Oh wow…I never thought I would get THIS much feedback. Sorry about the long wait, I had different ideas for this to come up and I had to choose one. Thank you for your patience and I REALLY hope that I get a lot of feedback again.
8 Years Later…
Goku smiled kindly, even though sadly, at the surrounding group of friends. Glasses of gold champagne rose into the air, catching the faint light of the fading sun as it set behind the mountain for another day. Goku, who sat within a large chair comforter, slowly rose his glass as well. Tired black eyes looked up in the kind faces of his childhood friends, and the new ones he had made along the way.
" Thank you, Bulma, Krillin. Tein, Yamcha. Master Roshi, Piccolo. Vegeta…And ChiChi." Goku again gave a sad smile, one that had shown on his face for years and replaced any cheerful grin or laugh the childlike adult once had. " You really didn't have to do this."
" Another year, pal," Yamcha smiled. " You made it another year."
" All thanks to Bulma here," Krillin said.
Bulma looked down at the short bald man, keeping her lovely glass of champagne out of Baby Trunks's reach, " Now, now. Goku has saved my butt for years now. I thought I might return the favor."
Tien chuckled from the corner of the room, " Right, Bulma."
Goku watched the tidings of his friends with dazed eyes. The old talk brought back awful memories. First the lost of his one and only son, Gohan. He had searched everywhere he could in the universe and found no trace of his ki anywhere. He had lost hope. He traveled to Namek that year also and wished back his friends. They had to feel the ache ness within his heart, the thought of failure across his mind. And just as he thought he might get over it, a deadly heart virus had struck him. If Bulma weren't alive…He would be in Heaven also.
Since that day, it had made him cripple for the rest of his life.
So it had come to pass that a stupid virus had beaten the great and almighty warrior. No more training, for the strain on his heart will surely kill him. He could only sit in his chair and watch the world pass on without him. Vegeta had now become the Earth's protector.
How much Goku felt so sorry for himself every single day. Eating away at him. He was a complete failure now…why did Bulma and the rest even bother with a weak Saiyan anymore? He was such a waste of their time.
Lost in thoughts, Goku had lowered his glass and stared out the window. Lost in thoughts, he remembered how much Gohan had looked up to him, had expected him to be there when all was lost. To come up with all the power when the clock was ticking and the destruction was a mere breathe away.
Now he was just a man who lost his breath from walking to the door and back to his chair.
*****
Bulma watched Goku's pitiful face with a sad eye of her own. She had watched her best friend begin to wither away every day, the pity, sorrow, and hate in his heart slowly eating away the cheerful man she knew. Instead, all was left was a hollow shell. Like a copy of the real thing and the clone was never completed. This was all the Z group had left of the noble and brave fighter. A man who grew more and more regretful each day. Bulma now wondered, had since two years ago, if it was such a good idea on saving her friend. For what she had done was only torture him in his self-guilt. Goku never ever deserved this.
Oh why did such horrible times come to pass upon the Earth's protectors?
*****
Staring out the window and not really seeing anything, Goku felt a familiar twinge in the back of his mind. Eyebrows falling out of curiosity, he called upon the familiar yet odd feeling in the back of his head. Feeling the sensation out, Goku closed his eyes and concentrated. Such an odd force…what was it…who was it…?
A…ki? Eyes opening almost immediately, Goku realized and recognized the odd level as a ki. How peculiar, he thought. He almost forgot what another's ki felt like after shoving the trait away as useless knowledge. Looking up, he searched the faces of warriors in the room and noted that they too had noticed the different ki in the area. Each one of their heads was tilted and looking outside with curious eyes.
Raising an eyebrow slowly, Goku did the same as they and his eyebrows immediately lifted upon seeing a dark form in the outline of the sun. Billows of clothing ruffled in the calm wind, the form of a definite man waiting to be acknowledged upon the residents within the house.
The sun blocking Goku's weary eyes, he lifted his hand and tried to recognize the man outside.
" Whose that?" Bulma asked.
Goku's heart leapt into his throat. The sun must have been playing tricks upon him. Who was that?
