Child of the Storm
Chapter 7: Shattered Legacy

"That is what led me to you. I followed your destructive path throughout the galaxy. It led me here to this world. Prince Vegeta, you are Prince no more. Now you must be a king, though only few of us remain. We must keep our legacy alive and make it better than it was before. I offer you the chance to surpass your father and become truly great with an empire not built on the sanctified flesh and blood of entire worlds."

"Please, you have seen my life. . .
Offer something to make up for all the pain."

Vegeta's hands fell from her forehead as he jerked awake from Arashiko's memories. He stared at her silently, totally in awe and speechless. His dark eyes finally accepted the truth. He suddenly grasped her hand and touched it to his forehead.

"You are not the only one who has suffered."

Arashiko closed her eyes and concentrated, doing as her King wished.

"See my pain."

A jumble of images flashed in her mind, much more quickly and chaotic than the vivid memories she had shown Vegeta. It was almost as if he was trying to hide some memories or push them away. Then she saw it there in his mind.

He had faced Frieza in battle, and been defeated, alone and the last of his kind to make a stand against the tyrant. He had died at his hands, still laughing in the face of the monster who struck fear in the hearts of the universe. In his mind, she saw the violet fields of Nameck and the seven gleaming Dragonballs. It was at the mercy of their power that he too had been resurrected by the Eternal Dragon. That was the place they had fought. In Frieza's outburst of battle, the whole planet had been destroyed! Few of the Namecks survived. They had escaped to earth and used the Dragon to create a new world to live. One image seemed to repeat itself over and over, the image of a man, standing strong in a cloud of blinding energy, his golden hair indicating that he was a Super Saiyan. He had a strong build, an innocent face that belied the anger that rippled across it, his hair trailing gold. It was another Saiyan? Kakkarot. The name bounced around incessantly, as did the strong feelings of anger and hate that the image was associated with. The feeling soon died off to a sense of mutual respect.

The next thing to be revealed to her was the reflection of the lavender haired youth that Arashiko had seen earlier, the one who was supposedly his son. It was Trunks, but he looked different than the young man that now stared at them in awe as Arashiko experienced Vegeta's memories. He was older, the blue of his eyes hinted of deep pain and a sorrow so profound. His right hand held a gleaming silver sword against the dark clothes he wore.

Mirai no Trunks.
The Future.

The next few scenes flashed by, jumbled and confused. The first was the older Trunks, lying dead on the battlefield, a strange dark figure standing over them, Vegeta and the other warriors sent to face the evil of the ultimate.

Cell.

Majin Buu, Kaioshin. . . the names rebounded in her mind.
Dubura, Kami, Piccolo, Roshi, Tienshinhan, Yamucha, Goku. . .Goku, Goku.
Bulma.

A woman smiled lovingly at him, her light blue hair falling around her face. Bulma. She was Trunks's mother? The woman still smiled and kissed Vegeta gently.

The tranquil vision faded and was replaced by another flash of memory. Dark hair and yellow energy flooded from a screaming figure.

"The First of the Legendary Saiyan."

Arashiko knew his face, it had grown older, away from the soft edges of youth. Broli! The Prince fought him??? He survived??? Brana's brother is alive?!

The man who was constantly in Vegeta's memory showed up again. "He, Kakkarot, killed Broli in a massive show of power. Broli was not as he was, his mind had been corrupted by madness. Another one of us gone to oblivion."

The blue-haired woman appeared again, she and Vegeta embraced tightly, passionately. All alone in their own world, they were both alone. .alone... Could she love him?

"Loneliness is my ally. . ."

The pair shattered to pieces as the world rushed back in a funnel of colors and blaring images. Arashiko pulled her hand away from Vegeta forcefully. His mind was too dark, violent, and awesome all at the same time. There was something dangerous there that she was afraid of, the same viciousness as his father. That was why she was here, to make him see past their heritage. Vegeta's dark brown eyes bore a hole into her, making her feel uncomfortable. She came all this way, what was she to do now? Everything just seemed to stop. All the years she sat alone wondering the universe, planning and imagining what she would say to him, and when she finally finds him, all she could do is stare at him. The heavy silence was deafening. Arashiko's blue eyes shifted nervously. At last, she bowed deeply to him and exited the confining dwelling. She would give him time to think. Trunks gazed after her perplexed. He ran up to his father's side, "Who was she, father?" Vegeta also followed the warrior with his eyes as she walked away from them.

"An old friend." The solemn answer came.

"Friend?" He asked again, confused. Vegeta turned away from him, holding the splintered blue amulet tightly in his hand. His own ghosts started to gather. So much of the agonizing past had been brought back to bare so suddenly.

"She was an Elite. She worked for my father, a long time ago. It was another life..."

* * *

Arashiko sat vigil outside of the King's dome shaped house. It was nearly nightfall now, and the stars were beginning to peek out from their hiding places in the dark blue sky. For the past few hours she had been meditating. It was a skill Nail had taught her. It helped her to reach a clarity and calmness of thought that would allow her to think straight. She had to keep herself resigned. Now the move was Vegeta's. It was his choice if she should stay or go. Movement finally punctured through the silence when the door of the unusual white house opened and closed shut. One long moment later, Vegeta sat down quietly beside her. He kept his face and eyes averted from Arashiko, his hand held out to her. The dangling azure porcelain chain of the Royal House's pendant evident between his fingers as it clinked in the darkening air.

"I can't accept this." His words seemed to echo forever.

Arashiko's mind froze. She could not comprehend what he had just said. Her brow creased in frustration and bewilderment. She glared at him questioningly, completely incapable of asking him why.

"You know as well as I why I cannot accept my father's amulet."

"Why?" The trembling word finally came to her lips.

"You would have me be King of a dead people?? There is no one left!!" His voice was harsh and loud. "Things are not the way as they were before! The House of Vegeta is dead and gone! Our world is gone, Arashiko. We can never bring it back!"

Dead silence was her only reply. Arashiko's face became red with anger and sorrow. Scorching tears gathered in her icy eyes.

"You shame yourself!!" She finally burst out, her voice filled with emotion. She had suffered too much and waited too long to be rejected this way. "You were born to this rite! It is your duty to be King! You disgrace the lives of every single Saiyan who has died! You are not serving for yourself!! You are King to redeem the memories and the deeds of all of us!! You're the last hope to save our people's souls!! Honor them!! They call out for you because it is your destiny! Honor them or be forever shamed!!! Every day of my life I have watched over you, bled for you, prayed for you so you may become a better king than your father. Please do not make everything I have fought for with my blood and soul in vain!!" She grasped his hand which held the talisman and squeezed it tightly. She stood up and embraced him strongly.

She was crying now, as embarrassing as crying was, "Our people may be gone...but I can bring them back . . . I have to. . ." The rest was lost in endless quiet sobs. Vegeta stood stunned again. She was right. He knew it in his heart. Not knowing what else to do, he lifted his arms up to her and held her shaking form. He closed his eyes and offered the best comfort he could to one of his people.

"Vegeeeetaa!" a woman's voice broke the silence of the emotionally charged moment, "Honey I'm hoome." A blue-haired woman came strolling across the yard with a bag of groceries supported by both hands and the tip of her chin. "Helloo, are you beating our son again? You guys and your training." Bulma yelled across the yard as she searched for where Vegeta and her son were. She finally spotted him across the yard. . .with another woman held in his arms?!? The bag of groceries fell to the ground, spilling out its various contents. Bulma marched across the yard towards Arashiko and Vegeta, one thing burning in her mind.

"GET THE HELL AWAY FROM MY MAN!!" Bulma screamed as she rushed headlong at them and hammered Arashiko in the face with a slap. The smack itself wasn't enough to topple her, just the surprise that someone had hit her. Arashiko faltered backwards a few steps, confused by what had just happened. Vegeta realized what was going on and tried to persuade Bulma it was all a misunderstanding, but his words bounced off of her.

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned! Bulma continued her onslaught. Through the barrage of the woman's flailing fists, Arashiko desperately tried to get her to calm down and stop. "Wait! You don't understand!!!" It took all her restraint not to lose it and just blow the stubborn woman into oblivion. Arashiko was infinitely more powerful than this frail creature! She kept her cool, blocking efficiently as she was trained to do.

"YOU BITCH!!" Bulma shouted insanely as she landed a full-fisted blow into Arashiko's midsection, and this time, it hurt! Arashiko sensed a sudden increase in her power right before she delivered the punch. It was enough to send Arashiko back a few steps and make a crack in her abdomen's plated armor. Arashiko snapped.

There is no way I'm letting this frail human get the best of a Saiyan Elite!! Once again, her swelling pride over-ruled her best judgment. With a swing of her arm, Arashiko backslapped the blue-haired annoyance across her cheek. She felt the impact of cheekbone and flesh upon her knuckles. The strength of the blow alone was only a fraction of her own, but it was enough to throw Bulma off of her feet. She fell a few feet backwards into the ground, unconscious, a small trickle of blood running from her nose and mouth. A few seconds later, something crashed into Arashiko's face, flinging her head back with the force of the impact. Her body was the next one to hit the hard ground. She recovered quickly, fists clenched with incredible anger as she prepared to tear into whoever had hit her. Blood seeped from her mouth and nose and the salty taste of it fueled her temper.

Everything dyed away as she realized it was Vegeta who had hit her. He stood over her, his features darkened with anger.

"No one hurts her like that." He spoke in low, angered tones. Arashiko got to her feet slowly, confusion and disbelief stretching her face into a dejected mask. She shook her head back and forth slowly. She couldn't believe it. He couldn't have hit me?! It can't be... He valued a human over one of his own?? She gave up all her life just to be hurt by the one she gave up everything for??? Arashiko breathed in sharply and took off into the air. Within moments, she was lost in the stars of the night sky.

Vegeta watched her go, he wanted to call out to her, to tell her to wait, but she was already gone. He ran to Bulma's side and held her in his arms. She was still breathing. Vegeta released a sigh of relief, she was only bruised and unconscious. Her eyes fluttered open and she stared at him, her eyes focusing and unfocusing as if in a daze.

"I . . ." Bulma began to talk weakly. Vegeta leaned in closer, holding a caring hand to the side of her face. "I. . .love you. . ." Bulma continued on, half-conscious. Her eyes suddenly opened all the way as she woke up. "Damn you!!" She yelled into Vegeta's face as she punched him on the side of the head. "OW!" Bulma grabbed the throbbing side of her face. "You are going to explain this to me NOW!!!" She said through muffled shouts as Vegeta carried her back to their house.

* * *

It was raining again over the countryside of China. The silver droplets poured over the landscape, lacing everything in a soft phosphorous glow. Arashiko sat, knees pushed up to her chest, on the side of a cliff overlooking a vast emerald forest. She didn't know how far she had flown or where she was. It was a gentle rain. No thunder hindered the soothing rhythm of its pounding. Drops of crimson blood rolled off of her face and fell to the ground, mixing with her tears. Its bitter-sweet taste was all too familiar to her. The blood and the tears swirled together in the little puddle that began to form at her feet. She didn't care if she bled, it didn't matter anymore. Her whole reason for living was crushed. She had come for nothing, she had survived for nothing. The Prince had rejected her utterly. Yet the rhythm of the rain continued, ever soothing, ever continuing. She put her forehead against her arm and let the blood run and the rain beat her back.

"I saw what happened. . ." A kind-hearted voice made her turn. When she realized who it was, she quickly turned from him in disgrace. Trunks came and sat down beside her on the cliff face. He watched her sympathetically with his innocent blue eyes. The wetness plastered his amethyst hair to his cheeks, revealing the handsome features of his face.

"You must think me a monster. . ." Arashiko kept her eyes averted from him. "I've dishonored myself."

"Look at me. . ." He implored her. Arashiko sighed deeply and finally raised her eyes to him. He held her chin up with his fingers. "I don't see a monster." He spoke tenderly to her. He brought his other hand up to her face and wiped away the blood. "There, now you look a little less horrifying." He smiled at her, cerulean eyes gleaming.

Arashiko managed to return his grin with a small smile of her own. Tears still clouded her vision as she gazed at him. She sniffed a couple of times. She didn't like to cry in front of others and she didn't know why she cried in front of him now. She just let all the emotions out. They had been bottled within her soul far too long. Trunks stared at her compassionately and slipped a comforting arm around her. He did the only thing he could. He held her till she stopped crying. The blurry shape of the full moon glimmered through the thin clouds and bounced off the droplets of rain. A couple hours had passed, Arashiko had finally quieted. Her eyes were closed, tired from their outpour of sorrow. Arashiko let one last tear fall as she felt a gentle kiss on her forehead. With that kiss, Trunks got up and started to walk away.

"Listen, if you need a place to stay, I have an apartment not far from here. You can't just sit outside of my father's house all day and I won't let you stay out here."

Arashiko nodded speechlessly and followed him. They disappeared into the star-filled night. The rhythm of the rain continued on, ever soothing, ever continuing.

* * *

"Here, you can sleep back there." Trunks pointed to the small bedroom in the back of the apartment. "I'll err...sleep here on the couch."

Arashiko looked at him and then back at the odd little room with the rectangular piece of furniture in it. She flopped down on the bed and crumpled up into a ball. She didn't bother taking off her armor, she was tired, so very tired of everything.

Trunks's eyes widened a little as he suddenly realized that there was actually a girl on his bed. He stared at her for awhile and then turned around to go to sleep on the uncomfortable little gray couch.

Arashiko finally gained peace of mind in the nothing that was a dreamless night. She could lose herself in those empty nights where no dreams, memories of the past, haunted her spirit. They were always short, those scattered moments of peace. Inevitably, the suns rays brushed her eyelids and woke her, filling the nothingness of a dreamless night with the reality of the waking world. She looked around the cozy little apartment, almost forgetting where she was. Trunks was gone. She stood up in the bed and stretched, everything was so strange, the future was uncertain. A piece of sky blue paper caught her eye. It was lying on the bed next to her. Writing was scribbled upon its smooth surface. Arashiko picked it up and read it.

"Stay as long as you need to. There's food in the fridge.
If only I could take away all your pain.
You wouldn't have to cry anymore."

Arashiko held the paper in her palm and smiled sweetly. Somewhere within her, she could feel herself melting.

What a brave new world that has such people in it. Maybe there is hope after all...

FINIS