XII. The Battle
Lost and Fondness
Shades of Crimson
Outside the coliseum the streets were in a state of hush. A few bits of miscellaneous littered the streets and circled the dingy air above the cobble stone paths as a faint wind breezed through the empty streets.
The absence of all life in the normally crowded markets, foreign to the eyes of the beholder had their been anyone available to see such a sight, was due to the games being held inside the large pillars of the Empire's Coliseum.
Inside, one would find the impatience of a roaring crowd and the rumbling of millions of voice cheering beneath the glares of the Ice-jin suns.
High above the crowd, both literally and figuratively, the blue haired princess set perched on her throne - trying her best to look jaded, as if the games brewing below her had no real effect on her life. She was dressed ornately, her Saiyan maid spending a few extra minutes on her appearance this morning if only to draw some extra information from the empress-to-be.
Beside, not hiding his amusement, her lavendar haired son sat on the edge of his own throne. The chair was altogether too large for the small boy and his legs looked even shorter hanging halfway to the ground as he sat on the edge of his seat.
Also present in the royal box sat Prince Tien and his wife Launch, in front of them the green-skinned and ever posh looking Zarbon, and the Empress Freeza's wife - Bulma's ignorant mother.
It was a strange feeling for the box to be absent of Freeza himself, but he was not entirely gone from the games. No, today he was to be a much bigger part of it.
On the floor, much to the shock of the people, Freeza stood - clad in expensive battle armor - smirking.
Waiting patiently before him, Vegeta stood and listened to the pink man drone about thanks and respect and all sorts of empty catch phrases and suck-ups. Not being able to hide his dark smirk, the Saiyan prince leered at the man as he began to explain his surprise to the people.
A battle between the Saiyan Prince and himself.
His words were cut short with a howl of approval from the audience, their stomping and cheering muted his last few words as Vegeta's knuckles compressed into tight wads - anticipation coming over his form.
Today would be legendary - a great day in his life no matter the outcome of the battle. Because after their fight Freeza's reign would be no more. Whether he was dead and gone or he was victorious and his power in shambles - Vegeta would be the true victor.
From the stands, a nervous raven-haired woman held her son protectively.
"Momma - it's alright." The small boy said, offering his mom a hopeful smile, "Vegeta will win, I just know it!"
The woman smiled at the small boy and allowed her dark eyes to concentrate on the fight, "I'm sure you are right Goten."
The boys beamed at his mother and then turned his attention to the fight as well.
ChiChi sighed lightly as the pair below continued to duel. It was clear to everyone that Freeza had the upper hand. His blows were harder and faster, not to mention he was less effected by those inflicted by Vegeta.
Taking her sons hand, the raven-haired woman squeezed it gently.
From the box above, Bulma sat with the same anxious feeling currently broiling in ChiChi's stomach.
"Tien." She said, her voice wavering a bit, "Do you think …"
"It's too soon to tell." He spoke shortly, his eyes flashing back and forth between the two competitors below. Beside him, a frightened expression crossed the face of his wife. However, it was not the games that were the cause of her stress. No, this was because she could feel an allergy attack coming on.
So wrapped into the fight, it was unnoticed by the brother-sister pair beside her. Also unmissed by the two royals was Zarbon's smirk of contempt and entire state of calm.
Launch continued to fight her sneezes successfully while hundreds of feet below a smirking Vegeta backed away from Freeza and laughed.
"I'm tired of toying with you old man," his smirk remained, "I think it's time that I show you my full potential."
Around him blinding light flashed, below him the ground began to crack and split. Freeza backed away slightly and rose a few inches off the dirt, no longer able to stand as it shook so violently as the Saiyan continued to increase in strength.
When the rumbling ceased, a sinister laugh echoed against the pillers of the silent colliseum.
"Impossible …" Freeza began with a blink. He was a little taken back, being able to physically feel the sheer power of the Saiyan before him.
The lauging stopped and only a haughty smirk of the Saiyan Prince remained, "This is what a Super Saiyan is Freeza. You may have thought you were successful in your genocide but you were wrong. Now I am here to avenge my people and it is your turn to feel the wrath you have set on so many fallen souls across the universe."
From the box, Trunks began to cheer excitedly. Bulma allowed a small smile to cross her features.
"I can't hear what they're saying …" The empress said, leaning forward in a feeble attempt to hear what was being said. Little remorse stained her features at the obvious upcoming demise of her husband of over thirty years.
From her side Zarbon growled. It was not missed by the others in the box, but not addressed either. Trunks smiled as he stood up and walked to the edge of the balcony.
"C'mon Vegeta. I know you can do it!"
The gladiators stood at the fence and watched as the two men before them did battle. It was no secrete who the entire burgade sidded for - even some of the guards standing watch agreed with them and hoped to see their emperor fall.
At the fence Kakerott and Raditz held the bars and watched with seady eyes as their shipmate and prince began to send a seies of blows to the emperor. The crowd now cheered in favor of the Saiyan - because he now had the apparent upper hand.
Piccolo watched the pair duel and turned to his Saiyan cellmates, "Perhaps the outcome will not be a grievous fault."
The Saiyan brothers smiled and the friendlier of the pair nodded eagerly, "Yes - soon this will all be alright."
Vegeta continued to pummel the Ice-jin until he lay in a bloodied heap on the dirt flood of the colliseum. The ground was upturned in the hole where he lay and his gasping breaths were outweighed by the exultant praising of the crowd.
A smirk gazed the prince's lips as his hand rose in a final farewell to the man who had caused so much malevolence and wikedness in his life. He was the reason for all of his grief and anger and shortcomings. And with the raising of his hand and the small but lethal blast, Vegeta delivered the fatal blow.
In a heap the powerful emperor lay in shambles before the prince, and in clear view of all of the people.
Chants broke out across the crowd and a simultaneous rumble echoed against the marble colliseum.
"Hail Vegeta - King of All."
He became so wrapped up in their applause that he just stood there, soaking in his victory.
From the sky box, the royal family still set. The princess couldn't help but smile at the view below. Vegeta had done it. His destiny had been accomplished.
She half wondered what he would do know. Would the broken man simply collapse because he had no other purpose in life? Or would he continue on, ruling the empire justly ,as justly as the Saiyan Prince could - mind you, for Vegeta was no saint.
The cerulean eyed beauty was so wrapped in her thoughts that she didn't notice Zarbon's anger until his outburst tuned on her.
He was yelling at her in a language that was foreign to her. She simply blinked as he made his way over to her - grabbing her forearms in his powerful gasp. He shook her as he spoke - his speech gradually switching over the Universal Language.
"You bitch! Don't you see it? This entire mess is you fault!"
His grip tightened and Bulma yelped slightly in pain.
"Zarbon …"
Her plea was silenced as he continued to hold her, "You chose a Saiyan over your father. You met him seven years ago - you fucked him a few times - and you haven't seen him since. How can you support him even? He doesn't give a fuck about you Bulma. He never has and won't. You showed up, a pretty girl aboard a ship of men, and give him a good lay. Do you honestly think you were more to him then? Feh. He used to you then and he used you again - by setting this whole mess up."
Overcome with frustration, Zarbon violently threw the princess against the wall and watched as she fell to a crumpling heap on the ground, her aqua tresses scattering and falling before her as her head tilted forward in a feeble attempt to lessen her pain.
From behind him, the navy haired woman sneezed and, her hair turning a bright blonde color, ran towards the green-skinned man and sent a steady punch to his arm, cursing him as he did so.
One swift punch to her gut was all it took to send the woman to a heap on the ground to lay beside Bulma, who was currently raising herself shakily off of the ground.
Around them the crowed continued to cheer as Vegeta stood basking in glory.
Tien rushed to his wife's side and took her broken figure in his arms. She lay still, unconscious, with small breaths escaping her parted lips, crimson trickling from a cut on her jaw as she stirred slightly.
Glaring at Zarbon, Bulma brought herself to her feet and smiled wikidly at the man.
"Kill me Zarbon, if that will make you feel better. I can die happily now because I know that the universe is now at peace." She smiled lightly, "I don't care how he feels about me - Vegeta will make a far better ruler than my father ever was."
Forming a small ki blast in his hands, Zarbon smirked at the woman before him.
"How I have longed to do this, traitorous woman."
However, before he could release the deadly blow, a surge of power caught his attention and he turned to see the young Prince Trunks standing in an oval of yellow light - his hair a vibrant blond color and his eyes narrowed with an intense, turquoise stare.
"Impossible …" Zarbon began in a state of shock. The blast remaining his hand now forgotten, he frowned. "So, he is the bastards son then, hm. I was correct in assuming so you little slut. I was always-"
The green-skinned man's words were cut short as the small half-Saiyan released the small blast. It left a hole in the center of Zarbon's chest and the man stood shaking slightly until he feel to the ground to lay lifelessly.
The blast that Trunks had released continued until it hit the dirt floor of the coliseum. He, however, had paid no further attention to it. He blinked. The realization dawned upon the young boy and he trembled slightly.
Taking her son in her bruised arms, Bulma hugged him comfortingly. Offering him the only confort the shaken woman could - a sort of mutual comfort as the pair held one another.
Trunks looked up at Bulma and smiled lightly.
"So Vegeta is my father."
It was a statement, not a question. The boy stared ahead not waiting for a reply as his mother allowed a small tear to cascade down her cheek as she smiled into the now blonde hair of her son.
The blast that crashed violently into the ground caused Vegeta to blink. It had landed nearly twenty feet away from himself, but it still caused him a small amount of surprise.
Now interrupted from his celebration he watched the outcome of the poorly executed blow. An angry frown crossed his features - it was a powerful blast, clearly shot by someone very powerful. However, the uncontrolled of the blast made him frown. It must have been shot by someone in a fit of passion. Someone who executed the blow on a whim - clearly not caring where it was going as long as it successfully took out their target.
His dark eyes shifted to the box above and he almost visibly winced. The box had a clear-cute hole in it and the crowed around it had shifted elsewhere in panic of the blast.
An emotion he could not clearly define as anything other than weakness came over him. Bulma and Trunks were up there … and he also knew who else was seated with them and would not be pleased after the outcome of the battle. Powering back up, he cursed himself for forgetting to protect them, and with a quick takeoff the Saiyan Prince rushed to the royal box.
He didn't even notice the hush that came over the crowd - still wrapped up in his every move.
Taking her sons hand in her own, ChiChi quickly darted around the crowd. Dodging a few people here and there she continued to drag her son along in an attempt to get down to ground level and to find her husband.
Goten followed his mom and then stopped suddenly, "Hey mom - can I just fly us there?"
She looked at the boy, knowing his strength well enough not to question if he would be able to carry her, and smiled with a short nod.
Taking to the air, Goten quickly flew himself and his mother to the gladiator yards and landed on the ground, releasing his mother.
The pair rushed to the fence to find Kakerott, along with Radtiz and Piccolo, at the front of the crowd.
"Goku!" ChiChi began, a happy smile coming over her features.
He nodded in her direction, a small smile enveloping his own. Their eyes connected and somewhere they shared a nod.
They both knew that it was done.
Landing in the broken entrance of the royal box, Vegeta's first view was the broken body of Zarbon. However, it was not as shocking as his next sight - his son, clearly a Super Saiyan, looking over the lifeless body with wide eyes. Holding their son, Bulma looked up to him with a weak smile. The events of earlier quickly registered in his mind and he looked at her bloodied form with affection.
This was not unmissed by Tien who then watched as the Saiyan turned his attention to Trunks and watched the boy with a gaze that he could only decipher as pride.
Vegeta turned his attention back to Zarbon, and quickly rolled his body over with his boot and glanced jadedly at the corpse.
"Then it is done."
With that the Saiyan blasted off and left the group in silence.
Bulma blinked as she continued to hold her son, and from Tien's arms his wife began to stir into consciousness. He smiled weakly down at her as she blinked, her once again navy hair falling over her pallid cheeks as she sighed.
"What did I miss?"