"Was it a good battle?" asked Trunks.
"If it had been a good battle, it wouldn't have ended so quickly. Stupid Fratens and Sororins. They're always at each other's backs," grumbled Vegeta.
Trunks sat down beside his father on the bed.
"When are we going back to Fridga?"
"Tomorrow. Now I'm going to wash up. You get ready for dinner."
Vegeta left Trunks, who had never been in his father's room alone before. He waited a few minutes, then wandered over to a certain box on his father's table. He had asked Vegeta what the box held several years ago, but his father had not allowed him to access it. Trunks glanced over his shoulder, then began to fiddle with the hooked clasp. Finally, Trunks opened it and removed one of the two objects. It was a photograph of a young woman with puffed blue hair and a striped shirt. Her eyes were bright blue and friendly. She was laughing. For a moment, the woman looked familiar to Trunks, but he couldn't remember ever seeing her. Trunks stared at the picture for several moments, then picked up the other treasure, a piece of paper. The top read:
Capsule Corporation, from the desk of Bulma Briefs
After the bold letterhead, the memo was written in blue ink. Trunks had trouble reading the language, but he was able to make it out, more or less. It said:
Vegeta, remember to rest today, you're not fully recovered. I put some painkillers in your gravity machine. Take two every four hours. I think you should sleep inside tonight. That way, I'll be right here if you need anything.
Yours, Bulma.
Trunks carefully put the photograph and memo away. He headed towards his room to get dressed for dinner. Who was this Bulma person? Why did his father, who teased him for saving sketches that Curae had made for him, keep her picture and note? Trunks wondered if his father could possibly be in love with this woman, just like King Nonignis was now in love with Queen Helada, his bride. Trunks knew he could never ask his father about Bulma. The box was strictly forbidden.
Soon, Trunks and Vegeta were back on Planet Fridga. The planet had become their "home base." The two always stayed in King Nonignis' palace if there were no battles going on or if Vegeta was injured enough to need time off for resting and recuperating, which was rare. Nonignis was very fond of them. He gave them servants and let them live in the palace and dine with him.
That night in their chambers, Vegeta woke up in a cold sweat. At first, he hoped it was only a bad dream, but then he felt Goku's ki. The other Saiyan had been wished back to life. Vegeta realized that when Goku found out about how he had kidnaped Trunks, he'd waste no time in tracking down his ki and teleporting into the palace.
Trunks was dreaming about the lady, Bulma, from the picture.
"Come on, Trunks," she said smiling, "let's go home."
He saw himself running into her open arms and being lifted. She hugged him close and kissed his cheek. Then he really was being lifted.
"Papa..." he murmured.
"Shhh..." Vegeta told him.
Vegeta carried his son into their living room and sat down on the soft couch. Trunks felt himself being wrapped in warm blankets. He lay down and rested his head against his father's thigh. The boy looked up at his father's face and noticed his troubled expression.
"Papa, what's wrong?"
"Nothing. Just go back to sleep."
Goku arrived within the hour. He teleported directly in front of Vegeta, glaring darkly.
"Long time no see, Kakarrot," Vegeta greeted cooly.
"Vegeta, how could you? To do this to Bulma!"
Trunks stirred and wiggled out from under the blankets. When he saw Goku, he gasped and grabbed his father's shoulder.
"Papa, who is that?"
Goku's expression softened slightly when he saw the young boy.
"His name is Kakarrot," replied Vegeta, "he is also a Saiyan. What do you want from me, Kakarrot?"
"I'm going to return Trunks to Bulma. She deserves to see her son after so many years." He turned to Trunks, "Bulma is your mother."
Trunks said nothing. He remembered his dream, the photograph, the note. Somewhere in his memory, he remembered two men speaking.
"What would have happened to the boy if Vegeta died?"
"He has a mother on Earth."
Trunks felt himself trembling.
"Bulma's a lunatic. She tried to kill me."
"Bulma wouldn't! Don't tell me that!"
"Don't be so plebeian!"
Trunks pulled his blanket around himself more tightly. He asked his father in the Saiyan language what was going to happen. Goku stiffened.
"Can't he speak our language?" he asked.
"He can speak and read a little of it. That was the Saiyan language. He knows several others."
"Trunks," began Goku, "can you understand me?"
The boy nodded silently.
"Would you like to meet your mother? You can see the planet you were born on. Wouldn't that be nice?" urged Goku.
"Bulma...is my mother? She's a human?"
"Yes, she is. She is very lonely. You are her only child."
"She could have adopted," Vegeta said darkly. "If I hadn't taken Trunks, she would have. Besides, Bulma has lots of friends."
"All those friends loved you very much," Goku told Trunks, "you'll have one large family. And my son, Goten, is seven, just a year younger than you are! I'm sure you'd be great friends. Do you have any friends here?"
Trunks swallowed.
"King Nonignis is my friend, and so is Aristoi, my dragon."
"You have a dragon?" Goku asked. "My older son Gohan kept a dragon when he was little. You know what? We have a big dragon on Earth called Shen Lon. He grants wishes."
"Aristoi is an Heladon dragon. Heladon dragons live here on Fridga."
"I can teleport you and Aristoi to Earth immediately."
"What about Papa?"
"I haven't given my permission!" protested Vegeta.
"Give Trunks the choice," suggested Goku. "He's a big boy."
Trunks turned away from his father. He was curious to see his mother and Earth.
"I...I want to go," Trunks stammered, "but only if Papa comes," he added quickly.
Goku looked at Vegeta.
"Fine. I'll go. But only for short visit. Then both of us will come back to Fridga."
Vegeta couldn't make eye contact with his son as they prepared. An hour ago, he and his son had been resting peacefully in their luxurious rooms, and he'd had his son to himself. Now he was about to risk losing his son forever to the human woman from his past. He didn't want to meet Bulma again. His left arm began to ache as he remembered the gravity machine incident.
Vegeta capsulized their immense spaceship and stable hands led out his son's pure white dragon, Aristoi. King Nonignis came out to bid them farewell. He shook Vegeta's hand.
"Are you alright?" he asked the prince, "you're pale."
"I'm fine."
The king gave Trunks a bag of gourmet pastries. As they got in position for teleporting, Trunks snuck a glance at his father's face. He was worried. Vegeta looked very weary.
"Are you ready?" asked Goku cheerfully.
"Y-yes," replied Trunks.
"If it had been a good battle, it wouldn't have ended so quickly. Stupid Fratens and Sororins. They're always at each other's backs," grumbled Vegeta.
Trunks sat down beside his father on the bed.
"When are we going back to Fridga?"
"Tomorrow. Now I'm going to wash up. You get ready for dinner."
Vegeta left Trunks, who had never been in his father's room alone before. He waited a few minutes, then wandered over to a certain box on his father's table. He had asked Vegeta what the box held several years ago, but his father had not allowed him to access it. Trunks glanced over his shoulder, then began to fiddle with the hooked clasp. Finally, Trunks opened it and removed one of the two objects. It was a photograph of a young woman with puffed blue hair and a striped shirt. Her eyes were bright blue and friendly. She was laughing. For a moment, the woman looked familiar to Trunks, but he couldn't remember ever seeing her. Trunks stared at the picture for several moments, then picked up the other treasure, a piece of paper. The top read:
Capsule Corporation, from the desk of Bulma Briefs
After the bold letterhead, the memo was written in blue ink. Trunks had trouble reading the language, but he was able to make it out, more or less. It said:
Vegeta, remember to rest today, you're not fully recovered. I put some painkillers in your gravity machine. Take two every four hours. I think you should sleep inside tonight. That way, I'll be right here if you need anything.
Yours, Bulma.
Trunks carefully put the photograph and memo away. He headed towards his room to get dressed for dinner. Who was this Bulma person? Why did his father, who teased him for saving sketches that Curae had made for him, keep her picture and note? Trunks wondered if his father could possibly be in love with this woman, just like King Nonignis was now in love with Queen Helada, his bride. Trunks knew he could never ask his father about Bulma. The box was strictly forbidden.
Soon, Trunks and Vegeta were back on Planet Fridga. The planet had become their "home base." The two always stayed in King Nonignis' palace if there were no battles going on or if Vegeta was injured enough to need time off for resting and recuperating, which was rare. Nonignis was very fond of them. He gave them servants and let them live in the palace and dine with him.
That night in their chambers, Vegeta woke up in a cold sweat. At first, he hoped it was only a bad dream, but then he felt Goku's ki. The other Saiyan had been wished back to life. Vegeta realized that when Goku found out about how he had kidnaped Trunks, he'd waste no time in tracking down his ki and teleporting into the palace.
Trunks was dreaming about the lady, Bulma, from the picture.
"Come on, Trunks," she said smiling, "let's go home."
He saw himself running into her open arms and being lifted. She hugged him close and kissed his cheek. Then he really was being lifted.
"Papa..." he murmured.
"Shhh..." Vegeta told him.
Vegeta carried his son into their living room and sat down on the soft couch. Trunks felt himself being wrapped in warm blankets. He lay down and rested his head against his father's thigh. The boy looked up at his father's face and noticed his troubled expression.
"Papa, what's wrong?"
"Nothing. Just go back to sleep."
Goku arrived within the hour. He teleported directly in front of Vegeta, glaring darkly.
"Long time no see, Kakarrot," Vegeta greeted cooly.
"Vegeta, how could you? To do this to Bulma!"
Trunks stirred and wiggled out from under the blankets. When he saw Goku, he gasped and grabbed his father's shoulder.
"Papa, who is that?"
Goku's expression softened slightly when he saw the young boy.
"His name is Kakarrot," replied Vegeta, "he is also a Saiyan. What do you want from me, Kakarrot?"
"I'm going to return Trunks to Bulma. She deserves to see her son after so many years." He turned to Trunks, "Bulma is your mother."
Trunks said nothing. He remembered his dream, the photograph, the note. Somewhere in his memory, he remembered two men speaking.
"What would have happened to the boy if Vegeta died?"
"He has a mother on Earth."
Trunks felt himself trembling.
"Bulma's a lunatic. She tried to kill me."
"Bulma wouldn't! Don't tell me that!"
"Don't be so plebeian!"
Trunks pulled his blanket around himself more tightly. He asked his father in the Saiyan language what was going to happen. Goku stiffened.
"Can't he speak our language?" he asked.
"He can speak and read a little of it. That was the Saiyan language. He knows several others."
"Trunks," began Goku, "can you understand me?"
The boy nodded silently.
"Would you like to meet your mother? You can see the planet you were born on. Wouldn't that be nice?" urged Goku.
"Bulma...is my mother? She's a human?"
"Yes, she is. She is very lonely. You are her only child."
"She could have adopted," Vegeta said darkly. "If I hadn't taken Trunks, she would have. Besides, Bulma has lots of friends."
"All those friends loved you very much," Goku told Trunks, "you'll have one large family. And my son, Goten, is seven, just a year younger than you are! I'm sure you'd be great friends. Do you have any friends here?"
Trunks swallowed.
"King Nonignis is my friend, and so is Aristoi, my dragon."
"You have a dragon?" Goku asked. "My older son Gohan kept a dragon when he was little. You know what? We have a big dragon on Earth called Shen Lon. He grants wishes."
"Aristoi is an Heladon dragon. Heladon dragons live here on Fridga."
"I can teleport you and Aristoi to Earth immediately."
"What about Papa?"
"I haven't given my permission!" protested Vegeta.
"Give Trunks the choice," suggested Goku. "He's a big boy."
Trunks turned away from his father. He was curious to see his mother and Earth.
"I...I want to go," Trunks stammered, "but only if Papa comes," he added quickly.
Goku looked at Vegeta.
"Fine. I'll go. But only for short visit. Then both of us will come back to Fridga."
Vegeta couldn't make eye contact with his son as they prepared. An hour ago, he and his son had been resting peacefully in their luxurious rooms, and he'd had his son to himself. Now he was about to risk losing his son forever to the human woman from his past. He didn't want to meet Bulma again. His left arm began to ache as he remembered the gravity machine incident.
Vegeta capsulized their immense spaceship and stable hands led out his son's pure white dragon, Aristoi. King Nonignis came out to bid them farewell. He shook Vegeta's hand.
"Are you alright?" he asked the prince, "you're pale."
"I'm fine."
The king gave Trunks a bag of gourmet pastries. As they got in position for teleporting, Trunks snuck a glance at his father's face. He was worried. Vegeta looked very weary.
"Are you ready?" asked Goku cheerfully.
"Y-yes," replied Trunks.