Dragon Ball Z: An Empire Reborn
Chapter 1: No Royal Road to Peace
"Where is he, Vegeta?!" Goku raged. His nemesis stood not more than twenty feet away, clad in regal garments and with an air of arrogant nobility about him. The larger saiyan warrior flexed his muscles until the veins in his bulky arms looked just about ready to burst.
"What are you talking about, Kakarott? What the hell are you even doing here?" Vegeta asked. The guards surrounding him did not take their eyes off of the intruder for a split-second.
"You know exactly what and who I'm talking about, Vegeta! You had no right to kidnap a helpless child! Bulma's worried sick," Goku scolded, glaring at Vegeta. The lavender-skinned palace soldiers stiffened at the perceived threat toward the visiting royal.
"Who are you to preach to me what my rights are, you self-righteous lout? King Chrystal makes the laws around here," Vegeta replied, gesturing towards said sovereign. "He says all offspring belong to their biological fathers. You're on the wrong planet to tell me what to do."
Vegeta threw a glance over his shoulder to the mentioned monarch—the violet-skinned man in kingly threads sitting on a golden throne with purple velvet drapes. King Chrystal had no idea how the man in the orange gi had suddenly appeared in his throne room or why the madman had begun shouting at one of the royal guests. The king's anger and indignation were dwarfed by his bewilderment and confusion. He observed the scene without uttering a word.
Vegeta turned to Chrystal and started muttering something to him in an melodious unearthly language. Goku raised an eyebrow, surprised that Vegeta was able to enunciate such sounds as the alien tongue required. He figured the saiyan prince was explaining the situation. Chrystal listened intently and gave a nod before turning to scowl at Goku with displeasure.
Vegeta returned his gaze to Goku as well. "You want to settle this in a more appropriate setting, clown?" He swept his velvet cape back in a dignified manner and signaled for one of the servants. Two attendants came up behind him. One undid the buttons adhering the cape to the prince's armor and the other took the garment and folded it up carefully. Goku gasped.
Vegeta knew immediately what had shocked his adversary. He waved the appendage he knew the other saiyan had noticed casually around in the air behind him. "Don't worry, Kakarott. I won't be in need of it." He momentarily chuckled at Goku's alarmed expression. "Not this time."
As much as Vegeta's aristocratic appearance surprised Goku, the latter concealed his reaction to avoid provoking any more arrogant behavior. The regenerated tail had caught Goku off guard. He growled low in his throat, which only had the effect of widening Vegeta's delighted grin.
Goku peered around at everyone in the room—King Chrystal, the guards, the servants, various other high-ranking individuals, and Vegeta, the one and only. He recognized the look in their eyes. It was the same glare he and the Z fighters gave every nemesis that had threatened Planet Earth. It was the glare he had given Frieza. He was considered a threat, a serious one.
Vegeta stepped forward in his princely armor, head drawn down. The royal seal of the bygone Planet Vegeta marked his left breast. He lifted his head to meet Goku's stare. "If you want to duke this out, I know of the perfect nearby wilderness area to do so." He snapped a finger, not averting his eyes from Goku's. One of the king's fierce-looking guards stepped toward him.
"Mereinme gata shim shim, Feldspar ibe Peridot," Vegeta commanded. The guards accompanied them to the front entrance, an elegant pair of crystalline double-doors. They appeared over eighty feet in height and sparkled above them. Goku felt a bit overwhelmed by the towering threshold. Peridot opened a small control panel and input a computer command. The enormous doors began to slide open, providing a grand view of the endless sky and the vast city surrounding the palace.
Vegeta floated up into the air and whizzed away into the blue-green midday sky, followed by his guards, and then by Goku. The palace entrance slid shut behind them.
Once I get that brain-damaged idiot alone, I'm going to gut him alive and watch him squirm for hours on end. Who the hell does he think he is calling me out right in front of Pellucian royalty? And how dare he just IT into the King's throne room? Babbling dolt! But, perhaps, I can alter this situation to my advantage, Vegeta thought as he flew, his hands fisted into tight balls.
Goku snuck a glance at the magnificent palace they had left behind as they soared into the distance. It was like a great gleaming jewel mountain on the horizon, surrounded by a glistening city. Goku's brows furrowed more, noticing the air of superiority Vegeta was exuding. He did not really want to fight the slighter man, but Goku could not let him get away with his crime. It was the Earth saiyan's responsibility to retrieve Trunks and bring him home. He had to succeed.
Vegeta, Goku, and the two royal guards flew over cities and villages of multi-colored gemstones until they came to a wilderness clearing, an open meadow of magenta-blue knee-high grasses hemming a forest. Vegeta halted in mid-air, as did the others, and turned around to face his foe.
As Goku stared the prince down, he silently wondered why Vegeta had taken the baby to begin with. Was the act simply a tactic to get the Z fighter on the battlefield with him? Was he in it for revenge over his defeat on Planet Earth? Goku did not know, but he hoped to find out.
A malicious grin crept up the side of Vegeta's face. Goku noticed this and bore his teeth at the show of vanity. The prince wrapped his tail around his waist protectively and readied himself.
"Well, Kakarott," he spoke, "if you're ready to receive the pounding of your life, I'm ready to dish it out." He got in a fight pose, signaling to Goku to do the same. All inclinations to suggest they talk it out fell to the wayside as an immediate threat came to Goku's physical wellbeing. The royal guards barreled out of the way before Vegeta shot forward with blinding speed and a fist ready to wreak havoc. He swooped down and aimed a punch at Goku's stomach, but the other warrior was lucky enough to barely dodge. He could tell Vegeta was just toying with him.
Goku knew he could easily defeat Vegeta by going super saiyan and he knew that Vegeta also knew this, so he began to wonder why Vegeta was even bothering with a battle in the first place. The Earth saiyan felt inclined to point out that they were nowhere near matched in strength, but his curiosity to find out what Vegeta was up to suppressed his urge to end the fight swiftly. The Z fighter fought back, mostly staying on the defensive. He noted that Vegeta had improved greatly and he could not help wondering if the royal saiyan had any tricks up his sleeve.
"Ah!" Goku shouted in pain, putting a hand to the back of his head where the other warrior had landed a hard kick just moments before. The assault continued relentlessly.
"Oops! Sorry, Kakarott," Vegeta sneered in sarcasm. "I forgot how much brain damage you've already managed to obtain. Please forgive my negligence." He threw a one-two punch combo at Goku's face, missed once, but the second jab nailed the orange-clad warrior straight in the jaw. "Hope you won't end up missing too many of your teeth. Not that you'll have use for them by the time I finish with you," Vegeta spat as he swung his fist backward for another punch.
"Enough!" Goku declared, but Vegeta ignored him and continued the attack. "Stop it, Vegeta!" Goku shouted, putting up a hand to block him. "I said stop!" Vegeta halted in mid-air, just feet away from his opponent, with a look of surprise on his face. "This is stupid, Vegeta. What are you doing? Why can't we just talk about this first?" Goku asserted, appearing cross but calm.
Vegeta gave him an incredulous look. "You want to talk?" He paused, scoffed at his opponent, and slowly lowered his fist. "What would an elite fighter have to say to a holier-than-thou lunatic like you? You come here and start preaching to me, yet you have no authority to speak of. You're absolutely pathetic. What could I possibly care to hear from a witless peasant?"
Goku's brow wrinkled. "I came here for a reason and it's not because I want to fight with you."
"Really?" Vegeta returned, his eyes flaring in anger. "That was some pretty tough talk you used back at the palace. What could possibly explain the change of heart, I wonder? Just realized you don't really stand a chance, eh? That's what I thought, you hypocritical coward."
"Shut up, Vegeta! I'm not a coward!" Goku bellowed. The blatant insult and the saiyan prince's stubbornness severely irked the lower-ranked warrior. Goku suppressed the urge to pound Vegeta into the ground and forced himself to calm down. He took a deep breath and then spoke again. "Why did you do it, Vegeta? Why?" Goku asked calmly, wiping blood from his lower lip.
Vegeta raised a brow. "Why did I do what?" he shot back. "I'm not going to talk to you if you won't even bother to explain what you're talking about. Presumptions are not a healthy thing, especially when dealing with foreign cultures." He shot a glance at his native bodyguards.
Goku snarled in response. "Where's Trunks?" he demanded, fed up. "Why did you take him?"
The prince feigned a look of puzzlement. "Trunks...? Isn't that something you earthlings wear under your clothes to keep your balls in place?" Vegeta replied, scratching his head.
Goku rubbed his temples, frustrated. "No, Vegeta! I'm talking about the baby, Trunks Briefs. Bulma sent me here to bring him home. Dr. Briefs said he saw you kidnap the kid right out of the infant ward just before the surgeon arrived," the Earth saiyan charged.
"Oh!" Vegeta slapped his forehead. "You must be talking about Prince Vegeta V." The elder prince gave Goku a rather dramatic eye roll and clicked his tongue at the enemy. "He is my child, you fool. I have every right to have him in my possession. In fact, with his father is precisely where he belongs." Vegeta leaned forward and grinned widely as he jested, "For a minute there, I thought you were accusing me of stealing someone's underwear. Tsk, tsk, tsk."
"No! You had no right, Vegeta! I came here to get Trunks back and I'm not leaving without him. He needs his mother. There is no way you can justify tearing them apart like that. It's wrong, period. No matter what planet you're on or what the laws are, I won't allow it. Now, you have two options, you can either give up Trunks voluntarily or I'll make you give him up. I don't care what it takes. But I'd prefer to not have to use violence unless it's absolutely necessary."
"Oh, no! Please, Kakarott!" Vegeta squeaked, pretending to cower. He paid no heed to Goku's angered expression as he chuckled, putting his hands on his hips. "Really now? I'm shaking in my gold-tipped booties." He heard Goku growl low in his throat. Soon enough, Vegeta dropped the act and lowered his voice to a deadly tone. "What are you gonna do, idiot? Spank me?"
"You act as if you've never been defeated. Did you forget who the super saiyan is around here already?" Goku finally inquired, growing weary of Vegeta's jokes and mind games.
"Why, yes. I suppose I must have, considering how much of a joke this seems to be. You can't be serious, clown. You're not going anywhere with my son. If you had me broken and bleeding in the Pellucian dirt, imprisoned, or tortured to the brink of madness, I would never give away his location," Vegeta sneered, beholding the other saiyan with disgust written all over his face.
"Alright then, Vegeta," Goku said, trying as hard as he could to contain his anger. The prince's stubbornness and snotty behavior was really starting to get to him. He had to exercise a great deal of self-control to stay calm and reasonable. "I'm giving you. One. Last. Chance." He paused between words. "Repeat: One. Last. Chance. Tell me where the baby is or else!"
"Or else? Or else what?" Vegeta challenged, still amused.
"Or else this!" The small mortal form of Goku erupted on the alien horizon in a show of golden light and heat, power pulsing through every one of his veins. The sheer energy from the great transformation caused the ground to quake and tempest-like winds to howl.
The guards' scouters exploded on their faces and they both gaped in shock. They looked to the prince they had been hired to protect. Vegeta was on his own now. He knew it and so did they. He signaled to them to get out of the way of the battle, so they made a beeline for the nearest shelter. They peered back from behind a boulder several hundred feet past the prince.
Vegeta, unaffected by the transformation save for his hair being ruffled from the blast of wind, scoffed at his rival. A very angry and very super saiyan Goku was staring him down fiercely, grinding his teeth. He looked like he could have been a lion in a past life, golden mane and all. Two pairs of eyes, one turquoise, remained locked on each other as if the slightest diversion would spell death. They uttered not a syllable until the winds calmed and Goku's form became nothing more than a suspended light source like the sun, causing no further weather disruptions.
Goku kept his eyes on Vegeta, who stared back with the same scowl on his regal face. Vegeta's demeanor changed sharply. His frown turned to a sly smirk, which turned to a wicked grin. And his silence turned to a light chuckle, turned to laughter, turned to evil cackling. The royal guards glanced up from behind the great rocks to see what the hubbub was all about. As far as they were concerned, there was nothing worth laughing at. "Oh, okay, Kakarott," Vegeta tried to speak, roaring with laughter in between every phrase or so. "If you were ready to turn things up a notch already, then why didn't you just say so? Judging from your stalling, I thought you just wanted to spar around for a bit," Vegeta finished, finally containing his delight. "No, but seriously," he continued, "if you've had enough play time, then I'm just fine with that." Vegeta snapped his neck from side to side without breaking eye contact, readying himself for the real carnage.
The warrior prince started gathering power into the center of his being. He closed his eyes and concentrated on his core and on pulling all his physical, spiritual, and mental energy into that spot. Tiny pebbles on the ground started to jump and bounce as a subtle vibration rippled through the alien earth below. The wind caught speed again and it swirled blankets of dust and exotic pollen around the two floating figures. Goku sneezed and rubbed his nose, then returned his gaze to Vegeta's mysteriously changing form. Tiny sparks of electricity, like little lightning bolts, began to encircle the other saiyan's limbs every now and again. They gradually became more active until Vegeta's hair would have been standing on end if not for its natural erectness.
Vegeta released a great roar as the transformation overtook his being from the inside out. Bolts of lightning erupted from the sky and roasted segments of vegetation around him. His eyes opened slowly and Goku noticed they were glazed over. It was then Goku realized what was happening. Vegeta had done it. He had achieved the ultimate transformation for any saiyan warrior. Goku and his friends had previously believed he would never make that accomplishment. Theoretically one had to be pure of heart and the legend predicted there would be only one. But, in fact, there were now two. Vegeta's energized aura turned into an eruption of pure energy which pulsed and stirred the atmosphere around the royal fighter, his hair changing before Goku's eyes.
Goku looked on in awe as the two eyes staring back at him went from turquoise to black to turquoise to black. Vegeta swung his head back and bellowed. His pupils seemed to disappear altogether and then reappear as turquoise orbs. The transformation was complete. Wind, dust, and leaves swirled around him. A golden halo appeared around his now heavily-muscled figure, brighter than Goku's. The prince looked like a god. Every strand of fur on his tail radiated gold. It uncoiled from around his waist, slow and seductive like a snake. Goku was shocked.
The two super saiyans floated in the air for a while as the reality of the situation settled in. This was going to be no quick and easy scuffle and they both knew it. What was worse, Vegeta had his tail. If he wanted or needed to, he could use it. How powerful could he become with a simultaneous super saiyan and giant ape transformation? Could he go ape at all while in super saiyan form? Goku had no way of knowing and that was unsettling to the Z fighter.
In spite of Vegeta's achievement, Goku was not about to back down on his mission to rescue a helpless child and reunite him with his grieving mother. The whole Z gang was counting on him. He was Bulma's only hope. The weather disruptions abated in the wake of the transformation. The royal guards were astonished as they peered out from behind their shelter. They glanced at each other with wonderment and back to the super saiyan prince. Then they both beamed with optimism, relieved that their side actually stood a chance against the extremely powerful foe.
Vegeta blinked a few times and smirked. "So," he began, "any second thoughts about what you're doing here, Kakarott?" Vegeta snickered in satisfaction at Goku's more humbled demeanor.
Goku closed his mouth and his face hardened once more. Of course, he would not back down. "Nope. No second thoughts. I've got a job to do and I'm not leaving until it's done."
"Or until you're dead," added Vegeta. "Whichever comes first, right? Either way, this won't be as easy as you thought, will it?" Not waiting for a reply, Vegeta snapped a finger for the guards. "Feldspar!" he said, addressing the shorter of the two by name. The soldier came forward and Vegeta whispered something in his ear. Feldspar bowed and flew off to do the prince's bidding. Peridot, the taller guard, remained behind. The prince did a few stretches, keeping an eye on Goku. The latter gazed back, rolling his eyes at Vegeta for stalling. The Z fighter had a multitude of questions, but he knew well enough to hold his tongue. Vegeta likely would not answer them anyway. "Alright, Kakarott," Vegeta said, getting into fight mode, "you ready for a lesson?"
"Lesson?" Goku inquired, raising an eyebrow skeptically.
"Yeah, I'm going to teach you," Vegeta said, throwing a kick into the air for emphasis on the word 'teach,' "some good old-fashioned respect for Pellucian law and order."
"Pellucian?" Goku blinked in curiosity.
"Yes, idiot. Pellucian. We are on Planet Pellucid. If you'd done your homework, you would know that," derided Vegeta. He flashed a grin. "Ready for your lesson now, Baka-rott?"
"I'll settle for a debate," Goku shot back.
"There is nothing to debate. The boy belongs to me. He is my child and heir. Nobody questions that fact around here, except you. And you'll soon regret it. I'll make an example of you. I ought to kill you just for coming to Pellucid without an invite, let alone threatening to put your grubby peasant hands on the young prince. That's inexcusable." Vegeta's eyebrows lowered in warning as he brandished a fist. "You have no right and I'll make you pay for your shameless audacity."
Goku gritted his teeth. "What about Bulma's rights? This isn't about me, Vegeta!"
"It's not about you... even though you're playing the role of police, jury, judge, and executioner all in one, huh? We don't need you for that around here. We already have such services. And as for the woman, she has no rights to the boy. Not by Pellucian law nor by common principle."
"You don't decide what's right and wrong based on your selfish desires, Vegeta!" Goku charged.
"Do you just want to chat or do you want to get this over with? I'm dying to get rid of you and an argument can go on forever, whereas battles are much quicker. A fact that is very much to my liking," the prince announced, clenching a fist. Goku was about to open his mouth to reply, but Vegeta cut him off and growled, "Shut up and fight me, punk!" Eager for the battle to continue, the elite threw an energy blast at the third-class warrior to get him on his toes again. It worked. Goku sucked in a breath and teleported off to the side just in time. The Earth saiyan remained floating in the air after dodging the attack, waiting for a second assault. None came.
"Well?" Vegeta spoke up.
"Well what?" Goku replied, confused.
"Aren't you going to attack me?" inquired the royal.
"I was waiting for you to attack me."
The prince cocked a brow. "But you're the one who wants something."
"You don't want anything?"
"Only for you to leave this planet in peace, Vegeta replied.
"No can do," Goku returned. The lower-ranked fighter disappeared and reappeared behind Vegeta. He swung his leg around, dealing the unsuspecting man a hard kick to the side of the head. The assaulted prince whizzed past the one guard and collided with the boulder he had been hiding behind only a few minutes prior. The soldier cringed from the sound of the impact and from knowing how dead the saiyan traitor would be as soon as the prince got his senses back.
Dust swirled around the site of the demolished stone. Not even giving it time to settle, a very pissed Vegeta flew out of the cloud and swiped at Goku with his fist, missing at first, but then nailing him in the abdomen with a well-timed kick. The golden-orange warrior flew back a few meters and held his stomach in pain, coughing and gasping to breathe. Meanwhile, Vegeta wiped at a rivulet of blood flowing out of a cut on his temple from the other man's kick.
After a brief moment of recovery and assessment, they were at it again full force, kicking, punching, blocking, dodging, kneeing, pounding, and jabbing in a typical high-flying super-powered martial arts battle fifty feet or so in the air. Their super saiyan movements were too fast for Peridot to keep up with. They were moving at such incredible speeds that he could not even see them. Every now and then he could momentarily spot a foot or fist or feel a swift unnatural breeze, but otherwise the meadow seemed deserted. Never in his life had he witnessed such incredible power. He had heard the rumors of the warrior who killed Frieza, a fighter with incredible and unmatched strength. But nobody seemed to know who it was exactly. The guard guessed it could easily have been one of these two fighting on the battlefield before him.
The combat continued for hours until dusk came and the two small suns in the maroon-magenta sky were on the colorful horizon, one already half-disappeared into night. It appeared that the two fighters were evenly matched—punch for punch and kick for kick. They could not defeat each other and the battle was bound to go on until both were either too tired or too badly injured to continue it. The fight and its two participants began to slow down considerably to the point that the Pellucian guard was able to watch and see what was actually going on.
Both fighters were bloodied, broken, and bruised from head to toe as a result of the long battle. Their clothes were shredded and stained. Goku's outer gi shirt was entirely gone and all that remained was the dark blue undershirt. Vegeta's left boot was ripped open and his toes were showing. Goku had a gash across the left side of his face. Vegeta had a broken nose. Soon enough, Goku made another attempt on Vegeta's tail and Vegeta was pissed about it. He stomped down on Goku's shin, snapping the bone and provoking a pained cry from the injured warrior. Vegeta laughed cruelly and crushed down harder, making the larger man shriek in agony.
The prince was so frustrated that he was becoming ruthless, wanting to end the fight and his nemesis for good. Yet still he held back. Peridot wondered if pride alone could be the reason that the elite had not resorted to using his glimmering appendage yet. The saiyan royal family had been legendary for a pride that knew no bounds, so it would not come as a surprise. Vegeta flew back a few yards to catch a breather when the other fighter was down. While he was almost desperate enough to use his tail, he suddenly remembered that he still had one more ace. He feared going ape would make him seem like a coward or a quitter. He had a healing reputation to worry about, plus his pride simply would not allow it until he was past all hope.
The prince began secretly forming his last-ditch plan to end the stalemate battle once and for all. Vegeta coughed, wiped his face, and spoke up. "Alright, Kakarott, I'm giving you one last chance to take back all those idiotic things you said and leave. If you don't, it will mean your death and that of your friends, family, and entire planet as well. I suggest you take the bargain—leave now and I'll leave you and yours alone. You have my word as the Prince of all Saiyans."
Goku coughed up some blood. "I'm not leaving without Trunks!"
Vegeta growled in anger. "It's a fool's errand, Kakarott!" he exclaimed, almost pleadingly. "You would endanger your entire planet over this? I don't understand." Vegeta wondered if the earthly saiyan thought he was bluffing. In the back of his mind, even Vegeta himself was not sure.
"Hand over Trunks and I'll leave," Goku asserted, still with determination.
"You'll not lay a hand on my child! How did you feel when Radditz tried to take your son?"
"That's different," Goku retorted. "I never stole him from his mother in the first place."
"If you think it's wrong to separate a mother and child under any circumstance, then you're a fool!" Vegeta roared. "A simplistic lout! And I don't owe you an explanation for my actions!"
Goku growled. "You owe one to Bulma though!"
"She knows damn well why I took him!" Vegeta blared, deciding it was time to end the stalemate once and for all. He readied his final attack. The prince gathered all the energy he had left into the palms of his hands, every last ounce of strength. "Enough of this, Kakarott! It's time for you to die." The earthly saiyan was visibly confused by Vegeta's words and he was still trying to recover from the last attack when Vegeta threw his final blast. "Big Bang Attack!" he bellowed as he released an enormous amount of energy, everything he had left within him.
"V-V-Vegeta!" Goku's eyes went wide in panic as he turned to flee.
The blast would have surely been a direct fatal hit if Goku had not attempted to get out of the way. Instead, it only impacted his lower body and sent him flying at light speed into a patch of forest, leaving a smoldering crater where a group of alien trees with pink and violet foliage had been seconds earlier. The exhausted prince flew over to the spot where Goku had fallen. The man lay in the pit unconscious and back in his original form, a complete mess of a fighter. It would have been easy to finish him off if not for a hint of guilt that stayed the deed. Vegeta hovered for a while, looking at the battered form, almost wanting to attack, yet holding back.
After a few minutes of the prince trying to decide what course of action to take next, the larger man seemed to rouse. A groan let Vegeta know just how much pain the other saiyan was in. The prince turned away slightly in thought, not knowing what to say. Once Goku's vision cleared, he noticed the royal hovering near him. But Vegeta was staring off into the distance with a solemn bearing on his face. "Ve… Vegeta?" the Z fighter rasped, one of his eyes swollen shut.
He started trying to push his body up off the ground and hissed in pain. The smaller man did not reply for a few long moments, but eventually he turned his body back around to face Goku. His visage was blank. "Go home, Kakarott. And never come back. I've been too generous so far. You had better leave before I change my mind," Vegeta warned, clenching one of his fists.
When Goku's mind cleared, he realized he could not fight anymore. He was broken in body and his mind and spirit were not unaffected. He did not understand the feelings of self-doubt stirring in his heart. There was just one thing that prevented him from doing what Vegeta said and going back to Earth without Baby Trunks. "Bulma will be furious. And so will Chi Chi. I can't go back empty-handed." When he realized he had said his thoughts aloud, Goku wanted to slap himself.
But Vegeta's response was not cruel. "It's not your fault, Kakarott. You tried."
"That's not good enough," Goku shot back. "I've never failed Bulma before!"
"Why are you trying to impress that wench?" Vegeta spat, furious that a fellow saiyan would be at the beck and call of such a pitiful being. He could hardly relate to Goku's desire to please people. King Chrystal was one of the few people in the universe with an opinion Vegeta valued.
"It's not just her. It's all of them, all of my friends will think I'm a failure!" Goku added, his eyes growing wide. "Nothing will be the same. I can't go back without the baby, Vegeta!"
"They are all bigger failures than you will ever be! Why are you so concerned about what they think anyway? Is it really that important? You're acting like the woman getting her hands on the boy is a matter of life and death for you. I don't understand why the bitch can't just have another brat if she is so damn desperate for one! I left her womb well enough intact."
Goku appeared angry. "You don't understand the bond between mother and child at all."
Vegeta scoffed. "I had a mother once, you know. Don't say such ignorant things. You only make yourself sound even dumber than you actually are," he said with surprisingly little venom in his voice. He turned away and crossed his arms. "I know the mother-child bond."
Goku gazed up at Vegeta with his lips slightly parted. After a while, he had to swallow a lump that had formed in his throat from the royal's admission. Moments later, Vegeta heard Goku utter a whimper and glanced over his shoulder. "I don't know how I'm going to face them."
Vegeta somehow felt compelled to give his foe a bit of advice. He turned back to Goku. "You need to change your attitude, Kakarott. Act like a saiyan. You are not a slave to expectations!"
"I'm still scared, Vegeta."
"Facing your fear is what makes you a warrior." Vegeta hid his surprise at Goku's revealing so much vulnerability all at once, if only to pay back the favor from Planet Namek.
"It's not just me. I feel bad for Bulma."
"Don't! She deserves what she got!" Vegeta spat.
Goku blinked. "Why? What are you talking about?"
Vegeta bit his lip and quickly covered up with a "Nothing! Don't worry about it, Kakarott!" in response. "It's really not your problem. Why don't you go home now? You must be hungry."
Goku paused awkwardly and then whispered, "I wish there was a way to give you both what you want." He frowned. "I know he's your baby, too, Vegeta. I really do. It's just that I hate to see families torn apart. It's so depressing. Why did you have to leave Bulma behind?"
"That problem is between me and Bulma," Vegeta retorted, trying to get Goku's mind off of it so he would finally go. "Please just leave. I'm tired and hungry and I know you are, too!"
"All right," Goku acquiesced, bowing his head in shame. "Bye, Vegeta."
"Bye, Kakarott," Vegeta replied almost in a whisper.
Goku put two trembling fingers to his temple and then disappeared into thin air. Vegeta sighed with relief. His heir was no longer under threat. Now, he could finally get back to his life and ambitions for the future. With that, the saiyan prince finally succumbed to his injuries and passed out cold. Peridot immediately flew over and dutifully carried him back to the palace.
…
"Now, don't you worry about that creep, Bulma. My Goku's taking care of him. I promise your baby will be fine. You'll see, sweetie. A few more hours and he'll be back in your arms," Chi Chi told her blue-haired friend in a soothing tone while offering her a warm cup of green tea.
"No thanks, Chi Chi," Bulma politely refused, plucking another tissue out of the box on her lap.
Gohan sat in the corner trying to write a biology paper, only to find that he was distracted by the noise the women were making. "Hey, Mom, can I go to the school library to study?" he implored.
"It's too late, Gohan. The library is almost closed." Chi Chi took a sip from her teacup and let the warm liquid slide down her throat. "You'll have to wait until tomorrow, dear."
"When is Dad getting back? He's been gone for hours," Gohan groaned, getting edgy. He put down his pen, repeatedly finding his attempts to focus futile. He was too worried.
"I honestly have no idea, honey. I certainly hope he gets back soon, though," Chi Chi replied, getting up to prepare Gohan his usual late night snack. She went into the nearby kitchen.
"I just wish we could have sent him earlier," Bulma sighed, recalling how she had been unable to find the Son family when she had needed them right after the alleged kidnapping two weeks ago. As things had turned out, they had gone to visit Chi Chi's extended family.
"Oh, I'm so sorry we forgot to leave our contact information before we left, Bulma. I'm the one who should've thought of that. If only I'd been thinking," Chi Chi lamented, feeling negligent as she turned on the oven and got to work preparing a light meal of homemade lasagna.
Bulma snuck a glance at Chi Chi's belly and tried not to let her green-eyed monster loose. "So do you know what you are going to name him?" the blue-haired woman inquired in an unexpectedly pleasant tone of voice. She hoped that acting optimistic might make her feel optimistic as well.
Before Chi Chi could answer, her attention was diverted by a loud knock on the door.
"I wonder who that could be at such a late hour," Bulma thought aloud.
Chi Chi shrugged and stood up. Then she casually sauntered over to the door, unlocked it, and pulled it open, immediately gasping at the awful sight befallen her. "Goku!" Chi Chi exhaled in surprise as the man collapsed at her feet, unable to hold himself upright any longer.
Bulma perked up. "Goku's back?" she hollered with excitement, scrambling up from the couch and sprinting over to the front door at top speed. "Goku! Goku! Where's my baby? Where's Trunks? Tell me, Goku!" she cried frantically, nearly tackling the injured warrior.
"I… I couldn't…" Goku rasped, his face white as a ghost's. It had been about thirty minutes since the fight had ended. Due to his injuries, Goku's aim with his instant transmission had been terribly off. It was a wonder he had been able to find his way home at all. Chi Chi could see that her husband had lost a lot of blood and his condition was not good at all.
"You couldn't what?" Bulma inquired expectantly. Goku passed out before he could answer her question. "You couldn't what?" Bulma shrieked, shaking the unconscious man.
"Oh, no! What did that horrible monster do to my poor sweet Goku?" Chi Chi cried. She wedged herself in between her husband and Bulma, cradling the broken man in her arms.
"Do we have any senzu beans?" Bulma asked instinctively, wanting to bring Goku back to his senses as soon as possible. She intended to interrogate him as to the whereabouts of her missing newborn and her patience was running short. Every moment that had passed since Trunks's disappearance had been a torment to her and she had not had any restful sleep since.
"They're out of season," Chi Chi said. "We'll have to use the regeneration tank at Capsule Corp."
Bulma nearly cursed. The regeneration tank would take so much longer than a senzu bean. The blue-haired genius wanted the answers to her questions and she wanted them now.
Gohan dashed over with panic on his face. "Oh, no! Is my daddy okay?" He kneeled down beside his parents and took his father's wrist. "He's got a pulse!" The demi-saiyan glanced around and added, "Where's the baby? I thought you said Dad was coming back with Bulma's baby, Mom."
Gohan's innocent observation pushed Bulma over the edge and she burst into tears again. She sank to the ground, hiding her face in her hands as she wailed. "Gohan, pick your father up and bring him to the car. We're going to Capsule Corp," Chi Chi instructed, rubbing Bulma's back briefly. The young genius stood up slowly and tried to compose herself.
Gohan carried Goku over to Bulma's yellow Ferrari. After running inside briefly, Chi Chi helped him gingerly put the man in the back seat. "Vegeta didn't do this, did he? I'll kill 'im!" he seethed.
Bulma shuffled over, looking absolutely miserable. "If this is Goku's state, I can only imagine what state Vegeta must be in. Looks like it was a pretty nasty fight," she muttered, sniffling.
"I don't care if Vegeta got beat up, too. I'm still going to kill him! He hurt my daddy," Gohan retorted, looking down at his father's pitiful condition. "And he stole your baby. Why would you have any sympathy for that jerk? He's just a selfish and heartless monster!"
"I don't know. I thought I loved him." She entered the driver's side and shut the door behind her.
"Are you sure you should drive, Bulma dear? Since you're so upset right now?" inquired Chi Chi.
Bulma wiped her eyes. "I'm okay, Chi Chi. I am. I can make it to Capsule Corp. Come on, get in and let's get going." Bulma unlocked all the doors and Chi Chi got in next to Bulma and laid her purse next to her thighs. Gohan got in the back seat and cradled his father's head in his lap.
Bulma sped along the highway like a bat out of hell, making the trip to Capsule Corp short indeed. Chi Chi kept asking her to slow down for the injured passenger, but Bulma would speed up whenever the other woman's attention wandered, egged on by the need to hear the news Goku had to report on the baby front. Once they arrived, Gohan carried his father to the anatomy science lab of Capsule Corp, wherein the regeneration tank was stored. With Chi Chi's help, Bulma dusted it off and put it on the proper settings. Soon enough, Goku was suspended in a warm healing fluid laced with saiyan DNA. Meanwhile, Bulma, Chi Chi, and Gohan waited in the living room while he recovered, watching TV and trying to get their minds off of things.
Mrs. Briefs strolled in and offered everyone some hot chocolate in light of the chilly weather. Winter was well on its way in West City and some winds were blowing against the house from outside. Everyone refused the offer except Gohan, who was apparently getting the munchies.
"Hey, Mom, I'm hungry," Gohan expressed, trying not to sound whiny. He took a sip from his mug of hot cocoa and swirled the melting marshmallows around with his spoon.
Bulma gasped and turned to Gohan's mother, who was knitting on the couch. "Chi Chi, you didn't leave the oven on, did you? You were cooking before Goku showed up."
"No, sweetie," Chi Chi replied calmly, fully attentive to her needlework. "I remembered to turn it off. I'm always careful with things like that." She appeared to be working on a Christmas scarf.
"Hey, Mom!" Bulma called into the kitchen.
"Yes, sweetums?" chirped Mrs. Briefs, banging around a few pots and pans.
"Gohan's hungry," she declared without looking up from her Chic Mom magazine again.
"Not a problem, princess. Gohan honey, what would you like?"
"Do you have anything with beef?" Gohan inquired, very interested indeed.
"I can make you a few hamburgers," offered the kind blond woman.
"Yummy!" Gohan said, his mouth watering.
"Anything for you ladies?" Mrs. Briefs addressed her daughter and the dark-haired woman. Chi Chi shook her head amiably and continued on with her knitting activity.
"No thanks, Mom. I can't even begin to think about food at a time like this," Bulma replied.
"Poor dear. Can't I get you anything?" Mrs. Briefs asked.
"Maybe an Advil might help. I'm getting a headache," Bulma divulged, rubbing her temples.
"Absolutely! Just a moment, schnookums." The blond woman turned on a heel, strolled back into the kitchen, and began perusing the medicine cabinet for the requested medication.
Chi Chi sighed, lowering her knitting to her lap. "How much longer will this take? I'm worried about my Goku. He's been in that tank for an hour already," she expressed.
"At least five more hours, Chi Chi. Better than a month-long hospital stay, though."
Gohan chimed in, "It sure is. I can tell you that from personal experience." He recalled his days in the hospital following the battle with Vegeta and Nappa. Hospitals frightened him. Although they bothered his father even more—a fact well known by every member of the Z squad.
Dr. Briefs suddenly entered the living room with briefcase in hand, back from a long day working in the lab. "Has my grandson returned yet?" the elder inquired aloud.
Bulma broke down and started to sob her heart out again. Gohan slapped his forehead and Chi Chi let out a sigh. Mrs. Briefs ran to Bulma's side and placed her hands on her daughter's shoulders, giving her a soothing back rub. "Oh, dear," she whispered to her husband. "It probably won't be a good idea to mention little Trunksy-poo around Bulma-kins for a while."
"Oops," Dr. Briefs replied, placing a hand behind his head. "Terribly sorry, my dears."
"My baby," Bulma squeaked, clenching her fists. Streams of tears leaked down her pretty face. She pulled her knees to her chest and hugged them. Burying her face in them, she cried bitterly.
"Oh, angel bunny cupcake puppy pie," her mother gently crooned. "I'm sure Vegeta dear didn't mean any harm. He didn't mean any harm, buttercup. Maybe he'll come back on his own."
"I miss my baby, Mommy. I want him back," Bulma squeaked. Lying down on her side across the couch, she put a hand to her stomach and reminisced on the final days of her pregnancy. The energetic infant's movements and her lullabies remained etched in her memory, haunting her dreams. Her rational mind understood the child's absence, but her heart and soul did not.
"Mommy knows, honeybuns. Mommy knows," her mother replied softly, giving Bulma another quick hug before returning to the kitchen to finish cooking Gohan's meal.
…
Chrystal stood by the regeneration tank in the infirmary, patting his full abdomen. The section of the castle was located by the royal training grounds where guards were often injured and in need of treatment after drills. The king loosened his night robe around the middle for greater comfort. "How is he?" he inquired, keeping an eye on the dormant saiyan suspended in the healing fluid.
The physician on duty checked the monitors, noting that all of Vegeta's vital signs were normal. "Prince Vegeta needs another hour or so, Your Majesty, but he will recover shortly."
"I suppose we'll have to wait till tomorrow to find out what happened," the king divulged to his escort, the elegant Queen Bijou. "The guards never found out who the strange warrior was."
The king's mate was a beautiful woman by all Pellucian standards. She had long dark purple hair, bejeweled with various sparkling accessories, light violet skin, a fine figure, deep cerulean orbs, and long lashes. She was also an excellent co-ruler, beloved by the people, without whom the king would never be able to rule even half the planet. "That was some powerful warrior who showed up today. We're lucky Prince Vegeta was able to take care of himself. I'm glad we didn't underestimate him like those silly fools at the Patissian Empire Convention," Bijou noted.
The king chuckled at his mate's keen observation. "I know. Usually only peasants assume that a bereaved royal becomes one of them. It's such a boorish notion. Anyone as highborn as the Visduchess of Belekoy and the Margrave of Galetta ought to know better."
"Indeed," answered the queen. "Blue blood does not turn common unless the royal gene pool is diluted by generations of ignoble procreation. Prince Vegeta's blood is pure."
Chrystal put a hand on Bijou's shoulder. "Just think, dear. Picture how mortified the Paties will be in a few short years when Vegeta publicly inaugurates the new empire and ratifies the Charter of Cosmic Accord. They'll be squirming in their seats," he expressed.
Queen Bijou grinned up at the king as he ran his hand along her delicate jawline, admiring her beauty. "That sounds delicious," she replied as they paused for a deep kiss.
After drawing back, Bijou let out a blissful sigh. "Our people have been so jubilant in the wake of Frieza's downfall. It's a wonder we survived his reign at all. Everything would have been lost for us long ago had it not been for the late King Vegeta coming to our defense."
"I know, he sacrificed his own for ours," agreed the king. "And I plan to repay him in kind."
"The traitors in Relish Court have been spreading rumors that he was a degenerate and a true ally of Frieza. And they seem to be getting away with it too. What are we going to do?"
"Their time will come, my love. We must be patient." Chrystal watched as the queen rested a hand on the thick glass of the regeneration tank, looking in. He cleared his throat. "The saiyans were a noble warrior race and they lived by their vows to protect their allies. King Vegeta only befriended Frieza to protect his empire and ours from that maniac. While the effort turned out to be misguided and futile, he did what he thought best for his people. He was a good man and a great warrior. And, with our guidance, Prince Vegeta will be an even better leader than his sire."
"I can't begin to imagine the horrors he must have lived through under Frieza," lamented the queen as she gazed at the submerged warrior. She sucked in a breath and turned to her mate, smiling optimistically. "A new age is dawning. We must be well rested for its arrival."
"Vegeta will regale us with the tale of his crusade tomorrow," the king declared. "To sleep!"
"Yes, I'm exhausted." Bijou's eyes sparkled in the light from the hall as she let out a yawn. The Pellucian royal couple left the infirmary accompanied by palace personnel, as usual.