Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ The Legacy of Ansai ❯ While Bardock's Away... ( Chapter 3 )

Chapter 3: While Bardock's away…

(Off we go, traveling through light years to Earth, where our dear friend Bardock has just arrived. 5 months and 2 weeks have shot by in the turn of a page. All he really did was listen to music and train and think. (A new activity for him.))

Bardock brought the ship down slowly. It landed on a plateau; there were mountains surrounding it and shielding it from general view. Bardock got out and stretched. After 5 months and two weeks on the ship he was glad to see real things; namely mountains and solid forms. He looked around, sniffing slightly. This planet's air was very different from Ansai's but the surface seemed generally the same. (He had not yet seen the bountiful lands that Earth has to offer.) (Obviously!) Bardock adjusted to the climate change and now began to focus on finding a Saiyan energy signal. He soon did, and took off, flying solemnly and slowly towards it. Years of guilt and difficult explanations came to the surface, along with the huge weight now riding on his shoulders.

"That's good, Gohan! Now, give it your all!" Goku called as encouragement after dodging a few weak blasts. Gohan was worn out, but he was refusing to give in. If you gave up the second you were tired of training, you'd never get anywhere at all. He powered what would be a beam of energy when Goku's foot collided with his head, sending him flying into the distance. "Never put your guard down!" Goku was yelling to him, standing in the clearing, waiting for him to come back angry and pumped up. Gohan had crashed into one of the few mountains in the area, creating an imprint of himself in it. His head was down, but he wasn't out of it yet. He was trying to recover slightly. Boots appeared in his line of vision. "I'm ok, Dad. I was just trying to catch my breath." He explained. Then he noticed something strange. These boots were different than his father's. He lifted his head to look at this stranger's face. It was exactly like Goku's! Except, there was a scar in the shape on an X on his cheek. The person was staring at him in a somewhat confused way, as if wondering why his searching had brought him to this child. Gohan now noticed something else about this man. He had a tail wrapped around his waist. Just like that guy…what was his name…Raditz! And the guy who came with him…Nappa! They had both said they were Saiyans from a planet called Ansai. Was this guy from there too? They had said that they wanted his dad to go with them, and had called him Kakarot. Would this man do the same thing? All these questions chased themselves around Gohan's head. He finally fell out of the mountain and his tail flopped into visibility. The stranger suddenly looked very surprised, and began to look around, as if he was expecting someone. Meanwhile, Goku had come from the clearing to see who that stranger with his son was. "Hey! Who are you! What" He stopped on mid sentence as the stranger turned to face him. Their faces were identical, not to mention the hair! Well, scratch the scar and they were identical! (Bad joke…) The stranger's face split into a wide grin and he made to clap Goku on shoulder. Goku backed away, not knowing who this person was or why he was here. Plus, he had a tail. The last time someone with a tail (or two someones, not that it matters) had come to Earth, they had tried to force him to come to another planet. Well, he just didn't want to go, and if that was this guy's plan, he could just pack up and go home! Goku thought stubbornly, and crouched into an offensive battle position. The other man looked him up and down, from head to toe, and burst out laughing. "His posture was all wrong! You should have seen it, Vegeta! He looked like an overstuffed bear! And the seriousness on his face! He thought he could beat me, honestly, I could see it in his eyes!" He would tell Vegeta later, as the fighting styles of Saiyans were very different of those people who reside on Earth. Then he righted himself and spoke in a voice with a slight sharpness, as though not used to speaking in a casual way, "Kakarot, don't you recognize me?" Goku's eyes glazed over as memory began to take hold. Flashbacks of a past, different from the one he knew, floated to the surface. Gohan, meanwhile, was on his feet and was edging around to stand next to his dad. His tail was shaking wildly and the man's was nodding to it, but still remaining obedient. "Who…who are you?" Goku finally asked in a somewhat hoarse voice, confused by what memory was telling him and what he already knew. "Me? My name is Bardock, and you, Kakarot, you are my son." The man replied, finally revealing his name. (Which I am sure all you intelligent readers have figured out by now, (hopefully) being the intelligent readers that you are.) "Wha…?" Goku started, but suddenly forgot the rest of the word. This made no sense whatsoever. Here was this man from another planet who had a tail and was telling him that he was this man's son! How could that be? It just didn't work that way. Besides, fathers don't send their sons off to strange planets before their son even meets them! Bardock chuckled lightly at Goku's apparent confusion. "If he's anything like me, this could take a very long while." He said mentally to his tail who came up with the immediate and cheeky reply of "Yeah, like a week or so, and we don't have that long!" Bardock suddenly realized he had not yet spoken to the child. He was most certainly Kakarot's son, but he needed to speak with him anyway. "And what's your name?" Bardock asked gently, crouching down in front of Gohan. (He had a way with kids.) Gohan glanced at his father; Goku was wandering in circles, scratching his head, then met Bardock's gaze. "My dad's the strongest person on this planet. So you'd better not try to hurt anyone!" He stated angrily; he didn't trust Bardock yet simply because he had no idea whether he was like those other men who had come here and tried to take his father away or just some weirdo with a tail. "Gee, all I wanted was to know was your name. Between you and me," Bardock leaned closer to Gohan's ear; "Your father isn't half as powerful as he could be." He whispered, carefully avoiding an insult to the young child or his father. "My name's Gohan." He paused, "How would you know who strong my dad couldbe? You don't even know who he is!" "Kakarot. Child of former low-ranked Rebel Bardock and low-ranked Rebel Milana. 83rd child born to the Saiyan Rebels in the year 605; 20 years ago. Mother: Deceased. Father: Myself. Brother: Raditz, deceased. Sister: Classified information." Here Bardock stopped for he was out of breath. But he had said enough already, judging by the boy's reaction. Gohan's eyes had widened and he took a single step backwards. "H-how d-do I know y-you're not m-making this u-up?" He stammered. Bardock stood up, looking towards Goku, who was now in a trench worn by his ceaseless pacing, then replying, "Kid, have you looked at our faces?"

"And that's why I'm here. Or, why you're here. I guess that's why both of us are here!" Bardock finished. He, Goku and Gohan had returned to Goku's house where Bardock had explained to them why he was there, and why Goku was there. Gohan, who had drifted into a state of peaceful dreaming, suddenly jerked awake and stated loudly, "NO KIDDING! Dad, can we eat now?" Goku was still in a partial state of shock over what he had just heard. But the thought of food immediately brought him back to reality. "Yeah! Let's eat!" Goku said, jumping up and almost running off to the kitchen table. Judging by the tinkle of breaking china, he had been going a little too fast. Gohan rolled his eyes at his father's immaturity and motioned for Bardock to follow him into the eating area. Bits of broken china littered the area. Goku was in the center of it all, crouching as a black-haired figure who was waving a thick, soapy, iron skillet above her head and yelling something about a good-for-nothing husband who breaks all the crockery every day advanced on him. "Mom! We have company!" Gohan said quickly, though not quickly to enough to stop Chi-Chi's well aimed blow to Goku's head. It connected with a resounding "THUD." "Oh do we? Is it another one of your father's fighter buddies? OR MAYBE ANOTHER NAMEK!" Chi-Chi screeched, and though her words were aimed generally at Gohan, she was still swinging the skillet with suprising ferocity in the direction of her husband. Goku cowered in fear, holding a hand to the swelling bump on his head. Gohan decided it had gone far enough. He walked calmly up to his mother, dodging the follow-throughs and back-swings of the skillet. He grasped her wrist and lowered without much difficulty, then said, "Mom, I'd like you to meet Bardock. Bardock, this is my mother, Chi-Chi. She's very pleased to meet you." (Emphasis was given on the last sentence.) Chi-Chi attempted to regain control of her weapon, but Gohan wrenched it from her hand. She finally turned to see Bardock's face. She looked from it to Goku's face and back to Bardock's. Then, she sank into dead faint. Gohan sighed, and let the skillet drop to the floor with a loud clang. Then, he hauled Goku to his feet and began to pick up pieces of china. Bardock was thoroughly shocked at this behavior, especially of his son's. Women were considered equal to men on Ansai, (After all, a warrior is a warrior.) yet on this planet, they seemed superior! He pondered this, and soon realized what terrible discipline his son would need upon reaching Ansai. The child, however, seemed very disciplined, yet perfectly happy. Perhaps he could convince another who was too involved with his training to loosen up a little. Of course, Vegeta would say, "You can never be too focused on your training.", except using larger words. Bardock chuckled to himself. He hadn't realized how much he missed that over-stressed 15-year-old. Goku had wandered to the kitchen, where he searched the freezer for some ice, then placed in an icepack and laid it upon the bump on his head. He was now rummaging about the fridge, obviously searching for something to eat. Gohan, meanwhile, had finished gathering the bits of china and had placed in the garbage can. He then went to the stove, where the burned remnants of dinner were smoldering. Wrinkling his nose, he dumped them into the garbage can as well. "I have food, you know." Bardock remarked, leaning against the doorframe of the kitchen. Goku's head, which was still in the fridge, shot up accompanied by a loud "OW!" He removed his head from the fridge and safely closed the door. There were a few shrimp tails hanging from his mouth. "Weawy?" He swallowed, then continued while Gohan shook his head in despair. "Really? Where?" "On my ship." Bardock replied simply, as if this was the plainest thing in the world. "Your ship?" Gohan asked suspiciously. "Yes. It's not to far from here. At least, for me it's not." Bardock explained calmly, watching Gohan's growing suspicion and Goku's mouth water. "You probably wouldn't have enough for all of us." Gohan said matter-of-factly, crossing his arms. Bardock grinned, heading for the front door, "Wanna bet?"

"Still want to make that bet?" Gohan asked Bardock mischievously. "I thought I had more than this! Honestly!" Bardock muttered, a feeble attempt to defend himself. Goku hadn't said anything. He was staring bleakly at a small slab of cheese and can of sardines; the only things in Bardock's fridge. "Of course, there are those little whatchamacallems that you stick in the thingamabobber and they become food. I never really learned what they were called…" Bardock recalled, almost talking to himself. Gohan eyed him strangely, as if doubting his stupidity. "You mean food capsulesthat you put in the synthesization machine and they become full meals?" He said casually, extremely sure of himself. "Yeah! That's what they're called!" Bardock exclaimed, pointing an excited finger at Gohan. (He never got to show his 'kid side' on Ansai, so he was taking full advantage of this opportunity.) "Alright!" Goku cheered as his stomach gave a humongous rumble. Gohan walked casually over to the machine in the far corner of the room, past some dozen rows of cupboards. "Simplistic model." He remarked, running his hand over it lightly. "We're under siege, remember?" Bardock said, a touch of pride in his voice. Gohan decided not to push the subject. Instead, he walked over to the cupboard marked 'Full meals'. He opened it and stuck his nose inside. "Let's see…we can have ham and potatoes, ham and corn, ham and peas, ham and…on second thought let's move on…chicken with carrots, chicken with squash, chicken with beets…You've got good selection, Bardock." Gohan told them the 'menu'. " Thank you. Now, you could keep relaying the meals or we could do this the easy way. Kakarot, what would you like?" Bardock replied, then turned to Goku. "Um, rice with peas and carrots and chicken with honey and some barbecue ribs and maybe some mashed potatoes and quadruple all that, and I should be fine." Goku replied, ignoring the fact Bardock had called him 'Kakarot'. He would ask about that later. Bardock went to a few cupboards, grabbing one or two capsules from each. Pocketing them, he casually asked Gohan what he would like. Gohan mildly replied that he would have rice and fish. Bardock proceeded to fetch those capsules, and placed them in his pocket as well. Finally, he opened a cupboard marked 'Leader', pulled out a single capsule and took it to the machine. Removing all the others from his pocket and placing them in the machine. Two seconds later all the food popped out, and it was piping hot. Bardock's capsule turned out to contain a steak and a few veggies. "On Ansai, you won't be able to eat this good." Bardock remarked casually, watching as Goku inhaled his food and Gohan ate at a normal pace. "WHAT!? Why not?" Goku asked, so surprised he nearly choked. "Well, we have a lot more people and it'll take about a month before these capsules can be replaced. I kind of feel bad eating this well when I know my students are choking down who knows what." Bardock spoke to his plate. "Students?" Gohan asked, he had finished eating. "Yes, my students. I'm the main Sensei at home." Bardock replied solemnly, not feeling proud of himself at all. He was beginning to feel slightly homesick; missing the daily bustle and general speed of things on Ansai. Suddenly, he stood and said sharply, "We have to leave. NOW! Get strapped in!" Goku and Gohan exchanged confused glances, but did as they were told. The dishes clattered to the floor, forgotten and footfalls echoed through the halls as the three males ran through the ship to the piloting room. Bardock strapped into the piloting seat, Gohan taking the co-pilot's and Goku sitting behind in a passenger. "Why do we have to leave so quickly?" Gohan asked flipping some switches. "DON'T TOUCH THAT!" Bardock yelled, flicking all the switches back to their prior positions. "I programmed the ship to self-destruct if I didn't leave within 6 hours of arrival! It could have been traced and then Earth will be a target for Frieza! How could I have been so irresponsible?" He muttered distractedly, then spoke into a comm system, "Leader, I have retrieved the charges and am returning." A crackled reply with lots of static came, saying, "Re… turn… qui... kly. Ship... bzz... foll……...za… Earth… un… rattack…" "Ace ship 1! Prepare for takeoff!" Bardock yelled to the ship's metal walls. Gohan and Goku were completely and utterly confused by these acts, so they said and did nothing. These words must have had some effect though, because the ship took off without delay. The atmosphere was broken through as the ship blasted into space. Bardock sat back in his chair and let out a long breath. He was sweating terribly and his hands were trembling. "Do you do that often?" Gohan asked casually, noting Bardock's fatigue. Bardock glared at him in a way that suggested he was angry with Gohan for insulting him. Underneath, it was hiding sorrow. "I don't like flying at all. That's when…" He broke off, unable to continue. Gohan looked shocked, and it was because he had jumped to some fairly accurate conclusions. He had been wondering why Bardock had come alone, and also what had happened to this 'Milana'. Earlier, Bardock had spoken of her with ease, but now, it seemed memories were too strong. (It made sense too, considering their different setting.) Bardock drew in a deep breath, and attempted to continue. "Milana died on a mission." He started but Goku cut in, saying with annoyance, "Wait a second! Who's 'Milana'?" Bardock rolled his eyes, and continued; now adding a slight profile of Milana. "Milana was your mother. She was my wife. Well, technically, she wasn't my wife since we weren't allowed to get married back then. But I loved her like a wife, and she was the bearer of my children. She was sent on a mission to Gyorta, to learn a new technique. She must have got the wrong co-ordinates or something. She pulled out of hyperspace one sector too soon. She pulled out in one of the enemy's strongholds. They recognized the ship style immediately and opened fire. She didn't stand a chance…" Here, a sigh was given before continuing in a slightly stronger tone, "The Leader says I have to get over it. That it's a weakness. That it makes me vulnerable, and that someone as skilled as I should 'not waste time on the past or love. It's done. You can't change it. Move on with your life.' " He quoted Vegeta on the latter of the sentence, and would have continued, adding his own view on these issues but Gohan's face began to contort to fury. "You aren't allowed to marry? He tells you to get on with your life? This is your wife we're talking about here! What is this guy? Solid ice with a heart of stone?" He roared with a tone so angry that Goku shied away. He had been walking closer to listen to the story, which had been becoming increasingly quiet due to Bardock's fear of being discovered discussing forbidden issues. He now stared out the window, watching the stars, planets and basically light colored blobs flow by as they traveled hyperspace. Bardock laughed on the inside. "Many people think of him that way. But he's had his share of sorrow and pain, too. He got knocked down, multiple times, but he always got back up and it made him a stronger person. That's how he can be such a strong leader, even though he's only 15. And, if you get to know him, he's really not all that bad. A little blunt maybe, and sometimes egoistic, he can also be kind of bossy and even a little cruel, but under all that, he's not that bad." Bardock was surprised at his own opinions of Vegeta. He would never have been allowed to express them in such a manner on Ansai. Gohan's mood did not improve. "Well, I still don't like him. He doesn't sound very nice." He grumbled peevishly. "Hey kid, this is war we're talking about. What do you want us to do? Hand the guy flowers and ask him not to kill us? He's held our race under control for generations! Do you know what it would be like to be free? Do you know how long I've dreamed of that? I'm willing to do anything, and I mean anything to get freedom! Most kids your age don't even know the meaning of the word! They were born into a time of war! From the time they could walk, they've been training to be able to help our cause! We have people working day and night to beat this guy, and you want the Leader to be nice?! What do they teach you, arithmetic and calculus?" Bardock exploded in an exasperated tone, throwing his hands up in the air. Gohan looked totally freaked out by this sudden outburst. He hadn't assumed half of what he had just been told. It looked like this was way more serious than he had thought. " Actually, yes they do teach us that. Sorry." Gohan mumbled apologetically. "Yeah? Well, you should be!" Bardock said acidly, temper still flaring high. "Son, go to a room and sleep for a while. When in doubt, you ought to sleep on it. Or something like that; Chi-Chi used to say that." Goku interrupted the 'conversation' between Bardock and Gohan. Gohan opened his mouth to ask where a room was available when Bardock muttered, "Third door on your left." He was rubbing his forehead with his palm, breathing deeply to try and calm down. He had never felt such anger flare up inside. It tasted good, powerful. But that didn't make sense. Anger is only power when you're fighting someone; that's what he taught his students. But had this been a battle just now? A verbal battle between him and Gohan? He was not familiar with the concept. Goku walked over to Gohan's now empty chair and sat down; this chair was much more comfortable than the one in which he had been previously sitting. "Are you…ok?" He asked Bardock hesitantly, that temper seemed…dangerous, in a way. "I'm FINE. Thanks, Kakarot." Bardock stated loudly, still rubbing his forehead. Goku's eyebrow twitched. "Um, Bardock, I know you're my dad and everything but WHAT'S WITH 'KAKAROT'? MY NAME'S GOKU!!!" He yelled, throwing his hands up in exasperation. Bardock nearly laughed. "Your name is NOT Goku, it's Kakarot. 'Goku' is an Earth name. Do you really think I would name my SAIYAN son with an EARTH name? You have to get used to it, considering that on Ansai everyone will call you that." Bardock finished lightly, placing his hands behind his head and leaning back in the chair. Goku crossed his arms and replied, "Oh well. All's well that starts well, as I always say. Or was it Chi-Chi? Or 'All's well that end's well'?" Bardock smiled, gently saying, "I'm sure I wouldn't know, considering that it's an EARTH saying." He caught Goku's eye and they both chuckled appreciatively. Goku suddenly yawned widely. "Oh man, I'm tired. You got anywhere to sleep?" He managed to say through another huge yawn. "Forth door on your left, Kakarot." Bardock replied, watching him with interest. "Okay. I'll see you in the morning, if there is a morning in space, I was never really sure. And another thing, why do" Bardock pushed Goku down the hallway, thinking, "How can he do that? Just go off on any subject, just like that? No matter He'll learn. My son, you won't be seeing me anytime soon, not with the sleeping pills I stuck into your food." (Allow me to explain. Bardock had firm instructions NOT to train with them on the way back to Ansai. Vegeta wanted to check how strong they were himself, for the sole reason that they were related to Bardock. So, Bardock DIDN'T drug them, okay? Well, if you want to get technical he did, but that's not the way it works! I'm the author and I say he didn't do it! So, stop arguing with me! (They're not!) ARGH!) Bardock sighed and returned to his chair. Before the passing of twenty minutes, he was snoring loudly. You see, he had forgotten not to drug his meal as well. All the passengers of 'Ace ship 1' were not conscious, therefore they did not see the ominous red-orange glow that lit the void of space behind them. A thousand screams of the dying were never heard, and a planet was no more.