Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Wish For The Past ❯ It's So Hard To Say Goodbye ( Chapter 69 )

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

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ. I must also confess to ripping a few of the dragon's lines from one of the DBZ episodes. Not all of them, mind you. Just some of them. I don't own those either.


As the young prince made his way over to Bardock, the older Saiyan couldn't help but shake his head in disgust. Vegeta was the Prince of all Saiyans! He should have had the best and most thorough training of any Saiyan his age! For Vegeta not to know something as basic as how to not kill his sparring partner screamed of the idiocy of his training master. What would have happened when Vegeta finally grew stronger than the one teaching him, but didn't know how to hold back his strength so he didn't kill him? Bardock snorted. Whoever the man was, he would have deserved it. Incompetent fool.

A slight scuffing sound brought Bardock's attention back to the matter at hand. Vegeta now stood in front of him, waiting for him to make the first move, and it was the sound of his toe nervously digging into the dirt that had broken into Bardock's thoughts. Bardock pursed his lips and eyed the boy critically for a moment, trying to decide how best to attack this particular problem. "Vegeta, form a ki blast in your hands, but don't let it go," he ordered sternly.

The ten year old's head jerked up, surprise and confusion written all over his face, as though that hadn't been at all what he'd been expecting Bardock to say. "What?"

"You heard me," Bardock said, giving the prince a steely look. "Gather your energy as though were preparing an attack, but don't release it until I tell you to." The boy swallowed visibly at the tone of his voice, but Bardock wasn't much inclined to make any attempt to mask his sour attitude at the moment. He'd had entirely too much time last night with only his thoughts for company, and those thoughts hadn't left him in any kind of mood to deal with the prince's lack of proper training and keep a smile on his face at the same time. If Vegeta couldn't deal with one grumpy Saiyan, he'd be a poor prince indeed.

Thankfully, Vegeta obeyed the repeated command and began to form a sizable ball of energy in his hands without Bardock having to tell him a third time. His patience probably would have snapped if the boy had decided to be stubborn about this, and unfortunately this was something that couldn't be left alone. As the person with the most extensive training and experience, and the only adult Saiyan in their group, it was Bardock's duty to fill this gap in the prince's training, regardless of how he was feeling at the moment. So, train him Bardock would, but it would not be pleasant if Vegeta tried his patience just now - for either of them.

"Bardock-san?" Vegeta's hands were glowing with the light cast from the energy he'd collected between them, and he looked uncertainly from Bardock's face to the ki blast and back again.

Maybe it was Bardock's imagination, but he almost seemed... anxious about something. Was something bothering the prince? Bardock shook his head. Whatever it was, it could wait until after he'd finished training Prince Vegeta to control his ki. Focus on the task at hand, he sternly reminded himself. Out loud, he said, "Good. Now, reduce the amount of energy in that attack by half, but keep the size of the sphere the same."

Once again, Vegeta looked as though Bardock's words had caught him completely off guard. "What?" he asked, sounding bewildered. "But, aren't you... what are you... Why?"

Bardock's left eye twitched with annoyance. "Well, how else are you going to learn how to control your energy?" he demanded waspishly. "It's not like this is something you're going to learn without training!" Honestly, if the boy didn't want to be trained, Bardock certainly wasn't going to make him. Even though he was older, stronger, and better trained than Vegeta, Vegeta was still the prince. Technically, he didn't have to do anything the older warrior said. But that didn't make it any less irritating.

"Training?" Vegeta echoed blankly. "You're... training me?"

"And what else would I be doing?" Bardock made an exasperated noise in the back of his throat. "What? Were you expecting me to just ignore it when you told me you didn't know how to adjust the level of your attacks? That I wouldn't care how pathetically under trained you are?" Seeing Vegeta's cheeks flush pink at that insult, the elder Saiyan nodded with satisfaction. He knew it wasn't proper for him to insult the Saiya-jin no Ouji, but, damn it, Vegeta's lack of enthusiasm about learning from Bardock was beginning to grate on his nerves. Besides which, since simply offering to teach the prince hadn't worked, maybe attacking Vegeta's pride would get better results.

"I'm not under trained!" Vegeta responded, half angrily, half defensively. The ball of ki in his hands flared slightly in response to his emotions. "I just-"

Thwack! Bardock's hand connected with the side of the young boy's head. "I told you to reduce the energy in your attack, Vegeta," he growled. "Not increase it. Pay attention to what you're doing! Or can't you even do that?"

The flicker of stunned surprise in his protégé's eyes darkened into a glower as Vegeta's hands twitched as though he wanted to clench them into fists. His ki seemed to quiver between his fingers like a living thing, fluctuating according to Vegeta's conflicting emotions and commands. "I'm doing the best I can!" he snapped sullenly. Then, regaining control of his temper, the prince ducked his head sheepishly and mumbled, "Sorry, Bardock-san." The glowing ball stilled, no smaller than before.

That wouldn't do. Not at all.

"What does it say about our race when the Prince of all Saiyans can't even keep his energy in check while fighting a seven year old chibi?" Bardock taunted. "I've seen infants with better control than you have. You're not even trying, Vegeta!"

"Yes I am!" Vegeta shouted as his temper flared again. The ball of energy started trembling again, straining against bonds of will that could not be seen.

"Well, try harder!"

"SHUT UP!!" With a scream of pure frustration, the ten year old boy hurled the crackling ball of energy at Bardock. The self-appointed sensei had just enough time to widen his eyes in surprise before the attack slammed into his chest and launched his body into involuntary flight, sending him sailing across the clearing.

Crack!

Bardock groaned, not certain whether that sound came from the tree he'd crashed into or the sound of bones breaking from the impact with said tree. Idiot, he soundly berated himself. You really should have seen that coming. Did you really think Vegeta would just stand there doing nothing while you insulted him like that? Actually, he'd been hoping that the disparaging remarks would have the opposite effect, goading the prince into making a concentrated effort to prove Bardock's accusations wrong. It didn't seem to have worked too well. On the bright side, he thought with another moan, I think he's gotten stronger since the last time we sparred. Ooww...

"Bardock-san!"

Blinking owlishly through the silvery stars in his vision, Bardock suddenly became aware of Vegeta's face hovering a few inches above him. The boy's face twisted anxiously with guilt and concern as he hesitantly touched Bardock's shoulder.

"I... I..." Vegeta began, distraught. "I didn't mean-"

"Yes, you did," Bardock grunted, effectively cutting the prince off. With a grimace he pulled himself up to a sitting position, one hand gingerly exploring his protesting ribs. "You did, and I deserved it. The future king should never allow anyone to insult him like that."

Vegeta opened his mouth to protest, then paused. After a moment, he dropped his eyes to stare at the grass, looking very subdued. Idly tracing his finger through the dirt, he didn't look up even as he dropped a bombshell with his next words.

"What if I don't want to be king?"


Outside of the kitchen, Radditz listened impassively as his little brother explained to Bulma about the dreams... visions... whatever... that his father had been having and the way Bardock had interpreted them. He hadn't intended to eavesdrop, though he wouldn't balk at doing so, but the nature of the conversation had stopped him dead in his tracks before he could enter the kitchen.

He didn't know if his father really was seeing the future - he certainly hadn't ever heard of any Saiyans who possessed that ability - but the chain of events these supposed visions predicted was just too damn possible to ignore. A chill went up his spine as he thought about all of the repercussions his fathers actions could have. Kidnapping the Prince of all Saiyans... He'd be lucky if all they did to him was cut off his tail! Radditz shuddered at the thought of that horrible punishment - one of the worst things that could ever happen to a Saiyan. And I helped him, a scared little voice in the back of his head whispered. Yes, he was scared, damnit! Who wouldn't be, when faced with the prospect death by torture? Another shudder rippled through him. Goku had been pretty graphic when he'd described that part of his dream - the dream he'd picked up from Bardock - to Bulma.

"An'... an' that's why 'tousan said he had to leave," Goku sniffled, his voice drifting around the corner to reach Radditz's ears. "So... I... I was hoping... maybe... you could get that chip out of him... or something...."

Feeling that he had listened long enough, Radditz stepped into the kitchen, which had the immediate effect of drawing their attention to him. "There isn't anything you can do," he stated soberly. "Those microchips are designed to prevent tampering of any kind. If you try to remove them or deactivate them, you'll only end up blowing our brains out."

Bulma folded her arms across her chest and hmphed. "You don't know who you're dealing with, Radditz. I may be only eleven, but I am a genius! So's my father. With the two of us working together, I bet we could beat those chips, no sweat!"

"Are you willing to stake our lives on that?" Radditz asked flatly. "However good you might be with technology, you're only experience is with human technology, not Saiyan technology. There's a world of difference between the two, trust me, and you don't have the luxury of practicing before hand. You'd have to get it exactly right on the first try, because one wrong slip, one miscalculation, and whoever you're working on will have a nice little hole in his head when that chip self-destructs."

"Well, what about Vegeta, then?" Bulma challenged. "Isn't he your prince? Can't he just wave his hand and say you're all pardoned or something?"

"He's also only ten years old," Radditz dryly pointed out. "I don't know how things work on your world, but on Vegeta-sei he'd be considered too young to make such important decisions. I don't think it had been decided yet when we left, but there's probably been a regent appointed to "help" Vegeta rule our people until he comes of age. He's the guy you'd have to get a pardon from, not Vegeta, and I really don't think he's likely to give us one. What's more likely is that he'll make an example of us." Radditz gestured dramatically. "In one stroke, he'll demonstrate his power as regent and look like he's doing his duty, punishing the criminals who dared abduct the crown prince."

Bulma's face fell. "The people would love him for it... and fear him... which is exactly what he'd want."

"Which is why I agree with father," Radditz concluded grimly. "Our only option is to leave, to go someplace where they can't find us, and right now the only place I can think of that fits that description is Goten and Trunks's timeline."

"Then I'm coming too," Goku's quiet but determined voice cut into the conversation. Radditz glanced at his little brother, lifting and eyebrow at the stubborn look on the little boy's face. "I... I just got you! You're my family! I don't wanna lose either of you, Radditz. Besides, I'm in the... the military, too," he said with a grimace. "If I've got a chip in my head, too, then I have to go with you! Or Earth will still be in danger!"

A mental picture of his little brother trying to fit in amongst the soldiers of Vegeta-sei flashed through Radditz's head and, despite the seriousness of the situation, his mouth twitched with amusement. "Actually, you don't have a microchip, ototo. The Saiyan children sent out on planet clearing missions aren't actually considered part of the military until they come back from their first mission. Even then, they have to be a certain age and undergo a bit of preliminary training before they're given an implant. Still..." Radditz tapped his chin thoughtfully. "I don't see why you can't come with us."

Apparently relieved that his brother wasn't going to argue the point, Goku's face broke out into a huge smile. "And Vegeta!" he started excitedly. "Vegeta can come with us, too, right, 'niisan?"

Radditz shrugged. "If he wants to. It's not my place to tell him if he can come or not. But don't get your hopes too high," he cautioned. "He is the Prince. His duty is to his people, and he can't very well become king if he travels to another timeline."

"Oh." The seven year old sighed, slightly deflated, then perked up again. "But you said there was a detergent guy who was running things. Maybe he could be the king, an' then Vegeta could come with us!"

"Regent," Radditz corrected absentmindedly. "And like I said, I can't tell you if Vegeta will even want to come or not. It's his decision, not mine." Of course, this didn't dampen Goku's hopes one bit.

At the lull in the conversation, Bulma spoke up, frowning. "But Goku, if you go off with your father, Goten won't ever be born in this timeline!"

It was one of the few things Bulma could have said that would have made Goku falter in his decision. Goku blinked several times as the full implications of what leaving his timeline would mean for his future son's existence. Then he relaxed, shaking his head with a smile. "It's okay, Bulma. Goten'll still exist in the other timeline," he said with typical seven-year-old logic.

The blue haired girl bit her lip. "But not in this timeline, he won't!" the blue haired girl protested.

"I'm sure there are plenty of other timelines out there where my nephew doesn't exist," Radditz commented mildly. "This wouldn't be the first one." It seemed clear to him that it wasn't so much Goten's existence that Bulma was worried about, but also potentially losing a friend of hers forever. However, Radditz was much more inclined to side with Goku on this. He was getting to be rather fond of the little squirt. And, in a way, Goku was right. Goten would be there in the future timeline, so Goku's decision wouldn't directly affect them. Just this particular timeline, and since they weren't going to be living here anymore, it didn't really matter as far as he was concerned.

Bulma opened her mouth again, looking fully prepared to keep arguing, but Goku spoke up first. "Bulma, I wanna go with my family," he said quietly, his dark eyes gazing soulfully into her blue ones. "Please..."

"But..." The young girl's eyes filled with tears. "But, Goku.... I'll miss you..."

Scooting a few inches closer to his friend, Goku wrapped his arms around Bulma's waist and unashamedly buried his face in her chest. "I'll miss you, too," he responded thickly. "But I still want to be with my family. I... I won't ever forget you, Bulma. I promise."

"I won't forget you, either," Bulma sniffled, returning Goku's hug with one of her own. She gave a small, obviously forced laugh and lifted one hand to ruffle his hair affectionately. "As if I could forget you! I don't think I'll ever meet anyone like you, Son-kun. Not in a million years."

No, Radditz agreed silently as he watched his little brother say goodbye to the first friend the boy had ever had. Not in a million years....


The silence that descended after Vegeta's words was almost deafening, but he didn't dare look up at Bardock, afraid of what he might see on the older warrior's face. Now that he'd admitted it out loud, the little prince realized just how much they were true. He didn't want to be king! He didn't want to argue with diplomats or worry about people spying on him or trying to assassinate him. He didn't want to worry about trade or the economy or war or all the billions of things he'd seen his father manage every single day. In short, he didn't want to grow up. Not yet, not so soon.

He still wanted to have fun....

The sound of a sigh... the soft scraping of dirt under a shifting weight... a hand on his shoulder. Vegeta jerked his head up, startled. "Wha...?"

"I understand," Bardock murmured. Catching the younger Saiyan's look of surprise, his mouth curled into a faint smirk. "I wouldn't want to be the king, either," he clarified. "Being responsible for the life of every Saiyan and all that entails... the weight of the world on your shoulders... I can understand why you're scared, Vegeta."

"I'm not scared!" Vegeta protested.

"Yes, you are," the scarred soldier contradicted solemnly. "You're scared of that much responsibility. You're scared of growing up. And... I think you're scared of being alone. As you've no doubt seen from your father, rulers are lonely people. They have no equals, they can't be sure who they can trust, and they don't have much time to pursue friendships, anyway. And that scares you." He quirked an eyebrow questioningly. "Am I right?"

Vegeta opened his mouth to deny the accusation again, to tell Bardock that he was not scared, that he was the Prince of all Saiyans and princes aren't allowed to be scared, that he... that he... He swallowed the hard lump that had somehow formed in his throat, blinking back the sudden stinging sensation in his eyes. The wind must have blown dust in his eyes, or something, because he was not going to cry. Certainly not when there was nothing to cry about. "What do you know about it?" he muttered sullenly, discreetly wiping the "dust" out of his eyes with the edge of his sleeve.

"It's how I would feel if I was in your shoes," Bardock replied candidly. "If I was only ten years old and someone told me I had to be the king, I'd be scared spitless! But what you don't understand is that someone has to be the king, and whether you realize it or not, you've been trained for it since the day you were born. You also wouldn't have to do it all by yourself, either. Every king has a group of advisors, staff, people to delegate things to, and, in your case, a regent to help carry the burden of responsibility until you're old enough to handle it all on your own."

"Well, why can't one of them be the king?!" the flame haired child growled. "Why do they need me to be the king? Why can't I just stay here?"

Bardock gave Vegeta a pointed look. "You know perfectly well the way our society works, Vegeta. Strength is the only thing our people respect, and there are very few Saiyans who come anywhere near to matching the natural strength and intelligence in you and your family. Everyone knows this, so when you claim the throne, hardly anyone will protest. However, if a complete stranger were to be crowned, it would most likely result in a world wide civil war! No one would accept that this man was the strongest, the most capable of leading our people, and every arrogant Saiyan warrior or politician who thought they could do better would challenge him, forcing him to kill them or be killed himself. When it was all over, Vegeta-sei would be bathed in blood, weak and vulnerable to attacks from our enemies. And we have a lot of enemies, Vegeta."

Vegeta balled his hands into fists and squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block out Bardock's words, to ignore the truth in them. He. Didn't. Want. To. Be. King. Why couldn't Bardock understand that?! He said he understood, but if he really did, then why was he still trying to convince Vegeta that he had to go back to Vegeta-sei?!

Because he wants you to do what's best for your people, not for yourself, came the half-expected response from the voice in Vegeta's head. He wants you to stop being a selfish little baby. There was a pause, as though the voice was expecting the ten year old to say something in his defense, but Vegeta just didn't feel like arguing with it right now. Maybe if he ignored the voice, it'd go away....

All those people dead, it whispered insidiously. All because you're too weak and too scared to fulfill your destiny.

"Vegeta?"

Frieza was right about you, you know. You're nothing but a worthless little monkey.

"Vegeta? Are you all right?"

Your father raised you to be the greatest Saiyan that ever lived. Guess you failed to live up to his expectations. Again.

"Vegeta!"

Again and again and again and...

"Ve-"

"SHUT UP!!!" Vegeta lurched to his feet, throwing Bardock's hand off his shoulder, and whirled around to face the startled warrior. His breath came out in ragged gasps that made his whole body shudder, as though he'd just fought a hard battle, and his vision was blurry... but he didn't let any of that stop him from glaring up at the older Saiyan. "Just... just shut up! You've made your point! I'll go back to Vegeta-sei and be the king, so just leave me alone!" He didn't know whether he was yelling at Bardock or at the voice in his head. It didn't really matter. He just knew that if he didn't yell, he'd....

"Vegeta, are you... crying?" Bardock's voice was laced with surprise and concern. Vegeta hated him for it.

"I am not!" he shouted, angrily scrubbing away whatever it was that had made Bardock think he was even capable of tears. "I'm not crying! I'm the Prince of all Saiyans, and Saiyan princes d-don't cry!" Why was his hand wet? Why was he shaking so much? Why did it hurt to breathe?

Because you are crying! the voice laughed with wicked glee. Poor widdle baby....

"I SAID LEAVE ME ALONE!!!" he screamed. His ki flared to life around him in a blazing aura and he didn't even pause to think before using it to hurl himself into the sky. He had to get away. Away from Bardock, away from the voice, away from... from everything! He didn't look back as he blasted through the cold, damp clouds...

...which is why he didn't see the trail of glittering, golden sparkles left in his wake.


As Vegeta disappeared into the atmosphere, Bardock stared after him for a moment, too troubled and distracted to register the yellow tinge to the ten year old's ki trail. Vegeta's behavior seemed somehow... off to him, but he couldn't pin it down exactly. Something about how the boy had spaced out for a few seconds, or the erratic way he'd reacted to some of the things Bardock had said... It almost seemed as if....

"No." Shaking his head, Bardock firmly put the thought out of his mind. That sort of thing just didn't happen to members of the royal family. Vegeta was probably just stressed, angry, and frustrated, and for very good reasons. Bardock hadn't exactly been tiptoeing around the prince's feelings, after all. "He just needs some time to cool off," he concluded, turning away from the ruined clearing. A stab of pain shot through his ribs at the sudden movement, but he ignored it. He'd already determined that nothing had been broken, though the possibility of fractures hadn't been ruled out, but he wasn't concerned about that. He'd suffered worse before and lived to tell the tale, and fractured ribs really wasn't anything to be worried about. In a few days they'd be only a memory.

"Time to go let everyone know I found the last of the dragonballs," he sighed. Trudging reluctantly back to the capsule house, he tried - unsuccessfully - not to think about what having all the dragonballs truly meant to him. He didn't want to think about how he would never see his world, his people, or his children ever again. He didn't want to think about the danger he'd be leaving Goku and Radditz in, and they would still be in danger. His visions had only shown him what would happen to them if he stayed, not what would happen if he left, so there was still the possibility that something else would crop up to threaten their lives... But that was something they would just have to deal with. Even in a perfect world, there would always be things that he couldn't protect them from, that they would have to learn to handle by themselves. That was just the way things were. At least they would have each other....

Upon entering the dome shaped house, Bardock paused in the doorway and tilted his head to one side. He could hear voices coming from the kitchen, and his nose detected the distinct odor of slightly charred fish, so chances were that everyone else was awake now. He deliberately turned away from the kitchen and went to collect the other four dragonballs from his room, figuring it'd make things easier if they were all in one place. In the back of his mind, though, he knew that he was merely using this as an excuse to avoid the inevitable confrontation with his children. Especially Goku. He didn't really want to face his youngest son again so soon after their argument last night. He was still having trouble resolving in his own mind all the issues that had been brought up about, and he doubted that Goku was faring any better with his own feelings. But, like it or not, he couldn't put this off forever.

Might as well get it over with now, he thought gloomily, dropping the last of the dragonballs into the pouch he'd used to hold the three from last night's excursion. The ball clinked as it touched its siblings, all seven glowing an enchanting yellow-orange, then disappeared from view as Bardock pulled the drawstring closed. As an afterthought, he also pocketed his scouter... to take a few last pictures. Taking a deep breath, he turned back the way he'd come from and headed back to the kitchen.

"...not that bad, honest! I'm sure your father will like it," Bulma's voice floated down the hall as Bardock approached. "After all, it's not like he's any better! You must have inherited his cooking abilities, Goku."

"Trust me, little brother, compared to some of the things we've eaten, your fish seems like a feast."

"Are you sure?" Bardock hesitated at the sound of Goku's young, anxious-sounding voice. "Even though I burned it?"

Giving himself a firm mental shake, the Saiyan warrior gathered all his courage and did what was probably one of the hardest things he'd ever done in his life: He stepped into the kitchen.

"Would you be willing to eat it?" Radditz asked.

"Well, yeah, but..."

"Then don't worry about it," the teenager cut in with a toothy grin. Noticing his father's entrance, Radditz sat up straighter and nodded in greeting. "Morning, 'tousan."

Goku visibly jumped, twisting around in his seat to look up at Bardock with slightly widened eyes. He hesitated for a moment, then tentatively echoed his older brother's words. "Ohayoo..."

"Good morning," Bardock replied cautiously, wary of any emotional outbursts from his youngest son. A second or two ticked by in silence before it became apparent that nothing of the sort was going to happen, which brought a wave of relief washing over him. He really hadn't been looking forward to dealing with a distraught chibi this morning. Maybe Goku was more mature than he'd thought?

Feeling a little more relaxed, Bardock plunked the bag of dragonballs down on the table. "I went dragonball hunting last night," he said, avoiding any mention of what had happened before he'd left. "I found the last three dragonballs... which means we can make the wish anytime now." He paused, bracing himself for the wails of protest he knew would be coming from Goku any second now. Once the boy realized that having all the dragonballs now also meant his father would be leaving him today, instead of days or even weeks from now....

But Goku didn't cry. He didn't get angry or protest or try to wheedle Bardock out of his decision.... He just... smiled.

"That's great!" the seven year old chirped, seemingly oblivious to the completely baffled look his father was giving him. "I bet Goten an' Trunks'll be really happy about that!"

Did I miss something? Bardock's bewildered mind wondered. He darted a quick glance at Radditz, but the teenager didn't act like Goku was behaving at all oddly. Then again, he hadn't told his oldest son about his plans yet, so he probably didn't know that Goku should be acting differently. Bulma didn't seem to notice anything, either, and apparently Goten and Trunks were still in bed, as neither one was in sight. "Uh... right. So... er... how exactly do these things work?" he asked, more to buy time to collect himself than from any real curiosity. Maybe he went back to sleep and, when he woke up, he thought it was all a dream?

"Don't worry, it's easy," Goku assured him. Eager to demonstrate how simple it was, he leaned across the table so he could reach the bag of dragonballs and began pulling the small orange spheres out one by one. "All you gotta do is put 'em on the ground like this..." He placed each ball on the table in something that might have been a specific pattern, or might have been complete coincidence. "Then when you wanna make your wish, you just say 'Shenlon, I summon you!' or somethin' like tha-whoa!!"

"Whoa" was right! Bardock nearly jumped out of his skin as the seven magical balls flared a brilliant, blinding white. The air around the table literally crackled with energy for a moment, raising the hairs on the back of the warrior's neck, before the light coalesced into a bolt of electricity that shot up through the ceiling.

CrackaBOOM!

Dust and debris showered down on their heads. Bulma screamed. Bardock cursed and dove out of the way as a large chunk of what had once been the ceiling crashed down right where he'd been standing. Radditz, who'd been sitting between Goku and Bulma, latched onto both of them and yanked them out of harm's way. A deep rumbling filled the air, and it took Bardock a moment to realize that it wasn't the sound of the roof collapsing.

It was someone speaking.

"YOU HAVE DISTURBED ME FROM MY SLUMBER."

Bardock looked up. And up. And up. Holy... The epithet in his mind died before it had a chance to finish. There simply weren't any words adequate to express what he was thinking right now. It was big. It was green. It had one of the nastiest sets of teeth Bardock had ever had the privilege of setting his eyes on. And, damn, was it ugly!

"SPEAK, AND NAME YOUR WISH!"

"But I didn't mean to summon the dragon yet!" Goku wailed. "I was just tellin' 'tousan what to do!"

The dragon's blood red eyes flashed ominously. "YOU TRY MY PATIENCE," it grated out, the deep, gravelly voice vibrating Bardock down to his very bones. "MAKE YOUR WISH!"

There weren't a lot of things left in this universe that could make Bardock feel true fear. Even faced with a superior foe, he tended more towards excitement and determination than terror. It was one of the things that had made him such a good fighter. But the way the scaly serpentine beast glared at them, framed by a sudden midnight sky, sent an icy chill down Bardock's spine that had nothing to do with the draft coming in through the broken roof. Maybe this hadn't been such a good idea after all...

"WELL?" the dragon snapped irritably. "WHAT IS YOUR WISH?"

"W-wait!" Bardock's mouth felt like it hadn't tasted water in a thousand years, but somehow he managed to find his voice. "Goten and Trunks aren't here. We can't make the wish without them."

The dragon growled, thunder after the lightning of its summoning. "THEN GO AND BRING THEM SO THAT YOU CAN MAKE YOUR WISH. I GROW TIRED OF WAITING!" Shifting his coils impatiently, the Eternal Dragon probably didn't even notice as his massive body widened the already gaping hole in the ceiling, which now included the upper part of one of the walls. Bardock winced. Too much more of that and there wouldn't be much of a house left after they made their wish.

"I-I'll go get them," Bulma offered hurriedly even as she ducked out of the kitchen. Apparently Bardock wasn't the only one intimidated by the giant magical creature - and she'd already met the dragon before!

For some reason, that made Bardock feel better.


To say Goku was nervous would be an understatement. No, he wasn't worried about the dragon. He'd seen Shenlon before and knew that, despite the dragon's menacing looks and behavior, he wasn't going to bite anyone's head off. He was just grouchy from being woken up, that's all. Goku's eyes slid away from the dragon to focus on the true object of his concerns: his father. He hadn't had a chance to tell his father that he was going to go with him and Radditz to the future, and he wasn't certain how Bardock was going to react. What if Bardock didn't want him to come with them? What if Bardock... didn't want him?

You know that's not true, he scolded himself firmly. So stop thinking like that. All he had to do was walk up and tell his father about his plans. Of course Bardock would agree with him and let him come. After all, Bardock was his father.

Gaining confidence from these thoughts, the little seven year old left his brother's side and approached his father. "'Tousan?" he said, effectively pulling Bardock's attention away from the Eternal Dragon. Once his father's eyes were on him, he took a deep breath and said, "I want to go with you."

Bardock blinked owlishly. "What?"

It felt like there was something alive inside his stomach practicing somersaults. Goku pushed the feeling away and plowed on. "When you go to the future with Goten an' Trunks," he clarified. "I wanna go with you."

Goku's father jerked his head back in surprise. "What? But... the vision... you can't... that won't..." Taking a deep breath, he shook his head and continued more clearly, "Goku, the vision didn't show you coming with me."

Goku blinked, confused. What did that have to do with anything?

Apparently reading the confusion in his son's expression, Bardock quickly changed tacks. He dropped down to one knee in front of the seven year old so he could look Goku in the eyes, and patiently argued, "What about Goten? And the rest of your family? Without you, your children will never be born."

"Goten will still exist in the future timeline," Radditz interjected. "And I'm sure this timeline can get along just fine without us."

Bardock raised an eyebrow. "'Us?'"

"Radditz has a chip in his head, too," said Goku. "So he can't stay, either. An' you two are my family now. I don't wanna wait for a family I don't have yet! I want t'go with you!"

A tiny spark of hope flickered in Bardock's eyes, as though he wanted to think that it was possible for Goku to come with him, but didn't want to get his hopes up yet. "What about your friends? If you come to the future with me - and Radditz - you won't see any of them again, except as adults."

Goku shook his head and opened his mouth to respond, but was interrupted before he could say anything.

"Wait, what are you two talking about? Goku can't come with us!" Trunks cut in, having come into the kitchen at the last part of the conversation. Behind him, Bulma was leading a still-sleepy Goten over to one of the benches. The purple-haired demi-Saiyan didn't even spare a glance for the glowing dragonballs or the enormous serpent-like being hovering above them. "And neither can you, Bardock! Or Radditz! You have to stay in your own timeline."

"Not if it means endangering my children," Bardock countered grimly. "And according to my visions and my own common sense, if I stay here, a lot of people will die - including Goku and Radditz." After a brief explanation about the microchips, he concluded, "So you see why Radditz and I can't stay in this timeline."

Trunks frowned skeptically, then folded his arms and hmphed. "Well, maybe you two can come to the future with us, but Goku can't. He has to stay here and protect the Earth!"

"What do you mean?" Goku asked. Was the Earth in danger? What could he do to help? He'd always thought he was strong... until he met his family, Trunks, and Vegeta. They were all a lot stronger than him! What threat could there be that Trunks couldn't stop that Goku could?

"Lots of people have tried to destroy the Earth, Goku... or... they will try to destroy it." Puzzling over which tense to use, Trunks rubbed his head with one hand for a moment, then shrugged it off and went on. "If you left with us, I dunno if all of them would still try it, 'cause some of them were... uh... I don't think I should say. But anyway, there's at least one bad guy who'll try to blow up the Earth, an' if you're not here, there won't be anyone strong enough to stop him!"

"But I'm not very strong," Goku said doubtfully.

"No, you're not," Trunks agreed rather callously. "Not right now, anyway. But someday you will be. He's not coming soon, so you have lots of time to train. He's very, very strong, though - stronger than me or Goten - so you'd better train hard."

Goku gave the blue eyed boy a stricken look. "Stronger than you or Goten?!"

"Yeah..." Trunks hesitated, then smirked. "But only when we're separate." Now what did that mean? "Don't worry, Goku," he went on reassuringly. "In the future, you're much stronger than either of us, even when we use the fus- er... a really special technique that makes us stronger."

A bone-rattling growl rumbled through the air, effectively cutting off whatever response Goku was going to make. "ENOUGH!" Shenlon snarled. "THE ONES YOU REQUIRED ARE HERE. I MUST HAVE YOUR WISH NOW!"

A small squeak somehow managed to escape from Goku's throat. Okay, so maybe the Eternal Dragon was a little scary. But now wasn't the time to be afraid. He didn't have enough time as it was! Blinking back the tears that suddenly sprung to his eyes, Goku lurched toward his father and flung his arms around the man's neck. Burying his face in the lower spikes of Bardock's hair, he allowed himself one shuddering sob before he pulled back enough to meet his father's eyes. "I want to go with you, daddy," he sniffled. "But... but I can't. If the Earth needs me to stay...." He couldn't finish the sentence. The lump in his throat was too big to speak around.

Thick, strong arms wrapped around him, pulling him close, and for a moment Goku felt warm and happy and whole. This was the way things were supposed to be. This was the reason he wanted to be with his father. And this is what he would never get to feel again. Not until he had a family of his own, in a future that seemed an eternity away. "I love you, 'tousan," he whispered thickly.

Bardock's hold on his son tightened, his voice cracking slightly with suppressed emotion. "I love you, too, Goku."

The embrace lasted for only a few more seconds before Goku forced himself to let go of his father. Sniffling through his tears, the little seven year old turned to his old brother, hesitated, then hurried over to give Radditz a quick, heartfelt hug around his knees. "I'm gonna miss you, 'niisan."

Radditz stared down at his little brother, as though unsure how to respond to this attack on his legs, then awkwardly reached down to ruffle the boy's spiky mass of hair. "I'm going to miss you, too... Goku. You take care of yourself, okay?"

Goku wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and nodded bravely. "Hai!" Lifting his head to address the Eternal Dragon, he called out in as steady a voice as he could manage, "Okay, Shenlon! We're ready!"

"FINALLY," the dragon grumbled. "NOW, WHAT IS YOUR WISH?"

Goku looked at his father.

Taking a deep breath, Bardock closed his eyes and rose to his feet, then opened his eyes again before speaking in a clear, firm voice, "Dragon, we wish for you to send me, my son, Radditz, Goten, and Trunks to the timeline that Goten and Trunks came from."

Shenlon's eyes glowed briefly. "IT IS DONE!"

And it was. In the blink of an eye, Goten, Trunks, Bardock, and Radditz had vanished from the ruined kitchen, leaving behind a solemn blue haired girl comforting a broken-hearted black haired boy. And, perched on the broken section of the wall, another black haired boy watched, his face a stony, expressionless mask.

"FAREWELL," the Eternal Dragon intoned before disappearing in another blinding flash of light, followed soon thereafter by seven shining streaks shooting off in seven different directions.

And then... silence.