Chapter Forty: Transformation 2
Authors Notes: I'm really glad you all enjoyed Chi-Chi harping on Yaumcha. I noticed that some of you thought that Yaumcha acted quite uncharacteristically mean toward Bulma. Well, since I -hate- Yaumcha and since anybody who cheats on somebody in my book deserves no respect, I figured that I'd emphasize on his faults. I continue to try and remain open- minded toward him, however. If he sounded like too much of a rat bastard, sue me ^_^ I'm making Vegeta out to be Mr.(semi)nice guy here.
Koru stared sadly down at her sister's grave, a faint smile on her face. It had been so long since she had seen Jona. Three years, was it? She sighed. Koru bent at the waist and gently lay the small bouquet of flowers upon the slightly raised pile of red Earth.
She let her hand lay fleetingly on the grave. Around the gravesite, there were huge, overhanging trees that seemed to shade her sister from the harshness of the elements. Vegeta and Bulma had chosen a nice place. She didn't remember who had actually buried her little sister, but all that mattered was that she was safe and sound, and at peace, finally.
"I love you." She said quietly, although her voice could hardly be heard over the wind. "And I miss you."
She knew she had been heard.
"You know," Bulma said, shuddering as she swallowed the last drop of the dark liquid Strifelon had prepared for her, "I just realized something."
They were sitting in the kitchen. Vegeta was drinking a glass of water, leaning up against the counter. He didn't look terribly interested, but he shrugged anyway.
Bulma continued. "I realized that, despite how much bullshit it's given me, I'm actually going to miss this place."
Vegeta smirked and turned to the sink. He splashed the last bit of water down the drain and wiped his mouth. "The place grows on you, doesn't it?" he said. "Not the people, particularly." his voice trailed off. He walked toward Bulma and felt her forehead with his hand. "How do you feel?" he asked.
She shrugged. "Like shit." She said with an ironic grin. "Aren't I supposed to be getting better?"
"No." Vegeta said. "You're nearing the very end of this disease. Of course it's going to hurt the most, now."
She shook her head. "But it's not like that, though. I mean, sure, my stomach hurts like the menstrual cramps from Hell, but there were a couple of nights." she trailed off and suddenly looked embarrassed.
"I know, I was there."
"Yeah." Bulma agreed. They were both thinking about the Forae, and the night that she had asked him to end her life. She still felt sick when she remembered it.
She was looking out the window, marveling at the fact that tomorrow she would finally be cured, when she suddenly felt Vegeta's hand on her belly. Startled, she looked up and met ebony eyes, darkly serious as she had only seen them once before.
"Woman." he paused, and it occurred to her that this was going to be something important, "I hope that whatever that liquid is that the old man gave you.I hope it does not leave you barren."
Bulma's voice caught in her throat, though she struggled to say something. "Vegeta.?"
His fingers stretched over her abdomen, so lightly she could not feel them. "Because, some day."
She held her breath and waited.
".There will be a Ki very similar to my own, inside."
Bulma went for his hand but he had removed it, the same cold, hard shell that she had seen so often flaring back up, encasing him. A barren retreat for his feelings that he would not outright admit. She took his arm instead and grasped it, refusing to let go. She could see it in his eyes that he wanted to run.
"Vegeta.do you mean what I think you mean?"
He said nothing, as she had expected. She tried a different approach.
"Vegeta, we are mates, now and forever, just as you told me." She waited for his reaction. It was the smallest flicker of unease, but she caught it and held on to it. "And if that means that having children with you is part of it, then."
She realized, then, that Vegeta's entire body was tense. Tense and quivering slightly, as though he were holding his breath, waiting for her answer to erase any doubts or fears that he had previously experienced. She also realized, as she rubbed her fingers over his soft skin, that she truly loved this man, and she was overwhelmingly happy that he wanted to sire her children. She wondered how large a part children played for Sayajin 'mates'. By the reaction she was getting, she assumed it to be quite large. It seemed this was the statement, the very question, that Vegeta's entire life had revolved around. He needed an heir, did he not? And she was to be the one to mother it?
She smiled at him, then. "I'd be honored." She finished, and tightened her hold around his arm, forcing him down until he was eye level with her. She lifted her other hand and touched the side of his face, running it over places where she imaged there would be scars, touching his skin because she suddenly needed to. His eyes held hers, perhaps unwillingly, but still meaningfully.
"Bulma, you bring out pieces of me that are better left buried." His voice was hoarse.
"No, Vegeta, you only think they are better left buried." She leaned forward and kissed him tenderly. "I know better."
"Do you?" he murmured against her lips. "I don't think so, woman." And then he pulled away.
Bulma only smiled.
There were lots of things Bulma needed to clear up before she and Vegeta returned home. Some of them small, insignificant questions, and others that were important enough to be burning her insides. So, with Vegeta back at the ship (now avoiding her) she decided to set out toward the R'haksin wilderness to see what she could determine. And after that, she would head to Strifelon's. Spider strode beside her, his wounds seemingly healed to perfection. Ghost was sleeping back at the ship. Bulma smiled when she imagined his furry little face contorting into a mask of surprise and disappointment when he woke up and she was not there. Oh well, she thought as she hiked her pant legs up, stepping over a puddle, he had looked so peaceful.
Bulma looked over at Spider, marveling at his size and the grace with which he loped between and over the boulders covering the path. Roctorn's were very beautiful animals, Bulma thought to herself, and Spider was no exception. He was now the size of a full-grown Siberian Tiger, perhaps even bigger, and Bulma felt a twinge of excitement at the thought of his full grown, adult size. If it was anything like his mothers had been, she doubted anyone back home (albeit perhaps Goku) would like him. She looked back at him, watching the smooth way his muscles moved under his luxurious red fur that shone like fire in the midday sun. The small clusters of pebbles and rocks that coated Koru's skin moved with him just as easily, and at this she also marveled. Such a strange creature he was, and she was happy to be a part of his life.
Bulma looked up. She was nearing the sight of The Dungeons, and it brought a chill down her spine. There were no more Storkrin guards to be seen, in fact, there was nothing much except rubble and debris that covered the entire area for what seemed like miles; Vegeta had been very thorough. Bulma stared. It hadn't seemed this big, when she had been beneath, but then she remembered how the tunnels had stretched on forever. Had the Storkrin's really been planning to throw that many women down there? She scowled at the thought, and noticed that Spider was growling deep in his throat.
Not exactly nice memories for either of them.
She hadn't known exactly the reason for wanting to return to see The Dungeons, but something in the back of her mind told her that she needed to.
She walked over the slabs of concrete and debris until she had neared a particularly interesting sight; there was a small hole that looked big enough for her to investigate. As she neared it, she realized that it was, in fact, what was left of the Entrance. She shivered as she looked down the hole. An eerie wind howled up through the crevasse. It had collapsed on itself inside; there was no way to get down there, but half of the stairway was still standing. Experimentally, she leaned forward, one hand holding the Entrance to balance herself, and put one foot down on the stairs. Satisfied, she leaned forward and slipped inside, putting the other foot down.
It had been a bad idea.
Bulma shrieked as the foundation shook, suddenly, and she found herself staring up at the huge slab of rock that was very quickly descending on her. She scrambled for a split second to escape, but she was too late. She squeezed her eyes shut and waited for the rock to crush her.
And again, like he had once before, Spider lunged forward and put himself between the oncoming rock and Bulma, taking the full weight of it as it crushed down upon him. Bulma stared with huge, terrified eyes as the Roctorn shuddered under the weight of the rock, his muscles flexing and straining, and his legs desperately fighting to keep himself up. Bulma lay, frightened and in shock, until Spider growled at her, signaling that she was to make her move. Bulma snapped out of it and scrambled forward, out of the Entrance and into daylight. She looked back and saw the foundation collapse in on itself, a shuddering, quaking thunder of debris and rock. She cried out for Spider, but it was silent.
Bulma lifted shaking hands up to her mouth. She stared at the spot where the Entrance had been only seconds ago. Tears welled in her eyes. She was so stupid! Why did she have to come here in the first place? Shaking, she rose to her feet. Seconds dragged by, and with each one, there was only the howling and wind and the mounting silence. Bulma gathered her wits about her, summoned her voice, and called for her friend.
"Spider?" she whimpered into the wind. The rock remained still. "Spider!"
Nothing.
Bulma slumped to her feet and put her head in her hands. She was about to burst into another bout of tears, when she heard the faint and barely perceptible noise of the rock shifting. She gasped and lifted her head. The rock moved again, groaning and shifting on itself, the slabs of concrete creating a scratching orchestra as they protested against one another. Then, abruptly, Bulma saw the familiar red ears poke themselves up out of the rock, and she cried out joyfully, stumbling forward on her hands and knees.
He was alive! Frantically she grabbed pieces of rock and pulled them away from him, her fingers grazing his ears, her voice sending reassuring words to him below. He was partially buried, but the rock was coming away easily. She guessed it was because most of it had crumbled into nothing.
At last his head broke free, and Bulma cried out in surprise. He was huge! This was not the same Spider who had rescued her, was it? He growled, and, summoning his strength, slammed upward through the rock and surfaced, a new Roctorn at his best. Bulma recovered from her initial shock and threw her arms around his massive neck, hugging herself to him.
"You brute! I don't deserve you!" she cried into his pebbly fur. "Thank you Spider!"
He wagged his six tails happily. Spider was now the size of a small vehicle. Of course, the transformation was simple. When Roctorn's are in a life or death situation, they achieve their next level of size and stature in one smooth moment. Spider had sensed that his master was about to die, and had easily been able to summon the strange Roctorn DNA. He was only happy, now. Free of wounds and happy that his master was alive and well.
Bulma pulled away from him and did a quick examination. He was completely fine! There was not a scratch on his body, anywhere! In fact, she thought as she did another quick scan, he looked much better than he had before!
Bulma stood, and fully realized just how huge Spider had become. He was massive! He looked only a few steps away from being the size that his mother had been. With one hand on his neck she took a moment to regain her senses. She couldn't tell Vegeta about this.but he would know, somehow. He always found out about everything. Keeping secrets from the man was impossible, although she had one mechanical secret that she had managed to keep a secret so far. She grinned at the thought.
"Spider, we'll just pretend that nothing extraordinary happened at all, all right?" she smiled. "If you promise not to tell, I won't say anything either. It will be our little secret, ok?"
Spider gave her one of his lopsided grins. It sounded good to him.
Authors Notes: I'm really glad you all enjoyed Chi-Chi harping on Yaumcha. I noticed that some of you thought that Yaumcha acted quite uncharacteristically mean toward Bulma. Well, since I -hate- Yaumcha and since anybody who cheats on somebody in my book deserves no respect, I figured that I'd emphasize on his faults. I continue to try and remain open- minded toward him, however. If he sounded like too much of a rat bastard, sue me ^_^ I'm making Vegeta out to be Mr.(semi)nice guy here.
Koru stared sadly down at her sister's grave, a faint smile on her face. It had been so long since she had seen Jona. Three years, was it? She sighed. Koru bent at the waist and gently lay the small bouquet of flowers upon the slightly raised pile of red Earth.
She let her hand lay fleetingly on the grave. Around the gravesite, there were huge, overhanging trees that seemed to shade her sister from the harshness of the elements. Vegeta and Bulma had chosen a nice place. She didn't remember who had actually buried her little sister, but all that mattered was that she was safe and sound, and at peace, finally.
"I love you." She said quietly, although her voice could hardly be heard over the wind. "And I miss you."
She knew she had been heard.
"You know," Bulma said, shuddering as she swallowed the last drop of the dark liquid Strifelon had prepared for her, "I just realized something."
They were sitting in the kitchen. Vegeta was drinking a glass of water, leaning up against the counter. He didn't look terribly interested, but he shrugged anyway.
Bulma continued. "I realized that, despite how much bullshit it's given me, I'm actually going to miss this place."
Vegeta smirked and turned to the sink. He splashed the last bit of water down the drain and wiped his mouth. "The place grows on you, doesn't it?" he said. "Not the people, particularly." his voice trailed off. He walked toward Bulma and felt her forehead with his hand. "How do you feel?" he asked.
She shrugged. "Like shit." She said with an ironic grin. "Aren't I supposed to be getting better?"
"No." Vegeta said. "You're nearing the very end of this disease. Of course it's going to hurt the most, now."
She shook her head. "But it's not like that, though. I mean, sure, my stomach hurts like the menstrual cramps from Hell, but there were a couple of nights." she trailed off and suddenly looked embarrassed.
"I know, I was there."
"Yeah." Bulma agreed. They were both thinking about the Forae, and the night that she had asked him to end her life. She still felt sick when she remembered it.
She was looking out the window, marveling at the fact that tomorrow she would finally be cured, when she suddenly felt Vegeta's hand on her belly. Startled, she looked up and met ebony eyes, darkly serious as she had only seen them once before.
"Woman." he paused, and it occurred to her that this was going to be something important, "I hope that whatever that liquid is that the old man gave you.I hope it does not leave you barren."
Bulma's voice caught in her throat, though she struggled to say something. "Vegeta.?"
His fingers stretched over her abdomen, so lightly she could not feel them. "Because, some day."
She held her breath and waited.
".There will be a Ki very similar to my own, inside."
Bulma went for his hand but he had removed it, the same cold, hard shell that she had seen so often flaring back up, encasing him. A barren retreat for his feelings that he would not outright admit. She took his arm instead and grasped it, refusing to let go. She could see it in his eyes that he wanted to run.
"Vegeta.do you mean what I think you mean?"
He said nothing, as she had expected. She tried a different approach.
"Vegeta, we are mates, now and forever, just as you told me." She waited for his reaction. It was the smallest flicker of unease, but she caught it and held on to it. "And if that means that having children with you is part of it, then."
She realized, then, that Vegeta's entire body was tense. Tense and quivering slightly, as though he were holding his breath, waiting for her answer to erase any doubts or fears that he had previously experienced. She also realized, as she rubbed her fingers over his soft skin, that she truly loved this man, and she was overwhelmingly happy that he wanted to sire her children. She wondered how large a part children played for Sayajin 'mates'. By the reaction she was getting, she assumed it to be quite large. It seemed this was the statement, the very question, that Vegeta's entire life had revolved around. He needed an heir, did he not? And she was to be the one to mother it?
She smiled at him, then. "I'd be honored." She finished, and tightened her hold around his arm, forcing him down until he was eye level with her. She lifted her other hand and touched the side of his face, running it over places where she imaged there would be scars, touching his skin because she suddenly needed to. His eyes held hers, perhaps unwillingly, but still meaningfully.
"Bulma, you bring out pieces of me that are better left buried." His voice was hoarse.
"No, Vegeta, you only think they are better left buried." She leaned forward and kissed him tenderly. "I know better."
"Do you?" he murmured against her lips. "I don't think so, woman." And then he pulled away.
Bulma only smiled.
There were lots of things Bulma needed to clear up before she and Vegeta returned home. Some of them small, insignificant questions, and others that were important enough to be burning her insides. So, with Vegeta back at the ship (now avoiding her) she decided to set out toward the R'haksin wilderness to see what she could determine. And after that, she would head to Strifelon's. Spider strode beside her, his wounds seemingly healed to perfection. Ghost was sleeping back at the ship. Bulma smiled when she imagined his furry little face contorting into a mask of surprise and disappointment when he woke up and she was not there. Oh well, she thought as she hiked her pant legs up, stepping over a puddle, he had looked so peaceful.
Bulma looked over at Spider, marveling at his size and the grace with which he loped between and over the boulders covering the path. Roctorn's were very beautiful animals, Bulma thought to herself, and Spider was no exception. He was now the size of a full-grown Siberian Tiger, perhaps even bigger, and Bulma felt a twinge of excitement at the thought of his full grown, adult size. If it was anything like his mothers had been, she doubted anyone back home (albeit perhaps Goku) would like him. She looked back at him, watching the smooth way his muscles moved under his luxurious red fur that shone like fire in the midday sun. The small clusters of pebbles and rocks that coated Koru's skin moved with him just as easily, and at this she also marveled. Such a strange creature he was, and she was happy to be a part of his life.
Bulma looked up. She was nearing the sight of The Dungeons, and it brought a chill down her spine. There were no more Storkrin guards to be seen, in fact, there was nothing much except rubble and debris that covered the entire area for what seemed like miles; Vegeta had been very thorough. Bulma stared. It hadn't seemed this big, when she had been beneath, but then she remembered how the tunnels had stretched on forever. Had the Storkrin's really been planning to throw that many women down there? She scowled at the thought, and noticed that Spider was growling deep in his throat.
Not exactly nice memories for either of them.
She hadn't known exactly the reason for wanting to return to see The Dungeons, but something in the back of her mind told her that she needed to.
She walked over the slabs of concrete and debris until she had neared a particularly interesting sight; there was a small hole that looked big enough for her to investigate. As she neared it, she realized that it was, in fact, what was left of the Entrance. She shivered as she looked down the hole. An eerie wind howled up through the crevasse. It had collapsed on itself inside; there was no way to get down there, but half of the stairway was still standing. Experimentally, she leaned forward, one hand holding the Entrance to balance herself, and put one foot down on the stairs. Satisfied, she leaned forward and slipped inside, putting the other foot down.
It had been a bad idea.
Bulma shrieked as the foundation shook, suddenly, and she found herself staring up at the huge slab of rock that was very quickly descending on her. She scrambled for a split second to escape, but she was too late. She squeezed her eyes shut and waited for the rock to crush her.
And again, like he had once before, Spider lunged forward and put himself between the oncoming rock and Bulma, taking the full weight of it as it crushed down upon him. Bulma stared with huge, terrified eyes as the Roctorn shuddered under the weight of the rock, his muscles flexing and straining, and his legs desperately fighting to keep himself up. Bulma lay, frightened and in shock, until Spider growled at her, signaling that she was to make her move. Bulma snapped out of it and scrambled forward, out of the Entrance and into daylight. She looked back and saw the foundation collapse in on itself, a shuddering, quaking thunder of debris and rock. She cried out for Spider, but it was silent.
Bulma lifted shaking hands up to her mouth. She stared at the spot where the Entrance had been only seconds ago. Tears welled in her eyes. She was so stupid! Why did she have to come here in the first place? Shaking, she rose to her feet. Seconds dragged by, and with each one, there was only the howling and wind and the mounting silence. Bulma gathered her wits about her, summoned her voice, and called for her friend.
"Spider?" she whimpered into the wind. The rock remained still. "Spider!"
Nothing.
Bulma slumped to her feet and put her head in her hands. She was about to burst into another bout of tears, when she heard the faint and barely perceptible noise of the rock shifting. She gasped and lifted her head. The rock moved again, groaning and shifting on itself, the slabs of concrete creating a scratching orchestra as they protested against one another. Then, abruptly, Bulma saw the familiar red ears poke themselves up out of the rock, and she cried out joyfully, stumbling forward on her hands and knees.
He was alive! Frantically she grabbed pieces of rock and pulled them away from him, her fingers grazing his ears, her voice sending reassuring words to him below. He was partially buried, but the rock was coming away easily. She guessed it was because most of it had crumbled into nothing.
At last his head broke free, and Bulma cried out in surprise. He was huge! This was not the same Spider who had rescued her, was it? He growled, and, summoning his strength, slammed upward through the rock and surfaced, a new Roctorn at his best. Bulma recovered from her initial shock and threw her arms around his massive neck, hugging herself to him.
"You brute! I don't deserve you!" she cried into his pebbly fur. "Thank you Spider!"
He wagged his six tails happily. Spider was now the size of a small vehicle. Of course, the transformation was simple. When Roctorn's are in a life or death situation, they achieve their next level of size and stature in one smooth moment. Spider had sensed that his master was about to die, and had easily been able to summon the strange Roctorn DNA. He was only happy, now. Free of wounds and happy that his master was alive and well.
Bulma pulled away from him and did a quick examination. He was completely fine! There was not a scratch on his body, anywhere! In fact, she thought as she did another quick scan, he looked much better than he had before!
Bulma stood, and fully realized just how huge Spider had become. He was massive! He looked only a few steps away from being the size that his mother had been. With one hand on his neck she took a moment to regain her senses. She couldn't tell Vegeta about this.but he would know, somehow. He always found out about everything. Keeping secrets from the man was impossible, although she had one mechanical secret that she had managed to keep a secret so far. She grinned at the thought.
"Spider, we'll just pretend that nothing extraordinary happened at all, all right?" she smiled. "If you promise not to tell, I won't say anything either. It will be our little secret, ok?"
Spider gave her one of his lopsided grins. It sounded good to him.