Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Forsaken ❯ Forsaken ( One-Shot )

Forsaken

 

“Mister Vegeta?” A pair of wide, cautious eyes peered up at the man. “Can I ask you a question?”

 

“Make it quick, boy,” Vegeta frowned, irked. “I have training to do.” His fingers danced across the controls to illustrate his point, and the gravity jumped to a hundred times its usual strength. “Well?”

 

“You're Trunks' dad.”

 

Vegeta growled. “Idiotic child, what are you getting at?”

 

“And you train with him sometimes—a lot!”

 

“Of course. And you should take a leaf from his book, and spend just as long working on your technique, if you ever hope to catch up.”

 

“My dad never trains with me. He's gone. I never see him.” He lowered his eyes. “Mister Vegeta, where is he?”

 

Vegeta's breath hitched in his throat as he was caught off-guard. “Goten. Y-your mother ought to have discussed this with you.”

 

The child frowned a bit. “I only asked her about it a while ago,” he admitted, “I guess they were keeping it secret from me, that I have one. I didn't know most people had a dad, but—Trunks said…”

 

Rubbing his temples, Vegeta inwardly swore at his son.

 

“He said that Miss Bulma said that I used to have a dad. Where did he go? Did you know him? He said that she said that you did. Can he come back?”

“One question at a time, boy,” and Vegeta slowly dialed down the gravity. Heavy eyes weighed on Goten's uncertain countenance. Hesitantly, he knelt down to the boy's level. “Yes, I knew your father.”

 

“What was he like?”

 

“His name was Kakarrot, but everyone called him Son Goku,” Vegeta began, and his throat constricted at each name. “Regarded by most as a kindhearted, honorable sort of person.” Whether his voice harbored admiration or disgust, it was difficult to discern. “A Saiyajin, as I am.” He breathed, and added without thinking, “Now I am the last.”

 

“Oh. Mom said—she was crying, but—she said everyone loved him.”

 

“Everyone did.” Vegeta cringed inwardly, but the boy did not seem to notice the meaning of the way he had responded. “But he is dead, now,” Vegeta added. Whether Goten had known this before was unapparent to him.

 

“Dead?”

 

“In Heaven, I'd suppose,” the Saiyajin added.

 

Goten nodded solemnly. “Oh…but, Gohan said there are these dragon balls, and they can make people alive again!”

 

“It's too late,” and Vegeta's voice shook. “They can't, after a year.” He clarified, “Your father died, I'd guess, eight months before you were born.”

 

“Mom said…well she got all mad…and said he knew I was gonna be born…”

 

Vegeta drew in a deep breath.

 

“Why didn't you wish him back?”

 

“We tried,” and his voice grew shakier. Vegeta gazed to the side, willing the stinging from his eyes.

 

“But you couldn't?”

 

“But he decided he would rather stay in Heaven. Dead.” Vegeta's breaths were harsh.

 

After a moment, the meaning of the statement seemed to hit Goten. Hard. “H-he…he didn't wanna…come back…e-even though…”

 

“Even though he knew he would be leaving you without a father,” Vegeta finished, quietly. He gently swept the boy into a one-armed embrace from his kneeling position, holding Goten's head over his shoulder. “And I, without…” he trailed off.

 

“Why…?” Goten sniffled, a tear leaking from his eye.

 

Vegeta did not wish to think about it. “I cannot say, boy.”

 

And they remained there for a moment, silent, mourning the decision of a man who could have been their hero.