A Final Humiliation

The silence that swept over Vegeta was oppressive, yet exhilarating at the same time. He could still feel the cold steel against his back; his location remained unchanged. Gohan had listened to him and saved the pale clad woman in his place.

Not wasting the effort in trying to open his eyes, Vegeta let his near death state overwhelm him, let the hopelessness of his situation close in on him. Death was all around him; it would only need to wait patiently for a little longer. His strength was diminishing quickly.

A sudden heat swelled in Vegeta's mind, and spread like a wildfire to engulf the whole of his body. Racing along his limbs, the ravaging waves of energy restored the flesh that they passed. Super Saijin 2 was upon him.

"So you want to live, do you?"

Vegeta ignored the silvery voice that taunted him and the cascading laughter that followed. This man had humiliated him enough times; he would not be made a fool of again.

"You are truly amusing. A funny, little child," Sephiroth whispered, letting his words be drawn out slowly, the full effect of his deep, beautiful voice's intimidation sinking in to whomever was listening.

He was no child. Vegeta's anger swelled up in him, but he carefully capped it, bidding his time, for a little longer. Soon he would be at full strength again.

It was a shame that this man would have to die, Sephiroth mused, his mind caressing the thoughts of the bloody agony that would befall this man at his demise. Such pleasurable sights were rare now, and such thoughts even rarer. He was coldly disciplined, and he had no more time now for his own amusement, and unfortunately this man still had a purpose to fulfill. Hopefully he would get up, now that he was strong enough to stand again, so that he could be taught a final lesson before being sent back home.

Now.

Vegeta was ready now.

A blast of heat threatened to sear Sephiroth's perfect face before he pushed it back with his mind, annoyed at how it had blown his hair out of place, "Finally."

Releasing his tight grip on the surging energy within him had been a relief for Vegeta, but he was slightly disappointed to see that the silver haired warrior was unaffected by the backlash. It didn't matter, though, that had merely been a sigh, not an attack.

Watching the short man hover menacingly in the air before him, Sephiroth looked on with genuine, if concealed, interest. What kind of power had this puny flea added to his mother's collection?

Impressive, Sephiroth admitted, as the image before him blurred and the man's energy emerged with deadly speed behind him. It hadn't been teleportation, but it was fast enough to fool most, not the Great Sephiroth, though.

This was it. An unprotected back greeted Vegeta as he dropped out of his super speed only enough to aim a fatal blow.

Pain.

Blackness.

Vegeta blinked.

What had happened?! He couldn't move. This couldn't be happening! Not to him! He was the Prince of the Saijins, no the King of the Saijins!

"You think you can defeat me?"

"This is impossible," Vegeta forced the words through jaws that would not unclench.

"It does not appear to be," Sephiroth let a ringing laugh shake him as he released Vegeta from the hold he had been in. "What makes you believe you can defeat me?"

"I AM THE KING OF THE SAIJINS!" Vegeta couldn't restrain his emotions any longer. This was absolutely impossible!

Sephiroth's laugh died slowly, having never touched his fiery aqua eyes, as he stared like a poisonous snake into Vegeta's eyes. "Be that as it may," he continued when Vegeta fell silent, "but you bend knee to a superior queen, whether or not you realize it. She is everything that you are and more. You can not defeat her."

Vegeta felt his power drop sharply and cursed himself for letting his guard down for that instant even as he pried loose the invisible noose of truth that had constricted about his neck. He'd lost Super Saijin 2 in his shock. Unfortunately, he understood now. In a moment he'd been brought to understand the full truth of what it meant to have Jenova's cells.

"Very good," Sephiroth's voice was mocking, as though he were talking to an inferior child. "Everything that you are she gains forever. You are hers, body, mind, and soul. There is no escape."

It was true. Vegeta could feel, even now, the touch of the Jenova within himself, could feel his own power radiating from the wight that stood before him.

"Every ounce of power that you gain is hers, and I as well am hers. I belong to her and take from her that which is rightfully mine," Sephiroth slowly raised his hands towards the unseen sky above the ruins they were sealed inside of. "Mother gives me command of her power so that I may make this world pay for what it has done to her. As you are powerless against her, so you are powerless against me." In an instant, while Vegeta was still trying to stomach the information that had been laid out before him, the black clad man turned his gesture into an intricate pattern of flying twirls that pulled him through a portal of his own creation. It was already too late to try following; the man and his portal were gone, but he would have to come back sometime, and Vegeta would be ready when he did.

No sooner had Vegeta made his decision, the air around him began to crackle and pull in upon itself. Another portal was opening. With any luck, he would be home of his own accord in no time.

By the time the swirling air took shape, Vegeta was overcome with a dulling pain. Vegeta cursed what he recognized to have been a blow to the back of his skull, a rather powerful one too. His limbs wouldn't respond to his commands; he was losing his chance to escape through the now mature vortex!

"You will see your home again, have no fear of that," the voice that Vegeta had grown to hate more than Kakarot whispered in his ear. "Why don't you go say hello to your pathetic offspring."

The next thing Vegeta knew, he was being hurtled through the air, to collide solidly with something and lose his grip on his waning consciousness.

Note: That sure took long enough, didn't it? ^_^() I'm really sorry about that. It's just that I couldn't get past Sephiroth taunting Vegeta to actually get something done. I only have three more days of school left, though, before summer vacation, so my pace should be picking up again. Thank you for being patient with me! And as usual, enjoy!