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Author's Note: Pan is kinda watching through each person's eyes, sorta.
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Guardian Of Forever
Chapter 3: Vegeta's Pride
Vegeta thought back to the first time he willingly gave up some of his pride. It had been stripped from him often, but every once in a while he gave it up himself. The first time was on Earth, a place he now called his home. His own world was destroyed by his former employer, who had also been destroyed. It seemed his life was just a bunch of ironic events strung together by the shell of an arrogant fool. For the first time in his life, he apologized for his arrogance. The Prince of Saiyans apologized to the half breed son of the only other remaining Saiyan. To make matters worse, the only other Saiyan acted nothing like a Saiyan, and was the son of a third class warrior. Ironic seems to sum up his life very well.
Forced to live on a world he tried to destroy. A powerful prince of a extinct race. Always surpassed by an inferior man. Having to be saved by the very people he tried to kill. Only reaching Super Saiyan after he gave up what he was. He seemed to be the butt of every joke and God's little clown. No matter how powerful he became, how hard he tried, Goku would always beat him. Forced to live indefinately in the shoes of a man who should be his servant. Yes, life had not treated him well, but had been fortunate for Goku. He repeatedly sacrificed himself to saved those he loved, and each time his sacrifice just yielded more powers to him. Vegeta now knew the truth, that the level of Super Saiyan and beyond had a protection against evil. The only way to reach those levels is to become angry enough by having someone to protect. In Vegeta's case, he had a wife and son, who took him in after he had tried to kill him. They showed him that true power comes not to those who want it, but to those who need it.
Even when Goku sacrificed himself all those times, Vegeta did not take pleasure from this. While Vegeta wanted power more than anything, Goku was willing to give it up without a second thought to save his wife and son. When Vegeta saw his son killed by Cell, Vegeta knew at least for a few seconds what it was that he felt. The pure anger and power that can only come from love. Once again, another irony Vegeta's life. Vegeta hurt his own pride that one time because of the sacrifice both Goku and Vegeta's son made to show Vegeta the way. Goku's son, someone Vegeta had tried to kill more than once, the son of my bitter enemy, had saved my life. He saved me from a monster Vegeta created. Vegeta knew then the truth. His arrogance and pride contridicted themselves. They wanted more power, but they kept me from gaining it. So, Vegeta apologized to him. For once, Vegeta knew how Goku truly felt.
So the day came. Goku was to make his last sacrifice. By absorbing the Dragonballs and taking his place amongst the immortal beings he would exist beyond comprehension and the bounds of normal living beings. He became one with the Universe. He had fulfilled the true legend of the Saiyan race. With the death of all Saiyans was the death of the evil the created. As if he was the reincarnation of all that evil but instead good, he made amends for the Saiayns. He was not just a man, or a Saiyan, but that which the Saiyans neglected for all those years. For every life a Saiyan took, he saved a life. For every evil deed done, he helped someone from the kindness of his heart. He has completed his mission, he has finally finished his job. His reasons were always just, and that allowed him to suceed. And now the Saiyan race will die with Vegeta.
Goku was the final chapter of the book that is the Saiyans. He is the happily ever after. The fairy tale ending. Vegeta looked upon himself and repeated the truth. Even now, the Saiyan race is gone. Vegeta himself is not a Saiyan anymore. His and Goku's children may still carry the blood, but the Saiyan race as it was will never exist. Vegeta could now except the fact, as well as the fact that the race will be reborn. He looked around himself at the hundreds in attendence. Once again, irony plays a factor in his life. His son was to wed Goku's granddaughter. Only Vegeta knew the truth, however. The Saiyan gene was always dominate. They will both only put Saiyan genes into their children. There children, will be the first full blodded Saiyan to be born in almost 75 years. The way his daugther and Goku's youngest son were acting, it would not be long until he would be sitting watching this same ceremony as he was now. The children will mate, and the Saiyan race will live again. They will multiply fast, but they will not become like Saiyans of old. They will be good.
Vegeta's race of Saiyans may have been the descendants of the evil Legend of the Super Saiyan, but these new Saiayns would be the descendants of the good Legend of Goku. While everyone else cried at his loss, Vegeta admitted to himself once again, that Goku's dissappearance was not only the end of a story, but the beginning of another as well. He is the happily ever after and the once upon a time. He will live on for all time. This time, however, Vegeta can take pleasure in Goku's sacrifice. Not because he wants Goku dead, but because of his pride. The same pride when Goku first went Super Saiyan on Namek. He had pride for another. He took pride in his former enemy. This is the Legend of Goku, a legend which itself will last another 1,000 years.
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OK, I am going to do about 3 or 4 more of these, a Gohan, a Trunks, maybe a Bulma or a ChiChi. Then it will end and there will be a sequel that will have to do with her reactions after this is alll over. It will most likely be T/P and/or G/B.
