Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Alternate Reality ❯ Prologue ( Prologue )

Alternate Reality: The Forgotten Story-line

By PrincessAyeka

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Majin Buu, a menace that once threatened the galaxy was trapped inside a large ball for many years. When Babidi, the son of Buu's creator, Bibidi, unleashed Majin Buu and his power, the suddenly seemed no hope for the human race. But an arrogant, power-hungry man named Vegeta decided that he was going to change that. This is what might have happened.

Disclaimer: All characters used are from the mind of Akira Toriyama and his friends and co-workers. I am in no way involved with Toei Animation, Bird Studios, or even FUNimation. Thank you.

Alternate Reality

Prologue:

"Take the boys Kuririn," Piccolo said to the shorter man as he handed him Trunks' limp body. "I'll go check out the scene."

Kuririn nodded his head shortly and began flying off, not looking back.

Piccolo on the other hand, flew toward the battle site, or what had been the battle site anyway. After the brilliant flash of energy, there was nothing but a huge crater. He landed on his feet and slowly glanced around the area. There was nothing.

Piccolo tried to sense someone's ki, anyone's, but he found nothing. Vegeta's ki was gone, as well as Majin Buu's. Nothing lived in the area anymore. Piccolo looked around once more to find neither a dead body nor pieces of. Vegeta's attempt had not been in vain.

Finding no reason to stay any longer, Piccolo flew off, in the direction Kuririn had gone.

xxxxxx

Goku's eyes fluttered open to stare, unfocused, at the ground. With a quiet groan, he picked himself up and dusted off his gi. But without doing anything else, he soon became wide-eyed and surprised.

Nothing. There was nothing there. Both Majin Buu's ki signature and Vegeta's had completely disappeared. Goku hung his head in something like shame.

"You didn't need to go like that, Vegeta," Goku said quietly, his head still bowed. He sighed then and searched for Piccolo's ki. When he locked onto the Namekian's signature and figured out where he was going, he put two fingers to his head and disappeared in an instant.

xxxxxx

"Alright guys, are you ready?" Bulma asked the others as she stood over the dragonballs. The seven balls began to glow and the skies became dark.

"Hey Bulma! Wait!" said a friendly, yet urgent, voice from behind. Everyone turned around and blinked at the site of Goku.

Bulma put her hands at her sides and the balls quit glowing. "What is it, Goku?" she asked.

Suddenly, Kuririn landed and set the two boys on the ground at his feet. His face was sullen, and Goku's was too. It wasn't until Piccolo landed though that anyone spoke.

Bulma's face took on a worried look as her eyes darted to the three men and the boys on the grass. "Wh-what is it?"

Everyone else also became worried and awaited an answer to the question that had just come from Bulma's lips. Neither of the three men wanted to speak, but Goku, bravest of them all, finally did.

"Majin Buu has been destroyed," Goku said. He then looked up to meet the eyes of everyone else. They all knew that wasn't all, but Goku averted his eyes to stare at the ground again. "But," he forced himself to say, "Vegeta sacrificed his life to defeat him." Goku's fist was clenched at his side as he told the stunned others. "He's gone."

Everyone's eyes grew wide except Bulma's. She looked neutral, distant, spacey even, but he eyes soon began to fill with tears. Racked with sobs, Bulma fell to the ground and quickly, Yamcha wrapped a protective and friendly arm around her.

"Goku?" Chichi's voice stood out against the deafening silence and his attention was directed to her. "Where's Gohan?" she asked nervously.

This time, Piccolo spoke up. "We don't know. His ki is very low and hard to detect. According to Vegeta, we presume him to be dead."

Videl's eyes suddenly took on a persistent look. "He is not dead." She said aloud. "We should go find him."

Goku and Piccolo nodded to each other once and agreed.

"Alright, we'll go. Kuririn, stay here and keep the dragonballs safe. We may need them," Goku said pessimistically.

Kuririn nodded his head and watched as Goku, Piccolo, Videl, Yamcha, and his own wife, 18, flew off. He then picked up the seven dragonballs and stared at the blue-haired woman who crouched near them. She'd now dried her eyes and just stared at the grass; Kuririn's face took on a look of sympathy.

"Bulma," he said to get the woman's attention, "I'm sure we'll wish him back with the dragonballs. He'll be back before you know it." He tried to put on a convincing smile, and it worked. Bulma smiled back and nodded.

"You're right," was all she said and stood up. She then picked up her still knocked-out son and walked over to where Chichi stood. Bulma said something to the other woman, who then also picked up her son. Both women walked into the Capsule Corporation housing facility.

xxxxxx

"Piccolo, Yamcha, 18, you three go that way," Goku ordered, pointing to the east. "Videl and I will go this way," he said, pointing to the west. "We'll meet back here in one hour." Everyone nodded at the orders and flew in their respective directions.

"Do you really think Gohan's still alive?" Videl asked Goku as they flew through the air, searching the ground. In her own mind, she could almost feel Gohan still on Earth, alive.

Goku smiled. "Of course I--" but before he said anything else, a sudden surge of energy caught his attention.

"Gohan!" Videl said as she too picked up the familiar energy signature. Goku caught her though before she flew off.

"It's much faster this way," he said as he put two fingers to his forehead. The two disappeared from the spot they had been in to reappear in a forest.

"Gohan!" Goku said with surprise.

Gohan had managed to sit up, causing the others to detect the surge of energy by him. He looked very badly beaten and bruised and half-smiled as well as he could. "What happened?"

"Majin Buu was defeated. Unfortunately," Goku said. Videl knew the bad news already, but braced herself for Gohan's reaction. "Vegeta sacrificed his own life to perform such a task."

In spite of himself, Gohan smiled as well as he could. "Who would've thought, Vegeta of all people giving his life for everyone on this planet?" he said, making light of the matter.

Goku smiled back. "We should get you a sensu bean. And I guess we need to find the others looking for you as well." He then used his Instantaneous Movement technique to make the three disappear, again.

xxxxxx

When the six returned to the Capsule Corporation compound (and Gohan was fully healed), they found everyone else inside Bulma's living room, talking peacefully.

"Gohan! You're safe!" Chichi said. She then immediately ran up and hugged her teenage son.

A reddish, pink blush covered his cheeks and he let out a nervous laugh. "Mom . . ."

Everyone else in the room smiled at the sight. They all seemed a little happier and thus laughed as well.

"You know," Bulma then spoke up, "while the boys are sleeping, we could use the dragonballs," she offered.

Each person agreed and then walked outside. Bulma set the balls back on the ground and with thunderous noise, summoned the great dragon, Shenron.

Videl clung to Gohan's arm at the sight of the massive dragon and closed her eyes. Gohan assured her, however, that the dragon was harmless, and Videl watched in awe.

"Why have you summoned me?" the mighty dragon thundered.

Bulma, knowing what everyone else would want to wish for, spoke up. "Please, Shenron, I wish that you would bring he that is Vegeta back to the realm of the living."

Everyone watched in awe and suspense as the dragon's eyes glowed a deep red. They expected Vegeta to reappear, but instead, Shenron spoke.

"He whom you call Vegeta does not wish to return to the realm of the living."

"What?!" nearly everyone screamed in surprise. But it was Goku that did something about it.

"I'll be right back," he said before using his Instantaneous Transmission and disappearing.

xxxxxx

Goku reappeared at King Enma's giant desk and looked up. "King Enma, where is Vegeta?" he asked immediately.

"I'm right here, Kakarot," Vegeta's voice said from behind.

Goku turned around to find Vegeta leaning against the wall, his arms folded across his chest. Goku put on a suspicious look and also crossed his arms. "Why not?"

Vegeta sighed and stepped closer to the taller man. "I don't belong down there. Because of your good nature, I was stuck in a grandfather-clause that forced me to end up on Earth to begin with. I should still be dead on Namek. Or better yet, you should've let your bald friend kill me on Earth." Vegeta's eyes then fell to the floor. "I don't deserve this."

Goku put a comforting hand on the other man's shoulder. "You can't just leave. You've got family down there. A--"

But he was cut off when Vegeta shrugged his hand off and glared. "Would you stop throwing that in my face? Don't you think I know about Bulma? About Trunks?" he yelled. "I don't care!" He then suddenly calmed down and sighed. "That life is just too perfect for me. I don't deserve any of it."

Goku smiled. "Of course you do. You just saved the world, Vegeta. You've helped many times before as well. You do deserve that life, your family."

Vegeta refused to believe it. "No. I really don't." He shook his head. "This may sound crazy, and may possibly be the most noble I will ever allow you to do for me ever, but listen," he said, suddenly getting an idea.

"I want to exchange my chance at life for yours. I want you to go back to Earth in my stead. I want you to watch over Bulma and Trunks for me. I may never return."

Goku was astounded at the words that had just left Vegeta's mouth. He smiled to the shorter man and then agreed to it. "I will Vegeta."

Vegeta smirked. "I cannot give you enough gratitude, believe it or not. I have no idea where I will go after this; I'm in a kind of purgatory right now. They can't decide whether I should go to hell or not."

Goku knew exactly what Vegeta was saying and put two fingers to his forehead again. But before he disappeared, Vegeta said one more thing.

"Kakarot, tell her I love her."

Goku nodded and then disappeared back to the Capsule Corp. compound. He was met, still, with a great dragon. And he then looked up to meet Bulma's eyes.

"I spoke to Vegeta. He wants me to take his place. He wants me to be wished back to life." Goku said directly to Bulma who only nodded and looked back toward the dragon.

"Alright then, Goku. I'll see if that works. . ." Bulma responded.

Two hours later, the Z-gang sat around Bulma's living room, all of them alive, and explained to Trunks and Goten what had happened while they had been knocked out. Much of it was filled with tears and cries, but everyone eventually realized that nothing was going to change the past/present.

**The prologue is finished. Please review!**