Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ The Darkness Within ❯ Soul's Agony ( Chapter 2 )

-----------------------------------------------~oO Honors Oo~--------------------------------------------

This story is dedicated to the memory of

Alithiel / Erin

Rest in peace.

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Chibi gemi: You will find the answer to your question on this site.

http://www.legacy.com/StarTribune/LegacySubPage2.asp?Page=LifeStor y&PersonId=684044

Whomever knew her or her stories and art, and wants to find out, may go there.

I do feel like it is not my right to speak about this here.

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This chapter is brought to you by Azurite (www.azurite.de) , who did a splendid work translating it! Domo Arrigato!

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Warnings:

As always - lots of angst - and rape (I hate to do this - but I had to).

Disclaimer:

Keep your greedy little hands for yourself! DBZ may not be mine, but if I can't have it, neither will any of you! *bwahahahaha! There is a REASON why I favour Vejita…

A/N:

Lots of inner dialogue, gomen nasai - but to tell you that much, it's still worth reading... I think…

"The Darkness Within"

Part 2: Soul's Agony

Son Goku lost himself.. everything went dark, everything went black.. he drowned in a sea of darkness... Then, suddenly, he was standing on a wide, rocky plain. The wind was blowing harshly over it. The sky was black and laced with foreign lilac streaks. Not a single tree or bush grew on this wide plain. Son Goku looked around cautiously. He was conscious of himself again, but felt that this was not the real world. Some distance away he spotted a figure who was standing with it's back towards him. Slowly, he walked towards it. It was Vejita, as always clad in a royal blue muscle-shirt, blue gi pants fastened with a blue belt, white gloves and boots on his hands and feet. He stared, while he had his arms crossed in his typical posture - and for the first time Son Goku realized how protective this gesture seemed - from weirdly empty eyes into the dark sky and didn't seem to take notice of Goku, who wanted to lay his hand on Vejita's shoulder. But it went smoothly through him, like a breath of mist over solid stone. Son Goku understood.

He was only the spectator here.

Suddenly the scenery changed. Now they were standing beneath a reddish coloured sky. Three suns were shining down from the canopy and the gravitation had increased suddenly. The walls of a huge palace towered around them. Everything was plain and simple work, functional, but with a great virtuosity that made a certain strict beauty visible in the eye of the beholder. Vejita had changed, too. Instead of an adult man Goku found himself facing a child, five years old in the most. It still had the softness of childhood, though one could already make out the hardness of the warrior of the future. It was athletic and muscular, clad in a simple battle dress which was standard clothing among the Saiyajin, as Goku knew. Grimly the little prince fought the urge to scream as he was being punished mercilessly for one of the many misdeeds one could commit against the strict palace rules.

A Saiyajin warrior, member of the palace guard, had order to deliver twenty blows with the leather whip to the little prince. Calmly he followed the order of his king. Soon the battle dress was torn to shreds and blood was oozing from the red stria on the small-grown child's back, but it didn't scream. It balled its fists and bit its lips but didn't move. Proud dark eyes gazed unbroken into a world which had never held much compassion for this child. All through its young life, it had been drilled for battle, had never experienced sympathy, least from its relatives, perhaps even less than other children of its combative race. This child was destined to be king of Vejita-sei in the future. It had to be stronger, harder, better than everyone else, otherwise it would not be accepted by its own people.

All of that Son Goku knew by instinct as he looked at the child that would be Vejita. The child who was destined to rule, to be king… if not…

Again, the landscape changed. They were standing in front of a spaceship, beneath the same three suns. Prince Vejita, now five years older and again a bit more hardened, had still not lost all of his childlike appearance. He was however emitting arrogance and he already had the typical feature around his mouth and this scowl on his face, which Son Goku would see so often in later times. Some distance away, Son Goku saw a man - which he could indefinitely identify as Vejita's father, Vejita-no-Ou - talking to a figure which he knew all too well. Freezer. Goku saw the repulse in Vejita's and his father's faces when they were looking at the relatively small reptile being. But the king had made a deal with this monster. A deal of armistice. Vejita-sei would be spared the fate so many other planets had suffered, which Freezer had annihilated in his destructive rage. At least for now. In exchange, besides the fact that the Saiyajin would work for him from now on, Freezer was given a royal hostage, which he could treat as he wished. The king's own son, the future ruler. Freezer would not have accepted any less. Of course, Son Goku knew about the planet's destiny, about Freezer's treason as he, despite of the deal, had annihilated the planet along with all its inhabitants. Almost all its inhabitants.

The king nodded curtly, turned around and left. For his son, his heir, which he had just sold to the reptile for the safety of his planet, he spent neither a word nor another glance. Freezers uncommonly unreadable eyes rested amusedly on the prince for a moment, then he gestured him to follow him into the ship.

The scene blurred and suddenly they were in a suite somewhere in the ship. It was large and spacious and furnished luxuriously. On the walls hung trophies of many different creatures, and many of them didn't look like they had been mere animals. Exotic plants and a considerably small amount of steel, cold-looking furniture was spread across the room. The suite was laid out with lush ice-white carpets covering the steel floor, though there was a half-circle of steel in front of one wall left uncovered. A complete difference in flair to all of this made the blood-stained chains that were fixed on that wall. The ten year old prince stood in the middle of the room with his arms crossed, his typical arrogant expression on his childlike face. To his big surprise, Son Goku noticed another version of Vejita standing not far away from him, a version of the Vejita that he knew. But he had never seen him like that. The older Saiyajin seemed tense and stiff, his eyes were firmly shut as if he didn't want to see what was going on in front of him. Freezer entered the suite. His gaze slid up and down the young prince's figure and he hissed in satisfaction. As he heard the hiss, the boy slowly turned. Uncertainty grazed his face for a moment, only to be replaced by the usual arrogance. Freezer slid closer..

"Surely you want to know what I have in mind for you, little prince, after your father sold you to me…"

The expression on the young prince's face altered, but didn't change. He was obviously trying not to show his uncertainty. The older version of Vejita held his hands defensively in front of him, as if he wanted to protect his younger self, but obviously he could not move from his place, and his eyes were wide open, just as if something forced him to watch this.

If Son Goku hadn't known Vejita so well, he would have sworn that it was pure horror he could see in those widely opened eyes, but this was impossible.. this was absurd… Vejita would never tolerate such an emotion… and much less show it…

Freezer moved flowingly closer to the young prince. The expression on his reptilian features was unreadable and he had a weird gleam in his eyes.

"A Saiyajin only for me...! Little prince.... A spawn of the proudest warrior race in the universe... you surely don't know how much your race is valued among collectors of certain… rarities, or do you, princeling…? Little ape…"

Faster than the eyes could follow, Freezer had snatched the long furry tail off the young prince, which had been wrapped around his middle previously, in the usual saiyan manner. As his claws squeezed the sensitive body part brutally, the young prince could not help but moan in pain, while his knees got weak. Freezer grinned even more broadly, if that was possible.

"You will bow before me, little prince.. You will be my personal slave. I will form you like I want it, I will bend and break you, until you're begging to obey me.. yes… You will beg and scream, but nobody will hear you… You will be my creature wholly, with your body, your mind and your soul, you will be like I want you to be… You will beg me in the end to be how I like it…"

Horror and pain mingled in the widely opened eyes of the young prince as Freezer shoved him down brutally, the sensitive tail still in a cruel, hard grip. The boy tried to fight, hit and kicked around, he would not give up without a fight, but Freezer seemed only amused by this resistance. Black, sharp claws sank into the prince's soft sides, ripping his clothing to shreds the size of confetti. Freezer was being exceptionally brutal, and soon the boy's body was covered with many bloody scratches and wounds. Freezer relished the hate and the horror which let the boy tremble uncontrollably in his grip. The little prince was helpless and he knew it, but he didn't stop fighting. Freezer laughed his sinister hoarse reptilian laugh.

Son Goku wanted to turn from the scene, hot tears running down his cheeks. The scene touched him deeply and left a terrible feeling, like a half-forgotten, horrid memory that was stirring again after a long time. He didn't want to see what would happen, he wanted to help the boy, free him of the monster, but he was powerless, helpless - HELPLESS! He - saviour of the world, hero of the day, who was always able to face any threat… and the older Vejita was in the same situation. His fingers clasped the folds of his pants, he was deathly pale and shivered, but he couldn't avert his gaze, he was compelled to watch what happened there on the floor of the suite, what happened in his memories…

After he had tortured his victim for seemingly an eternity, inflicting wounds on him, playing with him, feigning to let him escape just to snatch him again immediately, Freezer flung the young prince on the ground, knelt behind him and...

Son Goku felt sick, he bit his fist so he didn't scream out loud, while the monster sank its talons in the boy's shoulders as he forced himself upon the small body with all his terrible might, revelling in the fulfilling of his perverted lusting while the fragile body beneath him jerked as it was torn from the very inside by the violent thrusts of the cruel reptile. Tears fell from the young prince's eyes, but he didn't scream, he bit his lips until they were bleeding, but he would not scream… until, finally, he mercifully passed out, while his body sagged in unconsciousness, covered over and over in blood and broken, and the last thing Son Goku heard before the vision vanished was the monster's hoarse laughter and the quiet, unconscious, heart wrenching weeping of a child…

Son Goku found himself on the training ground again with Vejita's head still lying in his lap. Only Dende-sama knew how much time had passed, but from the sun's position Goku could tell that it was quite a long time that had elapsed while he had been trapped in Vejita's dreadful memories. Tears were still running from his eyes and he felt violently sick. Though a blurry vision he gazed down at the small Saiyajin who was still unconscious.

Nobody in the world should have to suffer this. Vejita… I… only Kamisama knows - and probably not even he - how often Freezer… what else he did to you… Kami, how long has he been in Freezers… service? It had to be decades… What horror… No wonder he lets nobody get close to him. When he's been carrying the burden of this trauma around since he was a child… I wonder if he ever told anyone… did anyone ever have the patience to listen to him? Gods, how he must have hated Freezer.. I wonder what Freezer meant by bending and forming.. perhaps Freezer made him deliberately become what he is now?

Son Goku wished that he could somehow take away these memories from Vejita… what would have become of him without this experience? He had been brought up as a warrior from childhood, true, but would he still have been so cold and closed in, if Freezer had not… Gently, he stroked over Vejita's face with his finger, barely touching, tracing whispers of touches among the prince's bloodstained skin. How had the prince been able to be in a relationship at all, after he had encountered such an abuse? It was a miracle that he could put up with Bulma's presence… Suddenly the prince seemed incredibly small and fragile to Son Goku. Someone who had to be protected. Someone whom he wanted to protect. Nobody should ever inflict pain on the prince again. Son Goku had always been able to feel a connection to Vejita, had been concerned about him despite the many swearing and the malice that he had received from him daily. But now… suddenly everything was so much clearer. Son Goku wanted nothing more than to be there for Vejita, to keep him safe.. and at the same time he knew that Vejita would most likely never allow this, that he would kill him if he had even the smallest clue that Son Goku knew something...

Pained, he shook his head as he thought of how often he had stood unbelieving at the side, when Vejita was attacking his foe again and again, with almost suicidal determination, when he, though far inferior, still never had given up without fighting but had always faced his opponent. Even the most terrible injuries, the hardest blows had never managed to keep him on the ground. Now he understood why Vejita strived so desperately to be the best, to not be inferior. He asked himself if Freezer had broken Vejita in the end. He knew the prince only as the most arrogant being in the universe, but he would never have suspected that this could perhaps just have been a façade to conceal, to protect a soul that had been wounded in a way that was far beyond imagination.

Nobody (with the possible exception of Bulma, but she had not been the sweet and caring type, too) had ever showed real affection or love to the prince, he had never experienced care, but the opposites of each. The physical pain, but much more the mental deformations of his mind and his soul must have caused incredible torment for him. No wonder he wasn't able to show his emotions. He had learned the hard way that every emotion was a weakness which would be exploited immediately. Pensively, Goku gazed down at the unmoving prince. Then he picked him up gently and with the prince's motionless form in his arms, he flew back to Capsule Corporation.

Vejita slowly swam back to the surface of the deep unconsciousness that had captured his mind for quite some time. He had some vague memories… awful memories. Shuddering, his self shrank back and buried these memories deeply in the shadow that covered the bigger part of his soul, like he had always done when the memories had overshadowed his dreams. Vejitas self was chained, bound firmly to a bunch of principles which he had had implanted most brutally. He knew he was only safe from what lurked in his soul as long as he followed those principles.

Never look back.

Never hook up.

Never let someone come close.

Only do what is good for you.

Never trust anyone except yourself.

Over the years the prince had managed to build up a solid wall around his mind and soul, a wall that shut in and out certain things. He had more than once violated one of this principles - and he had paid for it.

He had become soft... he almost had felt something like love for Bulma, his only companion, but when she died, when the mourning came, he realized that he had let her come too close. And so he closed off this part of his soul forever - as he believed - and as a precaution, he stuffed the emotions he held for his son, which dismayed him deeply, in the same dark corner.

And Kakarott... he nearly had accepted him as a friend, was willing to sacrifice himself for the planet that the other Saiyajin loved so much... and what had he gained from it?

Death, an ungrateful death and no respect from those he had tried to save with his self-abandonment.

Still, after all those years he could not believe that Kakarott wanted to be his friend like he had assured him again and again. Vejita knew nothing beside hatred and mistrust, and he could not imagine anyone willing to open themselves to give love or friendship to another. Still, he suspected a perfidious plan behind all this cordiality and he instinctively supposed that he would be betrayed and tricked once again if he ever succumbed to the bait of this amiability.

Oh sure, he had looked into Kakarott's soul, more than once during their numerous battles, and all the light in it had made him boggle. He knew deep within that the other Saiyajin was his exact antagonist, light, where he was darkness, good, where evil filled himself, but he blenched from this kindness like a child from a flame when it had burned itself once. He only knew feigned kindness which could change to cruelty immediately when you fell for it.

Vejita emerged from his dreamlike state which bypassed the real unconsciousness to awakening, sighed and stretched himself, only to find himself thrown back into reality again as his injured body protested in several places.

He opened his eyes and for a moment he was disoriented. Slowly, shreds of memories came back to him…

The battle... the white rage which had filled out his mind blindingly and releasing as always… a mighty blow… and then darkness.

Beaten... Conquered... DEFEATED... defeated again... Vejita raised his hands in agony and pressed them to his temples. When it came to Kakarott, he ALWAYS was inferior. God, how he hated him…!

"Shimata!!"

He couldn't suppress a half agonised, half angry moan and noticed immediately - why haven't I been aware of the other presence? How could I let my vigilance down like that? - that someone neared him concernedly. He knew already before he reopened his eyes that it would be Kakarott who was watching him in this dishonourable situation. The damn baka had an incredible talent for always humiliating Vejita. The concerned expression on the younger one's face didn't help either. Vejita growled loathly, but at the same moment he felt his numerous injuries again. After all, the other Saiyajin had the foresight - lucky for him! - not to say anything. What has happened? What did he…

"What the hell happened?"

Vejita watched him suspiciously as Kakarott put on a shy smile and ran a hand through his hair

"Uh... sorry, Vejita, apparently I've overdone that last ki blast... I wasn't regarding that a kamehameha on SSJ3 is so much stronger..."

Vejita muttered loathly and his looks bore into Son Goku's eyes as if he wanted to burn out of him what else had happened, but shortly before he wouldn't have been able to look back, the prince closed his eyes and sighed, as if he wanted to ban Son Goku from his vision. Son Goku knew that Vejita suspected something. He would not get away this easily. There would be an aftermath. Nevertheless he could not avoid that pity was present in his gaze as he watched the figure on the bed. He had taken Vejita in his room at Capsule Corporation, inwardly thanking Dende and the kaioshins that Trunks wasn't at home and Bulma's parents weren't there either. He had hoped Vejita's injuries weren't critical, on the other hand he knew how tough the prince could be and supposed a kamehameha could not kill him when neither Boo nor… Freezer - Goku winced inwardly - could do it. In fact, it already seemed strange that Vejita had been out cold for that long. Either Goku had become stronger again, or the prince had let himself go. That matched Son Goku's impression that something was getting to Vejita lately. Now he had an idea of what it could be, but he asked himself why this was becoming a problem just now. Vejita had been carrying this burden for so long… he must have found a way to live with himself or else he would not be among them now. Son Goku mused what he should do. Talk to Vejita? Surely, that was not a good idea. "Vejita… I know what happened to you…" He sincerely doubted Vejita would listen to him after the first two sentences, and he didn't want to take this chance. Like so often before, Son Goku wished that Bulma was still alive. He missed his old friend as badly as he missed his wife. She had always been the brain of the group, had always been there for him with her advice. With her it would have been easy to talk about Vejita, of all the Z-senshi she would have been the only one who could have understood him. Piccolo and Kuririn thought of Vejita as the most cold-hearted bastard this side of Namek and surely would never be appreciative of any of those things. It was impossible to burden his sons with things like that, least of it Goten who was momentarily extremely unstable anyway. Telling Trunks about the awful happenings in Vejita's past was out of the question, either. At best the boy would pity his father, which would drive Vejita crazy, at worst he would lose all respect he still held. Goku faced a hopeless situation. His compassionate heart could not be content with leaving everything like it had been before. He wanted to help Vejita but didn't know how to manage this without hurting the smaller Saiyajin even more, or, in the worst case, bringing his labile steadiness crashing down.

Goku somehow knew Vejita would and could only see the invasion of his mind as treason. Concern and compassion weren't reasons for him to understand. Goku asked himself if there was a way to show Vejita that he wanted to be there for him.

Pondering, he viewed Vejita who was still lying on the bed, his eyes closed, and suddenly the thought came again, the same which he had thought before he had entered Vejita's emotional world. "Beautiful…" Son Goku blushed deeply, he could not help but let his gaze wander over Vejita's body, over his muscles which were clearly visible beneath his clinging shirt. His fine black hair, which usually stood up in its spiky style, covered the pillow, and Vejita's finely chiselled facial features suddenly fascinated Goku very much. Why had he never been aware of this before? No… he stopped himself with a sigh - to be honest with himself, he had always looked upon Vejita with more than merely a battle companion's respect. He had always had the urge to protect Vejita from something, something nameless that only bore the face of their respective opponent at a time. And also, Vejita had more than once stuck up to him.

Son Goku stared up to the incredible energy ball forming above his hands. The genkidama was humming with power, he could feel the energy of thousands of beings inside it - and still, it was not enough. The humans on earth didn't trust them, they didn't want to donate their energy, they had experienced too many terrible things. Amazed, Goku watched Vejita jumping up and down enraged and threatening the humans to blast them into next dimension unless they immediately followed his orders and lifted their hands to the sky. "He wouldn't make a good diplomat…" Goku thought and he somewhat smiled while sweatdropping.

Now Boo had become aware of them and Goku still hadn't collected enough energy to defeat the demon. As much as he tried, he couldn't think of another way to gain more energy quickly enough. Suddenly a blue-white flash shot past him and towards the demon. Vejita took his typical combat pose with a tense face and a sardonic smile which seemed slightly forced and challenged Boo. Shocked, Son Goku watched. Vejita had not a single chance! He had already died while fighting a weaker form of the same demon, the form he was challenging now was irregularly stronger. If he died again, his existence would be erased completely! Thinking this, Goku felt slightly sick. He tried to imagine a life without Vejita, without all the small taunts, but also without the reliability Vejita's nearly always bad mood brought along. A life without all the small moments where Goku imagined to feel that the older Saiyajin respected him or even needed him - the last other pure blooded member of his race. Son Goku knew that he, although he grew up on earth, was Vejita's last connection to Vejita-sei and his people, the proudest warrior race in the universe. Both of them were like magnets - on one hand they attracted each other, on the other hand they repelled each other if they were turned. Sympathy and antipathy were inevitably wound together, although on Goku's side he felt since long ago that the sympathy outweighed anything else - and there had been brief moments when he could feel almost something like friendship from Vejita's side, friendship and respect - and… yeah, what else…?

Ruggedly, Son Goku's thoughts were wrenched from him as a mighty blow from Boo hit Vejita in the back and hurled him away like a doll. He left a long trail as he ground along the earth and finally came to a halt in the middle of a impressively big crater, his body covered with scratches over and over. His hair had returned to its normal black colour. Chunks of rocks covered him and he didn't stir, and Goku's eyes went wide, he wanted to rush at his side and observe what happened, wanted to stand in front of Vejita for protection, but he couldn't - he was still bearing the genkidama and with it the universe's hope for survival. He would've gladly tossed it away because care for Vejita filled him completely, but his sense of responsibility, which had already brought him to death twice, wouldn't let him. Boo neared still more, confidence of victory gleaming in those black eyes which reflected no light, abysmal like tar lakes. Goku shuddered unconsciously because in those eyes he could see the decay of all life.

So unlike another pair of eyes, also black as onyx and often cold, but with this sparkle deep within and that odd reflection, as if their bearer wasn't able to look anyone in the eyes for a longer time, for then his soul would be revealed to them..

"The eyes are the windows of the soul", Son Goku thought, black eyes, a black soul… But from where came this reflection of an inner fire, smouldering like a secret flame. Proud. Full of passion.

Boo came still closer and Goku's hope was dwindling. The Genkidama was still not nearly big enough, if he hurled it at Boo now they would not get a second chance. Inwardly, he was on the verge of giving up. He had given all his power and it hadn't been enough. The demon simply was stronger. Son Goku closed his eyes, perhaps for the first time in his life and death willing to surrender and to accept whatever might come for him, when a voice, very well known to him, yet weak pulled him out of his lethargy.

"What's the matter, Boo? You've already had enough? You're afraid of me, aren't you?"

Disbelief was clearly visible on Son Goku's face, as he, like Boo, looked at the crater from which Vejita had just emerged. The Saiyajin was in a horrific state, one arm hung uselessly, blood was running from both his mouth's sides and Vejita's whole body was covered in stria and wounds. His shirt hung in shreds and Goku's look caught on his back, where, beneath the fresh wounds, huge scars could be seen, and they looked very old. Who had injured Vejita so horribly, so that he was bearing such scars, Goku thought before he became aware of how unbelievable it was that the Prince of all Saiyajin could even stand upright anymore. Boo walked towards the staggering Vejita, his cruel grin showed that he had the sole intention of getting rid of him once and for all. Vejita had no chance, helplessly he was tossed around by Boo, every time hitting the ground harder. His face was contorted in pain but he still kept on fighting grimly. "Boo plays with him like a cat does with a mouse", Son Goku thought and it made him so angry, angry like he maybe had never been before in his whole life. His rage let his ki explode and he knew now somehow he would manage to mobilise enough energy - for protection, for revenge, for Vejita... for Vejita...

Son Goku still stared at the bed until he realized how regularly the prince's chest was rising and falling, and the tension on his face had fled for once. Vejita had fallen asleep. Astounded, Goku stepped closer. He never thought it possible for Vejita to trust him that much… Or was the prince that badly injured, so that he could not stay awake? Goku knew how quickly Saiyajin could regenerate during sleep. Like that, Vejita's face looked almost peaceful. The fine-chiselled hands rested on the blanket. Hands that could be so cruel, yet looked so gentle. Son Goku took everything in, almost inhaled it, as if he could never again have another opportunity to watch Vejita like this. His high, aristocratic forehead… his muscular arms and his perfect thorax… Unsure, Goku stepped still closer to the bed. He could not cope with all the feelings that came to him so suddenly. It seemed like the vision in Vejita's mind had opened a door, a door to his heart which had only been ajar all the time. He realized how much he always had craved for Vejita's respect, his acceptance and his… sympathy?

Perhaps it even reached back to the time when he learned about his origins, when he had first met Vejita. Since Chichi's death he had not felt like he did now. Cautiously, he placed his hand on the blanket. Slowly he leaned forward… he didn't want to wake Vejita, to destroy the moment. He wanted… to be close to him, in a way he never had been able to share with Chichi. He once more wanted to relish the feeling of completeness, only this time he wanted to be fully aware of it… Slowly, without knowing what he was doing, he lowered his head until he was looking directly in Vejita's face. His heart pounded quickly, fluttered like a caged bird. If Vejita awoke now - he would hate Goku forever… but he simply could not stop, he had no more control over himself. He felt Vejita's breath on his cheek and it almost drove him crazy. He knew this feeling, this desire… he had so often sought fulfilment with Chichi and she had tried to give him what he needed, but somehow it had never been enough… Gently and very slowly he lifted one of his hands to Vejita's face and, almost without touching him at all, traced the contours of his face. This… was this… what he had been craving so deeply and for such a long time? Was there even the smallest chance for Vejita to… feel this way… or even only that he wouldn't kill him at once if he… The hopelessness of his wish almost tore Goku's heart apart and a single tear rolled down his cheek, fell like a crystal drop and landed on the pillow. He felt Vejita's warmth and the peacefulness of his sleep - and the total opposite to the picture that still hovered before his eyes - almost made him stagger. His reason, which Goku had not followed often anyway, left him completely, and without further thinking, only wanting to escape from this horrible, gnawing desire, he lowered himself slowly, closed his eyes and kissed Vejita's slightly opened lips with infinite tenderness.

The feel of this touch shot through his body like a thousand butterflies and rendered his knees weak. Vejita moved slightly in his sleep and muttered something, and Goku jerked back startled, pressing a hand to his mouth, his eyes wide. What have I done… How could I take advantage of Vejita's helplessness like that? Am I insane? Vejita would never … The pain of this realization mingled with the still aching desire almost tore Goku's mind. He whirled around and scrambled out of the room, shot up in the air as soon as he had touched the ground outside and raced home, with his hand still pressed to his mouth. Shreds of thoughts raced through his head. - Why…? How could I… Could it be… that I… love… Vejita? How can this be possible? - but above all of that he still felt the kiss burning on his lips and further within, where the desire burned like an unholy flame. Goku lost himself in this feeling and the world around him blurred. As he landed in the garden of his house in the woods shortly after, he wasn't even aware how he had got there.

End of part 2

And yet more thanks to my co-translator Azurite. I would not be able to do this without her. Please, everyone, we both need constant encouragement to keep up this work. Translating is hard! Please support the two of us with your reviews! Thank you!