Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Danger in the horizon ❯ The Phoenix and the Dragon ( Chapter 39 )

Chapter 39 - The Phoenix and the Dragon

Note: I don't own DBZ

I am now apologising for the lack of any lemon in this chapter, I know, I did promise it, but unfortunately I have the makings of a very nice migraine at present and just could not write any more on this chapter. I am very very sorry and will make it up in the next chapter, which will be next weekend.

Special thanks to: Sue. (The idea of Zarbon helping the demented Victor in his abortive attempt at getting Amanda back is intriguing, but dear Zarbon is going to have to contend with other obstacles, ha ha ha!)

Vegeta paced relentlessly in the room, his hands clenching in frustration at the turn of events that had placed him in the position of a saviour, glancing at the prone form of Bulma as he did so. His heart was racing with dread at the task he was being asked to complete, he did not want to fail, as he believed he had failed to save his people and his father. Gradually, Vegeta began to calm himself and stopped pacing, slowly moving towards the bed on which his life mate lay; her body cool and almost lifeless.

Tenderly, Vegeta gathered a very limp Bulma into his arms; brushing her hair back from where it had stuck to her temples and dropping a feather light kiss on her forehead, and frowning when there was no reaction. Bulma was obviously unaware of Vegeta's presence, causing a sharp pain in Vegeta's chest as he felt his very soul being torn apart. "Bulma……Bulma." Vegeta moaned to her as he softly shook her body, vainly hoping that it would be enough to bring her back from the brink of death. "Come back to me……" In desperation and knowing it was the only way, Vegeta lowered his mouth to hers in a kiss to build the bridge between their minds, cringing at the feeling of her cold lips against his and the metallic tang of blood still present there.

Vegeta opened his mind to Bulma, pushing the memories that they had shared together in what seemed like a lifetime ago, on Station Delta, carefully showing her the images of the happiest times of her life, her childhood, her adventures with Goku, the first encounter with him and bloody but ultimately loving bond ritual that they both shared. Distressingly, there seemed to be no response from Bulma to his loving entreaties, no matter how Vegeta tried, Bulma's mind was seemingly beyond his reach and all he could see in her mind was a barren wasteland, devoid of life. Almost at his breaking point, Vegeta tried again and again, seeing nothing, feeling nothing then suddenly the dam holding his emotions inside him finally burst, hot salty tears falling from his eyes as he cried aloud for the first time in twenty years, and the tears cascaded down his impassive face and falling on Bulma's cool skin. He had not cried when his people and his father had died, it would have been considered weak, but now, with his most likely dying life mate cradled in his powerful arms Vegeta finally let it all go, he no longer cared what was considered weak, he just wanted Bulma, the other half of his soul - back.

He could not fail her or all would be lost.

Piccolo left the Saiyan brothers at Capsule Corporation and continued onwards to Mt Paozu where Chi Chi and Gohan were still residing, due to Goku's behest that the danger had not yet passed and it was safer there. As much as he tried to conceal it, Piccolo had a great affection for the young Gohan and could sense much untapped power within his tiny body, knowing that in time he would possibly out strip his own father in strength and sheer power, that was if his coddling mother let him instead of trying to control every aspect of his so far short life. Not only that, Gohan had shown a remarkable amount of respect for the former Demon King, trusting him almost as much as his own father. When Piccolo recalled the training they had done together and the enjoyment on Gohan's face as he tried to spar with a much larger and more experienced opponent, Piccolo's face cracked into some semblance of a smile as he increased his speed to get there faster. As he flew faster, the incident with Bulma still weighed heavily on his mind. If Kami had been any more careless, then the world would have lost the use of the dragon balls and the services of two powerful warriors to defend it. Although Piccolo had little to do with the brilliant and fabulously wealthy Bulma Briefs, he recognised her important part in the events unfolding before their very eyes. Vegeta must not fail…..

Radditz and Goku meanwhile had made the short stop to uplift Radditz's precious cargo, his new mate. He gestured to Goku to stay in the house while he tried to locate Amanda firstly by trying to contact her through mind speech, but surprisingly she was not responding to his mental calls to her. Perturbed and somewhat distressed, Radditz quietly slipped into the scientific wing where Amanda worked, but found no trace of her, nothing to indicate that she was even in the building, her belongings not at her workbench as normal.

As he scanned the room, Radditz was unaware of a pair of eyes watching him carefully through the CCC system, memorising his image and his mannerisms. It had been a piece of rare dumb luck for Victor when the tall long haired Saiyan walked purposefully through the doors, and he almost shouted in triumph in being able to get a closer look at his rival for Amanda's affections. Victor could see that Radditz was unusual looking by human standards and powerfully built, but in his mind Victor knew that he would find a weak point and dispose of this parasite clinging to his ex wife. There would be a way, he just knew it deep in his bones. Now that he had the mental picture he just needed to dig a little deeper and find out who this man really was, target his weakness and then see to it that he experienced a painful death. Sometimes, life is so sweet…….

Radditz grunted in annoyance as he left the scientific wing and returned hastily to the main house proceeding to the second floor where Goku undoubtedly was, most likely stuffing his face like a starving man. As he entered the kitchen, his distress was plainly visible to Goku, who abruptly stopped in his ravenous food rampage and looked up at his older brother. "Can't you find her?" He mumbled, mouth still partially filled with food.

"No." Growled Radditz. "She is not at her work place and won't respond to my calls."

"Well, I suggest that we find her in the old fashioned way, Radditz. By looking around here. Surely she can't have gone far." Goku furrowed his brows in concentration, startling Radditz with his efforts to be sensible. "Does she have a favourite place that she goes to? I mean sometimes Chi Chi does a runner and I always find her in her favourite spot."

Dimly, Bulma could hear a voice calling to her, pleading with her to wake up. The last thing that she had seen was the images of Kami's repatriation from his home planet, sights and sounds that caused both her and the guardian great pain. However, even after the images had ceased the incredible hurting had not. In her mind Bulma tried to move around, but her every step was fraught with torment or a barrier springing forth to bar her way. Bulma understood that she was trapped within her own mind and that her training had gone seriously awry, her physical body unable to move and that in all likelihood she was going to die.

Now after much struggle she had reached a point of no return. Bulma could not go forward or retrace her steps because a great ring of flames had ignited, searing her skin and making her huddle in a small ball, vainly attempting to protect her flesh from the hungry ring of fire.

The voice called to her again, much closer than before and becoming increasingly more insistent, this time with images and memories of her life appearing before her, as Vegeta continued his quest to save her. The images served to bolster Bulmas resolve to find her way out, but she knew that she would not be able to do so alone. Vegeta's voice sounded broken, defeated, not the way it should have done. "Bulma……Bulma, wake up………wake up."

"Vegeta? It…. hurts…….." She moaned back, the very effort costing her precious energy in her fight to survive.

With his lips still pressed firmly to Bulma's in the physical world, and by now too involved to even consider retreat, Vegeta heard her voice weakly responding to him and doubled his efforts, gradually making a full connection, his physical body disappearing and found himself within Bulma's mind. He could see her standing, in what appeared to be an unscathed fashion, extending an elegant bare arm to him, beckoning Vegeta to come to her.

Not sensing that anything was wrong, Vegeta advanced relieved at her being unharmed, eager to hold and comfort her, and take her away from her suffering, too blinded to see what was about to happen. For when the full connection was made, Bulma had been able to draw out his hidden memories and secret fears and unwittingly replay them, unable to control her powers. Bulma could not see Vegeta yet, but knew that he was there. All he would have to do now was overcome his own darkest fears, then maybe, just maybe he would be able to save her.

Out of the blue, just as Vegeta was about to touch Bulma's soft skin, Bulma faded away and Freeza appeared, cackling maniacally, just hovering above Vegeta. Vegeta's eyes widened in horror, as his greatest fears came back to haunt him as they had for so long in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber.

"What's the matter, little princling? Lost something?" Taunted Freeza, his blackened lips curling in amusement at Vegetas expression. His tail whipped around to strike Vegeta squarely on the face, the pink scaled surface of Freezas tail tearing Vegeta's skin. Vegeta already knew how this would end, having experienced it so many times before. Already he felt the coppery taste of his own blood rise into his mouth with each insult and blow, but this time he was not willing to retreat and cower before the icy lord. He could not afford to waste any time with this creature that was his greatest nemesis and so, for the first time fought back, not with words but with his fists. He could feel his power increase with the adrenaline pumping in his veins and savagely traded blows with the surprised form of Freeza. As he was about to land the final blow, having beaten the evil lizard to the ground, Freezas face changed and grotesquely warped into his father's face. Vegeta was not shocked at this turn of events, in fact he had been expecting it. In as much as he did not want to see the visions again, he could hear Bulma's weak voice encouraging him to face them head on. Don't run from them, Vegeta…….

Vegeta looked down and saw his father, King Vegeta, below him, taunting him, spouting forth his displeasure and shame that his only son had not attained the legendary status and had taken an alien as his mate. Vegeta rose from the ground and fixed his steely gaze on his father and replied as he turned his back on the stricken form of his father. Vegeta stepped away from his father then and ignored the tone of displeasure in his father's taunts, simply saying in farewell to his long dead sire, "I am not the disappointment father, you are. You let me be taken, you let our people die. I will be the legendary." King Vegeta's voice faded out slowly and the mists enveloped his body, making it disappear from sight as Vegeta continued, "But I forgive you, father."

As his father dissipated into the mist, Vegeta could see Bulma in the distance, his bonded mate, lying broken and bleeding, calling, pleading for his help. On cue flames surrounded Vegeta, the heat almost unbearable. Steeling himself, Vegeta realised what he needed to do now. He advanced as the flames licked hungrily at his skin, the pain almost beating him back from his goal. With each step he took the pain intensified and he gritted his teeth to resist crying out.

I am a proud warrior Prince, these petty flames will not stop me.

The pain was slowing his pace, but as Vegeta saw Bulma grow weaker and her eyes began to dim, he doubled his efforts, brushing aside his fear that he would not reach her in time.

Hold on Bulma, I'm almost there….

Without warning fierce red flames erupted around him, beating Vegeta back for a few seconds. It was like the vision and if he did not face this fear then Bulma would undoubtedly be lost to him forever. Through rapidly dimming eyes, Bulma could see Vegeta encircled by the flames, almost engulfing him and hope began to slip away from her.

Gritting his teeth in both pain and determination, Vegeta burst through the wall of fire and landed heavily next to Bulma. His skin felt very tight like it was about to burst, and Vegeta realised how badly he had been burnt but still he painfully reached out to Bulma and drew her close, caressing her soothingly not heeding his own pain, feeling very much fulfilled at overcoming his obstacles not noticing for a few seconds that Bulma was slowly fading away. When Vegeta finally noticed, he scrambled desperately for a hold on Bulma's body howling aloud, "What is it that you want? I have done everything! Everything!" He then saw his own body begin to disappear and everything went dark.

Bulma's eyes fluttered open, and she realised that she was back from the painful limbo in her mind. She could feel Vegeta's warm lips upon hers and his powerful arms gently holding her in his lap. Not wanting to move just yet, Bulma looked at his stricken face, tear tracks clearly visible, his dark eyes still firmly closed.

He had cried for her, it was obvious.

Vegeta had let go of his emotions and faced his fears, ultimately saving her and him in the process.

As she gazed at his impassive face and with trembling fingers wiped away his tears, Vegeta gradually began to work his way through the darkness, and slowly opened his eyes, disbelieving of the vision before him. His eyes locked with Bulma's momentarily, searching for the truth, had he been able to save her? In that moment as her blue eyes fixed on his own black ones, a burst of light cracked between them. Bulma shrieked aloud, her eyes fading out to white and her ki erupting into life, only this time it was not just white, there was a flickering of black lightening around her. The force pushed Vegeta back slightly and Bulma rose from his lap, no sign of the torment that she had gone through to make it back to the physical world.

She stood proudly in front of Vegeta who had leapt from the bed to try and stop her. To Vegeta, Bulma appeared as a ghost, a wraith, a spirit causing him to believe erroneously that it was not over, that they were both still locked inside the hell, which Bulma's mind had for a short time become. Bulma…..

Her voice came to him, soft and yet strangely terrible and powerful at the same time. "Do not fear, Vegeta. This is the last step which you must take to have what you yearn for." Bulma's hands stretched out to Vegeta's temples and clasped his head firmly, then a powerful surge of power erupted from within Bulma, manifesting as a great dark dragon behind her, it's wings spanning the width of the room and throwing it into darkness. Without knowing why and with no hesitation, Vegeta removed his gloves and moved his own hands into position on Bulma's temples, the dark lightning not harming him in the least as it crackled around her face. As he made skin contact, Vegeta's own ki burst into life, not as the blue flame he always had but as golden flame, a great golden bird manifesting behind him, making his side of the room brilliant with golden light. He could feel the power run through his entire body, and mingle with Bulma's black lightning, melding together. His eyes flickered and the colour changed completely, turning a blue shade, his hair absorbing the golden fire and changing its colour also.

The huge dark dragon behind Bulma moved forward and Vegeta could sense the golden bird behind him move also, until both creatures were face to face and Vegeta watched with amazement as slowly they circled each other before gradually merging into one magnificent gold and black beast for an instant before exploding and disappearing.

Bulma slumped on the floor, unsure of what had happened. Of the encounter that had taken place only moments ago, she had no memory, but the vision in front of her was no mirage. Vegeta's appearance had altered drastically, his muscle mass had increased, his hair and eyes had changed colour. No longer did he look like the dark prince, now he was bathed in a golden light, proudly displaying his ascended status to her. Vegeta had his mouth in a proud smirk as he walked over and lifted Bulma into his arms, clearly relishing the wonderment in her eyes.

"Are you?" She breathed, barely able to believe it herself.

"Yes" Vegeta replied, simply and proudly.

He was now - The Legendary Super Saiyan.