Chapter Thirty-Four: Lost Causes

"Go in my backpack," Bulma said, the sweat on her forehead increasing with the mix of terror and pain she was feeling. She was about to die, and it was painfully obvious. Nothing mattered to her anymore. Part of her no longer wanted to live. She was happy that it was going to end quickly, instead of the way she had imagined. At least she wasn't in Frieza's greedy little hands. It was better this way, she kept telling herself. She couldn't tell if she believed it or not.

Ginyu walked proudly over to her pack, following her directions. He no longer cared what happened to her either. He was getting what he wanted now. He didn't care about anything but himself and his pointless immortality. After all, what did a man like that need eternal life for? To torture others? To make them suffer like he was making her suffer?

"Are these them?" he asked, and Bulma didn't need to try and turn her head to see. She could see the glow of the Dragon Ball in his hand from out of the corner of her eyes. All seven were together at last, and their glow proved it. It seemed to hold all of Ginyu's attention.

"Yes. That's them. Now, you're doing this after you kill me, got it?" she asked, coughing a few times from more inhales of dirt. Her face in the ground bothered her, but it wasn't enough for her to actually care. Her life was over anyway.

"Yeah, whatever, little girl. Just tell me how to get my wish. I want immortality." He laid a hand on her shoulder as if to comfort her, but Bulma knew better. It was a haughty touch, an arrogant act of triumph. He wasn't even looking her way. The Dragon Balls were silently calling all his attention to themselves.

Bulma mentally smiled at her new victory. She was going to win this little war before she left her body. Captain Ginyu was too focused on what he wanted that he failed to realize anything else around him. His surroundings were a blur to him as long as his main focus was in front of him. It was as if the shining Dragon Balls were mesmerizing to him. Bulma wished she could stall for more time, in case Vegeta was near to them, but she was covering him before she was gone. She had made Ginyu promise that much, and he was too distracted to deny her wish.

"Now the myth of the Dragon… is just that: a myth. It's the actual Dragon Balls… that grant your wish. You have to choose your words carefully… because they like to screw up on purpose with the wishes that the Dragon Balls grant." Bulma had to pause to take in a few painful breaths before continuing. "And to activate their powers, you have to say something to unlock it. That's the trick that I told you about."

"What is it!" Ginyu bellowed. "Tell me now!"

"You have to keep your end of the bargain," Bulma said. He wasn't thinking things through. This was her final advantage.

"Yeah, yeah. Your precious prince is going to be safe. And trust me, as soon as the words exit your mouth, I'm going to rid myself of your annoyance. That's something you can be absolutely sure of, little girl!" There was something she could be emptily satisfied with. It was all going to be over very soon.

"You have to say, "Seven legendary Dragon Balls, please prepare to grant my wish. Let your unmistakable power come forward and give me my heart's desire." That's it."

In the next second, Ginyu was above her. He slid his arm back, his elbow pointing up into the air, his back arched with the stress on his shoulder blade, and then he brought it down with a mighty force. His vertical hand came down at her stomach. Bulma watched in slow motion as it collided with her shirt, tearing through it as is reached her skin. His hand pierced through her like a knife, but it was as if she couldn't feel a thing. She was at peace. She had known this was coming all along. She had anticipated it. It was nothing unexpected.

Bulma took her last seconds of life to look around at the trees. Everything was moving so slowly. She could feel herself slipping away as easily as the warm blood oozed out of the fresh wound inflicted in her gut. It was painful, yes, but she hadn't expected Ginyu to be nice enough to actually do something like snapping her neck or breaking her back over his knee. A large wound seemed more like his style, in her point of view. His promise meant nothing to her. But still, he would find out that she had won this war soon enough. She just wished she would last long enough to witness it. She knew it was a false hope.

But then, as she watched the trees above her grow dimmer and dimmer as her eyelids slid shut, the hand ripping her stomach apart was jerked in a way that didn't seem natural. It hurt more than the wound should have if he had been trying to kill her swiftly. Yet the movement seemed unexpected, even to Ginyu. And even worse, she could still feel the increasing pain. She wasn't going to die as quickly as she had hoped. She wished she could have known better. Ginyu was such a bastard…

But she continued smiling, feeling the comfort of the crumpled paper in her lightly clenched hand.

X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X

Was he too late? He passed a space pod, lying on the ground. It appeared to be one of Frieza's Saiyan designs. What a mockery he had made of the Saiyan race. He could also smell that this was Ginyu's space pod. Once again, he thought, was it too late?

He could smell the fresh scent of blood coming from her direction. Knowing very well that his woman inflicting damage on Ginyu was absurd, he was glad he was so close to them now. But as he flew past trees and slammed into others, splitting them in half as he charged, he came to an opening in the dense woods.

What he saw made his eyes pop in horror.

He could feel the panic making him move faster through the short distance, but his speed never slowed as he got closer. The purple bastard was over his mate, and rusty blood hung in the air like death itself. He was going to make his speed his second advantage. His first was the lucky element of surprise. He would have never guessed that his aqua-haired beauty could distract the bastard to such an extent. But the sight of her… It terrified him like nothing else in the world.

Using his momentum, he crashed headfirst into Ginyu, knocking him sprawling onto the ground and giving himself a second to compose himself and prepare to annihilate the threat. As Vegeta tumbled in the dirt, he took his second to not only prepare, but glance over at his mate.

What had been one second before turned into five as he stood frozen, staring at her limp form on the ground not too far away. Her eyes were shut, making his wide with anxiety. He could still feel her energy, but it wasn't much. She was badly hurt, and he frightfully questioned whether or not she would survive.

Seeing his brand new opportunity to strike, Ginyu leapt from the ground and collided with the Saiyan Prince, throwing him into a nearby tree. He heard something snap, and laughed triumphantly. But when Vegeta lifted his head in heated rage, staring out at him from under his eyebrows in unrestrained fury, Ginyu's expression faltered and became as serious as it was deadly. This was now a matter of life or death. He knew Vegeta was going to do his best to kill him, and Vegeta knew that Ginyu was going to protect himself with offensive-based attacks. Not to mention that his mate needed immediate attention…

Or she would die.

The tree behind Vegeta creaked loudly as it tumbled towards the ground behind him, revealing what the snapping noise had been before. Its leaves caught on other trees and branches snapped under its falling weight. As it hit the ground, it bounced only once, ever so slightly, and then remained still, the quiet eerily returning.

Vegeta took off, flying towards Ginyu as fast as his body would allow him to. If there was any hope for his mate, he was going to find it and use it as quickly as he could manage. Ginyu was only an obstacle that required an immediate removal.

On the other hand, Ginyu wasn't worried. Vegeta's level of speed and strength were no match for him. If Vegeta could beat him, then his name would be Captain Vegeta. The simple fact that Frieza put Ginyu in charge of his most elite team signified that Vegeta was weaker than him. It was the only logical explanation. And besides, if he could so easily get taken down by henchmen like Dodoria, then Vegeta was no match for him. Back when Frieza had the filthy monkey under his firm control, Vegeta was nothing but a pawn in Master Frieza's ever-present game of chess. Ginyu was a knight. His team and he had been Frieza's most valuable players. He didn't easily accept their losses. But Vegeta, a simple pawn on the playing field, was nothing more than a humble accessory.

Yet they had something in common. They were warriors. They would do anything to win the game. Ginyu knew very well that Vegeta didn't have to be stronger than him to beat him. As a result, being merciless was the only way to win. A kind heart and compassion were no friends to either of them. They both had their goals. And the end result may be different between them, but how they were going to reach their ends were one in the same.

But to play in the game, you had to be part of the game.

Ginyu dodged Vegeta's head-on assault with speed that couldn't be matched by the Saiyan Prince. Ginyu smiled. There was no way for the monkey to come out on top. He was going to pay dearly for what he had made of his beloved Ginyu Force.

Gurd. Recoome. Jiece. Burter. Oh yes, Vegeta was going to pay indeed.

"You're going to have to do better than that if you want to beat me, Vegeta," he said with a laugh. "But don't give up right away. You're just too much fun."

"You want to see better, Ginyu?" Vegeta snarled, stopping his momentum with a hand on the ground. His white gloves were already covered in dirt and he hadn't even landed a hit. It looked as if his tackle beforehand had done nothing but take the purple bastard by surprise. There wasn't a scratch on him. "I'll show you better!"

Vegeta charged once more, but this time he came to a sudden halt in front of Ginyu, throwing a punch at his face. Ginyu dodged it with a tilt of his neck and Vegeta threw another punch. What was supposed to be a direct hit turned into a one-sided volley of punches from Vegeta. Ginyu couldn't believe his own abilities sometimes. He even laughed mockingly at Vegeta as he dodged the attempted smashes aimed at his face. Vegeta let out a loud growl as he tried to punch even faster.

Ginyu grabbed one of his fists in his big, meaty hand. Vegeta stopped, his breathing slow and controlled from his own effort as he prepared to defend himself. He put his other hand up to his neck. If Ginyu went for either his head or his stomach, he would be able to block it.

"You know, Vegeta. I never thought you were one to hold out on me," Ginyu said, releasing Vegeta's fist. "I would have thought you would want to save that Earthling over there. But even if you managed to fend me off for a while, she's hopeless. I gutted her myself," he laughed. "But still, I told you this was going to be fun. But if you're not going to show me your true power, then this isn't going to be very fun at all."

Vegeta smirked, placing both his hands back at his sides. "Eager to die, are you Ginyu?"

"I wouldn't go that far," he said, bending down into a fighting position. Vegeta continued to stand where he was, the smirk on his face never faltering.

"I'm surprised you're not going to dance with me or something," he said mockingly, the sarcasm dripping off his tongue. Ginyu spat to the side to show that he didn't appreciate the comment.

"Although I value the magnificent opportunity to showcase my fabulous poses, I believe that now is the time to fight. You don't deserve to see what I have to offer you anyway. So, instead, I'm just going to kill you."

Vegeta bent into his fighting position, taking the threat seriously. All this talk would be meaningless once the fight began. There would be no joking then.

He couldn't help but glance over at his woman in the time he knew he had to notice his surroundings. Her eyes were still closed, but her energy signal was still there, as faint as it was. She looked to be unconscious, but he knew she wasn't. And judging by her wound, he guessed she was in a large amount of pain as well. What had he been thinking, holding out on Ginyu before? He had to get her to safety. He had to finish this now.

"Prepare to see the full extent of my grandeur in battle, little Saiyan monkey, because now it's time to die!" Ginyu yelled, making the first move as he lurched forward, closing the few feet between them. With his speed, to an Earthling's eye, it would have seemed that Captain Ginyu became invisible, but Vegeta could see every inch he closed in the gap to him.

Landing a punch on the side of Vegeta's face, the Saiyan Prince backed up a few steps to regain his composure and quadruple his power level in that instant. It wasn't yet enough. He'd still have to have more time to power up, but it was all he could do as he began to dodge more of Ginyu's punches as he swung at him. An unexpected elbow came crashing onto his shoulder before he had time to dodge or block the attack. Vegeta was hit up off the ground by the force of the blow and he flew by a tree, knowing that if he didn't watch himself, one small mistake might cause the wrong ending for this battle.

He recovered his self-control quickly and landed on his feet. He looked up from the ground but Ginyu wasn't there.

"I'm over here," he said softly, and Vegeta suddenly spun around, only to be met with an oncoming leg towards his middle. He reached out his hands and grabbed the rapid kick. "Huh?" Ginyu said, not expecting to be caught, literally.

Vegeta pulled on his leg until his other leg came out from underneath him. Ginyu fell backwards, his head hitting the leaf-cushioned ground with a thump. He kicked at Vegeta with his free leg, forcing him to let go to dodge the attack. Vegeta jumped backwards and then looked up. Ginyu wasn't there again.

Expecting the attack, Vegeta ducked as Ginyu's hand sliced through the air over his head from behind. He then through his right elbow behind him and felt the crunching collision as his blow met with Ginyu's unblocked face. Vegeta then spun and threw a few more punches, but they were dodged. He back flipped through the air and landed a safe distance away as he watched Ginyu clutch at his nose.

"I-I think it's broken!" he whined and Vegeta almost rolled his eyes. "What have you done to my beautiful face! How dare you break my perfect nose! How can I pose for Master Frieza with a crooked nose?!"

"Really, Ginyu," Vegeta mocked, "I think I managed to fix something there. It looks much less ugly now." He shrugged. "I mean, in comparison to what it was before."

"How… How dare you, monkey!" he bellowed, his rage clearly written all over his face. Vegeta folded his arms as he chuckled.

Ginyu let out a heated roar as he returned to his previous offensive methods of attack. Charging forward at Vegeta, he made a move to kick, but Vegeta quickly unfolded his arms and deflected the kick off to the side with an open palm. Ginyu yelled as he lost his balance, floating in the air above to keep himself from falling face-first into the dirt.

"Don't play with me, Vegeta!" he angrily called, setting himself back down on the ground.

"Oh, but it's so much fun," Vegeta said softly, folding his arms across his chest again, as if to show that Ginyu was too weak for him to put any effort into the battle. An insult like that to a warrior was as low as you could go. Verbal assaults never matched that kind of insult. Vegeta knew from many experiences with Frieza and his putrid henchmen. He knew what ticked him off the most, and he was going to that to his advantage. Maybe being tortured and beaten for most of his life was about to come in handy as well.

Ginyu let out a battle cry at Vegeta's torturous call as he launched himself forward, one foot extended as he prepared a flying kick. But as soon as he got close enough to land a direct hit, Vegeta disappeared.

"W-What?" he stammered, placing both feet on the ground. "Where did you go?" he called, resentment in his tone. He looked from side to side. He knew that if Vegeta could see him, that move was an instant giveaway that he was baffled by the Saiyan Prince's display of ability. He hated to admit it, but he'd never seen anyone move that fast, except for Frieza.

The area around him was quiet. There were no sounds of birds or animals scurrying around as they went about their business. There wasn't even a small gust of wind to rattle the leaves on the trees. Everything was silent and still as if they had been fighting in a painting.

Ginyu looked up in shock as he felt Vegeta's energy behind him. But as he turned, he realized that it was too late to defend himself. Vegeta landed a kick in Ginyu's side as the purple bastard turned around as a result of his hasty decision-making. Vegeta mockingly tisked him in his head for his reckless behavior on a matter such as this. This was life and death, not a game.

Ginyu flew a few yards from the impact, but continued flying along the ground as he noticed Vegeta chasing after him for another hit. Vegeta caught up and Ginyu flew faster, missing the Saiyan Prince's kick by mere inches. The ground beneath Vegeta's leg broke apart, leaving behind the imprint of his attack. He quickly regained himself and continued the chase. Ginyu was flying through the trees, dodging this way and that. Vegeta noticed, as he followed, that his woman was no longer in his sight range. He kept a watchful eye on Ginyu in case his plan was to harm her further.

Vegeta picked up his pace to find that his speed, when powered up like he was, was greater that Captain Ginyu's. He took a split second to wonder when such a change had occurred. He had missed so many days without training, and it seemed as if he was stronger than ever before. He smirked when he saw the scared look on Ginyu's face as he turned to look over his shoulder as he fled.

When Vegeta came not more than a foot away from Ginyu's back legs, he reached out. But before he managed to grab him, Ginyu hooked his arm around the nearest tree and spun around, placing him next to Vegeta as he flew by, and sending a kick towards his middle.

The hit landed and Vegeta was thrown upwards from the kick to his stomach. He couldn't stop himself as he noticed his opponent fly past him. Vegeta grunted, knowing what was to come. In the next second, his back was stopped, mid-air, with two powerfully clenched fists on his spine. He violently coughed before he was thrown back down to the ground by the strength of the pounding inflicted on his back.

Just before he hit the ground, he flipped over in the air and stopped falling, his feet pointed down to the ground not ten feet below him. That had been a close call. He had to watch himself.

He soared back up to where Ginyu appeared to be waiting for him, mimicking Vegeta's previous smirk and folded arms across his chest. When Vegeta met him in record speed, another volley of fists was thrown at incredible magnitudes and rapidity, but none of them made a direct hit. Their speeds had been matched by the other. Or so they thought.

Ginyu's shocked expression revealed that he knew he had an unexpected opening. Vegeta took his chance and landed a swift blow to Ginyu's unguarded face. The look right before his fist made contact was priceless, Vegeta thought, boosting his over-inflated ego even more.

Ginyu flew back towards the ground, setting his feet out and jumping off a tree for support as Vegeta calmly landed a goodly distance away from him. He was trying to get back to the energy signal of his aqua-haired mate. But Ginyu stood still. If the battle continued on like this…

"Oh, no!" Ginyu screamed, "I think one of my beautiful teeth is loose. Vegeta, you scoundrel! How dare you! How dare you!"

"Yeah, yeah," Vegeta said, waving his hand in front of him as if there was a bug flying around his face. There wasn't. "I thought we decided that we were going to use our full power, Ginyu. What happened? Did you run out of steam already?" He let out a loud, mocking laugh that sent heart-freezing shivers up Ginyu's spine in white rage. Vegeta watched as he calmed himself down before speaking. Vegeta mentally cursed at the wind. He wished Ginyu would just attack him already.

"My, my. That was certainly a rush, Vegeta. This is a scream," he said, laughing as if he had been winning this battle all along. Vegeta couldn't help but roll his eyes, but Ginyu didn't seem to notice. "I've forgotten how much fun a real fight can be. What with your little girlfriend and all. She didn't put up much of a fight."

I can't let this thing drag on, Vegeta thought hastily at the mention of his woman. He still needed to help her, and Ginyu wasn't helping much. I have to finish this. Now.

Ginyu fired a sudden energy blast at Vegeta and he jumped into the air to dodge it. He then flew at top speeds toward Ginyu, a fist out towards his opponent's face, and as the purple bastard put his arms in front of him to defend himself, Vegeta stretched out his other hand and tightly gripped Ginyu's left horn. He then spun him around and gripped the other black horn with his other hand. He pulled back as hard as he could, but forgetting about his defense, Ginyu elbowed him in the ribs. Vegeta coughed and let go of Ginyu's horns as he gripped his lower chest with both hands, clenching his teeth together from the startling pain.

But he couldn't stop. Not now. Not until Ginyu was gone and his woman was safe. He roundhouse-kicked Ginyu with all his might, still clutching at his throbbing ribs as he turned. Before Ginyu even hit the ground, Vegeta threw down his elbow into his stomach. Ginyu coughed up blood.

He immediately blocked the next hit, aimed for his throat, and stood. Vegeta tried to attack him once again, but he flew off, fleeing once again.

"Coward!" Vegeta screamed, taking off after him.

He followed him in a hurry, seeing as the black-horned pansy was heading straight for his mate. What would even be the purpose of harming her again? What was he planning? Could it be…

And then he spun around quickly and Vegeta knew it was coming. A light yellow aura surrounded Captain Ginyu as he held his ground.

"Change… now!" he yelled, and Vegeta dodged the beam of light that shot out from his mouth. He felt proud that his arrogance did not replace competence when it came to his fighting abilities. But the simple and sad fact was, he knew Ginyu's special move. There was no way it could work on him.

Ginyu seemed to quickly realize that and he turned and fled back in the direction of his mate once more. Now what was he doing? Vegeta pondered, picking up his pace in case the aqua-haired female needed him to defend her.

When Vegeta came into the clearing, he saw Ginyu holding his woman's Dragon Balls. Vegeta counted them and his eyes popped when he saw that all seven were together at last. She had been so close…

"Well, Vegeta," Ginyu said calmly, obviously planning to carry out his scheme in good time, "It seems that your luck has run out for you. I didn't think I'd need to do this for a tiny battle against you… But I'll give you your rightfully due credit. If not for these," he said, pointing to the Dragon Balls in his arms. He was cradling them like a baby. "Then I know I would have been done for. I don't know what kind of training you went through here on Earth, but very nice job." And then he added, "What a waste of perfectly good talent. You could have been on the Ginyu Force if only you just learned to follow Master Frieza's orders without making a fuss over them."

Vegeta cocked his head to the side. What did Ginyu want with the Dragon Balls? He couldn't make a wish. He had to know the password. Mr. Briefs had informed him of this information when they first were given the Dragon Radar. It was impossible for Ginyu the Pansy to know such a thing. Or could he…?

"Seven legendary Dragon Balls, please prepare to grant my wish," he began, and Vegeta froze. He couldn't be serious. "Let your unmistakable power come forward and give me my heart's desire!" Vegeta started running like a juggernaut. He had to stop him before it was too late. "Make me… IMMORTAL!" he screamed, throwing his arms into the air above his head.

"NOOOO!" Vegeta yelled, feeling like his lungs were going to burst. He threw his hand out at Ginyu in a slicing motion, aiming directly for his heart.

When the tips of his fingers broke through skin and revealed dark purple blood beneath the skin, Vegeta understood. The look on Ginyu's face was that of pain, fear and confusion.

It didn't work.

Vegeta reached farther, seeing his chance to finish this, and grabbed at Ginyu's heart.

And then he squeezed, feeling the warm blood-filled heart explode between his fingers before he violently pulled out his hand.

Captain Ginyu dropped dead.

Instantly, Vegeta ran over to Bulma, dropping to his knees and sliding across the ground in his rush.

"Hey," he whispered, not liking the look of her giant wound. It was no longer bleeding, but the puddle of blood below her was no joke. It suddenly hit him that she didn't have a good chance to live. But this time, it hit him hard. She could really die. She could truly leave him behind… "Woman, can you hear me?"

A soft sound proved that she was still there. Her fingers twitched a bit, as if she wanted to say something. Vegeta couldn't believe what was happening. She couldn't die. He was her protector. He was her guardian angel. He couldn't fail like this.

"V…" was all Vegeta could manage to hear from here. A few other things were mumbled but he couldn't make out what it was she was saying. He guessed that the first word was his name, but that was all. He lifted her head up with a steady hand and leaned his head down, placing his ear next to her mouth.

"I can't hear you, woman," he said, forcefully and gently at the same time. He still couldn't believe this was happening. It didn't feel real. It didn't feel right.

"Vegeta," he heard, massaging her hair as he held her head in his hand. "Love you." He stopped rubbing her hair and lifted his head, staring at her. Her eyes were closed. This really couldn't be happening. Not now. Not like this.

"Stop that," he said, putting her head back down and moving to lift her into his arms. When she squirmed and made a noise that Vegeta thought was a whimper, he set her back down. "What's wrong with you?" he asked, "You need to heal somewhere. And that's not here."

When she made another noise, Vegeta moved to place his ear next to her mouth again.

"I love you," she repeated, and Vegeta rolled his eyes, moving to lift her up again. She repeated her worthless squirming and Vegeta growled at her.

"Will you cut that out!" he yelled at her, causing her to squeeze her eyes shut even more than they already were.

"No, Vegeta," she whispered delicately, as if she was talking to a child who had never seen people die before. How dare she, he couldn't help but think. He had spent most of his life causing the deaths of others. Death didn't even faze him…

The effort to talk louder than an inaudible whisper seemed to be killing her, Vegeta thought. He then pushed the thoughts aside. He hadn't meant it the way it came out.

"No, what?" he yelled, self-consciously softer than last time. "You need to get to one of those stupid hospitals, woman! Don't argue with me!"

He snorted when he saw her smile. It didn't mean that she was agreeing with him, he deduced.

"What's that for?" he asked with a snort of displeasure.

"I love you," she repeated once again.

"Why do you keep saying that?" he snarled, not liking her tone. Her smiled got wider and he lifted an eyebrow in annoyance. He moved to pick her up again, but her hand managed to move in front of him. She placed her open palm on his chest, but lost the effort as her hand slid back down to the ground and her head rolled to one side. "Woman!" he called, turning her to face him again. Her eyes still weren't open. She kept them closed, as if she didn't want to look at him. She lifted a finger to show that she was still there, but Vegeta knew her point about not leaving. She knew she was going to die…

He could do nothing to stop it, but she was still there. She wasn't gone yet. He wouldn't show her weakness, but he couldn't help but feel like he should say something. It was on the tip of his tongue, but it wouldn't come off. It was remorsefully stuck there with no hope of it coming off anytime soon. So he racked his brain for something else he could say. It seemed like the only thing he could do, so he had to do it, and quickly.

As he watched her while he thought for a moment, she mouthed the words "I love you" again. He continued to roll his eyes at the statement. She then mouthed the words "I'm sorry" and he felt like slapping her.

"Don't be stupid, woman," he said quietly. He wanted to tell her that she shouldn't be sorry for dying, but it wouldn't come out without his throat clogging up at the first syllable.

And then Bulma's face lit up. Even her eyes opened to reveal a sliver of her eye as she looked up at him. "Dragon" she mouthed to him and Vegeta jumped up. He ripped the Dragon Balls from Ginyu's dead grasp and came back over to his woman. He placed them down on the ground and froze. What was it he was feeling? It felt like something bad. He whipped his head around to face Bulma and stared in horror. It wasn't what he had been feeling. It was what he hadn't been feeling. What he could no longer feel.

It was her energy… She was gone.

"Bulma…" he said, but stopped himself before he dared to continue. No. He wasn't going to do that.

He quickly looked away and stood. It was true, he had caused many deaths. The deaths of others never fazed him. He looked over at the Dragon Balls. He couldn't even make a wish to bring her back. He didn't know the password. Neither did his woman's parents… No one did.

Vegeta didn't know what to think. He didn't know if thinking was possible anymore. He felt like a lost child, without any clue on how to get back home.

His first emotional response was anger. How could she die? How could she leave him behind like that? She didn't care about him. She cared only for herself.

The anger didn't last for long, because he knew it was easily misplaced. Nothing was her fault. Especially this. It was Ginyu's fault for hurting her. It was Frieza's fault for sending his henchmen to do his dirty work. It was his fault for not protecting her and staying by her side the way he should have. This was not her fault. His anger was pointed towards the people responsible: Ginyu, Frieza and himself. But Ginyu was gone. So all that remained to blame were Frieza and himself.

He should have never run away with her. He should have let her go and taken the punishment he knew he was going to get someday anyway. But this… This was the most principal punishment he had ever been dealt. And it wasn't only him that had suffered.

Most of his blame was focused on Frieza. Sure, he was guilty. But he would not wrongfully take the blame for this. For Frieza. He would have to be out of his mind to do such a thing. But what could he do now? Frieza would probably send more men after him to track down and kill him. He didn't want to run away anymore, now that the fun was gone from it.

He thought back to why he had left her in the first place. He felt that the sacrifice was worth it for her to go off on her own while he got some training in. he would admit that his training allowed him to finish off Ginyu. He would have died otherwise. But what was the point. The sacrifice didn't seem so great anymore. He would have rather died along-side her.

But then why did he stay behind to train? He knew he wouldn't be able to make it to her in time. He had hoped…

Vegeta spent all his life pretending to be someone he needed to be. It was to protect himself. It was to protect him from feeling the anguish of his father's merciless death at the hands of his new master, Frieza. He protected himself on the inside to give himself the opportunity to be able to let go once he was free of the restraints that were there, in his mind, placed there by his own hand. It became difficult for him to feel anything for fear of being hurt by everything. He hadn't wanted to show anyone weakness. It was how he managed to stay alive. He fascinated Frieza to the point that he wanted to keep him alive for his own devious plans.

But, because of those restraints, he hadn't been able to tell Bulma that he loved her before she died.

He had spent his entire life covering only for himself. Now, he realized that he had spent so much of his time trying to protect himself that he forgot that some things were more important than him. Some things should have been cherished above his own life.

Did this mean that he was afraid? Did this signify that he had truly been weak for his entire life, and that was the reason Frieza kept him around? Vegeta wanted to scream. But there was nothing he could do. He had been a fool ever since the day his father died.

Vegeta exhaled, realizing that he had been holding his breath. His whole life had been a waste of time. He was unnecessary. No one needed him to survive and the only thing he was useful for was being hunted down by Frieza. That meant that the only thing he could do with the rest of his life was entertain that slimy bastard. No, he wasn't going to give that motherfucker the slightest bit of entertainment. Not for his worthless life. He would rather die…

He turned on his heel and headed in the direction of Ginyu's space pod.

X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X

Zarbon paced in a small circle around the double doors leading into Frieza's main chamber. He was talking with Dodoria about something. Probably the stupid monkey prince again, he thought, laughing out loud at his own private joke. No one was around to hear him anyway. He might as well enjoy his time alone if anything.

He wondered if Captain Ginyu had managed to complete his assignment yet without breaking off from his direct instructions. He doubted it. Ginyu was Frieza's Ginyu Force's leader for one reason and one reason only. And that was because he had the nastiest habit of never treading the wrong waters. He knew exactly how to get on Frieza's good side and he always was. He had something about him that Frieza always trusted above everyone else.

A part of Zarbon just wanted him to die already.

Ginyu's days of being Frieza's puppy dog would end in fire if he was in charge. After all, what does it mean to be a right-hand man when your master trusts someone else more than you? Nothing. That's what it means. He should have been the one to go after Vegeta and his charge first. He would have accomplished the task with efficiency that couldn't be matched. Not even by Captain Ginyu. Oh, he loathed the name. How he despised even thinking about that oversized lump of meat. How could Frieza take a liking to that guy? It was preposterous! It was insane! If there was one thing in the world he could wish for, it would be for him to have the opportunity to kill that Saiyan monkey and gain Master Frieza's trust back.

Interrupting his delicious thoughts, Zarbon jumped at the sound of a loud bang and a feeling of a very high energy source. Frieza's.

Something bad must have happened in there because Dodoria's energy signal could no longer be felt. Zarbon froze outside of the giant double doors, wondering if he was next. He didn't tremble or fear. All he did was wonder. After all, what did he have to fear? He was Master Frieza's right-hand man, was he not…?

Whatever had happened, Dodoria was dead. Zarbon could smell fresh blood, and he doubted it was Frieza's. Another thing he felt was pure anger coming from Frieza. He pondered what should be his next move. A right-hand man wouldn't just stand here while his master had something so intense on his mind. A true right-hand man would barge into that room and ask what was wrong and offer his assistance on how he could be of service to his master.

But the thought that Frieza might murder him prevented him from even moving a muscle. Maybe this was why he was no longer the most-trusted henchman to Frieza. Maybe it was because if it had been Ginyu standing out here, he would have been in that room as soon as he heard the blast. And Zarbon didn't want to be shown up by that purple, black-horned disaster. He would show him. At the cost of his life, he would show him.

"Master Frieza?" Zarbon called, gently swinging open the double doors. Frieza was standing over Dodoria. He wore a thin smile, and his eyes had a look in them that made Zarbon believe that Dodoria had dropped dead when he looked into Frieza's eyes. Although, the puddle of blood was hard to ignore…

"What do you want, Zarbon?" he asked. His voice was that of a snake's, about to deal the final blow to its wary prey. One bite and the venom would spread instantaneously. Zarbon had to force himself not to take a step back.

"Is everything alright, sir?" Luckily, his voice managed not to crack.

"No, Zarbon. Everything is not alright," he said calmly, the smile still on his lips. "It appears that Captain Ginyu has failed in his assignment."

Zarbon's heart raced. Could this be his chance? "What do you mean, sir? How can you be so sure?"

"Don't ever doubt me, Zarbon," he said, finally looking up. His smile quickly faded as if he had been insulted. Zarbon held his breath, preparing for the worst. "It seems that Ginyu's space pod has just come in. But…"

"But what, sir?" Zarbon asked. If Ginyu had failed, then did that mean…?

"He isn't in it."

"Huh? What do you mean, Master Frieza, sir? If Ginyu's pod came in, then someone has to be in it to tell it where to go!"

"Exactly, Zarbon. And if I'm so sure that Ginyu has failed, then who do you think is inside, hmm?" Zarbon froze. Could this really be? His wish was becoming reality in merely a few minutes. This was his chance. He was going to kill that stupid ape and win back his position, right under Master Frieza.

"Don't worry, sir. I will take care of the Saiyan Prince. He is no longer a concern of yours. Leave his execution to me and I will be back, all in good time." The green man turned to walk back out to door and complete what he set out to do from the beginning.

"Don't turn your back on me, Zarbon!" Frieza yelled, his voice taking on a threatening tone, "Or I'll have to execute you instead!" Zarbon stopped and quickly turned around, bending down on one knee. He prepared to ask for forgiveness, but Frieza continued, and there was no way he was going to interrupt for his own sake. "I will take care of our dear little Vegeta. If you so much as lift a finger to enter my fight, I'll kill you myself. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Master Frieza," Zarbon replied quickly. His plan wasn't going quite as he had expected it to. He wondered if he'd ever be trusted, now. His future didn't look bright at all. The rest of his life was like one long, black tunnel. There was nothing left for him but menial tasks assigned to lowly henchmen. He mentally sighed at his horrible luck.

"That's better. Behave yourself and you will be rewarded, Zarbon." His voice was mocking.

The green henchman wanted to roll his eyes as a proper response, but he knew better than to try to rush his inevitable destiny. He didn't even open his mouth to reply. It wasn't a good time, to say the least. Instead, he stood and stared at the floor. A look in the eye at this moment could be seen as a challenge to Frieza's authority, so he stared at an ominous stain between his feet.

"I think I will wait for our little monkey prince to arrive. It appears that it shouldn't take very long. He's already almost here. You may go outside to greet him if you wish. That, I will allow."

"Yes, of course," Zarbon replied, bowing at the waist and rushing to exit the room. He knew it would be only luck if he was supposed to leave, but to be told that he was allowed to… It must have been his lucky day. That was the only explanation for it.

Zarbon shut the double doors behind him and stood, staring down the long hallway. Master Frieza had been right, because there was Vegeta, the Saiyan Prince himself, walking towards him in plain sight. Maybe he felt that he didn't need the element of surprise. Zarbon knew that would be his last mistake. Although… if Vegeta was able to take down Captain Ginyu in such a short amount of time, then he was going to have to watch his back. One thing was for certain. He wasn't going to underestimate the monkey.

"Well, well. Look who it is." Zarbon took a commanding step forward, blocking the entrance to Frieza's main chambers. He tilted his head when there was no sound of a smart remark or some sort of insult. Vegeta didn't even look up from the floor. He just continued walking, as if he didn't even notice the threat standing right in front of him. "Hello? Anybody home?" Zarbon mocked, advancing a step to take on a threatening position, in case the message hadn't gotten across.

And that's when he saw it.

Zarbon's eyes popped. Tiny streamlets of water were running down the Saiyan Prince's face. He wasn't looking up at him to hide his shame, Zarbon realized. He was in shock. Even when he was a boy, watching his father become lunch meat for Frieza's henchmen, Vegeta never cried. Even when he was nearly knocked unconscious from Dodoria's beatings, Vegeta never cried. Even when Frieza took on his punishments for himself, just to entertain his masochistic mind, the Prince of all Saiyans never cried.

"Are you… all right?" It was the stupidest thing to ask. It wasn't like he gave two shits about the Saiyan monkey. In fact, he didn't even give one shit about him. It just came as such a surprise that… There were no words to describe such a fall. It was as if the entire universe crumbled. One thing was positive.

It was not something he believed that he would ever get to see in his lifetime. The thought never even crossed his mind, it was so absurd.

Vegeta didn't respond. Instead, he just walked past Zarbon and opened the double doors to Frieza's main chambers. Zarbon didn't make a move to stop him. He knew he would pay for it later on, but it couldn't have been helped.

"Vegeta?" Frieza asked, "Oh, that's right. I was expecting you," he said, smiling, "as you can only imagine. But I am happy that you decided to come here instead of running away again." He stopped talking for a moment to think, watching Vegeta come to the center of the room and stop. The double doors were slowly shutting behind him, where he had come in. Zarbon was still on the other side. "By the way, where is that little charge of yours? The one I gave you to look after before you left and betrayed me. You know. You remember her, don't you?"

There was no response.

"Let's see, then. She was a tall one. Very shapely, if you don't mind me saying. Easy on the eyes, you know?" he laughed. "What else? Oh, she had beautiful blue hair and—"

"Aqua."

"Excuse me?" Frieza asked, not failing to notice the crack in the Saiyan's voice. Something was very wrong. There was no way he could have missed the tears, but there was something else about him. Something else had changed, and he wanted to find out what.

"Her hair was aqua," he repeated slowly, "Not blue."

"Well, all right then. But you didn't answer my question from before. Where is sh—"

"Bulma is dead."

Frieza paused for a moment and then continued, as if Vegeta had said nothing at all. "Well, at least Ginyu was good for something. But I would have rather had her alive instead. I would have made you watch me rape her, you know."

Vegeta's head snapped up.

"But it is such a pity. She's dead, is she? Too bad. What a beautiful loss. Don't you agree?"

There was no response again.

"What's the matter? Are you in such a rush to die that you won't answer a simple question? I thought you were more the type to go out in flames, if you know what I mean." Frieza tilted his head to the left side. "That is why you're here, isn't it?" The double doors finally came to a close as he ended his question. Zarbon was no longer there to watch them. "You're precious Earthling mate has failed to stay alive, and so you want to die? Is that it, dear Vegeta?"

No response yet again.

"I suppose that would be fitting, but you will never see her again."

Vegeta's eyes locked with Frieza's. The lizard knew he had the Prince's full attention. "After all, she was so sweet and innocent. You, on the other hand…" Vegeta looked on the verge of yet more tears. "You've killed more people that you can count, haven't you? She's gone somewhere you can never be. You will never see her again, even in death! Doesn't that bother you? Even in the slightest? How could you still want to die? Am I really making your life all that miserable? I mean, it was miserable to begin with, but still? Hahaha! You're a brainless monkey and you always will be a brainless monkey!—"

"Can't we just get this over with?" Vegeta asked suddenly, cutting him off. Frieza stopped his gloating to glare.

"How dare you, boy,' he said, stepping forward to stand not two feet in front of him. "I guess I could speed things up a bit." Vegeta's eyes met the floor once again. "You always were just a waste of my time." He rose a flat hand to the air, preparing to slice, but then he let it drop back to his side. "Don't rush me, Vegeta. I still want to tell you something."

Vegeta didn't remove his eyes from the floor.

"It's about that girl I gave to you. I was being paid for her protection, you know. So, even though I was trying to get her back, you still let her die. That means that I no longer get my money. I'll think I'll make this extra painful for you because of that. After all, my intention wasn't to have her die. Stupid Ginyu. I thought I could trust him, but I guess he went overboard. And just look where it got him. Dead. Just like that putrid Earthling that you call your mate. How pathetic."

Vegeta was shaking now.

"You're just the same. You're even more pathetic. Look at yourself. Trembling like a scared little child. I would have expected such behavior when your father got himself killed, but you were weak then, too. I guess you just got weaker over the years. What a pity. And to think that I thought you could be my heir. But those days are long gone. You've made your choices, and now I'm going to send you to your grave, once and for all."

He rose his flat hand once again, preparing to deal the final blow. The blow that would end the race of the Saiyans forever. They were about to become extinct, just as Frieza had set out to do from the start.

"You really are just two lost causes, aren't you?" he asked, preparing to slice his hand across Vegeta's neck. One swipe was all he needed to bring down the entire Saiyan race. It was about to end in one fell swoop. "The prince without a planet!" he roared, bringing his hand down. "And the girl without a future!"

Vegeta's head snapped up. And in that instant, the small sparks that he had been feeling exploded within him. He felt the energy flow as a gust of power surged around him. His once black hair, like darkness itself, was now a shimmering gold. His once onyx eyes, deep as the sea, were now a dark shade of teal. He could feel his new power running uncontrollably through his veins.

Frieza was a dead man.

Vegeta sidestepped the oncoming slice with one fluid motion. This wasn't going to be a fight at all. This wasn't worth it. Frieza wasn't worth it. There would be no glorious ending for him. It would be quick and worthless. There was no need to have him live any longer than was necessary now.

Seeing the dramatic change, Frieza took a frightened step back. Unlike anyone else on the vessel, Frieza could sense his power level and know that he was a goner for sure. There was no one in the world who could save him now.

"What in the name of the Cold Empire have you done?!" he bellowed, mesmerized by his golden hair.

"I have done nothing in the name of your pathetic Empire, Frieza. This, I am doing in the name of the woman that I love." And then he put out his hands, palms forward, and let out a mighty roar. "Final Flash!"

And just like that, it was over. Frieza was no more. It was the perfect end for a monster such as him. No begging. No speeches. It was just a swift death, sure to rid the world of his monstrous deeds. No longer would the world have to fear him. No longer would anyone be forced to die at the tip of his sword.

It was over. Oh, God, it was finally over.

X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X

Vegeta had taken the space pod back to Earth after making sure that no one was going try anything. After hearing how Frieza had been taken care of so easily, no one dared to get in his way. Although Zarbon had been punished for the things he had done in the past. But the rest of the henchmen were allowed to live, as little good as it would do them to continue their worthless lives. It seemed pointless to Vegeta. Almost sickening.

What was he to do with his life without Bulma? His woman. His mate. His love. His Bulma.

And as he bent down next to her, he wondered if he should bring the body back to her parents. But, just as he lifted her lifeless form off the ground, a paper dropped from her hand.

"Hmm?" he grunted, setting her back down. He lifted the crumpled paper off the ground and opened it.

He froze.

Inside, it read, "Eternal Dragon. By your name I summon you forth. Shenron."

He couldn't believe his eyes. No wonder Ginyu didn't have the right password. He looked over at Bulma and smiled.

X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X

Mrs. Briefs looked up from making dinner as the doorbell rang. "Sweetheart, could you get that?" she called. But before Mr. Briefs could even get up from his comfy place on the couch, the door gently swung open and Vegeta walked inside, Bulma right behind him, their hands intertwined.

"Back already, I see," Mr. Briefs commented.

"I hope you two had a nice time out there," Mrs. Briefs said happily and Vegeta couldn't help but let out an angry laugh. These two dopes didn't know a thing about Frieza, or anything about what had happened. He guessed they'd never find out anyway. He didn't find it likely that Bulma would ever tell them. They'd die of a heart attack. It was better that way, anyway. What they don't know couldn't hurt them in this case.

Bulma snickered at the comment as Vegeta led her down the hallway to the kitchen. He stopped when she tugged on his arm.

"What is it?" he asked, turning to her. His eyes opened wide when she smirked devilishly and motioned with her head to the door to their right.

Vegeta wasn't one to argue in this matter, so he took one step towards the door, opened it in another quick motion, and in the next instant they were locked in her bedroom.

Suddenly, Bulma was in his arms.

"What do you think you're doing?" she asked playfully.

Instead of answering her, Vegeta kissed her, pulling her hard against him. He backed them up against the wall, his body pressing against hers, the glass of the window cold on her back. His heads slid around her waist, up under her shirt. But the way he held her, she knew something about him had changed. She guessed it was a result of something that had happened while she was… gone. It was okay. She would get answers from him later. Now, there were better things to do.

Vegeta was careful, not too gentle, but not so gentle that she ever felt that she was in more control than he. Bulma laughed against his warm lips. No, it wasn't in Vegeta to allow her to feel that she had more control than he did. But still, it was clear now that neither of them could control how they felt about one another. Bulma liked that. This man in front of her was Vegeta, but he was also refined. It made her want him all the more. She enjoyed the way his heart hammered against her chest, and the way her heart hammered back. He murmured something against her mouth as she kissed him back. She paused when it sounded like he said he loved her.

"What did you say?" she asked, shocked beyond belief.

Vegeta looked at her smugly, and then replied, "It can wait." He brought her back into their kiss.

Frieza had been right. When separated, they really were just two lost causes. But they were no longer separate. They would never be. Because by each other…

They were found.