Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ What Exactly Is Involved In A Saiyan Mating Ritual? ❯ Save Vegeta ( Chapter 16 )

Chapter sixteen

Save Vegeta.

The water lapped gently against the reeds of the bank, as the Ko-oni-jin worker gently tiptoed out. Bulma snapped out of her distraction as the beads of water fell from the creature's emerald skin, and landed on the ponds smooth surface. She didn't move, only looked at him with a kind of thoughtful curiosity. If the worker wanted to speak to her she would hear him out, and if he attacked she would defend herself, but more important than anything else was the fact that he probably knew where Vegeta was.

"Hi there!" she greeted with a smile, hopeful that she could negotiate her way around this. Strangely enough his presence didn't unnerve her. Maybe it was the realization that she was well able to defend herself, or the added reassurance of having Kandai close at hand that emboldened her, "Can I help you?"

"Why are you here?"

Bulma stood up and walked over to the edge, looking down at the creature that only reached up to her waist, "I came to find Prince Vegeta. Do you know where he is?"

The Ko-oni-jin nodded, "He is with the Elders. I can take you to him if you so wish. I understand that they wish to speak with you as well."

There was a glint of something indistinguishable in its almond shaped eyes, making Bulma feel a little more apprehensive than she had a moment ago, "They wish to speak with me… why?"

"That is not important, but we both have our motives for being here. If you wish to find the Saiyan then follow me."

Not allowing Bulma any time for consideration he jumped back into the water. For a moment she stood motionless, unsure if it was wise to follow, but what choice did she have? It was imperative that she found Vegeta as quickly as possible and all things considered what other options were open to her?

Standing at the edge of the pool she looked passed her reflection to see two green feet kicking towards the vegetation at its bottom. Her mind was made up, she had to follow, and not losing any more time she pushed off from the side and dove in after him. The water was icy cold and nipped at her cheeks, stinging against her eyes as she tried to keep them open. As they neared the floor the hidden cave entrance sifted into view behind a bank of alien water plants.

The Ko-oni-jin didn't slow down, it's small form being eminently suitable for the environment, and Bulma had to work her ki as though she were flying, just to keep up. It disappeared under the stone, flashing her a poignant grin over its tiny shoulder. She followed his example and manoeuvred to join him. As she swam underneath the stone the pressure changed, and she could see a faint glow against the darkness, the only indication available to her as to where she should follow.

Now she started to swim up to join it, and just as she was beginning to panic for breath, her face broke through the clear surface, to be presented with the mass of tunnels she had been guided through before. She hardly had time to draw in a lung full of oxygen before her guide spoke. "The Elders are this way, quickly, follow me."

By the time she had pulled herself from the water the worker was already out of sight, only the eerie glow of his energy giving her the direction she needed. Not linking the darkness that encroached from every angle Bulma ran after the creature, stooping occasionally so she wouldn't hit her head.

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Thoughts trailed into visions… emotions spinning around at a hundred miles an hour. The power soared through, along with and over Kandai's mind as he struggled to focus on Vegeta. It wasn't easy to pick up on these things even with the help of the drug. The Ko-oni-jin seemed to have put their own wall of energy up around the Saiyan. He got glimpses, impressions, but nothing solid. It was frustrating to say the very least. What was going on? The images he received were nothing like that which he expected to see. The terrain was so green, filled with strange species of trees, and animals. Vegeta was in the middle of some completely alien environment. It was stunning! The air was so pure, so life giving. He wasn't on Vegeta-sei that was for sure. The climate was a lot cooler.

He could hear a voice in the distance, the gentle call of a female, "Vegeta!"

Kandai was surprised to feel the Saiyan tense at the voice. He felt threatened, not by the person, but by some other feeling that he couldn't quite place. His name was called again, this time closer, "Vegeta!"

"Dammit Onna can't I get away from you for five seconds? What is it?"

"Come back to the party Vegeta. Yamcha and I need another member for our charades team, please… we're desperate for another player?"

"I did not come here to socialize woman, now leave me in peace!"

"Why did you come then?"

"I came for a chance to fight with Kakarrot, but that baka is too caught up with his mate to even realize I'm there. It's sickening the way he is dictated by her every whim, just like a lost puppy. What a waste of my time!" Vegeta turned to stare at the woman who dared to interrupt his solitude.

Bulma stood opposite him with a look on her face that would challenge even the strongest fighter. "No excuses Vegeta… come on!" she grabbed hold of his arm and pulled the stunned prince as inducement. Her eyes sparkled, as the small energy she possessed literally leapt at him through the contact.

Kandai smiled mentally at the feeling it sparked within the Saiyan. Any reluctance he had to follow seemed to dissipate under the feel of her hands on his bare arms. He clenched his teeth and growled, but followed her none the less. "Don't think for a moment that I am going to join in with any pathetic human games!" he snarled.

Bulma simply rolled her eyes, and they meandered along a fast flowing stream, out of the forest, and into a clearing. A neat little house stood on the beautiful green lawn cut out from the surrounding woodland. It was small but inviting, with laughter spilling out from its humble walls.

They walked up to the open door and inside. The kitchen was neat and homely as they passed through and into the main living area. Several people turned to see who had joined them as they entered, the once overflowing laughter falling silent. Deigning not to notice the change of mood at his arrival, Vegeta slinked off into a shadow filled corner, ignoring the easy welcome from the fighter that he had beaten at the start of his mating ritual.

The silence was awkward for a while as everyone in the room seemed to struggle for something to say or do that would distract them from the Saiyan's entrance. Bulma was the first to break it. "Well are we going to play charades or not?" Not waiting for an answer she sat down next to a young man, two prominent scars crossing his face, but not detracting anything from his boyish good looks. He smiled at her as she sat next to him, and slung one of his strong arms over her shoulder, "So is the Saiyan no Ouji joining us babe?" he asked, not even trying to hide the sarcasm in his voice.

Bulma looked over to Vegeta. His whole body was tense, his eyes fixed resolutely on the appendage lying comfortably around her shoulders. Kandai could feel him seething at the close contact, but Vegeta controlled the feeling well to simply snort and turn away. He wasn't watching, but secretly smiled at the disappointment in her voice as she spoke, "I guess that's a no." accompanied, as it was, by a short sigh.

That night was strange to say the least. All these people seemed to stir up emotions in the Saiyan. He disliked the majority, but there were two he hated with an absolute passion… the other Saiyan, and the scarred human. It was a different kind of scorn for each, but just as violent. It was very obvious to Kandai that he was intensely jealous of the affection Bulma bestowed on the human.

Vegeta watched everything. Every little glimpse and smile, all the familiar touches and easy conversations that they shared. He carefully scrutinized them all. Nothing went unnoticed. His acute hearing picked out bits of pieces of conversation here and there, but nothing was so interesting to him, than that which was falling from Bulma's lips.

Kandai realized very early on that he was not the only one to witness these events. At first he had attributed the feeling of power running along with his, to that of the warriors Vegeta was in company with, but he soon learnt his mistake. The power wasn't running with the visions, it was going through them. It focused on all of the confusion of half feelings that the Saiyan experienced.

The other presence was familiar to him. There wasn't a shadow of a doubt in his mind that it was the Ko-oni-jin. He would recognize their power anywhere. They were sharing Vegeta's mind as well. He could hear the Elders thoughts occasionally breaking through his link with the Prince. It searched right alongside his. Luckily, however, they seemed to be concentrating on something other than Kandai and hadn't noticed his presence... yet.

Unfortunately, that something else seemed to be Bulma. They seemed intent on concentrating all their energy to find out more about her. Their efforts were clear, they considered her a threat, he wasn't sure why, but whatever it was he knew it couldn't be good for the soon-to-be royal mate.

The violent conflict that had existed between the Saiyans and Ko-oni-jin was no secret to him, but he tried to stay out of it as much as possible. In all honestly both of them were as bad as each other. He could have sympathized with the Ko-oni-jin if it wasn't for the fact that they were so secretive about everything they did. If only they hadn't shut him out, he may have been able to settle this conflict peacefully a long time ago, but they wanted no outside help and he had been forced to let things play out as they would.

Now his mind panicked. Things were about to come to some sort of head, and this Bulma girl was somehow going to be caught up in the middle of it all. The thought made him feel ill. For some reason he felt a connection with this young woman. She was a totally different creature to the rest of the beings he had made contact with during his reign as guardian. He felt like he didn't have to put up any pretences around her. In short he liked her, and as he felt the creatures plotting to use her against the Saiyan, his anger grew. Helping her was completely out of his jurisdiction, but he would be damned if he would let her be a pawn in some petty power struggle. She was in danger and that was all that he could think about. His job be damned! He had to do something.

The drug he had taken wouldn't be dissolved into his system quickly, by his estimation he still had at least fifteen minutes left under its spell. He cursed under his breath for not checking on the human's position before he took the pill. How was he supposed to help her now?

No… wait! He was still under the drugs power, still able to intrude on unguarded minds! Why didn't he think of it sooner? The strange visions he received from Vegeta were halted and his mind shifted. He might not be able to help her physically, but he could at least giver her some sort of warning.

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It was hard trying to keep up with the Ko-oni-jin as he literally sprinted along the small tunnels, and after about two minutes of trying and failing miserably to stay close behind him in a stooped saunter, the sharp rocks cutting away at her flesh as she went, Bulma decided that staying on foot was no longer an option. Instead she lowered herself to lie on her stomach, using her ki to push her off the ground and fly horizontally instead. It was incredibly complicated, trying to keep enough power on to levitate and propel herself along, and not too much so that she would slam into the stone ceiling.

It required a lot of skill in something that was relatively new to her. Her first attempts were less than elegant and she had grazes all along her back to give testimony to this, but it was surprising how quickly she managed to get the momentum just right. It produced an amazing rush of adrenaline as she skimmed her way along the dark tunnels, ducking out of the way of the occasional dips and turns that denoted its meandering path.

Carrying on relentlessly, she had now managed to catch up to the creature, who simply laughed at her predicament and piled on more speed, its nimble feet pushing it easily along the floor as it occasionally dropped onto all fours to add drive whilst banking onto the walls, traversing some of the sharper corners. "We are almost there." Came its skittish voice, "You should be able to stand once we have turned the next corner."

"Aw, and I was just starting to have fun!" she pouted in a mock sarcasm.

"Bulma!"

"Yes?" The response was automatic, and she didn't even think before she answered, "Hang on! How do you know my name?"

The Ko-oni-jin stopped dead in its tracks, "I do not know your name female, what makes you think that I do?"

"Baka, you just called me by it!"

"I think you are hearing things female. I did not say a word!" The creature shrugged its shoulders, and carried on, thinking that the woman was losing her mind.

"Bulma! Don't go any further, it's you… the Ko-oni-jin, they want you. Turn back! You are in danger!" The voice pounded through her head. She now knew that it definitely wasn't anything to do with the being sprinting off in front of her. She tried to make sense of the words, tried to understand who was speaking them, and in her confusion her mind lapsed from the effort of flying, making her fall from the air. The forward motion made her hit the sides of the tunnel, causing her to lose all control over her movements and crash along the hard floor.

Groggily getting to her feet, she nursed her shoulder as it had taken the brunt of her collision, but still the voice would not be quietened.

"You have to leave, Vegeta is being held by the Ko-oni-jin, they are using their powers to search his memories. It is a technique that my predecessors had believed was completely forgotten to them, but it appears that they were mistaken. Right now it appears they are interested in you. I fear they wish to use you against him. You have to turn back. I cannot help you for at least another ten minutes. Come back to the cave entrance, and then we will face them together."

"Kandai?" she whimpered, the pain coursing through her body, making her senses spin.

"Yes. I have taken a drug that helps me enter people's thoughts, reply to me telepathically, I know you can do as I ask. Don't follow the worker! I think he is leading you straight into a trap. They want you to help them control Vegeta, you cannot take them on, not on your own!"

Her guide once again stopped as he heard the impact behind him, now he stood over her looking inquisitively into her face, his head twitching nervously from side to side, "Are you hurt?" It asked.

"I'm fine!" she snapped, trying to make sense of what was going on.

"Then follow!"

Bulma was caught in a daze. She wasn't sure what to do? She couldn't ignore the earnestness in Kandai's voice, but if she went back it would mean subjecting Vegeta to the game for even longer. It wasn't an option she could take. She needed help. She needed to know if Vegeta could wait or not. Concentrating on the link Kandai had established with her mind, she spoke to him, "I just need to check something first."

Getting to her feet she lifted a hand to her head and pressed at her ear, the same as she had seen Vegeta do earlier. "Dad? Dad can you hear me?"

There was a long pause, before the crackling of static filtered into hearing, "Yes, I'm here Bulma, have you found him yet?"

"No… I've run into a little trouble, how's Vegeta holding up?"

"It's not good my dear, his condition is deteriorating rapidly. Goku is here, and he has the dragonballs on standby, but if we can do without them it will be better. You really have to find Vegeta and quickly!"

"Ok dad, that's all I needed to know… bye."

Her finger left the side of her scouter and she turned her attention back to Kandai, her feet moving along with the inducement of the Ko-oni-jin in front of her, "I can't turn back now, not when I am so close! I'm sorry Kandai I can't explain why, but it's important that I find Vegeta as soon as possible. Isn't there any way you can help him from where you are?"

"I can't do anything other than watch his thoughts. The Elders energy is too powerful. They have put up a wall around themselves and I can't find a way in. Please, come back it is not safe!"

Bulma bowed her head slightly as her feet pounded against the stone floor, "I'm sorry Kandai this is something I have to do. Follow me as soon as you are able. I might just need your help."

There was an awkward pause before the guardian spoke again, "I understand. Just… be careful. I will follow as soon as I am able, for now I'll keep an eye on Vegeta for you."

Bulma rushed along and in her hurry didn't realize that the Ko-oni-jin had stopped in front of her. She put her hands out and tried to slow down, but couldn't avoid running straight into him.

"Dammit!" she cursed.

The Ko-oni-jin chuckled, "I thought I was clumsy until meeting you," It chocked out, extricating itself from underneath her. It humour was quickly controlled though as it brushed itself down and settled determined eyes on her, "You will wait here. I have to speak to the elders." Not saying another word the small creature left the young female to crawl up the walls and into the adjacent chamber.

"Great Elder! Great Elder!"

He screamed the words, thinking that he would have the same problems with being heard as he had earlier. The true situation that presented itself was a little less daunting than before. The Saiyan was still laid across the prominent, sacred lakeside stone, but the elders were no longer concentrating their energy on him. Instead they were huddled in some sort of heated discussion.

"We cannot possibly! We have gone against our teaching even doing this much! I refuse to stoop to the Saiyan's level."

"Calm down Emissary. We cannot afford to be complaisant. With no power left the Saiyan will be waking soon. We have to decide now, are we agreed?"

The worker would rather have remained silent during this conversation, but the Elders needed to be informed of an outsiders arrival, it would be the biggest of blunders on his part if they weren't, "Elder I have found the girl Vegeta was with! She is in the ceremonial cave as we speak, what do you wish me to do with her?"

Both turned to look at him, blinking in quiet disbelief. The Elder was the first to speak. He simply turned to his Emissary, "This is perfect! You know I do not need your corroboration to go ahead with this, but… I would like to have it nonetheless."

The other creature looked down and closed his eyes in defeat, "I cannot condone you actions Elder, but as your loyal subject I also cannot go against you." His tiny hands balled angrily at his sides, "Do as you wish. I will not stand in your way."

The Elder scowled at this reply before turning to the worker, "Bring her to us at once!"

Slinking back into the hole he had come from, the Ko-oni-jin worker crawled its way back through the tunnel and into the room where Bulma stood impatiently tapping her foot. All he did was peer over the ledge and issue the order of, "Follow me." before retreating the way he had come.

Bulma looked up to the small hole the Ko-oni-jin had disappeared into and sighed. Walking forward she looked up. "Looks like I'm flying again then?" she mumbled to herself, pushing off the ground and positioning her body to follow.

Safely at the other side she peered into the room and was amazed by is sheer size. It was completely different to the worked stone cave she had been left in before. There were stalactites hanging from the ceiling, confirming to her mind that this room must be a natural cavern.

Carefully scanning the room, her eyes settled on three Ko-oni-jin. They were bathed in the glow of a torch, and whispering secretively to each other. Wearily she floated down to meet them, but a flash of blue spandex in her peripheral vision made her stop, and swing her attention to a large stone by the side of an underground lake.

Forgetting about meeting with the elders she piled on the power and streaked across the room to her Saiyan's side, "Vegeta!"

Landing by his side, lips quivering, she looked the Saiyan Prince up and down, noting with worry the energy burn marks on his chest. Tears threatened to overthrow her vision as she ran a hand sadly down his drained and pale face, "What have they done to you?" she whispered, laying her head on his chest.

His breathing was slow and uneven, just as it had been when she watched over him in reality, and as she lifted her head to look worriedly onto his face, her heart felt as though it had sunk to the bottom of her chest. Wiping the tears that she couldn't hold back, vehemently from her face, she looked dangerously over to the Ko-oni-jin huddle, her arm still gently stroking Vegeta's face. Her energy flickered in waves of anger over her body. "What have you done to him?"

The Elder walked calmly forwards, "We had to sedate him," he lied, "He was intent on killing us. He said he wouldn't stop until our disgusting species were completely eradicated. We had no choice."

Bulma stepped backwards as the aged Ko-oni-jin walked towards her. She shook her head from side to side, "I don't believe you!" she stuttered, "You're lying… Vegeta wouldn't do that!"

"My dear he is Saiyan, the lust to kill is inbred into his nature, you know full well that he is capable of it."

Bulma was forced another step back by his approach, and for the first time she could feel his power clearly. She gulped down a lump in her throat. The energy this creature possessed was much larger than anything she dealt with before. Her legs were now butted up against the boulder, which Vegeta laid along. "Yes, he's capable of it, but I know he wouldn't kill you!"

"How? No Saiyan can control their natural bloodlust urges, and as it is, our species is nothing but sport to them."

"Vegeta isn't an ordinary Saiyan, and besides… he promised me that he wouldn't hurt you. If nothing else I know he would never lie to me. It goes against his warrior blood." She looked back nervously to Vegeta, "If you are afraid of him then I will take him away from here. He will be no threat to you, I will see to that."

Bulma could feel the chill of his near liquid power as the Elder stood right before her, "It is of little importance now. He knows where we are, and besides, why should we release him to you? Maybe the Saiyan no Ouji isn't the only threat to our survival. I think his mate would be just as suited to our plans as he is." His teeth flashed their brilliant white points and his arm flew out from its previously immobile position to grab her tail. "In fact, you are just what we were hoping to find!"

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A/N - Well I hope you enjoyed this chapter! *Curses writers block to HFIL and back by way of an apology for its lateness* Please review and tell me what you think, your feedback is always greatly appreciated *^_^* ~Ember~