Pride's Fourth Life

The cool air gave me goosebumps as I soared through the nothingness. Temperature's ruling hand seemed not to be existent in this part of the universe, but my mind reacted to what the temperature would have normally have been under normal circumstances anyway, causing me to shiver. I briefly looked around my surroundings. From what information I had gathered, I could tell that I was soaring through a dark space, as if I was flying through the galaxy in a space pod, but instead of flying in a straight, direct line with full control of where I was headed, I was flying uncontrollably with strange, luminescent portals surrounding me. I could tell I was no longer fused somehow, as Kakarot was floating a few feet to my left, going through the same symptoms I seemed to be going through. I inspected where I was in a little more detail. I saw dozens of colors different than the ones back on Earth, mixes of green and purple, and mixes of colors I had never seen before in my life. The ones I did slightly recognize were rarely showing themselves, and even they were strange shade varients. Strange portal-like holes were dotted my surroundings everywhere I could see, and every once in a while I would get close enough to see inside one of them before it passed by me. I saw strange sights of lands that seemed to be identical to the cities of Earth, and others that didn't seem to know the concept of sanity with three-headed creatures flying around upside-down with celery sticks for hair.

Kakarot had awoken after an extended period of time had passed. I could not tell how much time though, for some reason my brain did not seem to function the same here. I couldn't tell time, I couldn't control my body, and I couldn't speak. I was powerless to whatever the future claimed for me, if the future even had any reign in this place. In the back of my mind, I knew I would probably end up in a strange world with no chance of getting back to Earth. That wasn't that bad I supposed, but who would there be for me to fight? The one I truly wanted to fight probably won't even be there. Kakarot. Oh Kakarot, how many years I have waited to have my chance of destroying him, how many evil beings have prevented me from doing so. I looked at him and pondered how a low-class saiyan of his level could have grown to become stronger than I, the prince of a whole race. I never did understand this, as I always figured saiyans were more or less all the same: A race of fighters who would rather die in battle than live cowards, who could transform under a full moon into a gigantic, fearsome beast, and grew stronger every time almost defeated while quarreling with enemy forces. Kakarot was different. He took care of the ones close to him, actual real care and real love. He had hobbies which he pursued in his free time. He even let me go when I first intended to kill him back all those years ago, when I was sent to his planet to wipe out their race and steal the dragonballs and selfishly wish for immortality. I fought bravely, but somehow he got the better of me and had my life resting on his palm... and he let me go. He loved to fight, but would rather not if it meant someone's life was in danger. The only similarities between him and his race were physical. And here he was, sleeping through his literal future floating around him, oblivious to what events we were about to endure. When he did wake though, he was calm. He looked around his surroundings much like I did when I realized that I was floating in this darn place.

It took Kakarot a full minute to understand what truly was happening, and that this was not just a strange dream, and when his brain finally figured it out he roared out a scream unbelievably loud, his hair turning gold, increasing in length, and his eyebrows disappearing. This would seem strange to the average person, and doctors would beg to analyze what they don't realize is a legend, but if you stay around us Saiyans for a couple of weeks then you get used to it. Our lives are always in constant danger. After a while of straining against whatever was keeping us still he gave up, reverted back to his normal form, and finally quieted as he stared at me, noticing my existence for the first time since we had gotten in this horrid place. He tried to speak, but whatever he said was for some reason inaudible, although I could see his lips move. I tried replying, but found I could not hear myself. Kakarot looked confused, trying several times to communicate but after a while he sighed and closed his eyes, letting himself go of worry, anger, and pain. I didn't know it then, but that would be the last time I would see him for a very long time, as suddenly his body disappeared into one of the holes that were floating in front of us, which had missed me by a few feet. The last thing I saw him do was smile. I knew that wherever he would end up, he would not give up trying to get back to our realm until his last shaking breath escaped his body.

I kept on fighting against the current myself, yearning to gain control over my body, but after a half hour of trying I realized that it was fruitless. I always knew it was pointless, but that doesn't mean I have to give up my pride because of it, even if I'm the only one here. I am not normally one to panic, especially since I can get myself out of most situations, but given the circumstances I had plenty of reasons to do so. It was one of those rare occasions that fear had my heart in its grasp. Being the creature I was I resorted to what I always thought I did best to free myself from such thoughts. Violence.

I prepared to blast the space in front of me, hoping to get some control from the opposite kinetic force the beam would eject, but when I tried to shoot it wouldn't come. I tried again, in vain. This startled me, but then I realized since I couldn't move my body, I probably couldn't change what was on the inside, either. So instead I let myself wander. My mind, for the first time in ages,  surprisingly wandered back to my family. My wife, my son, and my daughter. Memories played on about my wife, my son, the many battles I have endured, the many hardships I had come across. The time where I shot my first energy beam, the time when I killed my first creature. The time when I first came to Earth, the time when I first felt remorse. The time when I first achieved the form of Super Saiyan. When I surpassed that form, and when I first died, and found myself in Hell. I shuddered at the thought of that place, hopefully the portal that I'd fall through was at a decent universe. It was then that I realized something. I had loved my previous life. I loved very dearly to fight, but I never knew I did so to protect others. I always thought of combat as a sport, as a reason to keep on living, but when I looked back to all of my battles with my enemies, I realized that the stakes were always higher than I had realized. Every fight I fought, I was only thinking in myself, and my strength, not in the loved ones surrounding me. Every time I got beaten and murdered, I only thought of anger, and hate. I never seemed to care about love, friendship, or happiness. I always just wanted to earn my honor, and die a warrior's death. It was too bad that I realized these thoughts the moment they counted the least, the moment in which I would never see my friends or family again.

For the first time since I was a child, a tear slipped from my eye. It was such a strange sensation, one that I do not know well. It felt to me like defeat, but maybe it was something more. I missed all of my years I had lived, even the ones under the evil emperor Frieza's rule. I never thought that I would be happy, but here am I now. Soaring through darkness, thinking of what was about to come, thinking of everything that I had, knowing that I had lost it, yet for the first time I was truly happy. The planet I lived in was probably destroyed by now, and this time I couldn't wish it back. But I smiled, knowing that every planet meets its end, and at least that one gave me a rather interesting life.

The tear fell, and I abruptly fell into one of the dimensional tears, blinded from a powerful light. Leaving a crater where I had landed, I shut my eyes from the horribly bright light, and closed my eyes. The last sight I saw before falling to a slumber was one of a strange creature walking towards me. No... trotting towards me.