The Price of Power 8
By: Kichi
Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ but I wish I did. Don't we all.
Authors note: To Marau-chan. How can I e-mail you if you left no e-mail address? Review this and leave me one.
********
Vegeta sighed. He had to wait twelve hours to fight Zarbon. Apparently the green freak had won his match and now he had to wait. He'd done everything he could think of. He'd eaten until he thought he was going to throw up. He'd trained for a few hours, but he was feeling tired, something he very rarely felt.
"I guess I could sleep." He muttered and made his way to his quarters. He flopped down on the hard mattress and sighed. He kicked off his boots, peeled his gloves and armor off and rolled onto his back, stretching with a groan. He tossed around for a bit, trying to get comfortable enough to sleep, but it was difficult. And when he finally lay sprawled and sweating, he tore off the remainder of his clothing and lay naked. The cool air against his skin was comfort enough, and he quickly fell asleep.
The unpleasant smell of damp air and mold filled his nostrils. Vegeta gasped as he tried to see in the heavy blackness. But it was as if he'd been struck blind. With short, shuffling steps he made his way to the nearest surface, his fingers twitching as they grasped upon rough stone. The sound of his breathing and heartbeat thundered in his ears. He forced himself to stop and calm down. He stood there, holding onto the wall until his breathing had slowed enough for him to hear.
It was then that he heard faint shuffling and snorting. He tried to focus on it but an icy breath of wind seeped through the cave (at least, he thought it was a cave) and his teeth began to chatter and the sounds were shoved into the back ground. He clenched his teeth to keep them from chattering, and then he heard the sounds again. The snorting and the shuffling, only it was louder now. Icy fear filled Vegeta's veins and he didn't know why. He didn't even know what was coming, how could he be afraid? He grew angry and blindly stepped forward into nothingness.
Instantly he was thrown to the ground and a roar of fury made his ears ring. He gasped and tried to gather energy to blast the creature to hell, but nothing happened! it was as if his powers had never existed. Huge, furry claws swiped at him and before he could react a huge, hairy demon with glowing white eyes, a long muzzle with pointed ears, a bushy tail, four legs and razor sharp claws leapt on him. He felt a burning pain in his abdomen and looked down to see his flesh torn and bloody. The claws had torn through his armor! He gasped in horror as the demon bore down, snapping its jaws. He pushed his hands into its throat, desperately trying to keep it away. He felt it's hot breath, the stench of death flowing from the jagged maw, making him want to vomit instantly. He turned his face away for a moment before lashing out with all his strength. With a hoarse cry he leapt to his feet, the demon suddenly nowhere in sight. He ran through the darkness, more afraid than he'd ever been in his life. He only made it a few steps before he was tackled again.
This time the creature was slime over a hard shell. Stick-thin appendages poked and prodded him. Two huge limbs held him in place on either side, and two huge eyes peered into his own. Vegeta didn't even think, he could only react. He kicked the beast as hard as he could and it flipped onto its back, the many small legs flailing wildly. He climbed to his feet and burst into a dead run... Only to run into the hairy demon again. It roared and attacked. Vegeta tried to dodge, but for some reason, his arms and legs suddenly felt like they weighed a hundred pounds each. The demon lunged at him and Vegeta screamed as the fangs sank into his throat.
He awoke with a gasp, his body covered in sweat. He'd never had such a dream in his life as far as he remembered. He tried to calm his wildly beating heart. He had never known such fear. He looked at the time piece on the far wall and groaned when he saw there was still six hours left before his match with Zarbon.
He climbed out of bed and walked around his room, peering out a small window he studied the stars and planets that floated in the cold space. He slumped to his knees and buried his face in the crook of his arm, his elbows resting on the window sill.
Back on Vejiitasei he'd never had such vivid dreams, and they were never so tortured. He'd always dreamt of weird, stupid things, but nothing that ever upset him. He sighed deeply and wondered what the dreams meant. He had never even thought about such a thing before, but now it was all he could think about. He had heard once that dreams were symbolic manifestations of reality, but there had been two monsters not one. And he only knew one monster... Frieza. So what could the other possible represent? He stood and began to pace his room, his feet dragging with each step. He yawned and stretched, he was very tired, but he couldn't even think about sleeping until he figured the dream out. It was as if a small part of his brain was urging the other half to unlock the mystery; he was almost positive that if he did, he would feel better and finally be able to sleep without dreaming.
So who could it be? Who had vexed him enough to worm their way into his dreams? Zarbon? No, it didn't seem right. The green alien did infuriate him, but it was nothing he couldn't deal with. He wondered briefly if he was worried about losing his match to Zarbon, but shook his head with a snort. He went through his mind and tried to think of everyone who had ever pissed him off and deserved to die.
Kuui was not even worth thinking about during the day, much less at night. Dodoria was nothing but a fat, pink ball of shit. He didn't want to kill Nappa or Radditz, something about being the only Saiyan in the universe didn't quite appeal to him and then it suddenly clicked.
He sat down on the edge of his bed, his face a mask of confusion. Was that it? He had always told himself that he didn't care about Vejiitasei, he didn't care if his father was gone along with every other saiyan except himself, Nappa and Radditz. It seemed just his luck that there were no saiyan females left, when the three of them died, that would be it. The greatest warrior race in the universe...gone.. forever. He sighed again, not liking what he was thinking. He felt an ache in his chest but wasn't really surprised when he felt his eyes begin to fill with tears. He cursed himself for being weak, but it sounded hollow. He sat their, tears rolling down his smooth cheeks, his expression blank. He didn't even attempt to reach up and wipe them away. He shook his head and lay down; he grabbed his blanket and curled up, shivering with the knowledge that he was alone. With a sigh, he rolled over, closed his eyes and hoped that he would not dream when he fell asleep again.
Zarbon sat in his room, an hour before the match. He couldn't believe the 'brat prince' had actually made it to Zarbon. He could just see Frieza's wicked smile. Now he had to defeat the boy whose ki had been shooting up after every match since the tournament had begun. Frieza wanted Zarbon to win for the sole purpose of teaching Vegeta another 'lesson'. No matter how good you are, there is always someone better. He smirked. He would show the arrogant prince that it would be the truest thing he'd ever learn.
*************
Vegeta could hardly contain himself. A huge grin was plastered on his face as he waited for the match to begin. Finally he would be able to get back at Zarbon for all the insults and tail-grabbing. He remembered their last confrontation, and his blood began to boil as he recalled the snide remarks and soft, pitying laughter. ::How dare he pity me! I'll tear him apart!!:: He sneered as Zarbon made his way onto the platform, and shook his head in disgust as he politely bowed to the crowd.
"This should be a good match." Cooler said without the slightest hint of interest in his tone. Frieza snorted.
"Zarbon will win. If he fails, he will pay dearly." Cooler smirked at his brother before turning his attention to the fight.
The official raised his hand.
"Begin combat!" he cried. Zarbon darted forward, swinging his fist. Vegeta disappeared and kicked back, the blow catching Zarbon just below the ribs. He landed on his hands and pushed with all his strength, flipping in the air and landing on his feet.
"Very nice, monkey boy." He smiled brushing his hair out of his face. He grinned as Vegeta bristled, his tail fluffed out and lashing and his hair spiking out more wildly than usual. Vegeta leapt forward, kicking and punching, growling in fury as Zarbon blocked every blow. They bounced away from each other and Vegeta forced himself to calm down. ::You not going to win if you allow him to bait you..:: he sternly told himself. Zarbon noticed his internal struggle and laughed inwardly. "What's the matter BOY? In over your head?" Zarbon taunted. Vegeta merely smiled. Zarbon growled. The brat was supposed to get angry, not smile. Vegeta launched himself forward and began another barrage of attacks. Zarbon roared as Vegeta's punches were coming in too fast to block. Several broke through his defense and he staggered back, blood running down his chin from his split lip. He gingerly brought a hand up to his tender lip as Vegeta grinned wildly. "You little bastard!" he hissed and charged. He feinted a high right and as Vegeta ducked he quickly brought his knee up, slamming into Vegeta's midsection. Vegeta grunted and wrapped his arms around Zarbon's thigh and quickly spun and released the green alien who flew several dozen yards, almost crashing into the stands. Zarbon snarled and charged, sending several kicks in Vegeta's direction. He dodged them all and his fist slammed into Zarbon's jaw again. Zarbon fell back and as he did he felt the first glimmer of fear. ::If Vegetable boy wins.. I'm done for:: he thought frantically. With renewed fury he attacked, his fear giving him extra speed and within minutes he had managed to hit Vegeta several times. Many of the attacks struck Vegeta in the chest, he groaned, finding one of his ribs broken. It hurt to breathe, but he ignored the pain and attacked with ferocity.
Zarbon saw Vegeta race forward and suddenly felt two fists slam into his back. He flew forward with a cry, but managed to stop and spin just as Vegeta was closing in for another assault. He quickly spun, his foot catching Vegeta's jaw, spinning him around. Vegeta landed on his hands and feet and pushed himself into the air. He flipped in the air and landed in a crouch, growling low in his throat. Zarbon got in his own defensive stance and for a moment they just stood there, eyeing each other, trying to find a weakness.
Zarbon's face had turned slightly purple and his eye was swelling shut. A definite advantage for Vegeta. But Vegeta was running out of energy and he could feel his broken ribs grinding together. His breath came in short gasps to keep the pain in his chest to a minimal. Vegeta knew he had to attack soon, he raced forward and aimed a kick at Zarbon's face Zarbon caught him by the ankle and pulled with all his strength. Vegeta crashed to the ground, the air rushing from his lungs. ::Idiot!:: he cursed himself, and rolled away from Zarbon's fist as it slammed into the space he'd previously occupied. Zarbon grunted as Vegeta kicked his legs out from underneath him and for a few moments they wrestled on the ground, kicking, punching, and head-butting.
Zarbon rolled on top and brought his hand down to strike Vegeta. Vegeta saw the hand coming and caught it in his own, his leg coming up and kicking. Zarbon's head snapped back and forth as Vegeta's foot repeatedly stuck his chin. The crowd was roaring. Zarbon suddenly screamed in rage.
"You win not defeat me, you little bastard!!" he cried and grabbed Vegeta's tail, his long nails sinking into the flesh. Vegeta's eyes widened at the unexpected pain. His mouth opened to let loose a piercing scream. He thought his tail would be desensitized by now, but apparently it wasn't. He felt the familiar numbness shoot up his spine, followed by the agonizing pain. He writhed in the dirt, his screams dying to pain-filled whimpers. A referee ran forward.
"Let the tail go!" he yelled. Zarbon grinned and gave it another squeeze, earning another cry from Vegeta, before letting go. Vegeta felt the sensation cease. He groaned and staggered to his feet only to feel a pair of fingers jab him in the neck. His knees buckled and he collapsed, darkness overwhelming him.
From his seat in the front row, Frieza scowled.
To be continued.... Please review! I added a whole page to this! I know that's not much, but it's a good addition, at least I think so! ^.^
By: Kichi
Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ but I wish I did. Don't we all.
Authors note: To Marau-chan. How can I e-mail you if you left no e-mail address? Review this and leave me one.
********
Vegeta sighed. He had to wait twelve hours to fight Zarbon. Apparently the green freak had won his match and now he had to wait. He'd done everything he could think of. He'd eaten until he thought he was going to throw up. He'd trained for a few hours, but he was feeling tired, something he very rarely felt.
"I guess I could sleep." He muttered and made his way to his quarters. He flopped down on the hard mattress and sighed. He kicked off his boots, peeled his gloves and armor off and rolled onto his back, stretching with a groan. He tossed around for a bit, trying to get comfortable enough to sleep, but it was difficult. And when he finally lay sprawled and sweating, he tore off the remainder of his clothing and lay naked. The cool air against his skin was comfort enough, and he quickly fell asleep.
The unpleasant smell of damp air and mold filled his nostrils. Vegeta gasped as he tried to see in the heavy blackness. But it was as if he'd been struck blind. With short, shuffling steps he made his way to the nearest surface, his fingers twitching as they grasped upon rough stone. The sound of his breathing and heartbeat thundered in his ears. He forced himself to stop and calm down. He stood there, holding onto the wall until his breathing had slowed enough for him to hear.
It was then that he heard faint shuffling and snorting. He tried to focus on it but an icy breath of wind seeped through the cave (at least, he thought it was a cave) and his teeth began to chatter and the sounds were shoved into the back ground. He clenched his teeth to keep them from chattering, and then he heard the sounds again. The snorting and the shuffling, only it was louder now. Icy fear filled Vegeta's veins and he didn't know why. He didn't even know what was coming, how could he be afraid? He grew angry and blindly stepped forward into nothingness.
Instantly he was thrown to the ground and a roar of fury made his ears ring. He gasped and tried to gather energy to blast the creature to hell, but nothing happened! it was as if his powers had never existed. Huge, furry claws swiped at him and before he could react a huge, hairy demon with glowing white eyes, a long muzzle with pointed ears, a bushy tail, four legs and razor sharp claws leapt on him. He felt a burning pain in his abdomen and looked down to see his flesh torn and bloody. The claws had torn through his armor! He gasped in horror as the demon bore down, snapping its jaws. He pushed his hands into its throat, desperately trying to keep it away. He felt it's hot breath, the stench of death flowing from the jagged maw, making him want to vomit instantly. He turned his face away for a moment before lashing out with all his strength. With a hoarse cry he leapt to his feet, the demon suddenly nowhere in sight. He ran through the darkness, more afraid than he'd ever been in his life. He only made it a few steps before he was tackled again.
This time the creature was slime over a hard shell. Stick-thin appendages poked and prodded him. Two huge limbs held him in place on either side, and two huge eyes peered into his own. Vegeta didn't even think, he could only react. He kicked the beast as hard as he could and it flipped onto its back, the many small legs flailing wildly. He climbed to his feet and burst into a dead run... Only to run into the hairy demon again. It roared and attacked. Vegeta tried to dodge, but for some reason, his arms and legs suddenly felt like they weighed a hundred pounds each. The demon lunged at him and Vegeta screamed as the fangs sank into his throat.
He awoke with a gasp, his body covered in sweat. He'd never had such a dream in his life as far as he remembered. He tried to calm his wildly beating heart. He had never known such fear. He looked at the time piece on the far wall and groaned when he saw there was still six hours left before his match with Zarbon.
He climbed out of bed and walked around his room, peering out a small window he studied the stars and planets that floated in the cold space. He slumped to his knees and buried his face in the crook of his arm, his elbows resting on the window sill.
Back on Vejiitasei he'd never had such vivid dreams, and they were never so tortured. He'd always dreamt of weird, stupid things, but nothing that ever upset him. He sighed deeply and wondered what the dreams meant. He had never even thought about such a thing before, but now it was all he could think about. He had heard once that dreams were symbolic manifestations of reality, but there had been two monsters not one. And he only knew one monster... Frieza. So what could the other possible represent? He stood and began to pace his room, his feet dragging with each step. He yawned and stretched, he was very tired, but he couldn't even think about sleeping until he figured the dream out. It was as if a small part of his brain was urging the other half to unlock the mystery; he was almost positive that if he did, he would feel better and finally be able to sleep without dreaming.
So who could it be? Who had vexed him enough to worm their way into his dreams? Zarbon? No, it didn't seem right. The green alien did infuriate him, but it was nothing he couldn't deal with. He wondered briefly if he was worried about losing his match to Zarbon, but shook his head with a snort. He went through his mind and tried to think of everyone who had ever pissed him off and deserved to die.
Kuui was not even worth thinking about during the day, much less at night. Dodoria was nothing but a fat, pink ball of shit. He didn't want to kill Nappa or Radditz, something about being the only Saiyan in the universe didn't quite appeal to him and then it suddenly clicked.
He sat down on the edge of his bed, his face a mask of confusion. Was that it? He had always told himself that he didn't care about Vejiitasei, he didn't care if his father was gone along with every other saiyan except himself, Nappa and Radditz. It seemed just his luck that there were no saiyan females left, when the three of them died, that would be it. The greatest warrior race in the universe...gone.. forever. He sighed again, not liking what he was thinking. He felt an ache in his chest but wasn't really surprised when he felt his eyes begin to fill with tears. He cursed himself for being weak, but it sounded hollow. He sat their, tears rolling down his smooth cheeks, his expression blank. He didn't even attempt to reach up and wipe them away. He shook his head and lay down; he grabbed his blanket and curled up, shivering with the knowledge that he was alone. With a sigh, he rolled over, closed his eyes and hoped that he would not dream when he fell asleep again.
Zarbon sat in his room, an hour before the match. He couldn't believe the 'brat prince' had actually made it to Zarbon. He could just see Frieza's wicked smile. Now he had to defeat the boy whose ki had been shooting up after every match since the tournament had begun. Frieza wanted Zarbon to win for the sole purpose of teaching Vegeta another 'lesson'. No matter how good you are, there is always someone better. He smirked. He would show the arrogant prince that it would be the truest thing he'd ever learn.
*************
Vegeta could hardly contain himself. A huge grin was plastered on his face as he waited for the match to begin. Finally he would be able to get back at Zarbon for all the insults and tail-grabbing. He remembered their last confrontation, and his blood began to boil as he recalled the snide remarks and soft, pitying laughter. ::How dare he pity me! I'll tear him apart!!:: He sneered as Zarbon made his way onto the platform, and shook his head in disgust as he politely bowed to the crowd.
"This should be a good match." Cooler said without the slightest hint of interest in his tone. Frieza snorted.
"Zarbon will win. If he fails, he will pay dearly." Cooler smirked at his brother before turning his attention to the fight.
The official raised his hand.
"Begin combat!" he cried. Zarbon darted forward, swinging his fist. Vegeta disappeared and kicked back, the blow catching Zarbon just below the ribs. He landed on his hands and pushed with all his strength, flipping in the air and landing on his feet.
"Very nice, monkey boy." He smiled brushing his hair out of his face. He grinned as Vegeta bristled, his tail fluffed out and lashing and his hair spiking out more wildly than usual. Vegeta leapt forward, kicking and punching, growling in fury as Zarbon blocked every blow. They bounced away from each other and Vegeta forced himself to calm down. ::You not going to win if you allow him to bait you..:: he sternly told himself. Zarbon noticed his internal struggle and laughed inwardly. "What's the matter BOY? In over your head?" Zarbon taunted. Vegeta merely smiled. Zarbon growled. The brat was supposed to get angry, not smile. Vegeta launched himself forward and began another barrage of attacks. Zarbon roared as Vegeta's punches were coming in too fast to block. Several broke through his defense and he staggered back, blood running down his chin from his split lip. He gingerly brought a hand up to his tender lip as Vegeta grinned wildly. "You little bastard!" he hissed and charged. He feinted a high right and as Vegeta ducked he quickly brought his knee up, slamming into Vegeta's midsection. Vegeta grunted and wrapped his arms around Zarbon's thigh and quickly spun and released the green alien who flew several dozen yards, almost crashing into the stands. Zarbon snarled and charged, sending several kicks in Vegeta's direction. He dodged them all and his fist slammed into Zarbon's jaw again. Zarbon fell back and as he did he felt the first glimmer of fear. ::If Vegetable boy wins.. I'm done for:: he thought frantically. With renewed fury he attacked, his fear giving him extra speed and within minutes he had managed to hit Vegeta several times. Many of the attacks struck Vegeta in the chest, he groaned, finding one of his ribs broken. It hurt to breathe, but he ignored the pain and attacked with ferocity.
Zarbon saw Vegeta race forward and suddenly felt two fists slam into his back. He flew forward with a cry, but managed to stop and spin just as Vegeta was closing in for another assault. He quickly spun, his foot catching Vegeta's jaw, spinning him around. Vegeta landed on his hands and feet and pushed himself into the air. He flipped in the air and landed in a crouch, growling low in his throat. Zarbon got in his own defensive stance and for a moment they just stood there, eyeing each other, trying to find a weakness.
Zarbon's face had turned slightly purple and his eye was swelling shut. A definite advantage for Vegeta. But Vegeta was running out of energy and he could feel his broken ribs grinding together. His breath came in short gasps to keep the pain in his chest to a minimal. Vegeta knew he had to attack soon, he raced forward and aimed a kick at Zarbon's face Zarbon caught him by the ankle and pulled with all his strength. Vegeta crashed to the ground, the air rushing from his lungs. ::Idiot!:: he cursed himself, and rolled away from Zarbon's fist as it slammed into the space he'd previously occupied. Zarbon grunted as Vegeta kicked his legs out from underneath him and for a few moments they wrestled on the ground, kicking, punching, and head-butting.
Zarbon rolled on top and brought his hand down to strike Vegeta. Vegeta saw the hand coming and caught it in his own, his leg coming up and kicking. Zarbon's head snapped back and forth as Vegeta's foot repeatedly stuck his chin. The crowd was roaring. Zarbon suddenly screamed in rage.
"You win not defeat me, you little bastard!!" he cried and grabbed Vegeta's tail, his long nails sinking into the flesh. Vegeta's eyes widened at the unexpected pain. His mouth opened to let loose a piercing scream. He thought his tail would be desensitized by now, but apparently it wasn't. He felt the familiar numbness shoot up his spine, followed by the agonizing pain. He writhed in the dirt, his screams dying to pain-filled whimpers. A referee ran forward.
"Let the tail go!" he yelled. Zarbon grinned and gave it another squeeze, earning another cry from Vegeta, before letting go. Vegeta felt the sensation cease. He groaned and staggered to his feet only to feel a pair of fingers jab him in the neck. His knees buckled and he collapsed, darkness overwhelming him.
From his seat in the front row, Frieza scowled.
To be continued.... Please review! I added a whole page to this! I know that's not much, but it's a good addition, at least I think so! ^.^