THE PRINCE OF ASH AND SNOW
PART TWO
by The Not-So-Super Saiyan
based off the web comic by Stupidoomdoodles
and inspired by the works of LadyVegeets
CHAPTER FOURTEEN: THE GOODBYE
Content Warning: extreme violence and some language
SEPTEMBER 26th
8:13 AM
Krillin had been trying to convince Bulma to do something, anything since he had found her. Or rather she had found him...with a stick. It had only been ten minutes but he was ready to give up and let her go back to her solemn sulking. The only thing that prevented him from doing so was the giant, dead man staring at him with empty eyes from the floor.
"I gotta get that guy outta here….how are you even supposed to lift someone like that." he muttered to himself. "I guess we'll just have to worry about that later."
Ignoring Krillin completely Bulma pushed herself off the bed. She turned to face Gohan and forced the most genuine smile she could muster. "No time like the present, right?"
And with that she marched over the dead man and out the front door.
Vegeta stood in front of the hotel room, the door creaking ever-so slightly in the wind. He looked up. It was going to storm, he could practically feel the electricity in the air. Normally Vegeta quite enjoyed the rain. One of those silly things he had picked up when his life had slowed down. But not now. He didn't need to navigate in a storm right now. What he needed was a nap. He held the radar in one hand and steadied it with the other. The light had blipped and moved only a tiny bit. Now it had stopped.
He had a terrifying thought that twitched and writhed in the back of his mind. He swallowed it and pushed off the wall, trudging forward and once again breaking into a sprint. Throwing all of his energy into each step that splashed through the mud.
Goku was keeping pace more easily now. "You know Vegeta you look like you could use a snack. Are ya hungry?" He rummaged around in his pocket as he jogged alongside the smaller man. "I thought I had something in here. Maybe it dropped outta my-"
Vegeta stopped, Goku nearly running into him.
"What's up, bud?"
"Don't call me that. I'm not your friend, Kakarrot." the word tasted bitter on his tongue.
"Sure thing, buddy. I mean, Vegeta."
Vegeta hushed Goku with a hiss and a flick of his hand as he strained his ears to hear through the silence. Bamboo wind chimes struck each other furiously in the howling wind. Something else. He could hear something else. The faintest sound of voices.
"Hurry up, we''ll never beat them to Kami's Lookout with you two sightseeing back there." Bulma shouted angrily through the torrential rain at the man and the boy trailing behind her.
"Now she wants to hurry." Krillin grumbled as he pulled his windbreaker tighter around his frame. It did nothing to protect him from the merciless rain. He muttered under his breath "I sure hope this Kami guy has a fireplace, or boiler or something. No wonder no one has ever cracked these dragon's balls, no one wants to go up into the middle of East-Jesus-Nowhere and climb a freakin' glacier to get it. Maybe he-" Krillin cut himself off as he bumped into Bulma's back.
"Aaaand now we've stopped." He grumbled bitterly. But Bulma didn't quip back, she didn't yell or hit him. She didn't move. The voice that broke the silence wasn't hers. It was a man's.
"G'day."
Uh oh.
Krillin trained his gun at the figure, shouting. "Freeze." He tried to blink the rain from his eyes but it fell so hard and fast it created a halo of mist around everything. His thoughts were cut short by a whoosh of air and an explosion of pain in his hand. He felt himself lifted from the ground by what felt like a vice around his knuckles.
"You should be careful with that!" A deep voice facetiously interjected. "Someone could get hurt…"
A second hand grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, and actually tossed him in the air. Before he could land, a foot crashed its way into his gut, sending him flying.
"I think you might actually be shorter than Guldo…. How amusing!" the voice laughed.
"Ey, good one, cap'n!" Jeice called back.
Bulma shrunk back, pushing Gohan behind her. She felt as though her legs would give out. She tried to swallow the crushing reality that stared at her, laughing a deep hearty laugh as it stepped casually towards them through the curtains of rain.
They were going to die.
The figure approached slowly, the muck and water sloshing as he stepped forward. Krillin managed to climb to his knees, clutching his chest. The pain was blinding.
The man stopped, aiming Krillin's own gun at his head…
...Then it went flying into the water with a plop as a foot kicked it free from his hand.
Goku dropped to the ground wrapping his arm around Krillin. Bulma couldn't believe her eyes. Goku had made it. Just when it looked like their luck had finally run out, he managed to pull through. Hope ignited in her and then she heard a voice.
"Put that thing away before you hurt yourself, Jeice." a rough voice chided the Aussie who had drawn his own gun.
Vegeta leaned against the wall casually, trying his best to keep his legs from buckling, the heavy water droplets pelting him ruthlessly. Jeice stopped short of the gun and turned to Vegeta. Rage swelled inside of him.
For a moment all was still, only the rain moved, slicing through the foggy air and threatening to wash them away.
"You." Jeice screamed, throwing his body into Vegeta and pinning him against the wall.
"You fucking bastard. If you thought you'd seen the last of me, think again." He threw a punch at Vegeta, who cocked his head to the side avoiding it with ease. Vegeta smiled a cocky, open smile.
"You know, Jeice I didn't. Afterall, I was the one who came after you. I sort of... thought it went without saying."
"You killed them." Jeice yelled furiously. pulling back and pelting his fists into the wall where Vegeta's head had been. He looked around comically searching for Vegeta, who had been in his grasp just moments before.
"Now...correct me if I'm wrong here, but you were going to kill me. Turn around is fair play."
Vegeta dodged him expertly, letting Jeice come to him. His arms folded casually over his chest, his knees wobbling as he sidestepped in the rain.
"After all it is an occupational hazard." Vegeta teased.
Jeice swung his fists wildly in the rain, Vegeta always just out of his reach.
"Gotcha!" Vegeta snapped at the wrist that flew at him, casually plucking it from the air and pushing it into the man's chest with a harsh twist. Using the last burst of strength he had Vegeta pulled him forward again and again just to rain fists and elbows into the young man's ribs, face, and neck..
Finally he dropped him forward and as the man bounced off the dirty cobblestone pavement his face collided with a boot. As Vegeta kicked upwards, flipping him to his back and sending him skidding through the puddle of warm rain. Vegeta circled him, his arms casually folded across his chest as a breathy laugh caught in his throat.
"As fun as this has been Jeice. I just really don't have time to play with you right now."
With that he pulled out his gun and pressed it to the man's forehead. The shot echoed through the rain calling back a bitter silence. Blood and skull fragments floated through the ankle deep water.
Everyone was brought back to the present by the scream of a familiar voice. Ginyu had Goku in a rather nasty lock from behind, but it looks like Goku had given him almost as good as he got, as Ginyu's eye was swelling and blood dripped from the side of his mouth.
"Shit." Vegeta hissed, turning his body to face the two. He darted forward past Bulma before she could fully process what was going on.
Ginyu released Goku by shoving him at Vegeta, who dodged the clown's flailing limbs nimbly. Ginyu smiled.
Vegeta knew Ginyu hated getting too close - he was probably more upset than he let on that he had to actually grapple with Goku, especially in a torrential downpour. He hated getting dirty or bloody. Vegeta had to leverage that emotional advantage if he was going to be effective here - especially as tired as he was.
The large man's fists and feet flew repeatedly at Vegeta's relatively small frame with surprising alacrity. His size definitely didn't handicap his speed, and he kept his balance perfectly, as well. He never overcommitted to any strike, and always pulled his strikes back even faster than he launched them. This wouldn't be easy. Nothing worthwhile was.
Vegeta tried to get inside, to get close where the large man's limbs would be a liability, but Ginyu couldn't have kept his distance more perfectly - always just out of Vegeta's reach, and he wasn't even breathing heavily yet - a stark contrast to Vegeta. It was all he could do to keep pace and try to avoid getting clobbered. He desperately willed his body to keep him upright. It was as if gravity were 100 times heavier, weighing down on his joints and sinews.
It was then that Goku re-joined the fight - leaping into Ginyu's reach like a fool - except he managed to dodge Ginyu's attacks even better than Vegeta could…. And he was smiling. Curse that Kakarrot…. What had he been up to in the last few months?
For all his annoying habits...like existing… Vegeta appreciated the reprieve. Kakarrot's style seemed more favorably matched up to Ginyu. Vegeta briefly recalled hearing it called 'Turtle School', though Kakarott was moving differently than he had when they had last fought. It was quite acrobatic, and yet efficiently so. Vegeta would question on it later, after he had defeated Ginyu.
Tzch. There it was. Kakarrot had overcommitted, and Ginyu had spun around behind him. A single strike to the small of Goku's back, and then some pummeling of his ribs left him on his knees, on the brink of tottering over with a shocked, breathless look on his face. Vegeta watch as Kakarrot's eyes regained their focus and he could tell he was about to try to counter Ginyu's next strike.
Gathering himself, Vegeta once again launched himself forward, grabbing Goku by the shirt and pulling him back. "Ginyu is MINE." He roared. He had decided he wasn't about to be outdone by this silly fool who couldn't grasp the severity of any situation, no matter how dire. Goku fell face-first into the mud.
Ginyu didn't expect Vegeta's sudden re-entrance to the fight and almost lost balance as his leg swept the air where Goku had stood a fraction of a second before. Vegeta took the opportunity as Ginyu regained his footing to slide between them and close in on him.
Remembering his fundamentals, he tried to synchronize his breathing with his movements, to coordinate all the effort he had left to make sure every punch counted. He mixed in a few low kicks aimed at Ginyu's knees with his fists aiming for the solar plexus, or the gut - hoping he could land just one blow to interrupt Ginyu's own breathing and rhythm.
It didn't work.
Ginyu's hands moved so in sync with Vegeta's strikes, his feet shifting with Vegeta's kicks, it almost looked like the two were dancing. The heel of his boot found its way to Vegeta's face, and swivelling as he pulled his foot back, he landed a palm strike to Vegeta's chest, throwing him back against a wall.
"I always knew Frieza was wrong to invest so much in you, Vegeta. You have no loyalty, no honor. It was a mistake."
"What would someone like you know of honor, Ginyu? Tzch. No. You're just jealous. Frieza stopped playing with you after I came along, Ginyu." Vegeta said, spitting. "That he would want me more than you." he scoffed, his face a mask of pure revulsion, "Do you even know why? You never stopped to consider he didn't want you because you actually liked what he did to you. It took away Frieza's fun. He broke you so easily. Like a twig in his hands. A few scars and you melted away." Vegeta ran his fingers through his hair slowly and deliberately, bringing attention to the spiderweb of scars on Ginyu's head. Claw marks. Branding. "You gave him everything...even your pride. And when you had nothing left, he cast you aside. He was done with you, whether I came along or not."
Ginyu froze as Vegeta's words cut into him, his face twisting into a contorted visage of rage. Vegeta looked at him, the corners of his mouth turning into the slightest of sneers. He locked eyes with Ginyu sending him over the edge.
"You filthy freak.. How…. DARE YOU." He screamed, launching himself at Vegeta, who knew this was it. He willed his legs to move, but settled for simply remaining standing. He would face Ginyu with everything he had, even if it was just to keep conscious as long as he could.
Ginyu screamed as he charged Vegeta…
thuk.
The sound was like a hollow log being struck by a coconut.
It was a rock hitting Ginyu in the forehead. Vegeta turned and saw Kakarott, who had managed to get back up to one knee, breathing heavy.
"Hehehe…" Kakarrot giggled with a goofy smile. "Gotcha!"
Ginyu toppled as if David himself had launched the stone like he had at Goliath.
Krillin and Bulma were distracted with helping Goku to his feet. They didn't notice Vegeta lifting Krillin's gun from the mud. He stood over Ginyu nudging his head with the edge of his shoe, resting it on the man's jaw.
"Look at me." Vegeta's hoarse voice cut through the rain. As their eyes met for the last time he leveled the gun at Ginyu and pulled the trigger.
Vegeta laughed darkly. Something about it twisted Bulma's gut. He stumbled back to collide with the wall, huffing. No one dared to speak or cry out.
Rolling his head against the rough stucco, he turned to face her. For the first time since he had left they locked eyes. There was something feral in him, something terrifying.
She barely recognized him at all.
9:45 AM
The group slowly made their way back to the motel. Bulma waited dutifully for Vegeta to say something, anything. But he didn't, he stared blankly ahead, occasionally turning his dark, fiery eyes to gaze at her, then back to the path in front of him. Slow and deliberate. He was clearly spent. Bulma could tell he was trying his best to hide the desperate condition he was in. The only part of him that didn't seem to be ready to give out were those intense, focused, eyes. After a moment of watching them, Bulma was grateful she wasn't the one those eyes were hunting, and for a moment she almost pitied Frieza.
When they arrived they set Goku carefully upon the second bed. Vegeta walked up to the prone man, silent. He pulled the belt from his pants with a swift thwick.
"Bite." he said callously as he shoved it into Goku's mouth.
Everyone stopped.
He lifted Goku's shirt, inspecting his swollen ribcage.
Everyone stood tentatively around, the silence was heavy and thick as they watched Vegeta with bated breath.
"This is going to hurt, try not to scream."
Before Goku could finish questioning Vegeta had shoved his flat palm against the side of Goku's ribs. The air escaping him with an audible oof. He inspected them further, running his fingers over the swollen tissue and repeating the process.
"There. I've set them. Try not to hurt yourself. Sleep. It will help. You. Bald one….Kuririn or whatever your name is. Wrap some bandages tight around his ribs to keep them in place."
Vegeta yanked the belt from Goku's mouth and turned to the crowd who stood frozen behind him. He blinked slowly and walked past them to sit on the edge of the first bed.
The others began to bustle about the room. Krillin set about clumsily removing the body from the room as Gohan quietly swept the broken glass and splintered wood out the back door. Bulma went for the severely underprepared first aid kit she carried in her suitcase but she stopped as she passed Vegeta. Something twisted in the pit of her stomach. He was different.
Vegeta sat numbly on the edge of the first bed, his lips slightly parted. Staring at the radar in his hands as he watched the points move further away.
Bulma set down the first aid kit, which was immediately scooped up by Krillin. She rummaged through her suitcase leaving clothes and cosmetics strewn about. She moved to stand in front of him, shifting nervously. She held out her hand, opening it to reveal his old cell phone.
"Hey, Vegeta I...I brought this for you. I was hoping I would run into you. It feels weird that we...haven't been in touch, I mean we have just...not really." she trailed off awkwardly.
Nothing.
"Look...it would mean a lot to me if you would take it."
Bulma waited until she couldn't anymore.
"Vegeta."
Nothing.
"Vegeta." louder.
Something was wrong.
His head shot up as though her voice had broken a trance. He looked at her with mild irritation, clearing his throat.
"Hmm?"
Proceed with caution. She told herself reaching to the one remaining night stand and setting the phone down upon it. She stepped briskly to stand in front of him she rocked back and forth on her heels.
"You...you look tired."
He swallowed, his brow relaxing, all the while staring off into space. His hoarse voice caught in his throat. "I am."
Tentatively she sat down on the bed next to him, picking at her fingernails worriedly.
"When was the last time you slept?"
Nothing.
"Vegeta?"
"I have to go after him."
"What?" she snapped. He wasn't even listening to her.
"Frieza."
"You didn't answer my question." She replied, the curt tone clipping her words.
His scowl deepened as he fidgeted with the toggle on the radar. Staring intently at the dots as they moved further from his grasp.
"Six days ago." He stated matter of factly.
She yanked the radar from his hands folding her arms across her chest.
"You need to sleep." Using her most intimidating tone. "Now."
"I don't have time for that, woman. Frieza is already here, I know it. I have to stop him." he was yelling at her. For the first time ever, he was actually yelling at her. She snapped back in kind.
Woman? What the actual fuck?
"Shit, Vegeta calm down. All of my experiments have failed. Miserably. The hosts they…" she looked away momentarily, a pang of regret and shame twisting in her chest. "The living test hosts never survive the initial transfer of the nanites and postmortem subjects have no response to the trial runs. They're inert. Useless. But I found coordinates in the code. Kami left something in the lab, I just know it's the key. The nanites will never be complete without it and Frieza has no idea what he's looking for, he'll never come close to cracking the dragon balls, especially without whatever Kami left behind."
It did not compute. She could see his mind turning, his eyes tracking back and forth across her face.
"What?" he finally snapped. His brain was far too tired for this.
"Look. Frieza can have the dragon balls, they're useless without my research. Kami left the key at his lab. That is why we're here." She rummaged through her pocket for the wrinkled paper and held it out to him. He gingerly took it. "He hid something there I just know it. It's the key, Vegeta. The truth is there."
Ignoring her ramblings he stood, swiping the radar from her hand with ease and making his way towards the door.
Suddenly she was in front of him arms stretched wide across the doorframe.
"Listen up, if you go out there like that you're going to get yourself killed. You need to rest, if only for just a little while."
When did she get so fast? Or maybe he really was that slow. He didn't dare entertain the idea that she was probably right.
10:00 AM
Bulma wanted to wrap up in Vegeta's arms and let sleep whisk her away, but instead she found herself watching him. He had ignored her offering of blankets and a pillow. He merely sat against the wall, one knee up against the arms that seemed to always be folded against his chest, his other leg stretched out in front of him. He looked absolutely terrible. He was thinner than she remembered. Slow, heavy breaths caused his chest to rise and fall, hidden safely behind his arms that cradled him. His face was contorted by a pained scowl.
Strands of hair clung to his sweaty face. Tenderly she reached out to run her fingers across his damp forehead. She hadn't thought much of it, her fingertips making contact with his hot skin. A hand flew up and grasped her wrist, painfully tight. His eyes flashed open, cruel and cold and empty. They softened, his scowl melting away as they fluttered closed and he released her, falling drunkenly back into a fitful slumber. Everything about him was different, more like he was when they first met. Everything except the nightmares. They were the only thing that had never changed, never slowed or lessened. Every night it was the same and no tender touch, no sweet words would save him from his darkness. He carried it alone.
Everything that had been, the late night conversations, the peace, the intimacy...it was all... gone. All of the progress that they had made, that he had made over six months time was utterly destroyed in a matter of two. She told herself he would come back from this, come back to her. She would heal him. Make him whole. She wanted nothing more than that.
When this was all over and Frieza was dead they would return to the life they had built and torn down together. And from the ashes they would build it again.
This time things would be different.
1:44 PM
Vegeta woke with a start, his arms flying up to protect his face, his legs curling in front of him. Slowly he unfurled, relaxing into an aching heap of limbs, he rubbed the faint lash marks on his hands.
Tzch. Pathetic. You're awake now. Get it together, you fool.
He stood, trying to flex the tremors from his aching muscles but they seemed to vibrate inside of him. The gentle moonbeams danced across her milky skin. He wanted to reach out and run his fingers through her hair. He wanted to... but he stopped himself. If this was going to work, and it had to, he had to get a hold of himself. He grabbed the phone from the nightstand, flicking it open to check the time.
1:44 PM Shit.
He had slept far too long. It had been several hours. Sitting motionlessly for a moment, it took him some time before his mind wrapped itself around what awoke him. It wasn't the nightmares, he was never that lucky. Readjusting to his surroundings he ran his fingers through his hair.
That's right. He was….he was in Nepal. Back in West City it was...
3:59 am. Tzch. Damn.
He stretched his aching muscles letting the gentle tremors tighten them before subsiding. Silently he grabbed up his gun and the radar, carefully lifting the last dragon ball from the dresser where Bulma had set it. He laced up his shoes pausing for a moment, just a moment, he thought about taking the phone but he thought better of it. Leaving it on the nightstand in the exact spot she had left it. He leaned over her, breathing in the sweet spice, his lips hovering above hers. He hesitated. Brushing her feathery hair aside he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.
"Goodbye, Blue." Barely more than a whisper escaped his lips before he slipped out of the room and into the storm.
1:48 PM
"Krillin." the faint, desperate whisper pulled Krillin from the first good sleep he had had since they started this journey.
Goku nudged him lightly with his foot, his voice the faintest of peeps.
"Krillin, wake up."
Goku?
"Hmm?" He sat up, trying to blink the sleep from his eyes. "Hey bud." He tried to force himself awake, rubbing his face. "What's up?"
"Krillin." Goku grunted as he tried to sit up and fell back into the bed. "He's gone, Vegeta left."
Krillin spun around in a shock, whispering harshly.
"What?" Gohan stirred at the harsh sound of his desperate whispers.
"Huh?"
"Veget-oh, ho, ho crap." realisation struck Krillin almost as hard as Ginyu had.
Vegeta. Was. Gone. Again. Man, what was up with that guy? He was really making his life difficult, particularly when he wasn't around.
When she woke up and found Vegeta gone, Bulma would kill Krillin and dance on his grave.
"He's gone and I think he took the dragon ball from the dresser too. I can't go after him, you need to catch up to him before-"
"Okay." Krillin hummed an anxious tune to himself. "Well, Gohan we, uh...we better go after him." Krillin scrambled out of bed reaching blindly for his shoes.
Gohan nodded in agreement and pulled his jacket and backpack on as quietly as he could.
As they headed past the bed nearest the door Krillin caught sight of Bulma's sleeping form. He sighed. Gohan peered around Krillin.
"Krillin, shouldn't we tell her where we're going?"
He turned around and grabbed the boy by his shoulders.
"Listen, Gohan. You're a good kid. And Bulma...you know, she's a really nice lady. She's really smart too. But-," he cut himself off, searching for the words. "If Bulma finds out Vegeta is gone. She will kill me and there will be no mercy."
Gohan nodded, he didn't understand but he respected and loved Krillin, so hesitant and silent he followed the man out into the rain.
1:56 PM
Vegeta swirled in his brooding thoughts as they dragged him this way and that until a voice pulled him from his mind and into a sturdy stance. He was instantly ready.
"Hey. Hey, Vegeta. Wait up." Krillin and Gohan came running up the road his arm flailing as the tried to get Vegeta's attention. His confidence diminishing the closer he got to the deadly man.
"You...uh...you forgot your phone." he chuckled nervously.
Shit.
They travelled in relative silence for hours as they hiked higher and higher into the mountains. The torrential rain turned to hail and then to snow. Silence would settle over the weary travellers just long enough for Krillin to break it with an anxious comment, or the kid to ask the occasional meaningless question. Their need to absolutely obliterate peace and quiet with useless anecdotes and idle prattle was beginning to tear through the last, thin shreds of patience Vegeta so desperately clung to.
He needed to be patient, needed to play this right.
8:30 PM
Bulma stirred groggily, throwing her arm over her face to protect her eyes from the misty sunlight that streamed in through the curtain's crack. Absentmindedly she reached across the bed for Vegeta. For a moment she forgot they were on a dangerous mission in the middle of nowhere, for a moment she was back home safe and sound, for a moment it was just the two of them. Then that moment ended with the gentle flick of her fingers as her hand fell upon cold sheets and reality ripped through her like shrapnel.
Gone. Vegeta was….gone.
8:42 PM
Here goes everything.
Vegeta pressed on the door carefully.
Unlocked. Hmm.
It creaked impossibly loud. The air inside was stale and frozen. Darkness swallowed the abandoned lab and thick layers of dust covered broken equipment.
Discordant plucking strings echoed eerily against the cold, steel walls.
"Crumb." Vegeta muttered quietly under his breath his voice tight. His body rigid with panic.
"What?" Krillin whispered loudly behind him. Vegeta swallowed the irritation but he couldn't stop his tired eye from twitching profusely.
God I hate this guy.
"The music. It's Crumb's Black Angels...the... second movement,"his voice only a quiet afterthought as he tread carefully forward. He blinked the thick darkness from his eyes. "Frieza. He's here."
Two million thanks to all of my readers and their patience. Of course a huge thank you to my valiant copy-editors dgschneider, CinderMane and Hanko the Doebringer. They always make me look like less of an idiot. And praises ever be to her Holiness Stupidoomdoodles for inspiring this fic!
Also I thought this would go without saying but I don't own DBZ or any of it's characters. If I did I would not be writing fanfiction about it. It would just be fiction at that point and all my shitty ideas would be canon….what a terrifying thought.
XOXO, The Not-So-Super Saiyan