'Master Roshi?'
'Goku?' The old turtle hermit yawned and looked at his clock. 'It's 3:30 A.m.'
'I'm sorry.'
The man turned to find his strongest student sitting in his window, looking at the moon.
'Is something wrong?'
'I don't know.'
Roshi sat up and put on his sunglasses; Goku climbed into the room as his master walked over to him.
'Then tell me what's on your mind, boy.'
Goku told him about his 'date' with Vegan Roshi listened quietly until he finished. 'What are you asking me?'
'I just wanted to know how I know if she liked it.'
'I'm sure Vegan will tell you if you were a lousy date.'
'Maybe I said the wrong thing.'
'What did you say?'
'I asked her about Bloomer.' Roshi shook his head, making Goku's heart sink. 'And I asked about the tournament.'
Roshi chuckled and shook his head, 'well, she didn't kill you.'
Well, there's that.
'Yeah.'
'Well, did she say?'
'She won't tell me about the date.'
'No, about the tournament.'
'She said she felt lost and desolate without me!'
'She missed you?!'
'I know, right?!'
'Is that why she and Bloomer broke up? Because of her feelings for you?'
Feelings for me? Goku thought.
'She did say that there were three people in her relationship with Bloomer, but I just thought she was talking about Yamcha. Do you think Bloomer knows?'
'Probably. If you're thinking about doing anything with Vegan, find out what's on between her and Bloomer first.'
Whenever Goku asked about the date, Vegan would get quiet and tell him to wait on fate.
When he asked how long will fate take, she just smiled.
She'd smile every time he'd asked, so clearly, she had a good time, right?
'Are you sure you don't want to come to Chi Chi's party with me?'
Vegan was helping him pick out an outfit for the party; Chi Chi said the dress code was smart casual.
'No, my presence will incite hostility.'
'Did you and Bloomer talk about the tournament?'
'He and I,' she paused and turned away, 'no. Bloomer and I have scarcely spoken since. We could go weeks without seeing one another.'
'Why did you leave?'
'On the day I left, I asked Trunks if he still loved me.'
Goku watched Vegan walk to the window, her body vibrating with grief. That alone made Goku dread her response.
'He wished I'd stayed dead.'
'Kids say mean things when they are angry.'
'The best thing I can give him is absence. Can we change the subject?'
'I had a good time on our date,' Goku blushed, 'I'd like to take you on a fancier date.'
Vegan turned to him, smiling with tears in her eyes. 'I'd like that.'
'Wow, Goku, is that you?!' Eighteen gasped when she and Krillin saw Goku at the ox king's castle.
'You look amazing.' Krillin replied.
Goku wore a navy blue blazer, a white dress shirt, dark jeans, and black dress shoes.
Krillin wore a brown suit and white shirt and yellow tie, and black shoes.
Eighteen wore a sleeveless black dress, a gold necklace, and black shoes.
'Thanks. Ah, Vegan picked out my clothes.'
'Master Roshi mentioned that.' Krillin replied. 'He wanted me to talk to you about that.'
Eighteen looked between the two men. 'Why?'
'I'll tell you later.'
'Ah, when are you two going on another date?'
'In a couple of days,' Eighteen said with a smile, 'why?'
'Well-'
'Roshi also said that you have to talk to Bloomer.'
'Is he coming?'
'Yeah, he's bringing Trunks and Yamcha.'
'Is Vegan coming?'
'No, she didn't want to sour the mood.'
'Bloomer said that she abandoned Trunks.' Eighteen said.
'Vegan said Trunks told her he didn't love her and wished she stayed dead.' Goku replied hotly.
'This whole thing is a mess.' Krillin sighed as Eighteen held her hands in surrender.
'I never said I believed him.' Eighteen answered back. 'I know how they are, you know. Bloomer is an arrogant prick, but occasionally, Vegan will let him treat her as something to wipe his feet on if she believes she deserves it. She needs to get away from it all; I just wish she wasn't so...'
'Vegan?'
'Yeah. Despite what was said, that little boy loves his mother. It wouldn't hurt so much if he didn't.'
'Vegan doesn't hover.' Goku said. 'If one of my children said that to Chi Chi, she would lather them with attention. She asked me not to force reconciliation with Trunks.'
'She doesn't hover.' Krillin repeated.
'I'm going find Bloomer.'
Goku found Bloomer sitting with Trunks, his parents, and Yamcha.
Bloomer and Trunks were dressed similarly; they both wore a black suits, black shirts, and shoes.
Trunks were playing a video game, and Bloomer was playing with his cigarette lighter. He held a glass of something dark in his other hand; three empty glasses surrounded him.
'Uh, Bloomer?'
Bloomer turned to Goku and gave him a lazy smile, then returned to playing with his lighter, Trunks didn't look up from his game.
Goku scratched his head as Yamcha went over to him and hugged him.
'Oh, Goku.' She said sadly.
'Hey, Yamcha.'
'Just so you know, I'm trying to get Chi Chi to come to her senses!'
'Goku!' Called Dr. Briefs, excited when he saw him.
'How have you been?' Asked Mrs. Briefs.
'I've been good.'
'Are you well?'
'How's the family?'
'What brings you by?' Bloomer said, his irritability evident.
'I need to talk to you.'
'What about?' He said in a grouchy voice.
'It's private.'
Bloomer sighed, but he got up and followed Goku to a secluded hall.
'Well, what's this all about?'
'Er, I see that you're pleased with Yamcha.'
'I am.'
'Are you two going finally tie the knot?'
'What do you want, Goku?'
'Are you and Vegan going to get back together?'
He didn't mean to blurt it out, but it had already left his lips.
Goku watched Bloomer's face turn red as he turned away. 'I don't think that's any of your business!'
'I was just wondering-'
'Did she put you up to this?!'
'No, I just-'
'Tch! Well, for your and Vegan's information, Yamcha and I are
tying the knot!'
'Oh.'
He wondered how Vegan would take the news.
'She abandoned us-'
'It's not Trunks she abandoned.' Goku heard his voice say hotly.
'Neither of us wants her in our lives.'
'If I see her again, I make sure she knows.'
The party was uneventful; Goku spent the night thinking Vegan. Both Bloomer and Trunks seemed unbothered by Vegan's absence from their lives; maybe they didn't want her in their lives.
'Goku,' said Chi Chi when they finally found a chance to talk, 'you look amazing. Did someone pick this out for you?'
Goku nodded.
She wore a pink cheongsam with gold patterns and pink slippers. Her hair was up in a fancy bun.
'Who?' She insisted.
'Eighteen.' He lied.
'I'm sorry the boys weren't there to help with the radish harvest.'
'It's okay; I managed.'
He didn't want to tell her about Vegan.
'So, the boys mentioned that you're thinking about dating.'
'Yes.' He said slowly.
'Are you sure that-'
'The boys told me you started dating other people a month after you left.' Goku pointed out. 'It's been six months; shouldn't I be allowed to meet people too?'
'Did you meet someone?'
'A woman from the village helped me with the harvest.'
That is not exactly a lie.
'What woman?!'
'A woman I've always caught staring at me. She saw me looking miserable one day and started talking to me. She's nice.'
Again, not really a lie.
'I asked her out. Isn't what you do when you're divorced?'
'We aren't divorced yet.'
'When people separate, they usually get divorced?'
'You keep mentioning our divorce.' Chi Chi flared. 'Are you leaving me for this woman?'
'It's only a date.' Goku defended. 'And you're the one who left me. If you didn't want me to sleep with other women-'
'You're sleeping with her?!' She screamed.
Everyone stopped and turned to them; Goku shifted uncomfortably as Chi Chi turned away.
'No, but you left me.'
'I want you to leave.'
Goku stormed away from her; what was her problem?
'Hey, Goku.' Krillin said when he saw me again after the party was over. 'We'll give you a ride home.'
The plane ride was silent for the first 20 minutes when Krillin said, 'Did you talk to Bloomer?'
'Yes.'
'What did he say?'
'He and Yamcha are getting married.'
'WHAT!' Eighteen choked.
'That's what he told me.'
'Did you mention Vegan?'
'I did.'
'Did you mention to him that you and Vegan went on a date?'
'WHAT?!' Eighteen looked at Goku.
'It was a practice date.'
'But, now you want to go on an actual date with her.'
'Oh my God, that's so cute!'
'I didn't get the chance.'
'Goku,' sighed Krillen, 'give Vegan time. Let her come to you.'
'Fine.'
Living with kakarotto was peaceful; she didn't have to deal with running into Bloomer and Yamcha.
No more verbal abuse, nor did she have to deal with being ignored by Trunks.
Nor did she has to put the doctor and his wife in awkward situations where they had to choose between defending her and supporting their son.
Bored of waiting, she went for a swim in the creek near Kakarott's home. She didn't have a swimsuit, so she swam in her underwear, a black lace bra, and panties; she wrapped her ankle-length hair in a casual high knot bun.
The water was so frigid, and she loved it and was reminded of the rivers of Planet Freiza.
She sensed Kakarott's ki and Krillin's; Eighteen was probably with them.
What could they want?
'Vegan?' Called Kakarott's shrill voice.
Vegan played in the water until the three approached her; she did a lazy dog petal to them.
'How was the party?'
'Chi Chi and I got into a fight.'
'Did she yell?'
'Yes '
'That woman is incapable of using an inside voice.' Vegan began to float on her back. 'Did the doctor and his wife attend?'
'Yes.'
'Did you speak to them?'
'Yes.'
'Is the doctor taking his blood pressure medicine?'
'I didn't ask.'
'Did you see Trunks?'
'Yes.'
'Is he well?'
'Well-'
'Is he still playing that damn video game?
'Yes.'
'That thing is rotting his brain.'
'When do you plan on returning to Capsule Corp?' Krillin asked.
'Never.'
'What about Trunks?' Eighteen flared
'If he asks about me, tell him where I am..'
'Goku told us about your date.' Krillin announced.
'Yes, he wanted to know how to act on a date.'
'Well-'
'Bloomer and Yamcha are getting married.' Kakarott blurted out.
'Goku!'
'What?'
'He told me.'
Vegan felt something break as her body sinks to the bottom of the river.
When she reached the body, she let out a guttural scream as anguish assaulted her.
She'd lost.
Because of her selfishness, she lost everything that truly mattered.
She wanted to die; she just wanted to break down.
