Author Notes: Another one of these one-shots. This one exploring Goku's first experience with depression and hallucinations.
The First Night
Goku was more than excited. He was hopping around having a great time during his first three and a half weeks in The Room of Spirit and Time but today was different. Today felt weird. This place was supposed to feel weird but this was something he didn't expect. Mr. Popo had warned him to be careful of the ways this place could mess with one's head but somehow he didn't believe it.
This was definitely wrong, though.
He laid in the bed, feeling cold and apathetic. He just didn't care about anything right now. Mr. Popo warned him that he could die in here. 'Maybe if I go out there and push myself really really hard, I will die.' His thoughts raced of things like that. He groaned and rolled over in the bed, covering himself in the blanket. He was so cold.
He looked up when he heard something strange coming from the empty abyss. He climbed out of bed and got dressed in his uniform before heading out, chasing the sound. It almost sounded like…
"Grandpa? Grandpa is that you?" He stopped eventually and looked around at the nothingness that surrounded him. Soon, the plain white emptiness faded away into his old home. He smiled wide and chased after what looked to be his grandfather. He saw him standing there with his arms stretched out ready to hug him and hug him Goku did. Only, he fell through him just before he made contact. He turned and stared and realized that in place of his home and his grandfather was the destitute land again.
Goku stood up and looked around. Officially, he was lost. He tried running back towards the door but he couldn't find it.
Sooner or later, Goku stopped running and sat down again, staring at the ground. "This is probably for the best." He said to himself. "I'll get to die out here." he winced when he heard the words out loud. What was wrong with him? He didn't want to die but at the same time, if he were to die he wouldn't object. "I can't die now." he continued "if I die now Piccolo will come back and ruin everything." He stood up but suddenly sat back down again. He felt heavy but this wasn't the heaviness from the room that would surround him days earlier, no, this was a heaviness that came from inside of himself.
Goku groaned and laid back, breathing heavy. What was this? He was hearing things, seeing things, feeling things, things he never experienced before. All he wanted, more than anything at this moment, was to die.
This room really was getting to him and to top it all off, he was lost.
Two days passed of Goku laying there. He couldn't know for sure how much time had gone by but he could feel it somehow. He rose from his spot and stretched. He was feeling much better. He didn't know what had gotten into him but if this room was going to mess with his head that bad, then it was probably best if he left.
He stood up and looked around. "Now how to make it back…" Goku did the one thing he knew how to do. He ran in one direction and hoped he would make it back. However long he spent in here was enough time for him. He wasn't getting anything done at this rate anyways. He ran all over the place, almost starving to death, and in about a days worth of time, he luckily made his way back to the entrance.
Once Goku made it back, he was treated to a feast. He laughed and told Mr. Popo and Kami all about the experience. He took note of their shared glances of confusion, worry and pity when Goku described the two days he spent laying down, feeling so low, but he thought nothing of it. Maybe they never experienced illusions there before but he certainly did. That place was really strange.