#still mad about that. vegeta deserved so much more and no one will never change my mind

[midigated]

I'm probably in the minority with this but I wish the first 3 arcs of Sailor Moon Crystal were a two-part movie series (like they did with Eternal and Cosmos.).

This will probably make the Crystal fans seethe at the mouth bc God forbid anyone has an opinion different from them. But we probably would've avoided a lot of the embarrassing poor animation choices had they turned the material into two-part movies for each arc. They'd have more time to focus on the good bits that moved the story along. They'd have more time to also focus on the animation quality of the movies.

Maybe, as a result, they could've spent more time honing their character designs versus getting better after three FULL seasons of SMC.

Sorry not sorry, the designs in Eternal and Cosmos are way better than the poor attempts to copy Naoko's style that plagued the first 3 seasons of SMC.

[fizzingwizard]

I could cry y’all. Episode 37 was SO GOOD. So good!! It truly felt like a Mimi episode, and it truly felt like Digimon Adventure, in multiple ways. It’s seriously fantastic!

I feel at once super duper relieved that this show is, really and truly, capable of this time of episode, and also super duper confused why, if it could do this, it hasn’t been doing it the whole time??

Anyway, we’ve now had four or five solid episodes in a row, so I’m letting myself feel hopeful again!

This episode is called “Mimi Wars,” but I feel it might be more aptly titled “Sailor Mimi”

In the name of employee rights, I will punish you!

More below!

Okay... so as I was watching this episode, I really got the feeling that they were parodying something again. Like last we had a Mimi episode - far far away in the distant past though it was - when they very obviously parodied Castle in the Sky. That’s twice now Mimi’s been compared with a girl with twin tails, Usagi’s pigtails and Sheeta’s braids xD

Although the poses Mimi uses aren’t exact replicas of Usagi’s, though, so maybe I’m wrong. I got the Usagi vibe from her personality even more, so maybe using the poses would have been considered copyright infringement and so they had to change them a little. Or, maybe Mimi is parodying someone else who also uses dramatic hand movements and talks a lot about justice in spite of being generally clueless...

See the resemblance? XD

But what I REALLY think is going on is, they’re spoofing the genre in general, while also taking it seriously. That’s important. It’s not just a joke here. This is the girl power episode, in a way, and in my opinion, it’s a better girl power episode than the fare I got used to growing up, which went more or less like this:

Guy: *does something with good intentions but inept*

Girl: Ugh! Men don’t respect women!

Guy: I’m sorry, what did I do wrong?

Girl: I won’t tell you because feminism! C’mon girlfriends, let’s assert our confidence as women by going on a girls night out shopping spree and making a bunch of random guys stare in awe at us for no clear reason!

Girls: Yes! This is third wave feminism!

... that was more or less the formula. It was... awkward. I’d like to blame on “those episodes were written by men who think all feminists are angry feminists,” but I think if I went and checked who the scriptwriters were, there’d be some women in there for sure.

What we got in THIS episode is something I’d actually want my daughter to see. First off you’ve got Mimi, who loves pink and pretty things and comes across as a real girly girl, not to mention a bit of a ditz. And the show’s straight up, “but just because you have flaws doesn’t mean you can’t grow into a great person. Also, being girly is not incompatible with being a boss.”

Mimi doesn’t need to be a man, nor does she need to be a hard ass, nor does she need to be especially kind and sweet to soften her orders. All she has to do, according to this episode, is care about her craft, care about quality, and care about worker conditions.

I mean... a show where the girl boss wasn’t a Russian spy in a former life?? A show where the girl boss isn’t a Stepford wife who got where she is by marrying rich and funding her perfume company that way? She’s... she’s Reese Witherspoon in Legally Blonde. She gets to be flawed and girly and fun-loving and bossy and ditzy all at the same time. She loves diamonds - but diamonds are no longer a “girl’s best friend.” Rather, Mimi herself is the diamond in the rough!

This actually makes her a really good set with Sora. Sora continues to be both a tomboy and very sisterly. Mimi’s very girly but very bossy. Between the two of them, they can conquer the world. Of course, I don’t know that the show would take it any farther than they already have, but I’m just happy to see this development for Mimi at all. We had it to a degree in 99 Adventure, and Kizuna took it a bit further by making her an entrepreneur. Reboot Mimi is a remix of that for the 21st century.

*deeeeeeeeeep breath*

so... back to our regularly scheduled programming!

As awesome as Mimi is, she’s not the only one who’s great in this episode. The others get to let their real personalities shine, at least. We needed this episode sooooo bad like 20 episodes ago... le sigh.

Anyway, we start off having mad camp, for some reason (why aren’t they just staying on Komondomon?? whatev)

Food! They’re going to get food! They’re splitting up and making a plan in order to get food!!! I still miss the “food desperation” of 99 Adventure but hey, at least they’re acknowledging that they need to eat.

Sora advises Hikari and Takeru not to go too far on their quest and Tailmon swears like a knight of the round table to protect Hikari with her life.

Taichi: Oookay... note to self: don’t piss off little sister’s hotheaded partner...

Taichi adds that they’re also counting on Patamon, who is just thrilled to go off and play with Takeru.

Tailmon: *BIG SIGH*

Lol I really love that they’re bringing back the old Patamon/Tailmon dynamic where she’s all grown up serious and he’s got the priorities of a toddler most of the time... It’s Black Widow and Hawkeye bahahahaha

We even get to see them COLLECT FOOD what did I do to deserve this they are COLLECTING FOOD IT’S NOT HAPPENING OFF SCREEN I REPEAT IT’S NOT HAPPENING OFF SCREEN

Taichi even has to warn Agumon not to eat the food becaues they’re supposed to be gathering it to share ;___; omg... we actually get on screen proof that Agumon is a glutton??

Then Taichi tries to “help” by shaking the tree and the tree falls and they -

BAHAHAHAHAHA

humor!!! Poking fun at Taichi even!! Over food!! Because he has a klutz for a partner!!! And because he himself was overzealous!! ;_; I could die of Cute.

Sora absolutely shocks me this episode too. I expected she’d just watch Taichi and Agumon drift away with their folly while sighing and shrugging her shoulders or something.

NOPE

She jumps DIRECTLY UP and into the water without a moment’s hesitation, like they’re going to die without her - I don’t even know what her plan is here, she seems to want Piyomon to evolve and pull them out, but why does that mean Sora has to be in the water too?

I think her sisterly instincts just freaked out on seeing Taichi looking wet and confused and clinging to a tree trunk so she just did the first thing she could think of which was “Get to him!!”

Piyomon then fails to evolve, reason unclear, I suppose she’s hungry... they never do eat though so I’m not sure why she can evolve later xD (probably they eat off screen)

But I mean I just love that we got this bit with Sora. I call it freaking out but she doesn’t seem freaked out - she stays calm and seems decisive and takes action - all good things. It’s just hard to understand her thought process xD But it’s all good info about Sora. (again stuff we needed more of AGES ago)

Now I had thought this was all just a funny bit that was separate to the main story, but this is how Taichi and Sora end up washed up in the rocky area Mimi is. This does mean Koushirou, Takeru, and Hikari aren’t much in the rest of the episode, sadly. Not sure why but the reboot does seem to struggle with writing episodes for the whole group.

Like last week, I’m somewhat miffed that, in the end, the main group finds the stragglers instead of the other way around. It’s even worse this time because at least last episode Koushirou told them where he was and they had a reason to go there. This time they have no idea Mimi’s gonna be there and it’s all a big coincidence. On the other hand... I do think Mimi was born under a lucky star, so that explains it. :P

Taichi and Sora suddenly find them selves trapped Gulliver’s Travels style and they’re both immediately like, “Hmm... something about this situation seems very familiar...”

Taichi and Sora: Oh that’s RIGHT we totally forgot that the pink cowgirl we hand out with is also TOTALLY BATSHIT

D’awww. Our future overlord is just so adorable, I don’t even mind when she flogs us in the street

TBH, up till now they’ve woefully underestimated just how batshit she is. And it’s wonderful.

So Mimi has happened upon some poor, disenfranchised Digimon who are being forced to work for an evil boss who collects the beautiful gems that grow in this area. Like in 99 Adventure, Mimi will have none of this sort of crap. Her reasons, though, have evolved with the times:

omg... she voted for Bernie Sanders!

This is how Harry and Ron reacted when Hermione said she was starting a house-elf welfare organization called SPEW.

Though I joke - like I said before, even though Taichi and Sora are rather mind-boggled by Mimi’s mood swings and fits of passion, and there’s definitely humor there, Mimi herself is not a joke here. We are shown strongly that, however in the clouds her head might be, her heart is not only in the place, it’s also already internalized the fact that people don’t always get treated well in the real world and it’s up to those with power to ensure that are protected.

I mean. At this point, I’m going, “Sorry but ISN’T MIMI THE REAL LEADER IN THIS SHOW?!?!”

Of course she does have another, less lofty motivation... she really likes pretty stones.

Buhahahaha.

Mimi’s names are as creative as they are incredible, just like her. Taichi and Sora have trouble keying in with Mimi due to how changeable she is, but they never talk badly about her or reject her. They never try to wrest leadership from her either! Taichi might think Mimi’s names for the stones are over the top, but sort of sidesteps it and just goes along with her plan.

Reason #14567876867867 why I love Yagami Taichi: when someone else is the leader, he can be a follower. And he’ll be the BEST follower. Keep reading to see why.

The story of how Mimi befriended the enslaved rock Digimon here is pretty much how Goku became besties with Vegeta.

Men communicate their hearts through their fists! Or swords, depending on the anime. ANOTHER AWESOME SUBVERSIVE MOMENT FOR MIMI - she’s now even got cliche shonen hero tropes assigned to her!

Taichi and Sora, like I said, don’t try to change Mimi’s mind - they’re actually touched by her strong feelings about workers’ rights and her desire to help her new friends -

Taichi: Wait... what?

Sora: Well, she’s still a ten year old girl.

The rock Digimon show their allegiance to Princess CEO Mimi. They don’t even mind having their names and identities stripped away and being reduced to numbers on an Excel spreadsheet...

Taichi: I hate Excel.

Sora: I do too, but I’m more impressed that she remembers the numbers she gave us back in episode 6.

Taichi: Impressed? More like filled with a sense of impending doom

Only Taichi seems to understand Mimi’s unique power bahahaha.

But back to what I said earlier, about Mimi being the real leader: I don’t know if the show’s gonna keep doing anything with this at all, but I really like that they didn’t NOT do this in order to ensure Taichi’s the only leader. (I mean, Yamato’s so far not made much of a bid for leadership so he’s been pretty uncontested thus far. He also hasn’t had to do all that much leading given how often the group is separated... but I digress)

I love the idea that Taichi can step back and let someone else take the reins when they’re best suited. Which Mimi is, due to her easy ability to make friends and gain trust. Mimi had this ability in 99 as well and it was used in the final battle to muster the troops, so to speak. It ought to have been a bigger deal but wasn’t since she missed most of the final battle :/ But I loved that “social, able to make friends” wasn’t some stupid “Girls talk too much” trait, it was actually something that was useful. This is a great place to take that with the reboot.

At the same time, while Mimi and Taichi both have similar leadership traits, there are places they diverge that potentially make them leaders for different situations. Taichi’s pretty cool and strategic even in emergencies. He was more of a hothead in 99, but Mimi’s always been quick to anger. (And quick to cool down.) As we’ll see in this episode, that’s sort of where Taichi’s true ability lies: he’s serious, determined, strategic, and reliable as well as brave. But this is Mimi’s episode, and Taichi isn’t going to get to be the hero anymore than he (almost) was last week with Koushirou. Because more than one character can have positive leadership traits! Hallelujah.

Quick nip over to Komondomon and the others - Koushirou’s group is going to try to find them, but Komondomon falls asleep. Oh noes. I wish someone (Koushirou) would ask, out loud, “Gee, what are these strange symbols that appear when we communicate via digivice? Do they mean something? How were they assigned?” I really thought we’d get a hint what with all the conveniently colorful gemstones this episode, but still nope.

My girl looking like a BAMF!

Mimi explains her plan to her servants employees. She is surprisingly artistic!

Sora plays the role of bait to create a diversion while Greymon digs a tunnel to get to where the gems are stored. Mimi congratulates herself on a job well done.

Taichi: A job well done? Who d’you think has been doing the work here?

Greymon: That would be me.

Taichi: Right, right I was going to say you >.>;

So we do see bits of Mimi’s self-centered side as well - she’s not perfect, but who is? Taichi just lives with it. Mwehehehe.

... will be fired! LMAO

No. 72 is Taichi, btw. Mimi gave up calling people by their names for Lent.

Taichi: Lent’s not for over a month.

Mimi: It’s never too early for religious sacrifice.

Taichi: And you’re not Catholic.

Mimi: I celebrate Mardi Gras.

Taichi: yOU JUST LIKE THE COSTUMES AND KING CAKE

He’s miffed and he.... just lives with it. Again. xD

It’s hilarious. And adorable. I love both that 1) Mimi is an awesome boss while being, in fact, rather bossy, and that 2) in spite of being a boss type himself, Taichi not only listens to Mimi, but he totally indulges her like he’s her older brother or something x’D He wouldn’t be out of line for saying “I have a name you know!” On the other hand, I guess he knows her well enough to understand that she doesn’t mean anything by it, and... there’s no stopping her when she gets like this :P

Feel the wrath of Tachikawa Mimi!!!

So Mimi’s plan has worked so far, and she’s got everyone listening to her despite her questionable business practices, and then she... suddenly rushes off in another direction.

Taichi: That’s it, I am through being her personal assistant if she’s just going to change the plan on a whim!

Taichi: ... I don’t want to see her get hurt or be sad though...

Greymon understands Taichi’s heart ;___; and enables him to go after Mimi. I don’t really get why it’s wise to split up given that Taichi can’t fight big rock Digimon without his partner... x’D So I’m going to chalk this up to, Greymon understands that Taichi is, at his core, the team Dad. He’s got to be allowed to worry and check up on the kids, even when it’s not so advisable. Awwwwwwwww.

Indeed, Taichi doesn’t get to be the hero this ep, but small moments like this give us waaaay more character development than always being the hero!

Fortunately Mimi does have her own partner and she’s not afraid of the enemy’s rock hard abs. :P

They make it into the storage center for all the gems. IT’S SO COLORFUL. Ten year old men is squeeing just like Mimi.

Come on!! She’s holding yellow/orange topaz and purple amethyst! It could be the material for Taichi or Takeru’s and Koushirou’s crests! (I always liked fire opal for Taichi though xD)

Taichi’s been promomted!! To chief pack animal x’D Just because it’s a cool name doesn’t mean that’s what the job is, Meems.

Taichi’s just like, “I think I’m too young for that position.” Bahahaha.

He’s going to be carrying her books to school before long.

Then something big and hard hits Taichi in the head!! He freaking starts to cry, it hurts so bad!!

Taichi: Owww! Omg I think I got a concussion from that! Help someone call an ambulance!

He was hit in the head by a diamond, which Mimi loves. So she goes off on a monologue about how much she likes diamonds. She never asks him if he’s okay x’D

Taichi: Don’t worry about me, I’m fine, not that you asked or anything.

Mimi: Please, everyone knows your head is already harder than diamonds.

Taichi: ...

The pile of gems looks like Fruity Pebbles. Mmmmm

It turns out the mastermind of this whole operation is Gogmamon, who is the bastard child of Gogmagog I assume :P He eats the gemstones as well as Gotsumon for power. He then produces the diamonds?? I didn’t quite understand if he was spitting out the diamonds because he didn’t like them, or he was creating them inside him when eating and then spitting them out like... diamond turds...

...

they’re diamond turds aren’t they >__>

Mimi is not interested in big business bulldozing the mom and pop shops and small upstarts. And she hates sweatshops! She is pro-Fair Trade all the way! And she will yell it in your face!

Taichi: It’s the yelling part that I’m having trouble with.

Mimi: A good speech from the boss is what keeps up employee morale!

Taichi: Yeah, that’s less true when the boss is about to be gobbled up herself...

Golemon and Togemon try to fight Gogmamon and this results in Golemon falling to pieces.

Taichi: Are you okay?

Golemon: My HEAD was knocked off, but sure I’m doing JUST FINE -____- little brat

Taichi stands protectively in front of Golemon’s head. Lol. He’s thinking of strategies... perhaps regretting rushing after Mimi and leaving his own partner behind...

Mimi joins him and Gogmamon finds her a formidable opponent in the war of words. Gogmamon argues that all the rocks, all the Digimon, everything here belongs to him and him alone! And Mimi brilliantly counters with:

“Fuck that! They belong to ME!”

x’D He just like... under his breath... “she admits that’s how she thinks of us...” hahahaha... I laughed out loud...

It might not be 3D but this is an excellent evolution sequence xD I haven’t said so yet but the animation in this episode was good! Good for the show anyway. It was smoother than usual despite some mechanical-like mouth movements and more than that, it had character and expression!

okay important question everyone: Taichi = Kermit, Mimi = Miss Piggy... discuss??

So Gogmamon has a pretty cool-sounding attack, “Curse Reflection.” I have often complained that the villains we fight and get new evolutions with aren’t that scary, but Gogmamon not only seemed pretty formidable (if not the smart, I mean he does have rocks for a brain), he also had a good story build up. My one disappointment in this episode is that the ending is so fast and Gogmamon so easily dealt with. This would have been a good time to introduce Rosemon (like how last week would have been an appropriate time for HerculesKabuterimon). But in both cases, we’re definitely supposed to take away at least that these guys are almost there... Anyway yeah, I would have liked a tiny bit more meant to the resolution but.

So here’s ANOTHER cool thing! Taichi notices that Gogmamon rejects the diamonds, and realizes they’re the key to defeating him. But he doesn’t just tell that to Mimi. He asks her “Did you see that?” And guess what - she did!

So even though the show couldn’t resist telling us that yes, Taichi would have been able to handle this situation - it doesn’t even let him give Mimi a hint towards victory. She figures it out for herself! The most we can say he does is point out the diamond, but she understands the implication and is able to use it against Gogmamon through her own intellect.

TAICHI DOESN’T MANSPLAIN Y’ALL. HE’S NOT A MANSPLAINER. HALLELUJAH AND PAST THE PEAS!!

Mimi is very influenced by her hardworking, CEO grandpa, Tachikawa Genichiro, who’s taught her things about business and things about values, and it really reads as if she’s the one who will inherit the family business - like she’s the family investment. You know, the role that traditionally only falls to sons. That’s changed with the world, and apparently Tachikawa Genichiro-jiisan is totally on board with his granddaughter being more than just a pretty heiress!

... btw what are they making...

“You’re fired!” Mimi yells as Lillymon takes Gogmamon down x’D kill me I love it

Like last time (and it sure was a long time ago that we saw it ;_;), the aftereffects of Lillymon’s powers is plants start growing everywhere. This is such a cool effect, I don’t get why it’s not used more. Right now I feel like Mimi/Palmon are the best set in the show.

(I did think it was funny when Mimi gives the diamond to Lillymon to use against Gogmamon and Lillymon acts like Mimi’s making this huge sacrifice since she loves diamonds so much. But 1) it wasn’t the only one, and 2) they were spat out by Gogmamo! that’s gross! that’s got to cut into the value! hahah)

The others finally catch up and the day is saved. Golemon is an employee for life now. Awww.

AWWWWWW.

I gushed about all this before so I won’t repeat myself, but yeah, I’m so happy with this episode.

Lol Sora and Taichi have accepted their places in Mimi’s world, in the end. They might have numbers instead of names and their boss might change her mind about things every five seconds, but other than that it’s a pretty nice gig overall.

Again the art, so sweet. This reminded me of Miyako yelling to Mimi about how she wants to be like her when she grows up in 02 so I capped it.

And I absolutely love this little play on words since it’s in English! Wow!

SO CUTE. How did a Mimi episode kick every other episode out of the water? Scratch that, we always knew Mimi was fantastic. A shojo hero for the 21st century.

Well I said a ton and this is really long now so I’m gonna assume you all get my thoughts on this episode. 9.5/10, really awesome, totally unexpected but perfectly suted to Mimi. I’m so so happy this show seems to have figured things out and remebered that it’s supposed to be freaking Digimon Adventure, it seemed like it forgot for a while there. I just hope we haven’t wasted too much time on those more lackluster episodes, I want so many more stories like this one.

Next week looks like another winner:

OK, that concept is hilarious x’D I’m so sorry. But also, leave it to Yamato and Gabumon to get the tragedy episode.

The mood maker will be this guy! I’m totally psyched for Yamato and Jou. Taichi’s been important in the past two episodes even though they were centered on Koushirou and Mimi, so I wonder if/when he’ll be involved this time? Or maybe it really will be just Yamato and Jou - my dream combo?? I can’t wait either way.

DID NOT CHECK FOR TYPOS! See y’all next week.

[elisajdb]

Life With You: XXIII

Part Twenty-Three:

 Namek: Part Two

  Son Goku had a bad feeling. For six days, Goku trained, ate and slept. Other than King Kai contacting him to let him know Yamcha, Tien, Chaozu and Piccolo arrived on his planet, Goku cut himself off from everyone. He didn’t need distractions. With six days before he reached Namek, Goku needed to focus all his energy on training. Vegeta was on Namek. Other beings stronger than Vegeta were on Namek. They were all enemies to his son, Bulma and Krillin. There was a strong chance he will have to fight them all and to do so, he had to be in the best shape possible in the shortest time possible.

 Goku spent all his waking hours focused on fighting and breaking the ceiling of his strength. He didn’t let himself think of anything other than training and getting stronger. He didn’t think of his wife or his son and now he was regretting that.

 ChiChi was safe on Earth. She already fretted about Gohan. Now that she knew there was a reason to worry with Vegeta and these stronger aliens on Namek, he imagined she was frantic. The good news is ChiChi had her father and now Aki to calm her worries. Still, he knew he will hear it from ChiChi when he returns. He let Vegeta go. Now he’s on Namek with Gohan. If he hurt Gohan or worse….

 He will deserve whatever ChiChi did to him Goku reasoned. He made a calculated risk and now their son was in danger because of it.

 Gohan. How did he manage these six days? Was he able to avoid Vegeta and the others? Krillin will look out for Gohan but Goku wasn’t sure it will be enough.

 Krillin. Bulma.

 Last time he saw them, Goku wanted them to leave his room. He was so angry with how they treated ChiChi and the secrets they kept from him. Neither came back to his hospital room. What if that was the last time he saw them alive? They were his friends. He was upset with them but he didn’t want their last parting to be on bad terms. Perhaps after all this, things will be better between them.  

 Two minutes until landing on Planet Namek. Two minutes until landing on Planet Namek.

 The ship entered Namek’s atmosphere. Two minutes. It felt like two hours as the ship descended from the sky.

 Boom.

 A tremble reverberated through the ship at the firm impact.

 Finally, he was on Namek.

Goku stood at the entrance as the ramp slowly lowered to the ground. He felt for the different Ki on the planet, hoping his son and friends were nearby. Whoa! Goku inwardly shivered as he felt the strongest Ki on the planet. It was higher than even he expected.

 “That must be that Freeza guy King Kai warned me about.” He was alone. Good. That meant Gohan wasn’t near him. Goku picked up another strong Ki. “I can’t believe it. There are some strong guys here.” If Gohan and Krillin encountered them, Goku knew they would be in serious trouble. Goku stretched out his senses, searching for Gohan and Krillin. Where were they? Even with the big Ki of the bad guys, he should be able to find them.

 There!

 Goku could feel three large Ki together. With them, were two small, familiar Ki.

 “Gohan! Krillin!” No wonder he had trouble finding them. “They’re almost dead!”

 Gohan.

 His son was near death. Goku gripped his fists tightly. He had no idea he was cutting it so close! “Stay alive, Son. Daddy’s coming more powerful than ever!”

 Goku flew from his ship with the speed of lightning. Get to Gohan. Get to Gohan. That was the only thing on his mind. He zoomed past three strong beings before landing in front of the frail body that was his son.

 Gohan. What happened to you?

 Gohan’s twisted right leg was clearly broken given the way it was turned from the rest of his body. His face was bruised and bloodied. His eyes were glazed over. His chest barely moved.

 Does he even know I’m here?

 “Gohan,” Goku softly called to his son. Over a month ago, he hugged his son goodbye in the hospital. Gohan was happy and full of hope and determination to achieve his goal on Namek. Now he was near death.

 “Goku.”

 Goku spotted Krillin lying on the ground unmoving. He waved to his friend. “Krillin, I’ll bring you some senzu right away!”

 Goku pulled out a senzu bean from his bag and knelt by Gohan. He gently cradled his son’s head and placed the bean on Gohan’s lips. “Gohan! It’s a senzu. Eat it.” Gohan didn’t respond at all. He didn’t turn his head to his father’s voice; didn’t blink his eyes. Goku’s fingers gently caressed Gohan’s neck. “No good. His neck is broken and he’s barely breathing.” He spoke so calmly Goku found that strange. His son was beaten near death. He should be enraged; boiling mad but he was calm.

 “Gohan,” Goku smiled at his son. “Daddy’s gonna feed the senzu bean to you.” Goku opened Gohan’s mouth and gently placed the bean in. “Just relax and swallow.” He chuckled. “I haven’t fed you since you were a baby.” He gently massaged Gohan’s throat as he forced the bean down.

 Gohan suddenly blinked. The color on his face returned, the open wounds on his face and body closed. On his own, Gohan turned his neck and smiled. Seeing his son return to life nearly made Goku’s heart burst with joy.

 “Daddy!” Gohan threw his arms around Goku’s neck.

 “Gohan,” Goku returned the hug.

 Their hug was brief. Goku broke away to examine Gohan. “Daddy,” Gohan’s eyes were on Recoome, “be careful! Th-they’re…..”

 His son was shaking in fear. To the five-year-old, these aliens were unbeatable monsters but Goku knew better. These aliens’ strength was nothing compared to his. “Don’t worry about them, Gohan. Let me look at you.” Goku double checked the senzu bean’s work on Gohan. He brushed off the dirt on his clothes. “It’s not Mommy’s way of cleaning but it’s the best I can do.” He laughed. “She’d kill me if she saw you like this.”

 Standing Goku led Gohan to follow him to where Krillin laid. Goku glanced at a dumbfounded Recoome as they walked by him. “So, you really had a tough time with that big guy?”

 “Yeah,” Gohan bowed his head embarrassed. “I couldn’t do anything to stop him.”

 Goku looked over to Vegeta resting on his knees and clutching an arm. He looked like he had a rough time, too. Goku thought Vegeta and the other three aliens were allies. Gohan explained how Vegeta and the other three were enemies and how even he couldn’t stop Recoome. That left Goku with more questions.

It would take too long to get the answers from Gohan and Krillin so Goku decided to read Krillin’s mind. Goku wasn’t sure it would work but ever since he completed his training under one hundred times gravity, Goku felt different. He felt more in tuned with his instincts. He wasn’t sure if it was his Saiyan heritage but something changed in him. Maybe ChiChi was right that he had to accept his heritage. Doing so opened things dormant in him. So, following his gut, Goku placed a hand on Krillin’s head and read his mind. He learned Bulma was safe, how Gohan and Krillin’s strength had risen so greatly in nearly two months and why Vegeta worked with them. Vegeta was still rotten and even though he helped Krillin and Gohan, Goku had a score to settle against him. So, Goku tossed Vegeta a senzu bean expecting to fight Vegeta after he took care of Recoome, Burter, Jeice and Freeza.

 Goku knew his actions were startling to his son, Krillin and Vegeta. Part of him questioned it, too, but Goku was very confident in his decision. Training under one hundred times gravity had Goku reaching a power he never thought possible. As he walked to Recoome, Goku questioned his newfound arrogance. Goku always had confidence but not on this level. Was this part of accepting his Saiyan heritage?

 Look at this fool. Maybe he could easily defeat Vegeta, Gohan and Krillin but not me. Heh. He’s almost not worth my time. Him and his friends.

 Whoa. Goku wondered where that came from. This type of confidence wasn’t him but he liked it and he wanted to show off his skills. He’ll be kind and give the Ginyu Force a warning. They’ll refuse which will give Goku free reign to embarrass them.

 After avoiding a swing from Recoome, Goku swiftly left the battlefield to land behind Burter and Jeice with a friendly warning to give up. As expected, they didn’t which thrilled Goku. He felt so much stronger now; he exceeded his expectations. It’ll only be a small percentage of his power but what he will reveal, will have the Ginyu Force trembling in fear. Goku couldn’t wait to show off.

 Perhaps pride had something to do with this growing arrogance. His confidence was rattled when Raditz knocked him down with one kick in front of his son. When he fought Vegeta, Gohan had to return to help him. Gohan saw him completely broken and defeated. It really bothered Goku Gohan saw that. Gohan was told by his mother and grandpa he was the strongest in the world. ‘No one can defeat your Daddy. He’s the strongest person in the world,’ ChiChi would tell Gohan. It felt like a lie to Goku. Twice Gohan witnessed him fighting and he was soundly defeated.

 For once, he will live up to the validations his wife and father-in-law filled in his son’s mind. For once, he’ll see how strong Daddy is.

 After these two, I’m going after their leader and then I’ll take care of Freeza. There should be time for me to have my rematch with Vegeta. I’m so much stronger now than when I left Earth. I could be the strongest in the universe. Heh. Maybe I am.

 ***************************************************************

 Bulma leaned against the wall of her rocky hideaway. She gazed at the green Namek sky reflective. Gohan and Krillin just left with the dragon ball radar. She thought those two made the wish already. When she checked the radar, all seven dragon balls were together. They didn’t stay long to explain what’s happening but Gohan did say something that nearly had her heart bursting.

 Goku had arrived on Namek.

 With him on Namek, Bulma knew everything will be all right. He always came through to save everyone. Yamcha was her boyfriend but with Goku, Bulma felt safe. With Goku, she felt protected.

 “Little Son Goku. Who’d thought he’d become the ultimate power? And me always fighting with Yamcha who is my boyfriend.”

 Goku. Yamcha. Goku. Yamcha. Goku. Yamcha.

 Bulma smiled at a floating cloud. It looked like the face of Goku as a child. Bulma pictured how Goku look now: tall, strong and handsome. For a moment, Bulma imagined herself with Goku and not Yamcha.

 “Did I blow it?”

 They were friends since she was sixteen. He saved her life more times than she can count. She owed a lot to him, but he was a child and too blind to notice the great beauty that she is. So, she drifted to Yamcha. He wasn’t as strong as Goku but he was handsome, her age and shy which she found extremely cute and extremely frustrating. Sometimes she wanted Yamcha to take charge. When it came to fighting, he did. Yamcha was ready to help with the Red Ribbon Army. Yamcha was ready to fight at Baba’s Palace. When it came to them intimately, Yamcha was weak. She invited him to live with her. Her parents never refused anything she wanted. Bulma wasn’t expecting to have sex but a little innocent kisses didn’t hurt. Only it never happened. After a month living with her, Yamcha left to prepare for the tournament. Their first kiss came nearly a year later and she had to initiate it.

 It bothered her Yamcha put training for the tournament over her. It bothered her he didn’t do anything about that fan club that came after the tournament. Yamcha didn’t create it but he never stood up to those girls and never told them he was off limits. He got all shy and tongue tied. Bulma hated that. She wanted a strong man who would resist temptation and not freeze up.

 Goku wouldn’t have that problem. He refused her when she offered him to touch her butt in exchange for his Grandpa’s dragon ball. She knew Goku would resist any woman trying to seduce him. Goku had everything when he got older: height, looks, strength and even a little fame which never affected him. He only needed the perfect woman on his arm. Her.

 She tried and failed miserably.

 “My treat, everyone,” Bulma told the group as they entered the restaurant.

 “About time,” Oolong groused. “You’re the richest person here and every time we ate it was either Master Roshi or Tien treating us.”

 Bulma smacked Oolong on his head. “I didn’t see you volunteering to pay, you freeloader!”

 Oolong stuck his tongue out at her. “I don’t have a rich Daddy like you.” That earned Oolong another smack.

 Puar laughed at Oolong while Bulma noticed Goku stepping away from her to take a seat. She saw Krillin pulling up the seat besides Goku. Bulma nearly sprinted. As soon as Krillin pulled out his chair, Bulma dropped in his seat.

 “Thank you, Krillin. That was very nice of you.” She winked at him. “You’ve turned into a gentlemen in these three years.”

 “Uh….well….” Krillin stuttered. “I, um…..” Bulma smiled sweetly at him. She was almost daring him to say something. Goku hadn’t noticed as he was reading the menu. “Never mind.” He took the empty seat beside her.

 “Order anything you like,” Bulma told Goku. “It’s my treat. You deserve it.”

 Goku had gained a reputation at this restaurant over the years. Seeing him here, the manager sent three waitresses to serve and take orders. Two waitresses placed glasses of water before everyone while another placed bread baskets around the table. Goku studied the menu as one studied a book before a test.

 “Goku, you’ve really grown up.” Bulma’s blue eyes swept over him. That cute face. Those strong muscles. “You’re actually kind of cute now.”

 Goku didn’t look up from the menu. “There are so many choice! I think they added some new items!”

 Bulma frowned. Didn’t he hear her? A beautiful woman was complimenting him. He should be appreciative but Goku was so blind when given compliments. She had to think of another way to get his attention. She touched his arm. “What was---“

 “I’m ready to order!” Goku suddenly yelled. The waitress closest to Goku approached with her pad and pen. “I’ll start with two orders of each item on this page and three on this one.”

 “You’ll start?” Goku nodded with a wide grin across his face. “Uh, okay, sir,” the wide-eyed waitress jotted down his order and took the menu from Goku.

 The waitress left leaving Bulma a chance to talk to Goku. “So, Goku---“

 The second waitress screamed. All eyes turned to the blushing waitress who had her hands her butt. She stood next to Master Roshi who was drenched in the pitcher of water that was dumped on him.

 “My hands slipped,” Master Roshi explained to the groans of nearly everyone.

 Bulma rolled her eyes. She was annoyed at the constant interruption. She turned to speak to Goku again only to see him stuffing his face with the bread from the breadbasket. She resigned to giving up talking to Goku. When he ate, all that mattered to Goku was the food. It didn’t change as a kid and it didn’t change now with him as an adult.

 Bulma thought after the tournament she would talk to Goku. There should be no interruptions then. She thought the tournament will end peacefully as it did at the 21st tournament. Bulma never expected ChiChi to show up and remind Goku of a promise he made. She never thought he would fly off with ChiChi and not see him again for five years.

 “Did I blow it?” Bulma asked herself that question again. What if she tried harder to talk to Goku? What if she talked to him after they left the restaurant? What if---

 We’re wrong. He’s still married; whatever Goku has going on with ChiChi is working for him to be happy and snap at us for how we treated her.

 “What if I’m wrong? Would we have really worked out?” Goku was always leaving. He left to search for his Grandpa’s dragon ball. He left to train alone. It always infuriated her when Yamcha left to train. How would she deal with Goku when he always did that? He was always leaving them. In their time together, Bulma could only admit they spent a few days together before going their separate ways for months and even years.

 Bulma smiled wistfully. Oh, she was so foolish and blind. “Goku has a good son. He spent five years alone with his wife and son without a thought about us. Maybe I didn’t blow it. How can I blow something that wasn’t meant to be?”

 Goku belonged with ChiChi and Gohan. She didn’t understand Goku’s relationship with ChiChi but as Krillin said, it worked for them. Goku found his forever. Perhaps it was time she finally did the same. Maybe it was Yamcha. Maybe it was someone else. Either way, she’ll find him.

 ***************************************************************

 I can’t go home. Not like this. ChiChi will kill me. Damn. I let my new power go to my head.

 “Whoa!!” Goku yelled as he lost control of flight. He plummeted several feet before pulling up at the last second to avoid crashing into the ground. “Damn. It’s still hard getting used to his body. If I’m having trouble, Ginyu must be, too.”

 If he had known letting Jeice get away would cost him his body, Goku would’ve stopped him. Maybe Vegeta was right. Maybe he was being too lenient. ChiChi got on him about that when he let Piccolo and Vegeta get away.

 ChiChi.

 If he returned in Ginyu’s body, what will she do?

 She’ll kill me. There’s no way she will touch me in this body. That moment in the hospital will be the last thing she’ll ever do for me!! What if she divorces me? What if she doesn’t cook for me anymore or…..

 What if she divorces me and marries Kaifun? He always told me I would screw things up between me and ChiChi. What if this is it?

 No! Goku decided! No. No. NO! He wasn’t going to let that happen. No matter what he will find Ginyu and get him to switch his body back.

 ***************************************************************

 “It’s been six days. Goku should be on Namek now.”

 “Yeah. After they get the dragon balls and make their wish, Goku will play around and stay a few days exploring Namek. It’ll be another adventure for him.” ChiChi rolled her eyes annoyed. After being stuck in the hospital for almost two months, she knew Goku will treat his time on Namek like a vacation.  “I know he’s telling Gohan to ignore his homework.”

 “Homework?” Aki laughed. “How does Gohan have homework? He hasn’t been in school in a year.”

 “I gave him lessons to do. Gohan has a year to catch up. When he gets back, Gohan will be enrolling in school and Goku will be settling down and getting a permanent job.”

 Aki nearly spat up his drink. “A fulltime job? Goku?”

 “He needs structure just like Gohan, Aki.” ChiChi rose from the kitchen table with a few empty dishes in hand. “I thought it was fine to let Goku not work a regular job as long as he did something to bring money in. I know training is important to him and after that fight we had….” Six years later and that fight still bothered her. ChiChi placed the dishes in the sink. “I think I gave in too much too soon. Maybe if I stuck to my guns and made Goku focus on something besides fighting maybe he wouldn’t have been so restless in the year before his death. Maybe he wouldn’t have made some of the reckless decisions he’s made all for another fight.” ChiChi sighed knowing what that would’ve done to Goku and their relationship. “But it wouldn’t have made him happy. I don’t think it was time to be that firm on Goku but now….” Again ChiChi let the words hang. “I have to do something. Our life has been disrupted for a year. I need to get it back on track. When Gohan returns, he’s going to school and he will socialize with kids his age. He’s not gonna be hanging around irresponsible adults and a monster who hates his father. His father needs to be a full time family man. A job will do that.”

 Aki agreed a little more structure might do Goku some good except there was one problem. “What kind of job can Goku get?”

 ChiChi shrugged. “Not a nine to five job. He’ll need something to keep him physically active all day but enough to bring money in. The side work he’s done over the years isn’t enough anymore.”

 “It’s gone? All of it?”

 ChiChi tied the string to the new ball of yarn. It was a good thing she bought another yarn ball otherwise she wouldn’t be able to finish this sweater for Goku. “Yes, Goku. With you dead, there wasn’t money coming in. I could’ve gotten a job but I was trying to find Gohan. Without the bulk of our money going to our groceries, I had enough to live on for a while. When we reconciled, Dad asked about the money and I told him I was running low.” She sighed, hating herself. “I didn’t want to take it. It was meant to be temporarily until you came back and Dad didn’t need to give me a lot but with your medical bills…..” She nearly had a heart attack when she saw what the bill came to after a month. “We’re gonna be leaning on Dad more than I thought. I don’t wanna keep leaning on Dad for money, Goku. Dad has a kingdom to rule, people to care for. He doesn’t need to support us, too.”

 Goku understood that. ChiChi told him she wanted to be independent of her Dad; she wanted to show she and Goku can do it on their own. For years they have. “When everyone comes back, I can go back to fishing and selling lumber. It’s no problem.”

 “That’s not enough anymore.” ChiChi looped her knitting needle on the new string. “Gohan’s growing up and he’s eating more. He’s also gonna need more things now that he will resume school. With your appetite, too, fishing and lumber aren’t enough. At least not with the load you bring in.”

 “Then I’ll increase it.”

 ChiChi shook her head. “It’s not enough for you. You need more structure. I think you need to do something else. You were so restless before you died. Maybe if you had something else to keep your attention….”

 Goku shrugged. “I don’t know what that will be but I trust you to come up with something as long as it doesn’t interfere in my training.”

 Aki rose from the table with his empty glass and plate. He placed the dishes in the sink. “Have you come up with something?”

 “I have some ideas.” ChiChi scrubbed the dishes. “Goku better enjoy all the fun he’s having on Namek because when he returns, he’s going to work.”

 ***************************************************************

 It was finally over. Goku couldn’t believe it. Freeza was dead.

 This was the toughest fight he ever endured. There were moments he didn’t think he would win this one but somehow he pulled out a victory. There were many sacrifices that led to this moment. All the Namekians. Vegeta.

 He hated Vegeta’s guts; he was responsible for the death of his friends, double crossed him when he ditched him with Captain Ginyu and Jeice and yet he, Krillin, Piccolo and Gohan bought him enough time to recover in the medical tank.

 Even in his final breath Vegeta gave him words of encouragement; told him the truth of his people. They was more to them being bad, ruthless killers. They were enslaved and following the orders of Freeza. The pillaging of innocents on their home world were Saiyans following Freeza’s orders. As payment for their loyalty, Freeza killed them all.

 It left Goku feeling hopeful. Maybe his parents weren’t bad people. Maybe if Raditz wasn’t forced to serve under Freeza, he wouldn’t have become the wicked person he met on Earth. Seeing Vegeta cry, hear him beg Goku to be a Super Saiyan; be the one to kill Freeza left Goku finally willing to accept his heritage. Being a Saiyan wasn’t something to be ashamed of. It was something to be proud of.

 Vegeta, thanks. Maybe your troubled soul will finally get peace.

 As for him, Goku was ready to go home. It was a bittersweet victory. The people of Namek were innocents caught in the crossfires of a battle against a tyrant. They lost their lives but with Piccolo back it meant Kami’s alive and they could resurrect their friends. Perhaps they could come up with a plan to bring some of the Namekians back. He’ll talk to Kami about that.

 Right now all Goku wanted is to go home and eat ChiChi’s home cooking. He wanted to hold his wife; be intimate with her. He wanted to take Gohan fishing and camping. He wanted to recapture the life he had before this whole mess started.

 Goku affectionately rubbed Gohan’s head. “How about we go home? With my ship, we’ll get home in about five or six days.”

 “Yeah!” Gohan pumped a fist in the air. “I’ll see Mom again!”

 Goku grinned. Well, Gohan definitely had a different opinion towards his mother now than when he left. It was good. He liked that. Maybe this experience on Namek taught Gohan what was important. After a poor joke about Bulma being scarier than Freeza that left his body aching from laughs, Goku leaned on Krillin. He was in good spirits for a moment before everything suddenly turned into a nightmare.

 Freeza surfaced again. Twenty times Kaio Ken. The Spirit Bomb. Nothing could stop him. Goku could barely stand. How can he stop this monster? Was it even possible? When Freeza raised his hand, Goku knew he was his target and there was nothing he could do.

 Piccolo intervened taking the bullet for him. Once again, his former enemies were making sacrifices for him. Unlike Vegeta, Piccolo was still alive. He needed to stay alive if they wanted to revive Yamcha and Tien. Chaozu died once and couldn’t come back. Piccolo needed to get back to Earth now. That meant Goku needed to make the ultimate sacrifice and stay on Namek. Even if meant his death, he was going to stop Freeza.

 Sorry, ChiChi. At least you’ll have Gohan.

 “Run you two!” Goku told Gohan and Krillin. “My ship is close to where I first found you. Get Bulma and get off this planet!” Krillin tried to get Goku to reconsider. His friend knew what Goku staying meant. Goku knew what it meant. Maybe this was how it was suppose to be. Maybe the last of the full bloodied Saiyan was meant to die here. All Saiyans wouldn’t die Goku vowed. Gohan was getting off this planet.

 “GO!!!” Goku screamed. “You’re in the way! Do you all want to die?!”

 Freeza’s laugh was chilling as he went after his next target. Krillin. Krillin was pulled from Goku’s side and shoved in the air. Goku begged Freeza to stop. Freeza responded with a laugh and a closed fist. Before a horrified Gohan and Goku and joyful Freeza, Krillin’s body exploded.

 Krillin. His best friend blew up before his very eyes. Goku shut his eyes at the dust and smoke and what was left of Krillin falling around him. Krillin was dead. He died already so that meant he could never come back. Krillin, who looked out for Gohan against the Saiyans, against Freeza’s crew on Namek was gone. Goku thought of their last experience on Earth; the hospital when he asked them to leave.

 We never got to….I never talk….

 “Who’s next?” Freeza asked. “The brat?”

 My son.

 Going after Piccolo and Krillin weren’t enough, Freeza wanted to kill his son, too.

 Something awakened inside Goku. He felt this prickling of anger before. He felt it on King Kai’s planet and in the hospital. Then he was able to squelch it. Now he couldn’t control this dam inside that wanted to burst free. This power….. this anger….. it was overwhelming. He needed this. If it could help him defeat Freeza he wanted it. Whatever it takes, he will do anything to stop Freeza.

 It was frightening and intoxicating. This thirst for blood; this desire to kill was magnetic. It was exciting.

 This rush. Is this what Raditz warned me about? Maybe he was right. My blood is boiling with excitement. This power. I need more. I need this to kill Freeza.

 “I won’t let you…. get away with this!” Goku snarled.

 I will kill Freeza. I want to kill him. I want to throttle the life out of him!

 He felt like a beast awakening from a long nap. This power was amazing. It seeped into every pore of his skin. It consumed him. There was a tiny voice in Goku that told him to resist but Goku ignored it. Resisting was weak. Resisting wouldn’t make him strong enough to kill Freeza. Like Vegeta said, he had to stop with this sentimentality. He had to be a true Saiyan to stop Freeza. Goku understood that now. No more resisting and denying his heritage. He was no longer a Saiyan raised on Earth. He was a Saiyan. He came from a proud race of warriors. His family and his friends will call him Son Goku but to his fellow Saiyans, living and dead, he is Kakarrot.

 Feeling the peak of this new power, Goku roared as a metamorphosis took over him. He couldn’t see himself but he felt different. This anger pulsing in him was overwhelming. Rage consumed him. He wanted to destroy Freeza but he also wanted to destroy everything around him. This new power command it and if his son was in the crossfires, so be it.

 NO!!!

 What was wrong with him? He couldn’t hurt Gohan. This rage was dangerous. It took over his body. Now it wanted to take over his mind. His body shook as Goku struggled to gain some control. He had it right now but it was fleeting. Before he loses it and gives into the bloodlust burning in him, he will send Gohan away. He had to get Gohan off this planet. Not only for his safety but for his friends. He needed to buy time for Gohan to get to Earth with Piccolo. He was barely alive but maybe there was something on his ship that could treat his wounds.

 “G-Gohan…..” he could feel his control slipping. This rage was so powerful. He couldn’t stop it. “Take Piccolo, Bulma and go back to Earth. He’s barely alive.”

 Instead of picking up Piccolo and leaving, Gohan stared at him stuttering. This enraged Goku. He didn’t have time for Gohan to be panicking. He’s a smart child. He should understand what’s at stake. Did he have to smack his own son to knock some sense in him?

 “GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE WHILE I STILL HAVE SOME CONTROL OVER MYSELF!!!”

 Gohan jumped and rushed to Piccolo’s side. Finally, the boy was listening. Goku turned to Freeza. If Freeza tried to make one move towards Gohan, he will kill him. Funny, he actually wanted Freeza to advance on Gohan. It will allow Goku to release the rage boiling in him. Freeza’s stuttering shock at his transformation was thrilling. Finally, this bastard will have a taste of his own medicine. Goku was going to enjoy making Freeza pay for the terror his evil created. For all the Saiyans who were forced to work under him, for his parents, for all the Namekians he killed, for killing Krillin, Goku vowed to kill Freeza.

 Dammit! What’s taking Gohan so long?! He should’ve left by now. I might have to smack his ass to get him moving.

 “Hurry, Gohan! If Piccolo dies, then Kami will, too. You know what that means.” Gohan didn’t answer. From the corner of his eye, he noticed Gohan on the ground with his arm around Piccolo, staring at him. What the fuck is taking him so damn long to get out of here?! Damn boy! Wait? Could he…. “Never mind me. I will get back to Earth after you.”

 “But how?” Gohan questioned. “If I take your ship….”

 Goku blood pressure spiked. Dammit to hell! This boy is defying me? “Dammit, boy! Don’t you talk back to me! I’m your father! Do what I say or I’ll make your ass pay when I get back to Earth!”

 The threat got Gohan moving. He picked up Piccolo and flew away. Gohan stole one last look at his father. He memorized his strong profile; the bright blonde hair; the determined look on his face. He understood. “Thank you, Daddy.”

 Gohan turned away from his father and didn’t look back. He had a mission to accomplish. Get Bulma and Piccolo back to the ship. Get off Namek and make it home alive.

 I know you will beat Freeza, Daddy. I know you will come back to Earth. Mommy and I will wait for you.

 ***************************************************************

 Son ChiChi felt she was being kept in the dark again.

 When Dr. Briefs called ChiChi to let her know everyone returned to Earth, she was happy. The Namek adventure was over. Goku and Gohan were back home; Goku’s friends and Piccolo were revived. Finally, they can resume their lives.

 As she drove to West City, ChiChi had a bad feeling. Why were they back so soon? Goku should’ve arrived on Namek yesterday. If the roundtrip is twelve days, then everyone wouldn’t be back until next week. When she rode with Dr. Briefs in his ship to where Bulma called him, he confirmed Goku and everyone should’ve returned next week but reiterated Bulma called him to say they are here on Earth.

 It should be a good thing everyone was home but ChiChi had a terrible feeling something was wrong.

 “Look! There they are! I see Bulma!” Dr. Briefs waved at his daughter.

 ChiChi went to the front of the ship and gazed out the window. It was a bit of déjà vu. She was in a ship similar to this when they picked up Goku and Gohan. ChiChi hoped she wouldn’t find her husband and son in the same condition. ChiChi spotted Bulma waving, signaling her Dad to land. ChiChi didn’t see her husband and son but she saw a lot of people that looked like Piccolo. Where was her husband and son?

 “Who are all those people? Where are Goku and Gohan?”

 “Probably among the crowd,” Dr. Briefs guided his ship in for a landing. “Don’t worry. They should be there.” Dr. Briefs opened the back ramp. It wasn’t fully opened before ChiChi zoomed out the ship.

 “Goku! Gohan!” ChiChi screamed. Frantically, ChiChi looked among the sea of Namekians for her husband and son. Where are they? “Gohan! Goku! Where are you?” Desperate, ChiChi grabbed a Namekian. “Have you seen my husband and son? Their names are Son Goku and Son Gohan! Do you know where they are?”

 The nervous Namekian shook his head. “I never met Son Goku but there’s a child named Gohan here.” He pointed to his right near a tree. “I think he went that way.”

 ChiChi released him. She ran in the direction the Namekian pointed. “Gohan?! Gohan, where are you?” As she neared the tree, ChiChi saw movement. ChiChi ran faster. “Gohan!” Her heart nearly burst when she saw Gohan peek his head from behind the tree.

 “Gohan!” ChiChi scooped her son in her arms. “You’re back!!” She planted several kisses on his face. “I’ve missed you so much!”

 Gohan wrapped his short arms around his mother’s neck. Though scared his mother will yell at him for not doing his homework, Gohan was happy to see her. When he was set back on his feet, his mother examined him. “What are you wearing? Where are your clothes? Where’s your backpack? You didn’t do any homework, did you?” ChiChi looked around at all the Namekians. “Who are all these people and where’s your father?” She looked around growling. “Is he hiding from me because he left for Namek without telling me?”

 Gohan rubbed the back of his neck. He, like Krillin, overheard Bulma’s conversation with Master Roshi. He knew his mother was unaware of what happened on Namek. Then he didn’t question whether it was right or not but now he thinks his mother should’ve been told. It would’ve made things easier when he tell her what happened to Dad.

 “Mom, there’s something you should know.”

 That tone from her son. Something was wrong. “What….. what happened, Gohan? Where’s your father?”

 Even though his father was dead and can be revived with the Namekian dragon balls, it didn’t make it easier on Gohan to tell his mother the grim truth. “Daddy sent me away. He had to fight Freeza and he sent me away to save me.”

 Fighting Freeza? Save him? Her son wasn’t making sense. “What are you talking about, Gohan? Who’s Freeza and why is your father fighting him? I thought things were peaceful on Namek. The people were helping you find the dragon balls.”

 Gohan shook his head. This was really hard to explain. He wished Bulma didn’t stop Master Roshi from telling his mother the truth. Wasn’t he too young to be telling his mother this? Shouldn’t an adult tell his mother what happened? “We got stranded on Namek. We weren’t the only ones searching for the dragon balls. There was an evil monster name Freeza who wanted to have immortality. Freeza and his group killed the Namekians. He even killed Vegeta who worked for him.”

 ChiChi’s immediate reaction was denial. Gohan was mistaken. She couldn’t have been left in the dark about this. They wouldn’t do this to her. Not again. “If the Namekians were killed, how are they here?”

 “They were revived using the Earth’s dragon balls. A wish from the Namekian Dragon transported us here.”

 ChiChi placed a hand on her forehead. She had to take a moment to process this. She couldn’t believe this was happening again with her and Goku’s friends. “And Daddy stayed on Namek to fight this Freeza person.” Gohan’s confirmation angered ChiChi. Goku was probably enjoying this fight and taking it too lightly like he did with Vegeta. It didn’t matter if this Freeza person is evil. ChiChi suspected Goku stayed to fight so he can have a good fight. Looking around, ChiChi spotted Bulma with her father, many Namekians and…. “Where’s Krillin? Did he stay behind to watch Daddy fight Freeza?”

 Gohan shook his head. “No, Mom. Krillin is dead. Freeza killed him.”

 ChiChi gasped, “What? Krillin’s dead? Krillin?” No. No. This couldn’t be right. She knew how close her husband and Krillin were. There was no way Krillin was killed. That would mean he couldn’t be wished back. Goku would never allow Krillin to die. “Are you sure? This is Daddy’s closest friend.”

 “I saw it, Mom,” Gohan’s voice trembled. “Freeza hurt Mr. Piccolo and he killed Krillin. He blew up his body in front of us.” Gohan suspected his mother didn’t like Krillin. His mother didn’t seem to like any of his father’s friend but the shock on his mother’s face left Gohan wondering maybe his mother didn’t hate them like he thought. “Daddy changed, Mom. He turned into a Super Saiyan, he got really angry and… and he yelled at me.” ChiChi put a hand over her mouth. Gohan knew why his mother found that shocking. The only times Gohan recalled his father yelling at him happened during his fight with Vegeta. It didn’t bother him then but the anger in his father’s voice when he turned into a Super Saiyan, his threat to him….. it scared Gohan. “He wanted me off Namek. Bulma and I were on our way back to Daddy’s ship when we suddenly arrived here. Daddy defeated Freeza, Mom, but the planet Namek blew up and Daddy was on it.”

 “No….” ChiChi fell to her knees. This can’t be true. “Goku’s dead,” she whispered as tears sprung from her eyes. “He died again?”

 “Yes, but it’s okay.” Gohan smiled, hoping to make his mother feel better. “The Nameks will let us use the dragon balls to bring Daddy and Krillin back. They’ll be here in 130 days.”

 The news should’ve made ChiChi happy but she was numbed. Goku was dead. Again. A week ago, Goku was alive and with her in the hospital. Now he was dead and died in a horrible way: blowing up on an exploding planet. Her last memories of him were saying goodbye before going to the mall. He sent her off with a smile, hoping she’ll bring some food back to him. ChiChi returned to find Master Roshi waiting for her and Goku’s bed empty. Master Roshi told her Gohan had landed safely on Namek; the Nameks were helping him find the dragon balls. Yarijrobe brought senzu beans for Goku and he rushed off to Bulma’s house. ChiChi went there, hoping to catch Goku but Dr. Briefs told her she just missed him. He didn’t tell her the truth about Namek either. He lied to her just like Goku’s friends did a year ago.

 It made her angry. All this time she thought her husband and son were enjoying themselves on Namek. She had no idea the danger they were in. “No one told me this. Your father knew you were stranded and he knew about this Freeza character on Namek, didn’t he?” Gohan didn’t say anything so ChiChi pressed, “Didn’t he, Gohan?”

 Gohan nodded. “Yeah. Daddy and everyone else knew Krillin, Bulma and I were stranded on Namek.”

 Everyone?! All of Goku’s friends knew the danger her husband and son were in except her?! She’s Goku’s wife, Gohan’s mother. She should’ve been told before anyone. “Why wasn’t I told this?”

 “Bulma,” Gohan confessed. “Bulma told Master Roshi to not let you know.”

 ChiChi’s blood boiled. Goku’s friends. She was reaching her wits end with them. ChiChi pulled herself to her feet and marched to Bulma. Luckily, Dr. Briefs stepped out of the way to avoid ChiChi’s wrath as she screamed in his daughter’s face. “Why wasn’t I told about this?!”

 Bulma feigned innocence. “Told what, ChiChi?”

 “That my husband and son were in danger on Namek! Everyone knew except me!”

 Oh, great. She knew. Leave it to Gohan to snitch on her. “ChiChi, you would’ve panicked. I was waiting for the right time.”

 “Oh, so you think there’s a right time besides immediately that I should be told my son was stranded on Namek and my husband left to get him and deal with Vegeta and this Freeza character?!”

Bulma took a step away from ChiChi. The woman looked ready to fight her. “What good would it do for you to know? You couldn’t get to Namek. You would’ve been worrying for nothing.”

 ChiChi’s fists clenched. It was taking every fiber in her being to not strike Bulma right now. “Maybe if you ever have a husband and child, Bulma, you will understand! It doesn’t matter if they were in danger and I was powerless to do nothing, I should’ve been told! This entire time, I thought my husband and child were having fun, my child not studying like he should and their lives were in danger! What kind of friend are you to Goku to leave me out on something like this?!”

 “It felt like a right idea at the time,” Bulma tried to apologize. “It was a mistake.”

 It was after they are caught Goku’s friends saw their actions as a mistake. It was never before and she was always the one who had to suffer for their mistakes. “I hope one day you marry and have a child. I hope one day they are in danger and all your friends know except you. I hope it happens because maybe then you will understand how angry, disrespected and betrayed I feel right now!!”

 ChiChi turned on her heels and marched off. The Namekians, Gohan and even Dr. Briefs stood in silence at what they witnessed. Vegeta was the only one smirking and shaking his head clearly amused.

 ChiChi and Gohan found a spot in the back of the ship. It kept her from most of the Namekians which is what she wanted. She didn’t have any animosity towards the Namekian. She wanted a spot away from everyone so she can talk to Gohan in detail about his time on Namek. She noticed Piccolo step on the ship. She was genuinely surprised to see him until she remembered Gohan mentioned something about Piccolo being hurt by Freeza.  

 “Gohan, I want you to tell me everything. Start from when you landed on Namek to when you left.”

 Bulma was already on board doing a head count. When she noticed a passenger was missing, Bulma stepped to the ramp of the ship. She leaned out and yelled. “Hey! Aren’t you coming? You don’t have a place to go. Get in! You’ll have a free room and as much food as you want. All you have to do is promise not to kill anyone.”

 ChiChi looked at the open ramp puzzled. “Who is Bulma talking to?”

 “Vegeta. He was revived.”

 “Vegeta?” ChiChi nearly screamed. “He’s alive, too?”

 “Freeza killed him so he was revived with the dragon balls, too.”

 In all that’s happen, ChiChi realized she never met Vegeta. She never met any of these Saiyans. She heard the pound of footsteps as someone stepped on the ramp. She watched with interest as Vegeta finally stepped in. ChiChi eyed the Saiyan Prince, taking in what another Saiyan looked like. In truth, he was shorter than expected. Goku had several inches over him. His hair had spikes and defied gravity like Goku’s. His hair was black, too. ChiChi wondered if all this were traits of a Saiyan.

 Vegeta sat in a corner; away from the Namekians but across from ChiChi and Gohan. Arms crossed, he looked away from them. When the ramp closed, Bulma sent a side glance at Vegeta before walking to the front. “That’s everyone, Dad. Let’s go.”

 ***************************************************************

ChiChi was mentally exhausted when she and Gohan stepped into their home. Gohan had a horrible time on Namek. Goku was dead again but will return in 130 days. She didn’t understand what Gohan was talking about when he described Goku turning into a Super Saiyan. Maybe she’ll find out more about that when he returns.

 “I want you to get out of those clothes and clean up,” ChiChi told him as she entered the kitchen. There were a couple of pots on the stove. She flipped on a few knobs. “I was preparing lunch when Dr. Briefs called. Ooo,” it suddenly hit her. “I’ll need to make more now you’re home but I better call Dad first.” When ChiChi picked up the phone, she noticed Gohan still standing in the room. “Gohan, go clean up.”

 “Um,” Gohan gazed at his mother while twiddling his thumbs. “Could you do it?”

 “What?”

 “Could you….” he licked his lower lip nervously; his cheeks were turning red, “could you start my bath?”

 ChiChi lowered the phone. Almost two months ago, Gohan told her he can do it. “You said you can do that now. Remember?”

 Gohan lowered his head. He remembered. He remembered saying a lot of things to his mother he now regretted. “I was wrong. I want you to do it. Please?” he begged. “Could you make it hot like you always know how to?”

 ChiChi knelt to Gohan. She touched his chin and gently raised his face. His eyes glinted with tears. “All right.”

 Gohan nearly knocked ChiChi back as he suddenly wrapped his arms around her neck. “I missed you so much, Mommy! I was so scared! I was scared Daddy wouldn’t make it in time. I was scared of Freeza.”

 ChiChi held her son as he cried. Her poor baby. What he saw on Namek; what he experienced. It wasn’t something a child should go through. How she wished she could’ve protected Gohan. Silently, ChiChi wept for Gohan’s loss of innocence, his suffering and how nothing will ever be the same.

 ***************************************************************

 ChiChi tried to make things as normal as possible for Gohan. Gohan couldn’t get out of bed for a week. He wasn’t injured but mentally he shut down. While on Namek with all the horrors going on, there wasn’t a time for Gohan to process everything he saw. Gohan witnessed Namekians be killed by Freeza’s men. He buried some of them. He fought members of Freeza’s gang. The one named Recoome was very troubling. A couple times ChiChi rushed to Gohan’s room. He screamed Recoome’s name in his sleep. He told her he fought him until his father arrived but ChiChi had a strong feeling something happened in that fight that traumatized him. He didn’t tell her everything in that fight. Gohan didn’t have nightmares only about Recoome. He screamed his father, Krillin and Freeza’s name in his sleep.

 For a week, ChiChi brought Gohan his meals in bed. She prepared his baths for him. An hour or two a day, the two strolled through Mount Paouz. Most times they were quiet with ChiChi occasionally talking to stir up a conversation with her son. Gyu-Mao visited nearly every day to spend time with Gohan. He distracted his grandson with toys and board games.

 By the second week, Gohan joined ChiChi in the kitchen for their meals. He was reading and working in the workbooks she bought. In his current state, Gohan wasn’t ready to go to school. She still prepared his baths but ChiChi didn’t mind. She was happy to see progress in Gohan from the previous week. Gohan opened up more on their daily walks. He was smiling and laughing again.

 Over the next month, ChiChi and Gohan found a nice balance and felt a sense a normalcy returning. They made it through the holidays together. It wasn’t perfect since Goku wasn’t there but the two got through it with happy thoughts. ChiChi even surprised Gohan with a trip to West City to spend time with the Namekian he befriended named Dende.

 With the New Year approaching, ChiChi wanted to stay home. Gyu-Mao encouraged her to come to the village and celebrate. ChiChi was reluctant but Gohan’s pleading convinced her they should go. ChiChi wore a pretty purple and white kimono in floral prints. Gohan wore blue and black checkered kimono.

 After dinner with her father, ChiChi and Gohan joined the rest of the villagers on the streets for the New Year’s celebration. She chatted with Aki and his very pregnant wife while Gohan played with kids from the village. ChiChi was very happy to see Gohan so playful and engaging with children his age. Maybe this night out was what he needed; maybe it was what they both needed.

 With time growing close to release the lanterns, a tradition for the people in ChiChi’s village, ChiChi shopped at a booth deciding which lanterns will be perfect for her and Gohan. This brought fond memories for ChiChi as she recalled her and Goku shopping for lanterns at this same booth. She loved their first New Year’s together. She was pregnant with Gohan. They made wishes on the lantern, watched the fireworks and celebrated the New Year in a way that still made her blush.  

 “Hello, Miss ChiChi.”

 ChiChi winced. That voice. That sharp tongue from that shrew of a woman. Mrs. Niver. Ever since her father fired her, she heard and seen very little of the woman. Just the way she said her name, addressed her by that title had ChiChi’s blood rising. She exhaled trying her best to keep her temper in check.

 ChiChi turned to see the short, old woman glaring up at her. Was this woman ever happy? “It’s Mrs., Mrs. Niver. I am a married woman.”

 Mrs. Niver snorted. “I haven’t seen your husband around in over a year. I think Miss is appropriate. I would call you princess but you prefer to not go by that title. In light of your husband’s absence, perhaps you should change that.”

 ChiChi clenched her fists. This woman. No tact or class at all. “My husband isn’t absent. He’s away on a training mission.”

 The old woman snorted. “You’ve been saying that for over a year. Kaifun heard from Aki Goku was in the hospital recently. Mr. Olitz confirmed this, too, when he visited. Last time they saw Goku, he was in a body cast. Are you saying Goku left the hospital to train again instead of recovering at home with his wife and son?”

 “I don’t have to explain my husband’s decisions to you.”

 “You don’t,” Mrs. Niver agreed, “but I don’t appreciate being lied to. Our people deserve better from the King’s daughter.”

 The audacity! “And what do you mean about that?”

 “You’re lying to us. You and our King are protecting that no good husband of yours. He abandoned you and Gohan!” Mrs. Niver tsk with a shake of her head. “It’s such a terrible insult, too. After welcoming him in our village, after showing him nothing but kindness, he walks out on his family. He had nothing and you and King Gyu-Mao gave him everything! He was never worthy of you!”

 What little patience ChiChi had left was quickly dwindling. “Goku did not abandoned me and Gohan.”

 “Then where is he?” Mrs. Niver wanted to know. “For a whole year we’ve not seen Goku or Gohan. I heard Gohan was here months ago but not your husband. Why? Goku always appeared at the festivals and New Year’s celebration. If he’s well enough to ditch his family to train, he’s well enough to come here if he wanted, too. The sad truth is you’re protecting him and you don’t want to admit the truth: Goku abandoned you and his son!”

 She spoke so loudly everyone nearby heard and waited for ChiChi to say something to dispel Mrs. Niver’s words. ChiChi wasn’t naïve. She heard some of the whispers and speculation on Goku’s long absence from the village. Telling the truth wasn’t an option but she had to say something to stop the gossip.

 “Goku did not abandoned us! Goku is training on a very important but difficult skill he wants to master. It will be completed very soon. Goku will return in six weeks and he’ll be here to enjoy the Spring Festival with all of us! So stop it!” ChiChi growled at the woman. “Stop it with your gossip and petty words towards my husband! My father kicked you out of his castle for your venom towards my family! Do you want to get banned from the village, too?!”

 Silence ticked by as Mrs. Niver considered ChiChi’s words. Villagers looked on curiously, too, at the exchange. “Humph,” the old woman snorted. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”

 “You’ll see it,” ChiChi promised. “Goku will be here.”

 “That’s enough, Grandma.” Kaifun approached the two. “Grandma, why don’t you join Dad? He’s found a perfect spot for us to watch the fireworks.”

 Mrs. Niver scowled at her grandson. A warning look from him prevented her from saying what’s on her mind. Snorting, she walked away.

 “Sorry,” Kaifun apologized. “Grandma doesn’t know how to control that mouth of hers.”

 ChiChi turned from Kaifun and focused on the lanterns. All she wanted was to pick them out and find a quiet spot alone for her and Gohan. The old woman already ruined her mood for the New Year.

 “I won’t pry in why Goku’s not here, but if you need a friendly ear, I’m willing to listen.” The look ChiChi gave him. It could kill and Kaifun didn’t blame ChiChi for feeling murderous after dealing with his grandmother. “I really want to be your friend.” He smiled. “You don’t have anything to worry about. Hasn’t Aki told you?”

 “Aki doesn’t mention you in our conversations.”

 “Yeah, I guess he wouldn’t.” Aki was friends with him and Goku. To keep the peace, Aki limited the conversations about the men in each other’s presence. “I have a girlfriend.” He chuckled at the surprise on ChiChi’s face. “My date at Aki’s wedding. We’re still together.”

 “Oh.” That was surprising. It was a good but surprising. “That’s good. I’m happy for you.”

 “Right.” He suspected she would be. Goku especially when he learns. If he decides to return from wherever he is. “You don’t have to worry I’m gonna make a move on you. I know my place and I have someone now.” ChiChi had her back towards him as she selected her lanterns. Before she could hand over money, Kaifun dropped the bills in the merchant’s hand. “I got it. It’s the least I can do after Grandma.”

 ChiChi was reluctant to accept Kaifun’s generosity but she didn’t want to cause a scene rejecting him either. “Right. Well, thank you.”

 ChiChi turned to leave but Kaifun gently grasp her arm. “Goku…. he’s really coming back in six weeks?”

 “Yes.”

 From Kaifun’s silence, ChiChi suspected he didn’t believe her. He released her arm. “Well, for your and Gohan’s sake, I hope he does.”

 ***************************************************************

 This was a happy day. After 130 days Goku was coming home. Bulma called last night to let her know the dragon balls were ready and they will be using them tomorrow. She discussed it with the Nameks. They will use the first three wishes to bring back Goku and Krillin’s souls to Earth’s check in station since they died on Namek, the second wish will revive Goku and the third Krillin. In another 130 days, they will use the three wishes to bring Yamcha, Tien and Chaozu back to life.

 ChiChi had been preparing for this day for a while. She marked off the days on the calendar. She went shopping at a special boutique for clothes she will wear to celebrate Goku’s return. To get celebrations started, ChiChi decided to wear the underwear portion under her clothes and tease Goku about it the rest of the day until they were alone. Once alone, she will ravage him.

Everyone was in good spirits as Porunga towered over them like a magical genie. ChiChi stood in the front with Gohan. When Goku’s revived, ChiChi wanted his family to be the first ones he see. She was so excited! She could barely contain herself. In a few moments, Goku will be here.

 “Summon the souls of Son Goku and Krillin who died on Planet Namek!” Bulma made the first wish. Dende translated the wish to the dragon.

 “I have summon the soul of the one called Krillin,” Porunga’s powerful voice boomed, “But I cannot summon the soul of the other.”

 ChiChi’s heart dropped.

 “What?! Why not?!”

 ChiChi thought her voice had moved to demand why her husband’s soul couldn’t be summoned but Bulma was the one to voice what she thought.

 “I cannot summon the soul of one who is still alive.���

 Alive? Goku’s alive. He didn’t die on Namek when it exploded! Again ChiChi couldn’t find her voice to speak. She was overwhelmed Goku didn’t suffer another horrible death. While her son, Oolong and Puar celebrated Goku’s alive, ChiChi wondered why Goku hasn’t returned to Earth.

 Bulma wondered the same thing. Gohan guessed Goku’s spaceship was broken. That was possible but where was he? Was anyone helping Goku get home? Bulma made the second wish to bring Krillin back to life. With a poof, a confused Krillin suddenly appeared. After applauding Krillin’s return, Bulma made the final wish to bring Goku here.

 Happy tears sparkled from ChiChi’s eyes as Dende translated the final wish. Goku was finally coming home! ChiChi told herself to be respectful to Goku. She’ll smile and welcome him back with kind words. Maybe she’ll hold his hand. Oh, who was she kidding? As soon as Gohan got his hug from Daddy, she was mauling Goku like she did after he won the tournament.

 “He refuses.” Porunga spoke to the waiting crowd below him. “Son Goku said he will return on his own.”

 Everyone froze in stunned silence. Return on his own? What did that mean?

 “Why?!” Gohan asked Porunga.

 “I know!!” Master Roshi jumped in screaming, “He doesn’t want to go home because he’s afraid of his wife! Now we know who is the real strongest in the universe!!”

 ChiChi’s shock quickly melted to anger! Here she receives stunning news her husband, whom she thought died, whom she pined for months, was alive and didn’t want to come home. Before she could deal with this blow, this rude old man, emotionally kicks her in the heart with his horrible words. She didn’t care if he was Martial Arts master who should be respected. This old man has done nothing but lie to her. He misled her about the circumstances over Goku’s death. He lied to her about the events on Namek. He’s lied, insulted and disrespected her; the wife of his best student.

 ChiChi had enough. She noticed a Namekian near her had a sword on his hip. Gohan told her Namekians were watching a lot of TV. This morning some were reenacting a swash buckler film they watched.

 ChiChi snatched the sword off the Namek and before she could sliced the old man’s head open, Master Roshi grovel, “Just a joke. I was kidding.”

 Just a joke? It was insulting and he knew it! He only backtracked his words because she was going to attack him. He meant every word. Just like Goku’s friends. Bulma only showed regret for not telling her what happened on Namek after she was confronted. These people….. All she wanted was to be a good wife and mother to Goku and her son. All she’s gotten from her husband’s friends were insults, lies and disrespect.

 He didn’t care what he said was hurtful. He didn’t care she was crushed her husband wasn’t returning; that she had to wait for who knows how long for his return. He didn’t care at all. Did Goku care she wondered. Did Goku care what his decision did to her and Gohan?

 As everyone contemplated what Goku’s refusal to come home means and what they should do with the third wish, ChiChi’s heart broke.

 Goku….how could you?

 Part Twenty-Four: The Long Wait

 AN: It’s interesting on Namek Bulma questioned if she blew her chance with Goku. Though she harbored feelings for Goku, it was on Namek I believe Bulma came to the conclusion she and Goku didn’t have a chance and that’s all right. Being friends was enough and it was time for her to find her forever either with Yamcha or someone else. In the Commander Blue Saga when Bulma and Krillin thought they were gonna die in the underground cave Bulma admitted she hasn’t received her first kiss. At the time, she and Yamcha were together for almost a year. Why???

 When Goku fought Recoome, Jeice and Burter, he was swimming in confidence. Goku had pride in himself but that training on that ship definitely opened a part of Goku that he kept dormant and when he transformed into a Super Saiyan, he really broke free.

 I don’t usually tie my other stories to this one but the reference of Goku and ChiChi celebrating the New Year is in reference to Just the Two of Us: Part Three

[ibitchytimemachine]

Chapters: 53/? Fandom: Dragon Ball Rating: Explicit Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con Summary:

With Earth destroyed, Bulma and the Z gang find themselves in an outer space guerilla war against a tyrant. The mysterious Vengeance seems to be the only hope to win the war against Frieza, but teaming up with him brings its own set of problems.

 AU, ensemble cast but with focus on BV. Several other pairings (m/F and m/m) and non-romantic relationships get significant screen time.

While Vengeance often appears to be a light-hearted, funny story, there are darker elements running through several storylines. Warnings of non-con are for isolated incidents and don't reflect the story as a whole, but explicit descriptions of sex, violence, and general depravity are contained within these chapters.

Of all the Vegebul fics I have read, this one is easily my favorite. It has nuance, gives (almost) every character full and rich motivations and story lines. You find yourself rooting for the oddest pairs and weirdest people. I can not recommend this story enough, and if you wanna read my thoughts on it, lets dive into spoilers below the cut! 

So this story has something for everyone. You want thick well thought out and executed plot? DONE! Humor? DONE! Large cast of characters, both canon and OC who are all pretty well flushed out? DONE! Smut? Name your poison, chances are, its in here. There is so much about this story that I love that I am struggling with exactly the best way to organize my thoughts. So instead of agonizing over it, instead I am just gonna throw away all my careful notes that I have taken during my read and just freaking ramble! 

I think the first thing that people are a little put off on is the rare pair of RaditzXPuar. I will tell you that I 5,000 percent ship these two and it is all because of reading this fic. I love it so much that I MAY have even taken some time to draw my own fan art for the pair, but lets just leave THAT in the vaults xD When Raditz first encounters Puar, he is NOT a cat. Puar is in a Human form and is shifted to be Bulma. Raditz immediately is attracted to Puar’s scent and when they later encounter each other in a bar and end up ( ͡ᵔ ͜ʖ ͡ᵔ ) Ray is still just enamored by Puar’s scent. Whenever we see Rays POV in-between the time that Ray has fucked Human Puar, and the time that Puar is discovered, Ray keeps catching scents of the cat. And it drives him fucking wild. He later says that he is so crazy for Puar that he was about to fuck a houseplant cause it reminded him of Puar. Beyond that we get the backstory on Bonding and that basically Saiyans bond to a mate kinda at random so Ray has basically taken Puar as his husband. Raditz is really a great lover, there is a relationship imbalance between the two, but Ray doesnt take advantage of it. Its really a pretty healthy relationship. Puar gets jealous of some stuff, Ray gets WAY jealous of stuff but they always seem to talk it over. Shit at one point Ray dreams of having kids with Puar, and he is swiftly reminded that Puar is a MAN and will never be and never wants to be a WOMAN. 

A huge part of me feels like this Puarditz pairing is commentary on identity, self acceptance and love. Ray is constantly telling Puar that he doesnt care what his body looks like (except that he is excited to see Puar has a tail), only that it is Puar that he is in love with. It is only Puar Ray wants, no matter if he is a human, cat, plant, screwdriver or anything else. Puar talks about how he feels weird in his cat body, but it is his natural form and he wants to change and be bigger, more menacing, or just different. And I think we can all appreciate that sentiment at some point in our lives, but I can also see this as a low key message about trans acceptance and its fucking beautiful. Hell even Bulma tells Puar that he should take whatever form he is most comfortable in and basically fuck everyone who disagrees. I love that message and I love this pair - fight me. 

I really want to talk about another pretty complex character in this fic, Zarbon. He struggles with so much shame and negativity in this story. He hides behind his good looks and his hair, and when that shit gets cut off, Zarbon is a completely different man, it is shedding his old evil skin and literally growing into his own as a new man, a better person, and you start to care about him. His time with Frieza has basically ruined his ability to have any sort of healthy relationship - friend or other, because he resorts to sex for just about any close relationship he has. The FIRST person he meets after being rescued from Frieza, he starts bedding. Hell he promises a pity fuck to Burter for rescuing him, and come on.. I have never wanted a Burger sex scene more than when I was reading this fic. No really... Catgirl has a way of making you root for just about everyone... I think  that besides the slavers, the only character I HATE is Frieza, and thats pretty cool. AND Speaking of Frieza, shit hes a bad dude in this story. There aren't many POVs of him, and we see a lot of Frieza through Zarbon, Vegeta and Burter, but the POVs after Zarbon escapes and Frieza is trying to replace him is she fucked up shit. You really see his madness when he is sitting in the bloody tub stroking the hair of the dead attendant wishing it was Zarbons. He repeatedly states how much he gave to Zarbon, and how he basically loved him, but then you see him torture the poor man, sexually assault him, and generally just be a complete tyrannical asshole to him. 

The way the Nameks are handled is really cool. I love the nod to canon with them living with the Briefs on Red Station, I love watching Dende figure out how to lead, and struggle with his followers. I love how he makes the decision to room with Gohan as a way of bridging the gap between the Namekians and the Saiyans. The decisions Dende makes shows that he is dedicated to moving forward and not being stuck in the past. But you see him still struggling with things in the past, Zarbon for example. it is hella tense for a while when he first comes aboard because Dende feels Zarbon is responsible for the demise of his people, and Dende seeks out others help and advice on how to manage his feelings. He gets several peoples views and chooses what he thinks is the best, just like a good leader would. He even attempts to make Piccolo feel more welcome in the Namekian contingent of beings on Red Station.

Nappa is a super important character for the beginning of the story. He is the voice of Saiyan past and he advises Vegeta, wether he takes the advice or not. Overall he is the Father figure Vegeta needs (a common role for him) but he tells Vegeta and Raditz about bonding and Gohan comments that it sounds like LOVE. Nappa has some really shitty moments with Bulma, but overall I really like the sweet peeks into his head, when he thinks about his dead wife and babies, or when he tears up about the thought of Bulma and Vegeta having “little princes” of their own, is just heartwarming. And the attraction to Momma Briefs is cute and funny and provides so much ammunition for Bulma to hate Nappa (and boy do they hate each other)

I kinda hate how K18 gets treated in this story, and part of that is how long it takes for 18 to come about, and another part of that is the fact that the story isn't finished. I feel like 18′s android qualities are REALLY played up, which isn't a bad thing - great characterization in fact... but poor Krillin deserves so much better than being mounted with no foreplay and then immediately being engaged... Now I will say that I really like both of these characters in this fic, just wish things were finished cause their relationship has so much more to explore. 

I have both love and hate the Vegebul relationship dynamics in this story. They obviously care for one another, but the relationship seems super unhealthy... there is really no talking, relationship building going on in story. a LOT of fucking sure, but it almost feels like these two banter, fuck but don't really know one another.. and thats kinda sad.. I like that part of a Vegebul fic. Bulma is legit scared of Vegeta on multiple occasions and even in the last published chapter Vegeta looks at her and thinks that she is a monster just like him. And hell with her improvements to the Ki Circlet, she probably is. I will say that their smut is A++ fantastic, it is real, sometimes it is awkward (when they fuck in her lab it is both hot and funny) and there is always a mention of safe sex. 

With all the time spent on, pretty much everyone, including 2 OCs, it is sad that 17, Dr. Briefs and Tien don't get a little more love. They have very very brief scenes peppered throughout the story, and they just seem like after thoughts.. Shit Roshi and Oolong have more impact on the story than any of these three do and thats just a bummer. I am gonna say that maybe they have parts in the unwritten bots of the fic, but who knows if it will ever be updated, much less finished at this point. 

This story is fantastic. I can not recommend it enough. The relationship dynamics alone are fantastic, never mind the fact that Catgirl is FUCKING FANTASTIC at showing not telling, but even when she tells it is impactful. She has a wonderful grasp of character voice and each POV feels like it is actually that characters POV, told through them, not through the lens of a narrator. There are some amazing quotes in this story, some are just funny, 

Others.. Not so much.... 

These are a bunch of misfits thrown together, fighting to survive, and ultimately building a home. Hell Zarbon sees it and is shocked by it.. He says he is amazed by Vegeta “Floating around this country cottage of a ship, lord and master of an assortment of weaklings.” And Zarbon is right. Vegeta is the lord and master of this rag tag crew, and Bulma is their Queen. Their relationship is the glue that holds this little family together. This story is a tale of their struggle to defeat Frieza, but thats not what this story is ABOUT. This story is about, family, friends, love, home and ultimately all the wholesome things humanity has to offer. Sometimes we fuck up, and fight and create drama, but we persevere through those trials and (hopefully) become stronger, more well rounded and more human. And that is a really nice message. 

As a bonus, @rutbisbe drew this amazing Puar/Raditz fan art for this fic and I love it (AND I LOVE THEM SO MUCH)

If you liked this review, after you check this fic out, head over to my A03 and read some of my stuff!

[sarahw-world]

My First Fanfic: “A Dark Heart“

Chapter 23: A Night To Remember

Summary: Bulma and Vegeta finally give in to each other's desires...

Notes:          

Well guys, I'm back!

I know this is the longest I've been without updating, but I've struggled a lot with this chapter, maybe a combination of writer's block and feeling a bit rusty because I hadn't written a lemon since the Vegebul Smutfest and I felt a bit insecure about it now.

I hope I got it right and you enjoy this chapter!

Hopefully, I'll be able to update more often from now on.

Author’s note: This is a NSFW chapter! I posted a censored version here:

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12294658/23/A-Dark-Heart

Vegeta touched down on the cold grass, still holding Bulma zealously in his strong arms. They’d been flying in the dark for what seemed like an eternity until his sharp Saiyan senses had found the perfect spot for them to install their small Capsule Corp. house.

The flight had been absolutely unbearable, and his mate had driven him so mad with desire that, once he’d finally decided to allow himself to lose control and make love to her, he’d been dangerously close to just ripping off her dress and take her on one of the soft burgundy couches of the strip-club. Luckily, his cool, disciplined mind still preserved a tiny spark of rationality, reminding him that a woman like Bulma deserved more than a cheap fuck on some filthy, underground joint, so he’d simply grabbed her by the hand, literally rushing outside the building and taking off into the dark sky.

During their journey, she’d kept her arms and legs firmly wrapped around him, holding onto him for dear life as she buried her face in the crook of his neck. She’d shamelessly placed hot kisses all over his warm skin, rubbing herself against him, mercilessly testing his self-control as he precariously attempted to find just the right place for them to temporarily settle down.

“Here,” he finally whispered, one arm refusing to let go of her waist as the other reached for the small capsule Bulma had entrusted him with before they’d abandoned their ship. Vegeta clicked on its small button, throwing it away at a safe distance and instantaneously revealing a humble dwelling.

Knowing his woman couldn’t see at all in the black of night, the Saiyan carried her in his arms until he reached the wooden door, opening it with one arm and finally letting her go when they got inside, where Vegeta immediately turned on the lights in the small living room. A tiny hand quickly placed itself on top of his, slowly reducing the intensity of the lighting.

“Do you mind?” She asked demurely in a low voice, offering him a timid smile.

Vegeta raised an eyebrow at that, shocked by the sudden coyness his mate was displaying. It was strange for Bulma to feel uncomfortable about the thought of making love to him with the lights on, in fact, if he recalled correctly, she’d literally jumped him and had her way with him in broad daylight in the past. Perhaps his woman was still feeling insecure, especially now that the faint effects of the liquor she’d drank in the nightclub had dissipated during their nocturnal flight. For some reason, the sight of his beautiful mate still feeling unconfident didn’t sit right with him, and he promised himself that he’d, once and for all, show her just how desirable she truly was to him.

The Saiyan turned around in one swift motion, grabbing the hand Bulma had placed over his and kissing its long fingers delicately, his penetrating onyx eyes never leaving hers. He could sense her body trembling, both in nervousness and anticipation, her eyes an irresistible mixture of hunger and apprehension. He smirked wickedly, his mouth still firmly pressed against the smooth skin of her hand, and the roguish gesture unconsciously made her bite her glossy lips in expectation.

Her index finger traveled leisurely across his bottom lip, and soon the other ones followed, her hand languorously caressing his hot cheek and hiding in his wild hair, clutching it greedily.

“Vegeta…” She mumbled hungrily against his mouth, her cute little nose shyly nuzzling his as she kissed him languidly, making him exhale in relief. For an instant, he’d feared his mate’s soberness would have made her change her mind but, thankfully, she still wanted him just as much as he wanted her.

They kissed for a few minutes, quietly enjoying the taste of each other’s mouth, relishing this brief moment of calmness they both knew would inevitably soon give place to the insatiable passion that had always surrounded them, ever since they’d given in to each other for the very first time.

Vegeta broke the kiss gasping for air, pressing his forehead against Bulma’s, his warm breath sweetly intermingling with hers. He closed his eyes, feeling his head spinning, his body’s old cravings newly re-awakened by the presence of the gorgeous woman standing right in front of him. His shaky hands grazed her flushed cheeks almost reverently, and he quickly realized he hadn’t felt this vulnerable in a very long time. There was something about his mate that made him feel completely raw and exposed, perhaps because she was the only living creature he’d ever truly given a damn about other than himself. He knew he’d hurt her more times than he could count, and yet here she was, following him through the dark confines of Space, and finding him, gradually bringing him back from the death he’d been living in ever since he’d abandoned her magnificent planet.

He finally dared to open his eyes, only to find those big, sparkly blue ones staring right into his soul, patiently waiting for him to make the next move.

That’s what she did, wasn’t it?

That’s what she’d always done…

Wait.

Wait for him to open up to her, for him to be brave enough to acknowledge what had inevitably grown between them and, eventually, for him to finally do something about it.

She’d changed something in him, deeply and fundamentally, and he didn’t quite know what to do about it anymore, what to do with this new man she’d created. Or, perhaps, this new man had always lived inside of him, and she’d merely had enough power to release him to the world, and he’d been so terrified, he’d simply chosen to run away from her and their son.

But there was no escape now.

Not anymore...

He was here and so was she and Vegeta knew all he had to do was the thing he hated the most: letting go, surrendering to her and allowing their famished, lust-inflamed bodies to take charge and do the rest.

“What have you done to me, woman?” His lips murmured breathlessly, and the almost crazy look in his eye made Bulma tremble in a delicious blend of fear and desire.

She had no words for him, no reply to his enigmatic question, but guessing the real meaning behind it, she kissed him innocently again, her curvaceous body melting against him, feeling his excruciating arousal thick and ready, just for her. He groaned in frustration, grasping a handful of her messy hair and forcing her head back into submission, running his lips across her powerlessly exposed neck and feeling her increasingly fast heartbeat beneath them as he hungrily kissed and licked her ivory skin, making Bulma moan desperately in need and approval.

Her head felt dizzy as she succumbed to Vegeta’s ravenous ministrations, both gentle and passionate, just as he’d always been. A sorrowful image rapidly flashed her mind, the image of the defeated man who’d come to say goodbye to her that last night back on Earth, when they’d just lay naked next to each other, and she marveled at how different the man now fervently nibbling and kissing her neck was. When he suddenly bit her fragile skin, making her gasp in unexpected pleasure and pain, she knew she’d finally unleashed the beast, a hungry, predatory animal that wanted nothing more than to satisfy her every need. For all his faults, her mate had never been a selfish lover, and evidence of that was the heated tongue that was now soothingly licking the spot he’d just bitten carefully enough not to break her delicate skin.

That was what she loved about him the most, how much self-control and, dare she say it, tenderness, he could display in spite of his colossal physical strength. In all the time she’d known him, he’d never ever hurt her, and she implicitly knew he never would.

His mouth travelled upwards, now working its magic on her earlobe, gnawing on it and running his tongue across it before his husky voice talked again, his powerful statement reverberating all over her.

“I have you in my blood, Bulma…”

His words made her heart skip a beat, and her hands grabbed him, hopelessly clutching the tight sleeves of his fighting suit like a drowning woman lost at sea holding onto the only thing that could possibly save her, the only man who could put out the fire that consumed her; she shivered, squeezing her eyes shut and feeling her eyes suddenly burn with unshed tears.

He wanted her.

He still truly wanted her…

Vegeta must have smelled her tears, since he reluctantly ceased his ministrations and looked at her again, holding her face domineeringly once more.

“Bulma, look at me,” he softly commanded, his gentle but firm tone forcing Bulma to open her eyes at once. His thumbs affectionately caressed her cheeks, and his body language told her he was attempting to control his urges and slow down his pace just for her sake. “There will be no tears tonight,” there was a brief pause as he kissed her lips tenderly. “Only pleasure…” He promised.

Her turquoise eyes kept staring at him, unable to hide the shock at her mate’s statement. Vegeta seldom talked before their intimate encounters together, very rarely daring to verbalize his feelings and making promises to her with even less frequency. Bulma gulped unconsciously, nervously assenting in silent acceptance of the promise of a night dedicated to pleasure and pleasure alone.

Before she could say anything else, the Saiyan wrapped his arms around her, pressing her body against him as he proceeded to walk towards the living room’s small white couch. He never stopped, not even when the back of her legs finally touched the plush cushion and was practically forced to lay on it as Vegeta carefully accommodated her petite form on its soft surface.

Bulma felt his hard body trap hers beneath him, his compact but heavy muscles creating a warm prison she’d never feel the need to escape from. She kissed him hotly once again, her sharp fingernails poking the back of his robust neck, driving Vegeta absolutely mad with desire. He grunted, supporting his weight on trembling arms, knowing full well that if he rubbed his core against hers he’d spill himself before he had the chance to bring her to climax at least once.

His thick fingers explored her shapely thighs, leaving a path of fire on their way up and making her skin prickle almost instantly. He gladly swallowed the moan that escaped Bulma’s mouth, and her neediness became apparent when he felt her hips attempting to rise and meet his in vain, making him smirk triumphantly against her lips. When her lips parted from his, panting excitedly and trying to catch some air, her small hands frantically tugged on his cold armor, imploring pathetically. “P-Please…”  

“What is it, woman?” He asked in a murmur, knowing exactly just what she was asking for.

“Please, Vegeta…” Bulma begged urgently. “Take it off… I… I want to feel you…”

His hands possessively squeezed the flesh of her pale thigh in response to her pleas.

“You’re already feeling me, woman…” Vegeta whispered impishly against her swollen red lips. “I’m right here…”  He declared, his rough fingers now discovering the outside of her black thong, proudly noticing it was, indeed, the indecent piece of lingerie he’d chosen for her to wear back in their ship.

Gods!

She was soaking wet already…

Vegeta kept caressing her through the dark, silky fabric, making Bulma whimper pitifully. She was no longer trying to take off his armor and was now pulling at the elastic material of the neck of his shirt, bringing him as close to her as she humanly could and panting loudly and urgently against his mouth. She couldn’t wait any longer, she wanted him, needed him to bring her the release she so desperately desired.

“Ve-Vegeta… Please…”

“Please, what, Bulma?” He mumbled again, his hand still teasing her center, running his index finger dangerously across her moist underwear.

She sobbed loudly, wildly nuzzling his tanned cheek and biting his thick lower lip, awakening Vegeta’s most primitive side. He kept looking at her, enjoying how easy it was for him to bring his stunning mate seriously close to the edge.

“I… I need you… Please…”

Unable to wait any longer either, Vegeta ripped off the tiny thong, exposing her smooth, saturated sex to him. He couldn’t help but lick his lips hungrily at the sight of it, rosy and already thinly coated with the glistening proof of her desire. His calloused finger grazed her entrance with a barely there, feathery touch. “Is this what you need?” He asked in a masculine, hoarse voice.

“Gods, yes! Yes! Please…”

Her voice was sweet and needy and she kept arching her body, fervently inviting him to invade her striking body with his expert touch.

“How badly do you need me, woman?” He enquired again, tenderly exploring her soft wet folds, but being very careful not to penetrate her yet. There were some words he still needed to hear from her clever little mouth before he finally gave in to her wishes…

“P-Please, Vegeta… D-Don’t do this to me, please…”

He immediately removed his hand away from her center, quickly grabbing the pert flesh of her bottom and pressing her sweet pussy against his cock. Bulma automatically wrapped one of her long legs around the back of his muscular thighs, rubbing herself against him. He was still painfully hard, and his now agonizingly tight pants were already shamefully damp with precum. With great difficulty, he repeated his question. “How badly do you need me, Bulma?”

She couldn’t even reply, tilting her head back, already getting lost in her own pleasure as she kept rubbing her sensitive clit against his stiffness. Vegeta roared, demanding her full attention by squeezing the flesh of her round ass even harder.  

“Tell me, woman!”

The harsh, frantic tone in his voice quickly brought her back to reality, and her eyes widened in shock at the desperate, animalistic look in his deep, obscure eyes.

“I��� I need you, Vegeta… I need you more than… More than anything…”

“More than anyone?” He asked almost menacingly.

“W-What…?”

“More than anyone?”

“Vegeta, what…?”

He sank the elbow of the arm that had been previously supporting his weight on the couch, sliding his hand behind her head and cradling her against him, mysteriously whispering in her ear.

“Have you had another man during my absence, woman?”

A fleeting rush of panic coursed her body at the thought of Vegeta thinking she’d been capable of being with another man while he’d been gone. The very idea was absolutely preposterous: the sexy bastard had forever ruined her for other men anyway, and one look at him told her he knew it just as well as she did. He wasn’t actually jealous; he simply needed her to reassure him, to openly declare that he was the only man she’d ever share her body and soul with.

“N-No! Never!” Bulma muttered passionately, pressing her lips against his. “There’s only you…” She kissed him eagerly yet again. “Only you…”

Vegeta knew she was telling the truth and yet, his woman’s verbalization that she’d never allow anyone else to touch her felt good, disconcertingly good for a man who’d always taken pride in needing nothing and no one. During his cold, solitary nights without her, he’d often found his mind invaded by dark thoughts and images of Bulma eventually finding a substitute for him, a new lover, a new mate…

Vegeta grunted angrily, forcing those gloomy, impossible thoughts away, and he brought her pretty face even closer to his.

“I’m going to need some evidence, Bulma…” He demanded, appreciating her body’s reaction to the sound of her name on his perfect lips while his thick fingers waited patiently, exasperatingly still, at her wet entrance. “I need you to show me… Show me no one else has touched you while I was gone, woman…”

Bulma’s bright eyes looked at him curiously.

Show him?

How?

Her entire body felt hot, trembling in need just for him, and his obsessive words did nothing but increase the fire she felt burning between her legs, so she did the only thing she could think of, taking matters literally into her own hands.

One of her hands shakily travelled through her inflamed body and shyly placed itself over his. Bulma took one final questioning glance at Vegeta and the ghost of a treacherous smile on his lips told her exactly what he wanted her to do. Her middle finger pushed his inside of her agonizingly slowly, and she sighed in relief when she felt him immediately take control, moving gently within her body.

“Oh…” She moaned, arching her back and pressing her voluptuous breasts against his solid, impenetrable armor.

“Is this what you need?” He asked playfully, silently marveling at the sight of Bulma’s features already contorting deliciously in pleasure. His finger skillfully touched just the right spot, the one he knew could drive her mad, and she instantly hissed in delight, rocking her hips against his expert touch.

Vegeta kept masterfully working her body, enjoying her warm tightness; she felt just like she did the first time he’d made love to her, and here, with his fragile woman in his arms, it was as if time had never passed, as if they’d never been apart. When she didn’t reply to him he asked her again, pumping slightly harder into her.

“Tell me, Bulma…” He whispered powerfully. “Tell me what you need…”

She clung to him even more desperately, her feminine nails digging into his strong biceps. “Oh, Gods! Y-You…! I… I need you!”

“Just me?”

“J-Just… Oh! Just you!”

He bit her earlobe lightly, prompting a surprised gasp from his shivering mate. “I’m the only one, Bulma… You’re mine!”

She nodded frantically as he held his triumphant, unwavering gaze, pressing his brow against hers while he kept penetrating her, gradually increasing his pace.

“Do you want more, little woman?”

Bulma assented again, her blue eyes completely clouded by desire…

He smirked victoriously. “Then you know what you have to do…”

She bit her lip, and one of her trembling hands forced another one of his rugged fingers inside of her. He didn’t waste any time now, giving her just what she wanted, fucking her mercilessly with those thick, hard-skinned fingers as she filled the barely lit house with her moans and the indecent sounds of his hands ruthlessly working her soaked little pussy. Her climax was now so close she could almost taste it, and her tongue danced with his in an ardent, intense kiss as she felt her inner walls begin to tighten.

“Yes… Oh, Gods… Y-Yes! I… I’m…”

“Are you going to cum?” He asked knowingly, his painfully hard cock rebelliously twitching at the incredible spectacle taking place under him.

“Oh, yes… I… I’m going to…”

“Finish it, Bulma… Cum for me…” Vegeta commanded possessively.

Her fingers swiftly reached her sensitive bundle of nerves, caressing it shakily in her desperate chase for release as his firm, husky words of encouragement reverberated in her ears.

“Do it for me, woman…”

Vegeta’s fingers curled, expertly touching just the right spot once more, and then it happened…

Bulma’s body exploded in ecstasy, screaming desperately as her entire form shook in pleasure. A pleasure she hadn’t experienced for far too long. A pleasure only her mate could provide her with. Her tiny hands kept holding on to him while Vegeta’s fingers remained inside of her, skillfully slowing down their pace as he cherished the satisfaction of feeling his woman climax right on his hand. It truly was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen, and he cursed himself for his own stupidity, for having neglected her for such a long amount of time.

Her body gradually grew limp as the sporadic aftershocks from her orgasm slowly faded away, and her fingers left his arms, delicately caressing his cheeks, one hand lovingly wiping off his sweaty brow. Vegeta was still trembling in need, and the fact that he’d withheld his own hunger just to satisfy her desires first made her love him even more.

“Thank you…” She whispered gratefully, languidly placing a tender, amorous kiss on his starving lips.

He nodded silently, the look of pure adoration in her eyes stirring something deep inside of him, something he couldn’t fully identify, a feeling that made him feel both proud and yet unworthy of it. He was still cradling her head against his face, enjoying her warmth and placing soft, light kisses all over her blushed skin.

For a moment, he didn’t know what to do, inwardly wondering if the woman would need some time to recover before they carried on and moved to the bedroom. He still hadn’t had his fill of her, but he was willing to wait as long as she wanted. He’d promised himself, after all, that he’d put her needs first throughout the entire week they’d be spending together.

As usual, his brave little woman made the next move, reaching for the hand that had just given her so much gratification and bringing it to her mouth, indolently licking her own juices from his practiced fingers as she looked at him through the heavy-lidded eyes of a well-satisfied woman while Vegeta kept staring at her, almost entranced and gritting his teeth, barely managing to keep his urges at bay. When she finished her lewd task, she naughtily bit the tip of his middle finger, scrunching her nose cutely and smiling at him.

“Take me to bed,” she simply asked, encircling his neck with her slim arms, those sparkly oceanic eyes never losing that pure look of affection towards him.

Vegeta didn’t need to be told twice, and he just held her in his arms, wandering through the small living room in search of the bedroom. It suddenly occurred to him that he’d barely payed any attention to the house Bulma had brought for this trip: it was small and humble, yet comfortable and with a cozy air to it, certainly much warmer and hospitable than any of the luxurious palaces he’d visited so far. He walked in the dark, carrying his mate in a strong embrace until he reached their destination: a bedroom simply furnished with a double bed, a nightstand and a large chair placed in one of the corners.

Vegeta gently sat Bulma at the foot of the bed and, seeing she was still dressed, he knelt on the carpet in front of her, leisurely caressing her pale thighs in a comforting motion as he enjoyed the sight of her, all peaches and cream skin and tousled blue waves.

“Undress for me, woman,” he requested in an undertone, his eyes never deserting hers. She kept observing him with wide, curious eyes, and he could perceive that, even though she felt a lot calmer, there was still a hint of diffidence in her movements.

Without questioning his orders, her small hands reached behind her slender neck, slowly loosening the tight knot that had been keeping her skimpy black dress in place and letting go of it, allowing the scarce, silky fabric to fall and slide across her body, thus freeing her firm, ripe breasts. Vegeta soon took control, carefully lifting her hips and finally removing the seductive garment, leaving her clad only in her sparkly pair of high heels, which he also proceeded to take off, his famished hands and mouth never abandoning the satiny skin of her legs for too long as he kept touching, kissing and feeling them repeatedly.

Once he had her fully undressed he raised his eyes again, only to find her with her arms wrapped around her body in a futile attempt to modestly cover herself from his avid gaze. His fingers firmly lifted her slightly shuddering jaw, forcing her to look him in the eye, his breath intermingling with hers as he muttered a possessive statement against her lips.

“I thought we’d agreed that you were mine, woman…”

Bulma remained silent for a moment, her confused mind and body feeling dazed, struggling with unclear emotions of both eager anticipation and insecurity, fully aware of the fact that they were finally about to cross the final invisible line that had kept them apart for so long now, and wondering what that would eventually lead them to. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time they’d become lovers, and yet, she’d never felt those black, ravenous eyes look at her the way they were looking at her now. The man kneeling in front of her exposed body was neither the broken, defeated man she’d last seen on Earth the night prior to his departure, nor the over-confident, cocky bastard that had first made her fall head over heels for him when they’d first met. There was a new vulnerability in his eyes, a rare, uncovered honesty he’d never shared with her before.    

She finally gave him a reply, an anxious, ragged breath escaping her apprehensive, parted lips.

“I am…”  

A proud, satisfied smirk drew itself on Vegeta’s lips.

“Then why are you trying to hide from me?” He susurrated in a low authoritative voice, placing an innocent kiss on her mouth. “Uncover your body for me, Bulma…”

Bulma’s hands courageously bared her naked form for her lover to see, and the Prince’s hands immediately payed attention to it, gently fondling her perky round breasts, basking in their feminine softness. His calloused fingertips grazed her nipples, already hardening under his touch as his mate’s breathing deepened, her wet tongue slipping inside his mouth intensifying his need for her tenfold.

“Good girl…” Vegeta muttered in approval, that devastating smirk never leaving his handsome face.

He gladly responded to her kiss for a few minutes, until he was unable to ignore the silent screams of his body, begging him to make her his once and for all, and he finally forced himself to let go of her delicate face, slowly standing in front of her. For a man that wasn’t excessively tall, he always carried himself with such an unusual, admirably imposing manner, that he made her feel even smaller, like a snowy little mouse about to be devoured by a dark large cat. He removed his armor in one quick, smooth motion, taking off the shirt of his tight fighting suit just as fast.

Bulma slowly crawled backwards, never taking her eyes off him, until she positioned herself on the center of the large bed. She precariously supported her weight on her elbows, admiring the way Vegeta was getting rid of his attire, getting ready for her. She’d always loved him in human clothes, but there was something about this strong, powerful warrior removing his armor before making love to her that made her feel giddy with excitement every single time without fail. When Vegeta took off his boots and spandex pants, finally freeing his now fully erect member, her tongue travelled her lips in appreciation and a new wave of arousal invaded her treacherous body, the exotic scent making the warrior’s smirk widen knowingly.

Damn him and his superhuman Saiyan senses…

Not only could that perfectly chiseled body put the beauty of a Greek God to shame, but his many talents made him far superior in many ways to any human lover she could have possibly had.

He was magnificent, and after having been taken by him, no other man would ever be able to take his place…

He sank his sturdy knees on the bed, and he gradually crawled towards her, bit by bit, taking the time to devour her nude perfection with his starving eyes.

She was immaculate.

As perfect as a flawless, porcelain doll, with the moonlight playing catch-and-seek games with her soft curves and that ivory skin splayed resplendently over the white, silken fabric of her bedsheets. His nostrils inhaled the lingering, saturated perfume of the climax he’d already brought her that night, perfectly combined with the new wave of sexual excitement emanating from her every pore, awakening the animalistic yearning of the Saiyan beast that had laid dormant for countless months.

What an intoxicating, bewitching little creature this woman could be…

When he reached his destination, Vegeta pressed his lips hungrily against hers, accepting the weak cries that escaped Bulma’s throat when the thick tip of his hard, swollen cock made contact with her still over-sensitized bud, making her instinctively wrap her legs around his and her hands reach down to his perfectly shaped buttocks, sinking her nails into the hard flesh and scratching it unashamedly.

His hips began rocking against hers, his oozing length rubbing between the dampened apex of her thighs, her silky nether lips already demanding more from him, increasing the speed and intensity of her movements in a new, needy quest for pleasure. She pronounced his name in a desperate moan, begging him to put an end to her suffering, her supplicant eyes imploring for his body to give her what she needed the most.

Vegeta hugged her against his hard chest, his ruthless fingers tangled in her wild, sinuous hair while his other hand caressed her cheek affectionately. By now, he was truly starting to lose his self-control at the touch of her soft, girlie hands pushing his buttocks, bringing him closer to her as she pressed his solid physique against hers. Her pretty, pink nipples rubbed against his, and her body felt just as perfect as it’d always been; if carrying his child had changed anything about her, those changes had been nothing but positive.

“You look glorious, woman…” He declared with a tinge of unhidden adoration behind those bottomless dark eyes, making Bulma’s breath momentarily hitch in shock. It was so rare for him to compliment her this way, especially without bothering to hide his now unmistakable fondness for her...

“Vegeta…” She whimpered, so deeply moved she feared she’d burst into tears at any minute.

Before any more words could leave her mouth, Vegeta entered her moist warmth without warning, burying himself deep inside of her in a gentle but intense move, making the tiny woman beneath him sob in relief at finally becoming one with him. After all the time they’d been apart, there was still a part of her that couldn’t believe they were finally able to lie like this, in each other’s arms.

He carefully halted his movements, patiently giving her trembling body time to adjust to his immense size.

Gods!

She was so tight he felt as if he was being squeezed by a slick, satin glove…  

Bulma’s legs trapped his hips, and she pulled him in a close embrace as her body started to move underneath him, silently communicating that she was alright and encouraging him to continue.

Vegeta’s body instinctually understood her silent request and he leisurely began moving inside of her, his rigid cock gliding in and out of her as he rocked his robust body against her pliant, welcoming one. She kept pulling him against her possessively, as if she were afraid he’d disappear, her exhausted, pleasure-filled mind secretly wondering if this was a dream, a dream she’d suddenly awaken from, only to discover he’d vanished, yet again, from her life.

Bulma squeezed her eyes shut, trying to focus instead on the incredible sensations her mate was providing her with, his hardness exploring and mercilessly invading her insides, making her flesh shiver in delight. Her mouth lavished the bronzed skin of his face with tender but desperate kisses all over as she clung to him for dear life. But, unable to handle the unusual, affectionate way in which Vegeta was making love to her, she soon found herself overwhelmed by sad, disheartening emotions that kept distracting her, stopping her from simply basking in his touch and, before she knew it, she had to let go of him, covering her face with pale, shaky hands and suddenly bursting into tears.

Vegeta ceased his actions immediately, absolutely horrified at the sight of his gorgeous woman crying while she was in bed with him. In all the countless times they’d been intimate together, she’d never reacted this way to his touch.

‘Did she not want this anymore?’

“Bulma?” He asked in an anxious whisper, finally mustering the courage to talk. He was still physically connected to her, but afraid to move or touch her in any other way for fear of her reaction.

“I… I’m s-sorry…” Bulma replied pitifully in embarrassment, quickly feeling like an utter fool for behaving this way in front of him, especially at a moment like this.

The Saiyan took a deep breath in an attempt to cool down. He could still feel the adrenaline rushing through his veins, but it’d become apparent by now that his mate was no longer in the mood.

“Woman…” He muttered again. One of his hands covered hers, trying to coax her gently to uncover her tearful face for him. “Bulma, look at me… Did I…?” He paused briefly, paralyzed by fear at the mere thought of what he was about to ask. “Did I hurt you?”

The heartbreaking concern in his voice made her promptly shake her head, wiping off her face with the back of her hands.

“N-No, Vegeta… It’s just…” She sighed, soothingly caressing his cheeks, trying to show him that her emotional outburst had nothing to do with his actions. It seemed to do the trick, and Vegeta’s tension gradually vanished as he cautiously started petting her hair. “Then, what’s the matter? Do you…? Do you want to stop?” He enquired again, still not understanding what the problem was.

Bulma panicked at his offer, and pulled his face even closer, pressing her brow against his.

“Gods! No! I don’t want you to stop! I just…”

His fingers lingered on the still wet corners of her bright, tear-stained eyes, delicately wiping them off. “You just what, woman?” He prodded again in a low, breathy voice.

“I just…” Bulma exhaled shakily again. “I guess I just can’t believe you’re here, with me…” She whispered timidly, fresh tears pooling in her eyes again. “I… I th-thought I’d n-never see you again…”

Vegeta observed her thoughtfully, trying to absorb every detail about the shy, tremulous woman lying under him. Her fingertips never abandoned his cheeks and there was an air of wonder in her eyes, as if she were expecting him to fade away, to dematerialize from the room, leaving to never come back.

Just as he’d done to her in the past…

Had she finally stopped trusting him?

And, could he really blame her if that was the case?

Vegeta knew now what he’d known, in his heart, all along: he’d made a huge mistake in abandoning her the way he had, without even a goodbye or a mere explanation. She was his woman, the only person who’d been brave enough to get close to him, the only one good enough to get under his skin, the mother of his child…

He felt his manhood still firmly buried within her enticing body, and all he wanted to do was to take her, to make love to her and make her doubts and fears finally go away.

Did this mean he was ready to come back to her for good?

His lips kissed her newly in a hot, impassioned kiss, his unruly hips thrusting into her in unison with just the same ardor, wanting to possess her, to make her his.

If only she’d let him this time…

“I am here, Bulma,” he promised, kissing her again and keenly gulping down the moans that left her lips once more, like music to his ears, unmistakably reassuring him that she still wanted all he had to offer.

Bulma threw her head back, hissing in pleasure while her man’s unyielding body resumed his motions, plunging into her slowly, again and again, gradually making her forget about her fears and apprehensions as he kept reawakening her desire for him like only he could. His hand travelled to the nape of her neck, her pale throat, now lightly coated in perspiration, fully exposed to him. He brought her closer, licking and nibbling her creamy skin, feeling her fluttering pulse beneath sharp, ravenous Saiyan teeth.

Vegeta smirked mischievously against her vulnerable flesh, already knowing the answer to his next question…

“Do you still want me to stop, woman?” He asked maliciously as another powerful thrust pinned her mercilessly against the bed.

“Gods, no! Vegeta, please…” She begged, lifting her head, and looking him right in the eye. Her mouth was now wide open, panting wildly as her sharp nails clung to his broad shoulders like a lifeline. “Please don’t stop… I… I want you…”

That did it…

The warrior roared in retaliation, fiercely crushing his lips into hers, and she gladly received him, growling and mewling inside of him. She was no longer able to recall her tears, her dizzy mind completely consumed by the relentless way in which Vegeta’s thick cock rammed into her, over and over again, as he possessively embraced her against him, so tightly she could feel his powerful heartbeat thrashing against her chest.

It wasn’t long before she needed even more from him….

“Vegeta…” Her warm, misty breath moaned in the curve of his neck. “Please…”

His name on her lips drove him even crazier. “Please what, woman?” He demanded breathlessly, his thick fingers sinking even further into her frail shoulder blades as he kept hugging her, making Bulma gasp in response. It was impossible to forget just how strong and dangerous this man really was, how many beings had suffered and perished by his hand, and yet, she knew too damn well just how much pleasure those same gifted hands were able to provide.  

All Hell broke loose when she turned her head to the side all of a sudden, aggressively scrapping his flushed cheek as she forced him to look at her.

“More…” She demanded in a passionate, hoarse whisper.

Her unexpected demanding words, together with her sudden physical, almost animalistic behavior, pushed the Saiyan even further to the edge, and one of his hands let go of her upper back, aggressively palming one of her plump ass cheeks so he could lift her hips and bring her even closer, burying his thick length even deeper, making her taste every single inch of him.

“Fuck!” Bulma whimpered, desperately clawing at his shoulders when the warrior finally allowed himself to let go, fucking her thoroughly and without restrain. The previously dead silent room was soon permeated by their moans and grunts and the sound of their drenched flesh clashing against each other in a desperate quest for release.

“I’m... I’m close! I’m…” She cried, biting on the hard flesh of his shoulder, holding him tightly.

Vegeta could already feel that old familiar heat pooling in his loins. His hardness kept crashing into her, secretly amazed, like he always was, that her marvelous body could blithely take it all so willingly.

Just as he was praying that she’d cum for him before he came undone far too soon, he felt, at last, her climax take possession of her, hitting her brutally when her tight, wet little cunt hugged him in a fierce grip, milking him violently, begging him to follow her into that deep, sweet abyss only she could drag him into.

“Ve-Vegeta…” She sobbed as he kept hammering into her, fucking her through her mind-blowing orgasm until his warm essence finally spilled right into her soft writhing body.

Her name escaped Vegeta’s quivery lips, and his forehead found her shoulder, resting on it as his solid form kept rocking gently against her hips, prolonging their incredible pleasure for as long as he could.

They lay together for countless minutes, sharing a quiet, intimate embrace. Bulma’s previously ardent touch soon turned gentle once again, and she comfortingly run her hands across the marred skin of his back, lazily tracing every single scar and imperfection as she felt his hefty body still breathing deeply on top of her. Even though her man had always been extremely careful about trying not to crush her with his compact but surprisingly heavy weight, there were times when he’d completely forget and let go, capturing her beneath him. He probably didn’t know just how much she actually enjoyed it, relishing the few precious moments in which Vegeta was able to fully relax in her presence.

“I’ve missed you.…” Bulma whispered in his ear, never ceasing her calming caresses. “I’ve missed this… Us…”

Vegeta placed a soft kiss on her shoulder and raised his head wearily. He feared another sudden emotional outburst would take place, but he found her big, blue eyes sparkling brightly in the dark instead, smiling sweetly at him. She looked drowsy but happy, and her half-closed eyes told him she was completely spent already and about to fall asleep any minute now. He smirked, carefully removing a few damp turquoise locks away from her beautiful face, and he kissed her lips affectionately, feeling her respond sleepily to his intimate gesture. He slowly pulled out, wincing at the sudden loss of her heat, and he rolled over, laying on his side and wrapping his arms around her waist at once, bringing her closer to him and allowing her to take refuge in his reassuring warmth. Bulma smiled, snuggling against his solid chest and returning his embrace contentedly before she finally drifted off into a deep, peaceful slumber.

Vegeta rested beside her for a while, resisting the urge to close his equally worn-out eyes as the events of the day run through his mind repeatedly. There he was, holding his stunning mate in his arms, somehow finding it hard to believe he’d killed a monster in cold blood just mere hours ago. The most surprising thing of all was that Bulma hadn’t really asked him any questions, blindly trusting his judgement and his actions, truly believing he was doing what was the right thing for him to do.

She trusted him entirely, with no reservations, and she’d even wanted to make love to him afterwards, completely giving herself to him…

He sighed blearily, burying his nose in her messy wavy hair one final time in that now too-familiar gesture that always seemed to calm him down, both keeping him grounded and yet allowing him to elude reality at the same time, transporting him far away from the worries of his troubled heart.

His arms squeezed her tighter, forcing a soft, lethargic moan out of Bulma’s pouty lips.

She was real.

She was real, and she was here, with him, tonight.

And for now, that was all that really mattered…

“I’ve missed you too, woman…” He mumbled ashamedly into the night.

Well, well...

It finally happened!

In the next chapter, Vegeta will take Bulma on a little excursion...

Thanks a lot for reading!

In case someone is interested in my other works, you can find them here:

http://archiveofourown.org/users/SarahW/pseuds/SarahW

https://www.fanfiction.net/u/8599955/SarahWDBZ

[mozillavulpix]

Here is a quote from an actual Vegeta fan:

I really hope this gets exposure, but Vegeta suddenly appeared in the frame when he said "Isn't the money in Chichi's hands?". Krillin trips RIGHT THE FUCK OUT, but says nothing, it is obvious that there is a dynamic to Vegeta no one has realized: He has been through every single stage a person can go through, death, life, friends, loved ones, stages of death, grief, planet destruction, throne dismantled, royal blood line forgotten, new daughter. He has been evil, he has been nice. In my opinion, Vegeta atm is coming off as a much better main character than Goku atm, Vegeta has fought for the right things, the wrong things, but Goku has always just simply fought.

Although I may get hate for this, Goku hasn't grown much since dragonball episode 1, he is still that childish boy inside who just wants to train and get stronger and face stronger opponents.

Vegeta is a person who knows there is a guy who has dedicated his life to training who he must surpass. He has had nothing to fight for, then a family, he has thrown away his family for a chance to fight Goku, he has immense pride, the Pride Troopers honestly should get dismantled by Vegeta, he has then, after throwing it all away for a chance of redemption, for his pride, he throws that away right after, for a chance of redemption, due to his pride.

Vegeta is soo fucking complex, I feel like they should just split their stories apart, or make Vegeta much more relevant. The fighters always talk about how hes a remodeled citizen, and he gets upset due to his pride, but in the end, we will never know why he gets mad, he doesn't get angry, just upset, he's so complex. Goku's reactions are typical of a 3-7 year old, and it's sad, in DBZ we saw Goku go from ditzy, to combat pro, and near the end he became a little more jolly, but now, ugh.

From: https://www.reddit.com/r/dbz/comments/6eyt6o/spoilers_tournament_discussion_in_regards_to/

When I kept saying “they’re making Vegeta look too competent to the point it feels like he should be the main character, and that’s bad”, I wasn’t expecting to find actual evidence for it.

But here’s a person who thinks Vegeta deserves everything because he’s had character development, and Goku doesn’t change, and Vegeta is a better character and person and deserves to be the hero because of it.

I literally can’t deal with Vegeta fans. I can’t.

[bewareofchris]

Hello! Thank you for answering the previous message! I just want to ask, what should I do with people who criticised me without giving me a chance to explain or even let my story grow to its full potential? They seem to like dragging me down with hate and spiteful comments anonymously. I usually just ignore them but some struck hard like accusing me of having fetish on abusive relationship and/or encouraging self-harm. It's very tiring but I don't plan to leave my story just like that.

+ Criticism is hard; especially if any part of it strikes us in our doubts.  But real, viable criticism often is intended to educate/help fix whatever the source of the criticism is.  Which means if this anonymous person is saying “well this was THIS because of THIS,” it doesn’t hurt to take a look at whatever THIS was and see if it does need adjusting/fixing.

+ “trolling” on the other hand is a bunch of faceless anonymous folks on the internet shouting hateful things at people because they think anonymity gives them a pass on basic human decency.  I’m not sure what setting you are publishing on but most platforms allow you to block anonymous messages.  This is a 100% reasonable and useful option if your own mental health/happiness is being damaged by faceless hate.  Don’t be afraid to use this option, even if its only temporary.

+ I have limited actual experience with faceless hate but I have had a number of very, very passionate (negative) responses to various stories I’ve had.  My own personal tendency is to leave them as is.  I don’t respond to them, I don’t defend my story and I don’t try to make things “right” or “better” for the person that left me the review.  In fact, I literally never defend my story.  Its important to keep in mind that your story is yours and if you write it as best you can, with the message (or question) that you want, there’s almost never going to be a need to defend it.  I’ve been writing (on the internet) for over a decade and I have gone through phases where it felt crucial to defend myself/my story from people who disagreed with me.  It felt like my very belief system/self worth hinged on me being able to get the anons to understand and agree with me.  

+  ok, but its not.  This circles back to, have faith in yourself and in your story.  And as hard as it is (and it was very difficult for me, at first) accept that everyone will have their own opinion and that people will feel compelled to share that opinion with you.  Their opinion is not the true value of your story or of your ability to tell stories.  It’s literally only their opinion.  

+ in fact, story time:

So back when I was a small child (I was like 19, I think), I wrote this story with a name I forget.  It was a DBZ story wherein Vegeta (PRINCE OF ALL SAIYANS) had been kidnapped (sort of) and forced to work in a brothel (sort of) and Goku (SAVIOR) was (sort of) sent to rescue him.  The plot was kind of convoluted because it was written during my I AM GOD OF ALL THINGS phase, but there is a part fairly early on in the story where you are TOLD by Vegeta himself/the narration that he voluntarily let (Bad Guy, idk which one it was) put this like mind control button thing on/in him.  Now this did not set well with a variety of people but this one person was like: I absolutely cannot believe you’d do this and I will never read your writing again.  In a mad dash of desperation I literally explained the entire plot of the story to this person in an effort to convince them that just because it APPEARED that Vegeta voluntarily let himself be turned into a mindless sex slave, there actually never was a choice.  I mean, I wrote impassioned essays to this person defending my every single choice.  Because I thought I had to.  They did come back and read the story and we were pals for a bit after that.  But the thing was, I knew my story would disprove Vegeta’s claim, and that it would explain itself.  At 19, I didn’t have the faith in myself or my story to let it speak for itself.  This desperation that I unleashed on this person was all my self-doubt as a writer that I couldn’t make the point without explaining it first.  

+ story time #2

fast forward to 2014 (I think) and you’ll find a story on AO3 called Safety and Peace that seems to attract people who hate it like a moth to flame I’ve got:

“I hate your Malik. Murderers and rapists are inhuman and have a special place in hell, and people who lie, even by omission, about being raped are scum who do not deserve good things.”

“I hate this story. UI hate it because I now how he feels. I wake up just about every morning, crying, because I am a girl, and I hate My body so much, and, what people expect you to do with it. But, I hate HIM. Your character. Because, if I was him, I would not have been a COWARD. I would have KILLED Myself, before ANYONE could FORCE Me, or put a PARASITE in Me. (And if I could not, I would kill the UNWANTED child. Everyone of his IDEALS he let fall, to being called MOTHER at the end. Just what makes him a COWARD, again.) I'd rather die. There are worse whtings then death. And I'd face it if not gladly, bravely. This story made Me SICK. At ALTAIR, at his WIFE, at Malik, at EEVRYONE. Maybe that is a sign of your powerful writings, I don't know, all I know is that this is the final nail in the coffin of Me EVER reading another omega fic. Because, I can't feel this sick ever again, and, even though there are SOME rare good ones, where O's FIGHT, and do not let people FUCK AND BREED them like CATTLE, but, they are too few, and, I keep finding fics like THIS, that make Me to sad, and push Me ever closer to making that decision about a sex change, because of the fucking NIGHTMARES I have. Omegas, (WOMYN.) are not just broodmares, uterus's, the sum of there parts, (SOME of us, HATE kids, and want our body for our OWN, and do not, will not WILLINGLY, WILL NEVER HAVE KIDS. FUCK YOU WORLD.) but, there fics remind Me how it used to be for this gender, and, STILL IS, in too many places. I can't stand it, and , these fics just make it worse. So, no more for Me. Good writing, but, the CONTENT....... Sigh. Bye.”

and:

“oh god it was awful and not in the good wayit was simply horrible... I expected good things out of it but I am disappointed”

Just comments, sitting on my story.  Reminding me that these people basically hated everything about it.  In my head, I’ve probably provided counter-arguments to these statements but I wouldn’t put the effort into typing them.  Because it’s not about me or my story, it’s about their perception and their experiences and how my story spoke them.  I can’t control that.  (This is the wisdom I’ve gotten after a decade of trying.)

+ in summation: take a minute to reflect on any genuine constructive criticism, remember you do not owe anonymous people on the internet any explanation, have faith in your story to explain your meaning, and do not be afraid to turn off anonymous comments for your own well-being.

(and I’m sorry if I got side tracked, or if I rambled.  I do that.)