Epilogue
A Great Loss; A New Beginning
v
Vegeta sat alone and began to hum a song I used to sing rather frequently when I was locked the dungeon. He closed his eyes as he began to remember. I'd cry and sing quietly to myself, soft and whimpering. I had a beautiful voice and he liked to sit quietly in a dark corner and listen to me. I never saw him and I never knew he was there; he'd just… listen.
I never felt… that it was wise… to wish too much… to dream too big… would only lead… to being crushed…
Then I met you… you weren't afraid… of anything… You taught me how… to leave the ground… to use my wings…
I never thought a hero would ever come my way… but more than that I never thought you'd be taken away…
Now, it's cold without you here… It's like winter lasts all year… but your star's still in the sky… so I won't say goodbye… I don't have to say goodbye…
When the song was done running through his brain, tears began to hurt the backs of his eyes, trying to push out, but he forced himself to not cry, holding back the pain of it. He gritted his teeth hard, chipping the corners of the back ones, remembering everything I used to do.
He remembered me singing all different Earth songs that I still had some knowledge of. Lots were very sad; he remembered 'when you're gone', 'broken open', 'mad world', 'bring me to life', 'till it happens to you', 'young and beautiful', 'what hurts the most', 'bad blood' and a few others that were a little hard for him to remember. Those ones stuck with him and haunted him every day with my chanting, beautiful voice behind the lyrics.
Some songs were rather cheerful and splendid, funny, popping, and even sexual, though. Some of those ones being ones like 'bad romance', 'poison', 'the man behind the mask', 'for your entertainment', 'try everything', 'anaconda', 'talking body' and many, many… many others.
He remembered how I'd draw on scrap paper he'd give me when I'd be left alone for hours with little to nothing to do ever, and then, no matter how well-done the drawings were, I'd always crumple them up right after I felt I was done and throw them out. He'd go and grab them out of the garbage after I'd go to bed and take them and put them in the black box in his closet. A large portion of them were of him. He thought they were beautiful.
He remembered I'd write and tell him about what I wrote when he was in a good mood. He usually would act all rough and tough and be like 'oh, enough of your Earth talk of writing stories and art and drawing malarkey; get back to pleasing me, slave!' or something along those lines. He grinned slightly. Smiling made his face hurt, he hadn't done it in so long.
He remembered me dancing with him again, my body with his, our first night together, all the times he saved me, loved me, ruined me, screwed me, and all of the above. He truly did love me… he just… didn't know how to express it properly… He was never taught how to love someone; how to care properly for someone. It was rather sad, and he even knew that now. His father wasn't one of love; he wanted women to please his needs and nothing more. He gave me a slight exception, considering I was the first extremely attractive woman he'd seen and been around in a long time. He actually started liking me, loving me and wanted me to come back. It was too bad for him, though… I never did.
Vegeta had fallen into a deep depression so long ago. Shortly after I was gone out of his life was when it happened; one-hundred and fifty-four years ago. One-hundred and fifty-four years of being depressed over the loss of a human woman. He thought it should've felt pathetic, but to him, it was the total opposite. He greatly cared about me and needed me back in his life. He needed that closure. He… kind of got it… I guess. He at least got to see me, feel me, hug me, and even… snuck in a kiss or two! He was always a big, old softy, I used to always joke with him about that. He'd act mad, but usually ended up blushing. He'd punish me for making him blush, but… he actually liked it when I called him that.
Cutie… softy… lug… big man… big shot… my warrior… my mate… my Master… my… Prince…
I always gave him cute, little nicknames; when I was in a good mood, that is. He treasured those names in his heart over all the years I was gone. It made him smile more, but saddened him even more. He wanted to keep remembering, but the years apart took a toll on him and he could only remember back to around the time they first invaded Earth, killing off seventy percent of the globe's population and kidnapping another five percent. They left the rest. He barely remembered anything before that, but, fortunately, I guess, that was all long before I was ever in his life… so, he guessed it didn't really matter.
"Huh… I guess the woman and I actually do have something in common after all…"
He chuckled, tears beginning to slowly form behind his eyelids. His thoughts were quickly interrupted by a guard to the prison who barged into the slave corridor where he was waiting. The guard grabbed him by his manacles and aggressively pulled him to his feet and out into the hallway.
"Well, 'Prince Vegeta', we've chosen the date of your execution. It will be Renn-Five 'o' Suun, early dawn (That basically meaning Wednesday, the fifth of May; seven days from then in Earth terms)
"…you are being executed for the murders of over forty-thousand citizens, fourteen councilmen, thirteen soldiers, Commander Zoutar, the presumed plot of assassinating your father, King Vegeta and lastly… the destruction of the Districts Seven through Thirteen of the Capital of Planet Vegeta… but you'll be hearing all of that shit and more in seven days time in court before the choosing of how you'll be executed… That's the most fun part…!"
Vegeta followed, staggering beside the guard as the guard chuckled at the comment he just made, not replying, and simply ignoring. He didn't care anymore when he died, or anything he did in the past. That was all years ago, and they were just doing something about it now. I was right, though; he should've died on that stupid ship. Why did his father's scouters need to find him and send him to that stupid hospital on that stupid planet to get stupidly fixed?! Ugh, he thought to himself. This whole thing was nothing, but pure Hell for him. He wasn't even a Saiyan anymore; he was pretty much an android, and he absolutely despised that. I was no longer in his life, and now, he was being executed, how joyous!
The guard dragged Vegeta back into his cell and took the cuffs off, leaving him lying on the bed, weak and defenseless. He had little to no energy or power left in him. The guard closed and locked the glass door and left out of sight. Vegeta wasn't ready for what was going to be in store for the next few terrifyingly frail days.
He was left alone with little food and water for days to come, awaiting execution. He had little sleep, freezing almost every night in the cold, cold cell, and crying himself to sleep whenever he could sleep. The guards simply looked on, thinking about how far the 'pathetic' Prince had fallen. He wasn't pathetic, though. Besides Kakarot, he was the strongest person I knew. Above all, in spirit, pride and will, he was like a God in strength. Right now, he certainly didn't think that. Seven days he would have to wait, seven days of just sitting there, lying there, and standing there… waiting. He waited six and couldn't sleep the final night. It was just after midnight and was now the beginning of the last day of his life. Vegeta fell depressed and couldn't bear anymore humiliation. He couldn't bear being there anymore… being anywhere anymore…
Vegeta coughed up a small bit of blood shortly after the guard had left his cell once again. He sat on the edge of the bed in his cell with his hand to his mouth. He was literally dying, awaiting his own death and waiting for me. What was the point of waiting?! I wasn't coming back… I was gone. Forever… gone...?
She's gone… forever… I wasted… so many years… trying to find her again… and… and…
Vegeta eyes began to water again. He clenched his fist into the blanket of the bed. He lost me again, and now, this time, I wasn't coming back. I was gone, I loved Kakarot, and I had a family with him. I had two children, but a link through him still. He heard my every thought, felt my every move, knew me so closely, but I barely knew him at all… I didn't love him. He loved me, but… I didn't love him. I didn't love him.
He looked down and in the peripherals of his vision; his could see the faint white linings of the scar I left on him so many years ago. My name embedded into his arm. He stroked his fingers slowly along it, over the little bumps; the memories hurt to think about. He remembered how he had cried that evening after I'd passed out from sex and blood loss. He cried in the bathroom that night; not because it hurt physically, but because it hurt emotionally. After he'd finished crying, he'd taken me down to medical to heal me up and make me all better. He would never forget that memory.
She doesn't love me…
Tears ran down his face.
I could've been better…
He angrily wiped them away.
Please, give me another chance…
He clenched his fists against the bed.
Taylor, don't go…
He tried hard to hold back more tears.
I can't live without you…
His head started to hurt, his body began to ache, his mind started to cringe; he was losing it.
I love you…
He whimpered quietly, struggling with the thoughts.
I'm losing my mind…
He slammed a fist down on the bed, while still clenching the other so tightly that his nails began to pierce the skin on his palm.
Kakarot…
He opened his eyes.
No…
No one was there.
I… can't…
Vegeta couldn't take the hurt anymore, the agony of loss, the pain and suffering, the torture and torment he'd been going through for eleven full years. He couldn't take it anymore. That song; it began to echo in the back of his mind. The memories were there, torturing him from the inside out. He clenched his fists to the sides of his head frustrated and tormented. He wanted to end it all. He wanted the memories to go away. He wanted to move on. He wanted to… die.
'I never felt that it was wise to wish too much…'
Vegeta pressed his hands together and gathered as much energy as he body could bear to produce. Though, the guard had taken the cuffs that reduced his power levels to almost nothing off, he was still so incredibly weak.
'…to dream too big; would only lead to being crushed.'
His body was able to manage making a small marble-sized glow of light. The anger that raged in his heart turned it bright red and electrified. His eyes burned from staring at it, but he couldn't help it. It wasn't like it mattered; it wasn't like anything mattered…
'Then I met you, you weren't afraid of anything.'
A single tear rolled down his cheek after wiping all the others away as he gazed upon all his power, all he was capable of, all that was left of his very pride.
'You taught me how to leave the ground; to use my wings.'
He stood up, shaking and unbalanced from being so weak; he slowly bought it to his chest and pressed the ball against where his heart was.
'I never thought a hero would ever come my way, but more than that I never thought you'd be taken away.'
With one quick, sudden burst, the pellet of light shot through him like a bullet, disappearing after a few seconds of flight. Vegeta stood silent, breathless, wide-eyed…
Now it's cold without you here. It's like winter lasts all year, but your star's still in the sky, so I won't say goodbye.'
He fell to his knees; blood began trickling down his chest and abdomen, around his hips and to the floor around him. One hand caught himself from falling forward while the other grasped over the hole through his chest. He was shaking uncontrollably.
No… you fool… Why?
"No… I'm… the S-Saiyan… P-Prince… I can't fall… this f-far!"
He began coughing up more blood and breathing incredibly heavy. He could feel his life slipping away incredibly fast. He was afraid to die now. No… NO… why?! Not now! Not here! Why?! Why?!
Why did I do that?! Now, I can't… ever see… her… again…
He tried to lift his head to see out the clear glass cell, his vision was beginning to blur and see was becoming dazed. He took the hand covering the bleeding hole and put it to the glass. He began weeping, remembering when I put my hand to his from behind the glass. He slowly fell forward, dragging the bloody hand down the glass as he placed his forehead against the floor. He cried, he cried because he was an idiot for letting me go, because he was a fool for being so jealous, because he could've changed sooner, because he was… just the way he was.
Taylor, can you feel me?! Please, can you still hear me?! I can still feel you… and hear you… were linked because we were mates. You were going to be my wife someday… and then… we could've had children of our own… but… I ruined it all, didn't I? I ruined everything… Please… I'm so sorry…
He began seeing white, blinding his vision. He reached up towards the glass again. He saw me, standing there. His hand suddenly went through the glass and his fingers entwined into mine. I kneeled down and caressed his face gently. He cried heavier, breathing uncontrollably.
"T-Taylor… is… th-that you?!"
I placed a finger gently over his lips from the hand that was on his cheek, and simply said,
"Shhh… Vegeta… everything will be okay… because you will always have a special place in my heart…"
His breath hitched as tears streamed over his face. I leaned forward and kissed him gently before disappearing from his vision. His eyes went wide, burning from crying and fear.
No… Taylor… I don't want to die… I…
Vegeta, I'll always be with you…
Taylor… you… you can hear me?!
Yes… please, Vegeta… do one final thing for me…
Anything, please… anything for you…
He whimpered, sucking in short, sharp breathes more as I spoke calmly and quietly,
Be strong… like you always have been…
He stopped breathing and saw my eyes in front of his.
Taylor… you're… s-so… beautiful…
Vegeta fell forward to the floor, not being able to catch himself this time. His head hit the floor and his made the smallest grin to himself, seeing me in his mind as he spoke his final words,
"Ei… g-gaa… sen t-to cha… d-dein-fal…"
The wisps of his voice were shallow and low, cracked and broken. The last few beats of his heart pounded hard and ached into mine.
Taylor, I love you.
His heart stopped beating.
v
Back home, hours away, the sun was rising and morning was breaking. I stood in the kitchen with Kakarot when I suddenly froze in place, wide-eyed and in pain, shaking and afraid. Kakarot whipped his head around and stared worried at me, sensing something was wrong; very, very wrong.
"Taylor… Taylor, hey babe, are you alright?"
"Oh… Oh, no… no… V-Veg-e-t-ta… n-no…"
Tears streamed my face and I fell forward, briefly fainting. He ran over to me quickly, kneeling down and picking me up off of the floor into his arms.
"Taylor, Taylor! Are you alright?! Please, answer me! Taylor! Nathan! Get in here, hurry!"
I felt the last beats of his heart in my own; the last breathes he took, the last thing he saw, I saw it, too. Vegeta lay on his cell floor, bleeding out onto the cool cement; his eyes gazing into my phantom blues. His eyes glazed over, his body motionless; he was gone.
v
Vegeta slowly walked through the forest, following a long, narrow trail. Green surrounded him, mist gently blowing through the trees in a haze. He walked calmly through the trees to see me in the same wedding dress his mother had once worn before she died. He was only four (or fifty-six in Saiyan years) when his mother had married his father; one year before she died in battle.
Taylor…
I was holding white roses and gazing upon him with a smile across my glowing face. He stared in awe at me as he continued forward toward the arch of red and white roses at the end of the road. The sky burned in shades of red and orange, for we were still on Planet Vegeta; and it was more quiet and peaceful than ever before.
Vegeta…
He was wearing his father's Royal family crest armor with the cape draped down, long and red as ever, trailing behind just at his feet. His fingertips trailed over the tips of the long grass at his sides as he continued walking towards where I stood; beautiful and gleaming, like a star.
He stepped up and stared me in the eye, gazing slowly down, over my beautiful figure in the white gown. In the distance, he could hear the faint laughter and cheering of voices he'd once known so long ago. It was his family; his mother, father… brother. He couldn't see them, but they were somewhere in his heart, in his mind. It made him feel warm inside. My eyes were like sparkling, blue oceans and his were like stones of coal, but… they were no longer hollow.
"You look so beautiful…"
He got down on one knee and took one of my hands in his own. He spoke calmly; no more tears were running down his face and he was confident and stronger-looking than ever before.
"Taylor… will you marry me…?"
I nodded happily and said,
"Yes."
He smiled happier than he'd ever been before, jumping up and grabbing me by my waist, lifting me into the air and spinning me around. When he set me down, he kissed me passionately for what felt like an eternity. The laughter and cheering became more propitiate as he let up and caressed my cheek. He turned with me and we, together, walked down the trail, off into the engulfing sunlight that stretched for miles, dancing across the sky; a sunset that would never end. He held my hand gently. I watched as we stepped, in perfect sync with one another; in breath, in heart, in mind. He'd never seen me so happy, and I had never seen him so either. His old life was over, but his happiness in this new one had only just begun.
He was finally happy.
v
He was gone. Vegeta was gone. I sat up slowly and began crying. Goten and Rose came running into the room. Nathan came rushing in shortly after and stared wide-eyed, scared.
"Mom, mom; what's wrong?!"
"Mommy…! MOMMY…!"
I didn't speak, I just cried.
"Taylor… wh-what's wrong? What happened…?"
Kakarot looked up at Nathan with a serious expression on his face.
"I'll tell you later…"
Nathan stared slightly confused, but knew that, whatever it was, I was extremely hurt by it. He felt his own heart ache when he stood there watching me cry.
Vegeta's gone… but… he's finally at peace… he finally found the happiness he was always searching for… me.
Nathan knelt down next to me and gently petted my back in a soothing gesture. Kakarot held me close; he felt it at that moment, too. He knew Vegeta was dead. He wasn't going to tell the kids, though, at least, not now. He'd wait until they were older and understood better. I held Kakarot tightly as my children cuddled on the floor next to me, Nathan and Kakarot, teary-eyed, not knowing what was wrong with me or if they had done something wrong. I cried for what felt like an eternity.
"I'm sorry, mommy…"
"Hush… Its okay, Goten… You and Rose didn't do anything… Mommy just… lost something that meant a lot to her…"
Kakarot spoke the words calmly towards Rose and Goten. They nodded; weary and still crying, not completely understanding, but Nathan immediately knew what had happened. His eyes went wide at the realization.
The link, between Kakarot, Taylor and Vegeta; it's been shattered somewhere… Vegeta must be dead… Vegeta… died?! Could that really be true?!
Nathan thought, trying hard to stay calm and focused; for the first time in years, he actually felt a little sorry for the depressed and fallen Prince. He more or less worried about me and how this would affect me later on, but that would just have to be something that we all would worry about when it arrived. We all stayed there on the kitchen floor for a long while. I loved the loving embrace of Kakarot, Nathan and my two beautiful children, but… from this moment until the day I pass on to meet Vegeta again, there would always be a small hole in me. The Royals were all gone, Planet Vegeta was overthrown, Earth was destroyed, and… Vegeta was finally at peace.
Even though he would be burning through a flaming abyss of complete inferno, plunging into an eternity of darkness in true Hell; limbo; he still somehow found peace through it. It was all an illusion, and a very beautiful one in his mind. He loved me, cherished me, was there for me; we had children, grew old, and I died in his arms. Then, he'd wake up and I'd be back at the end of that road, past all the fields and trees, in that beautiful wedding dress, waiting for him all over again. He'd never remember what happened, so each experience was a new beginning for him. He spent a lifetime with me, and then again, and again, and again; each one a little more prepossessing than the last. It was a repeat he never wanted to end, and never would.
Maybe, in my mind where all the memories were, that's where that hole would sit, with all the memories I now had again, but that didn't mean anything about my heart. Yes, my heart ached. I loved him in a different way, though; I loved what he could've been and partially who he was; he made me a stronger person, a braver one. He shaped me and helped me grow; even if it was through brutal measures, he did it only because he cared. No matter what he did to me in the past, however, the past was the past, and he would always have a special place in my heart, even if I never truly 'loved' him. No matter what anyone said in the past or says in the future; he would be with me until the day I die, and I see him again; as a new beginning. Somehow, somewhere, some way he always would; for the little things he did; for good in his heart; for the good in him; for him, forever and always.
Until We Meet Again…