Gohan returned from school wearing his Great Saiyaman disguise, which consisted of a black spandex bodysuit under a green short-legged gi, a red cape, white gloves and boots, and a red helmet with false antennae. His boots tapped the ground near his house as he landed. Gohan pressed a button on his wristwatch and was suddenly back in his normal clothing, a white long-sleeved shirt and a pair of blue jeans.
"Mom?" Gohan called into the house as he entered.
Obviously, his mother had gone shopping and dragged Goten along for the ride, judging by the scribbled handwriting of his younger brother on the small notepad on the kitchen table. It read:
we wint to go shopin at the mall
be home soon
Gohan just wondered if they’d managed to drag his father along as well. Somehow he knew they hadn’t. Poor Goten. He was probably having a miserable time.
After leaving his satchel in his room, Gohan made his way to the woods. His father was no where around the house. He must be training in the forest. As the teen walked, he remembered that night over a week ago…
Everyone had gone to sleep. He had heard Goten come in at a late hour and figured that his father had come in along with him. Soon after, he fell asleep. Then, sometime in the middle of the night, he’d heard the door open again. Gohan had stumbled out of bed and made his way to the living room to find everyone there just as curious as himself. Passed out on the couch was his father. His gi was torn to shreds, he was bleeding, and he was dirty. Strangely, his mother hadn’t said a word. She’d just gone back to bed, and soon after he and Goten were left with no choice but to go to bed as well.
Gohan popped back into reality and realized that he still hadn’t come across a single sign of his father. So, he stretched out his senses, trying to find his father’s ki. It was no where to be found. In other words, he didn’t want to be found since it was obvious that he was suppressing his ki, making it invisible.
Shrugging, Gohan blasted into the air and headed back towards Satan City, where his high school was. Pressing the button on his wristwatch and transforming into the Great Saiyaman, Gohan figured that maybe he could amuse himself by fighting crime.
Goku waited until he could feel his son’s ki leaving. He was in no mood to talk. He hadn’t been ever since that night in the forest. His realization of his true loneliness had taken its toll on him. He wasn’t as mentally stable as he usually was, and finally realizing his feelings for Chi-Chi had been false was even harder on him. Sorrow was pulling at his heart. He didn’t understand a single thing he was feeling, but he knew that it had all started with one question. What was his purpose? He still hadn’t found an answer and that was tearing him apart. His sons, his friends, his planet… None of them needed to be protected. That absence in his mind lead to more. Who was he supposed to take care of? Who was he supposed to help? Loneliness suddenly came back to him and joined his sorrow, tearing at his soul now. Love… He didn’t even have anyone to love. Not that he ever did. All this nonsense had to stop. The frustration was building in the strong young Saiyajin and soon he was powering up and taking it out on the landscape.
Vejita had finally gotten a Capsule house set up in the small clearing. It was perfect. He sounded like a damn woman saying it, but it truly looked like home. The woods, the pond, the house, it was perfect. Now all he needed was a mate. That brought his thoughts back to Kakarotto. That kiss had been pure bliss.
"Fuck." Vejita mumbled as he stood from his comfortable seat on the lush grass.
He’d had enough of his lame feelings. There was no time for feelings. He could feel Kakarotto getting stronger and stronger every minute. The younger man was in pure agony and it was making him unbelievably strong. It was at the point where Vejita didn’t know how he was going to catch up. There had to be a quick and easy solution. The prince thought back to the days when he’d helped fight the androids. The chamber of spirit and time. Why hadn’t he thought of that before?
Piccolo’s boots tapped on the sparkling tiled floor of Kami’s temple. He’d been meditating all day and was tired of it, if that’s possible. Piccolo was a tall green man from the planet Namek, which was also destroyed due to the evil Freeza.
"Done training?" Dende asked, surprised that his older friend was done so soon.
Dende looked like an exact copy of Piccolo. Except Dende was shorter, since he was younger, and had a smoother, kinder face. Dende had recently been chosen to be guardian of Earth. Or in other words Kami.
"It seems we’ll be having a visitor." Announced a chubby black man as he approached Dende.
It was Mr. Popo, assistant to Kami. The man had been serving at the temple since before anyone could remember.
"Really? Who?" Dende asked curiously, looking to Piccolo for answers.
"You should know! You’re Kami now!" Piccolo yelled in frustration.
The young Namek had a lot to learn.
Vejita knew he’d reached his destination when he saw the tall slim tower leading up to the heavens. As he reached it he swiftly began flying straight up alongside the pale metal tower. He passed a small temple belonging to Korrin, a martial arts master that looked remarkably like a white cat. He grew a special bean called the Senzu bean, which could cure even the fiercest wounds. A short stubby man by the name of Yajirobe also lived in this temple. He’d been quite the coward in all the past battles. Vejita didn’t even give a second glance at the inferior master as he continued upwards. After Korrin’s temple, the slim tower no longer existed, but Vejita knew well enough that far above the cat master’s temple was his destination.
After some time, Vejita reached the much larger temple. He smirked and watched as the young Namek fidgeted. It was quite amusing to find that even Kami was frightened of him. The temple was large with palm trees and flowers planted in an ornamental fashion. In the center was a large building that no one really knew completely.
"What the Hell are you doing here?" Piccolo asked in his usual gruff voice.
Vejita smirked, "I’ve come to train."
"To train?" Dende echoed.
"Yes. In the chamber of spirit and time."
"Why?" Piccolo asked in a very mistrusting tone.
"For my own personal reasons." Vejita said, his voice filled with arrogance.
Dende, being Kami and all, searched Vejita’s heart and found more that he was looking for, "I think it’s okay."
Piccolo and Mr. Popo looked quickly to the young Namek, but they didn’t ask questions. When he was chosen he was given special abilities that they trusted in. So, they watched as Dende led Vejita into the temple and out of sight.
"Here you go." Dende said as he gestured to two large-framed wooden doors.
Vejita knew the drill and pushed the doors open, stepping in without hesitation. The large doors slammed behind him and he stepped further into a small enclosure: two beds, twin hourglasses, enough food for a year, and roomy bathroom accommodations. Before him was a double-tiered tiled platform. After that point, reality ended. Extending infinitely was a white void, where gravity was ten times Earth’s and grew constantly the further out you went, the temperature fluctuating wildly from below freezing to hotter than Hell flames. It was total isolation, complete separation from all life, encircled by pure brilliant blankness. It drives a mind to the breaking point, the stark surroundings and the lack of humanity.
Vejita smirked. He remembered stepping into the room for the first time and being completely astonished. Never had he thought that such a place existed. Before he’d entered with his son from the future. Trunks. He was a teenager then. It was a confusing situation that he didn’t feel like pondering. The prince looked over at one of the giant hourglasses. Small white grains of sand were falling in a small hill. When all the sand had fallen, he could leave, until then, he was determined to give it his all and become as strong, if not stronger, than Kakarotto. This was his last chance. One was only allowed to enter the chamber of spirit and time twice in his or her lifetime.
The Saiyajin warrior stepped out into the white void, feeling the stronger gravity pull at his muscles. He had better get started. Outside, in the real world, only a day was going to pass. Inside the strange room an entire year would pass. Surely, Vejita was going to reach his goal.
"Piccolo, may I speak to you?" Dende asked politely as he approached the taller man.
Mr. Popo was off watering the plants, keeping everything in order like he normally did.
Piccolo nodded and waited for the younger Namek to continue.
"I’m not sure if you want to know this but I know nothing of relationships…" Dende began.
"And you think I do?" Piccolo interrupted, confused that he’d be asked about such a thing.
"Well…" Dende was feeling a little insecure now and was unsure whether he should speak to Piccolo about this or not.
"Oh, go ahead. What is it?"
"Well, when I was trying to decided whether or not to let Vejita use the chamber of spirit and time, I searched his heart." Dende said, pausing a moment to find the right words.
"And?" Piccolo asked in a so-what tone.
"I found something strange. I… I found love. Deep down in a place he probably isn’t even aware of yet, I found love for a person named Kaka…" Dende stuttered with the strange name, unsure of exactly how it was said.
"Kakarotto?" Piccolo asked in shock.
"Yeah." Dende said, also in shock.
Now that he’d heard the name he remembered where he’d heard it. It was the Saiyajin name given to Goku at birth. A name Goku had never used, but only Vejita insisted on using.
Neither of the two Nameks continued the conversation. It was too bizarre.
