Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Child of Desire ❯ A Walk in the Dark ( Chapter 3 )

Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ, or Vegeta…but I'm all his.

 

 

Child of Desire

 

Chapter Three: A Walk in the Dark

 

 

The air was cool and crisp outside on planet Frieza. It carried the sounds of soldiers engaged in sparring matches, yelps and blows, mixed with occasional cheering and mutters from those who stood witness. Some preferred to use only their bare fists; others clanked different weapons together. They all worried about maintaining their physiques in peak condition to be able to meet the expectations of their master once they were given a new assignment.

 

Two Saiyans, arms crossed and brows furrowed, stood at the sideline. The tallest, bulkiest one carried an expression of odd concern in his stern features. The scouter he wore was on, projecting symbols, text and images which messages were only audible to his ear.

 

“You could at least pretend to be calm.” Radditz sounded a tad annoyed. “You are going to drive me insane with that permanent vigil of yours. So we have to wait a while for the next mission, it can't possibly be that bad Nappa.”

 

The older warrior growled as he ground his teeth. “Argh, Don't be foolish. You can't possibly understand. The sooner we are out of this base the better, and if I could do anything to achieve that faster, believe me, I would.”

 

“Ha. I sure hope I don't become that stiff once I get older.” Radditz frowned. Nappa had truly been in a constant state of tension since hearing the news from Vegeta Ouji, that they weren't going anywhere anytime soon. Their Prince had been oddly quiet and it had taken him several moments to finally utter the words in as dry a tone as was possible. However, he certainly didn't appear very concerned about the issue and had remained oddly cool for the past couple of days. Granted, Vegeta was even quieter than usual, but as far as Radditz could see, the only one making a fuss about leaving soon was Nappa.

 

Radditz also knew that somewhere deep down inside, it all had to do with Nappa still being in babysitter mode. It sometimes irritated him that regardless of Vegeta having recently turned 17, the bodyguard still felt as if he had to know where he was at all times, carrying a latent unease that occasionally puzzled him. It usually happened when they were between missions, or on particularly long reconnaissance tours that required them to part ways for a while.

 

It had gotten worst a few months ago once he had found out about the girl. It really never surprised Radditz. At some point the growth spurt had to catch up with hi Prince and it was suitable for him to start bedding in order to dispose of the heavy physiological needs of their race, but Nappa brooded quietly in a corner, without saying a word.

 

“Dammit”. The bigger warrior pressed a button in his scouter to turn it off. He never took his eyes off the matches ahead, but seemed focused on some inside issue that still proved incomprehensible to Radditz. The Saiyan glared at him before shaking his long mane in disapproval.

 

A few moments of silence stretched on between them, the stillness suddenly broken sharply by Vegeta's deep voice.

 

“They are all weaklings.” He stated, walking slowly to position himself between them. Radditz was still getting used to his tone of voice. It hadn't been long before it had thickened and gone from childlike to sounding like a grown male. It certainly had been amusing to hear him breaking off in the middle of a sentence occasionally during the quick growth phase, his voice striving to get adjusted to the rapid changes he was suffering. It certainly had made for a very frustrated and irritable boy right before having to appear before Frieza. His pride only seemed to have grown along with his body and he occasionally had engaged in a frenzied pounding of the wall in his room after having met with the cold blooded lizard. The sound had kept him and Nappa awake in the room right next door for more times than he could count.

 

“You are right, my Lord. But I honestly think even these pitiful spars can be amusing to watch occasionally. It helps spend the time” Nappa responded.

 

“Of course they are weaklings. Nearly everybody is next to us Saiyans. We were born to be warriors and we thrive on fighting. It is our nature. Someday we may be able to restore the glory to our name.” Radditz finished his little speech by glancing down at Vegeta. His eyes carried a huge sense of pride and expectation.

 

The smaller frame of Vegeta remained unmovable, but his slanted smile widened, eyes suddenly ablaze.

 

Nappa cleared his throat and closed his eyes, his brows heavy and drawn together. He then looked at his ward from the corner of his eye.

 

“I think it may be enough for today. It's better if we head back and grab something to eat. Vegeta, you are still putting on some muscular mass from the growth phase you have been going through in the past years. Saiyans need to double the intake of food, even after it's over.” Nappa's voice was harsh and authoritative. He turned to walk back into the base but Vegeta moved forward, dismissing his words entirely.

 

“Nappa, get back here. Let's show this idiots what true power is. “He looked at his bodyguard from the corner of his eyes, his gaze sharp and demanding.

 

Radditz smirked, but when he looked back into Nappa's features, all he could see was restraint. The bulky warrior lifted his eyebrow and visibly tensed up.

 

“What are you waiting for, get back here and spar with me. I can't afford to lose shape while Frieza keeps me waiting”. Vegeta's voice was gruff and impatient. Nappa straightened his back and met his gaze.

 

“Vegeta Ouji, we can leave it for tomorrow. It may be best to save your energy. For all we know Frieza might send us away any minute.” He interjected.

 

There was a total change in Vegeta's expression as it went from cold composure to sudden infuriation. His eyes widened and his nose flared a little. Radditz could actually feel a heavy energy charge the space between them.

 

“If you don't do as I say, I may have no choice but to dispose of you. So if you don't want to push your luck, you'd better come here and fight me, and do so with all your strength or else I will kill you.” With that he turned around and walked a few steps onwards.

 

Nappa only hesitated for a few seconds before following him. His fists were clenched and so was his jaw. Radditz smirk got erased as a sudden sense of dread fell upon him. He thought he had never seen him this unsettled.

 

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“3 days Vegeta Ouji…” The whisper echoed through his brain, its underlying hiss chilling his blood.” 3 months…3 years…13 years in waiting.”

 

He knew it wasn't so, but it felt like the first time he'd heard it, the voice…so heavy with certainty, crackling with a sense of impending doom. He couldn't see anything around him, a thick obscurity enveloping him entirely, and for the following moments everything he could hear was the sound of his own shallow breath. It resonated strongly in his ears, as he walked about aimlessly, striving to find the tiniest pinpoint of light, trying to feel his way out. But he wasn't alone, and he knew it. He could feel it.

 

The whispers would come back, the same way they had since he was 4 and he couldn't make them stop.

 

“Vegeta Ouji, why do you hide?”

 

He lashed out at the darkness. “I have nothing to hide! I will come into the light, and you shall see!” His breath quickened. He desperately needed to act upon his words, but the light was nowhere to be seen, he thought he had caught a flicker, but there was nothing to grasp, and the minutes ticked, like a heavy clock resonating inside his head.

 

“I am waiting…” The whisper got softer, multiplying into a million replicas.

 

“Stop!!!, leave me be, leave me alone!!!! If you would just stop for a minute, until I find it! “. He ran, blindly, thinking the faster he did so, the faster he'd get there. Logic dictated he had to run into it at some point and then he'd be able to prove the insidious voice wrong. The Prince of the Saiyan race had no reason to hide, he just needed an instant and he would find it. It was only a matter of time.

 

He ran around in the pitch black that surrounded him for what seemed like an eternity until the air got completely sucked out of his lungs. The pressure around him had skyrocketed and it now felt as if it was dragging him down. The air got thinner and the sole act of taking it in made his entire body strain. But he kept at it; he had to, even if it suddenly felt like the ground was threatening to bury him alive.

 

His inhalations became nothing but a string of oxygen pulled with much effort down his throat. They sounded like a high-pitched hiss. He drew his hands to his throat as if the act would help him regain the strength to survive, but all he felt were small chubby hands, the hands of a child, which then moved to his face to feel the round cheeks, the small nose, the delicate features.

 

“Where am I…” His voice was a croak. He was unsure if he had the strength to keep moving and a sense of panic began trickling inside his brain. “You…” He fell to his knees and groaned loudly. “Where are you…”

 

The creature's laughter inundated the place until it became so loud he felt a heavy pain in his ears. He tried to cover them with his hands, but they made a wet sound as they touched his skin. It seemed they were covered in something. For some reason he didn't need any light to tell him it was blood, but he wasn't sure if it was his, what or who it was from. They were so drenched in the substance that he could feel it trickling slowly down his cheek.

 

The sudden shock made him lose balance and fall back on his bottom. He was surprised to hear a splashing sound as he did, for it seemed the entire ground was inches deep with the thick liquid. The notion of what he sat on and the stench around was almost impossible to bear. It smelled of death, clear and abundant.

 

Maybe it was the inability to stand back up or the darkness that stretched on endlessly before him, but he felt like screaming, except he couldn't bring himself to do so. The pressure was worst inside his chest and he was incapable of filling his lungs.

 

His scream imploded within him, sheer terror devouring his last thread of strength, but for some reason, at that very moment, his mind pried open and wandered off into a distant memory. He thought of the stars, fading fast behind a window, the feeling of a warm presence right beside him during the journey. He reached back to that sensation he had felt, of confidence and security. His spirit had been thoroughly inspired, sitting right next to him, the last day he had seen him, and it felt like it had been so long ago. Had it really been over 10 years?

 

“Father, how many stars are there in the universe?” His brows were drawn together but the scowl did nothing to spoil the soft features of his young face. He sat on the ship while his father looked over him through the window. The regal way he straightened his spine and the proud look on his face forever imprinted on the child's brain.

 

“As many as you want there to be. How many is it you want, Vegeta Ouji?

 

“I want them all”. He grinned mischievously, with a glint of excitement in his eye.

 

His father chuckled lightly. Vegeta then leaned back on his seat and sighed. The smile on his face broadened as he placed a hand against the cool window and looked through his fingers. He had never felt taller in his life. He was larger than the universe itself.

 

The suffocated screams inside him crashed the image and sent it away in clouds of smoke…it was smoke and stardust, it clouded his mind. He failed when he attempted to reach back to that moment in time. He thought he was able to pull through and identify it, grabbing at the edge of it, clinging to it desperately, he was nearly there. It was a matter of life or death. If he didn't pull it back he would certainly suffocate. There was close to zero oxygen now in his blood and every second was agony. Yes, he found it, he started piecing it back together but just then, right that second, he felt the claws of more than one creature grab at his legs and begin to pull him under.

 

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The liquid inside the regeneration tank bubbled as Vegeta thrashed within. His vitals were off the hook but the controls indicated that he had finally reached the end of the healing cycle.

 

“Drain the tank at once and pull him out. He seems unstable”. The doctor on the shift motioned to his reptilian helper, who proceeded to carry on the orders. Halfway through the draining of the tank, Vegeta opened his eyes and pulled the hose that had been sustaining him away from his face. He desperately brought his hands to his neck and coughed, the feeling of no air still lingering in his lungs.

 

He doubled over inside the tank and regardless of his condition now being officially brought back to normal he felt a sense of weakness throughout his body. There was no way he could move a finger at the moment. His limbs wouldn't respond.

 

The doctor widened his eyes as he saw him fall over and curl up. He then started frantically pushing the buttons on the control panel, seeking out an explanation to the unsettling episode. He was alright, by all definitions, but it seldom happened that a patient would react in a way that wasn't consistent with the data.

 

The green creature that was his assistant opened up the regen tank and took a glance inside, Looking at the Saiyan that lay within, unconscious and naked.

 

He then motioned at the quiet girl that stood against the far wall of the room. “Kid!”

 

Nara tensed up immediately.

 

“Come here and help me out!”

 

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The short white gown they had given her to wear proved slightly uncomfortable when trying to move the limp stranger unto a bunk. It just wasn't female proof. She had no problem with it rising up her thighs to reveal them further; she was used to a culture that had no trouble with feminine nudity. But still, she felt a little too vulnerable among perfect aliens. Nevertheless, it was better than the tattered clothes she had arrived with, and if you looked at it closely, it tended to ruffle around her like some sort of lose dress. She supposed the cut made her look like a little girl, younger than her 14 years of age, something that could rouse no respect from anyone on the icy base.

 

Nara and Mr. Longbeak (as she secretly called the doctor's assistant) managed to move the patient successfully, although it did make her break a little sweat. She took a moment to analyze him, the anguished expression in his face, the strands of wet hair that had stuck to his forehead, rebelling against the others that oddly enough, wanted to remain mostly stiff. He seemed very young, she thought, and the way his features were set right now, made him look rather defenseless. She glanced quickly at the doctor, who was currently heatedly discussing something with the reptile. They seemed too busy to notice her, as she continued perusing her new discovery. It was most decidedly, the strangest boy she'd ever seen. A little hesistant at fist she cleared the hair from his forehead to reveal a wide and high forehead that struck her as odd. It did go well with his face though, and she was smart enough to appreciate that fact.

 

Knowing that curiosity always got the best of her and often got her in trouble was still not enough to prevent her from indulging in running her fingertips down his neck and over his chest. There were scars across it, and also on his shoulders from wounds that definitely seemed to have been rather deep and life threatening. A sensation of grief sailed within her at the notion of what that implied. He really did look so youthful, but the torture carved in his body and on his expression would make anyone think he had lived through a lot.

 

She contained a tiny gasp as she let her eyes wander further down. She quickly turned her head the other way, squinting as hard as she could. Naked, he was so very naked. Not accustomed to dealing with male nudity, worse if it was from someone alien to her race, she started muttering something under her breath.

 

“Kid, what are you waiting for, maybe it's time for you to perform that trick of yours and revive the patient”. Mr. Longbeak explained looking rather apprehensive.

 

“You fool, the girl is to be reserved for later, after further studies have been conducted. These are orders from Frieza himself. Her healing powers are unstable, might also kill the patient or drain her to a point of rendering her useless for the future. ” The doctor retorted.

 

The reptile shook his head “But doctor, this is an emergency, Vegeta's vitals keep dropping and what is Lord Frieza going to say if something was to happen to him” He pointed a finger with a claw in the Saiyan's direction ” Him! He would kill us! That goes without saying!”

 

The doctor paced around in a circle, holding his chin. “The regen tank, set up the regen tank again and let's see if that's able to stabilize him. It should”.

 

Longbeak groaned and jumped a little “Two regen tank sessions together, it would certainly take a toll on his body, it would prove detrimental, almost poisoning to his system!”

 

The doctor knew he was right. It was ill advised to use the regeneration tanks more than once every couple of weeks. Using it twice in a row could produce a lot more harm than good. Hurried beeps on the screens made them both glance at it fretfully. Vegeta's heart beat had accelerated dangerously, putting him in impending danger.

 

“Doctor! Use the girl”

 

“You idiot, I am trying to think!” He shook the assistant by the collar, lifting him off the floor and making his short legs paddle for support.

 

Mr. Longbeak's voice was a barely audible croak “she can…fix it.”

 

The doctor shook him some more “Don't you see we would be disobeying Frieza's direct orders? Nothing goes unnoticed in the base, he will find out!” He was really telling that to himself, rather than to the gagging creature. The situation couldn't present itself worse.

 

“I won't tell”.

 

The two of them turned to her at once, eyes dramatically big in desperation. “Huh? What…what did you say?” Came the green one's oily voice.

 

Nara frowned a little. She knew Frieza's orders where taken rather seriously and she was currently being treated as some valuable experiment to be analyzed and whose energy they'd want to harness for the future. At the moment, she was to spend her days supporting the medical unit and undergoing all sorts of tests, but she knew she could do this, seldom had she lost control at the moment of healing someone. She could only remember it happening once, when as a little child she had wanted to heal a creature of the forest, and had winded up killing it instead.

 

“You'd better make sure you do it right, or else Frieza will have all our heads severed” The doctor looked at her gravely.

 

“I can do it” Nara turned to look back at the boy, sweat was breaking throughout his body and his muscles contracted as if he were waging some sort of internal battle. “What he is suffering will not be treated with that” she gestured towards the tank before placing a hand over his forehead.

 

“The physical wounds have already been treated; it will make my job rather easier. All I really have to do is try to normalize his patterns here”. Her fingers lingered on his head.

 

The doctor and the reptile stood expectant as she closed her eyes and began the process. It usually didn't take more than a few moments. Her body didn't begin to glow in a soft hazy light as it would have been expected, nor did anything within the room change at all. She just stood there, a frown etched in concentration, pressing her fingers to the Saiyan.

 

After a few seconds, the beeping of the machines acquired a more paused frequency. Vegeta's features began to relax, the frown almost disappearing from his face completely. Both the doctor and his assistant sighed in relief. “It's working” they said in unison.

 

Nara smiled a bit. It was. She could feel his life force coming back into full balance and strength, and wow, was it strong! The pulsation of it resounded within her very strongly, becoming almost unbearable. The turmoil within his body ceased but she left her hands right where they were. The boy looked peaceful, his body and brain functions back to complete normalcy.

 

So that was his name? She thought she knew who he was. She'd heard all about it in the mess hall while eating with Temy's team when the older girl had been away fetching something. Nara was aware of what went on between the fellow Sachia and this male. This was the boy she had been seeing so much of for the past few days.

 

Her face carried a beaming smile, her wide eyes glittering behind the soft juvenile features that distinguished her from the rest at the base. “Vegeta” her whisper was nearly silent.

 

It all happened too suddenly for her to take notice of anything. A loud gasp escaped her throat as she felt a rather strong pull on her wrist. Black eyes stared at her under heavy brows, and they carried no inkling of rationality in them. In fact she felt a shiver run down her spine as he pierced her with them. Nara almost felt as if he was seeing her without really seeing her at all.

 

One minute she was carrying that thought and the next she felt a bout of spiritual energy blast her and throw her across the room. She hit the wall so hard with her head, she almost felt as if she was going to pass out, but somehow remained conscious.

 

She scurried to a corner and remained there, totally agape. She saw him get up and off the bunk immediately, starting to walk about looking for his clothing and boots.

 

“Vegeta-sama, how are you feeling? You gave us quite a scare! It might be best to avoid going overboard with the sparring matches.” The doctor spoke hurriedly while tugging at his heavy moustache.

 

Vegeta started getting dressed with certain tranquility in his strict features. “What was I doing on the bunk? Why didn't I wake up in the tank?” His harsh deep tone made both the doctor and the assistant a little nervous.

 

“the the the….” Mr. Longbeak couldn't quite get the words out. The few times he had had to face the Prince he had done so reluctantly. He did have a big reputation for being explosive. “The regen tank didn't quite work, agh!”. He grimaced as the doctor's elbow hit him hard in the ribs.

 

Vegeta looked at him from the corner of his eye, suspicion beginning to rise in his darkened face. “What do you mean it didn't quite work?”

 

The doctor smiled widely, his eyes becoming nothing but a squint. “Nothing major really. Just be careful not to overdo it much in those practice matches. Nappa suffered quite a lot himself, thankfully nothing requiring being placed in the tank. What matters most is you are fully well and recovered now.”

 

Vegeta finished pulling down his white armor. He then glared at them furiously before pointing a finger in their direction. “You, tell me exactly what the hell happened to me or believe me, I will kill you right here right now!”

 

They both held each other and took a step back. The reptile couldn't help but look in Nara's direction, who now sat on the floor, looking at everyone behind wide eyes.

 

Vegeta followed the gaze and met her with his own, aware of her presence for the very first time. His face was wary, the slant of his head and the slightly arched eyebrow making him look every bit as menacing as was possible.

 

After a moment, he turned his eyes back to the pair that now hugged each other nervously. He thought he understood. It took very little for him to figure things out. The regen tank had failed to heal him completely and there had still been something wrong with him when he first had woken up. He could remember gasping for air. He could remember the feeling of almost dying in his sleep. The nightmares were recurrent with him since he was a child, but these past few days they were getting considerable worse and more vivid. He doubted he'd ever get rid of them, but at least he'd always been able to control them, until now. It didn't matter if the war was waged in his mind; it was still beginning to have repercussions on his body, and those could very well be life threatening. And that girl…he thought he remembered a mysterious force quieting down the beating of his heart. He glanced at her and held her eyes with his once more. It was disquieting how she wouldn't lower her face…

 

He turned around, tail waving back and forth slowly as he walked towards the door, Mr. Longbeak and the doctor following him with their suspenseful eyes. Vegeta carried the scouter in one hand and with the other pressed the button to exit.

 

“ah, Vegeta-sama!” The reptile squeaked hastily “You have to stay out of those tanks for at least two more weeks.” His voice was an anguished plead.

 

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“Are you crazy!” Radditz's nostrils flared out as he directed his complaints to the rather large Saiyan that shared the room with him. Their chamber was not big, but it was enough to grant them with enough space to not constantly bump into each other, however at this moment, all the younger Saiyan wanted to do is give the one before him a right beating for what he considered an outrageous behavior.

 

Nappa carried himself strenuously towards the bed. He was sure he looked every bit as he felt: like crap. In a way that was a complete understatement. Even though he had managed to get out of the fight with zero bones broken, he felt as if something else had shattered within him. The odd sense of dread that had haunted him since first hearing the news that they would be on standby for an indefinite amount of time still hadn't left him.

 

It had never happened for them to be placed in a situation of such uncertainty, and he knew that this feeling was a lot more complicated to deal with than certainty, even if it was a certainty of death. It was logical that no team could fight nonstop and indefinitely, but the system usually involved an intelligent alternation of heavy fighting with reconnaissance or examination missions. It was more than enough to keep the adrenaline and the mind on alert. Additionally, sometimes, just getting somewhere could involve a journey of more than a few days, sometimes even months. Nevertheless… this was different, and it was more than evident that it was a mind game, a game of power and might. It was Frieza himself, acting the way he'd only act towards Vegeta. He certainly wouldn't concern himself with even acknowledging anyone else at the same level.

 

Nappa knew this day would come, the day when the little Prince would start turning into a man, thus beginning to develop slowly but surely into what they all knew he was capable of. Frieza knew this too, it was only a matter of time before it became evident and he began putting brakes on it.

 

And Vegeta…

 

His train of thought became abruptly interrupted by a rather bewildered Radditz.

 

“Why would you beat him unconscious? It was supposed to be only a sparring match. What are you all of a sudden a Frieza whore??!”

 

“Shut up before I snip your tongue!” Nappa roared. Radditz froze in place, his eyes dancing a little with shock. “You don't understand. It was not a sparring match, who the hell knows that it was, but that it was not. What I did, I did because Vegeta wouldn't stop, and it had to end somewhere. Believe me; it sure wasn't going to be with me dead.” And it couldn't end up with the irascible kid dead either. He was the cornerstone, the single most important being for him and Radditz.

 

“So you'd rather kill him? It sure looked like you almost kicked it out of him with that final blast.” Radditz gritted his teeth in exasperation.

 

“You fool! As if Vegeta could die by my hand. In the middle of it, the look in his eye was blank, and it would have been me dead a million times over before I really managed to instill enough harm to accomplish that.”

 

Radditz sat on his bunk and slumped a bit. The whole fight had indeed been quiet disturbing, a rabid flaring of tempers. By the time Nappa had managed to hit Vegeta smack in the face with his last blow of strength, the Prince had lost almost all energy, falling to the floor unconscious. He now could understand how much it had taken from Nappa to survive the boy's attacks and he was probably not even using them at their full. All he had done was carry it on enough to achieve his goal. And that he did effectively. He had wound up curled up, bloody and broken on the ground.

 

Radditz lowered his face, hearing Nappa grunt as he nestled his injuries. Maybe the older Saiyan had insight into things he had been a bit too naïve to understand. Being much more experienced could have its advantages in certain respects and he had to admit he had intrinsical knowledge of their Prince that he himself still did not posses. It's not as if he had hung out with them since forever. It had been only a few years since he had been integrated into Frieza's forces…

 

“So when? Do you know when?” The only answer to Radditz's question was a long-lasting silence.