Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or the characters
Well…after last chapter, I can tell a LOT of people are not going to be happy with me this chapter. I tried to think of something else, but this idea definitely won out. I can only hope that you all forgive me.
Special thanks to smalsa, TFSrules, RaiynetheHedgehog, KimiruMai, NNP, KaitAstrophe95, bval1, DaniellaDBZ4ever, threeam inkblot, middlekertz, maymayB, and lionheart19 as well as the many, many guest reviewers :D
It was a quick flight to Bardock's home as Vegeta and Bardock were flying at full speed. From what Bardock had said of the current situation, Gine had had some sort of setback. Conditions were growing worse for them, and Bulma felt even guiltier that she lived in a somewhat safe palace. She didn't realize that even Vegeta felt guilty for the treatment his best friend's family received from his father. He held the hope that after today, the family would be able to heal. After today, he could put them in better living conditions. It was his plan, all along, to reinstate his grandfather's laws when he took the crown. Then the planet and neighboring planets would be at peace. Maybe that would make up for all the harm the king had caused.
As soon as they touched down, Bulma jumped out of Vegeta's arms and ran into the dwelling. Everyone was gathered around Gine who looked like she had gotten a lot worse since the last time Bulma had visited with her. Everyone looked sad, panicked, or like they were fighting their own emotions, except for Gine who had a smile on her face.
"Oh, Princess Bulma, it's so good to see you again," Gine greeted. When she saw Vegeta, her smile widened. "Oh, Vegeta, it's been so long. How are you?"
Bulma looked to Vegeta and saw that he looked defeated. She knew he was close to the family, but she didn't know the half of it. Vegeta was shocked to see the way that Gine was because he had never gotten the chance to see her once she took turns for the worst. He always saw Gine like a second mother and it was hard for him to see her in the weakened state. "I should be asking you that," he said trying to play off his worry. But Bulma could see through his façade, though, and tried to push her sympathy aside to try and figure out if she could save the woman.
She went to take her pulse, but Gine forced her to stop. "Don't worry, child. It's my time."
"You're just being tough," Bulma said, fighting back tears. "Everything will be okay."
"I know that," Gine replied, "but everyone doesn't seem to think so."
"Mom, stop," Kakarot said sadly. "You have to stop talking about dying."
Gine took her youngest son's hand in hers and smiled. "It's going to be okay, Kakarot. No matter what, I'll always be with you." She flashed Bardock a small glare. "And you better tell them the truth."
"What truth?" Bulma asked. Even Vegeta had a brow quirked.
Gine laughed it off. "Oh, don't worry about that right now. Just know that I will be going to a better place. You all have to let me go."
"No!" Gohan cried out. "No, gramma, you can't leave us."
Chi Chi frowned and reluctantly pulled her little one away from her mother-in-law. Bulma tried again to read her pulse, or maybe even try to take a culture. She turned to Chi Chi and asked, "Do you have anything like antibiotics around here?"
"Anti-what?" Raditz questioned. "What the hell are those?"
Gine chuckled. "Language, Raditz."
"No," Chi Chi answered. "The only antibiotics are still on Rescue Star. They can't be cultivated here because we weren't given access to a lab, so we don't have the resources to develop them."
"It's all right," Gine said in frustration. She looked over to her husband and flashed him a smile. "I'm supposed to go today and there is nothing that can change that…Bardock."
Vegeta looked over to Bardock who looked a little flustered, like he got caught doing something he wasn't supposed to. But he merely asked for Bulma's help. How was that wrong? Unless he knew something about Gine's death, but there was no way that were possible, right?
There was nothing that could be done. Bulma and Chi Chi discussed possible treatment for Gine, but they knew there was no time to implement any plans. Gine was already too far gone. Chi Chi tried to force Gohan to leave the home and go play with the neighborhood children. She didn't want her son to witness his grandmother's death, no matter how close they were. Gohan was young, but he wasn't stupid. He refused to leave, and with his uncles, grandfather, and father wanting to stay, there was no one to force him.
Bulma went outside and found Vegeta staring out into the city. His arms were crossed and he looked calm, but Bulma could tell that he was close to his breaking point. She didn't want to startle him out of it because he could always end up attacking her with how tense he looked, but she decided it was better than him bottling up how he felt. Biting the bullet, Bulma gently stroked her hand over his arm. She got a different reaction from him than she had expected. He gently pulled her in front of him and rested his head atop of hers. He still said nothing, but Bulma could feel his shaking form. She assumed that he was trying to hold in his sadness, but that was the furthest from the truth.
Vegeta was livid. It wasn't enough that his father had killed his grandfather, forced himself on his mother, forced him and his little brother to purge, threatened his mate, and ruined the planet and its treaties with other planets. No, he had to go so far as to allow a woman that had been in Vegeta's life since he was a small child die. He was heartless, and Vegeta could not fathom how they were even related.
"Vegeta," Bulma said softly. He didn't respond, and she sighed. "I know that you're sad and I want you to know that I am here for you if you need someone's shoulder to cry on."
Vegeta narrowed his eyes, but still did not move. He wasn't angry at her for implying that he was settling for the weaker emotion. He knew that she was only offering him what he did for her so many times. He realized that humans were just sensitive creatures, and he did not fault her for her kind offer.
"I am not sad," Vegeta sneered in anger. "That bastard is going to pay; I will make sure of it."
Bulma tensed at the hardened sound of his voice. The only time she remembered hearing him say something in such a tone was when they first arrived on the planet. That voice had scared her, made her fear that he was truly a hardened killer, back then. Now, she knew that was his defense from feeling pain. He forced her to face him. Bulma studied his angered expression. It made her shiver a little, but Vegeta leaned into her and whispered in her ear, "Do not be afraid, my yuubutsu. I will never harm you."
"I'm not afraid of you," Bulma replied with honesty. "I'm afraid for you."
Vegeta looked slightly confused at her statement. He was about to ask her what she meant when Turles came out looking incredibly downtrodden. That's when something inside Vegeta broke, causing him to storm off and unleash his anger.
Kakarot wasn't too far behind him. He had been the one sitting with his mother when she let out her last breath, and he was ready to kill something, anything. The normally upbeat Saiyan slammed his fist down against the floor, breaking a few of the floorboards. Chi Chi was about to go comfort her husband when he sped out of the decrepit house.
"Someone should go after him," Raditz said, his voice full of suppressed sadness.
"No," Bardock told them all. "This needed to happen."
"What do you mean, dad?" Turles asked entering the house again. Little Gohan looked up at his grandfather. Even Bulma had returned inside to hear what the older Saiyan had to say.
"I…I never told any of you this, no one except for your mother," Bardock started to explain. "I have visions, ever since a battle on another planet when Vegeta's grandfather was in charge. They used to be spotty, at best, and I never knew until after I told the king his son was gunning for him. He waved it off, not wanting to think so poorly of his son…but when the current king took over, I knew. Earlier today I had another vision that your mother would die, and both your younger brother and the prince would react more…well angry. That anger is going to release their true potential. The two of them are about to become Super Saiyans…"
"No," Raditz and Turles said in both disbelief and wonder. Bulma, Chi Chi, and Gohan exchange confused glances.
"Um, excuse me," Bulma spoke up. "What's a Super Saiyan?"
Bardock flashed the princess an apologetic look. "I'm sorry that I tried to stop it, but I did not want to lose my mate."
"I understand," Bulma told him, "believe me. Now can you explain to me what is going on?"
"A Super Saiyan is a legendary state that pure-hearted warriors can reach," Bardock explained. "It hasn't been done for thousands of years."
Bulma was both shocked and impressed. Becoming a Super Saiyan seemed like such a challenge. But she didn't understand how Gine's death could have aided in their transformations. As if reading her thoughts, Bardock stated, "Their rage is what will unlock their potential."
Vegeta made sure to get as far away from the city as possible. He ended up in the mountains and began to smash through the rocks. All he could hear in his head was that he failed his people if he could let someone die the way Gine had. He didn't even care that he was bleeding when he pounded through the rocks. Soon, he was joined by Kakarot who was in the same enraged state. The two of them took a moment to breathe after their outburst before they decided to ram into one another.
They were, by no means, angry with the other, but no matter what they did, they could not contain the rage they felt. Their fists connected with the others' bodies, and both were starting to feel weaker. They knew they had the strength, but they couldn't reach it. Instead, they continued to focus on everything: the hurt the two had caused as purgers, the state of their planet and the people's freedom, and the loss of a woman who play a hand in raising both of them. Eventually they both screamed out in frustration and let out as much energy as they expend. Dust twirled around them, blocking their view. When it cleared, they both stared to the other in the shock of seeing blonde hair and teal eyes.
"Wh-what just happened?" Kakarot asked Vegeta. Vegeta only shrugged. He felt a little calmer now, but he didn't understand why. Then he remembered the story his grandfather used to tell him about the Legendary Super Saiyan.
"I believe," Vegeta said not betraying his shock, "we have achieved legendary status."
"Super Saiyans," Kakarot stated. Vegeta nodded. "What caused it?"
Vegeta didn't know, but he did know one thing. If there was any chance of his and Bulma's plans failing, there wasn't anymore. His father would die tonight, by his hand. "We should head back," he said as he looked around them. He didn't even remember causing that much damage to the mountain they were currently standing on, craters and rubble surrounding them both.
The two returned to the small home. By the time they returned, Gine's body had already been hidden in a preservation chamber. This was explained to the two Saiyans who had decided to keep their transformations a secret from everyone, at least until the time was right. Vegeta told Bardock that Gine would have a proper ceremony as soon as his father was defeated. Bardock knew, as well as his sons, how Vegeta considered them all as family. Bardock couldn't help but smile when he thought of the young prince's visits. Gine always loved seeing him and her son get along so well. She treated him like her own son.
"Gine would be very grateful, my prince," he told him. "She would also want to tell you not to do anything stupid."
Vegeta smirked and chuckled. "That does sound like her," he stated. He then turned to Bulma. "We need to put our plan into action." Bulma simply nodded and let Vegeta take her in his arms.
He flew back to the palace, and Bulma stayed quiet the entire time. Nothing in his expression betrayed his secret of the transformation. Bulma was truly curious about his new power, though; however, she didn't want to mention it. If Vegeta wanted her to know, he would tell her.
When he returned to their room, he set Bulma down gently on the bed. "Everything is going to be okay," he explained to her. "We will end this. I promise you; Gine's death will not be in vain." That's how Bulma knew he had transformed.
Dinner was tense between the royals. Vegeta had made sure to keep Bulma away from the dining area. His father would have sensed her nerves; he would have known something was up. The queen continuously looked between her son and mate. The two were in some sort of glaring match with the other. Kalina could sense her son's rage; she knew that something had happened. She could have never guessed that one of her dearest friends had passed not even three hours prior to their dinner.
Tarble also noticed the tense aura in the room. He wanted to excuse himself, but as soon as he stood up, his father banged his fist on the table, startling the young boy.
"Where do you think you're going, worm?" the king sneered at the little boy.
"I…" Tarble said hesitantly, "I'm not feeling well this evening, father."
"You are a sorry excuse for a Saiyan," the king replied with a huff.
"You're one to talk," Vegeta said quietly. Unfortunately since he was so close to his father, the elder Saiyan had heard.
"What was that?" the king asked in a feigned calm. His anger was hidden well, but Vegeta could sense it in his tone.
"I will not repeat myself," he answered. "A true Saiyan wouldn't hide behind intimidation methods."
"Vegeta!" his mother nearly screamed. She did not want to watch either one of her sons hurt by their father. Every time she saw them in such a state, it nearly killed her, especially since she was so defenseless.
"What brought this on?" the king said in amusement. "Not the threat on your mate's life, I'm sure." The king didn't even realize that he was starting to feel a little tipsy. It was probably why he hadn't yet reached for the tōgoku.
Vegeta could hear the slur in his voice now and decided to tell his father exactly how he felt. He wouldn't be able to do anything to him now. He did make sure that his mother and brother were not present, just in case. "Mother, Tarble…leave now."
Queen Kalina did not fight her son's command and, instead, gently guided her youngest son out of the room. When the two of them left, Vegeta started his tirade.
"You are a sorry excuse for a Saiyan," Vegeta began, not missing the amusement lighting his father's eyes. "Because of you, the people have suffered. Lives have been lost because of your orders, and treaties have been broken. Planet Vegeta used to be a prosperous entity. Look at it now. Our own are dying because you have forbidden medicinal practices except for the elites and for us. You have forced us to destroy countless planets, ones that used to be our allies. Grandfather would be very disappointed in you, as I am."
The king just laughed in Vegeta's face. "It's politics, son. Only the strong survive. The weak have no business existing if they can't fight off a few Saiyans. As for the people and treatment, it's their fault for not being strong enough for elite status. They should have trained harder, like you and that Kakarot boy. It's strange how strong he is considering he has such weak parents."
Vegeta had to hold himself back. Attacking his father now could ruin the entire plan. Instead, Vegeta just walked out of the room to get ready to implement the plan. He couldn't wait to see the light leave his father's arrogant eyes.
He first went to check on Bulma, to see how she was faring. He was surprised to see her at the ready, with so many technological devices he had never seen. Kakarot was with her, and Vegeta was okay with him being Bulma's only guard at the moment. The rest of the family was grieving, and only he and Kakarot knew what had happened on the mountain. Kakarot would be more than enough if his father caught onto their plans. He shouldn't, though, since the drug seemed to work so well.
Bulma and Kakarot saw Vegeta and nodded to him. They were ready to get this started. Now it was up to him, his mother, and Nappa to put things into motion.
Queen Kalina was slightly nervous, but more so for her son's sake than hers. She had never felt more relieved when her husband came in, stumbling and whatnot. He was laughing uncontrollably, probably from whatever Vegeta did or said. The queen used her limited ability to sense ki to see that her son was still standing. Now she understood what Vegeta felt when he did not know if she and Tarble were okay after his long purging missions. By the end of the day, all the worry would all be over.
"That boy has got some spine on him," the king drawled, still laughing. "For him to talk the way he did…I had no idea I had such an effect on our boy." He looked over to Kalina with a spark in his eyes. "Do you feel the same, my mate?"
Queen Kalina tensed, but shook her head. "N-no, my dear, I do not feel the same." He kept his initial playfulness as he crawled over to her, looking like an animal hunting its prey. "Um, wait, my king. Let me dismiss my guard so that we have no interruptions." For good measure, she rubbed her hands suggestively against his body.
"Fine," the king replied smugly.
"Nappa," the queen called. Nappa entered and went over to her. She handed him her tea tray and said, "The king and I would like no disturbances for the night. You are dismissed."
"Yes, my queen," Nappa replied before leaving the room. He closed the door carefully and looked down at the tea tray. The tōgoku was there.
Vegeta was patiently waiting for Nappa near the kitchen. When he saw the tōgoku, he was very impressed. He knew that his mother had stolen to survive, but she never said she knew how to pick-pocket. "Is she all right?" Vegeta asked.
"She will be," Nappa told Vegeta. "Once this is all over." Vegeta nodded and took the tōgoku. He rushed off to the lab, all the while trying to break it. He couldn't, which irritated him greatly, but he knew Bulma would be able to figure it out.
Bulma nearly smiled when she saw that Vegeta was all right, but shoved her happiness down. She had a job to do and it needed to be done as quickly as possible. They would have to scan the tōgoku, but then they'd have to hide it. Vegeta's father would notice it missing in the morning. That was when all hell would break loose. She only hoped that Vegeta could take care of him before he caught onto their plan.