Through My Eyes

Chapter 1

When the darkened skies had lit up again, all of the Z-gang having gathered in panic at Capsule Corp to see why the dragon had been summoned, Vegeta glared down at the two small demi Saiyans looking meekly at the ground.

"You wished what?" The Saiyan prince's face turned myriad shades of blue and red, the angry spike in his ki making the boys flinch, remaining mute.

ChiChi and Bulma each lifted her son by the back of his collar and demanded in unison, "Well?"

Indignant at the humiliation of being scolded in front of everyone, Trunks told his father, "We wished the other Saiyans back to life on Earth. But they have to behave themselves," he added quickly, "We were surprised that it was possible, but they decided to give them another chance."

Vegeta rubbed his temples at his sudden rise of blood pressure, sure that he was dreaming. "Why?" he demanded, bewildered.

"Uh… well…" Trunks stammered, as awkward as his father at expressing himself. Vegeta turned his glare to Goten for an explanation.

"Not all of them," Goten attempted at diplomacy, his dangling feet not helping him in looking convincing, "Just the ones you knew well."

Vegeta facepalmed. "For the last time, why?"

Goten swallowed hard, mustering the courage to reply, "I'll tell you, but not in front of everyone." He glanced at Trunks, who nodded.

The three parents exchanged indulging looks. "Alright, whelp," Vegeta conceded, pointng, "Go with me to that tree over there and explain yourself. But this had better be good."

The boys' mothers lowered them back down and Goten mumbled under his breath, "Farther away than that, so Piccolo-san won't hear."

"Then you'll have to go beyond the horizon of my sight," Piccolo informed him, standing a slight distance from the group, "As long as I don't have to make that many beam cannons or die, I really don't care."

"Wait," ChiChi interjected, "Does that mean your father will be back as well?" she asked hopefully.

Goten looked down dejectedly. "No," he admitted with a look of disappointment that mirrored his mother's.

Believing to comprehend their motivations now, Vegeta nodded. "Follow me, then."

Goten received a look from ChiChi and Bulma that indicated that he was officially in deep poop, then timidly followed Vegeta to the said cherry tree out of earshot of all but Piccolo.

Vegeta stood against the tree with his arms folded. "I get this has something to do with your father?" Away from the others, his tone had softened a little.

Goten kept his eyes on the ground. "Mother said he didn't want to come back so he could train in the afterlife. I guess I hoped he'd agree, but I knew he wouldn't."

Vegeta frowned, puzzled. "Did you hope to meet your real grandfather, then, and the rest of our people?"

"Well, it might be nice, but they probably wouldn't care since we never knew them," Goten began, growing braver as he wasn't being yelled at as expected, "We thought you were sad because you missed your people and… your father. I never knew mine, but I wish I did. We thought you'd be happy to see your father again. I never met a real king before, but I know a prince and you're… pretty cool." He glanced upward and back down, his cheeks blushing awkwardly.

Vegeta's expression changed. His first reaction to yell in question of the boy's sanity was held in check by a vivid flashback of who he'd been before. Before Frieza had turned him into a monster. For the first time since he could remember he was speechless, staring at Goten and seeing a reflection of himself. A reflection that Goten saw as well.

"Vegeta-san?" Goten was alarmed at his silence and unreadable expression. Perhaps they'd only made it worse.

"You did that for me?" the Saiyan prince asked incredulously, sounding much younger then. "Why? I've never done anything for you."

Goten only stared back at him in silence with a tentative smile that was not difficult to understand. He was there. "You mean you're not mad at us?"

Vegeta looked more baffled than anything by a mix of conflicting, unidentidyable emotions. "I don't know what to think. They're but ghosts to me now. Or maybe it's me the ghost." He seemed to forget that he was speaking to a seven-year-old, but Goten understood clearly.

"Nah, you're just remembering." His tone became oddly familiar, causing Vegeta to arch an eyebrow. "I'm sorry we didn't ask first. We weren't there, but I don't need to remember anything. I can see now."

Vegeta watched him with puzzled intrigue. There had always been something special about Goten that he could not place. "What do you mean?"

Goten thought for a moment to choose his words. "I'll tell you someday when I'm old enough to not be laughed at."

Vegeta laughed unexpectedly and ruffled his hair, making him smile happily. "You're a strange bird."

"Can I be your strange bird?" Goten asked cheerfully, following Vegeta back to the confused group.

"I guess you are," Vegeta said amusedly. They stood beside the boys' mothers and he simply told ChiChi, "You were right."

"Of course I was right," ChiChi said confidently, "I can read him like a book."

The rest of the Z-gang wondered uneasily how they were going to handle a gang of hopefully repented Saiyans while Piccolo looked on, silent and unconcerned. He'd understood more than what was said by Vegeta and Goten by the cherry tree, and for the next eleven years would keep the secret of what he could see would be inevitable, of what Vegeta and Goten themselves did not yet know. Piccolo would be the only one not at all surprised.
*
TBC in part 2…