Survival of the Fittest

Update October 23, 2010: CH.3 is now up. My sincerest apologies everyone. I know this was supposed to be up last weekend but I just couldn't manage it. I had the scariest midterm last Tuesday that I spent all weekend studying for, around the rest of my mountains of homework (I hate this semester), and then I came down with a head cold, which just made it harder to use my brain. But I'm recovered now. I'm still very busy with school but not being sick helps a great deal.

Expect the next update this saturday, October 30. This is so I get back on my original schedule. After that it will be every two weeks. This is just my way of apologizing for making everyone wait. Now I'm off to continue writing ch11 of this story, I'm so behind. Ja ne.

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Chapter Three – "The Saiyan Who Lived"

WC: 4,363

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It had been 20 years. 20 years since he first woke up and couldn't remember who he was. It had been frightening, terrifying, and he sometimes still woke up from nightmares of that day.

He had woken up naked in a clearing, completely alone. He hadn't even known his own name or where he had come from or what had happened that had made him forget. He wandered around for the longest time, searching for answers he didn't even know the questions to. He had stumbled on a farm, about a mile from where he had woken up. A man lived there all by himself, going blind from a riding accident, without any way to care for himself or his farm.

In exchange for shelter, food and clothing he agreed to work for the man, doing the tasks the farmer was unable to. He discovered early on that he was very strong and did not tire easily, so it was very easy for him to care for the hard labor of the farm. The farmer was grateful, taking him under the man's wing, teaching him everything he needed to know.

The farmer died of old age five years ago, and that was when the memories started to come back. It wasn't much at first, just flashes of moments that didn't mean much. He just shrugged them off as dreams or as manifestations of his sorrow of losing the man who had become a father like figure.

He continued to run the farm, doing all the jobs, trading goods with neighboring farms and towns, making a life for himself. But soon the flashes were things he couldn't ignore, and he wondered if his mind and body had finally healed enough from whatever trauma he had experienced to allow him to regain his memories.

It happened over the course of several months, but he finally remembered it all, everything about his past that had lead him to this planet. It answered many of his questions, like why whenever he cut his hair it grew back to its long length in a manner of hours, or why he had a long black tail, or why he was so strong. It finally all made sense, he remembered his heritage and his duties.

But Radditz now wished he didn't remember.

He still had questions, the first and foremost being why was he alive. His brother and that green guy had killed him, so why was he back on earth. It made no sense. But here he was, living the past 20 years on a farm doing menial tasks, that he would have scoffed at years ago, when he was still a warrior, an elite at that. But things had changed. He had changed, and there was no going back to that arrogant, single minded fool he had been.

This farm…this planet had changed him.

Still that didn't mean he didn't want some answers. Twenty years was a long time to be cut off from the world. He wondered what had happened to Nappa and Prince Vegeta. He wondered what happened to his younger brother and family. He wondered what had gone on in the past 20 years that changed this planet.

But he had no way to find any of those answers, he didn't know where to look. Nappa and Vegeta could be long gone from this place, or maybe they had never come. His brother could be dead or on the other side of the planet, and without his scouter he had no way to find him.

Radditz was stranded until he could figure out what to do.

If he ever did find his brother…he would apologize and try to explain to him why he had acted the way he did. Saiyans never dealt well with miscarriages, and just days before he had arrived on Earth he had had one…or more specifically Freiza had forced Radditz to have one. The tyrant punching him in the gut until his baby was dead, leaning over his broken body to tell him if he ever tried to repopulate their species again, that he would kill Radditz and every other Saiyan alive.

He had been inconsolable after that, not even reached by Vegeta or Nappa who had been the father. Radditz was sent on a mission and he let his misery cloud his judgment, retreating into his mind and letting his despair change him into a monster. He hadn't wanted to fight his brother, in fact a part of him was glad the young man was alive…but the loss of his first child…it was too much…and Radditz lost control.

And now he was alone…stuck in the middle of no where without any idea what was going on in the world. Hell the whole place could be ready to blow up and he wouldn't know because he wasn't in on the action. But unless he stumbled on one of the people he vaguely remembered from the past or someone from the past found him, Radditz was just going to live this life the farmer had given him until something better came along.

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The first time he had a vision, Keigo had burst out crying, scared and confused. He was five when it first happened, not long after he had figured out how to sense the world around him without his eyes. He wasn't sure what he had seen, since he couldn't actually see, but it was something bright and dangerous looking moving towards something blue and pretty.

After he had calmed down, held safe and secure in his Papa's arms, he tried to show Takeo what he saw, because he knew his big brother would know. Takeo was very smart, not to mention he could see, and he was strong and always knew what to do. And he took care of Keigo.

They had both learned that sometimes they could show each other pictures with their minds, Takeo said it was like watching a movie, not that Keigo would know. They couldn't do it often, it took a lot of energy. It was easier to talk to one another or show just one image with their minds. But sometimes it was important to show more. Like when Keigo suddenly realized he could see his Daddy, his body outlined in this soft blue light. He could see everyone actually and everything that had energy. He of course had to show his brother.

Takeo had also shown Keigo images of their family through their bond. The first of course was their Papa and their Daddy. They looked so nice to Keigo, at least he supposed they looked nice, he just wasn't used to seeing faces so it was a little strange at first, but the more Takeo showed him the more Keigo fell in love with the world he couldn't see.

That didn't mean he was upset he couldn't see. Keigo wasn't at all. He actually could see it very well in his own way, and in fact he had a better reaction time than his brother, because of how in tune Keigo was with the energy around him. He had his own special power to replace the sense he had lost. Besides, Takeo had become his eyes, showing him pictures all the time through their bond.

And so after he had his first vision Keigo had shown it to Takeo, when they were alone in their room together. He didn't want his Papa to worry, because he already worried about Keigo enough. When Takeo had seen his first vision he said it looked like a meteor heading toward Earth. Keigo of course had no idea what his brother was talking about, he didn't know what a meteor or an earth was. His brother finally explained a meteor was a big rock from space and the Earth was the planet they all lived on.

They had both shrugged the images off and hadn't spoken of it again…until a meteor started heading toward Earth. From the whispers of the adults that Keigo picked up, since his hearing was very superior, the rock from space was really big and could do a lot of damage.

Two weeks after his first vision their parents left them both in the care of Master Roshi and went to stop the meteor. They all came back safe and sound but it had been close from what his Daddy said. If they had gotten there sooner it would have been easier.

That was when Keigo started to wonder. His second vision, about two months after the first one, was of seeing his brother Takeo get severely injured from a stray chi blast in one of his training sessions. This vision was clearer and more detailed, and because it was of something he knew, his brother, he had no trouble interpreting it. One week after that vision he had saved his brother from the blast.

His parents had passed it off, thinking his extreme sensitivity to chi had allowed him to act, his Papa smothering him with love for being so brave when he wasn't very skilled with fighting. But Takeo knew better. And that night, alone in their room, Keigo showed him the vision. They lay together in the bottom bed of their bunk bed, silently talking to one another through their bond.

As he grew, Keigo began to explore his gift more and more, under the constant surveillance of his big brother of course. When he was seven he found out he could control his ability and he could see the future of specific things he wanted to. The only condition was he had to be in contact with something from that future, like a person or an object. He tried it first on his brother Takeo. He looked further into their future together, seeing both of them older and still together, from what little he saw in the vision he could tell they fought together, in perfect harmony.

Keigo took up training with his brother after that. Takeo had been training with their Daddy since he was five, learning how to control the enormous power he held. Keigo hadn't taken up fighting, mostly because he wasn't that interested, he liked just sitting back and interacting with the world through his senses. His Papa had been a little relieved when he didn't express huge interest in fighting, probably because he was worried about Keigo. He didn't mind, his Papa just loved him.

But Keigo got to thinking, after his vision of his future with Takeo, that maybe he could help his brother. He was unmatched with his ability to sense chi, and could react quickly, so defending himself wouldn't be hard, and through their bond he could help Takeo, telling him where the bad guys were and stuff. Takeo had readily agreed and had challenged their parents to a spar.

The two of them had won, partly because their parents went easy on them, but also because of their teamwork. Keigo could easily dodge any attacks because he could see them before they were even unleashed, so he was a good distraction while his brother went in to attack.

Their parents were so proud.

Keigo still hadn't told their parents about his abilities to sometimes see into the future, just because he wasn't sure what their reaction would be. And Takeo knew, so he had at least one person who understood and could take care of him.

He also learned that he couldn't see everything, and sometimes what he saw didn't come true, though that only happened when he harnessed his power and looked into someone's future. He also couldn't control what he saw, even when he was looking into the future of something specific. But Keigo assumed that was because he wasn't supposed to use the power, he was just supposed to let it happen. Keigo had learned that the visions that came to him without any effort on his part were the most detailed, the truest, and the visions he was supposed to have, even though they were infrequent.

It was probably because he wasn't supposed to abuse his power, so he only used it sometimes. Most of the time he just let the visions come to him instead of seeking them out. For one it was easier and for another it seemed fairer. It seemed like he was the only one who could do this, from what his brother told him. So Keigo kept it secret, and only looked into people's future when he was worried about them.

Visions still came to him though, mostly in the form of dreams, but sometimes when he was awake, just sudden moments of flashes of images, overwhelming and a little painful. But it always passed and his brother was always by his side after it happened. And the older he got the more frequent the visions were, both the ones that came to him and the ones he sought out. He was becoming more powerful.

They were eight now, training daily with their parents or being schooled, though Keigo was taught differently than his brother since he obviously couldn't read. Times were peaceful and quiet. Sometimes Takeo expressed a wish to him, hoping something exciting would happen, and they could go on an adventure with their parents. Their older brothers Trunks and Goten had fought Buu when they were the twins' age, so it was only fair that they should have some fun too.

Keigo always just smiled at his brother when he spoke of his wish, saying he wouldn't mind either way. As long as they were together he and Takeo could handle anything, whether it was peaceful days or a disaster.

One day, in the spring, Keigo went into the spare bedroom of their home, the one next to his and his brother's. He wasn't sure why he went in there, it wasn't used except for when someone from their family slept over, which wasn't often since they all lived so close to one another. His Papa still kept it clean and tidy, just in case. Keigo walked in, sitting down on the bed, running his fingers over the comforter, his fingers tracing the needlework.

Suddenly he gasped and threw his head back, eyes clenching shut. His head erupted in pain and he panted, feeling a vision rush through his mind. Keigo saw a man standing in this room, looking out the window and smiling. He had long black hair like his brother, but he wasn't Takeo, though he looked similar to his brother. Then he saw the man on a farm, working in a field, digging a ditch. It was then that Keigo saw a long black tail swaying behind the man's back, and he knew he was a Saiyan. Along with the images came sudden knowledge, which only happened when a vision came to him and not when he sought one out. He knew this man was his uncle, his Daddy's brother. He was also on Earth right now, living on a farm not far from their home, maybe an hour's flight. His name was Radditz, and he was family…and Keigo needed to bring him home.

When the vision left him, releasing its strangling grasp on his mind Keigo fell back onto the bed, taking in deep gulping breaths. Takeo was next to him just seconds after the vision left him, stroking his hair, saying nothing, just letting Keigo drink in some of his strength. Their Papa came in not long after, asking worriedly what was wrong but Keigo just said he was feeling tired and had wandered into the wrong room.

He could tell his Papa didn't believe him, but his Papa also knew he would get the truth eventually. He was the Prince of the Saiyans, and Keigo knew he always got what he wanted.

Hours later, when he lay in bed, head resting on his brother's chest, he told Takeo about his vision, and about what the two of them needed to do. Takeo didn't question, he didn't argue, all he did was nod his head and kiss Keigo's hair.

"We'll go tomorrow, while Papa and Dad are training together," Takeo said softly.

Keigo fell asleep with a smile on his face, nuzzling his brother in thanks. He couldn't wait to meet their uncle, it was about time they added another member to the family.

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Radditz was in his fields, finishing the planting of this year's crop. It was unfortunate though, because this would be his last year here. A big business had moved into the valley he lived in, and it was slowly picking off each farm, combining the land to make one industrial farmland, with machines running almost everything, booting everyone from the valley who didn't work for the corporation. He was the last farm on the list, his land in the furthest reaches of the valley. He didn't know how long he had left, already the families on the neighboring farms had left, packing up what they could and leaving.

He wiped the sweat from his brow, sighing as he finished the planting, sticking his shovel in the ground as he took off his gloves, stretching out his sore fingers. Radditz suddenly realized he was being watched, and may have been for a while now but he was so caught up in his planting and his future predicament that he hadn't noticed. He turned slowly, eyes widening when he found not men from the corporation like he expected but two little boys, holding hands and looking at him.

One of the boys, the tallest, had long lush black hair, just like Radditz's own, while the smaller boy had flame like black hair in wild disarray. They both had tails. He walked from his work, coming to kneel in front of the children, looking into their young faces.

"Are you two boys Saiyans," he asked softly.

Both boys nodded, the smaller one smiled at him, and that was when Radditz took note of something. The little boy wasn't actually looking at him even though his eyes were pointed at Radditz. He reached out a hand, touching the little one's cheek, under heavy scrutiny from the bigger boy.

"You're blind," he whispered.

The little boy just smiled more and reached up a hand and boldly touched Radditz's cheek. "And you're alone," the boy whispered back, closing his eyes and smiling brightly. "That's why my brother and I came for you."

"Huh?"

"I'm Keigo, and this is Takeo," the smaller boy said, cocking his head towards the larger boy. "And you're Radditz."

"How…" he trailed off, looking at Keigo closely, there was something about him, something that reminded Radditz of someone he knew.

"KEIGO! TAKEO!"

Radditz jumped up, pulling away from the two boys, staring up at the two figures approaching them fast from the sky. The two men landed, both rushing over to the brothers. He watched, taken aback and breathless as he came face to face with his past.

Vegeta fell to his knees in front of the two boys, pulling them both to his body, holding them close. His brother Kakarot leaned over the Prince, touching the heads of the two boys gently, grinning in relief. "Thank goodness you're both safe," his brother murmured, rubbing the boys' thick hair.

"Don't ever do that again," Vegeta said pulling away to look both boys in the eyes, his voice tight with worry. "Don't ever go off again without tell me or your father. You had us both scared to death."

Pieces started to fall into place as he watched the scene unfold, and Radditz watched wide eyed as the family embraced. He thought his brother already had a son and his prince had still been back on Frieza's ship the last he remembered. What in the world had happened over the last two decades?

Radditz was finally noticed, first by his brother. When Kakarot saw him his eyes narrowed and he gave a growl, coming to stand in between his family and Radditz, falling into a fighting stance and watching him closely.

"I thought you were dead," his brother said lowly, scowling at Radditz and even though he didn't have a scouter he knew his brother was much stronger than when the two of them had fought last.

He held up his hands in a placating gesture, waving them in front of him to try and dispel his brother's anger. Radditz shook his head, with no idea how to respond to the angry man before him. He may have been the older of the two of them, but he was completely intimidated by his younger brother at the moment.

"Radditz," a breathy voice asked and he looked over his brother's shoulder to see Vegeta looking over at him with wide, disbelieving eyes.

A sudden tug on his hand drew his attention and everyone else's to the little boy holding his hand, grinning up at him. He smiled shakily back, wondering when the boy had left Vegeta's side and how he had managed to sneak up on Radditz.

"Keigo, get back here," his brother said harshly, watching him anxiously and Radditz sighed sadly. He wasn't exactly expecting to be welcomed with open arms when he found his brother, but he also wasn't expecting this harshness.

"Daddy stop it," Keigo said softly, holding Raddtiz's larger hand between both of his soft, little appendages. "Don't be mean. He's your brother."

"Keigo you have no idea what he's done…"

"He's family," Keigo interrupted Kakarot, looking up with a smile at Radditz with sightless eyes. "Besides I'm sure he had a reason for why he did those things. It's in the past Daddy."

Radditz stared in wonder at this child, this bright, innocent and handsome little boy. As he looked down into that face, into those eyes he suddenly realized who this boy reminded him of. Keigo reminded him of Vegeta, when the prince was much younger. He looked up at Vegeta then, watching as the prince gazed at the little boy with soft and proud eyes. He watched in fascination as Vegeta then reached out one hand, smoothing it down his brother's back and suddenly all of the tension and anger dissipated from Kakarot, the younger man relaxing his body but still looking at Radditz with a guarded face.

"It makes me…uneasy to see you around my children. Considering what happened the first time we met," his brother explained softly.

He sighed in understanding, hanging his head a bit. He had arrived on this planet just days after he lost his own baby, and seeing his brother happy and with a healthy child, well it was the final straw for Radditz and he just snapped, stealing the boy, a part of him wanting the boy for himself and another part of him wanting to punish his brother for having such happiness. Radditz of course knew better now, he had had a good deal of time to reflect and understand what he had done and why, not to mention the paternal love of the farmer had eased the wounds in his heart.

"I'm very sorry brother, for doing those things…I wasn't in my right mind at the time and I made some foolish decisions. It won't happen again," he said softly, bowing slightly to Kakarot.

A hand on his face forced him to straighten up and he gasped as he was hugged by Vegeta, the prince resting his head on Raddtiz's chest. "I'm so happy you're alive," the prince whispered, holding him tight before pulling back.

His brother tensed again, watching him with wary eyes as he returned his prince's embrace. It might be a while before his brother trusted him, but for now this was alright. At least the man wasn't trying to kill him. Vegeta retreated from their hug, kneeling down and reaching out to Keigo, pulling the little boy into his arms. The prince stood, rubbing noses with the child.

"You're such a sweet boy," Vegeta murmured, kissing Keigo's cheek. "But how in the world did you know Radditz was still alive, and here of all places?"

Radditz cocked his head as Keigo looked over at his brother Takeo, the two of them staring hard at one another, almost seeming to be speaking without words. Keigo suddenly nodded and turned his head back to Vegeta. "I'll tell you when we get home," he said simply. Keigo then turned to Radditz, smiling brightly. "Come on uncle Radditz, let's go home."

He felt his breath catch a bit, emotion shooting through him at those soft words. It had been so long since he had been part of a family. He looked at Vegeta who just nodded, adjusting Keigo in his arms. Radditz then looked over at his brother, the one who would really decide his fate. Kakarot was looking at him hard but after looking at both Vegeta and Keigo he nodded.

"Well I sure can't argue with Keigo or Vegeta, and certainly not both of them. I suppose you're welcome in our home Radditz," Goku said grudgingly, patting Takeo's head.

"Let me just grab a couple things," he said breathily, feeling his heart pound with happiness and relief.

Something better had come along and now he was off to a better future. Radditz quickly rushed to the farmhouse, gathering up his few possessions, a few pictures, some clothes, a couple knick knacks and finally the urn that held the farmer's ashes. He left the house behind, taking nothing more than a couple bags of things, knowing that he was about to start a new life, and the fewer things he took with him the easier the transition would be.

Radditz smiled as the sunlight washed over him as he rejoined the family of Saiyans, eager to find out everything about them, and about everything that had gone on during the years he had been separated from reality. His brother grabbed a couple of the bags and suddenly they all took off into the air, flying towards an unknown destination that Radditz was eager to see.

It wasn't far, a rather short flight, but Radditz was a little breathless at the end, just because he wasn't used to flying regularly. He would have to start training seriously again, especially if he wanted to rival the power he could feel coming off of this family. They landed in front of a beautiful two story house, which blended into the woods around it with natural coloring and a rather simple build.

A hand slipped into his own, and he looked down at Keigo who smiled up at him, a smile that was mirrored on Radditz's face.

"Welcome home Uncle Radditz."

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Since reviews have been slim lately I will resort to my old tactics. Review, review, review please.

I imagine none of you were expecting Radditz. Well he's not the last of the surprise appearances in this story, you can be sure of that. The reason he's alive and such will be explained, but much, much later. Like about 10 chapters or so. I know, but I needed to get to the right moment, that was only going to happen later.

Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed it.

TTFN