Chapter 4 – No trust

Vegeta wakes up. 'This can't be right. This isn't Hell, where I'm supposed to be. This looks more like a cabin on Chikyuu.' He closes his eyes again and tries not to think anymore.

"You're right, Vegeta, you're not dead yet."

Vegeta sits up abruptly. "Kakarot? What the hell happened? Why didn't I die?"

"Because I didn't let you." Goku looks at him seriously. "I offered you my help, Vegeta. There's no way I'll let you run out on me like this."

"Kakarot, you don't understand why…"

"I do, Vegeta. I know why you did it. Let's forget about all this, okay? You need to rest now. Try to clear that mess in your head." Goku pulls up the blanket and gently puts his hand on Vegeta's forehead. Vegeta shivers at his touch, but then he feels something soothing and relaxes. Goku's ki puts him to sleep.

Goku puts his fingers to his forehead and transmits to Capsule Corp.

"You saved him? But how? Even I didn't see or sense you!" Gohan says, completely astonished.

"I used Instant Transmission, that was the only way to get away from the explosion in time. Vegeta and I will be gone for a while, he needs time to come to his senses."

"Goku… Do you know why he tried to kill himself?" Krillin asks carefully.

"I do." Goku's face wears a grim expression. "That's why I have to stay with him.After all, I'm the only one who can stop him if necessary. He might try something like this again."

"When will you be back?" Bulma asks.

"I have no idea. I'm sorry guys, but I can't say anymore. I've got to go back now." He puts his fingers to his forehead once more and vanishes.

Vegeta's still asleep when he returns. 'He will have one less nightmare this time,' Goku thinks to himself. 'But how much more terrible visions are locked inside his head?'

He looks down on Vegeta's sleeping form, and then enters his mind again. Darkness immediately surrounds him, and it won't go away, no matter what he tries to do. Even his ki vanishes as soon as it gets out of his body.

"VEGETA?" he screams into the black oblivion surrounding him. "Where are you?" Even his voice seems to be absorbed by the darkness. The silence is unnerving. Suddenly Goku feels a presence luring somewhere in the darkness. The temperature drops until it's not just dark, but also freezing.

"What the hell is going on? VEGETA, WHERE ARE YOU? This is your mind, you should be here!"

A low, cruel chuckle hits his ears. Ice-cold hands grab him by the throat. Goku tries to hit whatever is strangling him, but to no avail. He can't see a thing.

"Now that you've seen what Vegeta's experienced, you came here to get a taste of your own, didn't you monkey?"

Goku feels an overwhelming fear when he realizes how stupid he has been. Because Vegeta's asleep, Frieza can do to him what he wants.

"That's right monkey. No one will disturb us in here. And you know what's so good about hurting you in here?"

Goku gasps for breath and is unable to answer.

"Without the presence of Vegeta, you will die in the real world when I kill you in here." Frieza starts to laugh hysterically. "And of course, because of the trauma I gave Vegeta, I'm stronger than anyone in here, including you… Super Saiyan monkey."

Goku feels one icy hand tug at his pants. 'This can't be happening… I've got to do something!'

"You're welcome to try, monkey, just like Vegeta used to. Pathetic creature! It's no use fighting someone if you cannot win!"

"You know… you've got that… wrong… Frieza…" Goku says hoarsely. "In fact... it's the only... good… reason to… start fighting… and not… giving up."

Goku starts to power up and tries to get Frieza's hands off of him. Air begins to become a serious issue now.

"Damn you!" Frieza screams when Goku manages to struggle free. Coughing his guts out, Goku tries to get away from the Ice-jin.

"No way monkey, you're not getting away that easily." Frieza fires a dozen blasts his way. Because Goku's limbs are freezing, he can't dodge them all and falls down bleeding.

"That's a good monkey," Frieza says. "Now let's see if you're as much fun as Vegeta used to be."

"You're not… real," Goku replies, nearly unconscious. "You can't… hurt me here… Vegeta…"

Frieza keeps coming and then there's a bright light, blinding him. He hears someone scream, and only realizes it's his own voice when Vegeta catches him right before he hits the ground.

"You baka!" Vegeta shouts. "How can anyone be that stupid?"

"I'm… sorry… Vegeta…" Goku passes out, bleeding from many wounds.

Vegeta immediately tends to Goku's injuries, with a grim look on his face. 'Why? Why did he do that?'

Several hours later, Goku wakes up again.

"Vegeta, what happened in there?"

"You were there, Kakarot. Take a wild guess."

"Is hereallyable to hurt me in there when you're asleep?"

"Of course he is! You moron! Honestly, Kakarot, have you never studied the art of mind control and such things?"

"I haven't…"

"Well I have. You should never enter someone's mind without that person being conscious."

"What about the dream that started all of this?"

"Dreams are exceptions. The one who dreams is there… kind of. It's hard to explain."

"What was that light?"

"That was me waking up and thus breaking the bastard's power over you. What did he do to you anyway?"

"He just… scared me. He didn't hurt me the way he hurt you."

"You're lucky to be still alive."

"How come he still has power inside you? He's dead!"

"He lives on in my mind, Kakarot. It's very simple. I cannot bury my past… So Frieza lives on."

"Can't you just kill him in a dream or something?"

"I wish I could. Don't you think I've already tried that? That's the reason I had to leave Chikyuu right before Trunks was born. I couldn't risk staying there with my mind battling Frieza's, I could have killed them!"

"You mean you left… to protect them?"

"Of course! Goddamn it Kakarot, why else would I leave? I almost killed Bulma once during a nightmare! I couldn't risk the life of my child as well!"

"You were afraid Frieza would take over your mind…"

"He would have broken my family just like he broke me in the past."

"But you won!"

"Not exactly. He didn't possess me, but I couldn't get him out of my head either. As you just witnessed, he remains inside my head, until I set things straight with my past. But I guess we'd better wait until you are healed again. You're in no condition to fight."

"I'm sorry…"

"Why did you enter my mind anyway? I told you not to do that without my permission."

"I was afraid you'd be having nightmares again."

"Never do that again. Dreams I can survive. I would never forgive myself if Frieza killed you because I wasn't there to save your ass. Now rest."

Goku falls asleep fast. Vegeta looks down at his beaten face. 'I still don't trust you, Kakarot. What's in it for you?"