Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Rebirth of Destruction ❯ And So it Begins ( Chapter 3 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

It was a dark night in the eastern hemisphere of Earth. The moonless sky was lit only with the bright stars that twinkled in the distance, reminders of unknown worlds far beyond reach. How many of those stars, Vegeta wondered idly, are worlds that house sentient beings much like the Earthlings?

Vegeta’s lips were set in a thin line, his eyes narrowed thoughtfully as he balanced himself on the edge of his bedroom’s balcony railing and regarded the Heavens with no small interest. It had been so many years since he had last been out among the stars. A strange sense of melancholy filled him as he remembered what it had been like to live only for the thrill of gaining strength and defeating the stronger enemy, the thrill of having no conscience, of living for himself, without having to worry about whose life your actions would affect. Even now, after so many years, it was still difficult to believe that he could wake up every morning to a plate of warm food on a large table and enjoy it with people who actually gave a damn about what happened to him.

It was amazing how not even death twice over had taken him from these warped turns his life had taken. He could taste the bitter flavor that was left in his mouth from swallowing his pride as he thought back to how he had forgotten who he was and where he came from, simply because his family had been put in danger. It was easy to blame it on his masculinity and the instinctive pull he felt to protect what was his, but by now Vegeta knew better. Somewhere along the line, when he hadn’t been looking, when he had temporarily let his guard down—somewhere along the line, Vegeta had allowed his heart to feel once again.

Everything he had done had one way or another led him to this particular world, these particular people, and this particular life. Both in this dimension and in the one where his son from the future had come from, he ended up coming to Earth and dying to save its ungrateful and completely oblivious occupants. Vegeta hated to be controlled and he hated the thought of some mystical force that could control his actions and direct his life to where it wanted it, but it was random thoughts like these that made him wonder if Destiny was sitting on her throne somewhere, laughing at him this very second. It seemed like nothing he could do, no amount of evilness he knew he was capable of, would release him from this life that had been so blatantly imposed on him.

The scary thing was that he wasn’t sure if he really wanted to be released from it. Somewhere along his reluctant path of life in Earth, Vegeta had grown to like the idea of having offspring to carry on his legacy. He had grown to like the idea of having people around him who accepted him, even for the asshole that he tended to be more often than not. It was a miracle he didn’t understand—and he didn’t try to understand—that Bulma had held on around him for as long as she had without snapping. Her strength of character, one of the many reasons he had been attracted to her in the first place, was unwavering even in times of pressure and rivaled his own steadfast control. He marveled at the fact that they could even have decent conversations, considering the immense amount of pride they both possessed.

Yes, Destiny was indeed laughing at him.

He crossed his arms over his chest, shifting against his seat on the railing and leaning his head against the wall, allowing his dark thoughts to consume him temporarily. He made no move to abandon his post, even as the lights behind him in the bedroom flickered on.

~oOo~

Bulma stepped inside the dark bedroom and glanced around as she took note of the quietness. The bed was still made, indicating that nobody had used it since that very morning she had set it up. She frowned as she walked over to her bedside lamp so that she could have some illumination.

After a long day of sitting at her desk at Capsule Corporation doing paperwork, she had come home, hoping to relax in bed with a book, only to be met by a hungry Saiyan boy. She had resigned herself to make him something for dinner, all the while wondering why the sweet aroma had yet to cause her husband to wander in. For once, he hadn’t been in his training room, and she figured the once other place she would find him was their bedroom. However, even that was unoccupied. Was he even on the property grounds?

Now she stood by her dresser, taking off her jewelry and the comfortable clothes that she now wore to work as she looked forward to the next month when she would finally be satisfied enough with her work that she could take her maternity leave. She set down the last of her bracelets and reached behind her to lower the zipper in her maternity dress when she caught sight of a silhouette in the shadows of her balcony. In a moment of fear, her heart skipped to her throat but she forced herself to swallow it, finally recognizing the muscled outline of Vegeta sitting on the edge of the balcony railing. She smiled softly, marveling at his sense of balance. Even after all these years, it was still strange to think that even in the unlikelihood that he were to fall off, he could simply levitate himself back up, unharmed.

She stripped down to her underwear and slipped on a heavy robe, tying the sash loosely over her swollen belly. Keeping a casual pace, she opened the sliding door quietly and looked outside to see him more clearly. Only the stars and a single light on the opposite side of the balcony outlined his handsome profile: serious, slanted eyes that seemed to be eternally scowling resting above high cheekbones and a pointed, regal nose set over a sharp jaw and small mouth. Framing his head was a mane of unruly black hair that was always defying the laws of gravity.

Just like the man it belonged to.

By all means, his unruly, dark personality should have been a big turnoff for her, should have been being the key phrase. It seemed that she was always attracted to the bizarre, unstable, mysterious type. Instead, it had only served to attract her more to him, eventually. That is, of course, after she had spent a good deal of their first meetings cowering behind either Krillin or little Gohan.
Vegeta was the embodiment of all that was wicked, yet somehow that only served to further produce a mystery she was all too willing to figure out. Fifteen years later, she had yet to decipher him. She didn’t think she would have it any other way.

“Hey,” she called softly.

There was no answer, but then again, Bulma hadn’t exactly been expecting one.

“Aren’t you cold?” she asked.

She didn’t even bother asking why he was out there. Fifteen years hadn’t been enough to fully decipher this dark man, but that wasn’t to say that she hadn’t at least learned to read his onyx eyes and his expressive body language. She couldn’t even count the number of times he had come out here simply to clear his mind or to think.

“No,” came the swift answer from Vegeta.

“No, of course not,” Bulma replied dryly as she closed the sliding door behind her and walked over to stand against the railing several yards away from Vegeta. “You mighty Saiyans are immune to all that is uncomfortable, right?” She crossed her arms over themselves, suppressing a shiver in the cold night air.

As Bulma had expected yet again, Vegeta didn’t answer and she didn’t press. She could tell he was lost in some other world right now, thinking about things that probably plagued his dreams and his thoughts. She placed her folded arms over the railing and followed his gaze to the night sky. It was obvious that Vegeta wasn’t in the mood to talk, but Bulma had never let that stop her from doing so. If she had backed down at his hostility all those years ago, they would’ve never gotten to where they were that day.

“Are you looking at something specific?” asked Bulma.

Vegeta didn’t even turn his head to look at her as he spoke. “Go back inside,” he replied. “The cold isn’t good for you.”

It was then when Bulma noticed that he was simply staring into space. His face revealed that he was lost in a void of thoughts, so she decided to leave him to them. Even after all these years, getting him to talk about what was on his mind was like pulling teeth. If he wants to drown, he can knock himself out, for all I care.

Bulma pursed her lips together in annoyance and pushed herself off the railing, arms still crossed over her chest. She suppressed another shiver, finally giving in to her body’s protest and turning to leave. As she turned, a sliver of moving light in the sky that caught the corner of her eye caused her to turn back again.
A shooting star, Bulma thought. Well, you sure picked a hell of a night there…
She stared at the spot where the shooting star had just passed, remembering with a degree of irony how she had used to stand here in this very balcony with her father to watch the sky for shooting stars to grant her heart’s desire.

~oOo~


“Papa, what’s that?”

Dr. Briefs looked up from where he had been fiddling with the telescope to see what his daughter was pointing at. Seven-year old Bulma Briefs was staring with fascination at the spot where a dash of light had just passed by, her eyes twinkling with curiosity.

“That’s called a shooting star,” Dr. Briefs answered. “For the most part, they are residue left behind from a comet. Sometimes, they’re not associated with a comet, though, and that’s what we call a…” He trailed off, noticing that the little girl was more interested in the pretty lights, rather than where it actually came from.

“You know, Bulma,” Dr. Briefs began again. “If you make a wish after a shooting star goes by, it’ll come true.”

Bulma tore her round eyes away from the night sky to look at her father with excitement. “I want to wish for something!”

Dr. Briefs smiled contentedly, habitually chewing on his pipe and holding it thoughtfully as he tried to remember how the saying for the wish went.

“Say it with me, now,” he said. “Star light, star bright…”

“Star light, star bright,” Bulma repeated dutifully.

“…I wish I may, I wish I might…”

“…I wish I may, I wish I might…”

“…have the wish I wish tonight.”

“…have the wish I wish tonight.”

“Make a wish,” Dr. Briefs prompted.

Bulma barely considered it, knowing exactly what it was she wanted to have. “I wish to grow up and marry a handsome prince and live happily ever after!”

Dr. Briefs smiled in amusement. Mrs. Briefs had read Bulma so many fairy tales that she now had the little girl wanting to be in one of them. He knew no harm could come from it, of course, so he let the girl have her dreams. Who knew? Maybe one day she would get her prince…

~oOo~

Bulma turned to look at Vegeta once again, this time in mere amusement.

Yes, she had gotten her prince. Of course, when she had made that wish so many years before, she hadn’t counted on her “handsome prince” being a handsome alien prince with a disgruntled attitude and the personality of a chair.

Well, I guess I can’t complain, Bulma said in her own mind. It’s not like I was ever specific.

In her mind’s eye, she could see Destiny keeling over with laughter at her little prank. “Gee,” Bulma said softly. “Who would’ve guessed?”

Despite himself, Vegeta looked toward Bulma again. Her eyes were glued to a spot in the sky and she was smiling in wonder. A small hand had moved over her belly, the cold air momentarily forgotten. “Someone up there definitely has a twisted sense of humor,” she mused, “if they thought it’d be funny to have us get together and make children.”

A corner of Vegeta’s mouth lifted up in amusement. “I was just thinking the same thing.”

Bulma looked to him, her eyebrow raised in amusement. “This really wasn’t what you had in mind when you decided to come here, was it?”

They both knew she wasn’t referring to his decision to come sit out on their balcony railing. Vegeta furrowed his brow thoughtfully.

“My only goal was to defeat Freeza,” he replied. “I didn’t exactly have any plans beyond that, except maybe for taking my rightful place as ruler of the universe.”

Bulma bit her bottom lip to smother a smile at his matter-of-fact tone. He spoke of his life-long ambition as if it were the simplest thing one could accomplish. She imagined it came from so many years of using the idea as comfort. Living under Freeza’s rule couldn’t have been the easiest thing in the world. She had never gotten the opportunity for an up close look at the bastard who had caused so much pain for Vegeta and many others, but she knew enough about him by now to know what kind of a creature he had been.

“And how were you planning on achieving this goal of yours?” she asked him, determined to use this rare moment of openness to unlock one more piece of the puzzle that was her husband.

“I didn’t have to plan anything, Bulma, all I had to do was be stronger than Freeza and demonstrate it. Power commands respect. It’s simple as that.”

Bulma sighed. “It’s not simple as that. You earn respect by doing good things…”

She was interrupted by Vegeta’s snort. “You have no idea how the universe really works,” he told her. “You’ve lived a privileged lifestyle your whole life on this stupid backwater planet.”

Bulma furrowed her brow in exasperation. She hated these conversations between them that remind her of just how the man had been raised... and by whom. As opposed to Vegeta, she had lived in a big mansion her entire life, catered to her every whim and spoiled rotten by loving parents. Her entire life had been a game to her, filled with privileges that she had taken for granted for as long as she could understand them. Her biggest concern, up to the point where she had started the dangerous part of her adventure with Son Goku, had been finding the perfect boyfriend. And ever since she had been a teenager, she had lived with the knowledge that if anyone close to her were to die, he or she could always be wished back with the Dragonballs and all would be fixed.   

As she thought back on it, she realized that, despite everything that had happened over her lifetime, she had regardless lived in relative peace, compared to even the little she knew about Vegeta’s past. She couldn’t begin to imagine what could have happened to make a man to be so sour at life, so untrusting. Of course, she knew that by nature the Saiyans weren’t saints by a long shot. If Vegeta-sei had survived and Vegeta had been able to fulfill his destiny as the prince of his entire race, she knew he would be a very different person today.

But that’s not what had happened and this is who he was today. This emotional shield he constantly kept around himself—even as he has softened and allowed himself to care as time passed—she knew it was to protect himself from the pain that had been inflicted upon him during his life and from the people who had used him to achieve their ends. Had he ever even known love before? Had he ever even had a family before? The thought had always nagged at her in the back of her mind, but she had never found the courage to ask before.

“What about your parents?” she asked.

“What about them?” he countered.

“Don’t you ever miss them? Or your home planet? Your people?”

Vegeta averted his eyes and turned his head away. “I was too young when they all died to remember any of it well enough to miss it.” He narrowed his eyes in anger at something unseen. “It doesn’t matter anymore. Missing it won’t bring it back.”
Bulma considered her next question carefully. It wasn’t like Vegeta to spill his heart out, so she knew how to be content with what she got. Still, she couldn’t resist taking advantage of his mood and get what she could from him.

“If you could go back and change things… would you?” she asked cautiously.

There was a long, drawn out silence and Bulma concluded that she wasn’t going to get her answer. Disappointed, she turned to go. She had reached the sliding door and was about to pull it open before she finally heard Vegeta’s deep voice.

“What happened, happened. I don’t second-guess myself.”

Yes, indeed, thought Bulma. That had always been his life’s philosophy and she couldn’t say it was surprising. After all, hadn’t everything that happened in his life eventually led to this very moment? If things had been different for him, would she be carrying Yamcha’s or some other man’s child today? Did it even matter?

The sound of the sliding door opening and then closing filled the air, killing the silence and thus ending the conversation.

~oOo~

Kaio-shin strolled down one of the many halls that formed Kami’s Lookout.  Like so many times in the past few weeks, he was once again lost in his thoughts. Ever since his unexpected arrival to Earth, numerous questions had clouded his mind. He remembered how this sudden twist of fate had begun. The luminous orb of light and energy had suddenly appeared above him claiming him from his home with incredible strength that he had been powerless to fight. Next he had come to be in Earth, very literally stranded on the planet with his other Heavenly companion, Paikuhan. They had come to ask for the local kami’s help here and had learned from Dende of the immense confusion Heaven was in.

How all this had come to be was still beyond him and every other kai he knew, but there was no shadow of a doubt that whoever had freed the two evil warlords from Hell had great knowledge and power to rival even that of Babidi and his father. He hated this sense of uselessness and powerlessness he was feeling. There was nothing he could do at the moment except wait and set an example for everyone else that looked up to him. Working with the other kais was no easy task, mostly because they were well-known to bicker and quarrel over almost anything, but he had managed to get them back under control.  Here on Earth, Dende, Mr. Popo and Piccolo had done all in their power to make both Paikuhan and him feel comfortable, but the two of them knew for a fact there were dark times at hand.

Paikuhan had not let this minor setback of being transported back to the world of the living upset his training. Ever since he and Piccolo had learned of the ongoing events, they had embarked on a journey of intense training. Neither of them spoke much, but they somehow understood each other just fine. He, on the other hand, had set his training aside for the time being and instead focused on concentrating all might into figuring out what was going on.

Since the incident with the evil Majin Buu, Kaio-shin had learned that even though he was the god of gods, he was still very weak in comparison to some mortal fighters. This had come as a great shock to him since he had always believed himself to be the single most powerful force in the universe after the death of the other four Kaio-shin. On his first coming to Earth, after knowing of the malignant wizard Babidi’s intentions of resurrecting the demon Majin Buu, he had learned differently. He had gravely miscalculated the assistance the Saiyan inhabitants could offer, hence leading to the downfall of misfortunate events that had followed. This had eventually climaxed in the destruction of the planet and the death of almost every single person that lived on it. What ate him up inside was that throughout the entire ordeal, he had been powerless to do anything to prevent the tragic outcome. Instead, he had trusted young Son Gohan to kill the demon off for him.

Eventually, even Son Gohan had failed and died, leaving the fate of the universe once again to rest on the shoulders of Son Goku who, with the assistance of a revived Vegeta, a cocky Mr. Satan and surprisingly enough, part of Majin Buu himself, had by a strange twist of fate managed to stop the fiend in his tracks before he could destroy this universe and his. With the aid of the Dragonballs, and to Dai-Kaio-shin’s great disapproval, they had managed to make of this dimension what it once had been. Kaio-shin wondered idly what the old goat was up to at this very moment. Leaving him alone in Kaio-shin-sei for long didn’t seem like a very good idea. Good thing he had gotten his hands on a generous supply of magazines and comics to keep him busy for a while.

Kaio-shin tightened his jaw. Ever since then, he had vowed he would never again let his responsibilities land on the shoulders of others. Since then, he had been training day and night to make himself stronger. Now, it seemed his strength would be tested.

He was passing by one of the many rooms in the hall when he heard a loud gasp. He looked inside the arched doorway and into the room. Like many others in the Lookout, this one was fascinating and undoubtedly had its own secret power and purpose. The room was circular and dark with a vaulted ceiling. Mineral crystals were growing out of the wall and a faint trickle of water could be heard. It was faintly illuminated by the gems and geodes it harvested and he noticed a shallow trench on the floor where a shimmering liquid, undoubtedly the water that slithered down the walls, gathered and ran around the room like a circular stream. On the far wall, seven black pillars emerged from the floor each holding up a giant and well cut crystal formation. Of the seven, four of them glowed, casting a ghostly light on their surroundings. Before them stood Dende, staring with a worried expression as another stone lit up suddenly.

“Dende?” Kaio-shin spoke. “Is everything alright?”
Dende turned rapidly, startled by the presence he had failed to notice. Seeing it was Kaio-shin, he lowered his head. “I’m not sure, Lord Kaio-shin,” he responded. “This could mean anything, it was unexpected.”

Kaio-shin walked up to glowing crystals. “What worries you?” he asked contemplating them with interest.

Dende sighed. “These crystals were created by the former Kami to keep track of the Dragonballs. Each of them represents one. When they start to glow, it means that they have been collected from their resting place on Earth.”

Kaio-shin turned his head sideways to face the young Namekian. “So the Dragonballs are being collected? Why does this worry you so?”

Dende shuffled his feet. “The legend of the Dragonballs’ power isn’t common knowledge. Barely a hand full of people knows of them, most of which you know. What worries me is the pace at which they are being collected. I’ve been monitoring their progress and it is very different from one where one of the known users would have and way too fast for any other person.” Kaio-shin picked a sudden seriousness of the other’s tone. “With all that’s been happening,” Dende finished, “I can’t help but think the worse.”

Kaio-shin nodded solemnly. “Is there anyway of knowing who gathers them?” he asked.

Dende nodded. “I was going to go look down to Earth now and see if I could tell who it was.”

The Supreme Kai nodded. “Let’s go.”

Standing on the rim of the Lookout, the two of them looked down to the earth. Somewhere behind them, and happy Mr. Popo sang merrily as he watered the flowers that grew on the numerous gardens. Moving rapidly in the air above, they could sense Piccolo and Paikuhan’s energy as they were engaged in rapid battle exercises.

“They aren’t human,” Dende concluded after looking down a while. “Two of them, a male and a female, very human-like, one almost identical, but their ki are wrong. Barely… it took me a while to catch the difference of that one.”

Kaio-shin looked grim. “So we can assume someone from off the planet knows of the Dragonballs? You once told me Freeza went to Namek in search of them. Is it safe to conclude he could have sent for them?”

“Yes,” Dende replied. “That is what I fear.”

Kaio-shin clenched his fists and furrowed his brow. They couldn’t afford to wait any longer. “Piccolo! Paikuhan! We must talk. The time for action has finally come.”

~oOo~

Goku’s head broke the surface of the river as he scanned the water around him for his fishy prey. Spotting it a few meters away, he dove back under after it. He really regretted the fact that Goten wasn’t able to join him, but Chichi had him in a strict ‘no fun’ punishment ever since Gohan’s wedding and according to her, he still had another thirty years to go before he could leave his room.

Swimming rapidly, he prepared to catch that night’s dinner by the tail, when that familiar snap inside his head distracted him long enough for the two-ton fish to get away. He swam to shore and stepped out of the water just as the mental message was coming in.

“Excuse me, everyone,” the young voice spoke in his head. “I don’t mean to interrupt, but it is very important that you come to the Lookout right away.”

“What’s up, Dende? Is there a problem?” Krillin’s voice spoke next.

“Yes,” Dende replied. “But I’ll tell you once you are all here.”

Goku narrowed his eyes, wondering what could possibly be wrong now, after everything they had all gone through just a few years before.

“We’ll be there,” he said.

~oOo~

Gohan sighed again, the sound lost in the roar of the wind that surrounded him as he flew at moderate speed toward Kami’s Lookout. Beside him, doing her best to keep up, was his new wife Videl. Too preoccupied with whatever had caused Dende to call for them so urgently to remember that he wasn’t flying alone, Gohan increased his speed a bit more. Videl scowled at him, even though he wasn’t watching, and tried to increase her own speed a bit more. She was a little upset about having had to cut their honeymoon short, but she knew that if Dende wanted to see them, it was probably something important.

“Hey!” she called to him, snapping him out of his reverie. “Slow down a bit, would ya?”

Gohan glanced back at her sheepishly and slowed down again to match her pace. “Sorry,” he said. “I’m just eager to get there.”

“I’ll bet,” Videl answered. “What do you think this is all about?”

Gohan pursed his lips and furrowed his brow. “I don’t know, but whatever it is, it’s probably important.”

“You don’t think it has anything to do with Buu, do you?”
“No,” replied Gohan. “I doubt he’d start giving problems after all these years.”

Their conversation was cut short as they spotted the Lookout looming over the horizon. Together, they flew to it, anxious to finally get some answers.

When they got within sight range, they noticed the entire Z gang was already there. Vegeta, as always, was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed and looking very annoyed. Juuhachigou had a similar position on the other corner of the Lookout, while Tenshinhan and Chouzu were talking quietly several feet away. Krillin, Yamcha, and Goku were involved in a friendly conversation near the entrance to the palace.

Gohan and Videl touched down on the ground gently, attracting attention to themselves by clearing their throats.

“Gohan!” Goku cried happily. “Glad you could make it, son.”

Gohan smiled and nodded once. “Me too,” he replied. “So can anyone fill me in on what’s going on?”

“We’re not sure. We’ve been here for about half an hour, but Dende’s nowhere in sight,” Krillin spoke up.

“We guessed he was just waiting for everyone to get here,” Yamcha added.

Gohan looked around again, noting that Piccolo wasn’t there yet. “I guess Piccolo is the only one missing…”

“I’m right here,” a deep voice said from behind him. Videl jumped in surprise and whirled around to see the tall Namekiann directly behind her, arms crossed over his chest, gazing at them down his nose. Even after all this time, his presence was still slightly intimidating to her, but she had learned to deal with it because he was so important to Gohan.

“Piccolo!” Gohan said in greeting. “So do you know what this is all about?”

As if in response to the question, Piccolo turned his head to the palace’s entrance making the rest of the fighters look too. At that moment, Dende and Mr. Popo were walking out accompanied by another two figures.

“I’m sorry, everyone,” Dende spoke capturing the attention of all those present. “The reason I called you all here is— ”

“Whoa! Paikuhan’s here!” Krillin exclaimed. “Two tall, stoic, and green dudes in proximity! I should start worrying…” Everyone turned to glare at him. “Sorry,” he added sheepishly.
“Kaio-shin!” Gohan exclaimed. “It’s good to see you. What brings you by?” Kaio-shin nodded and motioned for him to listen to Dende.

“As I was saying, “ Dende continued, “the reason I called you here is because something terrible has happened. Approximately three weeks ago both Heaven and Hell were set in uproar because nature was upset…”

Vegeta snarled impatiently. “We don’t need your melodramatics, get to the point already,” he snapped.

Dende looked at Kaio-shin for support. “What he is trying to say,” the higher deity started, “is that Freeza and Koola have been released from Hell.”

There were a few seconds of silence while the information sank in. Goku, Gohan and Vegeta narrowed their eyes while everyone else but Videl gapped in shock.

“Who?” Videl asked in confusion.

“Could you run that by me again?” Tenshinhan said at the same time.

“What do you mean Freeza and Koola have been released?!” Vegeta cut in. “Hell is an eternal prison. You don’t just walk out.”

“We know,” Paikuhan told him. “We aren’t sure what to make of it yet.”

“So is that why you’re here?” Gohan asked.

“Technically,” Kaio-shin spoke. “We’re not sure why we are here, but we believe that we came to this dimension with them and are being kept here with no way to return home. I’m not able to teleport back to my planet.”

“How long ago did this happen?” Vegeta snapped angrily.

Dende pursed his lips, hesitating before finally answering. “Three weeks ago.”

Vegeta shook his head in angry disbelief and turned around, the muscles on his back twitching with tension.

“Why didn’t you tell us this sooner?” Goku asked.

“There was no reason to alarm you,” Kaio-shin answered. “Before today, nothing had occurred that caused us to worry further. We’ve been trying our best to sort things out.”

“What…” Krillin said. “What do you mean ‘before today’?”

“That’s why I called you here,” Dende spoke up. “The Dragonballs have been collected by someone other than you guys.”

“The Dragonballs?!” Yamcha cried. “Who else would know about the Dragonballs?”

“That’s the problem,” Dende replied. “No one who can gather them so quickly.”

“So…” a new female voice spoke up, causing everyone to turn to shift their attention to Juuhachigou. “You’re suggesting that Freeza and Koola gathered them.”

“Not them personally, of course,” Kaio-shin stated. “But we think he probably sent someone for them…”

A sudden burst of ki caused everyone to start and look up in time to see Vegeta flying away.

“I guess he’s hit the hardest of us all…” Goku commented.

“I hope he doesn’t do anything stupid,” Yamcha added.

“Ouch,” Krillin said. “Freeza and Koola at the same time. And I thought that one at a time was bad!”

“Why is this even a problem?” Tenshinhan asked suddenly. “Goku and Vegeta are both way stronger than them. They’ve been defeated in the past. All we have to do is find whoever’s gathering the Dragonballs before they finish.”

Piccolo, who had been quite up until now, finally spoke again. “We can probably assume that, just like Goku, Vegeta, and the other Saiyans, they’ve had just as much time to increase their strength in the afterlife.”

“Plus,” Dende added. “I’m very disturbed that were even able to leave the afterlife. We don’t know why Paikuhan and Lord Kaio-shin are here in the first place and why Lord Kaio-shin has lost his ability to teleport.”

“What do you want us to do, Dende?” Yamcha asked.

Dende blinked a few times, not having expected that question just yet. He turned to look at Kaio-shin expectantly. Kaio-shin looked back at him for a few moments and then turned to look at everyone else, who were also looking at him expectantly.

“Well…”

~oOo~

He should have known his mother would have eventually caught up to him. Goten and he had fled home where, a few hours later, the still-enraged Chichi and Bulma had found them. Needless to say, the two of them had been grounded for the remainder of their time alive, but if there was one thing Trunks had learned in his twelve years of life was that the things you couldn’t get through, you had to find a way around.

He had applied that particular bit of information on this punishment today. Deciding that he had already spent enough time indoors, he had snuck out of his bedroom when his mother had been busy elsewhere in the house with the planning of the arrival of his new baby sister. His dad had left early that morning, not bothering to tell anyone where he was going. Since the ki-sensing danger was gone, he was free to do what he wished, or at least he had a few hours while Bulma didn’t miss him. He had been on his way to his best friend’s house when the ship had caught his eye. It wasn’t far from his house, a round spaceship with numerous oval-shaped windows around it and spider-like legs that kept the main body a few meters from the ground.  Driving down his uncontrollable curiosity, he had opted for finding Goten first to explore the strange device.

He landed soundlessly next to the window that led to his friend’s bedroom. Peeking inside, he spotted a bored-looking Goten flipping through a picture book on his bed. He grinned and tapped the glass window softly to get his attention. The sound distracted Goten enough to make him look up at Trunks. A wide smile parted his lips as he spotted his friend waving at him from the window. Goten jumped out of bed and hurried to open the only door that connected him to the outside.

“Trunks! What are you doing here?” he exclaimed.

Trunks held a finger up to his lips signaling for silence. “I’m here for you, silly,” Trunks replied in a low voice. “But keep it down. We wouldn’t want your mother finding us out.”

Goten nodded excitedly. “I thought it would be a while before I got to see you again,” he said helping Trunks into his room.

“Yeah,” Trunks agreed. “But here I am! And wait ‘till I tell you what I found.”

“What?” Goten asked curiously.

“Well,” Trunks started. “I was on my way here when I spotted a bizarre looking ship. By the thick outsides I’d say it’s a spaceship, but I’ve never seen one like it before.”

“You think there are aliens in it?”

Trunks scratched his chin. “Maybe. That’s why I came to get you, let’s find out!”

Goten looked towards the door nervously. “But what if Mom finds out I left?”
“What if she does?” Trunks countered. “We’re grounded for life as it is so more punishment won’t make much difference.”

Goten considered this for a few moments then nodded. “I guess you’re right.” He walked towards the window and began to climb out. “Should we take anything?”

“Umm…” Trunks said looking around. “Well, since there might be evil space aliens, we might need a weapon, but you have none here. We’ll have to go back home and get my sword.”

“Your sword!” Goten exclaimed, the need to keep his voice down forgotten. “The one Tapion gave you?!”

“Shhhhhhh!” Trunks hissed. “Yes! That one. Now let’s get out of here before we get caught.”

Goten nodded sheepishly and flew out the window followed closely by Trunks.

“So where’s your dad and Gohan?” Trunks asked once they were well on their way back to Capsule Corp. “I know Dad left this morning in a really big hurry, but he didn’t say where to.”

“Well,” Goten started, “Dad went fishing this morning, but hasn’t returned. My brother is with Videl somewhere.”

“Oh,” Trunks said. “We can meet up with your dad later. Fishing’s cool, and he wouldn’t tattle on us.”

Goten nodded. “But making sure Mom doesn’t see us.”

The speedy flight back to Trunks’ house ended quickly as the two boys crept into Trunks’ bedroom in search for the legendary sword. Trunks grabbed it from its perch on top of one of his numerous toy shelves and admired it for a few seconds.

~oOo~

“Awww!” Trunks complained as his mother jumped from the time capsule and landed safely next to him. “But I thought I’d gotten a brother!”

Bulma smiled and lifted a finger at him. “Don’t forget,” she said smiling. “You can always meet him with the time machine.”

Trunks face lit up. “That’s right!” he exclaimed happily.

“Trunks!”
Trunks looked up to meet the smiling face of the one he had called his brother. Tapion, the legend of the brave, smiled and threw him the sword he had from the time capsule. Trunk’s eyes widened as he caught the heavy blade and fought to keep his balance.

“You’re giving this to me?!” he asked in amazement and gratitude.

“Yes,” Tapion replied, his bright green eyes smiling with the rest of his face; no longer haunted by the demon he had once kept trapped within. “I don’t need it anymore.”

Overcome with happiness, he had started jumping up and down. “Hurrah!” he exclaimed soon joined in his enthusiasm by his best friend Goten.

Tapion chuckled pleasantly. “See you again, everybody!” he said closing the hatch of the time capsule and waving farewell at the gathered group below him. He flashed into the sky and Trunks had run after him a few paces while slipping the sword across his back and looking after Tapion proudly. At last, he had a brother.

It had been little over a week when he had insisted to his mother to let him go visit Tapion in his time. A bit reluctant at first, Bulma had eventually agreed to let him go on the trip for a span of a few days. Packing some clothing, food, and of course, his new sword, he had taken flight. It hadn’t taken long for him to find Tapion’s ki.

“Big brother!” he exclaimed running up to a surprised Tapion. “Hi!”

“Trunks!” Tapion exclaimed picking up the running demi-Saiyan as he jumped into the air.

“How have you been?” Tapion inquired. “Is your mother well? What about the Sons and Videl?”

Trunks laughed. “They send you their greetings and best wishes.”

Now it was Tapion’s turn to laugh, his red Mohawk falling across his face nicely. “And you, Chibi Oniichan, have you learned how to use that sword I left you?”

“Yes!” Trunks exclaimed jumping down. “I’ll show you!” Trunks took his sword from its sheath and proceeded on demonstrating his own version of swordplay.

Tapion laughed. “Not bad. You certainly have a unique… style.”

Trunks stopped in mid-pace to look at Tapion wide eyed. “Huh?”

Tapion smiled and kneeled next to him. “Don’t worry, Trunks,” he told him gently. “I’ll help you polish it in the next few days and by the time you go home, you’ll be an expert swordsman.”

Trunks eyes twinkled in excitement and enthusiasm. “Aha!” he said laughing.

~oOo~

“Trunks?”

Trunks was snapped out of his momentary reverie and looked at his best friend, “Right!” Trunks said throwing the sword across his back. “Let’s go explore that spaceship!”

Once again managing to escape his room uncaught by his mother, Trunks led the way to where he had seen the strange spacecraft. A few minutes later, the two of them were gaping up at the threatening looking spaceship in awe.

“So…” Goten asked Trunks without taking his eyes from the alien ship. “How do we get in?”

“Umm…” Trunks said looking around. “There must be a hatch or escape door somewhere on top of it.” He flew up over the vessels and looked around. He grinned at what he saw.

“Hey! Goten! You can close your mouth now, I found a way in!”

Quickly following the other’s lead, Goten flew up and landed neatly on the roof of the ship. Trunks was tinkering with what looked to be a circular hatch of some sort. After a few minutes of trying, he finally managed to open it without damaging it too much.

“Ha!” Trunks exclaimed proudly looking into the dark interior of the craft. “Shall we go in?”

Goten nodded excitedly. Grinning from ear to ear, Trunks dropped himself into the spaceship and signaled for Goten to follow.

“Wow,” Goten said looking around the interior of the hall they were in. “It looks big.”

“Yeah,” Trunks replied. “Let’s check out what we find this way.”

They ran around the circular hall until it came to a dead end with a door. They approached it cautiously and jumped backwards as it opened automatically to let them pass. Goten laughed and scratched his head at their foolishness as Trunks trudged on forward. The room they entered was large and full of crates. It was dimly illuminated by a few lights on the ceiling and on the walls around them.

“What is this place?” Goten asked pacing around the room.

“Looks like a storage room some sort,” Trunks answered his friend. He walked around one of the piles of crates and stopped dead in his tracks.

“Goten…” he called.

Hurrying to where his friend was, Goten discovered what had caught his attention. There, inside one of the larger crates, the seven Dragonballs glowed eerily, a property they obtained when they were brought altogether.

“But…” Goten began, “why would the aliens want the Dragonballs?”

Trunks was about to answer but has cut short by feeling a heavy hand land on his shoulder.

“What have we here?” a masculine voice said. “Stowaways?”

Trunks felt his breath leave him suddenly as a cold feeling crept up from his stomach. He looked over to Goten who was in front of him and found him peering curiously at the stranger.

“Tapion …?” Goten asked doubtfully once looking into the being’s face and features.

Overwhelmed with a strange sense of happiness, Trunks quickly turned to meet his captor’s face. “Big brother?!” he cried smiling. His face froze in disappointment. This wasn’t Tapion, though he really looked like him. His hair was lighter and not the fiery red Tapion had, not to mention he didn’t have a Mohawk, but instead his entire head was covered in wild, Saiyan-like hair. It was the same species, no doubt, but not him.

“You’re not Tapion!” Goten exclaimed.

The elder looked at the two of them curiously before raising a palm before him and muttering some words in a language neither of them understood.

“Hey!” Goten cried out. “Trunks! I can’t move!”

Trunks tried to reach for his sword only to discover he too had been frozen were he stood.

“Damnit!” he cried out. “Goten! I’m also stuck.”

“Don’t try to escape it,” their captor told them. “I and only I choose when to raise the spell, little demi-Saiyan.”

Trunks turned to look at him in surprise. “You know what we are?!”

The other nodded. “Yes,” he replied. “And you are now our prisoners.”

Vegeta frowned worriedly as he increased his ki to its maximum in Super Saiyan form. Once the news of Freeza’s return had sunk in, Vegeta had powered up and shot to the sky.

Freeza’s return.

It was the last thing he would’ve thought of when Dende had so adamantly insisted that they gather at the Lookout. And now Freeza had sent someone to gather the Dragonballs, probably to gain his life-long wish of immortality. Vegeta was certain that after that was achieved Freeza would want his revenge against him and Goku. The morons that called themselves Earth’s greatest defenders were too busy discussing the problem in committee to actually take some action. No, Vegeta was not going to let the ruthless bastard that had destroyed his life so many years before have a go at it again.

He had lived his life under Freeza’s rule for too many years and he had also known life without anyone to tell him what to do. He preferred the latter.

~oOo~

Thirteen year-old Vegeta glared at the door in front of him. The mission had gone through perfectly, the planet wiped out of its inhabitants and ready for Freeza to do as he pleased with it. All Vegeta wanted to do now was bathe, so that he could go back to his training for the rest of the night. Instead, Freeza had sent one of his lackies to wait for his pod to land in the bigger spaceship in order to tell him that Freeza wanted to see him.

What does that bastard want now? Vegeta wondered as he lifted a hand to open the door, not even bothering to knock first. He stepped into the chambers and tossed the door closed behind him. Directly in front of him was a large window that took over the entire wall with a view to the stars. Sitting in his hover chair with his back to the door where Vegeta stood was Freeza.

“You wished to see me, Lord Freeza,” said Vegeta.

“I did,” Freeza replied. There was a moment of silence until Freeza’s chair turned to face Vegeta. The Ice-jin, as the Glai’keel-jin were commonly referred to, regarded the Saiyan prince silently for a moment. He stood from his chair and walked back to continue his stargazing, hands clasped behind his back. “I trust the mission is completed.”

“The planet was been thoroughly exterminated of all life-forms,” came Vegeta’s swift answer.

“All life-forms?”

Vegeta didn’t reply, causing Freeza to turn his torso around to look at Vegeta expectantly.

“Yes.”

Freeza turned his back yet again. “I see,” he said. “Did I not tell you to leave King Seiur alive?”

Vegeta swallowed hard and crossed his arms over his chest, his resolve suddenly strengthened. “He pissed me off.”

There was a hard silence once again that made Vegeta feel uncomfortable. Slowly, calmly, Freeza turned around to face Vegeta. He walked a few steps forward to stand directly in front of the young prince. Something flashed in his eyes, making Vegeta shudder in fear, though he’d be damned if he ever let the other creature know.

“I left specific orders to kill everyone except for their King,” Freeza told him, “and I expected them to be followed. What am I to do with such a disobedient underling?”

Vegeta gritted his teeth. If there was anything he hated, it was being reminded that he didn’t own himself. “I apologize, Lord Freeza,” Vegeta said through his teeth. “I assure you it won’t happen again.”

“Oh, I’m sure it won’t,” Freeza answered.

Vegeta nodded and when Freeza didn’t make a move to say anything else, turned to go. He gasped in surprise when he felt something hard wrap around his neck and pull him back. He suddenly found himself face to face with Freeza, his feet dangling in the air.

“I never said you could leave, little Monkey Prince,” Freeza told him. “I’m very fond of you and I am willing to make exceptions for you. But, really Vegeta, you try my patience.”

Vegeta instinctively reached up to try and loosen the tail from its death grip around his neck. If anything, he only succeeded in making Freeza tighten his hold.

“Sometimes I think Zarbon and Dodoria are right in telling me to rid of you now and save myself some trouble later.”

Vegeta finally stopped his struggling and returned Freeza’s glare.

“That attitude of yours is going to get you killed someday,” Freeza told him. “If you value your life at all, I suggest you start doing as you are told. You are not a prince here, monkey, you are my pawn.”

With that, Freeza brought his hand across Vegeta’s face, making Vegeta’s head snap back with the impact. His head snapped to the other side as Freeza slapped him again, followed by a punch to the stomach. Vegeta’s eyes widened and he coughed blood. Freeza released him and Vegeta fell to his knees, hands on the floor to support his weight.

“That,” Freeza continued, “is the proper way to greet your master.”

He then proceeded to kick Vegeta in the stomach, causing Vegeta to cough blood again and fall face down on the floor. Freeza placed a clawed foot on Vegeta’s back and heard a satisfying crack as several ribs broke.

“Don’t let it happen again.”

Freeza released him and walked back to his hover chair. He sat and turned it around to face the stars.

“Dismissed.”

~oOo~

Vegeta gritted his teeth, remembering what it was like to be at the pink lizard’s mercy. That had been the first time that Freeza had “taught him a lesson” for his disobedience. After that, he had spent an entire hour inside a regeneration tank, fixing three broken ribs and a punctured lung.

Of course, with the severe attitude problem and immense pride the prince had had, that one beating had not been enough to “fix him”, so to speak. It had taken several more years for him to finally learn what crossing Freeza really meant, and even that had only served to make him want to destroy him even more. The only good thing about his return was that he would finally get the satisfaction of fighting him again, this time with the upper hand. He would finally get his vengeance.

“Power commands respect.”

Yes, it was time to show the universe who the strongest really was.

The thought brought renewed fervor to his flight as he finally neared the Capsule Corporation. He knew now that he could not leave his family alone for too long. His old fears of having his family used against him might come true if he didn’t get there first. And his gut feeling told him he just might be too late.

~oOo~

Bulma placed her hands over her hips and sighed in satisfaction. She turned a full circle around the room that would soon be her daughter’s and admired her work. To the backside of the room three bookshelves were crammed full of children’s tales and teddy bears. On either side of them, a pair of Victorian windows opened allowing the sun into the room as well as a beautiful view of the backyard and small pond. Beneath them, a cushioned bench that emerged from the wall was thoroughly decorated with stuffed animals and dolls. To her right, an antique wardrobe contained every imaginable attire or baby outfit Bulma had stumbled on these past few months. It also contained the first supply of diapers and baby powder as well as other first necessity items the baby would need as soon as she came home.

To her left was the baby cradle was fashioned to match the antique wardrobe. It was already dressed in pastel colors and fully equipped with her little princess’ first toys. Next to it, a little night table held up a teddy bear shaped lamp and a vase that would soon contain flowers to freshen the sent in the room some more. Bulma smiled and walked to the center of the room. She placed her hand on top the rocking chair her father had given her and sighed. This was where she would soon lull her little angel into dreams. She removed her shoes and caressed the soft carpet beneath her enjoying its tickling feeling on her toes.

Lining the walls on either side of the room, toy chests and dollhouses gave the stance that happy feeling of childhood. Bulma giggled. This room almost made her wish that she was a little girl again, so she could enjoy playing with all these goodies. As a finishing touch, she had put up a few paintings illustrating scenes from famous fairy tales. Still… she though bringing a hand to her chin, it’s missing something… She’d have to go check out some more stores until she found that missing something the room asked for. It had to be the perfect baby paradise.

The ringing doorbell returned her back into the world. She slipped her shoes back on and made her way back downstairs. She took a quick look in the mirror to make sure she was presentable to whoever was at the door since she wasn’t expecting anyone. Satisfied with what she saw, she opened the door. Outside stood a door to door saleslady, dressed in an outfit that made her think of those illustrations she had seen in that Arabian Nights book she had gotten at the shop the other day.

“Hi, there!” the lady said smiling. “I represent the Happy Babies sales catalogue. We got your address from the store at the mall, our company is planning to move to this town soon and my boss requested of me to give you a brief introduction if you would please.”

Bulma blinked a few times then smiled back at her realizing this could be the chance she had been waiting for. “Welcome! Please, come in and have a seat. Did you by any chance bring with you any samples of your merchandise?”

The sales lady nodded and took out a thick catalogue from inside her bag. “I’ll be glad to show you our latest Mrs. Briefs.”

“Come on in! We can talk more comfortably in the living room.”

The sales lady smiled and nodded entering the Briefs residence. “Thank you, my name is Zarla Donyu, at your service.”
Bulma nodded and motioned for her to seat in the couch while she sat in front of her. “The pleasure is all mine. Now, what have you got in that store Ms. Donyu?”

Bulma gasped in amazement as the other showed her page after page of baby items she had never seen before. She was completely enamored with the clothing and toy section and was trying hard to decide what not to buy.

“This is incredible!” she said happily. “I’ve never seen so much variety.”

Zarla laughed. “You don’t get much of the merchandise produced in my country here, I see.”

“No,” Bulma replied. “This dress is lovely! Suit for a princess, I’d say. So you’re foreign, I figured as much from your accent and clothing. What made you move here?”

“Well, work mostly,” Zarla replied. “My husband and I have no children so there was really nothing to tie us down back home. And we love to travel new places.”

Bulma looked up from the catalogue. “You have no kids? That’s funny, by how much you know about them, I’d say you have two dozen!”

The younger woman smiled and blushed slightly. “I love my job,” she said. “But I’m afraid I’m barren. There’s no way I can have kids.”

Bulma’s eyes widened. “Nonsense! With all the technology nowadays? Surely you’ve tried other ways?”

“We have,” Zarla said sadly. “But all the doctors say the same thing, there is no way I could hold a baby in my womb and survive.”

“Oh…” Bulma said. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s OK,” the other replied smiling. “I sell baby stuff and I share in the joy of all mothers to be. By the way, how long ‘till the happy day?”

“Oh!” Bulma said absentmindedly caressing her large belly. “Not long now. The doctors say I’ll be due in little over a month if everything goes OK.”

“Let us hope so,” Zarla said melancholically. “You’re so lucky! I’d give anything to have a child…”

Bulma looked at the young woman’s face with pity. Zarla’s light green eyes were sad and nostalgic, but she quickly remembered herself and pushed her thoughts aside.

“But don’t worry about it,” she said pushing back her long black braid. “I feel… I don’t know, I still have faith that there still is a way to make my wish come true.”

“Wish!” Bulma exclaimed suddenly making the other jump slightly in surprise. “Wish! Of course! There is a way you can have your baby! Shenron!”

Zarla blinked a few times. “Shenron?”

“Yes! The Eternal Dragon! It has the power to grant you any two wishes!”

The younger woman’s beautiful face changed from confusion to skeptic curiosity. “Really? How? Where can I find this Shenron?”

“Well,” Bulma said standing up and motioning for the other to follow her. “You must collect the seven Dragonballs and the summon Shenron with a spell.”

“Spell?” Zarla said raising a confused eyebrow.

“Hey,” Bulma said raising a finger to her. “Don’t look so grim. It’s an easy spell. All you have to say is ‘Shenron! Come forth and grant my wish’ nothing big, see?”

Zarla smiled. “That’s it?”

“Yes,” Bulma replied. “After that, you ask Shenron for your wishes.”

“Well then— ”

“Bulma!”

Vegeta’s urgent voice echoed throughout the house, making the two women turn in its direction. A few moments later, the Saiyan himself ran into the living room and froze.

“You! It was you all along!” he yelled, pointing a finger at Zarla.

“Vegeta, what has gotten into you?!” Bulma exclaimed.

Vegeta took a step forwards, his eyes fixed on the younger of the two like a hawk. “Bulma, get away from her. She is not what she seems. Where’s Trunks?”

“He’s in his— ”

Bulma stopped surprised when she felt Zarla grab her wrist tightly. “Hello, Vegeta,” she said. “It has been a while.”

Vegeta clenched his fists. “Let go of her if you want to live,” he snarled.

Zarla sneered. “Try it and she dies,” she threatened. “I’m afraid my masters have other plans for her. I’ll be seeing you, little prince.”
Coran! Get us out of here! Dalia thought desperately waking the psychic connection with her partner. Vegeta charged at her, but before he could reach them, they began to disappear. He watched in horror as his wife’s ki disappeared from the house. He expanded his mind and discovered Trunks’ ki was missing too. Expanding even further, he felt the two ki of his loved ones together as well as two from his past and… Kakarot’s youngest kid? He swore and burst out of the house after them.