Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Hope Leaves ❯ Raining Blood ( Chapter 7 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

This chapter was actually meant to be bit longer, but due to having mountains of assignments, exams, and having to find a new house to rent I have not had much time to write lately. THIS CHAPTER: Vegeta discovers that there may be a way to escape the strange world he is trapped in, but to do so he'll first have to slip into the darkest recesses of his past. He refuses to accept this as the memories grow steadily worse.

WARNINGS: NC/ torture


I'm lying on the dusty ground. I hear the sounds of a forest all around me, but there is no light that I can see. The ship, the bathroom, the pain, all of it is physically gone, but not in my head. I can still hear Jeice's voice, the words he spoke after he'd broken into the bathroom and found me sitting in silence, staring at the cracks in the tiles.

'Did I do that?' he'd asked, gently grasping my wrist and swallowing nervously. He'd tried to reset the bones and bandage it up, saying he was sorry, he didn't mean to, but if I'd just listen to him and do what I'm told, if I just wouldn't make him so angry the way I always did. I always made everyone so angry, was always causing trouble, he said to me. I brought it on myself, everybody said so. If only I'd just stop... just trust him. Trust.

Remembering this seems to open up a flood gate, allowing so many similar memories to rush in, swarming the alleys of my thoughts and overcoming me with the force of the current. I see us fighting, always fighting, scratching, biting, kicking and struggling; I see myself failing nearly every time, ending up underneath him and at the mercy of his hands. Worse still, the next moment it would be like I'd forgotten the whole thing and we'd be friends again, in that odd way that we were. I was disturbed by what we did yet also resigned to it, choosing to ignore the fact it was happening most of the time or believe it was 'just a game' as he would often say. It was as though I didn't understand the meaning of it at all. I was that naïve.

I know somehow that there is more to all these memories than I'm fully aware, and because of this I musn't sleep. I need to stay awake no matter the consequences, to shut it out. If I don't shut it out, I'll lose control, and if I lose control I'll never find my way out of here. The sound of foreign tongues whispers at the corners of my awareness, and I'm not sure but it might be the voices of those creatures that hold me captive. If so, then I am still in the world in some small way, still hanging onto a thread of the place I've come to call my home, and there must be a way out, a way back. There has to be.

I feel the itch of a garment under my cheek. I must be using my shirt as a pillow, because it's hot and I can feel that it isn't covering my chest. Only sweat clothes me now, stinging slightly as an uncomfortably warm evening breeze breathes gently on my bare skin. I exhale, running my hand over my forehead and lifting away the moisture, amazed that any place could be too hot for a saiyan who would normally thrive in the heat. I know I'm on some foreign planet and I try to focus on the possible means of escape, on remembering where I am, what the planet looks like, the heat, anything but the tireless thoughts of hands. I will myself to rise but all I can do is lie here in a state of utter powerlessness, still and dreaming of hot skin, of suffocating closeness, of all the things that turn my stomach.

'Sir. Sir? Vegeta, we have to get up.'

I grunt in response. It's Raditz' voice that I hear.

'We can't stay here. We got to go. Now. C'mon.'

I rouse gradually, feeling groggy. 'Is everyone else is up?'

'Yeah'

'How many more cities then?' I inquire in a bored tone.

'Three. And the palace. We're saving that for last. Ginyu said something about having a special message from Frieza, for the royals. Traitors, apparently.'

'Isn't everybody?' I mutter. 'Oh well, should be fun.' I smile, but there is a sinking feeling in my stomach. I don't remember this day, but some small part of me does. Not that that does me any good. I hope things will get clearer the longer I'm here, knowing I have no chance of escaping otherwise.

'Lets move out men!' I hear Ginyu call. I turn my head to see him, Guldo and Jeice striking one of their ridiculous poses as some kind of signal of our departure.

'Fuckheads,' Raditz says under his breath, rolling his eyes.

My eyes fix on Jeice. He stares back at me for a moment and I look away. I feel myself begin to sweat. I notice Raditz looking at me strangely, but I say nothing, trying to act natural.

'You look a bit white. Dont worry, that thing we ate before made me a bit ill too. It'll pass.'

We're on the move now, but I'm not focused on that. I'm busy wondering if I'm halucinating, because I swear I can see the doctor at the corner of my eye, but I can't turn my head to be sure or call out to him. It's not long before I begin to hear his voice echoing in my head, confirming that I'm not seeing things after all.

'You need to divide your attention if you're to speak to me Vegeta. Focus on what you're doing and your thoughts at the same time.'

'What the hell are you doing here?' I question silently. 'How did you follow me?'

'It's not as simple as all that. One cannot simply follow another into a rift. But I can go many places. You are in a universe very different from the one in which you are used to existing. Everything is subjective here. Whatever is real inside your head becomes real outside of it. You need to control your thoughts if you're to find a way out of here.'

'God damn you and your riddles. I can't control any of this! They've done something to me, there's wires taped to my skull that are- scrambling the messages from my brain or something. I can't stop it unless I break free of that machine they've got my hooked up to.'

'I know. But you still have some degree of control. Like at the moment.'

'Control? Idiot! What am I supposed to do, imagine a door out of here? Why the hell did you even come here? Don't think I don't know what you're up to!'

'I'm here to help you find a way out. You need to listen to me.'

'I'm done listening to you. You're trying to lead me into another trap-'

'There's no time for that Vegeta. When you're dreaming, Lennon won't have the same control over you. Do you understand? Perhaps then you will be able to find a way out.'

'And how am I supposed to control my dreams, pray tell? I can't control them anymore than he can.'

'Don't be so sure of that. You need to listen to me. You're family is in grave danger. That woman doesn't know who it is tht sleeps beside her, but you know him. Perhaps better than you know yourself. I've been trying to make contact with her, but she won't see me. These humans are surrounded by a dense fog.'

'You're lying. When I dream inside these memories, I cannot control it. It was happening before. Go away, leave me. And leave her alone, if you know what's good for you.'

'It's not when you're asleep in these memories, but when you're body is asleep. The memories will cease then.'

'No. I couldn't sleep if I wanted to. I mustn't sleep.'

'I know this is painful. You're afraid. But it will be for the best in the end. The only way you can escape is if I can make contact with you're family, so I can tell them to lure him into a rift. Then he will be trapped here, and you will return to your home.''

'Who the hell is he?!'

'The one who has taken your place.'

'Great galaxies. Are you hearing yourself? Have you gone completely mad?'

'Believe me, only a mad man can outsmart Lennon. I need to go, before he realises something is wrong. Just remember what I've said. I'll try to lead you to a rift, when you're asleep. And know that you will have to sleep eventually, once you've become exhausted. That machine of Lennon's requires enormous amounts of energy to operate. Where do you think it's coming from?'

As the doctor says this, he stops to lean against a tree, his body gradually fading and finally dissappearing into the bark. I try to consider his words and whether or not he is lying, but I can't concentrate. I can feel Raditz' eyes on me, and there's that strange look again.

'You look a bit out of it. Did you hear anything I said?'

I don't answer him, just stare off into the distance.

'Do you need something to keep you up?' he says flatly.

'It might help.'

He hands me a little white pill with a picture of a yellow daisy on it. I take it from him and swallow it, wondering silently to myself if I was always this rude to him. I suppose back then I didn't care. I don't know why I do now, after all these years. He takes a pill as well. It's not long before I begin to feel different. Everything looks and feels brighter, nicer. My heart is racing and I feel like running and jumping around.

'Why can't we fly,' I demand, incredibly jitterey and agitated.

'Don't know, Ginyu said so.' He rolls his eyes again. 'Thinks we can surprise them.'

I growl at this. 'We've been blowing up cities for a week and he thinks we can surprise them. Idiot! I hate his stupid games. Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid.'

'Stupid,' he agrees with me. We're speaking in our own language of course. Wouldn't want them to hear. We're both very talkative all of a sudden. I can't stop grinding my teeth. In the distance I can see the looming shadow of the castle. Dread sneaks around the shiny barriers of my euphoria, and I want desperately to turn around and run.

'There it is.' Raditz sounds as though he's in awe.

'It's hardly impressive,' I sniff.

We've stopped now, and Guldo stands at the head of the group, pointlessly rising to his full height nd clearing his throat.

'Ahem. As you may have noticed, the Captain has gone ahead for a private audience with the king. All scouts are to head out to the remaining villages and void them of all pests.'

'An you lot are comin' with us,' Jeice points to us and some guy behind us. It's weird that Guldo is here, and Ginyu for that matter. Very rarely do I recall them joining us for an assignment. Sometimes Jeice was with us, if a job was supposed to be unusually tricky, though really I think it was because the Ginyu liked to get rid of him whenever he could. They never really got along.

'You three go round the back, an enter through the rear chambers. Right then, lets move!'

Thankfully they dont strike anymore poses. Everything seems to be moving very fast. We're running, running, and waiting for the sound, listening to the screams coming from within the castle, listening as they ring shrill in our ears. They swim through me as we smash through the windows and head for the sounds. The palace has many halls, and the three of us are running through them like wildfire and laughing like idiots, the sound of laughter mingling with the sounds of agony.

When we arrive at our destination, we are met by a level of chaos that rivals the sight of an entire city in ruins. Shards of lavish ornaments and myriads of white flower petals are skattered across the speckled white marble floors, upon which trails of fresh blood run and severed limbs rest. The man I assume to be the king of this miserable planet lies at Ginyu's feet, blood leaking from a stump where his arm would very recently have been attached. It appears the only survivors remaining are the unfortunate monarch, and four youthful creatures which I assume are his offspring, because they wear richer garments than those who lay dead in pieces around the room. One of these, a female, is bound to a pillar in the centre of the room. The others, a small girl and boy, and another older boy about my age are bound to the towering pillars surrounding their sister.

As I watch them, the pillars appear to sway, making me feel as though they and the rest of the room are bearing down on me. The walls draw closer together and the shadows in their corners darken impossibly. The euphoria has vanished entirely, leaving in its place an intense phobia that the room is trying to swallow me, that I will cease to exist if I don't turn and run. The marble beneath me is swirling like quicksand, engulfing my feet. I open my mouth to scream, but nothing comes out.

'Oh good,' Ginyu purrs on noticing our arrival. 'Now the festivities may begin in earnest. Let this be a lesson to all present, and all who shall hear of it-' he leans down towards to the king, pulling his cowering form closer, ' -and everyone in the quadrant *will* hear about it- Lord Freeza is a benevolent ruler who rewards his faithful subjects well. Just look around you at this beautiful palace. Who do you think made all this possible? But for those who betray his lordship's kindness and generosity, there is terrible retribution.'

He tosses the king aside, walks over to the little ones and stands behind the boy, taking hold of his hair. He pulls a knife out of his belt, and in a heartlessly slow motion, makes an incision around the circumference of the child's hairline, ignoring his and his sibling's shrieks of horror. With a powerful tug and a foot planted between the boy's shoulder blades to keep him steady, Ginyu rips the scalp away, tossing it over his shoulder like a dirty rag and releasing his grip. He then repeats the process with the little girl. They now both lie at his feet, their brains clearly visible, thobbing in their open skulls. The still pulsating organs wink at us, streams of blood trickling from them and flowing towards me on the white river of melting marble underfoot. I hear Raditz whisper, 'Holy fucking hell...' beside me. The other man behind us just laughs hysterically and mutters, 'The king is in the counting house, counting out, counting out...'

It's about this time I remember that this little known soldier is mad. Powerful yes, but with more than a few screws loose. Jeice and Ginyu both approach the girl in the centre of the room, leaving Guldo to mind the unharmed brother and make sure he cannot look away from the scene at hand. They tear the intricate lace of her gown from her breasts and pull her circlet down around her neck. She screams, and her brother and father weep. I guess what will happen, and I am not wrong. Once they've freed her from the pillar the both of them assault her at once, pulling at her hair and raking their nails across her soft flesh as they do, cutting her open in numerous places. I can't hear her screaming, can only see the sweat leaking from her pores to mingle with her blood and her mouth moving in slow motion, through the haze creeping across my vision. Her body is bent, with one of them gripping her from behind and the other forcing himself into her mouth, silencing her. The marble creeps up around me slowly, licking hungrily at my body. I am frozen to the spot, wondering how long it will be before I am consumed and gone forever.

The man behind us soon joins in, but rather than violating her he chooses to take her hands in his mouth and rip away her fingernails with his teeth, as he screeches something repetitive in his native tongue. When they're done with her. They come over to us and take hold of Raditz' arm, demanding he do as they've done. I'm not watching anymore, but before long, they come for me too. Raditz stares at them, pleading with his eyes.

'Captain,' he whispers, 'please, lets just-'

He is cut off by a blow to the head from Ginyu, sending him sprawling across the floor.

'Its time you became a man,' Ginyu grins at me maliciously. 'Isn't that right Jeice?'

'Sure is Cap'n. Long overdue I reckon.'

I stand there, the marble still snaking around my limbs. It's getting harder to move or breath as everyone's eyes focus on me, their gazes peircing my skin as they await a performance.

'Gees, do we gotta show you saiyans how to do *everything*?,' he whines, and restrains me so Ginyu can get my pants off. I cry out in protest and flail wildly in hopes of escaping, terrified that so many others will see me like this. More of Freeza's men are gathering in the doorways, cheering and laughing as they watch the ginyus force my body up against the girl's. Their fluids are dripping from her face and mouth, and she's leaking them onto my skin from her insides. Sticky blood and grime cover her and she is choking on her own sobs, letting saliva run down her chin. This disgusts me in some unique way I have never experienced before. How dirty and defiled her body is. How many diseases must she be filled with? It's making me ill, feeling her filthy skin against mine. I retch at the thought of her insides and all the prying eyes that are on our naked bodies right now. Jeice laughs and grabs my hand, closing my trembling fingers around her breast.

'Nice and soft ain't it?' he murmurs huskily.

'Aww,' Ginyu coos. 'Do you need a little help Veggie?'

Predicting that I'll struggle, Jeice restrains me more carefully. Ginyu grabs me by the hair and crushes my mouth against her putrid lips before he slips a hand between my legs in order to 'help' me. I can hear laughter, so much laughter from everywhere around us, and tears sting my eyes even as heat fills my lower half. I'm beginning to get used to this, the way these pleasures are always mixed with fear and pain. I don't think they'd even make sense to me if I were to feel them alone, in a normal way. Like others do. I close my eyes as they guide me into her. Jeice wipes my nose in the blood on her lips, knowing the effect this will have, and instinct takes over. As my body bucks against hers I feel her force her way into my mind. Outwardly she weeps, but inwardly, her thoughts are sheer hatred.

'Do you dare call me filthy? She echoes in my head. It is you who is filthy, saiyan scum! Filth coats you from the inside out. You'll die crying. They'll find your body naked and torn as you will leave mine.

Her thoughts continue to assault me, screaming all the horrible things about me that I've never revealed to a single soul. My face burns with shame. How dare she mock me, how dare they all laugh at me! Something compells me to open my eyes, and I wish to God I hadn't. With my face perhaps an inch from hers, I see that the watery violet irises that were there a few minutes ago are gone, replaced with wet, squirming maggots that writh in and out of her eyes, drinking the tears and wriggling towards my face. I cry out at the top of my lungs in revulsion and disbelief, gripping her hips until I hear the bones snap. Energy burns furiously within me and my ki incinerates her from the inside out, then expands in a huge radius around me, doing away with everyone in the vicinity besides the Ginyus, the girl's brother, Raditz, and the madman. Raditz pulls me away, draping his shirt around my hips to cover me. The floors are no longer swimming, because there's nothing left of them.

Ginyu looks incredibly annoyed.

'Ahem,' he grunts, narrowing his eyes dangerously at me. 'Are you aware of how many soldiers you just killed? You're going to pay dearly for this!'

'Aw, c'mon cap'n. Everyone gets nervous their first time, right?' he laughs uneasily.

'SHUT UP!' Ginyu screams in his face. 'ALL OF YOU HEAD BACK TO BASE!' He then turns to the only survivor of the royal family, and a hideous grin spreads across his face. 'And Guldo, bring that boy. I think we can find a use for him...'

A fog descends around me at this point, obscuring the world around me, and I stop concentrating. I'm walking forward, towards some destination, but my eyes don't see ahead of me. The air feels thick and heavy, so that moving forward feels like swimming. Despite this I force myself to stay aware, even though my eyes are heavy and gruelling fatigue weighs me down. For some reason, I'm not supposed to sleep. I know this even as I lay down, hearing the soft sound of Raditz breathing beside me.

'We're leaving in the morning,' he whispers, his voice somehow different than usual, smaller.

For a long time I ignore him. When I finally speak, it has nothing to do with what he said.

'We're going to get a disease. From that creature. She's going to give us disease...'

'Don't say that sir.'

'Her eyes were crawling. They were full of worms. She was diseased.'

'Please Vegeta, stop. Stop saying things like that. That's crazy talk.'

'No...'

'These people have mystical abilities, they can get into your head. She was toying with you. It's alright.'

'No, no,' I shake my head at him furiously, pushing him away when he tries to take hold of my shoulders to still me.

'Let's just forget today. Forget her. She's just some worthless whore. And fuck all of them,' he motions his head to where the others must be sleeping. 'Someday you'll repay them for dishonoring you, my lord.'

I nod, but I don't feel any better. I can still hear the laughter echoing in my head, can feel all those eyes on me. Something else plagues my mind also. I'm supposed to be going somewhere, to be looking for something, but I don't know what it is. Perhaps it's the filth I have to wash off me. I get up and wander off, searching for the scent of water. I find a clear pool illuminated by the moonlight, where delicate crimson water flowers float lazily across the surface. The heat is stifling, but the sounds of the night continue as the insects and animals hum their evening hyms, obscured by the shadows wavering in the woods around me. It feels like every living thing has its beady eyes on me, trailing down my bare skin as I slip into the lukewarm water. I pick up a rough stone at the waters edge and scrub away her blood and foul scent, watching dully as the water turns red with a mixture of dried and fresh blood, seeping from the places where I have scraped away my skin. The vibrant liquid dissipates through the water in beautiful spindles and ribbons, like smoke from a candle in darkness. Eventually the entirety of the pool is a translucent red, staining the peaceful image of the sky which it reflects.


Gentle moonlight floated through Goten's window, which had flown open in the sudden wind that had picked up. Still partially asleep, he stared groggily out into the night sky. Just as he was about to pull the blankets back over his head and shut out the light, he thought he heard the wind calling his name.

*Son... Son Goten...* it murmured. *Can you hear...*

'Don't call me Son...,' he muttered sourly in response. 'I have my own name.'

*Goten...*

'It's not time for school yet mum...' he mumbled. Then the wind picked up, and his window slammed shut, nearly shattering with the impact. Startled awake, his body flew forwards in shock.

'What, what,' he said rather loudly to the empty room. 'What do you want?'

Moments later his door opened. Gohan stood in the doorway, scratching his head.

'What are you doing?' Gohan watched as his younger brother leaned over and pried open the window.

'Someone's calling me,' he muttered, half to himself.

'Yeah, sure. Go back to sleep Goten. And keep it down would you? You woke up Pan banging the windows around.'

Goten gradually came back to his senses, but he kept staring out the window, his eyes scanning the woods and mountains around the small house. Gohan sighed, figuring Goten was still dreaming, and walked back to his room.

*Weird dream,* Goten thought. But as the wind continuued to blow outside, gently now, he could swear he still heard a voice, ever so faintly calling his name.

NEXT TIME: At capsule corp, Vegeta's family find his behaviour confusing and frightening but pass it off as illness. Only his daughter realises that something is terribly wrong.
In the meanwhile, the doctor seeks help from an unlikely person when he sees the real Vegeta is beginning to forget himself.