CHAPTER TWO:

I should not have waited.
It would have been better
To have slept and dreamed,
Than to have watched night pass,
And this slow moon sink.

Had it been hours, days, or weeks? Kakkarrot could barely tell, neither did he care or want to know. He had not left his position beside the stone slab that held the dead body of his best friend and bride. Every minute had either been spent crying or just staring numbly at the stony landscape. He didn’t care if he died up here. It was only fitting that he spend the rest of his days beside the female he had chosen to be his life-mate.

“Wake up, Kakkarrot sa’un ni  Bardock.” The calm voice said from somewhere above him.

Opening up his eyes slowly, he squinted as the bright sunlight denied him access to his caller’s face. Raising an arm up to shield his eyes, he finally made out the long white hair and beard of the Wise One.

“Give me your hand, nu sa’un .” The Old Master said softly, stretching out a strong hand to lift the lying boy up.

Kakkarrot made no protest as he was raised to his feet. Wobbling slightly, he tried to give one last glance at Kayla, but from a gentle nudge and a shake of his wise head, the Old Master led the unresisting Saiyan to the inner chambers of their mountain home.

Kakkarrot took in the intricate designs and décor of the stony interior with silent awe. Filled with every imaginable book, scroll and parchment ever recorded, the seemingly endless cave was a haven for the intellectual. Leading Kakkarrot into a much smaller room, which held the other two Masters, he was settled into a comfortable wooden chair.

“You must be hungry, Kakkarrot.” One of them spoke up. (They all looked alike, so Kakkarrot could no longer make out who had brought him up here in the first place.)

“You have been out there for days now.” Another one said.

“We felt we should let you grieve, for a while.” The third one continued.

“But now…it is time for you to return to your town.”

“Ahi …Kakkarrot. Many need you now.”

“Ahi …now that your true power has been revealed.”

“Ja’ri ? What are you talking about?” Kakkarrot asked in bewilderment. “What real power?”

“Why…have you not seen yourself lately?”

“Surely you must have noticed the change in your body…”

Kakkarrot frowned. He did feel a little bit off and he had based the weird feeling on lack of food for Za’ani knows how long. Other than that, he felt fine.

“I don’t understand. I feel fine.” He said, staring at the three Saiyans.

Nodding in unison, they all spoke simultaneously, creating a strange echo that sent shivers down the young boy’s spine.

“For one shall come,
With the power to enthrall.
Strength unmatched,
To lead us all.”

“Huh?”

Wordlessly, they pointed towards a large mirror that stood in the corner of the room. Getting up slowly, as if in a daze, Kakkarrot walked up to the clear glass and gasped at the sight before him.

~ It can’t be! I cannot be…! It’s impossible! I am a…a…Super Saiyan?! ~

-*-*-*-*-

Bardock flew like the devil was on his tail. He had not stopped since he took off on that fateful night and the Cahon Mountains were still miles away. Thoughts of Laetha and Kakkarrot made his already heavy heart even heavier. He had effectively shut off his link with Laetha, so as not to worry her with the things he was going to go through. He knew that Kakkarrot had been taken care of by the Wise Ones and he inwardly thanked them for their kindness.

He also knew that Kakkarrot had finally discovered his ability to turn into a Super Saiyan and Bardock held this notion with bittersweet fondness.

~ Ahi , at least one of my sons will be able to do well. Za’ani , Radditsu…why did you have to tell him about us? I presume it is my fault for allowing you to join the elite, and now my dear son, I feel I am too late to save you now from the darkness that is about to consume you. May the gods of Vegetasei be with you both. ~

And with another burst of energy, he sped off towards the secret mountains.

-*-*-*-*-

Kakkarrot, now in his normal state, walked through the destruction and chaos of downtown Tarun. Smoke still smoldered from ruined homes and many families were left wandering around in a daze, asking themselves why. Some bodies were being carried away by the stronger Saiyans and being led towards the Sacred Mountains, some females with their young ones wailed in the late evening sun, as they implored their gods for revenge and forgiveness. There was a general feeling of hopelessness and desolation in the air. They were resigned and fed up.

“Why don’t they just kill us all?!!!” An old looking Saiyan yelled out in anger, as he glared unseeingly at the heavens.

“Why must we go through all this pain and suffering?!!” Another yelled.

“We are all Saiyans, for Za’ani’s  sake!! Why are we treated like barbarians?!!”

Soon enough the streets were filled with angry voices and a chant was soon begun by someone, which was quickly picked up as everyone began to scream.

“Death to the KING!! DEATH TO THE ROYAL CITY!!”

Kakkarrot tried to make his way out of the growing mob of angry Saiyans, when he felt himself tugged on the arm.

“YOU!! YOU ARE THE SON OF BARDOCK, NE?!”

Kakkarrot gaped in increasing fear as the furious looking face of the shouting Saiyan confronted him. Opening up his mouth to say ‘yes’, he was quickly interrupted.

“Ahi !! You are the son of Bardock!! The traitor!!”

“No…my father is not…” Kakkarrot tried to say, as the crowd began heading towards him, all now chanting the word ‘traitor’, over and over again.

“He left the rebellion for all of us to die!!”

“Where is he now? Has he run away again?!”

“He was supposed to lead us and now he has run away like the coward he is!! Traitor!!”

“KILL THE TRAITOR’S SON!!”

“YYYYAAAAAYYYYY!!!”

Kakkarrot had to restrain himself from transforming into his newfound strength to knock off the pressing crowd. He felt hands tug and pull on his clothes and with a low growl; he began to bare his teeth in growing annoyance, when the calm yet strong voice silenced the agitated crowd.

“YOU WILL LEAVE MY SON ALONE, OR YOU WILL ALL ANSWER TO ME.”

A sudden hush fell over the crowd as they spun around collectively to stare at the stoic faced female behind them. Still dressed in her she’olai , Laetha looked extremely upset. Hands folded across her chest and her long jet black hair, no longer in its normal braids, spilling in wild shags down her back, the mother of Kakkarrot and Radditsu, looked ready to kill someone…anyone.

Slowly, the crowd began to disperse, although many grumbled at the interference. With a snort, Laetha tossed her hair and spun back around to head back towards her house.

“Cowards...Hatt’ni , Kakkarrot. It is time for us to go home.”

“Ahi, ma’un .” Kakkarrot replied quickly, as he followed the stalking female into their residence.

-*-*-*-*-*-

Surprisingly, the house had been spared and everything was still intact. Kakkarrot watched as his mother placed the kettle onto the fire to boil some water. Sitting down at the table in the small kitchen, he removed the headband from his head, twiddling it slightly as he continued to watch his mother’s bustling movements around the house. She had barely said a word since her brisk command for him to follow and it didn’t look like she was going to say anything else either.

What was there to say really? They had both lost people they had loved in the space of a week and it seemed like their own townspeople were now against them. Gripping the headband tighter within his palms, he jumped up slightly as the cup of wild tea was placed in front of him. Laetha sat opposite her son, raising the cup to her full lips as her eyes fell upon the questioning ones of her little one.

“Fine…I will tell you.” Laetha said curtly, placing the cup back on the table. Turning her face away to stare out of the window, she rubbed her strong hands together, in a gesture that Kakkarrot knew as an act of extreme distress. “So you want to know how you became a Super Saiyan and why? Fine, nu s’au . I will tell you.”

Taking a deep breath, she finally faced her son, her beautiful, strong face now etched with a kind of sorrow and a bittersweet smile that made Kakkarrot gasp softly. Raising her hands to gently stroke his cheek, she began speaking,

 “It all happened when you were just a little boy, no higher than the footstool in the living room…”

~*~* Flashback ~*~*~

Bardock stared at the gurgling boy on the floor, unable to believe what he was reading.

“Za’ani , Laetha…” He began, turning to face his mate. “If I do not begin giving him proper training soon, he will be sent to another planet. I mean look at him…his power level is pathetic!”

“Kakkarrot is not pathetic!” Laetha shouted in anger. She had about had it with Bardock and his constant complaints. It had been two months since he called in his resignation with the other rebels and his restlessness was beginning to bug her. “He is your son and you will treat him like one!”

“Oh, I will treat him like one all right.” Bardock replied, smirking lightly as he watched the boy walk unsteadily towards him, before landing on his butt again and going into gales of tinkle-like laughter.

“What does that mean?” Laetha asked, stopping her cleaning process as she watched the smirk on her mates’ face. “What do you plan to do, Bardock?”

“Nothing much, Laetha.” Bardock said smugly, as he went back to his journals. “Just a little training to wake our s’au  up. No worries, really.”

Laetha could only stare helplessly as her mate effectively shut his link to his inner thoughts.

-*-*-*-*-

Laetha stirred restlessly in the sheets. Something was horribly wrong. Patting the side of the bed to get a feel for her mate, she froze in horror as she contacted with nothing. Sitting up quickly, she looked around the darkened bedroom.

~ Bardock? Where is…~

“Ah! Kakkarrot! My Baby!!”

Jumping out of the bed and not bothering to cover up the sheath like sleepwear she had on, she raced into the boys’ room. Radditsu was still fast asleep, but Kakkarrot’s cot was empty.

~ Grrr…Bardock! If you have hurt my baby…~

Gritting her teeth, she stomped out of the house and stretching out her senses, she located her mate’s and Kakkarrot’s ki somewhere off the nearby mountains and gathering enough energy, she took off into the air after them.

-*-*-*-*-

Bardock stared at the crying boy in disbelief and growing irritation. For Za’ani’s  sake, he hadn’t even done anything to the little ka’tai  and yet he was out here bawling like the world had come crashing down on him.

“Tak’na !! Stop your sniveling before you wake up the entire planet!!” Bardock yelled, raising his hand up in a threatening manner.

This however did not do the trick, for Kakkarrot increased the intensity of his wails. He didn’t want to be here. He wanted to be with his mother.

“Well, your mother is not going to save you now. You are going to learn how to become a warrior, my son. And if I have to shove it down your throat, then I would have to…huh?” He suddenly stopped as he sensed a very enraged Laetha approaching. Swallowing tightly, he turned to his wailing son again.

“All right, Kakkarrot! Stop crying! Would you like your father to give you a ride, huh?”

Kakkarrot stopped for an instant as the bribe sunk into his head, nodding enthusiastically; he raised his hands up for the magical ride, when he suddenly felt himself flying across the large expanse of space.

Bardock grinned in accomplishment as he watched Kakkarrot. Hopefully the boy would be able to recognize the danger ahead of him and react appropriately. If not, he was pretty much screwed.

~ Come on, Kakkarrot. Blast the mountain or something. ~

Kakkarrot wasn’t sure if this was the kind of ride his father had meant. He wasn’t really sure he liked this ride at all. In fact, this wasn’t turning out to be very much fun…and if he didn’t stop soon, he was going to be turned into Saiyan mush. Gritting his teeth and shutting his eyes, he began to pull himself back from the fast approaching mountain and with a final struggle, he stopped in midair. Grinning in exactly the same way his father had been doing a few moments ago, he wiggled his tail in self-congratulation.

Bardock nearly tore his hair out in frustration. What kind of a boy was this?

“All right, Kakkarrot. You asked for it.” Bardock growled softly. Bending down, he began picking up chunks of rock from the ground. “I hate to do this to you son, but you would have to start learning how to defend yourself. Catch!!” And with a powerful throw, he let loose a sizeable rock towards his confused looking son.

~ Dodge it, Kakkarrot. Dodge it!! ~

But instead of dodging it, Kakkarrot caught the rock neatly in his hands, laughing happily as this new game of ‘catch the rock’ was turning out to be pretty fun. He, however, froze his movements as he noticed the dull gleam of energy that was now surrounding his father. His father looked mad enough to murder someone and before he could blink, he saw a whole avalanche of rocks heading towards him at an alarming rate.

“Bardock sa’un ni  Radanu!! Stop it this instant!!” Laetha yelled, landing and racing towards her enraged mate. “STOP IT, YOU WILL KILL HIM!!”

“Then so be it!!” Bardock snarled, watching his son. “I would rather have a son that was able to defend himself and be a proper Saiyan than a weakling!!”

“You are out of your mind!! This is your son!! Stop it, now!!!” Laetha continued. “I mean it, Bardock!! Or I will…will…blast you as well!!”

Bardock spun around slowly to see Laetha thrust her hands out, an energy beam beginning to glow in her hands.

“You cannot be serious, Laetha.” Bardock said softly, eyeing the growing light with wariness.

“Oh, but I am…”Laetha replied.

“Fine!! Go ahead and blast me and see if I….”

BOOOOOOMMMM!!!

Both parents fell to the ground and covered their heads in protection as the loud blast sent an avalanche of debris and rocks over them. When the cascade finally ended, they raised themselves slowly off the ground, staring in bemusement at each other, before slowly spinning around to see what had caused the commotion.

“I…I…don’t…don’t…” Bardock stuttered in shock as he gazed at the sight before him.

“My baby…” Laetha whispered in awe and slight fear, as she rose to her feet.

Glowing brightly in a beam of golden light was their little boy, Kakkarrot, his hair as yellow as the sun, his normal black eyes, now the pale color of the sea and his normal round soft features a little more defined. He had not only destroyed the rocks that Bardock had thrown his way, but he had also destroyed a few elements of the landscape. The boy looked even more confused and landing softly to the ground, he began bawling out again for his mother.

Laetha rushed towards her baby and gathered him into her arms, noticing how his body thrummed with the energy surging through it. Soothing the crying boy into sniffling sobs, she walked back to her dazed looking mate.

“He…he…my son is…”

“Ahi , Bardock. Kakkarrot is a Super Saiyan.” Laetha replied, unable to keep the pride out of her voice.

“How…how…is that possible?” Bardock asked dully, shaking his head in denial. “Neither of my family or yours had the ability to transform. Why him?”

“Because he is special…”Laetha said, as she kissed Kakkarrot’s forehead, watching as the boy began to close his eyes in sleep. “Perhaps it is fate or destiny.”

“No one must know about this.” Bardock said sharply. “We have to keep this to ourselves.”

“N’ai ?” Laetha asked curtly.

“If people find out about his strength, what do you think will happen? They will tell the King and then he will be taken away from us. We are Ba’an , remember? Third class Saiyans who have no right to be even considered being the ones to transform into something so…powerful. If they find out, they might…might…kill him.”

“I see…” Laetha answered, watching as Kakkarrot transformed back to his normal looks and succumbed to sleep, his tail wrapping itself tightly on his mother’s arm. “So be it then, Bardock. Kakkarrot is not to know of this, either.”

“Ahi . It is best this way.” Bardock nodded, as they slowly took off into the night sky. “A little secret never hurt anyone.”

~*~* Flashback End ~*~*

“I still do not know why you became a Super Saiyan, Kakkarrot.” Laetha said softly. “Perhaps the gods have a purpose for you…”

“Radditsu…” Kakkarrot began, a puzzled frown on his face. “He nearly transformed into a Super Saiyan as well, on the night of Ra’un, how…”

“Radditsu only did that because he was extremely angry and if I remember correctly, he wasn’t able to hold it that long. In your case, you lost someone very important to you and that trigged all the hurt and anger you felt. But unlike your brother, you can hold it for a much longer period of time. All the training over the years has also helped, but now I am afraid that I can no longer do much to help you any longer.”

“Ja’ri ? What do you mean, mother?” Kakkarrot asked, noticing the sadness etched on her face.

“Now that you have discovered your strength, you would have to harness and control it and you would have to go up to the mountains to be with the Wise Ones. They are the only ones that can train you now.”

“No, mother. I have to be here with you. Who will look after you?”

“Ah…Kakkarrot, my strong kin’tai .” Laetha answered, getting up from the table. “I will be fine on my own. I know that my men are out there doing what they feel needs to be done for our people. Your own time has come and now you must fulfill your own mission. They await you, Kakkarrot, so you must go.”

Kakkarrot stared longingly at his mother’s stiff back as she stared out the window. Getting off the chair, he walked into his room and began to pack the little things that he might need for his trip. Swallowing the lump that was rising in his throat, he stared at the room that he had grown up in his entire life. He had never traveled away from his home for more than a week and yet he was about to head off to an undisclosed location where he might be gone for years. Brushing away a stray tear, he lifted the bag over his shoulder and walked out to the kitchen again.

“I am leaving, mother.” He said softly, noticing how thick his voice had become.

“Ahi, nu sa’un . May the gods of Vegetasei be with you.” Laetha replied, walking up to her baby son and kissing his bowed head gently. “Always know that your family will be proud of you and when you return all will be well again. Ha’ku Ra’nan , Kakkarrot.”

“Ahi, ma’un. Ha’ku Ra’nan .” He whispered hoarsely, turning away quickly so his mother would not notice the tears cascading down his cheeks.

Stepping outside, he tightened the she’olah around him and with a quick last glance at his home for eighteen years; he took off into the fading light towards his Fate.