Dangerous Bond

Chapter 30 : Power of choice

Bulma stood beside Vegeta, watching his sister fight what now seemed to be a loosing battle. It had started out alright, but now Kiyashi was loosing ground rapidly. It seemed that even the power of the Super Saiya-jin wasn't enough to save them now. Bulma bit her lip and looked up at her prince, wondering what would happen next. He could save them all, she knew it, but at high price to himself. Seeming to feel her eyes on him Vegeta looked down at her.

"We should leave." He said flatly after a second, "If only because she said to."

Bulma saw the pain in his eyes at the idea of leaving his sister to die again. Silently she nodded and came in close to him.

As they flew nothing was said but Bulma didn't feel the need to speak. It wasn't the way she wanted it though. Now she felt that if she said anything Vegeta would hate her more than anything else in the world. She didn't want that.

Vegeta's mind was chaos. He felt as if every last part of his brain was screaming at him, but at the same time it was silent. He couldn't beleive that Kiyashi, a Super Saiya-jin, could be defeated. It wasn't happening.

'Anything to stop this...'

Bulma looked up at him.

'~Anything?~'

'~Anything.~' Vegeta confirmed grimly.

'~Even give up power?~'

The prince stopped in the air and looked down at the onna he held in his arms, "What're you getting at, woman?"

Bulma closed her eyes and opened her mind to him. "This."

Vegeta blinked at the sudden burst of infomation entering his mind.

'SSJ... Not sure what level... Too strong to be level 2.. he loves me that much? Machine... It works... He'll never use it... Loss too great...'

Vegeta's brain hopelessly tried to understand as the prince started to fly again.

'~Explain.~' He ordered Bulma.

'~When you went into that monkey form I managed to save three hairs.~' She began, '~I ran tests on them in the hope of returning you to that form. It turned out that SSJ is only the first transformation of a series. I originally thought the furry level was level two but it was too strong for that.~'

~And?~' Vegeta probed as he landed in front of Kame house, "Did you figure out how to force me into that level? Can you do it?"

Bulma looked deep into her prince's eyes. "Yes." She said quietly, "But if I do you will never be able to reach it again naturally and this particular machine only works once."

Vegeta gazed at her. Was it worth it? Would he, prince of all Saiya-jin, give up this ammount of power to save the lives of his sister, his half-bonded mate and all the other creatures on this mudball of a planet? Even Kakarott?

'It's not nice to call your home a mudball.' His mind reminded him.

"Ur, hello Bulma, Vegeta!" He greeted, looking from one to the other, "What brings you here?"

Bulma, still held close after the flight, moved back slightly from the Saiya-jin.

"Vegeta brought me here so I wouldn't get hurt." She explained.

The Saiya-jin no Ouji gave her a long look before he spoke again. "Where is this device?"

"Right here." She replied, taking a small silver-banded capsule from her pocket, "Are you sure about this?"

"Would I ask is I wasn't?!" He snapped.

"I guess not." Bulma sighed, placing the capsule in the prince's white gloved hand. "Be carefull, Geta-san."

He accepted the capsule and leapt into the air, royal blue ki creating a minature sandstorm on the beach below.

After a moment Kame Sennin (or Master Roshi, depending on who you are) turned his attention from the rapidly disapearing form of Vegeta to the blue haired onna the Saiya-jin had left behind. The old master had to work hard not to drool. Boy, was he happy she was back here!

Trying to appear sensible he asked, "You wouldn't mind telling me what's going on, Bulma?"

Kiyashi staggered up from where her enemy had slammed her into the dirt. She spat a mouthfull of dark blood onto the hard packed earth and wiped her mouth on the back of one black glove.

"That the best you've got?" The Saiya-jin no Hime challenged.

The cocky attitude in which she said her remark didn't reflect her current condition in the least. The warrior's royal Saiya-jin armour was shattered down the left side, exposing the charred bodysuit and flesh beneath. Blood trickled from many wounds, discolouring skin, hair and bodysuit alike. Kiyashi didn't care. All that mattered to her Super Saiya-jin mind was that head of Koren, her chosen mate, that had been casually dumped in the dust after producing the desired result.

Noticing the position of his opponent's gaze Raython grinned, stepped forward and crushed the dead Saiya-jin commander's head like a melon. Kiyashi was too worn out to do anything but attack. No taunts, no insults. She launched herself at Raython, only to be swatted away like a fly by a huge muscled arm. Once again the Saiay-jin no Hime ate dust, her golden ki falling away as she collapsed at her brother's feet.

"Vegeta," She managed to whisper before darkness claimed her, "Beat him for me..."

Her words struck a chord in the older Saiya-jin: he had said nearly exactly the same words to Kakarott before the end. Any second thoughts were gone as he pressed the activation button on the capsule and flicked it end over end into the air. What looked like a silver armguard with numerous flashing lights dotted along it appeared from the smoke. It didn't take a genius to know what was meant to be done now. Sliding the guard over his forearm Vegeta pulled his glove down over the wrist end before pressing the button clearly marked 'ON'. Tail tightly wrapped around his waist, Vegeta prepared himself for the greatest sacrifice he had made in his life to take place. Nothing happened. Across the battlefeild Raython started to laugh, scarred sides heaving as his ex-commander made a fool of himself.

The Saiya-jin no Ouji glanced at the contraption on his arm.

GETA ARE YOU SURE ABOUT THIS

The screen wanted to know.

"Stupid onna." Vegeta muttered, smiling to himself, "Worries way too much about me."

He pressed the button again.

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