A pair of gold-tipped boots landed on the edge of Kami's Lookout. Dende looked up from his conversation with Mr. Popo, but Piccolo just shook his head. He'd take care of this. He walked slowly over to the reticent man.
Vegeta looked at the Namekian walking towards him, and tried to steel his features, but it was apparent that Piccolo had already seen the confusion on his face.
Piccolo smirked at the Saiyan prince's lost look. "You just missed them."
Vegeta was silent.
Knowing there would be no response, Piccolo continued. "So, you helped save the world."
The prince huffed. "I don't care about this mudball of a planet, nor its insipid inhabitants."
Piccolo glanced over at Dende & Mr. Popo, who were talking animatedly. "Sometimes your world is just a few people."
Vegeta's gaze wandered over towards the west, where Capsule Corp was located.
"I have no reason to stay," he finally said.
Piccolo shrugged. "You don't always need a reason. Sometimes a feeling will suffice."
A heavy sigh left the other man. "You always seemed like the most logical being on this planet. But even you are subject to foolish whims."
A wry grin appeared on Piccolo's face. "Emotion is what keeps this planet from becoming an empty heartless shell. It forces us to consider what we really want, instead of just mindlessly existing. It drives us to become stronger, for better or for worse."
Maybe it was Kami or Nail in him that was speaking. Maybe Piccolo had this part of him inside all along, before Nail, before Kami. Either way, he continued, "The heart changes easily if it isn't sure of itself. And regardless of how you think you feel, you showed your true heart when Trunks died. Perhaps you should think about what you, Vegeta, wants to do, and not what the Saiyan prince wants to do."
Vegeta closed his eyes, mulling over the words. What did he want to do?
A never ending sea of blue flashed into his mind's eye.
Without another word, Vegeta blasted off towards Capsule Corp.
Piccolo watched the ki trail in the sky, and smiled.