Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Unconditional Bonds (revamped) ❯ Delusions ( Chapter 4 )

Chapter Four: Delusions

"Is he going to be okay?"

The younger Namek nodded.

"Yes, he had a few cracked ribs." He shook his head, confounded, "Don't ask me how he managed to break them."

Dende stood up and dusted his white robe off. He looked up at the concerned man next to him.

"He needs to eat, and I mean now."

Although the Namek had intentions of feeding the battered Saiyan upon arrival, Dende had insisted that he heal the prince's wounds first. Mr. Popo, who was standing nearby, came forward with a tray filled with food. Piccolo sat the prince up knowing that although he was healed, he still lacked any energy and thus had to be assisted.

"All right, Vegeta, time to eat."

The Prince eyed the food and uttered a phrase that has never been uttered by any Saiyan before.

"I'm not hungry."

His eyes drooped, "I really just want to sleep. You said I could sleep when we got here, you promised."

Piccolo's mouth was set in a grim line, "I said you could sleep after you were healed, cleaned, and fed. So far, all we've done is healed you."

Dende sighed heavily and looked at the older Namek, "When you found him he had nearly completed systematically shutting down his body. It's called atrophic implementation," he explained, "a watered-down form of suicide." The guardian then leaned down to study the prone Saiyan that rested on the tiles before him. "I was taught about it on Namek. Only those who have a great control of their bodies can perform this technique."

He paused, trying to find the best way to explain, "The life force is pushed down so low that the heart rate is slowed to a crawl. Which explains why everyone had a hard time finding him. It's performed as a kind of hibernation technique to conserve energy. But, it's only to be practiced for, at the most, three days. I've never heard of it exceeding that amount of time, unless of course, death is the intent."

It was here that Dende lifted a questioning brow. Piccolo regarded him a long moment before speaking.

"He has his reasons," he said shortly. "Now, tell me more about what's wrong with him."

Dende shifted nervously but did as he was told, "In some cultures, atrophic implementation is referred to as a `blameless suicide'. This is because you're letting time and the elements take you rather than outright killing yourself. Some of the cultures on this very planet practice it, especially in the North," he elucidated. "Within these tribes it is usually performed by the sick and the old or anyone that feels they have become a burden. The process itself is simple, though it does take a knowledge of energy control to do it."

"Well," the taller man cut in, impatiently when the guardian paused. "What's the process?"

"Well, like I said, the energy is pushed down to almost nothing. When this is done the person exerts themselves to exhaustion without taking any nutrients, but they must do this gradually, thus ki control. And that's all there is to it. In most cases, the person pulls themselves out of it within three days. After that period, when death is the intention, the motor reflexes go, followed by a mental breakdown, and then," he took a breath, "that's it, they die." He stood up again, "In his case," he nodded in Vegeta's direction, "it's been six days. I'm serious, Piccolo, if we don't get some nutrients in him, no amount of my healing is going to help him. He will die."

At that moment the prince stirred, "…so tired."

The older Namek eyed him with concern, visibly shaken by what the young guardian had told him. Vegeta's voice was unusually soft, as if it pained him to talk or even breath. And now that he got to thinking about it, he was sure it did. After hacking up mud, eating probably wasn't the first thing on his mind. But he didn't have a choice in the matter, as Dende just informed him, his very life was at stake

"Now listen," he said gruffly, "if you don't eat something right now. I'll force feed you myself."

But Vegeta didn't seem to be listening, he didn't even seem aware of his surroundings.

"Tired," he repeated.

"Eat something, and we'll remedy that" Dende said, urging the Saiyan to take something off of the tray before him.

"Piccolo?" Vegeta eyed Dende with wonderment "When did you get so short?"

Dende looked at the Prince closely, studying the Saiyan with sharp eyes, before widening them with alarm.

"Oh no, he's losing it. He's going to snap any second now." He shook his head, "Going so long without eating…I can't stop it! Piccolo, hold him!"

But before anyone could react, Vegeta began to shake uncontrollably, as if he was trying to hold on to something. Suddenly his eyes fogged over. They moved erratically, never settling on any one thing for more than a second.

Mr. Popo, attempting to be helpful, walked towards him. He had the gift of inspiring peace within the most violent of creatures and was hopeful he could take control over the situation. He crooned to the Saiyan softly as he moved closer, step by careful step.

Black eyes grew as big as saucers at the large black blob that was advancing on him, opening its great red maw growling about eating things.

"AHHHHHH!"

Vegeta attempted to back away from Mr. Popo, his eyes wild with fear.

"AHHH!!!! Monster!"

"What's wrong with him?!?" Piccolo demanded.

Dende rushed forward to try to calm the Prince. "He's delirious. As I said, he's losing it."

Piccolo growled. Out of nowhere Vegeta got a burst of energy and tried to bat away Dende while crawling backwards away from Mr. Popo. His mind was dissolving, if Piccolo didn't act quickly he was going to loose him. He stormed forward and knelt down by the flailing Prince, who took it upon himself to attach himself to the tall Namek.

"Don't let him get me!" he pleaded, clinging to the green-skinned man's arm for dear life.

"Vegeta! Stop it. Okay, I hate to do this but you leave me no choice." He quickly took off his turban followed by his cape, which was big enough to be a blanket for the smaller Saiyan, and swooped him up and swaddled him in the material. Oddly enough, Vegeta didn't fight him, just stared wide-eyed at Mr. Popo, uttering "don't eat me" over and over.

"Mr. Popo, bring the tray over here." Piccolo demanded.

"AHH! Not the Popo monster! Get away!" screamed the Saiyan.

"Oh, for the love of.... Dende, you bring it."

The younger Namek quickly complied and brought the tray over. He shifted the bound Vegeta into one arm and picked up the bowl of soup with his free hand. Apparently being tightly swaddled calmed the Prince down considerably. He had stopped his struggles and his features became relaxed and drowsy. The Namek was extremely thankful, and brought the bowl close to the Saiyan's lips.

"Now open your mouth."

Vegeta, not be the cooperating type, clamped his mouth shut and shook his head no, seemingly forgetting about the imminent danger of the Lookout's gardener.

Piccolo narrowed his eyes in frustration; this wasn't going to be a walk in the park.

"Must you be an utter pain in the ass?"

The Prince blinked up at him before nodding enthusiastically.

"Man, you've completely flipped haven't you?" Piccolo proclaimed in amazement. Dende hadn't been joking when he said `mental breakdown'. One second he was screaming for dear life and now he was grinning up at him like an opossum. "When you get your senses back," the Namek promised, "I'll never let you live this down. Now open your mouth."

All he got was a grin.

"Enough of this shit." He glared down at the Saiyan. "Open your mouth right now, or I'll let the Popo monster eat you."

Sheer horror spread across the Prince's face. He cowered down in the Namek's arm, but very timidly he opened his mouth. And then something happened. Piccolo stared down at the man in his arms in wonderment. He looked so child-like, so innocent; he had never seen Vegeta like this before. He'd never seen anyone like this before. It made him feel… peculiar. He didn't like it. It was when Vegeta parted his lips ever so slowly, that Piccolo released a breath that he didn't know he had been holding. `What the hell's wrong with me?' he thought.

He attempted to shrug it off, but the feeling remained. He tipped the bowl to the Saiyan's lips, and very slowly let the liquid run down his throat. He tipped the bowl back up. Vegeta's eyes narrowed.

"You're mean."

Piccolo grinned. "How astute of you." He tipped the bowl back down once more, and continued this until the broth was gone. "Now, are you going to eat some more of this on your own?"

"No."

Piccolo snorted. "Well at least you're honest."

"Tired."

"I know you are. You'll sleep soon enough."

Vegeta's eyes drooped.

Piccolo shook him awake for which he earned a vicious glare, and for that the Namek shoved a spoon full of potatoes in his mouth. At first Vegeta nearly spit them out, but after Piccolo pointed in the direction of Mr. Popo he choked them down, not without glaring at his captor first.

Finally after spoon-feeding the prince a satisfactory amount of food, Dende looked him over once again to make sure he was out of harm's way. With a sigh of relief the guardian gave the Namek beside him a thumbs up.

Relieved himself, the tall warrior picked up his ward and walked towards one of the many chambers in the Lookout. Unfortunately for Piccolo, Vegeta was still delirious and still weak. According to Dende it would be a couple of days before he was back on his feet again. "Oh, joy" Piccolo had said, but for some reason, the idea of caring for the prince, waiting on him hand and foot, didn't bother him.

They entered a bedroom that had a full bath in it. He placed Vegeta in a chair and started to fill the tub.