The title of this exercise is "Reluctant I". The idea is to write a short excerpt from a story which uses first-person singular pronouns only twice, yet still outline's a singular character's feelings. It should be fairly obvious to the reader who the character is.
So, this is what I came up with for such an exercise. (For more information on my drabbles and what these exercises entail, feel free to check my profile.)
Gone
He screamed. He screamed and he screamed and he screamed. And then he was gone. In a flash of blinding light, the world purged itself of its once-assaulter, now defender. Next to me, Krillin cried out the name of the Saiyan prince in agony and regret. It was irritating. Somehow it didn't seem right that the only person crying out Vegeta's name during his death was too afraid to look him in the eye most days.
It was as if Krillin's anguished release was unfit for that time and place - unworthy. He was nothing compared to the prince. Krillin meant well, but it seemed that his outburst had tarnished an moment that was otherwise breathtakingly beautiful in its tragedy. Later, alone and remorseful, Krillin would be fit to lament the fallen hero. Not then. Not when his screams still echoed over broken lands.
The son of the prince stirred, even in his injured state. He knew that something was wrong. The royal connection was strong, even though separate dimensions, it seemed. Trunks would have to be taken away from the site - if he awoke on the battlefield, the first thing he would ask would be to see his father.
Scratch that. It didn't matter. The only thing he would ask when he awoke was the whereabouts of the elder prince, and the boy's location wouldn't change a damn thing about that. I was the one who wanted to leave that place. There was no other plan - nothing else to alleviate the deafening sound of the emptiness which was fast closing in all around. Besides, there was no longer a harsh, raspy voice to shoot down any plan formed. Nor to assign a better one.
Funny that a green space invader turned-good guy should suddenly feel lost without the opinion of the new and improved, more rage-filled version of himself. But it was true. The air felt colder after he was gone. Heavier, too. Krillin didn't speak the entire flight back. It was out of discomfort that he chose this - not out of respect. Vegeta would have been pleased.
The bald little man made no effort to hide his discomfort, either. Looking downward at him, it was hard not to feel angry at him for acting as though the loss was devastating for him. Everyone had always known that Krillin had only two emotions concerning Vegeta - Fear, and distrusting acceptance. The prince's cold eyes made him jump out of his skin whenever they were turned on him. It was a pathetic sight to behold.
Most likely, it was because Krillin never forgot that moment of limbo - the instant he had been told to let Vegeta live, that he feared him. He thought he would never be forgiven for almost slaying the defenseless prince. If he wasn't so blinded by his own cowardice, he would know that there was nothing to forgive. Vegeta didn't care who he was, or that he had almost killed him. Plenty of people from Earth had almost killed him by the end of that first visit. It was Goku he would never forgive. It was Goku who had made the decision to spare his life, and that was the reason that the older Saiyan would always hate him.
Krillin, on the other hand, was just like all the other brainless, subservient creatures he had killed in the past. He knew that if, for some reason, he had been incapacitated on any of the planets he had destroyed, those weak fools would have done the exact same thing Krillin was intending to do - protect themselves and seek revenge. Krillin was a nobody.
It was only through the eyes of another king's son that the fallen prince could be fully understood.
As always, reviews (especially concrit, in this case) are very much appreciated.