A/N: This new chapter was made fairly quickly, but still should be enjoyable.

Set to "Winter Nights" by Iced Earth

"There, that should be enough for awhile," said Goku as he placed the last of the firewood into a pile.

Without a word, the doppelganger pointed his finger and lit the fire with a small ki blast, causing Goku to drop the two wooden sticks he had been rubbing against each other and sit down beside the newly burning fire, the dark night sky hanging above them.

Up on a nearby hill, the other Senshi members had made their own campfire, quietly eating and talking amongst themselves while patiently waiting for Goku and the mysterious second Vegeta to finish their ongoing conversation. It was an unpleasant and eerie tension, but for the original Vegeta it was one of almost pure torture, his almost non-existent patience being pushed to their absolute limits.

Goku ran a hand through his unruly hair while eating a large hunk of cooked fish with the other. Saying nothing, he looked curiously at Vegeta, not wanting to rush him but anxious nonetheless to hear what he had to say. After finishing his fish, Vegeta laid down, putting his arms behind his head and sighing.

"I've come a long way Kakarot, but I suppose you already know that."

Indeed Goku did know. For a brief moment, the gentle Saiyan's curiosity had caused him to briefly attempt a mental connection with Vegeta, but what he had sensed had made him quickly recoil. How could one man carry so much pain and regret around inside for so long?

"Yeah, I know," said Goku. "I was just..."

"Silence," shot Vegeta. "There is much you must know."

Goku nodded, lying down on his side and propping his head on one of his hands, held up by an elbow.

"Before you start, I forgot to thank you for beating Frieza!"

Vegeta only grunted in reply.

"Sorry I'm so talkitive, but it's just weird having two Vegetas, ya know?"

The doppelganger gave a ghost of a smile.

"I almost pity you."

Goku laughed and scratched his head, giving a rather cheesy grin.

"Aw it's not so bad!"

"But what I'm about to tell you IS."

Goku fell silent and looked back over at the powerful stranger. Vegeta's eyes could almost tell the story by themselves.

"Kakarot, I AM Vegeta. The man over there on the hill and I are one in the same. We share the same soul, only I come from twenty years in the future."

"WH, WHAAAT?" exclaimed Goku.

Upon the hilltop, Piccolo appeared to be meditating, but yet his ears still twitched.

"WOW, the future huh?" pondered Goku. "That explains why there's two of you."

"QUIET," growled Vegeta.

Goku gulped and continued to listen as Vegeta sat up to continue his story.

"I'm here to warn you, all of you, of a coming darkness that will consume everything and everyone you hold dear," said Vegeta, his fists slowly clenching.

Goku leapt to his feet.

"Darkness!?"

Vegeta caught him in a gaze that sent a shiver down Goku's spine.

"Dr. Gero," spat Vegeta with loathing.

A small gasp escaped Goku's mouth.

"Dr. Gero?" asked Goku. "But, I defeated him and his Red Ribbon Army when I was a kid!"

"You did, but you didn't fucking kill him did you!?" snarled Vegeta.

Goku looked at the ground, slowly shaking his head 'no'.

"Your past weakness is what will cause the downfall of this world."

Not particularly noticing Goku's trembling expression, Vegeta continued.

"Three years from this day, the jinzouningen, androids, created by that piece of shit Gero, will attack South City. They are monsters Kakarot, all three of them. I can still barely even conceive of the technology and evil it took to give those bastards life. Their power makes Frieza look like a mere piss ant."

Vegeta looked at Goku and sneared.

"Gero created them for the sole purpose of eradicating your sorry carcass, but when they were awakened, they killed him and decided to do the same to every other person on the planet."

"What... happened after they appeared?"

"All of your friends went to stop them. I sensed the battle when it started but by the time I arrived, they were dead."

Goku bit his lip.

"No..."

"The only one left was Gohan. He had time to hide while I fought those fucking tin cans by myself. Even I, the Prince of All Saiyans, could not stop them."

"Thank you for saving him Vegeta... wait I'm confused."

Vegeta rolled his eyes.

"There's a new one."

"No, really," said Goku. "You said you couldn't stop them but you're a Super Saiyan!"

Vegeta turned away sharply, his fists clenching so tightly that it caused his whole body to shudder. Goku blinked, attempting to process this new realization.

"They're that strong?"

Vegeta slowly nodded.

"I barely survived that battle and it was then that I knew that Gohan's potential would be critical to defeating those bastards. That was the only reason I did not stay and die a warrior's death. I fired a blast that stunned them long enough in order for me to find Gohan and... escape."

Vegeta spat the last word out with pure disgust.

"For years we fought them, trying to get stronger and save the people they slaughtered in their mindless rampage at the same time. There was never any time to train properly and never any time to rebuild a spaceship to retrieve the Namekian Dragonballs. The last several years are nothing but a blur to me, almost nothing but blood and rage."

As he was trying to absorb what Vegeta said, Goku suddenly realized something that had been left unsaid, or perhaps avoided.

"Vegeta, you never said what happens to me."

The older Saiyan's eyes took on a new shade of pain. He bowed his head as his breathing started to become slightly ragged.

"You... you died before any of it started... you BASTARD!!!" roared Vegeta. "You let a fucking heart virus from space take you... away..."

Goku suddenly felt numb, the full weight of what Vegeta had told him truly sinking into his psyche. He had died from a disease? What a waste!

"I became a Super Saiyan from the rage I felt from your senseless death, but Gohan became numb. He never fully recovered, nor did anyone else for that matter. Your son's true potential was buried beneath his sorrow."

"How are ChiChi and Gohan in your timeline now? Are they okay?

The doppelganger scowled and looked away.

"Your mate is healthy, but will always carry the burden of mourning."

"Oh... but Vegeta I did mention Gohan too."

Goku received a stare full of sorrow and regret, causing his heart to sink.

"He died like I true Saiyan, bravely and in battle."

"H, How?" whispered Goku, fighting back the tears.

"I was injured and healing inside of a rejuvenation tank when those mechanized demons attacked West City. Gohan went alone against all of our wishes, against all odds... just like you would have Kakarot," said Vegeta.

Hot tears soaked into the ground underneath Goku as he silently mourned the events of the foretold future, dirt squeezing between his clenched hands as he gripped at the Earth. Vegeta just stared at the ground, the memories almost overwhelming him.

"Kakarot I swear his sacrifice won't be for nothing!" stated Vegeta, his eyes flashing with burning teal. "He was like a second father to..."

The saddened hero looked up and wiped his eyes.

"To who?"

A small smile actually crept on to Vegeta's cold expression.

"My offspring..."

Goku too smiled.

"You have kids?"

"Heh, yeah."

"With who?"

Vegeta suddenly singed up, his dark eyes slowly beginning to glisten.

"Bu, Bulma..."

Goku's eyes became as big as dinner plates.

"You and Bulma, wow!" exclaimed Goku.

Vegeta still trembled, his apparent torment rolling off of him in waves.

"Vegeta, what's wrong?"

Blood began seeping from Vegeta's clenched fists, even through his gloves.

"She disappeared during the latest attack of the jinzouningen."

Vegeta hurriedly wiped his eyes under Goku's concerned gaze.

"I can't lose her Kakarot," whispered Vegeta. "She showed me that there is strength beyond one's own, strength found in the love of another."

Goku could not have been more proud of Vegeta. He knew then that the Prince had truly turned from his evil ways, even though it had not been under the best circumstances. A confident grin returning to his face, Goku stood and offered his hand to Vegeta, flickering lights from the fire reflecting off their faces.

"None of their sacrifices will be in vain Vegeta!" cried Goku. "Things will be different this time. I'll be here, we'll all be here to do our part, Vegeta. We won't fail! You won't fail! Everything will be alright."

Vegeta slowly reached out and took Goku's hand, who in turn pulled him to his feet.

"I knew you'd say something like that Kakarot."

The Prince then reached into his vest and took out a small purple vial.

"Catch," stated Vegeta, tossing Goku the vial. "It's a gift from Bulma, something that will cure that fucking virus when you get sick."

"Really? Thank you Vegeta," said Goku, placing the medicine into his pants pocket.

Vegeta turned and looked into the night sky, the clean air filling his lungs.

"I must go now..."

He turned and began to walk away but looked back over his shoulder.

"Train hard, like a true Saiyan should. You have three years."

"Will your son and/or daughter come to help too?"

A familiar smirk returned to Vegeta's face.

"It'll be a surprise."

Goku nodded and extended his hand. Vegeta smirked. He had indeed missed Goku's friendship, even though he would never admit it to anyone. The Prince approached Goku and swung from the hip, his hand slapping into and grasping his rival's in a gesture of unity, biceps bulging from the force of their respective grips.

"Stay alive, and after this is over, we'll finish our fight that we began today."

Goku grinned.

"Count on it."

Without another word, the second Vegeta's ki flared up around him and in the next instant he was gone, his gruff voice echoing inside Goku's mind.

*Make sure that subborn bastard in the pink shirt takes care of Bulma*