Chapter 7
By: DestinyBabee
Vegeta then returned to the base of the tree he was sitting at. Right now all he wanted was a night's good rest and to just forget about all that has happened today. Crossing his arms, he slowly let his eyelids droop, and soon he was pulled from the world of reality and into a world of dreams.
Meanwhile, the entire Saiya-jin Palace had been in a state of utter mayhem. Servants rushed back and forth in sheer terror and panic, carrying out the orders of their King. The King was in the study, growing more and more impatient. Other servants who have formed search parties constantly exited the building, but each time returning with no results.
Worries arose, but the King refuse to notify the entire planet. He thought it would be embarassing since people might think the King couldn't control his own son. Barking out orders for them to search for his son outside the premises, he left the servants cowering in fear.
"WHERE IS MY SON!" shouted an aged man bellowed to his chief officer. His fists were balled so tight that his knuckles were white. "Damn him for pulling a stunt like this!" He muttered in anger.
"Your Majesty, I assure you, we are doing the best to retrieve the whereabouts of the prince. We have the best of the best on the case and we will find him in all due time."
"Well obviously, your best isn't good enough! Let me warn you again, if I have to get involved, then you will regret the day you were born…" warned King Vegeta sinisterly.
The saiya-jin shuddered. His majesty was not doubt a man of great power, wealth and influence. Anything he wanted, he got. It was wise not to anger him. "I understand sir. We will find Prince Vegeta, don't you worry about it," he said sincerely, and made his exit.
King Vegeta angrily knocked over a vase and growled. This was getting nowhere. Where the hell was the boy? 'When I get my hands on that boy, he will be sorry he even dared disobey me!' he yelled mentally. "How long does it take to track down a prince anyway?" he muttered disdainfully. Turning to face the window that overlooked the vast courtyard, he sighed and softened his harsh expression a little. Although he refused to show it, he did care for his son.
Early morning drops of dew dripped from the broad leaves of the towering trees and trickled down Bulma's pale complexion. Wrinkling her face out of irritation, she flickered her eyes and awoken. She was graced with the sight of wildness. How lovely.
She groaned. 'I was hoping this was just a horrible nightmare.' Yawning, she pulled herself up from her lying position to a sitting position and craned her neck to get rid of the awful cramp she had from sleeping on the high, hard log. She winced for now, not only that her foot was still sore and numb, but her neck and back were in pain as well. 'Ugh, what a horrible night…'
Rubbing her eyes, she took a moment to revitalize her surroundings. Vegeta was missing, up already and probably off somewhere exploring. The fire had been long put out. It was already daylight and she wondered how long she had been asleep.
Then she heard the snapping of some branches behind her and whipped around sharply, glaring at the intruder who had caught her by surprise. Vegeta came into view.
"Finally awake? I was wondering if you had died or not…" he said mockingly, walking towards her. There were a pile of mushrooms. He sat down near her.
Bulma glared. "Of course, I'm awake. You can't get rid of me that easily!" she started.
"Just eat your breakfast. Fresh mushrooms! And no, they are not poisonous. If I wanted to kill you, I would have done so at the base of the cliff," he informed her, with a slight grin.
Bulma simply picked up a mushroom and began eating. Mushrooms weren't her favourite food in the world, but when you're stuck in the middle of nowhere, there was no place for being picky-choosey. Swallowing, she held out her hand to him. "Truce?"
Vegetafroze. "Fine, it's a truce until this farce of a coalition is over." Vegeta took her hand, and they shook on it.
"Fair enough." Bulma agreed and smiled.
Vegeta just looked away. "I've regain some of my energy. It should be enough to fly us both back."
Bulma nodded. Soon they would be out of this nightmare.
"Come on get on." Vegeta demanded.
Bulma looked back at Vegeta. Both his hand her extended out imply for her to jump in his arms. "You're going to carry me like THAT the whole time!"
"So you're suggesting I leave you dangling in midair? That is perfectly fine with me. I'd love to see you squirm in fear at high altitudes." Vegeta smirked.
Bulma glared allowed Vegeta to pulled his into his grip carrying her by the knees and gripping her back. Bulma's arms naturally slung around his neck to secure her position.
Vegeta was about to take off when he froze in midair. He heard something. An odd sound seemed to be coming from nearby.
"What's wrong?" Bulma questioned.
"Shhh…" he whispered, as he perked his ears to listen more sharply to the sound. Whatever it was, he didn't like it. It sounded dangerous. Vegeta slowly let Bulma down, and moved her safely behind him. He then tried to focus himself to concentrate of the sound as Bulma watched Vegeta put his saiya-jin instincts to work. She was a little worried about what it might be since she measily human ears could detect nothing, but she remained alert.
Stealthily, he lurked, trying to discern what he had heard. Slithering. Hissing. Something moved through the bushes. It was approaching closer and closer.
And then all of a sudden, it leapt out of the bushes: a large, long, red and brown snake-like creature with markings in a disincentive pattern; no doubt it was poisonous. Its bared jaws were opened and it was aimed straight towards Bulma!
Bulma shrieked as her body's natural defense mechanism kicked in. She automatically shielded her face and her main body organs with her arms. She closed her eyes and felt a force overcome her. Frightened, she sobbed silently thinking the snake creature already had her. Slowly, she opened her eyes to see Vegeta barely being able to stand. His right arm looked compltely limped, while the other held the body of a limp snake. He threw it dow.. It was dead, but not soon enough, for it had sunk its teeth into flesh. Vegeta's flesh.
"VEGETA!" screamed Bulma in panic. She instantly knew what had happened. The snake was going for her, but instead, Vegeta took the blow. She crawled over to him, just in time, for he no longer possessed the strength to stay upright. He collapsed onto her lap, and she threw her arms around him. Two holes her seen on his royal blue combat suit and two swollen punctured wounds were visible on his arm, while blood trickled down to his elbow soaking his suit.
"Dear lord, Vegeta! WHY? Why did you do that for! It should have been me! It should have bitten me!" she cried over and over, tears streaming down her cheeks.
It was quite queer for Vegeta himself too. He didn't want to admit it, but he would honestly risk anything for the human. 'Damn bond.' That was his driving force. He couldn't stand the thought of losing her, for he knew now…he cared for her. It was beyond his power to break the bond now. His eyelids drooped and he meekly raised his uninjured arm to wipe away a tear from eyes, "Woman, I…I…" came his coarse whisper, but before he could finish his sentence, his eyes rolled over and he fell unconscious.
"Vegeta!" screamed Bulma, frantically shaking his motionless body to awake him, but to no avail. "Wake up, Vegeta! Please, wake up! Don't.. leave me…" she cried, embracing him in defeat. She lifted his arm to observe the severity of the wound. It looked fairly deep, and the poison was spreading fast. She had to do something before it was too late.
Rising to her feet with a determined expression, she suppressed her sobs, and proceeded to drag Vegeta's lifeless body to the tree he leaned against the previosu night. Struggling against his weight and her semi-healed ankle, she prudently dragged him underneath the tree. Many a time, she felt as if she was going to collapse herself, but a strong will kept her moving onward. She refused to give up on him, refused to believe that there was nothing she could do. She would find a way to help him retain his consciousness and get rid of the poison.
Finally, they returned to the tree. Gently, she leaned him against the trunk and proceeded to check his arm. Vegeta's face was pale from having lost blood, but when Bulma saw the gash, she herself went pale too. 'How could this have happened? Why weren't we more careful? Why couldn't he have let it bite me instead?' she asked herself furiously. More tears brimmed her eyes.
Tenderly, she wiped away the blood that had trailed down his arm. Her hands were shaking as she frantically thought of a way to save him. They were in the middle of nowhere; there were no hospitals nearby. No doctors, no pharmacists… no medication on this planet whatsoever.
Unless…
Her eyes widened suddenly as she remembered the herb he had used on her ankle! Hurriedly, she grabbed some by the log and examined it with a sceptical look. She didn't know if it would do the trick, since it wasn't the same kind of injury…he was poisoned after all. But she remembered he said that it would heal injuries, not specifying what kind, meaning poison wasn't an exception. But what if…something went wrong? Nevertheless, she had to try. There was nothing else she could do besides sit there and let him die, and that was something she absolutely refused to do. The green plant was her only hope. The fate of the prince of all saiya-jins rested in her hands.
A fleeting look at his arm and she realized that it was not all that easy, for what good was the herb if the poison was still there? She doubted it would annul the deadly substance. She had one option, and that was to drain out it, using her own mouth to suck it out…
However, there was a catch. By exposing herself to the poison, there was a slight chance that she could be infected by it too. If, by any chance, she had swallowed some of the poison while sucking it out, it would be transmitted to her.
A firm look settled on her face. She had to do this. It was the only way she could save Vegeta, and there wasn't enough time to think of any other way. Besides, if it weren't for him, she would have been the one in his position…the poison was rightfully hers. 'I owe him this. He has already saved my life more than once…' she thought, referring to her ankle, 'I wouldn't be here if it weren't for him. He may seem to a ruthless person. He never abandoned me when I was hurt. He has more honour than anyone I know. I won't abandon him now. Even if it means risking my own life, I will save him!'
She stopped short. Random thoughts whirred through her mind like a speeding train, 'I would risk my life for Vegeta…I want to save him…Does that mean there's something there for him? ...' She gasped as she finally realized what it all concluded to: she could very well love him, truly and earnestly. She might deny it, but now in this time of distress, all became clear. There were no false feelings. Love for the stoic, saiya-jin prince had grown in her all this time, and she had not known it. And now, she finally understood just how much he meant to her.
A tear dripped of her face and fell onto his arm. Leaning down, her lightly brushed her lips agisnt his pale ones. Hovering above the wound, she took a deep breath. "Vegeta…you will be all right…," she whispered confidently, and without another wasted moment, she brought her lips over the wound. Drawing the tainted blood into her mouth, and then spitting it out on the ground, she noticed that the blood was dark, closer to black than red. She repeated this process until the colour of his blood became natural again.
When she was finished, she felt slightly dizzy. Standing up clumsily on her feet, she effortlessly wiped at her mouth with her sleeve. For some reason, she felt tired, barely able to even support her own weight. She then chewed the bitter leaves to a paste. True to his words, they were nasty, but she refused to let the taste get teh better of her. A minute later, she spat it out on her hand and smeared it on his infected arm. She then untired the fabric on her leg and used it on Vegeta's arm. She smiled faintly, 'Now we are even.' Stumbling she laid next to Vegeta and held his hand.
It was close. He could feel its presence drawing nearer and nearer, slithering across the dirt ground, twisting menacingly, moving stealthily beneath the underbrush. It was approaching, a long, overgrown, venomous snake, deadly with the pierce of a sharp fang.
He knew it was coming…but where? Pivoting with alert senses, he surveyed his surroundings, memorizing each object. He had to be prepared for its fatal blow. There stood the girl, bedazzled by his cautious motions, but he did not intend to frighten her with news of a deadly lurking reptile.
Then, it all made sense. The girl! It would strike the girl, his current and only weakness. The snake knew; it was taunting him, purposely aiming for the unsuspecting victim.
He'll get damned if he let the reptile have his way.. He would protect her at all costs…even if it meant his own life. This was more then just a feud between a reptile and himself; he cared her, and it had taken him all this time to realize it. All the insults, their fights…it was all a cover up of true, hidden emotions. And now that it was realized, it may be too late, for the snake's descent was upon them.
He whipped around to shield her body with his, the only objective was to save her. The snake still poised in midair, now froze. Slowly it turned in a curious manner towards the immobile saiya-jin. It gave a hiss, baring its teeth, and then it performed the most peculiar action. It grinned, but it wasn't an amiable grin, it was devious, malicious grin, almost as if it were mocking him…
A gasp filled the air. The saiya-jin prince woke up in a cold sweat. It took him a moment to revitalize his surroundings and to realize he had just woken up from a deep sleep. It was just a dream, a nightmare, merely a figment of the imagination. But it seemed so real…
Had it really happened? Yes, he was certain it had…and he was certain that the human girl was not hurt. He had saved her just in time… His head ached when he tried to think, but he found that he couldn't move either arm to quell the pain. His right arm felt numb, alien to sensation, but his left arm seemed to be pinned down by an inexplicable weight. He looked down to see that a blue mop sleeping soundly against his arm. A calm serene expression graced her soft features.
Was she asleep? Or…had she fallen victim to the snake after all and this was beyond mortal sleep? Had he failed to save the only one he had ever cared about fall to the clutches of death?
"Woman!" whispered Vegeta, with a frantic fury in his eyes. He willed his arms to move and held her by the shoulders. Shaking her wildly, he attempted to awake her, but it was no use. She would not awaken. Soft strands of brilliant pink hair swayed with the shaking motion, free from their usual confinement to the pale ribbon. Her head rolled dully in time with the motion.Her deep blue eyes would not reveal themselves.
Then, something unusual caught his eye. Something bounded his right arm. He recognized it at once to be the fabric on her leg.
Grasping his arm, a sudden pain sprang through it, and all of yesterday's remininces came flowing back. He had saved her, but with the price of his own safety. But, he didn't care at that time. He had one objective and that was to keep her safe. And he had succeeded, the proof being the wound, which he adorned.
He glanced at the floor of forest and saw a stem of the healing herb he had used on her ankle…and dried blood staining the ground. The sight of the herbs didn't bother him, in fact it made him proud that he had taught her something useful, but he paled at the sight of the blood. Closer examination concluded that, the blood was not normal. It was poisoned. He could smell it smelt mixed in with the poison. It didn't take long for Vegeta to piece the pieces together and figure out what had happened. She must have tried to save his life!
Vegeta's eyes widened in realization and in shock. She couldn't have done that! How could she be so foolish! Doesn't she know that in order to save him, she now might have absorbed some of the poison herself? And the sole purpose of him taking the bite for her was that she wouldn't get hurt! It was all in vain…
"Woman, wake up!" he hissed desperately, shaking her in the process. He did not want to bear losing her. Not after saving her. "How could you? Foolish woman! I never asked you to do anything! I didn't want your help…Bulma…" He embraced her, eyes closed.
Abruptly, her eye twitched ever so slightly, unbeknownst to Vegeta. Slowly her eyes fluttered up. It took a moment for her vision to clear, and when it did, she found herself staring at Vegeta's mourning countenance. Lifting up an arm, she stroked his cheek, caressing it with the back of her hand.
Vegeta jumped with a start and opened his eyes to meet her radiant blue orbs.
Bulma shot up from her position. She had just realized that he was holding her in his arms. It wasn't the fact that she was being held that stirred her, but the fact the he could actually hold her. A smile spread across her face, "You…you're alive!" she exclaimed, bring her other hand to touch his other cheek, proving to herself that she wasn't dreaming. "Oh, thank God you're alright," she breathed, throwing her arms around him, and burying her face into his chest, sobbing softly. "I thought I had lost you…"
Astonishment strew across his face. Wasn't he holding a lifeless body just a second ago? But then again, he never did check her pulse to determine her state. He had just assumed she had died, seeing the blood on the ground. Relief and joy flushed through every corner of his body as he realized the truth: no one had died from the snake encounter.
Absent-mindedly, he began stroking her sleek hair in an attempt to calm her.
"Woman…" he mumbled. He wanted to say something, he knew he should, but he didn't know what. He held her for few more seconds before he finally spoke. "Why did you do that?" he paused and gripping her shoulders, he pulled her away to give her a stern look. "You should have never pulled a stunt like that." he questioned, firmly looking through her eyes.
Bulma nodded.
"Then why did you?"
Silence. Gazing into piercing eyes, Bulma knew her answer already. But was it the right time to admit to it? And how would he react? She was certain he did not feel the same way. How could he? He was always cold and emotionless. She was sure that he had saved her only to protect her, like he has done from the start. The coalition.
"Because…you saved me first. I wouldn't be here if you hadn't taken the bite; the snake should have gotten me, not you. I wanted to return the favour for all the times you have saved me. Thank you, Vegeta…" she said finally, flushing. It wasn't exactly the answer she had in mind, but it was what came out of her mouth. "Why did you save me in the first place then? If you knew the poison could kill you, then why did you risk yourself for me?" she asked, skilfully reverting the question back to its interrogator.
Another silence hung in the air. This time, it was Vegeta's turn to ponder. His mind urged him to say it was simply a reaction, a swift act of instinct, an impulse of nature that he pushed her out of the way. But his heart told him otherwise. His heart told him it was something more; that he should stop denying it and just tell her the truth.
In the midst of his inward struggle, the question was remained unanswered, but Bulma didn't care. All she cared about was that he was safe. Wrapping her arms around him again tightly, she smiled and buried her face in his chest. "I'm just so glad that you are okay, Vegeta" she inquired, looking up at him.
Vegeta, relieved that he was let off the hook, raised a curious eyebrow. "You humans are so foolish," he smirked accepting her protective arms encircled around him. He didn't mind, in fact, he liked it.
"Then don't save me next time," she declared, only half-jokingly.
An amused expression broadened across his face. It was something he could never promise, that was for certain. She meant too much to him to give up on her. Instead of agreeing, he asked, "Why? Do you want to die?"
"No…" she started, unsure of what to say. She pulled back from him and looked into his piercing eyes, and all of a sudden she could feel tears brimming. She sniffed, using all of her will power to hold them back. There was no way she would let Vegeta see her cry. "It's just that I…I don't want you to get hurt…not because of me…"
"We should return to the palace. I'msure my father has started a frenzy there due to our absence. Bulma nodded. Vegeta carried her and took flight. It was difficult for him to be us his wounded arm so soon, but he was one determined saiya-jin. He'll be damned he allow mother nature to hurt either one of them again.