Bringer of Death

Cell Saga - Part 4: Damn Kakarott

Cell Saga - Part 4: Damn Kakarott 

'Damn...Kakarott!' Vegeta said, his words silent in the void. The cry was lost, heard by no one. It didn't matter, either; the words had no meaning. They were not pleas to his Saiyan brother, nor were they blame or insult. They were simply an epithet of frustration, a curse hurled at his circumstances. For what felt like the hundredth time, Vegeta found himself facing certain death-and the blame was directed at no one else. Was this his last hour? 

In the shortest of moments, our lives can hang in the balance between life and death. One instant we are spiraling, hopelessly and helplessly out of control, and in the next it is all over, the danger passed. Some calls are closer than others, but each one gives us new perspective. We are reminded of what we cherish about life...our loved ones, our dreams, our fondest memories of happy days long passed. Those moments strip away our facades, showing us who we really are. Without our masks, our core being springs to life. 

Such moments can often reshape us, forever changing who we are. We make promises and resolutions that have true meaning to us-much more meaning than decisions made at other times. Could we have known that such a short instant could completely change our beliefs? Or does this moment show us the strength of a conviction we had never really thought about before? Either way, we find ourselves reflecting on that moment later on, wondering and pondering. We think back on how close we were to our end, and it strengthens our resolve-our resolve to live, to survive, to endure. Is death the only thing that shows us how dearly we love life? 

Gratitude for life isn't the only outcome, though. For many, thought in such moments isn't for themselves-their own hopes and dreams. No, they have others in mind, those they care for most of all. For such people, these fleeting thoughts aren't spent selfishly. They wonder how their families will survive, how their loved ones will make it without them. Even with their own lives on the line, with the faint light of their own hope of survival dwindling to its dimmest point, they think of others. It can affect even the most unlikely of all, those whose hardened ambitions have long since allowed them to disregarded their duty to family-even those who outwardly so appear to be distant and uncaring. 

Vegeta's mind was racing, yet clear. 'So this is how it ends?' At first, his thoughts were only of himself, of his miserable and unavoidable end. But they were quickly replaced. 

'Bulma...Trunks...' He couldn't speak; he wasn't even fully aware of his surroundings. The beating he had just received had robbed him of his senses, yet voices still echoed all around him. Which ones were real? 

'Vegeta!' cried the distant voice of Bulma, reverberating through the darkness. 'Vegeta!' He spun around searching for her, but in vain. Her voice came from every direction; it seemed to emanate from within himself. 'VEGETA!' But he couldn't grasp her-like a wisp of smoke that melted away in his arms, she was unreachable. 

'Daaddaa!' echoed the voice of his small son...someone he had neglected all too often. In this moment, he longed for the voice, wishing he had held his son just once. Here, at the end, reality became clear. Would his son grow up without ever knowing what it meant to be a Saiyan? This alien world of Earthlings would brainwash him like all the others, teaching him to fit in...lay down his identity and become one of them. No, it couldn't be! Trunks was destined for greatness! 

'Son!' Vegeta screamed into the blackness. He tried to run, to find the boy, but his movements were heavy and slow-the form of his son vanished into the distance. Something pulled him back to painful reality. 

"Lesson four, Vegeta." These words came louder and clearer than the rest...a stagnant, putrid air blowing against his face. He could once again smell smoke and taste blood. He tried to respond, but a hole was opening beneath him...black, thick darkness. He struggled, but he could not break free as the abyss dragged him down.