Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Sacrificing Love ❯ Chapter 4 ( Chapter 4 )

"…Please….Prince….Vegeta,"

Vegeta snarled at his sparring partner's pleas for him to stop. How in the hell was he supposed to train when no one could compare with his power? "Impudent fool," Vegeta grunted as he threw the weak Saiyan to the other side of his training room. He landed with a hard thud. "Get him out of my sight before I do him a favor and finish him off." A nearby Saiyan picked the unconcious man up, tossed him over his shoulder, and headed out of the room.

Vegeta growled in frustration, a sound that petrified the other Saiyans in the room. None of them wanted to face their prince, not after the battle that they had just witnessed. But, if the prince ordered them to, then they had to oblige. However, the fear was still present in their eyes.

Vegeta composed himself and then smirked. He had just remembered the only Saiyan that possibly had the power in him that could compare to his own. "I want a challenge." He turned to his personal guard. "Kakarrot," Vegeta said as he pointed at him. "You're next."

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Bulma entered the kitchen. It was morning, and she supposed that she would be needed. Not that she was happy to be a slave, but what could she do? She had thought of every possible plan to escape, but all of them pointed to death, and death was a cowardly way out. She wouldn't accept it. The dock where they kept their ships was heavily guarded, and if she even tried to get past the excessively strong guards, then she would more than likely be killed. And ships were her only hope, unless if she could fly. She smiled. Only the Saiyans here could do that.

But now she found herself watching Chi Chi. She was at the stove, stirring something in a bright metal pot. But the smile on her face was even brighter that the cookware. What had happened? Yesterday, she saw her smile only when it was appropriate. But now, she had a smile that could light up the whole world.

Chi Chi turned around. "Oh, Bulma. Why didn't you say anything? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I was just wondering what extraordinary event has happened in the past six hours."

Her smile got brighter, if it was possible. "Kakarrot. He came home."

Bulma nodded in realization. Jealous feelings shot through her. She didn't have someone that could hold her at night and take away all her problems. The person who did that was probably dead. But Bulma didn't allow that feeling to be expressed on her face. "I'm happy for you." `Liar' her mind screamed. But, out of all of the Saiyans, Chi Chi was the nicest. Bulma supposed in some way, she was truly happy.

Chi Chi nodded a thanks. Even if it was only a few hours ago, she had considered Bulma a friend. It was a shame that she didn't have the same freedoms as Chi Chi had. But still, she was a nice woman who was adjusting to her new life here, and she was glad that Bulma was not as desperate to get to her home as the other two were. At times, Chi Chi felt like smacking them in the face with one of her skillets. Bulma was a quiet woman sometimes, and at other times, she was amazing. Chi Chi had asked her yesterday about her home. Bulma had told her the basics: being a multimillionare, as well as a genius. She apparently had many people who loved her on Chikyuu. Bulma had then gone into detail about the things that she had invented. One of them that had particularly impressed her was a concept that Bulma had called "capsule storage". `How does she think of the things that she creates?' Chi Chi had found herself asking her mind as she listened to every detail. Bulma was, in short, amazing.

Chi Chi snapped out of her thoughts and back to the blue-haired woman. "Okay. Let's see…" She thought for a moment. "Weirna and Fresa, the other two women have already delivered the breakfast to most of the household. That only leaves Prince Vegeta." Chi Chi watched the color drain from her friend's face. "What's wrong?"

Bulma regained her posture. "Nothing. Where's his tray?" She would just get this over with. Bulma was aware that she had given the prince a bad impression of her last night, so she would just give him his food and be done with it. No talking, no staring, and certainly no stumbling.

As she made her way up to the grand foyer, Bulma could feel her confidence diminishing. `Just don't make a fool out of yourself' Bulma thought as her hand rose to gently rap on the door. She knocked on it, then again when there was no answer. Bulma hesitated. Should she go in? Yes, she would just leave his food in his room and he could eat it when he returned. Before she entered, she made sure that she knocked again to confirm his absence.

She opened the door and was awed at the sight. His room was extravegant. There were dark wooden walls with golden-framed windows. She could feel the velvet carpet under her feet (the servants weren't allowed to wear shoes). Bulma glanced around. It was enormous. Her attention then directed towards his bed. She gasped once she realized that the prince was lying on it. He was awake, but vaguely aware that anyone had entered. There were cuts and scrapes all over his body. Bulma, being the kind creature that she was, hurriedly placed the tray down and grabbed on of the silk napkins as well as the water pitcher. She wet it and applied it to his face.

Vegeta's thoughts were interrupted when he felt something rubbing against the bruises that Kakarrot had given him. `That stupid fool.' He had made sure that his scars were twice as bad as his own. But now, he blinked out of his daydream and reached for the source of the feeling that scrubbing his cheek.

Bulma gasped as he grabbed her wrist. She had thought he was unconscious, since he wasn't giving her very much thought. But now, the eyes that were once locked on the ceiling was stuck on her. "What are you doing, woman?"

"I-I was trying to wipe off the blood." Bulma stammered. "You're hurt."

Vegeta's eyes displayed a momentary instant of shock, but then it was replaced by a smirk. "Wench, Saiyans thrive on pain. We are not as weak as your kind. But if you wish to heal someone, try repairing my sparring partner. His wounds are much more severe."

Bulma's sky blue eyes widened in shock. "You got these cut while training? But why don't you just use a gravity room?" Bulma bit her tongue. She wasn't supposed to speak out of turn.

Vegeta was aware of the woman's lack of respect, but at the moment his interest was piqued. "Gravity room?"

Her head slowly nodded, still conscious of his grip on her wrist. "Uh huh. It's a room that can multipy the amount of artifical gravity, so that the muscles work harder than in regular gravity."

"And your planet has these?"

"Yes. It's very popular in Chikyuu. I designed it."

Vegeta let go of her wrist. If she could make this room of hers, then it would give him a chance to reach Super-Saiyan. "You will make me one of these."

Bulma nodded again. "I need some supplies, though." It would be nice to be at work again.

"Anything you need, you will get it." Vegeta rose. "I want it in three days."

"Three days! I need at least a week."

"Three days is all you have, woman." And with that, he left her in his room.

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Chi Chi arrived at the kitchen at sunset to prepare the dinner. She would have been there earilier, but Kakarrot needed some serious medical attention. He had been sparring with the prince and had been basically falling apart. At least now he was looking a little bit better. She had gotten the bleeding to stop. That prince, always bullying his royal subjects. If she wasn't a Saiyan, she would have forced him to stop.

She had been cooking for over an hour, and still no sight of Bulma. Weirna and Fresa had already came in, gathering the items that Chi Chi needed, all the while grumbling as they always did, but Bulma hadn't come. `Maybe she's resting. She's been doing a lot of that lately.' But Chi Chi noticed that she would only claim that she was tired when something had to relate to Prince Vegeta. `Well, at least she likes somethingof this planet.' Chi Chi also knew the prince well. He would never involve himself with a common slave. It wasn't accepted of the Saiyan culture.

Chi Chi sighed and turned her attention back to her food. Bulma would be there any moment…

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King Vegeta entered the dining hall for his evening meal. His usual bad mood was increased by Bardock's news. There had been no sign of Frieza after he had threatened them, and that wasn't good. How he was to protect his people, he didn't know. His only hope was his son, and in order for the prince to defeat the big lizard he would have to achieve the level of Super-Saiyan. King Vegeta knew how hard his son was training. Hell, Vegeta could destroy almost all of his strongest guards. But as more time passed, King Vegeta lost even more hope.

He didn't even notice when one of the Chikyuu slaves placed down his food. His thoughts made him oblivious to all of the events in the room, such as his son sitting down beside him.

"Thinking too hard in that little brain of yours, Father?" Prince Vegeta asked as he rose a glass of wine to his lips.

"Vegeta, I am growing tired of your lack of respect."

Vegeta shot him an amused look. "And?" He set the glass down. "Are you going to punish me? Try to be the crap out of me? If that is the case, then I think you are confused. It would be the other way around."

"You are too cocky, Vegeta. You might be able to defeat me, but you aren't strong enough to face Frieza."

"I am working on that even as we speak."

King Vegeta rose a midnight brow. "How?"

Vegeta gave him a smirk. "Have you ever heard of a gravity room?"

"Is that one of those specialized training areas? I thought that they were only built on Chikyuu. Many have attempted to copy it, but fail miserably. The inventor did not want anyone to recreate her designs. It is a wonder how a woman could be such a genius."

"Well, Father, that particular genius is making one for me now."

King Vegeta's expression turned to confusion. "Where is she?"

"She is one of the slaves that Bardock captured for you. She is the blue-haired one." Vegeta chuckled at his father's shocked face. "The look of stupidity. It becomes you."

King Vegeta fixed his momentary shock. "Where is this girl now?"

Vegeta leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs on the edge of the table. "She is in the old laboratory. I figured she might as well use it, since nobody has occupied it in a while."

King Vegeta rose from his seat and made his way to the abandoned laboratory. He sensed his son following, probably out of sheer curiousity. He opened the doors and peered inside. Sure enough, the woman was on her knees examining a large piece of metal. She looked up as they entered.

"Are you the one who is constructing the gravity room?" King Vegeta asked.

"I said the blue woman was making it. How many other slaves have blue hair?"

King Vegeta ignored the prince's comment. The woman nodded. "Yes, King Vegeta."

"I have heard that you are the one who have invented it."

"Yes I did, King Vegeta."

"For your deed, I shall grant you any request."

Bulma blinked in surprise. He was going to give her something in return? Well, she might as well ask for it. "I want my freedom."

King Vegeta sighed. "Ordinarily, I would give you that. But at this time, our planet is in a careful state. If we were to have any ship leave the port, then it would be watched by one of Frieza's men and I would not be able to guarantee your safety. But, if freedom is what you wish, then after Frieza is defeated, you may leave. You will be allowed to go anywhere on this planet if you wish. You are no longer my slave."

Bulma felt pure joy rise inside of her. She could go home once the prince defeated this "Frieza" guy. Soon, she could go back to Capsule Corp and continue her work. "Thank you, Vegeta-ou."

King Vegeta nodded and left the room. Prince Vegeta watched his father leave, then turned back to Bulma. "Two days," he reminded her before leaving the room.