The Fall of the Kold-jin Empire, [previously Diamonds are a Saiya-Jin's Best Friend] Part Five

A/N Well, ummm, i can't believe i'm actually writing again. i wrote that's it, and everyone
seemed to think i meant of the story which was fine, but it wasn't what i had in mind, so i left
it for a while, 'till i'd finished this new story i was working on. anyways, now i'm back, and i
have coke [coca cola] chocolate [breakaway, so fatty, but SO irresistable] and star trek [voyager]
YAY! So i've decided to write some more. Because of the break, i'll stop now, and just get into
the story before i decide to leave it for "another day"...i'll think of this tomorrow. god that
book was sad, no *shakes head* sorry-- the story.

~ ~ This means thoughts

** This means emphasis

= = This means telepathic thoughts

=================================================================================================
Previously on the fall of the kold-jin empire..........
=================================================================================================

"Have the other saiya-jins aboard achieved the correct power level for what you wish."

"They have, however, there are still a few things I have to get ready. We shall all go and speak to Furiza about purging missions tomorrow, he does not know we know about Vegeta-sei."

=================================================================================================
Vegeta and Zorn began to make their way to Vegeta's chambers when they were interrupted by Goku.

"Ouji-Sama, I believe today is the day we were to talk to Furiza."
"If I cannot trust a saiya-jin from day to day, how am I to trust him on the battlefield?"
"Why can't you trust me, then, Ouji-Sama?"
Vegeta gave him a look so cold and full of contempt, Goku was tempted to drop his gaze.
"I think we both know why, Kakkarot."
"I don't."
"I'll have nothing with traitors, and I'll have even less to do with liars and cowards."
Goku walked away worried, and utterly perplexed. What was it that he had done to so anger the prince?

=================================================================================================
"I believe I was summoned by you, Furiza-sama."

"Hai, I have arranged the list of planets to purge."

"Zorn, a problem has arisen."

Said Vegeta handing him the offending list. Zorn audibly gasped on reading it.

"What shall we do, Ouji-Sama? "

"Nothing, there is nothing to do. We'll just have evacuate the Yalai-jins to New Vegeta-sei with us."

=================================================================================================
Then she turned her eyes back to Vegeta, watching his face fade and then disappear into the black surrounding him. She was dead.

Vegeta stood up, shaking noticeably, he had not, for the first time in his life, the faintest control over himself. He picked her up, and silently, without a glance at anyone else, turned and half ran, half stumbled, back to the ship. Once there he placed her in a regeneration tank, he watched her float slowly and peacefully through the healing liquids. But there was no way to heal the dead.

=================================================================================================

And now......onto the NEW parts of the story [aside from the title].....

=================================================================================================

"Let me in, I have a right to see her."

Zorn glared coldly at Goku.

"This is Ouji-Sama's ship, you have no rights but those he sees fit to grant you."

"I've known Bulma far longer than he has, I deserve to at least see her."

"Leave now, I will not let you disturb the Prince until *he* is ready."

Coku sighed and walked back down the corridor, defeated. He and Zorn had almost the exact same conversation every day. He knew he should leave Vegeta to his mourning, but he too needed closure. With another sigh and a shrug of his shoulders, he turned the corner, and headed toward his chambers to talk with Chi Chi.

.......Meanwhile, in 'The Room'....

He watched her, as he'd watched her for days, as he would watch her for days. She looked so at peace, almost.....happy. But the breath was gone from her beautiful body, and the fire was gone from her beautiful eyes. She seemed so alive, floating in the healing liquids, so natural, until you noticed her unnaturally still eyes, or if you were saiya-jin, realised she had no ki to sense. He let his head drop into his hands. How had he let it come to this?! How was it that she was floating there now, her diamond necklace still adorning her neck, her blue hair still framing her perfect face, yet never to speak again. Never to walk again. Never to breathe again. With a deep breath, he slowly raised his face to look on her one last time before returning to his duties. He had a war to plan, and sitting here in front of her was not going to get him any closer to winning it. Besides the image of her floating lifelessly in the tank was carved into his conscience, and no matter what he did, or where he went, that was exactly where it was going to stay. Vegeta liked it that way. It pained him, but it was still her, it was still his Bulma. Slowly, and without taking his gaze from her, he raised himself from the chair. He stood there in silent contemplation for a few moments, until, with no small effort, he ripped his gaze from her, and without any change in his forlorn, pained expression, hit the button in the middle of the panel to the left of the door, opening it. He turned, and watched her disappear from view as the doors slid closed. On turning to head down the hallway, to the control chamber, [to see Zorn,] he saw him standing not a metre from him.
Zorn, [with wisdom born of years fighting next to the Prince,] did not mention Bulma, all he said was;
"We are approximately three hours from the first planet on the list Furiza gave you."
Vegeta, although grateful to Zorn for his understanding simply nodded and continued on his way to the control chamber. As he progressed further through the well known layout, [he had been on many purging missions, and all Furiza's ships of this size had exactly the same layout,] his eyes began to glaze over. Left turn.... he was seeing Bulma for the first time again, turn left again, she was smiling at him, right turn, she was glaring at him, however there was a sparkle in her eye which told him she was not as annoyed with him as she'd have him believe....right turn, straight ahead... she was resting her perfectly shaped head on his chest, as they lay side by side.
"VEGETA!!"
The glazed look in his eyes was instantly replaced by anger, with flecks of pain clearly visible to anyone with the bravery [or stupidity] to look into his eyes long enough for it to become apparent. His gaze became even angrier as he realised it was Kakkarot who dared to interrupt his reflctions.
"What! Do *you* want?!"
then, receiving no answer, he added, [dripping with sarcastic sweetness],
"Son-kun?"
Goku just stood in front of him, his confusion painted all over his face. So, Vegeta was *still* angry with him. So angry he hadn't demanded Goku pay him the proper respect due from a saiya-jin to his prince by calling him, or referring to him as "Ouji-Sama" or something similar.
"I wanted to know if you were feeling okay."
"That. Is none of your business, soldier. However, if you wish to improve my day, might I suggest seeing to it that you develop some life threatening illness or other."
"That's it! What is wrong with you?! And it isn't because of...."
Coku paused, hesitating to say her name due to the pain he knew it would cause Vegeta as well as himself,
"Bulma."
Vegeta interjected in a monotone. Goku was slightly surprised, but nodded, and continued,
"because of Bulma, because you were angry at me before......"
Once again, he hesitated,
"Before I killed her."
Vegeta once again interjected in a monotone.
"Before she died."
Goku answered him almost sternly.
It was a small comfort to Vegeta, that not everyone realised it was *he* who had killed her, in spirit as well as in body, so, he decided to answer Goku's question. It would be good to yell at someone anyway,
"I am not angry with you. I am completely indifferent to you, men like you are not worth my time, but since you insist on keeping up this charade of ignorance, I shall tell you. The reason I am *in-diff-er-ent* to you is because of what you..... because of what she...... because you formed a bond with my mate!"
Goku's confusion cleared completely from his face, and Vegeta noticed a small sparkle of amusement in his eye.
"I suppose it's incredibly amusing to you, just as it was probably incredibly amusing to her to watch me fawn over her like a damn lap dog."
"Did she, or did she not die from love of you?"
"She died because of me, not because of love of me."
"Vegeta, we never bonded, and I have no idea what you're talking about. I would never to that to you, and neither would Bulma."
Had Goku not known of the days Vegeta had spent watching Bulma, not eating, of the hours of torment he had undergone on her behalf, he would have told Vegeta it was an insult to her as well as her memory to asume she could or would do something like that to him, however, he saw Vegeta's burden of pain was quite enough without him adding to it.
"I saw you....biting her."
Goku looked puzzled for a second, then, recognition sparkling in his eyes, he asked,
"Do you mean in her science lab."
"I'm sure you're having fun, but I'm not, so please stop wasting my time. Of course I mean in her science lab, and don't even try telling me you don't remember bonding with her."
"Vegeta, we weren't bonding"
"No, of course you weren't. I mean, there are HUNDREDS of other things you could've been doing, for instance..... no, on second thought...i can't think of a single one."
"Godammnit, Vegeta! WE. WERE. NOT. BONDING! SHE WAS UPSET BECAUSE *YOUR* PLANET WAS DESTROYED AND THERE WAS NOTHING *YOU* COULD DO ABOUT IT. I WAS COMFORTING HER!"
Vegeta was not quite sure how to respond to this. Of course he knew they hadn't bonded, he had believed Goku the first time he'd told him, but Vegeta had wanted to know what *was* happening, and that was the only way his proud would allow. Unsure of what to do, Vegeta, finally giving up on trying to come up with a reply, just snorted disbelievingly, and stalked off to find Zorn.
After stalking around the ship for a while, trying to find Zorn, Vegeta finally gave up;
=Zorn, state your current position.=
Keeping his voice cold, so as not to betray the drastic improvement in his spirits since his "chat" with Goku, quite aside from being rightfully ashamed of such a weak pathetic sentiment as happiness, Vegeta felt incredibly guilty about being happy about anything, with Bulma floating lifelessly in the regeneration tank.
=The Regeneration chamber, Ouji-Sama.=
Zorn answered, Vegeta, quite aware Vegeta would be extremely annoyed to say the least, but still, not sounding afraid or apologetic. Vegeta's expression darkened instantly. Without even a growl of anger, Vegeta was speeding toward the Regeneration Chamber. He only just controlled himself enough to actually open the door, rather than blast through it. Before it even opened, he had begun yelling at Zorn,
"Zorn, dammnit, what the hell are you doing in herehere. I gave you explicit instuctions to guard it, but under no circumstances to ENTER!"
Finally having stopped yelling enough to register exactly what was going on, Vegeta stopped dead. He was beyond anger. Zorn had taken Bulma out of the regeneration tank, and was unfastening her necklace. He spluttered in anger. Zorn rose, and opening his mouth to speak, but Vegeta, finally having regained his self control spoke first,
"How dare you touch her. As of this instant, you are confined to your quarters. Nappa will stand guard over the Regeneration Chamber."
Vegeta intented to go on, but seemed to change his mind. He lowered his voice, [both in frequency and volume,] and, fixing Zorn with his coldest glare said simply;
"Get out of my sight, soldier."
"Ouji-Sama, I've just been with Goku, he was examining some of Bulma's possesions she left him with. There was a video, it told us to examine the necklace."
Vegeta snorted his disbelief, but otherwise remained motionless. His cold glare on Zorn, daring him to speak again. Zorn realised it was pointless to talk to Vegeta at the moment, but vowed to himself to explain himself to Vegeta as soon as possible.
As soon as Zorn had left the Chamber, Vegeta called for Nappa, and Radditz, instructing Radditz to bring food. They arrived in due time. Vegeta instructed Nappa to stand guard outside the foor, then beckoned Radditz to come closer, and give him the food. Having taken the food, Vegeta dismissed Radditz with a wave of his hand. As Radditz was leaving, Vegeta called him back, intending to instruct him to send Goku in so he could ask him about what Zorn had said. He decided against it, however. In a matter of minutes they would be arriving at Laskfoi-sei, and he wanted to spend all of that time with his Bulma.

=================================================================================================

A/N: Yes, yes, I know I said I'd try to make it longer, but the " 'ness" wouldn't work unless it was after they purged Laskofei-sei, and I still have more to plan about the purging of Laskofei-sei, SO you shall just have to wait [I'm sure you won't be able :: sarcastic laughter::] anyways, yes, goodbye. Please R/R [well, you've already read, please review.]
For now, I bid you adieu,
~~B-Chan