Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ The King and Queen Diaries ❯ Hikkomigatsukanai Koukou Haigun ( Chapter 16 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: Gohans_Onna 
Anime/Manga: Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Psychological / Action | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 06.03.2007 | Updated On: 05.15.2010 | Pages: 3 | Words: 4.0K | Visits: 691 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Psychological / Action | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 06.03.2007 | Updated On: 05.15.2010 | Pages: 3 | Words: 4.0K | Visits: 691 | Status: Completed
Author's Note: Hello everyone, yeah yeah I haven't posted in MONTHS...and I really don't have too many excuses except for major writer's block and working...working...working, lol. But I have been getting a lot of reviews from my fans lately, and I felt like I couldn't keep letting you guys down. I also have some news...I am leaving for the Navy on August 8th, 2007. I am hoping that I will finish this story before then, but I won't make any promises. But I hope you all enjoy...and please forgive me for not posting in forever!!!!!!!
------------------------------------------------------------------------ --------
Chapter Sixteen: Hikkomigatsukanai Koukou Haigun (Gone and Lost)
“My Queen.”
Bulma felt both weak and energized as the tank door slid open, the thick liquid slurping down the drain. Both Brolli and Bardock stood before her, no longer in their armor, with towels in their outstretched hands. The way they breathed “My Queen” with such awe and relief made her weak smile become full of warmth and love as she spread her arms and took both of them into her embrace.
“Bardock...Brolli...you are both alive. I am so relieved,” she sighed, hugging them both as hard as she could. They were both smiling like lunatics and wrapping her in the towels and talking at the same time about everything and nothing. She laughed good-heartedly at their concern and allowed them both to help her to a chair. She wondered belatedly where Turles was. Was he...?
“Your Majesty, the aliens have been defeated!” exclaimed Brolli, so relieved and happy at the same time that he could not get all the words out. “There was damage to the city, of course, and loss of life...but the city has been saved! You are the greatest Queen to ever reign on Vegeta-sei!”
Several doctors nudged their way between the two men and the Queen, hoping to examine her physically. Checking her pulse, temperature, reflexes and whatnot, they concluded quickly that she was in perfect condition. All present noticed how she had her hand laying protectively across the smooth expanse of her protruding stomach, as if shielding it from possible harm.
“I will require a thorough report of the damages and loss of life later on this evening,” Bulma said stiffly, walking behind a screen after the doctors were done examining her. A pile of feminine clothing was handed to her, and after a disgusted look, she donned them and walked out from behind the screen, trying to detangle her hip-length hair with her fingers. She thanked the doctors with a warm smile, taking both of their hands into hers.
“Make sure that you take very good care of the citizens of Tibernoa. They have been through much, and more than likely suffering both physically and mentally. They need you.”
The doctors grinned, happy to see such a wonderful woman back to normal and glowing as if nothing had happened. Inside however, they both wondered what was going on in her mind...
Brolli and Bardock followed their Queen in her stiff royal blue skirts, her spine straight and her face severe. Neither of them had a clue as to what she was thinking, but from the signs she was exhibiting, she seemed fine...maybe just a little off from her normal self. Brolli gave his comrade a look, and Bardock frowned. They were nervous about her inner workings...they both knew how she thought, and with as much trauma as she had been receiving in the passed few months...they would not be surprised if she had another breakdown.
Bulma thanked her Captain and Advisor at her door, hoping that they would leave her alone. She was not being rude, but she honestly needed some time to herself...time to think.
The two men bowed deeply and told her they would check back with her in an hour. She frowned and rolled her eyes, but smiled because she cared very much for both of them, and they for her.
Closing the thick wooden door behind her, she hurried to her windows, flinging back the heavy draperies. Her eyes devoured the landscape, taking in the hurling grey smoke coming from mangled buildings, the enormous damage done to the walls, the fires still burning, and the amazingly visible pile of burning bodies a good two miles away by the forest.
Everything was repairable, but unfortunately, lives were not. The lives that had been lost or damaged would never be fixed...including hers.
She felt odd...like she was not herself. She knew of what she had done, she knew of how many lives she had taken, but it did not seem to affect her as much as she thought it would. Perhaps it was because she knew she had done it for a cause, for a reason. That she had taken evil life to save good life.
She glanced down as the roundness of her tummy and smiled gently. Her hands curled around the curve and caressed through the thick material of her gown. She felt a tender kick in return for the fond gesture, and she oddly enough felt tears gather in her eyes. Thoughts raced wildly through her head, thoughts that had not once entered her mind before or during the battle for Tibernoa.
“What if...what if...?”
She felt her legs grow weak, and she fell into the deep cushion of the carpet beneath her, her skirts splaying wildly about her. Her body curled into itself as her tears poured down her face, and she wrapped her arms as tightly as she could around her pregnant belly as she began rocking back and forth.
“I almost lost my babies...I almost lost my babies...”
It hurt, deep down inside. It hurt knowing that she had chosen the life of her people over the life of her children. She knew that the lives of two children were not worth the lives of billions...but how could she just so blatantly throw their lives away? They were innocent, unknowing of the cruel world...completely and utterly reliant upon her to feed, love, and protect them. And she had betrayed them...
“I cannot just fling myself into the heat of battle anymore...I must protect the only thing I have left...even if it means betraying my heart and the need to save my people...Vegeta is gone...the only thing I have left of him are his children...it is my duty to myself and to my people to protect them.”
Bardock and Brolli found her with her face against the window an hour later, condensation building from the breath she had been breathing against the cool surface. They asked no questions nor said anything as they helped her stand and adjust her heavy dress. They knew she had many thoughts in her mind...and as much as they wanted to protect her from everything, they both knew she was a grown woman, a woman who very well may need time to herself to think and sort out her thoughts.
“My Queen...we have the report ready, along with anything you may need to know about the condition of the planet and Tibernoa. We have much to discuss...we recommend that you attend the meeting now. It shall be starting any moment.”
Bulma nodded, glancing back one more time at the windows and the scene below. She knew she had to protect her planet...but she had to protect herself as well. She could not throw her life away...nor her babies’ lives. It was unfair to all of them.
“Your Highness.”
“Your Majesty.”
She was bombarded with clapping and cheering when she entered the room. She grinned, happy that the men in the room finally approved of something she had done. She was saddened to see how many of them were gone...even if some of those men had been the worst when it came to supporting her and her causes.
She spotted Turles immediately and nodded to him, relief flooding her being.
Immediately they got down to work. She had piles of papers set before her, Brolli, Bardock, and Turles who might as well had been princes for the way that they were treated and respected. Technically she was the only one allowed to make decisions, but all three of them thought the same and she valued their opinion. They were her protectors, brothers, and friends, and she admitted that she needed them.
The death toll was amazingly high for civilians, along with the casualties among her soldiers. She had a list before her of all the names hurriedly scribbled, and she felt her throat tighten when she saw some of those names.
It was agreed upon quickly to begin recruiting immediately. Ten enthusiastic men were sent out into the town to do just that.
Damages were surprisingly not as bad as she had thought they were. It had looked much worse because of the smoke, but the only thing that needed major repairs were the walls, and that had begun immediately. Houses and buildings had been destroyed, but those could be eventually rebuilt. She ordered a heavy guard of the best men sent to the holes in the walls just in case the enemy decided to try anything else. They were extremely weak right now, and they would more than likely not be able to fend off any type of attack.
They also had a thorough discussion on the weapons that the enemy had left behind, including some of their flying ships and projectile objects. Bulma ordered that they be confiscated and have immediate research done to them, primarily the weapons that shot projectiles. The amount of destruction they caused was tremendous, and if they could figure out how they worked, then they could use them against their own creators.
They also began discussing whether or not to leave or stay in Tibernoa. Bulma looked around the table of men, noting that Lord Haschel looked saddened, but understanding when she said that it was a good idea not to stay in one place for long. There were many other places on Vegeta-sei that needed aid, and it was unfair to just stay in one place forever. Besides, the longer she stayed in one place, the more unsafe she would become, along with the city.
Everyone agreed.
Bulma asked out of curiosity if there had been any contact made with any of the other cities on Vegeta-sei. After noticing the depressing looks on the men’s faces, she realized that they were more than likely not going to hear anything from anyone.
“Wait, your Majesty!” a man clear in the back shouted, hurrying to the front to hand her a few papers. A few seconds later a large screen descended from the ceiling. She noted that it was similar to the intergalactic communications screen that Vegeta had used much after the plague.
“We received a transmission late last night from Versai. We could not understand what was being said...but we recorded it.”
The screen flashed to life, but it was full of static and noise. Bulma watched the screen with both excitement and horror, for she knew not what she would see. She saw men trying to talk into the screen, their faces were extremely close, but it was so hard to tell what they were saying and what was going on in the background. She could discern “war, help, trapped” and others like “death, killing, slaves”. The men visibly turned to look behind them, and a blur of red covered the screen a second later, and then turned black.
Bulma looked away, and the room became eerily silent. After closing her eyes and exhaling heavily, she turned back to the room of quiet observers.
“We will leave for—”
All in the room turned to the sound of the screen flashing to life once more. The monitor showed the words “incoming transmission” in stark red against black and white static. Bulma stared, her heart in her throat, hoping to see something, anything that could help them...help her.
A vision of a sleek white alien on a simple grey throne flashed before her. Immediately panic filled the room. She was bombarded by a majority of the men, Brolli, Turles, and Bardock nearly jumping on top of her. Her view was nearly completely blocked, but she managed to see the screen after some maneuvering and choice words.
“You idiots, I cannot view the screen! Move out of my way!”
Brolli’s hand slapped over her mouth. “Silence my Queen. This screen has a two-way viewing...they can see you! We cannot let you be seen! If anyone knows you are with child—”
Bulma’s brow puckered as she interrupted him. “Why not? Who is that? Why can I not be seen?”
A sickly sweet feminine voice filled the room moments later. “I demand to speak with Queen Bulma immediately.”
The men tightened around her as Bardock left her side to push to the front. He looked tall, strong, and vicious, and Bulma felt pride swell through her from what little she could see of him.
“Queen Bulma is unavailable right now. May I ask why she is needed?”
Bulma could hear rather than see the being in the screen chuckle maliciously. “I am not stupid, dear monkey. I can tell by the gathering of men behind you and the crown of stunning blue hair nearly visible from this angle. I wish to speak to her at once...if you value your lives, you will do as told.”
Bardock growled. “Who are you to threaten us? Do you not know who we are? We are the most powerful—”
The being’s voice rang out, piercing everyone’s ears. “I know who you pathetic monkeys are! How dare you act like you do not know who I am! Do you not know your own conqueror?”
Silence pervaded the room. Bulma felt her lungs close completely, and for a moment she could not breathe. Her vision swirled before her, and the room dipped beneath her feet. Hands took hold of her arms as she swayed, but she shook her head and gathered as much strength as she could.
“Release me,” she whispered fiercely, shaking off the men around her. She understood why she could not be seen. If the enemy knew she was pregnant, the reaction could go a thousand different ways. Assassination attempts, indifference. It did not matter, she supposed. She needed to keep it a secret. She looked around, wondering what she could do, because she needed to speak with their “conqueror”.
She whispered in Turles’ and Brolli’s ear to “escort” her back over to the table. They kept her as hidden from view as possible, and helped her sit down at the table. The men dispersed around her, so she looked like an elegant queen sitting at a table conducting business.
"I am Queen Bulma. I demand to know where the King of Vegeta-sei is, along with why you are attacking us.”
A soft chuckle echoed through the room. “You are in no position to be asking me questions, little Queen. It is I who shall be asking any questions.”
Bulma scoffed. “Well I do not need to be talking to you then. Goodbye.”
Bulma hoped the ruse would work. She waved her hand towards the young gentleman by the screen who had originally informed her of a message from Versai, and he nodded and turned to shut off the screen.
“Queen Bulma, let us not be so rash. I think you will be interested in my proposal.”
Her eyebrow quirked and she waved the young man away. “I will be willing to listen when you answer my questions.”
Bardock chuckled next to her, and she struggled to keep a straight face. Why did the man have to have such a sick sense of humor?
“Your questions will be answered in due time. Right now I am willing to make some negotiations to...insure the safety of your planet...and the life of your precious King Vegeta.”
There were several gasps around the room, but she kept her visage stiff. She could not allow herself to become affected by anything...including the life of her husband.
“I am listening,” she said, trying to act as strong and nonchalant as she could about what was going to be said next.
The alien in front of her sneered. “Excellent. Right now we have King Vegeta as a hostage on our ship, which is floating directly outside of the atmosphere of Vegeta-sei. We are willing to hand over the King of Vegeta...in exchange for Vegeta-sei.”
Bulma began to jump out of her seat to scream obscenities at the creature before her, but both Bardock and Turles on her sides promptly slapped their hands on her shoulders, keeping her in her seat.
“Never!” she shouted, livid. “This planet will never be something that can be bartered or exchanged! And for all we know, you do not even have King Vegeta!”
The alien sat perched on his throne, looking both furious and amused at the same time. “We do not have King Vegeta, do we? Slaves, show our little Queen her pathetic morsel.”
The screen was turned almost 180 degrees. Bulma felt bile rush up her throat and the blood in her head fall to her feet. The horrendous gasps that filled the room made the alien chuckle behind the screen.
“VEGETA!!”
The scream tore its way from her mouth, and tears instantly rushed to her eyes and poured down her cheeks. She went to crawl over the table to get to the screen, as if being near it would somehow comfort the man before her.
“VEGETA! Oh, GODS!”
Hands pulled on her to bring her back, and she let out a fierce growl, both insanity, rage, and pain in her eyes. She fought the hands that kept her in her seat, and almost succeeded in pulling away before the screen was returned back to the alien on the throne.
“Bastard! How dare you! Who do you think you are to do such a horrible, atrocious thing to my husband, the King of the Saiya-jins! There shall never be anything proposed between us, ever! We shall slaughter your troops and enjoy doing it in the process! We will hunt every last one of you down until you are extinct, how do you like that proposal you sick, twisted creature?!”
He smirked as he laced his fingers together on his lap. “Does the sight of your husband affect you so, Queen Bulma? Well, I will have you know that your precious monkey rat is on the very brink of death, and just one slight bit of damage might just push him over into that particular precipice. If you value his life, you will do as I say.”
Bulma heard both Bardock and Turles draw in their breath. Bardock tightened his hold on her, almost as if to tell her he was there for her.
The screen turned once more in the direction of her husband. She closed her eyes, the tears she had been furiously fighting trembled down her flushed cheeks. She bit her lip and opened them once more, only to see Vegeta, the man she loved more than her own life, lift his head weakly at the beaconing of the alien only several feet away. Bulma could hear the bastard crooning in his sick voice, “Vegeta, oh little Vegeta...we have someone who wants to see you.”
Her hand covered her mouth when she saw her husband’s face. The look...desperation, pain, agony, shock at seeing her. These all flashed across the bruises and blood and cuts that littered his once flawless olive skin.
“Vegeta,” her lips trembled. She lowered her hand and stared him dead in the eyes, trying not to cry and to be strong. She could see his labored breathing, the dried and fresh blood that completely covered his body. He was hanging in chains with two white, tailed aliens standing beside him with those projectile weapons in their hands, the look in their eyes deadly.
Behind the screen she heard their so-called “conqueror” chuckle. “Vegeta, beg your little Queen to save you. Beg her to give over Vegeta-sei to save your life. I know you no longer wish to be in pain...do you? Just tell her the words.”
Her eyes widened. She watched Vegeta, who was so weak he could barely keep his head up. He looked so broken, so ready to give up. So many images flashed before her eyes, all of the dreams she had been having of him, with him telling her to be strong, holding her in his arms and telling her that she could do it. She was strong...she was strong...
He stared at her hard.
She fisted her hand over her heart, just like he had done in her dreams, telling her so many things and nothing all at once. That he loved her, that she could do it...that she could do anything...even if it meant sacrificing her King’s life to save their planet.
Her face hardened as did her eyes, and just for a brief moment she thought she saw him smile before his chin fell back to his chest. The video screen turned back to the alien on the throne.
She smirked.
“Vegeta-sei shall never concede to anyone. You can make as many empty threats as you wish. Our King and I will die for this planet before anyone takes anything from us.”
There were several cheers in the room at her decision, and several gasps as well.
“But my Queen—”
“Hail the Queen!”
“The King!”
“What shall we do?”
The cries did nothing to change her mind. Her smirk stayed in place as the lord before her completely changed his demeanor. His face mottled with rage, and then, bizarrely enough, calmed just as quickly. “That will be fine then, Queen Bulma.” He turned to the side to a guard, and whispered loudly enough for her to hear, “He is no longer needed. Kill him.”
The lump that came to her throat almost made her gag. She straightened so stiff in her chair that her spine hurt, and her hands gripped the chair so violently that her fingers turned white.
“I am sorry that we were unable to work anything out, Queen Bulma. I shall enjoy the day that I get to meet you in person and slice your head off.”
She gasped, and then the screen went dead. The room was quiet, eerily so. She stood with her hand over her heart, feeling a pain inside her that she did not know existed. Bardock, Turles, and Brolli stood as if to assist her, and she pushed them away without saying a word.
She left the room, and no one went after her.
------------------------------------------------------------------------ --------
Chapter Sixteen: Hikkomigatsukanai Koukou Haigun (Gone and Lost)
“My Queen.”
Bulma felt both weak and energized as the tank door slid open, the thick liquid slurping down the drain. Both Brolli and Bardock stood before her, no longer in their armor, with towels in their outstretched hands. The way they breathed “My Queen” with such awe and relief made her weak smile become full of warmth and love as she spread her arms and took both of them into her embrace.
“Bardock...Brolli...you are both alive. I am so relieved,” she sighed, hugging them both as hard as she could. They were both smiling like lunatics and wrapping her in the towels and talking at the same time about everything and nothing. She laughed good-heartedly at their concern and allowed them both to help her to a chair. She wondered belatedly where Turles was. Was he...?
“Your Majesty, the aliens have been defeated!” exclaimed Brolli, so relieved and happy at the same time that he could not get all the words out. “There was damage to the city, of course, and loss of life...but the city has been saved! You are the greatest Queen to ever reign on Vegeta-sei!”
Several doctors nudged their way between the two men and the Queen, hoping to examine her physically. Checking her pulse, temperature, reflexes and whatnot, they concluded quickly that she was in perfect condition. All present noticed how she had her hand laying protectively across the smooth expanse of her protruding stomach, as if shielding it from possible harm.
“I will require a thorough report of the damages and loss of life later on this evening,” Bulma said stiffly, walking behind a screen after the doctors were done examining her. A pile of feminine clothing was handed to her, and after a disgusted look, she donned them and walked out from behind the screen, trying to detangle her hip-length hair with her fingers. She thanked the doctors with a warm smile, taking both of their hands into hers.
“Make sure that you take very good care of the citizens of Tibernoa. They have been through much, and more than likely suffering both physically and mentally. They need you.”
The doctors grinned, happy to see such a wonderful woman back to normal and glowing as if nothing had happened. Inside however, they both wondered what was going on in her mind...
Brolli and Bardock followed their Queen in her stiff royal blue skirts, her spine straight and her face severe. Neither of them had a clue as to what she was thinking, but from the signs she was exhibiting, she seemed fine...maybe just a little off from her normal self. Brolli gave his comrade a look, and Bardock frowned. They were nervous about her inner workings...they both knew how she thought, and with as much trauma as she had been receiving in the passed few months...they would not be surprised if she had another breakdown.
Bulma thanked her Captain and Advisor at her door, hoping that they would leave her alone. She was not being rude, but she honestly needed some time to herself...time to think.
The two men bowed deeply and told her they would check back with her in an hour. She frowned and rolled her eyes, but smiled because she cared very much for both of them, and they for her.
Closing the thick wooden door behind her, she hurried to her windows, flinging back the heavy draperies. Her eyes devoured the landscape, taking in the hurling grey smoke coming from mangled buildings, the enormous damage done to the walls, the fires still burning, and the amazingly visible pile of burning bodies a good two miles away by the forest.
Everything was repairable, but unfortunately, lives were not. The lives that had been lost or damaged would never be fixed...including hers.
She felt odd...like she was not herself. She knew of what she had done, she knew of how many lives she had taken, but it did not seem to affect her as much as she thought it would. Perhaps it was because she knew she had done it for a cause, for a reason. That she had taken evil life to save good life.
She glanced down as the roundness of her tummy and smiled gently. Her hands curled around the curve and caressed through the thick material of her gown. She felt a tender kick in return for the fond gesture, and she oddly enough felt tears gather in her eyes. Thoughts raced wildly through her head, thoughts that had not once entered her mind before or during the battle for Tibernoa.
“What if...what if...?”
She felt her legs grow weak, and she fell into the deep cushion of the carpet beneath her, her skirts splaying wildly about her. Her body curled into itself as her tears poured down her face, and she wrapped her arms as tightly as she could around her pregnant belly as she began rocking back and forth.
“I almost lost my babies...I almost lost my babies...”
It hurt, deep down inside. It hurt knowing that she had chosen the life of her people over the life of her children. She knew that the lives of two children were not worth the lives of billions...but how could she just so blatantly throw their lives away? They were innocent, unknowing of the cruel world...completely and utterly reliant upon her to feed, love, and protect them. And she had betrayed them...
“I cannot just fling myself into the heat of battle anymore...I must protect the only thing I have left...even if it means betraying my heart and the need to save my people...Vegeta is gone...the only thing I have left of him are his children...it is my duty to myself and to my people to protect them.”
Bardock and Brolli found her with her face against the window an hour later, condensation building from the breath she had been breathing against the cool surface. They asked no questions nor said anything as they helped her stand and adjust her heavy dress. They knew she had many thoughts in her mind...and as much as they wanted to protect her from everything, they both knew she was a grown woman, a woman who very well may need time to herself to think and sort out her thoughts.
“My Queen...we have the report ready, along with anything you may need to know about the condition of the planet and Tibernoa. We have much to discuss...we recommend that you attend the meeting now. It shall be starting any moment.”
Bulma nodded, glancing back one more time at the windows and the scene below. She knew she had to protect her planet...but she had to protect herself as well. She could not throw her life away...nor her babies’ lives. It was unfair to all of them.
“Your Highness.”
“Your Majesty.”
She was bombarded with clapping and cheering when she entered the room. She grinned, happy that the men in the room finally approved of something she had done. She was saddened to see how many of them were gone...even if some of those men had been the worst when it came to supporting her and her causes.
She spotted Turles immediately and nodded to him, relief flooding her being.
Immediately they got down to work. She had piles of papers set before her, Brolli, Bardock, and Turles who might as well had been princes for the way that they were treated and respected. Technically she was the only one allowed to make decisions, but all three of them thought the same and she valued their opinion. They were her protectors, brothers, and friends, and she admitted that she needed them.
The death toll was amazingly high for civilians, along with the casualties among her soldiers. She had a list before her of all the names hurriedly scribbled, and she felt her throat tighten when she saw some of those names.
It was agreed upon quickly to begin recruiting immediately. Ten enthusiastic men were sent out into the town to do just that.
Damages were surprisingly not as bad as she had thought they were. It had looked much worse because of the smoke, but the only thing that needed major repairs were the walls, and that had begun immediately. Houses and buildings had been destroyed, but those could be eventually rebuilt. She ordered a heavy guard of the best men sent to the holes in the walls just in case the enemy decided to try anything else. They were extremely weak right now, and they would more than likely not be able to fend off any type of attack.
They also had a thorough discussion on the weapons that the enemy had left behind, including some of their flying ships and projectile objects. Bulma ordered that they be confiscated and have immediate research done to them, primarily the weapons that shot projectiles. The amount of destruction they caused was tremendous, and if they could figure out how they worked, then they could use them against their own creators.
They also began discussing whether or not to leave or stay in Tibernoa. Bulma looked around the table of men, noting that Lord Haschel looked saddened, but understanding when she said that it was a good idea not to stay in one place for long. There were many other places on Vegeta-sei that needed aid, and it was unfair to just stay in one place forever. Besides, the longer she stayed in one place, the more unsafe she would become, along with the city.
Everyone agreed.
Bulma asked out of curiosity if there had been any contact made with any of the other cities on Vegeta-sei. After noticing the depressing looks on the men’s faces, she realized that they were more than likely not going to hear anything from anyone.
“Wait, your Majesty!” a man clear in the back shouted, hurrying to the front to hand her a few papers. A few seconds later a large screen descended from the ceiling. She noted that it was similar to the intergalactic communications screen that Vegeta had used much after the plague.
“We received a transmission late last night from Versai. We could not understand what was being said...but we recorded it.”
The screen flashed to life, but it was full of static and noise. Bulma watched the screen with both excitement and horror, for she knew not what she would see. She saw men trying to talk into the screen, their faces were extremely close, but it was so hard to tell what they were saying and what was going on in the background. She could discern “war, help, trapped” and others like “death, killing, slaves”. The men visibly turned to look behind them, and a blur of red covered the screen a second later, and then turned black.
Bulma looked away, and the room became eerily silent. After closing her eyes and exhaling heavily, she turned back to the room of quiet observers.
“We will leave for—”
All in the room turned to the sound of the screen flashing to life once more. The monitor showed the words “incoming transmission” in stark red against black and white static. Bulma stared, her heart in her throat, hoping to see something, anything that could help them...help her.
A vision of a sleek white alien on a simple grey throne flashed before her. Immediately panic filled the room. She was bombarded by a majority of the men, Brolli, Turles, and Bardock nearly jumping on top of her. Her view was nearly completely blocked, but she managed to see the screen after some maneuvering and choice words.
“You idiots, I cannot view the screen! Move out of my way!”
Brolli’s hand slapped over her mouth. “Silence my Queen. This screen has a two-way viewing...they can see you! We cannot let you be seen! If anyone knows you are with child—”
Bulma’s brow puckered as she interrupted him. “Why not? Who is that? Why can I not be seen?”
A sickly sweet feminine voice filled the room moments later. “I demand to speak with Queen Bulma immediately.”
The men tightened around her as Bardock left her side to push to the front. He looked tall, strong, and vicious, and Bulma felt pride swell through her from what little she could see of him.
“Queen Bulma is unavailable right now. May I ask why she is needed?”
Bulma could hear rather than see the being in the screen chuckle maliciously. “I am not stupid, dear monkey. I can tell by the gathering of men behind you and the crown of stunning blue hair nearly visible from this angle. I wish to speak to her at once...if you value your lives, you will do as told.”
Bardock growled. “Who are you to threaten us? Do you not know who we are? We are the most powerful—”
The being’s voice rang out, piercing everyone’s ears. “I know who you pathetic monkeys are! How dare you act like you do not know who I am! Do you not know your own conqueror?”
Silence pervaded the room. Bulma felt her lungs close completely, and for a moment she could not breathe. Her vision swirled before her, and the room dipped beneath her feet. Hands took hold of her arms as she swayed, but she shook her head and gathered as much strength as she could.
“Release me,” she whispered fiercely, shaking off the men around her. She understood why she could not be seen. If the enemy knew she was pregnant, the reaction could go a thousand different ways. Assassination attempts, indifference. It did not matter, she supposed. She needed to keep it a secret. She looked around, wondering what she could do, because she needed to speak with their “conqueror”.
She whispered in Turles’ and Brolli’s ear to “escort” her back over to the table. They kept her as hidden from view as possible, and helped her sit down at the table. The men dispersed around her, so she looked like an elegant queen sitting at a table conducting business.
"I am Queen Bulma. I demand to know where the King of Vegeta-sei is, along with why you are attacking us.”
A soft chuckle echoed through the room. “You are in no position to be asking me questions, little Queen. It is I who shall be asking any questions.”
Bulma scoffed. “Well I do not need to be talking to you then. Goodbye.”
Bulma hoped the ruse would work. She waved her hand towards the young gentleman by the screen who had originally informed her of a message from Versai, and he nodded and turned to shut off the screen.
“Queen Bulma, let us not be so rash. I think you will be interested in my proposal.”
Her eyebrow quirked and she waved the young man away. “I will be willing to listen when you answer my questions.”
Bardock chuckled next to her, and she struggled to keep a straight face. Why did the man have to have such a sick sense of humor?
“Your questions will be answered in due time. Right now I am willing to make some negotiations to...insure the safety of your planet...and the life of your precious King Vegeta.”
There were several gasps around the room, but she kept her visage stiff. She could not allow herself to become affected by anything...including the life of her husband.
“I am listening,” she said, trying to act as strong and nonchalant as she could about what was going to be said next.
The alien in front of her sneered. “Excellent. Right now we have King Vegeta as a hostage on our ship, which is floating directly outside of the atmosphere of Vegeta-sei. We are willing to hand over the King of Vegeta...in exchange for Vegeta-sei.”
Bulma began to jump out of her seat to scream obscenities at the creature before her, but both Bardock and Turles on her sides promptly slapped their hands on her shoulders, keeping her in her seat.
“Never!” she shouted, livid. “This planet will never be something that can be bartered or exchanged! And for all we know, you do not even have King Vegeta!”
The alien sat perched on his throne, looking both furious and amused at the same time. “We do not have King Vegeta, do we? Slaves, show our little Queen her pathetic morsel.”
The screen was turned almost 180 degrees. Bulma felt bile rush up her throat and the blood in her head fall to her feet. The horrendous gasps that filled the room made the alien chuckle behind the screen.
“VEGETA!!”
The scream tore its way from her mouth, and tears instantly rushed to her eyes and poured down her cheeks. She went to crawl over the table to get to the screen, as if being near it would somehow comfort the man before her.
“VEGETA! Oh, GODS!”
Hands pulled on her to bring her back, and she let out a fierce growl, both insanity, rage, and pain in her eyes. She fought the hands that kept her in her seat, and almost succeeded in pulling away before the screen was returned back to the alien on the throne.
“Bastard! How dare you! Who do you think you are to do such a horrible, atrocious thing to my husband, the King of the Saiya-jins! There shall never be anything proposed between us, ever! We shall slaughter your troops and enjoy doing it in the process! We will hunt every last one of you down until you are extinct, how do you like that proposal you sick, twisted creature?!”
He smirked as he laced his fingers together on his lap. “Does the sight of your husband affect you so, Queen Bulma? Well, I will have you know that your precious monkey rat is on the very brink of death, and just one slight bit of damage might just push him over into that particular precipice. If you value his life, you will do as I say.”
Bulma heard both Bardock and Turles draw in their breath. Bardock tightened his hold on her, almost as if to tell her he was there for her.
The screen turned once more in the direction of her husband. She closed her eyes, the tears she had been furiously fighting trembled down her flushed cheeks. She bit her lip and opened them once more, only to see Vegeta, the man she loved more than her own life, lift his head weakly at the beaconing of the alien only several feet away. Bulma could hear the bastard crooning in his sick voice, “Vegeta, oh little Vegeta...we have someone who wants to see you.”
Her hand covered her mouth when she saw her husband’s face. The look...desperation, pain, agony, shock at seeing her. These all flashed across the bruises and blood and cuts that littered his once flawless olive skin.
“Vegeta,” her lips trembled. She lowered her hand and stared him dead in the eyes, trying not to cry and to be strong. She could see his labored breathing, the dried and fresh blood that completely covered his body. He was hanging in chains with two white, tailed aliens standing beside him with those projectile weapons in their hands, the look in their eyes deadly.
Behind the screen she heard their so-called “conqueror” chuckle. “Vegeta, beg your little Queen to save you. Beg her to give over Vegeta-sei to save your life. I know you no longer wish to be in pain...do you? Just tell her the words.”
Her eyes widened. She watched Vegeta, who was so weak he could barely keep his head up. He looked so broken, so ready to give up. So many images flashed before her eyes, all of the dreams she had been having of him, with him telling her to be strong, holding her in his arms and telling her that she could do it. She was strong...she was strong...
He stared at her hard.
She fisted her hand over her heart, just like he had done in her dreams, telling her so many things and nothing all at once. That he loved her, that she could do it...that she could do anything...even if it meant sacrificing her King’s life to save their planet.
Her face hardened as did her eyes, and just for a brief moment she thought she saw him smile before his chin fell back to his chest. The video screen turned back to the alien on the throne.
She smirked.
“Vegeta-sei shall never concede to anyone. You can make as many empty threats as you wish. Our King and I will die for this planet before anyone takes anything from us.”
There were several cheers in the room at her decision, and several gasps as well.
“But my Queen—”
“Hail the Queen!”
“The King!”
“What shall we do?”
The cries did nothing to change her mind. Her smirk stayed in place as the lord before her completely changed his demeanor. His face mottled with rage, and then, bizarrely enough, calmed just as quickly. “That will be fine then, Queen Bulma.” He turned to the side to a guard, and whispered loudly enough for her to hear, “He is no longer needed. Kill him.”
The lump that came to her throat almost made her gag. She straightened so stiff in her chair that her spine hurt, and her hands gripped the chair so violently that her fingers turned white.
“I am sorry that we were unable to work anything out, Queen Bulma. I shall enjoy the day that I get to meet you in person and slice your head off.”
She gasped, and then the screen went dead. The room was quiet, eerily so. She stood with her hand over her heart, feeling a pain inside her that she did not know existed. Bardock, Turles, and Brolli stood as if to assist her, and she pushed them away without saying a word.
She left the room, and no one went after her.