Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Unfaithful ❯ Part Four: 31 ( Chapter 31 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

..................................U N F A I T H F U L ........................................................................... ........Rhapsody~* ________________________~*Part Four*~: War.....Maylene peered through the dirty windows of the building she, Byron, and some of his 'followers' were staying in, her green eyes narrowed and suspicious. The last couple of days had been madness in the streets of the city-- soldiers had been called to duty and had to be alert at all times, therefore making it that much harder to get around the city without being stopped for clearance. A person could hardly even go out to take a piss before a soldier had stopped them, keeping close eyes on the person to make sure that ideas of rebellion weren't in their head. And they also looked for men like Byron-- men who had narrowly escaped being chosen for the army, men who had been hiding in the sewers and cellars of the capital during those fateful hours of selection.There were about thirty of them in this building, and that amount again just across the street, all laying in wait for the Saiyans to attack. Clearly it was coming up any time now, or else Yamcha would not have bothered to post the soldiers otherwise. Besides that, a heavy, foreboding feeling hung in the air, and if that didn't mean war, then Maylene wasn't half as intuitive as she thought she was.Beside her, one of the other women seemed to notice something. She did a double take, then stood up straighter to see better through the dusty glass. Maylene followed her eyes and indeed made out an approaching figure-- a cloaked man. When he passed under the window to enter the building, she recognized him to be Byron.He entered the room only to be swarmed by all of the humans, who shouted out their queries loudly. Maylene, rolling her eyes at their insanity-- she had kept some of her first-class eliteness even through her hardships-- simply shoved her way through the masses to her, well, friend."What news do you carry?" she asked, shooting rude glances at the surrounding people. Grumbling, they moved a few feet away. ""I wasn't spotted," Byron announced, somewhat proudly. "I--""Of course you weren't spotted, you dolt, or else you wouldn't be standing here!" Maylene snapped, impatient with his boastings. "Just get to the important part.""Tomorrow," he informed her forlornly. "The Saiyans were detected on Tereh's radar-- their prime minister just delivered the news to King Yamcha. They have a full fleet of battleships, and if nothing slows them then they'll be here tomorrow afternoon.""Tomorrow?" Maylene could hardly believe what she was hearing. Tomorrow was too soon. Anyone could see that Yamcha hadn't decided on a route of action yet-- his soldiers were spread around throughout the city, missionless. She wondered whether that was a good or a bad thing, and once again she was led to thinking that she might be on the Saiyan's side. "What does that mean for us?"Byron shrugged. "Its hard to say. We don't know how or when they'll attack, or even where. But from what I could overhear from the soldiers, it sounds like Yamcha's anticipating that they'll go after the capital-- here. If they do, we'll send someone to speak to them, and perhaps we can join their forces.""Join their forces? That's the most half-brained thing I've heard all day!" Maylene slugged Byron on the shoulder in emphasis of her point. "The Saiyans take no prisoners and make no allies in wartime, remember? They would kill us on the spot, at best, or else torture us.""We can say that we come on behalf of Bulma."Maylene shook her head uncertainly. "You people must be really desperate to risk yourselves like that. I could think of nicer, less painful ways of meeting my death."Byron hesitated before speaking. "Well... you know that their new king is the one that Bulma was... with..." He trailed off and looked away from Maylene, his hazel eyes depressed."Don't feel sorry for yourself," Maylene insisted firmly. "What, did you honestly think that she would never love anyone again? You are part of her past, Byron, and you're just going to have to accept that. The man is the most powerful person in the universe-- how could you ever hope to compete?""You're here for the rebellion, too! And part of her past? If I am, then what does that make you?" Byron challenged. "You're just as much a part of her past as I am.""I'm here with you because I have no other choice. And I'm not trying to force myself back into her life," Maylene hissed defensively. "I'm not the one who's staging a fucking rebellion to get her attention, Byron! Face it, you're not her knight in shining armor anymore."The former lord held her glare, then turned and stormed out of the building again. Maylene crossed the room to the window and watched his cloaked figure take refuge in the other occupied building. The people behind her groaned in disappointment at missing the news, but Maylene payed them no mind. For now, she would say nothing. They would find out soon enough anyway.Returning to her sitting place below the window, Maylene glanced at the other people around her. They were a motley crew-- nobles in hiding, regular second and third class people, beggars off the streets, children... Maylene studied their dirty little faces for any signs of worry, and saw far too much. The former noblewoman turned her face away from the heartbroken, anxious children and down to the ground which she sat on. It was just plain, hard, packed-down dirt, and they lay on beds of rags, torn from their own clothing for minimal comfort. For the first time in a long while, she found herself longing for the shallow comforts of the first class and hated herself for it.But try as she might, she could not muster the courage to remove herself from Byron's noble-- if somewhat hopeless-- cause. She would be right with them tomorrow, ready to face death or torture at the hands of the Saiyan King. And for what? Maylene thought for a moment, burying her face in her cloak. She thought of the confines of human society and the strict images that everyone was expected to keep up, the rules that one could die for breaking, and the unfairness of Bulma's miserable fate.Freedom, she decided. They were fighting for freedom..._________________________________________________________________ _______________________...Valyn stood by the window of his chambers on the ship, half-heartedly admiring the stars as they whizzed past his vision. It had been a long while since he had flown off to a far-away battle, and he was all too happy to be partaking in war once again. And the fact that one of his old friends was at the head of the operation only made things better.But something was not right with Vejita. He had changed since Valyn had last saw him-- not only physically (as was obvious for a young man), but mentally. The experience with the human woman had changed him. Gone was the old Vejita who didn't care for a thing in the world besides himself. That man had been replaced by someone different, a man who was driven by emotion only. Not that this was necessarily bad-- Valyn had been waiting for the indifferent prince-turned-king to come into his own for a long while, and the Malydorian did not think that the humans would be able to hold their own for very long, even with their technology and Vejita's lack of logical thinking. And now, with the aid of Malydor, they didn't have a chance against the Saiyan empire.Suddenly, shouting could be heard down the hall. The voices belonged to the Saiyan guards, judging by their deep voices and heavy accents. Valyn at first brushed it off as one of the many brawls that had broken out amongst the adrenaline-driven men since their departure, but when the noises did not stop, he decided to investigate. Before leaving the room, he reached over to his bed, where a small package rested, and took it with him.When the tall, transparent-skinned man stepped out into the hallway, the shouting quieted somewhat. Valyn grinned, knowing that they recognized him as Vejita's right-hand man, and pushed through them to the doors of the control room, where Vejita undoubtedly was dealing with the disturbance."What's going on out here?" he asked as he entered. "Did the cafeteria run out of hamburgers or something?"The room was empty besides Vejita, who stood at the window, massaging his temples, much as Valyn had been doing. When the Malydorian spoke, he looked up and rolled his eyes."It was another damned arguement," the Saiyan King growled. "What did you think it was, an uprising?"Valyn looked over his shoulder at the closed door with surprise in his orange eyes. "They're getting worse. It sounded much worse than any of the previous ones.""They grow impatient for battle," Vejita explained, his stressed expression revealing much the same characteristic in himself. "You of all people should know that.""Do you grow impatient also?" Valyn asked, shifting the package in his arms.Vejita's black eyes followed the movement, then went back to his friend's face. "What do you think?! I can't wait until I get to add their blood to my hands."The other man nodded, then took a seat near to Vejita. The king's face was pale under his tan, and the dark circles underneath his eyes had gotten worse. "What else ails you? Don't bother with your damn lies, either-- I know you far too well to fall for them anymore."Vejita raised a brow at the bold question and looked away stubbornly."Its the woman-- Bulma-- isn't it?" Valyn shook his head. "You do not have to hide your feelings for her. I understand. I have a woman waiting for me at home now, also.""I do not carry any overbearing feelings for the woman," Vejita protested. "I am merely taking back what is mine from an enemy.""Is experiencing emotion really that dangerous?" Valyn asked incredibly. Even now, after all that he had done to get the girl back, Vejita was still denying it. He had not grown any less bullheaded over the years. "Emotion is weak. It can be used against you.""Emotion is not weak," Valyn argued. "Of all people, you should know that. Your anger is a driving emotion here-- its what motivates you to fight your best, is it not? And your love for Bulma, also. I have experienced both these emotions myself, and I believe that a man is at his best when he can admit to them and use them to his advantage.""You are fool then," Vejita snapped. "I never thought that you would become soft like this.""It is not 'soft'. If you are so opposed to feeling, then perhaps you don't deserve this woman. I have heard many stories of her unsurpassable beauty-- she could no doubt find a man who is strong enough to admit to his real feelings." Valyn inwardly smiled, knowing that he was hitting home in Vejita. "She wouldn't dare!" Vejita snarled, turning on Valyn angrily. "If she had wanted a quivering, sonnet-spitting bastard in the first place then she would have never turned to me!""She was under extreme distress and didn't have many other options at the time, did she? Who knows what she was thinking or what she really wants."Vejita was clearly fighting to keep his anger in check. His ki crackled with electricity that made the hairs on Valyn's arms rise. "You miserable little motherfucker... if I wanted to hear such ignorant statements, I would have simply sent for Magdalene!"Valyn chuckled and held up his hands in defense. "Calm yourself, Vejita, I was merely testing you." At the other man's indignant confusion, he began to explain. "You see, if you were not harboring some strong emotion for the girl, then you would hardly care what was said about her."Vejita at first looked ready to throttle Valyn, then after a moment he suppressed the urge and went back to the window, where he paced restlessly. "Remind me of why I invited your ass to come here, please."A smile tugged at the corners of Valyn's lips. "Because you knew that I would tell you the truth, no matter how many times you threaten to kill me. And also so that I could bail you out of this war if you needed it, you pompous asshole."Vejita attempted a smirk, but amusement was not coming easily to him. Valyn noticed and frowned as well."Are you certain that you are alright? Perhaps you should get some more sleep.""This is as good as its going to get. Don't push it."Valyn's expression showed some concern. "What are you worrying about? What could possibly go wrong? We've got this war in the bag, I had thought."Vejita was silent for a long while, and just when Valyn was beginning to think that he wasn't going to answer, the king let loose a flurry of concerns. "What if we find her, and she's gone back into her damned shell? What if she doesn't even remember all that has happened? And what if, Kami forbid, Yamcha has fucking killed her already out of jealousy? How the hell am I supposed to even know if she's still alive and breathing, hm? If you can't give me those answers, then you might as well leave. I'm sick of hearing all of this hopeful bullshit, with no logic behind it!"The package was heavy in Valyn's hands, as if it had a life of its own and it was beckoning for him to reveal it. The man found this extremely ironic, because in a way, it did possess life. "I don't fault you for your worries, Vejita-sama. I understand them perfectly, and I think that I have a way to put your mind at rest."Vejita looked doubtful. "You want to help me torture Bardock and Kakkarott?"Valyn stood and approached him, shaking his head. "No, something better, if thats at all possible." He turned the package in his hands and regarded Vejita seriously. "This is something that was once very important to my people. It looks like an ordinary piece of glass, but its really something quite special. You see, once upon a time-" This earned small, tight smirk from Vejita. "My father pined after a noblewoman whom he believed he could never have. She ignored him and brushed aside his advances. This woman was eventually to become my mother.""What did he do, hit her over the head with it and give her amnesia?"Valyn dismissed the mocking comment. "No. He used it to see where she was at all times, and in doing this he learned that her father had secretly arranged her to marry another. Of course, my father didn't want this to happen, so he hunted the man down and well, killed him. But romantic contradictions aside, the bottom line is..." He stared down at the package. "If you really wish to see what has happened to your Bulma, then use this. It is a gift from my people to you."Vejita took the offered package, took out the normal-looking piece of glass, and examined it skeptically. "And how, exactly, does this thing work?""No one quite knows for sure. It was found long before my father's time, by his ancestors. The story has been long forgotten, as was the instrument itself. I suppose you could call it a royal secret. I do know, however, that if you want to see her bad enough, it will happen. Some claim that in seeing the image of a person you care for, you can change what will happen in the future. It sounds like an exact science, though."Vejita looked down at the harmless-looking piece of glass, his brows furrowed, while Valyn looked on. At first, the glass appeared clear and normal, but after a few moments, its appearance began to change. A smoky image began to take shape in the glass. It looked to be the outline of a palace-- most likely Earth's palace-- but it kept on changing. The palace changed into a hallway, then to a single room. On the bed in the center of the room was a small shape, curled up and turned towards the window.Vejita started when he recognized the form to be that of Bulma. She lay silently on her side, her red-rimmed blue eyes staring blindly out to the sky. Her skin was abnormally pale, and her long hair was unkempt and half-pinned up. She wore an uncomfortable-looking corset and skirt, and nothing else. She had lost weight since he had last seen her, and looked to be a shadow of her former self. The image tugged at his formerly nonexistent heart-strings. To add to his pain, more bruises had been added to her frail body, most obviously one that marred the once-perfect image of her face. In pain, he was forced to look away.Valyn looked down at the glass, but could not see a thing. It was obvious, however, that Vejita saw what he had been looking for, and it was worse than he had expected. In vain, he put a comforting hand on the prince's shoulder. "Don't let it make you lose your focus, Vejita," he advised. "You have to keep your wits about you--""Shut up!" Vejita exclaimed suddenly, pushing his friend's hand away violently. Then, to Valyn's anger and surprise, he took the glass and shattered it upon the floor of the ship."What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Valyn demanded, bending down to salvage what pieces he could. "That was a priceless gift from my people!"Vejita glared down at the shards, his face stony and emotionless. "I do not need your scrying tool. I make my own destiny."It was at this point when Valyn realized that the 'one-sided' war was being orchestrated by a jealous human and an irrational, borderline-psychotic Super-Saiyan...____________________________________________________________ ____________________________...Elsewhere on the ship, a former queen and an eager third-class woman sat in their designated room, staring forlornly out the floor-to-ceiling windows that made up half the space. The silence that had fallen over the room since they had taken off was heavy around them.Magdalene, suffering from limited exposure to anyone since the takeover, could not bear it any longer. She broke the silence. "What are you thinking of right now, dear?"Chichi fingered the delicate cloth of her royal handmaiden's garb absently, admiring the quality that her family had never been able to match. She was thinking, not surprisingly, of Kakkarott. What would he do when he found out that she had made her way to Earth with him, pregnant and vulnerable? He was usually a mild-mannered person, but above all he was still a Saiyan warrior. Would he send her back?"Kakkarott," she finally admitted. "I wish that I knew how he's going to react."Magdalene dismissed the younger woman's worries with a wave of her dark-skinned hand. "I wouldn't worry about that. In all the years I've known him, I've never seen him do anything drastic. I would wager that he'll be relieved to have you here and accounted for. When you're here, he can at least try to protect you." She averted her uniquely-colored green eyes. "Be thankful that you have him.""I am thankful," Chichi assured her. She normally took quite some time to warm to strangers, but there was something about the fiercely beautiful Saiyan queen that put her at ease immediately. She seemed like more of a loving grandmother than a commander of the Saiyan empire and the mother of the vindictive Vejita. She couldn't even imagine taking her normally high temper out on such a woman. It was a rare queen who would allow a commoner to accompany her just for the sake of following a mate. "He is basically securing my future. Without him, I would be stuck in the third-class slums for the rest of my life. There isn't much room for mobility there.""I mean that you should be thankful that he supports and loves you with all of his heart," Magdalene corrected quietly. "That is something that few Saiyan couples have."Chichi thought for a moment, then voiced the question that she was sure was in the back of all their minds. "How do you think Bulma and Prince-- er, King-- Vejita's relationship will be?"The other woman sighed. "Kami knows how many times I've asked myself the same question." Thoughtfully, she went to the window. From there, she had a clear view of the windows to the control room at the front of the ship, where Vejita was probably lurking. Frowning, she closed the curtains, hiding her chambers from view. "All that I know is that there are real feelings between them. Even if their relationship doesn't work out, I would be satisfied, because at least Bulma would be free from Yamcha.""I have heard much about them since they left," Chichi said. "I wasn't sure what to believe.""All of the stories are undoubtedly true," Magdalene said with a wry smile. "That girl was endured far more than any one woman should have to. I just hope that she'll be able to hold on until we can get to her.""I saw her once." Chichi's eyes clouded over in memory. "When Kakkarott brought her through the city. I wasn't as hospitable as I could have been." At Magdalene's puzzled glance, she smiled. "I was more than a little bit jealous, I have to admit. She was so beautiful and well-spoken. I figured that Kakkarott would never be able to look at me the same after spending so much time with her."Magdalene was sympathetic. "There is no need to worry about that, darling. Bulma and Kakkarott are from two different worlds. Their relationship never will go beyond friendship, and if it ever does, I pity the man. Vejita does not like to share."The women shared in a laugh, and Chichi was grateful that she had had a chance to meet the monarch. Until now, she had characterized all royalty as snobs and basically uncaring people. But Magdalene was turning out to be one of the most sensitive people she knew. It was easy for her to see now why Kakkarott spent so much time at the palace.Unexpectedly, a knock sounded on Magdalene's door. The queen ceased laughing immediately and approached. Chichi sensed that her hopes that it would be her son, ready to mend the rift between them."Who is it?" the queen called."Bardock, Your Majesty, and Kakkarott."Magdalene turned to Chichi, whose eyes had gone wide. "If you do not wish to be seen yet, I suggest that you conceal yourself. Hurry!"Chichi glanced around for a hiding spot. Then, it came to her. "I could no sooner hide from Kami himself," she reminded the other woman forlornly. "He will sense me from the moment he enters. We are mated.""Are you alright in there?" called Bardock through the door. "Magdalene?""I'm quite fine, thank you," she replied, opening the door slowly. "I was merely conversing with my handmaiden."Bardock entered the room, followed by Kakkarott. "Handmaiden? Do you think it wise to have an outsider overhear our conversation?"Magdalene half-smiled and let them come into the main room, where Chichi was perched on the bed, her chin lifted stubbornly. "She's hardly an outsider, Bardock."Kakkarott and Chichi's eyes met, and the Saiyan man's jaw dropped. "Chichi? What... why are you here? You're pregnant, you should be where it's safe--""I should be wherever I want to be," Chichi cut him off sternly. "The point is, I'm here now, and there's no way to reverse it.""Chichi..." Kakkarott trailed off uncertainly, glancing over at Magdalene and Bardock, who listened with interest. "Would you guys mind if we had a minute alone?"Magdalene nodded, smiling in satisfaction. Chichi was a strong woman-- if she wanted to remain here, then there was nothing that Kakkarott could do about it. Pleased with the outcome, she took the shocked Bardock by the arm and left the main room. Now in the kitchen, safely out of earshot, she broke into a larger grin and chuckled."They are so sweet," she commented to Bardock. "It makes me feel better knowing that at least one of the couples around here will have a happy relationship.""It was extremely unwise of you to bring her along, Your Majesty," the man scolded. "She will be nothing but a distraction to him when he gets into battle--""Horseshit," Magdalene scoffed, pouring herself a glass of wine. "Love is not a weakness, unlike what all of you insensitive warriors think. It will only help him to fight better, because now he has something to protect. This is Vejita's fight, not his. It will do him good to get some motivation.""Speaking of Vejita," Bardock began with a sigh. "He was speaking with Valyn earlier in the control room, and after I heard the shattering of glass, I stopped to see what was going on. I didn't enter the room with them, but a few moments later Valyn stormed out. It looks like our beloved king is severing all the ties with those he is going to need most."Magdalene rolled her eyes at her son's predictability. "Valyn and Vejita have been friends their entire lives, Bardock. There isn't a number large enough to acccount for how many fights they've gotten in. They will make amends, believe me.""I don't know that it will be that easy, considering the situation.""Valyn is still thinking clearly, even if Vejita is not. He is far too intelligent to withdraw his support now. He'll go to Vejita later, and apologize. Trust me on this one." She glanced over to the main room curiously. "Do you suppose they're finished yet?"Bardock shrugged. His mind was clearly on other things. "I really came here to tell you that we will be arriving at Earth in two hours. Have you heard anything of the battle plans yet?"Magdalene's eyes lit up with interest. "Only bits and pieces. Please, enlighten me.""Our arrival is timed so that when we arrive on Earth, it will be night. Vejita is sending small groups of men to the largest cities, where the armies are no doubt stationed. The soldiers will use the moon to transform to Oozaru, and then do whatever damage they can. Their main goal is to deplete the armies, though.""And how are we going to be sure that Yamcha will not detect us on his radar and shoot the smaller ships out of the sky before any of this even occurs?"Bardock smiled. "That is where Valyn and his Malydorian technology come in. He has equipped all of our ships with a clever shielding device that hides us from the human radar systems. Anyway, with any luck, by the time the soldiers dispose of the majority of the armies, it will be almost dawn, and then it will be time to move in on the capital, where the palace is located.""I would guess that Vejita will only fight there.""Correct," Bardock replied. "He and his best men will attack in broad daylight. Yamcha will keep most of his army there, to protect himself, but Vejita does not seem concerned. Valyn has also provided a device that the men will put on their armor that is designed to better their endurance, therefore allowing them to keep up their ki's longer. The humans cannot even hope to defeat us then. Even their guns cannot pierce a Saiyan's ki when he's at even half-strength. It will be a one-sided battle, I am sure."Magdalene was not so certain. "It may start out that way, but when it comes to retrieving Bulma, I'm sure that Yamcha will not make it so easy.""One cannot even begin to guess at what he'll do," Bardock agreed. "Once Vejita has gotten the majority of the army out of the way, he will move in on the palace, with only himself, Kakkarott, Nappa, and Radditz. As for myself... he has assigned me to keep Yamcha's men away from the palace while he's trying to get Bulma. He has no desire to keep me close to the heart of the battle." The man's voice was bitter. "I suppose its the price I must pay for going against him."Magdalene gave him a grateful smile, then looked thoughtful. "And what am I to do, sit here and knit while they go and see all the action?" At Bardock's surprised expression, she could not help but laugh. "In all the years that you have known me, Bardock, have I ever liked to be left out?""I suppose not," he consented. "But how would you work into all of this? You cannot fight alongside the men, for sure.""I do not plan to," Magdalene assured him. "I just want to be there when they find Bulma. Who knows what condition the poor girl will be in? I hardly trust a bunch of brutes to take care of her while Vejita and Yamcha fight.""How do you plan to achieve this?"Magdalene smirked, revealing the resemblence between herself and Vejita. "That is my little secret. I can't give all the surprise away, now can I?""What surprise?" Kakkarott asked as he entered the room with Chichi close behind."Nevermind," Magdalene dismissed breezily. "So, what have you two decided?"Kakkarott took Chichi's hand and embraced her gently. "She will stay here, on the ship, until the fighting is done. She says that she wants to--"Chichi interuppted him. "For Kami's sake, Kakkarott, I can speak for myself!" Magdalene and Bardock laughed, and Kakkarott scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "I want to be there when they bring Bulma back to the ship." Then, with a mischevious smile, "I don't believe the stories of Vejita-sama's fondness for her a bit. I have to see him with her for myself before I believe something far-fetched like that."The group laughed together in the last moment of peace before the war began....__________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________
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