Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Fallen Eden ❯ Lost ( Chapter 3 )

Disclaimer : Akira Toriyama is the creator/owner/supreme lord of the Dragonball/Z/GT franchise/brand/universe, I do not make any profit from writing and I stress that I don't make any claims to own DBZ. Any original characters do belong to me, such as Evana.

 

 

Fallen Eden

 

Chapter 3

 

 

 

 

“How can he have gotten here so fast, what the fuck!? There isn't a ship in existence that can travel that fast!” Nappa yelled to himself, his body tensed for action. None of the Saiyans in the room had any explanation to return to Nappa. They had expected Freeza to arrive in some weeks at the very earliest, and it put sparks of anger, confusion, and the yearning to know how he had achieved this, sliver to life in their chests. The Saiyans were not foolish people, headstrong some might say, but they knew that at the moment none of them could defeat Freeza without huge costs to themselves or to their magnificent Kingdom. The Saiyan race had dwindled down to scant millions over the last centuries, and they could not afford to spill Saiyan blood in an ill-prepared war.

 

A thud at the doorway caused Nappa to look up and see the Elite Guard collapsed on the floor. “Radditz!” Bardock all but screamed, as he saw no movement from the prone figure, except from a trickle of blood coming from his mouth. A furore of angry hissing, growling and shouting began and was stilled into silence when a high, cold voice spoke from beside the door. He had needed no introduction, but he deemed himself worthy to make a show of his entrance none the less.

 

“Hush now Bardock. Anyone would think you cared for this kid,” A lizard figure moved into view, deathly pale skinned and small in stature. Unusual in looks alone, this tailed being had a far more menacing aspect of its appearance. It radiated a foul senseless odour, you could not smell it or see it, maybe it was only sheer instinct that would let you know that he reeked of death. Images of this creature would never do him justice, you couldn't feel the sense of maliciousness, or loathing from a picture alone. Those millions around the Universe knew this man's name, but the pictures of him would never instill in them the fear, and the hatred that could only be mustered by his presence. His scarlet eyes roamed the Saiyans there, before focusing on Bardock. “He's still alive, a shame really... what a waste of adequate air.” He gave Radditz a swift kick to his ribs as he waltzed past, but Radditz showed no sign of feeling it, the only obvious sign of injury was the gut wrenching crack as one of his bones broke under the force of the blow.

 

King Vegeta never took his eyes from the white creature as he moved around the large round table, moving behind the Saiyans who quickly turned to face him, not to leave themselves open to attack. He had caught the King before he was prepared for this meeting, he'd known about it a long time of course, but he hadn't thought he would arrive so soon. Letting his anger and frustration get the better of him, he demanded “Freeza, what are your intentions? Answer quickly, before I lose my patience.” The King spoke threateningly, practically glaring at Freeza as the white lizard walked right up the King, pulled the Kings chair from behind him, and sat down with a sigh. “Really, Vegeta, you don't seem to be in a good mood today.” Freeza spoke with a smirk on his face. His high voice laced with amusement, and something Vegeta couldn't place. Bastard! Vegeta knew that Freeza was immensely pleased with his early arrival, and it annoyed him to no end.

 

Freeza spotted the King's goblet, he reached and took it, an experimental taste revealed more than Vegeta had wanted. “Ha, I never thought the King of the mighty Saiyans would be someone to mix drugs with wine.” Freeza licked his lips with a dark red tongue. “Ah, yes I can taste it now. The Kiahura powder mixes well with liquid but it never actually becomes tasteless.” Freeza laughed coldly at the King's anger laden expression. Feigning shock and then an apologetic face, Freeza said, “Oh, I'm sorry, did the Council not know you take drugs Vegeta? Whoops!” Freeza laughed loudly, it echoed around the room for a long moment after he had stopped. The King stood stoicly, his anger rebounding inside his skin, trying to find a way out. He growled involuntarily, the rest of the Saiyans in the room glared at Freeza ferociously.

 

“Hmm, I'll put your bad mood down to the fact you haven't have a good lay since your mate did a runner. So I won't take it personal... because you know what would happen if I did.” He left the threat open. He laughed cockily for apparently no real reason, the King tilted his head slightly to the side questioningly. “You know why I'm here, I suggest you don't delay much longer. You know how I hate unnecessary pleasantries. I want to see your son.” Freezas face fell, it now contained unrestrained malice.

 

“Give us one good reason.” Toma ground out through his teeth. Bardock, Nappa and the other Counsellors noisily agreed to the question. Freeza leaned back in his chair and cackled loudly, he hadn't been this entertained throughout that entire long voyage, at least the Saiyans were good for something. The thought wandered through Freezas mind aimlessly, but it only fuelled his laughter. When he was finally able to stop, he noticed the fleshy lump in the middle of the table. Dismissing it as just another blot in his vision, he formed his reply. “Well... with no Queen, there's nobody to create another heir for your people. And if you don't take me to him, I'll tear apart this Kingdom looking for him and kill him anyway. Take the easier option,” Freezas eyes glistened with humorous malice. “I recommend it.” His eyes glinted with hatred. “If you behave obediently like the little insignificant monkeys that you are, then I may leave him alive to see the anniversary of his birth.

 

The King held a blank face, despite his blood boiling furiously in his veins, and his muscles twitching to unleash his fury upon Freeza. “You are awfully silent, Vegeta... is there a problem?” Freeza looked into King Vegetas face, and could barely contain his laughter, but it was stilled as Freeza sensed a presence in the doorway that should not be there. He turned to see who had dared to tend to the soldier he had felled. His eyes narrowed painfully as he took in the elder Vegeta, who stood in the doorway, supporting the barely concious Radditz. Freeza bared his pointed teeth, and a dull thud was made as his tail lashed furiously against the chair he was sitting on.

 

“Vegeta! What the hell do you think you are doing?!” Freeza all but screeched throatily, he stood furiously, knocking the King's chair to the floor. It was at this time that Bulma woke up from her nap, and began to whimper woefully. It was far past her bedtime, why won't the big fat men let her sleep? Freeza turned his scarlet eyes towards her, uncaring who or what it was, he began to raise his hand and gather energy. The noise was annoying him more than the monkeys had by feigning ignorance. He released his blast, and a black scorch mark lay where Bulma had done, wisps of smoke rising in the air. He cackled, pleased that the noise had stopped. “One less Saiyan to deal with, excellent.”

 

“Incorrect actually, she's not a Saiyan, and you missed.” He heard Bardocks voice walking towards the door, the child in his arms. Bardock stopped at the doorway, and turned his head to the younger King. “If I may have your leave Sir, I will return her to her kin.” He waited for the King to give his approval, and when he received the curt nod, he left the room, but not before the little Bulma could wiggle herself in a position to see over Bardocks shoulder to see Freeza. She squinted her face, a poor attempt at intimidation.

 

The Elder King snarled at Freeza unashamedly. No fear apparent on his face, as he took in the furiously raging son of the Cold Empire. “Freeza. I'll take you to the boy, and then you leave. Understood?” He still bore the weight of Radditz, leaning heavily on his shoulder. He glanced to Toma, and caught his eye. “Toma, take Radditz to the Infirmary Wing, he needs attention.” Toma nodded solemnly, and walked to his Elder. Manoeuvring Radditz into his care, he looked at the King. Unspoken words rebounded between them, and Toma knew what the out come of this night would be. If he could have kneeled before him, he would have, but holding Radditz upright was restraining him. Toma again nodded, but this time something shone in his eyes, something hardly hidden and unwanted. And so he left the room, shuffling Radditz along side him. When they were out of sight, the Elder Vegeta beckoned Freeza. “Come, change-ling. Before I change my mind.”

 

 

 

~*~

 

 

 

Zarbon had felt a sense of foreboding not long after they had left Bulma in the King's care, he had been tempted to return and retrieve her, but something had stopped him, a stronger feeling than before. He couldn't quite place it but it seeped into his flesh like moisture, chilling his core to a frost bitten shrivelled husk.

 

Both he and Briefs had been to the med-wing, and had had their injuries checked and cleaned, they had been given some herbal remedies for their pain, and some salves to smother like a fudge on their wounds to help the healing process. They were both sat in the Palace's communal Food Hall, the ceiling was far above them with it's midnight black, sunlit golden, and deadly crimson engravings and etchings. The walls supported grand sculptures of fierce creatures, and elegantly crafted armours and weapons. The air was scented ever so lightly with some sort of flora, it would be terribly easy to overlook the delicate fragrance from the heavy smells of roasted meat and root vegetables and not to mention the hordes of Saiyan bodies flitting in and out of the Hall, but Zarbons senses were honed so finely that that one small faint scent stood out loudly to all the others.

 

They both sat facing each other, a vast multitude of food surrounded them at their table. Sweet glazed red meats, lightly spiced white meats, fresh sea food served plain and naturally salty. A vast ceramic pot held a vibrant treasure of roasted vegetables of bright succulent colours and contrasting flavours. There was even an engraved golden jug which contained a dark red sauce, steaming and releasing a meaty yet fruity fragrance. Bowls of exotic fruits, and sweet pastries lay a little further along the table, with deep glass tankards intermittent along the way, each containing a different type of beverage. It would probably seem strange to the Doctor, Zarbon thought, but he would explain to him that wine came in different colours than red and white, and not to be surprised by the normal blue, green or black.

 

“Blimey, good spread today, I don't know what to have first...” Zarbon spoke almost to himself but he got over his confusion as he spotted a delectable bowl of creamy Dhiel, not that unlike from the Earth dish of mashed potatoes. So he began to pile his dish with as much as he could, the sweet meats, and the vegetables, topped with a generous helping of that thick red sauce. He was already on his fifth or perhaps sixth mouthful when he realised that Doctor Briefs still had not taken a single thing onto his plate. Swallowing what was in his mouth, he asked the Doctor, “What's up? They're dead I promise you, they won't bite.” As he nudged the plate of sea food closer to the Doctor. This only caused the Doctor's eyebrows to furrow deeply. “We haven't had a decent meal in about a week, so I know you're hungry, what's the deal Doc?” He ignored his own food for the moment, as he listened to Briefs' reasoning.“Since we left Earth, we've eaten our own store of food, I don't know if any of this,” He gestured to the table full of food. “is compatible with my body, how am I meant to know if it will kill me?”

 

A loud disturbance deep within the Palace, stopped any more talk as all the Saiyans in the room tensed, some roared ferally as they flared their energy into bright auras and charged through the eastern door of the Hall. The Doctor looked at Zarbon, and was as shocked as he could possibly be when he saw what was written to plainly on his face. Zarbon was worried, insanely worried.

 

“Zarbon! What's going on!? Why has everyone gone nuts?” He shouted over the crashing of plates and glass as the raw intense energy thrown off by the Saiyans destroyed them. He didn't get an answer straight away, and this scared Briefs even more. He had never in his whole relationship with Zarbon seen the man too witless and afraid to speak. “ZARBON! Answer meee!” Briefs voice ended in a shriek as knives and and the ornamental weapons on the walls came loose and flew about the room flying on the energy currents. Briefs flung himself underneath the thick table top for shelter he remained shaken and looking out from under the table warily as all the commotion sounded above him, until one small thought caused him to freeze. Bulma! He had to find a way to retrieve Zarbon from the un-helpful mess he was, into his normal self. “Zarbon! We have to find Bulma! You have to help me!” He shouted throatily as he kicked and punched all he could reach of Zarbon under the table.

 

~*~

 

 

Zarbon sat dazed, unable to react. How could this be happening?, he should have known what that damn painful aching he had felt in his chest earlier was. He was here, he was in this Palace right now. There was nothing they had that was strong enough to stop him! Zarbon was injured, he couldn't fight and win against Freeza! There's no one here who can... Why did he even start this resistance!? Despair clawed it's way into his soul and dragged his spirit down into it's consuming waters.

 

“Zar...ha...fin...Bulma!”

 

The lake of despair in his chest, froze over above his drowning spirit, and it felt as though it would never thaw. He had left her. Freeza had come. To see the King. He had left her with the King.

 

“You...ve...hel...me!”

 

He had to get up, he had to find her and take her to safety. If she came to harm, then all the soldiers, slaves, barriers and space that Freeza could put between them wouldn't help, he would kill him, tear him limb from limb, he would destroy him, and leave no trace behind.

 

“ZARBON!” Briefs shouted louder than Zarbon had ever heard any being manage to produce. What was he doing? He was falling apart, when he should be fighting to save that innocent blubbery ball called Bulma! What the fuck have you become, you are so much stronger than this!

 

He abruptly shook out of his inner turmoil and festering despair to take in his surroundings and regain his wits. With a swift movement he grabbed the table and threw it across the room, revealing the huddled Doctor. “Come on, lets find her!” Zarbon shouted over the loud crashings and shouts that echoed through the Palace. Using his instincts he decided the only way to find her was to go where that seeping frost was strongest and delved deeper into his chest, almost stopping his heart from the sheer cold.

 

They had made their way through the food hall door, through the many Saiyans that seemed changed from earlier. Furious and feral they raged through the hall ways searching for something they could not find. Unable to break from the suffocating and intoxicating rage that threatened to consume them, not many had managed to get further than the third Exhibition room, which lay only five hundred metres from the food hall.

 

Briefs grew frantic in the presence of so many crazed people. “What's wrong with them? What's happening?!” He demanded of an almost as panicked Zarbon. “Freeza is here, can't you feel the dread in your heart?” Zarbon rambled, tripping over the words angrily, but the anger only appeared to be directed at himself.

 

Briefs was ashen faced, “F-Freeza? Is that why they are going insane?!” He was looking around anxiously, watching as the Saiyans screamed and raged around him.

 

Zarbon snarled nastily and he looked forward in the direction they needed to go. “No, it's not. We need to split up, you must go to the Council chambers and look for Bulma, I will go find Freeza.” He flared his energy in a spiteful blast, and began heading off in front.

 

“Zarbon! Why are the Saiyans doing this?!” Briefs was lost and confused, the feral and menacing Saiyans writhed from an unseen pain, all around him.

 

Zarbon was furious, Freeza was so close, so so close and he wanted nothing more than to rip him apart, if he had dared harm Bulma. “Because a Royal is dead.” He said simply, factually.

 

 

~*~

 

 

Hundreds of miles away, hidden in a remote lush oasis sat a small camp at the mouth of a cave. A cloaked group of people sat around a simmering pot. Tucked under one of the cloaks, a child woke from a frightful nightmare, eyes alert and brows furrowed in concentration and sorrow. His black up swept hair muffled and messy, he could feel something tighten in his little chest. He had lost something he would never remember but would silently revere forever.

 

 

 

 

Thank you for reading this far, I appreciate it.

Neafiir