A/N: Thanks again for the reviews! I've read in some author's notes of other stories that we're not allowed anymore to answer reviews in chapters, but I haven't found this rule anywhere, so I'm gonna do it until someone tells me otherwise.
Mimo-Chi, when do you think the summer is over? Actually, I wanted to get this story finished within the next six weeks, but I'm not sure if it will work, as I'm going to move to another town at the beginning of October into the first apartment of my own! My first semester at university starts in the middle of October, so maybe, maybe the story will be finished until then.
To say sorry that you've had to wait about two weeks for this chapter, this one will be extra long! Almost 8.000 words! Have fun!
Chapter 43: Old Friends
Bulma was fuming. ChiChi could see as much, as her friend was pacing around the restricted area of their large cabin, muttering curses and other obscenities under her breath ever since they had nearly dragged her kicking and screaming below deck. The black haired woman might have found her friend's antics funny, if it weren't for the current situation. Now, it was only disturbing. ChiChi couldn't understand, how Bulma could get so worked up about this. It had to be done! They couldn't just let a dangerous pirate run around the ship. He might murder all of them in their sleep!
Her friend must still be in shock. That's it, ChiChi decided. It was understandable after all. ChiChi was sure that, had she been abducted by pirates, she might have become a bit irrational as well. But still, what Bulma was doing and saying already bordered on insane. Honestly, calling a pirate her lover and actually believing it!
Shaking her head, ChiChi got up from the large bed she was sitting on and walked over to her friend, putting a calming hand on her forearm. "Bulma, please," she tried to reason with her friend without upsetting her. "You know that there was no other way. This… pirate is dangerous."
Bulma's eyes flashed with anger. "You don't know anything, ChiChi. Vegeta isn't dangerous. Not anymore," she snapped harshly. Suddenly she sighed and let herself sink on a chair at the wooden table in the middle of the cabin, burying her face in her hands. "I'm sorry, ChiChi. I didn't mean to yell at you."
ChiChi sat down on the second chair at the table and gently took Bulma's hands into her own. Throwing her a reassuring smile, the younger woman said, "Don't worry, Bulma. I understand. You're just distressed. The last few weeks must have been hard for you. Just take some time to relax and forget everything and I'm sure this obsession with this pirate will also disappear."
"No, you don't understand. It's not an- an obsession! It won't just disappear and I don't want it to disappear! I love Vegeta—"
"You believe that you love him," ChiChi contradicted.
"I know that I love him. I'm in love with him, ChiChi, why don't you want to understand this?"
"Because he's a pirate," the dark haired woman now explained, her voice being much fiercer than before, as she tried to talk some sense into her friend. "He has murdered so many people in cold blood, innocents. It doesn't matter if he helped us once. This one good deed isn't enough to redeem a man like him."
Getting again up from the chair and roughly pulling her hands away from ChiChi's, Bulma retorted, "Without him, you'd all be dead!" There was a deep scowl on her face, as she glared at her friend. How dare she! Just because Vegeta was a pirate, it didn't mean that he was evil. Well, he had been, at one time, but he had changed.
"Maybe," ChiChi conceded, not at all fazed by her friend's sudden outburst. She believed that Bulma now needed an understanding friend, one to put her back on the right path. "But without him, this, all of this, wouldn't have happened in the first place. You wouldn't have been abducted and Goku wouldn't have needed to follow you."
"You don't know that, ChiChi!" the other woman exclaimed exasperated, throwing her hands into the air and resuming her pacing. "The sphere had still been at the palace and if it hadn't been Vegeta planning to steal it, it might have been Zarbon and Dodoria or worse, maybe even Frieza himself! They wouldn't have been satisfied with only getting the sphere and maybe kidnapping someone. No, they would have caused some mayhem. They might've—"
Her rant, however, was interrupted, as the door to the cabin opened and Son Goku stepped in. The door fell shut behind him, as he eyed the two fighting women. Only out of the corner of his eyes he noticed the third woman, who was sitting on a chair in the farthest corner of the room, also watching the exchange with some mild interest.
The sailor had by now discarded his torn and burnt clothes and was now wearing a pair of black pants and a grey linen shirt that he had found on the ship. The others had also searched the cabins for new clothes, even though they greatly disliked wearing something that had been in possession of pirates before, and the women had indeed found the dresses Vegeta had purchased for Bulma on Namek in his cabin. Fortunately they were all about the same size, so the dresses had fit them all. The only one, who still had to wear the battle worn clothes, was Vegeta, much to Bulma's dismay.
"What are you ladies talking about?" Goku asked innocently, hoping to break the thick tension in this room. It saddened him to see how the two friends fought with each other, just after they had all been reunited.
Instead of answering, Bulma stemmed her hands on her hips and stomped up to Son Goku, the scowl still in place. "Son Goku! I demand an answer! Why the hell did you do this? Why did you lock him in the brig?"
Goku sighed and fleetingly locked eyes with ChiChi. "Vegeta's our prisoner, Bulma. The others… they would have protested, if I let him go free. They aren't exactly fond of him, as you know. Especially Yamcha. Really, Bulma, it's more for his own good than for keeping him imprisoned. As long as I have the keys, Vegeta'll be safe."
Her shoulders finally slumped in defeat, knowing that she couldn't argue with Goku about this and she lowered her gaze, so that he couldn't see the tears that now prickled in her eyes. She had stayed strong for so long and she was getting so tired of this, so her next words were barely louder than a whisper, a quiet plea. "May I at least see him?"
"I'm sorry," Goku shook his head. He felt truly bad for doing this, but he had no other choice. "The others insisted that you'd stay away from him. Yamcha, Tenshinhan and Chao-Zu, they fear for your life. But I promise you that I will talk to your father about Vegeta's case once we're home. Maybe I can convince him to let Vegeta go or at least spare him the gallows." He put a hand on her shoulder and forced her to look at him, by putting his other hand under her chin, so that she could see the sincerity in his eyes. "I'm truly sorry, Bulma. I know how you feel about him, but this is all I can do."
"I know," she sniffed and wiped away a tear that threatened to run down her cheek. "I just hoped…"
Goku smiled at her compassionately and engulfed her in a gently and friendly hug. Rubbing her back comfortingly, he threw ChiChi a look to tell her that she shouldn't give Bulma a hard time about Vegeta. The black haired woman frowned, but nodded eventually. "Why don't you lie down, Bulma? It's been a few strenuous days. You must be dead on your feet, after all this fighting and dying."
Nodding, Bulma pulled away. "I believe I'll do that. Can I trust you that nothing will happen to Vegeta?"
"Of course."
"Thank you." A small grateful smile tugged at her lips, as she walked past ChiChi back to the bed and sat down on the covers.
Returning the smile, Goku now turned to the blond woman, who had stayed out of the fight the whole time. "Could I talk to you? Outside?"
Juuhachigou nodded silently and went up to the sailor. However, when she brushed past ChiChi, she whispered, "I've killed many innocents as well. Just so you know."
Letting the Jinzoningen leave first, Son Goku hesitated in the door. "You're staying?"
"Yeah, I'll also rest a bit," a slightly pale ChiChi said. "It will be the first time in a real bed since the Kintoun. Even if we have to share."
When they had left the bay of Frieza's Island behind, the former crew of the Kintoun, now the crew of the Ouji, had scouted the whole ship and searched for suitable cabins. Most of them had been too filthy to stay in – they had wondered, how the former crew could have stood this – so they had taken the remaining ones. It had been the men, who had agreed that the three women on board should take the captain's cabin and the children the one of the first mate, as it was the second best available.
After Goku had closed the door behind him, ChiChi turned around and joined Bulma on the bed. "I apologize, Bulma," she whispered, not daring to look at her. Juuhachigou's words hat hit her hard, but it was the truth. The very same woman who had helped them since her arrival on this ship was a killer, just like Vegeta, and yet no one condemned her for what she had done. And she also hadn't killed any of them yet, only sometimes speaking her mind, the harsh truth. It seemed that people like her could really change. "I shouldn't have said those things. It must be incredibly hard for you and I've been such a bad friend. If you ever need to talk, I'll be here to listen."
"Oh, ChiChi," Bulma breathed and hugged her friend, suddenly starting to cry. "I'm so scared…"
ChiChi made soothing sounds, as she gently embraced the blue haired woman. "It's alright. You heard what Goku said and you know your father. Everything will be alright." If only she could be so sure of this herself.
"We will go to Ginger Island first," Son Goku told the blond Jinzoningen, as he sat down on a case on deck and motioned for her to join him. However, she remained standing, so he had to squint against the slowly descending sun. "You've come on my ship unknowingly and still helped us fight. I wanted to thank you for this and also offer you to return to your home. Besides, I still have some personal business to take care of on the island. Still, I would have done it, even if I hadn't business."
"That's most gracious," Juuhachigou answered. "But I have to decline your offer. I'm the only surviving member of my clan and the other clans were hostile to mine. They wouldn't accept me as one of them and most likely kill me. However, if it isn't too much to ask, I'd like to return with you to the Western Capitol to start a new life." When she said the last words, her eyes strayed to the bald sailor working on some ropes on the other side of the ship.
Noticing this, Goku grinned. "Of course. You're welcome on this ship as long as you wish. I believe I even know a place, where you could stay until you've settled down…"
It was in the middle of the night and Bulma was lying wide-awake in the large bed, she and ChiChi were sharing. For Juuhachigou Krillin had brought one of the less filthy mattresses into the spacious cabin to sleep on the floor. The moon was shining through the window, lighting the room in a soft silver glow.
The last time she had been lying in this bed had been just a few days ago and then she had shared it with Vegeta after they had made love for the first and only time. Everything in this cabin reminded her of the time they had spent together, ever since the incident in Nappa's cabin. Everything was just so like him, even though she guessed that Radditz must have at least searched the cabin for the Dragonballs. Bulma could even swear that Vegeta's scent was still lingering in those four walls. This, all of this, the memories and the scent, were robbing her of her sleep.
Silently getting up without disturbing ChiChi or Juuhachigou, Bulma threw a cloak over her shoulders and slipped out of the cabin. Maybe some fresh air would help. It was dark and slightly chilly, so she pulled the cloak tighter around her and traipsed barefooted through the corridor. She hesitated slightly, when she passed the broken door of Nappa's cabin. A shiver ran down her spine, when she looked inside and could see the destruction in the moonlight. Apparently no one had dared to take care of this yet.
"I wonder what's happened there."
Spinning around startled, Bulma let out a small shriek and came face to face with Krillin, who was looking at the cabin curiously. "Krillin," she hissed and took a deep breath to calm her rapidly beating heart. "Don't scare me like that. What are you doing here?"
He shrugged. "It's my turn at the helm. And what are you doing here? Couldn't sleep?" When Bulma nodded, he only smiled and gently grabbed her elbow. "Come on, let's go outside. There we can talk without waking anyone."
As soon as they had settled down on deck, Krillin standing at the helm, after having relieved a surprised Tenshinhan, when he had seen Bulma in the first mate's company, and Bulma sitting on a pillar, he again picked up the conversation. "It's a beautiful night, don't you think?"
"It is." And it was true. There were so many stars twinkling at the sky and the moon appeared to be so incredibly large. This was the first time in her life that she saw the night sky from a ship in the middle of the sea. Not even when she had been hostage of the pirates, she had had this chance.
They fell into a companionable silence with only the soft rush of the waves and the creaking wood in the background. The sails billowed in the wind and a light spray of salty water touched her face, as the Ouji broke through a slightly larger wave. Krillin watched Bulma, how she seemed to be deep in thoughts, staring straight ahead and yet seeing nothing. It was obvious that something was bothering her and he could already guess, what it was.
"Tell me, Bulma," he suddenly said, disturbing the quiet. "What's wrong?"
Bulma sighed and noticed that she seemed to be doing this a lot recently. "It's silly… Nothing important. You wouldn't understand anyway."
"Try me," Krillin cracked a grin. "I'm known to be silly sometimes. Maybe I understand your silly problem. And even if not, maybe talking about it helps."
A small laughed escaped Bulma's lips and she shook her head. "You're truly different, Krillin."
"I do what I can." The grin on his face disappeared, as he suddenly got serious and looked at her kindly. "Out with it, Bulma. It's about Vegeta, isn't it?" She remained silent and Krillin respected that, but it didn't keep him from talking. "You can't stand that he's locked away and maybe you're even scared that Yamcha or anyone else on this ship will harm, or even worse, kill him. You also really would like to see him again. How am I doing so far?"
"Too good for my liking," she admitted with a small grin on her face. "Am I really that easy to figure out?"
"It wasn't that hard, really. Actually, it's quite understandable. The others might not have noticed it, but I've noticed it right away, when I saw you and Vegeta interacting on Frieza's Island. You love this guy. The others might say that you're just imagining it, or even call you crazy." He looked into Bulma's wide and surprised eyes and gave her a comforting smile. "But I believe you. Trust me, when I say that I can relate to your problem."
"Thank you, Krillin," Bulma whispered and her smile actually reached her eyes with the weight on her heart being already a lot lighter than before. It was good to hear that someone else besides Goku trusted her feelings. "You've no idea how much this means to me."
"Well, if the smile on your face is anything to go by, I can imagine." Chuckling, he looked again at the dark horizon. Eventually Krillin mumbled, "Now we only have to see what to do about visiting the love of your life without anyone noticing."
Bulma only stared at her friend, who had now a rather mischievous smirk on his face, and wondered what exactly he was talking about.
"We'll reach Ginger Island tomorrow around noon," Son Goku announced, when everyone was gathered on the deck of the Ouji, just as the sun was about to set nearly one week after they had left Frieza's Island.
During this one week the crew had mostly taken as much time as they had needed to recover from the strains of the battle and everything that had happened before. No more than what had been absolutely necessary had been done to keep the ship moving on the right course. They had quickly found out that the handling of the Ouji was similar to the Kintoun and just as fast as their previous ship, meaning that they would arrive in the harbor of the Western Capitol in less than two months.
For some people two months might be a long time, but seeing as after those two months their mission was finally over, it didn't bother them that much. If the rest of their journey went as smoothly as this one week, it would even just be a bit more than one month. They had planned a short stay on Ginger Island of one, maybe two days, then the about four weeks long journey to Namek, where they also would spend some time and then they could finally sail directly to the Western Capitol without, hopefully, any disturbances.
They had been lucky until now. No ship of Frieza's surviving soldiers had come after them and this time no storm had surprised them. Even though the wind had blown steadily, allowing them to go at full speed, the sea had been peaceful and given them no problems at all.
"I want some of you to go out and buy the provisions we need until we reach Namek," he explained further. "Besides, some new clothes wouldn't be too bad. Any voluntaries?"
Krillin raised his hands, but instead of volunteering, he said, "Well, I wanted to ask, if I could stay on board. You know, these nightshifts at the helm are really tiring and I really would like to rest tomorrow."
Goku nodded in consent. "Alright. You'll stay on the ship and keep an eye on things along with Juuhachigou. Tenshinhan, Chao-Zu, you go and buy provisions and Yamcha, you take care of the clothes. Try to find something for all of us, if possible. Thanks to the pirate's gold chest in the hold we should be able to afford everything. Maybe Piccolo could help you?" The Namek made a quiet noncommittal sound, which Goku understood as agreement and grinned brightly. "Perfect. Any questions?"
"Yeah," Yamcha called out. "What are you going to do?"
"I've got some personal business to attend to. Don't worry, it's nothing dangerous," Goku quickly added, when he saw the worried looks on his friends' faces. However, the sailor himself was slightly anxious about the next day. It wasn't really a bad feeling, even though he feared that he might be too late. It would be better to keep his plans to himself, as to not get any hopes up. "As a matter of fact, I would like Bardock, ChiChi, Gohan and Bulma to accompany me. You're also welcome, Dende, if you don't want to stay here all day long."
Goku saw Dende exchanging a quick grin with Gohan, before the young Namek answered, "Thank you. I'm coming with you."
The Saiyajin had thought as much. It would be good for the kids to leave the ship for a while, even if it was just for a few hours, because the next part of the journey would again be a long one. Although Dende wasn't important to where they were going, he didn't want Gohan to feel lonely or the other boy to feel excluded.
"Care to tell us, where you're planning to go, son?"
Only throwing his father a mysterious grin, Goku winked at him and said, "You're going to find out tomorrow. I hope it will be a pleasant surprise."
After the meeting was over and the men, women and children turned back to what they had been doing before, Krillin pulled Bulma aside, away from the others and whispered, "Tomorrow. When the others leave the ship, you have to stay. This is your chance."
The following morning, when the women were roused by a loud knock at the door and ChiChi got up to open the curtains in front of the window, Bulma groaned painfully, as the harsh light of the morning sun hit her face.
"Bulma, are you alright?" ChiChi asked worried, immediately hurrying to her friend. Juuhachigou only spared them a small glance, while she was getting dressed.
"Headache," she mumbled, squeezing her eyes shut. "Too bright."
"I'm sorry," the black haired woman immediately apologized and closed the curtains again. "Is it better now?"
Bulma forced a small smile on her lips, as she nodded weakly, careful not to move her head too much. "Thank you."
The mattress squeaked a bit, when ChiChi sat down on the bed and put her hand on Bulma's forehead. "No fever," she mumbled thoughtfully, removing her hand. "Is it just the headache or is there also something else? Are you feeling unwell?"
"I'd rather not risk eating anything," Bulma said with a slight grin, attempting to joke. And this wasn't even a complete lie. Her stomach was a bit upset, but she blamed the excitement about what she was going to do for this.
ChiChi looked at her, concern shining in her dark eyes. Biting down on her lower lip, she eventually nodded to herself and said with much resolve, "You should stay on board today and not leave the bed. I'll tell Goku that you're sick and can't come with us."
Closing her eyes, Bulma slumped further into her pillow. The mattress moved again underneath her and she could hear ChiChi crossing the room. She honestly didn't like lying to her friends, but they would only try to stop her. However, Krillin had been right. This was her chance and he, too, was risking the trust of their friends by helping her. She couldn't let him down now, after everything he had done for her.
Over the course of the last few days the friendship between them had grown stronger, as they had found that they could talk to each other without expecting to be judged. Their clandestine meetings had become a nightly occurrence, only that she was now waiting until he was alone on deck, so that she wouldn't run into anyone who would ask too many questions.
During those conversations he had learned of her fears concerning Vegeta and he had told her about his feelings for the blond Jinzoningen. She had told him about her time on the ship, how her feelings had slowly begun to change from hate to love and about the almost-rape that had changed everything. In return, Krillin had recounted the battle against Cell, when they had found Juuhachigou, admitting that he had immediately felt attracted to her, and brought her with them onto the Kintoun.
It hadn't taken them long to realize that they were actually in the same boat – both loving people with a dark past. Maybe this was the reason, why they understood each other so well. Still, somehow Bulma envied Krillin. While most of her friends regarded her relationship with Vegeta with contempt, they still seemed to be in denial about Juuhachigou's past, almost treating her as if she were already one of them.
"Maybe you should try to get more sleep at night." ChiChi's suggestion was slightly muffled and Bulma could hear the rustling of clothes. She opened her eyes again and saw a now fully dressed ChiChi again walking up to her. There was a brush in the other woman's hand, which she put down on the nightstand and then tied her hair up into a tight but practical bun. "Don't think I haven't noticed you sneaking off at night."
"I can't sleep," Bulma muttered, not really wanting to have this conversation now. She usually stayed out with Krillin until her eyelids began to droop and he ordered her to go back to her cabin. Once there, she was usually too tired to notice her surroundings anymore, and fell asleep as soon as her head hit her pillow.
"That I noticed." The smile on ChiChi's face was soft, as she proceeded to tug Bulma in like a small child. "So you better sleep now. You always seem so exhausted lately. I will drop by later, before we leave, maybe bring you some dry bread to eat. God knows you've already lost enough weight."
"Thank you, ChiChi." Bulma watched, as ChiChi left the cabin, shortly followed by Juuhachigou, who gave her one last look, which made Bulma feel as if the Jinzoningen was able to look right through her.
Bulma again closed her eyes, even though she knew that she wouldn't be able to fall asleep again. Not only was she already awake, but she was also again aware of everything in this cabin that reminded her of him. It simply wasn't possible to rest in this situation, Bulma however had no other choice than to stay abed until it was time.
In only a few hours…
Ginger Island was not what they had expected. When they been on this island the last time, a bit more than two weeks ago, everything had been normal, people going about their work and puffers at the harbor or on the market in town selling their goods.
But now it was completely different. The harbor was almost completely deserted. Only other sailors and dockworkers were present. There were no puffers and no other people milling around. This had wondered the crew of the Ouji greatly, as they had set off to the town, but they hadn't bothered to ask for reasons, as those few people had followed them with scrutinizing gazes, ever since they had anchored in the harbor.
Wiping some sweat from his brow, Goku guessed that this mistrust was mainly caused by their arrival on a rather famous pirate's ship, but this didn't explain the obvious absence of so many people. So, after they had left the ship – without Bulma, Goku thought slightly disappointed, as he had really wanted her to come with him -, they followed the path into town, hoping that maybe they would get some answers there.
Once they had passed the town's borders, Goku and his friends were again greeted by a ghostly silence. There was not a soul to be seen, so, with a slight shrug, he walked ahead until they could hear voices, a lot of voices, and music.
It was on the marketplace, where they found everyone. A huge festivity was going on, everyone seemed to be in good spirits despite the incredible heat, as they celebrated, talked, danced, ate and drank. The reason for this was revealed pretty soon, as they caught bits and pieces of conversations, while they were fighting their way through the large crowd.
The Beast's dead! – Our champion killed it! – He even brought the body! – Long live Mr. Satan!
This brought much confusion over the crew of the Ouji. First of all, how did they already know that Frieza was dead? And second, who was this Mr. Satan?
Goku took the first chance he got and grabbed a still relatively sober looking man by the arm, pulling him around to face them. "Good afternoon!" he greeted him cheerfully. "Me and my men, we just arrived on this island and wondered, why you're all in such a festive spirit."
The man's eyes narrowed at them, lingering a bit longer on Piccolo, before he smiled friendly and replied, "Yeh don't know? The Beas' is dead!"
"Really?" Goku asked, playing clueless. "Who managed to defeat him?"
"Mr. Satan! The stronges' man o' the worl'." The man, noticing the confused expressions on their faces, finally said, "Yeh don' know Mr. Satan? C'mon, I'll show yeh!"
The large group followed the stranger, if a bit reluctantly, through the crowds. They threw each other suspicious glances, wondering who could have found out about Frieza so fast and claiming to have defeated him.
"It's him!" Gohan suddenly exclaimed, as they arrived in the middle of the market place, where the self-proclaimed defeater of Frieza was standing on a stage with a young black haired girl on his shoulders, waving at the townspeople.
"You know him?" Goku asked bemused.
Gohan nodded vigorously, as he launched into an explanation. Fortunately the stranger was already gone, having once again disappeared in the crowd. "He was the one who tried to fight against Cell and lost. I thought Cell had killed him."
"We have seen him, too, haven't we Piccolo?" Tenshinhan added. "He appears to be their local hero."
"I see," Goku mumbled thoughtfully. His gaze wandered around, looking over the heads of the celebrating people, when suddenly Yamcha exclaimed,
"There's Frieza!"
Their eyes followed Yamcha's pointed finger and indeed, there was Frieza, or rather his mutilated body, laid out on a bier near the stage. Unlit torches were placed around the body and under the bier they could see more wood and straw. It seemed that the Beast should be burned by nightfall.
"I believe we've seen enough," Goku said eventually. Now that he thought of it, it wouldn't be too bad if this Mr. Satan took the full credit for Frieza's death. At least now Goku wouldn't be harassed and could live a normal and peaceful life with his family.
"But Goku," Tenshinhan contradicted. "Don't you want to say something? I mean, it was you—"
The Saiyajin raised his hand, cutting his friend effectively off. "No. It's better this way. Let them believe that it was this fool. Come on, now. We've still got a lot of things to do." But still, Goku believed that he would return at nightfall to see the body burn – if it even burned, he thought, remembering the Icejins immunity to fire. Might be interesting to watch.
His father seemed to be thinking the same, as he looked at the body as they passed it and said, "I really would like come back tonight. I want to see if the bastard can burn, when he's dead. Even though I highly doubt it." Shrugging, he turned his eyes away from the Beast that had made the last twenty-five years of his life a living hell. "If not, they might just have to bury him."
On the other side of the packed market place, the group split up and followed three different streets. Tenshinhan and Chao-Zu to buy provisions, Yamcha and a reluctant Piccolo to buy clothes and the rest of them followed Goku around a couple of corners until they were standing in front of a bar.
"A bar?" Bardock joked, looking at his son. "You wanted us to come with you to a bar? At this time of the day and with children?"
Goku only smirked and opened the door, stepping inside trusting the others to follow him. It was not as warm inside as outside, and Goku was glad for it. Looking around the bar, he noticed that it was completely deserted and he began to worry that he had come here in vain. However, his hope was restored, when his eyes finally fell on the young brunette woman behind the counter. "Ducina!" he called out and quickly crossed the room.
The glass that the young woman had been drying dropped to the floor with a loud clangor and broke into many tiny pieces. Hesitating she turned around and her eyes went wide, when she saw the person that was now standing only merely feet away from her. "Son Goku!" she whispered astonished. "You survived!"
"I did," he replied seriously. "And I brought my family and a friend. I hoped that…" Suddenly feeling a lump in his throat, Goku cleared his throat. "How is she? Is she…?"
Ducina smiled at him. "She's still alive. Actually, her health has improved slightly, after Mr. Satan came back yesterday with the news that the Beast is dead." Tilting her head to one side, she stared at Goku with suspicious eyes. "But it wasn't him, who killed it. It was you, wasn't it?"
With a nervous laugh, Goku's hand flew to the back of his head. "Actually… yes, it was me."
"That makes sense, well, a lot more sense than Satan's tale of victory." The young woman was in an exceptional good mood and much friendlier than on their first meeting. Turning to the others, she said, "I'm sorry, I forgot my manners. My name is Ducina, I work at this bar and I'm the granddaughter of a former regular. Son Goku and I met during his last visit to this island, before he set out to Frieza's Island."
"This is my wife ChiChi," Goku began to introduce his family. "My son Gohan, our friend Dende and my father Bardock."
Ducina's eyes immediately flew to the older man, when Son Goku mentioned his name. She had noticed the obvious resemblance between those two men before, but hadn't wanted to believe it. "It's nice to meet you. Well, Son Goku, I'm sure you don't want to wait any longer. However, next to Son Goku I can only allow one more person to accompany me. It will be too exhausting for her, if more people come."
"I understand," Goku smiled and turned to Bardock. "Father, I'd like you to come with us. Believe me, it will be a big surprise."
The two Saiyajins followed the young woman to the upper floor and then along a corridor, Bardock giving his son questioning glances the whole time, which the younger man pointedly ignored. The secretive grin on Goku's face only fueled the curiosity of the older Saiyajin. They eventually stopped in front of the last door and Ducina opened the door to reveal a darkened room.
She went inside and Goku motioned for his father to step in first. Bardock hesitated in the darkness and flinched slightly, when the door fell shut behind them. It took a few seconds until his eyes had adjusted to the darkness and he recognized some shapes in the room. A table, a chair and a bed. If he squinted a bit, he was able to make out a person on the bed.
"Ducina?" a raspy voice asked and Bardock's heart almost missed a beat. This voice was familiar, but could it be?
Instead of letting the young woman answer, Bardock whispered, "Kyna?"
The person in the bed moved and Ducina lit the few candles that were spread across the room, illuminating the room in a soft glow. Bardock's eyes couldn't move from the woman in the bed. She was old, her long hair white as snow and she was so incredibly pale and thin. Her eyes were closed, but even without seeing her brown eyes, he knew that it was her.
"It's really you."
The old woman moved again, turning her head to look at him still with closed eyes. She extended her hand and Bardock saw that it was beginning to shake. "B-bardock?" Her hoarse voice was trembling and the Saiyajin noticed, how she tried to feel for him in the air. A small gasp escaped his throat, when he realized that the once so lively woman was blind.
"It's me," he said, slowly daring to step closer. His voice broke, as he reached out and his fingertips touched hers, before he grabbed her hand in a firm grip and sat down on the bed, gently stroking with his own trembling hand through her hair. "I'm alive."
"It's a wonder," Kyna whispered in disbelief. "Frieza's men had been directly behind you. I never doubted that they had killed you."
"They didn't kill me," Bardock explain, still not really being able to grasp the fact that his old friend was lying in front of him. "The Beast wanted me to suffer, so he imprisoned me in the dungeons. I was kept alive, but just barely, and it wasn't until my son became my cellmate that I found new hope."
"Kakarotto? He…"
"I'm here," Goku answered, smiling at the reunion of the two old friends. "We did it. We defeated Frieza and his men. There's now one tyrant less to worry about."
"I knew it was you," the old woman said, suddenly sounding a lot stronger than before. "I knew it the moment this conman declared that he had killed the Beast. But tell me," she urged, "tell me how you did it. Tell me how you met. I want to hear everything. You also still owe me a story, Kakarotto. You promised that, when you return, you would tell me about your life."
"And I will keep my promise," Goku told her, still smiling, as he sat down on the chair next to the bed.
Clearing her throat, a slightly teary-eyed Ducina got their attention. "I'll be downstairs, if you need me. Despite the festivities, there are still a few patrons I need to attend on. The drinks for your family are on the house, Son Goku."
"Thank you," he said and followed the woman with his eyes, as she left the room and closed the door behind her. When she was gone, Goku exchanged a small glance with his father, before they began their tale.
A quiet knock on her door alerted Bulma to the absence of her friends, so she quickly jumped out of the bed and threw over her dress. She didn't know how much time she had, and even though Krillin had promised to tell her, when he could see the others in the distance, she needed to hurry.
Swinging the door upon, she ran straight into Juuhachigou, losing her balance. She would have fallen, hadn't Juuhachigou reacted quickly and kept her steady with a firm grip on her arm. The Jinzoningen regarded her with mild amusement, as she let go. "You should hurry. Krillin is waiting."
Bulma flashed her a grateful smile, before she followed the corridor outside and found Krillin standing next to the still closed hatch in the deck. "There you are," he greeted her. "I'm sorry, but I told Juuhachigou. She had already guessed what we were planning."
"It doesn't matter," Bulma quickly reassured him, her heart beating fast in excitement. "May I?"
Krillin only grinned at her and opened the hatch. Taking a deep breath, Bulma returned the grin, if a bit weakly, and descended the ladder into the hold.
Vegeta looked up, only slightly interested, as the hatch to the hold was opened and sunlight streamed through the hole, but lowered his gaze immediately, when he saw the slender legs appear on the ladder.
The flame of the small candle that he was allowed to keep in his cell flickered, as the air streamed through the hold, extinguishing the flame and enveloping him in almost complete darkness. This suited him just right. He didn't want to see anyone. He liked the solitude that had been forced upon him one week ago.
Kakarotto himself or sometimes Bardock brought him down his meals thrice a day and exchanged the bucket Vegeta used to relieve himself without complaint. It was only the other Saiyajins, no one else, but as soon as one of them even tried to engage a conversation with him, he ignored them until they gave up.
He had played his part until the bay was long out of sight and when Kakarotto had approached him, he had gone down into the brig without a struggle. The only way to keep at least a part of his pride and his dignity had been to show all of them that he was still a Prince and faced his fate with his head held high. No one would be able to say afterwards that he had begged like a pathetic weakling facing his doom.
"Vegeta?" he heard her ask and the floor creaked underneath her feet, as she stepped closer to the iron cell.
Not moving an inch, Vegeta paid her no attention. What was she doing here anyway? She wasn't allowed to visit him, Kakarotto had told him this the first night of his imprisonment, when he had brought him his dinner. The younger Saiyajin wouldn't have minded, but the other sailors were concerned for her safety. Vegeta would have snorted, if he had reacted at all. How could he, who was locked away in the brig, physically hurt her? Foolish woman! Was she really jeopardizing the trust of her friends by paying him a visit?
"Krillin helped me to visit you," she explained hurriedly and Vegeta could hear how she nervously wringed her hands. "The others don't know. They are all on shore, but I claimed to be sick to stay aboard. They may never find out."
Again, no response. He hoped that she would give up, if he just ignored her long enough. The woman shouldn't be doing this. He was a dead man and she still had her whole life ahead of her. It was already bad enough that they had started this relationship in the first place. He had known the whole time that it had no future, but he hadn't listened to his mind for once. He had encouraged her, when he should have pushed her away. He had begun to care for her, when he should have hated her. And he had made love to her, when he should have destroyed her trust in him.
"Damn it, Vegeta! Talk to me!"
He could hear the desperation in her voice, the fear and the anger. "Leave."
"No!" Bulma yelled, outraged. "I'm not leaving!"
Vegeta opened his eyes ever so lightly, knowing that she couldn't see it in the darkness. He watched as she, as if to prove her words, sat down on a small barrel and crossed her arms over her chest defiantly.
"I'm not leaving," she repeated, quieter but her voice still strong. And then, in a whisper, "I promised you, I wouldn't leave."
This she had, Vegeta remembered hazily. Right before he had died, she had promised him that she wouldn't go anywhere. Closing his eyes again, Vegeta shifted slightly on the small cot in the corner of the cell and leaned his head against the bars. "Stupid woman," he only muttered, before a heavy silence fell upon them.
They sat there like this, not one of them saying another word, until Krillin appeared in the hold and informed Bulma of the return of the others. She left the hold reluctantly, still silent, but threw one look back into the darkness, before she climbed the ladder and disappeared inside. Once she was again in her cabin she quickly undressed and laid down, pretending to sleep.
The whole time, Vegeta had not once moved from his spot on the bed, not even to look after her.
"Now we're finally going to see the Beast burn," Bardock mumbled grimly, but also a bit triumphantly, as he and Goku stood in front of the bier the same night, along with what appeared to be ever inhabitant of Ginger Island. Goku nodded in agreement, with an equally grim look on his face.
It had been a rather strenuous and exciting afternoon that they had spent with the old woman of their past. Stories had been exchanged, Bardock and Kyna had reveled in long buried memories and they had also talked of future plans. Kyna had taken the revelation that Goku was the Legendary surprisingly well, only saying that she had had a feeling that this might happen.
The old woman had perked up considerately after she had recognized Bardock and almost all signs of her illness had been gone. She had even wanted to meet Goku's full family, so, after a bit of arguing with Ducina, ChiChi, Gohan and also Dende had joined them for a few minutes, before they all had to leave. Goku and Bardock left Kyna with the promise to return soon, even though they all knew that the old woman might not be alive anymore, when they again set foot on this island.
"Are we still in time?" they suddenly heard a raspy voice behind them and turned around, astounded. The townspeople directly behind them parted and revealed an old woman in a battered wheelchair.
"Kyna!" Bardock exclaimed, the worry evident in his voice. "What are you doing here? You should be abed!"
"I told her the same," a scowling Ducina complaint, as she pushed the wheelchair to stop next to them. There was a thick blanket covering the old woman's lap, despite the warm night air. "But she wouldn't listen to me."
Kyna gave them a small, slightly severe smile. "Long have I lived under the Beast's terror. Now I want to be present, when it meets its final end."
Squeezing his old friend's shoulder, Bardock replied, "I understand you." Reaching up, Kyna put her hand over his as response, before she put it again in her lap.
A few minutes later the crowd fell silent and Mr. Satan appeared with a brightly burning torch in his hand, approaching the bier. After having set the straw on fire, it rapidly spread over the whole bier and engulfed Frieza's body completely. The heat of the fire was intense and yet no one moved from his spot, as they watched the spectacle with growing fascination.
The smell of burned flesh quickly reached their noses and sparks flew high into the sky. Frieza's body was burning, as seemingly all immunity to fire had fled his body at his death. No one could say how long it took, until the fire began to subside and nothing was left of the body.
Slowly the inhabitants of Ginger Island left the market place, as everything was coming to an end.
"It's over," Bardock murmured and again squeezed the old woman's shoulder. This time, there was no reply. When Bardock looked down at her, he saw a happy and peaceful smile on her pale face, her eyes closed and her chest still.
A single tear ran down his cheek, as he turned again to the dying fire.
It was over.
There was nothing left but dust.