Chapter 20: To Bond
Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ. Obviously because hiatus wouldn't take such a long time to weave through.
'Moori.'
The sensation of seeing such an old friend brought Bulma into a much-needed laughter.
"Bulma it's good to see you again!" Moori exclaimed laughing as they clasped each others arms. "The last time we spoke -" He paused, winking. "It was on the green." The joke itself caused another bundle of laughter to escape from Bulma's lips.
The memory of all the Namekians gathered together trying to figure the rules of golf was fresh on her mind as well. Probably one of the fondest memories she would have of them.
"Yes, yes, what a joyous time that was!" Bulma paused and then grimaced slightly. "I'm sorry to have come so unannounced on short notice."
"Nonsense Bulma. You gave us Namekians a home after we lost ours! In our eyes you are forever welcomed here with us. A second family away from home."
The two exchanged another hug before Moori pulled away and turned to Trunks with a question mark. "And who is this young lad?"
Bulma couldn't help but smile brightly.
"This is my son," Bulma began, reaching out to Trunks and pulling him into the inner circle. "Trunks! Charming and wonderful, just like his mother." Trunks couldn't help but close his eyes and laugh awkwardly. A small blush appearing on his cheeks as his mother continued gushed on how he was as handsome as his father as well.
Moori, however seemed to be totally blank to all of this. His face sweating bullets as he looked at Trunks and then back at his mother. It was then an eerie silence fell between the three before an eruption of laughter escaped Moori's lips.
"Oh why goodness, they grow up so fast on your planet, don't they? He was just a boy moments ago – but now he's certainly- grown."
Silence flooded the room again and Bulma seemed to slink off into a corner of depression. Trunks couldn't help but fill the Elder Namekian in. The entire conversation ended up with a drop of sweat running down Moori's forehead as he watched Trunk's comfort his once again tearful mother. "Ah, by any chance is Goku around?" He questioned causing another shadow to loom over Bulma's eyes. Moori waved his hands around – feeling distressed. "It matters not. If he is or is not. Rather – if you need the dragon balls we have gathered them. All of them."
Bulma immediately froze, head slowly turning to Moori.
'All of them?' She mouthed out whilst blue orbs glistening with a renewed hope and new found determination.
Moori could only nod. He had never seen such a side to Bulma. Well he had – but that was only when the man called Vegeta would approach her whilst demanding her attention.
Servant Woman.
If he remembered correctly.
"But I must insist we head down stairs...It is dangerous to speak here. My fellow Elders have gathered from all over the regions to help set up a barrier that your father installed. We are undetectable for the most part. We have all seven dragon balls. Your wish to revive Goku can be granted with us. It would be our honor to bring him back so that he might help us once again conquer our enemies."
Bulma groaned at this, and placed her arms around her chest.
"Moori, Goku isn't dead." Moori's face seemed to brighten at that, but a tad of confusion was clear on his face.
"Ah, then perhaps we can bring him here to New Namek?"
"He is here." Bulma clarified. "Well part of him anyways."
The Namekian blinked a couple of times. Then stared at Trunks but the boy seemed hesitant to answer. Moori looked back at the blunette once more but by then Bulma's lips had thinned into a deep scowl.
How many times more would she have to go through this scripted loop of explaining who or what Vegetto was? She felt her eyebrows furrow in anger. How many more others would get to see the world renown blue hair genius fall apart upon trying to explain that her husband was gone?
'No,' Her mind whispered with chattering teeth. 'Never again.'
It was better for Moori to just see Vegetto then to actually explain it. Better for her sanity at least.
"Bulma?" Moori questioned, "Does Goku need our help? I can authorize the rest of our comrades to assist him. We are not as strong but with Goku at our side, we cannot lose."
At this Bulma simply bit the inside of her lips, now the both of them were staring at her. She bolted right up when Trunks attempted to spill the truth. His words gurgled in his throat when she held her right hand up at him to stop.
With a sigh, Bulma once again endured.
Besides, she couldn't shake his presence in her mind. It rippled in the deeps of her threshold perhaps either to comfort her or to comfort him. Either way, he was there, somewhere and like the worry-wart that she was. Bulma felt her eye drift close at the reminder.
Invisible threads reaching out in hopes to get that knuckle-heads attention. She didn't know where the blasted fool could have gone to but she would try to locate him through their bond. Bulma swallowed harshly when a sudden burst of energy ripped through her. It was Trunks who jerked her out of her mental curve as he grasped arm, eyes shining with worry.
"Are you alright?" He asked, and she honestly wasn't sure. Her voice seemed lost, and her hearing seemed broken. Yet in that moment Bulma was sure she felt something she probably shouldn't have.
The taste of steel fresh on her lips.
The blood in her veins pulsing whilst her finger's twitches. Ached for a desire to be fulfilled.
His desire.
Kill.
Kill something.
Kill everything.
Kill her.
The shock itself caused Bulma to drop to the ground and vomit. Trunks called out to her but by then his voice was lost on deaf ears. Her entirety, it was spinning out of control.
Before she knew it, she had been sucked into a vacuum of memories, and somehow she found herself eerily within the tournament arena that constantly haunted her.
A trick? A trap?
Bulma's eyes darted around, only to see that massive crater that was caused by someone very dear. Bulma swallowed when she heard a dark chuckle. She turned half expect to be woken up from the startle of seeing Vegeta again, but to her amazement and bewilderment. Two faces met her own.
Goku and Vegeta.
Together yet apart, but none the less, they were both severely disappointed.
In who?
In her?
Bulma snapped forward, gasping out like a fish for water. Eyes burning as she was starting to come back to her senses. Trunk's voice on the edge of connecting to her conscious as she found herself daring to want to sink back into the bond. To plunge further into the madness that Vegetto had left mistakenly open for her to stumble into.
That, however stopped when an earthquake traveled throughout the cavern and sent her tumbling into Trunks arms. His grip held her up, but the rumbles caused some of the upper roof to give off. Bulma's first instinct was to scream, but nothing came. Instead like her son, her eye's flew up trying to locate the source.
"Father?" Trunks called, and Moori's eyes seemed to widen at this new found information but like all great leaders before him, Moori had to set aside his feelings.
"Quickly!" Moori yelled trying to snap the boy from his stupor. "A cave in would surely follow!" Moori exclaimed. His eyes on the grain of sands beginning to spill from above. "The barrier is just a few flights below. We can make it in time if we move now."
Bulma didn't hesitate at the offer. Her mind working like clockwork. Always coming through in the most desperate of times. She peeled away from her son, wiping her lips as she headed toward the stairwell.
If anyone could trusted it would be Moori. The Namekian had obviously been through his share of evacuations during the attacks from King Cold's army. She paused and jerked her head back towards her son who still looked like he was desperately trying to sense the cause of the earthquake.
"Trunks!" She called and at that, her son finally responded. With a frustrated sigh, Trunks pressed forward leaving behind what would be a multiple of questions he would have to unravel once they were safely away from the mayhem.
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Trunks was somewhat surprised that his mother of all people was the one to lead them down the stairs. Yet at the same time, it almost felt like it shouldn't bother him at all. It was almost natural. Too natural. Perhaps that's why it was such an irk.
If Bulma did turn and glanced up at him, he would imagine seeing his mother's face. His actual mother from his time at least. Yet she didn't, despite the fact that Moori told her that they were out of the danger now, and lit a lantern to guide their way what seemed like an endless stairwell.
Still it was an oddity. She wasn't supposed to be like her, but now she was starting to make jarring similarities. Trying to act like nothing even happened even though the pale complexion, the vomiting, it was fresh on his mind. The suppression act would never work on him. His mother knew that, but not this one.
So it seemed he would have to remind her, but not now. She was not in the right state of mind. Delicate and almost grasping at straws, not like what he had been used to before with her.
Vegetto.
He was undoubtedly the root of the issue. The spooked expression his mother wore whenever she would talk about past memories of Vegeta clearly imprinted this mirrored woman.
"Damned him." She muttered to herself, but loud enough that the both could hear. Trunks smiled sheepishly, as long as she fought to protest, Trunks knew his mother was stable. At least for the most part.
Maybe the earthquake wasn't so bad.
After all it did manage to get his mother away from thinking about him.
Well his younger self rather.
Trunks too found himself cursing for letting that happen. The last thing he wanted was to see his mother cry.
Not after not being able to protect her.
Not after acknowledging that she almost died yet again under his care.
Trunks paused at the daunting reminder. His actions however not go unnoticed from the Namekian in front of him, who stopped to place a hand on his shoulder as to console him. Even though they had never spoken or met beyond today, it was enough for Trunks to let go.
Thus Trunks continued down to where his mother had already slipped through a bubble of green energy. Trunks followed through - the trembling and rumbling almost immediately came to halt as if being just beyond the bubble meant a world of blissful ignorance.
It was odd and ahead his mother stood astonished.
"A Biome, well I'll be damned, he really was telling the truth." His mother muttered. Then quickly explained her father's findings.
An underground life sustaining jungle.
Green grass welcomed them as soon they stepped forward through the junction. Plants seemed endless as they grew, each budding flower carrying its own pod of sensu beans. It was almost like they were standing at the center inside what would be a honey bee nest but if instead of honey there was just layers and layers of budding Sensu Beans ready for the picking.
The Namekians clearly severing themselves from the dangers from above and thus accidentally creating a different world all together. "Amazing, I can't believe that father managed to pool the resources out like this."
His mother was ecstatic, and Moori took this moment to guide them alongside it to where a huge waterfall resided. Trunks continued to rub his eyes in wonderment while Bulma took in the fact that she could see wires beneath the flooring. One which lead to a huge monitor just above the waterfall. Her father's work – no doubt – always one step ahead of her.
Trunk's felt his eyes droop to his mothers as he heard her let out a groan of frustration. She gave him a pointed look and he couldn't help but laugh. She turned away almost immediately and headed towards Moori to talk more about the Biome. Trunks however started to notice as they got deeper in, the more Namekian's were starting to appear. From adults to children alike. Some playing tag and others watering crops.
Either they had no idea of the dangers that lurked just above or they were really good at hiding it. More so then his keen eye could distinguish.
Trunks made motion question this blissful ignorance but Moori continued to usher them forward. Moori called to the children about visitors arriving and the glow in their eyes sparkled when some of them recognized his mother almost instantly. They ran up to her and hugged her, and then others called for their parents who brought out their friends. Soon a number of Namekians swarmed them, all with bright smiling faces.
Some pushed platters of food towards them. Others stared at Bulma in awe as whispers of her past deeds came to light. It was almost like his mother was a real life celebrity and Trunks couldn't help but chuckle at the scene. Especially so when his mother continued to throw him disapproving stares as he continued to laugh at her awkwardness.
His mother was never really good around the press, so seeing a bunch of children jumping up and down while asking twenty questions – was amazingly hilarious.
But no sooner than a few passing moments that Moori called Bulma for attention and the Namekians scattered leaving it just the three of them again.
"It's time."
And that was that. The journey towards what would be meeting the elders was exceptionally quiet. Mossy tunnels and echos of water droplets were their only comfort. That and an occasional young Namekian following them carefully behind. Waving and smiling whenever Trunks spotted him in his next new hiding spot.
"They really love you." Trunks snickered, and Bulma gave a loud humph in response.
"Well I did take them in and all." She boasted, and Trunks could only laugh at her disposition. Now this was the mother that he knew. The one that was different from his own.
"Do you think that earthquake was caused by the enemy?" Bulma suddenly questioned, pausing and looking back at him. She was suddenly back into that state of mind, and Trunks could only respond by shaking his head.
"That or father." Trunks replied, knowing too well of his father's insane retaliations after he died. "You know how he gets with me."
Trunks hadn't meant any harm in his words but he saw his mother's jaw clench in a way that he knew she was angry.
"Of course." She spat out, hands curling into fists. "I should have know. How could I forget something like this?" She told him as she walked besides him and by that alone Trunks knew his mother was speaking about the previous incident. "Ugh, I'm losing it. Everything..It...It's just so different."
Trunks had to halt his movements when his mother stopped all together. She looked at him with glistening orbs but somehow her lips turned into a bitter scowl. "I keep pushing him away but whenever Vegetto is gone. I lose myself. I just want him to come back but when he does come back, I hate him. It doesn't make sense."
"It makes perfect sense." Trunks countered, and an eyebrow shot up in questioning. "Mother your starting to bond with Vegetto and because of it your initial bond with dads is conflicting as a result."
The look on her face was a mixture if stupefied to disbelief.
"Pardon?" Bulma asked, gaping slightly, "I thought that didn't matter. I should be bonded to Vegetto after all he can hear my thoughts."
"No mom, your bonded to dad. A perk which Vegetto just happened to receive from the fusion but that doesn't actually mean you two are together. Please don't make me explain more then this. Its already awkward enough explaining the birds and the bees to my own mother. But if you want to end this uneasy tension between you two, then you need to seal the deal and well – mate."
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To Be Continued
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A/N : (Long and boring ) So I'm not dead, I don't know when I can update again. So I don't blame anyone if they've abandoned this or will so. It's been a rough year of fighting what to do with this, especially since I kept telling myself Oh I should get to the dragon balls but then I kept going off on this tangent. And then here we are – me finally rage quitting and just like whatever push it out. So this has been a hurdle for me because I KNOW where I want to go with this. I know how I want it to end it's just the in-between that kind of blows?
I really cant wait to get off New Namek because I'm really bad at describing areas and just doing this was hell. Absolute hell. So much so that I gave up and had to put this down, only to find out I was hacked email wise, and then I couldn't log into fan-fiction because of that. So that put another dent in the coffin. Its hard to recover that knowing I would have to start over.
But even when I got it back, I had trouble writing. My boyfriend being an issue, because although hes great – he positively mocks me whenever he sees me writing again. "fanfiction-porn." rolls eyes. Another nail in the coffin.
But yeah today I had that spur, I looked back and read all the reviews and said to myself. Lets try to finish the spurt. Then work through the rest the next. So yeah that's that.
Oh yes and if anyone is wondering with the bond thing: I'm going on a limb on the bond thing but I thought it would be an interesting theory for Bulmas "Bio-polar" with Vegetto as some have said is an oddity.
So yes, lets see where this leads me. Again thanks for your reviews. I'm sorry its been three years-ish? I don't blame you for wanting to drop out on me. Hell I wrote this long author note just so you get an idea whats going on in my shit storm of a brain. Any ways, thanks for reading my fanfiction- story.