It is nighttime, and Kakarot cries. He is hungry, thirsty, cold, angry and scared and he does the only thing he can to fight. He screams and sobs as loud as his small lungs allow him, his every breath defiance at the many invisible enemies that seek to end his short life. He screams until his tiny throat is raw from the effort and his neck is sore but despite it he does not stop.

Large hands wrap around his waist and lift him from the rough ground. He is grabbed firmly to prevent him from flailing before warm, wet liquid starts sliding into his mouth forcing him to stop crying and gulp down. The warmth from the nearby body comforts him, and his anger fades away as his tiny brain understand that he's no longer in danger. Kakarot drinks heartily from the bag held over his mouth, grabbing it firmly with both hands to make sure it cannot leave his hungry mouth. His tears dry and his heart slows down, his first victory complete.


It is midday, and Kakarot cries. He is hurt, and his frustration is so intense that his entire body is shaking. With wet eyes he looks up at the tall imposing woman that has kept him alive and is the source of his current torment. Fasha is looking down at him with contempt, he's learned the look well, it's all she gives him whenever she is hurting him.

He pushes himself off the ground and he runs towards her, his small arm pulling back before punching forwards with all the strength he can muster. But like before she side steps him. He raises his arm to stop the blow he knows is coming before angrily driving his elbow into her leg, trying to hit her where she has showed him multiple times, but her leg stands firm before she swats him down to the ground again.

'Again' her stern voice demands.

Sobbing loudly, Kakarot stands up again, his tail angrily slashing before wrapping itself around his waist. She has painfully taught him what happens to a tail that is not kept under control. He takes a deep breath and has to force one of his eyes open. The pain of his injuries mounts up and he can barely raise his arm to punch, but he does not stop.


It is raining, and Kakarot cries. He begs and pleads and sobs, but she doesn't budge. Ignoring him completely she continues working on the silver pod and for a brief moment he thinks about attacking it and forcing her to stay, before he just as quickly dismisses the idea as he watches her. He understands how important this is for her. For them.

It doesn't help the tightening on his throat or the trembling of his legs at the idea of not having her.

She stands up and looks down at him, gracing him with one of the rarest smiles, the one she gives when she's proud of him. He knows it, and for a brief instant all is forgotten and forgiven. She kneels down as she runs her hand down his wet hair, combing it out of his face. He forces his hands into fists and clenches his body down, making sure to not tremble in front of her, not while he's face to face.

'I will return' she promises him, clutching his hand with her own. 'I swear it. I will not be in any danger, but we simply cannot live without knowing, Kakarot. I cannot live without knowing.'

Her words are true, and they convince him, but they don't soothe the cold fear growing inside of him.

'You are a saiyan. You are the son of the bravest and strongest of us. You will best anything this world has to throw at you and more. If something scares you then become strong enough to stop it. We are saiyans, and we will not allow fear to rule our actions. Never again.'

Those are her last words before she gets into the pod, giving both of them a confident nod as she crosses her arms over her chest. The vehicle rises into the air, and Kakarot's curiosity rises to the fore momentarily, looking in wonder at the device as it turns and blasts off. The old man speaks a few words, but Kakarot's mind is elsewhere as he watches it lift past the treetops. It hovers in midair for a moment, as if to let him burn the image into his mind, before it blasts off with a loud crash. Kakarot cries out her name. He knows she cannot hear him, and that it won't make her come back, but he does not stop.


It is morning, and Kakarot cries. His clothing is torn and the cold breeze of Mount Paozu does little to wipe his tears. He falls to his knees as he looks around at a scene of carnage and devastation so horrible that it makes his head spin. He clutches and shakes his head in desperation, his eyes wide as he repeats a single name over and over.

The destruction of the nearby mountain has left a gaping wound on the mountainside and the morning light now flows much earlier than usual. Rivers have spilled from their usual tracks. Dams have been created where trees the size of buildings have been smashed aside. Animal carcasses are scattered around the area. Laying in a gory mess is an unmistakable sight that makes his blood freeze.

Kakarot throws his head back as he clutches the broken and bloodstained remains. His voice breaks and becomes a fevered shriek of guilt and rage.

It is a new sensation, one that threatens to drown him, and in his desperation to be rid of it he runs away, the trail of blood and torn clothing following him deeper into the mountains. He reaches the rocky mountaintops and does not stop. He leaves them behind and enters the heat scorched desert, the sun beating down on his exposed skin, before he finds himself rushing back through the thick forests, his body driven to exhaustion, but he does not stop.


It is the afternoon, and Kakarot grins. His latest growth spur has left him tall, broad and powerful. His body is a finely tuned weapon that strikes precisely as he means to, no more loss of control plagues him as he digs his fist deep into his enemy's stomach with enough strength to lift him off the ground and send him crumbling towards the arena stage. No sooner has he hit the ground that Kakarot is moving again, his body carrying him upwards into the heavens. His hands come together as he looks down at the tournament stage, his eyes locked on the green demon staring in utter fear and helplessness at him.

'Ka! Me!' he speaks, his voice now carries the authority of his confidence and the certainty of his own superiority, and his strength in undeniable. 'Ha! Me!'

His friends run for cover as his jump reaches its peak and he holds in the air for a moment, never taking his eyes off his enemy, daring him to try anything before he ends him. He sees it, the moment of desperation, in which his brain is trying to come up with any solution and failing and so resorts to the only thing he can try, a tiny golden glow emerges from his throat as he tries to blast Kakarot out of the air.

His voice is certain and clear, laced with the viciousness of his race but none of its malice. A bright blue energy beam explodes forwards as he screams, rushing towards the demon in an instant. His feeble counterattack is pushed downwards and all but ignored before his attack collides against his body, and the entire arena explodes in a shower of blue light that drowns out even the sun.

For a moment there is only Kakarot and his vanquished enemy, for a moment there is only the peace of the aftermath of his attack, before he lands on the ruined tournament stage, looking down at the crumpled and burnt body of Piccolo Jr. He turns to smile at his friends with a thumbs up as the tournament announcer rushes to the side of the stage, his black suit stained cream with dust and sand.

'A-And the winner is Son Goku!' he exclaims with a mixture of elation and relief.

What little remains of the crowd explodes in cheer and his friends rush to embrace him, crying and laughing with relief. He smiles and pats their backs, looking upwards at the sky with a proud head, as if expecting affirmation from the heavens of his victory.


'So, you've finally won a tournament of your own, how does it feel?'

Kakarot smiles at his friend, tying his blue belt around his waist with a tight tug. At the age of eighteen he has grown to be the same height as Tien Shinhan, who previously towered over the young Saiyan. He lifts the tournament belt with a single hand, staring at the solid gold icon in the middle. He grins as he tosses the belt down on the bench.

'I don't think anything has really changed. This was just a show put on by Piccolo. If not for the crowd and you guys I would have had him much earlier.'

Tien crosses his arms, his two human eyes narrowing slightly. His third eye remains as impassive as ever, and as always the dichotomy of his facial features unnerves Kakarot to no end.

'You shouldn't have held back' he says in an accusing tone, and the young Saiyan looks at him with a curious face as he lifts his sack over his shoulder. 'With me.'

Kakarot looks at him impassively for a moment, before he sighs and looks away, nodding once. His shoulders drop and he seems at a loss for words for a moment before he looks up at his friend.

'You're right. I'm sorry' he finally apologizes without an excuse, adjusting the travel sack as he takes a few steps towards the exit of the locker room. 'It won't happen again.'

'Good' Tien says as he follows him. They emerge on the tournament grounds, after what remained of the crowd has dispersed or been removed. Officials and soldiers look around nervously, some of them point at them, and one even makes to approach the duo before his step falters. 'They won't leave you alone. What you've done here is known all over the world and many people will have questions. I don't envy you.'

'They can keep their questions, I have no use for their fear or their praise' he answers as they take one last step before rising into the air slowly, earning a few more gaping stares in the process. They fly slowly outside of the tournament grounds, where a large and expensive hover car is waiting for them.

A blue haired woman sits in the driver's seat, eagerly waving at them with her feet resting on the dashboard. She sits up straight as they land next to the car.

'There you are! We're going to have to change our plans' she says with a scowl, looking at Kakarot with her hands on her hips.

'What? Why?' Kakarot asks, looking at the old Master, the young woman and the pig sitting on the back seat, all of them with an indignant expression on their faces.

'Because you just saved the world, mister and every newscaster this side of the west city is rushing towards the tournament arena and I guarantee we will not be able to have a meal in peace when they get here, nice going!' she mock slaps the side of his head, only ruffling his hair. Kakarot grins as he drops his bag on the backseat and jumps on the car.

'Not my fault Piccolo wanted an audience!' he defends himself, raising a hand for Oolong, Launch and Master Roshi to slap his open palm with wide grins.

'Yeah well, next time you might want to not end it on such a flashy note, don't think I didn't notice you showing off, young man!' Roshi admonishes him with a light chuckle.

There is a brief ripple as the engine of the hover car kicks into ignition. They all turn to look at Tien, quietly inviting him to get in. With a smile he shakes his head and rises into the air again, looking at the group for a moment before he turns to Kakarot.

'Goku, nobody faults you for killing him, but we all have to live with the consequences. Now more than ever we must train harder than we ever have. Next time somebody dies... well, let's make sure nobody else dies.'

Kakarot nods and he closes his fist, presenting it to his friend, who presses his own against his knuckles.

'Nobody else is dying, Tien. Trust me.'

His friend looks somber for a moment before he lets out a breath and breaks off, taking flight without a look back. His green silhouette is visible for a long time in the clear sky as Bulma drives away, her long blue hair fluttering in the open cockpit. The group is silent for a while, giving Kakarot some privacy with his thoughts.

'S-so' Bulma speaks, making him blink and turn to face her. She half turns to look at him, keeping one eye on the road. 'Is it true what Tien said? The dragon balls are gone? Forever?'

Kakarot nods and clasps his hands, leaning forwards.

'Yes. Kami knew it. He and Piccolo are one and the same, there was no way of saving him while sparing Piccolo. It's for the best' he explains as he closes his eyes. 'The dragon balls did little more than spread greed and selfishness, and for the wishes that matter they didn't even have enough power. We will be much better off without them' he states without a doubt, reaching back into his sack. He opens it and reaches in, rummaging through his clothes before pulling out a solid ball of rock. What had once been the object of desire for countless men and women all over the globe was now nothing more than a perfectly smooth, white orb. No trace of the crystal it had once been when embedded with power remained. With a soft smile Kakarot holds the former dragon ball over the side of the hover car and crushes it in his fist, letting the sand flow through his fingers and mix with the ground. 'We have bested everything this world has thrown at us and I know we will continue to do so' he states confidently before a grumble is heard and he holds his side with an apologetic face. 'But for now let's just find a restaurant, I'm starving!'

The group lets out a laugh as Bulma picks up speed and blasts through the desert, her hover car leaving a whipping trail of sand behind them.


It must be so strange, Fasha thinks as she weaves through one of the hundreds of marketplaces on Planet Frieza 448, to live your life as a non combatant. Beneath the thick cowl of her brown cloak she peers at the merchants scurrying with their wares, keeping a close eye on the soldiers guarding the plaza. She doubts that they are truly doing anything other than frightening the locals and ensuring no rebellions spring up. She goes from stall to stall, purchasing goods she has no intention of using with the credits she took from the now dead merchant lying inside the dumpster on the alley.

It is strange to her because the idea of somebody simply arriving into her life and trying to kill her without her fighting back is an alien concept, because the idea of begging for mercy is so pathetic that it visibly sickens her, because being subservient to the whims of others drives a red hot shard of anger into her chest. Not that she isn't afraid of death or that she thinks everybody should strive to be the most powerful, but living your life and relying on concepts such as civility or law to keep you safe from others seems to be nothing more than an invitation for disaster.

She moves closer to one of the guards. He is cocky and arrogant, occasionally taunting one of the youths that is helping the merchants or acting like he owns the place.

With a swift turn she walks past him towards the nearby alley, almost brushing past him as she rushes past.

'Ugly coward' she whispers just loud enough for him to hear her. His purple skin visibly darkens as he turns around, following her billowing cloak as she turns into the alley and away from prying eyes. The alien croaks angrily into his scouter before following her, his hand already on his blaster menacingly.

Before he can so much as get a squeak out Fasha has already jumped him, dropping the basket and grabbing him by the throat, pulling him back against the wall before turning him around, holding him in a headlock as she jumps and wraps her legs around him, squeezing tightly.

'Not a sound, or I'll snap your neck before you can even squeal to your pathetic friends' she warns him before releasing the grip on his neck slightly enough for him to breathe and wheeze out his words. 'And don't even attempt to threaten me, I can kill everybody that Frieza left on this backwater and be gone before word even reaches him.'

'Y-you're insane! You'll never get away with this, I'm too import-'

Fasha cuts him off by tightening her arm around his neck again, pulling him down to the ground as she chokes him.

'First and last warning. You will answer my questions and if I like your answers I might let you walk away to pretend you can fight another day' she threatens him as her legs tighten around his midriff. He lets out a croak and nods eagerly. 'Good boy, now first question. What do you know about planet Vegeta?'


'You're still doing it.'

'Huh?'

'Looking ahead, focused on something else. It's like everything else that is happening to you is nothing more than an obstacle to what you really want.'

'Is that the impression I give?'

'Don't shrug this off! Tell me! We never talk about these things.'

'That's because there's not much to talk about. I was born to fight. It's what I do. There's nothing more to it. You're reading too much between the lines.'

'I think you're lying.'

'You're welcome to think whatever you want.'

'Damn it Goku, don't treat me like that. There's no way you have been pushing yourself as hard as you have without a good reason.'

'You're overthinking this. Power is a good reason. Strength to protect you all and make sure nobody takes what is mine.'

'There's something behind that isn't there? Something related to that... Fasha?'

'... How do you know that name?'

'You talk in your sleep.'

'...'

'Did she take something of yours?'

'No. Stop prodding. It's not your concern and it would get you mixed up in dangerous stuff.'

'What is it? What is bothering you?'

'My problems are that. My own. We have separate futures. Content yourself with yours and let me face mine.'

'Ugh, I swear Goku, sometimes your single mindedness is infuriating. I'm only trying to help and you're just- why are you smiling?'

'It's fun to mess with you. You're fiery.'

'... I'm serious'

'So am I.'

'No, you're diverting my attention by trying to drag me into a pointless argument until I get exhausted and you get to laugh at another victory. Not everything is about winning, Goku.'

'Everything is about winning. History only remembers the victors. Only those that win get to chose to change the world for the better or the worse.'

'That's a very simplistic way of thinking.'

'I told you, you're overthinking this.'

'According to you I overthink everything.'

'That's because you do.'

'And you don't think enough.'

'I think about defeating my enemies, not senseless things. You're wasting your incredible intellect with trivialities.'

'That's the closest to a compliment you've ever given me.'

'It wasn't.'

'You haven't answered my question.'

'What's there to answer?'

'Something is bothering you. Something is always bothering you. I've been around you long enough to know by now. Even when we first met, with the Red Ribbon army, with King Piccolo, with the tournament. There's always something and it wasn't until Krillin-'

'I get it, Bulma... It's not easy to explain.'

'Nothing with you ever is, but here I am.'

'You know I'm not human. I'm a saiyan.'

'I know.'

'I arrived on this planet as a baby... with Fasha.'

'...'

'She's...'

'Your mother?'

'No.'

'Family?'

'This is stupid, you wouldn't understand.'

'Try me! You're always so damn busy trying to become stronger and taking more burdens unto yourself that you don't dare to think we can take some too!'

'...'

'We're not weaklings and I'm not stupid Goku. Explain.'

'My father led a crew of warriors that traveled the cosmos finding valuable planets to exterminate the population and then sell for profit, under the orders of a monster called Frieza. He controls the vast majority of the universe last I was told. One day Frieza decided he had had enough of the saiyans and he had a strike team strike at my father's team, and then destroyed my home planet. Because he was scared they were getting too strong.'

'Ah-'

'Fasha survived because of my father. She was sent here and according to her my pod followed hers an hour or so after she arrived. My father, my mother, my brother and my entire race was exterminated. I have nothing but my tail to remind me that I'm one of them. Fasha left 9 years ago to find out more information, and look for survivors. I don't know when she will be back. I don't know if she ever will be back. And if she doesn't return I have to find Frieza. And I have to kill him for what he did to my people.'

'I...'

'Told you you wouldn't get it.'

'T-that's not it! I just... it's a lot to take in at once.'

'Tell me about it... It's been 18 years and I'm still trying to wrap my head around it.'


Author's Note:

And here's chapter two! Significantly shorter wait time than for chapter one thankfully. This one started to flow much differently. I originally wanted to depict the entire Dragon Ball saga with all the changes Goku's knowledge of his saiyan heritage would convey, but it ended up being a crash course of some key moments in Kakarot's growth. The story would have strayed far too much from Fasha otherwise. Why do his friends call him Goku? What happened with Krillin? Where is Yamcha? Where's Chiaotzu? What wish did Kakarot asked for? Exactly what went down with King Piccolo? Well, these are small secrets that will affect Kakarot's character, and with time they might get revealed but I've always found speculation to surpass anything I could ever come up with.

The final conversation between Goku and Bulma was originally supposed to be between Goku and Master Roshi, but nobody else in the entire Dragon Ball universe has as much history with Goku than Bulma, and I figured the honour of knowing his greatest secret should go to her.

I'd say the song that inspired this chapter the most was Dangerous by Royal Deluxe. It's not a bad, if somewhat generic modern rock song. Give it a listen!

Until next time, I'll be seeing you!