Chapter 34 – Bound By Spirit

"Vegeta…" Tarble said quietly as he watched his brother put Bulma on their bed.

"Shut up!" Vegeta snapped before closing his eyes and focusing. "Woman, your body is back on the ship, now hurry up."

Bulma rolled her eyes at the demand before turning towards the Supreme Kai and Kabito. Without saying a word, Kabito put his hands on both of their shoulders before they disappeared from the Sacred World.

Tarble's eyes widened as two figures appeared in the room, but as he looked more closely, he could see that the tallest man was holding onto thin air. Did that mean… did that mean Bulma was a ghost?

"Hello Vegeta, Tarble." The Supreme Kai smiled, when he saw Tarble return the smile and Vegeta simply scowl at him, the Kai chuckled. "Bulma said that you wouldn't say much."

Vegeta narrowed his eyes. "Where is she?"

Kabito lowered his hands and folded them behind his back. "She is a spirit, so you cannot see her. When I put her back into her body, you will be able to see her life force as it returns."

"I thought you said she didn't die?" Vegeta snapped angrily as he unfolded his arms and clenched his fists at his sides.

Once again, Tarble's eyes widened. "V-Vegeta, you can't speak to the Supreme Kai that way!"

The Supreme Kai smiled. "It is okay, Tarble. You won't understand since you do not have a mate, but Vegeta has every right to feel angry with me. It has to be quite unsettling to not know what is happening to your other half. Bulma felt the same way back on my planet and was rather restless as she watched the battle."

Tarble nodded once. "So is she okay?"

Supreme Kai nodded, "Yes. Now, I think Kabito should start the process now. There is no telling how long this may take or when Bulma will regain consciousness. For her spirit to break away from her body to protect itself, it takes a lot of mind power."

"Is it true that her inner-self saved her?"

Again, the Supreme Kai nodded, but it was Kabito who answered him. "Right at the last moment, she pushed Bulma out of her own mind and took the attack head on. She wasn't lingering outside of her mind for long, because I took her spirit from the battlefield before anything could happen to her. If it had not been for that self-sacrifice from her inner self, then Bulma would be dead."

Tarble went silent as he looked down at Bulma's body. Whilst Kabito placed his hand on her forehead, it looked as though he held his other hand in mid-air. However, the Supreme Kai told him that it was Bulma's spirit he was holding.

Just like they had been told, putting Bulma's spirit back into her body was a long process, but not a single one of them said anything as they watched the red-skinned man. He had beads of sweat dripping down his forehead as he worked much harder than he had ever worked before. Usually, he didn't do much more than healing, if that, so healing and putting somebody back into their body was hard. His eyes squinted and not a second later, the Supreme Kai smiled.

"It is almost done," He told them. "In around ten minutes, you will start to see her spirit."

And they did.

To Vegeta, it looked like the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. Her spirit was made up of different shades of blue, reminding him of her hair and eyes. There was a mixture of white too, which also reminded him of when she powered up and the energy that would surround her body. Together, the different colours lit up his and Bulma's room, causing Tarble to gasp at the sight.

Her spirit's colours bounced off of the windows and mirrors, making the room look as though it was alive. Then, something that surprised even Kabito and the Supreme Kai happened. A crimson red colour started to show in little parts of her spirit and not a second passed before Vegeta started to feel her in his mind once again. As he tore down the walls in his mind to let her back in, more and more of the crimson colour started to show.

She wasn't conscious, so he couldn't speak to her, but just knowing that she was safe was enough for him. Just being able to feel her mind in his own comforted him. Seeing her chest starting to rise and fall soothed the anger he had been feeling and when he heard the beating of her heart, it took everything in him not to cheer or fall to his knees with relief.

"The process is done," Kabito informed before raising both of his hands over Bulma's body.

Vegeta was about to snap at him and demand to know what he was doing, but just as he opened his mouth, he could visibly see Bulma's wounds disappearing. Her bones were mended, her cuts were healed and her bruises faded until they were nothing. Also, her skin became healthier looking and returned to its naturally pale tone.

"There is no telling how long it will be until she wakes up." The Supreme Kai warned them. "It all depends on Bulma. Kabito and I must go now, there is a lot that needs to be done but Bulma will discuss with you what we have told her when she wakes up."

Both Vegeta and Tarble nodded and a second later, they were alone with Bulma.

Neither of them moved for what felt like hours, they simply stood by the door and stared at Bulma's unconscious form. Vegeta's mind was automatically welcoming and reacquainting itself with hers, connecting all the little pieces that had been torn and shredded when she left. It felt like such a relief having Bulma back, especially now that he could feel her presence in his mind, hear her heart beating and see the rise and fall of her chest as she breathed.

What would he have done if Bulma never came back to him? What would have happened if she really was dead and there was no way to change it? His heart clenched painfully at the thought and his throat tightened. Shaking his head, Vegeta pushed those thoughts away. No, thoughts such as those don't matter now because she was here and she was alive.

Their father's body had been placed in a capsule that Bulma had told them about. They were made by her and used to keep bodies from decomposing. Since they were months away from their Empire and even further from their planets, she had thought it best to find a way to keep the bodies of those who had died in a coffin-like capsule, so that their families could say goodbye and give a proper farewell. Whilst at the time Vegeta had thought that she was being sentimental, now he knew she was right, even if he would never admit it to her. It would have been disrespectful to leave the bodies of the warriors who fought for their Empires on the planet Cold.

"Vegeta," Tarble said quietly, as though he was trying not to make too much noise. When Vegeta turned his head to the side slightly to show that he had his attention, Tarble continued. "I'm going to go and see if there are any who may need my help. I still have a lot of energy left and even if I don't like fighting, perhaps I can take the injured up to their ships and help them into tanks."

Vegeta nodded once, silently telling his younger brother that he understood and a second later, Tarble was gone. He never really understood why Tarble didn't like to fight until today. Vegeta had not failed to miss the look of pure horror on his younger brother's face as his eyes swept over the battlefield or as he carried his father's body. His brother was a pacifist, but despite his beliefs, he had helped today. Despite hating the fact that he was the one causing harm and suffering to another, Tarble still did it to protect those he cared about.

Taking a deep breath, Vegeta turned and caught sight of himself in one of Bulma's mirrors. Whereas he had once complained that all she ever did was look at herself, now Vegeta would do anything to see her admiring her looks or smirk at him via their reflections.

As Vegeta looked at his reflection now, what he saw surprised him. His hair was blond and his eyes were a blue-green colour. Of course, he knew that he had ascended, but he was still shocked to see his new appearance. It was like looking in the mirror and seeing a complete stranger staring back at you. His body was covered in burns, cuts and bruises, but Vegeta felt none of them.

Stealing another glance at Bulma, Vegeta knew that she would deafen him if he didn't do something about his injuries. She would also scream until his ears bled if he sat around wearing his bloody armour, causing the room to stink. So after closing his eyes and going back to his base form, Vegeta left the bedroom and went to go and take a shower.

O.o.O

Bulma bit her lip as she tried her hardest not to cry.

The Supreme Kai had told her that if she wanted, they could somehow allow her to speak with those she cared about who had died one last time.

Before her stood her parents, both smiling proudly at her and beside them, stood Vegeta's parents. Since her mind was connected to his and even though she had never met the woman before, Bulma found that she really did care for Vegeta's mother.

It was a surreal situation to say the least and instead of running forward to embrace her parents like she thought she would have, Bulma fell to her knees, dropped her head into her hands and sobbed. It wasn't exactly the way she wanted to meet Vegeta's mother, who looked like an extremely proud woman, but Bulma couldn't help it. The sight of her parents standing before her, smiling at her as though they were still together made her heart clench, her throat tighten and her body shake with her sobs.

Also, Bulma was highly aware of the fact she was still dressed in her battle armour which was torn, bloody and burned. Hell, the chest plate was broken with a gigantic hole going through it, revealing her milky skin due to her spandex also being destroyed. Kabito had done a good job though; the only scar on her skin was the one that went from her chest right through to her back and even then, it was so faint that you could barely see it. That scar, was the scar from the blast that had killed her inner-self.

"Oh, sweetie," Her mother whispered before pulling Bulma into her arms.

"Mom… dad…" Bulma hiccupped. "You have n-no idea how much I missed you guys."

A hand landed on top of her head before her hair was ruffled. When she was younger, the fatherly gesture had always angered her, but now, it only made her feel sad. "We know, Bulma." Her father said quietly.

Bulma lifted her head and smiled at her parents before turning towards King Vegeta and his mate, who were arm in arm. "Vegeta did it," She told them with a proud look on her face, despite her tears. "He killed Cooler and Kakarot killed Frieza."

King Vegeta frowned. "Kakarot killed Frieza? I thought you were fighting him?"

She shook her head before pointing towards her chest and when she did so, King Vegeta's eyes widened.

"You were killed?" He roared, looking shocked, angered and sad. "What about Vegeta? What happened to him?"

"He achieved the legendary after seeing Cooler kill me." Bulma whispered and the hold her mother had tightened. "Kakarot also became a Super Saiyan and the two worked together to defeat the Colds."

Vegeta's mother stepped forward, a look of concern on her face. "What about Tarble? Is he okay?"

Bulma smiled at her and immediately felt guilty that she didn't even know her name. Nobody ever spoke about the Saiyan Queen because whenever they did, the King would go off on a rampage. Bulma had never brought it up to Vegeta because she knew it was a sore topic for him and he would most likely close himself off from her. "Tarble is fine," She told her and again, Bulma smiled at the look of absolute relief washing over her face. "He's a strong warrior."

The Saiyan Queen smiled at her and Bulma couldn't help but notice how beautiful she was. Instead of the ordinary tanned skin, dark eyes and messy hair, the Queen's skin was pale, very much like Bulma's and her eyes were a warm chocolate colour. Her hair was a glossy jet black, causing her pale skin tone and her eye colour to stand out almost shockingly. Also, it occurred to Bulma that unlike every other Saiyan female, the Queen had a soft expression and her eyes were filled with love. It reminded her so much of Tarble.

"I'm so glad," The Queen told her as she placed a hand to her chest. "When Vegeta told me that our sons were fighting the Colds', I was worried that something may have gone wrong, especially for Tarble. I know that he doesn't like fighting, he hasn't ever since he was a child."

Bulma nodded, "Even though he dislikes causing harm and killing, Tarble is a very strong warrior."

"What happened after I was killed?" King Vegeta asked, but she could see in his eyes that he was demanding her to tell him and not asking.

Relaxing against her mother, Bulma told them everything. She told them about how Tarble had attacked Cooler, how she had been unable to help him when Cooler started to torture him because of Frieza, how Vegeta then came to save his younger brother, then about her inner-self taking control and almost killing Frieza, had it not been for Cooler. Bulma then went on to tell them about how Cooler had managed to take out her other self in only two blows, which sent King Vegeta into shock since he knew how strong she had been. With a tight throat, Bulma then told them about how her inner had pushed her out of her own body and took the attack head on to save Bulma's life.

After that, Bulma told them about her meeting with the Supreme Kai and then watching the fight between Cooler and Vegeta from a crystal ball. At first, they looked sceptical, but then Bulma told them that she was, in fact, still alive and simply unconscious like she had been the first time her inner-self took control. When she said this, King Vegeta looked relieved and told her that he was glad, because he wouldn't wish for his son to feel the pain of losing his mate.

Then, Bulma spoke to her parents, telling them about how much she had grown and about Vegeta. Her mother had wept when Bulma told them she was getting married and when she told the blonde about Frieza crashing her wedding, not only the Human Queen, but also the Saiyan Queen, looked so pissed that both Kings took a wary step back.

"You're going to look beautiful as a bride," Her mother smiled through her tears as she pushed Bulma's hair behind her ears.

"I was already a bride," Bulma smirked.

King Vegeta nodded and looked proud as he spoke, "And a beautiful one at that. There were many males in the room that looked at my son with envy."

Bulma lowered her head a fraction as a blush of embarrassment found its way to her cheeks. "Yeah… well… I know that there are a lot of women who would want to take my place."

The Saiyan Queen nodded once with a look of annoyance, "It had been that way with me." She told Bulma. "Don't let them push you around and also, keep an eye on the women who clean your personal quarters." As she said this, she shot a dark look at her mate who simply replied by saying that he had never touched a single one of them, except for when he literally threw them out of the room.

The blue haired teenager had not failed to notice how much softer King Vegeta's expression was. Every time he looked at his mate, it was as though he was fighting with himself not to break out into a smile and it was the same with the Saiyan Queen.

"Bulma," She spoke as she turned towards the human. "Please, take care of my son and tell both him and Tarble that I am sorry I couldn't be there with them as they grew up."

Bulma nodded quickly before looking at King Vegeta.

"Tell my sons that I am proud of them both." He said and she could see that he really was proud of them.

Just as the two Saiyans started to fade, Bulma heard the Queen say softly, "And tell them that no matter what, I will always love them."

Once again, Bulma felt tears fill her eyes as she turned towards her parents. They were still there with her and she could still feel them as her mother held onto her tightly and her father kept a hand on her shoulder. After a couple of moments, Bulma became aware of the fact that the Supreme Kai was giving her some privacy with her parents. Smiling, she inwardly thanked him.

"I love you both so, so much." She whispered, her tears falling freely.

"We love you too, sweetie." The blonde spoke softly and wiped away her daughter's tears. "Now, you have to tell me all about Vegeta!" She smiled brightly, despite the fact she looked slightly saddened.

The fact that she would never be able to have those mother-daughter conversations anymore hurt her. The fact that she would ever be able to open up to her mother, ask her questions about love, rant to her when Vegeta annoyed her or just have her be there for her hurt like hell. But what hurt the most was that she would never be there to just talk to her and hold her like she was now.

"Well, he's, grumpy, arrogant and proud." Bulma smiled fondly. "But he's also one of the most trustworthy people I have ever met. When I'm with him, I feel safe… like he will never let anything bad happen to me. The way he looks at me…" Both Bulma and her mother giggled whilst her father looked clueless. "It's like I'm the only one he can see. He looks at me like I'm something that is so precious, that he's silently vowing never to let anyone else come close enough to break me or steal me away."

The Human Queen smiled as she stroked her daughter's hair, "As long as you're happy, Bulma, then that is all that matters. Your father and I want nothing more than for you just be happy and live a long life with the man you love."

Bulma closed her eyes sadly and leaned in for another hug. At the same time, her father also joined in and wrapped his arms around the two women he loved.

"I just wish that you could both be there too," Bulma whispered.

Her heart felt as though it was shattering when she opened her eyes and saw her parents fading. As they did, her mother's voice drifted to her, speaking softly whilst comforting her. "We will always be there, Bulma. Even if you cannot see us, we're in your heart. You will never be alone for you have those who care for you. Don't ever forget, we love you so much and will always be proud of you, sweetie."

With that, her parents were gone.

Bulma's hands dropped to the ground as she stayed on her hands and knees. As she looked at the ground blankly, silent tears slipped down her cheeks before falling away. Her arms were shaking as the need to lash out struck her, but as the urge reached her, so did a familiar energy and immediately, Bulma relaxed and closed her eyes, focusing on nothing more than Vegeta's presence in her mind and by her side.

It hurt saying goodbye to her parents, but Bulma was thankful that she got to really say goodbye this time.

She was happy to know that no matter what, they still and always will, love her.

A/N - Sorry that it took so long to update this story! I don't know why, but I couldn't open the document. -.-

I don't really have much else to say...

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