Author's Note: Sorry for the delay in updating but I had a bit of a writer's block. Anyway it's here now so enjoy J
Chapter 9: A Lesson Learned
Vegeta opened his eyes to the electronic voice of the space pod.
"Wake up, Prince Vegeta. Landing on earth in thirty seconds." Vegeta gave a small yawn and looked out the window. The small blue planet began drawing closer and Vegeta vaguely had enough time to wonder how he was going to locate the Saiyans before he impacted the planet.
"What was that?" Bulma asked. Her friend Chichi looked
around.
"What was what?"
"I heard something crash." Bulma looked around. The two of them were sitting on the school field with their friend 18.
"Your hearing's playing up again Bulma," Chichi told her. Bulma shook her head. Her sensitive Saiyan hearing had picked up the sound of something crashing. She just had time to register a huge power surge before a huge burst of blue light engulfed the area.
Bulma and Goku, being Saiyan siblings, shared a mental link that enabled them to talk to each other telepathically. Bulma decided now was a good time to use this link.
'Goku! Did you feel that?'
'Yeah. The power level was huge. Where are you at the moment?' Came the reply from Goku.
'On the field. Meet me over here, we should go and check it out.'
'See you in a sec.' The link was closed and within a few seconds Goku was running across the field to the girls.
"Hey 18, Chi." Goku's eyes lingered on Chichi for a split second longer before he turned to his sister. "Bulma I need you to come with me," Goku told her.
"How come?" Bulma asked, playing innocent.
"Just hurry up please," Goku told her. Bulma shrugged and turned to her friends.
"Guess I'll see you guys later." The other two nodded and Goku and Bulma walked off.
"I swear those two can read each other's minds," Chichi laughed. 18 shrugged and turned back to look in the direction the strange blue light had appeared from.
"What do you think it was?" Bulma asked her brother as they took flight and headed to the origin of the energy flare. Goku glared.
"I don't know but I have a feeling it's not good."
"Is it just me or does the energy feel…………familiar?" Bulma asked.
"I recognize it too. But I don't know where from."
The two increased their flying speed as they started scanning the ground for signs of a crash.
Vegeta groaned as his eyes flung open. The ship had malfunctioned once it had entered the earth's atmosphere and crash landed. Now he was stuck in the pod, his leg twisted under the door of the pod. Vegeta couldn't move it; his energy was drained from the crash. He gathered what remained of his ki and powered up, a huge blue aura surrounding him and then exploding and blasting the pod apart in the process. Vegeta sank to one knee and panted.He was just beginning to regain some of his energy when he sensed two large energies approaching him. He stood up and scanned the skies.
"Look!" Bulma yelled. Amidst the hills below there was a huge barren space that looked as though something had exploded. Someone was standing in the middle of the space, staring straight at them. Goku and Bulma landed immediately and cautiously approached the person.
Vegeta stood, arms folded, watching the two teenagers approach him. The one on the right was definitely Saiyan. He had a muscular build, was tall with a huge energy radiating from him and typical Saiyan hair, pointing in every direction. As for the girl though, he wasn't sure. She was far better looking than any Saiyan female he had ever seen. Her hair was dead straight and whatsmore, blue! Though she did have a rather muscular build and large energy he assumed there was no way she could be Saiyan.Goku walked a few steps ahead of Bulma, acting as a shield between her and the man standing in front of them. Goku and Bulma walked up to Vegeta and stood there for a moment.
"Who are you?" Vegeta demanded in a snappy tone.
Goku stood. "My name is Goku Son. This is my sister, Bulma Briefs."
"They're not Saiyan names." Vegeta snapped. "What are your real names?""Our Saiyan names? I'm Kakkarot and this is Buruma."
The names seemed to ring bells somewhere in the depths of Vegeta's mind but he couldn't place them.
"Who are you?" Bulma demanded back at him. Vegeta glared at being addressed as such.
"I am Prince Vegeta. I have come to this planet in order to bring you two back to Lord Freiza," Vegeta told them. "If either of you put up a fight I'll have no choice but to dispose of you." Vegeta glared at them maliciously. Bulma frowned.
"I'm afraid I don't understand. I was under the impression that Planet Vegeta no longer existed." Vegeta looked at Bulma."I didn't say I was taking you to Planet Vegeta."
Bulma frowned again. How was their prince standing before them? How did he find them? What did he want with them?
"I'm not going anywhere til I've had a few questions answered," Bulma told him. Vegeta glared.
"You will not address me like that wench!" he yelled. Vegeta blasted Bulma back with a small ki blast.Goku rushed at Vegeta and sent the arrogant prince to the ground with a swift blow to his midsection. He then rushed over to help his sister up.
"I'm fine, Goku. Really. Bulma took his hand and managed to steady herself. Then she turned on Vegeta.
"You ignoramus!" She yelled at him. "How dare you treat a woman like that!" Bulma stormed over to the prince and shoved him. Vegeta stepped back, shocked at the blatant show of disrespect she had just exhibited. Vegeta grabbed Bulma round the neck and spun her onto the ground again.
"Watch your mouth," Vegeta growled at her. Bulma glared back up at him from the ground. She looked him directly in the eye."You don't scare me," she told him in a voice of total calm. Vegeta moved his foot from her stomach and turned to Goku. Goku eyed his prince warily.
"I think you can at least answer a few questions for us before you make your demands," Goku told him. Vegeta gave a curt nod and watched Bulma get up from the ground. Goku blasted off into the air closely followed by Vegeta. Goku turned long enough to see that Bulma was alright and then they continued on.
Bulma frowned as she dusted herself off. What on earth was going on?
Radditz smiled as he held the small child in his arms. The boy had Saiyan hair that was for sure. Even at this early age it could be seen.
"He's gorgeous isn't he?" said Anae. Radditz smiled at his wife.
"Absolutely." As Radditz wrapped his arm Anae he thought again how lucky he was that he had survived the purge of Arita.
Flashback
Radditz was sure he was dead. He could feel the creatures tearing at his skin and the pain surging through his body was sending him beyond the point of screaming. And suddenly it stopped.
'I'm dead.' Radditz thought. 'This is it, I'm dead.' But it wasn't the end. As he lay there on the ground, white hot pain coursing through his body, he heard a voice.
"He is only a child. We are no better than the others if we kill him." Radditz dared open his eyes and saw and Arita-jin Elder standing before him. "Bring him inside, to my healing chambers.""But sir. This Saiyan and his friends destroyed our planet. The killed the King and Queen and massacred most of our people! How can we let him live?"
"He himself has been destroyed, his childish innocence stolen by a power and blood hungry race that will soon be facing their demise. He is no more than 16 years old at the most. There is still a chance we may be able to save him."Radditz could keep consciousness no longer. His eyes closed and the world turned black.
When Radditz awoke he found himself in a comfortable bed in a small room. He tried sitting up but groaned at the pain that coursed through his body."You're awake," came a voice. Radditz looked around to see the Arita-jin who had saved his life.
"Who are you?" Radditz asked. "Why did you stop them killing me?" The old alien smiled.
"To answer your first question my name is Rintai. I am an Elder here in the now desecrated capital city. As to why I saved you, I don't believe in the eye for an eye theory. Instead I choose to believe that if someone wrongs you you should forgive them and move on. Turn the other cheek even. You wronged us greatly but I am willing to give you another chance. I don't believe anyone is purely evil and you are only young."
Radditz lay there, stunned at this alien's point.
"But for all you know I could destroy you all the moment I'm healed," Radditz told Rintai."I know. But I can only hope that you will learn a lesson from this. Even if it is at the cost of my own life." Rintai shuffled around in the room, trying his best to repair the mess the Saiyans had caused.
"Well what are you going to do with me now?" Radditz asked. Rintai smiled."Well I'm sorry lad but there's no way you're going back to your home planet. As I said early Planet Vegeta is in it's final stretch of time. And anything you learnt here would quickly be ripped out of you if you were to return. No. You will stay here for a few years; help to repair the damage you and your fellow Saiyans caused. We will work from there."Fellow Saiyans.
"Nappa! Larot! Turkan! My father! Where are they?" Radditz asked. Rintai looked up at him.
"Dead. The first three are dead, killed in self defense by
planet natives. Your father, whom you sent off in a pod is worse than dead."
Radditz glared.
"What did your king do to my father? Where is he?" Radditz demanded
"Oh he's probably back on Vegeta by now. As for what happened to him, our king felt it befitting to bestow upon him the most ancient of gifts. Foresight."
"Dad can see into the future now?" Radditz asked disbelievingly.
"That's right. He has to wait for the murder of his planet, everything evil that takes place. And no one will believe him. Your father will have to live the next 14 years waiting for the destruction of your planet at the hands of the evil tyrant Freiza."
Radditz shook his head. Vegeta was going to be destroyed."I have to warn them!" Radditz yelled.
"You really think they will believe you?" Rintai eyed him warily.
Radditz sighed. "Will my father survive the purge of Vegeta?"
"That feature is as yet uncertain. There are several Saiyans that survive the purge but I cannot yet see faces." Radditz closed his eyes and shook his head. He felt Rintai's hand on his shoulder.
"I am sorry." Radditz pushed the hand off and got out of the bed.
"I need to go for a walk." Krinitik nodded and showed Radditz outside.Once outside Radditz took the time to survey the damage he and his fellow Saiyans had created. It was incredibly extensive. Almost no buildings stood. There was smoke rising from several points on the horizon. As Radditz walked into what must once have been the center of the city, he stood to watch a couple of Arita-jin children digging in the rubble.
"What are you doing?" Radditz asked them as the small beings tried fruitlessly to move the mounds of rubble. One of the children, a girl Radditz thought she was, turned to look at him."Please sir. Our pet dog is in there. He was trapped in there when the Saiyans blew our house down." Radditz felt his tail tighten around his waist.
"I'm a Saiyan too though."
"We know sir."
"Why would you trust me then?"
"Because everyone deserves a second chance, sir." Radditz stood there, shocked by the words of the girl. He had destroyed her home, most probably killed some of her family, and trapped her dog. How could she trust him and forgive him? These people amazed him to no end.
"Stand back," Radditz told the kids. The kids stepped away and Radditz lifted his hand, palm outstretched and summoned his ki. In a second he had blown away the rubble far enough to see the small dog. Radditz bent and picked him up."He's hurt," said the little boy. "Please sir, can you help him?" Radditz looked at the bleeing dog in his hands. It was a pitiful sight."I'll take him with me and see what I can do." The kids nodded and Radditz sprung into the air. He looked at the small dog as he flew back to Rintai's house."Back so soon?" Rintai enquired as Radditz landed outside the old alien's house. "What's that you've got there?" Rintai peered over at the small dog."Can you heal it?" Radditz asked. Rintai shook his head."No. But you can."
"How? I don't have the power to heal."
"Do as I do," Rintai told the Saiyan. Rintai placed his hand on the dog's side. Radditz copied him, unsure of what to do next.
"Now, I want you to summon your ki and disperse it, but not in a harmful way." Radditz had no idea what the old geezer was playing at but decided to humor him. The energy began to slowly dissipate."That should be enough," Rintai told him. Radditz moved his hand and watched in awe as the small dog began to stir. Radditz put it on the ground and looked on as the animal sat up and then started to run around his feet.
"What did I do?" Radditz asked as the canine tugged on his trouser leg."You transferred some of your energy into the dog, giving his body enough strength to heal himself and feel replenished." Radditz couldn't believe it. He gave a small laugh as he picked the dog up.
"Let's take you home." Rintai watched, smiling his wrinkly, old, knowing smile as Radditz blasted into the air again.Over the next few years, Radditz had helped to rebuild Arita. When the city was finally restored to its original splendour, Rintai came to Radditz.
Now at the age of 20, Radditz was fully grown. The long mane of hair that he had sported for most of his life had been cropped back to resemble that of his younger brother's.
"Good evening, Radditz," Rintai greeted as he sat down on the grass. Radditz pulled himself from his meditative state."Good eveing sir." The two of them sat in silence for a while. "It's time, isn't it?" Radditz asked knowingly. Rintai nodded."It is time," Rintai sighed. "You have learned all that there is here for you to learn. You have grown into a fine young man, a far cry from the bloodthirsty child that tried to destroy this planet five years ago. I'm proud of you, Radditz." Radditz smiled."I have so much to thank you for. If it weren't for you, I don't know where I'd be now. You have taught me lessons that will be with me through my entire life and beyond." The two of them stood."Radditz. There is a planet not far from here that I believe could use your assistance. It's a place where you can put your superhuman strength to use and satisfy that passion for battle that still burns so fiercely in your heart. The ship will arrive tomorrow." Radditz nodded and bowed to Rintai.
"Thank you so much for giving me this second lease on life."
"You are most welcome, Radditz."
End Flashback
Radditz smiled as he looked at the small child in his arms. On that ship, he had met Anae, who he had then gone on to wed. Radditz had rid the planet of the local menaces upon his arrival and been accepted as part of the planet.
"Have you thought of a name for him yet?" Anae asked as she looked up at her husband. Radditz smiled."Rintai." Anae smiled. "I like it."
Radditz smiled as he silently thanked Rintai again for the priceless lessons the old alien had taught him.
As Radditz looked to the stars, he found himself wondering
about figures from his past. Maybe his brother and sister were still out there
somewhere? He hoped they were still alive. He was sure by now that Planet
Vegeta was gone yet somehow he still held onto the hope that they had survived.
His father too. Something told him his father was still out there. Radditz
sighed. He couldn't fill his head with hopes like that.
Yet something told him it was more than a hope.
Next Chapter: More interaction between our three Saiyans on earth and I promise there'll be some B/V action.
Author's Note: So? What did you guys think? It took me long enough to get it out but I made it extra long for you. I promise I'll get into a bit more now. I've got my passion for writing back so yeah. Until next time.Kaibun
