Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Fathoming Love ❯ Chapter 12 ( Chapter 12 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

“He looked positively sick, sitting right by Frieza in a shade I’d seldomly seen him sport, gazing in absolute disbelief at this revelation. Zarbon, pit against me? We were in shock, me, standing there in my sweat and slime, him, sitting next to his enemy in a stunned silence.

“Our eyes met and there was a connection between us that, though I already knew it was there, I could hardly accept. I was shocked into a rare silence, trying to estimate the options of this challenge. Trying to understand how I had gotten myself into this and more importantly, how I would get out. Now understand me Tazial, I did what I could to delete whatever conscience weighed me down and believe be when I say, I was damn good at it. But this discovery, this new challenge, I knew I could never accomplish it.

“Zarbon was like a father to me. My friend, my consort, in some senses my foe, but everything to me that kept me sane. I couldn’t fight him. And looking at him, seeing his adam’s apple bob just a little more hesitantly than normal, I knew neither could he.

“ ‘Well Zarbon.” Frieza jeered, exciting the crowds who were overjoyed with this new suggestion, dying for more blood to be spilt and their new champion’s strength to be tested. “Will you keep this fine audience waiting?”

“ ‘Frieza please.” I heard Zarbon murmur, shimmering golden eyes upon me still. “You know I cannot do this.”

“ ‘Ah, but you can my precious,” Frieza said, moving his face closer to Zarbon’s and snaking his tongue out over his ear. Zarbon winced but remained quiet, most likely thinking of every conceivable way to free himself of this ordeal. “I know you’re stronger than Vegeta. It would be an easy victory.”

“At this, and against my will, my blood began to boil and I began considering the battle to come. Of course I knew at the time what a wretched thing it was for me to await, but my temper along with Frieza’s mockery was a bad combination. But all the same, the goal to prove the tyrannical bastard wrong had implanted itself into my mind. Enrooted, if you will.

“Zarbon didn’t move, eyes paralyzed unto mine, mouth parted. And looking at him in this moment, I saw something I’d probably seen him betray but maybe once or twice. I saw fear. Real fear.

“ ‘Get out there I or I’ll kill him myself.” Frieza whispered, though with my keen hearing I caught every word. It was times like this that I truly regretted my sensitive hearing skills, wishing that this moment would end and I’d be released from the pressure facing me. All the same, my heart went out to Zarbon for being in his own position, and I watched his face contort in an emotional pain as he slowly gripped the arm rests of his chair and pushed himself to his feet.

“Time was of no consequence as the crowd roared in pleasure, the sound like waves of the ocean during a storm. Mind blowing. Zarbon’s feet dug into the sand, his eyes burning like fire into my own, both of us silently agreeing that we couldn’t do this.

“ ‘Do it my precious ones.” Frieza goaded, waving like a hero to the audience, dull red eyes resting sadistically on us as he smiled. “Lets us all see if you are quite so beautiful on the inside.”

“Sweat beaded on Zarbon’s forehead and my own was dripping down the sides of my face.

“ ‘Do it then Vegeta.” He spat in a demanding voice. “Get to it.”

“ ‘What?” I gasped, almost allowing my feet to fall backwards. “Zarbon you must be crazy.”

“ ‘Damn it Vegeta!” he hissed, his eyes darting to the onlookers and to Frieza, poised for an attack if one should come. “I said do it!”

“ ‘Not for my life!” I screamed, my fist in front of me as I yelled over the roaring crowd.

“ ‘And it will be FORFEIT if you do not!” he hollered in a rage, moving threateningly towards me. “Get it over with! I cannot watch you die.”

“ ‘I’d rather die than kill you!” I was becoming mad in my frustration, visions of ending Zarbon’s life flooding my brain, polluting my mind and heart, causing pain and anger that I could not rationally contain. “Don’t ask me to do this! Don’t you…… Don’t you make me do this!”

“My voice was quivering as his tall figure approached me, his hand coming down unexpectantly hard, smashing into my face. My vision was knocked to the side, my head swimming in my temper. But still I fought it down, refusing to even guard myself as I was thrown into the ground, at his mercy. I told you I was stubborn and I had no intention of even dodging a blow, no matter what the cost at this point. It was very uncharacteristic of me. I lived for me. Myself alone. Fuck everyone else! My life was the only thing that mattered. Or I had so stupidly entertained the thought up until this point.

“You can see what a dork I was. I was completely convinced that nothing in this universe had any merit to me. That I was all that mattered and could kill anyone or anything with my supremely developed lack of conscience. Well, all my assumptions about my own strength were shit on at this moment and I found him holding me by the shirt, screaming all sorts of obscenities as he tried to make me fight him.

“ ‘Damn you Vegeta!” He cursed, throwing me down and kneeling over me. “Why wont you listen to me! I WONT watch you die by his hands!” he pointed hatefully to Frieza, though he never left contact with me. “I WONT let him win like that! Don’t you see what you mean to me!? FUCK!!”

“He tossed me across the stadium until I virtually collided with the other side, my skull nearly cracking like an egg on impact.

“ ‘I HATE YOU!” He screamed, his voice hoarse. “God DAMN IT! I HATE YOU! Do you see what you do to me? Don’t you see it? You make me weak like this. I can’t kill you because I’d rather kill myself. I want to die Vegeta! I want it.”

“At the sincerity in his words, I opened my eyes wide, my mouth dropping slightly as he battled for words to make me do the unthinkable.

“I want it. Fuck! If I only had the balls to do it myself it would have been done ions ago! But I don’t have the strength! I’m not strong enough but YOU ARE! Kill me. End this suffering!”

“ ‘Never.” I whispered, as he stared down in shock, only an inch or two from my face. “You might as well just kill me because I’d rather die than live my life without you in it.”

“At that his eyes brightened, a small smile appearing on his mouth as he offered me his hand. Yanking me to my feet and at the insanity of the crowd, he covered my lips with his own, kissing me sweetly and suggestively. And I let him do it, receiving his tongue into my mouth and kissing him softly back, the stadium nearly falling to pieces as the uncontrollable onlookers battled one another for a better view.

“Pulling back, Zarbon’s glittering golden eyes stared into me, his fingers holding my neck as he whispered into my face.

“ ‘Than let us end this ordeal.”

“And with that, he began to blast each of Frieza’s guards into oblivion! Frieza himself would never be lowered enough to come towards us during this match and so, at his hatefully spat command, hundreds of stadium guards and soldiers poured towards us, and to say that the audience got its fair share of blood shed, would be a mass understatement. Like a game, we began to slaughter them, one by one, either with our bare hands, which proved rather messy, or with blasts and weapons. One after another they drenched the coliseum sand with their blood, the deep red pools of it soaking our feet.

“And still they came, more and more, as if there was a never ending supply. But it was welcome to us as we selfishly delved into the battle of quality rather than quantity. We began to show off, doing acrobatic tricks and flips before brutally slaying our victims. And the crowds were in love with our antics, women tearing their clothes off to throw at our feet, some so quickly caught up in their infatuation that they tumbled to their gory deaths, being trampled beneath the heels of guards.

“I remember…….. I remember just smiling at him. Just seeing him, his emerald hair falling out of its braid, the strands tumbling in front of his face which was flushed from the heat of battle. I recall thinking that he truly was the most beautiful thing that I’d ever seen. And rather than kill me, or watch me die, he chose to take a risk that might involve his life. Even in the foolish clutches of youth, I knew then that he truly must love me.

“And when the last warrior fell, crying out as his weapon fired the last blasts it could manage, Zarbon grabbed me up and swung me around like he’d done the first time we’d met. Only it was different now. And I suddenly felt too weak, too vulnerable to allow it. He must have sensed my discomfort, for he set me quickly on my feet, and lifting our hands into the air, we announced our own victory.

“But as I was to find, for Frieza, the battle had only begun.”


“What happened then?!” I implored almost feverishly, desperate for there to be some sort of happy ending to this tale.

“Frieza happened.” He sighed, running his fingers through his gravity defying hair. “I knew when I looked over, curious as to what his reaction must be to all of this, and I saw him smiling, I KNEW something was up. He had that certain look you know? That one that promised failure to all who sought to defy him and certain victory on his part.

“Getting back to the ship, unharmed and nervous beyond comparable measurement, Zarbon and I quickly abandoned the others of our group and sought shelter in our rooms, deciding for the time being that we would stay together in mine. We lay facing one another on our sides, possibly watching the other’s back in case of an attack, though we felt a familiar doom at being pit against Frieza. It wasn’t a fight we could win.

“And so we simply lay there, both studying the other’s face as though we hadn’t done this very thing a thousand and one times, Zarbon’s smooth finger tips lightly sliding over my cheek, soothing me. I felt like a child, awaiting his father and mother’s decision regarding a deserved punishment. We knew we had asked for it. But we also knew that any other option was simply not that. There WAS no other option. And so, despite our fear and grim outlook, I don’t think either one of us regretted it, even the least bit.

“As I guess we should have expected, guards came, flooding first Zarbon’s room, than infiltrating like liquid into mine, surrounding the bed with their weapons. As I gazed at each one individually, I recognized a slight blush on most, realizing in a sort of humor that they had all imagined us to be……. well…….. busy, as it were. Rumors of mine and Zarbon’s somewhat jaded relationship were wide spread, and as rumors often do, they were greatly exaggerated and on most occasions, complete bullshit.

“Allowing them to take us by the arms, we were caught off guard when we were separated, my eyes frantically meeting those of Zarbon’s who reflected the same surprise and dread at this.

“ ‘Zarbon!” I hissed exasperated, trying to fight against the thousand arms that held me. “Where are you taking him!? Zarbon!”

“The barrel of a laser gun pushed rudely into my back and I was sent forward, the hands gripping me savagely as I parted eye contact with my beloved protector and was thrown before the nonexistent mercy of Frieza. And at this point, I knew enough not to fight when they slammed me down upon a table, cuffing my body to the surface and forcing me to lie with my legs and arms spread, face down.”

At this point, Vegeta licked his lips, staring up at the ceiling and attempting to relax himself. His proud chest fell heavily up and down, his face betraying none of the emotions I’m sure this memory created. He was the perfect mask of calm, which, after knowing him so long, was my automatic cue that indeed, he was covering over on purpose. When the emotional tension came on too strong, he turned every bit of expression off. Like a safety net, like a defense mechanism.

“Did he torture you?” I asked, unable to hinder my curiosity.

“Yes.” He said in a robotic tone. “Yes I suppose that would be the word for it, if ever there could be one to describe such a thing.” He breathed in heavily, sliding both hands over his face momentarily.

“I was lying there, like I said, my muscles tense, my body stiff when I felt his cold, amphibian fingers inside of my shirt, touching my back. I could feel his fingernails, almost as if he wanted me to or something. Like he was threatening me, that if I made a sound of protest, he’d use them.

“I grit my teeth together and took the contact, closing my eyes when he whispered from right next to my ear, all sorts of dirty fantasies and random thoughts. What he thought when he saw me out there, fighting for his name, his cause. What sexually perverse ideas poisoned his mind when he noticed my obvious refusal to battle Zarbon. Sick random scenarios between me, him and my “lover” Zarbon.

“I felt his cold, clammy hands reach down to slid across my stomach, which was pressed against the table, my thin shirt doing nothing to take away the chill he caused me. He went down into my pants giving me no choice but to voice my disapproval, which admittedly came out a nice big, “get the fuck away from me”.

“ ‘Why preserved for Zarbon alone?” He questioned, his smooth, child like voice almost, just almost, tantalizing me in the light room we occupied alone. I felt his cold lips against my cheek and I didn’t stop the shudder of repulsion that went through me.

“ ‘I know of you Vegeta.” He continued, as if my hatred wasn’t as obvious as I tended to make it. “I know your reputation for sexuality is among the most profane and gluttonous on the ship. Disputably the entire Universe. It’s a game for you, isn’t it precious? Another way to compete with yourself. I understand this as no other creature can, for I alone am the competition. No one can challenge me. No one.”

“With one movement, he’d slid his finger up my spine and tore the fragile shirt in half, my back victim to the icy air around us.

“ ‘But you Vegeta, who so promiscuously gives it away, you’ve never visited my chambers have you? You’ve grown so quickly, I’ve forgotten just how beautiful your race truly is, in their youth. You were just a little boy when I found you, took you in, saved you. And now….” I could feel him smile against my cheek, each movement of his lips haunting me. “Now you’re a man. A beautiful creature of God.”

“ ‘What do YOU know of God?!” I hissed, moving my hands just enough to irritate the shackles that held them. “You know only what you steal from dead planets and force your innocent, molested children to pray for. You know nothing of this God who so “beautifully” created me.”

“ ‘I know nothing?” He said, his smile grown cold. “I………. know nothing of God?” He threw his fist into a wall, the entire thing shattering into dust like a mirror. “I AM GOD!”

“And he was in a way, wasn’t he?” Vegeta asked me.

“ ‘I am God!” He repeated in rage. “The supreme power of the universe, with ultimate, unquestioned control. And you, you my pretty thing. You challenged me. You second guessed me. Now, its time to pay the price. You either succumb to what I want, or I’ll make you sorry that you didn’t.”

“So he was asking you to either have sex with him or he’ll make you do it?” I interrupted furiously, leaning across the table.

“Not so much as he was giving me an option. Surrender to what he really wanted, which was me, or he’d torture me until I regretted the decision.”

“So what did you choose?!”

“What do you think I chose?” he spat rather indignantly. “I would rather light my balls on fire than fuck around with my greatest enemy. Pfft…. What, do you think a little pain would make me regret not letting him kiss me? Touch me? Fuck me? Please!”

I was a little turned away by Vegeta’s language, his descriptive and rather uncouth way of detailing his displeasure in Frieza, but I instead, asked him to continue.

“Are you sure?” He asked, apparently having noticed my twisted look from his former statements. “I’m not going to lie to you Tazial. It gets a bit gruesome at times, not something easily taken by such a sheltered little creature such as yourself.”

“I’ll be fine.” I said wearily, steadying myself with my hands upon the cool surface of the counter top.

“Very well. After my initial response, which was utter and complete disrespect and hatred, I was beaten from my legs to my neck with a jagged slab of metal, which you can imagine, when it wasn’t nearly knocking me unconscious and breaking every bone in my body, was slicing my clothing and my skin to bloody little shards. At first I refused to scream, clenching my teeth until they nearly broke in my mouth, only beginning to really let it out when they started slowly skinning my back.”

“WHAT?!” I gasped, moving backwards dramatically, taken at this horrific suggestion.

“You heard me Tazial.” He said almost rudely, eyeing me. “At first it was just a sort of whip they used, “they” being Frieza and a few choice men, those including Dodoria, a most hated and ugly rival of mine. And then, unimpressed by my reaction, or better, lack there of, they left it up to Frieza to slid his fingers one by one down my damaged back and slowly tear the gory strips off.

“I felt the hot blood at first drip and then absolutely pour down my legs, hearing the slapping of it on the ground, my eyes open wide as I screamed and screamed until I quite simply couldn’t scream anymore. I know what it sounds like to hear someone tell you such a thing. Such a story. But its much worse to witness it. And simply unbearable to endure it yourself.

“I can’t describe the pain to you. I almost fooled myself into thinking that if I tried hard enough, I could imagine myself some where far off. Somewhere without pain and my own screams. But then, there weren’t many places I’d visited in this universe that hadn’t bore the weight of those two things. And so, in my horror, I went back to my memories in Nomache, feeling the pain like you would hear a distant echo.

“As it turns out, I nearly died that day.

“When my back was nothing more than veins, muscles and clotting blood, Frieza stood beside me, simply watching my face for the pain he had induced.

“ ‘I knew one way or another I’d see the inside of you today Vegeta.” He smiled, his charming little voice like the sound of the grim reaper knocking on my door. He tapped my face, ensuring that I was still alive and hearing him, though the blood loss was clouding everything around me, mercifully. He began to stroke my face gently, pushing the strands of my hair from my eyes and bestowing small, sweet kisses all over my cheeks. I winced at the contact, only grateful for the fact that it wasn’t the mind chilling pain that had taken place before.

“ “Oh my pet…” He swooned with mocking sorrow. “Why cant you just obey me like I ask? Why can’t you accept your fate like all the others?” he kissed me quickly on the mouth, adjusting his head to see me better.

“ “I’ve never had one so tempestuous as you. Your pride is like a blindfold for you, your determination like a stumbling block. If only you’ll just let them go and do as I say. I would hold you so close you know.”

“I said nothing, perhaps unable to do so, perhaps unwilling. I don’t really remember much of this incidence, as I recall very little of my time spent in Frieza’s dungeon when I was but a child. All I know is this, and you must forgive me for leaving it to vague details, but quite simply, the raw recollection isn’t there, nor the wish to expound on such a memory as this one.


“Zarbon was there suddenly. I think I must have passed out momentarily for I distinctly recall awakening to his face, which on its own sobered my clouded mind. He was in shock. Horror at what they’d done to me. Nearly in hysterics it seemed as he whispered prayers and pleas to his Gods, whether or not he even believed in them. He was given a choice, just as he’d always feared.

“Give the coordinates of the remaining Aqualians or watch me die.”

“He didn’t!” I hissed in horror, unable to comprehend the monster which this Frieza was. But you have to understand reader, I’m human. Simply and entirely. The idea of a being so evil, so completely terrible, well……… it’s a foreign idea to me. Wasn’t there good in everything? Wasn’t even the most wretched of criminals at least innocent in some case? I was to learn all too quickly that assumptions like this were foolhardy, even for a logical, reasonable person as I deemed myself.

“Zarbon stood there,” Vegeta continued, his voice tense. “His eyes holding a grief stricken look, his mouth agape as he breathed. It seemed that was all he could do in those horrific moments, staring at the blood on my back and refusing to meet my eyes, as if by looking at them, his choice would be made for him. Ha! As if such a thing could be so easy.

“ “Choose.” Frieza implored, dangerously close to me. Even in all my pride, all that dignity I pretended to have, his voice so near made me cold, though this could also be due to the massive blood loss. Zarbon sensed my pain, as he had always done, staring in pity as I shuddered, my body beginning to spasm with near death and my skin the color of marble. I cold feel the touches of death rise from my feet and from my fingertips, my skin beginning to freeze is seemed, my breathing becoming labored, like someone or something was choking me, squeezing my lungs just a little more with each breath.

“ “Choose Zarbon.” The monster commanded, pointing his finger towards my protector. “Will it be your precious Valique or your dead past?”

“ “No.” Zarbon said, though his voice was just a whisper, possibly only hearable by me and Frieza. “I wont choose. I wont-”

“ “You WILL CHOOSE!” Frieza hollered, his wretched, scratchy voice making the fever pour over me, my head pounding and the cold scratching its way into my face. “I can make it much worse than this my pet, much worse.”

“He grabbed a handful of my hair, yanking my head backwards and introducing my body to the former pain that nearly killed me right then and there.

“ “I can keep him alive you know!” Frieza threatened. “I can keep him alive and make it so much worse.”

“ “You wouldn’t.” Zarbon insisted, though even I could tell he didn’t mean the words. “Vegeta means too much to you. You would never take his life just for an old resentment. The remaining Aqualians don’t mean that much to you. Not at the price of a Saiyan Prince. Not at the price of one so beautiful.”

“ “But I could make him less beautiful.” Frieza smiled. “I could ruin his pretty face, play God, mold it into my own horrid creation. I could make even the most grotesque aliens cringe at the sight of him, scream in terror at his approach. Or,” he cocked his head to the side, lifting his fingers to my cheek compassionately. “I could keep him beautiful for my own purposes. You know it means nothing to make one such as him a slave to my needs. Oh, he serves his purposes well enough now, but I certainly have no qualms over creating more.”

“Zarbon stiffened, watching my face for a reaction I was in too much pain to give him. Maybe he wanted me to die right then and there. I don’t think it would have been such a tragedy for him to be freed of the decision, much as he loved me. I was his present, his love for the moment that he knew one way or another he couldn’t keep. The Aqualians were his dreamlike past. The only memories he could look back upon and love himself for who he had been. They were his innocent past. I was merely the one thing that kept him alive in his tainted present.

“ “I don’t care that he doesn’t want it Zarbon.” The creature continued. “I don’t care that I’ll have to force it upon him. That he’ll probably never desire it. That he’ll never learn to love or want me as he does you. You think this is hell my pretty Aqualian? You couldn’t in your most horrific of dreams imagine what I could do to him. Give me the hiding place of the remaining ones and I’ll set him free. I’ll give him to you as I did so long ago. But do it now Zarbon, for my patience runs thin.”