Chapter Text
One of the things Gogeta feels most fortunate about being dead, aside from the incredible peace, is not being hungry. Sure, he loves to eat: the thousands of flavors he could never have imagined can be his and satisfy his cravings and curiosity for food; but the pain in his stomach that becomes more and more unbearable to the point of losing strength and vitality is, without a doubt, one of the worst forms of torture in which any living being can be subjected to. He remembers it very well thanks to the memories of Goku and Vegeta, which become more and more distant with each passing day he creates his own experiences.
Gogeta is the final result between the Metamoru fusion of fighters and warriors Goku and Vegeta, who were forced to perform the complicated dance and join forces to defeat the almost indestructible demon of pure evil called Janemba. Such fusion only consisted of 30 minutes of life before separating again into two separate entities, however, something unexpected happened at that moment in the Other World: a new soul had been born thanks to that magical union, opposing the thoughts of the divine beings present, Gogeta's spirit ended up in the same place in front of the giant desk where everyone arrives at the end of an earthly life.
It was not known what to do with him in the first place, hesitating between granting him a pass to heaven or disappearing his soul as he not had a life of his own like all the others; it was thanks to his achievement of having saved them all from a total catastrophe that he was granted a tangible body in the same way as was done with Son Goku, retaining the halo over his head. The only condition was to remain under the orders of King Yemma and go to fix the "messes" that certain people may get into during their stay in hell and prevent accidents like the previous one. It is more than obvious that Gogeta had no problem with that.
In this way the days, months, even years went by. He spent a quiet and peaceful life in the world of the Grand Kai, being of help in one or another of the tournaments held on the site, led by the King Kai -although he does not enjoy it too much, the difference in strength between him and the other fighters is abysmal-. Thanks to Vegeta's knowledge, he can deduce that the Grand Kai will never train any of the winners, although he is completely unaware of the reason.
It wasn't until a seemingly normal day when he was to receive orders and chores that he was informed of his "vacation". He would be sent to earth for a while to experience the joy and experiences of a life he could never have.
And that is how he ended up in the world of the living, tasting endless foods, visiting places of interest and reading everything he could find. Certainly life goes faster there than in the Other World, everyone lies immersed in their own affairs without looking to the sides; Gogeta thinks that they live their moments with monotony and simplicity, others with luxury and waste without knowing that in the end they will all end up in the same place, whatever they do.
Barely the first day has passed since his arrival and he has had enough of everything. The truth is that not many things call his attention apart from what he has already done and fighting, it could be said that he was born for that and it is what he is passionate about. For better or for worse that is not the only reason why he came to life, he was born thanks to the love for his family. His beloved and dear family that has taken his sleep away countless times thinking about his well being. They are all together and happy together with... well, to the parts that made him himself, the two were revived some time after the accident with Janemba. They are parents, grandparents, husbands. Does that make him a member of their circle? Maybe it does, maybe it doesn't; he doesn't know... and he doesn't want to know.
Gogeta loves them with all his heart and would give his life for them, and maybe they would come to love him too, but... there's a difference in loving someone and needing them, and he has no doubt that they don't need him. They already have their own, and that's Goku and Vegeta, not Gogeta. And if they were to need him for any reason, they would only have to do the fusion dance and summon him for 30 minutes.
The fused warrior smiles at that thought, the Son family is reunited with the Briefs family and all his friends in the Capsule Corporation. He knows, thanks to someone else's memories in his mind, that that day is the birthday of Bulma, his dear friend and wife whom he has never been able to meet. He wants to go in to congratulate her as much as he is aware that it is a bad idea. The ambiguity of his own thoughts confuses him more than anything ever has.
He is disappointed that he does not have the ability to go in and introduce himself, it is a very strong desire as there is a possibility that he may not return to earth until years in the future, and that is if he is lucky. He may not get another chance... He observes the rounded building from the sidewalk on the other side of the street, even at that distance he can hear the shrill music of the party inside, his smile gets wider as he remembers the times when complaints came to the house about the "fireworks", which actually ended up being aerial battles where large amounts of ki were unleashed.
"If you keep smiling alone, people are going to think you're crazy."
A strangely familiar voice speaks from the side of Gogeta, who turns to both sides to see if there really is someone talking to him or if he just overheard someone else's conversation nearby. But what he sees brings him a surprise he hasn't felt for many years now.
Flame-shaped hair with two locks falling on his forehead, a look full of sarcasm, a strong and tall body very similar to his own, and a pair of dangling earrings with a yellow pearl on the tip. This man is very familiar to him, even if, like everything else, it is the first time he has seen him.
"I'd ask why you're standing here like a stalker, if I wasn't doing the same as you." the man with the earrings laughs at his own words, at first glance he seems to have a rather peculiar sense of humor...
"... Vegito?"
The man nods, indicating that this is indeed Vegito, the fused warrior of the Potara earrings, could it be said that he is an alternate version of himself? Another thing Gogeta isn't sure about - what could he be doing on earth?
"Until they finally let you out of hell," comments Vegito, breaking the momentary silence. He points to the halo above Gogeta's head, as if referring to it, "It's about time."
"I wasn't in hell," the first impression is not very good, which leads Gogeta to roll his eyes at the expression of mockery that forms on the warrior's face. "What do you want?"
-"Today is Bulma's birthday and I wanted to stop by to see her, I said I was doing the same as you. Besides..." His words and momentary pauses only serve to further confuse Gogeta, who can barely understand the meaning of what he is saying. "I have come to challenge you."
Challenge him? What on earth does he mean by that!? Gogeta can't find an adequate response to the situation, so he just gives him a look of discomfort and confusion. Does he want to have a physical fight against him? Just at the moment when he thought he was going to be able to relax and put all worries aside.
"Alright! I knew you'd say yes!" Vegito seems to answer himself, taking Gogeta's silence as an affirmative answer, something that confuses him more "Right now I have work to do, but I'll be back soon. Don't even think of going back to the Other World before we can have a good fight, because I'll never forgive you!"
The last sentence especially catches his attention, is he aware that he can't control the time he stays there? Even if he could, he knows he doesn't belong there among the living. Vegito brings his right hand up to his forehead, his index and middle fingers subtly touching it in what he recognizes as the technique of instant transmission. As quickly as he appeared and before he could ask him anything, Vegito vanishes in an instantaneous motion that takes him to a far-off and completely unknown confine of the universe. His ki disappears from Gogeta's senses as if it was ceased to exist, leaving him with more unknowns than answers as far as the simplicity of the universe is concerned.
Despite the fact that he enjoyed talking to someone for more than two seconds since the start of his "vacation", it's not too pleasant when you're left with words on the tip of your tongue. It's impossible for him not to ask himself a thousand questions at once, just as it's impossible to feel a slight thrill in the back of his mind that vibrates with curiosity as to which of the two will be stronger. Will he come back? Will he never see him again? Maybe he can answer some of his curiosities... and the first one would be how on earth are they both alive if they are supposed to have the same soul.
In case he does come back, of course....