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- takes place a week after the buu saga
- when vegeta and goku fused, they ended up sharing their memories, that doesn't happen completely at the start, it's a slow and gradual thing where they start random things that happened to the other before the fusion. (goku starts remembering things from vegeta memory but vegeta is kinda oblivious to this, think because he has such heavy memories that he tries his best not to remember things from very long ago and always keeps himself occupied with training)
-the tails also grow back and fangs reappear.
- goku goes over to talk to vegeta about it, after reliving a bad memory from V childhood (maybe something to do with frieza)
- vegeta tries to play dumb saying that goku must be making it up but then it clicks in his brain.
- he threatens goku that if he ever shares any of his memories or comes back to discuss them he will kill him with no hesitation. aggression getting the best of him, he tells goku that of he ever sees him again he will kill him and that no matter what he needs to stay away.
-this absolutely breaks Gokus heart. the type of heart break that hurts your chest but also makes you wonder why did you care so much for something that wasn't there.
- he slowly flies home until he feels gotens energy dramatically increases. knowing that he isn't allowed to do any form of training at any point during the day. he ITS to him. to find something that absolutely horrifys him.
- he appears in the kitchen to see chi chi standing there with pillars in her hands while trying to grab a screaming goten. his attention draws to goten to see he a sobbing wrack with blood pouring out. they hadn't noticed him standing there.
- chi chi began to ramble about how "those stupid fangs and tails better not come back again" and that's when goku snapped
"ENOUGH" he yelled
- chi chi froze in place dropping the pillars. goten scrambled over to his father and latched onto his leg.
'oh goku i didn't realise you were home' she nervously laughed 'i can explain....'
"there's no need to, we're leaving'
and with giving her a second to process he ITD away.
_____
Goku sat on the grass and slowly peeled goten off his leg, he need to get him cleaned up and figure out what they are to do next. He asked to goten to explain to him what happened but he didn't get much out of him.
"mum said that teeth were too sharp and had to go. tail also bad and has to be gone again."
but it was enough.
- he asked goten to open his mouth so he could see. but that just resulted in a panic attack from him and he ended having to show goten his own set of fangs and explain that it was okay and that he won't try to remove them. but it was too late for one of gotens teeth, one of the top ones had been removed and was clearly the source from where the blood was coming from.
- he walked with his son down to the lake and they swam and washed off the blood from their clothes. they had no plan and no where really to go so they sleep out on the grass.
- as they as watching the stars waiting for sleep to take over. he told goten stories about when he used to live in the forest with grandpa gohan and the story of how he came to be on earth in the first place.
"dad, if you're not from earth, why didn't you go home when you found out?? what about your family over there"
- for once goku felt a pain in his heart thinking about how home and family are gone. he'd never really cared or thought about it too much before but some reason now he wanted to be there.
he tried explaining to goten that the planet and sai yuans were destroyed many years ago by someone e names freiza.
Gotens response was to just bring them back with the dragon balls before sleep finally took over.
- he didn't have the heart to break it to goten that he couldn't actually wish them back because of the rules but he began to wonder if there was a way for dense to change then.
——-
- after a lot of pleading and planning with dense they found a way to wishing some of the saiyains back. dense explained there's no guarantee that all of them would come back but most of them would. but i. order for that wish ti be granted the dragon needed more energy than dende could provide. goku decided to willingly give up his ki and in terms all his strength in order for the dragon to make the wish.
- they make the wish he wishes for the planet and saiyains to be a restore and then wishes them onto the planet.
- upon arrival goku begins to feel the effects of his loss of power. dues to the sudden loss of energy he collapses. unsure of what to do goten carries his father to a tree near by and curls up beside him waiting for him to wake up.
- eventually goku wakes up only to shift himself so he can hold and protect goten in his sleep. while he may now be weak, his urge to protect his child is strong.
- over the next few days they manage to slowly travel a little closer to where goten could sense a bunch of energy signatures.
- he could've gone and got help but he was afraid to leave his dad on his own and goku wouldn't let me wander off anywhere out of his sight. so walking the little amount that goku could annage a day it was.
_____
- Bardock had been having the worst week of his life. one moment he was trying to protect himself and all the other saiyains from a giant energy blast coming there way, the next it just disappeared. at first it seemed as if everything would be all okay until him and the other saiyains realised that some stray energy from the blast had blasted many of those on the ground. leaving the town to clean up and bury those they could find.
he never found his mate Gine.
at first he just hoped that she was busy helping others with the clean up and comforting on their loss, but as the days and nights passed and there was no knock at the door he lost hope.
only for a knock at the door to come from someone he least expected to see.
—-
- bardock had sunken into his pile of furs he'd moved towards the door, so if he was sleeping the knocking would be loud enough for him to hear it and wake up.
- it been a long day of fixing the houses of those around him and he wanted nothing more to relax and drink but it seemed the universe had other plans.
- a loud knock at the door had him jumping to his feet and at the door in a flash, only to be disappointed when he was greeted by a giant burly man.
'oh. what do you want' bardock questioned, getting straight to the point. but the man said nothing. he just stared the scarred man and look at him as if he'd seen a ghost.
'dad is that really you?' the large man asked, at this point he looked as if he was about to burst into tears.
- assuming it was some sick prank that someone was trying to pull, bardock didn't even question the man, just slammed the door in his face. and turned to go back to his seat.
- raditz ends up having to bust through the door and yells at him for shutting it own his own son before it dawns him. 'you don't recognise me anymore don't you? *sighs* i guess that's what happens your dead for almost 20 years but your kids are still alive.'
- bardock softens his grip on him as study the mans face. the looking bad at him reminded him of his own. his large mane of hair reminded him of gines and his eldest hair. it clicked.
'raditz?'
- raditz then spent the night explaining everything that he knew about from how the planet had been wiped out all the way to his own death. he said he didn't know how he'd gotten on vegetasei when the last thing he remembers is him and kakarot dying.
——-
- over the two days raditz had been helping his father rebuild the town until today.
- bardock got a message on his scouter saying that some power levels had been picked up out in the fields and foreest and told to go investigate.
- the landscape on vegetasei was harsh and the wildlife was extremely deadly. the detection of power level put their normally indicated that there was a unwanted and new visitor in their planet.
- both him and raditz were now flying out to check it out. it's turns out when you're son returns home as an adult after ejjdjwidnrhfijf it's difficult to navigate and lead to them just flying in awkward silence.
- as they got closer bardock landed in the ground a little bit away from where the power levels for located. as per procedure but raditz just flew straight to them. 'looks like he's still just as reckless' he laughed to himself before taking off after him.
____
- goten yawned and stretched out his limbs as he looked at over at his dad for last two days he hadn't had the strength to get up. and goten was started to get increasingly more exhausted and weeks as the days past. it'd been just over a week since they'd had a proper meal and it was taking a toll on both of him.
he wandered if he'd be able to find anything to eat in the trees and bushes not far from where they were. but quickly shrugged it off when he remembered he had promised his dead he wouldn't leave his side while he was asleep.
- he felt two large energies coming their way, he began to shake his dad to wake him up but nothing. goku wouldn't stir, this just caused gotens panic to raise. he was on a completely different planet alone with someone who barely walk let alone defend then self. he wriggled himself into gokus shirt and pressed his ear on his chest. there was still a heart beat but it was extremely slow and weak.
- knowing that once those energies reach them, he'd have no hope of fighting against them. he curled up and began to cry into his fathers chest. the idea of leaving everything behind and pursuing a new life felt way to scary for him. he wanted to be home, even if that wasn't very safe for him either but at least he had his friend , trunks.
—
- raditz landed and immediately noticed that the power levels belonged to some other saiyains. as he landed he noted the orange one of wearing looked very familiar. but shrugged that thought off as he began to investigate. as soon as he saw the sayians hair he knew exactly who it was
"kakarot"
what was he doing here? he thought he was dead. then again he himself was supposed to be dead along with his father and the whole planet. yet here they were. something felt off though. the power level for kakarot for only showing as 1 and the other power level looked as if it was coming from the saiyans shirt. he then noted that kakarot hadn't even reacted to him yet. not when he landed and when he said his name. something was wrong.
unsure of what was happening, he knelt down next to goku and began to investigate what the other power level was. he lifted up the front of his brothers shirt to see a small clone of him curled up on his chest. he could tell the cub was doing it's best to stay still but was trembling.
- "raditz, what in the world are you think?!"
bardock shouted at him, as he began explaining how he could've gotten hurt and should've landed further away and assessed what was happening before flying to straight to source. Raditz fully ignored him and held up at hand to try get his father to stop shouting. he was watching the cub trying to figure out whether he should try remove him from the shirt and try get answers as to what was happening. in one swift movement he quickly reached and grabbed the cubs tail and pulled him from the shirt.
- "what the hell is going on" bardock whispered as he stared at the cub raditz picked up, he felt like he was looking at a younger version of himself or his youngest son.
"is that who i think it is?" he asked unsure of what he wanted the answer to be.
raditz shook his head before, looking at the other saiyains laying on the ground, "that's him"
——-
(this would be a short chapter just to remind reader i haven't forgetting about vegeta or earth and show where vegeta's head space is at in that point in time)
vegeta had spent the last week training non stop. he couldn't help it every time he was occupied with something, his conversation with goku would keep coming up. one part of his thought his threats were justified, he'd been through so many things that he never wanted anyone to know about and here came kakarot stopping by to just let him know that they now share all the same memories. it was unfair. he didn't even remember anything from kakarots life.
the other part of him was worried that the other saiyain had taken what he said as truth. and that he did believe if vegeta saw him again he would kill him. even if he wanted to go apologise and make amends he couldn't. gokus energy had simply vanished, and no one knew where he was or at least wasn't sharing.
he began shout insults as aimlessly punched around in a fury of rage, what was he supposed to do now. sit around and wait for kakarot to show up again?
—— flash bavk—-
(have a flash back to the night after he found out about planet vegeta blowing up)
- in the moment go finding out he has a wall up cause he's an a mission. he shrugs it off and tries to just be upset because now he'll never be king. but once he gets into his bed for the night the tears start coming, it begins to sink in that there is now hope for me. for the last year he'd be hoping his father would grow stronger and become the legendary super saiyan, it was all for nothing. he would have to overthrow frieza himself. how come he do this though? and where would he go after, there was no home or family to return too. the terrifiying thoughts of having to spend the rest of his days alone and in space were too exhausting for the young prince and soon he fell into sleep.
__________
When goku woke, the grasses felt way softer and warm than he remembered than it being. not that the really payed attention to how the ground felt. Most of what he focused on was how weak he felt, he had no energy and all he could do is sleep, the only other thought that came to his mind was to check and make sure Goten was safe. He was unsure of what had come over him but the longer they spent on Planet Vegeta the more protective he was being to feel about his son. The anger still boiling through his blood about what he witnessed happening to him didn't help. it made him wonder what else the poor boy has been through, causing regret to bubble over dying and chasing to remain dead even though he had his own selfish reason for why he no longer wanted to be alive and stay on earth.
As he shifted to check up on his son and open his eyes, panic set in. He wasn't outside. He was laying in what looked like a bed covered with fluff or fur like blankets. Looking around he couldn't find goten, he pushed himself up and began to throw blankets over trying to find him but no luck. The longer he spent searching and throwing blankets in a mad fashion, the more he began to think of the worse case scenarios. Someone had taken him. But why he'd been taken too didn't make sense. Maybe they taken him and left Goten behind. Or possibly he had managed to escape and run off. None of it made sense. Goku slipped off the bed realising that goten was not there with him, and tried to take some steps. forgetting about his current condition he fell with a thump into the floor. He couldn't give up, as starting crawling toward the open door way, he screamed out his son name, in desperation.
—
a loud thud followed by screaming, woke bardock up from his spot on the couch. he leapt up and ran into the bedroom, to find goku crawling on the floor screaming out what he assumed to be the kid's name.
- he knelt down and tried to explain that goten was in the other soon room but his sons own yelling drowned him out. and sigh and waited. he didn't really know what to expected when Raditz had told him what he knew about kakarot but from what he was told and was he seeing he kinda doubted it was the same person. the kakarot he heard about was strong and sounded as if he had a fun personality. while strength and power levels aren't all the matter he can't help but a feel a little disappointed seeing his child be as weak if not more than the day they were born.
"dad" came a small voice. drawing bardock out of his thoughts to see Goku staring at him with wide eyes. he felt a little of his strength return, as he lifted himself up and threw himself into the older man.
"it worked, it really worked" he began to cry, as he hugged his father. instinctively bardock brought his had up to gokus head and began to massage the scalp while he cried in his arms. he was unsure of what his son was going on about but if there's one thing he was certain about all the weird things that have happened over the past week we're definitely caused by him. he felt himself beginning growl over what a mess life had become in such a few days.
hearing the man thought his father growl, goku pulled himself back and sat on his knees.
"i'm sorry, i just thought cause you look so similar to me that you might be my dad" he apologised as he bowed his head. afraid of what was to come. he expected to yelled at, hit or just some negative reaction. instead laughter followed. goku looked up as the man in front of him chuckled.
"you were right in thinking so," bardock getting up, extend a hand out to his son " before we chat more, how about you come join your son and get some food in your system."
- goku tries to get up but his legs can't hold him up anymore, so bardock carries him into the kitchen.
- seeing his dad being carried into the kitchen makes goten worried as he runs asking what's wrong.
- they all sit and eat as goku tells the story about how he wished back the saiyians and the planet. but he didn't mention any of why he left. he felt weak and a coward from running from vegeta and his problems. but the moment and those after it hurt too much to stay on earth.
- after eating goten begins to feel really sleepy and is falling alseep at the table so bardock carries him off to the bed. once his left the kitchen, uneasiness and a sense of panic washes over goku again as he tries to stand and follow them. he manages to get half way across the room before face planting again into the floor.
- he pushes himself up so he's sitting on the floor and feels the tears in his eyes threaten to spill over. he feels disappointed to have lost all of his progress and feels embarrassed that the first impression his dad will have of him that he's weak and defenceless .
- bardock comes back to see kakarot sitting on the floor. he feels pity towards his son, to have so much strength and to lose it all. it begins to sink in that this is his son. and while he missed his chance on raise him and trying to be a good father he now has a chance to prove himself and help with kalotte recovery. without saying anything he kneels down beside him and pulls one arm over his shoulder and stays up. giving his son the option to try walk in his own if he pleases. they move over to a couch and sit down.
- "i'm not dispointed with you."
goku stares back confused.
"i can see it on your face, it's been there the since you saw me. from what i've heard you've have grown into a strong and brilliant man, but your strength doesn't define you. i don't know how you've been raised, let me tell you this strength may be important to saiyains but there are many things far more important such as family. You are my son. i will do everything to help you get through this so you can live the life here you were always meant to" Bardock took a few moments to pause before continuing, "Your mother would have loved to meet you and see how you've turned out, the dragon didn't bring her back along with many others. and that's okay. unlike those who lost someone close to them, i may have lost someone but also had my sons return back to me. for that i am grateful." after he finished there was a long silence.
- after few paragraphs about what life is now like for goku and goten.
Goten often had a rough time sleeping, he had nightmares about his time on earth but would refuse to share to anyone what they were about. Whenever he was woken up the first thing he would do beg to not be sent back to earth.
Gokus sleep was not much better either, his dreams consisted of vegetas memories. things he was afraid to remember because of one how traumatising some of the things he's been through were and also it was a constant reminder of vegeta. he wanted to forget, forget the real reason he came here was to run and to forget how hurt he was when threatened. he felt vegeta mean every word of it and it terrified him. then there was the guilt of living on planet vegeta with the saiyans and not having him there or even know that the planet and race for back.
- now eatting a proper diet, he was able to go back to full health. this meant his body was a lot less weaker, and he could sometimes walk on his own. although he notice his father would still walk closely by his side in case anything was to happen. in a way it have him comfort that help was always not very far away but on the other hand he felt embarrassed and it served as a constant reminder of just how weak him was.
- the saiyains were a confusing race, mainly due to how little he knew about them and what he did seemed to be completely wrong. he assumed everyone to very violent and crave blood shed, but nothing had confirmed it. there were so many things to learn and he genuinely felt excited to learn about it all. a thing on earth he never experienced.
——-
today they were walking through the village, bardock explained he had a surprise for both goku and goten. but they would have to be a bit of walking to get it since goku had flat out refused to accept being carried in the air.
it was a hot day. heat could be felt radiating off the the small huts and shelters. many homes were still being repaired from the mysterious blast from space. no one knew where it'd come from and how it just disappeared. all expect the three saiyians walking through the village. they all had the same hair and facial features, if it wasn't for the clear size and age differences between them. it would have been assumed that they were either clones or triplets.
after a while of walking bardock stopped them outside one of the half destroyed houses.
Swung the door open and began to shout out " Zuko, have finished the thing i asked you make??"
goku and goten slowly walked in after bardock, rubble and dust still covered the floor and they were light streaming in from a large hole in the ceiling. it look as if anyone had even bothered to try clear it yet.
in came a tall fit saiyian with shaggy hair and a ki burn scar over the left side of his face. in his hand he seem to be carrying a large stick with the top of it wrapped up in some form of paper. he hands it over to bardock before crossing his arms. "i'm assuming your going to help me fix this place up as payment right." he frowns as silence fills of the air while he wait for a response.
"of course" bardock laughs as he walks towards the door. "i'll be back later today to fix it."
they quickly walked back through the town while goten bombarded his grandpa with questions.
"whose was that,"
"zuko"
"how'd he get that scar"
"fighting"
"what's that"
"a surprise"
this continued on the entire way back to the house .
at the beginning of gotens constant questions, goku began to worry that bardocks patients was beginning to wear thin. with vegeta being the only adult saiyian he's really interacted with he had long assumed all sayians had to short tempter that he possessed.
-
- went the get back bardock hands goku the stick
- he unwraps the end to find there's a handle craved into it. with detailing of what looked to be the four star ball. he stared back in confused unsure of what to think or what it was.
- noticing his confusion bardock explains he got his friend to make goku a walking stick. he couldn't spend all his time at home and tomorrow would have to go back to working but was worried about his son in his current state. because even though he'd made great success a few days had been worse than others where he had trouble walking again. he also wants grant him independence to go off and explore on his own without needing someone to help him.
- this overwhelmed goku it was the most thoughtful gift he ever received and spent most of the day admiring the detailing on it and went on a walk with goten later in the evening to enjoy some new puns freedom and confidence.
_____
- the next day bardock heads off to the palace for work . there was a meeting to be held between generals and some elites on the current state of the city and towns . and to try figure out the cause of the mysterious attack.
goten asked bardock in the early hours of the morning to promised not to tell about vegeta and earth. he wanted to protect his friends and had noticed how scared of vegeta his father had become.
unable to say no to the young cub he ruffled his hair and told him that he would try to share as little as possible, but there no guarantee that he could keep everything a secret.
- the meeting dragged on and on. bardock blankly stared out the window onto the city below. all the buildings close to the palace had already been fullly rebuilt or repaired. while the further away one looked as though no one had began to work on than at all.
- "bardock, bardock" he could faintly hear someone calling his name "BARDOCK" a booming yell shook the room and snapped him out of his bored zoned out state. turned his head back to the table to see at the head of the table the king glaring at him with arms crossed. "you've been unusually quiet this whole meeting, is there something you wish to share?"
'no your highness' shaking his head. he stared back at the king that rest of the tablet twist their head to watch and wait for the response. after an extremely long minute. the king began to speak all the while cracking his knuckles. "it would be unwise to lie to your king, third class. now let me ask you this. is there something you know the recent attack and events on Planet Vegeta"
"yes i do" bardock bowed his head unable to watch for the reaction of his admission of lying. silence dominated the room once more as the minutes passed and he felt all eyes on the room on his he realised they were waiting for him to share what he'd learnt.
"i don't remember the full story, there's a lot of information and context i've already forgotten or missed but it basically freiza set that blast and destroyed the planet. and somehow someone wished the planet back." as expected the room filled with roars of laughter, including the king. his tail thrashed behind him in anger. he knew it was a ridiculous story but he'd never been one to tell such outrageous lies and wished they led just pretend to believe him.
- he returned to zoning back out as the meeting continued. he watched as sun slowly began to sunset painting the normally red sky with brillant yellows and oranges. he watched as he thought of much gine would have loved it. the gaining of his sons back and the duty he felt to help kakarot around had aided in distracting him from his loss. he it didn't help with the pain slowly creeping back up on him. losing your mate, your life long partner isn't something you can recover easily from.
-distracted from watching the twin suns disappear below the horizon. he didn't notice that the meeting had concluded and everyone had left well almost. everyone. he turned out to find the only one left at the table was the king.
"please take a seat bardock, i have some things i would like to further discuss with just the two of us. "
he gestured to the table.
nervously bardock sat down, unsure how this discussion was to about to go.
"first of all i'm sorry about Gine. i'm sure it must be tough for you losing your mate so early on. and while normally i would offer some time off and a break. i have a mission that i feel i can only trust to you."
this was not the turn bardock had expected and thanks KV for his condolences. before he continued, KV rose from his chair, open the door and check the hallway was clear before returning to his seat. he slumped into his seat with a sign and allowed himself to relax the formalities.
"my son is missing bardock"
"and you want me to try find him?"
the king nodded, he began to explain how they had not been able to find any traces of vegeta, his pods, his scouter. nothing. they were clueless on the where abouts of the young prince but had no made public or told anyone until bardock just now.
foolishly bardock agreed, knowing fully well vegeta would never be found here and he'd promised kakarot that he'd never allowe him to set on the planet again if he could.
"the last thing i wanted to discuss, was your explanation on what had happened. don't bother getting ready to play it as a joke. you and i bother know you're not creative enough to think of a story as stupid and detailed as that."
'right'
"so where's the saiyian who brought back the planet?"
he had to come up with some form of excuse now and lie to avoid exposing his son and grandson but nothing came to mind.
they sat in silence while the king waited for a response. when it was clear that bardock was not going to give an answer so easily or willing he spoke up again.
"it wouldn't happen to be one of the three new saiyians staying at your house"
"how do you know about that"
' multiple reports from your neighbours have been filed. they found it suspicious that a few day after the blast happened. a bunch of saiyains no one had ever seen before began living with you. so which one is it?"
"i can't tell you"
"why not"
"i promised kakarot i wouldn't"
"kakarot?"
"there's no getting out of this is there?"
"nope"
bardock caves and shares how kakarot is his son and the one who brought back the planet and saiyains race. he was careful to leave out any mention of vegeta at all and said that the only was he found out about the saiyians was from raditz who'd survived and was then working under freiza. his story was poorly explained and contained alot of missing information.
the king gave bardock to bring kakarot to the castle. and made it very clear it was an order not a request.
_______
vegeta chapter
- vegeta was intensely training in the gravity room as usual. not matter much bulma had tried to draw him out of there it was no use and she began to grow rather frustrated with him. he spent his entire time training or passed out asleep on the floor of gravity chamber. the only time she'd seen him enter the house was to grab a bunch of food and leave again. he hadn't even bothered to sit down and eat it there.
- vegeta found sifting through kakaorts memories boring and sickening. the only ones he could access were all happy and huge chucks of his fights and adventures over the years. he had noticed that not of these surface memories included him at all. it was as if in the happiest parts of kakaorts memories were all times without him. and as expected his anger rose with this discovery and he coped the only way he knew. training. he was aware of the distractions bulma was laying and trying to do. but he only had one thing on this mind 'did kakarot really dislike him that much'
- training continued on until he noticed something unusual. a ki signature from someone he himself killed. there no way they could be alive, and no would be able to recreate that energy. this was the first thing to truly distract him. he shut down the chamber and flew off in the direction of the energy.
(note remove raditz from earlier in the story and place him here makes more sense)
- he arrived at the canyon that he himself had created when he turn oozaur (check spelling later) the place he first fought the earthlings. Gohan and some of the other fighter were hovering both there too. to stopped next to the to see what there were all going there.
they also recognised the energy and were agreeing about going down there to see if the energy belongs to who they really think it does. some where very hesitant such as krillin and yamcha. Gohan was acting at but iffy about it too.
vegeta just rolled his eyes at them and then continued on down the canyon.
- he expected this to just all some kind of misunderstanding and a weird coincidence that two earthling just happened to have a very similar energy signatures. upon landing he stopped thinking of that possibility when he saw he tall man with a huge spikey mop of hair that almost reached the floor,
"what the fuck.
Raditz?"
————
back to the planet vegeta .
spending the day with just the two of them in the house proved to be rather boring. there was not much to occupy their time with inside and with gotens hyper and limitless energy they opted to go out and explore. not comfortable being around ye other saiyians in the village they went out to explore the forest.