Saiyan Legacy: A New Dawn

Chapter 2: Meeting Grandpa Gohan

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The pod hissed as it cooled, the last remnants of smoke curling into the air as it rested at the bottom of a small crater in a dense forest. The lush greenery around it was a stark contrast to the burning skies of Planet Vegeta you had left behind. For a moment, the only sound was the gentle rustling of leaves in the wind, so peaceful it almost felt surreal.

You stepped out of the pod, your boots crunching against the soft earth. The weight of the past hours hit you like a boulder: Planet Vegeta was gone, wiped out by Frieza, and you were now on a strange planet with nothing but a tiny Saiyan child in your care. Your arms tightened around Kakarot, who was still asleep, his small tail curled around your arm.

This place... Earth. It was so different from the harsh wastelands and battle-scarred skies of home. Here, the air was fresh, the sun warm, and the world... calm. Almost too calm. You glanced down at the infant in your arms. Bardock's son. Your responsibility now. It was up to you to make sure he grew up strong—strong enough to survive what was to come.

As you adjusted your grip on Kakarot, a sudden movement caught your attention. Your instincts kicked in, and your tail flicked behind you as your body tensed, ready for anything. From the trees ahead, a figure emerged—a short, elderly man with a long white beard, walking slowly with the help of a wooden cane. His robes were simple, and there was something about his gentle expression that told you he wasn't a threat.

Still, you didn't relax just yet.

The old man's eyes twinkled as he approached, his steps slow but deliberate. He didn't seem alarmed by the crash site or the strange pod you had arrived in. In fact, his face held nothing but curiosity and warmth.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" he said in a gentle tone, his voice surprisingly strong for his age. "I've never seen anything like this before. Quite the entrance you made."

You studied him closely. He was old and frail-looking, but something about him radiated wisdom. Still, you kept your guard up. "Who are you?" you asked, voice cautious, though you didn't sense any immediate danger from him.

The old man chuckled softly, unfazed by your tone. "Ah, where are my manners? I'm Gohan. People around here call me Grandpa Gohan," he introduced himself with a bow. "And you... well, you don't look like you're from around here, are you?"

You glanced at Kakarot in your arms, then back at Gohan. "We're not. I'm (Y/N), and this is Kakarot. We're... from far away."

Gohan's gaze lingered on the infant for a moment, his expression softening. "That much is clear. But no need to explain too much if you're not ready. I've learned in my time that sometimes, people arrive where they need to be, even if it's not where they expect to be."

You frowned slightly at his words but found no malice in them. His eyes were kind and knowing, as if he understood more than you were saying.

Gohan approached slowly, peering at Kakarot with curiosity. "A child, and so young," he said softly. "You must have traveled a long way."

You hesitated. "We... didn't have much of a choice. Our home was destroyed."

Gohan's face grew serious, sympathy clear in his eyes. "I see. A tragic loss, no doubt. And now you're here, alone." His gaze flickered back to Kakarot. "He has a future ahead of him, doesn't he?"

You nodded. "Yes. And I'm going to make sure he grows up strong. Strong enough to survive what's coming."

Gohan smiled gently, though there was sadness in his eyes. "Strength is important, yes. But so is love, kindness, and understanding. He'll need more than just strength to survive in this world."

You shifted uncomfortably. This man was speaking as though he already knew what you were planning, but how could he? You were a Saiyan, a warrior by nature. It was in your blood to fight, to grow stronger, and Kakarot would be no different. Still, something about Gohan's words made you pause.

"I can see you care deeply for him," Gohan continued, noticing your hesitation. "If you need a place to stay, I'd be happy to help. Raising a child is no easy task, especially in a world as new as this one must be for you."

You glanced down at Kakarot, his peaceful expression still unaware of the burden he carried as one of the last Saiyans. Could this strange old man really offer something valuable? There was something about Gohan's presence that felt... right. He wasn't strong in the way Saiyans were, but there was a quiet strength in his wisdom, something that made you think he could provide what Kakarot might need in the years ahead.

"I..." you began, still unsure if this was the right path. But you had nowhere else to go, no other plan but survival.

Gohan's smile widened. "There's no rush. Come with me. I live in the mountains, just a short walk from here. It's quiet, peaceful. You'll find it a good place to get your bearings, and Kakarot will be safe."

You nodded slowly, finally lowering your guard. Maybe this old man could help, at least for now. You had to think long term, about Kakarot's future, and perhaps Earth had more to offer than you originally thought.

With Kakarot cradled in your arms, you followed Gohan through the forest, the soft sound of his cane tapping against the ground guiding you along the path. As the trees thinned and the mountains loomed ahead, you couldn't help but wonder what kind of future awaited you on this strange, peaceful planet.

But for the first time since leaving Planet Vegeta, you felt something you hadn't expected: a sliver of hope. And with that hope, the promise of a new beginning.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You just met Grandpa Gohan, but how will this go differently than in a different timeline? 

Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed!