Crossover Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction / Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Vendetta ❯ Chapter Four ( Chapter 4 )

Morning, Frieza's Ship

 

Hotaru woke up to sunlight filtering through the sheer curtains about her bed. For the first time in days, she felt rested and content, though Haruka's death still upset her. She held back tears, knowing that in all likelihood, things were only going to get worse. She slipped out of bed and padded over to the window. The ship appeared to have landed on a large patch of dirt, and off in the distance, she could see odd buildings. Hearing a noise behind her, she turned. A woman stood in the doorway, her dark hair held in a messy bun and her eyes shining.

 

“Ah, you're already awake. Come, you're to have breakfast and then you're to be dressed in something a bit more suitable. How are you feeling?”

 

“Much better, thank you,” Hotaru said.

 

She came from the window and followed the woman out of the room. Again, she found herself walking through a number of corridors until at last she was seated at the same table, eating similar food. She didn't eat as much as she had the night before, and the woman urged her to eat more. She felt full, though, and politely declared that she was no longer hungry. The woman shrugged and led her from the room.

 

The next room was closer, thankfully. It wasn't particularly large, but floor to ceiling mirrors had been set up against one wall. Three women were bustling about with various fabrics, all of dark, somber colors. Hotaru was ushered onto a box in front of the mirrors, and the three women started poking and prodding and measuring her. The woman who had led her there slipped silently out of the room.

 

She seemed to be standing up on that box for hours as the women draped her with cloth and mumbled about how pale she was. Still the gown came along nicely, and the women managed not to stick her with any pins. Hotaru had to admit that the dress was flattering, though she thought it was a bit too mature for someone her age. The lightweight violet cloth clung a little too tightly to her still-developing breasts for her taste, but she enjoyed the freedom the long, full skirt gave her legs. Looking in the mirror, she trailed the elegant black patterns stitched into the bodice of the gown with her fingers. These women were very good at what they did.

 

“There, now. You look lovely. Here,” one of the women said. She handed Hotaru a pair of dark slippers, which fit surprisingly well. Hotaru decided not to ask how they got shoes in her size. “And, it's been hot out and doesn't look to cool off.”

 

Hotaru took the lacy purple and black fan graciously. She found it rather amusing, though, that these aliens had all the technology in the world at their fingertips, and women were expected to fan themselves in the heat. It seemed strange that women didn't just wear less clothing. She wondered if men wore the same oppressive styles, or if what she was wearing was even in style. The women who had made the dress wore gowns as well, though theirs were less ornate and seemed a little more practical.

 

She had little time to wonder at the clothing, though. The woman who had fetched her from her room earlier that morning had returned. She spoke to the other women for a moment, and then gushed over how pretty Hotaru looked. Then, she explained that Frieza wanted to see her, and led her out of the room. Hotaru wasn't particularly looking forward to seeing the alien again, but she wasn't in any position to refuse.

 

After the Tournament

 

Vegeta felt certain that the slave he received for winning the tournament would be another disappointment, even before he saw his choices. He had been off the mark the last few times he'd picked out a toy, and he felt that he was losing his touch. Thankfully, though, he was allowed to choose. Lesser tournament sponsors picked out the prize ahead of time, and when the sponsor was not overly wealthy, a prize slave could be very homely. Overall, Vegeta preferred winning money instead of slaves or some rare trinket, but he would not turn down a prize.

 

When he was shown the room holding his choices, he was happy to see that, if nothing else, the girls were all beautiful. Still, most of them sat huddled together, shaking and staring at him, fear shining in their eyes. He scanned the room, looking each girl in the eye, and they knew he was judging them. Something unique caught his eye, though. On one of the couches, two girls seemed to be trying to hide a third from his view. Smirking, he strode over to them.

 

“Get up,” he commanded, pointing to the smaller of the two blondes. Trembling, the girl obeyed, though she put on a brave face and looked him in the eye. “Why do they protect you, girl?” He reached out a gloved hand to run his fingers through one of her pigtails.

 

“They're my friends,” she squeaked. He chuckled.

 

“I think there's more to it than you're telling me.”

 

He leaned in close to her face, staring her straight in the eye and smirking at her discomfort. Without warning, the dark haired girl rose from the couch. She had a cold glare on her face, and it was directed right at him. She shoved her way between him and the blond.

 

“Leave her alone, you filthy bastard,” she growled.

 

She raised her hand to hit him, and he caught it easily. Normally, he would have been impressed by the fact that she stood up to him. But, as it was, he was slightly upset by the fact that she thought she could hit him. Even if he'd let her, she would not have been able to do any damage.

 

“Never raise your hand to me again, wench.” Almost before the words had left his mouth, she had attempted a well-placed kick to his groin, but that, too, he caught. He opened his mouth to reprimand her, but she spoke before he could.

 

“It's not a hand,” she retorted tartly, glaring at him. She seemed quite enraged. Vegeta just laughed at her, which seemed to make her even more angry.

 

“I'll take this one. How much for the blond?”

 

Vegeta and the slave dealer haggled for some time, before finally settling on a price. Then, despite a good deal of angry protesting and flailing, he flung the dark-haired girl over his shoulder and dragged the other girl by the arm. The pigtailed blond looked back over her shoulder at her friend, who had stood from the sofa but dared not approach. Then, they were out in the hall, the door closed. Goku was waiting in the hallway, leaning against the wall carelessly.

 

“I thought the prize was one slave...” he started. Vegeta smirked and shoved the blond girl at him.

 

“I bought you a present.”

 

 

Frieza's Private Box

 

Hotaru shivered despite the heat as she was lead through the door and into Frieza's private box. She was, in truth, terrified to see the tyrant, though thus far he had done nothing to make the fear warranted. Haruka's death was still fresh in her mind, and she couldn't help but wonder if they were simply prolonging her life to torture her and eventually kill her. It wouldn't surprise her if they took pleasure from deceiving people in such a way, though it did not seem worth the effort of healing her and clothing her just to kill her later. Of course, there were fates worth than death, but she preferred not to think about them.

 

He was speaking heatedly to the man who had killed Haruka. He had an angry glint in his eye that did nothing to assuage Hotaru's fears, but thankfully, it was directed away from her. The other man didn't seem scared, though, and she wondered at that. Surely anyone would be fearful of the lizard's wrath, right? Still, to kill Haruka with such ease, and to partially absorb an attack meant to destroy a planet with nothing more than a scrape to the arm, one had to be powerful.

 

The two argued for some time before either noticed her. Then, they stared at her as though they were unsure of what to say or how to act in front of her. She looked back innocently, equally unsure of what to do. She was their guest/prisoner, and was not about to do anything lest she offend them. Finally, the lizard spoke up.

 

“Forgive us, child. Business. Come here, you look lovely.”

 

She blushed and obeyed. “Um...if I may ask, sir...why am I here? Why did you bother healing me?”

 

“I thought we went over this last night. It is rare to find much power in one such as yourself, young and pretty. I should like to get to know you, to understand how you acquired such power, when it is fairly obvious that you do not train.”

 

“I really don't know where the power comes from. I only do that powerful attack subconsciously. I have another attack, but it wouldn't interest you. It isn't nearly as powerful. It would be similar to the attacks of my friends.” She glared at the green-haired man, who stood motionless behind Frieza.

 

“Ah. So, I assume, when you are especially distressed, you unleash this power? Perhaps some training would be in order, simply to control this. You do not have the constitution to become a true warrior, but such power could be dangerous to yourself and those around you. I will have it arranged when we get home, in one week's time. How are you feeling? You look pale. Have you eaten since you broke your fast?”

 

It took Hotaru a minute to realize that he meant breakfast. He had a much more formal way of speaking than she was used to. She shook her head, no, and he indicated to a man near the door. The man left, probably to have food prepared. Hotaru then spoke.

 

“I've always been pale and sickly looking. I feel much better, and I'm not very hungry.”

 

Frieza wouldn't take no for an answer where the food was concerned. He felt she needed some meat on her bones, and insisted she go eat, even though she wasn't hungry. Thankfully, she went to her meal alone save for one slave who stood by the door and seemed more interested in the patterns on the ceiling than in her. She tried to indicate that she was full after she'd eaten about half of what was served to her, but the slave glared at her until she started eating again. She wasn't allowed to leave the table until she finished, and she felt rather like a child.

 

Elsewhere in Space

 

Michiru was starting to think that being a slave wasn't going to be very difficult, though deep in the back of her mind she knew that things weren't going to stay so nice. After the spaceship landed, she'd been ushered into a large building which she learned quickly was the home of the man who had bought her. She was given the opportunity to bathe with the aid of slaves, which embarrassed her slightly. Still, it was relaxing after all the pain and worry of the ride in the spaceship. After her bath, she was clothed in a lovely gown that fit fairly well in most places, but could use a few alterations.

 

She was fed a meal of exotic, delicious food, and slept in a modest, comfortable room. She was awakened the next morning by a slave, and ate a small breakfast. Then, she was ushered into a room in which a couple of women made adjustments to the gown she'd been given. When they were finished, she had to admit that it looked stunning.

 

Still, throughout all these niceties, she could not forget her friends. Haruka, whom she loved more than anyone in the world, had been murdered in front of her, and no amount of good food or comforts could wash away that pain. Also, she worried about Hotaru. The girl had been so enraged after Haruka's death that she'd used her most powerful attack, and had actually managed to injure their enemy. Unfortunately, she'd fainted shortly after, and neither Setsuna nor Michiru had been able to do anything. Setsuna, she figured, could take care of herself to a certain extent. Hotaru was little more than a child, and who knew what they were doing to her, or if they'd even allowed her to live.

 

She didn't see the man who had bought her until after she'd been served lunch, a meal larger than even the supper she'd had the night before. He came to her just as she was finishing her meal, and he was carrying a black case with him. She recognized the violin case at once, and was silently surprised. Surely they didn't have violins commonly throughout the universe?

 

“You play this instrument, correct? I am hosting guests this evening, and would like you to entertain. Is the instrument acceptable?”

 

She took the case from him and removed the violin. It looked to be in fine shape; the strings were new enough and the bridge was straight. She attached the shoulder rest, took out the bow and proceeded to tune it. The pegs stuck a little, but the instrument produced a beautiful tone, especially on the lower strings. She warmed up with a few quick scales and proceeded into a common Vivaldi concerto in a minor that would have driven any other violinist insane. After playing a few lines, she lowered the instrument and smiled.

 

“It's a lovely violin. What kind of music would be proper for me to play at this gathering?” she asked. Some occasions called for light-hearted, fast music. Some called for something more somber. She didn't want to offend people who were gathering to mourn something by playing a happy Mozart piece.

 

“It's simple business. Something for the background, so that we may still converse. Be ready in three hours. Another slave will fetch you.”

 

He certainly wasn't the most friendly of people, but at least he wasn't outright mean. She felt that, if all she was doing was playing music for his social gatherings, things would work themselves out fairly well. However, there was the fact that he had made her strip and had poked around on her. She couldn't figure out why he would wonder about her physical appearance if she were meant to be pleasant background noise for his gathering. She had the strange feeling that there would be other things for her to worry about shortly.

 

After The Tournament

 

Usagi trembled in fear as the two men argued about her, Rei and slavery in general. Apparently, the taller man, to whom she'd been given, wasn't convinced that slavery was acceptable. The shorter man glared at him, and told him to get used to it, and that he might as well put her to good use. He still had Rei slung over his shoulder, and she was still kicking and screaming at him. She had also progressed to threatening the taller man, telling him that, if he hurt Usagi, she'd find a way to make his life miserable. Of course, it was an empty threat, since both of these men were far more powerful than the two girls, but Rei wasn't really thinking straight.

 

Finally, the two stopped arguing, and Rei resigned herself to being carried about like a sack of potatoes, though she still glared. The taller man spoke in civil terms to his companion, letting him know that someone called Frieza wanted to see them immediately. The shorter man then let out a string of curses, only a few of which either of the girls recognized, and stalked down the hall. The taller man gave her an apologetic look and led her after his friend.

 

“Sorry about Vegeta. He's pretty mean most of the time, but he won't hurt you,” he told Usagi. “I'm Son Goku. What's your name?”

 

“Tsukino Usagi,” she squeaked fearfully, avoiding looking him in the eye.

 

He seemed friendly enough, but she wasn't taking any chances. He was an alien who now “owned” her, and she didn't find that a happy prospect. He didn't speak to her any more, and simply led her after the short man. Silently, she wondered how two people who were so different on the outside had become companions, but then she saw Rei glaring at Goku and realized that they were just as opposite as the two men were.

 

The two men walked extremely fast, and Usagi had to hurry to keep up with them. By the time they reached their destination, she was huffing with exhaustion and clutching her knees. Outside the door, Vegeta set Rei down on the ground and glared at her. She glared back and was about to yell something obscene at him, but he spoke first.

 

“You can bitch all you want later, I promise. Just don't open your mouth in front of Frieza, or I'll have to kill you. It wouldn't be appropriate for me to let my slaves have free reign of their mouths. At least try to look humble and subservient.”

 

She continued to glare for a moment, before bowing her head in acquiescence, and keeping her eyes on the floor. Vegeta smirked in triumph, and opened the door. Goku followed closely behind him and the two girls hung back, keeping their eyes downcast. Usagi clutched at Rei's kimono and tried not to look quite so scared as she felt. Upon entering the room, the two girls stayed back as the warriors approached Frieza and bowed.

 

“You wished to see us, my Lord,” Vegeta stated evenly after he stood straight.

 

“Yes. Congratulations on your win. I see you have chosen your prize. You always did have impeccable taste, Vegeta. However, there is something that concerns me.”

 

Faster than the eye could see, Frieza's tail whipped out and struck the Saiya-jin prince across the face, knocking him half way across the room. The prince made no noise, but rose to one knee and kept his eyes on the floor. Slowly, Frieza walked toward him, his tail twitching agitatedly behind him. He had a malicious glint in his eye that Vegeta was too familiar with.

 

“Why do you try to deceive your lord, Vegeta?” As he spoke, his tail wrapped around Vegeta's neck and lifted him easily off the ground until the two were eye-level. “Did you honestly think that I wouldn't notice a fighter as powerful as you throwing his punches? I was looking forward to seeing the two of you fight, and you let me down.”

 

The two stared each other down for some time. The air was thick with tension, and time seemed to pass by at a terribly sluggish pace. The two girls huddled near the door, eyes wide with horror. Goku's face remained passive, lest Frieza detect the worry felt for the prince. Finally, Frieza lowered Vegeta, and everyone believed that nothing more would happen. But Frieza's fury was not so easily diminished.

 

As soon as Vegeta's feet hit the floor, the stronger being leveled him with a punch. Vegeta's head swirled as he spit blood, and he tried to stand. However, Frieza kicked him in the ribs, and he fell back to the floor. He could feel his ribs crack and Frieza let out another kick, and bit his tongue to keep from screaming in pain. The onslaught continued for some minutes, Frieza trying his hardest to draw some sound of pain from the Saiya-jin prince. When it became clear that Vegeta would not give him the luxury, he gave the warrior one last, furious kick, and turned away.

 

“Get out of my sight.”

 

How Vegeta ever managed to walk out of that room was a mystery to Goku. He had approached tentatively, silently offering help, but the prince was proud and shrugged him off, striding confidently out the door. Goku motioned fort he girls to follow him and, with a quick bow toward Frieza, left the room. Vegeta was walking at such a rate as to suggest that if he stopped, he wouldn't be able to keep going. The girls again struggled to keep up, but Vegeta didn't seem to notice or care. He didn't stop until they were outside and far enough out into the countryside that there was little risk of meeting up with anyone. There, he sat down next to the road and concentrated on pushing the pain from his mind.

 

The arena and complex nearby that Frieza used while visiting the planet was a good ten minute flight from their home if they took a moderate pace. With his ribs aching the way they did, he wasn't sure he could carry the girl the whole way. Goku looked at him passively, waiting for some command. At times like these, he knew better than to ask questions.

 

“You'll have to carry them,” the smaller Saiya-jin said, finally. “Six broken ribs...some internal bleeding.”

 

As he said this, he heard a faint gasp from behind Goku and looked up at the two girls standing there. He focused on the dark-haired girl he'd chosen, the strong-willed, bright-eyed girl who had dared try to hit him. She had undisguised confusion and pity written in her dark eyes, and he suddenly felt enraged. How dare she feel sorry for him? With a snarl, he got to his feet and took to the air, ignoring the sharp pain in his ribs.

 

Two Years Ago, Goku's First Purging Mission

 

Vegeta had picked that particular mission for a reason, though he never told Goku. It was apparent from the very beginning that Goku did not intend to kill anyone, with the possible exception of Frieza. However, Vegeta could see no logical way to train him without raising suspicion, unless he took the younger Saiya-jin with him on purging missions. What would be the point of training someone who had no intentions of fighting? Frieza would smell the conspiracy immediately and make short work of the remaining Saiya-jin population. Goku, though he'd seen the prince's logic, still maintained that killing was wrong, even as their ship landed on the planet they were about to take over.

 

The inhabitants of the planet were particularly nasty. They weren't very strong individually, but when banded together, they could put up a decent fight. They frequently attempted to rebel against Frieza, upset by the heavy taxes forced on them, and frequently they were beaten into submission. Frieza had finally given up on trying to rule them, and had ordered their destruction. Crews would be sent in to take over their industries, and the planet would continue to bring in a profit for the tyrant. Vegeta figured that, once Goku's life was at stake (and here, it would be,) he would step up and defend himself.

 

As soon as they landed, they were swarmed by the natives, humanoid creatures with pale bluish skin and large, angry eyes. Vegeta wasted no time in taking out as many as possible with quick, powerful ki blasts. Goku, on the other hand, opted not to use ki, and was attempting to knock individuals unconscious. He was quickly getting himself surrounded, but Vegeta did not feel like bailing him out. Instead, once convinced that Goku could take out the remaining enemies in the area if he would only apply proper force, he took off in search of other creatures.

 

Goku continued struggling as more and more of the aliens swarmed him, trying desperately to stay alive. No single creature was strong enough to do any damage, but there were so many that he wasn't sure what to do. He'd never fought a battle like this. He had always fought one-on-one, or against small groups, and the techniques he'd learned were not helpful.

 

Kill them, Kakorot!

 

“NO!” he shouted, trying to force the voice in his head to leave. It had grown more insistent since he'd gone into space. He let out a powerful blast of ki in all directions, blowing the creatures off him. He took a moment to breathe as those creatures still conscious got to their feet.

 

Unexpectedly, a blast from behind hit him in the shoulder, and he let out a grunt of pain and staggered slightly, grasping at the injury. Pulling his hand away, he could see the blood, thick and warm on his hand. He whirled around, but could not tell which of the aliens had attacked him. The voice in his head spoke up again, urging him more and more frantically to kill, and again he fought it down. The creatures were falling upon him again, and he fought wildly against them, punching and kicking without thought.

 

Vegeta returned about an hour later, having cleared the planet of the rest of its inhabitants. Goku was kneeling on the ground, clutching his head and surrounded by dead bodies. He was whimpering pathetically to himself, obviously very upset by the fact that he had killed a few dozen of the beings. The still-bleeding wound to his shoulder did not seem to bother him, but Vegeta knew that it needed to be patched up soon. Surely the larger Saiya-jin had lost a good deal of blood, and the prince had no desire to carry an unconscious Goku to a regeneration tank.

 

“Time to go, Kakorot,” he said, grabbing his companion's good shoulder and pulling him roughly to his feet.

 

“I...”

 

“It gets easier. And, once we get strong enough to kill Frieza, you can stop. I'll rule the universe, and you can go back to your planet and die of old age for all I care.”

 

Goku gave the prince a grim look, rubbing his arm across his face to wipe away some of the dirt and gore. Without saying anything, he followed his prince back to their ship.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Author's notes, since I've been ignoring you guys `til now ^_^

As some of you know, this story was removed from Fanfiction.net because it “exceeded it's rating.” So, I've moved it here, and I'm actually happy I did. I like a lot about this site better. Mediaminer doesn't eat my formatting or stop loading half way through a story I'm trying to read. It's also faster.

 

Now, the only thing about medaiminer is that review counts are pretty low. So, if you're going to review, I'd ask that you take the time to say something about things you particularly like or don't like. It doesn't have to be in depth and five thousand words, but something more than “gr8 writ mor” would be great. Also, if you don't think you have enough time to actually write a review, if you could at least just fill out the numbers thing to let me know what areas need improvement, that would be amazing.

 

Thanks, guys! Love `ya.