Disclaimer: DB/DBZ/DBGT belongs to Toriyama and other rich Japanese guys, not me.
A Brief Moment in Time
Author: Cka3ka
Chapter 25: Epilogue
High above the earth…Two dozen ships floated towards the planet Chikyuu. Their superstructures were battered, and there was an occasional blast of plasma that erupted from damaged engines and weapons systems. Two dozen ships were all that remained of Son Goten's Sixth Fleet. Yet, they had done the impossible. They had driven away or destroyed an armada eight times their size. Yet, the cost had been great—too great. More than ninety percent of the ships of Sixth Fleet had been destroyed, and Chikyuu itself had been destroyed. Slowly the survivors of the Chikyuu defenders returned to their planet. While many held onto hope that there would have been survivors on Chikyuu, the more pragmatic ones knew that the chances were slim. The number of nuclear weapons that had scorched Earth's surface had been too great.
Trunks Vegeta Briefs did not want to think of all those that died as he slowly entered Admiral Aethefel's flagship. He had fought the androids and had seen the carnage that they had wrecked. Yet, the scope of destruction in this battle had outstripped anything he had ever witnessed.
"Trunks… are you alright?" asked Pan as she walked next to him. She took his hand and squeezed it tightly in a gesture of reassurance.
"I'm not sure. This…was terrible," he said slowly as he looked out the window at the destruction, much of it had been his doing.
"I know. I've never seen anything like it. I'm not sure if I ever want to see anything like it again."
"It won't be the last battle you know…"
"I know…"
"Come on… my uncle is waiting. We need to talk to him… I felt something horrible happen just a short while ago."
Trunks nodded and followed her. He knew what she had felt. The ki energy that had been released on earth was immense, and he knew it had been his father's energy. He had no doubt that his father was no longer with them; that Vegeta had sacrificed himself to destroy Bojack. He had hoped that it wouldn't come to that, but he had known from the start that it was the most probable outcome. He closed his eyes for a moment feeling the sadness well up in him. This dimensions version of his father—he was everything that Trunks had dreamed of. In so many ways he was like the father he had met in the other dimension—gruff, abrasive, and distant. Yet, there was something about him that was different—a nobility of sorts. He understood now what Goten's plan was and how everything hinged upon the least likely of people—the daughter of Android number 18. If two years ago someone had told him that from Android 18 would issue the hope of Chikyuu, he would have laughed in their face before punching their lights out. How things changed.
The two young lovers walked silently to the bridge of the ship. When they entered they saw that there was no exuberance at the victory, that there was no joy or celebration. Everyone on the ship knew what the cost of the victory was—the destruction of Chikyuu. At the moment, the only living Chikyuu-jin alive were on the ships of this fleet and, perhaps, a few scattered across the universe.
At the far end of the bridge, stood a figure gazing through the viewing windows at the destroyed planet below. Son Goten stood regal in his imperial uniform. His face was emotionless. The destruction of a planet was not something new to him. It was something he had seen too many times; it was something he had even contributed to. Yet, this was his planet and under his emotionless mask turmoil raged. Marron please… please be safe. Everything depends on you…
"You have come to see the final chapter of this battle," asked Goten to the two as he slowly turned around to look at his niece and the heir to the Empire. Even in these darkest of times, the Duke de Sirrus was resplendent in his uniform. His eyes were cold and no hint of emotional strain touched his voice.
"Yes… uncle, what was that ki that I felt earlier? It felt as if something… something terrible had happened."
"Vegeta is… no longer with us for the present," answered Goten slowly. His words were to his niece but his eyes held Trunks. His next words were solemn and directed towards Trunks. "You are the heir of Vegeta—first emperor of the Galactic Imperium. Do you claim his throne?"
Trunks looked at Goten shocked. This was something he had not expected. He had not even known this man for more than a week and he was offering him the throne? He looked over at Pan and saw that shock was written on her face as well. He didn't need to turn around to see that the bridge crew and any who heard Goten's words reaction. "I thought there was a deeper plan then just sacrificing Chikyuu or my father," he said flatly. "I think we should pursue that option before any talk of succession, yes?"
"Perhaps," replied Goten. "We are in range of Chikyuu. I intend to take a shuttle down momentarily. Will you two join me?"
"Of course."
Goten nodded and then motioned to several officers and then led Trunks and Pan out.
…
Chikyuu…The once rich and peaceful land of Chikyuu had been laid to waste. The rich verdant forests that had covered much of the planet had been reduced to ash; grasslands had been turned to wasteland; mighty rivers that once roared from the mountains to the sea were nothing more than steam that rose upwards to join the sickening radioactive atmosphere.
And there, upon a skyscraper in a city that had been destroyed stood a blonde woman. She wore the uniform of an Imperial Marchioness and they were unsullied. The three crystal orbs on her collar shimmered in the waning hours of sunlight. In all her years in servitude to the Emperor she had never been asked to protect anyone or anything. She had been a killer, an assassin, a murderer; a being that was feared throughout the galaxy. She had been the hollow one—without any emotion and without mercy. Where she went, death had followed. But she had always been more. She had been a lover and a daughter. She had lent them her strength so that they wouldn't become Frieza's and become tyrants. She had taken the greatest of burdens, the burden of conscience. In the end she had survived. She had not become evil; she had lost herself to the power she wielded.
And so it was that it was to her that Goten and Vegeta had turned to protect the two most precious things. Two things that would give anyone power beyond imagining. Next to her stood the hope of the Imperium—Vegeta's redemption. Bulma Briefs stood alive and whole amongst the millions of dead in the shattered remains of a city. She had survived one holocaust and now as she looked around her, she had survived another. Now she waited for her beloved one to return to her. Would he want her? Would he remain with her? He was hardheaded and stubborn but she knew in her heart that their love was true. She had been born in luxury and had fallen into poverty. She had watched her world and this world burn around her. Amongst the living, few had suffered as she had. Yet, the suffering hadn't broken her. Like a tempered sword, she had been forged and re-forged into something stronger than steel. To the one next to her, to any who had met her, there was no doubt that she was the future of the Imperium; she and the child that she carried within her womb. This woman would be Empress of an Empire that spanned five hundred worlds. Vegeta would return her. She knew that with an unwavering certainty. He would return and all of Chikyuu with him.
For it, it wasn't only the Empire's future that Marron Chaitagne—daughter of Android 18 protected. Held around her by the power of her ki, seven orange balls floated in the air glowing with the power of wishes waiting to be used.
Chikyuu's restoration was at hand.
FIN
Author's note: This is the end of a Brief Moment in Time. I think I rewrote this last chapter 10 times. I wrote out a Vegeta / Bulma reunion scene—it's not really good—and a Dragon scene but when it all came together it seemed… incomplete. So I scrapped all that and decided it was better to end it with a more "dramatic scene" where its Bulma and Marron standing in the deserted city with the dragon balls. Kinda like a symbol of hope to come. But before you all decide to STRANGLE ME… I have been kind enough to include in an aftermath the Vegeta/Bulma scene. Writing Vegeta as a romantic is… like hard. Read on…
ENCORE
Chikyuu… after its restoration…The journey hadn't been hard. She had asked Marron to take her to the island where she and Vegeta had first made their bond. Chikyuu had been restored and all those that had died defending the planet had been resurrected. He had not yet returned but there was no doubt in her mind that he would.
The island was as lush as she remembered. Its rocky surface was covered with tropical fauna. Birds chirped in the trees above her and she could hear animals walking in the underbrush. It took her almost two hours to hike up to a spot that she remembered even after all that time.
And there before her eyes stood the man she had been waiting for. He stood with his back to her gazing out over the sea from the cliff that he stood on. She could see every line in his muscular back.
"You should have left… You know that if you remain you will die?"
"I know… but we all die sometime. I have nothing to go back to, Vegeta," she said as she walked behind him and wrapped her arms around him. She could feel him relax as she put her arms around him. "If I'm going to live then I want to the life I want, not the one forced on me."
He turned around and took her in his arms, embracing her. "I lost you once and it drove me nearly mad. I don't know what I would do if something happened to you."
"I'll wait for you in the other world. We'll be together. I promise."
"Death doesn't frighten you?"
"I've been dead for years Vegeta… I don't want to keep on living dead. I want to live. I want to live with you."
Vegeta slowly turned around and their gazes met. "Woman, you are too stubborn for your own good."
"So are you… but this time, this time Vegeta I don't think you're going to win. I won't go back."
"Will you then come with me? Will you then come and reign over half a thousand worlds with me as its Empress?"
"Are you asking me to marry you?" she said with a familiar smirk.
"Of course not. Who would want to marry a screeching harpy like you?" he responded reflexively. Bulma laughed.
"Of course I'll go with you… you know I bear your child?"
"I know. She will be my heir. She will be Empress Vegeta when we are gone."
Bulma felt Vegeta's strong arms wrap around her and leaned back into them. Destiny was a funny thing. She had lost everything in her world—her love, her friends, and her world. Now, in this other moment in time she had everything back. There was much work to be done yet, and trials to be faced. Yet, it was enough to be with him. It was enough to see her friends again. It was enough to watch her son marry. Bulma had never believed in Happily Ever Afters, but for a brief moment she felt hope as she had never felt it before.
FIN AGAIN
A/n: That's it! I'm done! After hours upon hours and 120k+ works this is finished. I hope you all enjoyed it. I know I enjoyed writing it and enjoyed meeting with you all.
I've moved over to Star Wars fanfic for now… and am posting a lot of fics over at the forums at theforce . net. Anyone interested come along and play. I have the same nick so it shouldn't be hard to find me! When I'm far enough along I'll move them over here.
I'll still be posting here on occasion. I'm still contemplating on working on Circumstantial Evidence. And I'm still interested in doing aBMT sequal... but the sequal I'd like to do as a collaboration. That's another massive project and I don't think I have the energy to do it alone.
E-mail or Aim me anytime.
Ciao,
Cka3ka.