A Collection of Short DBZ Stories

Just Asking

Scenario: Goku asks Vegeta about his saiyan roots.

The sun bled a lovely shade of orange and pink. The clouds were long gone, leaving nothing but vibrancy and the sun's final embrace. Today, after his training with Gohan and Piccolo, Goku was supposed to go home for dinner. Except there was a certain flame haired saiyan who claimed to have developed a new strategy, a new tactic to defeat him. So, like any tired warrior would do, Goku sent his son and friend home and accepted the challenge. It was a worthy spar, one filled with new lessons and tactics and ideas. However, due to the younger saiyan's lack of energy, it was safe to say he got his ass kicked-but not without a fight.

Now the pair of rivals sat to recollect. Goku wasn't sure he'd have the energy to stand up much less fly but for now he focused on the sweet calm after a battle.

Kakarot and Vegeta were the last of their kind, and here they sat like two peas in completely different pods. They hardly spoke outside of battle, and despite their shared ancestry the most they could offer each other was violence. It made the Earth raised saiyan feel misplaced. Among humans he was deemed a prodigy, a boy with unnatural talent, inhuman. His enemies teased him and called him a monkey-boy but Goku never cared until he realized he was a saiyan and such a remark was considered derogatory to his people. Ever since the reveal of his heritage, it was little things like that that pissed him off. On the plus side, his appetite for strength became more voracious. There was something so empowering about knowing there were others like you who took such great pride in the art of battle.

I wonder if things would be different if there were more of us? He adored his wife and child. He loved the friends he made. He was glad to know all the things he learned but some part of him wondered; what if I hadn't killed Raditz? It was a sorrowful tale: a man finds out he's an alien, his only son gets abducted. A whole domino effect of violence and war is set off. Everything he once knew is shaken. He becomes a legendary warrior, a space traveler, an absent parent. His marriage becomes rocky because he is away for such long periods of time. His son begins to wonder why it takes so long to come home. Maybe there was another way around this chain of events. Perhaps he could've resurrected the guy, changed him like he had with all his friends. He could've been another ally. Maybe then he wouldn't feel like such screwup.

During this existential crisis Goku found the strength to sit up. He wasn't sure what possessed him to do so, but the man was also unaware of the pair of eyes that studied him.

"You look like Raditz when you sit like that."

Though the younger one's interest was piqued, he found it strange that name came out of Prince Vegeta's mouth. In fact, not even Vegeta himself knew why he said it. "Oh really?" He half smiled.

"Yeah," the older one said with disinterest, "he was always looking up at the stars and all that crap." Maybe, just maybe, this dead saiyan, this missing member was the secret to creating a bond between the two.

"Hm. Didn't know that." Goku cast himself deeper into thought now. If the two of them could sit alike, and stare at the same stars and sky, then maybe it wasn't too crazy to assume they had the same thoughts. "Hey, uh, was Raditz really that bad of a guy?"

"You mean a killer? Sure he was. We all are." There was something comforting about the sky, even Vegeta had to admit its enchanting power. "Raditz wasn't the strongest out of the three of us, but he was never one to quit." For once in a long time he remembered those obsidian orbs, that cocky personality, the stupid jokes and boyish nature. "He was a second class warrior-impressive to find coming from a family of third classes. I needed extra men for the expedition and when I questioned your brother on why he wanted to come and all that shit he said; 'anything to get away from Frieza.' " The memory still made him feel good. "It was supposed to be the three of us running this damn planet. Raditz insisted on it."

"Really?" Goku's gaze shifted to the ex-prince beside him. "But what about the bald one?"

Vegeta almost laughed at that. "You mean that pinhead, Nappa? He was a strong bastard but an idiot."

Goku smiled briefly, his thoughts still plaguing him. "But how'd he know I'd be of any help?"

"Simple. Because you were brothers, and he believed you'd be just as strong as him."

There was a length of silence after that. Goku's heart suddenly felt stitched together. At least now he knew his brother cared about him in some way, right? "You know, sometimes I wish I hadn't killed him."

"How'd you kill him, again?"

"I held him down and Piccolo blasted the two of us through the chest."

"Knowing you, you probably gave him some chance for mercy, right?"

"Yeah."

"And he chose to fight on like a true saiyan warrior. Good for him." It had been years since Raditz's death and yet Vegeta couldn't help but miss him just a little. Raditz, you were a pain in the ass but a good soldier. Too bad you got your ass kicked by your little brother! Of course, someone as hardheaded as Vegeta couldn't resist an insult.

Meanwhile, the purehearted one replayed the words over and over. That's right. I gave him a chance, and he chose to continue his assault. It was impossible to tell the outcome of history had Raditz just surrendered. Such matters couldn't be dwelled upon because he had time to make up for with his family, and yet; it would've been nice if you chose differently.

"Well I better get home. Thanks Vegeta." And before he could reply, Goku already used instant transmission, leaving the ex-royal to his thoughts.

12.17.19-12.18.19

Moral of the story: I wish Raditz wasn't killed off.