I do not own Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball GT, or Dragon Ball Super. I only own the original characters that I create.
Shiver.
The Mask
Chapter 9
It was unexpected, unintentional. It was what no one could predict, even if they could foresee the future. So fast, and so quick, no one had enough time to react. In an instant, there was life, then there was death. It only took a matter of seconds for everything to change. It couldn't be prevented, it was inevitable. No one knew it was to happen, nor did they prepare for it. In the blink of an eye, fell a strong young boy. It was quick, there were no screams of agony or lingering pain. It's what most would've wanted to go... But, death was too soon for he was too young. It was sad, no one could protect him. Not even his dear father who was the strongest man on Earth. In fact, there was nothing he could do. It was an illness, a natural cause of death. Nothing could bring back a soul that has lost it's life to a natural cause. Not even the dragon balls.
The funeral was to be held today, and the heaven's mourned for their loss through dark rolling thunder clouds. As his comrades and family hovered over his grave in a fit of tears and sobs, stood in the darkness of a shadow, a tall man who only observed. A hand came to Goku's shoulder. He looked up with teary eyes at Bardock, sobs erupted from his throat, "I-I... I c-couldn't p-protect him..." Was all Goku could say before burying his head in his hands as wept over his son's grave. Bardock looked at Goku with furrowed eyebrows and wet eyes of his own. He knelt beside Goku and draped his arm over Goku's shoulder and held him close, "There was nothing you could do, Kakarrot. It was something none of us could prevent," Bardock said whispering to Goku who trembled in sorrow. Goku let out a choked sob and buried his head in the coat of Bardock's suit while continuing to cry. Lifting his head up, Bardock caught a glimpse of beautiful, marble white tombstone. He read the elegant engraving that said: Here Lies Son Gohan. A son. A friend. A brother. Never will he be forgotten.
A blood, curdling scream erupted from Bardock's sore throat as he forced himself to wake up from that horrible nightmare. The shock of it all quickened Bardock's heartbeat, and made is chest rise and fall rapidly. His body was drenched in sweat despite it being freezing in his room. His eyes darted across the darkened with little to no light. Catching his eyes in the dark room where the blinking lights on the alarm clock told him what time it was. Bardock groaned as he rubbed his eyes vigorously and pulled the sheets from his body. Just as he did so, Goku came barreling into the room with nothing but a pair boxers on. Goku slipped and tumbled to the floor but quickly regained his composure and ran up to Bardock with all his might, "Bardock! Is everything alright! I heard you scream!" Goku was frantic with his speech as he asked the shaken Bardock millions of questions. Bardock groaned and stuck his hand up while rubbing the bridge of his nose. He was too tired to deal with Goku's hyperactiveness, "Kakarrot, please, one question at a time," He said with a sigh as Goku sat next to him on the bed while the moon cast a gentle glow in the room.
Twiddling his thumbs, Goku looked at Bardock with worry, "A-are you okay?" Bardock did not answer and Goku looked at him through the light of the moon. Goku asked once more, "W-as it a nightmare?" Bardock shifted slightly in the silent room. Goku waited for a bit then asked, "Do you want to talk about it?" Bardock was still a bit in shock from the horrid nightmare and still said nothing. Then, he looked down at Goku from the corner of his eye, then sighed. He really didn't want to worry Goku, "Kakarot. I'm fine, just a little night terror. Go back to bed, I'm fine. No, buts, I'm fine. Go. To. Bed," Bardock said while giving Goku no time to reason with him. Goku puffed out his bottom lip and began to pout, but Bardock wasn't going to be fooled. He rolled his eyes at Goku and Goku slid off the bed and onto his feet, he walked to the door and looked back, "I-if you want to talk about it. Tell me, okay? Goodnight." Bardock smiled at Goku and he left the room while softly shutting the door behind him.
There was a chuckled and Bardock inwardly trembled but outwardly groaned. He recognized the deep voice from anywhere, it was Toma. His visits have been growing more frequent as of late. A week has passed and Toma's visits have become regular. It still scared Bardock how he doesn't notice him enter his defenses without a single sound. Bardock turned around and frowned, "What do you want, Toma," He asked the larger man who stepped from the shadow wall and into the light. Toma smiled at Bardock despite Bardock's reluctance to see him, but Toma smiled anyway, "So, just a little night terror?" He flashed a grin that exposed his canines but Bardock couldn't see his smile from the shadow cast on his front. Bardock dropped his shoulders and sighed, "How much did you hear," He asked Toma while running a hand through his damp hair. Toma shrugged then grinned, "All of it." Bardock sighed and fell back on the bed. He turned his head to face Toma who could now be seen in the light. Bardock sat up once more, "Do you want to talk about it," Toma asked and scooted a bit closer to Bardock on the bed. He then removed the mask to show his eyes to Bardock, to show him that he was still Toma. He gently placed the mask on the bed and Bardock remained still, and unwilling to speak. Toma sighed, Bardock could be stubborn sometimes, "Do you want to talk about it," He asked him again. Bardock then shot Toma a glare, "No. I told Kakarot, no, so what makes you think I'll talk to you?" It came off a bit ruder than he had intended. An eerie silence filled the room with an uncomfortable tension between the two growing.
Toma flinched back and his shoulders dropped. He sighed and placed the mask on his face again, the eyes glowing pink in the dark upon applying the mask. He stepped off the bed and Bardock instantly regretted what he had said. Toma looked out the window for a bit to somewhat ease the tension. He finally looked back and Bardock looked away, "Bardock. I don't know what was changed, but... It's okay to let others in... You're probably thinking I'm an idiot for all these visits but I like seeing you. You're all I have left. You're my closest friend, without you, I'm basically nothing." Toma looked back to the window, waiting for the reply Bardock never gave him. He sighed, and Toma stepped on the window seal, "I-I'll come by..." Then Bardock looked at Toma jump out the window, leaping into the air. But, what Toma didn't say was when. Was he not coming?
Grunting out of frustration, Bardock slammed himself on the bed in rubbed his eyes with unnecessary force. He removed his hands to look at the ceiling fan that spun around and around. Bardock sighed, "Idiot," He muttered to himself. He turned on his side and pulled the sheets over his body. Slowly, Bardock closed his eyes and gradually fell into a deep sleep once again. However, Toma did not actually leave. Instead, he stayed outside until he felt Bardock's energy flow and slow gently. Toma then sat on the window seal, looking at Bardock with a gentle smile on his face. Then a tiny bit of guilt tugged at Toma's heart while he looked down at the object that was grasped in his hands. It was a mask resembling his own, he then clutched the mask and stuffed it into his bag. Bardock then shifted and turned to where he faced Toma. Maneuvering his body to where he was facing away from Bardock, Toma looked back with a smile and quietly said to Bardock before leaving, "Sleep well, my friend..."