Chapter 5 - Surviving Together
By: DestinyBabee
Screams of terror escaped their lungs and filled the air. And then, there was silence.
Deep in the stillness of the lush green forest, any sort of human life seemed void. Silence hung in the air like an icicle that hangs off a roof on a cold winter's day. The late afternoon wind blew, threatening to blow the leaves off the branches of the tall, majestic trees. The wind seemed to whisper gentle breaths, a secret no one will ever know. In the distance, birds twittered frivolously, while rabbits and squirrels scrambled to collect food before the arrival of the winter months. Nature's course remained undisturbed, but it wasn't meant for it to last that way…
When the dust cleared, two bodies were revealed, lying unconscious at the base of a tall cliff. Hidden, isolated, and lost from society, it seemed that hope for Vegeta and Bulma was slim.
Vegeta stirred. Opening his eyes, he found himself staring into the sky covered by the trees' canopy. He, himself, was lying on his back on the forest floor lying a dead leaves that had fallen. 'I feel like I've been blasted with a thousand ki blasts.' he thought. Groaning, he rubbed his head in order to soothe his painful headache. In doing so, he caught sight of his arm, which had about a dozen cuts and bruises. He glared at it, straining his brain to remember. The last thing he could recall was being chased by the dragon with Bulma in his arms, and then his body falling down to the bottom. He tried to get up, but he felt something like a stone resting atop his chest. Raising his head, he could see, that there was indeed something holding him down; not a rock, but something…blue!
Bulma was unconscious on his chest. She stirred for a bit as she felt the 'ground' she was laying on was slowly rising and falling at a steady pace. She gasped as her eyes fluttered opened and reality came crashing into her.
Vegeta stared in horror, as the blue-haired woman who he was with earlier today, lay silently resting on his chest. He had every intention to push her away, but when he was about to, he couldn't summon the will to do so. He didn't know why, but the sight of her petite figure curled about like a kitten snuggling close to its mother, bestowed warmth into his heart. Ever since he could remember, he had always only had his father with him. He barely had any recollection of his mother. He only remembered his mother nurturing him in his earlier years, and then being killed off by none other than Freeza, after he had brutally raped her. Life had a cruel way of turning its back on you, and in an instant, all your hopes and dreams become dispersed into thin air, as everything and everyone you love and cherish become merely faint memories. These were his memories. This was his dark past. A past he had long forgotten since the old Vegeta died along with his mother. After that, he became cold-hearted and emotionless just like Freeza himself. As Vegeta gazed, mesmerized by her sleeping form, he lost himself in his own thoughts.
Suddenly, Bulma's eyes shot open and she gasped. Lifting her head, she realized that the 'ground' she was laying on was actually the pretentious character she had been on the same ship with for nearly 17 days. Frowning, she let out a small cry of embarrassment and fought hard to control the blush that was slowly crawling to her cheeks. Backing away, she scrambled to remove herself from more contact with the black-haired man, but the minute she rose to her feet, a sharp pain pierced her from her right foot and sent her crashing back down to the ground.
"OWW!" she screamed, bending her knees up to her chest so that she could examine the problem. Slowly, she extended her right leg to inspect the damage. She hissed in pain at what she saw. Her leg looked horrific. She tried to move her leg around, but with each touch, the pain just increased. "Must be broken... DAMMIT," she said through clenched teeth, trying her best to hold her tears in from the excruciating pain.
Vegeta watched in silence. He didn't know what to do. Was he supposed to help her up? What could he do? He had never been in a situation like this before. So, he did the only thing he could do, watch.
'Why is he staring at me?' wondered Bulma, scowling. Her cheeks turned a slight hue of red. Turning her head, she decided to focus her attention on her surroundings, rather than the gaze of the stoic boy. Glancing down, she noticed the other injuries that were present on her arms, and body. They were minor scratches and bruises, nothing compared to the pain of her leg. Vegeta bared scratches worse than her own, but at least he didn't have a broken leg. "Are you just going to sit there all day?" She finally spoke.
He glared coldly into her blue eyes, "If you had left the dragon alone like I told you, none of this would have happened," he growled accusingly.
Bulma was shocked. After all that has happened, he STILL wanted to continue arguing! What the heck was wrong with him? Well, if he wanted it this way, then so be it. She was perfectly capable of arguing back, despite her current position. "Excuse me, but maybe if you flew a little faster than maybe we'd be safe, oh mighty prince!" she sneered back with equal force.
"If you had listened to me in the first place and left the young dragon alone, I wouldn't have had to resort to insults."
"Well, who died and made you the King? Since when do you control what I can and cannot do? Why couldn't you just have left me alone!" she scowled. Once again, he had triggered a rising anger in her.
All of a sudden, Vegeta rose to his feet. "Fine, if you insist on being alone, then I will leave you alone," he stated simply, glowering one last time before turning to leave.
Surprised by his unexpected movement, but refusing to show it, she retorted angrily, "Fine! I don't need you anyway!" Crossing her arms, she turned her head away from the retreating body and stuck up her nose, indicating that she no longer wanted to talk to him about the matter.
This just angered Vegeta even more. Without a second thought, he walked briskly and soon, disappeared into the shadows of the forest. After a couple minutes of walking, he attempted to fly, but he found the engery in his body was so drained that he could no longer fly nor could he use his ki.
'The nerve of him! Blaming this whole incident on me?' fumed Bulma, still in the same position she was earlier. She sighed, calming herself down, 'Fate, I guess,' she reasoned, 'and it sure looks like fate doesn't favour me…' She rested her head down on her unharmed bended knee. Tears stung her eyes as the thought of being trapped in the forest forever entered her mind. She had not told anyone where she was except for those two guards, but they seemed too stupid to get a hint of things. The only person who knew where she was was Vegeta. 'And he'd be the last person I'd ask for help from,' she added, disdainfully.
Just then, she heard a noise. It was the rustling of some bushes. Startled, Bulma frantically glanced around. 'There couldn't be any other wild animals in this forest, could there?' she gulped. 'Well if there are dragons, there could be anything.' She concluded with fear in her eyes, she asked timidly, "Who's there?"
Slowly, a figure emerged from behind, but it was not a wild animal. It was Vegeta.
'If she wants to sit there and rot away in the forest, then I have no objections,' Vegeta thought as he stalked away into the forest. He stormed farther and farther away from her seeing he could no longer fly at this moment, but the more he thought about her, the more a little voice inside his head nagged at him. Even though he despised her and her explosive anger, there was still something about her…something pure and innocent…he couldn't quite describe it, but he knew he had to protect it. Something inside of him just wouldn't let him forget the way she had snuggled up to him. He knew he couldn't leave her in the forest all alone and defenceless. This part the forest contained many mysterious things, and most of them, dangerous. Leaving her here would basically mean killing her himself. It wasn't something he would do. It wasn't right. Clenching his fists, he cursed his conscience, and turned to head back the direction he came.
"Oh, it's you? What do you want?" she spat bitterly. She was careful not to let her fright and surprise show. She didn't know why he was still here, but she was certain that it could not be a good thing.
Vegeta said nothing. He didn't even flinch. Walking up to her, he kneeled and took her leg to examine it more closely.
Bulma's eyes grew wide in surprise and pain. "Ow, that hurts! Don't touch me! I thought you were going away! Why aren't you gone yet?" she yelled, withdrawing her leg from his grasp.
Looking at her straight in the eye, he spoke. "Since, we are both stuck in this damn forest, we need to work together, if we ever want to make it through alive. Let me take a look at your leg. As a fighter myself, I've had training in first aid before, and I'm confident I can help you more than you can help yourself," he said still in a Vegeta style tone.
Bulma tilted her head and glanced sideways at him. 'Is he actually helping me?' she wondered in amazement to herself. She never knew that Vegeta could be anything else besides rude and obnoxious. Timidly, she nodded, and Vegeta took her foot in his hands. Gently, he touched her foot in various positions and rubbed it in different places, asking each time if it hurt.Bulma shut her eyes to help her ease the pain.
Finally, he set her foot down lightly on the ground. "It's not broken. It is merely a sprain," he announced.
"Well that does not help us very much. I am still not able walk," she stated blatantly.
Vegeta thought for a moment and then reached for the bottom of her hoodie. Since the bottom cuff reached down to her mid-thigh, he ripped it and used it wrap around her wound. "Hey! That's my favourite hoodie!" She protested.
"We don't have a matter of choice right now," he stated sounding somewhat mean, and wrapped the long material around her foot. After a few cycles, he tied a knot. He stood and held out his hands, signalling for Bulma to take hold. She did, hesitatingly and with a slight blush, and he pulled her up off the ground.
"Now try not to let your right foot touch the ground," he instructed. Pulling her close to him, he leaned her body onto his own.
Blushing fully now, Bulma pulled herself away from him. It felt uncomfortable being so close to a man let alone Vegeta. Lowering her gaze, she thanked him for his help.
Vegeta grunted. He didn't want to admit it, but she wasn't like any other woman he'd ever been with. Of course, all the other woman he had been with were only his fuck toys and nothing else. But her, he had never met someone that could make him feel this way. He had never met anyone who could talk back and speak her mind so freely either. She could actually give him a challenge, mentally.
Noticing it was getting dark, he noted, "The night is descending upon us. We should find a place to stay for the night. We'll find a way out of here when day breaks."
Looking up at the setting sky, Bulma agreed, "Okay."
Leaning against Vegeta's shoulder for support, the two figures staggered through the wilderness in search for shelter from the long, cold night that awaited them.
Walking was a most daunting task for Bulma and surprisingly for Vegeta as well. They had to choose the path with the least obstacles, so that tripping wouldn't be an issue. Limping on one foot, was not the most effective way to travel. As for Vegeta, he didn't mind supporting her weight, for she was nothing compared to the weight he had been trained to carry when he was young. Time seemed to drag on, and pretty soon, the sun began to set below the horizon.
Finally, after what seemed like hours of walking, they stumbled upon an area of the forest that seemed suitable for the night. The land had been relatively cleared, and conveniently, a large fallen log lay decaying on the forest floor. Ambling over to the log, Vegeta helped Bulma sit on it without putting too much pressure on her wounded foot. Relieved to finally take weight off her working foot, she sat down, stretching out both feet in front of her.
"I'm going to go scout out the area for awhile and look for some food. Stay here, and do not move until I'm back," he informed, turning to disappear into the darkening forest.
"Okay…" Bulma replied tentatively. She had felt so safe and warm when he was around, she didn't want him to leave her so soon. On the other hand, she was hungry, and he was the only one she could depend on for food right now. A chill wind blew past her, sending a tingling feeling down her spine. 'You better come back soon…' she added silently, shivering slightly.
Vegeta looked at the berries in front of him struggling to remember whether blue was poisonous or red was. Frowning, he plucked the blue berry from the bush and turned it over in his hands, examining it. He heaved a sigh as memories from his brutal childhood flooded through his brain.
He could see himself, a young Vegeta, about the age of six or seven. As part of his training, he had been forced to read and memorize everything he needed to know about survival on Vegeta-sei. Then as a test, he was deserted in an isolated forest along with some supplies for 10 days, and was ordered to survive.
Vegeta made a face as he recalled the pain-staking 10 days he had to live through. Cuts, scratches, and bruises appeared all over his body and stung with every movement. Every corner the young boy turned, danger seemed to grasp at him. Once, he had eaten the wrong coloured berry and broke out into a rash that itched uncontrollably. The further he wandered, the more he became lost, until finally, he would just break down and cry, like a normal child would in a time of confusion and loss. A desperate plea from a lonely child, a cry for help…but there was no one to aid him. He was alone.
Deciding on his first instincts, he popped the blue berry into his mouth and chewed it for a minute. Opening his eyes, he found himself still alive and breathing. Working quickly, he yanked two large leaves nearby and started collecting more of the blue berries.
Rising from his crouched position, he formed the leaves into a sac. He decided he would explore the area a bit more before heading back. Making his way freely through the forest, without the attachment of an injured person, he carefully examined his surroundings. The forest at night was dark and dank, hardly a welcoming place.
As he strolled, a thought occurred to him. Why was he doing this? Why was he offering to help that little brat? She was of no importance to him, and was not exactly his responsibility anyway. He is the prince afterall! Why is it that he was still here offering his assistance? He could take all this food, find a place to sleep for the night elsewhere, and wake up bright and early the next morning to search for an exit route. That way, he would get out much faster, and she wouldn't be a burden to him.
Sighing, he hung his head in defeat. No matter how much he desired to do so, his guilty conscience just wouldn't let him. He just couldn't leave a defenceless person behind in a potentially dangerous place. His damn saiya-jin honour would not allow him to. Not when he knew he could help.
"There's something about her…" he murmured softly to himself, "I don't know why, but I just can't help feeling the need to protect her." His mind drifted, and suddenly it stopped at a particular thought that made him freeze in his tracks. "Could these feelings I feel be…Could I be bonding to this Earth woman?" he asked out loud, widening his eyes in shock. The thought had never crossed his mind before, nor did he realize how bonding was suppose to feel. He had lost all emotions, especially emotions of love and bonding, ever since his childhood days.
However, as quick as the thought came to mind, it was dismissed before it could even be processed. "No, it can't be. There's no way on this planet will I bond with such an insolent being. She is not even saiya-jin!" He muttered indignantly. "I am only looking after her because it is the most honourable thing to do at this moment. I am only taking care of her for the alliance with Earth. Nothing more, nothing less," he declared, shutting out any other thoughts he had on the subject.
He desperately tried to concentrate on something else so that he wouldn't have to think about her and his motive for rescuing her. Racking his brain, he soon remembered something that he should have remembered a long time ago. When he had studied for the big "survival" test, he had come across an article about a mysterious herb. What was so special about this particular herb, was that it had healing properties that could cure, or at least help, almost any type of injury. He didn't know if this would apply for a sprained ankle, but as far as he remembered, there was no harm in trying.
Wasting no time, he hurried over to a nearby river in search for the herb. He recalled that the healers described the herb as a long, dark green, leafy plant with that grew near rivers and other bodies of water. The only way to distinguish it was the single pale pink and blue flower that grew at the end of each stem of the herb.
It wasn't hard to find, but it did take Vegeta a while in the almost completely dark atmosphere. Quickly, he pulled out a few stems and adding it to his collection of berries, he turned to head back to where Bulma was waiting.
"Brrrr…it's cold," shivered Bulma, hugging herself and rubbing her arms to keep warm. It had been a while now since Vegeta had left and still he had not yet returned. In her subconscious mind, she began to worry. "Why is he taking so long? Did he get lost? I do hope nothing has happened…" she said apprehensively. Her voice drifted at the last word.
Sighing, she propped her chin on her hands and leaned forward on her knees. This day has been a horrible, disastrous day for her. It was only her first official day on Vegeta-sei and now she was stuck in this forest alone with Vegeta! How lovely.
Thinking back, she remembered the hatred she had for him when they first met back on Earth. But now, her views have been altered. She no longer thought of him as cold and heartless anymore. Not after all that he had done. He could have left her in the forest, but no, he came back. He came back to help her with her sprained ankle.
She smiled at the thought of Vegeta's fingers slowly intertwining the material of her hoodie over her leg. After that, her leg didn't hurt as much as it did before. Bulma felt a faint blush creep into her cheeks and thanked God that Vegeta wasn't around right now to see her. 'Vegeta isn't too bad I guess. Quite the looker too.'
Bulma stopped short. Did she just call Vegeta "handsome"? Quickly, she denied it, and blamed it upon a surge of female hormones. There was no way she was going to start falling for someone, especially someone as impassive as Vegeta. It was just too farfetched. 'He is so brutal and ruthless and so not caring! I can't imagine anyone wanting to spread their legs for him,' she told herself firmly, closing the subject. Shaking her head vigourously, she cleared her mind of thoughts of Vegeta.
"That's it! I've had enough of waiting!" she declared out loud, slamming both hands on the log. Patience was defintely not her attribute. Looking around, she saw a couple branches and twigs on the lying on the ground. This gave her an idea. "Maybe I'll attempt to start a fire while I'm waiting."
Struggling, she stood on one foot and carefully hopped over to the pieces of wood. She managed to travel on one foot, but when she tried to bend down to pick up the wood, that's where she lost her balance.
Screaming, she closed her eyes and waited for her body to slam onto with the hard ground. But, it never came. It was as if she was suspended in time. Then she realized that someone was holding her up by the waist. Puzzled and embarrassed, she slowly opened her eyes to see who had stopped her fall. They met eye to eye, as she gazed into deep, beautiful eyes, which in turn, gazed back. Strong arms encircled tightly around her petite figure, preventing her from falling. Seconds seemed like minutes, and minutes seemed like hours, as they stood, frozen in time, neither one able to move or speak.
Bulma could feel her cheeks burning up from the realization of her current position. Breaking the silence, she managed to stutter, "V-Vegeta…?"
Vegeta's saiya-jin flexes had caught her before she could come in contact with the ground.