The bridge of Turles ship uniquely Saiyain in its simplicity. There were three chairs other than the captain's chair, all of them faced the main view-screen. The Captain's chair was set higher than other chairs and unlike the other chairs had all its controls compressed into few buttons on each armrest. The other three chair's consisted of the a navigators chair that faced the left wall and pretty much had the entire wall as its computer screen, the chair for the tactical operator was located on the right wall and like the navigators chair had the entire wall as its computer screen. The main pilots chair faced the main view port and was directly in front of the Captain's chair. It was in his chair that Zarbon sat preying to every deity he could recall to get them through this in one piece.

'We are ready Captain.' Said the tactical officer.

'Proceed.' Said Turles as he adjusted himself into a more comfortable position in the Captain's chair. Zarbon ventured one last pleading glance at the Turles but his face was set into a determined mask. Zarbon went back to praying. A moment more and Zarbon felt as if every cell in his body was being ripped away from the other. The ship began to vibrate as it was propelled to velocities it was not designed to withstand. But Turles would never have a ship or a crew that could not take a bit of punishment. Zarbon's last conscious thought was a hope that the punishment threshold of the ship or the crew will not be breached with this impatient move, then he knew only darkness.

The door of the medbay slowly slide open. The body of a spiky haired man floated in doubled over. It appeared someone had him slung over his shoulder but no one else was visible. For a moment the body hang in mid-air as if someone was trying to determine something. At last the body headed for the nearest regeneration tank. The body was thrown into it roughly, a breath mask fitted over the man's face hastily. The doom of the regeneration tank slide closed. Sound of buttons being pressed. The tank began filling the next instance.

It was about than that Goku woke up, 'Vegeta?' he wondered, his tone slightly alarmed, 'What are you doing?'

'Despite your boast Kakarott you are not a match for me. You have the power but you do not know how to use it.' said Vegeta indifferently, 'Which I suppose is natural since you only got your powers but the point is today you lost to me. Lost badly to me.' The last remark was a definite boast on the Princes part. 'This is a healing device. It will heal all your injuries.' The rising liquid rose above Goku's head, 'It shouldn't take more than a couple of hours but you might want to stay there during the night. It's not going to harm you, further more the tanks liquid dulls your mind and is likely to keep you from them.'

'Them?' wondered Goku, 'The shadows.' Vegeta gave a curt nod of his head and left. A moment more than Goku's lids got too heavy to keep open, slowly but surely he slipped into an artificially induced coma.

She was on her way to the medbay when her scouter revealed Vegeta right in front of her. 'Vegeta! Is Son-kun alright? What happened?' she demanded.

'Your Son-kun bit of more than he could chew that is all.' Said Vegeta. 'He should be out of the regeneration tank soon enough.' He stated indifferently.

'Regeneration tank?' Vegeta was about to explain it to her but she went on, 'I have seen the specifications for it. It's a healing device and has the capability to heal most wounds given enough time. Although I think its rather bulky to operate, personally. Maybe I could scale it down somehow.' she started talking to herself as he continued heading towards the medbay, 'Or maybe come up handheld version of it…'

Vegeta smiled after her. The woman could be so self absorbed. Shaking his head he began heading towards the garden. The training session had taken much out of him. He should rest but the very thought of sleeping inside, in the stale stuffy air made him stomach turn. With relatively stability he made it to the garden and promptly collapsed at the base of a large, majestic tree whose age was unknown but as long as anyone could remember it had always been there. Forcing his body to relax Vegeta wondered about the enfeeblement that his body was inflicted with thanks to the after effect of fighting the damned shadows.

It was disgraceful. A Saiyain warrior of his calibre needing to rest after every little fight, throwing up pretty much every morning like a female carrying a brat. It was down right disgraceful. His lips curved up in a faint smile. Yet he was still able to defeat Kakarott. The smile however soon faded. Kakarott was hardly ready to fight him or anyone for that matter. New to his power he had not fully grasped it full potential or how to use it properly. When he has learnt to use it properly and fully only than would his defeat of Kakarott mean something. Till than… till than… sleep pressed itself on Vegeta's senses, perhaps when he woke up things would make more sense or at least seem a little bit brighter…

Darkness, nothingness, he had not had a dream since his soul had been wenches from him. Even if he had had dreams they filled with nothing. Nothing, was he something? Now that he had no soul was he also a nothing? Was he living or was he dead? What would happen when he did die? Would he then becoming nothing? After all was not his soul the only thing that was eternal? Turles looked once more around him but he saw nothing. But wait. What was that?

Slowly a faint light penetrated the darkness. The light had a deep blue tint to it. Instinctively he went towards it. For a time the closer he got to the light the further away it went. But soon, soon be found his way to the source. An orb glowing to its fullest potential trying its hardest to penetrate the dark but only managing to light the little area around itself. Almost with a childlike curiosity he touched it.

A flash. A crystal clear image of his homeworld formed in his mind. Wilderness, thick, lushes wilderness, a small cottage by a rapidly running stream. His house, unable to bear the company of his boorish companions he had had himself removed from the barracks and had built that cottage there. He felt most at peace there and had remained there till he left the planet for good. He had vowed one day to take her there but… but like his other vows regarding her it would remain forever incomplete. She was gone, she was gone because of him. He would never be able to show her his house, for it was just that. His house, he did not have a home. His home would have her in it.

A soft female voice spoke to him than, 'You did love her.' she said. 'But that did not stop you from turning your back to her. I can't help you Turles. There is no point in you coming to me.' The images in his head began to fad.

'NO!' he screamed, 'You can't abandon me. You can't.'

'I do not have the power to undo Mithral's doing. Even if I did you don't deserve a Saiyain soul.' She whispered, 'I am sorry. I really am.' The voice faded. The images faded. He wasn't dreaming. It wasn't a dream. It was a vision. With the vision completed he was left once more with darkness.

After assuring herself that Goku was indeed not hurt too badly and the regeneration tank was functioning properly Bulma fell back into scientific mode and started investigating the empty regeneration tanks and the older model of the regeneration tank the isolation chamber. Taking them apart, trying to put them back together. Just generally doing what she did best. Minutes blended into to hours without her noticing. The sun had long set err she lifted her head out of the inner workings of the regeneration tank.

She would have stayed longer had her stomach not ached out of hunger. Wondering why the Goku was not yet ready to get out of the tank Bulma checked on the controls. He was ready to come out but Vegeta had timed it so that he was not let out till the next morning. 'Now why did he do that?' she wondered out aloud.

'Because the tank blocks the shadows.' Said Vegeta from behind her. Bulma jumped and remembered that she had taken the scouter off.

'I wish you would stop doing that.' grumbled Bulma as she put the scouter back on.

Vegeta snorted, 'Why?' he demanded. 'Are you humans so easy to give heart attacks, too?' He wondered.

'Saiyain's get heart attacks?' Bulma asked a surprised.

'Not usually.' Owned Vegeta, 'But every now and than a weakling manages to get one. It's very rare but it does happen.' He informed her. 'Now are you coming to dinner or not?' he demanded, 'I am famished.'

Bulma grinned as she put on the scouter, 'Lead the way.'

Almost a hour after they dropped out of hyper-solar-wind-propelled speed the crew began to pull into consciousness. Almost to the person everyone thanked whatever deity that came to mind. In essence the only person who was not thankful to be alive was Turles. Drained of his last hope he was driven beyond the point of suicide. He didn't care. He didn't care if he lived, he didn't care if he died. He simply didn't care. 'We shall be arriving in Vegitasei in three days time.' he was informed by the navigation officer.

To tell the truth Turles had no reason to go to Vegitasei anymore. But a the vision had awakened in him a different feeling. He wanted to see his homeworld one last time, though it would not much matter to him if he was not able to see it. With a dismissive shrug he said, 'Keep on course and don't disturb me even if we are end up in a meteor storm.' He said indifferently, got up and left.

'Turles, are you all right?' asked Zarbon concerned. He had never seen him look so, so indifferent.

'Fine. Just fine.' He snapped and left. Zarbon followed like he knew he would.

'You are not fine.' Zarbon informed him, 'Enough is enough. Don't you think its about time you told me what was the matter? Maybe I can help…'

Turles began to laugh almost like a lunatic, 'I did not know you traded in soul Zarbon.' He stated.

'What…'

'You want to know what happened in Rigel five Zarbon than know. I lost my soul.' Said Turles, 'I choice power over my wife and lost my soul. You see no true Saiyain would ever pick anything over their bonded mate. But I did and I lost my right to a Saiyain soul.' Turles laughed again. But this time there was a sad note in his voice, 'No one can help me. I'll wither away and die but before I do I want to see my world.' He turned away. 'Funny it seems like yesterday I couldn't wait to get out of Vegitasei.' He entered his room and the door slid closed behind him. Zarbon remained gazing at closed door for sometime. He knew the truth would be startling. He never guessed it would be this startling.

As the darkness settled in, the sky became a light with a different type of glow. Lightening lit up the sky, thunder rumbled making the palace walls vibrate, a storm was approaching. They were sitting in one of the many rooms of the palace that seemed designed for gatherings. It was very Spartan in its furnishings, consisting of but two large, relatively comfortable chairs and one rug thrown between them. Like many of the other room, it had no windows and was pretty much boxed in save for the door. No doubt a measure necessary to keep the desert sands in the desert. But despite the closed nature of the room the melodic sound of the falling rain reached Vegeta's ears, making him restless to be out.

Bulma's scouter clicked to life as it showed Vegeta moving. A moment more and Vegeta was off the soft rug and his footsteps could be heard on the stone floor. 'Where are you going?' she asked.

'To see the rain.' He answered softly.

'The rain? It's raining? How can you tell?' she asked. Looking around the room to see if there was a weather clock or something of the sort.

'I can hear it.' he said. The door was thrown open. A moment more and Vegeta was out of the room. Bulma followed suit.

Vegeta went to the nearest balcony and looked out. It was raining rather heavily. Despite his Saiyain eyes he could not see very far ahead of him. The curtain of rain hiding pretty almost everything from him. He took in a deep breath. The air smelt clean and fresh. 'It's beautiful.' Whispered Bulma. 'I always loved the rain.' She acknowledged.

'I love it too.' Admitted Vegeta. 'It doesn't rain often of Vegitasei but when it does we cherish every moment of it.' the rain seemed to sing a song as it fell over the desert, bring life to the dry land, attempting to appease its thirst with seemed with one healthy shower. Vegeta could bear it no longer. Bulma whelped as she suddenly found herself lifted into his powerful arms. 'No point in loving the rain from a far.' He said as he took of his scouter and hers, floating out of the balcony into the garden.

'Vegeta, I don't mind getting wet but I really don't want to catch a cold…' Bulma's protest was cut sort as she felt warm water gently soak her body. '…the water its… warm.'

'What did you expect woman?' snapped Vegeta, 'Vegitasei is a desert planet.' He reminded her.

'I still didn't expect the water to be this warm.' She said softly. Making sure her feet touched the ground Vegeta let go of her. At once Bulma began to play in the rain. Kicking of her shoes began playing in the mud. Vegeta smiled. She looked so beautiful. A bright smile on her lips, sparkling rainwater in her hair. Suddenly she stopped. Her back was to him but he still knew that there was a sad cast on her face. 'I wish I could see you, Vegeta.' She said sadly, 'I can feel you are smiling. But I… I…' she turned around and started, 'I can see you.'

Vegeta started and looked down to his hand. He wasn't visible exactly but the water drops stuck to his skin, his body, his hair, showing him to her. the curse was turning the droplets invisible but at a slower rate than they were being replaced by the falling rain. The entire effect was eerily beautiful. 'I… I…' he didn't know what to say.

'It's beautiful.' She said as she walked up to him. Marvelling at him. He looked like a sculpture made of water. Hollow but not empty. The light from the palace bounced of the droplets giving him a faint blue glow. Slowly Bulma laid one hand on his shoulder. 'You are beautiful.'

Without think, without realising Vegeta slipped his hand around her waist and pulled her close. Ardently kissing her. Her hands went around him, too. Slowly, gently he began to lay her down on the ground. The rain intensified, the curtain of water hid them from view of all, save one.

Mithral watched the scene from his tower, high above Vegitasei. A faint smile crept up on his face, 'Yes, yes, yoew!' he screamed as something impacted hard against the back of his head. He turned around and glared at Vegitasei.

'You pervert.' She screamed. 'That just disgusting. Abusing your powers like that.'

'I am not… what are you… did you really think I was saying yes because of that?' he demanded incredulously. 'Don't be absurd. I am a god. If I really wanted to I could conjure up something much, much, much, much…'

'I get the picture.' Vegitasei interrupted. 'Than why were you saying "yes, yes" like that huh?' she demanded.

'Because the are finally getting together.' He pointed out. 'That's enough reason for both of us to celebrate. Want me to conjure up some cappuccinos?' He asked with a smile.

Vegitasei rolled her eyes, 'For a deity sometimes you act really silly.' She said. 'Now give the kids their privacy.' She said with a soft stomp of her foot.

'I take it that's an yes on the cappuccinos.' He said. Just as he was about to conjure them up he noticed the object she hit him with. 'An apple.' He said as he picked up the said apple, 'You hit me with an apple!'

'What did you expect to be hit with?' she demanded.

'The spiked head of a flail. A ninja throwing star. You know something hard and spiky and painful. Not an apple. I mean that just so…' he seemed lost for words.

'Mother nature like.' Offered Vegitasei.

'I was going to say tree-hugging-hippie like but we'll go with that.' he said with a smile.

Vegitasei rolled her eyes. 'You are such a child sometimes.'

* * * * *