Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ The Legend Of the Bond ❯ Fading Dream... ( Chapter 22 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: Tennyo_elf 
Chapter 22 and the start of the war.
Beta brought to you by the lovely Hollyberry!
Anime/Manga: Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Hentai / Adventure | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 07.03.2007 | Pages: 3 | Words: 5.2K | Visits: 1.1K | Status: Completed
Chapter 22 and the start of the war.
Beta brought to you by the lovely Hollyberry!
Anime/Manga: Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Hentai / Adventure | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 07.03.2007 | Pages: 3 | Words: 5.2K | Visits: 1.1K | Status: Completed
morning was quiet, the air stilled and light. The suns’ bright rays filtered through Bulma’s window to signal that the coming day would be a pleasant one. Perched on the small balcony, a small bird-like creature sang its morning serenade. And nestled within the comfortable sheets of the bed, a prince and princess slept within each others arms, both content even if the world was falling apart around them. Bulma was slow to wake but her eyes finally lifted as she knew the day was beginning. She could feel Vegeta’s weight on the bed and his arms around her. Though his eyes were closed she could tell he was awake. Not too soon after she opened her eyes, he did the same.
“Good morning, Vegeta,” Bulma said, her voice still a bit sluggish from sleep.
“Hmph. Mornings are never ‘good.’” After the bliss he had experienced the night before, Vegeta did not like the fact morning had come at all.
“Sadly, I agree. I’ve always hated mornings.” Although Bulma was bothered by the morning’s arrival, she really didn’t mind at all. She had her Prince and husband beside her.
Vegeta and Bulma looked at each other, each feeling the emotions flowing within the other. For them, nothing could feel as wonderful as this moment. Slowly, Vegeta caressed Bulma’s cheek with the tips of his fingers. She smiled at him warmly, enjoying the rare tenderness he was giving her. His fingers slowly went lower, stopping to lazily caress her shoulder and collarbone.
“You seem happy. Did I do something to make you feel this way?” Bulma commented playfully.
Wanting to explore the pleasures his wife gave him yet again, Vegeta smirked at her. “You woke up,” he answered as he carefully shifted his body on top of hers.
“Took you long enough,” she teased. Vegeta went to kiss her, but the loud, annoying alarm on his scouter went off before his lips could make contact with those of his wife.
“Shit! What now?!” Vegeta exclaimed rather unpleasantly. Knowing it had to be his father, he peeled himself reluctantly off of Bulma, who had look of disappointment etched across her face, to reach for his scouter.
Bulma wanted the call to be over quickly. “I hope your father doesn’t want too much of an explanation. I don’t like morning fights,” she said.
Vegeta put the scouter up to his ear and clicked the button while Bulma watched and listened quietly from her side of the bed. “What do you want, old man?”
The king’s voice was grave and filled with a sharp anger. “Vegeta, Freeza has arrived and is here in the throne room. He wants to see you within five minutes.”
Shock and fear hit both Vegeta and Bulma like a sharp pain. Why was Freeza here now? “Tch, fine, I will be there in three.” With that, Vegeta clicked off the scouter.
The second he ended the call, he threw the sheets off both himself and Bulma, and quickly dressed. “Bulma, I want you to get off this planet now!”
Confused, Bulma stared at him. “What? Why?”
Vegeta stopped and looked at Bulma, a glint of desperation in his eyes. “I don’t like this turn of events and I’m concerned about what that lizard is going to do. Take one of your pods and get out of here.”
Knowing how serious this was, Bulma quickly got out of bed and picked up her clothing. “Alright, I’ll go directly to the rendezvous point for the rebellion and meet up with you there in two weeks.”
Vegeta finished getting ready and looked at Bulma once more. She returned his worried look and held her hand over her heart. Bulma wanted to kiss him goodbye, but instead she said aloud what was troubling her heart. “Don’t die.”
Vegeta smirked. “I won’t. Now, get out of here!” That said, he turned from her, his cape flowing behind him as he strode towards the window. Bulma could only watch as he flew off, quickly disappearing from her sight.
Once she could see no more of him, Bulma panicked as she began to get her things together, not wanting to leave anything important behind. She pulled her capsules out and opened one. As quickly as she could, she began filling the opened capsule box. In it went the first capsule she made as a slave, her small computer console, and then some clothing. She also placed inside a backup capsule, containing of all the inventions she made for the rebellion. When she had finished packing, she closed the capsule, letting the little device sit on the table while she dressed herself as fast as she could. After she put her bra on, she placed the capsule in between her breasts. Once she was all ready, she put on the fixed necklace Vegeta had given her.
She didn’t want to worry about anything at the moment. All she wanted to do was focus on getting off the planet like Vegeta had told her to do. She couldn’t even guess why Freeza decided to show up, nor did she really want to. For him to be this unexpected was slightly unnerving. But as long as the rebels held the upper hand, as long as Freeza didn’t know about her involvement in the rebellion, then things should be okay. And as long as Freeza didn’t know anything about her husband’s role in leading the rebellion, then Vegeta would be okay as well.
Ready to escape to her waiting pod, she went to her door and opened it. But when it slid open, she came face-to-face with someone she had hoped never to see again: Zarbon.
**********
Vegeta flew as fast as he could, not trying to dwell what might be the reason for Freeza’s sudden appearance. And to make things worse, he was nervous, more so than he should have been. Normally, he was able to mask his emotions, but as he looked down at his shaking hand, he knew it would be harder than usual to keep himself under control. Glancing back in the direction of Bulma’s chambers, he felt too unsettled to go unprepared to this upcoming meeting with Freeza. Clicking on his scouter, he called Bardock.
“Yes, Your Highness?” Bardock’s voice over the scouter seemed strained.
“Freeza’s on Vegeta-sei. Get everyone ready.”
“Freeza’s here? Right now?” Bardock’s voice was easy to read at that moment, his surprise was clear. “I will have everyone ready to leave on your signal, Your Highness.”
“Good.” Vegeta clicked the scouter off. If Freeza started anything, he would fight him; though in the back of his mind, he knew he wasn’t ready yet.
Vegeta increased his speed, flying straight into the palace. Around him, the whitewashed walls and the metal and the marble of the palace seemed to shout their hate for the visitor who was presently within. Cursing the fact that he had to deal with Freeza so soon after he finally had Bulma, and before he was able to properly train in the new “GR,” only fueled his anger. Once he landed, he quickly opened the doors to the main throne room. Sitting across the way on the king’s throne was Freeza, smirking broadly as he normally did when he felt he had already won. His own father was standing beside Freeza, his face unreadable. Vegeta strode proudly up to the ugly white lizard. He stopped when he was only a couple feet away. They glared at each other for a moment before Vegeta decided to get this over with.
“What do you want, Freeza?” Vegeta’s scorn was easily heard.
“Watch your mouth, boy! You are in enough trouble as is!” His father’s sharp tone cut into him. Something was wrong.
“Your father is correct. You should be bowing to me and asking forgiveness for what you have done, but I doubt that will help.” Freeza crossed his legs and continued to smirk down at Vegeta, knowing he was confusing the prince.
“Since the last time I saw you, you wanted to kill me. I will talk however I choose. Now what do you want, Freeza?”
“Oh my, foul tempered, aren’t we. Well I’ve just told your father that he’ll need a new heir soon, since I’m sentencing you to death for treason.”
“Treason? I’ve been loyal to you, Freeza! How can you lie like that, saying I betrayed you?” As much as he was protesting, Vegeta could sense where this situation was heading. Slowly, he reached inside his armor as though to scratch an itch, covering his movement by shifting his weight. His fingertip pressed the signal button for the Saiya-jins loyal to the rebellion to begin their planned defection.
“Don’t play dumb with me, monkey! I know you’ve been collecting slaves from different worlds, using their skills in order to find ways of killing me. I doubt you have succeeded. And don’t think I don’t know about your little band of fighters trying to rebel against me, either.”
“Can you prove this, Freeza?” Vegeta was calm. He wasn’t going to let that bastard lizard get away with this. He would fight him here and now if he had to!
“Of course, I can. And I’ve already decided that your death will take place in space, so don’t think of trying anything heroic.” Freeza was beyond happy; he thought he wouldn’t get the chance to kill Vegeta since he gave him over to those androids so long ago. But now he had a nice excuse.
“And you think I’ll let you kill me?”
“Of course, you will, unless…” Freeza’s smirk grew even more confident.
“Unless…what?” Vegeta scowl suddenly became dark. He tried to mentally reach for Bulma but oddly he couldn’t feel her.
“Unless you want your precious, blue-haired Chikyuu-jin dead.” Freeza started to chuckle.
Surprised by what he’d just heard, the king looked at his son and could tell those words had affected him. So it was true! His son had indeed fallen for an alien!
“Hmph, you’re bluffing! And I thought you knew me better by now, Freeza. I could care less about a weak, powerless slut.”
“Oh, you think I’m bluffing, eh? I sent Zarbon to fetch her this morning. I doubt she gave him any trouble.” With a sinking heart, Vegeta knew then Freeza wasn’t bluffing. Now he was seriously worried for his wife. “Or would you rather have me destroy Vegeta-sei instead?”
Vegeta looked up and, for a moment, he thought he saw concern on his father’s face, but suddenly the king bowed in front of Freeza.
“Lord Freeza, you have our loyalty. You may punish my son in any way you see fit, but please, I respectfully request that you spare this planet.” When he heard his father say those cowardly words, Vegeta’s heart sank further as he felt true betrayal from his father for the first time.
Freeza knew Gero would kill him for airing such reckless words, but it was still fun to threaten the king and the little monkey prince. “Fine, I will spare you planet, but Vegeta will have to come with me.”
“You are mistaken, Freeza, if you think I care for this planet or that woman. You’ll have to force me to come with you,” Vegeta snarled.
“Oh, I think that can be arranged.” Both king and prince watched as Freeza raised one hand, signaling to someone to come forth.
From a side entrance, Zarbon walked in, carrying an unconscious Bulma in his arms. His handsome face matched Freeza’s, full of triumph and smugness, while Vegeta could only stare back at his two enemies in horror. His wife was captured, in the arms of another unwillingly, and he could see a thin stream of blood trickling from her head. Anger clouded his judgment for a second as a sudden spark of golden energy shot through him.
Truly, Freeza was enjoying himself, making the proud Saiya-jin prince squirm. “Now, Vegeta, I will kill her if you don’t comply with my orders.”
Vegeta crossed his arms, trying to regain his composure. “She is dead anyway, so I don’t see why I have to listen to you.”
“It seems she knows a thing or two about technology, so I’d prefer not to kill her. But if her death can be used to make you listen to reason, then I will have no choice.”
Zarbon looked at Vegeta and coolly added, “Really, Vegeta, I would pay attention if I were you. I, for one, don’t want her to go to waste. She seems rather tasty.”
Zarbon’s taunting words sent chills down Vegeta’s spine. Freeza’s henchman was obviously still lusting after Bulma ever since that one incident. If Vegeta complied, she would not die, but become Zarbon’s plaything. He would have to give in and obey Freeza for Bulma’s sake, but once they were all in space, he would have to think of a plan to free himself and Bulma...somehow. Vegeta relaxed his arms. Shadows covered his face as he glared to Freeza with hate. “Tch, fine. But if I get to the afterworld and meet her, I will come back from the dead to kill you.”
Freeza laughed and signaled Zarbon to leave with Bulma. Vegeta watched him take her away, his heart sinking as she slowly left his sight. Vegeta could feel his father’s eyes on him. Looking up, he saw an unexpected glint of sorrow reflected in the depths of his father’s eyes. The silent king could do nothing but watch as Freeza stood up from the throne and walked by his son, to lead his only offspring towards his inevitable death.
Vegeta turned away from his father and followed Freeza’s back. Unwilling to let his emotions show, the Saiya-jin prince set his face into stone, knowing that he and Bulma would be killed sooner or later, most likely as soon as they got into space. Of course, he wouldn’t go without a fight and he would attempt an escape with Bulma if a chance presented itself to him. And he would be on the alert for one, too. Nothing would stop him from trying.
As he walked, Vegeta focused on his footsteps resounding rhythmically on the metal floor. He was angry at himself for not sensing Zarbon’s ki when he left Bulma’s chambers earlier. What was more upsetting to him was that he hadn’t picked up on Bulma’s emotions when she had been caught. His own fear and nervousness had clouded his connection to her and now this was the result. Rather than make him stronger, the bond had made him weak, because his wife’s emotions were too fragile during critical times such as these.
His thoughts thus occupied, he realized with a bit of shock that they had nearly reached the docking bay. With Freeza’s ship only a few meters away, he had to think of something soon. He could feel Bulma slowly regaining consciousness.
Knowing his death was getting ever closer, Vegeta prayed fervently for a way to get out of this predicament. Suddenly, he felt the air pressure around him shift and he felt an odd presence appear right behind him. In an instant, Vegeta knew who it was and when that person put his arm around him, he did not resist.
“Chimo!!”
Freeza also felt the unexpected presence and immediately spun around to see who it was. When he saw the alien place his arm protectively around Vegeta, he was shocked, but the initial shock was quickly replaced by fury. “How dare you?!“
Seeing that Freeza was ready to lunge at them, the alien looked at the cold emperor and smiled. “Sorry, Freeza, but this Saiya-jin is mine!” Before anyone could do anything, Chimo raised his right arm and rested two fingers in the middle of his forehead. Freeza then charged at the two but instead of making contact, his fist passed through empty air. Vegeta and Chimo were gone.
Freeza’s face contorted into an ugly mask of anger and hate. How he had missed the ki forming behind Vegeta was beyond him. Without turning around he could hear Zarbon’s hurried footsteps. Obviously, he too had felt the new ki and had come back to investigate. The appearance of Zarbon reminded Freeza that he still held the blue-haired woman captive, but he wasn’t satisfied with that. He had to find Vegeta immediately!
Wondering what had just taken place and why Vegeta was no longer there, Zarbon bowed reluctantly behind Freeza. Only a few seconds ago, he felt the sudden arrival of a new ki, then both the new ki and Vegeta’s were gone. Looking up at the hate-contorted face of his lord, Zarbon knew something unforeseen had occurred.
Freeza was still for a moment then he looked over at his henchman. “Zarbon, get the ship ready to take off now!”
“Yes, my Lord.”
“I want that monkey prince back in my hands now!!” And with that, Freeza began walking towards his ship in an angry, impatient rush.
**********
A few hours later found Freeza’s ship not too far from the Vegeta-sei system, the planet itself no longer visible from any window of the ship. But dealing with the Saiya-jins’ planet would have to wait for now because the scope of their mission had radically changed. The bridge was full of busy workers, all focused on locating the missing Saiya-jin Prince and all of them well aware of the price they’d have to pay for failure. Standing stiffly and staring at the bridge’s main viewer, their lord was easy to read at the moment. His anger surrounded him like a mantle, while drops of oil fell periodically from his clenched mechanical fist, spotting the otherwise clean floor.
When the main doors of the bridge opened, everyone paused in their work to glance over at the grim face of Dr. Gero as he stood in the doorway. He looked at the mechanical white lizard for a moment before stepping inside. Freeza knew without looking who the ki-less presence was and refused to turn around and acknowledge him. Though Freeza knew Gero was stronger, pride and uncontrollable anger were clouding his judgment.
Seeming to ignore Freeza’s lack of respect, Gero walked up next to him and eyed him casually. “You lost Vegeta, didn’t you, Freeza?”
Calmly, almost as if he was sure of himself, even though he felt it to be a lie, Freeza answered, “I will have him soon; it is only a matter of time.”
“You are a fool if you continue to underestimate an opponent such as the Saiya-jin prince, Freeza. I doubt you will be able to find him if he has disappeared.” Gero spoke evenly, knowing that his barbed words would have the desired effect on Freeza’s pride.
Freeza’s face twisted into a grimace for a moment before regaining its composure. “I think you are underestimating my abilities and influential reach within the galaxy.”
No sooner then Freeza said that when one of his loyal workers bowed behind him, obviously wishing to report something of importance.
“Freeza-sama, I have just received a report.”
“Go on,” Freeza said with a slight bitterness to his voice.
“I have just received several high-priority transmissions and they all contain similar information. It seems that in the last few hours, approximately 167 Saiya-jins have left their posts within our fleet, while another 91 have gone missing from Vegeta-sei. At present, their whereabouts, including Prince Vegeta’s, are currently unknown.”
Unfortunately, this news only served to intensify Freeza’s already sour mood. Slowly, he raised his palm into to the loyal soldier’s face and swiftly blasted the young alien to dust. As the smoke cleared, Freeza could feel his stress lessening a bit and he smiled in satisfaction. However, Gero’s face only showed displeasure as he turned to address Freeza.
“I think I may have overestimated you, Freeza. I have put up with your constant failures and stupidity for as long as I have been on board. Either you locate Vegeta and the missing Saiya-jins soon or I will be forced take over your job for you.” With that, Gero left the bridge, his footsteps punctuating his own foul temper, which equaled that of Freeza’s.
A slight smugness came over Freeza as he watched the impossibly strong Chikyuu-jin storm from the room. Soon, with the help of that blue-haired scientist, he should be able to become stronger than that old dirty man and once he was stronger, Freeza would punish Gero for all of the embarrassment and humiliation he had inflicted on him during the last few years. Then he would show Gero which of them would be the sole ruler of the universe and who would indeed have the last laugh.
*********
Chimo and Vegeta materialized suddenly on the bridge of the rebellion’s flagship. Only a few of the alien workers bothered to look up in surprise at their appearance. Most, who were worn and tired, continued on with their work, knowing full well about Commander Chimo’s abilities. The only person who seemed to want to greet them was a pale-skinned creature, who had dark large eyes, antenna, and a long face.
Before Vegeta could take in his surroundings, he turned around and grabbed Chimo by his collar. Everyone was surprised, and some positioned themselves for attack, including the pale-skinned man, but knowing of their opponent’s strength, they all hesitated.
“Take me back!” Vegeta demanded through clenched teeth.
Slightly taken aback by this strange request, Chimo remained cool and answered, “No, I will not.”
Vegeta pulled Chimo down and closer so he was face-to-face with him. “Why didn’t you take the Chikyuu-jin woman, too?!”
“Her? Miss Bulma, I presume? She has served her purpose.”
Vegeta was livid. “Her ‘purpose?’ How dare you refer to her as if she was nothing more than trash to be disposed of?!” He was itching to kill Chimo right that moment, but he held back.
“She knew and you knew, Your Highness, that sacrifices would have to be made in order for this rebellion of yours to succeed, that would be a part of helping rid the universe of Freeza. She will be remembered as someone great to the rebellion, as a stepping stone to peace.”
“She is not some damned ‘stepping stone to peace!’ She is more valuable to my rebellion than any of the lives on this piece of trash ship! You either go and get her or take me back now!!”
Chimo stared at Vegeta, noting the set of his face and eyes, his anger and forcefulness, all of which were telltale signs to him. When Chimo continued to silently stare at Vegeta, the Saiya-jin prince clutched his collar tighter.
“We have all lost loved ones to this cause, Your Highness. And I would remind you that it was you and your fellow Saiya-jins who killed many of the ones that I loved dearly. Though I know you were under orders from Freeza, I still can not grant you any sympathy. I can only assure you that Miss Bulma will be remembered.” Taking a breath, Chimo continued, “But now, we must focus on defeating Freeza. You can add revenge for the woman to your list of reasons why you wish to kill Freeza.” As he spoke Chimo’s words came out of him in cold measure, chilled by the pain and loss he had felt from the past few years.
Vegeta’s eyes widened for a moment, feeling the strength of the bond continue to weaken the further he grew from Bulma. Then it suddenly hit him like a punch to the gut. In the moment that he finally had her as his wife, he lost her…to Freeza. At a loss for words and actions, he loosened his grip on Chimo’s collar and dropped his hands to his sides, but quickly fisted them in renewed anger. He closed his eyes for a second before opening them to fix a heated glare at Chimo.
“I don’t want or need your sympathy!” And with that, Vegeta shoved the alien to the side, striding angrily towards the only exit he could see.
Catching himself, Chimo turned to face the back of the retreating prince. “Before you go, I must ask: do you have that capsule?”
Vegeta froze, standing still for a moment before lobbing the capsule over his shoulder. Even though it was a casual toss, when Chimo caught it, the impact stung his palm. No doubt it would leave a bruise, too. After Vegeta’s silent departure from the bridge, everyone relaxed a bit, but they were also confused. They all knew who he was and why he was here, but none of them had made an effort to go after him, feeling that it was simply best to leave the angry Saiya-jin alone. Chimo sighed and shook his head. If only he and the prince had met on better terms, then perhaps they could have been friends.
Chimo and the pale-skinned alien walked up to each other, nodding and grabbing each other’s forearms in greeting.
“Koan, I do apologize for that disturbance, but I believe that Prince Vegeta has just lost his only loved one.”
“I see. He needs to know the pain of loss we have all shared. Perhaps then he will be more agreeable,” Koan observed.
“I doubt it…but it is good that he now realizes the pain we have experienced.”
“It is a sad thing for anyone to go through that, but the prince…needed it.”
Another alien worker then shouted from across the bridge. “Captian Koan! The Saiya-jins have all defected as arranged. Should I set course for the rendezvous point?”
Koan glanced casually over to the officer and nodded. “Yes, set course immediately. I want to start this god-forsaken war already.”
Chimo frowned, not liking the over-zealousness that his captain was showing. “Koan, it is not prudent to be so eager to see bloodshed.”
“It is the only thing I have left to be passionate about.” Koan looked grim for a moment before slightly smiling. “Be happy we are starting the beginning of the end.”
**********
Inside the almost-empty docking bay on the rebellion ship sat a small round ship, in which stood an unmoving Vegeta. He had come into the docking bay, wanting to train in his new and improved “GR,” but when he opened the door and inhaled the faint essence of Bulma’s scent, he lost his will to train. Where he was, he could still feel her ever so slightly. She wasn’t dead yet. Either Freeza or Zarbon would use her somehow for their twisted purposes.
But even knowing she was alive didn’t ease this overwhelming feeling of loss. Bulma would be dead sooner or later. And no matter how much he wanted to save her, he might not be able to do it alone. “We have all lost loved ones to this cause, Your Highness…You can add revenge for the woman to your list of reasons why you wish to kill Freeza.” Chimo’s words came back to haunt him. Just this morning he held her close; just a few hours ago she was lying next to him. How could this have happened? How was he not able to sense Freeza’s arrival? Did he hide his ki? No, it was no use dwelling further about what had happened. Now, he had to deal with it and destroy Freeza, once and for all.
Revenge…he would either avenge her or save her…but now he had to do everything without her by his side, without her knowledge and support. Was fate really this cruel to him? It didn’t matter anymore to him. Bulma was gone, perhaps forever. “She will be remembered…”
Hmph, he thought to himself, she will be more than just remembered. She will be Legendary along with me!
And with that thought echoing in his mind, Vegeta began to train.
**********
Still unconscious, Bulma dreamed of a family, of a lavender-haired boy and little blue-haired girl, chasing each other through the green fields of Chikyuu. She was standing with Vegeta on the top of a hill, watching as the children played below. Past the hill behind them, was a large green dragon that filled the sky, with seven golden balls floating around him. Instead of being scared, Bulma felt happy, knowing that her children were safe because the dragon was protecting them. When she looked at Vegeta, he too was golden, ready and strong to protect his family.
A single tear fell from her eye as Bulma was lay unconscious on the cold prison cell floor. The reality of her situation was that she was a prisoner of Freeza and alone, although until she finally woke up, she wouldn’t truly know what kind of hand fate would deal to her. But until then, she would stay a little longer inside her happy dream.
“Good morning, Vegeta,” Bulma said, her voice still a bit sluggish from sleep.
“Hmph. Mornings are never ‘good.’” After the bliss he had experienced the night before, Vegeta did not like the fact morning had come at all.
“Sadly, I agree. I’ve always hated mornings.” Although Bulma was bothered by the morning’s arrival, she really didn’t mind at all. She had her Prince and husband beside her.
Vegeta and Bulma looked at each other, each feeling the emotions flowing within the other. For them, nothing could feel as wonderful as this moment. Slowly, Vegeta caressed Bulma’s cheek with the tips of his fingers. She smiled at him warmly, enjoying the rare tenderness he was giving her. His fingers slowly went lower, stopping to lazily caress her shoulder and collarbone.
“You seem happy. Did I do something to make you feel this way?” Bulma commented playfully.
Wanting to explore the pleasures his wife gave him yet again, Vegeta smirked at her. “You woke up,” he answered as he carefully shifted his body on top of hers.
“Took you long enough,” she teased. Vegeta went to kiss her, but the loud, annoying alarm on his scouter went off before his lips could make contact with those of his wife.
“Shit! What now?!” Vegeta exclaimed rather unpleasantly. Knowing it had to be his father, he peeled himself reluctantly off of Bulma, who had look of disappointment etched across her face, to reach for his scouter.
Bulma wanted the call to be over quickly. “I hope your father doesn’t want too much of an explanation. I don’t like morning fights,” she said.
Vegeta put the scouter up to his ear and clicked the button while Bulma watched and listened quietly from her side of the bed. “What do you want, old man?”
The king’s voice was grave and filled with a sharp anger. “Vegeta, Freeza has arrived and is here in the throne room. He wants to see you within five minutes.”
Shock and fear hit both Vegeta and Bulma like a sharp pain. Why was Freeza here now? “Tch, fine, I will be there in three.” With that, Vegeta clicked off the scouter.
The second he ended the call, he threw the sheets off both himself and Bulma, and quickly dressed. “Bulma, I want you to get off this planet now!”
Confused, Bulma stared at him. “What? Why?”
Vegeta stopped and looked at Bulma, a glint of desperation in his eyes. “I don’t like this turn of events and I’m concerned about what that lizard is going to do. Take one of your pods and get out of here.”
Knowing how serious this was, Bulma quickly got out of bed and picked up her clothing. “Alright, I’ll go directly to the rendezvous point for the rebellion and meet up with you there in two weeks.”
Vegeta finished getting ready and looked at Bulma once more. She returned his worried look and held her hand over her heart. Bulma wanted to kiss him goodbye, but instead she said aloud what was troubling her heart. “Don’t die.”
Vegeta smirked. “I won’t. Now, get out of here!” That said, he turned from her, his cape flowing behind him as he strode towards the window. Bulma could only watch as he flew off, quickly disappearing from her sight.
Once she could see no more of him, Bulma panicked as she began to get her things together, not wanting to leave anything important behind. She pulled her capsules out and opened one. As quickly as she could, she began filling the opened capsule box. In it went the first capsule she made as a slave, her small computer console, and then some clothing. She also placed inside a backup capsule, containing of all the inventions she made for the rebellion. When she had finished packing, she closed the capsule, letting the little device sit on the table while she dressed herself as fast as she could. After she put her bra on, she placed the capsule in between her breasts. Once she was all ready, she put on the fixed necklace Vegeta had given her.
She didn’t want to worry about anything at the moment. All she wanted to do was focus on getting off the planet like Vegeta had told her to do. She couldn’t even guess why Freeza decided to show up, nor did she really want to. For him to be this unexpected was slightly unnerving. But as long as the rebels held the upper hand, as long as Freeza didn’t know about her involvement in the rebellion, then things should be okay. And as long as Freeza didn’t know anything about her husband’s role in leading the rebellion, then Vegeta would be okay as well.
Ready to escape to her waiting pod, she went to her door and opened it. But when it slid open, she came face-to-face with someone she had hoped never to see again: Zarbon.
**********
Vegeta flew as fast as he could, not trying to dwell what might be the reason for Freeza’s sudden appearance. And to make things worse, he was nervous, more so than he should have been. Normally, he was able to mask his emotions, but as he looked down at his shaking hand, he knew it would be harder than usual to keep himself under control. Glancing back in the direction of Bulma’s chambers, he felt too unsettled to go unprepared to this upcoming meeting with Freeza. Clicking on his scouter, he called Bardock.
“Yes, Your Highness?” Bardock’s voice over the scouter seemed strained.
“Freeza’s on Vegeta-sei. Get everyone ready.”
“Freeza’s here? Right now?” Bardock’s voice was easy to read at that moment, his surprise was clear. “I will have everyone ready to leave on your signal, Your Highness.”
“Good.” Vegeta clicked the scouter off. If Freeza started anything, he would fight him; though in the back of his mind, he knew he wasn’t ready yet.
Vegeta increased his speed, flying straight into the palace. Around him, the whitewashed walls and the metal and the marble of the palace seemed to shout their hate for the visitor who was presently within. Cursing the fact that he had to deal with Freeza so soon after he finally had Bulma, and before he was able to properly train in the new “GR,” only fueled his anger. Once he landed, he quickly opened the doors to the main throne room. Sitting across the way on the king’s throne was Freeza, smirking broadly as he normally did when he felt he had already won. His own father was standing beside Freeza, his face unreadable. Vegeta strode proudly up to the ugly white lizard. He stopped when he was only a couple feet away. They glared at each other for a moment before Vegeta decided to get this over with.
“What do you want, Freeza?” Vegeta’s scorn was easily heard.
“Watch your mouth, boy! You are in enough trouble as is!” His father’s sharp tone cut into him. Something was wrong.
“Your father is correct. You should be bowing to me and asking forgiveness for what you have done, but I doubt that will help.” Freeza crossed his legs and continued to smirk down at Vegeta, knowing he was confusing the prince.
“Since the last time I saw you, you wanted to kill me. I will talk however I choose. Now what do you want, Freeza?”
“Oh my, foul tempered, aren’t we. Well I’ve just told your father that he’ll need a new heir soon, since I’m sentencing you to death for treason.”
“Treason? I’ve been loyal to you, Freeza! How can you lie like that, saying I betrayed you?” As much as he was protesting, Vegeta could sense where this situation was heading. Slowly, he reached inside his armor as though to scratch an itch, covering his movement by shifting his weight. His fingertip pressed the signal button for the Saiya-jins loyal to the rebellion to begin their planned defection.
“Don’t play dumb with me, monkey! I know you’ve been collecting slaves from different worlds, using their skills in order to find ways of killing me. I doubt you have succeeded. And don’t think I don’t know about your little band of fighters trying to rebel against me, either.”
“Can you prove this, Freeza?” Vegeta was calm. He wasn’t going to let that bastard lizard get away with this. He would fight him here and now if he had to!
“Of course, I can. And I’ve already decided that your death will take place in space, so don’t think of trying anything heroic.” Freeza was beyond happy; he thought he wouldn’t get the chance to kill Vegeta since he gave him over to those androids so long ago. But now he had a nice excuse.
“And you think I’ll let you kill me?”
“Of course, you will, unless…” Freeza’s smirk grew even more confident.
“Unless…what?” Vegeta scowl suddenly became dark. He tried to mentally reach for Bulma but oddly he couldn’t feel her.
“Unless you want your precious, blue-haired Chikyuu-jin dead.” Freeza started to chuckle.
Surprised by what he’d just heard, the king looked at his son and could tell those words had affected him. So it was true! His son had indeed fallen for an alien!
“Hmph, you’re bluffing! And I thought you knew me better by now, Freeza. I could care less about a weak, powerless slut.”
“Oh, you think I’m bluffing, eh? I sent Zarbon to fetch her this morning. I doubt she gave him any trouble.” With a sinking heart, Vegeta knew then Freeza wasn’t bluffing. Now he was seriously worried for his wife. “Or would you rather have me destroy Vegeta-sei instead?”
Vegeta looked up and, for a moment, he thought he saw concern on his father’s face, but suddenly the king bowed in front of Freeza.
“Lord Freeza, you have our loyalty. You may punish my son in any way you see fit, but please, I respectfully request that you spare this planet.” When he heard his father say those cowardly words, Vegeta’s heart sank further as he felt true betrayal from his father for the first time.
Freeza knew Gero would kill him for airing such reckless words, but it was still fun to threaten the king and the little monkey prince. “Fine, I will spare you planet, but Vegeta will have to come with me.”
“You are mistaken, Freeza, if you think I care for this planet or that woman. You’ll have to force me to come with you,” Vegeta snarled.
“Oh, I think that can be arranged.” Both king and prince watched as Freeza raised one hand, signaling to someone to come forth.
From a side entrance, Zarbon walked in, carrying an unconscious Bulma in his arms. His handsome face matched Freeza’s, full of triumph and smugness, while Vegeta could only stare back at his two enemies in horror. His wife was captured, in the arms of another unwillingly, and he could see a thin stream of blood trickling from her head. Anger clouded his judgment for a second as a sudden spark of golden energy shot through him.
Truly, Freeza was enjoying himself, making the proud Saiya-jin prince squirm. “Now, Vegeta, I will kill her if you don’t comply with my orders.”
Vegeta crossed his arms, trying to regain his composure. “She is dead anyway, so I don’t see why I have to listen to you.”
“It seems she knows a thing or two about technology, so I’d prefer not to kill her. But if her death can be used to make you listen to reason, then I will have no choice.”
Zarbon looked at Vegeta and coolly added, “Really, Vegeta, I would pay attention if I were you. I, for one, don’t want her to go to waste. She seems rather tasty.”
Zarbon’s taunting words sent chills down Vegeta’s spine. Freeza’s henchman was obviously still lusting after Bulma ever since that one incident. If Vegeta complied, she would not die, but become Zarbon’s plaything. He would have to give in and obey Freeza for Bulma’s sake, but once they were all in space, he would have to think of a plan to free himself and Bulma...somehow. Vegeta relaxed his arms. Shadows covered his face as he glared to Freeza with hate. “Tch, fine. But if I get to the afterworld and meet her, I will come back from the dead to kill you.”
Freeza laughed and signaled Zarbon to leave with Bulma. Vegeta watched him take her away, his heart sinking as she slowly left his sight. Vegeta could feel his father’s eyes on him. Looking up, he saw an unexpected glint of sorrow reflected in the depths of his father’s eyes. The silent king could do nothing but watch as Freeza stood up from the throne and walked by his son, to lead his only offspring towards his inevitable death.
Vegeta turned away from his father and followed Freeza’s back. Unwilling to let his emotions show, the Saiya-jin prince set his face into stone, knowing that he and Bulma would be killed sooner or later, most likely as soon as they got into space. Of course, he wouldn’t go without a fight and he would attempt an escape with Bulma if a chance presented itself to him. And he would be on the alert for one, too. Nothing would stop him from trying.
As he walked, Vegeta focused on his footsteps resounding rhythmically on the metal floor. He was angry at himself for not sensing Zarbon’s ki when he left Bulma’s chambers earlier. What was more upsetting to him was that he hadn’t picked up on Bulma’s emotions when she had been caught. His own fear and nervousness had clouded his connection to her and now this was the result. Rather than make him stronger, the bond had made him weak, because his wife’s emotions were too fragile during critical times such as these.
His thoughts thus occupied, he realized with a bit of shock that they had nearly reached the docking bay. With Freeza’s ship only a few meters away, he had to think of something soon. He could feel Bulma slowly regaining consciousness.
Knowing his death was getting ever closer, Vegeta prayed fervently for a way to get out of this predicament. Suddenly, he felt the air pressure around him shift and he felt an odd presence appear right behind him. In an instant, Vegeta knew who it was and when that person put his arm around him, he did not resist.
“Chimo!!”
Freeza also felt the unexpected presence and immediately spun around to see who it was. When he saw the alien place his arm protectively around Vegeta, he was shocked, but the initial shock was quickly replaced by fury. “How dare you?!“
Seeing that Freeza was ready to lunge at them, the alien looked at the cold emperor and smiled. “Sorry, Freeza, but this Saiya-jin is mine!” Before anyone could do anything, Chimo raised his right arm and rested two fingers in the middle of his forehead. Freeza then charged at the two but instead of making contact, his fist passed through empty air. Vegeta and Chimo were gone.
Freeza’s face contorted into an ugly mask of anger and hate. How he had missed the ki forming behind Vegeta was beyond him. Without turning around he could hear Zarbon’s hurried footsteps. Obviously, he too had felt the new ki and had come back to investigate. The appearance of Zarbon reminded Freeza that he still held the blue-haired woman captive, but he wasn’t satisfied with that. He had to find Vegeta immediately!
Wondering what had just taken place and why Vegeta was no longer there, Zarbon bowed reluctantly behind Freeza. Only a few seconds ago, he felt the sudden arrival of a new ki, then both the new ki and Vegeta’s were gone. Looking up at the hate-contorted face of his lord, Zarbon knew something unforeseen had occurred.
Freeza was still for a moment then he looked over at his henchman. “Zarbon, get the ship ready to take off now!”
“Yes, my Lord.”
“I want that monkey prince back in my hands now!!” And with that, Freeza began walking towards his ship in an angry, impatient rush.
**********
A few hours later found Freeza’s ship not too far from the Vegeta-sei system, the planet itself no longer visible from any window of the ship. But dealing with the Saiya-jins’ planet would have to wait for now because the scope of their mission had radically changed. The bridge was full of busy workers, all focused on locating the missing Saiya-jin Prince and all of them well aware of the price they’d have to pay for failure. Standing stiffly and staring at the bridge’s main viewer, their lord was easy to read at the moment. His anger surrounded him like a mantle, while drops of oil fell periodically from his clenched mechanical fist, spotting the otherwise clean floor.
When the main doors of the bridge opened, everyone paused in their work to glance over at the grim face of Dr. Gero as he stood in the doorway. He looked at the mechanical white lizard for a moment before stepping inside. Freeza knew without looking who the ki-less presence was and refused to turn around and acknowledge him. Though Freeza knew Gero was stronger, pride and uncontrollable anger were clouding his judgment.
Seeming to ignore Freeza’s lack of respect, Gero walked up next to him and eyed him casually. “You lost Vegeta, didn’t you, Freeza?”
Calmly, almost as if he was sure of himself, even though he felt it to be a lie, Freeza answered, “I will have him soon; it is only a matter of time.”
“You are a fool if you continue to underestimate an opponent such as the Saiya-jin prince, Freeza. I doubt you will be able to find him if he has disappeared.” Gero spoke evenly, knowing that his barbed words would have the desired effect on Freeza’s pride.
Freeza’s face twisted into a grimace for a moment before regaining its composure. “I think you are underestimating my abilities and influential reach within the galaxy.”
No sooner then Freeza said that when one of his loyal workers bowed behind him, obviously wishing to report something of importance.
“Freeza-sama, I have just received a report.”
“Go on,” Freeza said with a slight bitterness to his voice.
“I have just received several high-priority transmissions and they all contain similar information. It seems that in the last few hours, approximately 167 Saiya-jins have left their posts within our fleet, while another 91 have gone missing from Vegeta-sei. At present, their whereabouts, including Prince Vegeta’s, are currently unknown.”
Unfortunately, this news only served to intensify Freeza’s already sour mood. Slowly, he raised his palm into to the loyal soldier’s face and swiftly blasted the young alien to dust. As the smoke cleared, Freeza could feel his stress lessening a bit and he smiled in satisfaction. However, Gero’s face only showed displeasure as he turned to address Freeza.
“I think I may have overestimated you, Freeza. I have put up with your constant failures and stupidity for as long as I have been on board. Either you locate Vegeta and the missing Saiya-jins soon or I will be forced take over your job for you.” With that, Gero left the bridge, his footsteps punctuating his own foul temper, which equaled that of Freeza’s.
A slight smugness came over Freeza as he watched the impossibly strong Chikyuu-jin storm from the room. Soon, with the help of that blue-haired scientist, he should be able to become stronger than that old dirty man and once he was stronger, Freeza would punish Gero for all of the embarrassment and humiliation he had inflicted on him during the last few years. Then he would show Gero which of them would be the sole ruler of the universe and who would indeed have the last laugh.
*********
Chimo and Vegeta materialized suddenly on the bridge of the rebellion’s flagship. Only a few of the alien workers bothered to look up in surprise at their appearance. Most, who were worn and tired, continued on with their work, knowing full well about Commander Chimo’s abilities. The only person who seemed to want to greet them was a pale-skinned creature, who had dark large eyes, antenna, and a long face.
Before Vegeta could take in his surroundings, he turned around and grabbed Chimo by his collar. Everyone was surprised, and some positioned themselves for attack, including the pale-skinned man, but knowing of their opponent’s strength, they all hesitated.
“Take me back!” Vegeta demanded through clenched teeth.
Slightly taken aback by this strange request, Chimo remained cool and answered, “No, I will not.”
Vegeta pulled Chimo down and closer so he was face-to-face with him. “Why didn’t you take the Chikyuu-jin woman, too?!”
“Her? Miss Bulma, I presume? She has served her purpose.”
Vegeta was livid. “Her ‘purpose?’ How dare you refer to her as if she was nothing more than trash to be disposed of?!” He was itching to kill Chimo right that moment, but he held back.
“She knew and you knew, Your Highness, that sacrifices would have to be made in order for this rebellion of yours to succeed, that would be a part of helping rid the universe of Freeza. She will be remembered as someone great to the rebellion, as a stepping stone to peace.”
“She is not some damned ‘stepping stone to peace!’ She is more valuable to my rebellion than any of the lives on this piece of trash ship! You either go and get her or take me back now!!”
Chimo stared at Vegeta, noting the set of his face and eyes, his anger and forcefulness, all of which were telltale signs to him. When Chimo continued to silently stare at Vegeta, the Saiya-jin prince clutched his collar tighter.
“We have all lost loved ones to this cause, Your Highness. And I would remind you that it was you and your fellow Saiya-jins who killed many of the ones that I loved dearly. Though I know you were under orders from Freeza, I still can not grant you any sympathy. I can only assure you that Miss Bulma will be remembered.” Taking a breath, Chimo continued, “But now, we must focus on defeating Freeza. You can add revenge for the woman to your list of reasons why you wish to kill Freeza.” As he spoke Chimo’s words came out of him in cold measure, chilled by the pain and loss he had felt from the past few years.
Vegeta’s eyes widened for a moment, feeling the strength of the bond continue to weaken the further he grew from Bulma. Then it suddenly hit him like a punch to the gut. In the moment that he finally had her as his wife, he lost her…to Freeza. At a loss for words and actions, he loosened his grip on Chimo’s collar and dropped his hands to his sides, but quickly fisted them in renewed anger. He closed his eyes for a second before opening them to fix a heated glare at Chimo.
“I don’t want or need your sympathy!” And with that, Vegeta shoved the alien to the side, striding angrily towards the only exit he could see.
Catching himself, Chimo turned to face the back of the retreating prince. “Before you go, I must ask: do you have that capsule?”
Vegeta froze, standing still for a moment before lobbing the capsule over his shoulder. Even though it was a casual toss, when Chimo caught it, the impact stung his palm. No doubt it would leave a bruise, too. After Vegeta’s silent departure from the bridge, everyone relaxed a bit, but they were also confused. They all knew who he was and why he was here, but none of them had made an effort to go after him, feeling that it was simply best to leave the angry Saiya-jin alone. Chimo sighed and shook his head. If only he and the prince had met on better terms, then perhaps they could have been friends.
Chimo and the pale-skinned alien walked up to each other, nodding and grabbing each other’s forearms in greeting.
“Koan, I do apologize for that disturbance, but I believe that Prince Vegeta has just lost his only loved one.”
“I see. He needs to know the pain of loss we have all shared. Perhaps then he will be more agreeable,” Koan observed.
“I doubt it…but it is good that he now realizes the pain we have experienced.”
“It is a sad thing for anyone to go through that, but the prince…needed it.”
Another alien worker then shouted from across the bridge. “Captian Koan! The Saiya-jins have all defected as arranged. Should I set course for the rendezvous point?”
Koan glanced casually over to the officer and nodded. “Yes, set course immediately. I want to start this god-forsaken war already.”
Chimo frowned, not liking the over-zealousness that his captain was showing. “Koan, it is not prudent to be so eager to see bloodshed.”
“It is the only thing I have left to be passionate about.” Koan looked grim for a moment before slightly smiling. “Be happy we are starting the beginning of the end.”
**********
Inside the almost-empty docking bay on the rebellion ship sat a small round ship, in which stood an unmoving Vegeta. He had come into the docking bay, wanting to train in his new and improved “GR,” but when he opened the door and inhaled the faint essence of Bulma’s scent, he lost his will to train. Where he was, he could still feel her ever so slightly. She wasn’t dead yet. Either Freeza or Zarbon would use her somehow for their twisted purposes.
But even knowing she was alive didn’t ease this overwhelming feeling of loss. Bulma would be dead sooner or later. And no matter how much he wanted to save her, he might not be able to do it alone. “We have all lost loved ones to this cause, Your Highness…You can add revenge for the woman to your list of reasons why you wish to kill Freeza.” Chimo’s words came back to haunt him. Just this morning he held her close; just a few hours ago she was lying next to him. How could this have happened? How was he not able to sense Freeza’s arrival? Did he hide his ki? No, it was no use dwelling further about what had happened. Now, he had to deal with it and destroy Freeza, once and for all.
Revenge…he would either avenge her or save her…but now he had to do everything without her by his side, without her knowledge and support. Was fate really this cruel to him? It didn’t matter anymore to him. Bulma was gone, perhaps forever. “She will be remembered…”
Hmph, he thought to himself, she will be more than just remembered. She will be Legendary along with me!
And with that thought echoing in his mind, Vegeta began to train.
**********
Still unconscious, Bulma dreamed of a family, of a lavender-haired boy and little blue-haired girl, chasing each other through the green fields of Chikyuu. She was standing with Vegeta on the top of a hill, watching as the children played below. Past the hill behind them, was a large green dragon that filled the sky, with seven golden balls floating around him. Instead of being scared, Bulma felt happy, knowing that her children were safe because the dragon was protecting them. When she looked at Vegeta, he too was golden, ready and strong to protect his family.
A single tear fell from her eye as Bulma was lay unconscious on the cold prison cell floor. The reality of her situation was that she was a prisoner of Freeza and alone, although until she finally woke up, she wouldn’t truly know what kind of hand fate would deal to her. But until then, she would stay a little longer inside her happy dream.