//------------------------------// // Chapter 1: The Christmas Wish // Story: Black as Sin // by BearstarSeraph //------------------------------// Black as Sin Saga 1: Shao Yang of the Dark Prince Chapter 1: The Christmas Wish “Vegeta, how could you!” Bulma screamed. Capsule Corp. was decked out in holiday spirit as only the Briefs could manage. Lights, garland, trees, wreaths, inflatables, moving figures, trains, and all set to music. Vegeta and Bulma were inside standing under the family’s private tree. It was three stories tall. “You’ve lived on this planet seventeen years and you still wait till the last minute!” she continued to rant. “Bulla has been waiting for her Rarity toy all summer, and now all the stores are out! What are we going to tell her in the morning? That Santa forgot?!” Vegeta just stood there, motionless. “Oh!” Bulma threw her hands in the air. She pointed at him, “You have until dawn to fix this. And you better hope you think of something!” She stormed off. “And don’t come to bed tonight!” Bulma shouted as the automatic door closed, leaving Vegeta alone with the Christmas tree. He stood there for several minutes staring at the presents. The booming music from the Technicolor light show outside rattled the glass of the windows. The song changed for the fourth time since he was left alone, “We wish you a Merry Christmas. We wish you a Merry Christmas. We wish…” Vegeta ran from the room before the third line was sung. ~~***~~ Vegeta came to his daughter’s door, but he hesitated pushing the button. He closed his eyes and took deep breath, steeling himself no different than he would for battle. He pushed the button and the door slid open. Bulla’s room was the stereotypical pink princess room with a royal canopy bed with white lace side curtains. Her bed set was My Little Pony. Her headboard shelves were stacked with My Little Pony figurines. Vegeta entered what he has often griped was “The Heart of Pinkness” and slowly tiptoed through the metropolis of My Little Pony playhouses and its citizens. He pulled back her blanket. Bulla was sucking her thumb cuddling her Twilight Sparkle plushie dressed in My Little Pony pajamas. “Bulla. Bulla,” he shook her gently, “Bulla, get up.” “Hmmm…” she moaned. Vegeta continued to shake her. Finally, she lifted her head, “Daddy? …Did Santa come yet?” “Yes he did, but I have a really big surprise for you. Even bigger than what Santa brought you. But I need you to put your snowsuit on.” After putting on her matching My Little Pony coat, snowpants, boots, gloves, hat and scarf, Vegeta put on a backpack and picked her up. He slipped out of her window and shut it behind them. He looked at a large watch. “Daddy what’s that thingy you holding?” she asked, pointing. “This is a dragonball radar,” he said, “And Daddy needs you to hold this for me while we fly.” He took off towards the northwest. “Daddy, what’s a dragonball radar?” she asked, looking at the blinking dots on the screen. Vegeta glanced at her surprised, “You’ve never heard of the dragonballs before?” “No,” she shook her head. “The dragonballs are magical crystals that grant wishes,” he explained. “Grant wishes? Like a fairy godmother?” she asked excitedly. Vegeta’s Saiyan pride twitched inside of him hearing the tone of his offspring. He swallowed. “Yes… yes that is a good comparison,” he forced from his mouth. “Now there are seven crystals we need to find. Then when we have all seven, Daddy will cast a spell and a magical dragon will rise from the stones. The dragon is the one that grants the wishes so do not be afraid of him.” Bulla nodded. “If Fluttershy can stand up to a dragon then so can I,” she said proudly. “I have no idea what my own offspring just said,” he thought. ~~***~~ Morning came. Trunks did his traditional leaping down the staircase. Bulma did the traditional yelling at him not to do that. Dr. Brief and Mrs. Brief took turns on the chair lift. Trunks ripped into his presents. “Trunks wait for your sister,” Bulma ordered. “But.” “No buts,” she ordered. Trunks glared at his mother. “Don’t look at me with your father’s face, young man.” Trunks sighed, then stared at the box he knew must have his new game console. The minutes ticked by. Five… ten… thirteen… “Alright,” Bulma stood from her recliner, “I’ll go get her.” Bulma walked back upstairs. She came to her door. “Bulla?” she knocked, “Santa came.” She opened the door and poked her head in. “Bulla?” Bulma saw the empty bed. “Bulla?” she entered the room. She checked the walk-in closet. She checked the on-suite. “Bulla!” she ran out, “If this is a joke, it’s not funny!” Bulma looked under her bed. As she leaned on the bed to stand, she spotted a note on the pillow. Bulma picked it up: “Took Bulla on her first dragonball hunt. Yes she is fully bundled up. Yes I have packed summer clothes. Yes I have packed rain clothes. Yes I have 100 Zeni cash plus my credit card. I’ll call you if we won’t be back by dinner. And yes I know I’ll be sleeping in the guest room for the next month. Vegeta” ~~***~~ Bulma fumed back into the room. Everyone noticed. “Mom, what’s wrong?” Trunks asked. She threw the balled-up note at him, “Your father took Bulla dragonball hunting after he failed to get Bulla her presents last night.” Trunks stood, “Do you want me to go after them?” “No, leave those two alone for now,” she sat back down in her chair, “Tear away.” Trunks dove back under the tree and grabbed the console-sized box. But he was surprised by how light it was. He ripped off the wrapping paper and opened the plain box. Inside was a bunch of wadded paper. He dumped the paper out and searched for a second box. He found it, and was disappointed that it fit in his hand. Until he opened it— Car keys. Trunks leaped into the air, “A car! You got me a car!” “Merry Christmas Trunks,” Dr. Brief smiled. ~~***~~ “Daddy, why hasn’t the sun come up yet?” “Because we are flying west,” Vegeta said putting the dragonball into the bag, “The sun can only move so fast.” “You can fly faster than the sun?!” Bulla said, amazed. “Yes I can,” he answered, putting the backpack back on, “Give me the radar.” Bulla handed it to him. He turned it on. “Hmmm, seems the next closest is to the south. We’ll need to change clothes on the way.” “Why Daddy?” “Because not all places on Earth have winter at the same time. It will be summer there.” “Summer?! Can I have ice cream?” “Yes, you can have ice cream.” “Yeah!” Vegeta rolled his eyes at her little happy dance. “That’s enough young lady. We have five more to find.” Bulla stopped dancing and lifted up her arms. Vegeta picked her up then they flew into the clouds. ~~***~~ Dinner came and Bulma was pacing next to the phone. Finally it rang. “Hello? Vegeta is that you?” “Yeah Bulma,” she heard a nervous voice on the other end. “How dare you take Bulla out without telling me?!” Vegeta pulled the phone away from his ear as the ranting began. After about two minutes, he heard “Where are you?” “We’re in some tiny-ass beach town on the other side of the equator,” he says, “Our third ball was here. And I had to explain why it’s summer here and she wanted ice cream then she wanted to go swimming so I bought her a suit and floaties and a boogie board and everything else.” “Sounds like she’s having a good time?” Bulma’s voice sounded surprised. “Yeah she is…” he said begrudgingly, “But if I’d gone by myself I’d be done by now. She gets scared if I fly too fast or high.” “What is she doing now?” Bulma teased. Vegeta pinched the bridge of his nose knowing she was enjoying the fact that he’s miserable. “She’s in the ball pit. We’re at one of the little kiddie pizza joints with the costumed workers with no pride.” “So I take it this trip will be a few more days?” Vegeta could hear her self-satisfied smirk through the phone. He stuck out his tongue. “Did you just stick your tongue out at me through the phone?” “I’ll call you tomorrow,” he said quickly and hung up the phone. Suddenly he heard sobbing and looked down. “Bulla, what’s wrong?” “Those mean kids said magic isn’t real and Santa is an evil fat guy that sticks hot dogs up little girls’ butts,” she whimpered. Vegeta crossed his arms, “Bulla did they say hot dog or the word that also means a doggie?” “They said the doggie word,” she wiped her eyes. Vegeta knelt down. “Where are they?” he hissed. Bulla led him to the ball pit. Vegeta climbed up the steps and put his left hand on one of the safety net’s support poles. He surveyed the pit. It is a large pit, near fifty square feet. There are multiple groups of children playing separately in groups of three and four. There is one group of five. Visibly older, in their eights and nines with one maybe ten, a boy with curly blond hair. Vegeta’s eyes narrowed seeing them laugh. He recognizes the old, but very familiar tone. “Are they the ones who said that to you?” he said pointing, “The older one with curly hair.” Bulla nodded sniffling. “Hey, you in the leather jacket.” Vegeta and Bulla turned around. It was one of the staff dressed in a nondescript, pink and purple fuzzy creature. “There’s a weight limit for the trampoline, no adults,” the male voice said. Vegeta pointed into the ball pit. “That junior sociopath just told my daughter Santa Claus is a pedophile that rapes little girls! And during Christmas too!” he shouted at the top of his lungs. The entire restaurant went silent. A well-dressed fat man whispered to a young man sitting with him. The young man ran to the public phones, but struggled to pull a smart phone from an outside pocket in his satchel. Vegeta glanced back at the man walking towards him. “I smell a politician,” he thought. He returned to the intern, “And he’s calling the keystone cops.” “Howdy sir,” the man said, extending his hand, “I’m Weiss, the mayor of this fine town.” Vegeta did not take his hand, but crossed his arms as he stepped down from the ball pit. “Even the most perfect diamond has a flaw,” he said stopping in front of him, “And if it doesn’t, you know it’s all shit.” “Did you want me Grandfather?” he heard behind him as Bulla hid between his legs. The boy walked around Vegeta and stood in front of Mayor Weiss. He put his hand on his grandson’s shoulder, both with smug looks on their faces. “So what were you saying again?” Mayor Weiss asked. “Your grandson is a douchebag and I can see where he gets it from,” Vegeta said calmly. Mayor Weiss’ eyes widened. Vegeta feigned innocence. “Oh I am so sorry, great mighty Weiss,” he bowed with an exaggerated motion, deep sarcasm dripping from every skin pore, “his omnipotent ruler of all the five hundred people who aren’t paying through their noses for the privilege of being eaten by sharks.” He then stood and held up his middle finger. “And who might you be?” Mayor Weiss tried to say cordially. “It’s Jet,” he said, crossing his arms, “Now about that apology.” “I do believe sir, YOU are the one who owes my family and my town an apology,” Mayor Weiss said. “No.” “Now look sir…” “No you look!” Vegeta pointed at him, “I would forgive your brat telling my daughter that Santa wasn’t real, but telling her Santa rapes children is completely unacceptable.” “I said no such thing,” the boy said confidently, “And your daughter is a liar. Saying you can physically fly and you’ve traveled halfway around the world in one night collecting magical gems.” Vegeta glanced down at Bulla before looking back up. “My daughter wasn’t lying,” he said calmly, “That’s exactly what we have been up to.” “Ah,” Mayor Weiss said, “I see exactly what type of father you are. And you call my grandson a brat.” Just then several police officers entered the restaurant. “Hi Dad,” the boy waved. “What seems to be the problem?” his father asked as they walked up. “This man has been making wild accusations about your son and this town,” Mayor Weiss said, “I believe a few nights in jail for public disturbance is in order.” The officer pulled out zip-tie handcuffs. “All right sir, hold up your hands and come quietly.” “You know, it’s people like you that give this planet a bad name,” Vegeta hissed, not uncrossing his arms. “You say that like you’re an alien,” the boy chuckled. Vegeta leaned over into his face. “I am,” he smiled. Bulla recognized the smile. She left his legs and hid under a nearby table turning a chair over to shield her. The officers saw this and readied their tasers thinking they were dealing with a nut. Mayor Weiss pulled his grandson back, “I don’t appreciate you trying to scare my grandson.” Vegeta leaned up, “Whether the brat is scared of me, that’s on your own conscience.” “I’m not scared of you,” the boy snapped back, “I learned all about aliens in science class. You look too human to have evolved separately on another planet.” “Actually my appearance is an illusion boy. Would you like to see what I really look like?” The police raised their tasers. “Sir, we are going to need you to raise your hands in the air,” the father ordered. “Bring it!” the son shouted. Vegeta made his eyes glow without fully transforming. Everyone took a step back. “Remember you asked for it,” Vegeta smiled. ~~***~~ People coming into the fenced-in parking lot stopped in their tracks as people ran screaming from the restaurant, including several cops. Suddenly a flash of light broke through the mortar before the bricks went flying in an explosion. A glowing man with flames flying around him stepped over the pile of bricks screaming obscenities. Vegeta surveyed the parking lot, and spotted the mayor and the boy running for the exit while others were jumping over the idyllic white picket fence. He found the most expensive car in the parking lot, assuming it belonged to the mayor, and threw it. Everyone hit the deck as it flew over. It wrapped around one of the twin palm trees framing the exit then spun out into the road. Vegeta stormed over and grabbed the boy by his shirt. He lifted him up. “Never bully another child again,” he said, “Do you understand me boy?” The boy wet himself as he whimpered. “Good,” he said, dropping him. Vegeta turned off the light show and walked back inside through the hole he just made. He stumbled over the loose bricks. After brushing the dust off his pants, he began searching through the overturned furniture. He found Bulla near the batting cages. “Come on child, we have more dragonballs to find.” Bulla slowly crawled out and Vegeta picked her up. “Let this be a lesson to you about never mentioning the dragonballs outside our family,” he said. This time he walked out the front door before he flew away. ~~***~~ Evening came in West City, and Bulma sat down with her hot coco and turned on the TV. The expected Christmas programming was replaced by a live news cast. “As you can see behind me, the military is taking the report that a self-identified extra-terrestrial destroyed this children’s arcade very seriously. Witnesses say shortly after noon local time the man dropped his human disguise and intimidated a boy who had bullied his daughter over Santa Claus. The fight escalated when startled police officers fired their guns upon seeing the alien, leading to the mess behind me…” Bulma took a throw pillow and screamed into it. ~~***~~ Six more days passed, and between the camel rides in dust storms and elephant rides with umbrellas, Vegeta ran out of cash ages ago. Today they were riding in the mountains. Bulla was riding a llama dressed in a poncho with a white horse woven into it and an Inca-style winter cap. Vegeta was walking— after his donkey bucked him. “Bulla better keep her promise not telling anyone that,” he thought, “I will never live down the jokes.” He looked down at the radar. “Almost done…” he sighed, “Another 100 meters.” “You say something Daddy?” Bulla called back as a local tour guide led her llama along the ancient road. “We’re almost to the last ball,” he said, “Just a little further.” “Yeah!” Bulla squealed. Vegeta sighed again. “Finally, this nightmare is almost over…” he thought. Another hour passed, and Vegeta and Bulla finally joined the tourists at an abandoned cloud-wrapped city on, contrary to the brochure’s descriptions, a not-so-forgotten peak. Vegeta sneaked away from the tourists, leaving Bulla to the tour guides. He flew down the far side of the mountain into the river valley below. He followed the stream deeper into the wilderness until he came to a tall skinny waterfall with a large basin. The radar said the last ball is below him. After searching the banks for twenty minutes, he gave up his last strand of hope that the ball was not in the ice-cold glacial runoff. Vegeta undressed down to his birthday suit and left his clothes and the radar on a large rock. He clenched his teeth to keep his cursing from echoing up the canyon as he waded in. Vegeta exited the water five times because of the cold, but on the sixth dive he came up with the ball just before hypothermia took him. He transformed to incinerate the water on him, then dressed. He flew up the valley and just made it back to the crowd as the headcount began for the climb down. “Ah, there you are sir,” the lead guide said, “Please remain with the group. There are dangerous areas in these ruins.” “Did you find it Daddy?” Bulla asked, running over. Vegeta nodded. “Yeah!” Bulla did her happy dance. “Bulla. Bulla. BULLA!” She stopped dancing instantly and looked up at his stern face. “Save it till the bottom,” he ordered. Bulla nodded sheepishly. Suddenly Vegeta sneezed. “You ok?” a local guide said in broken English. He put his hand on Vegeta’s shoulder, then almost instantly pulled it away. He began shouting in Quechuan and waving his hand. “What’s going on?” Vegeta shouted. Ponchos and blankets were thrown at him and someone behind him shoved a hat over his head. “They are saying you are very cold,” the lead guide translated. Vegeta continued his protests out of pride, but was secretly thankful for the blankets. He walked down the mountain the full three-hour trek to the small town at its base. He started packing the latest set of souvenirs into a capsule box as the buses began to load. Bulla was playing with a walking stick like a toy horse. “I got a pony poncho. I got a pony poncho. I got a pony poncho,” she sang, prancing. Vegeta shook his head and decided not to take the poncho from her. He closed the lid and popped the capsule. He put it in a box with the others he had to buy during the trip and put it in the bag with the seven balls. Then he took another capsule from his pocket. He pushed the button and tossed it on the ground. A motorcycle with a sidecar appeared. He took his helmet from the sidecar and put it on. “Bulla,” he shouted holding up her little helmet he bought her. It has one of her ponies on it. Hard to mistake a blue horse with wings and rainbow hair for anything else. She stopped and ran over. “We’re not going to fly?” she asked. “We will,” he said, “But if we disappear, they will look for us. Remember, we may not dress up like Gohan and Videl, but we are just as super as they are. We must be just as discreet and careful.” “Yes, Daddy,” she said, putting the helmet on. Vegeta revved the engine and they took off down the road. They rode until sunset, leaving a trail through three villages until they came to one large enough to disappear. He took off eastward into the coming darkness. ~~***~~ Bulla woke in the morning to a soft bed. She sat up, only to discover they were on a beach. She had been set up on the blankets and ponchos in the sand. She looked up and saw leaves woven together in a little house. She saw her father at a fire, with what looks like a chicken spinning on a stick. “You’re finally awake,” he said. “What time is it?” she asked. “By the sun? About mid-morning at this location. Compared to where we were, I have no clue. I slept myself,” he chuckled at the last sentence. “Where are we?” she asked next. Vegeta looked over his shoulders back into the trees and bushes, “Hmmm I’d say about an hour or so south of Roshi’s.” He turned back to his daughter, “After you fell asleep, I raced the sun once the mountains had gone dark. We’re on a small island all to ourselves.” He pointed up the beach, “I made a place to go to the bathroom over there if you need me to show you.” “I’m ok,” Bulla said, wiping the sleep from her eyes. “Good,” he pointed behind them. She saw an open capsule box. “Your bathing suit and everything else is in there. I already blew up all your floaties. But don’t go into the water without me.” He stood, “I’ll let you change. Food will be done by noon.” Vegeta walked into the bushes. Bulla changed into her bathing suit, then put her t-shirt and skirt over it. She put her beach hat on. It was an adults’ straw-hat with its rim extending almost to her wrists with her arms fully outstretched. She didn’t notice her father watching her behind a tree. Vegeta was pleased when she obeyed not entering the water, but instead took the horse toys she had accumulated over the trip and played in the sand. He gave her the illusion of independence for about ten minutes by his guesstimation before walking back out. “You ready Bulla?” he called out from the trees. She stood and looked at the trees. “Yes Daddy!” Vegeta stepped out. “You playing with your horsies?” Her hat fell over her face as she nodded. “Bulla. I owe you a day at the beach. Today is all yours, all right?” “Yes, Daddy,” she said, fixing her hat. Vegeta took out a capsule and tossed it in the sand. A cooler popped out. “How’s ice cream for breakfast sound?” he said, kneeling. Bulla’s face lit up and she ran over. Besides bags of ice and lots of water bottles were a handful of small ice cream containers. “You always steal Grammy’s cookie dough, don’t you?” Vegeta said holding up an ice cream container, “This ice cream says chocolate chip cookie dough flavor.” Bulla ripped off the lid and started licking. “Wait for the spoon first,” Vegeta scolded. “Here,” he handed her a plastic spoon, “Don’t break it.” Bulla sat down and started to eat her ice cream. Vegeta pulled out his own cup and sat down next to Bulla. “Don’t tell your mother,” he said. Bulla just nodded. “Did I guess right that it tastes good?” Bulla nodded again. The two sat silently eating for some time. Then Vegeta put the lid back on with only a third of his eaten. He turned around and placed it back in the cooler. “Daddy what you doing?” Bulla asked. “I’m going to check on lunch,” he said walking back towards the fire. Vegeta took the chicken off the fire, then took the meat off the bone. He wrapped it in banana leaves then placed the parcels in the sand next to the fire. Vegeta then threw more wood on the fire making it wider and covering the chicken. “Daddy, what are you doing?” Vegeta turned around and saw Bulla behind him. “You’re a fast little bugger, aren’t you?” he said, turning back to the fire. “Daddy why you bury the food?” she asked again. “To keep it warm,” he said, “People who live on islands like this one will bury containers with food and build a fire over it to cook it. There’s actually a lot of food under here.” “Like what?” “Bananas, something that looks like potatoes, two goats…” “What’s goat?” “I don’t know,” he said, “One of the few things I haven’t eaten yet. Had the potato things at Roshi’s once. This should be a good lunch.” He glanced behind him, “Daddy needs to stay with the fire. Why don’t you explore the island in the trees? Mommy will get mad if you get a sunburn.” Vegeta turned back to the fire and did not see Bulla nod slowly. She walked over to her toys, picked up three of her horses, and disappeared into the trees. Bulla explored the island for some time. The inside of the island was not soft like the sandy beach and her bare feet soon hurt. But the animals on the island kept her occupied. She always thought her grandfather’s collection of animals included the entire world, but here were creatures she had never seen. Large birds that walked on the ground with dozens of babies chasing after their mothers. The babies looked almost exactly like the marshmallow candy she eats in the springtime. There were also small groups of four-legged, almost pony-like animals that always sounded like they were saying “mom”. The young ones acted like they had pogo sticks for legs, and they were definitely fond of her ice cream. “Bulla?!” she heard, “Lunch is ready! Hurry before I eat it all! This goat is amazing!” “Sorry I need to go,” she said to the four-legged animals. “Maaaaaaaaaaaam,” they protested as she ran off. “Ah. There you are,” he said, faking the fact he did not know her location from energy sensing, “Come on. Lunch is getting cold.” ~~***~~ Out on the beach, Vegeta was devouring the goat off the bones. Bulla was keeping her table manners about her and was eating the bananas and potato thingies with the plastic flatware. Vegeta licked his fingers and grabbed a set of ribs after eating both rear legs. “If you’re not going to try the goat Bulla, eat your chicken. I only caught it in case you were picky and that bugger was hard to get.” Bulla scraped the potato-thingies off her fork with her knife and took a piece of goat meat that had been already cut into little pieces. She stuck it in her mouth. Bulla tried hard not to smile because her mother told her it was rude to eat with your mouth open like Daddy did. “Good,” Vegeta said with his mouth full, “At least you get some part from me.” Bulla had swallowed several pieces of meat when she heard cries of “Mom” from the woods. The pony-thing family walked out onto the beach and looked at them. “Maaaaam” the children said. Vegeta looked over and did not see his daughter waving at them. “Silence! Or you’re next!” he shouted. The animals ran into the trees. Vegeta returned to eating. “Daddy, what you mean by next?” Bulla asked before sticking another piece in her mouth. Vegeta looked over surprised. “Those are goats, Bulla.” Bulla spit out the meat and overturned her plate in the sand. “What do you think you’re doing young lady?!” he shouted. Bulla started to cry. “What’s wrong with you?” Vegeta asked confused, “You eat meat all the time.” Bulla’s eyes widened, then she wailed even louder. “Oh, don’t tell me you didn’t know what meat was?” he said frustrated. Bulla started to gag. Vegeta vanished, then flashed behind her. He put his hand over her mouth. Bulla fought him, but Vegeta wrapped his other arm around her and held her tight. “Look you spoiled brat!” he yelled in her ear, “I will not have a child of mine throw up. You are going to keep that meat inside you until it comes out as poop!” Vegeta stood so not to give her legs leverage. Bulla soon stopped squirming, but the tears did not stop as Vegeta held her tight for what felt like eternity. Vegeta held his daughter for about twenty minutes in order to make sure her body forced the meat out of reach of her conscience. Then he dropped her. He looked down at his trembling daughter. “Bulla,” he said sternly, “NEVER do that in my presence again.” Bulla sobbed in the sand as Vegeta stormed off, kicking the cooler to vent as he passed it. Bulla lay listless in the sand, completely alone in the entire world. Vegeta was hiding in the trees, again watching. “Idiot,” he thought as he started hitting his forehead on the tree trunk. Several coconuts falling to the sand made Bulla lift her head slightly. The next set was accompanied by a familiar set of bad words. Vegeta rubbed his head as he walked into view. Bulla laid her head back in the sand. Vegeta sighed, then walked over. He squatted down in front of her. “Bulla… I know I’m the worst Daddy ever… but lift your head… it’s time to call the dragon and go home.” Bulla lifted her head and watched her father walk over to their bags. After Bulla screaming “No! No! I can walk!” when he tried to help her up, Vegeta dragged his feet as they walked to an area a short way from camp. He dumped the dragonballs, and everything else, into the sand. Vegeta arranged the balls and picked up the toilet paper, toothbrushes and other sundries out of the sand. He tossed the backpack aside, “Are you ready to wish for whatever your heart wants, Princess?” “Yes, sir,” she said forcefully. Vegeta glanced down at her and smiled at the authoritative tone in her voice. He returned to the dragonballs. “Eternal Dragon, I summon you to grant my wish.” A great flash of light came from the balls before a blinding column rocketed into the air. The wind roared and twisted with thunder and the sky turned black. Bulla yipped and fell backwards. The Eternal Dragon fully materialized from the light. “What is your wish?” Vegeta glanced at Bulla. “Bulla. Bulla, stand up,” he scolded. Bulla trembled to her feet. “And don’t hide behind me either,” he scolded, sidestepping her. “Forgive her Eternal Dragon! This is her first witness,” Vegeta shouted up before returning to her. “You will stand before him alone,” he said before walking back towards the camp. Bulla stood alone trembling before him, attempting to stand stiff and straight. Vegeta, watching her from behind, was worried she might faint. “I cannot grant any wish. Only what is within my power,” the Dragon said. A few moments later, he spoke again. “Yes, that is within my power… Yes, I can do that as well…” Vegeta realized they were talking, and it did not sound like a simple toy request. “Your wishes have been granted.” Vegeta saw his daughter vanish. He ran over. He saw no new tracks. “Where did she go?! What did she wish for?!” he shouted up at the dragon. “She wished to be teleported to the edge of the Everfree Forest I materialized for her.” “And you sent her alone!” he shouted. “I granted what I was asked!” he roared, “I am not the one who left her alone.” Vegeta's eyes darted around as he thought. “Wait…” he looked back up, “If you’re still here that means you still have one wish to grant?” “Yes.” “I wish for the same thing she did!” Vegeta shouted. “Your wish has been granted.”