Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ The Legend Of the Bond ❯ Gift and Punishment ( Chapter 27 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

In a quiet room located on the family ship of Prince Vegeta’s fleet, a soft, vibrating hum coming from the aft engines could be heard. The sound didn’t seem to bother either of the room’s occupants, because if they didn’t consciously listen for it, the humming easily melded into the background with all of the usual ship sounds. A very tired Chi-chi had just put a sleepy Gohan into his crib before stretching out on the bed next to it. As exhausted as she was, her fretting mind kept her from falling immediately into sleep. She was worried about her husband, who had left almost two months ago on a small ship to carry out a very secretive mission with the prince. According to the plan, the rebellion’s family ships had separated from their respective fleets and were scheduled to rendezvous with the other family ships in a few days. Chi-chi and the other families were made aware that this separation from the main fleets was being done to safeguard them because a strategic attack had also been planned against Freeza’s fleet in the Godan system around this same time, even though only two of the three fleets were taking part in the assault. Rather than feeling reassured, the upcoming rendezvous was worrying Chi-chi.

Staring intently at her son, Chi-chi wondered about Bulma and prayed that she was still alive. Before he left on his secret mission, Goku had told her everything he could about her friend and the prince. If it was true, since the prince believed her alive, then so should she. Closing her eyes, Chi-chi sent out a silent prayer that her husband would make it out of the battle on Godan in one piece and that he would hurry back to them so he could protect Gohan, like he should, instead of fighting in a war.

It didn’t take long before Chi-chi fell asleep too. The steady hum of the engine had done its magic, leaving her feeling comfortable and safe.

*********

Chimo sat on the bridge of his flagship, wondering how Captain Fukusa’s fleet was doing on the other side of the galaxy. Now that he had Vegeta’s fleet with him, Chimo wasn’t so worried. Casually, he glanced to his side and saw Koan staring fixedly at the main screen of the bridge and looking rather unwell. Chimo didn’t like any of this. The rebellion had gone exceptionally well so far and had done so much that he had no reason to think that this battle shouldn’t go just as smoothly. All that was left for the rebellion forces after this was the final confrontation with Freeza.

Chimo wanted to sigh, wishing that his life had turned out differently. Had it not been for Freeza’s evil ambitions, his life should have been happy. Thinking back on the day he had become leader of Godan, he remembered that his wife had also given birth on the same day. Godan was enjoying a peaceful existence, filled with a thriving economy and vibrant people living together on a beautiful planet. Then everything crashed down. That very day, before he could hold his son in his arms, Prince Vegeta had approached him, warning him of Freeza’s intentions, telling him how he would protect Godan to the best of his abilities if they agreed to join him in the rebellion, to which Chimo quickly agreed. Many times since then, the prince had visited him to go over various war strategies and to update him on Freeza’s movements.

Chimo had truly believed that he and his planet would be safe. Then he had gotten a message that Godan would be purged per Freeza’s orders and that Prince Vegeta would be the one in charge of the purging. It was the greatest betrayal Chimo had ever felt. Nonetheless, Chimo had kept to his word, even as his wife and child were killed by Vegeta when he destroyed Godan’s main capital. To this day, Chimo blamed himself for their deaths. He had known about the purging, yet his own family, like so many others, insisted on staying behind. Many members of his race had escaped, but those that were forever lost…their faces never left his mind. Even now, when the rebellion was gathering in strength, preparing to deal the last blows to Freeza, and he was about to see his home planet for the first time since he left, his heart felt hollow and empty.

He felt his ship beginning to slow down as it got closer to the Godan system. Suddenly, alarms went off and red warning lights blinked throughout the ship, jolting him out of his sad musings. Chimo disliked the idea of any alarms going off when none of them expected any trouble. He was especially worried because Vegeta and his companion Kakarotto had decided to deal with a few more important planets of Freeza’s after Vegeta’s battle with Zarbon and were not currently with their fleet. Chimo jumped to his feet, but before he could make another move, one of the bridge crew began shouting, his voice full of panic.

“Sir! Our sensors have picked up two very large formations sitting just outside of Godan’s solar system!” The crew member paused and tapped on a few keys on his console. “According to our readings…the ships are identified as Freeza’s main fleet and King Vegeta’s fleet…and they are positioned between us and planet Godan! They seem to be lying in wait for us! Sir, what shall we do?”

Chimo clenched his teeth and his fists in angry frustration. Obviously, a spy had somehow infiltrated the rebellion and leaked their plans to Freeza. No doubt Ginyu’s group was on the planet, taking care of their sordid business without a single worry, laughing at the thought of Chimo’s forces’ soon demise as they fell into Freeza’s little trap.

The same crew member looked anxiously at Chimo, waiting for a reply. When none came, he began to worry. “Sir?”

Behind him, Koan also looked at Chimo, concern growing in his eyes, worried that his fellow Godan-jin was not responding to this dire situation. He walked up to Chimo and placed his hand on Chimo’s shoulder, which immediately shook him from his desperate thoughts. Chimo shrugged off the touch then looked at the crew member who informed him of what was ahead of them.

“If they are waiting for us, then I say let us not make them wait any longer! Alert the others in the fleet: all ships will increase their engine speed up to 12 mega-knots. Then we will meet our final foes head-on with everything we’ve got!”

More than a little surprised at the reckless sound of Chimo’s orders, Koan cautioned, “Chimo, shouldn’t we retreat and regroup? This will be suicide if Freeza is with them!”

Chimo ignored his friend’s warning, which was something he never had done before. “Send a message directly to Bardock’s fleet,” he ordered the crewman. “Tell them to change direction head immediately toward Godan’s sun. They are to wait at Coordinates 66-159-XL for more instructions. The sun’s radiation in that quadrant will hide them partly from detection and when the time is right, we’ll have them come at our enemies from behind. Our enemies’ energies will mostly likely be concentrated on their forward shields to protect them from a frontal attack, making their rear shields vulnerable.”

“Chimo, you can’t be serious! Those orders would take them too far off-course! And to maneuver all of the Bardock’s ships around the enemy fleets and get into attack position would take…weeks!”

Chimo continued to ignore Koan, which was very unlike him. “Have our fleet divided in three battle groups: two groups will form on either side in a wedge formation while the third will be the in lead. Separating into three smaller groups will keep most of our ships from sustaining any major ki blast damage from Freeza’s fleet. But, we will have to fly fast.” Chimo then directed his attention to his ship’s pilot. “Set the ship’s course using a delta V-12 flight pattern, and make sure we don’t stop for anything. When we pass the H-curve and get within direct visual contact with the closest of Freeza’s fleet we will be running directly into the clusters of three-man, out-space fighters. And we have to steer clear of King Vegeta’s fleet.”

Chimo was composed and focused as he made each command, but Koan could only stare in growing horror once he realized what Chimo was planning.

“Chimo, have you gone mad–?” Koan words were sharply waved off by his friend who directed his attention into the long-range com unit.

“Contact Captain’s Fukusa’s fleet! We will need them here as well!”

The com officer turned to Chimo. “Sir, I just received a message from them. It seems they have taken on heavy damage from a single, unknown out-space fighter and just got away with approximately half their fleet still intact and operational.”

Chimo looked at the com officer carefully, his expression unable to read. “Did they say where this attack happened?”

“According to their message, the closet system to their battle with this unknown was Waku-sei Vegeta.”

“Was it a…Saiya-jin?” Chimo’s question was low.

“Negative, sir. The data included in the message said that this fighter was something else, of a species they’ve never seen before.”

“Have Fukusa’s fleet regroup to quickly repair any major damage. Then have them back us up the moment Captain Fukasa deems them battle-ready once again. Also, contact Prince Vegeta and inform him of our fleets’ situations.” Chimo then looked towards the main screen and waited.

The com officer acknowledged Chimo’s orders then turned around to carry them out, working wordlessly and quickly. Chimo stood tall, his mind no longer jumbled with worry, but numbed from all that had just taken place. He forced his eyes to stay on the screen ahead and wouldn’t look back, feeling the disapproving heat of Koan’s stare.

Koan stood rock-still a few feet away from Chimo, staring at him in disbelief. “You are mad, Chimo,” he said. “You will be sending all of us to our deaths like this…” Shaking his head, Koan slowly went to his station. Despite his misgivings, he too began working on Chimo’s orders, fully knowing that this would be the end of the rebellion.

Chimo didn’t respond to Koan’s accusations, because he was wrong. Koan was wrong about Chimo’s sending everyone to their deaths because he knew that this wasn’t going to end the rebellion. Not at all. This was Chimo’s chance to show the depth of his loyalty to Vegeta. If his trust was not misplaced in the hot-headed, rebellious Vegeta, and if he survived this battle, Chimo believed he would bear witness to the outcome of the universe.

**********

The inside of Bulma’s home on Namek-sei was messy to say the least. Scattered around her were the random contents of all of the capsules she had kept hidden in between her bosoms on that fateful morning when she had caught by Zarbon’s evil clutches. She chuckled happily as she thought of the nice little revenge she exacted on him and Freeza. Between the mounds of various objects, which included things from the prototype capsule she had used as a slave and the other inventions she made for the rebellion, Bulma sat and played with Dende. He looked up and gave her a funny look when she suddenly chuckled out of nowhere.

Her disregard for tidiness didn’t sit well with Nail, but he let it slide. While she was making a space ship to leave Namek-sei, she had also made many things to ease the Namek-jins’ lives. Aqueducts, water dispensers, solar ray amplifiers, and little adjustable canopies littered Murri’s village now. From a corner of the house, Nail stood and watched Bulma and Dende. He had just returned from seeing the Grand Elder and was pleased to see that the older Namek-jin was well. Months ago, the Grand Elder warned him that even though Bulma would ask about the Dragon Balls, to not disclose any information about them to her.

However, if, and only if, the evil that he sensed was permeating the universe grew worse, only then would the Grand Elder grace Bulma with the information about the Dragon Balls. Until then, Bulma would have to be kept in the dark.

Nail watched carefully as Bulma wobbly stood up while Dende dashed off to continue his studies. Not liking her to work so much and knowing she would once she got to her feet, Nail began to walk towards her. When he gently grabbed her elbow she looked at him. Bulma already knew what he was going to say and so she gave him a pout, though she knew it wasn’t going to work.

“I think you should rest today.” Those words of concern were enough to put her in a bad mood.

“I’m not tired at all, Nail, and I’m close to finishing my ship. Then I will be out of your hair.”

“I have no hair,” he said factually.

“Nail, I’m practically the Queen of the Saiya-jins, so I would think that I should be able to do what I want, like any noble lady.” Bulma knew she had very little say whenever Nail wanted her to rest, but she still tried to weasel him into letting her work. She was so close to finishing her projects and, if she could finish sooner, then she could begin her search for those “Dragon Balls” that Nail kept swearing that he knew nothing about. Once her ship was ready, she could travel through space, hopefully to find those “Dragon Balls” and end her tormented dreams. And then perhaps she could be re-united with Vegeta and introduce him to their child.

“‘Queen’…’lady?’”

Without a difference in gender among his species, Bulma realized Nail’s confusion about the titles and tried another approach. “Please, Nail, let me get back to my work?” This time, she tried giving him puppy dog eyes while leaning slightly into him to gain sympathy. Nail just looked down at her with a look of annoyance and disbelief.

“I think you should lie down; you’re acting strange.” Nail began to lead her toward her bed carefully, holding onto her to make sure she didn’t fall.

Frustrated and furious, but knowing it was useless to argue, Bulma just pouted. “I can’t believe how you can be so bossy to a poor, little pregnant woman.”

Nail only glanced at Bulma before he helped her into bed. “‘Poor’? ‘Little’? I do not think you could qualify as either.”

Bulma wanted to throw something at him for that remark, but decided to just sigh and comply with his wishes. As she lay back, her agitated mind began to ponder on the different things she would have to focus on when she awoke. She had already lost almost six months since she was captured by Zarbon and had no idea what was going on outside of Namek-sei, or even outside this village. Bulma was growing more and more anxious for news of the rebellion. She also wanted to see more of Namek-sei, but with Nail always watching over her like she was a child, she couldn’t do much, let alone she explore beyond the village.

Bulma was moments from sleep when she heard Nail get up from his seat where he usually kept watch over her whenever she slept. Surprised, she first thought that perhaps something was wrong. Then she wondered if Nail had just decided to trust that she would stay in bed as she was told? Her relationship with the Namekj-jin was different; something that was special in its own way. Inwardly, she was glad that he looked after her, particularly during this time when she was separated from Vegeta. Not until she felt Nail leave the small hut did she sit up slowly and look out the round, blue glass window that was in her bedroom. She couldn’t see Nail anywhere, so she slipped from her bed and casually walked over to where she’d been toiling on her spaceship along with a few other odds and ends.

As she started tinkering and putting together a circuit or two, Bulma began fashioning a communicator device so that she could find out what was going on out in space and what had become of her husband as well. Why she hadn’t done so earlier surprised her. It was probably because she had been enjoying herself on this planet or because she had been too focused on herself and her child that grew within her. Whatever the reason, she wasn’t going to delay any longer. She had the utmost confidence in the rebellion, in the Saiya-jins, and especially in her husband to win, but she needed a way to contact them, just in case they needed her.

The thought of Vegeta made Bulma grimace. The bond they shared was still strong within her, although she could feel him somewhere in the distance, she was certain that he was alive and well. She knew Vegeta would triumph over Freeza. Vegeta had used her, turned her vast skills to his purpose, but she still knew enough about him to know that he couldn’t possibly lose; not now, not after coming so far. Bulma’s mind wandered back to the discussions she had with Zarbon as she picked up another circuit board and began fooling with it. The smug bastard seemed to enjoy telling her about the rebellion’s defeats, about all things Freeza’s enemies had done wrong, and the increasing death toll of the opposing forces. She shook her head and frowned away the distracting thoughts. She wasn’t going to worry any more about anything Zarbon had told her, because by her estimation, the rebellion was still going strong and they would eventually trounce Freeza’s forces.

**********

Hours later, Bulma was putting a few additional touches on her new communicator when Nail returned looking more like his usual self. And instead of being angry that she wasn’t in bed, he appeared unsurprised, as though he had expected to find her just where she was. She couldn’t sense any emotions from Nail like she could Vegeta so she had no idea if he really was mad at her or not. Wordlessly, they stared at each other for a minute or two, until Bulma’s resigned sigh broke the quiet. She did feel somewhat guilty for not staying in bed, although she wasn’t nearly as fragile as Nail seemed to think she was. However, because the Namek-jins were still at a loss on how to deal with her condition and were very concerned, she let it slide, but Nail’s continued over-protectiveness was annoying. Before she could say what was on her mind, Nail stepped closer and gently spoke to her.

“The Grand Elder wishes to see you.”

Since Bulma had gotten here, everyone who referred to the Grand Elder spoke of him in worshipful tones, as though he was the greatest person in the universe. But she had never seen him nor had she ever been invited to go see him…until now.

“Really?!” Bulma was didn’t know how to react to this news, so she decided to go with her first instinct. “Oh, well, I guess it’s about time, huh? He is the leader of the planet, right? I guess I better clean up a bit and put some nice clothes on.”

“Do hurry. I do not wish to have the Grand Elder wait long.”

“I’ll change as fast as I can, but it’s hard to get dressed and undressed when I have such a big midsection.” Bulma remembered that she had a new spandex set, boots, and a long coat in one of the capsules and decided change into those. And she would have to quickly spot-clean her Saiya-jin armor, which had been getting small stains here and there.

“Should I help you?” Nail offered nonchalantly.

“No! I can do it myself, thank you!” Bulma was always surprised at the helpfulness of Nail and his indifference at the fact she was a woman.

Nail didn‘t understand why she usually refused his help, but since she reassured him she could manage it herself, he was satisfied. Earlier, when he heard the Grand Elder speak to him in his mind, he left immediately to go see the older Namek-jin. When he arrived, he wasn’t exactly surprised that the Grand Elder now wanted to meet with their alien guest who was carrying an egg within her. Nail also suspected that the Grand Elder wished to speak with Bulma for some other reason, but what he did not know what exactly that might be. When he saw that Bulma was ready, he moved to pick her up, but hesitated when she held up her hand to stop him.

“It’s okay. One of the things I’ve finished recently is a small craft for lower atmospheric travel. I can fly in that, just let me follow you.” Bulma said with a small smile.

“Alright.” Nail was somewhat disappointed. Whenever he flew with her, she seemed to enjoy herself. Though those times were always short and within the village, he found himself looking forward to their experiences and wishing for more. This time he wouldn’t see her smile or laugh while the wind blew her hair and the thought made him frown slightly.

**********

They flew side-by-side for a few hours, Nail flying slightly ahead of Bulma in her small flier. Because of her advanced pregnant state, it was easier for Bulma to fly instead of being carried and during the trip she got to see more of Namek-sei than she had before. She hadn’t left Muuri’s village before this occasion and she had only a small picture of what Namek-sei was really like. From what she was told by a few Namek-jins, the planet had been stricken by a major storm around a hundred years earlier and had been much more beautiful then. From what she had seen so far, Bulma believed the planet was still quite beautiful and enjoyed taking in the new sights on her way.

When Bulma saw a tall, column-like mountain jutting up from the middle of a massive body of water, she got a feeling that they were nearing their destination. As she got closer and saw a large, distinctively Namek-jin house sitting by itself on the top of the column, she felt certain that it must be the home of the Grand Elder. On the open ground surrounding the structure, she had just enough room to land her flier, though the space was tight. Once he landed, Nail helped Bulma from the craft and then led her inside the large main door.

The house was dark and strangely empty, but very quiet and comfortable. Bulma felt incredibly safe here with Nail standing close to her. As soon as the front door slid shut behind them, the floor panel under their feet began to rise. Startled and almost losing her balance, Bulma quickly grabbed onto Nail’s arm. She didn’t relax her grip until the ceiling above them opened up to allow them to pass through without being squashed. The floor panel continued its ascent through the opening and eventually rose above the ceiling level and merged with the upper floor.

When the floor below their feet finally stabilized, Bulma released her hold on Nail’s arm and looked up in open-mouthed awe. Sitting on a huge white chair, was a colossal and old Namek-jin, dressed in white robes. His face held a kind expression although Bulma couldn’t see his eyes through the drooping folds. She also noticed that his skin was a much darker shade of green than any other Namek-jin she had ever seen. She glanced over at Nail, who was bowing deeply toward the much larger Namek-jin, confirming to her that he was none other than the Grand Elder. And the reverent look shining in Nail’s eyes and his body language told her that he would not hesitate to give his life for the older Namek-jin.

“Welcome to Namek, child, even though this welcome comes a little late. I hope my children have treated you well?” asked the deep yet very gentle voice compelling Bulma to give her complete attention to him.

“Y-yes, they have treated me very nicely,” Bulma said, her own reply coming out a bit apprehensive.

The Grand Elder shifted slightly in his seat to face her companion. “Nail, please leave us.”

Shocked by the unexpected request, Nail was about to protest, but then he stopped himself. Instead he bowed again and said meekly, “Yes, Grand Elder.” He took a couple of steps backward and the floor panel underneath him lowered itself, taking him back down to the lower floor.

As she watched Nail descend, Bulma began to feel a bit anxious. She wasn’t quite as scared as when she first saw the Great Elder but she also wasn’t confident that she should be left alone with him either. Not wanting to accidentally insult the leader of all the Namek-jins, she made a quick mental note to be sure to speak slowly and to choose her words with the utmost care. When Nail finally disappeared from view and the opening in the floor resealed itself, she again heard the friendly voice of the Grand Elder.

“Do not worry about the proper etiquette. You can relax and not be concerned. I know what is in your heart.”

In a rare loss for words, Bulma stared up at the Grand Elder. She was flooded with relief but she was also filled with curiosity at how he could know what was in her heart and mind. Normally, the idea of another person knowing her deepest thoughts and feelings would’ve made her feel violated. Instead, she was captivated by the Elder’s kind and reassuring presence. Bulma didn’t move, but waited until the Grand Elder spoke again.

“Please, child, come closer. I wish to give you something.”

“For me?” she asked. Happy, yet still a little nervous about receiving a gift from someone who seemed so perceptive, Bulma slowly stepped closer to the throne, keeping her eyes on large Namek-jin.

Suddenly, she felt a touch of a breeze pass over her. Earlier, Bulma had glanced around the Grand Elder’s room and had seen that there was no open window, vent or door anywhere. Nonetheless, there was a slight wind coming from somewhere behind her. Bulma took her eyes off the Grand Elder for a moment and looked over her shoulder. There, on the far wall, was a large round window, but it was closed, and she saw nothing else that could have caused the wind. When she turned around to look back at the Grand Elder, something caught her eye. Behind him, mounted on the top of the back of his huge throne-like seat, was a large, round orange-colored gem. Suspended in its clear middle as though it was floating, was a single red star.

The sight of this shining orb made her heart suddenly grow weak with apprehension. Bulma had no idea what this thing was, but it held an undeniable pull that would not let her look away.

Without a warning, flashes of images surrounded her; some clear, some blurry and out of focus. She was no longer standing in the Grand Elder’s house, but was traveling simultaneously through different places, although she hadn’t moved an inch. Suddenly, the images became more recognizable. Most were of Chikyuu-sei and Namek-sei. The faces she saw were ones she’d seen in her in her dreams, the ones of people she no longer could remember. Then she saw her parents, Goku, and…the man with the scars on his face. Confused, Bulma didn’t know what was what or who was who anymore. She felt another pull, moving her forward again, but faster this time.

“Oh no, you don’t! I‘m not going to let you get away from me this time!” This forceful and feminine voice definitely didn’t belong to the Grand Elder; in fact, it sounded a lot like her own.

Bulma quickly spun around towards the voice, holding her swollen stomach protectively. She didn’t know what was coming next, but she was ready to protect her unborn child from any unexpected attack. Standing in front of her was another Bulma, skinny, dressed in a red mini-dress, which showed off her very shapely legs. Her blue hair was cut into an extremely short and quite stylish bob. This other Bulma also looked slightly agitated.

A bewildered Bulma could only stare openly at her other self, her mind abuzz with a million questions, but only one came out: “Why do you have my beautiful face?!”

The other Bulma chuckled. “Well, I can see I‘m still the same, no matter where I am and whatever happens to me. But that’s a good thing, right? The universe could always use another beautiful genius like myself.”

The first Bulma didn’t like this idea too well. Enough strange things had happened to her in her lifetime and to have someone appear in front of her own eyes who looked just like her was just too much. “Who are you?!” she demanded.

“Tch. Don’t you recognize your own self when you see her…me? Oh well, I don’t have much time and I’m sure you’re smart enough to figure the rest out for yourself. That,” the second Bulma said, now pointing up at the familiar glowing orange object on her left, “is a Dragon Ball and it will grant you any wish you can think of; three of them, in fact.”

“Why am I telling myself this?” asked the first one.

“I can‘t believe this person is me,” said the other Bulma, more to herself than to her counterpart. ”A lady…reduced to this!” Gathering herself, she began to lecture: “First, get your mind wrapped around the fact we are two different people, even though we are the same person. I’ve been trying to warn you for years, but Kaio-shin kept interfering, even with my own Vegeta.” She paused, putting her hands on her hips and shrugging her shoulders. “But I guess I can’t really fault Kaio-shin, after what happened.”

Stunned and even more confused than before, the first Bulma asked, “What happened? And who is Kaio-shin?”

“That’s a story for another time. For right now, just ask to use the Namek-jins’ Dragon Balls. Trust me; you’ll be needing those wishes soon. Oh, and finally…do think about getting yourself a new hair style.” And with that parting remark, the other Bulma was gone, fading quickly away on the wind.

Bulma slowly sank to her knees, her mind reeling from what she had just seen and heard. She met another version of herself and this other self knew all about the Dragon Balls and that they granted wishes! How could that be even possible?! Then Bulma started remembering all her old visions from before, when she watched her mother graciously serving coffee to her. Or the other part of the vision, when she watched as Vegeta blew up another “GR” and nearly killed himself in the process.

Were all those real incidences that had taken place, perhaps in another universe or time continuum? And what had happened in that alternate universe to make the other Bulma want to try and contact her in this universe? Why did she tell her to use the Dragon Balls? More questions without answers, or answers that weren’t meant to be answered now.

Then again, the universe was filled with species which made use of different types of powers, strong abilities which could manipulate these visions and…they could be possible enemies of Vegeta as well. She remembered all hateful faces of different species that had invaded her dreams in the past; species that looked like they might be able to trick her with such a mental hoaxes. Immediately, when she thought back to those same dreams and faces, only one popped up in her mind: that dark-eyed man whose handsome face was marked with scars. He kept looking back at her with a broad smile as though he was pleased to see her. This strange-yet-familiar man didn’t seem to hate her like the others; no, he was…different.

Upset and highly disoriented, Bulma didn’t move from where she was, sitting at the feet of the Grand Elder. “Do not be so confused.” The Grand Elder’s voice was sweet and full of sympathy. “Please be reassured that I was the one that allowed your other self to finally contact you.”

Bulma snapped out of her daze and slowly turned her head to look up at the old Namek-jin. “My other self? So that was really me?”

“Yes, from another time and place, although I’m not sure of the exact circumstances that compelled her to reach you. In the few months you have been here, I sensed her struggle and knew it was of great importance that she contact you. That was my gift to you.”

Bulma realized that there was a need for wishes at this time, that so many people needed them. Perhaps her true purpose in the rebellion’s fight for freedom was for her to make those wishes that were granted to her by the Dragon Balls. Filled with determination, she quickly grew eager, saying, “Then she meant to tell me about the Dragon Balls! And that the gem above you is one of them, isn’t it?”

“I heard what was said between the two of you. And I have also felt an evil presence spread throughout our universe. I will allow you to use the Dragon Balls, here, in my home, when the time is right.”

Bulma smiled and got to her feet, her heart overjoyed at this news. Although she had to stay on Namek-sei until she was allowed to use the Dragon Balls, she didn’t care! Thinking about what she could do for Vegeta and the rebellion with those wishes made her giddy with anticipation. “Thank you Grand Elder! I knew you were a good guy!”

The Grand Elder smiled down at her. He had told her the truth about the danger coming to Namek-sei, and he knew that he would have to protect his people as best as he could. The only way to do so would be to allow this alien to use the power of the Dragon Balls. In the meanwhile, the Grand Elder would have to strengthen the powers of the Dragon, because he sensed that the upcoming wishes were going to be on an immense scale. Even though he was reluctant, he had no choice. Even if it had cost him his life, the Grand Elder knew what had to be done, for the survival of his people and the universe in which they lived.

**********

Excited by what she had learned, Bulma wanted to rush straight home, but could only follow at Nail’s pace. When she had told Nail what had occurred with the Grand Elder, he was shocked into complete silence and didn’t say anything to her during their flight back. When they finally landed at the village, they quietly walked into her small domicile, the feeling between them awkward. Bulma wasn’t mad at him about lying to her or hiding the truth, she was too happy to care about that now, but she was concerned at his silence. As soon as Nail made sure she was safe inside, he took off without saying goodbye. She figured that he was heading right back to the Grand Elder’s place, no doubt to protest about allowing her to use the Dragon Balls, but she really had no choice; she had to set things right.

Once Bulma was alone, she didn’t waste a minute. She quickly rushed to finish her communicator and prayed that she could hear Vegeta’s voice once again.

**********

Vegeta released a large blast of ki onto the enemy battle station then followed that blast with several smaller ones in short sequence toward the fleeing soldiers of Freeza as he floated high in the air. He wore his normal stone-old mask; his thoughts squarely focused on ridding the planet of all of Freeza’s remaining henchmen. Zarbon’s narrow escape had put Vegeta into a foul mood, which was only momentarily lifted by the gentle whispers of the bond. Bulma had sought him out through their bond and he was comforted by the fact that she seemed alright.

He and Kakarotto should have been well on their way to the Godan system by now, but Vegeta lingered, trying to delay his taking any part in a cowardly attack on the Ginyu Force and having to deal with Chimo again. He felt that Bardock’s and Chimo’s fleet should carry enough reinforcements to help out with that battle plan. If he had his way, Vegeta would forgo seeing Chimo and fight directly with the Ginyu group. He probably would refuse to take part in their plan anyway once he got there, so doing clean-up detail here really wasn’t a good use of his talents. Vegeta did realize his people needed him to be leading them during this time, since he knew most of his Saiya-jins would hate participating in any sneak attack as much as he.

When Vegeta had finished blasting everything in sight that dealt with Freeza, he landed on dusty ground near his small spaceship. Normally, had he been traveling by himself, he would have taken a single-occupant pod. This time, since he was traveling with Kakarotto from planet-to-planet, decimating what was left of Freeza’s battle stations, store houses, and support bases, Bulma’s smaller, enhanced ships were preferable for faster and more comfortable trips. Vegeta began to walk casually towards the spaceship, but he stopped when he saw Kakarotto dash down the ramp towards him.

“Prince Vegeta! My Dad has been trying to contact you! Something serious has happened!” Kakarotto was obviously panicked and it annoyed Vegeta when he behaved like that.

Not saying anything in response, Vegeta brushed aside Kakarotto and ran inside the ship towards the small cockpit. He quickly pressed the receiving button on the communications panel. Kakarotto arrived just a step behind him and stayed quiet.

“Bardock, what has happened?” he commanded.

“Prince Vegeta, long-range scanners from my and Chimo’s fleets have detected two large enemy clusters blocking the path to Waku-sei Godan. One of them has been positively identified as Freeza’s main fleet and the other as the royal Saiya-jin fleet, commanded by King Vegeta.”

Vegeta’s face then let go of the emotionless mask and an angry expression emerged. He didn’t like the sound of this situation, and his uncertainly grew.

“Fortunately, we were able to detect their presence using Bulma Brief’s scanners, despite the fact that both fleets are deploying a cloaking device recently developed by Vegeta-sei’s science team.” Bardocks voice came through the speakers full of static, although he was only a few days away from the Godan system.

Knowing that Bulma was the creator of both those devices, Vegeta silently thanked Kami that she was on their side. “What do you plan on doing until I arrive?”

“Chimo has taken it upon himself to lead a direct assault on the opposing fleets.”

Now Vegeta was truly surprised. Chimo had never done anything that brash before. He had always favored sneak tactics, and never a direct attack. Puzzled by this news, Vegeta had no idea what his former friend was thinking. “I’m on my way.”

“Yes, Prince Vegeta. We will look forward to your arrival.” The communication device then went quiet and Vegeta began to press other buttons. The engine ignited and, with a roar, the ship came alive.

“Kakarotto, hurry and send a message to Chimo’s flagship that we are on our way!”

“Gotcha!” Kakarotto then swiftly sat down and began working.

A second later, when the ship should have lifted off the ground and shot up into space, it suddenly lurched forward and bounced upon the ground clumsily before going completely dead. Vegeta and Kakarotto looked at each other, confused as to why this new ship would act this way. Vegeta then dashed towards the aft of the ship while Kakarotto followed him. He opened the rear hatch and looked down into the engine compartment. With a sinking feeling, he saw that a large part of the engine was missing.

“Damn it! Kakarotto, did you see anyone near here?”

Kakarotto shook his head and gave Vegeta a confused shrug. Vegeta’s scowl deepened as his frustration grew. He slammed the latch back into place and began to walk away from the ship.

“We’ll take an enemy pod.”

“But, Prince Vegeta, we destroyed all equipment here!”

That stopped the prince dead in his tracks; he’d been so meticulous in destroying everything related to Freeza that he didn’t think to salvage anything that might have been put to good use. Vegeta’s eyes grew wide in shocked horror. The two of them were in dire need to rejoin their fleets and now they were stranded on this planet. Alone.

**********

With Gohan perched on her hip, Chi-chi was busy trying to serve food and calming people down at the same time. The news spreading around the ship was that a recent direct confrontation was taking place and that it that would end the war for good. Most feared that the end of their lives would soon come; others were deathly worried for their loved ones. Chi-chi tried her best to reassure everyone while holding tightly to Gohan, who would pick up on the anxiety around him and cry. At this moment, the boy was sleeping, but Chi-chi wondered how long that would last.

When Chi-chi kneeled down to talk to the next person, she felt a touch on her shoulder. When she looked up, she saw a bridge officer standing next to her and looking out of breath. His entrance made quite a commotion and that got her.

“Take a hold of yourself, man! You’re scaring half the people in here!”

The officer stood next to Chi-chi and bowed his head as best that he could. He was alien, and his large head didn’t seem be able to bow. “I’m sorry, Chi-chi, but we just received an important communication for Prince Vegeta and since your husband works closely with him, you are the only one on the ship that can receive this message.”

“For Prince Vegeta? And you want me to take the message?”

“Yes, and if possible contact your husband and have him relay the message to Prince Vegeta.”

“Why me?” Chi-chi wondered why they would ask her to do such a thing. “Why can’t you do it?”

The officer’s eyes quickly averted from Chi-chi’s questioning gaze, his guilt and fear plainly on his face. Many, including the crew, strongly feared the Saiya-jins’ wrath. It was obvious why they wanted Chi-chi to receive this message; she was the wife a Saiya-jin and as such, held little fear of them.

“Fine, fine, give me the message.” Clearly, Chi-chi was agitated by their prejudices against the Saiya-jins, but, at the same time, understood why they held such fears.

“Please follow me.” The officer didn’t want to waste any more time and escorted her to the bridge.

Still holding on to Gohan, Chi-chi followed the officer. Once they were all on the bridge, Chi-chi glanced around and realized that there wasn’t a single Saiya-jin warrior to be found. The remaining bridge crew seemed young and alien, made up of mostly civilians who knew how to operate a large ship, and all of whom were obviously very nervous.

When the officer handed her an earpiece that was connected to the com station, Chi-chi reluctantly took it and placed in her ear, not sure whose voice would be on the other end.

“Hello, this is Chi-chi, wife of Goku – I mean Kakarotto – of the Saiya-jins.”

“Chi-chi? Is this really you, Chi-chi?”

Static muffled the feminine voice on the other end. “Yes, this is me...”

“Chi-chi, I’m so glad to hear your voice after all this time! It’s me, Bulma!”

When Chi-chi heard her friend’s name spoken, it took her a second or two to process it. When the realization hit her, Chi-chi smiled broadly, joyful to finally be able to hear her long-lost friend’s voice after all this time. “Bulma! Oh, I’m glad it’s you! I had no idea who you would be–!” Chi-chi paused, remembering that last she heard, Bulma had been captured by Freeza. “If you’re contacting me, does this mean you got away from Freeza!?”

“Yes, yes! I got away from him about almost three months ago. As it happened, I crash-landed on a planet that didn’t have much technology. As such, it’s taken me some time to gather materials in order to build a ship in which I can leave. But you won’t believe how fortunate I was to land here!”

“Why do you say that?” No one else around her could hear Bulma’s end of the conversation and Chi-chi was thankful for the privacy.

“I found the Dragon Balls!” Bulma said. Puzzled, Chi-chi just shook her head at the news. Her friend certainly sounded very happy about finding something she had no idea about.

“Dragon…Balls?”

“Yes, and guess what, Chi-chi? They have the power to grant wishes! Just think, Chi-chi! With these wishes, I can save everyone! What I need right now is an update on Vegeta and how the rebellion is going. Then I want to get a message to Vegeta.”

Bulma had either gone insane or was actually telling the truth about these “balls” that somehow had the power to grant wishes, but Chi-chi was far more concerned about her friend being stuck on some desolate planet. She knew what she had to do. “Bulma, I’ll tell you all about it when I see you. I’m going to instruct whoever’s in charge of this ship to come and pick you up! Just give me the coordinates to this planet you’re on.”

“Chi-chi, will you be okay? I’m sure you have your child to look after. Didn’t you have one by now?”

“Don’t you worry about me and Gohan! We’re doing just fine. Besides, I’m not going to let you do anything crazy like last time!”

Bulma’s voice over the receiver went quiet for a moment. “Okay, here are the coordinates…”

**********

Freeza leaned back in his command chair and smirked gleefully. It seems that a certain little someone had been rather careless in sending out a message without bothering to encrypt it first. And now, after all his struggles and all his pain, and after all of his waiting, he finally found a way to not only destroy Gero and those bothersome twins, but to take his rightful place as strongest being in the universe and rid himself of this foolish rebellion. And all he needed was something called “Dragon Balls”.


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