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Subterfuge	By : Chuquita Category: Dragon Ball Z > General Views: 409 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own DragonballZ, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
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- 1
Subterfuge

1:05 AM 9/11/2008

Disclaimer: Dragon Ball
Z and its characters are a property of Akira Toriyama and Bird Studio. All
non-canon characters

are property of this
author.

Quote of the Week: -from
Tankobon # 19

Piccolo: Listen...in the
instant he moves to attack...he's open... We'll use that instant...

Vegeta: Good plan. I
hope it works.

Piccolo: ...

Vegeta: Don't look at
me. You'll miss your instant.

Piccolo: So
confident...I hope to see your face when Son Goku arrives...

Vegeta: Oh? And who's
that? Your secret weapon?

Chuey's Corner:

Goku: (pointing to himself) :)

Vegeta: Yes, I am now very, very deeply aware of that fact.

Chuquita: Welcome to the oneshot everybody~!

Vegeta: (raises an eyebrow) Shouldn't you be doing homework?

Chuquita: I'll get to it after we finish the setup. �3

Vegeta: Ah.

Chuquita: Your mind games in the quote are amusing though.

Vegeta: (smirks) I am quite the character when it comes to both
physical and mental battle.

Goku: Veggie can say that a-gain. ^^;

Vegeta: Eh?

Chuquita: You know I really can't wait til they finish translating
the other Daizenshuu (either online or in print). I found

a page on the daizex forums with part of the timeline translated
from Daizenshuu 7; it's got some really surprising information.

Vegeta: Like?

Chuquita: Well, it says here that Chi-Chi's mom died of a disease
when Chi-Chi was a kid.

Goku: (gasps) That is terrible!

Vegeta: It say what type?

Chuquita: No. Just that she catches one and dies of it.

Vegeta: Shame, I would've liked to have met Onna's mom.

Chuquita: Yah... (pauses) geez, if its Chi-Chi's mom who died of a
disease that must've made it even harder on her once Goku

caught that heart virus; it'd be the same sort of loss all over
again.� :(

Goku: (sulks) I am sorry I got sick, Chi-Chi~

Chuquita: (scrolls through the page) Also apparently there was a
saiyajin Civil War that took place two years before

Son-kun was born over the topic of Freeza's enslavement of the
planet.

Vegeta: Huh....I don't remember that.

Chuquita: You were 3.

Vegeta: ...and that would explain way.

Chuquita: The last tidbit here I found interesting is that Gohan
sr. found Goku some time between June and August.

Vegeta: (sweatdrops) That's a very vague gap of time.

Goku: So I landed on Earth in the summer?

Chuquita: Looks that way.

Goku: :3 ....(pauses) I miss summer... :(

Chuquita: Me too... TT_TT

Vegeta: I don't.

Chuquita: Anyways! Today's oneshot takes place during "those
7 years" when Goku was dead.

Goku: But...but I am still in the story, right?

Chuquita: Of course you are! :3

Vegeta: GOOD.

Chuquita: (sweatdrops) A--anyway, what makes it a little bit
different is this'll be three or four years after Cell; a point

in time that I've never really touched on before. So we're post most
of Veggie's depression, and he's trying to get into

training again.

Vegeta: It was a rough time for all.

Chuquita: And now on with oneshot!

Vegeta: (holds up a sign that reads "10 Days til the New
Animated Special").

Summary:
Vegeta's recently overcome his long, two-year bout with depression over Goku's
death at the hands of Cell only to learn an entirely different type of battle
is going to be held. It's the Tenkaichi Budoukai "Supreme Deluxe" and
Vegeta's determined to use the opportunity to attract Goku's attention in
Otherworld by becoming the new Budoukai Champion and dethroning Hercule--who's
taken Goku's beloved Tenkaichi Budoukai grounds for his own. Will Vegeta's plan
be brought to fruition, or has it all been an exercise in delusion? And how
does Goku himself figure into all this? Find out!

Chapter
Titles:
Let's start over again l Tournament of Champions l A Visit to Mt. Paozu and
Genetic Impact! l Sole Soul l

l He's got Tenkaichi Budoukai Radar l A sneaky ploy in-deed! l Free
t-shirt with Dinnerware Set l Son Goku Arrives l

l I spy, with my little eye, something that begins with-- l Those
Words l

*******************************************************************************************************************************************************************

�� " This place is an ABSOLUTE MESS!! " Vegeta exclaimed in frustration as he threw the wet
sponge to the ground of

the gravity room and looked the
place over before sticking out his tongue in disgust. The entire room was
covered in a light

layer of dust, " Not to
mention it smells hysterically STALE in here. "

�� " Well that's what happens when you lock a room and
leave it alone for two years. " Bulma sweatdropped, standing in

the doorway of the room.

�� Vegeta turned to glower at her only to have her smile in
reply.

�� " Don't get me wrong though; I'm thrilled you've
finally decided to start training again. "

�� " It's not so much a... " the ouji trailed off,
tugging at his dark blue tank-top a bit.

�� " That shirt's new. "

�� " I made it. Sort of. "

�� Bulma approached him, reaching to grab a handful of the
material. Her eyes widened, " This is-- "

�� " --such a COOL ROOM! " Trunks gushed
excitedly, dashing into the gravity room. The four year old ran around the

edges of the circular room
before noticing the buttons on the various control panels and attempted to
reach them to press

only to discover he was too
short to grab them, " What is this place? "

�� " It's called a gravity room. Your mother and
grandfather created it. " Bulma proudly motioned to herself.

�� " And I
train in here. " Vegeta boasted, pointing to himself only to have a
spider-web fall onto his head. A vein

bulged on the ouji's forehead
as he swatted the web away, slightly grossed out by it, " Well, I did
train in here. And I'm

going to do so again. "
placed his gloved hands on his hips, a proud smirk on his face.

�� " Train? "

�� " Yes. It's how I get strong. "

�� Trunks grinned, " WOOOOOW! Can I train too? "

�� Vegeta looked over at Bulma.

�� " Yes, but not in HERE. He's FOUR! High-density
gravity on a four year old is dangerous!
"

�� The ouji bent down to Trunks's height, " Outside.
I'll train you outside. Afterall, Toussan's so powerful he'll be

able to travel all over the
planet so we can train in every various climate you could think of. "

�� " REALLY? "

�� " Mmm-hmm. " Vegeta smiled, then ruffed
Trunks's hair a bit, " But you're going to have to let me finish fixing up

the gravity room first,
alright? "

�� " Alright! " Trunks beamed, then dashed off,
" I'm gonna get my stuff ready! "

�� " Take your time! " the ouji called after him,
then stood up.

�� " So what's gotten you back into training? Not that
I'm complaining; I'm relieved you've gotten better. "

�� " I wouldn't exactly say "better". "
Vegeta gave her a worn smile, " But I'm all patched up if that's what you
mean. "

�� Bulma raised an eyebrow, " This wouldn't have to do
with the fact that you're wearing one of Son-kun's shirts,

would it? "

�� The ouji froze, " H--how DARE you accuse me of such
an overtly sentimental act! "

�� " ... "

�� " I'm also wearing the wrist-bands. " he pulled
the tops of his gloves down to reveal a dark blue wrist-band on each

arm.

�� " Vegeta! "

�� " Your mother found them! They were behind the
washer and dryer! All I did was cut the sleeves off and taper them a

bit so it would fit me! And, I
think I cut a bit from the bottom as well; it was a big shirt. " he spoke
defensively,

stepping back away from her,
" It's not like I broke into Onna's house and stole all of Kakarrotto's
clothing so I could

have a little piece of him with
me at all times. "

�� " ... "

�� " Which, technically is what I'm doing now--BUT no
crimes went into it. "

�� " It's--alright. " she patted him on the
shoulder, " You've been through a lot and this makes you happy--as
obsessive

as that sounds. " Bulma rubbed
a piece of the weighted shirt between her fingers.

�� " Well, I can't mope about forever--Kakarrotto
wouldn't want that. " Vegeta scratched the back of his head, " And I

am NOT being obsessive. Its
impossible to be so when the object of your platonic-affections is...DEAD.
" he almost choked on

the word. The ouji lifted up
his shirt and took a deep whiff of it.

�� " You...did wash that shirt, right? "

�� " I'll get around to it. "

�� " ... "

�� " Listen if I wash it it won't smell like Kakarrotto
anymore! " Vegeta balked, letting go of his shirt.

�� " ... "

�� " ...alright, I'll admit, that sentence sounded a
tiny bit obsessive. " the ouji flushed, as he rubbed his temples.

�� " A "TINY BIT"!? "

�� The smaller saiyajin pointed at her, " If you're not
going to help me clean the gravity room I must advise you to

leave me at once. I have much
work to be done and I cannot waste time discussing matters such as the deep
wound in my heart

and my burning frustration at
myself for allowing my ego to get in the way of the chance I had to destroy
Cell while he was

still in his imperfect form and
thus shattering my sole chance of rescuing Kakarrotto from death's cold,
lonely, sharp and frozen

clutches. " Vegeta lightly pushed Bulma out of the
room, " Good afternoon to you. " he closed and locked the door behind
him.

�� " Vegeta? VEGETA OPEN THIS DOOR! " Bulma
slammed her fist against it the second she realized what he had done.

�� " CAN'T HEAR YOU! I'M BUSY SCRUBBING MY SORROWS
AWAY! " Vegeta shouted, then turned on the cd player in the gravity

room to partially drown out
Bulma's yelling. He bent down, grabbed the sponge, dunked it in a bucket of
soap and water, then

began washing the cool tiled
floor.

�� Bulma sighed and turned to head back to her office,
" Well at least its better than him constantly sitting around in

a state of non-stop depression,
right? "

�� " Uwaaaah! Cleaning is DIFFICULT! " Vegeta
exclaimed, collapsing onto the couch in the living room. He flipped on the

tv and closed his eyes, leaning
his head back onto the rest behind him, " If I'd known the gravity room
would get dirty that

quickly on its own I would've
kept up with it all this time. "

�� " *Knock*knock*knock* "

�� " Eh? " the ouji sat up just as the door
opened.

�� " We're moving we're moving~! " Puar happily
exclaimed as she floated inside, followed by Yamcha.

�� " That's wonderful, Puar. " Dr. Briefs smiled,
approaching them.

�� " Oh Yamcha it's so terrible to have you leave us
after all this time! " Bunni overdramatically exclaimed, grabbing

the former desert bandit by
both hands, " Feel free to come back to visit me ANY time! "

�� " Ah, right. " Yamcha sweatdropped.

�� " So where's the new house? Are you gonna give us a
tour? " Bulma asked, curious.

�� " It's about a half hour or so from here, near the
outskirts of the city; but I really like it. Besides I can't stay

here anymore, it'd just be
awkward that way. "

�� " I don't see how. " Bunni tilted her head and
folded her arms, " You've always been such a handsome guest. "

�� " ... " Yamcha sweatdropped.

�� " Is it me? " Vegeta motioned to himself.

�� " You look beat. "

�� " I've been cleaning. "

�� " ...really? "

�� " YES! I'm telling the truth! " Vegeta
sweatdropped.

�� " Anyway, it just feels really inappropriate for me
to live with my ex while she's with someone new. I needed a

change of scenery besides.
" he shrugged.

�� " Hn. Makes sense. "

�� " ~Do the
words Tenkaichi Budoukai inspire passion within you~? " the tv spoke,
causing Bulma and Yamcha to

instantly glance over at it.

�� " It's Announcer Guy! " Yamcha peered over the
couch.

�� " You're right; huh he's aged well. " Bulma
smiled, " It's been an awful long time since-- "

�� " THEN COME ON
DOWN TO SOUTH CITY AND JOIN ME, HERCULE, FOR A FIGHTING EXTRAVAGANZA!
" Hercule butted in with his own mic, shoving the announcer out of the way,
" OH YEAH! IT'S THE TENKAICHI
BUDOUKAI: SUPREME DELUXE EDITION with yours truly, HERCULE! "

�� " Oh no... " Bulma groaned, covering her face
with her hand and shaking her head.

�� " As the crown
champion of the 24th Tenkaichi Budoukai, I'm giving all you would-be champeens
a chance to challenge

the champ next week in a full onslaught tournament to be broadcast
live from Papaya Island's legendary arena, OH YEAH! "

�� " Of course
for this tournament only the strongest will be able to face up against Hercule,
"The man who defeated

Cell", right? " Announcer Guy said with
some skepticism in his voice.

�� " W--what were
you told? " Hercule looked over at him, startled.

�� " TENKAICHI
BUDOUKAI : SUU~PREME DELUXE!� "
a large logo came up on screen as the backdrop blurred behind it as a

bodyless voice announced the
title of the tournament, " SIGN-UPS
BEGIN, MAY 4TH! "

�� " "Tenkaichi Budoukai"... " Vegeta
trailed off before a light lit up in the back of his mind, " THAT'S
KAKARROTTO'S

TOURNAMENT!!! "

�� ::: "
Veggie-tah has never heard of the Tenkaichi Budoukai be-fore?! " Goku
gasped in shock as he sat there on the

grass outside the Son home.

�� " Of course
I haven't. This little planet is practically unknown in galactical terms; why
would I know about the

intricacies of its mechanisms. Furthermore I've barely been on
this planet for a year; I'm busy training I don't have any

interest in absorbing any of the local culture nor any time to do
so. "

�� " Oh
Veggie-tah'd like the Tenkaichi Budoukai if he knew~. " the larger
saiyajin's face lit up, " It's the best

place to ever be ever! "

�� The ouji raised
an eyebrow at his peasant.

�� " It is
like...you know..that really really good feeling inside you get when you are
sparring and its exciting and

your insides are on fire or, or..it is like a delicious taste only
not on your tongue but inside your entire body! "

�� Vegeta tilted his
head slightly, " I don't quite get it. "

�� Goku sat up and
held out his pointer finger, " The Tenkaichi Budoukai is one of the three
major martial arts

tournaments on Earth; but it is my favorite--not that I have been
to the other two but that is not where I am going with

what I am telling Veggie--anyway! It is a worldwide tournament
held every three or four years to de-termine who is the

"Strongest Under the Heavens". I have fought in three of
them but I did not win un-til my third try. " he held up three

fingers, " It's my favorite place. I met lots of friends
through it and fought some really exciting battles. "

�� " Huh.
"

�� " It is a
very special place to me, Veggie-tah. It is like my second home. But... "

�� Vegeta looked
over at him with concern, the larger saiyajin's smile slumping into a frown.

�� " I do not
think I will be able to make the next one. "

�� " What?
WHY!? "

�� " Tr--ah,
the boy from the future said the androids will arrive on May 12th. "

�� " So? "

�� " The 24th
Tenkaichi Budoukai is on May 7th. " Goku shifted around, " I have
never missed a Tenkaichi Budoukai since

I first learned a-bout it; and it makes me very sad that I will
not get to participate...e-specially because I won last time.

I would be the re-turning champion. I bet I'd get to meet a lot of
new, strong people. "

�� " Baka, if
its BEFORE the 12th then you should have plenty of time. "

�� " Nope;
Tenkaichi Budoukai lasts a couple days, sometimes 3. It would be cutting too
close and I know it. " Goku

pouted.

�� Vegeta watched
the dejected larger saiyajin sulk.

�� " I'll have
to wait SIX YEARS be-fore I can participate a-gain! " he exclaimed,
falling onto his back and staring up

at the sky, " I hope whoever does win is really powerful so I
can fight them when the 25th Tenkaichi Budoukai comes

a-round. " Goku smiled, " Someone strong who's got lotsa
techniques and trains really hard too, that's who I wanna fight!":::

�� " I'M ENTERING THIS THING!! " Vegeta leapt to
his feet and practically knocked the couch behind him over.

�� " W--what? " Bulma gawked, " You haven't
trained in TWO YEARS! You've barely finished cleaning the gravity machine

you don't even know if its up
and running yet! You expect to get back to peak condition by getting back two
years of training

in under two weeks?! "

�� " I HAVE TO ENTER! Kakarrotto's honor is on the
line! "

�� " Did I miss something? " Yamcha raised his
hand.

�� " This tournament--its Kakarrotto's isn't it? "
Vegeta turned to them and pointed to the TV, " The one he loves so

much? "

�� " Yeah. "

�� " Then I have to enter and defeat that
"Hercule". By doing so, I
will become the "Strongest Under the Heavens". "

�� " But you already have a title. " Bulma sighed.

�� " No no, you see if I'm the new Tenkaichi Budoukai
champion, I will by proxy attract Kakarrotto's attention from

whatever heavenly land he
happens to be residing in--thereby drawing him back here to Earth like an
insect to sweet,

delectable honey. "

�� " I can't believe for a brief second I thought you
were acting on a noble impulse to do good. " Bulma murmured in

disbelief, " You almost
had me until you started talking about Son-kun. "

�� " Eh? " the ouji raised an eyebrow.

�� " We thought you were planning just now had to do
with Hercule and Gohan and the life of the tournament itself. "

Yamcha pointed out.

�� " Oh. I, don't care about any of that. " Vegeta
stared at him blankly, then clenched his fists as a malicious grin

spread across his face, "
However, if becoming the Tenkaichi Budoukai champion is what it takes to ignite
an unstoppable

platonic-lust for me within
Kakarrotto's soul, then THAT is the title I must achieve! "

�� " I thought you were over Son-kun, Vegeta. "

�� " I'm over my depression, Bulma. I'm not
"over" Kakarrotto. I can't get "over" Kakarrotto; he is my
rival, the sole

catalyst that allows me to get
up in the morning and go to bed at night, he is my reason for breathing, my
DESTINY! "

�� Yamcha glanced over at Bulma, " And, YOU'RE the one
he's in love with? "

�� " That's what I just keep telling myself. " she
dryly replied while Vegeta stared off into the distance, starry-eyed.

�� ::If Vegeta's
entering this tournament things could get pretty messy..:: Yamcha thought
to himself, " Hey maybe I

should contact the guys and see
if any of them want to come join the tournament for old times sake! " he
grinned.

�� " I don't care what you do! But I'M going to Onna's. " Vegeta smirked.

�� " What? Chi-Chi's? Why? " Bulma asked.

�� " To rub my soon-to-be glorious luck in her face.
"

�� " VEGETA!!! "

�� " And perhaps to borrow some of Kakarrotto's
weighted boots for my training. " he lifted open one of the living room

windows and hopped out, "
Ta-ta~! "

�� " WHAT?! NO VEGETA COME BACK! " Bulma ran over to
the window only to see a mere dot in the far off sky. She heaved

a frustrated groan before
glancing back over at Yamcha and her parents, " So, this apartment of
yours? "

�� " *Knock*knock*knock*. " Vegeta gingerly
knocked on the front door to the Son home, rocking lightly back and forth

in his boots, a content smirk
on his face.

�� " Coming! " a vaguely familiar voice came from
inside the house as the sound of heavy feet grew louder until the

front door opened to reveal a
man a head taller than Vegeta with wild dark spiky hair.

�� " KAKARRO---oh. " Vegeta's shock dissipated
once he saw the rest of the man's haircut, " Gohan? "

�� " Oh hey Vegeta. Haven't seen you in a couple years.
" Gohan grinned, " I had a growth spurt! " he pointed to

himself.

�� " You are a cruel, cruel person to combine that
height with that haircut. " the ouji mildly pouted, disappointed,

" I thought for a moment
that you were Kakarrotto~! " he exclaimed in duress, " But the hair
in the back and the tint of the

hair itself clearly give you
away. "

�� " It's the same haircut I had when I last saw you,
I'm just taller now. "

�� " I KNOW THAT!! " Vegeta snapped, then returned
to his luke-warm sulking.

�� " Okaasan says I should cut it for when I start
going to high school, but I really like it this way. Afterall Toussan

gave me this haircut style.
"

�� " KAKARROTTO KNOWS HOW TO CUT HAIR?! " Vegeta
gawked, snapping out of it before musing off, " Ahhhhhhtooo~ "

�� " OUJI. "

�� " Hmm~? " Vegeta glanced over to see Chi-Chi
staring aggravatedly at him while he still had a sappy smile plastered

all over his face.

�� " What are you doing here? "

�� " Oh! " Vegeta lightly slapped the sides of his
face before placing himself in a proud position, " Well Onna, if you

must know I'm here to let you
know that I've discovered a way to lure Kakarrotto back to Earth. "

�� " Ohh Ouji he's dead.
You can't lure back the dead short of trying to bring them back to life
Frankenstein-style. "

Chi-Chi chided him.

�� " Trust me; if we had the body, I would've done that
already. "

�� " What frightens me is that I'm almost certain
you're serious about that. " her bottom left-eyelid twitched.

�� " The TENKAICHI BUDOUKAI! " Vegeta proudly
announced.

�� " That won't be held for another three years, Ouji. "
Chi-Chi folded her arms.

�� Vegeta shook his head, " No no. There's this
stunt-tournament thing called the "Tenkaichi
Budoukai: Supreme Deluxe"

and its going to be held a few
weeks from now and I'M going to enter it and become champion. "

�� " And this concerns me how? "

�� " If I become the winner of a Tenkaichi
Budoukai--regardless of its subsidiary--I will no doubt attract Kakarrotto's

attention from above. Thus, he
shall travel to Earth to seek me in a no-holds-bars battle; possibly naked. You
know how

un-necessary clothes are in the
afterlife. "

�� " I wouldn't know Ouji, I've never been dead. "
Chi-Chi dryly responded.

�� " It shall be a glorious heated battle full of sweat
and nudity! "

�� " Oh give me a break. You could barely stand in the
same room as Goku-san when he's missing his shirts without

freaking out and running away.
You'd have a nose-bleed a mile long if you saw him naked. "

�� " ... " Vegeta stared at her, slightly upset.

�� " You know its the truth. "

�� " ...and once we finish our private passionate sparring
session; my dear heavenly angel and I shall return to

Capsule Corp where Kakarrotto
shall lay worship unto his royal ruler, if you catch my drift. "

�� " You've gotten a little more crazy since I last saw
ya, haven't you, Ouji. "

�� " May I come inside? "

�� " I'd rather you didn't. "

�� " Well, in that case, may I borrow a pair of
Kakarrotto's weighted boots? "

�� " I'm wearing a pair. " Gohan pointed to them.

�� " No, not those. I mean a pair only Kakarrotto
himself has worn. "

�� " I'm not going to give you a pair of Goku-san's
boots so you can desecrate them in some foul perverted manner,

Ouji! " Chi-Chi bawked at
the idea.

�� " I would NEVER do anything to harm Kakarrotto's
clothing in any way that could ever be perceived as insulting! I

merely want to wear a pair to
train in. "

�� " You mean you're training again? That's great!
" Gohan grinned, " We were worried that you really did mean it when

you said you'd given up on it.
"

�� " I was in a dark
place, Gohan. A cold, lonely silent place where not even the most intense
rays of warm summer

sunshine could ever wish to
penetrate. " he placed one hand against the side of the house, " For
you see, Kakarrotto is the

sun which allows the grass of
my heart to grow. Together, we are a photosynthesis. Apart, a dead world of
utter despair. "

he overdramatically explained,
a spotlight resting upon him.

�� " If I give you a pair of those stupid boots will
you leave us alone? " Chi-Chi bluntly asked.

�� " Yes. Yes I will. "

�� " HERE. " she held them out.

�� " Excellent! " Vegeta eagerly took the heavy
boots and coddled them tightly.

�� " You want a pair of his PANTS too? " she
sarcastically bit.

�� Vegeta's face flushed red, " N--no I'd rather not.
Those pants have touched bodily parts which, by me hypothetically

wearing would indirectly
represent a physical, non-platonic touching that I'd much rather avoid. "

�� " Have a good day Ouji. " Chi-Chi backed up
before shutting the door on him.

�� Vegeta continued to stand there, bright red, "
K--Kakarrotto's pants. "

�� " My...my feet, they're BIGGER than Kakarrotto's.
" Vegeta sat there with one of the boots on, his toes feeling

pressed terribly up against the
front of the shoe, " Despite the fact that these shoes don't fit me, I
still feel as though

I have won some sort of victory
today. " he marvelled, sitting on the side of his bed, " I wish
Kakarrotto were here for me

to brag to~ "

�� " OH! " Goku whipped around in mid-stride,
causing Pikkon, who had just swung a punch at him to not only miss, but

to fall over, hitting his side
on the grass below, " Tenka-ichi Budou-kai! "

�� " Oww. " Pikkon muttered before sitting up,
" what was that for? "

�� " Piku-han there is a Tenkaichi Budoukai coming up!
" Goku turned to face him, anxious.

�� " How would you know that? Baba only comes around
here a couple times a year; there's no way for you to know or even

have permission to know what's
going on down on your homeplanet. "

�� " Be-cause I can sense it. "

�� " You can sense martial arts tournaments? "
Pikkon raised an eyebrow.

�� Goku nodded furiously, " Well, not ALL tournaments,
just the Tenkaichi Budoukai; be-cause it is my favorite. " he

beamed, his tail wagging behind
him.

�� " That's an...odd power. "

�� " How many points do you think I have a-ccumulated?
"

�� " What? I don't know. Besides I thought you were
saving them up so you'd have an entire day. "

�� " I am! I just, I just want to go down and watch!
" Goku blurted out, " Maybe if I am really quiet Baba or Kaio-sama

or anyone else won't notice I
am gone. I would have GONE to the 24th Tenkaichi Budoukai if I had known I
would be DEAD

be-fore the 25th one!! "

�� Pikkon sweatdropped.

�� " Pie-kuhan! " the large saiyajin placed his
hands on Pikkon's shoulders, " PLEASE help cover for me I will only be

gone a little while. "

�� Pikkon raised an eyebrow, " And how am I going to do
that? "

�� " You sure ask a lot of questions, Piku-haan. "
Goku pondered as they stood there in dorm room, Goku pulling the

sheets of his bed up over a
life-sized plushie of himself.

�� " Son Goku that's one of the oldest tricks there is.
No one's going to believe you're sick in bed. We're DEAD! We

don't get sick because there
aren't any sicknesses to get! "

�� " Well maybe I just did not get much sleep the night
be-fore. You can tell them that if any-one asks. " the large

saiyajin adjusted the pillow
underneath his plushie self's head, " There! No one would ever know!
"

�� " No one with any common sense, anyway. "
Pikkon dryly added.

�� Goku placed his fingers onto his forehead, an excited
grin of glee on his face, " I am off! Byebye, Pie-kuhan! "

he waved as he teleported away.

�� " Uugh. " Pikkon shook his head with dismay.

�� " WOWWWWW... " Vegeta stood there before a row
of shops along the many road-side stands on Papaya Island that

were stationed just outside the
arena and offering a wide variety of Tenkaichi Budoukai merchandise. The ouji
stared in awe

at the vast amount of
Goku-related products.

�� " I'd really rather you didn't. At least for the
sake of your health. " Bulma came up from behind him.

�� " What?! You think I'd--pft, no. I'm not THAT
addicted. "

�� " You're addicted? "

�� " Besides, I
already have THE BEST merchandise of ALL. " he proudly tugged at his
weighted blue tank-top.

�� " Sometimes I really think I should take you
somewhere to get your mental health evaluated; and I would if I knew it

wouldn't likely drive the
doctors themselves insane. "

�� " Hmm~? " Vegeta's gaze crossed upon several of
the dvds before he picked up one of the 23rd Tenkaichi Budoukai,

" This is the one
Kakarrotto WON in. And beat Onna into a pulp. "

�� " He didn't beat me to a pulp, Ouji. He let loose a
kiai that was too strong for me to hold. The wind knocked me out

of bounds and that's how I
lost. " Chi-Chi folded her arms, standing there with Gohan by her side and
Goten in a stroller.

�� " Wow Onna, that's extravagantly more pathetic than
the exciting tooth-and-nail battle I
had imagined. " the small

saiyajin pondered outloud.

�� " He's totally back to full force, isn't he? "
Chi-Chi flatly asked Bulma.

�� " Well, he's getting there. " she sweatdropped,
then let out a gasp at the sight of Gohan, " OH!! Gohan you're

TALL! "

�� " Heh-heh, yeah. " the demi-saiyajin grinned,
scratching behind his head and flushing lightly with embarrassment.

�� " What happened to your Goku-san boots, Ouji? "

�� " Oh, yes. They were far too small to hold my manly
semeish feet. " Vegeta smirked.

�� Bulma sighed, " They were a tiny big snug on him,
its not like he couldn't fit his feet in there semi-comfortably. "

�� " My hands are slightly larger than Kakarrotto's as
well. " the ouji added in.

�� " You sure about that? " Chi-Chi looked at him
skeptically, " I mean its not like Goku-san's here to rebuke you on

that, is he? "

�� " ... " the smaller saiyajin's eyes began to
water as his tail went limp and hit the floor with a depressing thunk.

�� " OH! AH, ah... " Chi-Chi glanced around,
confused and unsure of how to reply while avoiding a scene.

�� " I'm ohkay.. " Vegeta held one hand up while
clutching at his heart, " I'm, I'm gonna be alright. Kakarrotto's

someplace safe. Safe and far,
FAR away from people like me...who'll NEVER SEE HIM AGAIN... "

�� " DON'T YOU THINK I FEEL BAD TOO!? Goku-san will
never get to meet Goten-chan now that he's DEAD! " Chi-Chi

exclaimed.

�� " But it isn't Goten's fault he's DEAD! "

�� " It's completely my fault. " Gohan grimaced,
" I was the one who decided to try and TORTURE Cell instead of just

ending it as fast as I could!
"

�� " No it's MY fault for not killing Cell when I had the chance; my chance was WEEKS
before your chance! " Vegeta

motioned to himself, sniffling.

�� " HEY! Goku! "

�� All three whipped their heads in the direction the
Budoukai Announcer was heading towards them in before he got

close enough to notice
something was off.

�� " Hey, you cut your hair. " Announcer Guy
looked up at Gohan.

�� " I--I'm not Son Goku. I'm his son. "

�� " Ohhhh. " Announcer Guy frowned, dejected
before recovering and smiling, " Well it's nice to meet you. " he
shook

Gohan's hand.

�� " It's nice to meet you too. " Gohan smiled
back.

�� " Where is Goku by the way? You know it's not the
same here without him. The 24th Tenkaichi Budoukai was a total wash

without him. " Announcer
Guy waved off, " Not only that but none of the usual gang was there
either. I wish they had been and

because they weren't, we have
to deal with people like "Hercule" now. "

�� " Is he as strong as his aftershave claims he is?
" Chi-Chi raised an eyebrow, skeptical.

�� " Well, I guess if you're going by everyday-guy
standards, then yeah, he's strong; but he's a drop in the bucket if I

were to put him up against
people like Son Goku, Piccolo, and Tenshinhan. " the announcer scratched
the back of his head,

" If you've still been
training since I last saw you Mrs. Son you could even probably take him down. I
doubt he'd have made

it to the finals of the 23rd
tournament. The thing is just not many strong people wanted to compete after
what happened back

then--you know, with Piccolo.
They were afraid to come back. I mean, I don't blame them, they didn't want to
accidentally

die; but its still not exactly
good PR. "

�� " See Gohan! It'll be a snap for you to win this
thing! " Chi-Chi cheered up considerably, patting her son on the

back.

�� " Eh? " Vegeta looked over at her.

�� " That's right, Ouji. I'm gonna give you your
comeuppance! Gohan-chan's entering this thing and he's going to kick

your sorry rump from here
halfway across the world and back again! "

�� " You LIE! "

�� " Why else would I be here, Ouji? "

�� " To...cheer me on? "

�� " ... "

�� " Yes I suppose that was quite the far-fetched idea.
Well it cannot be helped; Looks like I'll have to down Gohan to

win this thing. But I'm alright
with that, it means there's a challenge to be sought after and fought for.
Merely swatting

Hercule out of the ring
wouldn't prove much; but knocking YOU down for the count--THAT'S sure to mean
quite the testament to

my TRUE power! " Vegeta
smirked, pointing at Gohan before waltzing off towards the sign-up booth,
" See you in the ring,

"Mama's boy". "

�� " I AM NOT!!
" Gohan exclaimed, protesting.

�� " Yes you are. " Chi-Chi bluntly replied.

�� " Yes I am... " he hung his head, dejected.

�� " Come on Gohan let's go buy some snacks for your
brother so he's not crying when he wakes up. "

�� " Uwaaah~! It all looks so GOOD! The food on Earth is
so much better than the food they have in Otherworld~ " Goku

mused contently as he walked
down one of the aisles full of various food-vendors; his halo hovering over his
head and his

angel wings in their compact
p-wing form hovering behind his back, " BUT I HAVE NO MONEY! " he
exclaimed, sulking.

�� " Hey are you Son Goku? "

�� " Hm? " the large saiyajin looked over to see a
vendor standing in a booth selling whole fried fish on a stick,

" Yes, but I did not bring
any money with me so I cannot eat any-thing here. "

�� " On the house then. " the man handed over one
of the fish-on-a-stick.

�� " Oh WOW REALLY?! " Goku gushed, taking the
fish and eating it whole, " Thank you so much! " he nodded, then
dashed

onward down the aisle, content
and suddenly hungry for more food. The wonderful smells of the market flowed
through his

nostrils while the sounds of
the tournament grounds surrounded his ears. The large saiyajin purred, turning
a corner before

smacking into someone and
almost falling over, " WHOA! " he caught himself only to have a heavy
object fall from the sky and

hit him on the side of the
head, " Oof! " Goku reached up and caught the object before it hit
the ground, " Oh, a

micro-phone. " he blinked.

�� " GOKU! "

�� He looked up and beamed, " MR. ANNOUNCER! "
Goku accidentally spoke into the mic, causing his voice to loudly

reverberate throughout the
area.

�� " ... " Vegeta stopped in his tracks just
outside the building the other contestants had already entered. The ouji's

head turned eerily slowly over
his shoulder, his eyes wide as saucer pans.

�� " Vegeta! Are you coming inside or not! " Bulma
shouted to him, her voice muffled by the thick walls.

�� " Kakarrotto... " the ouji felt his throat run
dry as a tingling sensation rushed into his fingertips. He sensed

desperately for a ki only to no
success; there were just too many people in the area and part of his mind had
already

somehow snapped off into an
unknown area.

�� " Ah....heh-heh. " Goku smiled sheepishly,
handing the mic over to the announcer, who took it and shut the mic off.

Both got to their feet; the
announcer dusting himself off.

�� " Don't worry about it, Son Goku. " he adjusted
his trademark sunglasses, " Thrilled to see you here. We all really

missed you at the 24th, man.
" Announcer Guy shook Goku's hand.

�� " I am SO SORRY I was not able to be there. What
happened was there were these androids right, and they were going

to des-troy all of the world
and my friends and I had to stop them and the times over-lapped. "

�� " I understand, don't worry about it. "
Announcer Guy waved, then smirked and let his voice drop to a whisper, "
Let

me guess, it was you guys who
beat Cell too. "

�� " Heh-heh, yeah. " Goku grinned, " Well,
Gohan mostly. "

�� " Oh your kid. I saw him earlier; almost the
spitting image of you. OH! " he said suddenly, " You better get to
the

sign-in station; they're due to
close in under 10 minutes from now. "

�� " I cannot. "

�� " Huh? "

�� " I am not even supposed to be here. I am
cheating... " Goku looked around nervously, almost expecting to see

entire groups of Otherworld
Security police to show up any moment to escort him back to Otherworld itself,
" I could get in

big trouble if I am out in the
open. "

�� " You are out in the open. "

�� " No! I mean someplace like the arena, or, or
any-where where I would stand out a-mong many people. " he shifted

around, still uneasy, "
You see, " Goku pointed to his halo while turning around so Announcer Guy
could see his back, " I

am dead. I died in a huge
ex-plosion caused by Cell when he self-de-structed. "

�� Announcer Guy's mouth slowly hung open as his sunglasses
slid halfway down his face, " ... "

�� " I snuck back here to Earth to watch the
tournament. I know it's selfish but I really want to see one more tournament

even if I am only a spec-tator.
" Goku pleaded, " Could you take me somewhere where I could not be
found and still watch? "

�� " Uh...y...yeah, sure Goku. " Announcer guy got
his wits back about him, " There's a place out by the contestant

waiting area, its a couple rooms
away from there but no one ever goes back there and audience members aren't
allowed. You can

get a ring-side view from over
there; it's not an area the cameras normally catch either. "

�� " REALLY?! Thank you Mr. Announcer!! " Goku
shook both of his hands at once.

�� " Don't mention it. " he smiled, still a little
taken-aback.

�� " Hey everybody! " Hercule waved as he entered
the contestant waiting area.

�� " So we finally meet. " Chi-Chi narrowed her
eyes at the man, a smirk on her face, " Is THIS the man, Gohan? " her

cold intense stare causing
Hercule to practically freeze in his tracks from fright.

�� " Ah, h--hai. " Gohan sweatdropped, "
Don't mind Okaasan, she's just-- "

�� " --my little boy is going to make you suffer; 24th
Tenkaichi Budoukai Champion or not. " Chi-Chi said happily,

" Have a good time,
Gohan-chan. " she waved to him before walking away to join the
non-participating members of the Z senshi

outside.

�� " T--THAT WAS SCARY!! " Hercule shouted, gone
pale; his knees quaking beneath him.

�� " Sorry about that. " Gohan sweatdropped
further.

�� " A--anyway...yes.. " Hercule cleared his
throat before taking out a microphone, " As current reigning champ of the

Tenkaichi Budoukai, I, HERCULE,
would like to welcome you all to today's special edition; TENKAICHI BUDOUKAI
SUPREME DELUXE!"

he announced.

�� Vegeta continued to stare out through the glass doors
that led into the building, almost expecting to see Goku walk

through them and not paying all
that much attention to the announcement at all. A tiny flash of orange lit up
in the corner

of his eyes as he whipped
around to see it was gone. Almost in a trance, the ouji turned to begin a
slow-paced wander down

the hall, his feet beginning to
quicken their pace the farther he got before he knew he was running with all
his might.

Vegeta skidded to a halt to
find a dead-end. His shoulders slumped in place as confusion settled in on him,
" I hope I'm not

losing my mind. " he
quietly begged himself, reaching out for the wall infront of him and pressing
gently upon it.

�� The wall moved.

�� " !!! " Vegeta's eyes widened.

�� " No as you may know, this special edition of the
Tenkaichi Budoukai is set up in basically the same format as the

usual tournament. Same set
rules; no killing, no below the belt, no use of man-made or hand-made
weapons--you gotta use your

body and that's that. "
Hercule explained, " However, as the champ; I won't be fighting until the
final round against

whichever one of the group of
you gets that far. "

�� " WHAT?! " Gohan gasped.

�� " And why would that be? " Piccolo asked,
suspicious.

�� " Ah, well you see its to make it all the more
special that way. Besides uh, I've got a terrible
stomach ache I've

been working my way through
today so its not like I'll be at an advantage or anything. " he laughed
nervously, ::Actually if

these really ARE those guys from the Cell Games I might have to
duck out of here early--they'll beat me within an incha my

life if I stay!::

�� A frustrated expression appeared on Gohan's face before
he let it slide and smiled, " Alright. "

�� " Good to hear. " ::WHEW!!:: Hercule gave him a thumbs-up before heading out, ::That was a close one!::

�� " I'm still not completely sure why I'm here. "
Kuririn spoke up, scratching the back of his head; which was covered

in peach fuzz, " I mean if
we've got Gohan, Piccolo, and Vegeta here there's no way I'm gonna come up
anywhere short of 4th;

and that's only if it turns out
that Tenshinhan hasn't been training as hard as I have. "

�� " Aw come on Kuririn, it's all in the spirit of
things. " Yamcha tried to cheer him up, " It's the Tenkaichi

Budoukai; it's a treat just to
be here; to get to participate again. It's like reliving your youth all over
again. "

�� " How can you say that? You've never even made it
past the first round of the finals? " Kuririn sweatdropped.

�� " ...I, prefer to relive selectively. " Yamcha
twitched, a cloud of gloom now hovering over his head as well.

�� " Say, where is Vegeta? " Tenshinhan looked
around.

�� " That's right, I haven't seen him since Okaasan
left. " Gohan blinked, " I wasn't keeping track of him at all. "

�� " Maybe he won't make it back in time and he'll get
disqualified; then I'd be almost a shoe-in for third place! And

I wouldn't have to fight
against him. " Kuririn pointed out.

�� " -WILL ALL
CONTESTANTS PLEASE MOVE TO THE PRELIMINARY RINGS?- -ALL CONTESTANTS TO THE
PRELIMINARY RINGS!- " one of the officials voices came over the
speaker systems.

�� " Forget about Vegeta for now; " Piccolo said,
turning to head towards said arenas, " if he's so dead-set on

participating in this thing
he'll be here in time. If not, it's his loss. "

�� " ... "

�� " ... "

�� Time stood still.

�� Vegeta watched as Goku turned from where he stood in the
open doorway that lead to the arena towards the door at the

other end of the room behind
him.

�� " Veggie-ta? "

�� The ouji felt a lump caught in his throat as his eyes
welled up, " KAKARROTTO!! " he wailed, launching himself at

the larger saiyajin and almost
knocking them both over, " I'M SO SORRY! I'M SO SORRY I LET MY EGO GET THE
BETTER OF ME! IF I

HAD JUST KILLED CELL WHEN I HAD
THE CHANCE YOU WOULD NEVER HAVE HAD TO DIE! "

�� Goku stared down at him in surprise, the smaller saiyajin
sobbing into the front of Goku's gi.

�� " I missed you so much! I couldn't eat or sleep or
train or ANYTHING! All I could think about was YOU! I'm so sorry,

Kakarrotto. I'm so sorry I got
you killed. I've been so lonely without you. "

�� " ... " the larger saiyajin reached his arms
around the smaller one and hugged back, " I missed you too, Veggie-ta.
"

he smiled sadly, " And I
am sorry for making you cry. "

�� " I'm not crying, BAKA! " Vegeta snapped up at
him, tears clearly streaming down his face. He pulled Goku down to

eye-level with him, "
Promise you'll never leave me again! "

�� " V--Veggie I.. " Goku stammered off, glancing
up at his halo.

�� Vegeta noticed the halo for the first time as the weight
that had been lifted off of him came crashing back down, not

onto just his shoulders but his
entire body this time, " EhhhhWAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH! " he wailed, clutching
onto Goku once more,

" THAT'S NOT FAIR! THAT'S
JUST NOT FAIR!! "

�� " I cannot keep that promise, Veggie. I am still
dead. I came here i-llegally be-cause I knew I had enough points to

allow me to make the trip so I
could at least watch a Tenkaichi Budoukai tournament for a few hours. "

�� " Wa..wait, what? " Vegeta's voice quivered as
he desperately tried to pull himself together.

�� " In Otherworld, if you did many good things in life
and continue to do good things once you arrive there; you will

be-gin to accumulate points.
You can only use these points once and you can only a-ccumulate e-nough to
allow for one full

24 hours in the living world.
" Goku explained, " That is why I have not been back sooner. I did
not have e-nough points to

get here and I do not know
any-thing that has gone on since I last spoke to everyone when they re-vived
Mirai Trunks. "

�� " Points? "

�� " I should not even be here right now. " Goku
tried to force a smile, " I am probably going to be punished when they

find out I am gone for real; I
never did get the hang of how time passing here works versus how it passes in
Otherworld. "

he scratched the back of his
head, letting out a short laugh.

�� Vegeta stood back, a depressed expression on his face as
he stared at the ground.

�� " But, if you want, " Goku bent down to
Vegeta's height, " I can take you home with me. "

�� The ouji's eyes widened. He looked up to make eyecontact
with Goku, " What? "

�� " Dead people are not a-llowed in the living world
under normal circumstances, but there are plenty of live people

in Otherworld. Enma-daio, the
kais, the onis who work there. There is no reason why they would kick Veggie
out; un-less he

did something really mean while
he was there--but I know you won't. "

�� Vegeta took one of Goku's open hands, " Yes. "

�� " Hm? "

�� " Yes. Take me with you. " the ouji earnestly
implored, " Take me with you Kakarrotto! I want to be there, wherever

you go; I don't want to be
alone any more! "

�� " Veggie-ta knows it won't be for-ever; be-cause
there are people still on Earth who care so much a-bout Veggie; and

he would make them sad if he
were gone forever too. " Goku cautioned as to not give Vegeta the wrong
idea.

�� The smaller saiyajin hooked his arms under and up around
Goku's before pulling the larger saiyajin close to him and

causing Goku to flush
furiously, " Let's go now. Right now. "

�� " R--n--now? " Goku looked around, surprised
and slightly frantic at the trusting, compassionate expression directed

at him, " But Veggie-tah
what a-bout the tourna-- "

�� " --forget it. I only came hoping to lure you back
here. "

�� " Veh-gee I want to see the tournament though, that
IS why I sneaked back here. "

�� " Then why didn't you sign up? "

�� " I did not want to be caught. " Goku frowned.

�� " Then, its not really all that different if you
can't fight in it, is it? " Vegeta pleaded, wanting to go "home"

with his peasant more than
anything else, " Take me back to this Other World with you and we'll have
our very own tournament

between you and me. " the
ouji raptured gently into the larger saiyajin's ear, causing Goku to flush even
further, " Two

years is too long, Kakarrotto.
"

�� " Then Veggie-tah will not mind two more hours.
"

�� The smaller saiyajin looked up at Goku's face and let him
go before pulling up a chair, " Very well. " he dusted it

off before walking out onto the
arena grounds themselves.

�� " Veggie-tah, where are you going? " Goku
asked, confused.

�� The ouji smirked softly at him, " Kakarrotto, I'm a
competitor in this tournament. I'm going to put on a show for

you. See you soon. " he
waved admiringly over to Goku as he jogged off to join the other contestants,
who were being

introduced in the ring.

�� " Byeb-- "

�� " Don't say "byebye"! Say I'll see you
soon! " Vegeta called out to him, a genuine smile on his face.

�� Goku sat there in the chair for a moment before raising
his arm to begin waving again with a grin, " I'll see you

soon, Veh-gee-tah~! "

*******************************************************************************************************************************************************************

1:11 AM 9/14/2008

THE END!

Vegeta: (smirks) Oh yeah, trip to Otherworld with Kakarrotto in
total secret and privacy.

Chuquita: (sweatdrops) This entire fic derailed into a completely
different direction on me halfway though.

Vegeta: (pats her on the back) Eh, that's ohkay. I'm happy.

Chuquita: I had to redo the summary like three times. '_';;;

Vegeta: So, where we going next?

Chuquita: You know I'm not quite sure. I'm torn between two
drastically different time periods.

Goku: You did make a poll.

Chuquita: The two I'm torn between are very high up on the poll.

Goku: Oh. ^^;

Chuquita: Ah well, We'll figure it out tomorrow! :3

Vegeta: (sweatdrops) I suppose we will.

Chuquita: Anyways, the latter half of this oneshot I wrote after
finishing reading the kanzenban where Cell is defeated.

While the anime's a lot prettier in this arc's regard, you hit on
a things a lot deeper with the manga version. There's this

one panel right when Goku realizes that he's going to have to
teleport Cell away and probably die in the process; it's a

heart-wrenching panel because of just how saddened he looks. You
also notice character reactions better this way; like you

can almost see what's going on in Veggie's mind when he realizes
that Mirai's dead. Deep stuff, these drawings.

Vegeta: It was a painful time.

Goku: (gives Veggie a hug)

Chuquita: (to audience) See you sometime next week!

Goku: Byebye!
- 1
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