After a small exchange with Piccolo, the two Saiyans known as Raditz and Vegeta continue their search for Kakarrot…

Tale 182: Kakarrot

The sun rise was still low in the sky as a peaceful Son Goku was sleeping soundly next to his son in their shared futon. All of the sudden, his eyes shot open dramatically and Goku sat up with a troubled look upon his face. Without a moment's hesitation, Goku hastily got off the futon and made his way outside of the Kame House.

Somethin' very strong is coming this way…and fast…!

Goku stood at the beach and searched the skies frantically.

Is it Piccolo? And does he have a friend? I sense two o' them…but I can't see 'em…!

"Goku, do you sense those chis as well?" Tenshinhan's voice called out from behind Goku. Goku turned his head slightly to see Tenshinhan, Yamcha, and Kuririn jogging to him.

"Yes. I don't know who they are…but they are strong!" Goku replied tensely. Two figures far, far off in the horizon could now be seen. Goku's eyes widened, "Wake up th' others! Quick!" Yamcha nodded and ran back inside the house.

THMMP-!

THMMP-!

Vegeta and Raditz landed five feet in front of Goku and the others. Goku looked about as flabbergasted as the two visitors standing in front of him. He felt like he knew them somehow but he didn't know why. Vegeta looked Goku over; he bore a look that would make one think that he had just seen a ghost.

He IS a splitting image of Bardock…!

Raditz's face of shock turned into a face of pure joy. He couldn't contain himself and he ran towards Goku, embracing him tightly as he lifted him up from the ground.

"Hey-! Whaddia doin'?! Put me down, you weirdo!" Goku gasped in shock. Raditz happily complied, putting the confused Goku down. He beamed happily at him.

"I knew you were alive! I just knew it!" Raditz turned to Vegeta, who was still staring at Goku in a stunned silence, "See? I told you! Son of Bardock through and through!"

"What…?" Goku asked quietly. The others were cautiously emerging from the Kame House to witness the spectacle before them. Bulma protectively kept Gohan by her side while Oolong and Pu'ar were huddled behind her. Kame-Sen'nin, Yamcha, and Lunch (who was in her dangerous form), were standing behind the group; the trio looked alert and prepared for a fight. Gohan's eyes widened slightly when he spotted Vegeta and Raditz's tails.

"They have tails, just like mine and father's!" He said shakily, which caused the others to stare at Gohan in shock. Goku turned to look at his son before he turned his attention back to the two strange men. His eyes widened when he, too, saw their tails. Raditz stared at Gohan with a dazed look, realizing that he was looking at his own nephew.

"Forgive your brother, Kakarrot," Vegeta said cooly, though he was still a little shaky himself, "He was very determined that you were still alive. So, he is excited to see that he was correct."

"M-my brother…? Kakarrot?" Goku gaped. Tenshinhan and Yamcha exchanged stunned glances with each other while Kuririn looked totally confused.

Raditz took a step forward, "I am sorry, you obviously wouldn't remember me seeing that you were only an infant when I last saw you…I am your older brother, Raditz."

A stunned silence filled the air. Goku opened his mouth to speak but then closed it. He tilted his head slightly as he examined his older brother.

"You do seem…familiar t' me…and you do have a tail just like mine…" Goku said slowly. Bulma and the others looked from Goku to Raditz.

"He does kind of look like Goku," Kuririn pointed out. There was a murmur of agreeance with the others.

"But why does that other guy have a tail too? Is he also Goku's brother?" Bulma asked. Vegeta's face turned red.

"No, I am not related to either Kakarrot or Raditz!" He replied testily, his tail twitched in an irritated fashion.

"The reason me, you, and Lord Vegeta have tails is because we are one of the same species; we are Saiyans," Raditz explained. Goku blinked.

"Saiyans?"

"Yes. You see, you are not from this planet, brother. You, like me and Lord Vegeta, were from the planet Saiya. You were sent here by our father during our planet's destruction," Raditz explained further.

"Your father died valiantly," Vegeta added in gravely, "He stayed behind to try to put a stop to our planet's destruction, but he was annihilated along with our planet."

Goku looked down as he let the words of Raditz and Vegeta sink in, "…who was responsible for our planet's destruction?"

Vegeta clenched his fist tightly, "A horrendous being known as Freeza."

Goku could not explain it, but hearing that name sent chills down his spine. Tenshinhan cautiously approached the group and joined Goku's side.

"There is a being who is capable of destroying entire planets?" He asked shakily. Vegeta regarded him with a nod.

"We Saiyans were thought to be the strongest species in this part of the galaxy. We used our strength to protect more vulnerable species from those who would cause chaos," Raditz explained.

"But then Freeza came to this part of the galaxy with his clan," Vegeta added in darkly, "The strength of his species is horrendous but no one knows how strong they truly are…!"

"One of our own, a traitor known as Nappa, provided Freeza vital information about us Saiyans: our strengths, weaknesses, and worst of all, the location of our planet," Raditz said gravely.

"Freeza was also told about the legend of the Super Saiyan. This legend spooked him enough to make him want to wipe out our entire species," Vegeta continued, "Your father, who had planted a microscopic listening device on Nappa's armor after becoming suspicious of him, found out about Nappa's betrayal and about Freeza's plan to destroy our species."

"Our people gathered their strongest warriors to try and fight Freeza but it was not nearly enough," Raditz muttered weakly, "So, our father scrambled to get me, you, and Lord Vegeta as far away from the planet and from Freeza as possible. Because Lord Vegeta is the Prince of all Saiyans, I was put in the same ship as him to be his protector. You were put in a separate ship and wound up being sent to this planet."

"Why weren't you and Vegeta sent here as well?" Yamcha asked; he, too, had joined Tenshinhan by Goku's side.

"Bardock had put in random coordinates on both ships so that they would not be tracked," Vegeta replied, "It was the only way to guarantee our survival."

"I had made a promise to our father that when I was old enough and that when Lord Vegeta was trained, we would find you," Raditz said with a bittersweet smile, "I am sorry that it took this long."

Goku was quiet for a moment before he smiled warmly, "You are here now. That's all that matters!"

"W-well, why don't you two fellas join us all inside?" Kame-Sen'nin piped up with a nervous chuckle, "We can talk more over some breakfast. I am sure that you both must be hungry!"

Vegeta and Raditz exchanged looks.

"Thank you, we would like that very much," Raditz replied, looking grateful.

"I assume that you know of our appetites because of Kakarott?" Vegeta inquired.

"Yes, we do," Kame-Sen'nin replied with a grin, "Don't worry, Miss Lunch here made sure that there was plenty of food for this gathering."

Lunch, who was still in her dangerous form, snorted.

"Y'mean my "good girl" persona made sure there was plenty of grub," she remarked.

After the group gathered inside and had a filling breakfast, the two visitors from space had some more unsettling news for our heroes…

"…Nappa, the treacherous Saiyan, is one of Freeza's best warriors. He has been hunting us down ever since he discovered that we had escaped the destruction of Saiya," Vegeta explained to the tense group, "He will eventually come here to kill us and this entire planet."

"Why would he want to destroy the Earth?" Bulma asked in utter confusion. Vegeta turned his gaze upon young Gohan, who shrank away slightly from his stare.

"Humans and Saiyans are a compatible species for mating. Kakarott's son there is proof of that. And the fact that he has a Saiyan tail would be all the justification Nappa would need to destroy this planet."

"Not that he would actually need justification," Raditz spat bitterly, "That Saiyan is about as bloodthirsty as Freeza himself…"

"How much time d' we have before this Nappa creep comes here?" Goku asked tensely. Raditz looked at him nervously before shooting a glance towards Vegeta. Vegeta sighed in an irritated fashion before he turned his attention to Goku.

"He will arrive at this planet roughly after this planet has made a full orbit around its parent star."

There was a stunned silence that followed Vegeta's words.

"A-a year?" Bulma gaped. Goku stared at Vegeta intensely.

"I can roughly sense how tough you are, Vegeta," Goku stated softly, "You, by far, are the strongest guy that I have ever met."

Vegeta looked somewhat prideful and a bit shocked, "…you can sense our power levels? I didn't think us Saiyans were capable of that…"

Goku nodded, keeping his eyes trained on Vegeta, "Tell me, how strong is Nappa compared to you?"

Vegeta was quiet for a moment as he studied the slightly younger man before him.

He bears Bardock's intensity as well…I didn't think so at first with how ...wildly innocent he acts…but when he is serious, he is his father through and through…

"He is to me what I am to you," Vegeta finally replied. The look on Goku's face explained it all to his friends. They stared between Goku and Vegeta in utter shock.

"…and Freeza?" Goku asked quietly. Vegeta took a shaky breath.

"…it would be like pitting an infant against our Oozaru form."

The silence that followed was very thick. While Bulma, Oolong, and the others who could not sense chi looked confused, the rest of the group looked very grave and stunned.

"…well, we have a year to train," Goku finally said, which caused everyone to stare at him in shock. Vegeta smirked slightly.

"You certainly have retained your Saiyan will to fight, I see. I don't see how we can train effectively on this planet, though. The gravity is ten times less than our home world. It's a wonder that you all have the strength that you do," Vegeta pointed out. Yamcha and Kuririn looked at each other in shock before looking back at Vegeta.

Bulma was quiet for a moment before she perked up, "I can fix that!"

Vegeta stared at her in shock and confusion, "…you can change the gravity of this planet?"

"As IF!" She barked, "What I am saying is that my dad and I can craft a special training room that can replicate the effects of varying gravitational levels!"

Vegeta wasn't sure if he should be mad that she insulted him or impressed by her genius.

So…Goku is an alien (Oolong: HA! I was RIGHT!), the "treacherous" Nappa is ridiculously strong, and he will be arriving to Earth in about a year's time. What mess have our heroes gotten themselves into? Up Next: An unlikely ally!