Unexpected Fate

Undesired Circumstancces

Unexpected Fate

Chapter 36-Undesired Circumstances

The remaining days went by in a blur and soon, it was the night before the tournament. Bardock slipped the fighting clothes his daughter-in-law made on the back of the chair and looked in the mirror at his reflection. He had come a long way since he had started training again and admired his muscular body in the mirror. The warrior was currently wearing nothing but a pair of black sweatpants and had a towel draped on his neck. His bare chest glistened with the soft light from the lamp.

'Had I lived on Vegeta-sei, I wouldn't have seen this same strength...' Bardock mused. Concentrating, he transformed as his golden hair wavered in the air and his body became more defined. The towel that had been draped on his shoulders fluttered to the ground. He did not mind it in the slightest—instead, he was silently approving the power he had gained over the past few months. The fact that he stood there in his transcended state spoke volumes and he took a very good look at his body before releasing the form. 'I have a feeling tomorrow that this tournament's going to be a trial run for me since Kakarrot's death...'

The thought saddened him slightly, but he had come to accept his son's death albeit it being hard to grasp after seven years.

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The sunlight was shining brightly and Bardock found himself looking around the area with the others who he traveled to the tournament with. People from all over seemed excited about the tournament and he wondered if he was going to have to fight all of the humans that have come for the occasion. The idea seemed ridiculous though since there were many who were not in any appropriate fighting attire or seem physically fit. He figured that they might be hiding it somewhere unless they were merely spectators of the competition.

'I wonder who our opponents are going to be...' Bardock stretched his senses around, but realized that any decent challengers were few and far in between compared to those he was surrounded by. He was hoping to face off against someone besides the friends that his son had, knowing that they were weaker and could hurt them critically if he unleashed a fraction of his power.

"I wonder when he's going to show up," Krillin wondered out loud. This jarred the cursed warrior from his own musings.

"You know dad, he shows up whenever he wants," Gohan smiled at the thought.

"We should go ahead and see if he's going to meet us somewhere else," Bulma suggested. Everyone began to move when Bardock suddenly felt a familiar energy materialize right behind him. There, standing almost as though he were once more alive, was his youngest son and some strange midget-like woman on some odd ball that he never seen in his life. She wore a pointed black hat, a matching robe and pink hair, which he found quite odd on such an old-looking woman.

'Kakarrot...' Bardock thought to himself.

"Hey there," Goku cheerfully smiled. "Why is everyone standing there?" At once, Bardock saw Krillin, Gohan and Yamcha crowd around the Earth-raised Saiya-jin. He didn't move and neither did Goten—the child ended up stayed back behind his mother's legs. Bardock couldn't blame the child being afraid of a man he never met before and only heard stories about.

"I missed you dad," Gohan hugged his father with affection.

"I missed you as well," Goku glanced over at Chi-chi and noticed Goten peek out until his father had his attention on the boy. Slowly, he parted those gathered around him and stepped forward. "Goten... don't be shy..."

"You already know our youngest son's name?" Chi-chi asked with surprise on her face.

"Of course," Goku knelt down and looked at the boy who peeked out again when he heard the sweet, kind voice speak. "It's alright Goten, it's me..."