Ok, hiya! This is the third chapter (as you might have guessed), and it gets pretty depressing,
but there are also happy moments in it. Major angst at the beginning, but, thanks to Goku, you
won't go away feeling too bad. A VERY, VERY tiny element of B/V at the end, but it's nothing
major. Don't ask about Gokus little speech in the middle - it's not my philosophy, but it's still
something to think about. Stick around for the epilogue - it's pretty important. That's the
Kleenex chapter...R/R as always, pleez!
One last note : Zarra Rous, thank you VERY much for that heartfelt review - you brought tears to
my eyes, and not a lot of people can do that! I deeply appreciate what you said, and I'm glad I
got the right moods across. I hope this chapter is just as good. As a result of you review, I'm
dedicating this chapter to you. Without people like you, I just wouldn't bother. Thanks again -
this one's for you, baby! ^_^
Ch. 3 - Farewell
What do I do to ignore them behind me?
Do I follow my instincts blindly?
Do I hide my pride/from these bad dreams
And give into sad thoughts that are maddening...
Cuz I can't hold on/when I'm stretched so thin
I make the right moves but I'm lost within
- By Myself, Linkin Park
"Vegeta..." Goku murmured. The Prince looked up with a brief glint in his eyes that may
have been hope long ago, but now seemed more like desperation. The dead Saiyan sighed, then
regretfully shook his head. Vegeta stared up at him in utter disbelief. The pain that had burnt
inside him, like he had just been blasted through the heart, that had driven him to suicide had
faded upon Gokus return...all too briefly. Now it was back and it felt ten times worse. At
first, he felt in the brink of collapse, drained of all energy and spirit. He was crushed. Then
he felt his arms tremble as an emotion suddenly began to rush to the surface. Bitter fury gripped
Vegeta, and, without thinking, he jumped up, drew back and punched Goku hard across the face.
"You say that my suffering is over, Saiyan!" Vegeta screamed. "And yet still you delight
in seeing me like this! I HATE you!!" he shrieked, punching him again. Goku simply bowed his
head and closed his eyes as Vegeta punched him over and over again. Gokus face and gi suit became
flecked with the Princes blood and tears. He kept screaming his hate with each punch. Tears still
streamed down his face as he fell to his knees again and began punching the black ground. It
became spattered with blood as his knuckles split. His energy quickly drained, his punches
weakened, and he eventually was left on his hands and knees, weeping brokenly.
"Why won't you let me die..." he whispered.
"There's so much more you can do with your life."
"So much more...like feel like trash, then watch as everyone dies around me, and everyone
else gets over it so quickly and I have to deal with it over & over again until I die a painful
and lonely death myself and no-one cares. Yes, so much more..."
"No, Vegeta, that's not what I mean!" Goku said sternly. I don't know what life has in
store for you, no-one does. But I can be damn sure that you will die sad and alone, and you'll
regret not living the life you always wanted for the rest of your afterlife, and believe me
that's a very long time. But that will only happen if you carry on like this." his tone softened.
"This is going to be one of the toughest times in your life, there's no denying that. You've got
the willpower to see it through. Now, prove it to me. Show me the kind of strength I've come to
expect from my High Prince."
Vegeta looked at him, but his face stayed the same. The red flecks and streaks of blood were in
sharp contrast to his pale cheeks and the dark hollowness of his eyes. Gokus shoulders slumped.
He thought for a moment, then crouched down next to Vegeta.
"Well...how about this - the way I see life. Picture this - you're a kid and you're at a
swimming pool, and you wanna go on the flume. It takes some guts to do it, cuz it seems like the
tubes are gonna break and just fall right out of the air. You're right in the middle of the flume
right now, and yours is kinda unstable. There's nothing to be scared of, cuz you can't turn back
now, and there's nothing you can do about it, so just face your fears. And real soon, you're
gonna pass this shaky patch and reach the water at the end - the big splashdown. That's when
you can be free."
There was silence for a while as Vegeta slowly looked back up at the deceased Saiyan. The tears
had stopped.
"Kakarrot..." he said finally. "That was the worst analogy I've ever heard."
Goku chuckled.
"Well, when you've gotta make the best of it.." he shrugged.
"...then I'll just have to go with it." Vegeta murmured, standing up.
"What?" Goku asked, also standing up.
"I'll try. But I better have a damn good life to look forward to."
Goku smiled.
"That's the guts I was talking about. You've still got some things to learn about
yourself and the people around you. I know Gohan is a little cold to you now, but you'll make
peace with each other. The last thing I want - or anyone else wants - is to see a great warrior
like you...just fade away. The universe still may need you, especially now since you're the
strongest.."
"Alright, alright, don't milk it." Vegeta interrupted. "You want me to start punching you
again? I'll do what you ask of me."
Goku smiled again.
"Hug!" he cried.
He suddenly threw his arms around Vegeta in a bear hug. The Prince, because of the suddenness
of the action and the force with which Goku exerted it, couldn't help giving a small,
embarrassing cry of surprise, that came out as
"Wa!"
Blushing at his cry, and Gokus unexpected display of affection, Vegeta merely returned the hug
by patting Gokus back, then squirming free. He coughed and smoothed down his shirt front, then
glared unconvincingly at Goku.
"Careful, Saiyan. If I can still see and hear you, I'm still your Prince. Show some
respect." then, under his breath: "A handshake would've done it..."
Goku chuckled inwardly. Some things are never going to change. His aura glowed, and he
hovered into the air.
"Gotta go. If you ever wanna speak to me, I'm always gonna listen. Don't forget what I
said." he murmured.
Vegeta smirked for the first time in a long time. He folded his arms.
"As if I could. Tell Enma I said hi."
"Sure. Oh, and Vegeta - one last thing..."
Vegeta raised an eyebrow enquiringly. Goku folded his arms and spoke - in Saiyan tongue.
"Junbutte u komo-tuki, wutushi mi ijo sumu."
The Prince saw a brief flash of something that he wasn't totally sure that it happened. He could
have sworn he had caught a brief glimpse of Goku in a Saiyan battle suit, and royal insignia...
blinking, he became certain of two things. Gokus innocent grin had been replaced by a smirk not
unlike his own, and his eyes held the fire of his people that Vegeta had spent so long holding
alone.
"'Good luck to you, my High Prince'...but how could he.." Vegeta looked up. "Kakarrot,
wait!"
Goku drifted backwards, and there was a blinding flash of light. When Vegeta opened his eyes,
Goku was gone, and he was back on the cliff, and the sky had cleared to a beautiful aquamarine,
and the sun hung high, shining golden.
"How could he know.." he murmured. Before he could think further, his mind and vision
clouded over, and the dead pain returned to his arm. He looked down slowly, eyelids heavy, and
saw the grass beneath him stained red. Drops of blood fell from his fingertips, and he found it
hard to move. He was drained. Through the fog of his mind, he heard a voice. Turning, he saw
a car speeding towards him. It stopped, and Bulma stepped out, eyes wide. This was the last thing
he saw. He stepped forward and croaked
"Bul..." before he crumpled to the ground.
Bulma ran over and knelt by his side, holding his head up. Vegeta looked up through sightless
eyes at her, and instinctively reached up and brushed the hair from her eyes with a bloody hand.
"I wish I could see you...so I could see how...beautiful you are...one last time.."
he whispered. His eyes rolled and became a dead weight in Bulmas arms.
"Vegeta...?" Bulma whimpered.
The last thing the Prince heard before he was enveloped by the icy black waters of
unconsciousness was Bulmas screams.
(Once again, stick around for the epilogue if you want an uplift from this, because this really
isn't the end of the story. It's pretty inspirational.)
but there are also happy moments in it. Major angst at the beginning, but, thanks to Goku, you
won't go away feeling too bad. A VERY, VERY tiny element of B/V at the end, but it's nothing
major. Don't ask about Gokus little speech in the middle - it's not my philosophy, but it's still
something to think about. Stick around for the epilogue - it's pretty important. That's the
Kleenex chapter...R/R as always, pleez!
One last note : Zarra Rous, thank you VERY much for that heartfelt review - you brought tears to
my eyes, and not a lot of people can do that! I deeply appreciate what you said, and I'm glad I
got the right moods across. I hope this chapter is just as good. As a result of you review, I'm
dedicating this chapter to you. Without people like you, I just wouldn't bother. Thanks again -
this one's for you, baby! ^_^
Ch. 3 - Farewell
What do I do to ignore them behind me?
Do I follow my instincts blindly?
Do I hide my pride/from these bad dreams
And give into sad thoughts that are maddening...
Cuz I can't hold on/when I'm stretched so thin
I make the right moves but I'm lost within
- By Myself, Linkin Park
"Vegeta..." Goku murmured. The Prince looked up with a brief glint in his eyes that may
have been hope long ago, but now seemed more like desperation. The dead Saiyan sighed, then
regretfully shook his head. Vegeta stared up at him in utter disbelief. The pain that had burnt
inside him, like he had just been blasted through the heart, that had driven him to suicide had
faded upon Gokus return...all too briefly. Now it was back and it felt ten times worse. At
first, he felt in the brink of collapse, drained of all energy and spirit. He was crushed. Then
he felt his arms tremble as an emotion suddenly began to rush to the surface. Bitter fury gripped
Vegeta, and, without thinking, he jumped up, drew back and punched Goku hard across the face.
"You say that my suffering is over, Saiyan!" Vegeta screamed. "And yet still you delight
in seeing me like this! I HATE you!!" he shrieked, punching him again. Goku simply bowed his
head and closed his eyes as Vegeta punched him over and over again. Gokus face and gi suit became
flecked with the Princes blood and tears. He kept screaming his hate with each punch. Tears still
streamed down his face as he fell to his knees again and began punching the black ground. It
became spattered with blood as his knuckles split. His energy quickly drained, his punches
weakened, and he eventually was left on his hands and knees, weeping brokenly.
"Why won't you let me die..." he whispered.
"There's so much more you can do with your life."
"So much more...like feel like trash, then watch as everyone dies around me, and everyone
else gets over it so quickly and I have to deal with it over & over again until I die a painful
and lonely death myself and no-one cares. Yes, so much more..."
"No, Vegeta, that's not what I mean!" Goku said sternly. I don't know what life has in
store for you, no-one does. But I can be damn sure that you will die sad and alone, and you'll
regret not living the life you always wanted for the rest of your afterlife, and believe me
that's a very long time. But that will only happen if you carry on like this." his tone softened.
"This is going to be one of the toughest times in your life, there's no denying that. You've got
the willpower to see it through. Now, prove it to me. Show me the kind of strength I've come to
expect from my High Prince."
Vegeta looked at him, but his face stayed the same. The red flecks and streaks of blood were in
sharp contrast to his pale cheeks and the dark hollowness of his eyes. Gokus shoulders slumped.
He thought for a moment, then crouched down next to Vegeta.
"Well...how about this - the way I see life. Picture this - you're a kid and you're at a
swimming pool, and you wanna go on the flume. It takes some guts to do it, cuz it seems like the
tubes are gonna break and just fall right out of the air. You're right in the middle of the flume
right now, and yours is kinda unstable. There's nothing to be scared of, cuz you can't turn back
now, and there's nothing you can do about it, so just face your fears. And real soon, you're
gonna pass this shaky patch and reach the water at the end - the big splashdown. That's when
you can be free."
There was silence for a while as Vegeta slowly looked back up at the deceased Saiyan. The tears
had stopped.
"Kakarrot..." he said finally. "That was the worst analogy I've ever heard."
Goku chuckled.
"Well, when you've gotta make the best of it.." he shrugged.
"...then I'll just have to go with it." Vegeta murmured, standing up.
"What?" Goku asked, also standing up.
"I'll try. But I better have a damn good life to look forward to."
Goku smiled.
"That's the guts I was talking about. You've still got some things to learn about
yourself and the people around you. I know Gohan is a little cold to you now, but you'll make
peace with each other. The last thing I want - or anyone else wants - is to see a great warrior
like you...just fade away. The universe still may need you, especially now since you're the
strongest.."
"Alright, alright, don't milk it." Vegeta interrupted. "You want me to start punching you
again? I'll do what you ask of me."
Goku smiled again.
"Hug!" he cried.
He suddenly threw his arms around Vegeta in a bear hug. The Prince, because of the suddenness
of the action and the force with which Goku exerted it, couldn't help giving a small,
embarrassing cry of surprise, that came out as
"Wa!"
Blushing at his cry, and Gokus unexpected display of affection, Vegeta merely returned the hug
by patting Gokus back, then squirming free. He coughed and smoothed down his shirt front, then
glared unconvincingly at Goku.
"Careful, Saiyan. If I can still see and hear you, I'm still your Prince. Show some
respect." then, under his breath: "A handshake would've done it..."
Goku chuckled inwardly. Some things are never going to change. His aura glowed, and he
hovered into the air.
"Gotta go. If you ever wanna speak to me, I'm always gonna listen. Don't forget what I
said." he murmured.
Vegeta smirked for the first time in a long time. He folded his arms.
"As if I could. Tell Enma I said hi."
"Sure. Oh, and Vegeta - one last thing..."
Vegeta raised an eyebrow enquiringly. Goku folded his arms and spoke - in Saiyan tongue.
"Junbutte u komo-tuki, wutushi mi ijo sumu."
The Prince saw a brief flash of something that he wasn't totally sure that it happened. He could
have sworn he had caught a brief glimpse of Goku in a Saiyan battle suit, and royal insignia...
blinking, he became certain of two things. Gokus innocent grin had been replaced by a smirk not
unlike his own, and his eyes held the fire of his people that Vegeta had spent so long holding
alone.
"'Good luck to you, my High Prince'...but how could he.." Vegeta looked up. "Kakarrot,
wait!"
Goku drifted backwards, and there was a blinding flash of light. When Vegeta opened his eyes,
Goku was gone, and he was back on the cliff, and the sky had cleared to a beautiful aquamarine,
and the sun hung high, shining golden.
"How could he know.." he murmured. Before he could think further, his mind and vision
clouded over, and the dead pain returned to his arm. He looked down slowly, eyelids heavy, and
saw the grass beneath him stained red. Drops of blood fell from his fingertips, and he found it
hard to move. He was drained. Through the fog of his mind, he heard a voice. Turning, he saw
a car speeding towards him. It stopped, and Bulma stepped out, eyes wide. This was the last thing
he saw. He stepped forward and croaked
"Bul..." before he crumpled to the ground.
Bulma ran over and knelt by his side, holding his head up. Vegeta looked up through sightless
eyes at her, and instinctively reached up and brushed the hair from her eyes with a bloody hand.
"I wish I could see you...so I could see how...beautiful you are...one last time.."
he whispered. His eyes rolled and became a dead weight in Bulmas arms.
"Vegeta...?" Bulma whimpered.
The last thing the Prince heard before he was enveloped by the icy black waters of
unconsciousness was Bulmas screams.
(Once again, stick around for the epilogue if you want an uplift from this, because this really
isn't the end of the story. It's pretty inspirational.)