Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ The Legend Of the Bond ❯ Recover, fastforward, beatings ( Chapter 5 )

Prince Vegeta’s eyes opened slowly. Slightly disoriented, he sat up and looked around. He was in his own bed in the quarters he shared with Kakarotto. Obviously, he had been knocked out for a while and Kakarotto had brought him to his bed to regain his strength. He frowned, trying to remember what he could about what happened after he boarded Freeza’s ship. Then after a still moment passed, he remembered the whispers and what had happened when he heard them. He also remembered what he had done but had no idea why he had done it.

Vegeta had been enraged at the thought of her being ravaged by another man. Mostly likely this had happened to her before, so why had he felt it this time and not before? Perhaps she was not only being raped but maybe someone was trying to kill her. No one will kill her but me! Vegeta wanted no one to touch her before he had a chance to give her what she deserved because of this stupid bond. Nonetheless, Vegeta sought out his bonded. Whatever thoughts she was thinking were calm, but nervous. He sighed. He seemed alright.

Kakarotto walked in, carrying some food and the prince eyed him coldly. The younger Saiya-jin had seen what had happened to him and Vegeta did not like this feeling of knowing that someone knew he had a damned weakness. Kakarotto reacted to the scowl on the prince’s face by smiling nervously and placing the food on the table.

“You passed out earlier, so I put you on your bed. I thought you might be hungry when you woke up. Dig in, it’s really good! I just ate some from the mess hall.”

Vegeta got up off his bed and walked to the table but didn’t sit down. He stood across from Kakarotto, keeping his eyes on him, his face set in a frown and his arms crossed over his chest.

“You are to tell no one of what took place! If you do, I will not hesitate to blast you to hell!”

Kakarotto scratched the back of his head in confusion. “Um, what did happen? You looked like you weren’t here, like you were someplace else all of sudden.”

“That is none of your concern!”

“But when I concentrated on your ki and mind to help calm you down, I sensed a connection with something or someone from Chikyuu. I grew up on Chikyuu and it bothers me when I think that what little is left of Chikyuu is endangered.”

Vegeta could not believe what he was hearing. This simpleton was completely disrespecting him, showing more concern for a dead planet than for the prince of all Saiya-jins! Plus, he had violated his mind without permission! Was this boy an idiot? Anyone could plainly see that Kakarotto was from Vegeta-sei, and not Chikyuu! Vegeta never felt this angry before. He wanted to kill Kakarotto, to torture him for his stupidity. Then the fury subsided and the prince chuckled. Kakarotto was an idiot, but powerful, and he would serve as Vegeta’s ally while he was with Freeza for the next year. And he could use the time to learn more about Chikyuu from Kakarotto.

“I should kill you for that, but I won’t yet. You will be punished when we return to Vegeta-sei,” he remarked with a scowl. After another moment’s consideration, he spoke again. “And, for your information, it seems I am connected to one of your precious Chikyuu-jins. I sensed that she was in danger, so I –” What had he done? “– lent her my powers.”

That was most likely it, though he was still unsure as to what exactly he had done. And why was he bothering to tell all of this to the idiot? What the hell was wrong with him? Damn! My bonded probably has a weak spot for someone connected to Chikyuu. He hated this feeling and he hated when she caught him unawares, taking over his heart with her thoughts. He looked over to Kakarotto dead-on and watched the boy’s face light up like a star. Perhaps telling him was a good idea –or maybe not.

“Hey, if you’re connected to a Chikyuu-jin, then you must be in love!” Yeah, right! How little you know, boy! The prince was annoyed with that comment but he let the boy continue. “Don’t you worry, Prince Vegeta! I will make sure you get back to your beloved!”

Vegeta rolled his eyes. Now, thanks to his confession, the boy’s loyalty to him was amplified. He sat down to eat silently. He was displeased but assured that Kakarotto would work twice as hard for him. Let him think what he wants for now. He just needed to make sure of one more thing.

“Kakarotto, you are to tell no one about any of this or I will kill you before we get back to Vegeta-sei!”

“Okie-dokie!”

Vegeta groaned. This coming year was going to be hell. Freeza he could handle, but being stuck with this oddball Saiya-jin day in and day out…his frown only grew deeper. Maybe he had chosen poorly...

**(1 year later…)**

Arriving back on Vegeta-sei, it was clear that the year from Hell had changed the young 17-year-old Prince. In that time, Freeza had worked him like a dog, always keeping a close leash on him. Before he left for Vegeta-sei, Freeza informed Vegeta that his role was far from over, as he had requested him to perform another mission in two days. That gave the Prince very little time to get anything done with regard to his rebellion. Luckily, he had gained another trustworthy ally in Kakarotto, who he had discovered, much to his surprise, was Bardock’s younger son. Kakarotto was helpful and eager to please and, despite his non-Saiya-jin attitude, had gained the Prince‘s trust. Vegeta even learned and thing or two from the goofball Saiya-jin and, in turn, informed him of the Rebellion, to which Kakarotto quickly joined in the effort.

Not only that, but Kakarotto also taught the Prince about tapping into his emotions, which allowed the Prince to gain strength once he integrated those feelings in his training. Mostly those feelings were made up of his own anger, hate, and rage, but Kakarotto showed him to include guilt, helplessness, hope, and in some small way, protectiveness. Upon returning to his home planet, Vegeta was glad he sent out that last decree regarding the Chikyuu-jins. In a way, it felt almost like a release from the guilt he had bottled inside him ever since he was thirteen and once he had found out that he was bonded to a Chikyuu-jin. With Kakarotto’s help, he had leaned to channel his hidden guilt regarding his actions into power and had applied it to the purging of many planets. Outwardly, Vegeta was still cold; he still wore a stone mask expression to hide his emotions, but inwardly, he actually allowed himself to feel from time to time.

Now, there were tasks he needed to accomplish, so he parted ways with the 1st-class soldier, informing him he would meet with Bardock and him in the 3rd-class brackets shortly. The day was new; the sun was not quite over the morning horizon. Thanks to the distance in his travels, he’d hardly felt or heard his bonded, though there were occasional whispers that filtered through his mind. Once he was alone, he headed into the palace and allowed his mind to seek out the whispers and found them faint. He wondered what had happened to her, though it was no concern of his; at least, he was assured that she was alive so he could seek her out soon and kill her himself.

Not even an hour had passed after he had returned to the palace, when he began to hear a rumor of an odd sort. This bit of gossip was spoken mostly among slaves that had not realized he had returned. Normally, he would have dismissed such careless talk, but the rumor proved most interesting to him. It concerned an unknown slave who, it was said, was powerful enough to kill a Saiya-jin. The identity of the slave was never found out, but the fact that a mysterious and quite dead 3rd-class Saiya-jin was burnt to a crisp a year ago was proof that a slave with that kind of power existed. Curious, Vegeta wondered about the rumor and its possible connection with his faceless, nameless bonded. The reports he had received about the various placements of the Chikyuu-jin slaves did not include anything about a Chikyuu-jin placed in the 3rd-class brackets. He wanted to go there himself and find out if somehow a Chikyuu-jin was placed there without his knowledge. If that was the case, his bonded might be worthy of a little respect. That post was known to be a deathtrap for weaker slaves. If his bonded survived four years there then perhaps there was more to her than he wanted to admit. Then again, that would mean either Nappa or Radditz betrayed him and went against his orders; and that was another issue entirely. Later, he planned to speak with Bardock regarding his oldest son as well to see if the man had a death wish.

**********

Bulma awoke, feeling like she was still asleep. Every morning for the last four years, she went through the motions of her life as if she was a walking zombie. Back home, she was never good in the morning and the fact that she was beaten almost every night now didn’t help either. The beatings were never really that bad, they just made her life harder since she was sore more often. When she returned a year ago from Pota’s chambers, Chili knew, in that moment, that she was the one that killed him. He would have already turned her in if it wasn’t for the fact that he was the one that made a deal with Pota in the first place. Plus, there was that odd decree that had come down from Prince Vegeta that actually protected those in the “endangered species,” which included her.

These last months, she had to wear a hood that matched her ugly slave robes. The hallway was finally cleaned for the day and now, she needed to get her clients’ food and clothes. As she walked, she felt a familiar touch in her mind of the whispers that came and went every now and then. However, this time they were stronger, almost closer. Over the years, the whispers hadn’t hurt as much but their intensity always gave her shivers. Now she was shivering in place, frozen at the harsh, foreign feelings overcoming her. Rage, bitterness, and coldness took over her, and she began to feel like she was becoming a different person. No, she wouldn’t give in…!

…Radditz! If that 3rd-class betrayed me…I will see to it that they will die by my hands…The words were clear in her mind but the sound of the voice echoed like always, like a clear soft single whisper. Bulma closed her eyes, trying to regain herself. When she opened them, she saw through her blurred vision someone she always tried to avoid. Shit, not him! Not now! her thoughts moaned in annoyance.

“What’s wrong with you, slave? Sick?” The slave master’s voice held no concern, only hate.

“No, I’m fine. I was just on my way back to see to my other duties,” Bulma said as she straightened herself to look eye-to-eye with Chili.

“You slow-ass, it seems you took too long to see to them. Seripa has demanded your services immediately. She has a meeting to attend to soon and she needs to get ready now, but someone took damn long standing still!” And with that, he slammed his fist into Bulma’s stomach. She lurched forward, grabbing the wall so she would not fall to the floor. Before he hit her again, she straightened out to face him again.

“I was only still for a moment –” Ass! “– I will see to Seripa right away, so don’t worry, Master!” She said “master” with such sarcasm that she bolted away before he could react. I will kill him if I ever get the power! Bulma’s murderous thoughts made a smile come to her face. She would love to inflict damage to the orange blob. Then she hurried to serve Seripa, the one person whom she didn’t want to disappoint.

**********

Bulma entered Seripa’s chambers in a rush with the Saiya-jin’s food and clothing in her hands. She hoped that she had arrived in time. She was alive because of Seripa’s whim and she didn’t want to let her down. Over the years, the two had come to casual talking terms with each other. Though Bulma wouldn’t go as far as to say they were friends, she did feel a fondness for Seripa, who was like melting ice to her, cool with a hint of warmth. She was nice enough in her own way and gave Bulma a smile every now and then, but she stayed distant. So when Bulma walked in without permission, given her circumstances, her worried eyes met with Seripa’s clear ones, even though she was standing in the middle of her room naked. The Saiya-jin didn’t look the least bit annoyed as Bulma blushed and handed over her clothes.

“I’m sorry I’m late, Seripa!”

“You’re not late. I asked to be served first…so this makes you early.”

“Uh, I guess then I’m sorry I’m early?”

Seripa laughed. “Don’t be. I’m glad you’re here so I can change into my clean clothes that much faster.”

“Why the rush? Chili almost gave me another beating for not being here even sooner.”

“…”

“I don’t mean to intrude, Seripa. Please forget –”

“No need. I am going to meet with my Captain, Bardock, for a meeting with his sons and Prince Vegeta, this morning…most likely in another hour or two.”

Bulma’s eyes widened at the name of Prince Vegeta, the man who destroyed her home world. “Prince…Vegeta?”

Seripa smirked. “Yes, does it seem so odd –” Seripa stopped in mid-sentence as she watched Bulma drop to the floor, cradling her head with her hands. The Saiya-jin walked over to her and grabbed her arm to haul her up on her feet. Coolly she asked, “What’s the matter with you?”

Bulma, feeling a pain that she had not felt in ages, tried her best to focus. “Uh, I…tell the Prince…ah, Radditz wasn’t the one that betrayed him.” Bulma’s mind kept going in and out of consciousness. Why she just spoke those words, she did not know. Then she felt Seripa shake her.

“What are you rambling about? Can you see the future? Do you have some sort of mind power?”

“No…I don’t think so, but…every now and then I hear voices.” The sharp pain was receding now. The whispers had not been that intense since she left Chikyuu. Bulma’s vision was clearing and she could stand on her own. Sensing that, Seripa let go of Bulma’s arm, but she continued to stare at her with arms folded over her chest, contemplating Bulma’s words.

“Who else knows about it?”

“No one. I’ve only told you…because I trust you. Please do not tell anyone about this!”

Seripa shook her head. “I cannot promise that, but if I do tell someone, it will not be to bring you harm.”

“I guess that’s better then nothing,” Bulma sighed. She hoped that Seripa wouldn’t tell a soul.

“What do you hear the voices say?”

“Hmmm, I guess they sound like another person’s thoughts.”

“For how long have you been hearing these ‘voices?’”

“Ever since my home world was destroyed.”

Seripa sat down to eat, leaving Bulma standing alone, looking confused. “I see. So how is your training going?”

Bulma smiled at the question with relief. It was one Seripa asked everyday and signaled the end to conversing about the previous subject. “I’m Bulma Briefs, a beautiful genius! My training always gets results!”

Seripa nodded her approval, her slave’s arrogance always to cause her amusement. “Good, you are dismissed.”

“’k, see you tomorrow.” Bulma bowed as she left, feeling a little anxious about the day and her confession about her whispers to Seripa. Up until now, she had told no one and for another person to know, it made her feel vulnerable. Bulma hoped that the rest of her day would be normal and uneventful.

**********

The meeting took place, not in a grand hall or audience chamber, but in Bardock’s own living chambers in the 3rd-class brackets. Vegeta sat in a chair close to the window, while Kakarotto, Radditz, Bardock, and Bardock’s wife Negi sat in a row in front of him. They had been talking for the past three hours about the rebellion and its current status. The tension in the room was easily felt by all of the leading members of the rebellion. Prince Vegeta did not look pleased.

“Freeza has taken too much control over the galaxies. We need to make a move now, before it becomes too late to stop him and he moves onto the planets with which we signed the treaties …” Negi remarked as she looked on helplessly.

“We are not powerful enough yet, Mother. We need something more.” Radditz hated disagreeing with Negi.

“Our allied planets are becoming restless. Even though they are the farthest away from Freeza’s grip, they know it’s only a matter of time before Freeza comes for them,” Negi insisted, continuing to plead with the group.

“Your Highness, they are unhappy with your inaction this past year. Word is, they are starting to think you are just as bad as Freeza,” Bardock said dismally, looking apologetically at the prince.

“I had no choice in the matter. They need to understand that I had to put up with Freeza solely for appearance’s sake,” Vegeta added.

“They want to amass an army now,” Negi pressed, wanting action. Everyday, her fear of Freeza worsened.

“We need to gather more planets into our alliance,” observed Kakarotto.

“We need more than that,” Vegeta said, looking grim.

“Perhaps, some superior battle technology is what we need,” Bardock said lastly, “in order to arm a large army run by those who are physically weaker then us, but who can wield weapons. Most of the planets we currently have in our existing alliance are not warrior planets. Our group needs another member who would be able to assist us.”

“Who?” Vegeta asked.

Everyone was silent. Things seem to be going nowhere and everything looked dim for the rebellion. Vegeta knew he had to make more treaties with different planets now more than ever, but he had no time. And now, he would also need to recruit a technological genius to help the rebellion build better and more powerful weaponry by using an allied planet already rich with technology, which seemed even less likely.

“Kakarotto, you work as a guard for the Royal Science and Technology Division. Do you know of anyone who could fit our needs?” Vegeta asked somberly.

“No…not really.” Kakarotto looked saddened by the fact he could not help his friends in this matter.

“I want to suggest the addition of another member to our cause. She is a warrior whose hate for Freeza equals mine. She is a part of my team and is trustworthy,” Bardock added after a moment.

Vegeta nodded. “Bring her.”

**********

Bulma somehow made it through the day and was about to finish her chores. Since the morning, she had been tormented by those whispers time and again. Sometimes they were worse, other times they were bearable. Now, as she was cleaning the last of the vases in the main audience chambers, she felt relieved her chores were ending and she could rest. The day had worn on her and she felt too exhausted to train tonight. Perhaps she would rest for the entire night.

Bulma had planned on inventing something new today, but now she was leaning towards putting off her inventing for another night. The whispers hadn’t been this bad for four years and, more than the constant beatings, they had worn her out, mentally and emotionally. As she moved on to the last vase, she felt the whispers come back in waves. She felt dizzied by the abruptness of the whispers and couldn’t gain control of her body quick enough. As she tumbled to the floor, she reached out for something to steady her and grabbed the vase. But instead of stopping her fall, the vase decided to go down with her. Before she blacked out completely, she wondered if she would live to see tomorrow.

That’s how Slave Master Chili found her, knocked out on the floor next to the broken vase. He had heard the vase crash from down the hall and had come to investigate. When he saw his most hated slave and what she had done, his rage and hate for her increased. Now all he saw was red. He grabbed her by the hair and hauled her roughly to his favorite place in which he liked to beat his slaves to death. Then he woke her so he could hear her scream.

**********

When Seripa opened the door to her chambers and saw a different slave other then Bulma standing in front of her, she was surprised and just a little bit concerned. If Bulma was not here to serve her it meant either she was dead or incapable of moving. If it wasn’t for the Prince’s last decree, Bulma would be dead for not doing her duties no matter what state she was in. Seripa didn’t want to admit it, but she had grown fond of her blue-haired slave and at the thought of her dead she frowned.

“Where is my other slave Bulma?”

“Slave Master Chili is beating her right now for breaking a vase. I do believe he means to punish her with death since he said I would now be assigned to this post,” the alien slave said as she bowed before Seripa.

Suddenly, Seripa heard a scream coming from the Slave Master’s chambers, a scream sounding very much like Bulma’s voice. Seripa’s frowned deepened. If what she knew to be the wording of the Prince’s last decree, Bulma, as a Chikyuu-jin, was considered to be an “endangered species” and for Chili to kill her would mean his death as well. The Slave Master must be too far gone into a rage to care. Seripa wanted to step in and put a stop to it, but it wasn’t her concern. If Bulma wasn’t strong enough to survive this then Seripa had been wrong about her.

”Excuse me, Lady Seripa, but the others are awaiting you in Bardock’s chambers.”

Seripa nodded and headed towards her captain’s chamber, forcing her thoughts about the blue-haired, blue-eyed slave to disappear from her mind. She needed to focus on the upcoming meeting and her future role in the rebel alliance led by her Prince. Seripa hoped she could serve her planet with pride.

**********

After an hour since Seripa joined the meeting, the tension seemed to only grow between the members. At times, Seripa would wonder if Bulma was still alive or not. She quickly dismissed those thoughts and brought her attention back to the meeting, which seemed as if it would be ending shortly.

“I agree, we need more planets to join our cause,” Radditz said bluntly.

“We should also recruit more Saiya-jins in our cause,” Kakarotto added to his brother’s comment.

“I could oversee that,” Seripa said with the most enthusiasm heard all day in the meeting.

Vegeta nodded again. “Fine. In my spare time, I will try to travel to different planets and sign more treaties, as well as look for someone to provide us with our much-needed technological advantage. Seripa, you will seek out more of my people to join forces with us, but keep it quiet. Only ask those who would be trustworthy.”

Everyone nodded. They seemed appeased at least with that. They were putting their combined hopes into the future, and into the hope that Freeza could be slowed down somehow, to give them more time to gain the power they needed to finally destroy him and his cold empire. Just as everyone began to relax a bit, the Prince’s voice cut through the room.

“There is one more issue I need to bring forth,” Vegeta said as he rose to his feet, obviously angered. “It is my understanding that someone in this room might have betrayed me for the last time. If this is so, then I will blast his whole family where they stand.”

Seripa paled. Then she remembered what Bulma said earlier about the voices telling her that Radditz was not the one who betrayed the Prince. Perhaps the girl was of more value than Seripa originally thought. She only hoped Bulma was still alive. Seripa quickly got up and bowed in front of her Prince.

“Your Highness, Radditz is not the one who betrayed you,” she announced, surprising the others in the room.

“How do you know I was referring to Radditz and how would you know he did not betray me?” the Prince asked coolly. The others remained quiet, still in shock from the Prince’s accusation, with Radditz looking the worst of all.

“Earlier, a slave told me of this very thing. I didn’t quite understand it at the time she said it, but I believe she has some kind of mental power.”

“Is the one assigned to your post?” Radditz asked.

“Yes –” Seripa’s reply was cut off by Bardock.

“I remember hearing that she was the one accused of Pota’s death a year ago, but was eventually acquitted due to lack of evidence.”

Vegeta was intrigued by this information. If what Seripa said was true then that meant Nappa was the one who betrayed him. And perhaps Seripa’s slave was his bonded, given the circumstance and puzzling timing behind Pota’s death. At last he had found her! A mental splash of cold water came over him, which was quickly followed by a sharp pain coursing through his body. He did his best to hide it but every couple of moments it came back, varying in its intensity. He would find her now and kill her!

“Where is this slave?” Vegeta demanded hurriedly before the next painful wave overtook him again. Why was this happening? Was the pain coming from her or was it some kind of anguish coming from him in wanting her dead?

“Even as we speak, the slave master is beating her to death for breaking a vase. I was hoping you could intervene and lessen her punishment so he does not kill her,” Seripa said.

Vegeta was confused. “Then she is not Chikyuu-jin?”

Seripa was now the one confused. How did the Prince know she was Chikyuu-jin? “She is, Your Highness.”

“Impossible! It would go against my decree if the slave master killed her,” Vegeta said unbelieving.

“The slave master is in a rage, Your Highness. I heard her screams before I came here. He means to kill her.”

Now he understood! Vegeta was taken over by pain again, hiding it as best as he could. “Take me to her now! Bardock come with us!” The Prince made his way out of the captain’s chamber, with Seripa following Bardock not too far behind him. Kakarotto followed as well. Radditz stayed behind, shaking his head at his younger brother’s foolishness and smiling. Then he turned his head and made contact with the expression on his mother’s face. To say that she did not look too happy was an understatement.

**********

As Vegeta walked towards his bonded, every painful blow that she felt, he felt equally. It took every ounce of his strength to hide his reactions, to continue walking without pause and without wincing. Bardock had looked at him oddly when he tried to mask his expression, but Vegeta was too focused on his pain to care. He kept forcing his mind onto what awaited him. For years, that accursed bonded of his had remained hidden from him and he had been too preoccupied to look for her. Now, he would finally meet her.

He was still undecided as to whether he would kill her right away, take her someplace to study her, or, if he chose, take her and kill her afterwards. From all of the years he heard her thoughts, felt her agony, and simply became a part of her, even against his desires; deep in his heart, he did not want to kill her, nor did he want to rid himself of her. But foremost in his mind, she was a weakness, a burden that needed to be disposed of. He would not let his heart, his secret emotions, gain control over him. He knew his heart and his mind were on two different levels. With each step, he felt her pain, he felt her mind, and the feeling was overwhelming. As he came closer to her, he could feel his resolve melting away.

Seripa, Bardock, and Kakarotto had all noticed his odd behavior, his show of pain held in check as they approached their destination. Kakarotto, who had witnessed this behavior from the Prince before, became curious. Obviously, the Prince did not know of her, so why was he acting in the same bizarre way he had a year ago. This Chikyuu-jin slave they were coming to save from the slave master could not possibly be the Prince’s beloved. The Prince would never have consorted with a slave, right?

Bardock’s face grew worried. Ever since that one purging mission to Kanassa, he had been able to see the future. At first, he had seen visions of Vegeta-sei’s destruction and of his youngest son facing off in battle with Freeza. But the visions never stayed exactly the same, but kept changing. Although his visions were never reliable, but a few of them did come true and, as the years progressed, they became sparse and small but deadly accurate. After seeing the visions revealing Freeza’s betrayal, he learned to hate him with much passion, and it seemed that the Prince did as well. As the four continued to walk, Bardock saw in front of him the Prince and a blue-haired woman, obviously not Saiya-jin, spending time together training, practicing basic movements, in a casual exchange, but feeling oddly…intimate. But this vision also felt to Bardock as though something important was missing. He shook his head and looked at the Prince once more. The Prince’s powerful ki felt abnormal to him, like there was different ki’s changing places in the Prince’s body. Then they all stopped.

Ahead of them, they heard the slave girl scream in pain and watched as a crowd of low-level, 3rd-class soldiers looked on inside the slave master’s chambers. Their combined bulk blocked the entrance, some looking amazed and enthralled by the torture going inside, others looking disgusted. No one noticed the arrival of the Prince or his companions. Every time he heard her one of her anguished screams, the Prince clutched his head and pulled at his hair. Seripa, Bardock and Kakarotto were now facing him in a circle, filled with concern at his behavior. Then Seripa paled, suddenly reminded of Bulma’s identical actions in her quarters earlier that morning. Vegeta couldn’t handle it anymore. The pain was too great and he slowly kneeled to the floor. He heard her mental screams, full of pain and defiance…

I will not DIE! I will not give in, you piece of shit! Ugly blob, you have no right to kill me! NO right! I am above you! I AM the beloved DAUGHTER of Capsule Corporation, Bulma Briefs! I was NEVER a slave…I never…will be…Only that cold-hearted bastard who destroyed my planet…ONLY that DAMNED Prince Vegeta will be the one to kill me…to finish what he started…I promised Chi-chi I will survive…

At the sound of his name in her thoughts, his mind became tilted and dizzy. Even as a curse, it seemed so smoothing to hear his name coming from her. He growled and his mind cursed at this all. His fury was multiplied but the fact there was three faces staring down at him with concern.

Kakarotto was the first to hold his hand out to the Prince. “Are you okay, Your Highness?”

Vegeta swatted his hand away and slowly stood up. “I’m fine, you idiot. I do not need your help.” He heard her scream again and another bolt of pain hit him, like a punch to the gut from a powerful foe. He cradled his head with his hand.

“Bardock, STOP the BEATINGS immediately!” Vegeta commanded with a little too much anger gracing his voice.

“Your Highness? She is slave. She deserves a beating for breaking Saiya-jin property. I thought we were here to lessen her beatings,” Bardock said factually.

Kakarotto spoke up then, concern in his voice. “Look, aren’t we here to see if she really has mental powers like Seripa said? She might have a connection with –”

“Do not question my authority, you low-class idiots, before I decide you are worthless and rid myself of you all! STOP HER BEATINGS NOW!”

Vegeta wanted desperately to forget his bond, to try and create a mental barrier and let her rot here for all eternity. Vegeta had other things to worry about and this was petty. He needed to re-focus his energies on his future rebellion, not on some whore that destiny decided to throw at him. Not wanting any further part in this, he began to walk away, leaving them all a little shocked and unmoving. He stopped when he realized none of them had followed his orders.

“NOW, YOU USELESS MAGGOTS!”

Bardock nodded and left towards the crowd with Kakarotto following right behind. Seripa paused a moment, trying to make out everything that just happened, but as she turned to follow them, the Prince spoke once more.

“Seripa, make sure she gets rest and medical attention.” Vegeta’s voice was filled with acid and frustration, but Seripa only picked up concern in it. She nodded briskly then made way towards the others.

Vegeta heard one more scream then there was deathly silence. His heart filled with darkness and emptiness. He hated this sensation feeling like some great part of him was abruptly locked away. Vegeta quickly moved away from the scene, not caring that he hadn’t even seen her yet. As soon as he was far enough away from the area and alone, he fell forward on all fours, sweat pouring off his face. Vegeta would forget; he had to forget. Or else nothing would change and he would forever be chained to something he hated if he didn’t. If she survived the four years since the end of Chikyuu, she could manage to survive another four, and when he was powerful enough to break this awful bond, he would come and kill her for torturing him all these years.

Bardock roughly shoved his way through engrossed crowd into the rooms beyond and saw the slave master standing over a fragile-looking creature with blue hair. She had clearly passed out from the merciless beatings she had received. She was obviously Chikyuu-jin, the only race that they had found that so closely resembled the Saiya-jins, although without having tails. What remained of the Chikyuu-jin females had been sought out by the Saiya-jin males, but after the Prince’s last decree, the females went untouched. He looked at her again, she was naked, bloodied, and had many bruises and electro-whip marks all over her body. She had survived how many hours of beatings? This slave has spirit, Bardock thought with a tang of approval. The enraged slave master continued his beating of her still form, not noticing Bardock’s presence until felt his hand being grabbed in mid-swing. The furious slave master looked at him, trying to form words but unable to, only wanting to finish killing the bane of his existence. Finally, he composed himself enough to speak.

“Captain Bardock? I did not know you were here.” It was then he noticed the crowd at his door. Seripa and Kakarotto suddenly elbowed their way through from the crowd into his chambers and looked on with concerned faces.

“You will stop this beating at once,” Bardock commanded.

“B-but, my Lord…she broke a priceless vase! Not even her death could recover its worth.”

“You would do well to remember the Prince’s decree, which was issued a year ago, Slave Master. You will put a will stop this at once.”

“Y-yes, s-sir…” The slave master slowly pulled his whipping arm down to his side, bitter disappointment written on his face. Seripa came up behind Bardock and in a low whisper informed Bardock of the Prince’s other orders.

“Slave Master, I have been directed to take her to the medical wing so that she may recover. She will resume work after she is healed,” Bardock told the orange alien with as much surprise in his voice as was showing on the slave master’s face.

Slave Master Chili forced himself to walk away from the blue-haired mess on the floor, quickly leaving his own chambers before his rage got the better of him again. Seripa saw Bulma’s things in the corner and wondered if the slave master had raped her before he started beating her. From her injuries it didn’t appear so, but one could never tell. She bent down and picked up the slave’s belongings as Bardock knelt before the unconscious Chikyuu-jin. With gentleness, he picked up the broken, bloodied beauty. As soon as he touched her and stood up he felt a ki pass through the slave that was not her own. He looked into her face and remembered the vision he had not too long ago regarding the Prince. Bardock felt certain that this was the same woman he had seen; the one he now carried in his arms was much younger, though in his vision she was a few years older and much more beautiful.

In a whisper, he asked the unconscious slave in his arms, “Why do I feel the Prince in you, slave?”

With that question yet unable to be answered, he left, heading towards the medical wing, followed closely by Seripa and Kakarotto. Bardock’s youngest had had watched it all unfold, all the while feeling it through his ki-sensing ability that he learned from his time on Chikyuu, which he passed on to the rest of the Saiya-jin community. Somehow, the girl in his father’s arms seemed to be the Prince’s beloved, but the Prince didn’t seem to know about her. Or could it be that the Prince was connected to all Chikyuu-jins? For this point forward, Kakarotto promised himself the he would keep an eye out and, if he could, protect the blue-haired slave. He was sure that there were answers to this mystery and perhaps when the slave finally healed from her wounds and regained consciousness, he might get them.