Author's Note: I love this episode so much so I had to write it down. I'm thinking of maybe writing some fillers of the years in between. Tell me what you think and hopefully I'll get inspired to write something!

Vegeta's Death

Vegeta lay on the ground on a strange planet some twenty-six years after that day so long in the past, the memory of which had not faded over time. A persistent thought translating into one goal that Vegeta had worked his whole life to achieve and had failed. That singular purpose was to become powerful enough to avenge his father's murder, his planet's destruction and his life utterly destroyed, and yet here he was eyes brimming with tears as he lay at the feet of the tyrant Frieza… dying.

And there, his rival who he had also tried and failed to kill. The third class soldier Kakarott who knew nothing of the pride of his own race was standing next to him as he lay on the rough earth. That low class fool who had humiliated him utterly when he was defeated by him back on earth and then shown mercy when he allowed him to escape. The fates had conspired against Vegeta to allow this idiot Kakarott to be the one to avenge the destruction of his people, the people that Kakarott felt no kinship towards at all. And here Vegeta lay on the ground, totally helpless and at the mercy of Frieza and being protected by the clown.

And yet it seemed that Kakarott was quite willing to pardoned Frieza for his actions in the same way that he had pardoned Vegeta back on Earth. Fool! He didn't know Frieza like he did.

"Kakarott! Don't be so soft! There's no stinking honor in any of this! It's just a game, play to win there are no rules." Vegeta choked out, coughing to clear his throat of the thick blood that was slowly filling up his throat. "You're going to have to get over your soft heartedness. Do it, forget about your feelings! You have to, they'll get you killed, they'll get you killed Kakarott!" he cried out, wincing in pain from his physical pain but more so from the emotional pain of all the years that was preying apon the Saiyan Princes' mind and the dam was threatening to break.

"I can't. I can't change who I am, not on the battlefield. My feelings are my guide. Besides everyone has a chance to change their ways, just like you had," Kakarott replied self-rightgeously.

"Fool! You don't know what you're dealing with…"

How can I make you understand Kakarott? He's a monster, far worse than I or the entire Saiyan race was put together.

"He destroyed our whole planet. He blew it up. It was him…" he coughed out.

"He's just a corpse and he's still blabby, I'll have to gag him to shut him up," Frieza said scornfully.

"Your father and mine, the whole planet. He blew it up. It's true. No one survived but us. Ask him if you want," Vegeta said now turning his eyes on Frieza, his impending tears blurring his vision. "He'll tell you, he's proud of it!"

"Please stop talking Vegeta, it's sapping all your strength!"

"No listen," Vegeta said dragging his gloved fingers through the dirt, "You have to hear this. We worked so hard for him. We did everything he asked of us and more," Vegeta reflexively squeezed his eyes shut as a whimper took control of his words and when he opened them again, rivers of hot tears began pouring down his face. In all his years of servitude, Vegeta had never allowed himself to cry but now it was like he had nothing in his power to stop the tears as the flowed over his cheeks and onto the sandy earth under him.

"He took me from my father, when I was just a little boy," he croaked out remember the pain and shock and absolute betrayal the day he found out he was being held captive by Frieza and would never see his father alive or dead again. "He made me do whatever he asked, and said he would kill my father if I didn't. I did whatever he asked, but he killed him anyway along with everyone else. He was scared of us, scared that a Super Saiyan would be born some day and rise up to over throw him." Vegeta managed to gasp out around a throat choked with emotion and a new wave of fresh blood pouring into his chest.

"Hmm, a touching story…" Frieza said smiling completely uncaring as to the years of torment and pain he had caused Vegeta.

"Please no more…" Kakarott said, sadly.

The Saiyan Prince, still crying, raised a hand to Kakarott and mustered his failing strength to make one last desperate plea. "Kakarott, destroy Frieza, he made me what I am… don't…let him… do it… to anyone else. Whatever it takes, stop him…please…" Then as Vegeta felt cold death claim his body with a few more stilted gasps his hand dropped to the ground and his head fell to away to one side with an exhausted final grunt.

"Vegeta…" Goku said, looking down at the Saiyan Prince's dead body.

"Goodbye Vegeta, you're not as cold heart as you believed yourself to be. A heart of stone can't shed tears the way you did. You must have been holding them back, your whole life."

It was over, his pain had finally ended… but his last will lived on in him.

"I'm the only one left…" Goku whispered clenching a fist. Vegeta has left it to me to destroy this tyrant. Goku watched as the final tears to flow down Vegeta's still warm cheeks were slowly absorbed into the earth, disappearing without a trace.

Rage flowed through Goku as the last traces of life from the Prince of all Saiyans left quietly and seemingly unnoticed. This great warrior would not be ignored, he would see to that! Goku looked up and caused a hole to be made with his Ki.

Bending down he lifted up Vegeta to pay his respects and say his final goodbyes to his Prince.

"I think I understand you now. You weren't grieving over your own death or because our planet was destroyed. You were grieving because he turned you into what he wanted you to be, you never had a chance to be anything else. Well I still respect you," the last Saiyan went on, placing Vegeta gently into the grave and began to reverently heap earth onto the still body. "I know you made a lot of mistakes, but now I see that it wasn't all your fault. You had the fiery will of a Saiyan. Please share that with me now, cause I need it," he said covering Vegeta's hand with earth and placing his own hands upon it.

"Thank you for saving my son's life and for buying me enough time for me to recooperate." Standing up Goku looked down at the grave which covered Vegeta one final time, "I'll do my best to carry out your wish."

Then Goku turned to face the challenge that awaited him, feeling the entire weight of the burden that Vegeta had carried his whole life to avenge Frieza now passed onto him.

" It's true. Vegeta is right! You have no honor! For him… and for everyone else you've destroyed! I am going to finish you!"

FIN.