Disclaimer: Okay, here's a new one . . . I don't own Dragon Ball Z! Ha! (Don't ask me why I find satisfaction in those words . . . but I do! ^_^, )
Author's Note: Um . . . this story is . . . well it's short, and it's . . . weird . . . very, very weird. I don't write DBZ fics, but as I was sitting in my kitchen, I was thinking about the DBZ episode that I had taped and needed to watch later on. Suddenly, this freaky idea popped into my mind. Don't ask me why, because I'm not sure. Anyway though, I hope this doesn't offend any Vegeta fans (or DBZ fans alike). Actually, I'm a Vegeta fan too, so uh . . . this sort of offends me too! (Um . . . how did that happen, huh?) Well, I'll leave you to read as you will now, but do me a favor. Please review. I don't care if you flame me or send me something nice, I just enjoy hearing from everyone! Please read and enjoy. Thanks!
Vegeta Meets His Echo . . . By: Amethyst Tiger
The day was moderate enough. A clear blue sky, a few cumulus clouds that occasionally dimmed the sun's gleaming rays. There was nothing in particular about this day, which suited Vegeta just fine. He didn't appreciate surprises, nor did he appreciate "special occasions" of any sort. Actually, this day just happened to be a fine one for doing what he did best . . . fighting . . . naturally.

And so, one could find the Sayain prince standing alone, on the edge of a rocky cliff side several yards from the jagged ground below. The wind lightly tousled his ever-resistant hair, and his black, determined eyes stared outward at seemingly nothing. And perhaps that was the very case. His muscular, yet compact, body was tense, and sweat dripped from his brow. His chest rose and fell slowly, as if he were trying to control his rapid breathing.

Vegeta let out a sigh, and briefly closed his eyes before opening them once again. He let that delightfully annoying little smirk play across his features, and suddenly, flew into a quick barrage of intricate kicks, punches, and energy attacks. He performed this violent, oddly graceful sort of dance for the next thirty minutes that were to follow. When he finally DID stop, he was once again breathing hard, and was perspiring even more. His hair however, did not altar in appearance at all.

He clenched his fists at his sides, suddenly very angry, which although it isn't uncommon, one must remember that Vegeta usually manages to keep his cool. He shook his head from side to side in apparent disapproval of himself. With a sudden burst of rage, he brought one of his fists up to the air, and took a menacing step forward, as if to threaten the very air that surrounded him.

"I WILL be stronger than you, I swear it!" He shouted.

Now, maybe it was his blinding rage, or stress, or exhaustion, but whatever it was caused the Sayain prince to be more than surprised when a voice answered his shouting with the same exact words.
Vegeta blinked, but refused to give in to such taunting. After all, how could he not have sensed another fighter in the area! He growled.

"Fool! How DARE you challenge me!" He yelled.

The voice was undaunted, as it replied readily.

"Fool! How DARE you challenge me!"

"Mock me will you!"

"Mock me will you!"

"Knock it off and I won't destroy you!"
"Knock it off and I won't destroy you!"

A vain in Vegeta's forehead began to pulse.

"Is that a challenge!"

"Is that a challenge!"

"Yes!"

"Yes!" The voice replied.

"Fine! Then come out here and face me like a man you coward!"

"Fine! Then come out here and face me like a man you coward!"
Vegeta's eyes widened. "The Sayain prince is no coward, now come out here and fight me!"

"The Sayain prince is no coward, now come out here and fight me!"

"You are not the Sayain Prince, fool! There is only one, and that is ME!"

The voice dared to impersonate him further. "You are not the Sayain Prince, fool! There is only one, and that is ME!"

"How dare you!"

"How dare you!"

"I asked first!"

"I asked first!"
Vegeta felt his blood pressure rise, boiling, and quite literally.

"Why you . . . you started this you idiot!"

"Why you . . . you started this you idiot!"
"I did not!"

"I did not!"

"Yes you did!"
"Yes you did!" Called the voice.

"That's it! I can't take it anymore!" Vegeta yelled, and with those words as his battle cry,

Vegeta launched a huge yellow energy attack, sending it flying.
The voice seemed unfazed for it replied just as dangerously. "That's it! I can't take it anymore!"
By some ironic twist of a strange and mysterious fate, Vegeta's attack went spiraling out of his eyesight, and careened through several deep crevices, skimmed some minute crags, and then disappeared into a shallow cave with a thick wall of rock at the very back. The energy attack bounced off of the wall, leaving a visible indent, flew out of the cave, ricocheted several times off of various, and ironically, strategically placed rocks, before slamming into an upward sloping rock formation, sending the attack straight into the blue sky.
Vegeta smirked. He wouldn't be hearing anymore from whom ever that foolish, anonymous fighter was. Sighing, he turned his back, and began to lift off of the ground. He ascended into the air gradually at first, and then more rapidly. The day was getting late, and he thought that he should be heading home. He turned his head briefly in order to look back at the rocky canyon, but this mistake proved to be costly. For in that brief moment, irony decided to have it's fun, and so, when he turned his gaze back to the front of him, he was met with a very familiar ball of energy that smacked right into him, sending him careening backwards.
He landed with a very prompt, thud upon the cliff he had been standing on previously, somewhat injured, and exhausted. Both of these impaired his ability to move very much. That attack, where had it come from? Ah, but then he remembered. That voice, that insulting voice that had attempted to pick a fight with him! He sighed, and sat up the best he could.
"I . . ." Vegeta started.
The voice answered. "I . . ." it said.
Vegeta sighed in defeat. " . . . have won." He finished for the stranger.
" . . . have won." Agreed the voice.
And with that, Vegeta collapsed onto the ground, unconscious.
Now, if a normal person had seen what had just happened, they would have chosen to walk away, perhaps to go seek some counseling, because as it is, only a handful of people can watch a man fly in the air, while shooting light from his palms, and not think that they may have a little bit of a problem. But the truth is that no one else was there . . . just Vegeta, and his infamous echo.
-OWARI