DISCLAIMER:
Rath: (Watching news channel)
Panicked Newscaster: BREAKING NEWS! Disclaimer Sign out of control. It's attacking any and everyone who even so much as mentions the letters... (Looks around nervously before whispering hesitantly) ...D... B... Z...
(TV camera starts shaking out of control as Samurai swords chase the newscaster out of the building. The screen suddenly goes blank with static.)
Rath: (Flips off TV with remote control and gives Vetyga a death glare)
Vetyga: (Shrinks away) Oops...
Rath: (Sighs) Can't say we don't get enough excitement around here... I dare not say the letters, but while I handle this mess my lovely assistant has put us in, you know what we don't own. Enjoy the chapter!
UNKNOWN LOCATION:
Several dark-hooded figures were overseeing what they termed 'The Situation'. Their crackling voices blended into one another making it hard to distinguish one from the other.
"This cannot continue, you know."
"It can't, but it will."
"And then the balance must be restored."
"It must and we shall do so."
"We could end it now."
"We can, but it is not our place. We merely maintain the balance."
"Even when the balance upset is preventable by our prompt action?"
"Even then."
"Then we have no choice but to wait."
"It is not our place to be concerned. We merely maintain the balance," another repeated.
"The balance will be upset. Time is infinite, but perhaps it grows short."
"And then we will act."
"And then we will act," the others agreed in unison.
There was no inflection of emotion as their raspy voices echoed like wind in a hallow cavern. For now, they would continue to monitor 'The Situation' from a distance.
WITHIN THE DEPTHS OF VEGGE'S MIND:
Vegge was growing increasingly more frustrated at the fact that his older self was just standing there blocking his every move with ease. Why wasn't he retaliating back? It was clear the older Vegeta was toying with him.
"Fight me!" Vegge shouted angrily as he shot a barrage of ki beams at his older self. "I'm not some baby that has to be coddled! Fight me or else!"
Vegeta calmly deflected each and every energy beam that came at him. He smirked at Vegge, who was currently crouched on the ground a short distance away in an offensive stance. His younger self was hyperventilating with barely contained rage.
"It won't work," Vegeta replied. "I have no interest in fighting you."
Vegge flew up into the air and started gathering energy for a larger attack.
"Oh ya?" Vegge challenged. "What if I told you, I will do everything in my power to stop your little friends from returning back to-"
He did not get the chance to finish his threat before Vegeta suddenly appeared in front of him, grabbing him by the throat. Startled, Vegge launched what little energy he had gathered into Vegeta's face, but the older Saiyan's aura nullified it as soon as it left his hand.
Vegeta's eyes narrowed as he watched Vegge struggle to escape from his grasp.
"What's wrong, brat?" Vegeta taunted. "Isn't this what you wanted?"
Vegeta tightened his grip on his younger self's neck until all airflow was cutoff.
Instinctively, Vegge flailed wildly as his attempts to gasp for air proved futile. Even if he wanted, he was physically unable to respond to Vegeta's question.
Vegeta growled. "You best listen very very carefully, boy," he said slowly. "I will not repeat myself again. If you do anything, anything at all, to jeopardize their return, you really will wish I could kill you here. I am certain you understand I am not bluffing."
With that said, Vegeta released his hold and apathetically watched as Vegge collapsed down to the ground from nearly passing out. The child gasped painfully as the air rushed back into his lungs.
"But I do not believe you truly wish to die," Vegeta commented after a while. "Besides, that's the easy way out. All your suffering would have been for nothing if you give in now. Is that what you want?"
Vegge clawed into the dirt as Vegeta's words sunk in. What did he want? He glared up at his older self, hatred shining in his eyes. He felt cornered.
"What? You think I won't do it just because you are much stronger?" Vegge scoffed. "Maybe I don't even care!"
"Oh, I know you are fully capable of carrying out your threat, Vegge," Vegeta replied. "But you are in control of which consequences you face as a result. You have your warning."
"There's nothing you can do to me that Master Frieza didn't already do worse," Vegge challenged defiantly.
"Then you'd be sorely mistaken," Vegeta replied.
When Vegge continued to silently glare at him, Vegeta continued, "Look... Things'll work out, but I need you to cooperate as I sort it all out. Once you reunite with Kakarrot and the others, tell them what you know of the riddle. That is all I ask of you. Kakarrot will guarantee that you get dropped off on a safe planet before they return. This is your chance to finally be free and to live a new life free from torment."
As much as Vegeta loathed to admit, he had no choice but to rely on Kakarrot. He himself had no power to do anything while stuck in the Present World. Unfortunately, Vegge had the power to screw it all up and it seemed the brat was intent on doing so.
'Why does he seem so desperate?' Vegge wondered to himself. 'What does he care who returns to his world or not? Is he that sentimental?'
Vegge decided to push his limits. "And if I refuse?" he asked. "What then?"
Vegeta clinched his fists. "Then nothing would be able to save you."
Vegge suddenly smirked. "In other words, there is nothing you can do to stop me! You are so desperate because you need me, but I do not need you."
Before Vegge finished his last sentence, Vegeta lifted the child up by the collar of his shirt until they were eye-to-eye. A dangerous gleam shined in the older Vegeta's eyes. "Do not try me, brat."
Vegge only laughed. "It's true then. You can't do anything, can you? You need me, but maybe I don't wanna play by your rules. I do what I want!"
Vegge's expression turned dark and serious as he continued, "The only way for you to stop me is to kill me here and now and hope it makes me die for real. It's not me who fears the consequences. It's you!"
Vegeta struck the boy with a hardened fist as his rage boiled up uncontrollably. The brat was actually threatening him! Vegge did not move for a long time, making Vegeta wonder if he had knocked him unconscious, but then he heard a weak childish laugh.
"You still won't do it," Vegge uttered with amusement as he watched blood drip from his nose to the ground. His eyes were half closed. "Then you are a coward..."
IN THE PAST WORLD, ABOARD THE 'GHOUL SABER':
Trunks found himself jumping from side to side as he dodged the incoming shower of deadly energy. It was clear the elder was not going to make this easy.
"Stop running," the elder berated.
"I'm..." Trunks trailed off as he narrowly managed to duck under a ball of crackling green electricity. "I'm not running!"
"That's not what I see," the elder laughed as he continued his relentless assault.
One... Two... Three... Pause... One... Two... Pause... One... Two... Three... Pause...
Trunks was starting to notice a pattern in the Yuuli's attacks. Brief as they were, there were noticeable breaks between bursts of energy shooting out.
'The plant has to recharge itself,' Trunks realized. He smirked. This would be an easy victory for him.
One... Two... Three... Pause... One... Two... Pause...
Trunks danced around each bolt of sizzling energy. He advanced closer and closer with each pause.
One... Two... Three...
'It's now or never!' Trunks thought to himself as he made the final push forwards.
Before the elder knew what was happening, Trunks was directly behind him.
The Yuuli gasped as everything seemed to move in slow motion. He turned around just in time to see the purple-haired teen pointing the palm of his hand out towards him.
"This ends now!" Trunks shouted. He braced his hand, one palm behind the other, as he let loose a concentrated blast of blue energy towards the man responsible for his younger father's current suffering.
The elder's milky white eyes widened with fear as Trunks counter-attacked. The man squeezed his eyes shut as he cried out, "N-no! Not like this!"
As if answering the man's call, the Yuuli-attuned plant glowed intensely within its chamber. A split second before Trunks's attack made impact, a green smoke surrounded the elder like a protective bubble. Time stood still as the blue energy was absorbed.
Then without warning, a mixture of swirling blue and green electricity erupted from the absorption point in the barrier. All remaining plant chambers in the room shattered in unison, causing a dense array of colorful fog to fill the room as each plant released its essence into the air.
The elder himself remained unscathed. He held his hands out to the side as the smoke swirled around him, absorbing into his body. The man breathed in deeply before slowly facing back towards Trunks. Although he was technically dead, he had never felt more alive! The energy now coursing through his veins was invigorating. He no longer needed to maintain contact with the Yuuli-attuned aringintis plant chamber to draw his power.
"The end? I'd say we're just beginning," the elder sneered.
Trunks crouched down apprehensively.
Why couldn't things ever go according to plan?
ELSEWHERE ABOARD THE 'GHOUL SABER':
Goku, Bulma, Goten, and Rah were still making their way through the maze of vents. It seemed as though the tunnels were endless until at long last they noticed broken beams of light creating a mosaic on the vent floor ahead of them.
"An exit!" Goten exclaimed.
Bulma's heart raced as she peered up through the wide opening above. She was anxious to reunite with her son and Vegge. The sooner, the better.
The exit was blocked off with large metal bars, but Goku bent them apart easily until there was space enough for them all to climb out.
By now, Rah was conscious again, but fading fast. She no longer attempted to communicate with them as she drooped on Goku's back. If she was aware that they had finally left the vents, she gave no sign of it.
Goku scrutinized their surroundings. They were in a large square-shaped room that had two corridors branching off diagonally in opposite directions. The left corridor was eerily silent and empty, but flowing from the right corridor was a strange orange mist.
"What is that?" Bulma asked, pointing towards the orange fog.
There was something ominous about the way the mist moved towards them. It was as though it were a sentient animal clawing towards them with a slow gait.
"Goten, grab Bulma and stay high above the floor," Goku directed. "Whatever that stuff is, it can't be good. Quickly!"
"On it!" Goten replied as he lifted Bulma up in the air.
"We'll follow it to its source," Goku declared. "Maybe it'll lead us to some answers."
What Goku chose not to mention was that he vaguely sensed Trunks's distorted energy coming from that direction. He did not sense Vegge anywhere, but he didn't want to worry Bulma if it turned out to be a false alarm. The 'Ghoul Saber' made ki sensing rather difficult. It seemed as though Trunks was fighting someone, but Goku could not sense the other presence.
As they hovered in the air, claw-like manifestations lashed out towards them from the mist. There were literally hundreds of amorphous hands trying to drag them back down to the ground, but the Z Warriors remained just barely out of reach.
"The sooner we get back home, the better," Bulma voiced what they were all thinking.
No one commented to that as they followed the right passageway and no one thought to question why Goku pressed on with an increased sense of urgency.
Rath: And thus concludes this chapter for TTWV!
To WildVegeta: I am glad that you enjoy this story so much. I think you are the most enthusiastic reviewer ever! I hope this chapter is just as satisfying as the last chapter was for you.
To Guest: Whatever you do, don't fall off the edge of your seat. I might get sued for Reviewer liabilities! On a serious note, despite its flaws, I'm pleased you think TTWV is turning out well.
To all those who continue to read this story: I hope you all enjoyed the chapter!
Until next time, sawatdee!