Chapter 2: Painfully Interesting

 

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Moshi Moshi!

So sorry for the long wait! Oi vey… I’ve never had so much homework in my life! You try doing 2 essays and a major writing final in ONE NIGHT! <sigh> That’s what I get for being sick huh? BUT! Inspiration hooray! Ok a few notes for the story. There will be a nymph, as you will read, who decided to collect all the dragon balls because he thought they were pretty. So that is why Vegeta will not be flying ‘round the world to hunt for the dragon balls. Um, other than that, I think it should be self explanatory.

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A wave a nausea flooded his senses as he stepped back away from the Xyart-jin child. *How could she know?!* His mind screamed in fear as he watched Iris shiver, her eyes darting from side to side. “How would you know?” He ask crudely trying to hide his fear.

Iris shook her head sadly at the frightened prince. “I… It was a wong time ago, but… That’s not important! Freeza is coming we must prepare!”

Swallowing his shaken soul he grabbed Iris by the neck, “You tell me,” he snarled at her eyes, “You tell me what and how you know!” Trying to find release from his deathly grip she raised her gemmed hand and flashed a beam which caused him to release her quickly. She coughed trying to put air in her lungs as Vegeta stared down at her. “You answer me you little bitch!”

“I was… I tried to hewp my pwanet, and the… but…” She stuttered as she tried to regain her composure. Vegeta crossed his arms over her chest irritably waiting for her to continue. “He made me work for him. He forced me to” She pointed to her head, “He inserted a chip into my head as a radio and tracking device. My first mission was to… Was too…”

“Was to what?!” Vegeta’s voice boomed in her ears as she tried to tell him what her mission was.

“It was for me to kiww you!” she blurted out slamming her eyes shut as she anticipated a smack from the mighty Vegeta.

Time slowly passed as Vegeta stared at her amazed. *She was supposed to kill me?* His eye twitched as he allowed his arms to fall from their once crossed position, his tail hung limply by the side of his hip. “You were supposed to kill me?” His voice was dark and sullen as he spoke.

Iris peeked at him as she finally stood up straight trying not to show fear. She backed up from him, her breathing had become rough. “Yes…” she whispered hoarsely, her design clawed swiftly at her hand.

Amazement swallowed his soul as he tried to think clearly. So much had happened during the pass day that his mind was jumbled with unanalyzed facts and feelings. *Was this what Freeza was planning the whole time? To make me suffer and then kill me?! That bastard. And now that Iris failed her mission he has come on his own accord to come and destroy…* “Go away.”

Iris shook her head stubbornly, “There is no way I’m weaving you!”

Vegeta glared at her, “Why not! Leave me the fuck alone!”

Again she shook her head, “NO! You are going to earth and so am I! You are going to wish back Buwma!”

Bulma… How could he forget about her? He had almost forgotten about her when Iris announced the coming of Freeza but now that she had said her name aloud the pain returned to him three fold. The horrid pain of blistering heat and courageous cold. His breathing strangled as he coughed grabbing a hold of the wall to take back control of his body. How he wished she was back with him so that he could hold her in his arms. How he missed holding her silently in the dark of the night, her steady breathing against his warm arms, his breathing against her back, their bodies twisted and tangled in the bed as they slept in the ship. He missed that. He missed everything. Iris stared at him with fearful wonderment. *Is he ok?* Finally calming himself down he stared at her, stared at her for the longest time allowing her to read his eyes. She stared deep into his black pupils. Sadness overflowed her senses as he turned his back to her. “Now I’m sure you know how I’m feeling.” He slammed the door shut leaving Iris to give a sigh of relief as she walked down the hall. She was going to find an empty room to sleep in, she was going to earth with Vegeta.

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Freeza sipped his wine as he sat on his sofa by the large window. He smiled as he pressed his lizard lips against the glass sipping the wine gracefully. The knock on his door did little to shock him, he had heard the footsteps approaching him for some time. “Come in.” he commanded after the first knock.

“Freeza.” She kneeled gracefully before her master, her right arm crossing over to her heart, her head bowed in forced respect. Freeza nodded and lifted his two fingers in a silent motion for her to stand up. Her fangs bared as she smiled at him, her black onyx eyes sparkled with dead excitement. Her red hair fell to her shoulders framing her pale face. She was a Vampiress. She licked her red lips awaiting his orders. Her hands were placed on her hips as she pushed her weight on her left leg.

Freeza sipped his wine excitedly. She was a beautiful creature, and rare. He had almost wanted to put her in the harem and perhaps have some fun with her but she proved herself quite useful and strong as she killed half of the harem guards. “Scarlet, how are you?”

She smiled falsely, “I’m hungry,” she stated bluntly.

Freeza grinned, “Have a guard.”

His hands found their way to button and a guard walked in and bowed at Freeza, “What do you wish, Lord Freeza?”

It took only five seconds and Scarlet was on him like a cat. Pressing her teeth against his skin she sunk her fangs into the guard’s bare neck. He shook for a moment before losing consciousness and then slowly dying. Scarlet threw him on the ground and licked her lips then ran her arm over her mouth wiping off a few drops of excess blood. *I’ve had better,* she thought. Freeza smiled once again, *What luck it was to find her floating alone in space in some pod. I’m glad I captured it instead of shooting it down.* “Now then, how are you know?”

She gave another false smile, she was good at that, “Better,” she stated.

He nodded, “Good. I have devised a grand mission to send you on, my dear.” Scarlet jerked her head up, *This sounds promising.* “I’m going to go to earth and get to the dragon balls before Vegeta does. Then, I want him destroyed. That stupid girl Iris was supposed to have already killed him, but…” He smirked as he sipped his wine, “It looks as though she ran into some technical difficulties.” Freeza gave a hoarse laugh as Scarlet narrowed her eyes and stared out the window. “Do you think you can handle him?”

Scarlet moved her eyes from the window into Freeza’s eyes. She had heard plenty of the handsome Saiyan prince. Plenty about his unknown strength and most of all of his careless deathly attitude. She had never seen him personally but just hearing about him turned her on. She had always been searching for a mate like that. *Perhaps, instead of killing Vegeta like this stupid lizard breath wants, I’ll just take him as a mate instead.* Scarlet smiled, “I would love to do so Freeza.”

Freeza nodded, “Good, good.” He got up from his seat and set his wine glass onto the coffee table. Standing before the vampiress he reached for her but she stepped back quickly. *What is he trying to do!* Scarlet stepped further back away from the horny lizard. Freeza gave a slight laugh as he gave her a cock-eyed look, “You may go, if you wish.”

Scarlet bowed her head and walked quickly out of the room. Her foot steps echoed in the dense hallway, “Just wait,” she mumbled under her breath, “When we get to earth I promise I will kill you.”

Freeza went back to his sofa and picked up his wine glass again listening to her pattering footsteps walking further from his room, “Just wait, my little vampire, I will have you.”

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About 4 Days Later

Vegeta twisted and turned in his bed. He hadn’t slept good for the past three nights. Sleep never came easy especially since he was so alone in his bed. It was so cold and there was no one to hold. He missed her, more then he had ever missed his planet, she had become a part of him. Late at night, when he was sure no one but the pilots would be up he would sneak over to the infirmary and pull the frozen Bulma from her ice box. To him, she was still as beautiful as ever. He would press his hands against the freezing glass pushing away the frost to view his dead beauty. Her own blood still stained her body but she lay there, perhaps even sleeping a deep sleep. His eyes shown dismally as he stared at her with unfaltering depression. He had done that, he had stained her body with her own blood. He sniffed coldly as he pushed her back into the recesses of the chronological cold. He stood up straight and crossed his arms against his chest as he stared emptily into space. *Do I really want immortality, or do I want Bulma?* He growled subconsciously as his answer lay unknown. He stepped out of the room hesitantly and stumbled tear blinded to his quarters. Lying on his bed, finally his own, he lay stretched out hoping that maybe if he wished hard enough she would walk through the door. But those wishes were only dreams and finally he closed his eyes to sleep.

“Hello?” His voice gave a dead echo as he spoke into the black abyss. All was silent and unmoving, all was dead. He walked forward hearing nothing but his own foot steps.

“Vegeta…” That voice, her voice. It could not be mistaken. It was Bulma. Had she returned?! Vegeta’s heart almost leapt. “Vegeta wait!” Her cry pained him as he stopped walking and turned around to face his deceased blue beauty.

“Woman, I thought…”

“Shhhhhh,” she hushed him as she pressed a finger against his lips. He stood still as he gawked at her undying beauty. She wore a white gown that fell past her feet, it was satiny and soft, something only heaven above could create. And unmistakably her white feathery wings that lay perched on her back, her halo glowed softly as she stared at Vegeta with her blue, blue eyes. “I’ve missed you.”

His eyes flickered with happiness as Bulma cocked her head to the side and smiled. “I thought you were dead,” he finally finished his sentence.

She nodded, “I am.” She smiled as she watched Vegeta face drop. She turned her back to him and walked a few feet from him. “Here…” All of a sudden light filled the dark oblivion and a beautiful cliff scene filled their view. They stood on a ledge over looking a vast forest, behind them stretched endless land, a waterfall fell beside them. Vegeta gave a slight gasp as he turned around. *Bulma did this?* Her back was still to him, how he wanted to reach out and grab her and kiss her and tell her he was sorry. “So,” she began, “How is Iris?”

Vegeta blinked trying to collect his thoughts, “I assume she is fine. She told me that Freeza is coming.”

Bulma nodded slowly, “I know.” She heard Vegeta gasp behind her, but still she remained unturned. “Are you going to fight him, Vegeta?”

The way she said his name brought invisible tears to his eyes. Her angel form was already too much but her dismal attitude became almost too heavy for him to bear any longer. Trying to still seem like the unshaken prince he answered coldly, “Yes.”

He heard her sniff, “Are you going to wish for immortality…?” she asked shyly.

Again pain entered his heart. His breathing seemed so short, how dare she ask such questions in his dreams. “Yes,” he answered once again, however much more softly and with much regret.

Finally she turned around, tears brimming her eyes. Did she still love him despite him accidentally killing her?! “Why,” her voice was hoarse as she sniffed her tears back, her hands balled up tightly in fists.

Vegeta tried not to run to her and hold her. It took all his strength to stay still. “Because that is what I want.”

Bulma’s angelic glow died till she seemed like a dead angel in the beautiful view. “Why? Don’t you want… me?”

Vegeta looked down trying to ignore her approaching him. She was only inches from his face and the majestic scene softly disappeared and they were back in the blackness. Vegeta looked up in the darkness seeing Bulma, her eyes crestfallen with tears falling softly to the bottomless blackness. Suddenly she threw her head up glaring at him, her eyes changed from their beautiful blue form to a fiery red. Her wings outstretched as she stared angrily at Vegeta. “I… I hate you!” Her voice screamed and echoed in his head as Vegeta looked at her. He was actually frightened.

“No wait!” He tried to reach for her, tried to hold her and tell her it would be ok. His hand outstretched to hold her against him, but as his fingers barely grazed her arm before her figure faded away like water. She dripped away, her face, her body, her wings… She disappeared and again he was alone in his own blackness.

He sat up quickly in bed as he breathed heavily. *She disappeared…* His mind raced as it tried to tell him it was only a dream, but for some reason, some unearthly reason, he knew it was far from a dream.

A figure stood in the dark as she watched Vegeta hold a hand against his chest. He looked as though he was in pain, and though she was frightened to approach him, she had to tell that they were now orbiting earth. “Vegeta…”

He turned to the direction the figure stood, “Iris! What the hell are you doing in here!” Iris walked into the light showing herself to him.

“We are now orbiting earth, I was hoping that maybe you would consider heading down there now.”

Vegeta growled as he threw off the covers and stood before the child, “And you think YOU are coming with me?”

Iris gave a slight nod, “Yes.”

Vegeta shook his head, “I don’t think so.”

Iris stared at him, her diamond began to glow, “Just take me with you!” Her scream echoed in his room.

“Give me one good reason why,” Vegeta scoffed.

Iris knew he would ask her that, “Because, one of the reasons that Freeza is coming is because of me, so I need to be there!”

He blinked a couple times and thought quickly about it. “Fine, get whatever you need. But remember, as soon as Freeza is out of the way, you’re next.” He paused, “We leave NOW!” He turned his back to her and headed for the bath room. Iris quickly rushed out of his room and began making her way to the main deck.

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He dressed slowly. It was as if he was afraid to step foot onto Bulma’s home planet, afraid that he would once again be haunted by her angelic spirit. That dream, that ghastly dream made his bones shiver as he remembered her blue eyes turning blood red, her wings spread out and her tears… Her scream still echoed in his mind. I hate you! He shook his head as he slipped his armor on. *It was only a dream.* He knew it was more, he knew it was damn near close to reality. But no, he didn’t care. He didn’t care whether she would haunt his dreams or his life, he would have his reward, he would have his immortality.

Of course he could never admit that what he really wanted was love… Love from Bulma.

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Iris stood before the main deck’s door. She heard Vegeta’s foot steps pound down the hall. He stared at her only momentarily before he entered the control room. “Tell me, have you found the dragon balls?”

A soldier sitting at one of the controls looked up from his blinking screen. “It looks as though all seven are together.”

Vegeta’s eye twitched. *Had Freeza beat me?!* “Oh? Is that so… Is it Freeza?”

The soldier shook his head, “No, he hasn’t landed, it seems as though he is a good two days off of this planet.”

Vegeta gave a stiff nod, “Good, take the ship down.”

They landed in a well forested area. It almost reminded Vegeta of the area where Bulma took him in his dream but… “I don’t want anyone leaving this ship but me. Got it?!”

The soldiers shivered in silent fear as Vegeta stormed out of the ship. It was Iris that tried to get his attention. “I’m coming, did you forget?!”

He growled, he didn’t forget. “Fine then, you can keep track of this.” He threw her a small console.

Iris fingered it a bit trying to figure out what it was. “What is it?”

Vegeta smirked, “A dragon ball radar. Use it to tell me where they are located.”

Vegeta and Iris stepped out of the ship breathing in the wonderful earth air. The sky reminded him so much of Bulma he had quickly turned around as to not face it. “Where do we go?”

Iris stared at the screen trying to find the seven blinking dots. “That way!” She pointed to the direction and Vegeta began walking. It was a long walk, too long for Vegeta’s taste but he decided that since Iris couldn’t fly he would walk. Yes, he did hate Iris, there was no mistaking that but he needed her for his fight with Freeza, he knew he was no where near his strength and if Iris had caused most of his discomfort, she too would suffer. They walked in silence through the forest for three hours before Iris finally spoke. “Stop, we are here.”

Vegeta’s eyes scanned the forest ground, “I see nothing.” He was getting annoyed, *Stupid child, she made me walk for three hours and now she can’t even get me to the right place!*

Iris stared at the screen, “It says they are here, somewhere around here. Maybe underground?”

Vegeta scowled as he grabbed the radar from her, “Let me see…” He pointed to a small cave that was hidden under a dark thicket of trees and bushes, “In there.”

Iris shrugged as she walked towards it. She stopped abruptly causing Vegeta to ram into her back. He growled, “Why the hell did you stop!”

Iris said nothing but opened her mouth wide and pointed to a very small person in front of her. He blinked at her with his wide eyes with small sound erupting from his mouth. “Oooooooooo, what do we have here?” he said in a high hyper voice as he blinked his eyes again.

Vegeta pushed Iris out of the way and stared down at the miniature person. His eyes widened, “Holy shit! What the hell are you?”

The person stepped back and tilted his head back to get a good look of the angry prince. He hopped around on one foot around Vegeta as he oooo-ed and ahhh-ed at him. He stopped after he completed a full circle and jumped up and floated in front of Vegeta. Spreading his arms high above his head he yelled, “I’m Kalu-Kalu! A nymph if you will. I like to fly and hop and bounce and shop. I’m Kalu-Kalu the brown tree nymph!”

Vegeta sweat dropped as he stared down at the tree nymph. He certainly was the brown tree nymph. He had brown curly hair that was down to his ears, brown eyes and freckles and wore a brown shirt and pants. His shoes were like an elf with acorns at the tip, the shoes were also brown. His brown pointy hat tilted over his left ear with an acorn on it as well. “Do you know anything about the dragon balls?” Vegeta asked quickly.

Kalu-Kalu dropped on the ground and sat indian style as he scratched his head in thought. “What do they look like?”

“They are orange… There are seven of them with stars on them. According to my radar they are in that cave.”

The nymph shook his head, “Oh no no no no, they are mine. I have them on display.”

Vegeta growled, “Well give them to us! I want to make a wish.”

Again the wood nymph shook his head, “No I like them.”

“Errrrrrrrr… Look, do you even plan on using them to make a wish!”

Kalu-Kalu cocked his head and stared back up at Vegeta, “Wish? No, no of course not. They are pretty. I have them on display!”

Vegeta’s forehead was throbbing and he tried to take deep breaths. “Kuso, just give them to me!” He raised his finger and shot a small ki beam at the little nymph. Though it should have hit him, Kalu-Kalu disappeared.

He popped up behind a bush, “Heeheeheehee, you can’t catch me! I’m Kalu-Kalu the tree nymph, too fast for you to catch. Dragon balls, make a wish, I have them all, and you have zip!” He giggled as Vegeta tried to shoot another a blast missing him again to have the nymph pop up on his hair. Kalu-Kalu bent forward and looked at Vegeta upside down and cross eyed. “I told you! You can’t catch me!”

Iris finally stepped forward smiling at the hilarious scene of Vegeta trying to get the nymph out of his hair. “Excuse me Kawu-Kawu, we desperatewy need this favor. We need to use your dragon bawws.”

Kalu-Kalu jumped off of Vegeta’s head and sat on her shoulder, “Well then, my dear, perhaps we can make a deal.”

Iris nodded, “And what would that be?”

Kalu-Kalu jumped off her shoulder and stood up straight and stared up at her. “Well, that depends. Why do you need them?”

Vegeta interfered, “I want to wish for immortality.”

Kalu-Kalu frowned. “Actually,” Iris started, “We want to wish Buwma back.”

Kalu-Kalu smiled. He knew more then they thought he did. Vegeta stormed up to Iris. “No, I am wishing for immortality!”

Iris shook her head, “Buwma!”

“Immortality!”

“Buwma!”

“IMMORTALITY!”

Iris sighed and turned to Kalu-Kalu, “We are undecided.”

He laughed heartily, “Well then I ‘spose, yes I do, I ‘spose the deal can be. Hmn… What can it be? Well how about you cook for me. How long are you here?”

Iris smiled at the little nymph, “For about two days. This eviw creature is coming here and…”

Kalu-Kalu interrupted, “Yes I know, Freeza. You cook for me and you may use my dragon balls. Tell me now, do you, or you,” he gestured to the angry Vegeta, “know how to call the dragon?”

They both shook their head no, “Well then, even better, well for me. If you complete this deal, I shall call it for you.”

Vegeta sighed as he sat down on a rock, Iris giggled and Kalu-Kalu did a victory dance near the entrance to the cave. “If you want,” the nymph said, “You may stay in my home.”

Iris thanked him and allowed him to lead her into his home, Vegeta stayed outside on the rock. He would not follow the tiny tree nymph all he wanted, what he really wanted, was Bulma but now he had to worry about Freeza. Would he ever get to have his sweet Bulma back or would his pride make him wish for immortality?

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Next in Chapter 3 Kalu-Kalu calls the dragon, what does Vegeta wish for? And Freeza and Scarlet decide to pop in as well. What’s going to happen to our Saiyan Prince and how is he going to deal with the Bulma vs. Immortality issue! And Iris… SO MUCH to write about in chapter 3. Till next time. JA NE!

~*~Laura~*~

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