Wow, no one zinged me on not writing Vegeta into the last chapter. Truth is, I had an idea, and I went for it fast. The chapter really seemed to flow out of me...and then I realized it was 1:00, and I had to be at work at 1:30. I spell checked what I had and posted, and still managed to make it to work at 1:29. yay me! I didn't realize that I hadn't written Vegeta in until I saw a guy with a DBZ shirt walk by the gold fish tanks. OOPS!!!! I also didn't realize that I left out a few words and spell check put in some odd ones...oh well, I'll fix it later. I'm sure y'all (he he) got the point. Yeah, I'm in a better mood, but I'm still going from idea to idea here. Like I said I have the ending, it's just the middle that's the question. I used to argue with my dad when I was little about watching power rangers. He would say "why the hell do you watch this, you know how it's going to end" And my smart little reply would be "it's not how it ends that's really important, it's how they get there, daddy...and I don't want to watch football, so there!!!" gotta love my dad. Anyway, I kinda feel intimidated by my own fic. I'm getting such a wonderful response from everyone, and I guess I'm kind of afraid I'll let you down...like this fic will fizzle out and end with a pop instead of a bang. I really don't have anything cataclysmic planned for Bulma and Vegeta, just them finding each other and what it took to get them there. I hope I don't disappoint. Any way anyway (he he) here's the next chapter.

Chapter 12: Vegeta's Rampage, Vegeta's conquest

He didn't know what had come over him. He had expected to kill them, yes, but he hadn't intended on mutilating them in the process. Vegeta was there for one reason, to prove that Freeza's reign was over, and that the Saiyans were once again the most powerful in the Universe. He didn't want to waste the time or the energy on leftover lackeys. However, his rage overcame him. Years of physical and mental torment seemed like nothing compared to the flood of emotions that washed over him. He couldn't name the emotions, there were too many, and none were familiar. Vegeta could believe what he had done...he just couldn't believe why.

For the first time in his miserable life...Vegeta broke.

He had sensed the presence of the battalion on the asteroid. Vegeta had been looking for followers of Freeza for weeks now. Word had spread that the Lord of the Universe had been destroyed, but there were still fringe groups that didn't believe it, after all, he had supposedly been annihilated by a Saiyan months ago, and he came back, why not this time?

It may not have been Vegeta or Kakarrot that killed the frigid lizard this time, but it supposedly was a Saiyan. Vegeta was on a mission to regain his pride. Not only for himself, but also for the legend of his people. He too would become the Legendary, and his people would once again be the most powerful in the Universe. He was going to prove it.

That was exactly what he had intended on relaying to the pitiful regiment hiding on that asteroid. He wanted to play with them a bit, and then show his real power. He would leave a few to spread the word...the Saiyans were back.

It didn't work out that way.

The 'playing' didn't seem as fun anymore. After all, what was the point? There was no challenge, and without challenge, there was no way for the Prince to get stronger. Not only that, but what would it gain? Yes, for a short while the Saiyans would be the best once more, but there were supposedly only two full-blooded Saiyans left. He would merely be preserving a memory that may or may not be remembered.

He was worthless now. He lived off a weak human family on a speck of mud in a backwater, forgotten, corner of the Universe. He lived off a woman that now bore his half-breed son. He lived in the shadow of his third class idiot rival. He lived with the knowledge that he had reached his peak, yet he couldn't fly higher...but worst of all, for the first time in his life, he felt like he was living for someone else. For the first time ever, he felt like he owed something to someone, and it didn't help matters that that someone was Bulma Briefs.

Perhaps that's what made Vegeta loose control. He had slaughtered those weakling soldiers like cattle. Worse than cattle. There was no point to it, just release. The more Vegeta thought about it, the more pain it caused. He had never in his life felt worthless, yet right now, he did.

Vegeta felt the warming on the back of his neck. It was quickly becoming bothersome so he turned to see what it was. His coal black eyes widened as he stared at the asteroid hurtling towards him. There was no escape. Even if he did get his capsule ship off the asteroid he was on now, the one careening towards him would knock the systems off line before he could get it anywhere. The soldier's ship was blown to bits, along with its crew. He could smell the stench of death around him as the air quickly warmed. There was only one way out...he would have to blast it.

Vegeta set his feet apart; bracing himself for the amount of energy he would be gathering. Using his hand to brace his wrist, Vegeta grit his teeth and concentrated. A beam of pure energy shot from his hand and hit the asteroid dead on. It wasn't enough. He increased the power, feeling his muscles protest under the pressure. His joints ached as he took on more force, trying with all his strength to keep the asteroid at bay, trying with all his strength to live.

It hit him...not the asteroid, but an epiphany. He didn't care anymore. He didn't care about being the most powerful. He didn't care about beating Kakarrot. He didn't care about Bulma or her brat. He didn't care about his planet or his people or their memory. He just didn't give a fuck anymore. He was tired of caring. He was tired of always feeling like he could snap. He was tired of everything. So finally, Vegeta did the one thing that no one had ever thought he would do, he accepted defeat. He embraced the pain of loss, but embraced his pride as well. He may be going down, but he would fight to the end.

Somewhere, deep down inside of the prince, something changed. Something clicked. He felt it. He felt the surge of energy. He felt his muscles expand. He felt the electricity crackle around his body, felt the charge lift his already gravity defying hair. He felt the change, and as he opened his eyes, he could see it, smell it, hear it, and even taste it.

The asteroid floated in orbit around his own, reduced to a ring of dust, and there Vegeta stood in the middle of it all. Before he had been the prince of all Saiyans, the most powerful of his race, but he had fallen from grace. Vegeta let a small smirk grace his face as he crossed his arms over his chest. He had done it, he could once again call himself the prince...The Prince of all Super Saiyans.

Well, hope you like. It was a busy week, so it was hard to get this out. Hopefully my next chapter will be out in a week or earlier, but I doubt it. It's that time of year!

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Kanjizai