**Chapter 23: The Fourth Timeline**
The world in the **Fourth Timeline** was like nothing Goku had seen before. It wasn't shattered or crumbling like the others, nor was it cloaked in the twisted darkness of Vegeta's power. Instead, this world felt... almost normal. The sun was high in the sky, the birds chirped, and the forests were alive with the sounds of nature. Everything seemed peaceful, too peaceful.
Goku, standing at the edge of a lush green field, stared out into the horizon. He had already been through three timelines, each one more nightmarish than the last. He was tired, but there was no time to rest. His mission was clear. He had to stop every version of Vegeta from wreaking havoc. No matter how different they were, they all shared one thing in common: they were deadly.
This timeline was different, though. When he arrived, there was no immediate sense of impending destruction or war. There was no sign of the terror Vegeta had spread across the other worlds. It was peaceful, tranquil.
Goku took a deep breath. He had to keep moving forward. There was no time for hesitation, no time for doubts.
Suddenly, he sensed it—a small, familiar presence. It wasn't the same dark, malicious energy that had marked the previous Vegetas, but it was still something he recognized. A Saiyan's energy, no doubt.
He followed the feeling, moving swiftly across the grassy plains, until he came to a small village nestled at the foot of a mountain. It was there, in the middle of the peaceful village, where he saw something truly strange.
**A baby.**
But this wasn't just any baby—it was a baby version of **Vegeta**.
Goku's heart sank as he saw the child playing innocently in the village square. The tiny Saiyan prince crawled on the grass, his dark hair sticking up wildly, his little fists grabbing at the air as he cooed and giggled.
It was impossible. This was Vegeta as a child—before he had ever turned into the villain he was in the other timelines. This was Vegeta before he had fallen to darkness, before he had become a tyrant, before he had hurt so many. But despite the innocence in his face, Goku felt no joy. The weight of everything he had seen in the other timelines pressed down on him, and he knew that this child would eventually grow up into the same monster as the other Vegetas.
Goku stared at the baby for a long time, but his expression remained hardened. He felt the weight of his mission pressing down on his shoulders. He had no choice.
**"This has to end, Vegeta,"** Goku muttered, his voice low.
He stepped forward, feeling the weight of the moment. The little baby Vegeta stopped playing for a moment and turned his head, staring at Goku with wide, curious eyes. There was no fear. Just innocence.
**"Kakarot?"** The baby's voice was tiny, barely a whisper. But it was Vegeta, or at least a version of him that had not yet been shaped by the darkness. He held his tiny hands out, as if to invite Goku to play.
Goku's heart clenched.
He could see the potential in the child. The strength. The fire that was destined to grow within him. And he knew all too well where that fire would lead—down the path of destruction, anger, and pain.
But Goku didn't care about that right now.
He couldn't.
His mission wasn't to play with children. His mission wasn't to save a child from the future. He couldn't allow this version of Vegeta to grow up and continue the cycle of pain and destruction that he had witnessed in the other timelines.
There was no mercy left in him. No hesitation.
Goku had to put an end to this version of Vegeta before he even had a chance to become the monster he would eventually become.
With a heavy heart, Goku raised his hand, his energy building up, and prepared to end it all.
But then, he hesitated.
**"You're just a baby,"** Goku whispered, his voice cracking. **"You haven't done anything wrong yet."**
But deep down, Goku knew the truth. This child was a future tyrant, just like the others. And no matter how innocent he appeared now, he would grow up to be the same force of evil that Goku had faced before.
Vegeta's tiny form stared at him, confusion in his eyes. He was too young to understand the weight of the decision Goku was about to make. Too pure, too innocent to be tainted by the dark future that loomed ahead.
Goku's hand trembled.
He didn't want to do this. He didn't want to be the one to take this child's life. But he had no choice. This was his mission. He had to save the multiverse, and Vegeta's death was the only way to make it happen.
In the end, Goku lowered his hand, his eyes softening. He couldn't do it.
For once, he didn't care about the future. Not now. Not with this version of Vegeta.
Goku turned away and began to walk off. **"Maybe this time... things will be different."**
But the reality was Goku knew deep down that the pain was far from over.
