Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Black and White ❯ 14 ( Chapter 14 )

Goku and Vejata spun around in shock as a blur whipped over their shoulders, as if its afterimage would be easier to see than the object itself. Fierce shouts battled the thunder for their ears, and blinding strobes rivaled the lightning in their eyes. The point where Cell was regrowing from his core was swathed with billowing smoke.

 

Trunks huffed to catch his breath, eyes fierce as his hair stood on end, gold and sparking. "Bastard!" he shouted into the dusty clouds. His fingers twitched as he continued to stare, eyes darting about as the dust settled.

 

"Trunks," Goku spoke quietly, shivering as the boy's rage quivered through the air, bringing the atmosphere more tense potential than the charge of the storm in the air. But at the sound of someone clearing his throat, the man turned to see a blue oni.

 

"Excuse me," he seemed to be standing nearest to Vejata, glancing her over. "Lord Enma has requested your presence. Now, given that you are presently alive, it is not within our power to retrieve you by force," he grabbed his pencil, and Vejata watched as its tip hovered over a sheet on the clipboard, "but, Vegeta, Lord Enma has strongly advised it." He glanced over the sheet and gulped, removing his glasses to wipe them off in disbelief and gulping again as what he saw on it remained unchanged. "I would strongly advise it, too," his eyes were wide as he looked back up to her.

 

Vejata watched Trunks as he collapsed to the ground, chest heaving with quiet sobs, and Goten as he rushed to the boy's side. Her gaze wandered to Goku, who felt her eyes on him and returned her neutral expression. Their eyes locked for one moment, and another—she thought to look away, but couldn't. "Kakarrot," she finally managed, quietly. "I guess you never did me any wrong."

 

He didn't speak, eyebrow twitching in concern as he wondered what she was about to do. Wouldn't she follow the oni like it asked? "Yeah," he finally agreed quietly, not sure of what else to say.

 

She seemed to be absorbed in further thought, and the oni cleared his throat. Neither took note of it. "Maybe I'll see you again."

 

He shrugged. Was he supposed to be mad at her—had Cell been going for her, with his attack, but grabbed Vegeta instead? She was being so nice, so—civil. Her eyes didn't glimmer with the malice imprinted against him, distant though they were. Where was her mind? It was not on hurting him, anymore. Had it ever been? The thought made his mouth bitterer as his lack of forgiveness persisted even with that idea in mind. "We can...bring your friend back if you want," he offered weakly.

 

"Funny," she smirked a little, turning away. "I was thinking the same."

 

"Yeah?"

 

"When Prince Vegeta comes back," she started toward the oni, "remind him not to do anything too stupid."

 

"Usually he's the one reminding me," Goku cracked a smile, even as he sensed Cell recovering again nearby. He heard the hushed tones of Piccolo, Goten, and Trunks discussing something, and the rougher voice of the man who was, perhaps, his father. As he glanced back at the group, the oni seemed to take notice, and scribbled something on his clipboard, narrowing his eyes at the man with the halo. Goku hoped the oni wouldn't take the man away—not yet. If this guy really was his father, he wanted to try fighting him, and maybe talk to him. "Aren'tcha going?" he stole a nervous glance at Cell as the being slowly approached.

 

"I am." She turned away, and she and the oni drifted into the sky faster than she could follow its features. And then, they were somewhere else entirely.

 

 

...

 

 

"Oh, good," Enma seemed deeply frustrated as the oni arrived with Vejata. "I was worried she'd put up a fight."

 

"None at all," he bowed and shuffled off. "Thankfully."

 

"What do you want?" she crossed her arms, glancing around the room. Giant desk—giant everything. Especially giant man who towered before her, and she recognized him from not so long ago, the first time she'd been sent to Hell.

 

"I see that you're alive," he grumbled. "Those balls screw everything up. I knew I should have listen to those Kais and sent someone down to stop that hullabaloo before it started." There was a snort from across the room, and Vejata noticed that Vegeta stood leaning against the desk. She wasn't surprised that she hadn't noticed him upon first glance—the desk towered over him so.

 

"Well, get up here," he pounded on the desk. "You need to work this mess out. This other Vegeta has been no help at all, and the list keeps changing."

 

"The others died for good," the prince grumbled from beneath. "That's why."

 

Vejata shot him a puzzled glare, but drifted up to Enma's desk. He brandished a list in front of her. "See, now, I was just about to send Vegeta to Hell when I remembered that you used to be in Hell not too long ago yourself, and had this exact same list of merits and sins." He kicked at the base of his desk, making Vegeta jump. "Now I know you two aren't the same person, because one of you has helped save the universe before, from that awful pink thing."

 

Vejata glanced at the list—it was long. She couldn't imagine how it had looked with the sins of the other six Vegetas spelled out. It seemed that one or two of them had evaded Cell in Hell, though—for neither she nor the prince had blown up her own planet, yet it remained on the list. "So what do you want?" she asked.

 

"Well, ordinarily I'd just say he'd be off to Hell just as you or any of those others that he claims are—or were—on this list—but if we've got someone as powerful as Vegeta down there—him, not you—it might just cause much more of a mess than I want to hire guys to clean up. Besides, I might rather retain him here until I can decide what to do with him." Enma's large mouth curved into a frown. "After the last fiasco here in the afterlife, I, frankly, don't want to take my chances with anyone who might better serve us than rot away to nobody in Hell."

 

The queen looked at Vegeta, who seemed to be ignoring them. She wondered what he was playing at—maybe he was just waiting for someone to wish him back. "Cell's still alive down there," she muttered. "So you know."

 

"Well, when Son sends him back here, we've chipped away a nice little cell," he chuckled, "for him in Hell."

 

She closed her eyes, inhaling deeply and then letting her breath seep back out of her nostrils. "I think I have your solution."

 

"Well, take my job and let me go on vacation," he rolled his eyes. "Just tell me which of these sins are yours so I can straighten this out."

 

"My solution is easier." Now Vegeta was watching her carefully, though he hadn't moved.

 

"All right," he challenged. "Let's hear it."

 

She leaned in closer and lowered her voice; Enma drew himself up nearer as she spoke. "This seems like a lot of red tape," she muttered. "This bureaucracy shit. Well, look. See that list you have there? Set it on one side." He did so, eyeing her suspiciously.
"Now grab a new leaf of paper. Set it on the other." Enma frowned, digging through his desk for a fresh sheet. "You're not past bending a few rules—if it's for everyone's good."

 

Enma's eyes narrowed further. "Watch it," he warned. "I doubt you have the slightest idea of 'everyone's good.'"

 

"I think I do," she answered quietly. She couldn't see Vegeta from where she was, anymore. "I hear that Prince Vegeta has changed quite a bit since he started living with the Earthlings, and the man you call Son Goku." Enma nodded. "In fact, he doesn't seem nearly as bad as that list implies. All he cares about anymore is his family," she spoke with derision, but even as she did so knew how poor a mask it was. "Me, I've got nothing there, back where he lives. Well—not much." The man's beard ruffled as he exhaled heavily, waiting for her to reach her point. "I think he'll keep getting better. And here's the thing—you don't want the both of us in Hell. In case it's not clear to you, he and I don't get along. It's in your best interest as well as mine—" she cut herself off and strode over to the list, covered with scribbles of names of people she'd killed and of people she'd never known. "Write 'Queen' up above 'Vegeta' on this list." She strode over to the other, lowering her voice even further. "Write 'Prince Vegeta' on this one. And put all that fluffy universe-saving shit on it."

 

"You're saying I should send this man straight to Heaven?" he boomed. "Without a single—"

 

Vejata swore she heard a choking noise from beneath, and grumbled. "Whatever. Yes. But look, there's something else. You'd agree I can't do a damn thing to help bring Cell back here, I'm sure—and it's plenty clear you want me back in Hell." She glanced toward the gate she'd been lead through the first time. She was sure Shallot was back there by now, maybe waiting on the other side, in Hell, for her. "So I'll give you want you want, but you use my life to send him back to his happy little home," she shrugged toward Vegeta's spot beneath them.

 

Enma seemed to consider it. "It would solve this damn name overlap once and for all," he mumbled. "But I don't know about sending Vegeta to—"

 

"Only if he doesn't screw up in the rest of his lifetime," she reminded him. "His sins would be his from the second you wrote that paper on." She shrugged. "Not exactly a free ticket."

 

"Seems like a lot of good for him and none for you," Enma's gaze bore down upon her.

 

"Yes. I have a request."

 

He rolled his eyes. "Here it comes..." he muttered.

 

Vejata glanced behind her, and now Vegeta was on the desk with them, watching. Sputtering a few hissed insults at him, she hovered up to Enma until she nearly sat in his ear. "When I'm thrown through that godforsaken soul-cleaning machine—whenever that is," she crossed her arms, whispering, "send me back into the living world as an Earthling."

 

He blinked. "Why?"

 

"Nice trees," she answered sarcastically. "Look at Vegeta. Earth has somehow subdued his Saiyajin nature." She smirked a little. "What is the power of that place? I want to feel it."

 

"You know," Enma grasped his pencil, considering the sheets before him. "I could tell you I would but send you back as whatever I want."

 

Vejata chuckled. "I'm confident you won't."

 

"It's not such a big request," he sighed, and seemed to realize what he was doing. "I really need a vacation..."

 

"One more thing."

 

"Really—"

 

"Shallot. You brought her back to Hell not so long ago."

 

He seemed to dig back into his mind. "Right, wouldn't shut her mouth."

 

"Her too."

 

Enma glanced down at the list of sins and scribbled a note at the bottom, and then turned his attention to the top. "Fine. But only because it means you won't be bothering me again."

 

"How do I..." she started to ask, glancing toward Vegeta.

 

"Patience!" he nearly roared, scribbling on the sheets.

 

Vejata took a few steps nearer to Vegeta, who evaluated her with calculating eyes.

 

"All right," Enma spoke again. "Here goes nothing." He cracked his knuckles. "May take a second; I'm a bit rusty."

 

"What the hell is going on?" Vegeta glanced away, crossing his arms. His eyes widened as something seemed to lift from him—his halo. Through his temporarily hazy vision, he watched as it appeared over Vejata's identical form.

 

She twisted around to face him. "Don't fuck this up." He rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to snap at her as she turned away, but was interrupted by her voice. "Assuming you'd prefer to be able to fight Kakarrot for all eternity, or some nice fuzzy shit like that."

 

Vegeta blinked, taken aback. "Why—"

 

"I never want to see your ugly ass again," her lips pulled back to reveal her teeth in a smirk.

 

"Fine by me," he returned the expression. "Given that your ass is uglier."

 

"At least I've got a tail," she prepared to follow an oni to the entrance to Hell. "I ain't some human wannabe."

 

Vegeta opened his mouth to laugh, but collapsed to the ground, unconscious, before the first cackle left his throat.

 

 

....

 

 

He woke up in a new body, already on the battlefield. From where he was, he thought he saw two Gokus—one being restrained by Piccolo as the other fought Cell—but he shook the idea away, and as he approached, found Piccolo holding no one and Goten glancing off into the distance.

 

"Vegeta!" Goku chirped, whirring past as he dodged a blast from Cell. He paused. "Vejata said to tell you not to be stupid!" The Saiyajin blinked. "Where is she?"

 

The prince shrugged. "Hell."

 

"Look," Goku swept his foot around to trip his opponent, still turning to speak with Vegeta, "it's getting kinda boring, fighting Cell, only I dunno if I've got it in me to kill him, y'know? I'm real tired."

 

"And that's an hour," Piccolo glanced at the sun. Perhaps that was what the Namekian had been discussing with the boys earlier.

"Arrright!" Goten and Trunks pumped their fists in the air. Trunks turned to his father.

 

"Dad, I wanna beat this guy. For what he did to you."

 

Vegeta ruffled his hair, not sure of what to say. "Let me help you," he decided.

"Me too!" Goku grinned.

 

"Can I?" Cole begged.

 

"It's been less than an hour since you were fused," Piccolo shook his head. "And anyway, Trunks and Goten are both stronger than you." He smirked as she fumed, throwing a few punches through the air.

 

"Whatever! I'll show them!" One of her punches smacked against Cell as he rocketed toward Goku again, and this time Piccolo and Goku both threw ki blasts at him. Vegeta concluded that Cell must have been substantially weakened—whether by the blast or by simply having spit up everyone he'd absorbed. Certainly by now he wasn't much stronger than he had been before he died those years ago.

 

"Let's fuse, Goten!"

 

"Yeah!"

 

"You wanna fuse, Vegeta?" Goku threw his arm around the man's shoulder.

 

"Absolutely not," he hissed.

 

"We wanna show you something," Goten bounced on the balls of his feet.

 

"Our secret weapon!" Trunks agreed, falling into position. "I think you'll like it!" He gave his father a quick thumbs-up. "Since you taught me part of it!"

 

In a flash, they fused, and Gotenks chuckled, tossing a few warm-up blasts at Cell. He regenerated each time—slowly but surely—and the boy turned to his fathers. "Are you ready?" he grinned, pretending to stretch. "Audience participation is encouraged!" He fell into a stance that was vaguely familiar to both Goku and Vegeta. Gotenks focused carefully on Cell, who seemed to be considering attacking the others. "Big Bang—Kame-Hame-HA!"

 

The two Saiyajin turned to one another and grinned. Each fired his own attack, and for the brightness of it none of them could guess when Cell had disintegrated. Cole tossed her own potshots in, whooping at the grandness of the explosion as the beams finally seemed to burst into themselves.

 

"In Hell, huh?" rang Goku's voice from beside Vegeta, and the prince turned to face him.

 

"Yes."

 

He glanced into the sky, considering something even as he pulled Goten into a one-armed hug. "Should...should we, I dunno, wish her back or somethin'?"

 

Vegeta laughed, first quietly and then uproariously. At a loss for what else to do, Goku joined him. Sometimes, Vegeta just knew things, and sometimes, Goku knew better than to ask about it. So he grinned and asked instead, "Wanna spar tomorrow?" And then everyone else was laughing, too.

 

END

...

 

NOTE: Hey, guys. Thanks so much for reading this story. (And to think I was originally going to end with Red Window!) You have no idea how much I appreciate that you took the time to read it this far. ^^ I'd like to ask you to do one more thing for me - leave me a comment telling me what you thought. It needn't be long; a simple "I liked it" or "it sucked" will suffice if that's all you have to say. I want to know who's been reading it, and what you guys think... I don't care if it's a month after it's been finished, or a year, or more. (If anyone's still reading it then.)

 

I have plans for another fic in the works, but right now I'm really busy with school, so I don't know when it will start. Additionally, I am considering making a fancomic adaptation of this (Red Window/Anaugust Gold/Black and White). I don't know if it will happen, but if it does, it will be on my deviantArt account, username ShiningMoon.

 

I can't thank you enough!!