Disclaimer: Dragon Ball Z belongs to Akira Toriyama. If otherwise, it would have had way too much sap.

I never expected you to be the one to die first, Goku. That you, the near immortal, could be stopped, despite all the horrors you had gone through and survived.

I think it was then when I lost my faith to fairytales for good.

All too soon after that, came Vegeta's turn. The all-powerful Vegeta's turn to die. Never saw that one coming, either. I guess he lost the meaning of life on the moment his worst enemy died, and didn't bother to give his everything to fight for planet he had never cared for in the first place. What did his son and mate matter, when compared to his pride?

I can't remember which one died first, Yamcha or Tenshinhan. We found their bodies on the same day, and neither was warmer than the other. Pain curtained both of their faces, like carnival masks.

Poor Bulma cried a lot that day, as did Puar. Not to mention Chaozu.

Speaking of whom, died the next day. We never found out why he and Tenshinhan hadn't been together in the first place.. probably because Tenshinhan had told him to flee, conveniently forgetting that he was the only reason for his little mate to be happy. There was nothing but hate upon his white features when he went off to face the monsters that morning, and it was still there in the evening when we finally found his shattered body.

I wonder if I'll be wearing the same mask on the moment I die?

Piccolo tells me to keep hoping.. after all, he's still alive. But tomorrow it might be different. Or day after that, I'll be probably the one to go tomorrow. One by one our friends fell, how could we be any different?

Keep hoping, Piccolo says. We'll beat them. Just you wait.

And as he kisses my cheek to seal my good night's sleep, I almost believe him. Maybe we do have a chance.. we are warriors too, aren't we? The mighty Saiya-jins may have fallen, but we were just as strong as they were, and we still have Gohan with us. Maybe if we're cunning, maybe if we run fast enough, maybe we'll survive. Survive, hide, and wait for better days. Maybe.

But if he really believes so, then why, when he whispered it aloud, there was no emotion in his eyes?