Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ With A Jagged Edge ❯ The Struggle For Freedom ( Chapter 11 )

Bulma looked up, she felt heavy, drained. It was difficult to move and her arms felt like someone had poured lead into them. Brushing a strand of blue hair from her eyes, she quinted into the dying sun and saw her husband's strong, muscular form shadowed against the outline of the sunset. A beautiful sight, really.

Or, she rubbed her eyes, it would have been had the look in his eyes not been one of complete and utter bloodlust.

Gasping, she felt something near her stomach move. Clutching her gut, she leaned over and barely had time to react before she was spewing the contents of her stomach all over the ground. Trembling, she wiped her mouth and noticed that along with her vomit a thin, silvery strand of mist issued from her mouth and glided, uncertainly, in front of her. It was then she realized that she was no longer trapped inside her own mind. She was free! She nearly screamed with joy at the realization.

"V-Vegeta...?" She reached a hand towards him, her voice horse, afraid it was too late for him...

Bulma!

Bulma stopped, her hand still in mid-air, still reaching. She turned her attention inwards and listened.

Bulma! It's me, Tayven! Listen...

She nodded and Tayven was suddenly washed over with all of Bulma's fears and regrets for what they had done...all the death...all the distruction. Rocking backwards with the onslaught of those emotions, Tayven felt Piccolo's spirit hand upon her shoulder, strength flowing from him to her and steadying her. Together they floated downwards and entered Bulma's mind.

Tayven looked around briefly, amazed at all the mathimatical equations and other scientific stuff floating around inside of Bulma's head.

She also noticed a large part of her brain was occupied by the images of Vegeta and Trunks, as well as all of those other people she held dear. They shone amid the darkness like beacons of purest light. Tayven felt drawn to that light, it was so pretty and warm...

Keep your mind on the task! Piccolo's voice hissed in her ear and brought her back to reality.

Sorry... Tayven mumbled, focusing on Bulma once more, Bulma, we need your help. Piccolo and I were able to force the creature from you, but it's hard to hold it back...

Bulma felt the tugging at the corners of her senses as she felt and heard Tayven's mind-voice. She knew, from the strain in Tayven's voice, that she was struggling to keep the entity from reclaiming her. Looking upwards, she asked, aloud; "What do I have to do?" Her body's voice echoed within her head. She was standing in front of the shimmering forms of both Piccolo and Tayven.

Looking at Piccolo, who merely nodded once, she held out her spirit hand towards Bulma. You must come with us. Take my hand...

Reaching out, Bulma clasped her hand within Tayven's. Piccolo held Tayven's other hand and a rush of enegry flowed like water over every part of her, making her feel more alive and clear-headed than she'd ever felt before. It was invigorating. Like a cool shower after spending an hour in a hot sauna. She felt like she could take on the world.

Not so fast, Bulma, Piccolo's calm baritone reached her and loosed her from her reverie, We still need to help the others. But we have to go after Vegeta first...

"Yes..." Bulma whispered, "She holds him most strongly...the children..."

...Whose powers will fall asunder if we take away their leader... Tayven mused, surprised

at the nod of affirmation from Piccolo and Bulma.

"It was what I assumed, before...before all this..." Bulma said, she thought, briefly, that she must look odd talking to herself, but she didn't care. All she cared about now was helping her husband and her friends and family. "Vegeta..."

Go to him, Bulma, Piccolo said, looking towards the Saiyan Prince from the windows of Bulma's eyes, Tayven and I, we will lend you strength to give to him. Help him fight his way out.

Bulma nodded and with a rush that felt like air leaving her lungs, plunged forward out of her body. She looked down and saw that she was standing next to Piccolo and Tayven, who had both left her mind at the same time and stood watching her, both still glowed with a faint golden outline and she could see through them if she squinted her eyes almost closed.

Looking down at her own hand, she turned it over and saw it was pale and transparent, but that it's edges glowed as well.

Taking a deep breath, she steered herself towards Vegeta and, with a cry, plunged straight through his stomach and upwards into his mind, growing smaller as she did so. She paused within a darkened corridor of his mind and shoved aside all the scary thoughts she'd ever had of wondering what lurked within the deepest recesses of a mass murder's head. Would she find the death-agony screams of those he'd killed in the past? Inner demons gnashing thier teeth and trying to grab at her with bloodied claws?

"Knock it off!" She told herself, "This is your husband! The one you can't live without! Get a grip and get moving!"

As she progressed, she realized that his mind was far more orginized than her own. She wondered if that had anything to do with his saiyan training. Probably, she nodded, as she stepped across box labeled; "Past Regressions: To Be Examined Later" and snorted to herself when she saw one marked; "Bulma: Gorgeous Girl." She was just about to let her curiousity get the better of her, reaching her fingers towards the box when she heard his footsteps behind her.

"Being nosy again, I see." He said, with only a hint of his usual self-satified smirk, "Bulma, what you doing here? Or is this another one of your tricks?!"

At his words, Bulma knew that she was not the 'your' he was speaking of. She spun about in place as cruel laughter filled the void around them and moved to stand closer to Vegeta's spirit form. She reached out and touched his shoulder, getting an electic shock at the touch.

"Vegeta, it's really me," She said, hoping he would believe her, "I've come to help you get rid of this riff-raff!"

"You feel stronger, woman..." He murmered, as her hand still rested upon his shoulder, "I sense the namek and the kid, Tayven, around..."

"Yes, they're here too! They've regained control of thier bodies and are helping me to help you." She said, "We have to get rid of...what did the children call her...Mistress? We have to get rid of her first!"

You stupid infants! Bulma jumped and felt Vegeta shove her instictivally behind him, crouching down into a defensive stance, snarling at the voice that seemed to echo from all around them, There is no way I will allow my plans to be disrupted by such a pathetic attempt! It almost makes me want to let you try for it...it would prove to be most amusing...

"Your always hiding in the shadows!" Tayven was suddenly there, in spirit, her hands clenched into fists at her sides, glaring around, in front of Vegeta and Bulma, "Or taking on other forms! We've yet to see you as you really are! I'm begining to think that your nothing but a coward! Always skulking in the shadows and laughing like you have all the control!"

Oh, but I do have all the control, Little One, She cackled, You are merely puppets put on this planet for me to pull your strings and make you dance as I see fit.

Laughter, cruel and ice-hard, surrounded them.

Tayven would have lost it, had not she felt Piccolo's hand grab her upper arm and jerk her backwards so hard she almost fell. No! Don't be stupid, kid! That's what she wants!

Don't listen to the green freak, child, Mistress taunted both Tayven and Piccolo, You know you want to hurt me...go on...feel angry...feel rage...

Tayven's eyes narrowed as her heart sped up. She felt a rush of anger washing over her and all of a sudden she wanted nothing more than to tear into the bitch and make her pay for what she was doing to them. She growled under her breath and began to pant with her rage, seeing crimson through the eyes of her soul. Crimson with the blood she wished she could spill...

Yes, yes, yes! Mistress cried, laughing, That's it! Your rage gives me strength...power....More, child, give me more!

Sickened, Tayven forced herself into calmness and pushed aside her emotions, striving to feel nothing at all. She noticed Mistress' power dwidling, spiraling downwards and a feeling of disapointment flowed from her to greet them all.

"Tayven..." Bulma said, leaning forward in front of Vegeta to address the girl, "You have to control yourself. Remember, they feed of of negative emotions...."

You shut your face, slut! Mistress' hand slashed out, claws dripping with what looked like glittering blood, and slashed, cat-like across Bulma's pale cheek, sending the woman reeling backwards. I knew I should have just killed you, but my children have taking a liking to you...

"Bulma!" Vegeta cried, rushing to his mate, whose cheek was stained with blood. She held her hand to it and the redness washed from between her fingers. Pulling aside her fingers, Vegeta saw the four deep gashes in the side of her face. He looked up at the evilness floating like a dark shadow before them and said, slowly between grit teeth, "No one lays a hand on my woman and gets away with it."

Vegeta! Piccolo said, There is no time for this! We need your help to save the others! We can't destroy her until we've freed the others!

"She needs to pay!" Vegeta seethed, "She needs to suffer!"

She will! Piccolo said, But now is not the time! Tayven, Bulma! He called them to him and they grabbed each others' hands like last time, holding out her hand to Vegeta, Bulma beckoned him. "Vegeta...come on! We need you!"

No! What are you doing? Stop! Mistress cried, and they all felt the wavering in her tone, the underlining of fear and doubt, Your insane! You can't possibly think you can beat me...?!

"Maybe not yet," Tayven said, as she felt the power building within her, power made stronger by the others near her, giving her thier strength and she her's. Awash with the light of that strength, the three of them pushed Mistress back far enough to allow Vegeta to leave his body as Piccolo and Tayven had done before him. "There isn't much time..." Bulma was saying as they floated, unseen, above the ground over thier prone bodies, "We have to steer the children's loyalty away from thier Mistress..."

Easier said than done... Tayven shivered, not wanting to face any more of them, but knowing that she had no choice.

~*~*~

"What is it?" Mr. Popo leaned forward and shivered as a strange feeling coursed along his bones.

Dende looked up, frowned and said; "I don't know...such horrible enegry...and death...many deaths...It's awful! Why couldn't I have felt this coming, Mr. Popo? Why can't I do anything to stop it!?"

"Mr. Popo has no words of wisdom for you today, young one..." The genie shook his head sadly, "Mr. Popo fears the worst...."

"No!" The young namekian gaurdian cried, his hands balled into fists at his sides, "There must be a way to end this horror! There just has to be!"

"I....I fear it's too late, Dende..."

"No it's not!" Dende snapped, his eyes narrowed, "I refuse to accept that, Mr. Popo! There just had to be a way!"

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