Disclaimer: DBZ is not mine, so these characters are not mine.

 

Chapter 9

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Trunks wiped his sweaty brow and stared up into the hot sun. He sighed painfully and heaved the fishing net to land, the fish flopping around all over the place trying to escape from their confinement. He hauled the net and its fish further onto shore, dropping it far enough from the water so the fish wouldn't escape. He sat down tiredly on the rocky sand and ran his hands over his face and hair.

A commotion woke him from his depressed revere. Goten came running out of the thick foliage, his face flushed and gasping for air. "Trunks!"

Trunks looked up at him, startled. "What?" he said jumping to his feet.

"A ship! A big one! Father says it's a Saiyan ship!" he exclaimed, pointing furiously in the direction of the village.

Trunks began to run, the fish forgotten at the shore. He'd been waiting for this day his whole life. He couldn't believe that now it was coming true. Gods, what would he say? What could he say? He found the village in turmoil, people running as far away from the ship as possible. The elders of the village were slowly making their way away from the ship, the fear evident in their eyes. Trunks could almost see what they went through the first time as the ran. The younger people, people around his age, grabbed spears and whatever they could find to defend the village. Trunks knew it was in vain, and so did everyone else. Mothers pulled at their sons arms, urging them to leave the village. The sons gently shook them off and ushered their mothers away, coming back to take up their posts of defense.

Trunks found Kakkarot standing in front of the ship, as if waiting for someone to come out. He supposed that made sense since Kakkarot was Saiyan. He stood at Kakkarot's side. "What should I do?" he asked the older man.

Kakkarot looked at him, a look of total seriousness in his eyes, something rarely seen in those black eyes. "I don't know."

Trunks nodded, understanding. They stood together, waiting.

Finally a door opened and out strolled two Saiyans: a large one and a smaller one. The smaller one had a fixed scowl across his face, his arms crossed against his chest. The taller one stared blankly ahead of him.

"Kakkarot!" the shorter one barked.

Kakkarot nodded slightly. "Vegeta."

Trunks glared at the shorter Saiyan. So this was Vegeta, his father. What was he suppose to feel now that the man had finally come into his life? Love? Relief? Happiness? Gods damn him because he felt none of these. He rushed the man and grabbed him by his clothes, pushing his face close to Vegeta's. "You're too late. She's gone." he said through clenched teeth.

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Vegeta's eyes went wide. Who the hell was this man?

"Trunks!" Kakkarot yelled. He yanked the man off of him.

Vegeta gulped and straightened his clothes. "Who the hell are you?" he demanded when he got enough of his composure back. Turles stood at his side, his face impassive.

"Vegeta-" Kakkarot started.

"I don't believe I was talking to you, Kakkarot. And I am still your King." he snapped.

Trunks shook off Kakkarot's grip. "I'm fine." he directed at Kakkarot.

Kakkarot nodded and stepped back.

Vegeta looked at the youth. He looked familiar. His hair was purple, clearly a human trait, but his face had all the angles of Saiyan. If he didn't know any better, this man looked just like . . . him. Vegeta stifled his shocked expression and clenched his teeth. No, it couldn't be. There was no way this could be his son. He had to be Kakkarot's.

"Think about it," the familiar voice in his head breathed. "He's about as old as he should be if he were your son. You don't know if she did give birth."

"But she's dead." he said fiercely in his head.

Trunks snorted and crossed his arms. "Not quite dead, but not quite alive either."

Vegeta glanced sharply at the boy. His eyes narrowed. "Who are you talking to, boy?"

"You."

"I didn't say that out loud."

Kakkarot and Turles stood watching this exchange, Turles more surprised than Kakkarot. Turles' surprise was evident on his face, and Kakkarot just nodded knowingly.

In Vegeta's mind there was no doubt now: this man, Trunks was his son. The mental bond they had was proof enough. Saiyan's could speak with their children telepathically, and occasionally they could even talk to their mates if their connection was strong enough. Mate? That woman was not his mate.

"That's what you can keep telling yourself," the voice in his head said. "We all know the truth. What are you doing back here if you didn't want to find her again?"

"Shut up." Vegeta said to the voice.

"I didn't say anything." Trunks said aloud.

Vegeta glared at him. "I wasn't talking to you." he said through clenched teeth.

"Talking to yourself then?" Trunks said sarcastically.

Vegeta could feel himself turning red. He didn't know how much longer he could handle this. There was too much at one time. He had come here to . . . what? Why had he come here?

"You know why: to see her." the voice laughed.

"No, I came here to claim this planet." he whispered to himself. Turles looked at him confused. He directed his gaze to Kakkarot. "You know why I'm here, Kakkarot."

Kakkarot nodded. "You know we won't let you."

Vegeta looked at him skeptically. "We?"

At that moment two other men came rushing in, one a splitting image of Kakkarot and one that looked very much like the ocean woman.

"Ah, I see." Vegeta nodded. "Turles." Vegeta barked.

Turles turned and commanded the Saiyan troops that were staying inside the ship. They came out in formation and stood ready to fight.

"You're outnumbered, Kakkarot. The odds are definitely not in your favor." Vegeta remarked casually.

Kakkarot was about to say something but was stopped by Trunks' hand. "We will not fight, not now. I will not break my mothers heart more than it is broken now."

"Then we will take all your peoples as our slaves as we had originally intended to do." Vegeta stated.

Trunks turned to him, his eyes blazing. Then he smiled. "We will come freely under one condition."

"Trunks!" one of Kakkarot's sons yelled.

Trunks ignored him. "You have to defeat my mother."

Vegeta considered his proposition. Trunks didn't seem to be pulling his tail, didn't even seem capable of such a thing. He didn't see how he would fail either way. Defeating the woman he could do, or he could just force them into submission. But he knew in the eyes of his men that if he turned the boy down he'd be seen as weak because he didn't take up the challenge. Besides, he'd been bored for the past few years since the wars were over. It would make an interesting pass time.

"Agreed."

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More to come . . . .


Chapter 8
Chapter 10
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