Prodigal Sons

A Dragonball Z fanfiction by Andrew J. Talon

Disclaimer: This is a non-profit fan work of prose. Dragonball, Dragonball Z and Dragonball GT are the property of Funimation, Toei Animation, Fuji TV and Akira Toriyama. Please support the official release.

Raditz

Ever since Raditz had learned how to sense ki, it had been... Overwhelming. True, he had mastered the basics and now could adjust his reception, but it never left him now. The feeling of ki, of life all around him, was ever in the back of his mind. Like the feel of the sun on your skin or faint scents of meat on the wind.

So he worked to manage that, out on the beach in the middle of the night. The infinite stars twinkled above him, a half moon hanging over the horizon. The only ki sources that mattered, those of Master Roshi's, Krillin's, and Launch's, were inside.

He was sitting in the lotus position, trying to keep himself centered in the ocean of energy. To remain himself.

Yet the endless ki sources from the sea, the sky, the earth itself… It all buzzed in his mind like so many stinging flies. He grimaced, his forehead wrinkled.

Being constantly reminded of his place in the Saiyan Hierarchy of Vegeta, Nappa, and then himself gave him an inferiority complex. He hated his weakness and his inability to get this overwhelming feeling under control just reminded him of it.

True... He was stronger now. He knew it, could feel it. He was able to keep up with his mother, and the smile of pride she wore was not false.

He could tell by now... Still...

"Damn it!" Raditz growled, his fists clenched. "Why do I still feel so far behind them?!"

Years of being their punching bag, their slave, still haunted him. Never knowing when they might turn on him again. Now, he had all but betrayed them.

His mother's plan was to reason with them, but what good was reason with Vegeta? Nappa, maybe, could be brought over. He at least had his moments when he wasn't treating Raditz like utter trash. Vegeta though…

Even with their strength, he was likely to just take it as an insult to his pride. And an insulted Vegeta was a dangerous Vegeta. Even with his new strength… Would it be enough?

He wouldn't know for sure until they got here... Which was the maddening part.

He trained and trained but he just didn't know. He couldn't know.

Until this endless waiting ended.

"Um... Ahem?"

Raditz started, and his head snapped to look back over his shoulder. There stood Launch, in her blue haired form. She was wearing a pair of boxers and a sleep shirt, her face looking concerned. Raditz huffed, and looked back at the ocean. He'd gotten so lost in his feelings he hadn't noticed her.

"H-Hey." She smiled nervously. "Can't sleep?"

He turned his head away from her and looked at the moonlit waters surrounding Roshi's island. He let out an aloof snort.

"What concern is it to you?" He ground out.

"Well, I do worry about everyone. Especially when they aren't getting enough sleep," she said. She walked up and sat by him, uninvited. All these Earthlings were so casual about just getting close to him.

He looked out the corner of his eye at her, and grimaced before looking back at the gently rolling surf. Even with her negligible ki, barely present, he could feel it right there next to him. Almost taunting him.

"... Is it your hair?" Launch asked.

Raditz looked at her again, confused.

"What?" He asked.

"Your hair," Launch continued, reaching up to almost touch his hair, but pulling back at the last moment."It's so brittle and covered in split ends... Is it keeping you up?"

"No!" Raditz grunted. "Why would something as insignificant as that bother me?"

Insignificant, his hair. Sure. He was certain Launch was thinking this exact thing as she looked him over.

"Well it just looks so uncomfortable," she said, "and insignificant? You have so much hair! It's a magnificent mane! Like a lion's!"

Raditz didn't know what a lion was, but the context indicated it was a compliment so he said nothing. Launch beamed.

"What do you wash it with?" She asked.

"Hmph," Raditz grunted, "standard cleansing powder."

He did take pride in his hair, better a mane than whatever that mess Vegeta was so proud of... or none at all like with Nappa! It was something neither of them could take away from him.

Launch hummed and shook her head.

"Well that's not doing a good job..." She smiled" I know! Can I brush and clean it for you?"

"... Why would you bother?" Raditz asked, staring at her. Humans were strange.

"Because it's a nice thing to do for someone. I did it for Goku when he was little, and I like him. And I like you, too."

"Hmph..." Raditz stared at her, his cheeks flush slightly, before he stoically looks ahead. "Do whatever you want."

"Hee! Okay!" Launch cheered, softly. She scurried away.

Raditz shrugged. It wasn't like she could hurt him, and he wasn't getting to sleep anyway.

Launch soon returned, bearing a box of various supplies and implements. She sat down on her knees, standing up to match his sitting height, and produced a brush. She reached out, hesitating slightly, before she rested a hand in his long, twisted mane. Launch then brought the brush down through his locks.

"Hm." Raditz grimaced at first as the stiff bristles of the brush pulled at his hair, but soon it began to take effect. In spite of its shaggy state, under the influence of the brush it began to loosen and untangle easily. Much like Goku's hair despite its messy appearance it was easily tamed.

He found his muscles unclenching, as the strokes continued. Then, Launch began to softly sing.

"Be as free as you can be, a childlike love of fantasy, The world is a mystery for you and me. A miracle, an adventure too, a single wish waits for you," She sang, the soft sound gently pushing away his worries and insecurities like the ocean waves pushing against the shore.

Launch reached up, running a shorter, stiffer brush over his scalp. He felt his scalp tingle, and his tail went limp as he relaxed.

"The beating of your heart will see you through..." Launch sang, her final brush strokes playing through his thick mane. She pulled back and smiled warmly. "All done! Oh, wait!"

She undid the red scarf holding her hair up, and tied it into Raditz's hair. It formed a tight, bushy but sleek ponytail. She pulled out a mirror from her box, and scooted over to hold it up to his face. She beamed.

"What do you think? Raditz?" Launch blinked as Raditz didn't respond. "Raditz?"

His soft snores greeted her. He had fallen asleep, utterly at peace and relaxed. Launch smiled softly, and put her mirror away.

"I'll ask you tomorrow," she murmured. She took her box back into the house, and soon emerged with a blanket. She wrapped the large blanket around his broad shoulders, and tucked the ends under his arms. Launch beamed, and then leaned over.

"Good night, Raditz," she whispered. Impulse took her, and she planted a gentle kiss on his forehead. She blushed hard, and pulled away… But he didn't stir. He just continued to sleep peacefully. With her cheeks red, she turned and quickly ran back to the house, seeking her own bed.

And above, far, far away, two Saiyan pods emerged from faster than light and began making their final approach…

We'll be on a short hiatus with this fic until the next part. Just hang in there.