Madara slid to the floor, woozy and sick to her stomach. She had dreaded this day for years. That's why she did everything she could to take preventive measures to ensure it wouldn't happen. Despite her efforts, she had failed. There it was, one of her greatest nightmares come to life. All the signs had pointed to this conclusion. She didn't want to acknowledge it, but there was no denying it.

She could sense a chakra other than her own, cozily settled in her belly.

She should have expected it sooner or later. The man wanted heirs at some point and it looked like he'd be getting his wish. She had no doubt he be thrilled at the prospect of a son inheriting his throne, but she had her own concerns; for instance, the fact that the child would be only half Saiyan. Would that affect their power level? Would the child look like her or Vegeta? Would the kid have the ability to use energy and chakra? But worst of all…would her baby fall victim to the Curse of Hatred when he or she was older?

Her kekkei genkai was a blessing and a curse. It sentenced most to a life of suffering, just as she herself had experienced. Memories better left forgotten flashed through her mind. She couldn't let her child go through something like that. She stood up on shaky legs, her hands placed against her abdomen. She could feel her stomach curving, making room for the tiny life that was now growing inside her.

She had no desire to be a mother after Hashirama married Mito. Her actions with Obito had proved that she was not someone capable of understanding children. She had corrupted Obito's mindset, leading him down a path of misery. What if she damned her child to a similar fate?

She frowned, thinking about how long she had been pregnant. She shouldn't be feeling any physical signs so early, but they were clearly there. She remembered that Gine only went through six months of torture before she had Raditz. Saiyan pregnancies were much shorter than human ones. Would that count for a half-Saiyan? It was either that or this kid was going to be a one hell of a fighter later on.

"Madara? Are you alright in there?"

"Yes! I'm fine, Gine," she replied, trying to hide her anxiety as she opened the door to the bathroom. "I just felt a bit ill. I'm alright now."

Gine pursed her lip, not believing a single word Madara had said. "You're a terrible liar."

"I know…"

"Spill it. What's going on? You've been acting weird for the past month."

"Gine…I—"

"She's carrying the king's devil spawn," was Bardock's rude answer.

"Bardock!" Madara yelled indignantly. "You asshole!"

Gine's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates, sparkling with joy. "You're pregnant!? That's wonderful!"

"No, it's not!" Bardock snapped. "That brat's gonna be the epitome of everything I despise!"

"Oh, hush! You shouldn't automatically label their child just because you hate the king and don't like Madara teasing you."

Bardock grunted in irritation, his traditional scowl plastered on his face. Madara couldn't help but let a small smile grace her features. He was a jerk, but he never truly meant the things he said most of the time when he was around Gine. Gine began hugging Madara, excitedly discussing the prospect of having a nephew or niece to take care of. Madara made a mental note to remind Gine not to spoil the tyke when it was born. The baby would be royalty and didn't need any more pampering than it would already receive.

"Does this mean I'm getting a cousin!?"

"Well…" Madara began awkwardly, looking into young Raditz's hopeful eyes. "In essence, yes. Just not blood-related."

Just when she thought that the long-haired child couldn't be more endearing, the happy grin that spread across his face melted her heart. Gine had been doing her best to keep her word by allowing Raditz to be a child. She refused to let him go on missions until he was older and mature enough to handle the dirty jobs of the PTO. Bardock had protested, but the angry aura that hovered around Gine had shut him up instantly. Madara never had to opportunity to see Gine in a rage. If it was enough to scare Bardock, she could only imagine what she had done to him in the past to cause such a reaction.

Madara wished she could relish in the same enthusiasm that Gine had. However, she was not blessed with a simple mind. She was far too concerned about the possible repercussions of such a birth. She could not simply live in the moment. Her thoughts drifted to the far future, imagining all her worst fears coming to fruition.

No. She shouldn't be happy that she'd be sentencing her child to a life of misery. To be entwined in a blood-soaked fate, unable to escape from the coils of darkness and hatred...she would never allow it to happen; never let it experience a world without light. To lose the light of life…was a painful trap that an Uchiha could never return from.

She'd never let it have the chance. She'd end it herself.

Her objective was set. Nothing would stop her from carrying the order through. Hours meticulously passed, the looming judgment hovering over her form like an omen. She breathed deeply, steeling herself for the atrocity she was willing to commit. Once she was certain she had found the perfect place to commit the deed, she revealed a kunai knife that she had hidden in her sleeve. Her charcoal-colored eyes betrayed no emotion as she positioned the sharpened tip right over the small chakra. She had taken many lives during the clan wars, including those of mothers and their unborn children. This would be no different. Closer the blade came, feeling the steel tip press against the soft skin of her abdomen. One move and it would be over.

"The fucking hell do you think you're doing!?"

She faltered in her movements. She eyed the disturbance, her emotionless façade never wavering. A pissed off Bardock had stomped up to her, grabbing her armed hand and yanking it away from the innocent life she had planned to end. Never once had Madara seen Bardock so livid.

"What does it matter to you?" she responded. "It's none of your business."

"I'm making it my business!" he roared. "For fuck's sake, woman; why in the seven hells are you trying to gut yourself open?!"

"You wouldn't understand."

"I understand that you're knocked up. I don't give a fuck about that. What I do mind is that you're trying to kill your kid!"

"And your point is?"

"What kind of sick twisted monster would you be if you did that to your own baby?"

"Bardock, you have not lived through what I have. I have seen the fates of many Uchiha. They all lose themselves in a haze of sorrow and hatred. Even if brought out of that abyss, they never recovered from their ordeals. This one is destined to suffer the same outcome as the rest."

"And?"

"I can't bear the thought of forcing another child through that. I won't let them go through what I have gone through. I am not a saint. I cannot deny my past and the mistakes I have made. It'd be better to spare the child the dishonor of having a mother that has lived a life of lies and deception."

"Bullshit!"

Madara blinked at the coarse answer. "Excuse me?"

"The brat ain't gonna give two fucks if you're a sinner or a saint. It doesn't matter what you think about your worth. The tyke's gonna be too innocent to understand that shit. All he's going to know is that you're his mother and he's going to love you unconditionally, no matter what."

"How can you know that for certain?"

"Simple. Wait for the brat to pop out and see for yourself. You ain't going to find out if you kill him before he's even big enough to move."

"Bardock…You still don't—"

"Damn it, Madara! Stop trying to drown me in sentimental nonsense and self-pity! It's disgusting; especially for a proud woman like you! The past is in the past. Get that through your thick skull. I don't care if you were a murderer or had some plot for world domination. You're not like that anymore. You're making your own assumptions based purely on speculation. What if the kid doesn't end up miserable? You won't know unless you give him a chance to live for himself."

Madara sighed. "I've lost enough precious people in my life…I don't want to get attached only to lose it in the end…"

"It's not going to happen. Trust me," Bardock reassured her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"You truly believe that?"

"The kid's got genes from two of the most stubborn and self-centered people I know. The brat isn't going to be a pushover to anyone; not even his parents. I bet he'd give Frieza hell once he's old enough."

Madara smiled at the thought. "You think so?"

"I know so. Just give the kid a damn chance. I'm sure he'd be able to knock some sense into you without even needing to talk."

She rested her hand on her stomach, lightly rubbing it. The kunai knife dropped from her hand, clattering on the hard ground. She felt a sense of ease coming from the small chakra, as if it had been in a state of panic. Had the tiny life really sensed her intent to kill it? Not even the size of a small fruit and it could vaguely tell what was happening outside of the little world it lived in. She felt a spark of pride and a sense of shame. Bardock was right.

Had she pulled it off, she'd be no different than Frieza.

"I trust you not to try something this stupid again. I ain't gonna bother to intervene next time."

"Don't worry. Your words have not fallen on deaf ears, Bardock."

"You've told the bastard he's going to be a father, right?"

"No…I don't know if I should," she admitted. "As soon as word gets out that an heir has been born, I fear that Frieza will judge whether the child will be of use to him or not."

Bardock scoffed. "Whatever. It's none of my business. That choice is up to you."

"Bardock?"

"What?"

A gentle smile graced her features. "Thank you."

"Don't even start going soft on me!" he snapped. "Gine's bad enough! I am not dealing with another version of her!"

Madara laughed. "Very well. I'll keep that in mind."

That night, Madara refused to return to the palace. She was engulfed in her thoughts of the future and memories of the past. She gazed into the sky, watching the stars twinkle upon the barren Planet Vegeta. Every time she needed to be reminded of home, she'd look at the night sky. It was still the same sky, simply from a different vantage point. There were times where she'd get lost in the vast darkness, remembering when her heart had been as black as a starless night.

She went over every step, every failure, and every moment of bliss she could remember. Then, she'd wonder what would have happened had her choices been different. Perhaps she should have accepted death right when Hashirama pierced her heart in the godforsaken valley their battlefield had turned into.

A pulse.

She hadn't given up. She pursued a plan intended for her own selfish desires, even if it would allow everyone the chance at happiness. She sacrificed everything she had and everything she was to achieve her goal. In the end, it backfired on her and she was left to die. She should've died.

Another pulse.

Her eyes drifted down to the chakra that had decided to bother her. Her hand rested above the small life. For one so young, it seemed to understand that she was troubled. To think that just a few hours earlier, she had intended to end its life. She would have…if not for Bardock. It was the reason she was here. It was the reason her thoughts had been muddled to such an extent.

It…was another reason to live for.

Ever since she had lost her brothers, she feared losing more people precious to her. Life was cruel; taking away lives not only through death, but through love and friendship too. She experienced it all in her lifetime. Yet, here she was again. But this time…her life was relatively blessed. She had a sister in Gine, a friend in Bardock, and a husband in Vegeta.

Dear Vegeta. She had accepted his proposal out of duty at first. It was simple attraction at first. As time passed, she began to care. She truly believed she could live with him and she did. It took her a while, but she felt a bond form between them. She began to experience the same shivers of delight she used to feel around Hashirama.

Hashirama. How she wished she could forget that man. He still plagued her mind to this day. Guilt laced her being, realizing she still held feelings for him. Doubt clouded her mind and made her wonder if she was simply replacing Hashirama with Vegeta. If that was true, her love for him was a lie. She wanted to deny it; to believe her love for the Saiyan King was true.

She lay down on the rocky ground, remembering Obito. Such an innocent life, corrupted beyond recognition. She destroyed the one thing that held meaning to him. Without Rin, he became despondent. She wanted him as a pawn, taking pleasure in the fact that someone understood the same agony that she did. Love was the greatest weapon to use against an Uchiha. She knew so from personal experience. Hatred was the only thing that could ground an Uchiha who had lost someone they deeply cared for.

She felt tears fall down her cheeks. Once again, she thought of the unborn child that was currently resting within her. She desperately wished she could prevent anything from hurting him. A fruitless wish that she knew could never come to be. Wiping the mutinous droplets away, she steeled herself. It was just hormones making her so emotional; at least, that's what she told herself.

"You may not hear me, but I want to tell you this anyway," she said to the little one. "Of all the mistakes I have made, you are the epitome of my sheer stupidity. Because of me, you may have to go through many trials. You might lose yourself in blind hatred. You might lust for power to terminate those who have wronged you. You might destroy many lives because you hate the fact that they have been gifted with things you have desired all your life. You may find yourself the victim of your own animosity."

"Despite all this, please take these words to heart. Do not despair, for there are hidden blessings in the darkness. I, who deserved no chance of redemption, was able to find light in my life once again. You are one of those lights I must now live for. I want you to be strong, but have a kind heart. To find love and start a family of your own; one you will protect with all your strength. And whatever you do, please don't be stupid like Naruto and Hashirama were. It's not going to get you far."

"I wonder what you'll look like. I wonder if you'll be as strong as your father. I wonder if you may be the one to overthrow Frieza, freeing millions from his tyrannical rule. I wonder a lot of things about you and I continue to hope you'll be exactly how I picture you will."

"I'm not a strong fighter nor do I believe I will be a good mother to you. But know this: I will do everything in my power to protect you. I know my word isn't worth much. I couldn't save my family. I couldn't protect my clan. I couldn't even defend myself from my adversaries. Even so…I don't intend to let it happen again. If I lose you too…I fear that everything I say will become meaningless. What would my life be worth? To you, I'll be remembered as your weakling mother who couldn't do a damn thing when it mattered most."

"You are my greatest mistake…but my greatest gift as well. Whatever happens, don't be like your foolish mother. Don't fall victim to the curse of your bloodline. Overcome it. Don't let power go to your head. Never underestimate anyone. Make nice friends who'll look out for you. Or have just that one really good one that you can trust. Most of all…don't take life for granted. You're worth more than you think. I only just learned that lesson myself."

"And please…forgive me for trying to take away your chance at life. I just…I don't…want you to be hurt. I don't want to see you suffer. I don't want you to be subjected to the evil in this world. I've seen what it does to people. I don't want you to end up like that…like I was so long ago."

"I'll never forgive myself if that happens."