DISCLAIMER:
Vetyga: Ha haaaa! I've finally come up with the PERFECT plan! Who cares about owning DBZ anymore! Yes, I'm a genius! I mean, SOOOO many people claim that they don't own DBZ, but NOT ONE OF THEM has ever said that they don't own the saying "I DON'T OWN DBZ"! So now I, Vetyga, will claim it! Ah ha ha haaaa! After I copyright it, millions of people will have to pay ME to use it! Then I'll be rich enough to buy the real thing! Genius! Pure GENIUS!
Rath: (Places hand over her eyes with disbelief) Vetyga! You can't do a thing like that! There's gotta be laws against that sort of thing!
Vetyga: (Shakes in disagreement) Hey! If 'Believing in the HEART OF THE CARDS' from Yu Gi Oh AND 'Let's get ready to RUMBLE...!' from wrestling can be copyrighted, then I can copyright a saying, too!
Rath: Well then, I can copyright people copyrighting the saying "I don't own DBZ"!
Vetyga: (Shocked) Hey! Y-You can't do that!
Rath: I think I just did!
Vetyga: Then I copyright people copyrighting other people who copyright the saying "I don't own DBZ"! So there!
Rath: (Sighs at reader) THIS could take awhile… Until then, YOU know what we don't own! (Winks) Enjoy the chapter!
WITHIN THE PRESENT WORLD:
Vegeta shook his head in confusion as he finally landed down at Capsule Corp. The vision he had had seemed so real… It had been like he was really there in the rain talking with his younger self… But it couldn't be…Could it? Did he really share a connection with the Past? Unfortunately, he didn't have much time to contemplate on it as his daughter grew impatient within his arms.
"Down!" his daughter began to shriek. "Down, now!" Her shrill voice sounded like a siren to her Daddy's sensitive ears. And she only seemed to get louder with each passing moment….. If that was even possible!
"Bra!" Vegeta struggled to stay cool. "Silence, girl! I will put you down as soon as we get inside!"
Bra sniffled, "No down?" Her face began to scrunch up again.
"No," Vegeta tried to correct her. "I mean YES! I mean….." He growled to himself, 'How the HELL am I supposed to answer that?' What sort of trickery was his little girl trying to play on him? There WAS NO answer to that sort of yes/no question! Where'd she learn to be so deceiving?
"No down?" Bra repeated. Clearly, she expected him to answer. Luckily, he didn't have to, as they had finally entered the living room. Vegeta carefully set Bra down upon the carpet, but before he could walk away, Bra had yet another request…
"Ah AH!" Bra pointed eagerly to her mouth.
"What? Now, you're HUNGRY?" Vegeta exasperated, as he pondered what to do. Bulma's mother and father were nowhere to be found, meaning he was on his own…. What in the world was he supposed to feed her? Usually Bulma was the one who took care of this sort of stuff! "Well," he reasoned thoughtfully. "MOST Human females seem to be quite good in the kitchen… Maybe it's just a skill they're naturally born with….. And since YOU'RE part Human, maybe YOU already know what to do, as well!"
"Ah AHH!" Bra repeated happily, which Vegeta mistakenly took for a confirmation of 'Yes, of course I know!'…! Vegeta thus lifted her up again and set her down in front of an open refrigerator.
"Well?" Vegeta raised his eyebrows impatiently as he pointed to the fridge. "You'd better get started!"
"Ah?" Bra uttered in confusion as she looked back and forth between her daddy and the fridge…
"Don't look at me like that!" Vegeta replied. "You know what to do! It's in your blood!"
Bra seemed to shrug as she confidently crawled towards the fridge. She then proceeded to pull down EVERYTHING in her reach. She grabbed the milk. She grabbed the butter… And the yogurt…. And the cheese…. She really did look like she knew what she was doing, so Vegeta decided to leave her alone to do her thing while he went for a short little nap… He needed to get his mind off things anyways, or else he really WOULD kill Dende for his stupidity! Bulma usually took FOREVER in the kitchen, so he had no doubt that he would awaken again BEFORE Bra was done…..…..!
WITHIN THE PAST WORLD, ABOARD THE "GHOUL SABER":
"You say that King Vegeta and Frieza had been involved in the incident 10 years ago," Goku dared to cross dangerous boundaries. "But you have yet to tell us what exactly happened back then to make you so bitter!"
"Did Galan here ever truly explain how our ship came to be known as the 'GHOUL SABER'?" the Doctor questioned.
"Yes, she said it's because of how it blends in unseen with the universe….." Goku replied knowingly.
"You ignorant fool," the Doctor shook his head. "You speak with confidence, yet you do not understand the TRUE meaning behind your words! Did she not tell you WHY?"
"Why?" Goku repeated.
"I'm sure you noticed that no one on this ship has so much as heeded your presence," the Doctor continued. "Am I right?"
"Guchwey rucisti…!" Galan rose in alarm.
"No, it's quite alright, Galan," the Doctor disregarded her plea of caution before continuing on, "But really, you didn't notice?"
"What does that have to do with anything?" Goku asked.
"It has to do with EVERYTHING!" the Doctor replied in annoyance. Only Galan knew where this was heading…
"It is true our race is quite unique," the Doctor mused. "Our technology is far superior in comparison to most other races! But everyone knew this, you see…. And they were envious of us… We were able to deter all threats through reason and compromise, but there were two who would have none of it: Frieza and the King of Saiyans himself! They ruthlessly slaughtered all of our people. Only those who had made it safely aboard this very ship managed to survive…. That is until they hunted us all down like dogs! Each of us now bears the burgundy stains signifying the relative manners of our untimely demise….. And we have all become so pale…." His voice trailed off momentarily, as if it anguished him to continue on. "We have been eternally doomed to repeat the past over and over again…. For this, you see, is the TRUE essence behind the 'GHOUL SABER'! Its cloaking abilities have little to do with it!"
Bulma backed away as she realized, "Y-You….. You're all DEAD, aren't you?"
"Yes, welcome to the 'GHOUL SABER'," the Doctor responded nonchalantly.
"Something just doesn't add up," Goku declared. "If you're dead, then why is it I can still feel your life energy?"
"We have been fated to live in an eternal limbo," the Doctor replied. "Thus we are neither alive nor truly dead… It is as if we exist in both planes at once… We somehow EXIST and DON'T EXIST at the same time! Every few days, we are forced to relive those horrific events of the past…. Stuck in a never-ending loop of time for the past decade… We had even gone so far as to extinguish all those who dared to enter our boundaries of space… You truly ARE the first to enter here in the last five years! Still, it seems we can never rest until we've completed our unfinished business…. But that all ends here…!" The Doctor once again pried open Vegeta's mouth, forcing him to swallow yet another strange liquid.
"What did you just give him?" Bulma asked accusingly.
"Perhaps, it is done," the Doctor spoke mainly to himself than to anyone else. "Perhaps NOW, we can finally rest in peace…"
"Was it POISON!" Bulma asked suspiciously. "You never really intended to help him at all, did you!" She immediately went to take Vegeta away from him.
"No, it's not poison," Galan stated softly, realizing what the Doctor must have given the child. "It really WILL help him….." She seemed somewhat relieved; she would not be dishonored after all!
"But the good in life always comes with a price…" the Doctor stated coolly.
"And what price is that?" Goku questioned.
"It all depends on HIM!" the Doctor replied as he watched Vegeta slowly open his eyes….. "Only time will tell! If he is worthy, it will help; if he is not, it will heal for a while…..and then kill! Think of this as the ultimate test!"
"That hardly seems fair!" Trunks exclaimed. "There's nothing to prove to you people!"
"Well, if he is as innocent as you say, then this should be no big deal…" the Doctor stated as a matter of fact. "Rijow is now a planet of death and misfortune… It may be wise to do away with this Saiyan, now, before you can never turn back! 'AS YOU ARE IN, ARE YOU OUT-COUNTED'…!"
Bulma snapped her head up. "But that's similar to the riddle Dende told me!" she suddenly realized. "'AS COUNTED IN IS COUNTED OUT'...But what does it mean!" she questioned.
"Your sorrow," the Doctor's voice echoed as he slowly faded away. He definitely knew something they didn't…..
"He's right, you know," Galan glanced towards Vegeta. "I sense it, too… This Saiyan will bring only despair….. It won't be long, now... I said I wouldn't hurt him, but YOU ALL are not bound by the same agreement…"
"Hmphf! That's where you're wrong!" Trunks glared at her. "We already said we would do whatever it took to help him!"
"Well then, I guess that is YOUR loss, isn't it?" Galan shrugged. "But don't say we did not warn you….!" Her body suddenly began to jerk uncontrollably as she painfully fell down to her knees.
"Galan!" Goku reached out with worry. "What's wrong?"
"I-It's happening again!" her voice quivered. "Th-The incident…. Th-The curse…!" She never had the chance to finish her sentence before her body vanished as well. Bulma and the others could only look on in confusion as the situation officially escalated beyond their understanding.
Noticing Vegeta was now fully awake again, Bulma gently set him down on his feet. He seemed a bit disoriented, so she had to help hold him up a bit less he should fall…. She prayed he hadn't heard the conversation between them and Galan…. And she prayed even more that he would remain unaffected by whatever substance that doctor had given him… Vegeta's eyes never left the ground as he purposely kept his head bowed low with shame.
"Vegeta?" Bulma asked concerned.
"Wh-Where's Master Frieza?" Vegeta's voice wavered.
"Frieza's gone," Goku stated softly. "You don't have to ever worry about that monster again!"
"Yeah!" Goten exclaimed proudly. "My dad killed him!"
"Shut up, Goten!" Trunks hissed. Didn't Goten get it! He was only going to make things worse!
"Don't toy with me!" Vegeta angrily clenched his fists. "Is this some sort of cruel joke?"
"No, seriously!" Goku exclaimed. "Frieza really is dead!"
Vegeta dared to glance up into Goku's eyes, but before he could question them about it, several screams of terror sounded from all around them… They all seemed desperate and pleading with fear…
"Now what!" Bulma panicked.
"Come," Goku declared. "We must go, now! Something's not right here!"
"Dad?" Goten asked nervously.
"Everything will be fine," Goku replied. Then to Vegeta, he asked, "Are you well enough to walk on your own?"
Vegeta nodded immediately, despite the growing dizziness he was feeling. He was actually wary of Goku…. Was it possible they were telling the truth about Frieza? Did Goku really finish him off? He knew his fears were completely unfounded. After all, if Goku was truly Saiyan, he wouldn't dare hurt his Prince… Or would he?
'But then again,' Vegeta thought with dismay. 'The strong can do whatever they please to the weak…' And the strong had never treated him well…. He shuddered at the thought of what Goku could do to him if he was really as strong as they said he was; but until he found out the truth, he would obey as he was told. He would not test the adult Saiyan's patience…..
"How about 'Little Vegeta'?" a thought suddenly crossed Bulma's mind just before they stepped out into the hallway.
"Huh?" the others, including Vegeta, gaped at her in confusion.
"Well, I just thought about it," Bulma continued. "When we return, it's going to be so confusing having two with the SAME name…"
"It sounds a bit long, though, don't you think?" Goku said thoughtfully. "How 'bout we just shorten it to 'Vegge', instead? I know that's what Pan usually calls Vegeta, since she can't pronounce his name, yet! Besides, he is much smaller…"
Of course, Vegeta just blinked in confusion. What in the world were these people talking about! Was it just him or did they not have other more important things to worry about? Despite his annoyance, he chose to remain silent.
"Uh…guys!" Trunks started, but they didn't hear him.
"Yeah, so how 'bout it?" Goku exclaimed enthusiastically to Vegeta. "How do you feel about being called 'Vegge'?"
Vegge just shrugged. "If it pleases you…. What do I care?"
It was too bad nobody thought to question Vegge's strangely uncharacteristic response; else they might have recognized Vegge's unhealthy feelings of 'subservience' towards Goku…
"Uh, GUYS!" Trunks repeated louder. "Wh-What's THAT?"
As heads turned towards the end of the hall, they noticed an eerie glowing barrier of energy slowly forming around the platform which they had taken earlier.
"Damn! If that thing closes without us, we'll be trapped up here!" Goku realized as they all made a run for it. He quickly grabbed a hold of Bulma, since she was clearly not fast enough to keep up with the rest of them. It was strange how the hallway seemed to grow longer and longer with each and every step they took, but at last they finally made it! Trunks could have jumped for joy as the platform began to glow, but when he glanced back in the direction from which they came, he noticed Vegge had lagged behind them. As the platform glowed with blinding intensity preparing to take off, Trunks made a fateful decision…
As the platform once again returned to the main level and the glow disappeared, Bulma's heart had a sinking feeling… Perhaps it was her 'mother's intuition', but she knew something was wrong…. "Trunks! Vegge!" Bulma called out with dread, but they were nowhere to be found!
Time itself seemed to slow down as they stared out into the seemingly endless city before them. What was once a beautiful bustling civilization was now in total disarray! Smoke and flames now danced about as distant screams of terror echoed passed them. Bodies of the dead were strewn erratically as far as the eye could see. It appeared the ship was under attack!
"Oh gosh…." Bulma's eyes watered as she gazed out at the chaos before them. "They're still out there…!"
Rath: I was extremely thrilled with the response I got for the last chapter! It really was motivating, so I decided to work extra hard to get this chapter out before I leave on vacation in a few days!
To "SaiyanKing Vegeta": I'm very happy you like my interpretation of Vegeta's past…..And I'm glad SOMEBODY likes my disclaimers! LOL! I do try to purposely keep them light and entertaining. It serves as a bit of comic relief from the serious tone of the main story!
To "Godzilla2": Yeah, reading back on my last chapter, I notice them too! I usually try to catch my mistakes in the Quick Edit thing, but I guess I missed a few!
To "Darksouled Saiyanphoenix": You are VERY observant! I think you are literally the FIRST out of ALL the people who have EVER reviewed this story to actually address that issue! It is actually one of THE most important underlying themes to be addressed in this story! Since this IS pretty much the whole point to the story, I cannot reveal too much... But I REALLY do appreciate such a well thought out review!
To "Garown": Actually, I think that'll pretty much be my average chapter length (give or take, of course)!
To "BballAnimeLover89": Catchy new name!
To "Chris Bennett": That is precisely why I decided to put it under 'General/Angst'…. But it's good to know you still like it anyways!
To "cutieangel": Unless something way out of the ordinary happens, I DO intend to finish! If you read all my A/N's of previous chapters, you'll find that I'm just a rather erratic updater! LOL!
To "Dark ki A.K.A. Lee": I was SO tempted to do that…But…!
To "rayray", "Elvewin Darkdragon", and "Raccly e.r. 17": I'm glad you are all enjoying the story thus far!
Anyways, thank you all for taking the time to R/R! Until Next Time! Sawatdee!