Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Wish For The Past ❯ Saiya-jin no Ouji ( Chapter 8 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Disclaimer: You think I own DBZ? That I look like the acclaimed Akira Toriyama, who, while a great guy that we all owe a huge debt of gratitude to for being the true creator of DBZ, is, nonetheless, a guy and way older than me? I don't know whether to be honored or insulted, since I'm a girl and prettier than him. (That makes me sound so vain...)

Vegeta stormed away from the landing pad, ignoring the sycophant landing crew that scurried around him, cowering in fear of the Saiya-jin no Ouji, as well they should. The young prince was in a foul temper. Frieza had murdered his father. Frieza was dead and no one knew who had killed him, thus making it impossible for Vegeta to ever realize his dream of crushing the tyrannical bastard himself. And the stupid bakayaro hadn't even bothered to blow Frieza's ship, along with all his lackeys, to Hell along with the Planet Trade leader himself! Now the ship, containing Zarbon, Dodoria, and the Ginyu Force - Vegeta paused here to utter several colorful and graphically descriptive obscenities - had disappeared, probably to report to that bastard of an Aisu-jin that Frieza had called father. Great. Just great! Now instead of Frieza blowing up the world, his father would do the dirty deed instead! Claiming vengeance as his motive, no doubt. Bah! As if Cold actually cared about his son.

Stalking up to the first person he saw who looked like they might have some authority, the little prince grabbed the other's tunic and roughly pulled him down so he could glare the man in the eye. "I want to know who killed that bastard Frieza and I want to know NOW!!!" he roared, his eyes promising a very painful death if he didn't get what he wanted.

The hapless space port manager gulped, his eyes wide in terror. Sure, Vegeta was only ten years old, but even at such a young age he was more powerful than most Saiyans could ever hope to be. 'Most Saiyans' included the manager. And besides, this was the prince. If the Prince of all Saiyans ordered his death, the manager had no doubt that every being on the landing pad would jump up and obediently attack him. Unfortunately for the manager, he had no clue who had killed Frieza. He could only hope that his prince would kill him quickly.

Indeed, it appeared that chibi Vegeta was about to angrily deliver a killing blow to the wretched being who dared remain silent. That is, until someone spoke up.

"Wait, your Highness."

Vegeta glared in fury at the person who spoke. "Who are you?" he barked. "How dare you interrupt the Saiya-jin no Ouji! Speak, before I blast you to the next dimension!"

"My Prince, my name is Raisu, and I think I know someone who can tell you how Frieza died."

Collapsing on the bed, Bardock stared at the ceiling as Goten put his new clothing in the closet. It was nearly noon, as the Saiya-jin's stomach was pointedly reminding him. That shopping trip had taken longer than he'd expected. Not that he minded, really. Bardock had enjoyed the time spent with the grandson he wasn't supposed to have for another few decades. Maybe he was just getting soft. He didn't care.

"Grandpa?" Bardock turned his head to look at Goten. The boy had climbed on the bed and was sitting cross-legged at Bardock's side.

"Yeah? What is it, kid?" The Saiyan warrior rolled onto his side, propping himself up with an elbow. There was a note in Goten's voice that Bardock hadn't heard before.

"I miss my dad," the child said sadly, his eyes meeting his grandfather's. Bardock was startled to see the faint signs of tears forming in the boy's eyes. Bardock raised an eyebrow. I guess it's finally dawned on him that he might never see his dad again if we can't find a way to get him home. Poor kid. Ahh, to hell with this 'cold, emotionless warrior' crap. No one's watching, anyway. With that thought in mind, the warrior did something that was the very opposite of the hardened soldier image he had worn for the world to see for so many years.

Bardock reached out and drew Goten into his arms, giving him a good, strong hug. No words, no fluff, no sobs or anything else. Just a hug. A hug that lasted for several minutes before Bardock released his grandson, placing his hands on the young boy's shoulders and looking him directly in the eye. The tears were gone, but Goten wasn't smiling. For some reason, that made Bardock's heart ache. He'd gotten so used to seeing the kid with a cheerful smile and a ready laugh that it just seemed... wrong... for him to look sad.

"We'll find a way to get you home to your father, Goten," Bardock said, smiling what he hoped was a reassuring smile. "But until then, you're stuck with me. I hope that's okay with you?" Goten nodded half-heartedly, quirking his lips into a semblance of a smile. "Come on," Bardock mock-scolded. "You can do better than that." A twinkle lit the eyes of the older Saiya-jin and a genuine grin spread across his face as he started tickling Goten's ribs. "Maybe you just need some help getting that smile back on your face!"

Goten couldn't help but laugh now as his grandfather attacked his sides with glee. Truly, nothing could keep this little demi-saiyan down for long. He tackled Bardock and tickled him back, the two of them rolling on the bed and laughing wildly. Bardock had never felt so alive before. Kami, it felt good to laugh! Never in all the battles he'd fought and won had he ever experienced a feeling such as this. This was what life must truly be about, this feeling of laughter and joy, happiness and love that no victory or conquest could ever bring.

BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!

Later, Bardock would swear that he must have jumped at least five feet in the air. He and Goten landed on the floor in a tangle of limbs and bed sheets, causing yet another bout of laughter. They quickly extricated themselves from the mess and headed for the door, Bardock in the lead. He thumbed the button by the door that opened it. It slid aside to reveal two large, muscle-bound Saiyans wearing the armor that only guards wore. The royal crest was imprinted on the right breastplate. That wiped the smile off Bardock's face and he eyed the two warily.

Before he had a chance to speak, one of the guards brusquely announced, "Prince Vegeta commands that you present yourself to him at once."

Bardock opened his mouth to protest, but was cut off by the other man. "Come as you are. The Prince does not like to be kept waiting," he growled.

This time, Bardock spoke quickly enough that he managed to say something before being interrupted again. "But... my son?" He gestured at Goten, who stood uncertainly behind him, confusion painted clearly on his face for all to see. He looked like Bardock felt.

The first guard scowled and bared his teeth in a grimace. "Bring him, if you must, but we are leaving, now."

One did not ignore the royal guards and expect to live a long life. Bardock hastily scooped Goten up in his arms so that he wouldn't be left behind. He had no clue what was going on, or why the Prince wanted to see him, but he couldn't leave Goten behind. For one thing, who knew what kind of mischief the chibi-Saiyan would get into while he was gone. For another thing, he had no clue how long he would be gone, or even if he would come back. It wasn't everyday one got called before the Prince of all Saiyans. One guard in front, the other behind, the odd group headed towards the palace.

Said Prince of all Saiyans was pacing back and forth in the throne room, his tail lashing behind him angrily. Where are they?! Just how long does it take to drag a lowly third-class Saiyan here?! The child prince turned on a guard, his eyes flaming dangerously. He didn't know whether he was going to kill the man just for the hell of it, or if he was going to command the guard to go and find out what was taking so damn long. He never found out, because at that moment, the original two guards that Vegeta had sent stepped into the room, a young man who looked to be in his twenties or thirties between them, dressed in a sea-green shirt and black pants. The man was carrying a child of perhaps seven or eight years in age, wearing a matching sea-green gi, who had to be related to him somehow. No way in hell was that hair a coincidence.

"Took your damn time, didn't you?" Vegeta snarled, facing them. The trio knelt, almost in unison, the two guards with practice and ease, the man somewhat awkwardly, considering he was still holding the boy. The prince stalked forward until he was only a foot from the man who had to be the third-class warrior Raisu had told him about. "You are Bardock? What a pathetic excuse for a Saiya-jin warrior! How in Kami's name did you survive against Frieza?" Vegeta mocked scathingly.

To his credit, Bardock didn't even flinch. Goten, however, drew his eyebrows together in a scowl and slid out of Bardock's grasp. He folded his arms and scowled at Vegeta, staring him directly in the face. A collective gasp echoed from the walls of the spacious throne room. No one looked Vegeta-ouji in the eyes. No one stood up to him. No one dared to not bow. No one.

As if to prove that this wasn't the worst scandal that would happen that day, Goten opened his mouth and dared to speak without being spoken to. Hell, he spoke without even being introduced! "You take that back!" he demanded, clenching his fists angrily. He was fighting a losing battle with his ki, trying to keep it low as it fought to rise up in preparation for offense or defense.

The silence that ensued was almost deafening. Anyone who looked at Vegeta would have noticed that the ten year old boy had a vein on his forehead that stood out against his otherwise perfect face, throbbing in time with his increasing heartbeat. A corner of his eye twitched uncontrollably as he debated whether to order someone to kill the upstart bastard son of a third-class warrior or kill the gaki himself.

"Who are you?" the prince growled, his own fists clenched tight enough to draw blood from the palms of his hands.

"I am G-Kakarot!" Goten shot back, mentally berating himself for nearly slipping up. "And I'm his son!" He lifted his chin and pointed at Bardock, pride written on his face for all to see.

Vegeta smirked. He leaned over a plucked a scouter from one of the guard's faces, settling it onto his ear and pressing a button. When the thing stopped making noise, the prince raised an eyebrow. "720. Impressive, for a third-class gaki," he sneered. "Tell me, Kakarot, son of Bardock, are you ready to meet your ancestors? I hope you are, because I'm about to send you to greet them!" He threw a lightning fast punch, too fast for the eye to follow, aimed directly between this bakayaro's eyes. With all of the power the prince could muster backing it up, it would be a killing blow. He was angry, damn it, had been angry for the past several hours, and this brat had just made himself a target for the Saiya-jin no Ouji's pent up frustration and wrath.

With an ease and grace that almost seemed to mock the punch Vegeta had just thrown, Goten raised one hand and caught the punch before it landed. Vegeta was so surprised that he failed to even notice the rapidly increasing numbers on his scouter. As if to protest being ignored, the device suddenly exploded, unable to cope with the surging energy coming from the boy. Every single active scouter in the room simultaneously shattered, proving that this was no coincidence.

"You really don't wanna get in a fight with me, Vegeta," Goten stated, his voice dangerously calm, like the calm before a storm. His aura was now visible to the naked eye, blazing blue, lighting everything in the room with a stark brightness that made the shadows look harsh in contrast.

One of the guards had been paying attention to the numbers on his scouter - until it had blown up in his face - and was now trembling like a leaf caught in a tornado. "His power," he whispered hoarsely. "Masaka! My scouter read 50,000 before it exploded!" And it was still rising, he added silently.

Bardock was still kneeling, watching in horror as the scene played itself out. When he'd taken Goten with him, he had been concerned for his grandson's safety. He hadn't even thought of the possibility that perhaps it wasn't Goten's safety he should have been worried about! 50,000 before the scouters overloaded?! Dear Kami, what is he?

Meanwhile, chibi Vegeta was still staring at his own hand, trapped in the grip of Goten's hand. Slowly, like an iron drawn to a magnet, the prince's gaze traveled up to meet Goten's coal black eyes. He suddenly felt the urge to run, to find the deepest, darkest hole and crawl into it. But no! He was the Saiya-jin no Ouji! He would not bolt like a coward! He might be only ten years old, but he was of royal blood and thus not supposed to be susceptible to fear.

You just keep telling yourself that, a sarcastic voice in the prince's mind sneered.

Shut up! the prince snarled back silently. "You're the one who killed Frieza, aren't you." It was not a question. He didn't know how it was possible that a child could have so much power. He didn't know how this child could have possibly killed Frieza, even with a power level of over 50,000. But it had to be him! No one on the entire planet could have defeated the alien tyrant because no one had anywhere close to the power that Frieza possessed. Except, perhaps, this gaki.

The statement caught Goten off guard. He grinned sheepishly, placing one hand behind his head in embarrassment. "Well, actually, Frieza killed himself." Like water through a sieve, Goten's aura vanished as he powered down. He let go of Vegeta's hand. The chibi prince automatically took a step back, rubbing his fist with his other hand.

"Huh?" He blinked. His blank face must have looked utterly confused. That was how he felt and, frankly, he didn't think he was doing a very successful job at hiding his emotions right now.

Seeing this look, Goten clarified, "I only bounced his big ball back at him. Frieza killed himself 'cause it was his attack that killed him. See? I wasn't really meaning to kill him, I just kinda got scared and reacted out of instinct."

Nande kuso? Frieza was killed... by accident?!

Every person in the room openly stared at Goten, who just grinned back.

Somewhere in space, in another time...

"Yippeee!! I'm here! I'm finally here!" Trunks did a little victory dance as he stared out the view port at the large, green planet that was rapidly becoming even bigger as the spaceship descended. "Bless you, mom, and grandpa, for improving the technology of this bucket of bolts! It only took a week to get here instead of one or two months! Look out, Namek, 'cause here I come!"

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