Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Bittersweet reunion ❯ One-Shot

Don't own nowt - esp DBZ… L

My first ever attempt at a fan fic. Please don't laugh at me… too much!

Go on, tell me what you think of it… You know you want to…

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The lights twinkled gently in the cold evening dusk. Small sparks of reflected light burned softly in the window's pane. The warm fire crackled in the hearth, the only sound in the warmly lit room… save the soft breathing of its sole occupant. It was beautiful, it was peaceful, had been peaceful for a long time now… too peaceful for Goku's liking. Peace gave him too much time to think, too much time to remember.

He paced around the small, cosy room - it seemed much too small to contain him - then opened the window and took off. The evening chill had no noticeable effect on him as he soared ever higher and faster. He flew North, toward the woods. It took very little time to reach his destination, a small clearing in the dense forestry; unlikely to be discovered by those doomed to travel on foot. They would all be there, he knew. All the friends and family he had not seen for so long… this was the appointed place, where they were all gathered. His courage faltered for a second, could he face them all?

He hovered, literally, and figuratively, for several long seconds. He could see the evidence that they were all there. Chichi was there, His beloved sons flanked their mother protectively; they would keep her safe forever. Krillin, his friend since childhood, oh yes, he was there. The wild, but caring, former Desert Bandit Yamcha was next to him, Tien, Chao-tzu, and Piccolo Saaaaan!! A small snort of amusement escaped his nose as he recalled his eldest sons way of addressing his first proper trainer. Kamesennin, Oolong, he smiled fondly recalling the perverted duo, and their panties-raids (always unsuccessful). The eternal bearer of Senzu and bad tidings, Yajirobe… they were all here, were they waiting for him? The brave and loyal Trunks, his `identical twin' mother and sister… but not his father. Vegeta had not joined them yet… would he ever?

The tiniest movement, far to the West, caught his attention, dragging his mind away from the scene below him. The speck in the distance was small, but the accompanying ki was huge… it could be only one man; the one other last full-blooded Saiyan in existence. Vegeta was on his way.

It took mere seconds for the Prince of Saiyans to reach his only subject. A curt nod of his head, and a bitter "Kakarrot" was the warmest welcome Goku knew he could expect, he wasn't disappointed. Vegeta hovered beside him, his arms in their eternally crossed position. An arched eyebrow that could convey so much, this time it was; "Are you going to float here all damned day, or shall we actually get on with this?"

They both descended, softly, wordlessly, and looked around them. A sense of warmth filled them as they came amongst their friends. Vegeta walked to Bulma, Goku made his way to Chichi. They both knelt down before their wives as one. Goku lifted a hand and gently brushed off some moss that had grown over the headstone.

"I'm here, Chichi, as I promised," he whispered softly. The flowers he had placed on her grave on his last visit had wilted. He carefully removed them and buried them in a shallow grave next to hers… they too could return to the Earth. He turned his attention toward the graves of his sons. In the end, the human blood had proved a weakness. They had lived far longer than the human lifespan, but nowhere near the expected life of the full bloods. Gohan lasted nearly three times the average human lifespan, and Goten just over that when they finally succumbed to Deaths cold embrace. Trunks and Bra were both slightly older. A fact that Vegeta had ascribed to superior Royal genes. Goku was almost grateful they had lasted longer; there was one less thing for Vegeta to hold against him.

Vegeta placed a hand on Bulmas headstone and breathed one, solitary word… "Woman". Although barely audible, there was a wealth of pain and heartache in those two syllables. The mighty Prince had an emptiness in his very soul, which only Bulma could fill. He barely acknowledged the graves of his children, but to one who knew him, the pain was evident.

Goku went to the grave of Krillin with a heavy heart; it seemed impossible that the little monk had passed on. He slowly raised an arm to brush the moss off his headstone when a cold, implacable hand blocked him.

"Leave it." he looked up into the beautiful, emotionless face of the Artificial Human #18. Another of the gang cursed with longevity. Gero's everlasting energy source saw to that. Her stony gaze made him back off. Krillin was her husband, it was right that she tend his grave. She went about her duties as silently, and efficiently, as she had landed.

One by one the graves of the departed warriors and family were set to rights, made to look as fresh and new as the day they were first made… one final task remained. All three of them gathered fresh flowers and placed them upon the graves of their loved ones.

"Merry Christmas Chi", whispered Goku.