Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Hunted Saiyans ❯ Part 2: Chapter 3: Treading Nightless Ground ( Chapter 9 )

Chapter 3

Treading Night-less Ground

 

 

The ship raced away from Senord as fast as it could. On the control-panel Bulma watched anxiously if anything was following them. It didn't seem that way… She sighed and leaned against the wall, slowly sliding down onto the floor. She could feel a tear of relief and looked around her.

 

“We're alive…”

 

“King Kai!” Trunks called, “Sir, it's me Trunks! King Kai!”

 

“Shit…”

 

“How can this be?” Picollo asked worriedly, “How can a Kai no longer communicate with us? How is it possible?”

 

“I… I don't know!” Trunks clenched his fists, “I… this is bad!”

 

“Enough you guys,” it was Chi Chi. Gohan blinked, as though surprised to see her. “Mum? Wha-”

 

“Now's no time to worry about that Kai! Look at all of you! Your eyes are dark, none of you have eaten! Except for his highness there!” he was going to interrupt but Chi Chi shut Vegeta up quickly, “No one can think without eating! Now, Bulma, Videl, Goten and you two,” she pointed at Chibi Goten and Trunks, “are all going to help me cook something from what we got. OK?”

 

Slowly, everybody nodded. Chi Chi smiled and Bulma flinched slightly; “Chi Chi…” the older woman was amazed with her friend's sudden strength. Bulma smiled warmly.

 

***

A black spaceship flew towards the Voice's massive contraption he called a ship. The doors opened and a man with fire-red hair stepped out of his ship, a little bit of dread revealed on his face. How was he going to explain that the Saiyans escaped? Despite his black heart, it was pumping wildly in fear. He was a little scared. A little.

 

***

 

Food flew everywhere as everyone surrounding the dinner table gulped down their meal. Chi Chi served the last plate and sat down between Bulma and Chibi Goten. Picollo had requested fresh water and then he abruptly left.

 

“This… this is… good!” Chibi Goten managed to say with his full mouth. He took a mammoth bite out of a chunk of meat and chewed like his life depended on it.

 

“Swallow your food first before talking Goten,” Chi Chi told him.

 

Bulma bit her teeth deep into her drumstick, “Where's Gohan and Trunks?” she asked after swallowing. There were two empty seats next to Tilo. Just then did the door open and Gohan walked in, standing tall. He had baggy pants borrowed from the Senordians at the hospital and walked comfortably and confidently. Bulma's mouth was agape as she watched him take his seat; she hadn't imagined the engineering to be so smooth! As he walked, not a sound was given to hint that he had an artificial leg. He sat in his chair just as Trunks walked in, hands clean and ready for a good meal.

 

“Well done Trunks, I'm so proud of you!” Bulma commented as Chi Chi passed him a plate with meat and vegetables, “I didn't think you'd be able to finish the engineering after what the Senord's had done!” Trunks smiled thanking Chi Chi and then his mother. Then he hungrily dug in, gulping everything down. Within a minute he requested another plate and the table couldn't help but laugh. Even Vegeta had a grin on his face.

 

Minutes passed but it seemed like hours as Earth's survivors ate together, for a moment, nothing was on their minds. Above them the skylight illuminated the room slightly, space's colours sending hues of light pink and yellow sparingly onto their expensive oak dining table. The meeting hall which also served as a dining room was warm and soothing.

 

A fork was laid gently on its place and Bulma laid back; she was the first to finish. With tender hands, she laid her fingers on her belly gently. She smiled softly: within her, she knew her developing baby had enjoyed the meal too. Her pregnancy wasn't noticeable, and she knew it would seem odd to everyone if she kept staring at her tummy with a far-off gaze in her eyes, (especially because she hadn't told them of her condition yet), but this was the only time since Scar's appearance that she had been able to think about her soon-to-be child. She looked up at Vegeta - he was still concentrating on his food - but she knew he was smiling inside too. He would protect her no matter what would happen... She knew, she hoped, they would never get separated in this new crisis.

 

“Well, I guess we have a moment of piece again,” Goten commented as he tore the meat from the bone. The table was suddenly silent except for the clitter-clatter of forks and knives. Videl swallowed hard. It suddenly became very tense on the table. A large sweat drop drooped from Goten's temple and he sighed. Above them the stars still whizzed past and the engines of the NS 5000 hummed softly.

 

“How much longer?” Gohan suddenly asked. Pulla knew he was talking to her. Everyone knew. The man was still bitter about his father's sudden death, and like everybody else, wanted to have him back. She wiped her mouth with a petite silk handkerchief and answered without looking up at him as she continued cutting her food, “A week,” she replied.

 

Goten cleared his throat and asked for some more water which chibi Trunks handed him over. Goten thanked him and poured in the water slowly before gulping it down fast.

 

“You know, going there is probably the best option now,” Trunks said as he watched the younger version of himself throw some of his food at Chibi Goten, thinking no one would notice. Trunks leaned back in his chair with his arms crossed over his white hemmed chest, “There are no robots on that planet. King Kai made it perfectly clear that the Voice could only control machines with that virus of his, so I think we have nothing to worry about, right?”

 

“Yeah, everything should go smooth,” Goten grinned, as he too finished his meal.

 

Clutching tightly to his cutlery was Tilo, his grip whitening his knuckles. He hadn't spoken during the entire meal. He crackled a fresh lettuce leaf in his mouth in disgust, the bitter taste of the vegetable made him shudder inside as it sliced his tongue. That feeling and taste: it was anger and pain. He could not look at his grandfather. Did everyone else know? Why the hell hadn't they told him? Told him of Vegeta's atrocities? Why was Vegeta seated here with them? Why was Tilo even born? Did Bulma even know? This blood; he thought it was warrior's blood, but…

 

“Hey, kid!” Goten said, “You o.k.?”

 

“Yeah…” Tilo said, and then he abruptly stood up, the chair scraping and squeaking loudly on the floor, “I… I need to be alone for a while.” He looked at Vegeta as the man held a glass of water in his hands. He looked back at Tilo. The look was nothing unusual; just the same cold Vegeta look. Tilo stared a moment longer and then forcedly ripped his eyes away, not able to stare into the man's cruel eyes. He then escaped into the hallway and out of sight.

 

“What was that all about?” Gohan asked shocked as he looked at Vegeta.

 

“Do you think something happened to him on Senord? Trunks?” Pulla looked at her husband with concern in her eyes, “What was that? He can't get away with everything. We still have to punish him for all those things he's done! Let me talk to him,” and Pulla quickly chucked her napkin onto the table and got up.

 

“Yeah, he heard something on Senord,” Vegeta said darkly, “Not that I care. He's probably found out a little bit more about his people.”

 

“The Saiyans you mean?”

 

“That's right,” Vegeta said.

 

My race. My people. My blood.

 

****

 

Tilo's eyes suddenly became harshly similar to that of Vegeta's as he stomped around his room, thinking hard. He stared at the bare, white walls, the room dark with only a lamp to slightly brighten the four corners. The small window beside the bunk-beds showed the universe before him, their destination a small dot that never seemed to get any closer. It was driving him crazy.

 

“Agh!” Tilo growled and kicked the bed. Only a small part of him was Saiyan. His strength came from his Saiyan blood, and obviously so did his ability to transform. At first, he was proud. Now… Now!

 

Suddenly, Pulla walked in with anger blazing in her eyes. Her fingers were firmly planted on her waist as she began to scold her son, “Do you have any idea how rude you were to your grandfather! That is no way to behave Tilo, have I taught you nothing?! How can you keep acting like this; running away? You run from school, you run from home, you run from the table, you run from - ”

 

“Scar?”

 

“Tilo, that man has nothing to do with it,” she snapped, ignoring his name entirely, “You weren't even supposed to go to him is what I understand! Why don't you ever listen?! Tilo, look at me when I'm talking to you!”

 

Tilo turned his head and slowly looked at her. She continued, “Who is chasing you son? What is wrong? I know you were never like this, your father and I raised you well. This only happened since… since…”

 

“Since I couldn't win last year…”

 

“It's understandable. You were fifteen! No one expects a child to do a man's job!”

 

Tilo didn't feel like arguing with her. After all, it wasn't his mother he was angry with. She was wrong when she thought the battle field was only for men. He knew that Gohan, even his own father and Goten had fought at the age of seven! Why the hell couldn't he?! What was it that hindered him in his power so much?!

 

He tried not to let his anger get to his face but it was too late. Pulla crossed her arms and in a very Bulma-like tone said, “Now I want you to apologise to Vegeta. He won't say anything back, but at least it saves your father and I the embarrassment!”

 

“No.”

 

She blinked, “Wh… what?”

 

“No! I'm not going to apologise! Do you know what that man has done? I heard of his war crimes! He wasn't a warrior! He's been lying to everyone!”

 

Pulla was speechless. This was the first time, the first time since he was seven that he ever yelled at her like that. Her son was always cool and collected, he had that from Trunks. What was this now?

 

“That is why you're angry? Honey, I don't like Vegeta very much myself, but deep down he's a good man! Do you know that a long time ago, before you were born, he made a wish? His wish was to bring back all the good people back to Earth after Majin Buu destroyed it. He-”

 

“I know why Scar wanted to kill us,” he suddenly interrupted, “The Saiyans must have done something horrible to him. It's the only explanation.”

 

Pulla sighed, “Fine, don't listen to me. After all, I was just a baby when Buu destroyed the Earth, what do I know about Vegeta's past? Scar's dead, and we have bigger problems. If you really want to know about the Saiyans, who better to ask then the `Prince of all Saiyans?'”

 

With that, Pulla strutted out the door and shut it firmly.

 

Tilo sighed. The confusion in his head was killing him, he didn't know who or what to believe: a woman with no hand on Senord or his own family?

 

But all that didn't matter. If Vegeta really did repent, then Tilo had nothing to worry about. But even repeating those words in his mind sounded like a big lie. Was he being childish? That woman with a stump and rags as clothes: she was a soldier… Vegeta and his men. They personally did this to me. They weren't warriors. They were KILLERS!

 

Tilo shook his head. If this is what space travel did to someone, heck no: don't blame space! Ever since meeting Scar, Tilo grimly thought that sooner or later he would need therapy. If he lived through this nightmare that is.

 

A week is all they had before they'd be wishing Goku back to life. Maybe he was being a little dramatic: After all, it's only the Earth that had been destroyed along with his best friend and the life he once had there… It's no big deal that his brain felt permanently damaged with images of Gohan in agony, the truth of his grandfather's past… Yeah. He was being a little dramatic.

 

But something else was bugging him. Tilo's feet suddenly slid across the floor. Impulsively Tilo's body pushed back, trying to cause a balance, but it still felt like an invisible ki plate was pushing him towards the window… Tilo's heart pounded as he glanced out of the window: what was happening?! Was someone… in here… trying to… kill him?! He tried to push the force back but it was stronger then him… much stronger! He dug his feet deeper into the metal of the floor and pushed with his arms as hard as he could, but he was losing. He looked back behind him. The window was too small for him to fit through. This thing was probably planning on crushing him against the cold, paint covered metal, his flesh splitting open and his blood splattering across the room. But then the force became calmer and he realised that the thing was trying to show him something. He took a glimpse behind him, still not trusting this thing entirely, and saw his reflection in the window. His face was pale and his eyes frightened. But he looked beyond his reflection and stared quickly into space.

 

“Agh!”

 

Suddenly a warm rush filled him, like a spirit had just entered his body. His heart beat fast and he grabbed his chest to breathe.

 

Darkness… it shrouded around Tilo's body… Then, from nowhere, yet somewhere, a voice radiated in the vacuum…

 

Hey! Finally man! Are you OK?

 

Tilo's blue eyes slowly drifted open, his eyes in a haze… his joints felt old and painful, his muscles tense… he tried to move, but he was afloat on his back… Slowly, his eyes vapoured into a focus… he tried to rub them… but he was as stiff as a board.

 

And there it was, before him.

 

The Purple planet.

 

It was beautiful. He was in space again, drifting. He breathed out… there was no air. No temperature.

 

“You've forgotten haven't you?”

 

Tilo's eyes were wide open. He thought he was alone. Obviously a moment of peace is too much to ask. The voice repeated itself, “You've forgotten, haven't you?”

 

“Forgotten what?”

 

For a moment the voice didn't answer, and then, like he was pointing out the object in front of Tilo he said, “…This.”

 

Tilo looked around him. What did he mean by “this”? Did he mean space? The stars, the moon, the galaxies, the nebulae, the…the planet?

 

“There you go. You remember now?”

 

“Gah!” the pupils in his eyes shot back. His hair fell across his eyes and shivered as he planted his fists into the floor. He gasped as he tried to catch his breath.

 

“Why am I shaking?” he thought. His brain was killing him. A sweat drop slid down his temple and down his cheek. He let it fall to the floor beneath him, his eye wide in shock. `What's happening to me?'

 

Beyond the doors of his room he heard people chatting and the sound of dishes being picked up and ready to be washed. Two pairs of feet were running across the hallway just outside Tilo's door, laughing in joy. The doors opened in a loud whiz and Chibi Goten and Trunks rolled in, wrestling each other. From the confusing mass, Chibi Goten jumped out and stuck his tongue out. Chibi Trunks' eyes widened in rage and was about to punch his friend when he got an uppercut in the chin. Trunks cried out loud, stars in his vision and little tears forming in his eyes, his head fuming like a hot stake, “You! I'll kill you!” he yelled as he stuck out his middle finger. Goten laughed in glee and ran out of the bedroom, Trunks hot on his tail.

 

Drifting like an autumn leaf, Tilo noticed a piece of paper slowly land on the floor. His body like lead, Tilo slowly managed to pick himself up. He walked towards the paper and then picked it up with his right hand, his left holding onto his aching head.

 

“What's this?” he wondered. Scribbled with black ink the paper read: Property of Goten. DON'T TOUCH!

 

Tilo hesitated. The two chibi's had secrets, no doubt, everybody on board knew that. Goten, since his loss of both his fathers, was quieter between the two, and as odd as it sounded, though Chibi Trunks was a thinker and speaker, Chibi Goten had of late been doing some deep pondering of his own. Mutters in sleep and rooted thoughts were in the eyes of the seven year old. And if this paper said “Property of Goten” then it might have some information, some secrets, his secrets and thoughts?

 

Curiosity could not be contained and Tilo suddenly forgot the pain in his head. With a wild drumming heart, Tilo slowly unfolded the paper…

 

Quantum 35. Tripolium 78. Urtryianium slime.

 

What the hell was this? It looked like a list of chemical stuff. Or biological stuff? Whatever, he didn't understand anything of it and wondered what a seven year old would be doing with such notes. Then again, the handwriting was too scribbly and small to be of a child's. Frustrated that it didn't have any information on the Voice or his virus, Tilo did away with the note.

 

****

 

Strife, burning red hair and a smile that would give a child nightmares for weeks stood tall in front of the Voice.

 

“Dead?” the Voice asked.

 

“That would make this whole thing boring, right?” he grinned.

 

For a moment, there was a silence. Crossing his arms, Strife raised his eyebrow. Behind a shield of armour, a pod contraption made of parachinium, the Voice resided within it for, well, forever it seemed. His face was hidden, and no one, no one but Strife, had seen the Voice's form. It was a horrible experience.

 

“Did I say somethin' wrong? Hey!”

 

A lightning of chi whipped from the contraption and knocked Strife off his feet. The man fell and his smile quickly disappeared as the wind was knocked out of him. A terrifying jab of pain surged through his body. He grabbed his knee.

 

“Damn!” he cursed as the pain in his knee throbbed, “FOOL!” the Voice suddenly boomed, “I will have no survivors you hear?! I want them dead! I didn't give you all this power to play! You will not ruin this plan! If you step in here again telling me the Saiyans are not dead I will kill you! And believe me; I am straining myself as we speak!” The coil retreated, and the Voice yelled, “Get up!”

 

Strife quickly got to his feet and dusted himself.

 

“Now find them. You know what to do if they decide to land on a planet. No machine can resist the virus; you better make that clear to those idiot warriors of yours.”

 

Inside, Strife was furious. Blackness in the room shrouded his face. Kami forbid the Saiyans land on a planet with robots. In his ear, he could hear the white noise of an incoming transmission from Yashamaru. He switched the machine off quickly before the Voice decided to let it explode in his head. “Why the hell does he always shout at me?” Strife thought gloomily. He bowed after another series of the Voice's harsh instructions, most of which passed through one ear and out of the other, then backed away slowly and walked away from his master.

 

The doors closed and Strife sighed in relief. His frosty eyes suddenly blazed crimson red like hell, his eyes wide, before it wisped like smoke and then slowly settled back to freezing blue. All the while, his mouth was drawing a long breath - not a yawn - but a rasping breath that made a horrible noise in his mouth - his tongue curling, his short, canines glistening like wolf's jaws in the moonlight. His devil smile returned. Anyone who would have watched this would have thought the man possessed.

 

“What is it?” he switched the transmitter on again.

 

“We've located the NS 5000. You better come and take a look.” Strife nodded. With quick steps, he entered the elevator and pressed a sequence of buttons. Counting the seconds, Strife reached `5' and the elevator stopped. He stepped out and walked into his ship. It was fastened securely to the Voice's chunk he called a ship.

 

Strife strode into the main deck. It had a huge window to space, but black metal screens covered it. The room was dark and eerie, the lights dim and the computer screens, most of them dead or on stand by, were like ghosts keeping the passengers company.

 

“Take a look,” Yashamaru, a young warrior with raven hair and a blue headband said, his gloved hand pointing at the screen, “It worked. The tracking device has them cornered like a fly in a spider's net!”

 

Another man, hulky in form and slightly overweight with sharp eyes and tattoos all over his arms, jumped from a hatch in the ceiling, “I like killing! Let's do it ourselves Strife! Please!”

 

Strife's eyes looked closely at the screen, his chin in his hands in thought.

 

“We can catch them off guard,” a woman's voice said. She was leaning against the wall with her hands crossed. Her voluptuous body was in the shadows as her glistening black jump suit kissed her skin tightly, “We can sneak into their ship, and kill most of them in their sleep,” her voice dripped with evil joy at the thought, “and the survivors… we can fight them where their most vulnerable! We can grab them, and pound them, and keep killing them in space!”

 

“It's not like you can breathe in space!” two voices said at the same time. They whirled around in their chairs with crossed arms. Ten-year-old twins, with black unruly hair, black armour and sinister eyes (the two had committed more crimes then Broly or Frieza could have ever done) looked at the woman sceptically, “You can't breathe in space,” one of the twins said and the other laughed, “But we can!” They chuckled in amusement, their rusty voices echoing in the ship. They were well built for kids; black devices attached to their arms for unknown purposes, each proudly evil and dark. Their black eyes reflected pain and cruelty; the first glance told that much. Each could have been compared to a younger version of Gohan in the days of Cell, had any of these warriors actually known Cell or Gohan, but that would have been too inaccurate, for the only similarity between the Saiyan and the twins was the hair.

 

“You expect that will stop me you little brats?!” she yelled.

 

“Shut up, all of you,” Strife said after studying the galactic map, “We won't fight them in their ship. If we do the virus will immediately find a robot and take it over. Then the Saiyans will surely die.” He looked at the screen a little longer.

 

“So many stars for one planet,” Strife said as he looked at the blinking light on the screen, “There's no need to kill them in a spaceship! The answer is right here! We will kill them on this planet. Yashamaru,” the raven-haired teen nodded and typed into his computer. A sound of approval from the computer and a whole database of the many-starred planet came into view.

 

“It's a new planet,” Yashamaru explained, his sharp teeth glistening from the screens glows, “inhabited by a small number of races. There's not much info on this place, it's fairly hidden. But their rumours about items that have supernatural powers… Yeah, and there's no trace of machinery.”

 

Strife smiled broadly.

 

“Yes…” he clapped his hands together and rubbed them fiercely in glee, “Everyone! We're headed for New Namek!”

 

****

 

The ship landed a week later softly on the planet's soil. The NS 5000's doors opened and everyone stepped out, breathing in deeply as though the planet's oxygen would revive them and numb their pain. Bulma especially was glad to feel nature's soil underneath her own two feet.

 

Picollo crossed his arms and a smile spread on his face. He was staring into the distance, grateful to be able to feel the sun's rays on his cheeks. The pale green sky was bright and alive as usual, the short blue grass blew softly in the warm wind. Gohan looked at him and smiled too.

 

“It's good to be home Gohan,” Picollo said. Gohan nodded, “Yeah… It's been so long. Nothing's changed.”

 

From behind them Tilo stepped out too, his arms crossed over his chest, `So this is Namek?' he thought.

 

In the distance, a group of Nameks slowly climbed up a small hill. Gohan blinked twice and suddenly laughed aloud, “Hey guys! Look! They have the dragon balls!” In each hand, the Nameks carried a shining dragonball, welcoming smiles on their faces.

 

“Huh? How did they know we were coming?”

 

Treading slowly, the two groups met. Elder Namek spoke, “His message wasn't clear, but we assumed King Kai was talking about collecting the dragon balls. Here, use them as you please. On more then one occasion you have saved us.”

 

“Thanks,” Gohan said and each member of NS 5000 received a dragonball. Slowly, they placed them on the ground.

 

“All right guys… here goes.”

 

Stretching his hands out, Gohan decided to do the honours. He always wanted t to call Porunga, what better time then now? With a slightly blurred vision, (wishing desperately he had his glasses on) Gohan stretched his hand over the dragonballs and smiled: “Arise! Porunga!”

 

The sky darkened and lightning crackled. The dragon balls suddenly glowed brightly, nearly blinding Videl and Chi Chi who had to cover her eyes. Suddenly, Porunga's lights shot up from the balls and his figure blocked the heavens, his body snaking the earth.

 

Pulla screamed and covered her face and ears, crouching unto the ground. Everybody stared with newfound hope. Those who had never seen Porunga stared in amazement at the sheer difference.

 

“You have summoned me! Name your first wish and it shall be granted!” Porunga voice roared in the heavens.

 

“Goku… Wish Goku back…” Chi Chi told Gohan as she stood up.

 

Gohan stared up at the sky. Yes… wish Goku back… He cleared his throat and prepared his wish…

 

*********

AN: Thank you Writer-Person for that review (tears flowing down excessively). I really appreciate it!! And of course to everybody else who was kind enough to review! You rock!