the one Ryouga beat.” His smile faded and he looked at Krillin earnestly. “How did that go? Was everyone all right? Did they finish the Budokai or did everything get canceled because of the fight?”

 

To Yamcha's surprise, Krillin blushed faintly. “Umm, actually since I was the only one left I won by default.” He looked up at Yamcha and sighed. “It impressed Marron, though.”

 

Yamcha blinked several times and then chuckled. “Boy, I'll bet Vegeta would be mad about that. You might not want to tell him. He'd probably challenge you to a real fight, just to prove he could win,” he teased his friend. “After all, technically you now have the title of `the strongest fighter in the world', right?”

 

Krillin smiled. “Yeah, though I don't feel like I earned it, ya know?” He placed a hand up behind his head and glanced over at the Saiyan Prince. “Did Goku go home after the fight? I figured he'd be out here training with Vegeta, but Vegeta is sparring with some kid.” He frowned. “He looks familiar. Do I know him?”

 

Yamcha shrugged. “I guess he went home, yeah. Haven't seen him this morning. Chi-Chi is probably keeping him home and not letting him go anywhere. You know how Chi-Chi is.” The two warriors shared an amused look. “And Trunks?” Yamcha looked thoughtfully over at the boy that Vegeta was training. “No, you couldn't have met him before. He came from the future. He's Bulma and Vegeta's son....”

 

Krillin's expression was a mixture of disbelief and awe. “The future? You have got to be kidding!” When Yamcha merely smiled, the little warrior groaned. “You aren't kidding. Oh man. Why can't things ever be normal?”

 

Yamcha laughed at Krillin's complaint. “Have things ever been normal for you since the day you met Goku? Come on, nothing's ever been normal since then, has it?” He leaned forward, his eyes twinkling. “And wouldn't you be bored if it were?”

 

Krillin chuckled. “I suppose you're right. But trying to figure this stuff out is going to give me a headache.” The two men shared a smile before Krillin spoke again. “Anyway, it's close to lunch time and I was hoping I could stop off at Bulma's to check on things and grab a bite. I told Goku I would stop by today, and Marron is busy this afternoon anyway.”

 

“Doing what? Shopping?” Yamcha asked almost snidely, earning a confused look from Krillin. Yamcha shook his head. “Sorry. Sure, I guess you can ask Bulma if you can eat there. Or Vegeta, although he's more likely to say no than she is. With all the Saiyans eating there right now, though, I doubt she'll even notice your appetite.” He clapped Krillin on the shoulder, not realizing his own strength as his slap shoved the smaller man forward by several feet.

 

Krillin caught himself before he ended up face first on the ground. He reached up to rub his shoulder and winced. “Kuso, Yamcha, that hurt.” But before the other man could apologize Krillin spoke up. “Do you want a ride back? I have my car with me.”

 

Yamcha shook his head. “Nah, I should keep an eye on my brothers. Ryouga has a tendency to get lost.” He didn't want to explain that at the moment, but instead headed towards the younger Saiyans to tell them they were breaking for lunch.

 

Krillin nodded. “All right. I'll meet everyone there.” The little monk made his way to his aircar and waved at Yamcha before heading towards Bulma's.

 

“Gohan, keep an eye on my brothers, all right?” Yamcha asked him, after letting him know they would be taking a break. Gohan nodded, and Yamcha moved towards Vegeta and Trunks. He didn't want to interrupt them, but knew they shouldn't be left out of the invitation to go home and eat. He approached them quietly, waiting the right opportunity to speak.

 

Vegeta wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. His son was good, and with a little practice he would be a lot better. Maybe even stronger than Kakarotto.

 

He glanced over to see that Yamcha had joined them, and looked past him to see Ranma doing somersaults in the air. “He catches on more quickly than his twin,” he commented.

 

Yamcha followed his gaze, and smiled broadly. “Yeah, he's good, huh?” He didn't wait for a reply - he really wasn't expecting one - but instead he asked, “Hey, we're going back to the house to have lunch. You want to come with us?” He looked expectantly at Vegeta, and didn't notice that Trunks had also turned to Vegeta, automatically deferring to his judgment.

 

Vegeta gestured for Trunks to follow him. “Come on, brat. Let's make sure your mother remembers to eat.” He looked back over at Yamcha as he hovered several inches off the ground. “Gather up your brothers so we can head back.”

 

Yamcha nodded, and went to get the others. It took a few minutes to calm Ranma down enough to get him to stop doing aerials, but he finally got him settled down and they followed Vegeta back to Capsule Corp.

 

Vegeta touched down outside Capsule Corporation several minutes later, with the others close behind. He did not say a word to the others as they headed to the kitchen. Vegeta had a different destination in mind.

 

He knew she would be tinkering in her lab, playing with some kind of technology that only she could understand. He found her bent over her keyboard engrossed in some calculations that meant a hell of a lot more to her than it did to the bad-tempered Saiyan Prince. He said nothing to her as he slipped his arms about her shoulders, pulling her back against his chest. Bulma let out a startled gasp when he touched her, but when she realized who it was she relaxed.

 

“What are you doing?” he asked. “Or shouldn't I ask?”

 

“Oh, not much,” she replied nonchalantly, looking up at him with wide, innocent eyes. “Only discovering the secret of creation.”

 

Vegeta chuckled. “I knew I should not have asked.” He bent over and kissed the end of her nose affectionately before brushing his mouth lightly across hers. “Feed me, woman. I am hungry.”

 

Bulma blinked at him, looking puzzled. “If you're hungry, why are you in my lab? The food's in the kitchen. Unless you're interested in eating silicon chips, and those wouldn't taste very good.”

 

“I'd rather eat with you,” he said simply. “Besides, if I let you, you would forget to eat completely. And in your present condition that wouldn't be a good idea.”

 

“Present condition?” Her eyebrows arched dubiously. “Come on, Vegeta. I'm only two weeks pregnant. The fetus is the size of a pinhead; it isn't large enough to change my appetite in the slightest. You're worrying over nothing,” she scoffed, shaking her head. “But if you really need my company,” she said reassuringly, standing up and slipping her arms around him, “then I'll be happy to join you. Just let me shut down the computer, all right?”

 

“Yes.” He practically purred the reply as she embraced him. “I don't mind waiting.”

 

Bulma quickly saved her data, and shut everything down, putting it into lockdown. Although it wasn't likely anyone would be able to sneak in to their private compound to steal data, it was always a possibility, and Bulma kept information and research on this computer that wasn't stored anywhere else. She wasn't about to let it get into the hands of a thief or business spy, not if she could help it.

 

After just a few minutes, she stood up again and slipped her arms around Vegeta's waist, holding him tightly. “Where are the others?” she murmured, just enjoying the feel of him pressed against her.

 

“Yamcha and his brothers are in the kitchen with Gohan,” he replied, his tone husky. “I haven't seen Hakusai all morning. I imagine she is still sleeping.” He smirked at her suddenly, his arms tightening around her slim waist. “I figured you would be still sleeping as well.”

 

Bulma coughed, knowing what he was implying. “Well, I am a bit sore. And I slept a little late. But I did want to get some work done.” She looked at him archly. “I don't want you distracting me all day.”

 

“Is there a problem with me distracting you all day?” he asked. “You seem to enjoy it.” His smirk grew impossibly wider. “I just wish you had a Saiyan's stamina.”

 

“I see.” Her voice suddenly went flat. “So it matters to you that I'm just a `weak human' after all, despite what you've told me? It matters to you that I can't `keep up' with you, doesn't it? Well, I'm sorry about that! I do the best that I can!”

 

Vegeta rolled his eyes in irritation. “If that had been a problem, woman, I wouldn't have seduced you in the first place.” He eyed her for a moment, annoyed that she still seemed to think she knew what he wanted. “You are going to drive me crazy,” he told her finally.

 

“Too late for that,” she muttered under her breath. “Well, how the hell should I know why you seduced me? Maybe it was because you were desperate! After all, I was the only woman who wouldn't run from you screaming in fear, I'm sure!” She blinked at the sudden startled flash of surprise in his eyes, when she had repeated what he had thought to himself that first day. She gasped softly. “That was it, wasn't it? You only wanted me because... because I was the only woman you'd met who wasn't afraid of you, wasn't it?”

 

“No,” he said, folding his arms over his chest and glaring at her. “I wanted you because I had fallen in love with you.” His eyes darkened with emotions Bulma couldn't entirely catch. “I just didn't know how to deal with it at the time.” He snorted suddenly, and watched her expressions. “And apparently, I still do not deal with it well.”

 

Bulma blinked, as she studied him thoughtfully. “But you didn't know that you loved me, did you? You didn't treat me very well at first, Vegeta. You acted like you were using me, like you didn't care at all. You even....” She remembered how cold he had been to her on a few occasions. She sighed. “I wish we could start our relationship all over,” she said somewhat longingly.

 

“I don't,” Vegeta said, slipping his arms around her waist. “I don't want to go through bonding withdrawal again. Once was more than enough.”

 

Bulma blinked. “That's not what I meant,” she said with a sigh. “I meant I wish we could start over, so we don't make those mistakes again. Don't you?” She wrapped her arms around his neck and looked into his face wistfully. “I wish we hadn't hurt each other the way we did.”

 

“I suppose,” he said, leaning forward to brush his mouth across hers. “But it has made our relationship stronger. Nothing could come between us now but death.”

 

Bulma looked at him dubiously. She didn't know that their ordeal had truly been necessary, but she wasn't going to argue with him. “Let's go join the others, Vegeta,” she said simply.

 

She kissed him then, and when he reached one hand up and pressed her closer to him, deepening the kiss, she didn't fight it. She gave him a quick squeeze before releasing him. “Come on. Before you starve to death or something.”

 

“Or everyone else eats you out of house and home,” Vegeta commented dryly, following her out of the lab and towards the main building. When they entered the kitchen, they found Yamcha and his brothers eating with Krillin and Gohan.

 

“I forgot to mention old chrome dome.” Vegeta smirked at Bulma. “Must have slipped my mind.”

 

Bulma shot him a wry look. She knew he had done it deliberately. She decided to ignore it for the time being, but instead simply sat down at the table with the others. It was after they had been eating for a while that she saw every warrior at the table suddenly freeze as though something terrible had happened. She looked from face to face, but couldn't find any sign of what had caused their absolute panic.

 

“Well? What is it, guys? What's going on?”

 

Vegeta exchanged a glance with Yamcha and the two stood up simultaneously. “If I wasn't sensing this, I would say this wasn't possible,” Vegeta growled.

 

Krillin swallowed. “But Goku killed him! How...?”

 

“That is what we are going to find out. You will stay here, woman,” Vegeta ordered, looking sternly at Bulma.

 

Bulma looked back at him, and blinked in confusion. “What's going on? Who is it Goku killed? What's going on, guys? Someone better tell me really soon....”

 

Trunks flushed guiltily. He had forgotten all about this. Well, he hadn't entirely forgotten about it, but with everything else that had gone on that day and the day before, he had forgotten to tell them about it. He had known.... He glanced guiltily at Ranma and Ryouga. This time, maybe they wouldn't die. Maybe there were enough others there to help in the fight that they wouldn't get killed. If nothing else, he would make sure they didn't die... even if it cost his own life.

 

“I'm sorry, Father,” Trunks choked out. “I'd meant to tell you, but I forgot....”

 

“Forgot?” Vegeta snorted, glaring at his son. “Forgot to mention that the lizard who once killed me is alive?” Before Trunks could get another word in, he continued. “I want to know where he is going, brat, and why.”

 

Trunks wouldn't meet his eyes, but kept them trained on the ground, flushing faintly. “He came here to kill Goku, to get revenge on him. He doesn't know you're alive,” he replied quietly. He didn't add that in his past, Vegeta hadn't been when Frieza had come there. “In my past, Goku killed him again, but not before he killed....” He stopped, not wanting to tell them the rest.

 

“Killed who?” a new voice interrupted. They turned to see Hakusai leaning against the doorframe not quite awake. “Who are we discussing?”

 

“Frieza,” Vegeta spat. “The damnable lizard is here.”

 

“He's here now?” Hakusai blinked, all sleepiness suddenly eradicated.

 

“I thought Goku killed him!” Yamcha exclaimed in surprise.

 

“Apparently he wasn't dead enough.” Vegeta turned his head, focusing his attention on his son. “Killed who, brat?”

 

“Yamcha's brothers, as well as Piccolo,” Trunks replied almost inaudibly. “You and Hakusai and Krillin and Tenshinhan were dead, so there weren't enough of you fighting him. Goku killed him again... but not before he killed Yamcha's brothers, and Piccolo died protecting Gohan.” Trunks looked up at Yamcha, his eyes filled with sorrow. “It was the final straw for you. Between Hakusai's death and their deaths, you never recovered. You stopped training completely. And when the androids came, you tried to fight them alone before Goku and Gohan could arrive. I think you wanted them to kill you....”

 

Yamcha was staring at Trunks, his face blank with shock. “Hakusai died?” His face shook, and he looked over at her. “You were supposed to die yesterday?” Something in her expression told him this news was no surprise to her, and the look of hurt on his face was obvious. “You knew,” he accused her. “You knew already, and you didn't tell me!”

 

“I knew after the fact that I was supposed to die yesterday,” she replied, not knowing what to make of Yamcha's current expression. She could feel how rattled his emotions were and knew he was upset. “But I didn't die. So what purpose would it have served if I had told you?”

 

Yamcha gave her a hurt look. “You still could have told me the truth. But you didn't. Why? Were you trying to protect me? I'm not a child! You didn't die, Hakusai! I don't know what I'd do if you had, but you didn't. You should at least be honest with me, Hakusai.”

 

Bulma was surprised by his statement, but she was too concerned about what the others had said before about Frieza being there.

 

“Yamcha, that can wait until later. Right now we have something more important to worry about - Frieza.” She glared at Vegeta. “And don't think for a minute that you're leaving me behind! I went to Namek and I never saw him, even though the fights you guys had with him almost killed me! If he came here and is going to destroy Chikyuu, then I want to see him first!”

 

“Bulma!” Yamcha protested, instinctively wanting to protect his longtime friend. “You can't go! You don't know what he's capable of! You could get killed!”

 

“So?” Bulma demanded. “If he wins he'll destroy Chikyuu and I'll die anyway. And if he loses, then I'll be safe. But if I'm going to die, I want to see him first! I never got to see him on Namek, and I want to see him myself!” She put her hands on her hips and smiled at them, a triumphant gleam in her eyes. “You're not leaving me behind, boys! If you try it, I'll just follow you anyway. And if I do, then how would you be able to protect me?”

 

Vegeta scowled. Somehow he had known she would say something like that. No matter what he might say to try to reason with her, he knew she would insist on going. It aggravated him, even as her courage filled him with pride.

 

“Fine!” he snapped at her. “But stay out of sight!” He glanced over at Hakusai who raised an eyebrow at her younger brother.

 

“I'll stay with her,” she said. “It's not like I can fight anyways.”

 

Vegeta nodded. He had been hoping she would say that. He could trust his sister to keep his mate safe while he settled things.

 

“Stay with her, woman,” he grumbled at Bulma. “I'd rather not have you die today.”

 

Bulma smiled at him triumphantly. “I don't plan on dying today,” she informed him with a smirk. “And I won't die unless you get yourself killed first. So you're just going to have to stay alive in order to protect me, right?”

 

A sweatdrop formed behind Gohan as he listened to the adults arguing. “Hey, guys? Frieza's out there. Don't you think we should go out there and fight him or something?”

 

The others looked at the youngest demi-Saiyan in surprise. “Yeah, brat. I think that's a good idea,” Vegeta concurred. He scowled at the others. “Well? Are you coming with me, or are you just going to stand here all day?”

 

He didn't wait for a reply, but took off in the direction he sensed Frieza's ki. Yamcha didn't wait much longer, but took off after him, immediately followed by the younger Saiyan warriors. Only Krillin hesitated a moment before he finally stood up and followed them as well.

 

Bulma sighed and looked at Hakusai. “I guess you're going to have to take me there,” she said, smiling ruefully. “I really do want to go. I want to make sure all of them are safe. I don't want to stay miles away, waiting for them to come home, not knowing what's going on! Not this time!”

 

There was a determined gleam in her eye, as the two women walked towards the door.

 

 

To be continued.....

 

~~~~~*~~~~~

 

And in the next exciting episode of DragonBall Z: A Light in the Darkness... Frieza arrives on Chikyuu and the battle begins.