Crossover Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction / Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Vendetta ❯ Chapter Eleven ( Chapter 11 )

Goku's Apartment, Late Morning

 

Usagi and Goku's life had settled into a sort of routine over the last two weeks. She would cook meals, and most of the time Goku would help her in both the preparation and the cleaning. Goku would train often, most of the time in the gravity room at Vegeta's home. Usagi liked this, since he always took her along and she could spend the time with Rei. The dark-haired girl had little to do since the old woman took care of the cooking and cleaning, so she appreciated the visits.

 

Much to Goku's dismay, he and Usagi rarely had a full conversation. They would chat for a bit about the food or cleaning, but Usagi wasn't really in the mood for discussion. She always seemed to have her eyes downcast, and he was afraid that she would burst into tears at any moment. He tried to ask her what was wrong, but she shook her head, told him not to worry about it, and had holed herself up in her room for the rest of the day. Goku decided not to press her further, fearing he would only upset her more.

 

From that point on, he tried to do things to make her feel more at home. He helped out more with the cleaning, bought her little presents whenever he went shopping. She would always smile and thank him, and he could see that she was sincere, but it never really made her happy for more than an hour. Then she would be back to her mopey self, quietly going about her daily routines.

 

He knew that deep down she was a much more happy person, but he couldn't figure out what had happened to make her so sad. Sure, she had been taken from her home and enslaved, but he treated her well. Rei was in a similar predicament and the only thing that seemed to upset her was the fact that Usagi was so sad. He decided that something really bad must have happened to Usagi and that he should do his best to make her life as easy as possible.

 

Now, she stood at the stove, putting the finishing touches on lunch. After the meal they were going to go over to Vegeta's house so that Goku could train and Usagi could talk to Rei. Goku sat at the table, staring idly at a spot on the wall next to Usagi's head. Without meaning to, his thoughts drifted to Earth, to his family and the friends he'd left behind. Thinking of Chichi and Gohan always managed to make him depressed, and this time was no different. He missed them both terribly, and in all likelihood, he would never see his son again, even if the boy were still alive.

 

"Are you all right?" a timid voice asked. Goku shook his head to clear it and looked at Usagi. She was staring at him, concern the only thing shining from her big blue eyes.

 

"Oh...uh, I'm fine," Goku said, his tone of voice failing to convince even himself. Usagi frowned, also unconvinced.

 

"What were you thinking about?" she pushed.

 

"It's nothing. You have your own problems to worry about, and I don't want to bother you with mine."

 

Usagi began setting the platters of food on the table, and Goku grinned. As usual, it smelled delicious. Once all the food was on the table, Usagi pulled off her apron and sat down across from Goku.

 

"It isn't good to keep it inside," she said softly, taking his hand in hers. "You'll feel better if you talk about it."

 

"You're one to talk," he retorted, pulling her hand away. He glowered and started eating. Usagi frowned and started her own meal. They ate in silence for a while, until Usagi finally spoke.

 

“We were...the last defense our planet had,” she said softly. Goku looked up at her, chopsticks halfway to his mouth, surprise evident on his face. “And we were completely worthless. He killed Mamoru.”

 

She was crying now, and Goku had no idea what to do. He hated it when women cried because it could mean any number of things. While he was fairly certain Usagi wasn't crying tears of joy, he didn't know if she wanted a comforting pat, or a hug or to just be left alone. He settled for the pat, since it was somewhere between a hug and leaving her alone.

 

“We were supposed to get married. Now our daughter will never be born, and our planet will be enslaved instead of having the bright future that was predicted for us. None of it was supposed to happen like this.”

 

She continued to sob, and Goku felt helpless. He stood, intending to put a hand on her shoulder, but she immediately collapsed against him. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and let her cry. She hadn't cried properly since she'd been put in Goku's care, and she let it all out now, burying her head in his stomach and clutching desperately at his gi. Eventually her sobs died down, and Goku ran a hand through her hair, told her it was okay to cry. Usagi continued to cling to him and sniffle, but she had no more tears left to cry.

 

Goku gave her head one last pat and untangled himself from her, sitting back down in his chair. “I...I had a wife and son, before,” he started. “Two years ago, on my planet. Frieza came and killed a bunch of my friends and...and Chichi. Gohan and my best friend were taken in to space, and as far as I know they're still out there somewhere.”

 

They spent the next few minutes in silence. Goku continued eating for some time, but Usagi finished quickly. She began removing dirty dishes from the table, rinsing them off in the sink and loading them into the dishwashers. When Goku finished his meal, he helped her finish cleaning, and then sat her back down at the table.

 

He told her everything, from his earliest memories of his grandfather, to the first time he'd met Bulma and all his other friends. He told her how Chichi got him to marry her, about the birth of their son. Those were all of his happy memories, and he managed to make Usagi smile more than once with silly anecdotes. Then, he explained how Frieza came to his planet, killed or enslaved so many people. He told her how Raditz had come and found him, convinced him to go into space and become a mercenary.

 

He expected Usagi to gasp in horror when she found out just how many people he'd killed for Frieza, but she remained expressionless and quiet as though she didn't blame him for the horrible things he did. Whether she hated him or not, Goku was silently thankful she didn't voice any sort of opinion. It made it easier, not knowing.

 

“Anyway, I was going to go train this afternoon. Is there anything you need before we go?” Goku asked.

 

Usagi shook her head and got up from the table. Goku followed suit, and the two left the building in silence. Once outside, Goku scooped Usagi up in his arms and took off flying toward Vegeta's house. Usagi was still trying to get used to the sensation of being carried by someone who was flying, even though she and Goku had made this and the return trip almost everyday for the past two weeks. Usagi's earlier experiences with flying generally involved demons and explosions, and it brought back horrid memories.

 

The sight of Vegeta's house looming in the distance was welcoming, as it meant both the end of their flight and the comfort Rei could offer. Usagi felt a little better after telling Goku about Mamoru and learning that Goku had suffered a very similar fate two years ago, but for now Rei was the only one who could make Usagi feel genuinely happy. The feeling never lasted any longer than the time the two spent together, but it was a nice feeling, being able to smile and even laugh at times.

 

Once they entered the house, they went their separate ways. Goku went immediately to the gravity room to train, and Usagi headed to the kitchen. Sometimes the old woman had cookies or leftovers for her, and even if she didn't have any food, she always knew where in the house Rei was. If Usagi tried to find the dark haired girl on her own, she would just get lost.

 

Rei happened to be finishing up her own lunch in the kitchen when Usagi arrived. As Usagi had hoped, there were a couple of cookies waiting for her, and she ate them happily, thanking the old woman after she'd finished. The old woman smiled at her and began clearing the table in front of Rei. Rei immediately hopped up and helped with a few of the dishes, despite protests. Then, she took Usagi by the arm and led her into a nearby sitting room.

 

“You've been crying,” she accused. “Did he do anything?”

 

Rei absolutely did not trust Goku, despite all his kind gestures and complete lack of threatening behavior. Usagi had tried to convince her many times that he never did anything mean or inappropriate, but Rei was genuinely concerned about her friends safety and couldn't help but worry. Being away from the safe familiarity of Earth made her especially wary, trusting no one except for the old woman. She didn't trust Orso, who was the only other visitor to the house, and she certainly did not trust either of the Saiya-jins.

 

“No. I told you he wasn't like that,” Usagi insisted. “We just...talked about stuff. I told him about Mamoru, and he talked about his past.”

 

“You didn't tell him about sailor senshi, right?” Rei demanded. “If they find out...”

 

“I don't think it'll matter, Rei,” Usagi said. She sounded so hopeless. “I mean...remember the one who killed Mamoru? Zarbon, I think, is his name. Goku talks about him sometimes. About how he's almost strong enough to beat him, and how if he can beat Zarbon then it'll only be awhile before he'll be strong enough to beat Frieza. We couldn't even scratch that guy, all six of us against him. And, when we were talking today, Goku said something...something horrible. About what he has to do for Frieza.”

 

“He helps take over planets, right? Doesn't surprise me at all,” Rei said haughtily. She leaned back in her chair and looked at Usagi, waiting for her to explain.

 

“Sometimes, a planet isn't worth it. The inhabitants are too rebellious or something. So...they blow up the planet. They just blast it with their own power and blow up planets. It hardly drains them at all. There are a lot of warriors out here with that kind of power. We're so...outclassed.”

 

Usagi put her head in her hands, trying not to cry again. Rei stared at her in complete shock. The idea that there were numerous warriors who could destroy planets without even breaking a sweat was terrifying. Hotaru could, at the cost of her own life, destroy a planet. Usagi might be able to if she could focus the normally positive energy of the Ginzuishou in such a destructive way, but that was it. Up until now, they had had no need for such power, and to think they would ever be able to stand up to such warriors was a foolish wish at best.

 

“We'll find a way out,” Rei said, comfortingly. She set a hand on Usagi's head. “I've been talking to Orso a lot about how everything works out here, all the laws and culture and stuff. It's never going to be the same because they have Earth, but we'll get free and we'll find a safe place to live. We'll find the other girls and our families and we'll find some place safe.”

 

“You think we could actually get free? If we tried to run away, they'd just catch us or someone else would enslave us.” Usagi sniffled, but she had managed to avoid outright sobbing.

 

“Well, the two legitimate ways to earn freedom are to be set free by your owner or to have someone else claim you were wrongfully enslaved. That person has to be ready to fight, though. The two would do battle, and whoever won would have the say in your future. That's how most disputes are settled. Whoever is strongest or has the strongest friends wins,” Rei explained.

 

“That's just barbaric,” Usagi said indignantly.

 

“Well, there is no one single ruler of the universe. Each planet is different, run by different people, different species. Most planets are run like companies. If you're rich enough you can buy or sell them, or shares of them like in the Nikkei. Whoever owns the planet has the final say in how that planet is run, who makes the rules, how high taxes will be and so on. Frieza owns more planets than anyone else in the known universe. That paired with his unmatched fighting ability makes him the most powerful person in the universe, although he technically doesn't rule the whole thing. According to Orso, Vegeta owns six planets, and that puts him in the top hundred richest people in the universe.”

 

“What about Goku?” Usagi asked. Surely he would have told her if he owned a whole planet. Rei shook her head.

 

“Apparently Vegeta's been working like this since he was just a kid. Goku's only been out here two years, not nearly enough time to amass that kind of wealth. He's been successful, though, and will probably be rich enough to buy planets in a few more years. He doesn't seem the type to be good at business, though.”

 

“He's so...sad,” Usagi said, the melancholy back in her voice. Rei arched an eyebrow at her, not really believing. “Frieza killed his wife, and his baby boy was enslaved. He's...he's a lot like me.”

 

“Oh, please Usagi. Stop feeling sorry for him.” Rei got up and crouched next to Usagi, taking her hand. “He's a murderer. And you're his slave, remember? He doesn't deserve all this sympathy.”

 

Usagi fought back more tears. “He didn't pick me. Vegeta gave me to him. And, he only kills because of Frieza. So he can get stronger to defeat him. He's good, deep down. I can feel it...” Rei wrapped her arms around her friend, hoping she wouldn't start crying again.

 

“I guess I don't really know him. But be careful Usagi. Just because he says those kinds of things doesn't mean he's sincere. He could just be trying to win you over, make you let your guard down.”

 

“I'll be careful,” Usagi whispered, burying her head in her friend's shoulder. Rei tightened her hold on the girl, whispering a silent prayer to whoever would listen that the blond would be kept safe.

 

They remained in the sitting room, talking only occasionally about trivial things, until Goku came to fetch Usagi. It was getting late in the afternoon, and he wanted dinner. The two girls hugged again as Usagi prepared to leave, and Rei left her with one last warning.

 

“Just watch out, take care of yourself,” she said. She didn't particularly care if Goku heard her or not, as he had missed the entire debate centering on him. Usagi nodded at her and let Goku scoop her up into his arms. Rei watched silently as they flew away, a sinking feeling in her gut.

 

Usagi had always wanted to see the best in people, and occasionally she was right. A number of their enemies had been turned from evil, had embraced goodness. But, none of those enemies had murdered entire planets for their own greed. They tended to target individuals or small groups of people. None of those who had turned had destroyed entire planets.

 

She hoped beyond all hope that Usagi would realize just how important it was to remain cautious. Even if Goku turned out to be a nice guy who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, he and most of those around him still had such vast amounts of power that it was staggering to think about. Just one person upset at something either of them had done, and they could be killed without a second thought.

 

Rei ate the dinner the old woman cooked for her, and helped again with the dishes despite protest. Then, she spent an hour or so at the piano, stumbling her way through a particularly difficult piece. She didn't know the name, as the title was in a completely foreign language, but it sounded wonderful when played correctly. However, she lacked the proper mindset for a real practice and gave up, mentally exhausted and ready for bed.

 

It was earlier than she normally went to bed, but she was tired. She went through her nightly routine leisurely, relaxing in a hot bath for longer than was really necessary. She soon crawled into bed, pulling the sheet up but keeping the comforter down on the end of the bed. It was still extremely hot outside, and anything more than a sheet would keep her up all night sweating. The long bath had relaxed her and cleared her mind, and she fell asleep within minutes.

 

* * *

 

At some point during the night she half woke up, feeling terribly hot. She tried to kick off the sheet, but found her movements severely hindered. Confused, she opened her eyes and tried to sit up. It was at that point that she noticed the well-muscled arm thrown across her midsection. Craning her neck, she saw Vegeta sleeping. In her bed. Completely naked.

 

Rei did what any sane girl in her position would do—scream and try to get away. However, her struggling just made him wrap his arm around her tighter and the scream woke him.

 

“Gods, girl, d'you have to scream in my ear?” he mumbled. He didn't even bother to open his eyes. He just pulled her right up against his chest, as though he intended to just go back to sleep. “Nightmare or something?”

 

“What the hell are you doing in my bed?” The volume of her voice was not much diminished, and Vegeta scowled opening his eyes.

 

“I was sleeping, until you started bitching. Go back to sleep.”

 

“Don't you have your own bed? You aren't welcome here.” Rei glared at him. His scowl changed to a smirk and he kissed her nose. Her arms being restrained, she attempted to bite him, which only amused him further.

 

“Don't care. Go back to sleep, I'm not in the mood for fighting. Tomorrow.” He yawned and closed his eyes. Rei tried to protest, but he refused to speak to her or to let her go. Refusing to be beaten completely, Rei wiggled around until she was facing away from him.

 

Silently she refused to let herself sleep. The idea of falling asleep given the situation disgusted her. But, every time she fought it, she felt herself getting more and more tired. Vegeta's figure pressed against her was warm and physically comforting, even if she fought tooth and nail against the idea in her mind. She tried to force her eyes to stay open, to stare out her window at the starry sky.

 

Her last thought before she drifted, quite unwillingly, off to sleep was that it was too bad the planet didn't have a moon.

 

Frieza's Home Planet

 

Hotaru had little time to stand and gawk at the enormity of the palace in front of her. Apparently, their arrival had been expected, and a sort of welcoming committee had just appeared in the magnificent, arched doorway. As Frieza approached, they all prostrated themselves on the ground, as though heedless of the drifting snow. Frieza waited just long enough to make them physically uncomfortable before telling them to rise, and they did so as hastily as they dared, not wanting to freeze but also terrified of offending one of the strongest beings in the known universe.

 

“Welcome home, Lord Frieza,” a fat, pink warrior said brightly. He seemed the happiest of the bunch at the tyrant's return.

 

“Things have been progressing well, Dodoria?” Frieza asked, smiling slyly at the assembled group. Most of them seemed to be trying not to shake in terror. “Where is my father?”

 

“Council ran over today. The weather's been harsh, and the north quadrant of the continent failed to store enough food to last the season. Your father is resting.”

 

Frieza nodded and headed into the palace. Those gathered took that as a signal and followed him inside. Hotaru shrank back, feeling completely out of place, but then Zarbon held out an arm to her, and she had no choice but to accept. The arm steadied her, but she had a feeling she would not be able to make the journey to wherever it was she was going without at least feeling faint. Everything was far too overwhelming.

 

The palace was as magnificent inside as it was outside, a fantastic blend of technology beyond her wildest dreams and images that could have fit in a historical fiction movie. The building was made of a metal Hotaru could not recognize, but it was strangely pleasing to the eyes, unlike the harshness of steel skyscrapers she was accustomed to in Tokyo. Everything seemed soft and shiny as though it was brand new. It probably took an army just to keep the place clean, and every now and again Hotaru would see a servant or two bustling around scrubbing floors or carrying armloads of linens.

 

They walked for about five minutes until they reached a large, round chamber that appeared to be a throne room. Frieza went and sat in the smallest of the three chairs, and Hotaru wondered silently who got to sit in the other two. The one in the middle was massive, probably large enough for three people to sit side by side comfortably. Dodoria, the pink warrior who had spoken earlier, immediately went to stand behind him, arms crossed over his massive chest. He made an imposing figure, and Hotaru was glad that she was being treated as a guest and not some sort of enemy.

 

For some time, the group that had gathered to greet them made reports to Frieza, all bowing when they approached and trembling in fear. Frieza didn't seem the least bit interested in the people themselves, but he did pay attention to the information presented to him. At times, he would issue commands—cut spending on that worthless program, fire that idiot, adjust taxes. Hotaru wasn't particularly interested in politics back home, but here she was intrigued. Frieza seemed to be making a visible effort to keep content the lives of those citizens under his rule.

 

Unfortunately, for all Hotaru knew the basics of the way the government of Japan worked, she knew absolutely nothing about how things worked here. She had assumed Frieza was a simple tyrant, making decisions to help himself and leaving the people to rot. She couldn't be sure just how far off she was, but she was pretty sure lowering taxes didn't really help Frieza.

 

“Bored?” Zarbon whispered, lowering his face close to her ear. She blushed.

 

“No. Just...a bit confused,” she admitted.

 

Without even thinking she moved her head away from his, uncomfortable at the closeness. He smirked and looked up at Frieza. He tilted his head and received a slight nod in return. Then, taking her by the arm he escorted her out of the throne room. She looked back over her shoulder as the door closed, but the group seemed to be continuing in a similar vein. Just outside the door Zarbon stopped by a screen mounted in the wall and pressed a button. An orange, middle-aged looking female appeared on the display.

 

“Dispatch, has the Amethyst Suite in the east wing been finished?” he asked.

 

“One moment please,” the woman responded, swirling in her chair to have access to a large computer. She pressed a few buttons and then turned back. “Sixty-eight percent. It shouldn't be more than an hour.”

 

Zarbon nodded and turned the monitor off. Then he turned to Hotaru and spoke. “They haven't finished your rooms yet, so I'll show you to the library. You can rest and I'll try to explain things.”

 

Hotaru silently wondered what could possibly take an hour to do fixing up a room that was already over half done, but didn't argue. The library was blessedly close, and she welcomed the chance to sit. The furniture was plush with soft blue upholstery, and every wall contained books from the floor to the ceiling four stories above them. It put the library on the spaceship to shame, and Hotaru found herself eagerly hoping to find more books in a language she could understand.

 

She settled herself elegantly into a chair, tucking her legs under her and arranging her skirts until she was comfortable. Zarbon sat on a sofa across from her, lounging as though he owned the place.

 

“Frieza's father, King Cold, has the final authority over all governmental affairs. If he chose, he could alter taxes or spending or decree any law he wanted. Frieza and his older brother, Cooler, are the next authority, and are paid the highest respect. There is also a ministry containing both appointed and elected officials. King Cold appoints ministers of finance, interior, defense, law, technology, education, agriculture and trade. There are forty elected officials, two from each district, four districts for each of the five continents. They serve as the people's input, and have the voting power. They are divided into committees under each of the appointed officials for direction, but they have the final say in most matters.”

 

“So,” Hotaru said, “even though the monarchy has absolute power, they don't use it?”

 

“Not often,” Zarbon replied. “There are things the people don't know about, and occasionally they elect morons. Sometimes damage control is necessary. People always want lower taxes and more spending, but it just isn't feasible. Also, it would be hard for three people to make all the laws and oversee tax collection and distribution of funds on their own, especially when Frieza is away all the time.”

 

“It almost sounds like some of the governments we had on Earth...” Hotaru mused, leaning back in her chair. It seemed like a perfectly reasonable way to rule a planet, which was shocking since Frieza seemed hell-bent on taking over as many planets as possible. Such ruthless tactics were hardly fitting of a reasonable monarch. “What about the other planets? Like mine.” She glared at him, daring him to make light of what had happened.

 

“For approximately six months, they are ruled directly by Frieza, or whoever else it was who paid for the purge. They make the necessary changes to bring the planet into the rest of the universe, introducing the natives to our advanced technology and insuring that the planet will remain stable. Once the planet is deemed ready, it is either kept or sold to the highest bidder. What the owner does with the planet is his own business, but usually they implement their own tax to collect for their own pockets and leave everything else running as it has been.”

 

“So...if I were still on earth, the only real changes would be known contact with the rest of the universe and higher taxes?” Hotaru asked. That didn't sound too horrible. But then, she'd never been the one paying the taxes. Her father might have disagreed entirely with her sentiments. He always grumbled when he had to pay taxes.

 

“For the most part. You'd have to get used to strange beings wandering around your planet. Some planets aren't so lucky, though. There are races throughout the universe that have sapped their planets of all their resources and are looking for new homes. They'll pay huge sums of money to have a new planet, but they don't want it inhabited. If your planet had more in the way of mineral resources, your people would have all been either killed or enslaved. As it were, your planet is self-sufficient at best, and would not be able to export enough to make it worth the full purge. In all likelihood, once your planet is up to speed with the rest of the universe, Frieza will probably sell it.”

 

Hotaru sighed. “I guess...I just won't ever really understand. Everything here seems so orderly on the surface, with reasonable governments and laws. But so much of what it's all built on is so horrible...”

 

Zarbon reached out, letting his fingers brush her cheek gently. “It will take time for you to grow accustomed to your new surroundings, and no one will blame you for it,” he said, comfortingly. “Being in association with Frieza will show you all the best and worst the universe has to offer, and you must decide right and wrong for yourself. So long as you maintain your position here, no one will question your ideology or try to change your mind, though some will most probably disagree.”

 

“What exactly is my position here?” Hotaru asked. She felt weak, tired, and very near tears, though she fought against them. “Everyone is always bowing to Frieza, and yet no one seems offended that I don't. And, his father is a king, right?”

 

Zarbon cut her off. “As a guest here at Frieza's personal request, it is up to him to decide your station. He does not see any reason for you to bow to him, since he is simply your host and does not technically exert any power over you. All in the palace will recognize this, and no one will question it. You bow to no one, and the lowest ranks will bow to you.”

 

At this Hotaru flushed. Perhaps in her past life as princess of Saturn, she would have been accustomed to such treatment. Here, however, she was of no real importance. She no longer had her status, and she certainly did not have the power to garner such respect. Zarbon chuckled.

 

“You will grow accustomed to all the formalities in time. For now, however, we shall go see what is taking so long in preparing your suite.”

 

He stood and offered his arm, which she accepted. She yawned, feeling very sleepy, and tried not to pass out. The walk to her rooms took some time, and she ached by the end of the journey, but she counted it a plus that she was still conscious and upright. The door, tall, arched and quite impressive, stood open and people were bustling about inside.

 

“Oi, how much longer?” Zarbon bellowed. He was imposing, and Hotaru shivered uncomfortably. A woman stopped what she was doing and bowed.

 

“We've just finished cleaning the main rooms. All that's left is the library. It shouldn't take more than fifteen minutes or so, and the lady can freshen up in private or rest if need be.” She smiled softly at Hotaru, as if she knew just how tired the girl felt.

 

“Library?” Hotaru asked, feeling slightly more aware of her surroundings, though not entirely awake.

 

“Lord Frieza insisted we prepare a personal library for you. We've found all the books we could written languages you understand so that you needn't search the main library for hours for a single book,” the woman explained. “Now, you look fit to collapse. Your bedroom has been prepared, I'll help you to bed. I'm sure you've had enough of male company to last you your lifetime.”

 

The woman shooed Zarbon out of the suite and ushered Hotaru in the direction of the bedroom. She prattled on about poor girls being stuck on spaceships full of men for days on end as she helped Hotaru out of her heavy gown and excessive undergarments and into a soft nightgown. Once tucked into bed, it took Hotaru only moments to fall asleep.