Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Redemption ❯ Breaking Through ( Chapter 3 )

He deems me well enough to walk around the room now. Though he still hovers around me, as if awaiting a sign. Some sort of signal, a sign that I will fall again. I know I will. But he still waits anxiously. He probably doesn't want his pet to be hurt. Alright then. I'll try to not hurt. For him.

Stretching my sore muscles, I finally gather up enough brain power to ask him outright.

"Where are we?"

He blinks, surprised that I'm speaking again. Then he smiles gently.

"We're actually on the Lookout. I had Dende heal you when…" he trails off. He doesn't want to remember it, doesn't want to admit that it happened and that I'm not alright. I'll oblige him.

"Other than him, does anyone else know I'm here?" I ask. He nods.

"Bulma and Trunks."

I pause, thinking. Wait a second…

"What about your woman and brats?" He looks at me sadly, though I can still see a small smile planted on his face. He seems like he's in pain.

"… I never told you, did I?" he whispers. He chuckles a bit, then continues. "Gohan and Goten know I'm here, but I didn't tell them about you. Though they probably know by now. It's been a week…"

My eyes widen a little. A week? I've been asleep for at least 4 days?

"But Chichi…" he continues. "She left awhile ago." He shrugs. "She didn't want to stay anymore. She went back to live with the Ox-King. Said she didn't want to stay where she wasn't appreciated, where her husband is an alien and won't stay home and get a job like a normal person."

I watch, interested, as his hands clench briefly at his sides. But immediately he relaxes and smiles widely at me. My stomach churns at that smile.

I hate it.

"What now? Are you going to keep me tied up for the rest of my miserable existence?"

He frowns and stares at a spot on the wall before turning back to me with the most intense look I've ever seen on him. Even more intense than the one he uses in battle to intimidate his enemies. I shiver and shrink back.

"If that's what it takes."

And suddenly it starts cackling manically. It won't have to cease its existence. It will live in me, take over me, consume me whole and destroy everything I have to hold onto.

I shriek and stumble backwards in a panic. No no no no! I can't let it- … I won't let it! It'll hurt them!

I vaguely see him leap to my aid and I can almost feel him holding me still while my body acts out my subconscious wishes and attempts to claw my own heart out. My body jerks and shudders in a vain attempt to overpower him. But I can't feel him. I can't hear the words he's saying.

`Weak little Princeling! Are you too scared to go on? Are you too scared to fight me?'

I scream out loud, arching my back.

"YES!" I howl. I want it to go away! Go away go away, go away!! I keep screaming and writhing, desperately trying to purge it from me through my blood. It burns!

"Vegeta!"

I howl and thrash like a madman. I am. I know this. But I can't stop! Kami help me, I don't want to stop!

"VEGETA!!!"

I stiffen at the voice breaking through the haze of hysteria. And abruptly remember my promise.

It breaks me.

Sobbing loudly, I curl up around myself, burying my shamed face into my knees. I'm worthless. I can't even keep a promise without being reminded to. He will hate me. I know he will. At the very least he will scream at me for being an idiot. Something about that seems wrong, but I am too occupied to care.

I don't even register it at first. Too wrapped up in my shame and despair at my weakness, I don't notice the soothing feeling filtering through me at first. When I do, I push it away forcefully. No. I don't want to feel comforted. But whatever it is, it's insistent. It pushes into my mind and warms what it touches. The thing snarls and snaps at the warmth angrily. It had almost had me, and now something else was invading my mind and drawing me away from it. It snarls more.

Despite my wishes, I relax under it. It's soft and strong, and it has something in it that I do not recognize but makes me feel… good. I'm starting to feel drowsy. In my grogginess, I tentatively reach out and brush it, trying to find out what it is.

I jerk back like I was burned. Snapping to consciousness again, I struggle to look Kakarrotto in the face. He's… he's in my mind! He's not supposed to be there!

But I can't move my head far enough to see him. He has his arms wrapped around me, pinning my arms to my sides. As I note this, he curls protectively around my small body and… purrs?

He is purring. A deep rumbling sound, like a continuous roll of thunder, but I can recognize it. It sounds like his brother's. I am shocked into placidity.

"K… Kakarrotto?" I manage to squeak out. He shifts his hold on me, and moves me so that I can see his face. Putting a finger to my mouth to silence me, he smiles at me… but it's different. I don't understand.

"Shh, Vegeta," he croons. I try not to be comforted by it. I fail. "I'm not going to hurt you."

Staring at him in wide-eyed shock, I feel my heart racing. But why? I can't understand why what he said felt like another spear of energy went through my stomach. I curl into a tighter ball of flesh and bone, unsure of what is going on.

He looks troubled by this, and moves his hand from over my mouth to cup my cheek. I can do nothing but stare. Even as he leans forward and gently presses his lips against my forehead. I can't keep my breathing even and tears are beginning to start flowing again.

I don't know what he wants and it scares me.

"Vegeta…" he whispers. This is different from the other times he has whispered, but I'm not sure how. "Let me see. Let me see what's making you like this… please…"

I gape at him a moment longer before nodding meekly. If he can see it… then he'll be frightened and disgusted. He'll leave me alone. I can die in peace.

I can feel his mind enter mine. I let it, offering no opposition. He sifts curiously through memories, pausing now and then to collect himself. He does not like what he sees, I can tell that much.

And that's when it happens. The thing rears up and snarls at him. It strikes at him, but it cannot touch him. He backs away in surprise, but upon discovering it cannot harm him, he becomes bolder and does the mental equivalent of poking it.

I am confident that once he discovers what it is, he will be disgusted and flee, leaving me to die again.

But when he finally does discover its nature… he pets it. Both myself and itself jump in surprise. He's… he's not supposed to pet it! But that is what he's doing. It's screaming and snarling and wailing at him, writhing every which way to get away from his warm gentle caresses, but as I said before; he is insistent. He pursues it into the very corners of my mind and… melts it away.

I jerk, staring at his placid face. What did he…

He smiles… lovingly? Is that what it's called? But I don't understand! What happened? What's going on?!

"Shhh, `Geta…" he murmurs. I'm shaking, trembling. He holds me close again and my head rests against his chest.

"I understand now…" he sighs. I'm glad he understands.

"You were tearing yourself apart, `Geta… that scary thing in you… don't be sad anymore, it's gone, I promise…"

Gone? But… I'm not dead! It was only… it could…

I'm reeling with shock. How much shock can I take in one day anyway? I shakily peer into my own mind. And I find that he's telling the truth! It's really gone… but… what?... he melted it away within minutes of entering my mind! How could he do that?!

"Because…" he murmurs again, burying his face into my hair. I realize he still has a tendril of his mind connected to my own.

"Because… it couldn't stand love…"

My heart stops and another jolt of energy goes through my stomach.