Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ A Light in the Darkness ❯ Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow ( Chapter 101 )

A Light in the Darkness - Part 101: Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow
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: Saying good-bye.
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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It wasn't long before the Saiyans had managed to devour enough for a reasonably sized army, and then everyone headed outside again. Bulma had refused to let Hakusai deal with the dishes; that's what robots were for, after all.

 

“So,” Bulma said with some reluctance when they stepped outside and joined Trunks where he was sitting quietly on the porch. “Should we go to the ship now?” She looked at Trunks longingly, sad to see him go, yet knowing that it was the best thing for him.

 

“All of us?” Hakusai asked, and then chuckled. “Oh, I bet the general would love that.”

 

Vegeta shrugged as he lifted Bulma into his arms. “Part of tradition,” he remarked before taking to the air, assuming the others would follow him.

 

“What's part of tradition?” Bulma asked him, the wind whipping her hair into her face, much to her annoyance. “What are you talking about?”

 

“Getting a tour of the ship and its operations before it leaves. My father used to take me along when he did it.” Vegeta smirked. “Boring as hell. It's more for show than anything else. But the general will expect it.”

 

Bulma frowned. That wasn't what she had expected, not that she minded so much. At least it would reassure her that her son was safe. Not that she considered a shipful of Saiyans to be particularly safe....

 

She said nothing, however, and when they landed by the ship, she glanced behind them and saw that the others had landed as well. Trunks was still wearing his sword, something that surprised her. None of her friends had ever used a weapon, so the fact that he had one was a little odd. She wondered why he had it, and where he had gotten it.

 

Kabu had seemed to be aware of their approach, however, and the entryway was already open and an honor guard of Saiyans lined each side of it. Kabu marched down it immediately after they landed, her head held high.

 

Well, Bulma thought cynically. At least she has a flair for the dramatic. There were several female Saiyan warriors with her, walking in two short columns behind her. Bulma wondered what that was all about.

 

Kabu stopped when she reached Vegeta, then once more dropped to one knee. “Your Majesty, I deliver my ship into your hands, my ship and crew to do with as you will. Should we prove unworthy, may you send us to the grasp of the first Vegeta.”

 

“Very well.” Vegeta folded his arms across his chest. “I wish to see your communications room and operations,” he said, off-handedly. “I will require regular reports from my son on your progress. Lead the way, General. You will have a hard time doing it from down there.”

 

Despite the fact that it completely broke both etiquette and all formal protocol, Kabu shot him a suspicious glance from her position on the ground. She immediately bowed her head again, then stood up swiftly and turned around.

 

“I have assigned the Heir a bodyguard,” she said harshly, as she looked up at the column of female Saiyans. The soldiers remained stiffly alert, not looking her directly in the face as she seemed to study them. Then Kabu called out a name, and a quiet murmur arose from the gathered Saiyans, breaking even their normally stony and military bearings.

 

“Moyashi!” Kabu called out a second time, finally eliciting a startled response from one of the small Saiyan females. The woman broke away from the others, moving warily towards them.

 

She stood stiffly before Kabu, not looking her in the eyes. “Yes, General. What is your command?” She was absolutely certain that Kabu would mean her to guard the Prince. Surely she would have more respect for the Heir than that!

 

“You are to be the Prince's bodyguard,” Kabu stated firmly, causing Moyashi to shoot her a startled look. The surprised murmurs once again rose amongst the assembled Saiyans, but Kabu's voice rose again, drowning them out and quelling the voices. “You will guard him at all times, keeping him from danger and treachery. You will give your life for him, or the lives of any companions, allies, or family. He will be your sole purpose in life, your sole existence. Is that understood?”

 

A fire flashed in Moyashi's eyes, which the assembled Z warriors didn't understand. The girl seemed angry about this, somehow affronted, or perhaps thwarted.

 

“Your wish is my command,” she ground out through gritted teeth, bowing stiffly to Kabu.

 

She approached Trunks and dropped to one knee before him. “My life is in your hands, my Prince Vegeta. My body is now yours, to shield you from all harm, to take all blows and attacks meant for you. My loyalty is to you above all others; my life is yours to command.” There was a strange anger in her voice, as though she resented the honor she was being given.

 

“Um... that's okay,” Trunks said softly, not sure what words he was supposed to use. He had the feeling that this was almost a formal ceremony, and he didn't know the script. “You can get up now. I don't... I don't need you to bow to me.” He was blushing slightly, not really sure what to do or say.

 

Moyashi stood slowly, her eyes narrowing. What sort of prince was this? She shot Kabu a look, wondering if this was her way of being punished, but the General simply returned the look blandly.

 

“So.” Kabu inclined her head to Vegeta, as though the others weren't around. “It is time for you to inspect the ship. You may follow me, your majesty.” She strode up the gangway, expecting the others to follow.

 

Vegeta followed Kabu up the ramp, but not before studying at the warrior Kabu had assigned to Trunks. His eyes narrowed, noting that her power level seemed sufficient enough, and then turned his attention to Kabu who was giving him the usual speeches about her ship's capabilities.

 

::I swear I had forgotten how boring this shit is,:: he thought to Bulma. ::Remind me to get rid of this particular nuisance.::

 

::What nuisance?:: Bulma thought, startled. ::Kabu? Or the inspection?::

 

::The inspection,:: he muttered. ::Things like this have been known to kill nobility.::

 

Bulma was looking around the ship appreciatively, listening to Kabu's monologue with interest. ::I don't know, Vegeta. I find it fascinating. You might even learn a thing or two, if you actually paid attention.::

 

::It's technical; feel free to take notes,:: he told her as they followed the General around the ship.

 

“And where is your communications room?” he asked when Kabu paused in her overview. “I expect detailed reports, General. I am sure you know the routine.”

 

::Vegeta,:: Bulma nudged him mentally. ::Make sure you insist that Trunks makes reports as well as Kabu. Tell her we want him to give us updates as well, so you can see his progress. And make sure you get some communication equipment from her so we can be reached....::

 

::I was getting to that,:: he groused. “I also expect reports from you as well, brat. So we need equipment that is compatible with yours. Lead the way, General.”

 

Kabu frowned. The fact that they wanted Trunks to report seemed to imply to her that they didn't trust her, that they wanted some sort of check on her. It was with difficulty that she remembered they had no reason to trust her yet. This Vegeta had never met her, and even if he had, she was an exile.

 

“Very well,” she agreed stiffly, and showed them how to work the equipment. She ordered some of the technicians to prepare some of it to be left behind, then continued on with the tour.

 

“Well...” Vegeta remarked, sounding extremely bored. “You seem to have everything well in hand. I expect monthly reports from you on your progress.”

 

::And you, brat, I expect to hear from you at least every two weeks. Your mother will not have so many fits if she hears from you often.::

 

Trunks hid a smile, trying with difficulty to ignore the Saiyan bodyguard hovering close to him. He could almost feel the anger and resentment radiating off of her, and wondered what it was all about. Did she dislike the idea of being his bodyguard so much? Was it because it was him, and he was somehow considered less than worthy because he was only half Saiyan? He didn't know, and he didn't think she was just going to tell him. He might try to pry it from her, but he didn't think she would be easy to force a confession from. He would figure it out somehow, he determined to himself.

 

::Yes, father,:: he agreed mentally. ::I'll keep you updated. And I'll make sure Mother knows I'm all right.::

 

He didn't want to tell his father that he was also concerned about his mother; unlike the others, he knew that her pregnancy with him had not been the easiest, and she had almost died during it. It was almost pure luck and her parents' ingenuity that had saved her, but they had been unable to prevent some internal injuries to her. She was never the same after that. He thought he would have to tell his father somehow, but wasn't sure how.

 

::Father, I... I want you to keep an eye on Mother,:: he thought at him slowly. ::Make sure she's all right. If anything seems unusual... let me know, all right?::

 

::Why?:: Vegeta did not like the hesitancy in Trunks' mental voice. ::Was her pregnancy difficult the first time? You said earlier that she was fine.::

 

Trunks hesitated long enough to confirm Vegeta's suspicions. ::Yes... it was difficult for her. I didn't say she was fine, only that I was fine when I was born. I didn't want to say anything when Mother was around before. She was... she wasn't ready for it, Father. She wasn't as strong as Chi-Chi had been; Chi-Chi isn't fully human, and Mother is. It almost... Father, it almost killed her. Make sure that if she shows any pain at all that it's treated immediately. That's the only way to make sure that any internal damage is fixed before it gets dangerous. She survived my birth, but she never truly recovered from it.::

 

::I see,:: Vegeta replied. ::How far into the pregnancy was she?::

 

Trunks frowned, thinking carefully. ::I'm not sure. Grandma was never specific. I think she was fairly far along, but it happened more than once, I think. It was after I started kicking....::

 

He blushed uncomfortably, realizing that he had been the cause. He knew he hadn't known better, but he had done it nonetheless.

 

::I don't think you can do anything about it. Maybe if you could do something to strengthen her internal organs or something, like giving her doses of ki for periods of time....::

 

::Not a bad idea, brat,:: he thought to Trunks, then turned his attention back to the General who had noticed his silence by now.

 

“I am satisfied by the way things are handled here. Trunks.” Vegeta eyed his son. “I will leave things to you. Run things as you see fit.”

 

::Watch and learn from her, brat. I may not trust her, but she seems competent.::

 

“General, you are free to depart.” ::Say good-bye to your mother,:: he instructed his son before heading to the exit.

 

Kabu bowed to Vegeta. “Yes, your majesty.” She turned to Trunks, awaiting his command, but the lavender-haired boy was looking at his mother.

 

With a small cry, Bulma threw herself into Trunks arms and to his embarrassment she began wailing. The Saiyans lining the area were startled at the display of emotion, and then remembered that Trunks - the supposed Heir to the Throne - was only a half-Saiyan. Although it wasn't taboo for a Saiyan male to mate with a non-Saiyan, children were rarely the result of those liaisons. And the few times they were, they were never acknowledged. The fact that this demi-Saiyan was being acknowledged, and by the King himself, flew in the face of all tradition.

 

They looked again at the bodyguard that Kabu had assigned to him, and many of them smiled knowingly. It appeared that the General, by assigning one of her lowest ranking soldiers to be his bodyguard, was showing the amount of respect that the rest of them should exhibit. Obviously Kabu was demonstrating that they were not to take this boy seriously - the King might acknowledge him as the Heir, but she obviously did not.

 

Several of them began snickering at the way Bulma embraced Trunks, and were startled by Kabu's quelling glare. Many of them assumed that it meant that she wanted them to only express their disrespect for him after the king left, and quieted.

 

“Mom, it's all right,” Trunks said quietly, pulling his mother from him with a faint blush. “I'll be back soon, I promise. Before I... before the baby is born. And later, to help fight the androids.” He smiled at her. “I promise.”

 

Bulma smiled weakly through her tears and nodded at him. “I know.” She turned towards where Vegeta had paused by the bulkhead waiting for her, grasping him desperately, and almost stumbled as she moved along next to him unseeingly as they exited the ship.

 

Yamcha watched the couple exit, Goku and Gohan following, and he turned towards his mother. “Mother...” he started, then stopped at her quelling glare, looking confused. Was she ashamed of him? He had thought - he had hoped - that he would have made her proud of him. He thought miserably about the fact that he had always wanted to find her again, and wondered sadly if she had been ashamed of him the day that she had abandoned him so long ago.

 

::Yamcha,:: she spoke directly into his mind, answering his unspoken thoughts.. ::If my people know that you are my son, they could use that against me. I do not want to see you hurt because of me. I could never be ashamed of you. You have been everything to make me proud of you. But I will not draw you into the danger of my life. I would keep at least that one thing free of the taint of it.::

 

Yamcha nodded uncertainly. He didn't completely understand, and from the looks on his brothers' faces, apparently they didn't understand, even though it seemed Kabu had included them in her mental communication.

 

“Well, good bye,” he said awkwardly, shaking Trunks' hand, and looking longingly at Kabu, wishing he could hold her but knowing that he couldn't. ::I love you, Mom.::

 

He almost thought he saw the sparkle of a tear form in her eye, but then it was gone, and he wasn't sure if he had imagined it.

 

::Good bye, Yamcha. I will see you soon. Our King wishes me to return in about eight of your Chikyuu months, so I'll be back soon.::

 

She didn't smile, so Yamcha nodded awkwardly, and he and his brothers and Hakusai then followed the path that Bulma and Vegeta had just taken.

 

As they left, they could hear the whine of the ships thrusters warming up, and the group of them watched quietly from the ground as the thrusters ignited and the ship lifted off.

 

As the ship began to leave, Bulma allowed her tears to flow more freely, sniffling loudly as she threw herself into Vegeta's arms. “Oh Vegeta!” she wailed. “Are we going to see him again?”

 

Vegeta scowled, not knowing whether he could deal with nine months of mood changes. “Of course we will,” he said. “He will be just fine.”

 

He looked up to watch the ship leave, his face not betraying his emotions. ::Hear that, brat? Don't you dare prove me wrong.::

 

“Vegeta,” Bulma murmured quietly as they flew back to the house after the ship had gotten so far away that even the sharp-sighted Saiyans couldn't see it. “Are you happy here?”

 

“Happy?” Vegeta eyed her for a moment. “As long as you are here, I can deal with this miserable mud-hole.”

 

“Miserable mud-hole?” Bulma frowned, prepared to take umbrage at that comment, then realized that it was distracting her from her line of thought and desisted. “Vegeta, I have to know. You want Kabu to find a... a new world for you, and... and I think you're right to do that, but... Vegeta, this is my home. Do you think you could ever have been happy here? I mean, truly happy? If Kabu had never come back, if you hadn't learned that other Saiyans existed, do you think you could have learned to be happy here?”

 

“Baka.” His tone was almost chiding. “You already know the answer to that.”

 

Bulma sighed wistfully as they landed lightly. “Well, I'm just not sure. When they come back, if they've found a place for us to go, I know you're going to want to go with them. And I just....” She looked around at the house, the grounds, the gravity room, and her work shed, with a kind of nostalgic sadness.

 

“This is my home. I'm going to miss it. I would go with you of course, but... I'll miss it.” She turned to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, drawing him close. “But my home is always with you, no matter where you go, Vegeta. And if I know you can never be happy here, then I know that we'd have to go. But I'll miss my friends....”

 

“Who says we can't come for a visit woman?” he asked. “I imagine being a ruler will get on my nerves from time to time. And the brat is half human...”

 

“'The brat',” Bulma said with a wry smile, “might be half human, but he doesn't really have friends or family here. No, he wouldn't be leaving anything behind. I just wonder if Goku and Chi-Chi would be willing to come with us,” she said wistfully. “I'd miss Son-kun, and Gohan. Maybe if you give him a rank, then Chi-Chi might feel obligated....”

 

She also suspected that if Vegeta gave Goku a rank, Chi-Chi would want to flaunt it, and she couldn't exactly flaunt it on Chikyuu where he was still a nobody.

 

“Feh.” Vegeta slowed slightly as they approached Capsule Corp. “We will see, woman. We will see.”

 

Bulma began walking towards the house as well, then suddenly stopped, causing Vegeta to stop when he realized she was no longer behind him. She was looking from at him with an expression that he couldn't interpret.

 

It had finally occurred to Bulma that all the frantic preparation and activity of the past two weeks was finally over. They had learned that Yamcha was a Saiyan, they had found Yamcha's brothers, Hakusai was back, Bojack was dead, Frieza was dead, they had discovered that Kabu and several hundred Saiyans were still alive, their son had returned from the future to warn them about a catastrophe that was going to occur in three years and now they would have time to prepare for it, and...

 

And Vegeta was alive, he was with her, and he had even told her that he loved her.

 

It was all too much for her, and she simply stood there and stared at him numbly, trying to take it all in, trying to make sense of everything that had happened.

 

“Now what is the matter?” Vegeta asked, wondering what her expression meant.

 

“Looks like she is in shock to me,” Hakusai commented, patting Bulma on the shoulder as she walked by. “The only thing left to do is wait until they come back in eight months.” Hakusai rolled her eyes. “I hate waiting.”

 

Vegeta smirked, as he had been thinking the same thing. The next nine months would be torture for him. He was worried about Bulma now that he knew how hard the birth had been on her; far more worried than he could be about his son.

 

“So, what do we do for eight months?” Hakusai asked, linking her arm through Yamcha's. “Finding our own place to live might not be a bad idea. I doubt these two want to have us bothering them all the time. Right, Yamcha?”

 

Yamcha immediately thought of his old place in the desert where he had lived with Pu'ar, but then he looked down at Hakusai and remembered what bad shape it had been in recently, and how much she disliked the desert. Although he could see making it his home again, he knew she would never survive there; they would have to find someplace else.

 

“Yeah, we'll find something,” he agreed. “We can't live off Bulma forever.” He smiled at his friend in embarrassment.

 

Bulma, however, did not appear to be listening to any of them. She continued to stare at Vegeta, completely ignoring the presence of the others.

 

Yamcha leaned down and whispered in Hakusai's ear. “Let's leave them alone.” The two of them moved quietly into the house, leaving the two by themselves.

 

A wind blew by, brushing past Bulma, lifting her hair and teasing it gently around her face. Her own eyes had not left Vegeta even once.

 

When he was beginning to wonder if she would ever move again, she stepped towards him, automatically brushing a strand of hair from her face.

 

“Vegeta,” she said, her face and eyes completely serious. “I would follow you wherever you go. Do you accept that?”

 

Vegeta blinked, wondering vaguely where this had come from, then smirked at her. “Somehow I don't think I have a choice in the matter. You always do what you please, woman. Why should I try to change your mind?”

 

He crossed his arms over his chest, looking into her eyes. “But since you want a direct answer, yes, I accept this. Is that what you wanted to hear?”

 

Bulma nodded, then walked slowly towards him and smiled. “That's what I needed to hear!” she confirmed, before linking her hand in his arm.

 

“Vegeta,” she continued, as they strolled towards the house. “Before we leave for this new planet that Trunks is going to find, we do have a few things we need to do. We need to fight the androids and that Cell creature, for one. Even if we're not staying here I'm not going to let them destroy this world. And Vegeta....”

 

She stopped walking, causing him to turn towards her questioningly. “I want to use the dragonballs one last time before we go.”

 

Black eyebrows rose questioningly at that remark.

 

“Whatever for?” His dark eyes bored into hers. “What wish do you want granted? Immortality? Or for the androids not to show up? I am afraid I would have to object to that one. I am looking forward to that fight.”

 

Bulma blinked in confusion. “Oh, no. Not the androids. I know all of you together can handle them. With as many Saiyans as there are now, those androids don't stand a chance!”

 

She waved her hand dismissively, then leaned forward, gazing into his eyes. “No, this wish will be for me. Do you mind that?” she asked with a smile.

 

“Do I even want to know what this is all about?” Despite himself he wanted to know what it was she wanted. “What is the wish going to be for?”

 

Bulma shook her head. She knew if she told him he would object. He would be afraid of what it could entail. She had thought it through, and was fully aware of the consequences. But she knew he would object if he had any idea what she planned.

 

“It's for me, Vegeta. And for us. I'm not going to tell you anything else about it. I want it to be a surprise.” She continued to smile at him, but somehow her expression was also serious. “Vegeta, I would go anywhere for you. I'd even walk through Hell for you. You know that, don't you?”

 

“I don't like surprises,” he grumbled, annoyed that she wasn't going to tell him. Maybe he could bribe it out of her later. But something in her tone when she made the last comment tugged at his awareness, letting him know how serious she was. “I am aware of that fact now.”

 

Bulma laughed, a musical sound to his ears. “Well, you might not like surprises, but I'm not going to let you know this one!” There was a dangerous edge to her voice, and he had the feeling she wasn't going to back down on this.

 

“Well, lover.” Her tone changed to one that was far more seductive. “Now that we have a little time to relax, why don't we spend a little bit of it alone?” She coyly wound her fingers around his arm, stroking the muscles subtly. I'm sure we can think of a few things that might require your... attention.”

 

Without any warning, Vegeta scooped up Bulma, and smirked at her as he headed off in the opposite direction. “I don't want to be interrupted while I finish up what we left off this morning. I can't have you feel that I am neglecting my duties as your mate, can I?”

 

“No, can't have that,” Bulma murmured in agreement, her head resting comfortably against his shoulder.

 

She smiled as she closed her eyes in contentment. Two weeks ago she would never have imagined feeling this happy and relaxed around Vegeta, this comfortable in his presence. Two weeks ago she wouldn't have believed a surly Saiyan Prince could be in love with her. Two weeks ago she wouldn't have been on her way to some exotic locale where a most attentive lover would elicit the most intense passions in her. Two weeks ago she wouldn't have said goodbye to a son that had come from the future. Two weeks ago...

 

She wouldn't have known she loved Vegeta and that he loved her back.

 

::Ai shiteru, Vegeta,:: she thought at him, sending him every ounce of love that she felt for him within her being, as she snuggled deeply into his arms.

 

::Ai shiteru, Bulma,:: he thought back at her, hiding a smirk against her billowing hair. The two of them flew off, to show each other exactly how they each felt about the other.

 

 

To be continued.....

 

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And in the next exciting episode of DragonBall Z: A Light in the Darkness... Epilogue

 

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I apologize for the delay of the last several weeks. I was out of town with no internet access for the last two weeks, and the week before that I had trouble getting online on my update days. It was a bit frustrating, but hopefully the fact that this story is almost over makes it worth it.

 

Yes, this is it, the final chapter. After my next posting it will finally be completely over! I'm not entirely happy with all of it, but overall I enjoyed writing it. I hope you enjoyed reading it at least as much as I liked writing it! I think DBZ may be the only fandom I will ever write for; the characters have so much potential, and I just seem to be able to get into their heads more so than any other series.

 

But now I focus mostly on original stories, although I must admit that Bulma and Vegeta manage to sneak their way into those stories (under different names, and of course without capsules and Saiyan powers) fairly frequently. I can't help it; I just love their personalities so. ^_^

 

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Review Responses:

 

Nutnatz: Wow, I haven't heard from you in ages! I just assumed you had lost interest, as I think so many of my readers have. My fault for quitting for so long, I think. I'm glad you came back, and I'm happy that you like the changes. And I'm sorry about Crossed Paths as well. I think the writing in that story was far superior to this, but as the readers showed no interest in it - and my co-author was losing interest in DBZ anyway - so I didn't see the point in continuing. I really DID enjoy writing that one though; I really loved writing Radditz. Perhaps I will finish that story on my own someday, but probably not; that story worked best as a collaborative, and would be really difficult for me to attempt by myself.