Prologue: Never again

As I enter the room, I feel nervous for the first time in my life. I'm a Saiyajin, I shouldn't even know this feeling. I always faced enemies and hopeless situations fearlessly.

But to see you like this is almost too much for me. You are pale, and you look sick. You Ki, usually incredibly strong, aggressive even, is like a small light, I can feel it getting weaker by the minute.

"Hi.", I say carefully. I know that you're not asleep, even though your eyes are closed.

"Ah. Kakarott.", you say and open your eyes to look at me, while I take a seat on the chair next to your bed. Your voice is dark, I know you try not to show what's happening to you. But you cannot fool me. I can feel it, I know your condition. I would know it even if it weren't for the needle in your hand, the machines connected to your body and the current beeping, which scares and comforts me at the same time.

"Vejita. How do you feel?", I manage to say, hoarsely. Can you feel how it touches me to see you like this?

You manage to grin at me, as I expected you to. Even now you're so incredibly strong. "I've been worse, you know.", you answer. That may be true. But I have definitely never felt worse in my entire life. "Glad you came." To hear that from you is astonishing.

A feeling of fear is reaching for my heart slowly. Your words sound like goodbye. God, it hurts, somewhere deep inside my chest. You had me brought here to say goodbye. And maybe cause you don't have anyone else. Granted, I met Trunks outside, he was here to see you. But he is an adult now, his family is waiting for him. Most likely Bra was here too some time earlier, but she works somewhere overseas, guess she doesn't have too much time for you either. Your children don't know how serious it is, right? You always knew perfectly how to hide your feelings from others. But you cannot hide them from me. Vegeta, you know that your life is coming to an end. I still have to realize that.

Since I didn't say anything, you begin to talk: "The doctors said I don't have much time left. But I bet you knew that already, didn't you, Kakarott? Fuck, and there I was, hoping that Saiyajin live forever!" Your weird sense of humor makes me smile softly. Your voice sounds different when you add: "I'm really glad that you came to say goodbye."

For the first time I realize that you're going to leave me. That you're going to die. During the past years I have seen many of my friends die. Bulma, Yamcha, even Chichi… But none of these losses have touched me like yours does. Why do you have to die? You're Saiyajin! You mustn't, you cannot die! In all those years you were my support. Our weekly meetings, our sparrings… they gave me strength to live on, to bear all this… death. Have I ever told you that?

I also thought you'd live forever. But I really did. Humans die, I know that. But you…? You must be over 100 years old now, and so am I. We stopped counting, especially since we never really celebrated our birthdays, but we are really old. And your time has come, so it seems. How can that be? The years passed so fast…

I try to force a smile on my face, but I fail entirely. "Are you giving up so fast? I always thought the Saiyajin no Ouji would fight until the very end?", I mutter and try to make it sound like a joke. But it's not. You must fight! You cannot give up!

"I didn't want to believe it either. But now that I can't even get up by myself, I guess I'll have to.", you reply and it sheer breaks my heart. Don't you know, that…

You try to get up in your bed and I quickly jump up to support you. This time you don't shove my helping hands away. Most likely just because you don't have the strength for that any more. Oh, Vegeta… Calmly, but determinedly I hear your voice next to my ear: "Get me away from here, Kakarott."

Instantly I understand what you want. Actually, I would've been surprised if you hadn't asked for it. You don't want to die in a hospital. So that's why you called me. Before I manage to answer, you begin to tear the needles and hoses with brutal force out of your body. Blood is dripping onto the sheets, and suddenly the beeping stops. I can hear loud voices outside, the doctors will show up any minute. If I want to get you out of here, I will have to do it now. Quickly I take your body into my arms and try to think of a place to bring you.

I place two fingers against my forehead and I can see the door burst open. Then the room disappears and instead we find ourselves in a different place, surrounded by a familiar landscape.

As I look down on you, I see you grin broadly. Of course you recognize this place. The desert in which we fought for the first time. That must have been centuries ago. It seems that, in the end, we always come back to this place. We have been sparring here for the last few years and the rocks are showing holes from final flashs or kamehamehas. "I knew you'd choose this place, Kakarott.", you say hoarsely. We are seated on the highest rock, allowing us a view on the entire area. It's late, the sun is about to disappear behind the mountains.

Dusty wind is blowing over us and you are coughing weakly. Your upper body is leaned against mine, I'm supporting your with one arm, the other is seated on your chest which is rising and falling fast. Out here you're exposed to the weather, it's making you weaker. Your Ki-signature is descending. Was it a mistake to bring you here?

That very moment, a hand is placed upon mine and you say calmly: "Thank you. For this last kind service, Kakarott. If there's anything you have to tell me, you… better do it now."

I know. Yet when I open my mouth, the words won't come out. There's still so much I have to tell you. Especially one thing. This is my last chance, but do I dare to? I pull your body closer to mine, cradle you in my arms, and the words I say come directly from my heart: "Don't go."

You chuckle weakly. "I never listened you, Kakarott. What makes you think I'd start now?" Your words are coming slowly now, with short pauses. I know that you're trying to hold on to your life. But the virus is stronger.

I must say those words, before it's too late. In a few moments I will never have the chance again. "Vejita, I…" I hesitate.

And then you say: "Eternity will.. will be… quite lonely… without you, Kakarott…" I feel a tear rolling down my cheek and then it drips onto your face. "Crybaby."

The sun has almost disappeared. With your deep, onyx eyes you watch as the day comes to an end. With every ray of sunlight, your Ki is also disappearing.

I can feel your light slipping away with the sun.

It's breaking my heart. I still haven't told you… but suddenly everything happens so fast. This moment is burning itself into my memory, never will I be able to forget a single detail about this scene. Your breath becomes shallow.

Never in my life have I felt so helpless. I still have to tell you so many things. But most of all I want to scream in your face, that you mustn't leave me. Want to yell at you, bring some sense into you, prove you that you mustn't, CANNOT die!

Because I love you.

For one last time you squeeze my hand and say softly: "Don't you forget, Kakarott… what doesn't kill us… makes us strong." I cannot believe that you said that. My god, have you always been so… cynical? I guess so. I also have to tell you something. But then….

Behind the mountains the sun finally disappears and with it I can feel your Ki slip away.

Suddenly your chest isn't rising any more beneath my palm. Your eyes are closed. The wind blows the tears off my face, which fall freely now. You are dead. I will never see you again. And I haven't told you, that I love you.

I am blinded with grief and scream my pain out into the night. Things will never be the way they were.

Never again.

Next Chapter: „My first egoistic wish"

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Okay, this is the translation of the first chapter. The story was originally written in german, english is not my native tongue so please don't mind some mistakes I made. I definitely need a beta-reader! Contact me on [email protected] oder ICQ 72625321 if you are interested, I could use help with english expressions!!!