Dragon Ball Yugure Z
A Dragon Ball Z fanfiction
by Son Goharotto (son_goharotto@hotmail.com)
Welcome to Dragon Ball Yugure Z, my personal pet project. This is what I like to call a "multi-generational alternaverse epic." Expect a complex story spanning several volumes that are littered with cliff-hangers and titanic battles. DBYZ has been revised in its entirety. While some episodes have merely been ridden of typos, others have been rewritten completely. I'll be starting from the beginning at one episode a day so new readers can join in, undaunted by DBYZ's length, and old readers can review past events. All this is leading up to the new Episode 37, from which I'll try to keep a normal updating pace instead of letting this be forgotten as it once was.
DISCLAIMER: As much as I mgiht wish it not to be, DBZ does not belong to me. It's the property of Akira Toriyama-sama and many others who (unfortunately) aren't me. I'm not trying to make any money off of this and it's just a way for me to show my love of all things Dragon Ball. Well, except maybe GT. Bleah. I is teh poor, so don't sue me.
WARNINGS: As a whole, this series contains mature language (usually in Japanese), graphic violence, brutality, mature situations (non-lemon), and a touch of angst.
NOTES: A liberal amount of Japanese vocabulary is sprinkled throughout, though nothing extremely important is ever said in another language that isn't translated. Mostly just basic Otaku Japanese. I've compiled a list of phrases I use on my homepage here: www.enpitsudo-dojo.com/libjapanese.html.
"dialogue"
""layered voice"" (Fusion, for example)
{alien language}
[thoughts, telepathy, memories]
_stressed words_
*sounds*
~scene change~
Volume I -- The Nagareboshi Saga
Episode 15 -- The End of the Battle!! Don't Give Up, Goku!!
Bishamon knelt on the ground, chin in hand as he contemplated his next move. Susanoh had taken a gamble and his unexpected move had trapped Bishamon's knight in a corner. It was a lose/lose situation and the elder god's piece wasn't as limited in movement as one might think it was. Many moves could be made, while for Bishamon the only way out was a suicide maneuver. As Susanoh giggled away, the samurai began to sweat, his armor feeling hotter and heavier than before.
The sound of footsteps didn't disturb him and Bishamon didn't even notice until Amatsu Mikaboshi was practically breathing down his neck. "Allow me to be of assistance to you, dear brother." Reaching out, Mikaboshi gingerly plucked the knight from his corner and set it down on top of Susanoh's piece, phasing into it in the way that only the pieces in the game of the gods could.
"Are you mad!?" Bishamon cried, distraught.
The elder god merely patted him on his armored shoulder with a self-satisfied grin. "Trust me." Confused, Bishamon accepted the charity and turned back to the game, trying to find what Mikaboshi had known while it was Susanoh's turn to sweat. As he walked back to his throne, Amatsu passed closely to Benzaiten, her pretty face set in an serious mask. Even though she didn't look at him, her hushed voice was clearly directed his way.
"What was _that_? I know you don't do anything for anyone's benefit but your own, so what do you get out of helping Bishamon-sama? What's in it for you?"
Mikaboshi merely chuckled. "If you watch everything so intently, young one, why can you not see?"
~~~~~
Goku's mind reeled as Nagareboshi yanked him past the event horizon and into the Dead Zone. It was like being plunged into a sea of blackness, the sudden absence of light blinding his eyes. The Saiyajin must have lapsed into unconsciousness, for when his eyes opened his thoughts were groggy and jumbled, as if awakening from some deep sleep. What he saw around him boggled the mind.
It took a moment for Goku to sort things out, confronted with the strange floating scenery and immobile--possibly dead--creatures of the Dead Zone. Still being pulled along, buildings and items of all style and make whizzed past him, the parade of ruins interrupted only by tracks of wilderness or the occasional beast that had the misfortune of being trapped in the Dead Zone. Just like Goku.
As if suddenly aware of his situation, Goku struggled to break free of Nagareboshi's hand, fighting to breathe past Its vise grip on his neck. Even then, it seemed like he no longer needed air. Muscles that were once tired and strained no longer ached. All feeling was gone; he could act, but never the less seemed to be dead. It was an eerie sensation, perhaps one that those other creatures had given into and thus seemed comatose.
Finally, Goku arrived at his unwillingly destination; the furious Nagareboshi coming into view as Its immensely outstretched arm wound back into Its shoulder. Goku had to smirk at the sight of It, the beast's face contorted by both anger and repeated beatings. Goku swung at It as he came into range, clipping It's jaw with a quick hook. The shape-shifter's head quickly snapped back unphased, obviously under the same numbing effects that Goku was experiencing.
Nagareboshi retaliated with a vicious cross that Goku too didn't feel. They traded blows for a time, neither seeming to try very hard as they knew it was futile. After a while, Goku just gave up, irrationally amused at the situation. "This is stupid. We're trapped, so what's the point?" he said, interrupted only when the creature broke a hand across his jaw. "Just give it up."
""Shut up! Shut up!! Shut up!!! I'm not trapped! I can't be! I'm the strongest!! I'm the greatest in the universe!!!"" Nagareboshi raged, seeming to be going mad.
"You're also really thick!" Goku shouted, kicked the beast squarely in the chest. As such that the Dead Zone apparently had no centralized gravity, Nagareboshi rocked back and continued on, neither slowing nor gaining momentum until It finally grabbed onto some passing debris. It quickly climbed to Its feet and pounced on Goku, pushing the two of them back the way they had come.
""Silence!! I am invincible!! I can never be defeated!!!" Nagareboshi lunged, grasping Goku's head in a grip of iron. All of a sudden the Saiyajin was wracked with agony, a searing heat that went beyond the physical. He convulsed, each spasm punctuated by a stab of pain greater than the last. It was the feeling of being sucked out of his body, Goku's very soul being siphoned away and into Nagareboshi to make It stronger. Realizing the act was desperate and pointless, Goku merely gave in, letting it happen. ""That's right! Give in! All shall bow to my power!"
"Heh... You don't get it. There's no way out for you. You.....won't even have your 'hated foe' for....company...."
""Shut up!!""
"You'll just have to stay here.....thinking about your defeat...all alone......all alone....."
""Stop it!!!""
"I....avenged my family and friends..... Chikyuu...is finally safe...... I can be satisfied with that..."
""SHUT UP!!!!"
As the transfer continued, Goku felt his mind open up to Nagareboshi. Like the miraculous parting of some great sea, a path had been forged between them and Goku felt himself being drawn down into Nagareboshi's subconscious. Finally, staring at the very core of the creature's being, penetrating past the stolen power and volatile persona, Goku came to realize the true nature of his enemy.
[Stop it! Stop looking at me!]
As he gained more access to the beast's mind, Goku sifted through thoughts and memories, seeing Nagareboshi's past. It was, in actuality, a simple animal. Lacking even sentience, It would have lived a short life of insignificance if not for the power to assimilate other beings. By chance it absorbed a careless young demon, Its unfortunate prey granting It that first glimpse of self-awareness. From there, the beast that would become Nagareboshi was intoxicated with power, selfishly hoarding more and more.
[Go away! Even as my victim, must you still haunt me?]
Goku watched as the images flashed before his eyes, the memories of a greedy soul-stealer as it absorbed more creatures and grew ever stronger. And then there was black. It took the Saiyajin a moment to realize that at that time, Nagareboshi had spent countless years in space, silently drifting, looking for more and better prey. Through the shape-shifter's memories, Goku noticed an enormous ki. It was Saiyajin--no! A Super Saiyajin? It was _the_ Super Saiyajin. The Legendary.
[No! NO!]
Goku saw the face of his ancestor, the gaping maw of the Oozaru twisted with rage. The golden fur was a stark contrast to his brethren, even their great power insignificant next to his own. The group was destroying some nameless planet, rampaging without a second thought. The Legendary was even cutting down his own peers with errant blasts of fiery ki, heedless of their cries of pain. Drunken by the power he possessed, the Legendary continued on without a care, delighting in the death around him.
[Not again! Not again!!!] Nagareboshi fought to speed up the process, trying to block out the thoughts that had driven It mad. But as hard as the creature tried to finish the job, Goku's iron will held It back, forcing the flood of memories to pour out faster than ever. [NOOO! You can't!!] It protested.
[After all this time.... I _will_ know the truth,] Goku replied. [I deserve to know why this all happened.] His hold on his own body stretched to breaking point, the warrior strained to hang on and ignored the feeling of dread to probe further still.
It was the decisive battle for Nagareboshi. The Legendary Super Saiyajin represented the ultimate victory for the power-hungry shape-shifter. If the beast could just absorb him, It would have an unrivaled, unlimited power. But it was not to be. The fight was short and tragic for the poor beast. Even with all the warriors it had assimilated previously, Nagareboshi barely escaped with Its life. It swore revenge, but the hatred so blinded the creature's vision that any and all Saiyajin had become Its target. And when a new Super Saiyajin arose on Namek, it rushed to the scene, but found no trace. Another year of pointless wandering, then there it was! Farther along in the North Galaxy. On a little blue planet third from its sun...
[So, that's it....]
[STOP!!!!]
[Fine, I have the answers I want.] At last, Goku released his hold, letting Nagareboshi fully assimilate him. [So this is it... Goodbye Vegeta, you're finally the strongest. Trunks, goodluck dealing with that stubborn baka, he could use all the help he can get. And Goten; you don't need me anymore, you never did. Sayonara...minna.]
Goku felt his mind wan, fade away as the last of his soul was drawn away and become part of Nagareboshi. Become part of--[OTOUSAAAAN!!!!]
[Na....ni...? G-go......h--Gohan!?!?]
From withing the depths of Nagareboshi's subconscious, the voice of Goku's son rang out again, clearer and stronger than before. [Otousan!! Don't give up!!]
[Shinpai shinai, musuko. I'm coming... I'll be with--]
[Iie! Don't let it happen, tousan! Fight back!] pleaded Gohan's desperate voice. [Chikyuu needs you! Taisan needs you! Onegai shimasu!! Don't give up!!!]
[Listen to him, Son!]
Another voice, strong and confident, but gruff and blunt. [Piccolo!]
[Yeah, it's me. Don't you give up on us, Son. Or I'll come out there and kick your ass!]
[Goku-san, I still want a rematch. We can't do that if we're both inside this bakemono.]
[Goku! C'mon buddy, listen to your heart! Don't give up!]
[Tenshinhan? Kuririn?]
[And a lot of other people are here too, Son. Don't be this yarou's next victim!]
[Tousan, onegai!]
"UWAAAAAAHHHH!!!!!!!!" Suddenly, Goku was back in himself, a stir of power and emotion breaking Nagareboshi's hold. The backlash of the Saiyajin's rage sending the creature into shock and all of Its stolen power seemed to wither away to match the now frail, bestial body. Goku didn't even recognize it as his enemy, but then, he didn't recognize much as the whirlwind of thoughts pushed him to the brink of madness. In an instant, he blacked out. Consciousness fading in an out, there was only the feeling of movement, then.......
~~~~~
"You sure you have to go, tousan?" Goten asked from the door. Light spilled out from the kitchen onto the dew- covered morning grass. The bandages that covered Goten's visibly flesh was spotted with dried blood, but he paid no mind. Even the heavy cast and sling around is arm didn't seem to bother him.
"Hai," Goku replied with a smile. "I've got some things to think 'bout. Just gimme some time and I'll be good as new again."
"Will...will you come back?"
"Ha ha! Of course I will!" Goku laughed tousling his son's hair.
"Are you leaving Goku-san?" Trunks asked. He was drying his hair having just emerged from the shower, careful to avoid the fresh bandage wrapped around the crown of his head. His voice sounded a bit sore, but he seemed to be taking things well.
"Hai, I am. I'll be back. Maybe we can train together."
"I'd like that."
"Hai, same here!" Goten agreed.
"Well, I'm off!" Goku hefted a duffle bag onto his back. Waving over his shoulder, "Jaa!"
"Jaa ne!" the two young men said as one.
Goku only made it a few meters out when he came across Vegeta standing under a tree. "What's up Vegeta? You wanna say bye too?"
"Ha, iie. However, I would like to say, arigatou." In an uncharacteristic gesture of comradery, the Saiyajin held out his hand.
Goku took it, smiling enthusiastically. "Do itashimashite! Um, what for?"
Vegeta frowned, shaking his head. "...Do I have to spell it out for you, retard?" he retorted, though his heart really wasn't into it.
Goku knew what Vegeta meant, and was having a hard time with this. He did care for his son, what father didn't? But was it right to take Goten away from the only father figure he'd ever known? Goku easily came to a decision. "...Well, uh, I guess you're more of a tousan to him than me... Besides, you've done a pretty good job raising them! I doubt I could do any better, ne?"
"Hm, I guess not." Vegeta didn't smile, but his smirk seemed less aggressive, almost friendly. "Jaa ne, Kakarotto."
"Now if I can just get you to call me Goku!"
"Not on your life," Vegeta said over his shoulder. "And don't think this changes anything. I still intend on handing you your death; your insolence to your prince cannot be forgiven. Consider this a brief reprieve," he stated, though he sounded quite amused, even to his own ears. As he walked away, Vegeta raised two fingers in a sort of salute.
"Jaa, Vegeta!"
~~~~~
Goku flew for some time, enjoying the fresh air of the country. He hadn't been this way in a while, but he decided it was the best thing to do. Having benefitted from Mr. Popo's judgement already, Goku intended to consult the man again. An enormously tall tower came into view and Goku made sure to wave hello to the staff-wielding cat and fat, aging samurai on the balcony before heading up towards the Tenka bowl. "Popo!" Goku called out.
After a pause, "Goku-san?"
"Hai, it's me!" Goku said as the small round man walked up. The Saiyajin landed on the edge of the platform and clapped a hand on the smaller man's shoulder, but was careful not to use too much force. "I need to ask ya something again."
"Hmm? Of course. What do you need?"
"Where can I go for a while to do some thinking? Maybe train with my new power a bit and not hurt anybody too."
"I have just the place in mind." Popo led the warrior towards the palace and around the back to an inconspicuous looking doorway. "I trust you remember the Seishin to Toki no Heya?"
"Ah...yeah, I do! Boy, I was really young last time I was in there."
"I remember quite well. You didn't handle the place so well, the first time. But you surely could now. It would be the perfect place to get away." Popo held the down open, bright white light pouring out as Goku approached.
"Sankyuu, Popo." As Goku stepped inside, a figure dashed out of shadows and darted into the Seishin just before the door closed. "Oi! Dare--" but his words were cut off.
[Hmm... kawatta...] Popo though.
A Dragon Ball Z fanfiction
by Son Goharotto (son_goharotto@hotmail.com)
Welcome to Dragon Ball Yugure Z, my personal pet project. This is what I like to call a "multi-generational alternaverse epic." Expect a complex story spanning several volumes that are littered with cliff-hangers and titanic battles. DBYZ has been revised in its entirety. While some episodes have merely been ridden of typos, others have been rewritten completely. I'll be starting from the beginning at one episode a day so new readers can join in, undaunted by DBYZ's length, and old readers can review past events. All this is leading up to the new Episode 37, from which I'll try to keep a normal updating pace instead of letting this be forgotten as it once was.
DISCLAIMER: As much as I mgiht wish it not to be, DBZ does not belong to me. It's the property of Akira Toriyama-sama and many others who (unfortunately) aren't me. I'm not trying to make any money off of this and it's just a way for me to show my love of all things Dragon Ball. Well, except maybe GT. Bleah. I is teh poor, so don't sue me.
WARNINGS: As a whole, this series contains mature language (usually in Japanese), graphic violence, brutality, mature situations (non-lemon), and a touch of angst.
NOTES: A liberal amount of Japanese vocabulary is sprinkled throughout, though nothing extremely important is ever said in another language that isn't translated. Mostly just basic Otaku Japanese. I've compiled a list of phrases I use on my homepage here: www.enpitsudo-dojo.com/libjapanese.html.
"dialogue"
""layered voice"" (Fusion, for example)
{alien language}
[thoughts, telepathy, memories]
_stressed words_
*sounds*
~scene change~
Volume I -- The Nagareboshi Saga
Episode 15 -- The End of the Battle!! Don't Give Up, Goku!!
Bishamon knelt on the ground, chin in hand as he contemplated his next move. Susanoh had taken a gamble and his unexpected move had trapped Bishamon's knight in a corner. It was a lose/lose situation and the elder god's piece wasn't as limited in movement as one might think it was. Many moves could be made, while for Bishamon the only way out was a suicide maneuver. As Susanoh giggled away, the samurai began to sweat, his armor feeling hotter and heavier than before.
The sound of footsteps didn't disturb him and Bishamon didn't even notice until Amatsu Mikaboshi was practically breathing down his neck. "Allow me to be of assistance to you, dear brother." Reaching out, Mikaboshi gingerly plucked the knight from his corner and set it down on top of Susanoh's piece, phasing into it in the way that only the pieces in the game of the gods could.
"Are you mad!?" Bishamon cried, distraught.
The elder god merely patted him on his armored shoulder with a self-satisfied grin. "Trust me." Confused, Bishamon accepted the charity and turned back to the game, trying to find what Mikaboshi had known while it was Susanoh's turn to sweat. As he walked back to his throne, Amatsu passed closely to Benzaiten, her pretty face set in an serious mask. Even though she didn't look at him, her hushed voice was clearly directed his way.
"What was _that_? I know you don't do anything for anyone's benefit but your own, so what do you get out of helping Bishamon-sama? What's in it for you?"
Mikaboshi merely chuckled. "If you watch everything so intently, young one, why can you not see?"
~~~~~
Goku's mind reeled as Nagareboshi yanked him past the event horizon and into the Dead Zone. It was like being plunged into a sea of blackness, the sudden absence of light blinding his eyes. The Saiyajin must have lapsed into unconsciousness, for when his eyes opened his thoughts were groggy and jumbled, as if awakening from some deep sleep. What he saw around him boggled the mind.
It took a moment for Goku to sort things out, confronted with the strange floating scenery and immobile--possibly dead--creatures of the Dead Zone. Still being pulled along, buildings and items of all style and make whizzed past him, the parade of ruins interrupted only by tracks of wilderness or the occasional beast that had the misfortune of being trapped in the Dead Zone. Just like Goku.
As if suddenly aware of his situation, Goku struggled to break free of Nagareboshi's hand, fighting to breathe past Its vise grip on his neck. Even then, it seemed like he no longer needed air. Muscles that were once tired and strained no longer ached. All feeling was gone; he could act, but never the less seemed to be dead. It was an eerie sensation, perhaps one that those other creatures had given into and thus seemed comatose.
Finally, Goku arrived at his unwillingly destination; the furious Nagareboshi coming into view as Its immensely outstretched arm wound back into Its shoulder. Goku had to smirk at the sight of It, the beast's face contorted by both anger and repeated beatings. Goku swung at It as he came into range, clipping It's jaw with a quick hook. The shape-shifter's head quickly snapped back unphased, obviously under the same numbing effects that Goku was experiencing.
Nagareboshi retaliated with a vicious cross that Goku too didn't feel. They traded blows for a time, neither seeming to try very hard as they knew it was futile. After a while, Goku just gave up, irrationally amused at the situation. "This is stupid. We're trapped, so what's the point?" he said, interrupted only when the creature broke a hand across his jaw. "Just give it up."
""Shut up! Shut up!! Shut up!!! I'm not trapped! I can't be! I'm the strongest!! I'm the greatest in the universe!!!"" Nagareboshi raged, seeming to be going mad.
"You're also really thick!" Goku shouted, kicked the beast squarely in the chest. As such that the Dead Zone apparently had no centralized gravity, Nagareboshi rocked back and continued on, neither slowing nor gaining momentum until It finally grabbed onto some passing debris. It quickly climbed to Its feet and pounced on Goku, pushing the two of them back the way they had come.
""Silence!! I am invincible!! I can never be defeated!!!" Nagareboshi lunged, grasping Goku's head in a grip of iron. All of a sudden the Saiyajin was wracked with agony, a searing heat that went beyond the physical. He convulsed, each spasm punctuated by a stab of pain greater than the last. It was the feeling of being sucked out of his body, Goku's very soul being siphoned away and into Nagareboshi to make It stronger. Realizing the act was desperate and pointless, Goku merely gave in, letting it happen. ""That's right! Give in! All shall bow to my power!"
"Heh... You don't get it. There's no way out for you. You.....won't even have your 'hated foe' for....company...."
""Shut up!!""
"You'll just have to stay here.....thinking about your defeat...all alone......all alone....."
""Stop it!!!""
"I....avenged my family and friends..... Chikyuu...is finally safe...... I can be satisfied with that..."
""SHUT UP!!!!"
As the transfer continued, Goku felt his mind open up to Nagareboshi. Like the miraculous parting of some great sea, a path had been forged between them and Goku felt himself being drawn down into Nagareboshi's subconscious. Finally, staring at the very core of the creature's being, penetrating past the stolen power and volatile persona, Goku came to realize the true nature of his enemy.
[Stop it! Stop looking at me!]
As he gained more access to the beast's mind, Goku sifted through thoughts and memories, seeing Nagareboshi's past. It was, in actuality, a simple animal. Lacking even sentience, It would have lived a short life of insignificance if not for the power to assimilate other beings. By chance it absorbed a careless young demon, Its unfortunate prey granting It that first glimpse of self-awareness. From there, the beast that would become Nagareboshi was intoxicated with power, selfishly hoarding more and more.
[Go away! Even as my victim, must you still haunt me?]
Goku watched as the images flashed before his eyes, the memories of a greedy soul-stealer as it absorbed more creatures and grew ever stronger. And then there was black. It took the Saiyajin a moment to realize that at that time, Nagareboshi had spent countless years in space, silently drifting, looking for more and better prey. Through the shape-shifter's memories, Goku noticed an enormous ki. It was Saiyajin--no! A Super Saiyajin? It was _the_ Super Saiyajin. The Legendary.
[No! NO!]
Goku saw the face of his ancestor, the gaping maw of the Oozaru twisted with rage. The golden fur was a stark contrast to his brethren, even their great power insignificant next to his own. The group was destroying some nameless planet, rampaging without a second thought. The Legendary was even cutting down his own peers with errant blasts of fiery ki, heedless of their cries of pain. Drunken by the power he possessed, the Legendary continued on without a care, delighting in the death around him.
[Not again! Not again!!!] Nagareboshi fought to speed up the process, trying to block out the thoughts that had driven It mad. But as hard as the creature tried to finish the job, Goku's iron will held It back, forcing the flood of memories to pour out faster than ever. [NOOO! You can't!!] It protested.
[After all this time.... I _will_ know the truth,] Goku replied. [I deserve to know why this all happened.] His hold on his own body stretched to breaking point, the warrior strained to hang on and ignored the feeling of dread to probe further still.
It was the decisive battle for Nagareboshi. The Legendary Super Saiyajin represented the ultimate victory for the power-hungry shape-shifter. If the beast could just absorb him, It would have an unrivaled, unlimited power. But it was not to be. The fight was short and tragic for the poor beast. Even with all the warriors it had assimilated previously, Nagareboshi barely escaped with Its life. It swore revenge, but the hatred so blinded the creature's vision that any and all Saiyajin had become Its target. And when a new Super Saiyajin arose on Namek, it rushed to the scene, but found no trace. Another year of pointless wandering, then there it was! Farther along in the North Galaxy. On a little blue planet third from its sun...
[So, that's it....]
[STOP!!!!]
[Fine, I have the answers I want.] At last, Goku released his hold, letting Nagareboshi fully assimilate him. [So this is it... Goodbye Vegeta, you're finally the strongest. Trunks, goodluck dealing with that stubborn baka, he could use all the help he can get. And Goten; you don't need me anymore, you never did. Sayonara...minna.]
Goku felt his mind wan, fade away as the last of his soul was drawn away and become part of Nagareboshi. Become part of--[OTOUSAAAAN!!!!]
[Na....ni...? G-go......h--Gohan!?!?]
From withing the depths of Nagareboshi's subconscious, the voice of Goku's son rang out again, clearer and stronger than before. [Otousan!! Don't give up!!]
[Shinpai shinai, musuko. I'm coming... I'll be with--]
[Iie! Don't let it happen, tousan! Fight back!] pleaded Gohan's desperate voice. [Chikyuu needs you! Taisan needs you! Onegai shimasu!! Don't give up!!!]
[Listen to him, Son!]
Another voice, strong and confident, but gruff and blunt. [Piccolo!]
[Yeah, it's me. Don't you give up on us, Son. Or I'll come out there and kick your ass!]
[Goku-san, I still want a rematch. We can't do that if we're both inside this bakemono.]
[Goku! C'mon buddy, listen to your heart! Don't give up!]
[Tenshinhan? Kuririn?]
[And a lot of other people are here too, Son. Don't be this yarou's next victim!]
[Tousan, onegai!]
"UWAAAAAAHHHH!!!!!!!!" Suddenly, Goku was back in himself, a stir of power and emotion breaking Nagareboshi's hold. The backlash of the Saiyajin's rage sending the creature into shock and all of Its stolen power seemed to wither away to match the now frail, bestial body. Goku didn't even recognize it as his enemy, but then, he didn't recognize much as the whirlwind of thoughts pushed him to the brink of madness. In an instant, he blacked out. Consciousness fading in an out, there was only the feeling of movement, then.......
~~~~~
"You sure you have to go, tousan?" Goten asked from the door. Light spilled out from the kitchen onto the dew- covered morning grass. The bandages that covered Goten's visibly flesh was spotted with dried blood, but he paid no mind. Even the heavy cast and sling around is arm didn't seem to bother him.
"Hai," Goku replied with a smile. "I've got some things to think 'bout. Just gimme some time and I'll be good as new again."
"Will...will you come back?"
"Ha ha! Of course I will!" Goku laughed tousling his son's hair.
"Are you leaving Goku-san?" Trunks asked. He was drying his hair having just emerged from the shower, careful to avoid the fresh bandage wrapped around the crown of his head. His voice sounded a bit sore, but he seemed to be taking things well.
"Hai, I am. I'll be back. Maybe we can train together."
"I'd like that."
"Hai, same here!" Goten agreed.
"Well, I'm off!" Goku hefted a duffle bag onto his back. Waving over his shoulder, "Jaa!"
"Jaa ne!" the two young men said as one.
Goku only made it a few meters out when he came across Vegeta standing under a tree. "What's up Vegeta? You wanna say bye too?"
"Ha, iie. However, I would like to say, arigatou." In an uncharacteristic gesture of comradery, the Saiyajin held out his hand.
Goku took it, smiling enthusiastically. "Do itashimashite! Um, what for?"
Vegeta frowned, shaking his head. "...Do I have to spell it out for you, retard?" he retorted, though his heart really wasn't into it.
Goku knew what Vegeta meant, and was having a hard time with this. He did care for his son, what father didn't? But was it right to take Goten away from the only father figure he'd ever known? Goku easily came to a decision. "...Well, uh, I guess you're more of a tousan to him than me... Besides, you've done a pretty good job raising them! I doubt I could do any better, ne?"
"Hm, I guess not." Vegeta didn't smile, but his smirk seemed less aggressive, almost friendly. "Jaa ne, Kakarotto."
"Now if I can just get you to call me Goku!"
"Not on your life," Vegeta said over his shoulder. "And don't think this changes anything. I still intend on handing you your death; your insolence to your prince cannot be forgiven. Consider this a brief reprieve," he stated, though he sounded quite amused, even to his own ears. As he walked away, Vegeta raised two fingers in a sort of salute.
"Jaa, Vegeta!"
~~~~~
Goku flew for some time, enjoying the fresh air of the country. He hadn't been this way in a while, but he decided it was the best thing to do. Having benefitted from Mr. Popo's judgement already, Goku intended to consult the man again. An enormously tall tower came into view and Goku made sure to wave hello to the staff-wielding cat and fat, aging samurai on the balcony before heading up towards the Tenka bowl. "Popo!" Goku called out.
After a pause, "Goku-san?"
"Hai, it's me!" Goku said as the small round man walked up. The Saiyajin landed on the edge of the platform and clapped a hand on the smaller man's shoulder, but was careful not to use too much force. "I need to ask ya something again."
"Hmm? Of course. What do you need?"
"Where can I go for a while to do some thinking? Maybe train with my new power a bit and not hurt anybody too."
"I have just the place in mind." Popo led the warrior towards the palace and around the back to an inconspicuous looking doorway. "I trust you remember the Seishin to Toki no Heya?"
"Ah...yeah, I do! Boy, I was really young last time I was in there."
"I remember quite well. You didn't handle the place so well, the first time. But you surely could now. It would be the perfect place to get away." Popo held the down open, bright white light pouring out as Goku approached.
"Sankyuu, Popo." As Goku stepped inside, a figure dashed out of shadows and darted into the Seishin just before the door closed. "Oi! Dare--" but his words were cut off.
[Hmm... kawatta...] Popo though.