Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Branded ❯ Chapter 15

Vegeta’s hands shook so hard that the crystal ball dropped from between them. It landed with a soft thud on the plush carpeting of the bedroom floor and went blank. He didn’t need to see what happened next anyway. Those images were permanently burned into his memory even though all this time had passed since Frieza’s demise.

Frieza had commended him, even fawned over him, for his new outlook on life. One that didn’t allow silly sentimental feelings to cloud judgment or hinder the accessibility of your final goal. He looked as proud as any real father would, but Vegeta was not fooled. He knew he was just as expendable to Frieza as Beli had been. The trick was to keep on his good side until the right moment arrived to break free.

Staring down at his own distorted image reflected in the lifeless crystal ball, Vegeta understood what had happened. When Beli touched him, knowing she was on the verge of death, her brand had disappeared because she negated his ownership of her. Without that, he was free from feeling any obligation towards her well-being.

The gesture did more than that. The brand seared his heart, sealing his love and all memory of her deep down inside where it had been lying dormant for these many years. She saved him from himself as well as Frieza by making him a cold, heartless killer. By forgetting her, he was able to survive without going crazy with grief. Even when he found out his father had perished along with the entire Planet Vegeta, including his unborn son, he had been able to carry on without guilt.

He also realized, now, that she had somehow understood the situation he had been in. As a lifelong slave, Beli recognized another one when she saw them, even if they were dressed in the latest armor and technology. When Vegeta watched her take her last breaths in the crystal ball, he saw no regret or animosity. Her face was calm, and acceptance shone in her eyes. She bore him no ill will.

So why the dreams? Why was he haunted by memories that had been locked away for so long? Why was his family put in harm’s way because of this ghost from his past?

Vegeta stood and stretched his aching muscles. He could barely believe the day was already almost over. Even though his dreams didn’t last long during the night, the replaying of them had taken many hours.

Bulma had left him to watch the ball alone, and now he was grateful that she hadn’t insisted on watching it with him. It was painful enough to see by himself. Having her see that side of him would have been more of a blow to his pride than he was willing to admit. Now, knowing his family would be eagerly waiting for him to emerge from the bedroom, he was not ready to face them. It was such a shock to see so much that he had forgotten, even he didn’t know how to process it all.

Leaving the ball where it had dropped, Vegeta went to the window, opened it wide, and silently flew off into the late afternoon sky.