Chapter 9
The Darkness Within
The Legendary Destroyer of Worlds.
It was a dreadful title whispered with great fear by many civilizations across the Universe. A legendary figure known for his sheer ruthlessness, insatiable bloodlust, a relentless love for battle, and a desire to cause insurmountable death and destruction.
And this was first referred to a small, seemingly harmless child but is actually like a deadly but beautiful flower.
He's one of the very few Saiyan survivors who survived the genocide of his people and destruction of his home planet.
The Saiyans were notorious for being cold and ruthless but he was the worst of them all, the most feared and the most powerful among the warrior race known for their wicked cruelty.
The Prince of all Saiyans, last heir to the throne of Planet Vegeta.
Prince Vegeta Yonsei.
It wasn't really clear when he was first referred to as the Legendary Destroyer of Worlds, but it most certainly spread like wildfire after that rampage he did on Planet Hebi when he was only six years old.
Prior to that purging mission on Planet Hebi, Vegeta went missing for several months. His remaining comrades, his attendant Nappa, his battle partner Raditz, and two unnamed Saiyans he didn't bother to know whatever their names were since he showed no interest with them at all for they were nothing to him but useless weaklings, were worried for their prince's safety, their de facto leader. When Vegeta finally returned to them, something had changed in him. They knew, but initially paid it no mind, thinking that the cold hatred they saw in his now seemingly darker and colder eyes was nothing but a sign of his typical foul mood.
But things on Planet Hebi didn't go as they expected. It was supposed to be just a normal purging mission for the five Saiyans, they eliminate all life forms within the planet and then leave to sell the planet to the highest bidder.
But during the mission, Vegeta just snapped.
And it wasn't just a mere temper tantrum. It was something worse. An awakening of an extremely bloodthirsty monster.
It was the first time that he had descended into the brink of uncontrollable madness, an unexpected situation given that Vegeta was known for his self-control and pride in his own abilities.
Nappa and Raditz found themselves terrified by this sudden change, especially after Vegeta killed those unknown Saiyans without a single thought or mercy at all after they were taken hostage by their enemy. He laughed with sadistic glee as he poured down his wrath on the entire planet itself. Nappa and Raditz barely made it into their space pods and escaped the burning hell their rampaging prince had risen to the world before it succumbed to complete destruction.
Unable to comprehend what just happened, Nappa and Raditz began to wonder if Vegeta was slowly turning into that.
A Super Saiyan!
The Legendary Saiyan Warrior who only appears every three thousand years. The way Vegeta had become, it was eerily similar to how the Super Saiyan was as described in the stories that were passed down from generation to generation of the Saiyan race. A Saiyan with overwhelming power enough to cause the destruction of entire worlds.
Vegeta couldn't remember much of what happened on that day. Nappa and Raditz only told him the story, and they thought that he eliminated all of the Hebinians, not expecting any survivors at all.
But they were wrong.
Since then, many civilizations across the Universe were plagued by the horrifying and haunting story of a Saiyan child wreaking havoc throughout the galaxy with his immense destructive power. Next to the Cold Clan, Vegeta's name has become a terrifying legend that has sent shivers to the spines of even the mightiest warriors.
And Vegeta himself has enjoyed the privilege. He later created the moniker, "The Legendary Destroyer of Worlds" and used it next to his royal title as the Prince of all Saiyans.
For the next 24 years after the tragic events on Planet Hebi, Vegeta terrorized the Universe with his power and his name, making sure that everyone trembled before him and that those fools in the Freeza Force knew what would come for them.
Until the events on Planet Namek happened, where Vegeta was thought to have finally rebelled against Freeza, and disappeared, presumably died during the battle.
And now, thirty years after his supposed disappearance, Vegeta returns to outer space where he used to cause bloodshed and annihilated worlds. He's a changed man now. The warrior whose goal was to seek greater strength still remained, but with a different reason and purpose than when he was younger. The hatred and bitterness he had previously harbored have been replaced by the love and appreciation he was given by his newfound home on Earth, by his family and friends (although he wouldn't call Goku and the Dragon Team as such out loud, he does consider them as his allies now).
With Vegeta being found by a pair of Hebinian survivors and turning him into his weaker, child self, the way he was when he attacked their home planet… He now seeks to retrieve the Black-Star Dragon Balls that were used to curse him into this state, which bore a threat to his newfound home: complete annihilation within one year.
With his daughter, Bulla, and his rival's second son, Son Goten, tagging along this space adventure, Vegeta's newfound resolve and transformation will be tested in his journey.
—-
Giru informed the Saiyan trio that the third Dragon Ball was located on a planet known as Kagami. A bizarre world where the sky is engulfed by an ethereal aurora, tapestry of vibrant colors of light, making it look like a living canvas of dancing emerald, sapphire and ruby hues that constantly shift and swirl in rhythm with the planet's core.
Beneath this breathtakingly beautiful view is a vast forest filled with tall trees that appear similar to pines. It extends as far as the eye can see. And it's at this forest that Vegeta, Bulla, Goten, and Giru found themselves, lost within its mysterious maze.
"This place sure is creepy," Bulla whispered as she rubbed at her arms, feeling chilly despite her wearing a pink parka with fleece lining and fur hood.
Strolling beside her was Goten who donned a green Chinese jacket and dark grey loose fitting pants, "Reminds me of those haunted forests of Kiarahagaka." he agreed.
"Planet Kagami, huh?" Vegeta muttered next to them as they walked around following the floating Giru as it guided them to the location of the Dragon Ball. The mini Saiyan Prince wore a red and black varsity jacket branded by his wife's company over his white shirt, yellow pants and light purple boots. "I've heard stories about this planet a very long time ago. An Urban Legend about a mysterious silver-haired woman roaming these forests as this planet's guardian. They say she possessed quite a lot of treasures."
"You mean some kind of Yurei?"
Vegeta shrugged his shoulders and made a knowing look. "Maybe."
"Papa! Stop scaring us, would you?!" Bulla shrieked.
Vegeta chuckled. "It's more like a demon than a ghost. They say she wears a priestess robe and holds some sort of mirror, some kind of weapon she uses to trap her victims into an alternate dimension where they are trapped forever."
"How did you know this?" Bulla asked.
"You sure have heard quite a lot of these legends, huh?" Goten said.
"There were lots of legends across the Universe, some are just mere stories yet some have origins. I heard that this planet's name was taken from her."
"Is she also the reason why there doesn't seem to be any trace of civilization in this world?"
"There should be some few people around, otherwise, where would these stories come from? The tin can must—"
"Giru!" Bulla fiercely corrected him.
Vegeta's eye and jaw twitched at his daughter, before he cleared his throat and corrected himself, irritated.
"—Giru, must be leading us to those people. They must possess the Dragon Ball."
Suddenly, Giru stopped on its tracks and began to send an alarming warning. "Warning! Warning! Danger! Danger ahead! Danger!" as it quickly flew towards Bulla where it hid inside her knapsack bag.
"What's the matter, Giru?!" Bulla asked in concern.
The terrified and cowardly robot shook inside her bag, as if an infant was throwing a temper tantrum, "Giru! Giru! Giru! Danger! Danger ahead!"
Suddenly, their surroundings began to be filled with a chilling fog. The temperature around them dropped.
"What's happening?" gasped Goten.
"What's with all this fog all of a sudden? Papa! What's going on?" Bulla asked her tiny father.
"Stay alert," Vegeta instructed. "Don't move. Stay right beside me."
A figure emerged from the fog. It looked like a woman with long straight hair and long, pointy ears protruding at the sides of her face, but since the fog was concealing her appearance, they couldn't really make out her features. They could tell though, that this woman held some sort of mysterious power.
Vegeta and Goten quickly fell into their fighting stances, ready to defend themselves if she dared to attack. The mysterious lady chuckled, the sound amused and like bells chiming within the cold surrounding.
"What's a couple of kids doing within these forests?" the woman asked.
"We've come here for the Dragon Ball that's supposedly around here," Vegeta answered.
"Oh, do you mean the golden crystal orb with three black stars within it?" the lady said. "Yes, it is in my possession."
Suddenly, the fog gave way to her as if a curtain was pulled back away from her. Bulla and Goten gasped at the ethereal beauty that greeted them. She had long, straight silvery hair that reached down her knees, pale white skin, pale blue eyes as cold as ice, and was indeed wearing a priestess' robe like how she was described in the urban legend. On her right hand, she was grasping an ancient circle-shaped mirror and her left hand held the three Black-Star Dragon Ball she described.
When the fog cleared and she found the smallest child before her, she blinked. Her brows furrowed in confusion.
"Well, it is surprising to see the Legendary Destroyer of Worlds dropping by on an empty world such as this one, and as a child nonetheless." she said.
Vegeta blinked, "You know me, too?"
"Not really, but I could tell… through the darkness within your soul."
"What the hell are you talking about?"
The lady, Kagami, gave him an amused chuckle, "You seem to hide it well, yet this mirror shows me that it has come back to haunt you. You see, no matter how much you try to forget it, that dark part of yourself still remains within you, waiting to be awakened. While these two brats with you don't possess such darkness within them for their hearts are pure and innocent, yours, Vegeta Yonsei, is different. It's filled with such heavy darkness one such as myself finds quite interesting. One which I could feed upon."
The lady's initial brooding expression suddenly turned deranged, holding up her mirror and a burst of light blinded the three Saiyans. The light immediately pulled Vegeta towards the mirror with a powerful force and while he tried his best to resist, the pull was just too much for him.
As he got swallowed by the light, and was absorbed into the mirror, Vegeta screamed helplessly as the guardian laughed at his helplessness. Bulla yelled for her father while Goten quickly charged to attack the guardian.
The guardian created a powerful energy barrier which sent an electric surge towards Goten and effectively pushed him away for several feet. Bulla quickly rose to her feet to run towards the woman to hopefully grab her father away from the mirror's pull but she too, was pushed back by the shield.
"Stay away, children. You two are too pure and innocent for this," the guardian warned Goten and Bulla.
"What have you done to my father?! Give him back!" Bulla shouted.
"Sorry, little girl. But your father won't be back for a while," Lady Kagami told her. "This mirror sent him to another dimension where he will face a trial that will test his purity and true nature. We will see if he deserves to get this Dragon Ball or not."
The guardian suddenly inserted her left hand, the one holding the Dragon Ball, into the mirror where it magically absorbed the ball.
"I don't understand. What were you trying to do here? You mentioned that you feed on the darkness within one's heart, does this mean that you will feed on Vegeta-san?" Goten asked.
"Yes. Those who were absorbed into this mirror have darkness in their hearts. Within it, they will have to face their own darkness and have to fight through it if they want to get out of that dimension alive."
"Has anyone who was trapped within it able to get out?" Bulla asked.
Kagami shook her head, "None so far."
"What?! Then how– how is he even going to get out of that place?!"
"It's all up to him," the guardian said. "Although his case is quite interesting. Were you unaware of his past? Didn't you both know that Vegeta Yonsei has a profound darkness within his heart?
"We've heard of the stories from the people we met on the way while collecting the Dragon Balls," Goten replied.
"I see, but to what extent? How much do you know of what he had done?"
"We… I don't really know and I don't want to. It doesn't matter to us. It's all in the past. What matters to us is what he is now."
"Is that what he told you?"
Bulla nodded.
"Did you know that his past is coming back to haunt him right now, after he's got turned into that child? The darkness he once harbored as the Legendary Destroyer of Worlds is resurfacing. I can sense it. The mirror sensed it. It would only take a matter of time before it is fully unleashed once again. His anger, his hatred, his thirst for blood and destruction, his desire for revenge, they're all still there in his heart. Even if he tried to ignore it and push it back, it is still there. And this mirror will show us the truth. Now, sit and behave right there and watch."
—-
Vegeta opened his eyes after being blinded for a few seconds by the light that suddenly burst out of the mirror the guardian of Planet Kagami held up. He found himself all alone in a place that was nothing but endless darkness. He looked around and suddenly, some sort of exit appeared behind him, where he found Goten and Bulla staring at him with worried expressions. They were listening to the guardian as she spoke, but he couldn't hear what they're saying. He tried to get out of that portal but was pushed back by an invisible force. He tried to knock against it with his tiny fists, punched and kicked through it, fired a blast at it, yelled, screamed, and all but he was trapped. It doesn't appear they could hear him either.
Vegeta fell down to his knees when he felt his stomach growl in hunger. He hasn't eaten anything yet. Suddenly, he smelled the scent of some home-cooked meals. It made him forget about his helpless situation and tried to search for the food in this darkness by following the luscious scent. After all, he won't be able to unleash his power if he's famished.
After a few moments of searching, he finally found a long table filled with a sumptuous feast and was lit up by a candle. He ran into it excitedly, his earlier cold and intimidating expression gave way into that rare look of happiness and he immediately proceeded to devour all the edibles on it. There were roast meat, ham, sandwiches, salads, burgers, fries, pastas, ramen, casseroles, steaks, rice, mashed potatoes, bread, and milk.
Outside the mirror world, the guardian's jaw dropped while Bulla and Goten dropped to the ground, flabbergasted, when they found Vegeta gobbling up everything he found in that table.
"Even if he's in a life or death situation, he still ate all of that?!" the guardian commented on disbelief.
"Well… I guess he needs all the energy for this trial. Hehehe…" Goten awkwardly laughed.
Once Vegeta finished with his meal, he quickly turned back to the portal.
"Alright! I should be back at full power now!" he declared, instantly transforming into a Super Saiyan and rushed forward towards the portal, his right fist engulfed with golden energy punching through the invisible force.
Only for it to not budge at all.
"What the fuck is wrong with this thing?! Hey! Bulla! Goten! Can you hear me in there?!" he yelled, pounding his fists on the invisible force between this dark world and the world outside. Bulla and Goten just stared at him blankly. "Hey! What's with the look now, huh? Get me out of here, you darn brats! Wait, can they even see or hear me? They're just staring at me like they can't see me at all."
He decided to move a few feet back, planning to charge his ki, blast off and pierce through the barrier with his whole body engulfed by his aura. When he did so, he only hit it head first and he recoiled backwards in agony.
"What the fuck is this?! Damn it all! Fuck it! That fucking shit–Aaah!" he cried out as he rubbed at his now painful head, his eyes tearing up although he did his best not to cry like a brat about to throw a temper tantrum.
A cold, dark chuckle coming from somewhere behind him caused Vegeta to stop his whining. His breath got caught within his throat when he recognized that tone of laughter. It effectively sent chills across his spine.
"What's this? I never thought that I'd turn into this whiny, pathetic little brat in the near future. Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Such a disgrace."
That voice… Vegeta recognized with a gasp. The tone somehow made him feel a chilling sensation running up his spine for a moment and he slowly turned his head over his shoulder to find a familiar figure engulfed by the darkness across their surroundings. As the source of the laughter stepped forward, Vegeta began to grasp the image of the newcomer. His jaw slowly dropped as he saw his own face–as an adult in his prime years–in him. The clothes of this other, older-than-his-current-physical-body Vegeta was the same one he wore when he first arrived on Earth. The full pearl-white and golden armor, complete with the huge shoulder pads and tassets, the blue, long-sleeved jumpsuit, white gloves white leg warmers over his white boots. His Saiyan tail waved lazily behind him while the red lens of the scouter over his left eye gleamed.
The armored Vegeta had his arms crossed confidently across his chestplate, a sinister smirk across his face. His darkened eyes glinted with his wickedness and pride. And he was letting off a terrifying, dark evil aura, making his image a bit darker than the real Vegeta.
Vegeta blinked his eyes once more and then rubbed them with the back of his gloved hand. Then blinked them once again. His expression filled with his puzzlement. Just what the hell is going on here? That's me, isn't it? What? How? Why?
"Hmph! Seeing me as weak as you makes me wanna puke. I should kill you before you taint the pride of the Saiyans with your pathetic display!" the armored, evil Vegeta said.
Vegeta rose from the ground to recompose himself by straightening his posture and stood proud and regal in his two feet, like the strong, tough and confident warrior he actually was.
"Who the hell are you, imposter?!" he demanded.
"Foolish child, don't you recognize me at all? I am you—"
"Shut it with your bullshit, faker! I am here and I am me!"
"I didn't think I was this dense or are you just in denial? I believe you know exactly who and what I am."
"No, You're not. That's impossible!" Vegeta retaliated. He turned around to ignore the imposter, but to his surprise, the evil Vegeta was right in front of his face the very moment he turned around.
"Don't you dare turn your back on me when I'm talking to you, brat. Unless you want me to erase you here and now," the malevolent faker hissed at him.
Vegeta visibly shuddered and he involuntarily stepped back.
"You're not real," Vegeta told him. "You're nothing but a relic of my past. A past that didn't matter to me any longer."
"If that was true then why am I standing here, Vegeta?"
"How the hell should I know about that?! Now leave me alone and I have more important matters to do than deal with an impostor with a desperate need for attention."
The fake Vegeta let out a frightening, evil grin, "Is that what you truly think I am?"
Vegeta hesitated at first. He didn't know why he was having such doubts in his chest which he refused to acknowledge. Despite that, he answered, "Of course."
The evil, adult version of Vegeta laughed maniacally.
"How amusing to see you keep on denying the truth. At least, the good thing about you is that your stubbornness didn't change at all. You believe what you want to believe, even though you know it's a lie."
The evil, adult Vegeta poked mini Vegeta's chest with his right index finger.
"But you know that the person you can never lie to is yourself," he said. "You know exactly who I am. I am not just who you were in the past, I am what's inside you, the one that you tried to suppress within you for years, brought to life by the power of this planet's guardian deity…
"The true Prince of all Saiyans and the Legendary Destroyer of Worlds, Vegeta Yonsei. Your true self!"
Vegeta angrily slapped the dark Vegeta's hand away from him and he leapt back, away from the impostor. There was a hint of terror in his eyes as he continued to deny it.
"Hmph! Look at you. You can't even look at me now. How pathetic! I can't stand seeing myself like this! This is what you get for being soft and weak. The price you pay for leaving the greatness which you were supposed to become." Vegeta's dark reflection said. "You were meant to rule this entire Universe as a supreme ruler and become its ultimate destroyer when the time has come for you to end it and recreate it according to whatever you wish for it to be. With your mighty power, you could control everything there is in this world. You were greatly feared by entire civilizations, by your hands you could destroy anything that would get in your way. You were a terrifying legend across the cosmos and yet, you left it all behind in exchange for what? Peace? Love? A family? These foolishness brought you down, bound you to weakness and pulled you away from your true destiny, from what you're supposed to be. These made you weak–"
"Shut up!" Vegeta snapped back furiously. "If you're truly me, then you will know that isn't true!"
"Hmph! Really?" Dark Vegeta questioned. "You know well that it was your anger, your hatred, your bloodlust, your pride and your rage that has always made you stronger all these years. It was your heartlessness and ruthless reputation that made you greatly feared and respected by even the fiercest warriors across the cosmos. Your pride has always been your source of strength, but where is that now?"
Knowing that this impostor won't stop taunting him, Vegeta knew how this should end, and so he fell into his fighting stance, "Hmph! I guess you will never shut up unless I prove you wrong, huh? Fine. I'll show you how largely mistaken you are."
"Heh! If that's what you want then let's settle this just as how a true Saiyan should do. But don't forget that you're being dragged down by your foolish attachments… By love. And I don't think you'll ever beat me when I'm free of all your stupidity."
"I'll make sure to punch you so hard to prove that I'm more than enough to end you!"
As they began to battle, Vegeta eventually realized that this faker had the same level of strength and even the same techniques and fighting style as him. This surprised him because he wasn't this strong during that time. He guessed it's true that this guy wasn't merely an impersonation of his past self but as he mentioned earlier, his darker self. This annoyed him to no end but he saw how this imposter was enjoying it whenever Vegeta smashed his fist against its laughing or grinning face.
Damn it! He has the same level of strength as I do in my base form. I guess I should go Super Saiyan to beat him…
With a roar, Vegeta instantly transformed into Super Saiyan 2, blue bioelectricity snapped across his now flaring, spiking golden aura, but to his surprise, his opponent also turned into a Super Saiyan 2, however, for some reason, it felt different to him. The pressure his dark imposter was emitting was far more terrifying than Vegeta could remember. For some reason, he could hear the spine-chilling and rage-filled beastly roar of an Oozaru emanating in his aura.
"What is this?! Hey! That's not–Gouffhh!" Vegeta protested but his imposter punched him in the gut with overwhelming speed and power he didn't anticipate at all.
The evil Vegeta grinned wickedly, his eyes glowing crimson instead of its usual jade-green light. Vegeta dropped to the ground, his Super Saiyan 2 transformation fading as he doubled over, trembling and shaking at the agonizing pain that racked his body following that punch.
"Do you see what I mean now?" the dark prince asked, his voice dripping with cruel amusement. Vegeta, who was reeling from the devastating blow, could only glare at his unwanted evil doppelganger. The power emanating from this dark reflection was completely different. It wasn't just raw strength; it was something more primal, something monstrous. The crimson glow in his eyes, the barely contained rage… it was terrifying.
Vegeta tried to rise, to regain his footing, but the pain was excruciating. This wasn't just a sparring match; this was a confrontation with the very essence of his past, a past he'd tried so hard to bury. The dark Vegeta's words echoed in his ears, a cruel reminder of the ruthless warrior he once was. The words stung, not because they were untrue, but because they were a painful truth he'd spent years fighting to overcome.
"No," Vegeta snarled, his voice strained, "I don't see it. You're nothing but a phantom, a figment of this cursed mirror's creation. You're not me."
"Is that what you continue to tell yourself?" the dark Vegeta sneered, taking a step closer. "Or is it what you desperately cling to, a lie you tell yourself to justify your weakness?"
The words hit their mark. Vegeta knew, deep down, that the darkness within him hadn't vanished. It was a part of him, a scar etched onto his soul by the horrors of his past. He'd suppressed it, buried it under years of hard work, dedication, and the love of his family. But this dark reflection, this manifestation of his suppressed rage, was a stark reminder of what he could become if he allowed that darkness to resurface.
He gritted his teeth, his resolve hardening. He wouldn't let this shadow win. He wouldn't let his past define him. He had fought harder for his family, for his home, for his redemption. He wouldn't let this illusion shatter everything he'd built.
"You dare call me a pathetic brat and my hopes being my chains and weights? You're nothing but a part of me who was as every bit as bound by your Saiyan Pride, so much that it has blinded you to your hatred, rage, and meaningless ambition in your desperate need to prove your superiority to the Universe!"
"And isn't that what has made you stronger? Your pride, your hate, your rage, and your ambition… and your pure evil heart. All of these made you stronger and more powerful through those years. It's what even awakened you to the Legendary Super Saiyan power that was your birthright!"
"No! You're wrong!" Vegeta argued.
The Dark Vegeta's brow furrowed in his confusion, "What?"
"Yes, I admit that when I first became a Super Saiyan, I thought that it was because of my rage-filled, pure evil and calm heart that has made me transform, but eventually I realized that this was wrong. The transformation was triggered by the rage of a gentle, calm heart– gentleness which I gained through my relationship with Bulma at that time. And since then, I continue to grow stronger for their sake. So contrary to what you're saying, my family, who you call my greatest weakness, is actually the source of my greatest strength!"
For a moment, the fake, evil Vegeta was out of words, and Vegeta thought he had finally won. But when the dark impostor gave off a sinister, chilling chuckle, Vegeta realized that this was far from over. He knew what that insane laughter meant.
What now? When is this shit even going to end? Vegeta wondered to himself.
"What's so funny?" Vegeta asked the faker.
The fake Vegeta's red eyes seemed to glow in a more ominous light. His malevolent grin widened further.
"So you say… But what are you going to do… when that nightmare that's been haunting you lately becomes a reality?"
Vegeta's breath was caught within his throat as more malevolent figures appeared behind the fake Vegeta, taking the form of Bulma, Trunks, Bulla, and the rest of the Dragon Team. All of them held a look of great abhorrence, all directed at him. Their eyes full of disgust and hatred at him. Their voices repeatedly mocked him, calling him a monster, a killer, a beast, a murderer, a destroyer… This caused Vegeta to recoil in fear, clutching at his head as he shook them defiantly and covering his ears.
"No… No… this isn't true… This isn't true… This will not happen…" he repeatedly told himself shakily.
Dark Vegeta leered forward at him as he said, "You know that what they're saying is true about you. No matter how much you try to escape, you can never run away from your darkness. Say anything you want about it being in the past and how what's important to you now is your present, but this… this is a vision of the future that's awaiting you when you return to Earth, and you know it! Your past will come back to haunt you forever and your darkness will never be erased."
"Shut up! Go to hell, you fucking impostor bastards!" Vegeta roared.
The evil, adult Vegeta grinned wider, and so as the rest of the illusions that took the form of his family and friends on Earth.
"Don't you see? We're already here."
The words echoed through the darkness, a chilling confirmation of Vegeta's deepest fear. The illusions of his loved ones, twisted into grotesque parodies of their former selves, loomed around him. Their voices, dripping with scorn and hatred, echoed the accusations of the dark Vegeta, the past he desperately tried to outrun.
The fear gnawed at him. He couldn't deny it, the truth of their words. The whispers of the "Legendary Destroyer of Worlds" were more than just rumors, they were a reflection of the darkness he carried within, a darkness that threatened to consume him again. He'd seen it in the mirror, faced it in the form of his own corrupted reflection. But to see it reflected in the faces of his loved ones, their eyes filled with disgust and loathing… it was a pain he couldn't bear.
"No… no… it can't be…" Vegeta whimpered, his voice trembling with fear. He had fought so hard to be a better man, to earn their love and respect, to break free from the shackles of his past. But the dark reflection, the distorted reality around him, was a stark reminder of the darkness that still simmered within him, the darkness that threatened to consume him, to destroy everything he had built.
His family, the source of his strength, the beacon of light in his life, were now his worst nightmare. He had always been a proud warrior, a Saiyan through and through, but the pain of their perceived betrayal pierced him like a blade through his heart. The fear that they might reject him, that they might see him as nothing more than the monster he had once been, was a terror that ran deeper than any physical wound.
"You're wrong!" Vegeta shouted, his voice hoarse with desperation. "I am not that monster anymore! I have changed, I have redeemed myself!"
"Have you?" the dark Vegeta countered, his smile widening. "Or is that just another lie you tell yourself?" He pointed a mocking finger at the cowering Vegeta. "You cannot escape your past, Vegeta. It is a part of you, as much as your pride, your ambition, your need to be the strongest. You cannot deny it, no matter how hard you try."
The illusions of his family and friends echoed his words, their voices blending into a chorus of scorn and disgust. The dark Vegeta's mockery was a cruel reflection of the doubts that had begun to gnaw at Vegeta's confidence, the doubts that he could never truly escape the shadows of his past.
He felt himself sinking into a pit of despair. Was the dark Vegeta right? Was he truly doomed to repeat the mistakes of his past? Was his redemption a hollow victory, a temporary respite before his true nature consumed him?
"You can fool yourself into believing what you want, but you can't fool your own heart. It remembers everything. It remembers the darkness," the dark Vegeta hissed. His eyes, glowing crimson, fixed on Vegeta, boring into his soul. "And it will consume you."
The illusions surrounding him pressed closer, their faces contorted in hateful mockery. Bulla, his beloved daughter, her eyes cold and accusing. Bulma, his wife, her face etched with pain and disappointment. Trunks, his son, his gaze filled with a chilling indifference. Each one, a reflection of his guilt, his shame, his past sins.
Vegeta stumbled back, his knees weak, his strength ebbing away. The darkness was a heavy cloak, smothering him, choking him, threatening to extinguish the flickering light of his redemption. He'd fought so hard to escape the shadow of the "Legendary Destroyer of Worlds." He'd built a new life, a family, a home on Earth, through the love, kindness, and a desire for change the Earth had offered him. But now, the weight of his past was crushing him, threatening to obliterate everything he'd worked for.
"Nooooo!" He screamed, the cry echoing in the empty void while the dark imposter's maniacal laughter resonated around him.
Outside the twisted reality created by that mirror world…
"Papa!"
"Vegeta-san!"
Bulla and Goten scrambled to their feet as they watched Vegeta's struggle inside Lady Kagami's Mirror World. They couldn't see the reflections that Vegeta was actually dealing with in that twisted place, but could see Vegeta struggling against the darkness that was consuming him from the inside out. Bulla and Goten began to worry, knowing that if Vegeta gets devoured by his own dark heart, there will be no escaping for him in that world and he will disappear forever.
Bulla ran to the now full-length mirror the earlier small, oval one transformed into, and knocked her small fists against its impenetrable glass, tears in her eyes as she helplessly watched her father be absorbed by his own dark energy.
"Papa! Papa! What are you doing?! Why aren't you fighting back! You're better than this! Papa! Fight back! I'm here! Goten's here too! We believe in you! You can do this! Papa!" she cried out, but her words didn't seem to go through him.
Lady Kagami, with a grim and sad look on her ethereal beauty, closed her eyes in disappointment.
"I'm sorry, but this is the end for him."