Fan Fiction / Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Altiverse: Dawn of Time ❯ Revelation ( Chapter 3 )

Chapter 4

Revelation

The group had been inside the cave for three days, as near as they could tell. It had been completely necessary to find amusement in some way.

Vaya had taken to exploring the deeper parts of the cave. Sometimes Vegeta or Raditz went with her, but more often she went alone. She also spent a lot of time in the cavern with the hot spring. Nappa said it was a foolish woman thing, and Vegeta had to smack himself to keep the "impure thoughts" from invading his head.

Raditz had taken to making marks in the rocks. He had started a notch calendar so that they would know when their time was up. He also had written their names in the Saiyan writing language, and made little symbols representing all of the things he would rather be doing. So far the list even included cleaning toilets, planting trees, and digesting lunch.

Vegeta and Nappa, of course, were constantly sparring. The younger Saiyan usually won, but Nappa was always prepared to remind him of a mistake that could be important. Nappa noticed that Vegeta's mind was never completely on the fight, and he was making more mistakes than usual, especially if Vaya was watching.

Outside, the blizzard showed no signs of stopping, or even slowing down. They were stuck in the cave.

One day, when Raditz was carving, Vaya was exploring, and Vegeta and Nappa were sparring, Vegeta suddenly collapsed to his knees with a groan.

"What's with you?" Nappa asked in surprise.

Vegeta flopped on his back. "I'm...so...hungry...!" he moaned. "Food...I need...fooood!!"

"Yeah!" Raditz cried. "I'm starving, I can't take this any longer!"

"What's going on?" Vaya said, entering the big cave.

"We're hungry," Vegeta whimpered.

"Well, now that you mention it..." Vaya started vaguely, rubbing her stomach. She had a scarce appetite that often balanced out the others', but when she didn't eat for a long time, she could devour a horse.

"Well, you can't go out there, it's freezing," Nappa said, waving at the shield.

"Maybe we should eat you," Raditz suggested.

"Try it, chicken boy."

"Bring it on, elephant man."

"Stop it!" Vegeta ordered, pulling himself off the floor. "I'll go out and find food."

"Are you crazy?" Vaya cried, running up to him. "You can't go out there, you'd die in two minutes!"

Vegeta glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. Her eyes were burning with indignation. He almost changed his mind, but then he remembered that they needed food to survive.

"No," he said. "I'm going. We need to eat something. I'll be fine...really."

"All right," Nappa said, before Vaya could reply. "But if you don't come back in half an hour, we're going out after you."

"Fair enough," Vegeta grinned. He walked over to the pile of their armor. They had taken it off to be more comfortable, but Vegeta knew he would need any extra insulation he could get. He pressed a button on the shield generator closest to him, and a small portion opened up, small enough to let him through and keep the cold out.

He took a deep breath and started through. Suddenly, he felt a light hand on his shoulder. He turned around in surprise.

Vaya stood there solemnly. "Be careful."

Vegeta forgot how to speak for a minute.

Then he smiled and nodded. "I will."

And he disappeared into the whirling storm.

Minutes passed slowly. Raditz was so hungry that he had started muttering incoherently to himself...a trait that apparently ran in his family. Nappa was chucking rocks at the opposite wall in a steady, monotonous succession. Vaya had taken to pacing around the main cavern from impatience and worry.

"How long has it been?" she asked again and again.

Nappa was reading the time off a stopwatch that he had carried with him for whatever reason. He was keeping a close eye on it, and answered Vaya each time.

"Vaya, just relax. He'll be back soon," Nappa assured her after she had asked for the tenth time.

Vaya sighed and nodded. She sat on a rock next to Raditz and started tracing in the dirt.

More minutes passed. Vaya became aware of the fact that it was swiftly drawing close to a half-hour's time, and there was still no sign of Vegeta. Nappa noticed as well, because it had been his job until recently to know where Vegeta was at all times. Raditz was too hungry to think about anything.

Finally, Vaya jumped up. "Nappa, I know he's been gone over a half-hour! Something has to be wrong!"

"Calm down," Nappa said, rather nervously. "He's probably just a little late, that's all."

"Nappa..." Vaya's voice was soft and cold. "Get out there and go find him, or I will. And if I don't come back, I assure you that Frieza will not let you off easy for losing two of his favorite fighters!"

Nappa gulped. "Okay. I'll go."

The big Saiyan grabbed his own armor and prepared to go out into the bitter cold. Raditz was watching weakly from his upside-down position on the ground, and Vaya stood with her arms crossed dangerously. With a deep breath, Nappa set out into the snow.

~*~

Vaya had started to pace again. Raditz had all but passed out on the floor. The female Saiyan finally tried to sit down and relax, so she chose a spot next to Raditz...

Suddenly, she jumped back up again and raced over to the shield. Whirling at the buttons, she opened a hole in the shield as Raditz watched with confusion. Then he noticed the dark shape that was only just visible against the sheets of snow.

"Oh, no," Vaya murmured. She turned as white as the snow outside.

Nappa staggered in, almost collapsing from cold. Slung over his back were two things -- a dead creature with white fur and six legs...and the unconscious form of Vegeta.

Nappa put them both on the ground. Vaya collapsed to her knees beside her best friend and tried to find a pulse. She touched his hand, and pulled back in shock.

"He's frozen solid!" she gasped. "Nappa...well, you can stay by the fire for a little while...Raditz, get the hell off of your lazy ass and give me a hand. We have to get him to the hot spring right away!"

None of those present knew what hypothermia was. They had never encountered anything cold enough to cause it. But Vaya did know that Vegeta was freezing and needed to be thawed immediately if he was going to survive. As she and Raditz carried Vegeta into the cavern, Vaya touched Vegeta's mind with hers. She could not reach him, but her efforts strengthened his life force and revealed that he was still alive, but only barely. They would have to work fast.

The hot spring was just a little bit of hot water that bubbled out into a small hole. Vaya reached out her hand and hit it with a relatively weak blast that was still enough to turn the hole into the size of a swimming pool. The water gushed out of the crack and quickly filled the pool.

"Put him in here," Vaya ordered Raditz, pulling off Vegeta's armor.

They slid Vegeta into the water so that he was almost completely submerged, keeping his head above water to obviously prevent his drowning. Vaya held his shoulders to keep him from sliding in. She turned to Raditz.

"Go get his blanket and pillow from his cavern. Bring it in here...He can sleep in this room while he recovers, so the warm air can help his throat."

Raditz obeyed, and soon Vegeta was stretched out on his back on the blanket next to the hot spring. His color was returning and it was clear that he was breathing, although he still felt cold and his breath was ragged. Vaya exhaled in relief, and went back to the main cavern to see about cooking that strange animal.

~*~

The three Saiyans had managed to cook the beast over the fire. Vaya found a piece of metal that had been clinging to Raditz' armor from the crash. He hadn't noticed it, although it was fairly large. Vaya bent it to form a bowl, and brought some hot water from the spring. She cooked some meat in the water to make a broth.

While Raditz and Nappa ate their fill, Vaya took the broth into the spring cavern. She put it next to Vegeta so that he would have something to eat if he should awake. Before she left, she gently stroked the prince's hair. Then she rose quietly and went away.

~*~

Vegeta groaned, and put a hand to his aching head. He shivered, and sneezed. He started to sit up, but a head rush caused him to fall back onto the pillow again. He sighed.

"Are you awake?"

Vegeta looked around and saw Vaya leaning against the rocks. He smiled. "I am now," he said. "What's up?"

"You gave us a scare, you know," she told him, walking over and kneeling next to his "bed". "You were frozen solid when Nappa found you. You're lucky he brought you back when he did. If you had been out there any longer..."

Her voice trailed off. Vegeta noticed that her eyes held a trace of worry.

"Were you afraid for me?" he asked her softly.

She gave him a strange look. "Of course I was. You're my best friend." Then she smiled. "Besides, if you had kicked, it would've just been me and the gorillas in there."

Vegeta grinned, and then stared at the ground. He noticed the bowl of broth. "Hey, is this food?"

Vaya giggled. "Yes. I don't know what that thing was that you found, but it sure tasted good."

"You guys ate it all without me?" Vegeta cried.

"No, I made Raditz and Nappa save some for when you got better."

"Oh good."

Vegeta tried to sit up again, but his head swirled for a second time.

"Do you want to sit?" Vaya asked him.

"Yeah, but I keep getting these head rushes," Vegeta complained.

"Here, I think I can help," Vaya said. She gently put a hand on his forehead, and used her powers to clear his head. The fog lifted and Vegeta sat up slowly without any problems.

"Thanks," he said.

Vegeta was quiet for a few minutes. He stared at the steaming water nearby and thought about how good it had felt to have Vaya's hand on his skin. He watched her out of the corner of his eyes. She was lifting her hair and pulling it back out of her eyes. Vegeta thought again about how incredibly beautiful she was. She had long, soft, shiny black hair and golden-tanned skin. Her eyes were ebony black and shaded by thick eyelashes. Vegeta thought again about the secret...the secret that he needed to know...he needed to know or he would die...

Vegeta, you fool, what are you doing? said a nasty voice in his head. Remember what Nappa said! Don't think about her like that! It would never work!

Then he blinked.

Who am I kidding? Nappa's never right.

He cleared his throat nervously. "Vaya...?" he started.

"Hmmm?"

Vegeta took a deep breath. "If I was brave enough to do something, would you be brave enough to let me?"

Vaya shrugged. "I guess."

Vegeta hesitated for another moment, then quickly leaned in and gave Vaya a kiss. It was an innocent, closed-mouth kiss, and it only lasted for a few seconds. But it was satisfying.

When Vegeta pulled back, Vaya seemed to be in shock, groping for words. Vegeta immediately blushed.

"Sorry...I just--"

But before he could finish, Vaya took his face in her hands and pulled him back. To his complete surprise, she kissed him a second time, and he relaxed. As the kiss became more passionate, Vegeta put his arms around Vaya, pulling her closer to him.

Suddenly, she pulled away. "Oh, my gosh...what was I thinking...I can't believe this..."

Vegeta was surprised. "What's the matter?"

Vaya stood up quickly. "We can't do this...We're best friends, we can't be in love." She seemed to be trying to convince herself.

Vegeta managed to stand up. He reached out and caught Vaya's wrist as she started to leave, and pulled her back to him. He put his arms around her to prevent her from going, but she refused to meet his eyes.

"Vaya, it's all right. Sometimes these things are strange, or unexpected, but we have to take things as they come. But you don't have to be afraid...I would never hurt you...you know that."

"But...but how do I know I can trust you?" she whimpered, sniffling.

Vegeta blinked. "Vaya, think who you're talking to! This is me, Vegeta! Have I ever lied to you?"

"Well..."

"Practical jokes don't count."

"No..."

"Have I ever let you down?" Vegeta asked softly.

"No..." Vaya whispered almost inaudibly.

"Then why are you afraid?"

Vaya struggled to get free. "I don't know, I..." she said with frustration. "Just...let me go...!"

Vegeta hesitated. Then, his heart heavy with disappointment, he did as she wanted. Vaya took a few steps backward, then turned and ran out of the cavern and disappeared into the gloom. Vegeta stood as still as stone for a minute. Then he slammed a hole through the floor.

~*~

When Vegeta decided to reunite himself with the other two on his team, he found a very angry greeting awaiting him.

"What did you do to Vaya?" Raditz hissed at him furiously. "She took one of the extra generators and barricaded herself in her cave. She came here out of your cave almost as white as the snow out there!"

Vegeta felt guilty for causing that, but he didn't like Raditz yelling at him. He snarled right back. "Since when is it your business what goes on between Vaya and I? Don't pretend like you know what you're talking about, you could never hope to understand!"

He whirled to Nappa, who had a look that suggested he was upset that Vegeta had gone back on his word. Vegeta didn't even want to hear it. "What are YOU looking at?"

"Vegeta..."

"Don't EVEN start with me, Nappa. So help me I will blast you into another dimension." Vegeta slid down against the opposite wall, glaring at the ground. Thanks for ruining my life, Nappa. Next time I'll talk to a stray dog instead of you.

~*~

Many days passed and Vaya remained locked away in her chamber. She didn't come out for food or anything. It appeared that she was in a deep state of meditation. Vegeta tried to mentally contact her, but each time it was as if something was blocking his sending. He couldn't get through, and eventually gave up. Raditz left food for her, but no one saw her take it.

Vegeta felt terrible about what had happened. He felt like it was his fault, and he wanted to apologize. But Vaya didn't respond to any calls or pleas from any of them. Nothing could convince her to come out, and the better part of two weeks passed without any sign of her. As the time when help would arrive drew nearer, Vegeta vaguely wondered if the adopted Princess was even planning to go back with them.

But then Vaya did something that Vegeta could never have anticipated.

One day while he was in the spring chamber, sitting on his blanket and chucking rocks into the water in a desperate fit of boredom, he was startled by a noise at the entrance. He looked up to see Vaya standing there, looking pale and serious but otherwise fine.

Vegeta was immediately on his feet. "Vaya!...What...What..."

"Stop," Vaya interrupted him.

Vegeta blinked. "I...I'm gonna let you talk now..."

Vaya's arms were folded. "I just want you to answer my question."

Vegeta blinked. "Uh...okay..."

Vaya sighed. For a moment she didn't speak, and just stared at the floor. Then, "Why did you kiss me?"

Vegeta didn't know what he was expecting, but it certainly wasn't that. He decided to choose his words carefully, because he sensed he would only get one chance to answer. So he took a deep breath.

"I love you."

Silence.

Vaya stared at Vegeta as if he had just declared that he was going to denounce his royal heritage and birthright. Her voice was a barely audible whisper.

"...What...?"

Vegeta trembled nervously. He needed to say this now; he couldn't keep it a secret any longer. His words came out slowly and carefully and honestly. "Vaya, I love you. I have ever since I could say your name. I just didn't know it, because we developed a friendship first, and I thought it would be that way forever. But when I look at you now, I see how magnificent you've become, and every time I get near you I need you...the way green growing things need rain. But I didn't know if you felt the same way...and I kissed you because I needed to know..." Vegeta sighed heavily and looked away, his back resting on the stone wall. "If it makes you feel any better now, I'm not sure I can live without you. But I'll understand if you want me to leave you alone."

Vaya didn't know what to say. She had only been vaguely aware that Vegeta was even capable of feelings like that, and it surprised her. Her eyes seemed very content with this answer, but she was too overcome with emotion to speak aloud. So she reached out with her mind instead.

Oh, Vegeta, she sent lovingly. It is not your fault I ran away. I was afraid because for the first time in my life...something felt right, and wonderful. And I didn't know what to do. I could feel your emotions, and they were so intense that they frightened me.

She gently left the ground and drifted over the pool to land silently in front of Vegeta. He lifted his head to meet her eyes.

Then why did you come back? he asked her, with an expression that was not angry, only curious. Vaya knew that look very well. She cast her eyes modestly downward.

Well... she sent slowly. I thought about what you said, and I believe it now. I understand that I love you, and I always have, I just never realized it before. Like you said.

She paused, and lifted her eyes again, and Vegeta saw that they were sparkling like stars.

Vaya leaned forward. "Besides," she whispered into his ear. "Prince Vegeta always gets what he wants, and if he wants me...Well, I should just save him the trouble."

Vegeta let out a deep sigh of mixed emotions -- relief and desire and pride all in one. Vaya smiled vaguely and moved so that they were looking into each other's eyes, faces less than an inch apart. The fire of the stars threatened to consume Vegeta, and he could hardly wait.

"You know," she whispered, as he leaned his head down to nuzzle hers. "We never got the chance to finish what we started before..."

"A problem easily remedied," he replied with a sly smile, and he closed his powerful arms around her small waist and started to kiss her.

Vaya's arms slowly moved up his shoulders to close around his neck. She opened her mouth slightly and Vegeta took the advantage to slide his tongue in against hers. Vaya delicately traced the front of his torso, tilting her head back so that Vegeta could kiss her neck.

When they relaxed again, Vaya smiled. "Is that what you had in mind?"

Vegeta grinned.

Then Vaya gave a start. "What about Frieza?"

"What about him?"

"He won't like this. If he tries to destroy our race, and there's even the possibility of renewal...He might try to separate us, or hurt us, or even kill us."

Vegeta frowned darkly. "We can keep it a secret. We'll warn Nappa and Raditz, so they know. But I would never let anything happen to you."

Vaya leaned her head against his chest. "I like this," she mused. "It fits."

Vegeta hugged her close. "Just like we do."