Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ The Prince and the Sorceress ❯ Inside the Volcano ( Chapter 14 )

Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball Z.

Chapter 13

The volcano outside the palace had been dormant for over 400 years. When Bulma arrived it had started becoming active again but Bulma stopped it. That was why the villagers let her stay. They let her build her huge pink palace that dominated their view from the valley. The villagers let her stay protecting them and she left them alone. No questions asked.

Now Bulma was wondering what they were going to make of her now ruined palace. They would probably send an emissary to ask her. They always did when something bad was going to happen. To ask her for rain for their crops or sun for their harvest. That was the real reason they let her stay. Not out of kindness but out of their own selfish needs.

She tried not to think about it. The Oni needed to be dealt with. Her mind was buzzing with hundreds of realisations. Her mother, the villagers, Baba, everyone except Vegeta. She didn't understand Vegeta. Here was a proud Saiyan prince of a near extinct race helping her and her little demon problem. One that she could handle alone but he stayed with her. He also didn't need to fly her to the base.

Bulma held onto him none the less. She enjoyed his strong arms around her. For a moment it made her feel safe and loved. She could pretend that this was how it was suppose to be. *Then why does him holding me feel so right?*

Vegeta glanced at her face. Bulma's expression was blank but still a little angry. He knew the look well. It was usually on his face when he was deep in his thoughts. He landed and waited for her to step down.

She didn't so he snapped, "I'm not carrying your dead weight everywhere."

Bulma grunted and wriggled out of his grasp. Bulma had expected him to drop her on the ground. She grabbed her staff off her back and swung it up in the air.

"Vegeta, we have to go inside the mountain." Bulma said.

"Sure, easy enough." Vegeta shrugged and aimed his hand for a ki blast.

Bulma smacked his hand with her staff. "This is a volcano!" She cried. "You can't barge in like that! You might end up setting it off."

"So." Vegeta said coldly.

"So I don't want innocent people to die." Bulma said. "My magic can get us in to the mountain but we'll use your strength to destroy the Oni lair."

"You'll do that earth moving spell." Vegeta said.

"Yes, a version of it." Bulma said. "I'll need your trust as you need a spell cast on you."

"You are casting no spells on me." Vegeta snarled. "A glamour was acceptable but anything else is an insult to my fighting skills."

"This won't affect your fighting skills." Bulma sighed. "I need to surround us both with a shield to protect against the intense heat. I need to share our ki. The shield must surround us both."

"I'm not one for sharing." Vegeta said.

"If you want to survive the heat you will do as I ask." Bulma said. She held out her hand. "Put your hand in mine and let me share your aura."

Vegeta scowled and slapped his hand into Bulma's. Bulma winced slightly but kept her expression calm. She instantly felt his powerful energy pour into her. She focused it all and a cool bubble surrounded them. Bulma tried to let go but Vegeta was still holding onto her.

"Um.." Bulma said unsure what to say. "I.. I've done it, I just needed your hand for a minute."

Vegeta grunted and his hand went back into his crossed arms.

~We have to talk telepathically from now on Vegeta.~ Bulma said to Vegeta. ~We have to conserve as much air as possible. The air in the volcano is poisonous, we have to rely on the air contained in this shield.~

~So you wish to communicate this way?~ Vegeta asked.

~Yes, it will conserve more air if we don't talk.~ Bulma glanced at Vegeta. His back was turned to her. *Vegeta's being cold again. What happened to the concern I saw earlier. Was it only his concern for his own shelter and training?*

Bulma tried to push her thoughts away. Her hands came out in front of her and she started chanting. The mountain parted to reveal the golden innards.

~Take a deep breath.~ Bulma said and she floated the bubble into the molten rock. The heat was intense but not as bad as it could have been outside the shield. They moved quickly through the magma vein till they appeared above the level. Through the waves of heat she could see something black sticking up in the flowing river.

~I think our luck has changed.~ Bulma said telepathically.

~Is that it?~ Vegeta questioned. ~It looks like nothing.~

~Reach out with your senses the dark ki is immense.~

~I can sense the power.~ Vegeta grumbling thought said.

~Oh no....~

Vegeta turned to look at what Bulma was trying not to gasp at. Before them were a hundred black rocks. Each emendating a terrible dark ki. The magma river bubbled around the rocks, not melting them but pushing them along.

~Are they all Oni lairs?~ Vegeta asked eventually after drawing in the scene.

Bulma nodded a tear running down her face. She had lost her dragon, Binky now for sure. She had to telepathically tell Piccolo to kill him or bury him somewhere. There was no way they would find the exact Oni lair in time. If she hesitated then they would have won. Goku would be possessed and the universe would be doomed.

~I asked a question.~ Vegeta snarled.

~Yes, they are all Oni lairs.~ Bulma said sadly. ~We have no time to find the exact one that holds the Oni that have possessed my dragon.~

~Destroy them all.~ Vegeta said.

~There's too many and we risk awakening the volcano.~ Bulma sounded dejected. ~Our air supply should run out in a few more minutes.~

Then the nasty feral whispering could be heard. "Sorceress, sorceress, sorceress, sorceress..."

It played against some other voices saying. "You shall never succeed, never succeed, never succeed...."

Followed by a higher gleeful voices chanting, "We win, we win, we win..."

Bulma tensed as her anger rose. The Oni presumed they had won. After everything she had fought for. To gain her title as Sorceress. The lonely nights when she cried because she missed her mother. She had sacrificed her childhood for magic. To learn the arts and to become the strongest of all.

The last few hours and days were racing through her head. Mrs Blunt, no Mrs. Briefs, her mother who had been watching her all these years. Baba, her old tutor, gloating at her ignorance. Piccolo telling her not to see Goku. Vegeta....

She wanted Vegeta but she couldn't have him. He was an elitist and a cold blooded murderer. His soul was tainted by his decisions in life. While hers wasn't as pure as she'd like it was still cleaner. He would never want her.

It was true the Oni had won.

*It was all for nothing?* Bulma thought to herself. *Just like that they win?*

~WOMAN!~ Vegeta psi shouted. ~What are we going to do now?~

Bulma clutched her staff tightly. She only knew of one thing to destroy so many lairs all in one go.

~Vegeta...~ Bulma said weakly. ~I have to do this... don't stop me.~

~What do you mean?~ Vegeta asked but he didn't get an answer. Bulma had separated herself from the shield. Her own one had surrounded her. The orb in her staff was glowing. The same could be said for her eyes. It was the same glow from when she lost her temper. Vegeta tried to telepathically call out to her.

*BULMA!* It was just a thought echoing in his own head. She gave him a sad look and pointed upwards.

He could see a light, it was a way to escape. Bulma had parted the above mountain for him to leave by.

*That is the cowards way.* Vegeta thought staring hard at Bulma. *I do not run away from a fight.*

A thin smile crept on Bulma's lips as she saw the look Vegeta was giving her. She was glad she'd cut off the telepathic link. She'd hate to think of the expletives Vegeta was giving her now.

The steel determination she'd had was slowly disintegrating. She wanted nothing more than to run into his arms and confess her feelings for him. She couldn't do it though. She had to destroy the Oni lairs now. There would be no future for him or anyone. He couldn't seek the redemption he need to cleanse his soul. There was good in him. She didn't see it at first but she saw it now. He wouldn't be as nice as Goku or as self sacrificing. But if he had time to learn to love and care.

Maybe he could be a hero.

She turned away from Vegeta she couldn't look at him. Her tears were flowing down her face. The orb on her staff grew brighter. She held it up above her head.

~Vegeta I believe you can be a good person.~ Bulma said to him. ~You just have to believe it yourself.~

Then she closed the connection she had made and concentrated. This was the only way.

Vegeta yelled as he saw what she was going to do. It was the same pose as she'd used before when she'd struck him down with all her lightening strike.

The orb was now a brilliant white, swirls of energy moved and shimmered. The whole underground tunnel was lit up with it. Vegeta could see the strain on Bulma's face as she tried to funnel it all into her staff. Everything she had to give was being put into that small globe.

*She's going to burn herself up.* Vegeta thought. Then he moved towards her. There was no deliberation or consideration for the consequences. He just did it. Before he knew it he was behind her keeping her hands up right. The shields had remerged effortlessly and so had the mental link.

~Woman, you really want to do this?~

Bulma jerked slightly by the physical touch. Vegeta's strong hands were keeping her shaking arms steady. In truth she was relieved by his presence. Part of her had wanted for him to leave. This was her fight, but he was staying beside her. She'd given him the opportunity to leave and he hadn't taken it.

*He's stayed to help me.* Bulma thought the tears still running down her cheeks.

~Thank you.~ She said to him in his head.

Then she brought down the staff. Vegeta moved with her keeping her still. The first dark stone was her target. The orb connected and it shattered in a blaze of light. The Oni lair crumbled and shrieks and squeals were heard. The energy continued on to the next stone and the next. Each Oni lair exploded under the force of it.

Vegeta stared in wonder as he saw the chain reaction. Then he noticed Bulma had gone completely limp. She had let go of her staff and it had sizzled to nothing in the magma. He gathered Bulma up in his arms. He watched as the energy bounced out of sight.

There was a noticeable rumble. The volcano was waking up.

*Shit.* Vegeta thought as he held the only one powerful enough to stop it's assault. He moved quickly up towards the sky light. The hole that Bulma had created for him was still there. He flew clutching the too still Bulma to his chest.

The screams from the Oni disappeared as he burst out of the mountain.

The fresh air wasn't so fresh. As the protective bubble burst Vegeta could smell the sulphur in the air. The volcano had woken up and was most likely getting ready to erupt.

"Bulma!" Vegeta shouted shaking the silent Sorceress. He checked the pulse on her neck. She was still alive just unconscious. If he hadn't been there to take her out of there she would have fainted into the magma.

"Stupid woman, you could have died." He hissed. He flew back towards the pink castle. As he got nearer he saw the stone walls were crumbling. He could see two figures outside, trying to retrieve objects from inside. He recognised Baba and Mrs. Briefs. The old woman on the crystal ball was carrying potions while Mrs. Briefs chairs and furniture. They were putting their saved objects into a large yellow plane.

Vegeta landed and stared at the women. Only Mrs. Briefs reacted to his presence. Baba continued in her collection of strange coloured bottles and jars.

"Oh my goodness Mr. Vegeta what has Bulma done?" Mrs. Briefs gasped. "Her palace is collapsing."

Vegeta remained silent and shrugged. He was in shock with the realisation Bulma had almost killed herself. She had wanted him to survive and for her to die in that volcano.

Baba glared at him from her pile. "She gave it all up." She hissed. "For what lover boy?"

Vegeta stared back unsure of what the old hag had meant.

"Her magic." Baba growled explaining further. "I could feel it even from here. She poured all her magic into one strike. She is no longer a sorceress because of this."

Vegeta tried not to look shocked but it slipped across his face.

Mrs. Briefs had no compulsion to hold in her emotions. "Oh my poor baby!" She cried. "She must have thought it essential."

"There was more than one Oni lair." Vegeta said finally. He cradled Bulma close, unsure why he hadn't let go of her. "There was hundreds of them in the magma river."

"Hundreds?" Mrs. Briefs gasped.

"Trust Bulma to want to go out with a bang." Baba chuckled. "Still she's must have destroyed them all by releasing all her energy."

Vegeta nodded. "As far as I could tell they are all destroyed."

"She's disturbed the balance now." Baba growled. "We're evacuating the whole area. Including the villagers."

"We're going to my home." Mrs. Briefs said. "You're welcome to come too Vegeta."

Vegeta remained silent as he thought about it.

"Not yet." He said eventually. "I shall follow you soon, but I want to ask Bulma something first."

"Well the Capsule house is in large city to the east of here." Mrs. Briefs handed Vegeta something. "This is a map, come to us when you're ready."

"Take care of her." Baba said with some genuine feeling. "She thinks you're worth saving."

Vegeta grunted and took off away from the women.

He stoked Bulma's hair gently and let his lips brush against her tear soaked cheek. She had given herself to save him and he wanted desperately to know why. In his saiyan mind if a fellow warrior sacrificed themselves to save you it was thought as weak. But if that warrior was a female it was thought as a sign that the woman saw you as a worthy mate.

The only problem being, Bulma wasn't a saiyan. Her actions were a mystery to him. Part of him wished it was because she did think like a saiyan. When she woke up he was going to not waste any more time in asking her for an explanation.

***********

Author's Note: Yes another cliffhanger. Vegeta's taking Bulma off for a little talk? That is if she wakes up of course.

Chibi Bulma: "Are ya gonna tell us?"

Mz D: "Not really just teasing."

Chibi Vegeta: "She does this all the ****ing time!"

Chibi Bulma: "So how do we find out what's gonna happen next?"

Chibi Vegeta: "You can beg, pound her offer her cookies she ain't never gonna tell."

Mz D: "I was aiming to have them kiss this chapter... you two could always make up for it."

Chibi Vegeta: "WHAT?!!"

Chibi Bulma : ".......Mmmm." *Thoughtful pose.*

Mz D: "The fact that Bulma was unconscious I decided to have her get a kiss in the cheek instead. Less creepy."

Chibi Vegeta: "What's so creepy about being kissed by a bigger version than me?"

*BIG KISS ON LIPS*

Chibi Bulma: "Nothin' creepy at all." *Cute grin.*

Chibi Vegeta: "AHHHHH!!!!" *Runs away.*

Mz D: "Jeez what a wuss. Anyway next chapter. Will Bulma wake up to finally receive a proper kiss from Vegeta."

Chibi Bulma: "You're so evil!"

Mz D: "I know. Till next chapter!"