'The shadows Kakarott are the strongest within these palace walls for it was here that they were made. It the here that the living turned into the shadows. Doomed to remember, doomed to feel, doomed to be imprisoned. At first I clung to the shadows finding a warped comfort in it's arms but than...' Vegeta fell silent, 'than it began.' He whispered. 'I think I can almost pinpoint the very moment that the shadows ceased being a comfort. I saw something that I should not have. I remembered being on another planet, thousands of light years away under a dark sky that had no stars, there was a horde of weaklings cowering at my feet, begging me to spare their lives... I did not.' Said Vegeta simply. 'But this was a memory that was not mine. I have never been out of Vegitasei. The memory was someone else's. It was the first but it was not the last. Soon, soon through my consciousness tread the memories, the feelings of thousands. In the light of the day everything blurs and bleeds together and I can push it aside and forget and live in blissful ignorance.'

The wind howled past them touching the dry heat of the desert to their faces. It did not however cease the chill that fell over the room, 'But at night I lived a thousand lives yet I have not lived even one. Can you imagine having the memories of thousands of glorious battles but in reality you have not even been to one real one? Can you imagine living, truly living thousands of days yet knowing you perhaps never truly lived one? Can you imagine having memories of women you have been with but in truth you have never even kissed one?' he stopped as if waiting for an answer. Kakarott had nothing to say, 'It was maddening. It drove me mad. I am sure of it.' He said though it felt as if he was hoping it was not true, 'I can't be sane, I can't be.' There was such a sad, desperate, pleading note in his voice that it made Goku's kind heart ache. He opened his mouth to say something but nothing came out so he closed it again. Vegeta continued, 'I have been taught to cling from the shadows, I cling from them. I have been taught fear, I fear the shadows. But in time I also learned to block the whispers. I leant to keep my consciousness separate form theirs. But... but,' his stomach twisted and overwhelming urge to empty the contents of his stomach pressed itself upon him, 'everything has its price. I can fight the shadows but the stain it puts on my body keeps me sick three days out of five. Three days in a lifetime is all the sick days a true Saiyain should need.' He closed his eyes and got his body under control.

An eagle like sound reached Goku's ears. A moment and an eagle soured through the open window and landed on Vegeta's unseen hands. 'When the sun sets the shadows will return.' He reminded Goku as the bird gently threw its head back as if someone was stroking him under his chin, 'They will return and they will be intense. I suggest Kakarott that if you do not have any method of blocking them you find one. Failing that say your goodbyes to your sanity you will not retain it through the night. Though if your will is strong it will return to you tomorrow.' With that he turned and left, leaving Goku alone to contemplate his fate.

Like a bloodhound Bulma soon found the engineering wing of the Palace. Throwing open the doors she ran around aimlessly for sometimes unable to decided what to play with first. The scouter, the regeneration tank, the various semi-organic to completely inorganic weapons that the Saiyains had captured, their arrogant belief that no weapon could ever hurt them meant they cared not that the weapons were in the hands of their mistreated, abused slaves. Here and there were posted up blue-prints of ships that were being modified and Gantt-charts detailing progress of on going projects. Bulma was shocked to find that the Gantt-chart included a small box indicating how many slaves had been killed. The slaves obviously thought a project they finished with few marks on the box a roaring success though the Saiyains in-charge of the engineering wing probably looked to those projects as great disappointments.

Frowning Bulma walked away from the charts internally grateful that she was not brought here as a slave. With her temper she would have probably been the first to die. Now that would have been a waste. Such beauty and genius combined into one Ki blasted into ashes by some overgrown monkey would have been a tragedy worthy of the pen of Shakespeare. Smiling at her bitter sweet thoughts Bulma sat down on what looked like the computer terminal and began to tap on a flat paper thin keyboard.

The character that began to scroll across the thin but large monitor was unintelligible to her. Neither did the pictures make much sense. But genius as she was she was sure that she could decipher them or build some sort of translating device for it. But languages were never that easy to decipher. It did not take her long to get totally wrapped up in her work and totally forget about her surroundings and most importantly Goku and the ghost she had encountered earlier. But soon the rumbling of her tummy brought her attention back to things outside the screen.

'I wonder if there is something to eat around here?' she said out loud.

'I killed a deer earlier.' Came a deep voice from behind her, 'It's in the kitchen, cook and eat it if you please.'

'A thanks.' Said Bulma as she whirled around in her chair to face her companion. But just like before she saw no one.

She opened her mouth to scream but was interrupted, 'For the love of all the spirits don't start screaming again, please. I don't think my ears can take another dose of your cowardly wails woman.'

'Coward!' scream Bulma, 'How dare you call me a coward you… you unseen thing that's creeping me out?' she finished lamely.

An amused chuckle, 'Couldn't think of anything else?' Bulma huffed, another amused chuckle, 'Don't worry little one I shall not harm you. Though no that I can crush your neck in my hand as easily as you could crush a bug.'

'O and that is suppose to reassure me?' demanded Bulma, 'Who taught you to talk to women anyway?'

A note of sadness crept into the voice as it answered, 'No one has taught me anything, in a long time. I have been alone for the last twenty years.'

The tone of the disembodied voice melted Bulma's heart, 'O you poor thing.' She couldn't help but cry out.

'I don't want you pity.' Snapped the voice. Bulma heard a noise that sounded like someone turning on their heels, 'I have told you about the food, have it if you desire. I would stay away from Kakarott if I were you. He is not in the sanest of states.' Footsteps leading away from her, towards the door. Bulma saw the door's slide open as it sensed something that she could not see. That was enough to convince her that whatever she was dealing with here it was not a ghost.

With the presence gone Bulma was finally able to process what he had said, 'Goku.' She whispered softly.

Vegeta had spoken the truth, as the sun sunk on the western horizon the whispers returned. Intense and demanding. The shadows demanded he listened. But listen he could not. He knew what Vegeta meant when he said about living a thousand lives. Goku could feel it. He could feel himself slipping into the mind of another, than another, than another till he was no more save a bare receptor receiving everything without discrimination. Images of wrongs done or innocent bloodshed or lives lead yet not lead for in his mind a life lead without laughter that was not laced with cruel mockery was not a life that was lead. But that did not mean that the lives did not have memories and were not filled with images both good and bad. It was those images that now pressed themselves into his consciousness and he was power less to stop them. Throwing back his head he screamed till his lungs ached for air. Falling to his knees he began to sob uncontrollable, for himself and his race.

'Goku!' screamed Bulma as she ran towards him but hit something that felt like a solid wall.

'You can't help him woman.' Said the voice as strong warm hands gently restrained her , 'If you go near him now, he will kill you. He is not himself, he should not be approached.'

Bulma did not listen, she never really did. 'Let me go. He…'

'He nothing.' Said the voice as Bulma suddenly found herself slung across a shoulder and carried away from Goku.

It was not long when Bulma's feet were finally allowed to touch the ground. Though the arms remained around her. 'Where… where are we?' she asked.

'A spare room.' Said the Voice, 'This is the diplomatic wing. It has gravitational controls. It is clear that your weak bones were not meant for a planet with our gravity.'

'I have this device that control the gravity around me.' Said Bulma as she pointed to the machine on her wrist.

'I guess as much. I feel lighter when I stand this close to you.' He said softly. Absently he began to caress her body, 'You are incredibly soft.' He whispered

For a moment Bulma wondered if that was an insult or a compliment. Choosing to take it as a compliment Bulma moved onto more pressing questions, 'Who are you?' she asked.

'I am Vegeta. I am the prince of the Saiyains. The prince of this planet, the prince of Vegitasei.' replied the voice that she had heard ever since coming to this strange desert planet. Devote of any sentient life yet littered with cities and other marks of advanced civilisation which were still fully preserved.

'Are you a ghost? Are you dead? Why can't I see you?' she asked the unseen Prince.

A soft chuckle, 'No I am not dead, thou I wish I was. My people were not saints. They were planet purgers. One day we made the mistake of purging a planet whose species had among them a powerful witch. She curse me to this fate of being unseen by all eyes and my people into a parallel dimensional void. Only one who escaped this curse was Kakarott or as you put it Goku.' abruptly he removed his hands from her body perhaps from realising what he was doing, 'The voices of my people call out to me from the other dimension. They shriek in despair and beg me to find a way to return them to this plane of existence. Failing that they want me to find a way to end their miserable existence. Their voices haunt me. They haunt Kakarott, too. It was they who called Kakarott back to this empty house that was once his home and if you stay here long enough and the voices will haunt you too.'

'But I am Saiyain.' Bulma said in a tone of confusion.

'Obviously.' Said Vegeta, 'But desperate creature know no race.'

'What do you mean?' she asked in the same confused tone.

'They are in a place that is just short of being hell. They are the tiniest smidgen of hope and it keeps their prison from being totally hellish.' Said Vegeta softly, 'To keep their hope alive they call out to say, to urge us to find a way to get them out. They are begging but at the same time they are threatening.' If Bulma could have seen Vegeta at that moment he would have seen him smirk. 'A Saiyain will always be a Saiyain. They are threatening to take away our sanity if we fail and since we are failing our sanity is slipping. But they are not ready to let go of their hope. Outside of Vegitasei they can only call out to other Saiyains. On Vegitasei, especially in this palace they can call out to anyone.' Footsteps leading away from her.

'Wait!' cried Bulma, her tummy grumbled, 'You said something about food.'

A chuckle, 'Follow me.'

With the coming of the sun the whispers went away, so did his consciousness. In his head he heard a soft music slowly lulling him to sleep, filling his head with information even as it calmed and cleared it. His slumber was short but restful. Very, very restful despite the night he had it was. He woke to the soft chirping of the birds and the smell of cooking playing in his noise. Getting up he followed his noise to the kitchen. There he found Bulma humming softly and an unseen Vegeta empty his guts.

'Um… hello.' Said Goku uncertainly.

'Goku!' squealed Bulma in joy. Dropping the spatula like device she ran and hugged Goku, 'O Goku I am so glad you are okay. I would have gone to check up on you but old-pain-in-the-ass-prince here wouldn't let me.'

Vegeta just grunted. 'I am glad he did keep you away.' Said Goku, 'After the night I had I am surprised I have not gone totally insane.' He acknowledged.

'O Goku don't say that.' said Bulma, 'You will be fine. We will be fine. We'll find a way to break the curse I know we will.'

Goku smiled, 'Of course we will, Bulma.'

'What makes you think you can do what I have not been able to?' demanded Vegeta as he whipped his mouth clean.

'You have not tried Vegeta.' Said Goku simply. Vegeta growled.

'O stop it.' scolded Bulma, 'We will find a way to lift this curse whether you like it or not Vegeta.' She declared, 'Now if you are through emptying your gut of nothing, since you haven't eaten anything yet, we can start breakfast.' Obediently and grandly they two Saiyains sat down. Bulma was no where near Chichi when it came to cooking talent but she wasn't bad either. As he ate his food Goku tried to remember the bits of information that the music had left in his mind. Slowly he remembered the way to a temple long forgotten. He had some where to go today.

She smiled a content smile. Yes, Kakarott had remembered. He would come to her like his father used to before… she really couldn't be that angry with Bardock. He had fallen in love but… it didn't matter. Everything happens for a reason. Good or bad everything happens for a reason. Suddenly she whipped her head around, the careless gesture created a desert storm short lived but powerful enough to flatten a sand dune. But she had no time to pay attention to that. Something was approaching Vegitasei. Something that belonged but at the same time did not. Something that she should be able to sense but she was not. Something that was… messed up almost beyond hope. Something that was and was not Saiyain… Saiyain… no… no… it could not… it… Turles!

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