Beloved
Chapter 2 – They Came With the Dark.
The bright lights of the starship's bridge hummed with a static energy, filling the carvern like space with a harsh light. The numerous screens filling the consoles that lined both walls of this circular room were alive with a rapid stream of information, manned by dozens of figures of varying stature and species, who were only the same in the uniforms they wore, shell like body armour and their prized scouters.
Holding court over all this were two figures as unalike from the others in the room, as they were alike to each other. One, very tall, was lounging at his ease in a mammoth chair in the centre of all the activity, slowly sipping a sanguine liquid from a fluted glass.
The other, small and horned like the other, paced the floor in front of the largest central screen, his tail whipping back and forth with vicious intent, his mood palpable, causing the figures he passed to flinch invoulntarily.
"Where are they?!" He hissed, his voice strange for it's feminine lilt. "When I get my hands on those inbred simians...!" He trailed off with a snarl, his fists clenching in rage.
"Now, now, Frieza," The larger said in his slightly slurred speech, "A leader must remain composed in front of his men. I've told you this before." he chastised with a frown. It was certainly not the first time the younger of them had allowed his temper to get the better of him in front of their subordinates. It simply would not do, if he was to one day rule these men as the elder currently did.
Frieza ceased his pacing then, suddenly keenly aware of the fearful glances of the men around them. Usually the terror he inspired in his men was something he cultivated, in fact he was rather proud of the way a simple glance of his could render most of his force into a quivering mass, not that he would let his companion know that. It was a point of contention between them, one believing in the old ways of ruling by example and respect, the other through an iron fisted tyranny.
"Of course, Father. You are right as always." Frieza conceeded, lowering his head in a subserviant bow to his liege. It rankled him even still, after these long centuries of life, that no matter how powerful and feared he was, his father always let him know his place, even in front of the men Frieza spent so long terrorizing into submission. It undermined his position, made him look weak and rash.
How he longed for the day when he would no longer have to answer to another, only to himself. The day when he would have absolute rule over the known universe, the multitudes bowing to him alone...
"Any news yet?" His father drawled to a nearby man, all scales and a resplendant green, who stood next to him in service.
"No, my Liege..." the man said hesitantly, very aware of Frieza's expectant glare in his direction, "We have yet to establish what planet they went to, though we are certain as to what section it is..." he gulped in fear as Frieza growled in displeasure at the news. It had been the same report for the last few days, since those traitorous monkeys had disapeared after their successful mission to enslave planet Namek.
It had been this way with the whole cursed lot of them since their subjugation some thirty years previously. They were as loyal, on the surface, as the rest of their force of soldiers and slaves, but underneath, barely hidden at times, was a stubborn rebelliousness. They had questioned their orders many times in the past, sometimes bordering on outright insolence to their new masters, loyal to their own King over their new Emperor even though the King now wore chains.
It was something of blessing though, Frieza admitted, grudgingly, that the lot of them showed such unyeilding fealty to their regent, he thought with a nasty grin, as they would do anything comanded eventually, to ensure the continuing existence of their own lord and planet.
Little did they know, Frieza thought wickedly, that both no longer existed. The deliciousness of it all made his mouth water. It had been his finest moment, he reflected, to rid himself of such a thorn to the side, even though when his own father had found out he'd been furious at first, but quickly calmed because he could never stay angry at one of his beloved children very long.
His father, King Kold had, as way of punishment and as to make Frieza take responsibility for his actions, made the Saiyans, what few remained of them anyway, enter Frieza's army as a specialized unit. It was a command that still sat very ill with the young Ice-jin. Although they were a force to be reckoned with, surpassing in strength most other races in his extensive command, their sheer insubordination made them increasingly difficult to control.
How he longed to be rid of the lot of them! Especially their prince! If the Saiyans were stubborn and insolent as a rule, their young prince was to an agonizing fault. At every command of his Lord Frieza's, he would sneer and scowl, even though he showed the due reverence of bowing an saluting as the rest of his race did. It was Frieza's greatest desire to soon show the little beast the same fate his dear father before him had faced. Recallling the moment his attack had peiced the heart of the Saiyan King and ended his pathetic life made Frieza giggle girlishly.
Looking at him askance, the scaled soldier saluted the Ice-jins both and asked nervously to be excused. King Kold indulged him with a barely interested nod. The man scurried away before his lord had finished releasing him from his duty. It was a typical reaction to Frieza's penetrating red gaze. Very few of his men could withstand it for very long, something which delighted Frieza no end.
Suddenly one of the men manning the communication centre spoke up, the screen he was seated in front of crackling with a sudden intensity. "My Lords!" he all but yelled, " We've found them!" He turned to the Ice-jins in excitement, his face a curious mix of man and beast features. "They were, only hours ago, on the planet 3 of the Sol system!"
"Excellent." Frieza hissed with glee. " Set a course for there immediately. With your permission, of course, Father." he added as an afterthought. Sometimes, he thought ruefully, he forgot to defer to his father, so used was he to being in command of his own ship.
"Indeed." his father answered, seeming more interested in the contents of his glass than what was happening around him. Frieza knew it was a ruse, an affected mannerism of command. His father never truly missed a single thing that went on around him. He hadn't become the single most powerful entity in the known cosmos for no reason. His strength was as undeniable as the stars, his tactical wisdom as sure a force as gravity.
Frieza reflected, with a measure of regret, that as much as he hated his father's command over him, he admired the old bastard's cunning and tact. After all, without his father carving an empire of stars out of a minor race on a dying planet, Frieza would not enjoy the postion of supreme overlord of Quadrant 4 as he did today. I t would be such a shame that one day he would surpass his father in combat and take his rightful place as Emperor.
After he took out his darling brother of course, he thought spitefully. There was no love lost between these two brothers, in fact there was never any love at all. It had been this way since he could remember, always competing with Cooler for power, respect and praise. Frieza had even considered, in the early days of his command over them, to send his elite team of Saiyans on a assassination mission, their goal to wipe out his brother. It would have rid him of both of the largest obstacles to his rule.
In the end he had decided against it, lest any of them should survive. The saiyans, he knew, would on learning of Frieza's intent to wipe them out entirely, become impossible to manage and he needed them still, if he were to overthrow his dear old dad.
Cooler on the other hand would know immediately the source of the attempt on his life, and would send assassins in turn. Things would get unessecarily messy in their empire, what with most of their forces tied up fighting the other, that he had decided against it, for now. He would wait until the the time was right to launch his assault. Perhaps when and if a certain prophecy would be fulfilled...
Yes! The legendary "Super Saiyan" would be his alone to command! He held very little fear of an attack to himself from such a being, if it were to ever exist he chortled, since he held complete thrall over those foolish monkeys with the lie of the continuing safety of their race. They would remain loyal to him, as much as it rankled them, as long as their beloved planet and people lived to see another day.
"Well, Frieza?" King Kold said, interupting his thoughts, "What is your intent? This ship is yours, after all, so the command should be yours as well..." he drawled, eyeing his som expectantly.
"By your leave, my leige," Frieza began, but his father interjected, saying "But of course my child! I am but a humble guest on your fine vessel."
Bullshit! Frieza thought maliciously. Even though it was true his great father was indeed only a guest, he had taken command of Frieza's ship almost instantly upon arrival, some days before, and only now was allowing Frieza to issue the orders. It was his damn luck, Frieza knew, that his father should arrive for a tour of the region under his command on the very day of the most embarrassing event of his entire history of command! Never before had anyone under his rule ever dared to defy his direct orders and disappear while on duty. His retribution, though not fatal, would be swift and fierce! They will wish he had killed them!
"Set a course for planet 3 of Sol." he commanded his troops at the helm. They immediately sprang itno action, sensing his foul mood and wishing not to draw it's attention to themselves.
Eyeing him with a raised brow, his father commented dryly, "Well now, this should prove very interesting." Pretending to ignore the quip, Frieza strode to the front of his bridge to stare out at the stars whizzing past the ship. Yes, it would be interesting indeed, he mused, when he finally would get his hands on those little ferals. They would soon learn the grave error of their ways. His cackling laughter echoed around the bridge as the starship zoomed through the galaxy towards the unsuspecting Earth.
"Gohan! My poor baby!" Chichi wailed, thowing herself on her son, hugging him fiercely. "Mum, I'm okay..." the boy managed to say around his mother's choking embrace. "I was so, so worried!" she cried, tears pouring down her face. Her father, the Ox King, came forward, up to a reserved Goku, and patted him on the back with one of his massive hands, a move that would have sent any normal man sprawling to the ground. "It's good to see you alive and well again boy." he said over the top of his daughter's wails, shrugging as if to appologize for her behaviour. Goku though seemed as if not to notice his words for his attention was now on Bulma, who had just emerged from Kame House, and now stood at the rear of the gathering on the shore of the small tropical island.
"Bulma..." he began, Krillin flinched in pain when he too noticed her there, "I'm so, terribly sorry..." She held up a hand to stop him, tears again threatening to spill from her eyes. "No. Don't, please..." She begged him, fearing she would not be able to stop them falling if he continued. "I already know." She added, wishing him to silence the words that would send her over the edge.
Thankfully he seemed to understand this time, and simply nodded his head in sympathy. She was very relieved for two reasons, the first as Goku was usually not the sharpest person when it came to feelings, the second as not to have to display her grief in front of all her friends who would all be suffering their own inner turmoil. She knew it would make them, Goku especially, feel responsible for Yamcha's passing, something she knew was not their fault. They would have done everything in their power to save him, she was sure, if they could have...
Yet she still could not stop the traitorous thought, "If only Goku had got there earlier... If only he had, Yamcha might still..." from entering her mind. She dissmissed it with a shake of her head. It was terribly unfair to think such a thing. Goku had always, would always, rush to everyone's aid as fast as he was able, regardless of his own safety or wellbeing.
It just all seemed so unfair somehow, that Chichi should have both her son and husband returned to her, while Bulma's own love was gone forever, before they'd even had the chance to be a family... She had never felt reason to be jealous of the pretty brunette before, in fact she had always felt slightly superior to her what with her incredible beauty and wealth, but now she felt a stab of envy as sharp as a slap to the face.
She lowered her head to stare at her feet, the others thinking it to hide her sadness, as she felt a flash of anger. It had always been this way for her! she thought. The one thing she had wanted, from an early age, the one thing her father's insurmountable wealth could never buy her, was a perfect lover. Someone who would love only her, forever, and be the other half to her soul.
She had felt that Yamcha had been so close to being that person for her. All she had needed was a bit more time of her working on him, she knew, and he would have been her soulmate. He had come so far from the scruffy bandit she had found in the desert. Sure he had had his faults, like a wandering eye and a tendency to flee her anger when she wanted him to stay and fight it out... But she knew he was her one and only, as he always came grovelling back to her when her anger had abated. Who else would put up with her temper, she reasoned, than her true love?
Now he was gone. She had been so sure too that, in bare weeks, he would have proposed to her. That was the thing she had been waiting for him to ask her, the reason behind her many moments of loosing her temper with him. Here she was nearing thirty and a spinster still. It made her mad that Goku, as much as she loved him as her oldest friend, had found a wife, without even trying! And then the had dear little Gohan too. Bulma was not at all looking to have a child anytime soon, but she would want one one day... Maybe. Probably.
She was woken from her thoughts by Gohan, who had finally managed to extract himself from his mother's clutches. He wrapped his arms around her legs in a quick hug, before he ran back to hide behind his father's legs, as if fearing either her reaction or his mother's reaching arms. It was so cute it made her smile in spite of herself, Goku's son he may be, but he certrainly wasn't his equal in behaviour. Goku, fearless and mannerless would never be so shy.
Chichi stood now, brushing the dirt from her clothes. "Goku! I told you that I never wanted my baby to be a brute like you and your friends!" She scowled at him, crossing her arms under her breasts.
"Ouch!" Krillin whistled, then shrugged his shoulders in an appologetic way as her steely glare swiveled his way. "I mean... Ow! My arm!" She nodded, as if to say that's more like it, then went back to berating her husband.
"First you died and left me to raise our son alone, then you had the gall to involve him in this terrible fight!" She raged.
"But Chichi..." Goku pleaded with her, "I didn't get him into this! It was Piccolo -"
"I DON'T CARE!" she screamed at him, tears pouring down her face. She then flew into his arms, and held him tightly. "Never, EVER, leave us again." She pleaded, crying in earnest. "I couldn't bear it!" She sobbed.
"Now kids..." Kame Sennin said, waliking itno the midst of the gathering, raising his hands in a gesture of peace at the sudden glare from Chichi, "We need to discuss what the boys learned from our enemy this day." When Chichi opened her mouth, no doubt to tell the Turtle Hermit how little she cared about what they had gleaned from the battle, he interrupted her with "It could mean the difference between life and death for us, after all, they might have allies somewhere who will now want revenge."
This made Chichi shut her mouth with a sullen stare in his direction. Satisfied the would not be interrupted, he now turned to Krillin, asking "So, do they? Have any allies I mean?" His voice sounded his wish that they didn't have anything futher to worry about.
Krillin shrugged again, saying hesitantly "Honestly? I think they do. From what the Saiyans had said, the few things that weren't just insults and brags, they came from an intergalactic army."
He looked sorry he had said anything from the reactions of those who had not been involved in the fight. Kame Sennin paled, but nodded that he had thought so, Bulma gasped and Chichi wailed anew.
"What do we do?!" Oolong cried, still holding a sobbing Puar. "We have only three warriors left, and one of them is only a child!"
Bulma, clapped her hands together descisively, thinking that she had the answer. "We fight 'em of course! We still have Goku, after all. Oh, and Gohan and Krillin too" At this Krillin muttered "Thanks" sarcastically. She shot him a daggered glance, before continuing "We beat them off this time and we'll do it again!" She smiled at everyone around her as if to say, am I right?
Goku shook his head sadly, saying "No... I don't think it will work this time." When Bulma's face fell he explained, "This time there were only two of them, and we only just won. No, I mean it Bulma," he said when she went to speak, "It took everything I had. I've never had to fight so hard in my life, and we nearly lost it all. You don't know what they were like... Vicious, evil even. I've never, in all my years of fighting seen people so lost be bloodlust that they would destroy themselves in order to defeat their enemies. It was the first time I was ever truly frightened that I might lose." He hung his head in shame.
Chichi hugged him tighter, had smiled up at him in comfort. Bulma was taken aback by what he had said. Goku was never afraid in a fight... These Saiyans must be monstrous, to kill so easily. She had hoped they would never have to see their like again, but now there was more of them, maybe on their way to Earth. She shuddered with fear.
"From what they said," Krillin added, "Their comrades seem to be far away from here, months, maybe even a year away." When everyone looked in his direction he added, "Well, that's the impression I got anyway, that they had sorta snuck over here without permission."
"Krillin's right!" Gohan piped up stepping out from behind his father, "They seemed to be afraid of wasting too much time here, in case they were found out by their master."
"Which proves a terrible point, my lad." The Turtle Hermit said, running a hand over his moustache, "If these beasts are afraid of their master, he must be a creature of impossible power."
Everyone took his words in with a deepening fear and worry. "Well... All we can do right now is rest to recover from the day's trouble." Kame Sennin said, "Come inside everyone, I'll see what I can do about some dinner. You all must be famished." He finished turning away and leading the others into his house.
Bulma didn't follow. She stood staring up at the stars, twinkling their cold indefference down on her. Krillin paused, as if to usher her inside, then thought better of it and went inside himself. She was alone now so she let her tears flow freely. WHY?! She screamed inwardly, why had things turned out this way? Why should some have lived and others... It just was too unfair.
Just last night, under thesde very same stars she and Yamcha had been dancing in the garden of her parent's estate. He had come to see her on the eve of the predestined battle, full of joy and life, showering her with compliments and flowers. He had laughed off her displeasure at his seeming lack of concern about the coming battle, telling her in that darlingly earnest way of his, that come what may he would always be there for her, in anyway she wanted, friend or boyfriend, all she had to do was command.
She had not been amused by that last comment of his, and had been about to voice her displeasure when he had silenced her with a deep kiss.
Remembering his touch, his smell, made her fall to her knees in the sand, holding herself tightly as her body was wracked with sobs. Yamcha! She wanted to be with him just once more. To tell him she was sorry for not being a nicer girlfriend, for not giving him the credit he deserved as a fighter. She knew she would never take the love of another so lightly ever again, if she ever had the chance.
Looking up at the darkened sky once more she was at first hardly aware of the brightest star twinkling fiercely above. Now as she stared at it, she thought it was becoming brighter the longer she stared at it. Must be over tired and emotional, she decided.
It was then she became aware of a faint humming sound, that was getting louder the longer she listened to it. What on Earth? she thought, getting to her feet. It was then that she realized that the star was indeed getting brighter and larger. "Whaa?" she said aloud, then as it dawned on her suddenly that this was no mere star she yelled "NO! Not already!"
The door of Kame House flew open and Goku came rushing out at lightning speed, folowed closely by Gohan and Krillin, who stopped suddenly when they too saw the enormous bright light in the sky. The humming was now increasing in volume in proportion to the light's brightness.
The ground began to shake as the source of light was revealed.
It was a spaceship, bigger by a thousandfold to the ones the Saiyans had come in. This one was large enough to house an army.
It flew past Kame House at a blinding speed, whipping up the waves and blasting those on the beach with sand. Goku looked shocked for a mere moment before he turned towards his companions and nodded. They three then took of in pursuit of the craft, flying westward towards the Mountains of Paozu, in whose vicinity was the districts of West City.
Bulma stood paralyzed on the beach, watching as her friends faded from sight, heading surely for their doom. This can't be happening! she thought in terror, This just can't be happening!
AN/ And there we have it. The arrival of the Kold Empire on Earth at a time before the warriors are prepared or even ready to face such a threat. What will happen next? Well, we shall see... :P Also a big thank-you to all who have read this far. I usually do not write chapters that are so long, but this one is probably going to be an exception. Probably. :)
Oh, and to any who question the selfishness of Bulma's thoughts... Well this is Bulma we are talking about! She can be a total bitch at times, right? :D