"I guess when I admit it to myself… I always knew Kakarotto was around. I knew he was never leaving me, and I was never leaving him."

Goku landed on his feet softly, nodding up at the guard that had helped him down.
"I'll be back soon, okay?" he just saw the man wave as the small hole in the dark red sky disappeared. Goku looked around. Welcome to Hell.

His alertness grew as he started searching for his target's ki. A large part of him still wondered why he wasn't sent here. He didn't deserve to be in the good side of the afterlife… not after what Kakarotto had done. What he had done.

There! He found it. Before he could even stop to breathe he flew towards the target, ignoring the faces and the eyes that stared at him in wonder as he passed. What was Goku doing in Hell? The only thing Goku could ask was what he was doing outside of it. He stopped a few feet away from a tall, long-haired man lying down against a rocky wall. His eyes were closed, his hands behind his head… he wasn't fully asleep though. It was too dangerous to let your guard completely here. Goku approached him softly.
"Raditz." He called. The man shifted a little, opening his eyes and turning his head to address the voice. His jaw dropped.
"Holy shit…" he stood up. "Kakarotto?"
"Yeah…" Goku smiled a little. "Goku too."
"You got sent here?"
"No – actually, I'm just visiting." Goku replied. "But… I thought I would come here…" he looked up at Raditz. "I killed my mate."
"Heavy." Raditz sat back down, getting over Goku's appearance. It wasn't like he could kill him again.
"I killed my friend… I almost killed my son –"
"I know how you feel." Raditz smirked. "The kid's what, eighteen now? I guess he can cry really loudly."
"… You know how old he is." Goku stared at him, shocked. Raditz shrugged.
"I'm good at keeping track of time."
"… Kakarotto – I mean… I'm pretty good at remembering too. Maybe it's a saiyan thing."
"Sure." Raditz replied. He stared up at the sky. "You're thirty eight."
"Yeah!" Goku smirked. "I'm getting old."
"Hm." Raditz uttered. "I remember when you were born… I was just a little kid." He looked at Goku. "I wasn't that old when you killed me, either."

Goku lowered his eyes in remorse, speaking softly.
"Yeah… about that…" he moved his eyes back to Raditz. "That's why I came here."
"What, you came to ask for a rematch?" Raditz snickered. "I'll warn you, it might last a while. You can't kill the dead, you know."
"I know." Goku answered. "I didn't come for a fight… I came for your forgiveness."
"What?" Raditz stared at him, stunned. Was he high?
"Raditz…" Goku approached him, kneeling down to Raditz' level. "I know I had to kill you, otherwise you would have hurt everyone I care about…" he swallowed. "But… the truth it – I've been feeling guilty about it for years. I've been going through some stuff lately… bad stuff. I know I can never expect you to forgive me but –"
"Go to hell!" Raditz barked. He glared at Goku angrily, his ki flaring up. "You're damn right you can't expect that, you idiot! Do you know how that felt?" he clenched his fist, gritting his teeth. "I went to Earth looking for my brother, and instead all I found was some human moron who had turned his back on his entire family! Do you have any idea how our father reacted when I told him? He was so mad he nearly killed me!"
"Raditz, I know!" Goku protested. "I know, but – I didn't remember you, or our father. You came to Earth demanding that I kill a few hundred people, you kidnapped my son… what the hell else was I supposed to do?"
"So why do you feel guilty?" Raditz snarled. "Why did you even come here if you think you did the right thing?"
"Because I don't think it was right…" Goku mumbled. "… I just think it was necessary." He looked into Raditz's eyes. "You're my big bro, right?" he smiled a little. "I didn't want to admit it at first, but I never felt good about killing you… you were the only blood relative I had, and I didn't even know you existed… then I watched you die."

Goku stood up, looking down at Raditz.
"I know I had to kill you, the way you were… I couldn't let you kill all those people." He swallowed. "But… you are my brother, and a big part of me is sorry for what I did. I never used to listen to that part, but… now I think it's in mine and my family's best interests that I do."
"So that's it, then?" Raditz growled. "You come waltzing down here giving some big speech about self-loathing and expect me to forgive you?"
"No." Goku shook his head. "I don't think you will, but I wanted to tell you anyway." He looked at him. "I'm sorry, Raditz."
"Tch." Raditz looked away. "Whatever. I'm not forgiving you; you can shove it up your ass."
"Alright." Goku nodded. "Fine. If that's how you want it… it was nice seeing you, Raditz." He smiled. "I might see you again someday, but for now I gotta go." Goku turned to head back towards the guard; he didn't have long left down here.
"Kakarotto." Goku turned at the sound of Raditz' voice. Raditz looked at him. "You're not a good person. You'll see me when you get sent down here."
"Haha…" Goku smirked. "Yeah… maybe. I hope I won't, though."
"Everyone hopes they won't."
"Bye, Raditz." With a slick wink Goku turned and flew away.

"But… for the longest time I always pretended like he wasn't there. I was so ashamed of letting that side of me break out in front of my family that I started denying his existence… and I started forgetting that he was actually me."

Goku stare up at the pale yellow sky as the guard drove him back to heaven, a place he still wasn't sure he belonged.

"I knew it was a while before I could go back home… but at least I was permitted to visit my friends and family. I told them all about Kakarotto, how he'd always been there, how he was just another part of who I was… I think they accepted it. It was what Vegeta had been saying all along! I guess deep down I always knew he was right… even Kakarotto himself never really believed he was any different to me. How could he? He had a wife and son he adored… it sounded kind of familiar."

"Okay, here we are!" the guard beamed. "Enjoy the afterlife!"
"Thanks…" Goku stepped out of the car. "I'll try to."

"I don't think I'll ever have the forgiveness of my brother, but I never really expected it. All I wanted to do was let him know how I really had been feeling all these years, I think I owed Kakarotto that much at least. Now I just hope that someday I can go home and spend the rest of my life treating my wife with the love and honesty she deserves… what Kakarotto always wanted to give her, and what I was too busy and too ashamed of myself to give. I guess out of the two of us he was the only one that was truly open about who he was. Maybe I can learn something from him. I can't deny it though; I'll miss him being around… he always made my problems a little easier to deal with."

Goku stepped into heaven, greeted by a familiar friendly spirit. He smiled.
"Hi Grandpa!"

"I can't wait to go home!"

*3 years later*

"I'm sorry we couldn't revive you sooner…" Chichi entered the living room, placing a pot of tea on the table in front of Goku. She sat next to him, hunching up a little. "We couldn't ask to revive everyone killed by Kakarotto… because then Frieza and the others would come back too. So… we just had to bring everyone back one by one."
"I know; it's okay." Goku smiled calmly. "I shouldn't even be here… it was good of them to let me out again."
"We needed you here." Chichi said. "Goten wanted you back."
"Goten…" Goku mumbled. "He's eleven now, right?"
"Twelve next month."
"Wow…" Goku lowered his eyes. "I've missed out on so much of his life… he's already growing up and –"
"Goku." Chichi put a finger to his lips. She looked at him softly. "He doesn't blame you for that."
"…" Goku gently moved her finger away. "How can you forgive me…?"
"I'm your wife…" She looked at him. "In sickness and in health, right? I know that wasn't you. I know… you didn't really want to do those things…"
"Of course not!" Goku wept. "Chichi, I love you! I'm so sorry –"
"It's okay." Chichi looked away. "You already told me, and I understand. I want to forget about it."
"… Okay."

Chichi shifted a little, changing the subject.
"Goten's keen to hear about his grandfather. You never told me your father tried to save Planet Vegeta."
"Yeah…" Goku said, smiling sadly. Guiltily. "I guess there are a lot of things I never told you."
"Maybe you should." She looked at him meaningfully, her face stern. Goku swallowed, nodding slightly.
"I… I will." He said softly. "I promise."
"Good…" she replied. "… Well!" Chichi stood up. "I'm going to make dinner."
"Oh, great!" Goku beamed. "What are we having?"
"It's a surprise." She answered, kissing his cheek. "I need a favour from you though."
"Mm?" he looked at her.

"Could you fly to the store and get me some groceries?"
"Uh… Sure." Goku nodded, his heart sinking. He hated waiting in line…
"Thanks!" Chichi smiled before leaving the room. "Oh…" Goku's face fell as more demands came from the kitchen. "And I want Goten to go to a good college; can you help me pick one out?"
"Chichi, he's twelve!" Goku protested.
"He's eleven!" Chichi barked. "But it doesn't matter – you have to prepare for these things early – you need to get a job as well! How else are we going to pay for it?"
"Alright…" Goku mumbled. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. He felt his entire body calm as he exhaled, blissfully ignoring the cold voice that whispered to him from the dark side of his own mind.
"Kill her…"

The silver tongued devil and I.

*The End*

'The Silver Tongued Devil And I'
- Kris Kristofferson