A Moment of Warmth

Thunder and lightning rolled over them as night took hold. The splintered group was walking through a canyon, hoping to catch up with the convey.

Toushiro: "Oh, joy. Blisters."

Renji: "I've got blisters on my blisters."

Ikkaku: "You don't wanna know where I've got blisters."

Yumichika: "It's because you wear the worse things you can for these kinds of situations, Ikkaku."

Ikkaku: "Hey it's a style! And they normally don't chafe."

Eren: "Ok, well that paints a disturbing image that I'm officially gonna have nightmares from."

Grimmjow: "That's just wrong."

A crack of lightning flashed overhead. The storm was close and it was now too dark to keep moving.

Tora: "We need to take shelter and soon."

Bardock: "Yeah. It's not a good idea to stay out in the rain on this planet."

Eren: "Why?"

Shugesh: "It comes down so hard that it can hurt."

Kenpachi: "Well that's a good enough reason."

Byakuya: "That and it's too dark to see anymore."

Vegeta looked around for any kind of shelter. A brief flash of lightning revealed a cave just a few feet away.

Vegeta: "That cave looks good."

As the others followed him, Vegeta examined the cave as they entered. Just as they did, the first rain drops started to fall.

Vegeta: "... It's dark... But it's dry at least-"

Toushiro: "Dry I'm fine with, it's the dark part I'm havin' trouble with."

And just as he said that, poor Toushiro stubbed his foot on a big rock.

Toushiro: "OW!... Shit!"

Tora: "You alright?"

Toushiro: "Yeah, just stubbed my foot."

Vegeta: "Search around and see if there's anything we can use to make a fire, give us some light and warmth. And, Toushiro... I highly recommend you stay right where you are."

Toushiro: "Don't need to tell me twice. My feet were killing me before we came in here."

While some searched the cave for burnable material, the most exhausted of them all sat down in the center of the cave with Toushiro. Luck was finally on their side for a change as Bardock and Fasha found plenty of sticks and even a good three foot long log. Fasha carried the smaller stuff while Bardock rolled the log over to the rest of them.

Bardock: "Now we just need to chop it up."

Vegeta took over from there and kicked the log up. With great speed and skill, the prince chopped the wood into smaller pieces. There was more than enough to last them for the rest of the night. Once the fireplace was made, a light energy blast from the prince started the fire right up. With a fire burning brightly, everyone settled down to wait out the storm and rest. Bardock and his team sat together and somewhat away from the Earth visitors while they all huddled together for warmth and comfort.

Tora: "*Sigh* Finally..."

Renji: "Ahh. Who booked this trip anyway?"

Byakuya: "Stop complaining, Renji."

Renji: "I would if my feet weren't screaming at me!"

Grimmjow: "I hear that."

Eren: "I hope everyone else is ok. Especially Captain Levi. He's never been a fan of storms."

Toushiro: "I'm sure he's fine, Eren. I'm sure they all are."

Kenpachi: "Just what in the hell is the King thinking? This isn't solving any of the saiyan's problems!"

Tora: "Even I'm starting to question the King's judgment. In fact, I'm siding with our prince more than our king."

Bardock: "Seriously. I agree with Prince Vegeta. We should be standing our ground and fighting. Hell, even Kakarot's ideas are fine."

Bardock looked up at Vegeta and saw his prince was staring at him.

Bardock: "What?"

Vegeta: "You can stop pretending like we don't know, Bardock. It's pretty obvious to me."

Toushiro: "It's even obvious to me too."

Yumichika: "What is?"

Vegeta: "Bardock here is Kakarot's father."

Renji: "What?!"

Kenpachi: "No way!"

Eren: "You're Goku's father?!"

Bardock: "H-How did you know?!"

Vegeta: "One appearance and two, when Kakarot told you his saiyan name, you reacted in a way that made me very sure."

Bardock: "Well... You're right. He is my son. I never thought I'd see him again. Last time I did was right before he was sent to Earth just moments before Frieza destroyed Planet Vegeta."

Fasha: "How did you meet Bardock's son, Prince Vegeta?"

Vegeta: "Just Vegeta is fine. And it's a really long story, one I'm too tired to tell right now."

Toushiro: "Betcha in at least fifteen minutes you'll be far gone in dreamland, Vegeta."

Vegeta: "Heh, probably right."

Toushiro: "Word of warning to all of you. He can snore loud. And it sounds like a snarl too."

Shugesh: "That ain't nothin' new to us. Borgos here can snore just as loud."

Borgos said nothing.

Eren: "Heh. He's like Commander Mike. Strong silent type."

Tora: "I noticed that Kakarot is always trying to help people. Is everyone on Earth like that?"

Vegeta: "Not everyone. It's like fifty fifty. Some do and some don't."

Fasha: "He certainly doesn't believe in letting people's fate happen. If you're weak, you die. That's how it's always been."

Vegeta: "Only if you give up. It's your choice, not your fate."

Bardock's team all looked at the group from Earth. It was now clear to them all. They choose to help each other, and therefor have made it this far. The support and comfort they give each other strengthens them all, from the weakest to the strongest. The weak feel strong alongside friends and the strong have a purpose to continue on for the sake of their friends and family. It was a kind of strength that seemed weak and fragile, but in reality, it was the strongest thing anywhere in the universe. They now could see this. The old ways were nothing but foolishness. Bardock was the first to get up and join the group completely, followed very closely by his team- his friends. The saiyan prince only smiled.

Vegeta: "I knew you'd understand eventually."

That night, as the splinter group rested in the cave while it poured outside and they enjoyed themselves with stories, laughter and more in the warmth of the cave and each other... If only for the moment...

Life's bruises and troubles were forgotten.