Chapter 8: A (Dusty) Trail
Disclaimer: I do not own anything from the Dragon Ball universe. That privilege belongs to Akira Toriyama.
Disclaimer 2: I do not own the videos this story was inspired by those privileges belong to Rising Fist and Prince Vegeta
Vegeta and Whis rampage across the quadrant to find Kolrabi. Records are poorly kept, time is running out, Vegeta grows impatient because of all the traveling between that desolate frontier and his home. Whis reveals more of what he knows about the message his mother gave Vegeta and the race to find the Saiyan lost in time tightens.
As the pair approached the large purple and blue colored planet, Vegeta sneered at the field of rubble and debris left from hundreds, maybe thousands, of shipwrecks that littered the empty space around the planet of Salick. There was enough space junk to form two rings around the giant planet and still leave a proverbial minefield of debris for hundreds of thousands of miles in all directions. Several space elevators rose out of the thick purple clouds that swirled with blue storms that turned teal, and in a few, bright neon green in the eyes. Space stations circled the planet, some were even on the remnants of the moons that had been blasted to pieces or mined until they collapsed. This was an obvious den for the vilest of creatures in the quadrant, Vegeta doubted he would find what he needed down there and his fingers twitched in anticipation of destroying this filthy place.
"This place is a dump," he muttered.
"Oh I think with a bit of cleaning it would actually be quite a lovely planet. The colors of its clouds are beautiful." Whis replied.
Vegeta just rolled his eyes. Whis said this often about planets they were going to destroy, always looking for the silver linings in things. Vegeta did appreciate it though, it kept him from getting too depressed about his boring life, a life that he often felt had no meaning anymore.
"Is there even any sentient life down there?" The destroyer asked bitterly.
"Surely you can feel them, my Lord." Whis countered, side-eyeing Vegeta to assess his level of anxiety.
The glint in his Lord's eye spoke volumes to Whis, and the celestial hoped they would find at least one clue. If not? Then they would be left to inspect every planet in concentric spheres outward. The very same thing they had been doing. He led them down to the surface, landing on top of one of the shorter buildings.
The surface of this planet was dark, the thick cloud cover blotting out visible light from its distant star. To compensate for the darkness of this world every roadway and building was lined in polycarbonate tubes filled with neon green bioluminescent algae, a perfect match to the strongest of storm clouds on the planet. Both men peered back up at the clouds and pondered the strangeness of this planet.
Vegeta breathed in and felt the life forces and ki of all the beings on the planet. All of the kis were incredibly weak except for a few select ones, concentrated in the highrise community in the central part of the city. The overbearing sense of malice in every life made the Saiyan's tail flick, and its hairs stand on end. Something was not right about this planet.
Whis made an annoyed sound, "Shall we go right to the rulers or do you want to waste time strolling through the slums?" He spoke angrily, frowning at the horizon.
Vegeta glared at the back of Whis's head. The celestial had never spoken so rudely to him. Sometimes he could be brutally honest, especially when Vegeta didn't want the truth, but never had he spoken with such venom, to anyone, ever. It struck him as odd but Vegeta brushed it off.
"What is that?" The Saiyan asked, looking around as he tried to shake the uneasy feeling he had since landing.
"What is what?"
"Forget it. Let's just go get what we came for, I'm not interested in the good and the scum. Let Shin sort them out." Vegeta said and took off, flying towards the tallest of the skyscrapers. He unfurled his tail to act as eyes in the back of his head.
"But of course, my Lord." Whis spat mockingly before he huffed and followed after Vegeta.
They landed on a balcony at the top of the tallest tower. Vegeta felt more tingling shoot through his brain while his tail swayed behind him. He felt like danger could be around every corner and tried to shake it off. The most dangerous thing on this planet was himself, nothing could even come close to touching him.
Fighting the strange sensations he felt that tried to wrap his mind in a cloud and alter his state, Vegeta marched over to the large glass doors. Through them he could make out one male in a harem of slaves, using one of them like a ragdoll. It made Vegeta rage and the feelings of oppression in his mind shattered, much like the door or window before him.
He hit the window with nothing more than a quick surge of his ki and it crumbled, tiny crystalline cubes scattered across the floor. Vegeta stalked through the room as slaves scurried away to cower in the far corner. The raging destroyer set his sights on the male looking around frantically.
The larger purplish alien male removed himself from his slave, shoved the girl onto the floor and quickly closed his robe.
"W-who are you? No one is allowed in here!"
Vegeta sneered at the disgusting filth. Beings like this one didn't deserve to live.
"I, am y-"
"I can see why you would want to keep that filth hidden." Whis critically stated, interrupting Vegeta.
Again Vegeta ignored Whis's odd behaviour. "I have come seeking information on a Saiyan slave sold off this planet nineteen years ago."
"Why should I help you?" The Nisoite asked.
"Because if you don't he is going to throw a massive temper tantrum and blow up this disgusting planet. Then you and all the pathetic beings on this planet will perish in the blast, but we will be okay because he is a god and I am an angel." Again Whis used the same mocking tone from earlier.
"What the hell is the matter with you?" Vegeta asked, turning on Whis to confront him. This attitude was really starting to piss him off.
"Me? You are the obsessive one." Whis said, flicking his hand through the air with his displeasure.
While the two men argued the third man in the room began to slowly move toward a safe in the corner of the room. He needed to get to the blaster in there and press the panic button on the side of it, obscured by the wall. The large Nisoite didn't know Vegeta was tracking his every movement.
"What are you talking about? You know exactly why we are here, I thought this was important to you too? Or was that just a lie?" Vegeta demanded of his attendant. As he spoke he felt Whis' aura. Something was very wrong. Whis carried the same malice Vegeta had felt when they first landed.
"Why would I ever think wasting years of my life searching for a needle in a stack of needles was important? They are all mortal. What does it matter what the needle is made of? Let's just pick one of these slaves to take home to service you." Whis accessed the slaves in the room, sniffing each one as he walked past them. He sneered at them all, not fully understanding the appeal of such pathetic creatures and their smelly orifices.
"Shut the fuck up! I don't want to hear another word out of your mouth until we get off this forsaken rock." Vegeta said and blasted the man in the back as the safe finally clicked open. "I have had enough of this place, we are leaving."
He marched right up to the safe, kicked the singed body aside, and pulled all the papers out of the safe. Leaving behind the money and the weapon, he grabbed Whis and blasted off into outer space. Once in orbit, Vegeta blasted the planet making it explode in less than ten seconds.
Whis, who had been annoyed, frustrated, and downright nasty to Vegeta wanted to protest about being so roughly manhandled by him, but couldn't bring himself to complain as the lack of air pulled the toxic gases from his lungs. As he watched the planet before him turn into nothing but stardust, the celestial began to understand what had happened to him. The atmosphere contained a toxin that caused those that breathed it in to feel rage and hatred towards everything around them. Whis could only float beside Vegeta and shake his head at his own behaviour.
"How were you not affected by those chemicals, my lord?" Whis asked, confused and ashamed.
"One of the only good things about working for that lizard. I was vaccinated for all known viruses, bacteria and substances. I had never been to one, but I have heard of planets where the very air can warp your mind and make even the most loyal of soldiers abandon their missions." Vegeta said without even batting an eye in Whis's direction as he skimmed a file he held.
"My lord I...Please, Vegeta, forgive me." Whis bowed in respect, his shame too great to bear when those dark gun-metal eyes turned on him.
Vegeta snapped the file he was scanning closed and looked at Whis. "What are you talking about, you didn't do anything wrong. At least not to me, however it may take some time to get all that stail sex smell out of your nose."
"Please do not remind me of that, it was so embarrassing." Whis covered his eyes and turned a shade of violet and Vegeta barked in laughter.
"Let's go to the next inhabited planet, I will skim these along the way," Vegeta said after only a few seconds, changing the subject and letting this experience fall to the back of their minds.
Another week passed and the cosmic duo headed back to their home to recuperate and replenish Vegeta's powers. The files they had taken from Salick were very vague, race and species were rarely listed, usually only age range and sex. This region of the universe was mostly slum planets ruled by evil, corrupt individuals that used sentient life as currency and oppressed people with drugs and manipulation. They both felt disgusted after the eighteenth planet they destroyed.
Vegeta was frustrated on top of all this. If she was a Saiyan like Trunks had informed him, why couldn't they sense her? Was she already capable of suppressing her Ki? If so, how? His mind reeled with all the questions he had and he didn't know where to start.
In silence, they both went their separate ways to wash up and rest. After several hours, Vegeta went to the kitchen to fix their food, and Whis joined him not much later. They worked in tandem to complete the meal, much in the way they would fight to slaughter evil beings. Without words, they sat down and ate. Each in his own head, trying to grasp the way things had turned out.
Whis ate slowly to collect his thoughts before he finally chose to speak his mind. He had not been able to tell Vegeta everything when Trunks was still around. After the other Saiyan left Vegeta had been in such a rush to leave, Whis had never gotten the opportunity to tell him the rest of what he suspected his mother was up to.
"Vegeta?" Whis waited for his Lord to raise his face and meet his eyes. "There is something I need to tell you. Something about what my mother said."
Vegeta clenched his jaw and swallowed hard. He knew Whis was withholding, had instructed him to out of his desire not to worry Trunks. After Salick, Vegeta had forgotten to get the information from his attendant. He was grateful Whis was being forthcoming, since he had kept a rather large secret, for nearly two decades himself.
"What is it?"
"There are many things to tell you. Firstly, forgive me for repeating myself, but Mother is toying with you. It is my understanding that she is also a stickler for tragic love stories. That is all mortal lives are to her, stories." Whis's face turned down into a frown as he spoke, building up to other things that plagued his mind. "The only reason she told you not to tell me was to prevent you from knowing these things earlier. She has given you a near-impossible task. Her intentions are suspicious at best and she either seeks to watch you fail, or is setting you up, Vegeta."
"Setting me up how?" Vegeta stood and placed his hands on the table. If that bitch had been preventing him from rescuing Kolrabi, he was going to have a few choice words for her the next time she cornered him. And like hell he would ever trust her either.
"There is the issue of her telling you not to do things, like telling me, for example. I do not see how my father or Grand Zeno could ever find out. This newfound power you have? You are as strong as I am, my Lord. Then the issue with soul names and her warning to you, even though she used yours. I assume the urge to mate is quite strong for your kind?" Whis asked, smiling when Vegeta's face flushed and the Saiyan looked away, giving away the answer. "This means there is also the possibility that She wants you to mate and awaken that soul, to force you to take on Grand Zeno. Mother was not wrong when she said he has been spiteful towards us here in U7, and the way he monitors universes two through three, six, and nine through eleven… It's practically totalitarian. My father is wrong for allowing this to happen." Whis paused and contemplated his next words. "She may be looking to replace Zeno with...you."
Vegeta stood stock still; he didn't move, he didn't blink, he didn't even breathe. He could barely think his shock was so great. Words were difficult to form as his mind reeled. Ruler of the Omniverse? HIM? The prince of Saiyans was a candidate to ascend to the highest position any mortal being could be granted. His pride swelled and he felt confident enough to succeed at anything.
Simultaneously, he dreaded the idea of having to rush into the next fight so soon after finding his woman. Was he never allowed to just have peace? He hoped he wouldn't have to tiptoe around this woman either, he wasn't even sure if he knew how to woo a potential mate. Suddenly he felt guilt for not having been a better mate to his Bulma. Whis pulled him from his dark thoughts with one final heavy blow.
"I only hope she does not mean to have you mate before the time frame she gave you comes about."
"That is preposterous!" Vegeta's anger at the entire situation exploded. "No kami damned goddess is going to dictate to me when and how I live this forsaken existence. It is bad enough Grand Zeno bound me to this planet like he did, destroyed my mate's soul, and has manipulated me endlessly to do his bidding like some dancing little monkey! When will my enslavement EVER END?!"
With a burst of his rage and power, Vegeta sent everything in the room flying. The windows shattered and Whis in his chair slid across the floor to slam into the wall. The objects in front of him flew through those broken windows and the large stone table turned over and broke onto the floor near the wall.
Whis watched in awe as the Saiyan went right into a new transformation. His once ebony locks with their red highlights turned nothing but purple-indigo with electric blue highlights, the flaming aura that surrounded him swelled like an inferno and lighting in the same brilliant blue filled the room.
Seething, Vegeta blasted out of the window into the evening sky. He needed to get away, to clear his tumultuous thoughts, he wanted to return to simpler days. Why couldn't they have lasted the rest of his life?
No, what was he thinking?
Vegeta was a warrior, the greatest warrior in the universe, that was all he had ever wanted for himself. Deep in his soul, he knew it was what he was born to do. What he had wanted for his family had been different yet the same. His wish was for them to find their own calling, but one was cut off from her potential, another serving an eternal sentence, and he was back to being a hired gun.
Did being the best always mean you would be used as another's pawn? In an unending ploy for control, and always allowing himself to be controlled in the process? To clear his head, Vegeta went into the ocean that took up half the planet.
At the dark depths of the sea, Vegeta allowed the intense pressure to crush him into submission. His heart pounded and he felt like he was bursting with energy. He remained there for hours. Even allowing himself to be eaten by a giant sea creature, only to fight his way out once he felt the pressure change as it ascended to the surface.
Once cleaned and dried he headed into the giant forests of his planet. The ancient trees were something else that could calm his mind. He recalled how as a child he used to seek refuge in the ancient tree in his mother's garden. Returning to simpler times helped him to see the chaos more clearly.
Deep in the forest he flew up into one of the oldest trees and settled down to meditate. As he basked in the tranquility of nature, the worries over his limited time slowly began to fade away. Eventually, his weariness and exhaustion began to overtake him and Vegeta fell asleep.
Vegeta opened his eyes and instantly felt the growl rising up in his chest. He sat in that same violet field with the stream running through it. Lavender clouds obscured the giant silver moon and a gentle breeze rustled through the trees behind him. Why now, after eighteen and a half years was this Celestial Goddess calling upon him again?
Was it because she was keeping tabs on him? On Whis?
Same as the last time lights flitted past him and gathered to form the outline of a shape. It formed in front of him as well, the same void-like darkness consuming its core. This time Vegeta did not even try to suppress the snarl.
"Destroyer Vegeta, something tells us you are not pleased with the challenge we have given you."
"What could've possibly have given you that idea?" Vegeta snapped.
"Do not play coy Little Prince, we have given you a golden opportunity."
"I do not see how this is such a 'golden opportunity' killing me might have been better."
"Silence Vegeta!"
The goddesses voice boomed over the land and Vegeta found himself unable to move or speak, despite his many attempts to yell and curse this ethereal being that commanded such power.
"Your time is running short, Prince. I have come to provide you with a single clue. You could've found her sooner but you happened to unleash your rage at the same time as she, and in so doing you did not feel her power. The next time you find yourself facing the destruction you wrought, wait. Wait for your sign, your signal in the dark."
Vegeta wanted to protest being forced into this game. Demand she tells him what she meant and divulges Kolrabi's whereabouts. But he couldn't, he was stuck and the more he struggled the tighter his constraints felt.
The world around him shifted and changed, no more did he sit in the open field or back in the tree he had fallen asleep in. The sky was pitch black and the stars that had begun to grow familiar shone overhead. He looked up into that inky blackness and tried to find something he recognized or something he had destroyed. Wherever this woman was, she was still lightyears away from any place he had searched thus far, or she was simply facing the wrong direction.
"Bee, you have done enough work today. Get some rest, there will still be chores tomorrow."
Vegeta turned to see the back of the Saiyan female as she hoisted another timber up onto her shoulder. A tall lizard man stood not far from a small building being constructed, his hands on his hips as he shook his head at the overzealous youth.
"This is the last one. I really wanted to get this finished before I turned in. I will rest, don't worry." She said as she walked towards him, carrying the heavy log with ease
"Don't think I haven't noticed you sneaking out late at night." The male said in a teasing tone.
"Sorry, I try to be quiet." She said sheepishly.
The tall reptilian walked up to her and ruffled her hair after she dropped the timber beam into the stack she had made out of all the others. Her laughter filled the air and she swatted away the male's hand.
Vegeta tasted bile as his stomach twisted and turned in his gut. Who was the male, and why was he on such familiar terms with his woman.
"I sleep when I am tired. You all sleep way too long for my liking. Besides, I like to keep busy, I like to fill my time with productive work. It makes me feel like I am more a part of this village." Bee dug her toe into the soft dirt and dragged it through.
"Alright, so long as you are staying out of trouble and not distracting the guards on duty I suppose there is no real harm. If you leave the village let them know this time would you? I hate being woken up cuz they are squabbling."
"Sure thing," Bee said, giving the man a thumbs up.
"The meal is almost ready, wash up and then come and eat." the man patted her head this time. Bee nodded enthusiastically before they both walked away, towards a glowing fire in the hazy distance.
Vegeta walked up to where the pair had been standing. Jealousy and anger warred within him, against bittersweet feelings of joy for her living such a pleasant life in this new place, and how happy she seemed to be. He looked down at where the woman had been moving her toe through the dirt. To his surprise, the image she had crafted bore a striking resemblance to himself.
Vegeta looked on in awe of the spiked flaming locks, then up to where the woman had gone. He tried to follow but he felt himself waking. Fighting off the feeling proved futile as he tried to run after this dream-woman.
Vegeta awoke to find himself leaning forward, his hand outstretched and a strange mix of emotions in his mind. Resting was supposed to help him clear his mind, not convolute it with cryptic goddesses and a woman he could never reach. A woman that he was supposed to save, but her life seemed rather happy right now.
What was he supposed to save her from?
He looked up to his own pink and purple sky and wondered when he would find this creature that eluded him. It was late into the day now, they only had a few more hours before they could leave. Vegeta returned to his room where he waited and watched the sky.
"My Lord, Vegeta?" Whis called from the doorway of Vegeta's chambers. He had returned only an hour ago and Whis had thought the Saiyan would be impatient to get moving again, but when the twenty-four hours were up and Vegeta had not come to find him and demand they resume their search, Whis grew concerned.
"Whis," Vegeta didn't move, he only stayed on his balcony and looked out at the setting sun.
"Vegeta, we can leave now," Whis said coming into the room to stand in the doorway to the balcony.
"Yes," again, Vegeta spoke without interest and stared at the sky.
Whis waited in silence with Vegeta for a moment longer. He wanted to say something that would pull Vegeta from this melancholic funk he was in. Nothing, in particular, came to mind as everything that occupied their thoughts was only fueling this mood. So Whis walked up to the railing and remained by Vegeta's side for several minutes.
"Just because Mother has plans, doesn't mean we have to follow them. She may try to back us into a corner….but would being the Omni King really be so bad?" Whis eventually asked.
Vegeta remained silent as he mulled over these words.
"It is not the prospect of being Omni King that frustrates me, it is the idea that in order to mate I will have to speak her true name and that will force my hand against Zeno. It will rob me of my choice, just like I was robbed of my choice to become...this." The Saiyan gestured towards himself. "Ultimatums are not choices and it seems that no matter how powerful I am there is always someone with more power and I end up being forced into a corner to do their bidding." Vegeta sighed and hung his head to look at the backs of his gloved hands where they gripped the railing. "What if she doesn't even want all of this? What if all this power will only bring her trouble and pain like it had the last time?"
"Vegeta, you did not bring Bulma pain, she was immensely proud of you. Yes, in the end, there was pain, but when relationships end when is there not?" Whis asked as he watched the fading light sink below the trees.
Vegeta finally looked up at Whis, his words struck a chord in him and helped to settle some of his nerves. "You know, for someone without genitalia, you sure do understand a lot about relationships."
"My lack of reproductive organs has never hindered me from watching you silly mortals torment yourselves for the sake of love."
"Yes, those silly mortals." Vegeta mused. "Alright, enough of this pathetic pity party, let's be on our way."
"You were the one that started this 'pathetic party' so don't lump me in with you and your little mortal heart."
Vegeta barked in laughter and took hold of Whis's staff. "Ha, come on, I'll tell you all about this latest vision your mom sent me while I slept earlier."
"The meddlesome goddess strikes again." Whis mocked.
It was another slum, as sick as the last and with another contaminated atmosphere. Vegeta sighed, he was tired of blowing up planets without even descending. He knew by now that Kolrabi was not on any of these. In his dreams, he knew it was a desert planet, or at least had a large desert, and the skies were crystal clear. So now they didn't even waste time searching those with corrupted skies.
He had been witnessing such horrors in this quadrant. It was oddly calming to sleep during this time, when the Woman was experiencing her first tastes of freedom. Her joy made him hope for her life to continue on this path. But he knew better. Something irreversible would come and shatter this peace she was finding.
Vegeta raised his hand to obliterate the world with it's yellow and grey clouds. The dark energy amassed just in front of his palm. He waited and let the energy required to destroy this planet linger in his hand. The words of that damned goddess passed through his head… 'Wait for your sign, your signal in the dark.' Nothing happened and pity for the pathetic and hopeless lives below was the only thing he could feel at that moment. He was about to unleash the energy when on the opposite end of the quadrant they had been searching on came an explosive energy level.
Vegeta hesitated as he felt out the power. It had been a long time since he had felt another Saiyan's power, but there was no doubt in his mind that this had to be her. The Destroyer was impressed with the intense power and he shot the planet before using instant transmission to travel there.
"Vegeta, wait!" Whis cried out, but it was too late. That brash Saiyan was charging into the unknown. Whis took off after him, flying across space as fast as he could.
Vegeta arrived outside the atmosphere of a larger desert planet. He looked behind him to the giant red and small dwarf stars that were the suns of this system of planets. He could still feel the power, it was surging like she was in a rage. He wanted to go down there and help her, ensure her safety, but he wasn't sure how locked into her rage she might be. If he were to interfere she may turn on him, and while she wouldn't be able to hurt him, the thought of hurting her to restrain her made him feel sick.
As the energy settled to a normal level Vegeta was ready to make his descent but a hand on his shoulder stopped him. Looking back he saw Whis there, with a concerned expression on his face.
"Whis, let me go," Vegeta growled, how dare Whis try to stop him from finding Kolrabi.
"My lord, what are you planning on doing down there? Are you really just going to waltz up to this woman and sweep her off her feet, then whisk her away to our home? Do you honestly think that will work?" Whis pleaded for Vegeta to see reason. They needed a plan, not some fly by the seat of their pants scheme that could end up getting her killed or them caught. The brief moment they had been separated had been dangerous enough.
Vegeta stopped and considered Whis's words. He had a point, they needed some sort of plan. Kolrabi seemed happy with where she had been lately and he didn't want to disturb that peace. Vegeta looked back down on that dusty planet, his heart ached to go to her, but his head screamed he needed a plan.
"What do you suggest?" he eventually asked Whis.
"Firstly, I think we should go down to the largest habitation down there and gain a better understanding of what kind of world this is. You, yourself admitted that the world and the people in it were hazy and shrouded in your dreams. So we should investigate, in disguise." Whis said with a way of his staff that changed their attire.
Vegeta looked between his disguise and the one Whis had chosen for himself with a disapproving frown. While Whis had not changed his attire very much, he was still dressed in his signature black and maroon colors. Instead of looking like the celestial he was, Whis had on the fancy garb of inner rim aristocrats. His feathered hat and sleek jacket stood out like an eyesore against the yellows and oranges that made up the planet behind him.
Vegeta on the other hand was dressed like an assassin. He was down to his black bodysuit and gold cuffs. His boots and gloves were now black and over his shoulders was a brown cloak. Pulling at the bunched fabric around his neck he discovered there was a cowl there to hide his face. Vegeta rolled his eyes at Whis.
"What, I think you look rather mysterious."
"And you look like a peacock."
"Well that wasn't very nice," Whis pouted, folding his arms and harrumphing.
"Whatever." Vegeta ignored Whis's complaint and went closer to the planet "Wait a minute. I don't feel her energy anymore."
"Hmm, you're right. This is rather odd… I can't even sense the life force." Whis looked at Vegeta worried the Saiyan might rush in without understanding the circumstances.
"What are you waiting for? We need to get down there now!" Vegeta demanded, fear freezing the blood in his veins and making every little motion painful.
"This shouldn't be possible," Whis said as he grabbed Vegeta by the arm. "Vegeta, we have no way of knowing what strange things exist down there. Think of all the places we have been, all the bizarre things we have witnessed. There has to be an explanation, and it doesn't require us to jump into action blind."
"What if she's," Vegeta couldn't bring himself to finish the thought, he didn't want to think of that option. The Celestial Goddess had said he still had time, he prayed she hadn't lied to him.
"No, then it would've faded. It's like she was transported but I didn't feel her move, she simply disappeared." Whis said, puzzled further by the strangeness of the past day.
"Maybe she invented something," Vegeta said in an attempt to calm his nerves and convince himself she was still down there, that she was safe, that he would find her.
"Do you think that would be something she would do? This isn't Bulma, not how she was on earth, my lord, this is a different woman just with the same soul." Whis countered he did not want Vegeta to get his hopes too high.
"I know that Whis. Believe me, even if they put her soul in a squid's body, that woman would find a way to create things that defy the laws of the universe." Vegeta's confidence in his words and in the one they sought was enough to chip away at Whis's argument.
"You think she created something to cloak her energy, even from Celestials?"
"If the need was great enough, she would tear a hole in space and time."
"Say no more on the matter," Whis said, gripping Vegeta tighter around his arm and transporting them down to the surface. 'Pushing the boundaries of possibility must have something to do with her true name.' Whis thought as he directed them away from her last known location.
Landing in a large plateau city, far from where her energy had been felt, the two began to wander the streets. Vegeta kept his cowl up and his hood over his hair. Whis flaunted himself around. After less than two hours they were confronted by heavily armed men.
"Your presence is requested by our Lordship." a big one said jabbing Vegeta with a blaster, causing the Saiyan to growl.
"Oh my, to what do we owe such an honorable request?" Whis asked, his tone light as he pandered to the guards.
"That's for our Lord to tell ya." The big man tried to pull Vegeta's hood down but the Saiyan ducked out of the man's grasp.
"I would thank you, not to touch my imp." Whis's earlier cheer fell to extreme displeasure at the brute that thought to touch his Lord.
'Imp!? Whis you are going to pay for that.' Vegeta thought as he glared daggers at the large guard.
"Follow us. Now!" barked the smaller one.
They fell in step behind the smaller of the two, Vegeta trailing Whis and keeping his senses turned towards the big guy at his back. He hated having people behind him in these situations.
They arrived at a large fortress that seemed to tower over the rest of the city. It was made of bricks crafted from the same yellow earth that covered this planet. It was familiar to Vegeta, his dreams over the last eighteen years had been filled with images of these types of bricks. He assumed all structures on this forsaken planet were of similar construction.
Inside they were led to a large dias where atop sat a large insect that looked something like a grasshopper. Vegeta recalled that this species was similar to that of the last planet he had destroyed before making his way to Earth all those millenia ago.
"How did you get into my city?" asked the giant bug, his voice like nails on a chalkboard.
"Oh, is that why we were brought here? I had assumed you wanted myself to dine with you. It is not often aristocrats from the inner rim make it out to these backwater planets." Whis said in a pompous way and Vegeta repressed the urge to roll his eyes.
"Answer the question or I will consider you both spies and have you executed." Hissed the lord of this plateau city.
"A merchant brought us here." Whis offered nonchalantly.
"My city is locked down, I have not allowed any traders to enter in four days." The big bug said, ripe with suspicion.
"We came in several days ago. I was exhausted after my long journey here and needed to rest. The days on this planet are much shorter than on my home world."
"And where is that?" He asked, eyeing Vegeta who had yet to speak.
"Oh I am certain you have never heard of it, we came across your planet by mistake." Whis continued his air of superiority.
"You are very good at avoiding questions." The bug narrowed his eyes, daring Whis to tell another lie.
"It is a talent." Whis boasted.
Vegeta tried not to groan. This was not going to work, whis was only making this Lord even more suspicious of them.
"Tell me this, which of my men stamped your entrance card? And why do you not have it on you?" Vegeta could tell the bug didn't believe them and from the shifting of the guards present, they knew it too.
"I do not bother myself to remember the names or faces of little pee-ons. That is beneath me. As for the cards, we must have left them at the inn." the Celestial added flippantly.
"You are not staying at any inn in my city, first-time guests are always reported to me upon their arrival."
"Did I say inn? I meant the house of an old friend, we are staying with him while we repair our ship." Whis tried to backpedal to get them out of the hole he only just realized he had dug them into. He really should have rehearsed his backstory before arriving.
"I thought you only happened upon the 'backwater planet'. So which is it, are you here visiting? Or did you crash land? Or are you here to trade?" The bug was only asking to buy time.
Vegeta closed his eyes and started counting backward from ten, he could hear the footsteps of dozens more guards in the halls leading to this room. This was going to become a fight, he knew it, the guards in the room knew it, the bug on his throne knew it. Whis seemed to be the only one still unaware of the inevitable outcome.
"Well, you see, I was unaware we were so close to this place, or that he had settled here. You can imagine my surprise and elation that I would be provided adequate lodging for my time here. My ship is still out in the desert. I have been waiting for your Lordship to lift the restrictions to send out someone to retrieve and repair it."
"I have heard enough. Guards! Arrest these trespassers. Their execution is at dawn." The insect stood and the room flooded with guards.
"This is preposterous!" Whis protested. "What gives you the right to-"
Vegeta cut him off with an elbow to his ribs. "Give it up Whis, they didn't fall for it. Let's just kill all these assholes and be done with it. I am bored."
"Very well," Whis sighed.
"You two talk too much." Said the large guard as he and his men closed in on the duo.
"He is the one that never shuts up. I have spoken twice since entering this filthy slum you call a city." Vegeta spat at the giant man that tried to tower over him.
"Big talk for such a little imp." The man threw Whis's insult at him.
"This little imp will make you eat those words," Vegeta growled.
The big man sneered at him and raised his blaster. Vegeta waited until the brute pulled the trigger and he sprung up and grabbed the man by his shoulders and flung him head over heels at a group of his subordinates. All of them had begun to fire as well and the big guy took each blast to his body, acting as a living shield for Vegeta. Not that he needed it.
Whis directed all other blasts back at the men that had missed Vegeta and had been aiming for him. Only half of them were able to dodge, and several of them ran to save themselves. In the dust and confusion the bug-man lord of this place escaped into the recesses of his fortress.
Vegeta laughed as he slammed into fools that thought they could escape. He plowed into them killing several with the impact and sending the others through the stone walls. The remaining men were now huddled together to defend themselves from the powerful pair that was killing them off like flies.
Vegeta flew up into the air and unleashed a barrage of small blasts onto the group killing every last one. As the dust settled he smirked at the bloodied crater he had made in the solid floor. Bits and pieces of bodies were strewn across the room, the coppery tinge of blood filled the air.
"That insect escaped," Whis called up to Vegeta.
"Then let's go hunting." Vegeta quipped as he floated down to the floor.
They tracked the bug-man down to his harem of slaves. Vegeta's stomach twisted in disgust, it was all too similar to the place he had seen in his dreams more than a decade ago. The bug was using his slaves as a living shield, but Vegeta phased in behind the man and ripped off two of his limbs, using one to choke him.
The slaves began to scream and plead with the pair to not kill their master. Whis and Vegeta shared a look of bewilderment, and the Saiyan did not let up on choking the bug.
"Please, if you kill him we will all die too!" one of the women cried.
"What do you mean, you will die too?" Whis asked, trying to calm the woman.
"Our implants, they are linked to his, if he dies down here we will all die too." Another one informed him.
"Let them kill him, I will gladly leave this existence." A third said, she stood apart from the others, in the center of the room. "If you don't kill him I will."
Vegeta and Whis looked between the women, each other, and the bug-man. Whis released the sobbing woman and Vegeta loosened his hold on the bug. He tried to fight back but Vegeta dropped the arm he was using and pulled off the other two arms.
Whis came up to them and waved his staff over the man, extracting the implant. He held it in suspension as he devised a way to free these slaves. The mechanism was linked to brain waves and heartbeat. Whis then waved his staff over the women and removed theirs. He then destroyed them all.
"The rumors were true." The bug wheezed in pain. "A god has come to this planet." He added watching Whis do the impossible.
"He is just an angel. I am the god here." Vegeta spoke with venom into the man's ear.
His eyes widened at the sinister look Vegeta wore. The former ruler watched as Vegeta raised his hand and a tiny black ball of energy formed right before he was dissolved into nothing but dust.
"Get the hell out of this place!" Vegeta barked at the slaves. "Find the other's and call Whis, he will remove these terrible devices and set all the slaves free."
"My Lord?" Whis asked as the freed people ran out of the dungeon and into the city.
"Let's bring this tower down," Vegeta said, a righteous glint in his eyes and a wicked smirk on his lips.
The dust from the crumbling fortress still hadn't settled when the pair landed out in the desert, the city they had left behind in the distance. Whis dusted off his clothing, Vegeta flared his ki to blast the dust off of him.
"That didn't exactly go according to plan." Vegeta groused.
"Yes," Whis sighed. "I think they saw through my ruse."
Vegeta slowly turned his head to face Whis, one eyebrow raised incredulously at the celestial. "You were laying it on a little thick, Kakarot would've seen through that."
"I think it is best if we split up, so long as neither of us leaves this planet then we should not attract the attention of Grand Zeno," Whis said, ignoring Vegeta's jab at his acting abilities.
Vegeta nodded. "You keep searching these cities, and freeing those enslaved there. Gathering all the information you can on this planet. I will search the deserts for her."
"Godspeed, my Lord" Whis said with a bow and flew back to the city to free the rest of its people.
"Watch your back, Whis."
Vegeta went straight to the place he had last sensed her energy signature. There he discovered the remnants of her victims. He was impressed, these big Nisoites were physically strong and she managed to kill three of them and several other species all of imposing sizes.
He walked the scene replaying what had happened. She had allies, this was good, but it brought back the bitter feeling of jealousy burned in his gut again. These allies of her's were most likely associated with that male that had been teasing her in his dream. Vegeta stopped to ponder if perhaps the dreams were just dreams and he wasn't following her life? If that was true then how would his dreams have lined up with what little information he had been able to find on this woman.
Returning to his task, Vegeta tried to shake off these doubts. They served no purpose other than to remind him that he would have to act as if he knew nothing about her once he found her and let things happen as they will. It was obvious the woman had won the fight and he needn't worry for her safety so much, she was a powerful and capable Saiyan female. A thrill of excitement tripped down his spine and through his tail at the thought.
Flying up into the sky, Vegeta scanned the surrounding area. The waterfall caught his eye and he lowered himself over the canyon. The sun was going to rise soon and he used the cover of darkness, and the disguise Whis had given him to sneak down to the pool.
Vegeta removed the cloak and cowl to wash his neck and face. The cool spring water felt refreshing and Vegeta took this opportunity for a quick bath. His suit didn't come off but it needed washing too. His ki finished the job once he got out, and served to dry him thoroughly.
When Vegeta reached to pick up his cloak, the tip of a spear pinned his hand against the ground.
"You thought you were slick, coming here in the dark. But you failed to realize we watch every corner of this canyon." The lizard-like guard holding the spear against him said.
Vegeta looked slowly up to meet the other male's yellow eyes. The sun finally broke the horizon and its rays hit the top of the waterfall, sending shimmering light to glitter across the canyon. Cracking a sinister grin, Vegeta watched as the guard faltered with his weapon.
"Whose to say I didn't want you to find me?"
"On your feet." The man prodded Vegeta in the chest with his spear as thirty more lizard people came out of the tall grass and shrubs. Each was armed with knives, spears, and bows.
Vegeta looked around him. They all wore some type of yellow paint in patterns across their faces and bodies. Their orange feather-like hair was adorned with ornaments, some had a few braids in them made from the hair of some animal. Vegeta stood tall and sneered at them, his chin raised defiantly.
"What exactly is it that you have planned for me?" Vegeta goaded them, his tail uncoiling from his waist to sway behind him in excitement. He could smell the other Saiyan, she had been here not very long ago. He also was looking forward to toying with these warriors and stretching his legs a bit.
Murmurs erupted among the warriors and one ran back towards the village. Darting his eyes suspiciously back and forth between the remaining guards, Vegeta calculated the response time of each and found an opening to escape without injuring any of them. He didn't want to anger the explosive young Saiyan because she clearly enjoyed living with these people.
Flexing the muscles of his legs and glutes the Destroyer launched himself skyward. In a single bound he landed right in front of the one that had run from him. The predatory look in his eyes caused them to stumble backwards and fall onto their ass. A low growl emanated from the Saiyan god and the tip of his tail flicked in the air like a tiger ready to pounce on its prey.
"Saiyan God! Do not harm that woman!" Shouted another lizard woman from behind him as he heard footsteps coming towards him from all directions.
Vegeta turned to face the one that called out and knew what he was. She was older than the rest he had seen. Her iridescent dress made of insect scales shimmered in the early light, her many long braids swayed behind her as she moved quickly towards him.
Stopping several feet from the God of Destruction, Celima did her best to hide her fear. They had been kind to his kin and she hoped that he would be merciful. The other guards emerged from the foliage behind him and she waved her hands to tell them to stand down.
With his attention shifted, the warrior on the ground scrambled to the safety of the group behind her. All the guards and warriors held their breath as they watched this man with a tail stare down their Vudau.
Celima bowed her head in respect and deference to the Saiyan Lord. "We welcome you Destroyer God to our humble village."
"How is it you, on this outer planet of no repute know who I am?" Vegeta demanded, this woman was saturated with the scent of the Saiyan female.
"I have seen you in the visions of your kin," Celima spoke truthfully, keeping her head bowed.
"My kin?" Vegeta was relieved that finally, someone was being forthcoming in his search for Kolrabi.
"The female of your kind, the one you seek. She was here for several days. She protected us from an attack only yesterday."
"What do you mean 'she was here'?" Vegeta growled. He couldn't believe his luck. He had finally found the place that she had been and now she wasn't even here?
"She went to Nazrack with my son, to bring back his nephew, they should return tomorrow or the day after. You are welcome to wait in our village, Great Lord." Celima
Vegeta clicked his tongue, if she was going to be back so soon he might as well stay and get a good meal in him. It was pointless to fly off in hopes of catching her but that ran the risk of missing her and wasting more time flying back and forth.
"I will stay, but your son and grandson better deliver her in one piece." Vegeta glared the woman before him down so that she knew her people would pay the price if Kolrabi didn't return safely. "What is your name wisewoman?" He asked.
"You may call me Celima, I am the Vudau of my people, the Oscerians." Celima bowed again.
"I will stay near the falls, the air of this planet is dryer than I am used to. Bring me a meal."
With that Vegeta turned and walked through the guards that spread to make way for his passing. He needed to be alone to think through how he would approach Kolrabi, waiting here for her return made him antsy. Perhaps the cool air at the pool would help him think.
Three days passed and Vegeta felt his patience wearing thin, his power was waning and he needed to find her. He stormed into the longhouse just after the first meal of the day and was about to start barking demands at Celima for the delay. He stopped across her fire from her and glared hard at the woman, just then a child ran past his legs and whispered into the Vudau's ear.
"They have returned," Celima said to the angry god. She rose to her feet and took the child's hand then gestured for Vegeta to lead the way out of her dwelling.
Once outside the child pulled on Celima's hand and ran them towards the gathering villagers. Vegeta took his time walking up to them, he felt nervous and his palms were growing sweaty inside his gloves. His heart sank when he got closer and there was no female Saiyan, only two big lizard men, surrounded by their friends and family.
Ignoring the reunion happening around him Vegeta marched right up to the lizard man whose voice he recognized Vegeta got right in his face and barked. "Where the hell is she?"
Elio looked at his mother for clarification. The Vudau nodded and Inigmo gulped. "She stayed behind, she wishes to help the others. I was not going to stop her."
Vegeta paused, this was a very noble thing she was trying to do and he refused to belittle it with insults because he was frustrated. He had known he shouldn't have stayed and waited for her. The other lizard man asked who he was and what he wanted with Bee but Vegeta didn't even stay to let him finish. Blasting off into the sky, Vegeta raced towards the nearest city.
Vegeta growled in frustration. The city of Nazarck had been a bust and he was running low on time. Whis would drag him back home in only a few hours and he needed to find this woman before then, or risk losing her trail altogether.
Now Vegeta had resorted to flying around the planet to find her. This was his one hundred and eighty-seventh circuit of the globe and he still couldn't detect her. He was beginning to fear she was dead or had truly been taken off the planet. Seeing landmarks that he knew he had flown past before he was preparing himself to call it quits on this futile search of the desert. If she was out there she was hidden well.
Stopping atop a tall pillar he looked around the darkened landscape. It was difficult to see without the light of a moon, this made Vegeta homesick, something he never thought he would feel for his miniature Vegeta-Sei. Thinking about trees and rain and moonlight as he scanned the arid scape around him Vegeta froze when he looked down into the canyon below and saw light dancing across a ledge along the wall.
His breath caught in his throat and he descended to that ledge and looked into the cave where the light was emanating. All he saw was the opposite wall and shadows shifting across the smooth surface. Stepping into the cave he noticed that the inside was quite large and just inside the entrance was another ledge. Four feet below rested the packed earthen floor of the large chamber. In the center of that space was a small fire, and hunched around it was a woman with Violet hair held back in many braids, and a midnight black tail swishing behind her.