Disclaimer: As if you all were confused the first time, I would be more then happy to tell you again… I do not don not own DBZ, nor have I ever owned it, and those that do, know who they are. Any Questions? No? You sure? Good.

Author's note: Hi there everyone!!! Do to popular demand, I have finally brought to you the Dragon Ball Saga. Here we'll see Bulma and Veggie as young adults in their quest to find the Dragon Balls. Also, as a friendly reminder, there will be some words that might be considered offensive to some people. Words like fag, faggot, and other words will probably appear in this chapter, and through out the rest of the story. I don't want to offend anyone, but if this offends you, then you might want to consider not reading this story anymore. Also… I have never seen the Bardock special or any thing, all I know about it is that Bardock is Goku's dad, and he some how got the ability to see the future, and saw that Goku would become a super Saiyan, and defeat Frieza, and he also saw the destruction of Vejiitasei, and went to warn the Saiyans and Frieza got him and killed him. So please, don't be all pissed off if I don't get it all right. Thanks for reading! ^_~

Trials and Tribulations

By Salsa Kitty

The Dragon Ball Saga

Chapter 7: What the Hell is going on Here!?!

Nine years had passed since the time the great Vegeta no Ouji and Bulma were arranged to be mated, and the universe was going to hell in a hand basket. Frieza was becoming more and more dominant as a universal mega power by the hour, and the results of his ever-growing power was becoming more and more frightening. His business in the planet trade was booming, and many cultures and species of being were becoming extinct. It seemed that by the minute that his power was increasing, and many people feared him because of his strength and cruelty.

Many of the planets that had an allegiance to Vejiitasei, came to the King and demanded that the destruction of their brothers and sisters be stopped. King Vegeta felt that there really was nothing that he could do. He wanted more then anything to stop that fiend in his tracks, but Frieza was so strong. No one could match his physical strength, or his political strength either. It truly did seem that there was no stopping him.

Then, it seemed, that the only hope the people had was Vejiitasei, and that hope almost crumpled to ashes too. One of King Vegeta's strongest elites, a Saiyan by the name of Bardock, had, through some sort of circumstances, achieved the ability to see the future. And in Bardock's vision, he saw that Frieza had grown fearful of the mighty Saiyan race, and had destroyed Vejiitasei. So he went to Vejiitasei, and told the King about his vision. King Vegeta put into action a plan to launch a counter measure against the Frieza. By the time Frieza's fleet of ships came to the Saiyan home world, all of Vejiitasei was on alert, and was ready for battle, something that Frieza was not prepared for.

In King Vegeta's personal quarters, he and Frieza talked for what seemed like hours. Many of his closest elites stood out side his door, waiting for the news to either attack or not. And, after hours of talking, King Vegeta came out and gave Vejiitasei the news, that there would be a treaty between Vejiitasei and Frieza, and that there would be no battle. Many of the citizens of Vejiitasei and her neighboring satellites were outraged by the King's decision, but those that knew the situation best knew that he had done the best thing he could do at that time. Although Vejiitasei had all sorts of advanced weaponry, and had some of the strongest fighters in the universe backing then, none of it could stand a change against Frieza.

And no one knew the price he had to pay in order to keep his people alive…

When Prince Vegeta was 10 years old, his father told him that he must be strong for the Saiyan people, that he must never let Frieza break him, physically or mentally. He told his son that he is the Prince of all Saiyans, and that he is of a noble birth, and to always be proud to be a Saiyan, no matter what happens, he told him to never lose sight of that.

And with these words of advise, he watched as his only son was taken away from him, and sent aboard that tyrants ship, all so that Vejiitasei and her people would be safe, if only for a little while at least.

King Vegeta was always regretful of his decision, even though Vegeta was 15, and had told his father a million times that he understood what his father had to do, and had forgiven him for it, he still felt ashamed of it. He was always looking for a way to take the bastard down. But, it was all in vain it seemed, Frieza could not be stopped.

Until that one day he got a call from someone, who seemed to offer the best plan yet, even though it seemed too far fetched at the time, but as he always remembered Velveeta saying, "Always have faith in the unexplainable…"

~*~*~*~*~

Vegeta laid out on his tiny bed in his quarters on the escort ship. Nappa and Raditz were sharing a bed next to him. Those sick fuckers. Vegeta thought to himself. Nappa and Raditz were Vegeta's Personal Guards, and Vegeta didn't really care what they did on there own time, but it was hitting a gross button with him as he saw then asleep in a tight embrace. Vegeta knew that they were lovers, but still, that didn't mean that he wanted to see them going at it. Oh well… He thought. Nothing could kill his good mood, not even them… He was going home on leave. It had almost a year since he was home on leave, and he was excited to say the least. He missed his home tremendously, and was always living till the time he could be home and among his people again. And her… Bulma, his childhood friend, he missed her too. They hardly ever talked any more. They used to write to each other all the time, but when he had to go into Frieza's army, he was unable to write to her, or to even receive her letters. But, when ever he was home, he would read all the letters that she had written him, even though she knew that he wouldn't receive them until when ever, she still wrote, just to let him know that she was thinking about him. And when he was home, he would write a letter to her. They never saw each other except once, when he was 13. He was on Earth for some military thing, he saw her. He waved to her and she waved back, but they never got to hang out or anything. He smiled to himself. He was looking forward to that too.

Vegeta cuddled up into a ball and watched the ever-flowing stars of space outside his window. He would be home tomorrow. He would be able to sleep in his own bed, and in his own room. He would be among people that respected him, not like how it was on Frieza's ship. Where everyone called you Vegetable head, and stupid monkey, and, because he had to sleep in the same room as Nappa and Raditz, he was always called pretty boy, and faggot. Nothing like that happened at home. He closed his eyes, and welcomed sleep to come and take him.

~*~*~*~*~

King Vegeta and several other Saiyan elites marched to the airlock where their prince's escort ship had arrived and docked. King Vegeta was rather apprehensive; he knew that once he told his son about his new mission, that he would not be at all pleased, actually, he would be more then pissed. He knew how much being home on leave meant to his son, and being sent away on a top secret mission would not make him in the least bit happy. But, once he knew what was up, then he was sure that he would understand that it was for the good of Vejiitasei.

They stood patiently outside the airlock doors, waiting for them to open. They could hear the sounds of air pressure and adjusting metal, then the door opened. Vegeta looked up and saw his father and two other Elites awaiting there arrival. "Vegeta, I trust that you had a fine trip?"

"As fine as it could ever be," Vegeta said as he stepped up to his father and bowed his head.

The King smiled and ruffled his son's hair, "Come, I have much to discuss with you," He said as he looked up at Nappa and Raditz, "You two are dismissed." They nodded and left.

Vegeta and his Father walked up into his father's private office inside the space station, "What are we doing here?" The younger Vegeta asked as he sensed something was not right.

"As I said before Vegeta, we have much to discuss." He opened the door and motioned for his son to go in front of him. The King closed the door and motioned for him to sit.

"What is this about?" Vegeta asked. The King sat across from him in a somber manor.

"I know your not going to like this…"

Vegeta moaned.

"Now, now, now, Vegeta, hear me out." Vegeta lazily looked at his father and waited for him to continue. "I have a mission for you, a mission that might just save Vejiitasei from the clutches of … evil." The King pulled his chair closer to Vegeta. "Now listen to me, this is a top secret mission, and I mean it, this mission could determine the fate of Vejiitasei."

"What is the mission," Vegeta leaned in.

"That… I can not tell you that here," The King looked up, "You have to understand, I can't tell you that: nowhere in this palace is safe from prying ears." The King smiled, "And you will be under the charge of a very good friend of yours."

"A good friend? Who?" Vegeta asked in a very confused voice.

King Vegeta got up and opened a door to one of the extending rooms of the King's office. "This way, my lady," Out came the most beautiful being Vegeta had ever seen.

"… Bulma…?" Vegeta said, stunned.

The blue haired beauty nodded with a smile, "Yes… it's me, Bulma. It's good to see you, Vegeta." She turned to the King, "Uncle, we must hurry, we have to leave in less then an hour!"

"Yes, yes, I know, Vegeta, you must go with Bulma, she will inform you of what's going on once you get there."

"Where?" He said as he stood up.

"Earth." Bulma said mater-of-factly.

"Earth!?! What the hell is on Earth?"

"You'll see once we get there." She grabbed Vegeta by the arm, "I'm sorry about this, but we have to go, like now." She dragged him out of the office.

"What the hell is going on here?" Vegeta said as she pulled him though the metal halls and corridors of the space station, with the King not to far behind, "All I wanted was to spend some nice relaxing time at home, can't you people understand that?"

"Look, I'm sorry 'Geta, but you'll understand once we get there." They finally arrived at the docking bay. "Earth isn't that bad, ya know. Here we are," She pointed to a small petite space cruiser, "That's are ride."

"…That little thing…?" Vegeta asked.

"Yup!" She giggled, "That's the fastest ship around ya know. C'mon, we have to go, before…" She cut off her sentence.

"Before what?" Vegeta asked.

"Nothing, you two have to go now, I'll be waiting for your report." King Vegeta said behind them. Bulma raced to her space ship and opened the door.

"Come on Vegeta, let's go, we don't have any time to spare." Bulma motioned for Vegeta to come over to her.

"Why?" Vegeta said annoyed, "What's the big rush all about? Don't I get time to pack?"

"No," His father said, "you don't, everything you need is inside."

"C'mon!" Bulma gabbed his shoulder and forced him on board. "I'll report to you as soon as I can uncle." She said as she quickly shut the door. She quickly got up and went to the ship controls. "Vegeta, you can sit right here next to me." She pointed to chair that was right next to Bulma's chair. "Hurry." She said as she began to put in the coordinates to Earth. Vegeta sat in the chair as he was directed and quickly latched on his safety belt over his armor. He heard the mission control tell her that they were ready for them to launch. "You ready?" She asked.

"Like I have a choice?" He said sarcastically.

"Mission control, we're ready for launch," She said through the intercom. The countdown began, and the ship took off into outer space.  

Once they were far enough from Vejiitasei's atmosphere and gravity, she turned on the gravity device on the ship and unbuckled herself form here seat. Vegeta fallowed her example.

Bulma stood up and stretched her legs. Vegeta just sat there staring.

"It's been a long time…" Vegeta said. "…I've missed you."

She smiled, "I've missed you too." She looked at him before she pounced on him and wrapped her arms around him in a bear hug. "It's so good to see you 'Geta, I've missed you so much!"

"…I've missed you too…" He said before putting his arms around her too.

She pulled away from the embrace and looked at his face, "You've grown up… You used to be a little boy who I have adventures with… Now… you're grown up."

"Did you think that I would stay a little boy forever?" He asked.

"No… But, I don't think I expected you to grow up."

"You grew up too." He said.

She smiled, "Yeah… I guess I have."  Bulma got up and yawned, "I'm tired, I went all the way from Earth to Vejiitasei, to all the way back again, I'm bushed. I think I'm gonna go to bed. Your room is behind that door, and I'm over there." She pointed at the two rooms over in the back of the tiny bridge. Vegeta got up and looked inside.

"Bulma, there's no clothes or anything." He said to her.

"I know, don't worry, you don't need anything 'cuz we'll be on earth in the morning."

"Morning!?!" Vegeta exclaimed, "It'll take a week to get to earth on the fasted cruiser."

"Not with my new and improved design." She smiled proudly, "This ship can go 4 times as fast as those ships, it's late morning now, and it'll be late morning to late afternoon by the time we get there." She yawned again, "I really wanna catch up and all with what's been going on with you and stuff, but I'm really tired, I'll see you tomorrow 'Geta." And with that she went into her quarters.

Vegeta sat at the controls for a long time, thinking about her. She had really turned into one of the most beautiful persons he had ever known. For some reason, he realized that he was very much attracted to her. His childhood friend of all people! Later, Vegeta went to his room, stripped and got into the tiny bed to go to sleep. If this mission was so important that no one would talk about it with him, then he decided that it would probably require all of his strengths, so he decided to rest. And waited to see what tomorrow would bring.

Author's notes: I know I know! This chapter sucks ass, but listen, it sets up a lot of background for what happens later, trust me on this. And I' SOOOOOOO SORRY that I didn't update this when I said that I would, you see, I don't get to update as often as I would like, and that's because this is my family's computer, either my Dad's on it, or my bro's using the phone line, or my mom say's I can't use the computer 'cuz I'm 18 and I need to get off my ass and get a job… It sucks being 18 and having no job… it really does…

Reviewer responses:

Callie: Hehe, thanks, and yes, Goku and Chi Chi play a big role in the story, but that's much later on.

Moonsaiyanprincess: Yes, you are my loyal fan (^.~) I'm sorry I don't update it as often as I would like, but I really try my best!

Adbzfan: Thanks ^_~

Sephoria: Hehe, thanks ^.~

______: Ummm I don't if that was a flame or what…. ^_~?

Please read and review, it gives me motivation when I get reviews!!! And toi all you reviewers, I LOVE YOU!!!!! (Salsa Kitty gives them all a big hug and lots of kisses)