Title: Haruhasaiden: The Distant Tale of the Saiyan who became the God of Destruction (Harukanaru Hakaishin Saiya Densetsu)
Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Supernatural, Horror, Romance
Basis: This fic is based on Rising Fist's video on Youtube: "Vegeta and Bulma's Final Moments"
Summary: This is the story of a Saiyan who became the God of Destruction of his universe for the sake of his beloved wife as he awaits for her to be reborn in her next life.
Disclaimer: The Author made this story as a fan fiction for fun purposes only. The author also disclaims ownership to the characters and elements in the story and credits the rightful owners. Characters and Elements are based on Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball Super by Akira Toriyama, credits go to Bird Studio/Shueisha/Fuji TV and Toei Animation.
1
Immortality.
Once upon a time I arrived on this planet with a goal to wish for immortality using seven magical balls known as the Dragon Balls that could grant any wish. My only wish was for me to enjoy eternal life fighting, getting stronger and to rule the entire universe. I was a Saiyan after all, born to rule, fight and destined to become the greatest warrior across in the entire universe.
I was the Saiyan Prince, the most powerful of my kind. My kingdom and my people were destroyed by an evil tyrant I was forced to serve for years, who molded me into a cold and ruthless monster just as he was. I have killed countless of lives and destroyed numerous planets in his name during my younger years. I cared for nothing but my strength, power and fearsome reputation. It was quite obvious that once I had my hands on my wish for eternal life, I will destroy this planet as celebration for my immortality. I planned to overthrow that tyrant once and for all and replace him as the feared ruler of the cosmos.
My evil plans didn't work out. During my conquest I was defeated by a fellow Saiyan warrior who was sent on this planet for some reason and he protected this planet as his home. It wasn't until I had nowhere else to go that I was forced to live here along a certain woman who changed my entire life.
Bulma.
With my pride as the most powerful Saiyan deeply wounded after my defeat on the hands of a fellow but lower-class Saiyan, Kakarot. I was forced to seek help from her, a human who was supposedly weaker, softer and vulnerable compared to a Saiyan like myself. To my surprise, despite her physical limitations as a human, she had a strong headed personality, a fierce aura, a fiery will equal to that of my kind and an unbelievable intellect that was considered to be a dangerous threat to the entire multiverse. She was never afraid of who and what I am despite how many times I dared to threaten her life and her planet, no matter how I tell her my past deeds she never felt fear. At first I thought she was an idiot to trust me, a heartless monster. But then... She pulled me with a mass greater than the Earth. There was a law of motion stating that opposites attract. Yet, even if we came from different worlds, we realized we were actually alike. I remember falling uncontrollably for her, as if I was the apple that fell off the ground due to her gravity. And when I did, I felt my cold heart beating for the first time.
She was my first love.
Over the years, she was able to melt away my cold, hateful heart. I, a ruthless beast, was transformed into a man.
Falling in love with her was effortless. She was the first person to ever care about me. It was as if a beam of light shone through the seemingly infinite darkness I lived my entire life in and melted away my icy, hardened heart.
Yet, I struggled at first. I hesitated. I tried fighting against it. I hated what I had become. I wanted to pull away from her. I was the Prince of Destruction, meant to fight, kill and destroy. I saw her and our child as a nuisance to me. I used to believe that emotions are a warrior's greatest weakness that would become his downfall. After all, I used to play around my victim's emotions before I kill them back in the day. I have scoffed and bitterly laughed at what happened to me. I chose to return to what I used to be, wanting to run away from her.
I did not want it.
I eventually realized how difficult it was for me to forget about her. The emotions that I had for her were too strong that not even my desire to return to the monster that I used to be was able to suppress and forget. It was too late for me to go back when I realized that the bond I forged with her on our wedding day was unbreakable and everlasting. Trying to pull away from her like this was extremely difficult for me.
And then, I was in front of the enemy threatening to destroy her, our son and our home. When I realized it was my selfishness that unleashed an even greater monster than I was into the Earth, I decided to take responsibility of my actions and put my life on the line in order to protect my loved ones. It was when I discovered that I am capable of fighting for the sake of others. A man fighting for someone else other than myself, willing to sacrifice my entire life in protecting her, our son and my new home.
I remember how good that felt. I smiled at the face of my death. I would gladly die for my loved ones, whom I considered to be my greatest pride, rather than live my life without them. And I would do it again and again without any hesitation and regret.
By the magic of the Dragon Balls, I came back to life. Since then, I came to accept the fact that I am a changed man now. When I initially thought of my family as a nuisance, I realized that they were actually my greatest strength. The true source of my power was my pride. My greatest pride was them. Countless of times I have reached a new level of power during a fierce battle after thinking about her and our children.
My growth made me one of the most powerful beings in the entire multiverse, protecting my universe from any threat that dared to attack the things that I cared about. I was notorious not just for my past deeds but for my formidable status as well. I reached godly levels of power that was beyond anything than I imagined when I was younger. Despite all my success, I was happy and satisfied with my family. They are the reason for all that I have after all.
Then suddenly, my fate made another cruel turn...
I knelt before Daishinkan, the Grand Priest, who stood before me. On the sides, facing me were all the Gods of Destruction and their guide angels down on their knees. They were all giving me a furious glare, perhaps they were wondering why a mortal like myself dared to join the affairs of the deities. We were inside the heavenly throne hall of the King of All. I was begging them with all of my heart, not for my life but for the existence of my beloved Bulma to be spared from being erased by the Zenos, the most powerful deities across the multiverse.
Prior to this, they have discovered that Bulma secretly invented a machine that was able to amplify the magical power of the Earth's Dragon Balls in an attempt to use them in case the gods and their angels refuse to help us again. There had been many times when the Earth was in danger and Bulma tried to bait Beerus, the God of Destruction and his guardian angel, Whis into helping save the Earth against formidable opponents like Zamasu, Goku Black and the Planet Eater Moro. Time and time again they refused to make a move to help us. I wondered if Bulma had enough of their excuses about how 'the deities have no qualms to whatever happens to mortals' so she decided to take matters on her own and used her intellect to create such a machine.
Of course, when I learned about this, I couldn't believe she did it. I was mad at her. She never said anything about her plans to me because she knew I would never agree to them. It was already too late when I discovered what she had done. The amplified power of the Dragon Balls burst out of control and began to rip through reality itself, causing insurmountable destruction across the multiverse.
The gods were not happy about what happened. Her selfish attempt to create an ultra powerful weapon capable of such destruction was beyond what they have expected of a mere Earthling woman. They have considered her very existence as a great threat to the multiverse and so they have decided to punish her by erasing her existence.
The gods refused to listen to my pleas. They wanted to strip the most important thing in my life away from me. I tried to compromise by offering myself to be punished in her stead but I was scolded for underestimating the law of the deities. They do not wish to erase someone as powerful and formidable as I am for I have served my universe well. I sobbed, telling them that I will do anything they would order me to do, so long as it would secure Bulma's existence and her life.
I would do anything...
For her.
Despite possessing godly powers and a formidable reputation, I am still nothing to them but a mere mortal. To the deities' eyes, I was the dirt beneath their feet. I know that feeling because I used to see humans that way. That's why deep in my heart, I already knew that my pleas would only fall on deaf ears because that's what I did to those who begged for my mercy when I was younger.
I still tried, somehow hoping for a slight bit of result. When I did that, I wondered if this was the karma humans used to believe, the consequences for all the evilness I did all those years ago.
"Really? You would do anything we tell you just for you to save the existence of your wife?" Daishinkan asked.
"Yes, I will do anything." I assured them.
"Then serve as the new God of Destruction for Universe Seven. I believe Beerus has been looking for a successor to his mantle and considering your past conquests in battle, you are well fitted to become a destroyer god, Vegeta. Both him and Whis highly recommended you as a candidate. I heard from them that you have already mastered the Arts of Destruction even that mortal state of yours."
What kind of cruel joke fate was playing at me? If I was offered the job years ago before I met Bulma, I would have taken it without any hesitation at all. Of course, becoming a god would make me immortal, the very wish that brought me to Earth. I would have gotten what I initially wanted in life. To fight, kill and destroy all I want for eternity without any consequences. However, now that I have a family to care about, I know I cannot leave them behind for the sake of returning to what I used to be. Like I said, I tried this once and I failed at that attempt.
That's the reason why I refused to accept the initial offers of Whis to become Beerus' successor when I trained under his tutelage years ago, I do not want to leave my family behind. I do not want to go back to the way I used to be.
I do not want to become that cold and ruthless monster Freeza did his best to mold me into, again.
Is there any other way out of this?
There was none, of course.
There were protests among the Gods of Destruction, disbelief among their looks as they stared at each other. Beerus was the only quiet one but I could see the tension in his poise. He ignored the questions thrown at him by his colleagues, asking him if it was true that he was already resigning from his position and if he really taught me the Arts of Destruction, the techniques exclusive only to the Gods of Destruction. They never had an idea that Beerus was serious about making me his apprentice and successor.
I was never interested in the position and duty of being a God of Destruction. But now... Given the circumstances, I... I-
-"What do you say, Saiyan? Would you accept to become the Universe Seven's new God of Destruction?" Daishinkan waited for my response. "If I remember, you offered to be punished for your wife's sake, in exchange for her very existence. Becoming the God of Destruction doesn't sound like a punishment for someone like you, Vegeta. Heck, I bet you might enjoy yourself with it." he chuckled.
You had no idea how hard it was for me to make a choice, do you?
I knew Bulma won't be happy if she discovered I accepted to become a God of Destruction. All those years and effort she made changing me into the man that I am now would be all but futile.
Despite the unforgivable sin she just did, I do not wish for her to cease to exist. My life would be as empty and dark without her light, her presence, her very existence.
And so I made my decision. But before that, I would want to make sure of something.
"May I ask you a question or two before I make a decision?" I asked.
"You're already treading on thin ice, Saiyan." Daishinkan growled in warning but he eventually gave in. "Fine, let's hear it."
I recalled the words of Piccolo, a Namekian comrade, when I asked him what would happen to me once I died before facing Majin Buu years ago.
"Piccolo once told me that when a person dies, the dead will be cleansed of the dirt and the memories of their lives so it can be reborn as new creature. I also heard that a mortal has four different lives in his cycle. If reincarnation was true, how many lives do I and Bulma still have?"
Daishinkan sighed, "The answers you seek can only be known by the Deity of the Underworld, Enma Daiou."
"Excuse me, father but I know the answer to Vegeta's questions." Whis interrupted.
"What is it, Whis?" Daishinkan asked.
I turned to the tall, soft-faced angel, the gentle but powerful teacher I used to train under.
"I checked on your personal status before you entered the Tournament of Power, it appears that you are currently on your second life cycle while Bulma was at her first." Whis answered.
"What?" I gasped in surprise.
"It means that you're a reincarnated being, Vegeta. You are currently at your second life."
Really? I was kinda curious what my first life was like. But then, this is no time to dwell on that.
"Then there's still a chance that she will be reincarnated?" I asked.
"Of course. That is if her existence won't get erased today."
"Alright, I made my decision." I announced, determined but Daishinkan was quick to declare.
"Stop right there, Vegeta. Before you say something... If you think that after she dies and her soul is sent to the otherworld, she would eventually get reincarnated as a new being then you are wrong! It would take years, several years - who knows how many - for her to come back as a reincarnated being. After what happened today, I am sure that her soul will be put on hold in the underworld for the time being before she is allowed to be reborn. Of course, there comes the uncertainty that she might be reborn as another creature when the time comes too."
"I don't care about that."
Everybody glared at me.
"I don't care how many years it would take for me to wait for her so long as I meet her again in her next life. Thank you for answering my questions and for the advice. I will gladly accept your punishment. I shall become my Universe's God of Destruction on the conditions that Bulma's existence shall not be erased and that her soul will be allowed to reincarnate as a new being when the time comes."
"Deal." Daishinkan said. "With that being said, Vegeta shall undergo the ritual of becoming the God of Destruction. The Dragon Balls shall restore the multiverse to its former glory. After that, the magical balls shall be erased from existence and any attempt on making these shall be strictly prohibited, otherwise it shall be destroyed. Mortals will not be allowed to enter the forbidden realm of the gods and the otherworld. The gates to the otherworld shall only be a one way pass to mortals. Aside from the law and cycle of reincarnation, no resurrection and other means of coming back to the living world shall be allowed for mortals."
Let it be done.
My fate truly had a cruel twist.
Who would have known that I would eventually get my wish after so many years?
Immortality.
An eternal life of fighting.
Having the power to destroy anything I want without consequences.
By becoming the new God of Destruction, I could rule as the most powerful being in the entire universe, greatly feared by everyone.
It was all that I ever wanted when I was younger.
Yet, as I do the ritual of becoming the God of Destruction, along with Beerus and Kaioshin on Beerus' planet, I was not happy.
If this happened years ago, I would have been overjoyed. I would have celebrated as soon as I ascended to the higher realm of the gods. I would have destroyed a few planets already as if they were fireworks to light up my party.
As my destructive powers amplified to godly levels as it coursed through my veins, changing my body painfully as it transformed back to its prime age and slowly turning its mortal shell to an immortal body, I thought that maybe, just maybe, after all that I suffered under Freeza's subjugation when I was younger, that I was truly born and raised to become a Hakaishin, the God of Destruction.
This was my true destiny.
But no... I never felt so empty and lost before.
"Congratulations, Vegeta. You have finally possessed the powers of a God of Destruction." Beerus said once the ritual was finally over.
"Your life is binded to mine from now on, so let's work together," Kaioshin said. He was the God of Creation, the counterpart of the God of Destruction. Our fate, energies and lives are now binded as partners. Destruction and creation come together. In order for creation to happen, destruction must be done first. That was what I was told by Whis, who is now my guardian for eternity - until the day I am done with the punishment bestowed to me by Zeno and Daishinkan. That's just the way the balance of the universe works.
I looked down at myself. So this is how it feels like to be a destroyer god. The destructive divine power flowing through me was intense and overflowing. I stepped forward to stare at my reflection in the water. I was wearing Beerus' clothes now. I was basically the same as I do back when I was a mortal Saiyan in the ages of my prime - well, except for those strange glowing violet irises around my small, dilated dark pupils. My body was surrounded by an ominous dark purple aura containing the powers of devastation.
"Worry not, Vegeta. You still have access to your Saiyan powers." Whis said. "You can still turn into a Super Saiyan and its subsequent transformations. You can even turn Oozaru if you wanted to." he pointed at the monkey tail behind me which I didn't realize has grown back since my attempt to invade the Earth. "You can suppress all of your powers just as you always do and you will stay just as your base form."
I did just that and the violet glow of my eyes faded to its typical obsidian hues.
"So, how does becoming a destroyer god make you feel, Vegeta?" Beerus asked. "-or should I call you Lord Vegeta now?" he chuckled.
That wasn't funny, knowing him I know that he would never do such a thing. Was that even sarcasm?
"You don't seem happy about your ascension." Kaioshin noticed.
I frowned. Should I be celebrating after what just happened? I was forced to do this so I can save my wife's existence!
"The multiverse has been restored to its former glory. Bulma is safe with your children at Capsule Corporation." Whis reported while looking at the flashing crystal of his staff. "Does that make you feel better, Vegeta?"
I slowly nodded, slightly feeling relieved.
Beerus walked and stopped right beside me. "I know you didn't want this, that you were forced to do this, not after the development you had gone through your entire life. But trust me, you'll be glad to have accepted this fate than living your remaining life knowing your beloved Bulma was erased from existence."
I rolled my eyes. "Thanks."
"Consider this as my final gift to you so you can save Bulma's existence. I know, that despite your unquestionable love for her, you will make a fine destroyer. Just always keep in mind the advices I gave to you when you wished to learn more about the power of a God of Destruction."
"Yeah," I nodded, remembing the time I followed Beerus to a cliff several years ago, curious about the powers a God of Destruction held. When he demonstrated his 'Hakai' technique to destroy a nearby planet, I inquired him about how I could acquire such amazing power, awed by the display of planetary destruction he just did in front of me. It reminded me of the old days whenever I blow up the planet I was ordered to destroy. Then he pointed out several reasons why I won't be able to wield such power. Doubts, guilt, emotions, attachment to my past, whatever things I continue to hold despite it being over for years, all those things served as chains and weights to me. That's why he believed that I do not deserve to succeed him - as if I would ever want that.
I just do not have a choice right now. I simply do not want my wife be erased from existence. I'd rather sacrifice my life and take on punishments for eternity for the sake of her and my family.
Beerus put his hand over my shoulder and he turned me around so I can face him. "It is time to end this, Vegeta."
In order to fully become the God of Destruction, I had to use the powers Beerus just transferred and bestowed upon me to 'destroy' him.
"But before you do that, I have something to tell you. Just so you can feel that destroying me is worth it and that you won't feel any guilt about it."
"What do you mean?" I asked, confused.
"Do you remember the time when we first met? You were still a child back then."
"Yeah."
"When I saw you, I thought of choosing you as my successor. I have heard of your immense potential as a child. Your father was very proud of you and your prowess. You were a born-genius, the perfect warrior. The perfect candidate for the mantle of God of Destruction."
"..."
"To tell you the truth, I set you up so you can be raised as the future God of Destruction, Vegeta."
I was even more confused now. "What are you trying to say, Beerus?"
"The Saiyans were a hopeless bunch of fools, yet the young prince was full of potential. It would be a waste to just have you be destroyed along your pitiful race. And since I was too lazy and impatient to do such a work, I ordered Freeza to destroy Planet Vegeta in my place. Of course, I also told him to spare your life and to mold you to become as cold and ruthless as you can be. I always knew that you had it in you. He has no idea that I was planning to have you replace me as God of Destruction."
I stared at Beerus with a mixture of disbelief, rage, anger... All those dark memories, the hatred, the bloodlust, the desire for vengeance, all the hardships I suffered for survival and the humiliation to my pride as a Saiyan. Everything that I experienced while being a soldier of the Freeza Force... It all came back to me. It all made sense now why Freeza did his best to mold me into a monster.
It was all because of Beerus.
"You were always meant to replace me, Vegeta. It was you falling in love with a human that was not."
"You... You lie!" I roared. In an instant, my powers were unleashed as my aura exploded from my quaking body as my mind filled with uncontrollable fury.
I cannot believe what I was hearing from him! All these years I hated this stupid cat for acting so spoiled and demanding around us but I still respected him for his power and honor. I thought he had an honor... But I was wrong. He was the true reason I lost my kingdom, the reason why I suffered all those years...
"Do you understand now why Whis kept on offering you to become my successor? Why I told you the secrets behind the overwhelming power of a God of Destruction? I kept the truth about the destruction of your home planet a secret to you all these years because I was saving it for the time you ascend to my title. Now that I told you the truth, use that rage you have right now to destroy me. That way, you can finally avenge yourself and your fallen people."
Out of pure rage, I roared as I raised my hand and pointed my palm towards him.
"That's right, Vegeta. Focus all of your anger and turn it into your powers of destruction. Focus it all into a sphere containing your desire to destroy..."
I did just as what I was told. My senses and my vision darkened, consumed by my emotions. I was not aware that my powers are getting out of control. Whis created a barrier around him and Kaioshin to protect themselves from what's about to happen.
"Control it... Vegeta. Concentrate it all into that hand. Create the sphere of Destruction."
A small, spiralling sphere of devastating purple energy began to form on my hand.
Beerus smiled. "That's good." he said. "You were always a fast learner. Hehehe... Just as I thought, you will truly make a fine destroyer. Do not ever doubt yourself since you were always meant to become my successor. Now, with the urge to destroy, say 'Hakai'."
I stared at Beerus' smiling face. I can tell that somehow, he was satisfied with how things are going to end for him. Despite all my anger at his sudden admission to his sins against me, I know that I can still forgive him for what he did. It was all in the past after all. If not for what I have experienced under Freeza, I wouldn't be as strong and formidable as I am now. I may have never gone to Earth, meet Bulma and have my family.
Whatever Beerus did doesn't matter anymore.
My furious expression melted and I smiled back at my predecessor, silently telling him that I have forgiven him - somewhat.
"Thank you... Lord Beerus." I muttered. Beerus' eyes widened in awe as he stared at me oddly.
He grabbed my shoulders and glared at me in the eye. "Vegeta, remember what I told you." he said sternly.
Do not hesitate. Do not doubt. Do not feel any guilt. This is the duty of a God of Destruction. I nodded. Just as what Beerus told me, I focused and filled my mind with the desire to destroy, using my rage as a catalyst to let my new powers of being the new Hakaishin flow through me.
And then I exclaimed, "Hakai."
As Beerus turned into purple particles that ceased his very existence, his smile grew even more.
"Good job." he said as if congratulating me. "Thank you, Vegeta... For setting me free."
Those were the last words he said as I watched Beerus slowly ceased to exist right before my eyes. He has sacrificed his life for me so I can save Bulma's existence. He did that so he can repay me for the sins he had done and kept from me in the past. For some reason, despite the advices he told me about my past weighing me down, I realized that he was probably feeling that same weight upon his shoulders too, but he had to suck it all up because of his duties as the God of Destruction. Now that I have replaced him, I have lifted that weight off of him, which included his guilt for what he did to me and my people.
I am beginning to think that perhaps, this isn't really a good idea after all. But for the sake of my beloved Bulma, I shall endure it all.
That was how I became the God of Destruction.
I remember that day when I became the God of Destruction, she was not happy about it. All those years she spent to change me into the man she loved were totally wasted right before her eyes. And of course, knowing that she was the reason why I had to do this didn't help since she cannot forgive herself about it.
I didn't want her to feel that way.
After my ascension, I visited her right away. I can only visit her now instead of going back home to her due to my new duties as a God of Destruction.
"How could you do this, Vegeta?" she cried as soon as she found me. We were at the balcony of Capsule Corporation. Whis had kept his distance from us and probably proceeded to the kitchen where he can eat.
How? It's all for you, silly woman. But I couldn't say them out loud because of her tears. I could tell that her guilt was so heavy she was breaking down right in front of me. The strong, feisty woman I was attracted to, showed her human softness.
"There could be another way for us to fix this. I will never allow you to go back to what you used to be! You don't have to be punished for this! It's all my fault, you could have just allowed the King of all to - "
"-eliminate your existence? No! I will not allow them or anyone do anything bad to you!" I yelled at her, cutting her off from those thoughts.
Bulma stared at me and I felt my face burn in embarrassment. How could I say that out loud?
"I... I..." I stammered.
She reached out her hands to touch my face gently, her eyes gazing at mine with a loving and thankful gaze.
"Oh, Vegeta. Sometimes, I forget how much you have changed." she muttered before smiling genuinely.
I sighed and I pulled her into an embrace. "I did this for you. I assure you Bulma, that this is my decision and I do not regret it. I will do anything in order to protect you no matter what happens! So for my sake, do not feel guilty about this. I am only doing my job as your husband."
"Will you do me a favor when the time comes, Vegeta?"
"What is it?"
"Can you be the one to escort me once the time comes?"
I frowned. What is she saying? Is she pertaining to the time of her death?
It really wasn't that long before she died. It was an accident that killed her in a car crash. She was seventy-five.
The door slowly opened and she entered the gargantuan room where I've been waiting for her since I sensed her ki has faded in the mortal world. It was all so sudden that I had no idea what just happened. I was not there to save and protect her. That fact angered me the most.
Her blue eyes sparked with joy when she finally found me. Despite the wrinkles surrounding her eyes, her normally blue hair now all gray which only showed her old age being the human she was... Those were still the pair of cerulean eyes that I would always seek and love.
"You idiot!" I scolded her as I stepped forward and pulled her into an embrace. "How could you do this to me, Bulma? It's not yet time!"
Yes, she was seventy-five years old. I was expecting her to pass away anytime soon. Her life span was impressive for a human though. She lived long enough as compared to the majority of her kind. Still, for me it wasn't the right time until she died peacefully in her deathbed. Her death was so sudden that I was not prepared for it.
"I missed you alot, Vegeta." she smiled. It was just last night that I last visited her. I watched at her sleep in my arms until she woke up this morning.
It was a fine day for her. A perfect one to be exact. How could it turn out this way? I don't understand.
"I know you would miss me but that doesn't mean you'll go on being reckless and getting yourself killed!" I scolded at her angrily.
According to Whis and Enma Daiou, the Deity of the Underworld, she protected the kids riding in a daycare bus by getting in the way of a speeding truck that lost its break. She was found dead inside her car that took all the impact. When I heard the story, I could never forgive myself for not being there to protect and save her.
What for am I doing this? I did this so she can enjoy the rest of her human life. Nobody told her to play superhero when she couldn't even save herself from the verges of death itself. Was my sacrifice for nothing?
"Compared to being erased from existence, this fate of hers is still better." Whis tried to console with me about it. He said that it was her choice, it was something not even I, despite all my power and greatness, could never stop.
"I had no other choice, Vegeta. The children-"
"-Who the hell cares about those damn kids! I didn't sacrifice my mortal life just for you to do this! Were you that guilty enough for what happened to me that you chose to sacrifice your own life for those people you didn't even know? Tell me!"
I knew she did it so she can atone for all the trouble she did. I have already paid that for her. Why does she need to punish herself this way?!
"Because it is the right thing to do, Vegeta." she answered. "I did what I think is the right way. Even what the deities called as my 'sins', I never doubted that what I did was the correct way. It's just that they do not agree with how I think."
"Right thing to do or not... I..."
I knew I was being selfish that's why I was angry at her. She was right though, saving those children in exchange for her own life was the right thing to do. It was I who did not understand because of my selfishness. She did a good deed. Those humans she saved must be very grateful for her. I should be proud of her but I couldn't help myself from thinking how this would keep her away from me until the time she gets reincarnated to a new being.
"This was my decision and I do not regret it. So for my sake, please do not feel guilty about what happened. I am only doing what was right." she said almost the same words I told her back when I first became a God of Destruction.
I gave up. She was as stubborn as I am so I guess there's no telling her. In fact, despite my argumentative nature, I never won any argument against her. She was just as persistent as she was. And that's exactly what I loved about her. When she set her mind into things, there's nothing that can change her mind about it, not even myself.
I held her hand, intertwining our fingers together as we faced the Deity and Judge of the Underworld, Enma Daiou to hear her soul's sentence.
The colossal red-skinned ogre deity looked at us with an odd stare as he flipped through the pages of his giant book of life and death, waiting for us.
"Bulma Briefs. You are 75 years old, born on August 18, Age 733. Is that correct?" Enma Daiou asked.
"Yes." she confirmed.
"That was quite a deed, woman." he said. "You have quite a fair record in here. The only things that gave you a negative standard was your involvement in creating the time machine - even if it is credited to your future counterpart, you still used this knowledge to interfere with the natural flow of events. The other thing was the very reason why your husband, Vegeta the Fourth's name was erased from this book."
He showed us the page where Bulma's name and her doings was written. Across it was a completely blank page. My name has magically been erased from the Book of Life and Death after I became the God of Destruction.
"Since Vegeta-sama has given his life in servitude as the God of Destruction so you can enjoy your existence and continue with the rest of your remaining three life cycles, you have been pardoned for all these deeds. However, once you undergo the process of rebirth, your cleansing will take a longer time as you would be put on hold for a moment to ensure that Vegeta's doing his part of the deal. This is the lightest punishment I can bestow upon you, as per your husband's 'request'."
Enma closed the book. "Now, don't think of it as a special treatment just because you died saving those children in the daycare bus. It was an order from those whose positions and powers are way above mine." then he glared at me with a knowing look.
"Thank you, Vegeta." she said.
I just stared at her, still furious.
"Please don't look at me like that."
What do you expect me to do? Be happy and celebrate my beloved wife's death?
"Before I go, I have a few things I need to tell you while I am away." she said. "Since you will be left behind, you have to promise me that you will continue to live like the prideful, powerful Saiyan Prince that I loved. Do not get depressed even though I know you will miss me alot. You may get sad, but I know you'll eventually get over it."
You idiot woman. I do not get depressed or sad that easily but how do you think am I supposed to get over a life without you?
I pulled her again into an embrace, sobbing against her shoulder. I do not know what to do without her in my life now.
"Come on, Vegeta. Don't cry." she said.
"I'm not crying!" I denied despite all the uncontrollable tears falling from my stinging, blurry eyes.
Despite being an immortal god, I found myself having a difficulty of breathing. My chest hurts. It felt as if I was dying right there.
"Watch over Trunks and Bulla for me. They're may be adults now and have families of their own, but they are still our babies."
"They're just babies to you. They are grown up now. They can hold on their own."
"I can't say you agree to your own words when you still call Bulla 'Daddy's baby princess' before she got married."
I pulled away from her as I denied angrily. "Hey! I didn't call her that!"
Then I hugged her back again, sobbing against her shoulder once more.
She giggled. Oh how I'll miss that sound and that touch she makes as she gently rubbed my back and my hair while I cried like a child on her shoulder. I was always a tough Saiyan warrior, never did I show my most vulnerable side to anyone as I feared making myself look pathetic. Yet, with her, I couldn't count how many times I did this. Even a cold and ruthless warrior such as myself had a few breakdown moments, especially in the presence of the woman I loved and trusted.
Enma Daiou, Whis and his guards silently watched. I had forgotten that they were there. I couldn't care less about that now.
"Let me see your face. The face of the Prince I always loved. Please?" she pleaded.
I hesitated. I do not want her to see me like this. I still obeyed her though, not wanting to keep her waiting.
She reached out her hand to touch my face, wiping away the tears that kept falling from my eyes.
"Vegeta..." she called my name. "Please don't be like this for too long. I'll come back to see you again. Wait for me. I'll be gone for just a little while. So please hold on... And I promise you that in my next life, I will be with you no matter what."
"I will wait for you no matter how long it would take. And when you do, I will come to you. I will come looking for you." I promised her.
"Thank you." she said.
I reached out my hand to touch her lovely face for the last time and pulled her into a kiss that was filled with all my love, passion and longing for her. At the same time, I transferred some of my ki and connected it into her soul, hoping that one day, that said connection would lead me back to her when that time comes.
Bulma held my hand as she turned her head to my guardian angel, Whis.
"Whis-san. Please take good care of my Vegeta while I am gone." she pleaded.
"Certainly, Lady Bulma." Whis assured her with a smile.
Bulma nodded in acceptance and she turned her bright blue eyes back to me. "Vegeta. I think I have to go now. I'll be back soon. I promise..."
Then, she let go of my hand.
Back in the day, I always had that much confidence in my strength. I thought that I could do anything with my vaunted power. Even when I reached godhood, I thought that I have finally become the most powerful being in the entire Universe. But at that moment Bulma let go of my hand and she walked towards the door that led to the otherworld, I never felt so powerless. Once she enters that door, I'd never get to see her again until the day she is reborn. I couldn't make her stay any longer than I ever wanted. Time seemingly slowed down for me, so agonizingly slow, I had no strength, no power at all. I felt so helpless to stop it from happening.
Bulma opened the door and as she entered the otherworld, she turned around to smile at me for the last time.
"I'll see you again in the next life. Vegeta..."
The door closed with a loud sound.
My legs suddenly felt like they were made of jelly and my knees hit the ground. I lost all of my strength as I bawled loudly without a care in the world. I was like a small child who had lost his parents at a young age. Even though I actually did experience that, I never cried this much in my entire life.
My entire world crumbled when I lost her. My life became empty and meaningless. It was as if the heart of a man that she gave me had died the same moment she left me.
The only thing that kept me going was me clinging to the hope that she would one day be reborn and we will be together again.
In the loving memory of my beloved blue. May she rest in peace.
"No matter how long it would take, even if I have to wait a million lifetimes, I promise you that I will wait for you until that time we can be together again... My beloved Bulma."
Chapter Notes: (02222021) With the release of Dragon Ball Super Chapter 69, I added a few things to the story but as this was written prior to that chapter's release, I only added what is necessary that won't affect much of what happened here. In the actual manga chapter, Beerus already admitted to Vegeta that he was the one who ordered Freeza to destroy Planet Vegeta. Here, which is supposedly several years after that, was the first time Beerus admitted that so Vegeta could destroy him without any regrets. So in reference to that chapter, please ignore the part where Beerus admitted his part on Planet Vegeta's destruction to Vegeta so it won't affect how you read this story. Thanks for reading!
Insert Songs:
「I will come to you like the First Snowfall」
Performed by: Ailee
Album: Goblin: The Great and Lonely Guardian Original Soundtrack.
「BELOVED BLUE」
Performed by: Vegeta (Character Voice: Ryo Horikawa)
Album: None, just a live YouTube Performance of Ryo Horikawa on his vlog.
Note: Vegeta's words of endearment 'My Beloved Blue' came from this song. The English translation of this song will be found in the last chapter of 'Moonlight Destiny'.
