Generations

[Karrit]

Disclaimer: Dragon Ball Z is copyrighted by Akita Toriyama, FUNimation and all other parties.

Chapter 1: Twisted Fate - A Lonely Warrior's Journey

Flames of the fires below licked up eager to feed upon his body. He closed his eyes and accepted his fate to burn like the rest of his people, save for one. However, he did not mind, for that survivor would grow up to avenge the extinction of their race. Knowing that made a smile form across his battle-scared face as he fell down to meet the engulfed Planet Vegeta. He closed his eyes expecting to incinerate at any second, but then a flash of light surrounded his body. The next thing he felt was a soft substance that oozed between his fingers and carried the smell of earth and moisture. This puzzled him as he tried to stand, but his body gave out and he fell back onto the muddy ground. He was physically weak from his wounds and exhaustion. Why had he not died? Did he not see the death of himself and of his people? Where was he now? There were so many questions, but they were to go unanswered, for he saw everything go blurry and then dark.
“Ahh!” Goten screeched as a flash of lightning came down within a few feet of him. Both he and Trunks were soaked with rain. They had been sparring in the forest until it suddenly began to storm. Naturally, Trunks wanted to continue, but he did not want to get in trouble by his mother, so they were obliged to return to the house. It was nearly suppertime anyway.
Trunks laughed at his younger friend. “Geez you're such a baby, Goten!” he jeered.
“I am not, Trunks!” snapped the younger half-saiyan, “I just don't like lightening.” He looked ahead and saw the river below them and his house just beyond it. Then his large black eyes spotted something else. It looked like a man lying facedown on the muddy bank. “Hey Trunks look over there!” he said and pointed.
“Cool a dead body! I'm going to check it out!” Trunks replied and flew down toward the figure. Goten landed beside him, though not appearing particularly happy. Trunks turned to him and said, “I dare you to touch it.”
Goten shook his head. “I'm not touching it! I want to go home and eat supper. I'm hungry.”
“Baby!” Trunks taunted and started sucking his thumb to irritate Goten.
Goten began to throw a tantrum. “I am not a baby!” he screamed.
“Then touch it already!” snorted Trunks, “And if he's dead it's not like he's going to reach up and grab you.”
With a gulp, the younger of the duo approached the body. He could see that the man was covered with blood. Slowly his right hand drew out and felt the man's matted black hair. Goten sighed with relief when nothing happened. Normally, he would not have been so timid, but this man made his hair stand on end. He turned to go when suddenly a large hand grabbed his left arm and pulled him down. He screamed with terror as he came face to face with the man. As suddenly as he had been grabbed, the hand released him. The man closed his eyes again and whispered, “Kakarrot…”
“Maybe I was wrong about the guy being dead,” laughed Trunks as Goten ran behind him. He took notice of the dried blood on the man's arms and armor and added, “He's hurt bad anyway. Maybe we should take him to your house?”
“He called me Kakarrot,” Goten whispered from behind his friend, “Isn't that what your dad calls my dad?”
Trunks scratched his head. “Yeah? So…” His words trailed off as he took notice of a monkey-like tail protruding from the man's rump.
Goten had noticed the tail as well. He bent down beside the figure and gasped, “He's looks like Daddy!” He placed one of the saiyan's arms across his shoulders and flew off towards his house.
“Goten wait!” yelled Trunks as he flew after him. He stared at Goten's burden and raised an eyebrow. “Maybe he's a clone of your father created some mad scientist and sent to terminate us!”
“That's not funny, Trunks!” the smaller half-saiyan muttered, “All I know is he's hurt and Dad would want to help him. Besides, I don't think he's so evil.”
They landed and entered into the house. “Where have you two been?” Chichi snapped. She then took notice of the injured saiyan her son was carrying and screamed so loud that the entire house shook.
Goku winced as he heard his wife. He grabbed a towel and hopped out of the bath, trailing water behind him as he ran into the house. “I'm coming Chichi!” he hollered.
“He's hurt, Mama,” Goten said to his mother. He laid the saiyan down on the sofa and pointed to him.
“Get that thing off my furniture!” Chichi ordered. She screamed again and jumped into Goku's arms.
Goku blushed. “Gee, Chichi, you really shouldn't do things like that in front of the boys,” he teased, “Now what's the matter?”
“Look what our son dragged home!” his wife wailed and clung to her husband's waist.
The saiyan turned towards the sofa and his eyes widened. “Where did he come from?” he asked Goten. He thought Vegeta and he were the only pure saiyans left, but who was this one?
“Trunks and I found him by the river, Dad,” answered his son, “And he's hurt very bad. He also called me Kakarrot. That's what Vegeta calls you isn't it?”
Goku set Chichi down and slowly approached the unconscious saiyan. “Yeah it is, son,” he said. He blinked as he studied along the saiyan's facial features. They resembled his, save for a long scar on the left side. He turned to say something to his wife when the saiyan's eyes fluttered open slightly.
“Kakarrot?” he whispered hoarsely.
“Yeah,” Goku answered, “you're in my house. Who you are.”
Tears began to trickle down from the other saiyan's weary eyes. He weakly started to reach out to Goku and whispered, “I…am…Bardock…your…” Bardock's words trailed off as he closed his eyes and coughed up a little blood.
“Father!?...FATHER!!!” Goku murmured as he recalled what he had learned during his time on Planet Namek. He knelt down beside Bardock and held his hand. “I don't understand how this can be, but I believe you are he. I am glad to have been able to see you. I don't know what happened to you Father, but rest now.”
It was morning when Bardock opened his eyes. He found that he was lying in bed, but it was not a typical saiyan bed to his recollection. All it consisted of was a thin mattress on the floor, but soft and comfortable. He slowly pushed back his blankets to discover that he was naked, or would have been if much of his body had not been wrapped in bandages. At first, he thought he had been dreaming, but this place was foreign to him. He pondered over the strange surroundings and sat up with some difficulty, for he was very weak from his ordeal. He looked towards the entrance and saw a small child standing there. The boy appeared to be very young. The facial features resembled a miniature version of himself, save for the large innocent eyes and the lack of a scar on his left cheek. He was clad in an unusual garment of blue and purple cloth.
“Who are you?” Bardock demanded and tried to stand. His feet buckled from under him and he was sent to the ground with his limbs sprawling at his sides.
The little boy blinked like an owl at the injured saiyan. “I-I’m Goten,” he stammered, “This is my family’s house in the Eastern District of Mt. Paozu. “
“I’ve never heard of such a place before!” grunted Bardock as he crawled back under the blankets. He was too injured to stand, let alone walk and he was not used to being around children.
Goten approached Bardock and smiled. “Are you a saiyan?” he asked naively.
“Last time I checked,” Bardock snorted. The child’s sweet nature was making him feel rather uncomfortable, and moreso the resemblance he bore to himself. He was beginning to think that this was not a dream at all. Surely, that was his son Kakarrot who he had beheld before and this young boy was his child.
A woman entered carrying a tray with a bowl of steaming broth in her hands. “Goten!” she snapped, “Didn’t I tell you not to come in here? It’s bad enough we have to keep this thing here!”
“Sorry, Momma,” Goten apologized as he scrambled out the door.
The woman turned back to Bardock and set the tray beside him. He eyed her suspiciously as well as the broth. “Who are you, woman? What is the name of this planet?” he asked in a dominating tone.
“My name none of your concern!” she replied without an ounce of fear in her voice. Her husband’s father or not, she refused to let this saiyan stranger not going to push her around.
Bardock felt too tired to argue with the female, so he simply nodded and sniffed the broth. He decided it was safe enough and cupped the porcelain bowl in his hands. He drank furiously as he had not realized how hungry he had been. The warm savory liquid was quite welcoming to his parched throat and slid down into his empty stomach. He sat the bowl aside after finishing off his broth and then lay back down.
Chichi knelt down beside the saiyan and gestured for him to allow her to tend to his left arm. “You’ve been unconscious going on a week now.” she mentioned.
Bardock watched the woman remove the bandages around his arm and apply a poultice to the sprain. He gathered that she was a native, which meant that his son’s children were hybrids.
“Where is Kakarrot” Bardock inquired.
“He’s training outside with my eldest boy,” the earth woman replied.
Bardock reached up and clutched Chichi’s arm, though not to harm her. “Then I wasn’t dreaming after all!” he told her, “Please bring him to me. I want to see my son!”
Chichi was at first startled by the saiyan’s sudden action, but he seemed more to be pleading to her more than wanting to hurt her. “But don’t you think you should rest a bit more first?” she suggested.
“Not until after I’ve seen Kakarrot, female!” Bardock retorted and releasing her.
“Oh allright,” sighed Chichi. She left the room mumbling to herself about how stubborn men are, human or saiyan.
It was a short while later when Goku entered the house. His heart beat rapidly with every step he took towards the guestroom. He opened the door and poked his head inside to find that his father was sitting up. Both father and son stared at each other for a long time as one does when he or she experiences deja vu. Goku finally came to his senses and sat down at the edge of his father’s futon. He smiled and whispered, “You’re awake!”
Bardock turned away. “You’re not like me, Kakarrot,” he whispered, “I was born to be a killer of worlds, strong and ruthless. I can feel that you are much stronger than I ever could be and yet you are so gentle and compassionate. The last time I saw your face you were only a mere infant. What I do not understand is why I am here when you are a grown man, Kakarrot. The last thing I remember before this waking is watching me about to be engulfed with Planet Vegeta. I was supposed to die!” He struggled to stand, but his legs became like lead and he fell.
“Father!” Goku cried as he caught him by the arm. “You’re kinda weak to be gettin up,” he said as he helped Bardock back into bed, “I don’t understand this myself, Father, but you are here and that’s all that matters to me. Maybe you were given another chance?”
“But why me?” Bardock roared, “Kakarrot, why me and not the rest of our people? Can you not understand that I am a killing machine? I’m not ever sure I would know how to live another path in life than that!”
“Don’t y'all think I know what you are?” Goku answered his father in a more serious tone than before, “But you have a choice, Father. Deep down I can feel you have a heart, but you are afraid of it. You don’t have to be. As for Freeza, he’s now only a bad memory. I defeated him with my own two hands!”
Bardock held his head. He could remember the visions. “You killed Lord Freeza?”
Goku shook his head. “I said I defeated him. Freeza’a death came by the hands of someone else, but that’s not important. All you need to know is the saiyan race has been avenged.”
“Tell me,” Bardock questioned, “are we the only saiyan alive?’
“There were a handful of survivors; including Prince Vegeta,” Goku explained, “but we were the last saiyans until we found you alive.”
Bardock’s eyebrows rose, though a little difficult to notice because of the bandages wrapped around his forehead. “Who were the other saiyans and what was their fate?”
“There were two of them. One was Nappa and the other was Radditz,” Goku answered as his head bowed slowly, “Father, Nappa died at my own hand and I helped defeat Radditz, my own brother. I am very sorry, but I had to do it. They tried to destroy everything that was close to me, but I spared Vegeta his life after he was badly beaten. Maybe it was my saiyan pride, but I hope to fight him again someday.”
A chill went down Bardock’s spine as he heard his son’s words. “Radditz was a shithead,” he hissed, “He died because he was got too cocky. There is no excuse for a saiyan who displays weakness.” He hid his head with his hands and began to tremble like a cornered animal. “I am so confused, Kakarrot; so much is happening all at once.”
Goku answered with a hand on his father’s bandaged shoulder, “Father…”
The other saiyan gazed up at him. He shook nervously as a tear slid down his cheek. He thought about his friend, Toma, and then about his mate, Turnipi. He remembered every detail of her long, white face and those cruelly beautiful obsidian eyes. Her face triggered a violent rage in Bardock. His eyes turned to fire as he struck out at Goku. “Get the hell away from me!” he threatened, “I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you!” The fevers had returned and claimed Bardock into torpor. He fell limp like a dead fish.
Goku sat like a watchdog beside his sleeping father. He leaned over and pushed locks of Bardock’s tangled black hair away from his face. The other saiyan stirred a little, but he did not open his eyes. Goku was about to whisper something to him when his own hair stood up as he sensed a strong chi and footsteps coming from behind him. He stood up and turned around to find Vegeta standing a few feet from him with that trademark scowl on his face.
“Kakarrot,” he growled, “We need to talk.”

Chapter 2 coming soon.