SHADOWS

By Konrad Gateau

For countless millenniums, the little sand rodents had grown used to being tossed, turned and generally given a rough time by Mother Nature. They don't dare come out during the day to face the desert's harsh sun. At night, when they scurry about for food as they do now, it is only slightly better. The temperatures are much cooler, almost too cool as a matter of fact, and their predators roam about. A few of them had barely come out of their hiding holes that they sensed the approach of two other forces of natures, which had only arrived a few days ago, forcing them underground again in a flash.

The sand above lifted up in the air and parted as Vegeta flew just above at high speed. He glanced backwards to look at two yellow ki blasts that followed his every movement even as he tried to evade them.

"How does he do that?" he growled to himself in frustration.

Deciding to end the chase, he turned abruptly in mid-air and powered up quickly, turning into his Super Saiyan form with a blazing golden aura. He didn't stop powering up, intending to make his aura strong enough to act as a shield, and indeed the two blasts crashed against it. The twin explosions caused engulfed Vegeta completely and resounded throughout the entire landscape.

The energy was barely starting to subside and Vegeta had to lower his shield as quickly as possible to prepare for the impending melee attack. However, that fraction of a second of vulnerability was exploited instantly as Piccolo's elbow connected with Vegeta's jaw, sending the Prince barreling down to the ground. Vegeta recovered but Piccolo followed up with a flurry of blows which were met and countered. Vegeta's punches and kicks connected more often than Piccolo's, and by the time the two fighters separated themselves, the Namek was more noticeably tired.

"Damn, he's fast." thought Piccolo, visibly annoyed, while Vegeta smirked at him.

"Ha! I should've known that beating the crap out of you would be so much fun!" Vegeta laughed.

"So you've won this fight. You won't be so lucky next time." Piccolo growled back, as he powered down.

Vegeta powered down from his Super Saiyan form and sat down on the desert sand, looking emptily into the horizon as if thinking to himself. Piccolo thought this curious. He remembered how they sat silently after the fight with Android 13. This was the fifth night in a row they sparred together in the desert and though they had been good close sessions, the Namek thought there might be another reason that Vegeta asked to fight him other than for the challenge. Sighing inwardly, Piccolo used his magical abilities to instantly don his trademark white cape and turban and "seated" himself in mid-air by levitating a few inches from the ground, back turned to Vegeta. He knew this was going to be awkward but he was determined to give Vegeta the time needed to talk.

Something shifted in the sand just underneath Piccolo. He looked on in slight curiosity as a gerbil dug itself out of it's refuge and quickly clamped it's jaws on a small centipede that was crawling by. The bug twisted frantically as the rodent bit into it's shell. It wasn't fully aware about it's surroundings, Piccolo concluded, the rodent's presence was obvious to him even before he emerged. Reflecting upon it, he reasoned that you couldn't be too complacent about your situation, even though you can't prepare for everything. He recalled the fights against Freezer and Bojack. Although the Z Squad were now probably the strongest on Earth, this was a big universe. And even here, he thought grimly, they were caught by surprise by the Androids. Had they not been forewarned, they'd all be dead. Maybe there could still be stronger dangers lurking. Although that couldn't be known for certain, Piccolo was now more determined than ever to make sure that he'd be prepared.

"What was it like?" Vegeta said.

Piccolo was startled out of his thoughts, he had completely forgotten that they had been sitting silently for several minutes.

"H-huh?" was all he could respond.

"What was it like... to kill him?" Vegeta spoke with a slight hesitation in his voice.

Piccolo turned his head to look back at the Saiyan Prince, who was still staring into the far horizon. It took him a fraction of a second to realize what and who he was talking about... Goku. He was still thinking about the meaning of what Vegeta had asked when the latter grunted in frustration.

"Look! We both had the same goal at one point, to defeat Kakalotto. You did what I could not and now that idiot is looking down on us... on ME rather! Taunting me as he's dead not by my hand but by his own choice to leave and never come back. If he'd only had the nerve to show his face alive again, I would be sure not to miss my chance and make him pay even more!" Vegeta yelled angrily.

Piccolo continued staring at him intently, not sure how or what to respond. After a few moments, Vegeta continued venting.

"I never would've thought I could be surpassed by a third-class warrior. Above all, he's cheated of any hope of reclaiming my honor. How could a true Saiyan warrior do that!" he half-asked, half-wondered in indignation.

So this is what was on Vegeta's mind, Piccolo thought. His great rival is now deceased without him having a had a chance to prove himself against him one last time. Piccolo considered how painful it must've been for the normally proud Prince to say those words. He still disapproving of the selfishness they contained.

"Maybe you got your priorities all wrong." Piccolo finally said, which prompted Vegeta to actually look at him. "It's been weeks since Goku's sacrifice and still all you can think about is your honor, your pride, not about what was accomplished or what was lost."

This time, it was Vegeta's turn to criticize. "And you should be the one to talk!" he exploded. "What about you, what can be said about your pitiful attempt to conquer this planet!"

Piccolo sighed heavily, suppressing as best as he could the anger that's usually so quick to rise in him. "Maybe I'm proof even you can change." he offered. "Once, anyone who said I could've gone soft would've been choked to death." he paused, silently laughing at the mental image of him pounding Master Roshi just for the fun of it. Some things could never change. "The good old days... but things happen. Have you ever considered that there is more to life than destroying things? Of course, you have, since you have a family here now. Ever thought that you could fight to preserve life rather than to destroy it or to prove yourself to everyone? Must everything be about comparing yourself to Goku?"

"Maybe that's why you're no longer as strong as me or Kakalotto." Vegeta observed coolly. "Out of all of them, only you had the same drive to fight as the two of us. Tell me, is this the first time you've trained since the end of the Cell Games? What is this, Namek! I would've betted the world you of all people could never lose that passion…"

"I never lost it, Vegeta." Piccolo quickly interrupted. "My best skills are my fighting ones. Pride, I have that too, I could never accept losing. But there's more to life than just that…" He paused temporarily to consider his next words. "You want to know how I felt when I killed Goku. Well it felt like nothing… No, I felt something, I felt empty. I had killed my arch-enemy, I should've been happy. Instead I didn't feel like I had won a great victory. Of course, maybe the circumstances helped a bit…"

Vegeta eyed him more attentively. "What are you talking about?" he asked.

"Well, first of all, I didn't kill him after beating him to a pulp, after defeating him in a grudge match. Instead, he willingly offered himself to my attack so that I could destroy Raditz and save the Earth at the same time. Where was the great fight to the death where I would prove myself superior to Goku once and for all! No, he put aside all rivalry with me and offered his life so that we could win. How could I be satisfied with that outcome? And then, there was the knowledge that you were coming afterwards. Now do you see what I mean?"

Vegeta thought for a moment before coming to a realization. "It was useless." He stated.

"Selfish. Stupid. Empty. The glory of defeating Goku was those things too." Piccolo added. "It stopped being the most important thing to me when Goku voluntarily gave it to me for a greater cause. He did something I was never capable of doing."

As silence settled between them, a sudden cold gust stirred the sand into a cloud, reminding the two warriors of their surroundings. The red glow of the sun far in the horizon indicated that morning was less than a couple of hours away.

"Blast! The woman is going to throw a fit at me again for staying so late." Vegeta cursed, referring to Bulma.

"The mighty Prince of Saiyans worried by a human woman?" Piccolo mocked smirking. "I would've never thought…"

"Shut up, Namek! You cannot imagine how much a frying pan to the head can hurt!"

"Yes, I'm sure it's fearsome than Cell." Piccolo continued his sarcasm as he and Vegeta got up.

"You know, as much as I hated Kakalotto, fighting by his side… wasn't so bad." The Saiyan said half to himself, half to Piccolo.

"I got to admit, he got things done." Came the short reply. Piccolo was staring absent-mindedly. He wondered if there would be more fighting in the future. Somehow he felt the answer was yes. He wanted more out of life but if the time came he'd make sure to protect his home planet as best as he could.

"Hey, Namek!" Vegeta cried out, snapping Piccolo out of his reverie. The Saiyan Prince was already airborne, about to fly off. His back was turned to Piccolo as he spoke. "Next time we get into some big trouble like Cell… now that we're without Goku, promise me you'll be there with me in the thickest of it. I can appreciate having you at my side."

Piccolo smiled. "You know I can't stay out of a good battle. Of course, I will be there."

Vegeta flew off. After watching disappear from his sight, Piccolo looked around him briefly. He wasn't sure where he was going, not now, not in the far future. He didn't know what will happen. He only knew he would take life as it came and he'd be ready as best as he could for it. His purpose seemed so clear now, again thanks to another sacrifice by his onetime archrival. He looked up at the sky and smiled.

"Thank you, Son Goku. I will see you again someday." He said. And he flew off into the rising sun, promise of new beginnings, unknowing that he was watched from far above.

"Yes, we will." Goku's spirit replied.

THE END