(This A/N remains because it's too improtant to move.)

Oh good! You're all here! Well, before we get into the story, there's a nice long speech I'd like you all to listen to. And if you don't read it then let it be known that you have NOT THE RIGHT to yell at me for killing Gohan!
Kami forsake those of you who can't handle what I write! It's a fic people, and there are hundreds more where mine came from, and I'm POSITIVE I'm not the first one to spill Gohan's blood. Let me just point out that I like to go against what people say I should do most of the time, especially if they say it as nastily as you have. So when you write "Don't kill Gohan!" I hear "MmmmHalf-Saiyan blood on my chocolate ice cream!"
Now I would like (some more then others...) all of you to know that I add the character filter thing cuz I think it's pretty cool, but this fic isn't just about Gohan. Or Goku. It's about ALL the Saiyans. This fic is my tribute to them. This is to hail their Pride. this is to hail their Glory. This is to hail their legacy. To examine their humiliation, and hardships and all the SHIT they had to put up with from Frieza. But most importantly, it is salute to them in that, even after all that and the fucking nightmare they had endure, they shrived to live through it. They NEVER gave up or into the temptation of death.
And you're all freaking out because I killed some little Half-Saiyan boy.
Like it or not, Goku has been rudely dragged into a world that would get no greater pleasure then to see him fail and he too is going to get pounded on more then a couple times. Vegeta said it himself, Frieza was no loving, caring parent that would pick them up when they fell down and kiss their boo-boos. He was the one slamming them into the walls in the first place.
So is Gohan. And from the way some of you are acting, I am VERY tempted to rain down on Gohan the hardest, if that day even COMES. Really people, how do you all know for certain that I killed him? Huh? Did you see his blood spill before your eyes, leak from a deep slash in his body until he became to weak to hold on to life and so slipped away into the darkness? Has DBZ taught you NOTHING about how the hero will always crawl out of the crater of absolute destruction? The boy may one day play a key role in the fic, but he can just as well play that role dead as he can alive.
To put things to an end, keep believing Gohan is dead. You're more involved with the fic that way; you bond more quickly with Goku that way and feel what he feels in the fic more easily.
Now stop obsessing over the dead and worry about the horrors I have waiting for the living. Is it honestly so hard to cry over Vegeta or Goku? Maybe if he's lucky enough, your bonding with him will keep him alive too...
Oh, and one more thing: Some of you wanna know why Raditz isn't a God-damn fucking bastard, you know, like the way we met him, right? Well, go read Dragoness Eclectic's fic Why. It explains very well the way I view the "Real Raditz."
Now with all that said and done, you all can finally enjoy the fic. So Enjoy The Kami Forsaken Fic!
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

Chapter 3: Retreat

Fasha sat down next to Goku on the bed he was laying in. She picked up his head and tilted it back so she could feed him a little broth then set the bowl down and gently returned his head to the pillow. She stroked his hair and hummed a light lullaby. Behind her, Raditz was furious with anger.

"How could they do this to my brother!" He shouted. He got up and started pacing the floor.It would've been him tending to his younger sibling's every need had his Saiyan Rage not been flaring as high as it was. He concluded himself that he'd be more harm then help and asked Fasha to tend to Goku for him. "How! He doesn't deserve to be treated like that! They can't get away with this!" He channeled all his frustration and anger into his fist and sent it straight through the wall.

"Raditz! Get a hold of yourself!" Fasha barked. "I know it's upsetting, the way Frieza treats us and all. But throwing a temper tantrum is NOT going to solve our problems. Let's just be thankful Frieza gave Kakarot to us alive and not dead. And besides, you don't even know what they did to him."

"I know it had something to do with the destruction of that planet we'd been orbiting!" Raditz retorted as he pulled free his arm and went to join Fasha beside the bed.

Fasha was silent a long moment as she played with Goku's hair. "Do you think..."she started, but her voice trailed away.

"What?" asked Raditz. "What were you going to ask?"

Fasha shook her head. "There's no need to ask, it's written all over him."

"What? What's written? Where?"

"The reason he didn't come back. Don't you see; that's why he's like this. He had bonds on that planet, many and very strong bonds with the people. Maybe even a mate. And a son or daughter."

It was silent a long while as this sunk in. To both the older Saiyans in the room it made such perfect sense, and at the same time, no sense at all. Saiyans bonded with other Saiyans. And depending on the level of the bond when it was broken through death determines the level of distress and period of grieving for the Saiyan. Kakarot was the only Saiyan on Earth. How could he have formed bonds with other beings? How could he have even reproduced with them? And if indeed he did have a mate and she had died, then it was almost guaranteed that he would follow her into death. Mates hardly ever left each other's side, even in the afterlife.

"My brother is preparing to die?" asked Raditz in a small whisper.

Fasha nodded. That seemed to be exactly what Kakarot was doing as he laid there on the bed. And if that was the case, then there wasn't anything anyone could do to stop him. His body would reject food and water till he just starved to death. Not a nice way to go, for a Saiyan.

The woman stood and gave Goku one last sympathetic look. "I'll alert Prince Vegeta to his condition. You stay by him if wakes up. Feed him some more broth or water if he asks for it. And try not to be too upset, this isn't your fault." Then she left, leaving the two brothers alone.

Raditz knelt beside the bed and took his brother's hand. Not his fault? Yeah, right. Who's bright idea was it to go to Earth and find Kakarot? His. Who's scouter was open during that whole conversation? His. Who alerted Frieza to what the Saiyans were planning to do? Him. And how could Raditz be thankful Frieza had returned his brother to him alive if he was just going to die in a couple days anyways?

Kakarot stirred a bit, muttering his gibberish. A smile crawled across his lips and he rolled closer to Raditz, still talking. He hadn't opened his eyes yet and Raditz assumed he was still dreaming, most probably of his mate by the way he was talking. He paused; apparently he had asked a question for when no answer came he started talking again, but with a tone of voice that wasn't as soft as the one he'd been using. This one sounded worried, fearful.

"Kakarot, you're not on Earth anymore," Raditz stated and his younger brother's eyes sprang open. He jumped up and scurried into the nearest corner where he pulled his feet to his chest and buried his face between his knees and under his hands and arms. Kakarot began to rock back and fort muttering something over again and again.

Slowly Raditz climbed on the bed himself and inched towards Kakarot. Just looking at Kakarot was enough to tell him that this was all very traumatic for him and the last thing Raditz wanted to do was stress him out even more. He laid his hand over the knees and snaked his other arm around the little Saiyan's back.

Kakarot stopped muttering. And rocking. His shoulders heaved once, then stilled. They heaved again as he took a sharp breath before stilling again. This repeated several more times and then Kakarot whimpered. He leaned towards Raditz and began recoiling himself around his older brother, nuzzling his face into his chest before letting the tears flow. Once comfortable in Raditz's arms, he let all his feelings out. It wasn't just tears and sobs, and it wasn't at all quiet in the room.

Raditz held tight to his brother; it was all the comfort he could think to give. He felt the slight bond of Saiyan siblings beginning to form between them and, desperate to try and save his brother from the horrible fate he would surly meet, he instantly let Kakarot connect with himself. The emotions were weak, but Raditz could still feel them and though unclear, they still compelled him to tears himself, though not as heavily falling as Kakarot's had been.

The younger Saiyan's cries of anguish and grief died slowly, feeling much like his soul inside. After a long while, the only sound Kakarot made was a hic-up every couple seconds. His emotions, having been released and lacking anymore energy to drive him to do anything more even if he wanted, numbed a great deal. Feelings of comfort and support drifted over him from his older brother, smothering any more of the burning feelings of hate and rage he had for himself. For the time being, Kakarot would be safe from any crazy thoughts of suicide. Raditz's tail crept over the small of his brother's back in search of the tail that should have been there. With no such luck in it's search, the tip hooked over Kakarot's hip and began to count.

"Kakarot," Raditz said, loosening his grip just enough to allow his brother to lean back and look up at him. "What happened to your tail?"

The forgotten Saiyan blinked a few times but didn't respond. He brought his arm down from over his brother's shoulder and up along his own chest to rest atop the very base of his neck, where his collar bones met. He looked away, and an expression of puzzlement twisted on his face. "Kaah," he muttered, looking back up into his brother's eyes. "Kaahkoo...koo...rr...root?"

It took Raditz a minute to piece together what his sibling say trying to say. "Kakarot," he said giving his brother a nod. "Kakarot , that is you."

The younger of the two shook his head. "Kaahraahrrrought," he said letting all of the sounds roll around together in his mouth. "Kaahkaarot...Kaakaarot...Ka-kakarot..." He laid a finger on Raditz's chest. "Kakarot?"

Now it was Raditz's turn to shake his head. "Kakarot," he corrected pointing to his brother. He then pointed to himself and said, "Raditz."

Kakarot wet his lips before attempting the next name. "Raaah..did...ssh..."

"Raditz."

"Raah...di..its...Rad..its...Rad...ditz...Raditz...Raditz!"

"That's right, you got it!" the older brother exclaimed, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. He tapped his brother's chest and said his name, then tapped his own chest and said his own name.

"Raditz!" the Saiyan said proudly pointing to his brother. "Kaka-" he began after lowering his finger to his own chest, but stopped. The smile slipped off his face and Raditz sensed the sadness seeping back into his baby brother. "Karot..." he finished letting his voice slip and his hand drop. He would've started crying again, had the door not suddenly sprung open and four new strangers entered.

"He's pathetic!" Vegeta shouted upon first laying eyes on Kakarot. The younger brother had immediately buried his face in the chest of his older sibling when the door opened. He clung to Raditz not unlike the way a newborn monkey would to it's mother.

"He's scared is what he is," Raditz replied defensively. "You all just busted in without warning! How the Hell's he suppose to be?"

"He's suppose to be a Saiyan!" Vegeta shot back. "So what's all this rubbish about him dying and why is he acting like a child? Don't baby him! That's not how he's suppose to act!"

"Prince Vegeta," Fasha said, grabbing hold of the prince's arm. "Listen, we think he a mate on the planet he was on. Apparently when Frieza destroyed it, he killed her too. He's only grieving sir; grieving and...well, perhaps preparing to die..."

Vegeta looked from Fasha to Kakarot and back again. "He does not look dead to me lady. Now, unhand me." Fasha slowly obeyed her prince.

"Vehjetahh..."

Five sets of eyes turned to the youngest in the room. Vegeta lifted a finger and pointed to Kakarot. "Is he," the prince began, taking steps toward the two brothers. "What is he doing?"

"I believe he's trying to say your name," Raditz responded. He placed a hand on Kakarot's shoulder, to try and get him to let go and turn around, but his attempts only got a few whimpers out of his sibling.

"Trying!" Prince Vegeta scoffed. "What do you mean trying? Doesn't he speak the Saiyan tongue?"

"I don't think so..."

"Is that even a Saiyan? I don't see a tail anywhere on him!"

"He's Saiyan alright," came a voice and all eyes, even Kakarot's turned to the one who had spoken. "He looks just like his father, I'll never forget that face," said Torah, backing up what he claimed. He stepped forward and gently unlocked Kakarot's arms from his brother to get a better look at his face. "Younger, less tan..." He wiped away at the moister that had been sitting on Kakarot's cheek since his crying fest. "And not quite as torn up..."

"Oookaaay," said Vegeta, crossing his arms over his chest. "So tell me why he's acting like this. How old is he? 20? Why is he acting like a 5-year old?"

Torah looked to Fasha and everyone else's eyes followed his. "I just told you," she said with a sigh. "The trauma from losing his mate, it's messing with his head."

"And he's going to die?" Vegeta turned back to Kakarot, who had turned completely around in his brother's lap and was now looking around with awe at the others. Particularly Fasha.

"Well, that's what I was told would happen when you lost a mate, yes," she replied. "And that's the way things seemed five minutes ago; Raditz, what happened?"

"I-I bonded with him," Raditz said with a shrug. "Could that have anything to do with it?"

"It shouldn't," Torah said. He leaned back as Kakarot slid from his brother's lap to examine him closer. The younger Saiyan tilted his head to the side, reached up and ran his hand through Torah's hair. He ran it over again and again until he was satisfied that it would not lay down neat no matter how many times he combed through it, then moved his attention down to Torah's chest. "Not if he lost a mate..."

"So why isn't he dying then?" questioned Vegeta.

No one had an answer. They just watched as Kakarot poked at Torah's armored chest then knocked on it with his knuckles. He traced the grooves, working his way down to the abdomens and then across those until his eyes fell upon the tail that was wrapped neatly around the waist.

He lightly laid a single finger on the soft fur of the tail. His touch was so gentle that Torah could barely feel anything and would not have even been aware of it had he not been watching Kakarot the whole time. The younger Saiyan proceeded to, extremely carefully, stroke the tail towards the tip. He repeated this several more times before stooping and looking up to identify the existence of every other Saiyan in the room, one by one, and finally stopping on Fasha. His eyebrows pressed together in a look of puzzlement.

"Well, if we can't answer the questions, maybe he can," Raditz said.

"How?" Vegeta immediately responded. "He can't even speak our tongue."

Kakarot got up and tugged on Torah's hand a bit to show that he wanted the older to stand. Once Torah was on his feet beside him, he nudged him over to stand beside Fasha so that he could begin a compare and contrast assessment of the two. He poked at Fasha's armored chest a bit and stroked her tail as well. She smiled and loosened her tail to rub it along his cheeks, chin and nose. Kakarot giggled as she did so and chased after it with his hand.

"So? He'll learn. We'll teach him. He's acting like a little kid, so what have we left to do but re-raise him like a Saiyan? And when he's ready, we'll ask him about this, if it's still an issue," Raditz replied.

"He'd better grow up fast then, I don't want to wait for long," Vegeta said.

Kakarot now sat cross-legged in front of Torah and Fasha looking again like he was set before a great puzzle he couldn't quite figure out. He chewed on his lower lip as he thought about his next move to make in solving to puzzle. Finally deciding the answer, he reached up and patted Fasha twice between the legs.

End Chapter 3!

CoD is still so pissed that she can not write an ending Author's Note. However, she wishes everyone a Happy Holiday Season and will see you all after the new year!