Bloodlines 5
Disclaimer: Dragon Ball Z and Sailor Moon belong to someone other than me, and I make no money from this work of fanfiction.
Months had passed since that first, awful night, and Serenity was curled up in her quarters.
Outside was the red, desolate landscape of Vegetasei. Serenity stared at it blankly, her arms wrapped around her swollen belly.
"Why, Bardock?" she whispered, rocking back and forth in her window seat. Why had he saved her? She could feel him still, even though he was on the other side of the galaxy. Even as her world had changed, she could sense the confusion that had rocked his world. Suddenly, the solid and unchanging universe didn't exist, and in its place was a puzzle box neither really understood.
She shivered. For all that she had been taught to revere life, the thought of whose child this was sent chills down her spine.
"I wish I could be rid of it," she muttered, making sure it was too quiet for the monitors to pick up. Ever since her failed attempt at suicide, she had been under constant watch. Bowing her head, hot tears once again fell down her face, splashing against her curled up knees.
Her hands shook and she cried herself to sleep, once again…
~*~*~*~*~*~
"Hi!" said a cheerful voice, and Serenity didn't know where she was.
Looking around, she found she was somewhere… green. Her eyes widened as she saw the thick grass beneath her feet, almost screaming with joy. It seemed like forever since she had seen grass!
She blinked, realizing she was wearing a totally ridiculous outfit- a pleated skirt, which went past her knees, a long sleeved blouse with a big bow in the middle and a Sailor collar.
"I looked better in the Saiya-jin armor…" she heard herself say, and looked up when she realized someone was speaking to her.
"Bardock? BARDOCK!" she yelled, and ran to him, wrapping her arms around him and crying into his chest.
"Miss? Miss, my name's not Bardock. It's Son Goku," she heard him say gently. "But, I think Vegeta said he had been my father…"
She looked up, sniffing, and blinked, and narrowed her eyes in disbelief.
"Are you Raditz, then?" It had to be, because Bardock had two sons, and Turles had been sent away as soon as he had been born, which was barely four months again.
"Me? No, I don't have near enough hair. Both he, and Vegeta, called me Kakarrot," the young man told her.
Serenity was taken aback, and tilted her head to the side. No… This person looked just like Bardock, save his lack of a scar on his face. His skin was paler- his eyes, his eyes were softer, the look of a person who had been loved his whole life, and given it back to the world. Someone who loved life itself. What Bardock could have, should have been.
She blinked at the name. "How can you be his son?"
The young man scratched his head and smiled. "Well, Prince Vegeta said I was sent off planet right before Vegetasei was destroyed. Um, lemme think… Oh, yeah, I was born a few days before that!"
Serenity blinked. Then blinked again.
The innocence in his face…
"Where were you sent?"
"Earth!" he said happily.
Thoughts flew rapidly through her mind as absurd conclusions, conclusions she KNEW were right, came forward.
"Who was your mother?" she asked softly.
"Um, I don't know. Vegeta never mentioned that."
Serenity found herself smiling now, and put a hand to his cheek.
"I'm sure she would be very proud of you," she whispered.
"I hope so," Goku said seriously, and looked sad. "I wish I could have known them both."
"They are, Kakarrot, they are," she said, and kissed his cheek, stepping away from him. The young man stared at her.
"Hey, where're you-"
~*~*~*~*~
Serenity awoke, suddenly, feeling something kindle where she thought was only ashes left in her soul.
Vegeta no Ou had not won. This child was NOT his…
It was Bardock's.
An act of will was all that kept her from laughing in joy, hugging herself all the tighter. Wonder filled her. That young man, he'd been everything she could have wished- she'd sensed his strength, his love of life… A perfect, wonderful blending of a Saiya-jin's strength, and a Lunarian's purity and love.
He'd also told her what would happen. Somehow, Vegetasei would be destroyed. Those thoughts left an odd, dead feeling inside her. She didn't mourn- not after what this world done to her- but that all the potential of this place had been wasted. That was where the tragedy lied.
The news of her own death didn't disturb her in the least. Her physical death was only a matter of time. She'd stopped living after the destruction of her home.
"At least I know what to name you…" she whispered softly, and rubbed her belly, sudden love welling up inside her. Funny, now that she wasn't fighting it, it was so wonderful to love what her body housed.
"I can't tell anyone, either," she said, in the language of the Moon and barely moving her lips.
"Bardock…" she heard herself sigh, and once again, looked at the bleak and unforgiving landscape outside her window. "I wish you knew what was going on… I wish I could save you…"
~*~*~*~*~
"I should kill you, you know," said a young, high-pitched voice from behind her. Turning, Serenity saw Vegeta no Ouji standing there, arms crossed, his perpetual scowl making his young face old.
"Why? I have done nothing to you," she answered, attempting to keep her face neutral.
"You are polluting are bloodline," he said, his frown deepening. "You are creating my replacement. Father will devote his attention to his new son, and forget about me…" he muttered that last bit, like he was ashamed…
Serenity stood there for a moment, shock warring with anger and sadness. This boy had been all but abandoned, allowed only to visit the world of his birth, with a father who obviously didn't give a damn…
How could she hate him? Pity welled up instead, for a child who had had his innocence stripped away.
"Killing me won't change what your father did to you. I am no longer alive; all I do is carry this child within me. I don't want to hate you- and I don't want you to hate me. I had no more choice in this than you did, when you were given to Furiza."
That last part had struck a nerve. Vegeta's head had snapped up and his eyes had widened impossibly. For a moment, he was no longer the Prince of All Saiya-jins, but a lost and lonely, hurting little boy.
Dammit, it just wasn't fair. Why did he have to suffer? How old was he? Three? Five? He couldn't be any older, despite the age of his eyes. The poor baby…
She didn't know where the impulse came from. She didn't know why, but she got down on a knee and spread her arms to him, eyes pleading with him to accept what she was offering- comfort, and a sanctuary from the universe, at least for a moment.
It looked like for a moment she had succeeded. The boy had taken one step towards her, and shifted his weight to take another. His lip trembled- and he turned and ran.
Serenity stared at the boy's back, tears filling her own eyes. Bowing her head, she curled her arms around her middle, and stood there, wishing there was more she could do.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Time had a strange effect on a person, when one had nothing really to live for. The moment seemed to stretch forever, but at the same time, days, weeks, months, seemed to speed up.
She had barely been showing the last time she had seen the Ouji, the next time, she was wandering the halls of the palace. It was one of the few things she had the freedom to do, because there was pretty much no way she could hurt herself.
Sometimes she had wandered into the training halls. It was interesting to watch, part of her noted, but that was in the gyms of the lower level fighters. First class and elites had lost much of their playfulness, and devoted themselves to nothing but getting stronger.
Yet again, she had found her way there, and heard a familiar voice.
Looking down, she was in one of the upper tiers of the stadium, and sat. The boy was incredible to watch…
Blinking, she saw the face of the young man he was sparring against, and that he looked…
"Raditz, is that the best you can do?" sneered the Prince, and Serenity stared, what had happened clicking in her head.
"Bardock's eldest?" she muttered, peering down at him. He DID have a lot of hair…
It was currently in a tail, hanging down his back as he fought, and she could see the training his father had given him, and she smiled faintly.
"My son will be a great warrior someday," she murmured, oddly happy. "A true champion of Justice, and love…"
She watched for a long time- she really had little else to do, but started to note something odd. The little Prince seemed to have dark splotches all over him. Purpling bruises and gold spots, along with pale lines covered his skin.
Scars.
She clenched her teeth, nails digging into her hands from where her hands had curled into fists.
Then something entered the gym. Something evil.
Looking down, an odd, purple, pink and white creature, tiny and frail looking, with horns and a tail entered, flanked by a blue green alien, and puffer fish looking one. All movement stopped with their entry.
The gym had been pretty much abandoned to the prince and Raditz, but even the few remaining watchers scurried away when they saw aliens enter. They knew what was coming, even if Serenity did not.
The delicate seeming creature walked over to the Prince, who gamely stood his ground.
"Well done, little monkey," he cooed, patting his spiky hair. "Soon you will be ready for full time service to me…"
Serenity watched, confused, as Vegeta went pale. Fear radiated off him in waves, though valiantly he tried to hide it.
"Shall we see how far you have improved?" The monster leered at the little boy, who got into a fighting stance. She noticed that he was quick to tuck his tail away.
Serenity swallowed hard, her mouth going dry as she watched the youngster get toyed with, driven beyond his strength- and then beaten to an inch with his life. Blood stained the floor, making the once brilliant white surface an ugly red.
"This has to stop, he'll kill him," she whispered, shaking with fear. There had to be something she could do…
Then the monster was looming over the semi-conscious Prince, licking his lips in a way that turned Serenity's blood cold- because it reminded her of the way that King Vegeta had looked at her…
Without though, she had summoned the Silver Crystal, and willed the Furiza creature away.
He was thrown back, and looked around, not seeing or sensing the Lunar energy that pushed him away from the injured boy.
"What the hell?" Furiza screamed, looking around, wondering what power could possibly have thwarted him.
He looked up, and the only person to be paying any attention to him, was a girl, who was staring furiously back.
"And who is this?"
The prince looked up. "No one. Just a high priced whore of my father's."
For a moment, the two stared at each other: One, the champion of love and all that was good, the other, a symbol of evil.
Serenity stood up, showing her belly, and walked down to face the tyrant.
"My, you are a brave little thing for a brothel girl, aren't you?" he mocked. Then he looked above her eyes…
The upturned crescent that graced her forehead was glowing brightly, and Serenity paced towards him, pinning him with her gaze.
He chuckled, suddenly feeling a trickle of cold that oozed down his spine when she didn't react. She regally walked over to the prince, standing protectively over him.
"Well, two whores. What a scene…"
"You will never hurt someone like this again," she pronounced, and Furiza suddenly felt like the weight of the universe itself was pressing down on him. For the first time, he felt real fear.
"You are nothing, little girl," he threatened. He wanted to turn away, blink, anything to get away from her burning eyes.
She said nothing, but stared back at him.
He tried to throw a ki blast at- and it dissipated harmlessly.
As for Serenity… she felt like she was being led, called. She was a vehicle for something greater right then, and there was nothing this petty little warlord could do to her.
"Who- what… are you?" he hissed, backing into a wall.
"Who… am… I? I am something you can never destroy. I am the champion of justice. I am the hope of the Universe. I am Hikari no Tenshi. I am truth. Ally to good… and your worst nightmare."
Swallowing, Furiza didn't know where this horrible terror came from. He just knew that he had stared into the face off what would destroy him.
"Don't kill me… please?" he whispered.
"You don't have to worry about that. It's not my job. But my child will." She rested her hands on her belly. "Someday, Furiza, you will damn yourself to the point where not even I could forgive you. A child of the Moon and the Saiya-jins will bring about your end, and you shall know the terror you have brought to others."
Furiza stared at her gravid middle, and suddenly shuddered, running like a terrified rabbit. His guards followed.
Turning, Serenity knelt to the little prince, healing his wounds, while Raditz came to stare at her in awe.
"I can't stop him from doing anything else to you," she whispered, a hand on his thick, flaming locks. "But he will never be able to rape you again."
"You protected me," he whispered. "Why?"
"Because you are a child, who is not at fault. I hope that some day, you will be able to know love, and give it back." She stood, and looked at Raditz.
"You are Bardock's son?" she asked faintly. He nodded.
"You… you are just breeding my replacement!" the little boy quavered, getting to his feet, his tail lashing. "You just want to get on my good side!"
Serenity shook her head. "I might, if this was your brother I am carrying…"
Both males whipped their heads around in shock. "What??"
Smiling faintly, Serenity tilted her head to the side, revealing a scarred over mark. A bite.
"Kings… can't do that," Vegeta spat. "Whose brat is it?" he demanded.
"Bardock's."
"He- my father is a traitor??" Raditz nearly screamed. Serenity shook her head. "When you little brother was born, and your father's mate died… He tried to kill himself, and I stopped him. I didn't know what I was doing, and we bonded. It saved him, and I conceived."
Blinks all around. Raditz loved his father, and didn't want anything to happen to him. This person had just saved Vegeta…
"So- that is not an heir to Vegetasei?" sneered Vegeta, eyes lighting up.
"No," Serenity whispered.
"GOOD! We will tell no one of this until it is born! And I shall be the only heir!" he cackled, an odd gleam in his eyes. Then, oddly enough, they softened.
"And wench- he will live… " He sniffled for a moment, and then hugged her, briefly, before running out of the gym, Raditz following.
Serenity was left watching, rather dumbstruck.
To be continued!
