DISCLAIMER:
Shippo: Hey! I'm Shippo! I decided to take a break from collecting all the Jewel Shards so that I could do one of these little Disclaimer thingies! It looks like a lot of fun!
Rath (Arguing with Vetyga on very IMPORTANT issues, like 'who is better', when she suddenly exclaims) Wow! Wow! Wow! It's SHIPPO from InuYasha! He's here! He's here! I can't believe it! And he's even MORE adorable up in person!
Vetyga: (Also excited) Hey, you're right!
Shippo: (Sweatdrops and then climbs up on top of Rath's right shoulder) Uhhhh, what do I do? I never did a Disclaimer before. Is it hard?
Vetyga: Oh, it's super duper hard, but if you just repeat after us, you'll be fine!
Rath and Vetyga: "I DON'T OWN DRAGONBALL Z... Or INUYASHA!"
Shippo: Ok! That's easy! I DON'T OWN DRAGONBALLS or DOG DEMONS!
Rath: (Sweatdrop) Uh, close enough!
[Chapter edited: 5Jan2014]
WITHIN THE PAST WORLD:
The young Prince stared emotionlessly into the burning eyes of a looming intimidating figure. The figure slowly approached him, but still, he showed no fear.
"Vegeta," Frieza said quietly. His tone was by no means without the ever-present hint of a threat. "Have you been disobeying me again, monkey?"
"What does it matter, Frieza," Vegeta ventured boldly. "It's not like you really care."
"Getting bold, are we?" Frieza laughed. "It's been a while since you've dared to speak to me in such manner. Have you forgotten who's in charge here?"
"I'm a Prince, Frieza," Vegeta emphasized the tyrant's name. He no longer cared to call him by the title of 'Master' or 'Lord' or whatever. "I will no longer obey you!"
"You forget, Monkey," Frieza narrowed his eyes at the young Saiyan. He no longer found Vegeta's display of boldness amusing. "It is I who allows you to continue breathing. Your life is in my hands, brat. You have no say in anything! A worthless Prince... That is all you are and all you'll ever be!"
Fed up with Frieza's demeaning insults, Vegeta attacked without thinking. He aimed a flying lunge punch toward Frieza's head, who of course easily dodged it by casually tilting his head to the side. Angered at his failed attempt, Vegeta performed a seemingly flawless back-hook kick at Frieza's neck region.
The attack was successful, but Frieza was un-phased. "Is that the best you have to show, Monkey?" Frieza chided. "If you're going to foolishly put your life in jeopardy then at LEAST make it worthwhile."
"To be rid of you is worthwhile enough for me!" Vegeta replied as he slid down into a low back stance and twisted his outstretched leg in a counter clockwise direction with the intention of sweeping Frieza's left ankle. Frieza was actually thrown off balance, but before he hit the ground, he retaliated with unbelievable speed. Before the child knew what was happening, Frieza had grabbed him by the neck in annoyance. Frieza tightened his grip, closing off all circulation. Vegeta gasped and struggled desperately for his deprived air. However, Frieza did not relent...
"You don't appreciate all the things I do for you, Monkey," Frieza said slowly. He ignored the violent struggles of the small Saiyan in his grasp. "I provide you food, clothing, shelter, training... Without me, you would have died a long time ago with the rest of your pathetic kind... When that 'unfortunate' meteor collided with Vegeta-sei! By my grace and will alone do I continue to care for you... To raise you. You have no place else to go. Without me, you're meaningless! And don't you forget it, Monkey!"
Frieza's grip tightened even more with the full intention of drawing the child into unconsciousness, but Vegeta reacted fast in a panic. He swished his tail into Frieza's eyes. Frieza immediately dropped the boy to the floor as his eyes stung with the little hairs that had gotten loosened from Vegeta's tail and stuck into his right eye. "You will pay for this monkey!" Frieza growled with rage.
"T-take THIS!" Vegeta gasped as he launched all of his energy into an attack aimed at Frieza's throat. Frieza's eyes widened with shock as the blast hit him full force and right on target. He had not expected the monkey to retaliate like that so quickly. He couldn't believe it!
Vegeta's eyes widened in fear as Frieza suddenly fell forward. As Frieza collapsed to the ground, blood gushed from his neck wound. Frieza just laid there motionlessly... Not even breathing.
Vegeta gasped in shock as he tried to keep himself from hyperventilating in excitement. Frieza was dead! Frieza was actually dead! He had killed him! He was free now! Vegeta was finally free...
Vegeta suddenly woke up lying in the middle of one of the training rooms. He half-expected to see Frieza lying dead before his feet, but it had all been just a dream... He sighed heavily. After he had left the girl in T-1, he had immediately gone to one of the training rooms to let off some steam. In fact, he'd been training for several hours straight as hard as he could in spite of his weakened state. He must have worn himself past his limits and blacked out.
It had only been a dream... Another bringer of false hope, just like that boy Trunks had given him. There was no way he'd ever be free of Frieza; he was sure of it. The adult Saiyan, Goku, had even told him so. They couldn't even promise him his freedom from this horrid life under Frieza.
'How ironic,' Vegeta thought hopelessly. 'I agreed to help them, but they choose to deny me the only thing I ever really want in life... To kill Frieza for all he has done to me. Surely, they know that Frieza will punish me far worse than he ever has before if I do help them. They don't care though... I mean nothing to them. They just want to use me to escape for themselves. I definitely cannot rely on them, but how did they get here without being noticed? If they can come without being noticed, then maybe they can leave without being noticed as well? So if I help them until I know for sure how they got here, then I too will be free! Until then, perhaps I should not let on that I do not trust them. I have to... just play along...for now...'
Darkness once again swirled before his very eyes as the heat in the room seemed to increase to unbearable heights. He felt his consciousness once again starting to slip away. The last thing he remembered was being lifted up into someone's strong arms, before fading completely into unconsciousness...
Nappa and Raditz had just finished their intense sparring session. Nappa had the upper hand during most of the match, of course, but it was still fun nevertheless.
"You're getting better, Raditz. I actually broke a sweat against you this time!" Nappa teased.
"You broke more than that," Raditz shot back. "Don't be ashamed! Just admit it, old man! I'm much better than you give me credit for!"
"Yeah, for a 3rd-class weakling!" Nappa joked.
"Ha ha!" Raditz responded. He and Nappa were on pretty good terms with each other. Back when their home planet had still existed, a 1st-class General and a 3rd-class commoner would never have even spoken to one another, let alone become friends. The class system just didn't seem as important anymore with only three of them left... Especially under Frieza's rule. The only time the class system became an issue was in Vegeta's presence and that was only because it was one of the few things the child had left. They felt it was important for Vegeta to never forget he was the Prince of a proud race... No matter what Frieza did or said to him that made it seem otherwise... And speaking of the Prince...
"Nappa, is that Prince Vegeta lying in there?" Raditz asked as he pointed within one of the training rooms.
"Dammit!" Nappa cursed. "This better not be Frieza's doing!" he said as he rushed within the room. As they both knelt beside their Prince, Nappa began to examine the extent of his injuries. While it was apparent that Vegeta had once again been the victim of some brutal treatment, there were no puddles of blood on the floor. Nappa could only assume that it had happened earlier that day and that Vegeta had just overexerted himself trying to lose himself within his training. It wasn't uncommon for the boy to do that as he struggled to cope with the abuse he faced daily.
Vegeta seemed to be breathing harder than normal and looked extremely flushed. When Nappa placed his hand against Vegeta's forehead and then his cheeks, he realized that the child felt far warmer than normal. "Raditz," Nappa asked. "Does he feel hot to you?"
Raditz felt Vegeta's forehead as well and confirmed Nappa's suspicion that Vegeta had fallen seriously ill. Saiyans didn't usually fall sick like that, so it was cause for them to be very concerned for Vegeta's well-being. As Nappa lifted the boy into his large arms, Vegeta mumbled something inaudibly before finally going unconscious. Nappa knew something had to be wrong when Vegeta hadn't even bothered to put up a fuss about being carried.
When they entered Vegeta's room, Nappa once again cursed Frieza's name. It was an absolute mess from Vegeta's earlier tantrum and Frieza's harsh discipline. Without a word, Nappa set Vegeta down on the bed and they set about cleaning up the red splotches on the floor and walls. Once that was done, they just lounged around until the Prince woke up.
All the while, Bulma watched from across the hall. She was still very afraid of what Nappa and Raditz might do if they saw her. After all, the last time she had seen them, Raditz had kidnapped Gohan and tried to kill Goku and Nappa had killed off several of the Z Warriors during the battle against him and Vegeta back on Earth. They weren't pleasant memories, so to speak, but as she watched the way they truly seemed to care for the young Prince, it seemed that they did it for more than just an obligation because he was their leader. It was genuine.
Deep down, Bulma knew that had she been in Trunks's position, she really would have done the same thing. Forget the consequences! As the door to Vegeta's room once again sealed shut, she decided she might as well get it over with and confront the two adult Saiyans. Whether or not it was the smartest choice didn't matter. Time was closing in on them! They had to leave by tomorrow or else their chance to make it through the rift would elude them. Gathering up all the courage she could muster, she knocked on the door...
Raditz looked up in a panic. "Could it be Frieza?!" he worried.
Nappa rolled his eyes in annoyance as he stood up. "Don't be an idiot, Raditz! Since when would Frieza ever knock?"
As the door slid open, he saw a rather strange blue-haired female standing before him.
'Oh man,' Bulma thought. 'He's even more intimidating up close! He's huge!'
"Who are you?" Nappa demanded. "And what business do you have with the Prince?"
"Vege... Er, the Prince and I had made a deal," Bulma replied apprehensively, trying to avoid the subject of who she was. "I was just going to ask him something, that's all."
"Nappa, let her in," a young voice commanded hoarsely.
"Uh, yes, Prince Vegeta," Nappa replied immediately. He hadn't even known the Prince had awakened.
As Vegeta slowly sat up, he asked, "What do you want, girl?"
Bulma was really getting annoyed with being called that... If it wasn't 'woman' from her Vegeta then it was 'girl' from this one! Honestly, she had a name! Then again she hadn't yet told this chibi version of Vegeta her name, so she supposed she would just have to deal with it. How annoying! Oh well, things were already messed up as it was, so...
"My name," she debated carefully whether or not to continue, "is Bulma. Clearly, I'm not from around here. In fact, none of us are."
"So what, girl," Vegeta replied. "I already knew that! The question is, how did you get here? And what exactly do you want with me? I already told you I would help you."
"Actually, I just need you to help me find out all I can about the Rift of the Schreetept Quadrant," Bulma replied. "Simple, and then we'll be on our way!"
"Who is 'we'," Nappa questioned, but Vegeta held up his hand and replied, "She's talking about the other Saiyans and some purple-haired kid that Frieza has chained up in the Prisoner Room."
"Other Saiyans?!" Raditz exclaimed.
"I'll help you tomorrow, then," Vegeta replied, ignoring Raditz and Nappa's shocked expressions at the news of more survivors from Vegeta-sei.
"Actually, we need to be gone by tomorrow," Bulma replied. "I'll need you to do it by tonight... Look, I know it's asking a lot of you, but it's very important..."
"You're damn right it's asking too much of him!" Raditz exclaimed. "Do you have any idea how much trouble this could cause!? Frieza will not look kindly on this!"
"Raditz," Vegeta said unusually quietly. "I can defend myself."
Perhaps it was because he was not feeling well, he didn't know, but he didn't even feel like reprimanding Raditz for speaking out of place like that. He just didn't care anymore. Vegeta looked to Bulma, "We'll start tonight when most everyone is asleep. Meet me here."
"Perfect!" Bulma exclaimed. "Well then, I had better get going! I told Sugo I was just going for a restroom break!"
"What a stupid excuse," was all Vegeta could say.
Bulma sighed as she exited the room. Why should she have expected anything more from him than an insult?
"So that's where you've been all this time," a hidden figure thought as soon as Bulma had turned the corner. "I'm sure Frieza will be most interested in this bit of info... Perhaps I can even use this to my advantage!"
BACK WITHIN THE PRESENT WORLD:
By the time Vegeta and Gohan had arrived at Dende's Lookout, the sky had become unusually bright in color. The entire sky glowed with that eerie reddish hue.
"Gohan! Vegeta! What brings you here?" Dende greeted.
"Cut the sentimental crap," Vegeta snapped as he set Videl down on the ground. "What the hell is going on here? And why can't I sense my mate and son?!"
Dende was afraid he would ask that. "I'll explain after I heal them," Dende said, motioning towards ChiChi and Videl.
"Then hurry it up!" Vegeta replied impatiently.
"Of course," Dende replied. He dreaded Vegeta's reaction once he told him the news. He then knelt beside the two injured women and concentrated his powers on healing them. It took no more than a few minutes before they were both good as new.
Videl suddenly bolted up. "Oh my gosh... Pan!"
"It's okay, Videl," Gohan comforted as he handed the now giggling Pan to her mother.
"Thank goodness!" Videl exclaimed with relief as she hugged her daughter in a deep embrace.
"Dende," ChiChi asked. "Is there another threat of some sort on the way?"
"You have to tell them sometime, Dende," Piccolo advised as he approached them. Piccolo was once again in full control of his body. "It can't be avoided forever, so you might as well get it over with now."
"What does he mean?" Gohan asked. "Is something bad happening to the Earth?"
Dende took a deep breath as he explained the whole situation about Goku, Bulma, Goten, and Trunks going to Vegeta's past and interfering.
"I had warned them not to," Dende continued. "I had even stressed it, but they had not heeded my advice... Now they are trapped in the Past World, unless they can make it through the Rift in time."
Vegeta was furious. "How dare you!? I can't believe you had agreed to this! If anything happens to Bulma or Trunks, I am holding BOTH YOU AND KAKARROT responsible! And the Earth may not have a god much longer afterwards..."
Dende just nodded nervously. What else could he do? He had not felt this intimidated by Vegeta since back on Namek when Vegeta was after all of the dragonballs. He felt that Vegeta might just carry out his threat if anything bad did happen. Things were certainly out of his hands now. It was entirely up to the others.
"Vegeta," Piccolo said solemnly. "You making threats isn't helping things. There's nothing more we can do."
"On the contrary," Vegeta said as his eyes glowed with a determined ferocity. "You can send me to the Past as well!"
Rath (Still squeezing Shippo in a big bear hug): Wow! I actually have 80 Reviews! That's surprising. Very cool! Well it looks like Goku and the gang will be off to Schreetept any minute now... And just what does our favorite chibi prince have up his sleeves? And how will it end up affecting the Z Warriors? Until Next Time! Please continue to R&R!
Shippo: (Choking, still gasping for air) Hey-ya! Y-You-Can-Let-Go-N- Now!
Rath: (Finally lets go) Oops! I almost forgot!
[A/N to Lil Shady/ Talentless Muse: Yeah, I must be the BEST at the WORST updates... That I know. Not something to be proud of. I'm so unpredictable in that aspect... And for reasons like that, I admire authors like you who are so consistent! ^_^ Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter nevertheless!]
Sawatdee!