Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Another Life ❯ Discoveries ( Chapter 8 )

The Author's Notes in this fic pertain to the other site I post on, Fanfiction.net.

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or any of the characters seen in the show, manga, movies, etc. How much more can the world suck?

A/N: I know it's been such a looooooooong time since I've updated this fic, but recently my creative juices were flowing more towards my other fic, Changing Horizons. I'm going to get back on track now with this one, partly because it seems like not a whole lot of people like my other fic. I appreciate the reviews I got, but I was just a little disappointed that nobody else reviewed it. It's kind of a bummer. Anyway, here's chapter 8. It's bit of filler, getting ready for some of the real action, but there are a few…developments that you might like. I know, finally, right? Well, just know that I've got some good stuff planned out for our characters here, so I hope you enjoy it. But thanks again for the reviews people, and Nitte iz, just be patient; it's coming.

Another Life

Chapter 8 - Discoveries

"Prince Vegeta," the guard called cautiously from the door of the ship's largest quarters. He peered in to the dark room lit only by the bright, blank video screen of the communication consol stationed on the side of the room. Vegeta's eyes snapped open at the sound of the young man's voice and he was out of the bed and already walking towards the guard before he could even blink an eye.

"What is it?" he asked anxiously. He had been awaiting news on the fugitive for almost three days now. So far, they hadn't found a trace of him since Dais.

"We think we have a lead on them, your highness, thanks to our newly installed phason radar," The man said enthusiastically. "Usually only the battle ships carry them, but this is a new prototype we've installed and it shouldn't hinder the ship's remarkable speed." Vegeta narrowed his eyes at the talkative guard for including such extraneous information. The guard cleared his throat nervously and continued. "Forgive me, your highness. Our radar has picked up twenty-one ships within an 85 sectometer radius of Dais' atmosphere. Two of them are cargo ships. Because it is unlikely that they would change ships in such a short amount of time, we assumed that one of the ships must be theirs. We are fortunate that both ships are headed in the same direction. We can probably catch up to both of them within a couple of days if we go at full speed for the remainder of the journey. It will deplete our fuel supply much faster, but I think it will benefit us in the long run."

"It's not your place to know what will benefit us or not. Just do your job and tell me when we are close enough to apprehend them."

"Yes, your highness." The guard waited for Vegeta to dismiss him, but Vegeta didn't turn away from him in haughtiness as he usually did.

"Where is Nappa?"

"He is discussing the capture of the fugitive with the soldiers in the command center."

"I want a private pod made ready for me when we are close enough to the fugitive's ship. I am going to apprehend him myself."

"But your highness, how will you apprehend him without a tractor beam? The pods are not equipped with them."

"I plan to follow him until he lands. Then I will contact you and send you the coordinates of where to pick us up. You will tell Nappa that I have suddenly decided to check somewhere else for the fugitive. If I know Nappa, he will demand you tell him where, but you will conveniently know nothing. Under no circumstances is Nappa to know of my whereabouts until after I contact you. Is that understood?

"Yes, your highness, I understand, but how will I keep Nappa from killing me when I don't tell him?"

"That is not my problem. Now go, and make sure Nappa has no knowledge of the fugitive's exact location when you reach him." The guard saluted, his face pale at the possibility of dealing with Nappa. Vegeta lay back down on the bed as he heard the guard leave and took a deep breath of satisfaction. His victory was close at hand.

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"Bulma! Are you all right?!" Kakarrot yelled as he rushed into the room he had heard her scream echo out of. "Bulma!"

"It's okay, Kakarrot, I'll be fine. It scared me more than it hurt." At Kakarrot's confused expression, Bulma decided to explain further. "Over there," Bulma pointed to a stack of crates with her uninjured hand. "It's some sort of creature. I was looking through the boxes and I came across a strange looking crate. When I opened it, this little red creature jumped out at me. I think…I think it's a reptile of some sort. It reminded me of the dinosaurs we had back on my planet. It may be a baby."

"Are you hurt?" The concern in Kakarrot's voice was comforting. Bulma had almost gotten used to nobody giving a damn about her.

"Only a little bit. It bit me, but it's nothing I can't mend."

After examining her hand, Kakarrot looked about him. "Where is it now?"

"It rushed over to those boxes in the corner," Bulma said, peeking over Kakarrot's shoulder as he crept up to the boxes. Before they even reached them, a loud, piercing wail cut through the air of the room. Bulma looked at Kakarrot with a worried expression, and Kakarrot motioned for Bulma to stay behind him. Kakarrot gently pushed the stack of boxes, toppling them to the ground and revealing a small, shaking, scaly, red body. It was huddled up against the wall and its huge golden eyes were trained on them as it emitted a few pitiful yelps of alarm.

"Don't hurt it, Kakarrot. It looks so scared. It's been in that box for Kami knows how long and it's probably hungry." Bulma felt her heart go out to the poor little thing.

"I'm more concerned that you will be the one hurt by it. Stay back, Bulma. If it already bit you, it could sure as Hell do it again." With that said, Kakarrot reached for the creature's tail and quickly pulled it up into the air as it twisted and turned to free itself. It was blood red, except for its gold-colored belly, and its short, flimsy red wings flapped helplessly in the air as Kakarrot examined it. Kakarrot frowned at it and was just about to throw it into a nearby box when it curled itself around his arm and bit him hard, drawing blood. Kakarrot released it suddenly, dropping it on the hard metal floor, but before he could go after it again, it scuttled over to Bulma and cowered behind her leg. Bulma was too startled to move, so she peered down at the little creature with curiosity. It stared back up at her, and Bulma felt her heart melt at the look the small helpless creature gave her. It looked so cute and vulnerable, and before she could even think, Bulma reached down and stroked its small scaly head. The creature purred softly and Bulma smiled as she scratched it behind the ears.

"Bulma! What are you doing?! Have you gone mad?" Kakarrot looked so perturbed he was nearly jumping up and down. Bulma decided calm his fears.

"Look at it, Kakarrot. It was just scared. See, it's fine now." Bulma reached down, pulling him into her arms and the little creature cuddled up against her bosom as she cradled it almost lovingly. "It's so adorable," she crooned.

The incredulous horror on Kakarrot's face was enough to make Bulma laugh. "Don't look so upset. I'll be fine. I'll just have to find something for it to eat." She looked down at the now sleepy-looking reptile. "I hope you like freeze-dried food. It's all we have."

"You're going to give it our rations?! Bulma, it's an animal. We can't give it the only food we have. Besides, if you ask me, it looks like he'd be a welcome change to our present diet."

It was Bulma's turn to look at Kakarrot in horror. "Kakarrot, how dare you! Don't you even think of trying to eat this poor little creature. We'll have enough food to last us until we get to Dorsay, right? How long until we get there?"

"I'd say about a day," Kakarrot mumbled. He was staring resentfully at the little creature snuggled up against her chest. "But I still think we should be careful. Money doesn't last forever. The less we have to buy now, the better for us in the long-run."

"I know. Believe me, I know a ton about money. I won't give him a lot." Bulma gazed down at the tiny animal. "What do you think we should call him?"

"How should I know? A second a go, I would have called him lunch. But since that's obviously out of the question now, why not name him something from your planet?" Bulma looked down for a grievous moment as she thought of her now desolate planet and the deceased people on it. Kakarrot must have realized his error because he hastily added, "Or just name him Chibi baka. He doesn't seem too bright, biting the hand that wants to feed him." Bulma looked up and smiled at Kakarrot, happy that he had been concerned enough for her feelings to try and change the subject.

"No, you might have a point there. I could name him after a famous dragon from my home planet: Shenlong. I just hope that won't anger the real Shenlong."

Kakarrot eyed the creature spitefully once more before turning to leave. "I still don't think it is a good idea to keep him. I'll tell you now, Bulma, if that thing even tries to attack you again, I'm putting it down."

"I don't think you'll need to worry about that. Where are you going now?"

"To get some rest. You should too. We'll have a busy day ahead of us tomorrow." Bulma looked at Kakarrot hesitantly. She knew as well as Kakarrot that there was only bed on the ship. Did she want to put herself in that position again? True, she had been very attracted to him, and she had wanted to sleep with him just as much as he did her. But Bulma had a feeling that being intimate with the noble man would mean more to him than just a passionate fling. Bulma had never allowed herself to get very close to any of her previous partners, and to attempt that now wasn't something she was sure she could do, especially with a man who wasn't even human. She had no desire to hurt Kakarrot, and she was positive that the close contact they would share in a bed would put her in a position to do just that. She didn't know what the consequences would be if they became intimate, and leading him on to think that she wanted anything but his body was unfair to him. He could very well want her to marry him after they slept together, and that was definitely not something she was prepared to do. She had to keep from causing him too much pain.

"I think I`ll be alright for the moment, thank you. But you go on ahead. I'm going to feed Shenlong here before he decides to take another bite out of me."

Kakarrot's outward appearance didn't visibly change, but obvious disappointment was present in his voice. "Alright. Don't stay up too late." Kakarrot left the room and Bulma sat down in a nearby chair, cradling Shenlong.

"I hope he wasn't too disappointed," she whispered to Shenlong. "I don't want to hurt him." Shenlong seemed like he was trying to pay attention to her voice, but he soon gave it up and yawned loudly, snuggling back into her lap. Bulma tried to suppress her yawn as well, but was unsuccessful. She really was tired, but she couldn't very well go and sleep in the same bed with Kakarrot. Bulma closed her eyes and began thinking of her possible future. What was she going to do once Kakarrot was finished on Vegeta-sei? If she were going to be traveling with him, they would remain in close quarters of each other for some time, so how was she supposed to keep the obvious chemistry that existed between them at bay? Should she even fight the desire? Kakarrot was kind and noble and devastatingly handsome, so what was her problem? Bulma sighed, frustrated with herself for her indecision. She wasn't sure how to handle this situation, but she hoped things would clear up once they reached Vegeta-sei. Maybe then she could figure out what it was exactly that she felt for the valiant Saiyan.

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They reached Dorsay's atmosphere in desperate need of food supplies. Shenlong, it seemed, had quite a healthy appetite, and although Bulma had fed him twice that day, the little rascal had managed to nose his way into their remaining rations. Kakarrot hadn't let his anger for the little monster show in respect for Bulma, but he had been very close to ejecting the dragon out of the refuge hatch when he had discovered the food missing. Bulma didn't seem too affected by their loss, seeing as they had only been a half a day away from Dorsay. Kakarrot made a mental note to remind her exactly what type of creature they were dealing with. If the animal were a baby now, when it grew to adulthood it would probably be too large to control, let alone keep in the ship if they were forced to travel for long periods of time. It would be in their best interest to simply sell the creature on Dorsay and use the money for more supplies.

But Bulma didn't seem to want to part with the creature, not even to leave the ship for supplies. At the moment, Bulma had the little thing curled up against her, wrapped in a fluffy blanket with just its head peeking out as they prepared to leave the ship. Kakarrot looked at Shenlong disdainfully before speaking to Bulma. "Bulma, I think there is something you should know before we leave the ship. Dorsay gets a lot of visitors from a lot of different planets, some of which who are great advocators of slavery. If they see a pretty young girl who is unattended, to them, it's fair game to snatch her and carry her off. So, you're going to need to stay close to me. You're going to have to pretend you belong to me. If for some reason, we are approached by anyone, it's customary for a slave to say silent, especially one belonging to a Saiyan."

Bulma shifted Shenlong in her arms and nodded at Kakarrot. "I understand. You forget, I was a slave not too long ago. I know how to behave." Kakarrot wanted to comment on the frequent beatings she had admitted to a few days earlier, but he decided to keep that to himself.

"Alright, well, there is one other small detail that I forgot to mention." Kakarrot braced himself for the explosive temper he knew was coming after he told her exactly what was required of a Saiyan's slave. "You have to kneel ever time I stop somewhere. If I pause to even speak to someone, a Saiyan slave is expected to kneel."

"WHAT?! That's crazy! Who on your planet ever came up with that stupid custom?" Bulma set Shenlong on the floor and put her hands on her hips angrily. Kakarrot thought she had never looked more beautiful. He quickly put his hands up in defense.

"Hey, I didn't make the custom up. But that's what is expected. If we raise any suspicion over something as insignificant as kneeling-"

"Insignificant! You try being a slave for a while and see how it feels to have to do such menial, belittling tasks!"

"Bulma, I didn't mean-"

" Don't you understand? I was the head of the most powerful company on my planet! I was the richest and most intelligent woman around. I could have any man I wanted at the drop of a hat, and people respected me for the person I was. My life was…well, it was just the way I wanted it, and then everything was taken away from me. I was forced to live as a slave without any hope of ever returning to my old life. So, when I think about doing things that remind me of that, you can see why I would get upset."

"Bulma…" Kakarrot hushed at her. He moved closer to her and pulled her into his arms. She tried to pull away but he held her all the more firmly. "I'm not trying to upset you. If I could change this situation I would. I wish that none of this ever happened. I wish that I were home right now with my father and brother, sparring perhaps, and that you were back on your planet enjoying your life. I wish I had never fought the prince, and I wish you had never been sold into slavery. I can't change the past Bulma, but hopefully, after we get through this, we will be able to live happier lives and make our own futures."

Bulma looked up at him and was silent for a moment, then slowly nodded, her tense features relaxing slightly. Kakarrot smiled and brushed a stray stand of hair from her face. "I guess you're right," she said resignedly. "This is insignificant when you look at the big picture. I'll do it." She gave him a teasing look. "But if I think that for one second you're enjoying ordering me around, I am going to make you sorrier than you've ever been, buddy." She playfully punched him in the shoulder, and Kakarrot couldn't help but smile at her.

"We won't be on-planet for long. I just need you to pick out the materials we'll need to create the ship's exhaust container, and then you can come back to the ship. I'll get the food supplies." Bulma nodded in approval and set off searching for Shenlong, who had suddenly disappeared from sight. Kakarrot secretly hoped it had found its way into the refuge compartment. One little flick of a switch and then he would no longer be battling the scaly creature for Bulma's attentions. The stupid animal seemed to get itself into everything, and Bulma was always right behind it, ready to pull it to her chest and sooth and comfort it whenever it got into something disagreeable. Shenlong had only been present for two days and already it had won over Bulma's affections. Kakarrot wondered how long it would take for him to win her affections as well.

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The two cargo ship's passengers along with their tiny scale-laden companion disembarked a few minutes after they landed on Dorsay. Kakarrot left the ship first, and Bulma followed at a safe distance behind him. Bulma had found a chain in one of the crates on the ship, which she used to loop around Shenlong's neck and create a sort of leash. After a few attempts to break free, Shenlong had finally calmed and was now allowing Bulma to lead him. They traveled through the unusually large and very congested docking bay by occasionally pushing through the crowd of people. By the way she was staring in wonderment, Kakarrot could tell Bulma was amazed by the assortment of different races that filled the docking bay, and he had to call to her twice to keep her from lagging behind. They eventually reached the exit and when they passed through the large doorway, they were met by the two blazing, twin suns that graced Dorsay's sky. They didn't stop until they arrived at a junk shop a couple streets down from the docking bay. Kakarrot entered, with Bulma behind him and he commanded her in a most authoritative voice to find what they needed. There were several others in the shop, a few of which he noticed were following Bulma's every movement. Kakarrot stepped closer to her as he waited for her to finish telling the shop-owner what she wanted, glaring at the men and watching them decidedly turn away from watching Bulma and busy themselves with other things.

Surprisingly, Bulma didn't have much trouble explaining what she needed to the storeowner. She had expressed her trepidation to Kakarrot earlier, concerned that her translator chip might not help her much when discussing mechanical jargon. Kakarrot had gone over a few terms with her, just to be sure, and had concluded that she would not have any problems getting someone to understand what she wanted. After Bulma made plans with the owner to have the equipment delivered to their ship, they left the shop, and were immediately assaulted by a small crowd of peddlers desperately thrusting items in their faces, trying to interest them with their petty trinkets. If Kakarrot had been any other Saiyan, he would have blasted the beggars to Hell, but he was a more patient man, and didn't want to make a scene. He glanced over at Bulma and was shocked to see her kneeling beside him. He had almost forgotten his own custom, and he would have praised her for her quick thinking if he weren't trying to keep up appearances. He pushed his way through the beggars, deaf to their attractive sales pitches, and glanced behind him to make sure Bulma was following.

They were headed to another shop Kakarrot knew they could get supplies in, when Kakarrot looked around him and had to suppress a growl. He was growing increasingly annoyed by the groups of people who had stopped to stare at Bulma. He knew her coloring was exotic and of course she was beautiful, but he had thought his presence would at least detour them a little. Apparently, it hadn't, and Kakarrot called angrily over his shoulder for Bulma to stay close. They would only have to go to a few more shops and then he could take her back to the ship. The sooner, the better, he thought as he quickened his pace.

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She kept herself hidden between the wall and a giant crate, one of many that had been scattered around the docking bay from the incoming ships, while she watched the multitudes of people rush in front of her. She would have to make her move soon, and after seeing what she could only deem a miracle from Kami, there was no way she could turn back now. She absently fingered the cool, metal collar encircling her neck. She had been able to break the damnable chain that connected her to her master's bed, but she hadn't the time to rid herself of the collar. That could be taken care of later. At the present moment, she needed to find a way onto the cargo ship. The position of the suns told her that time was passing quickly. She couldn't wait anymore; it was now or never.

She crept out from behind the crate and ran like the devil was after her until she reached the ship on the far side of the dock. She moved up to the control panel on the door and froze, her fist clenching in frustration. The code! she screamed to herself in her mind. She didn't know the code. How was she supposed to get in if she couldn't open the damn door? She looked around frantically, already aware that she was probably drawing attention. This couldn't be good. If her master or any of his associates were to spot her, she was sure she would never see the light of day again. She ran her fingers through her dark, raven hair negligently. Things were not going as well as she'd planned. She was about sink to her knees in defeat, when she saw a small vehicle slowly pulling up to the ship. Quickly, she darted behind a large, jutting section of the ship and waited for the vehicle to approach. Out came a man, wheeling out a large wooden crate, and she watched him as he set it down outside of the ship. Then to her amazement, he walked away. The man got back into the vehicle and drove off. It took her all of three seconds to realize that this indeed was another sign from Kami. As quickly as she could, she raced over to the crate, pulling at its top to loosen the nails. She glanced around her to see if anyone had been watching her, and after she was satisfied no one was, she climbed into the crate and shut the lid. This was truly a miracle. What were the odds that she would escape her evil master AND find a fellow Chikyuuian survivor? And what was even better, was that she was sure she recognized the woman. She couldn't put her finger on her identity yet, but she was sure once she was acquainted with the woman, everything would fall into place. Life was certainly looking up.

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"Your Highness," the guard said shakily as he approached the prince.

"What?" came the gruff reply.

"The fugitive has landed on Dorsay, your Highness, and we are less than an hour away from his coordinates."

Vegeta had a hard time hiding his smirk. "Excellent. Is my pod prepared?"

"Yes, you highness, but…there was a development." Vegeta narrowed his eyes at the nervous guard. He could not afford any interruptions to his plan. "It seems that Nappa has discovered your plans to leave without him. H-he is waiting on the pod as we speak, Ouji-sama."

"And how did he find out?" Vegeta's tone was low and deadly. It would be torturous to travel with the dull-witted buffoon, especially in such close quarters, and Vegeta would have to use all of his restraint just to keep from killing the arrogant bald man. The guard breathing was becoming erratic and he stuttered over his next words.

"H-he…well, he walked in while your ship was being prepared a-and demanded to know why he wasn't informed of it. When we didn't tell him, he figured it out for himself. He killed everyone else in the room, except…except for me your highness, so I could let you know he is ready to leave." The guard took a deep breath to try and calm himself, but before he could even exhale, Vegeta grabbed him by the front of his uniform and lifted him into the air.

"Well, it looks as though you have failed me, doesn't it?" Vegeta growled. "Now I am going to have to listen to Nappa's whining the entire trip there. I am going to end your worthless life now…unless you have some information that will redeem you." Vegeta waited for the guard to answer.

"W-well, I…I don't…."

"I'll take that as a `no'," Vegeta said as he charged a ki ball in his hand and released it into the petrified guard's head. He dropped the man's lifeless body to the floor and stalked away towards his pod, infuriated that he would have to spend so much time with Nappa. His only consolation was the thought of beating the third-class idiot senseless. It wouldn't be too long now before he felt the man's blood on his hands. He could almost taste his success.

Next Up: We find out who the stow-a-way is. Also, will Vegeta find Kakarrot on Dorsay? Wait and see!

Um…..hi…Today, I'd like to talk to you about the wonderful ReviewsAreGreat Foundation. For just one review per chapter, you can brighten the life of an affection-starved writer living in the dark, lonely confines of her dorm room…………………………& #8230;…………(get the hint? ^.^)