Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Veil ❯ Land of Dreams ( Chapter 15 )

Vegeta grunted as he sat up, forcing himself to do so.

The noise caused Bulma's eyes to snap open. She watched in an amused fashion as Vegeta tried to lift himself off of the bed. A smirk twitched its way onto her lips. He looked positively hilarious.

Vegeta snarled as he found himself slouched back down in his previous position. He looked over and saw Bulma smiling at him. Or was it smirking.

"What?" He asked in an irritated tone. He wanted to wipe that irritating look off of her face.

Bulma rolled her eyes and exhaled loudly. "Nothing. Stop moving or you'll make you injuries even worse than they are."

He narrowed his eyes, "Are you telling me what to do?"

Bulma shrugged her shoulders and stood up. He definitely didn't frighten her in this vulnerable state. For now he was a caged lion. "No, I am not telling you what to do. I'm just suggesting it for your own good."

"Why should you care?"

Bulma stared at him for a few moments, "You're right, why should I care?" She retorted icily. She began walking around the bed to Vegeta's side.

Vegeta looked at her stonily and laid back in the bed, unable to sit up any longer.

Bulma raised her eyebrow, this was certainly new. Since when had the stubborn Prince given up a fight? She leaned down and placed her hand lightly against his forehead. His fever seemed to have lessened, but it was still considerably high in regards to his health.

Vegeta found himself closing his eyes at the petite woman's cool hand. Why was she doing this? What was her purpose in doing all of this, that was what he wanted to know. Behind every action and deed, there was always a motive.

The moment that she had leaned down had been the moment of comprehension for Vegeta. His astute senses could pick up the slight hint of an intoxicating fragrance, one that was not particularly familiar to him.

Although, he knew what it was.

Snapping his eyes open, he roughly grabbed Bulma's wrist from his forehead, causing her to cry out in surprise. He yanked her closer to him, as he lay on the bed.

"You are with child," his voice was low, it had gone even deeper than before.

Bulma looked into his eyes with mild fear. He knew. She gulped and forced herself to answer. "Y-yes," she faltered.

Vegeta growled at the shocking news. "Who's is it?"

Bulma's mouth hung open slightly. "What do you mean?"

He snorted, "I want to know to whom exactly you have been whoring yourself off to." His manner was somewhat harsher than usual.

Bulma found her voice and tried to gather her dignity. She brusquely wriggled her wrist free from his tightfisted grasp. He was still far too weak to impose harm on her. "If you must know, you ignorant buffoon, it's yours."

Vegeta snarled and gripped her wrist tightly once again, "You lie!" He could not believe that the child the woman was carrying was his. But if it wasn't his then who else could she have gone with?

One name seemed to flash through his mind, Radditz.

Vegeta growled unintentionally. He would kill the third-class for laying his hands on -his- mate. He voiced his reflection to Bulma. "It was that disgusting third-class, Radditz, wasn't it?!" He accused.

Bulma felt as though she had been slapped in the face. "Radditz is dead." She whispered hoarsely, gazing at him.

The words were like jagged cubes of ice that had been harshly thrown at him, one by one. He was rendered speechless by the news. Questions were reeling in his mind, how had Radditz died? Was this Frieza's doing? His hand loosened from this grasp on Bulma's wrist.

Bulma snatched her arm back, upon seeing his lack of verbalisation and she pounced on it, "Not everything is the way it seems, your majesty. If it wasn't for you, he wouldn't be dead." She sneered.

He glowered at her before allowing a distant look to flash across his eyes.

Bulma almost immediately regretted her malevolent words. She knew his thoughts had regressed to the ghastly deed that was committed against him. She stood up tall and looked down at his vulnerable state.

She sighed, "You'll find out if the child is yours or not when it is born, Vegeta." She said regretfully.

She placed her hand once again on his forehead. "I'll be back in a moment." Her voice was soft and soothing, almost motherly.

She made a hasty exit towards the connecting bathroom.

*****

Vegeta lay perfectly still, letting the news sink in.

Bulma was pregnant.

Radditz was dead.

It was true, he had never liked the low-class fool, but this gave him all the more purpose to kill Frieza. He heard running water in the background as he peered at the ceiling. Well, at least Frieza had done him one favour in ridding him of the idiot. He knew how fond Bulma was of Radditz, it would be one less deed that she would hate him for.

He switched his train of thought. His mate was pregnant, with his child. He was only testing her when he accused her of having different affairs, but he knew the truth. The child was his. He would be damned if he let Frieza take his son as well.

Frieza.

Vegeta seethed. He was so ashamed at what happened to him. It was true, he was a strong warrior but there was only so much he could endure. Frieza's doing had been Vegeta's realization that he was still Frieza's little lap dog. He shook with anger, causing him to wince.

The injuries were still not healed. They should have been healed by the previous night, but the damage was so great that Vegeta had still not healed fully.

Vegeta could not wait to exact his revenge on the slimy lizard. He would rip Frieza apart, limb from limb. He would tear down the creatures pride, just like his own had been torn down when he was..

He growled and turned his head away from the ceiling, trying to fight the drowsiness that surrounded him.

It was not use, sleep began to take over his grasp on the reality and he found himself hurled and sucked into the land of dreams.

~*****~

Fire was everywhere. Different shades of red were only to be seen in the vast expanse of land.

Vegeta looked throughout the unusual, blazing inferno of red that he stood around.

Where was he?

He didn't know. He found himself standing on a high cliff, overlooking a mound of molten red liquid, trapped in the confines of a lake. Vegeta tried to remember where he was and how he had ended up in this bizarre land. Had Frieza sent him on another mission?

Vegeta stepped closer to the edge of the crumbling and decayed cliff, trying to get a closer look at the red bubbling liquid in the lake. His eyes widened as he saw disemboweled bodies floating to the surface.

What the fuck was going on, where was he?!

His mouth hung slightly open as the 'dead' bodies and limbs twitched to life. The Saiya-jin Prince could pick up murmurs of unbidden thoughts. The bodies began moaning in the guttural language of the ancient Saiya-jin tongue. A language that had been lost for centuries.

Saiya-go.

Somehow Vegeta understood every word the muttered through their mutilated mouths. They were calling him, beckoning him to their aid. His surroundings grew hazy, shaking away the feeling he began to levitate off of the ground.

Foolishly, as one does in dreams, although he was not aware, he lowered himself to the sea of red and the twitching limbs and bodies of lost Saiya-jin ancestors that were floating in it.

He hovered above the red liquid, almost gagging at the foul stench of blood and death. The decayed bodies cried out as the Prince watched them from above, they tried to reach upwards to their one and only saviour. The Saiya-jin no Ouji.

"Save us!" They hissed and cried out in unison.

Vegeta looked on in disgust at the mutilated hands that were trying to paw at him.

"Destroy him, before he destroys you and all you know.." The bubbling liquid came to complete halt as the strange bodies once again submerged themselves into its shady depths.

What did they mean by that?

Vegeta looked at his reflection in confusion, as even the rippling of the water came to a standstill. Where had they all gone? His subconscious screamed at him to escape from this maddening place, but he found that he couldn't.

Looking around at the empty fiery valleys, he lowered himself uncertainly, towards the murky rouge depths. His feet almost touched the liquid, as he tried to search for the remains of the strange beings he had previously encountered.

His eyes grew in size as a hand abruptly shot up from the red bloody lake, wrapping its bony fingers around his ankle before pulling him down into the vile cesspit of death.

Vegeta struggled with all his might. It was no use, he became drenched and bathed in the stickiness of the liquid, that was too soon choking him out of his last breath.

He was being pulled down into the never ending pool of death and hell. He tried to swim upwards through the thick fluid, but just as he was about to reach the surface, he was roughly pulled back into the abyss and this time there would be no hope of escape.

~*****~

Vegeta inhaled sharply as he opened his eyes he found himself lying on sleek rough metal. Had what happened previously been a dream? Was he now back in to his own real world, somehow Vegeta didn't think so.

Standing up as quickly as he could, he looked around at his new surroundings. It seemed as though he was in a ship's hull, an extremely monumental ship.

He ran his fingers gently along the slick interior. The walls were smooth to a certain degree, to the normal eye it would seem as though the ship was nothing more than a mere mound of metal. But to the trained eye, this was more of a luxurious ship. A type of ship that Vegeta had encountered in his childhood, when he was with Frieza.

A piercing cry brought him out of his reverie, if one could have a reverie in an actual dream.

Looking about the darkness, Vegeta followed the howling wails that could be heard from deeper into the hull. As he walked towards, what seemed a child's cries, he listened attentively to his very own footsteps that echoed in the empty area.

The cries grew louder.

Vegeta reached a dead end.

There was no way out from where he stood, however he could still hear the thundering cries of the child on the other side of the metallic wall. Growling, not being able to stand the incessant wailing, he powered up and smashed his fist through the metal. Almost instantly, his entire arm had been consumed by the hard metal. Roughly pulling out his arm, he caused an even larger hole to appear.

The screams seemed to have died out as Vegeta stepped through the gaping hole in the wall.

The room that he was in had no source of light, it looked uncannily familiar to the Saiya-jin Prince.. He looked around bewildered as to where the screams were coming from. Sure enough, and much to his displeasure, he found what had been causing the ear shattering cries.

A young boy, huddled in the corner of the dark room, his cries dying away to what seemed to be whimpers. Vegeta frowned. The boy looked remarkably like he did when he was younger. Could it be..?

As he stepped closer to the huddled child, there was no mistake about it. This was him at the age of ten, trapped on Frieza's ship. Vegeta wondered how he had ended up here, and why.

When he looked closely at his younger self, he could see visible cuts and scratches all over his small form. Chibi Vegeta continued to whimper inconsolably, hugging himself. A deep cut could be seen in the right side of his cheek, still bleeding profusely.

Vegeta's hand drifted to his own cheek. Sure enough, on the right side of his cheek, was a scar unforgivably imprinted into his cheek.

How could he have forgotten?

A dire chuckle could be heard from the opposite corner of the room. Vegeta looked in the direction of the recognizable tone.

Frieza stepped into thin strip of light that had been formed by the gap in the door of the room. "Come now Prince. Surely you can't be missing your father," he spoke snidely.

Vegeta willed his younger self to try to escape through it. Why was he just sitting there? Why the hell wasn't he moving? It was his only chance of escape and he wasn't moving! Kami, he wanted to punch his younger self for being foolish.

Chibi Vegeta shivered as the wicked creature approached him.

Vegeta couldn't stand it anymore. He stood between his younger apparition and Frieza. "Stop!"

Frieza walked straight through him, not even comprehending his presence. "You're father doesn't give a shit about you, Prince," his voice was sarcastic and sadistic. Frieza roughly yanked the young Prince to his feet. "You are nothing, chibi Ouji." He breathed heavily into the young Prince's face.

Vegeta gaped at the backside of the lizard. He had just walked straight through him, not even acknowledging his presence! Snarling, he raised his elbow and flew towards the turned back of Frieza. In one swipe he slammed his elbow into the head of the monstrosity he hated with his entire being.

However as we all know, this doesn't always work in such circumstances. His elbow swiftly swished through the head of the holographic image of Frieza. Vegeta roared in frustration, what the hell was going on?!

He watched own helplessly, as Frieza continued his assault on the poor unsuspecting Prince.

Frieza sniggered at the trembling ten year old. Grabbing his shoulder and gripping at it tightly, he raised his index finger and gouged the sharp claw deeper into the open cut on the chibi Prince's cheek.

Vegeta couldn't do anything. He winced, as if he were the one that was being tortured. Well he had been tortured, hadn't he? "YOU FUCKING MONSTER, STOP IT!" He screamed at the image of the young boy and cruel Lord.

Chibi Vegeta blacked out, falling lifelessly back onto the small army cot that had been strategically placed in the empty room.

Frieza released his grasp from the unconscious boy. Turning around stiffly, he looked at Vegeta straight in the eye. His mouth curved up into a sick smirk, finally acknowledging the older Prince's existence.

"You know, this is all your fault.." Fireza's voice trailed off as he formed a small ki ball in the palm of his clawed hand. Without a moments hesitation he hurled it at Vegeta screaming with a new found hate, "NOW YOU DIE, YOU STUPID MONKEY!'

Vegeta stood, incapable of trying to block the flying attack. He let out a howled scream, much like his chibi counterpart, as the attack slowly engulfed him and burned into his thick skin.

The last recollection he had was of the sickening smell of burning flesh.

~*****~

Vegeta blinked. He had stood in the same position as he was when Frieza had attacked him.

Now where the fuck was he?

He was getting tired of his continually changing location. He sniffed, trying to catch a whiff of burning flesh. There was nothing. At least Frieza hadn't killed him, or had he?

He looked about his environment and found it to be somewhat unpleasantly... Delightful? The ground below him was covered in an unknown form of vegetation. It was a deep green. Crouching down Vegeta brushed his fingers over the tendrils of green, they were somewhat moist but smelt pleasantly fresh. Standing up once again he began to notice the unfamiliar plants that graced the strange land he was on. Where ever he was, it was breathtaking. Much more so than Vegeta-sei. Although it did seem to have some of Vegeta-sei's qualities.

A twinkle of giggling caught his attention. Vegeta looked around, frowning at the musical tinkering of the laugh.

"Vegeta.." A woman's voice reverberated through the atmosphere around him.

"What?" He called out irritably. He squinted as he was blinded by a shining light, in the distance he could hear the roar of water, that seemed to be eagerly rushing through a stream towards the meander that would lead it to the sea.

The woman's laugh continued to float through the wind that swirled gently around him, causing his flame-like hair to blow slightly towards the right.

"Show yourself." Vegeta demanded.

More laughter.

Vegeta growled in frustration.

He almost jumped as soft delicate arms began to encircle his waist. He turned around and caught the perpetrator that dared to touch him in such a way. His voice was clamped in his throats as he gazed down at the glowing face.

He inhaled slowly, taking in the sweet scent of the female before him, just to see if she was real.

It was the eyes on that sweet face that rendered him voiceless. He stared down into the pools of azure that were twinkling back at him mischievously.

"Onna.." He finally managed to breath out. His eyes trailed over her delicate features, attractive in every way. Gods, she looked breathtaking! Her petite and dainty figure was clothed in a pure white silk robe. The aqua hair, that he had so foolishly transformed to raven black, was now back to its original form and hung in soft waves around her shoulders. He had never seen her looking this way. She looked so calm, so serene beyond comprehension.

He looked down as he protruding stomach prodded him, stopping any form of close contact as she tried to hug him. His brows furrowed slightly at the round belly of his mate. She was pregnant, of course! His hand cautiously made its way down to the strange sight. He had never seen a mother bearing her child. It was strange to say the least.

She smiled brightly at him, lighting up her already glowing face. She hugged him to the best extent that her stomach allowed, even though Vegeta made no move to return the gesture. "It's our baby," she whispered happily. Smiling, she rested her head gently on his shoulder, fitting snugly against him.

They were a perfect fit.

Vegeta blinked a few times, her beauty once again overtaking his verbal skills. He finally managed to choke out the words that had been wedged in his throat, "Where are we? Are we in.. Heaven?" he asked, remembering that Frieza had shot a deadly ki blast at him.

Bulma laughed, her voice seemed faraway but she was very much in his presence. "No, silly. We're at home, our home." She pulled away from him and beamed at him, taking his large hands in her own.

Vegeta frowned and looked around again, "Home?"

The uncommon beauty gave him an apprehensive look. "Are you alright Vegeta?" She raised her hand to his forehead, teasingly.

Vegeta closed his eyes. He never knew his name could sound so soft when spoken by her tongue, it sent a chill up his spine. When he opened them again, things seemed to blur somewhat. Her hand was still firmly placed on his forehead. Vegeta relished in the soft touch. "I'm fine," he croaked.

Bulma laughed again, the laugh that caused his body to tingle. She stepped back away from him, still holding his hands, "You've so long, Vegeta."

"Away?" Now he was confused.

Bulma ignored the interjection, "I've missed you, do you know that?"

He looked down into her sorrow filled eyes. He was completely lost.

She continued on nevertheless. "We've all missed you, but me especially.." She winked seductively. Stepping closer to him, she planted a deep kiss on his lips to which he didn't object. He had always wanted her to come to him willingly.

The first time he had taken her had been a mistake, but for some strange reason he knew she had forgiven him. The kiss became deeper and more urgent. "I love you," she whispered against his lips. But as soon as she said this, Bulma pulled away as the echoes of sires could be heard around them.

He continued to watch in awe as she smiled apologetically at him, and ran from his embrace. Vegeta strode after her, wanting to know where she was going.

Her small form disappeared behind foliage and entered a deep cave. She did not emerge immeadiately. Vegeta stood still for a few moments, hoping she would come out from her hiding place. What was she up to?

Sure enough, she came out from the foliage covered cave, carrying a small bundle. She ignored him and made her way to the edge of the riverbank nearby. Sitting down on the grassy banks, with the bundle held tightly to her chest, she slipped her feet softly into the cool flowing water.

Vegeta walked up to her sitting form, and crouched down next to her trying to catch a glimpse of the hand held bundle. "What is it?"

Bulma looked up, a smile quirked her lips upwards. "It's our son." She hugged the baby to her gently, nuzzling her face into her son's.

Vegeta was stunned, "But.." He pointed to her round belly. If they were having a child then how could she be pregnant at the same time and still hold the child in her hands? He tried to get a look at the child's face, but Bulma was hiding him from his gaze.

Bulma tutted, "We're having another child. Have you forgotten so soon?" She asked sadly.

"Another child?" He asked incredulously.

Bulma rocked the child in her arms, humming a sweet lullaby.

~*****~

When Vegeta blinked again, the entire scene seemed to change once more. No longer were they sitting on a grassy bank, besides a crystal flowing river. Instead, Vegeta found himself crouched on top of the crumbling cliff he had been on previously. He looked down, scowling as he saw the bubbling blood red lake one again. The lake in which he had been drowned.

The only difference was that Bulma was sitting on the edge of the cliff with him, no longer holding their baby boy.

Bulma stood up from her seat, and stood on the edge of the high cliff. She looked out remorsefully at the churning water. Vegeta brought himself up to stand next to her. "What is it?" His voice was grave, as he himself gazed out at the blood red lake.

As Bulma stood right at the edge of the cliff, small rocks began to deteriorate and crumble away beneath her feet. She sighed, "I'm going to die," she stated factually.

Vegeta noticed that the edge of the cliff was about to give way. Stepping back, he pulled Bulma along with him, afraid that she would fall in the murky red depths become another victim of the perilous lake.

He faced her now, her back was to the lake as she peered up dejectedly into his obsidian obsidian eyes. He glowered, "Why do you say that?" He didn't like what she had said.

The apparition of Bulma bit her lip, the melancholy look never leaving her face as she stood on the edge of the cliff. As she went to embrace him once more, she stopped, her eyes grew round and became glazed over with shock.

Vegeta looked on in horror as an arm was pushed right through her stomach, covered in her own blood. In the palm of the hand was the growing fetus of their child, ripped from its comfortable position in its mother's womb. he had never seen such a sight, not in all of his purging days. It was truly sickening.

Bulma gasped and wheezed as she looked down tragically at the arm that had ripped through her stomach, causing the hole. The arm extracted itself from the confines of the stomach, taking the growing child with it. She shakily brought her hands to the gaping hole in her stomach.

Vegeta's breathing became labored as Frieza stepped out sideways from behind his mate. The sadistic smile was ever present on his face, as he gripped the minuscule and bloody fetus in the palm of his hand.

Vegeta tore his gaze away from the monster, to assess Bulma's condition.

Bulma's lips quivered, already turning a shade of blue. Her once immacualte white gown was bathed in an unforgiving shade of red. Flecks and slashes of blood ruining the beautiful dress. She raised her bloody hand up to Vegeta, her breathing becoming even more uneven. As her arm hung miraculously suspended towards Vegeta, she managed to utter out what seemed an important word.

"Dragonballs," she rasped.

Vegeta could not believe what he was witnessing. The word laid in further confusion to his grieving state.

Her breath came out in short rasps as she spoke her final sentence, "Make a wish Vegeta.." Her voice trailed off and she fell backwards, off of the cliff and into the bloody lake of death.

Vegeta cried out in surprise as she fell off of the cliff, her body spiraling down in the bubbling lake. He flew after her already cold body, but did not make it in time to save her body from being covered in the thick fluid. What had she meant by making a wish?

Snarling at his failed attempt, he flew back up to the cliff willfully wishing that Frieza was there so he could pound the living crap out of him. How dare that lizard touch and harm his mate and unborn child?!

Ready to punch, as he reached the top of the cliff once again, he found it desolate and empty as it had been before.

Anger began boiling in Vegeta's veins. Frieza stole his only chance at.. at being happy. He roared and screamed into his empty surroundings as he stood on the cliff.

"COME BACK HERE YOU COWARD!!" His throat burned, but he continued the verbal assault in the bastard monster.

"YOU FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT, I'M GOING TO RIP YOU APART!!" He fell to his knees, still roaring in the agony at the loss of his mate. He looked up at the pinkish sky, his screams reverberating around the empty land he was on. For the first time crystalline liquid began to run down his cheeks.

~*****~

Vegeta was still sleeping as he began to roar in his sleep, he thrashed wildly.

*****

Bulma was towling herself off, when she heard the screams. It sounded as if someone was dying. She rushed out, half dry to find Vegeta thrashing around in his sleep. Running up to his sleeping form she shook him awake, fearful of what was happening. She distinctly heard Frieza's name being shouted out over the cries of pain. She shook him awake.

"Vegeta!! Wake up," she tried to desperately awaken him.

Vegeta's eyes snapped open, he found himself looking up into concerned jet black eyes. Bulma. He took deep breaths, hating to look so vulnerable, he tried to calm himself down.

"Are you okay?" Her voice was laced with utter concern.

Vegeta didn't answer, instead he began shivering, he closed his eyes.

Bulma frowned and touched his forehead lightly. His fever was higher then ever. Racing to the bathroom she collected a damp towel and hurriedly returned to his side. Crouching beside the bed, she dabbed the towel across his face hoping to cool him. He was still moaning and grunting, "Shh.. It's ok," she hoped he had heard her.

Of course, he had heard her soothing voice. He spoke between the tremors he was receiving, "Build your machine," he growled weakly.

Bulma's brow furrowed, "What?"

"Your chamber that increases grav-"

Bulma cut him off, he was too ill to speak. "The gravity chamber?"

He nodded mutely, but opened his eyes. "I must become stronger than Frieza."

Even though his voice was firm, Bulma could see there was a haunted look in his eyes. He must have had an extremely awful dream to be exacting this sort of reaction. She agreed to his demand, only to keep him quiet.

She stayed with him the entire day.

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