Second Life

Chapter 31

Unfinished Business

They arrived back on Horit and shared the news. King Koda was overjoyed; he invited them to stay for a few days while their ship was restocked. Turles, who was starving and tired after his transformation, gladly accepted for the two of them. They awoke amid cheers and celebration. Koda had pulled out all the stops and threw a festival in their honor.

“This was really unnecessary,” said Bardock for the fiftieth time. Turles was stuffing his face in quantities impressive even for a saiyan.

“I could not let our heroes leave without a show of our gratitude. Horit is in your debt, she thanks you and I only try to express the depth of her goodwill,” replied Koda for the equal amount. Turles snorted from somewhere off to Bardock’s right muttering about payment being acceptable only in valuables. Bardock had already forbade him from asking for monetary compensation. It just didn’t feel right.

It was odd really, Koda looked and sounded every inch a king, though not the kind of king Bardock was used too, certainly not the kind any saiyan was used too. He liked this sort better. He wanted to see King Koda succeed, he wanted Planet Horit to succeed, and perhaps it was due to the young king’s easy going nature that easily reminded Bardock of Kakarot.

“Your planet, your people do realize we did this for our own personal gain, right?” asked Bardock after a few more of Horit’s citizens came up to thank him. They had been scared off from Turles with a few well-placed glares.

“Yes, she does. However, as I said before, she senses no ill will from you, but it is more than that. I can’t say for certain what, but there is a feeling of… nurturing, Horit thinks that you can be much more than you believe you are,” explained King Koda.

Bardock a little unnerved at that but he was not about to let that spoil his celebration.  He could vaguely recall the voice in his head telling him that this planet was important in his future but he wasn’t about to start listening to voices in his head.

He had unfinished business to tend too, so he certainly had no time to be going crazy. He was going to hunt down Acrose and finish what he started. Then he would find another battle, another fight, he was close, he could feel it. He was just missing something.

He lied down in the comfortable quarters in the palace he’d been given and drifted off into a deep sleep, much deeper than he meant it to be. He dreamed of Planet Vegeta, his friends, his sister, his father, his sons, they were all there. He wandered into the forest where he had taken Raditz to train so long ago and sat in the grass. He closed his eyes breathing in the smoggy, dirty air of Planet Vegeta. He had truly missed it.

“It’s about time you arrived, we have unfinished business,” he heard. He opened his eyes and saw the Kanassan General who cursed him so long ago.

“You? How are you here?” asked Bardock. He looked around, he was no longer in the forest but amid the ruins of Planet Kanassa.

“We are in your subconscious,” replied the Kanassan

“So, you’re my imagination?” said Bardock. It was just his luck he would imagine that Kanassan of all people.

“No, I am real but I am simply an impression of the Kanassan you slayed. His soul has long since moved on. I am simply a part of you, as much as any limb is. I was revived just as you were.” Replied the scaly interloper

“So you’ve been here the whole time, why the sudden conversation?” asked Bardock

“I have watched you. I’ve seen you cheat death-,” started the Kanassan

“I died; I just didn’t stay dead,” inserted Bardock defensively.

“You cheated death after dealing it out to so many,” insisted the Kanassan

“Great, now I’ve got a specter in my head who hates me,” said Bardock rolling his eyes.

“Hate? No, I don’t hate you, Bardock. You are on a great journey to redeem yourself in this life. I will make sure the insurmountable number of innocents you slaughtered are not left behind,” said the specter.

“Oh, well that’s much better,” said Bardock sarcastically as he pulled his own hair. It didn’t hurt, so he doubted he could wake himself up that way.

 “To that end I will teach you to fully utilize the gifts my former self left you with. I will teach you to look into the future and into the past,” continued the Kanassan. Now that caught Bardock attention.

“I’m listening,” he said

“The training will need to take place where there is powerful psychic resonance. The planet you are on now was helpful in reaching out to you but unsuited for your training. I would recommend Kanassa as the best place,” said the Kanassan

Bardock scowled at that he had no desire to go to Kanassa. His life went to shit starting there.

“It is not an immediate need, take all the time you wish, I will be here,” said the Kanassan.

“Look Kanassan-,” started Bardock,

“My name is Toolo, at least that was the name of my former self, but I prefer it,” injected the Kanassan

“This training will it get you out of my head?” asked Bardock, not truly expecting an answer.

“When you are in control and at peace with yourself, you may be able to remove me from your mind as I said before; I am simply an impression,”

“Fine, Kanassa it is,” said Bardock. He reached out to shake the Kanassan’s, Toolo’s hand but found the scene around himself fading. He was waking up.

He found himself back in the chambers he’d falling asleep in. he felt something warm embracing him around the shoulders but nothing was there. He was more than ready to leave Planet Horit.