Another Path

The first chapter of a non-crossover story. Sorry for not updating the other stories though. I just had a lot of things going on. Then I had a sudden thought and I came up with this story so I decided to publish it. Still, hope you enjoy it like the others.

By the way, there are BLOGS in my profile, so you better read them so to not be caught off-guard once you find many unexpected things to come.

Chapter 1: Victory

A giant foot stomped the ground, causing a massive shockwave all around the desert. The gigantic monster looked like an ape covered in an armor and a blue spandex suit. His red eyes were looking down at the pest that dared to mock him. He was Vegeta, the Prince from the Saiyan race and one of the five remaining pure-blooded Saiyans.

Down on the ground was lying the beaten figure of a man. His only clothe were a pair of tattered orange trousers, along with blue boots and a blue sash. Covered in bruises and cuts and with every muscle of his body ready to tear itself away from the bones, the Earth-raised Saiyan known as Goku was just helplessly on the rocky soil.

"What's the matter Kakarot?" Vegeta taunted to his beaten enemy with his deep growl-like voice "Weren't you bragging about defeating me just a few seconds ago?"

"I was" Goku said standing up when his legs had jelly like consistence. It was a miracle his broken legs were not failing. He gave Vegeta one of his famous innocent smiles. He would have rubbed the back of his head if he at least could feel his arms "Now I'm not so sure". The simple comment angried Vegeta. How dared that pest to answer him? Why wasn't he fighting back?

Having enough for one day, Vegeta's giant gloved hand clutched Goku. The palm-haired warrior screamed in pure agony when his bones kept breaking down to splinters. If he had not blacked out yet, was because of pure will power and hot stubbornness, the Saiyan's classic traits.

Vegeta engulfed Goku with his two hands, constricting the Saiyan with unbeatable and unbreakable power. The Earth Saiyan could only scream louder, if that helped a bit. And it wasn't helping him at all.

"Yes, scream Kakarot! No one will save you. You will die in my hands like the vermin you are!" Vegeta said, his elongated mouth shifting into an evil grin. The Prince squashed harder, and Goku screamed harder. With each grip, Goku's body shattered even more. In turn, Vegeta's thirst for bloodshed increased.

Through the unbearable pain he was in, the Earth Saiyan was trying to come up with something. Even blowing himself up would do much good. Yet, he couldn't. He needed to win. Earth was his home. He had friends, a son and a wife. His entire family lived on Earth. And he would defend them until his last breath.

The Ozaru's red eyes were looking at the screaming Saiyan. Through narrowed eyes, Goku saw the red orbs just a few feet away from him. They were very close to him.

"Wait! That's it!" Goku thought triumphantly knowing how to escape his enemy's hands. Maybe he would get a minute or two. Not enough time to harm Vegeta but enough to put some ground between them and think of a better solution.

Summoning his ki reserves, Goku closed his eyes forcefully.

"Solar Flare!" the injured Saiyan said out-loud, eyes closed. A sudden flash of white light covered the entire desert, hitting the Ozaru full on the face. The giant beast let go of Goku rubbing his now watering red eyes in pain. The beaten Saiyan used what left of ki energy he had and floated away from the danger as fast as he could. Goku hide behind a giant rock cliff, hoping that Vegeta's lack of energy sensing, and now sight, would buy him enough time. At least enough to do something more than hiding.

"You bastard! What did you do to me?!" Ozaru Vegeta growled. His stomps were cracking rocks but Goku would not answer. He needed a plan. And now.

Using the Kaioken was out of question. His body was thrashed enough already with all of his muscles ripped off and all of his bones broken thanks to Vegeta's crash. The Saiyan thought of the Spirit Bomb. No, he would need to raise his hands and gather energy from all around. And Goku doubted he could still breathe any minute longer, less even to raise his hands. He was using what little ki he had to keep his body air-bound. If he landed, his legs would simply crumble down and shatter more.

His plans stopped, when Vegeta's giant paw stomped on the rock cliff behind Goku. The shockwave destabilized Goku's concentration, sending him hurtling back a hundred feet, going through many rock formations. The giant ape was still blind by the Flare, so he was just stomping around, hoping to catch the low-class pest. Amazingly, he got a lucky shot even though he hadn't been able to see it.

Two figures were flying through the air, trying to reach the giant Ape. They were still a few miles away, enough distance for Vegeta to finish Goku without trying. They had to hurry.

Goku panted heavily even now that his chest weighted as much as Earth itself. His body got even more bruised if possible. Every part of him was submerged under an agonising pain. He was doomed. No matter what he tried, he could not win this battle. He was struggling just for his eyes to stay open.

Yet, he couldn't hold any longer. With a sigh, his head slumped on the ground, blackness covering his sight. Die again, after just been revived. This was Goku's life.

While the Saiyan slept into unconsciousness, memory flashbacks started coming to his mind. The last things he would see before passing into the Other World.

A few hours ago:

Goku literally dropped from the Lookout, falling to the ground from beyond the clouds. His falling body passed near Korin's temple, his former martial arts teacher.

"Master Korin!" Goku said waving his hand to his talking-cat teacher. Even on dire times, the Saiyan was always cheerful and goofy. The cat sensei felt the amazing power Goku had obtained from training the entire year. However, after flying straight for twenty-eight hours had depleted some of his energy. The cat still had some beans. Thankfully they would suffice.

"Goku, here are some beans. Use them well, they are the last ones" The martial arts cat said, throwing three beans to his student.

"Thanks Korin!" Goku smiled, eating one. His energy was replenished, though now even higher than before.

"Nimbus!" Goku summoned, a golden cloud catching his falling. With his golden flying companion, Goku took off into the adventure that would define the fate of his world. The Earth-raised Saiyan saw he had two beans. He splitted one in half, and hide the other on his trouser pocket. If things didn't go so wrong, then he would not need it.

The beaten Saiyan opened wide his black eyes, the sudden flashback hitting him like cold water while sleeping. He patted his trouser pocket, though with a lot of effort as both of his arms, going from his fingers to his shoulders, were nothing but smithereens. Yet the Saiyan felt something inside it. The bean! It wasn't destroyed. Thank Kami.

With superhuman effort, Goku took the bean out of his trousers. And with even more effort, he placed it on his mouth. With each movement his body broke even further. After what looked like an eternity, the beaten Saiyan managed to chew the bean as fast as he could. Even his jaw's bone was a little loosen after such a beating.

Still, the bean went right down his throat, refilling the energy reserves, every damage done to him healed stronger than ever. Goku's eyes opened wide, as his powers went of the charts, going beyond his previous limitations.

Goku created a ki wave that pushed him back to his feet, the ground shaking a bit by the new power he possessed. Goku clutched his hands with new strength running through every healed and stronger muscles. The Saiyan couldn't stop grinning. Now it was time to finish the fight once and for all! For all his friends he would do it!

"Gohan did you feel that?" The bald monk named Krillin said. They had been flying away from the fight, until the enemy's power increased drastically. In that time he and his little fellow decided to go back and help Goku. But now Goku's power had increased unmeasurably.

"My dad's powers skyrocketed!" the kid next to him said with a big smile. He was Goku's son, Gohan, dressed in a blue tattered Gi, resembling that of his fallen teacher Piccolo. The young half human alien had seen his dad training everyday of his life since he was practically born. And his dad could never been beaten.

Both of them flew off faster, trying to see what would happen next.

"Dammit! Where are you, pest?!" Ozaru Vegeta roared angrily. He had recovered his eye-sight but there was only one thing he wanted to do and that was beating the shit out of the low-class Saiyan annoyance. And only after that he would kill him along with everyone in the planet. Maybe he could also eat some humans. That would replenish some of his lost energy.

"Vegeta!" Goku screamed ascending up to the air, his white aura surrounding him. The giant ape's keen hearing found his enemy in no time. But now he was wound-less and back at full power. The prince didn't need a scouter to feel the recovered strength higher than before.

"How...How is it possible?" The Saiyan ape stammered, not understanding at all "You were lying dead at my feet!" The new empowered Goku disappeared and reappeared right in front of Vegeta's elongated mouth, taking the transformed prince by surprise. The giant simian jumped back a few meters, trying to keep it cool. But it was pointless. His enemy was ready. He wasn't.

"I will never die Vegeta! Not as long as I have a planet to protect and an enemy to defeat!" Goku's voice carried the essence of his new-found power and never-ending determination. A red aura flared around him, rocks on the ground flying up. The Saiyan crossed his arms in an X-fashion, gathering his inner power "Kaioken times four!" Goku said out loud, throwing his arms to the sides, ki exploding in a dark red color. His muscles bulked up with veins poking his skin, increasing strength, speed, resistance, senses and ki output by four.

The Earth Saiyan flew off beyond what sight could follow, leaving a red trace behind him. The giant ape had no time to react as Goku arrived with an outstretched leg forward, hitting right into the Ozaru's guts. The Saiyan Prince bent over in pain, his organs cracking beneath the pressure along with his armor. Goku lost no time and flew straight up, landing a devastating punching blow to Vegeta's chin. The simian jerked his head up sharply, his body raising a few meters. The Prince landed after a few seconds with a powerful thud, rocks shattering nearby.

Goku sped back, retreating a few meters from his enemy. The Kaioken times four was not draining him anymore. Maybe after his body healed, the same had adapted better to the strain of the technique. That would also explain all those time when he was young and always became stronger after a dangerous fight that injured him.

The Saiyan stopped thinking, when Vegeta went back into action. His murderous desires were blazing on his giant red eyes. Blood was dripping from his gigantic mouth, leaving small pools of blood on the ground under the monkey.

The giant furry Saiyan jumped, trying to land on top of Goku. Only for Goku to disappear when Vegeta's feet were nothing but inches away from him.

Just when Vegeta thought he had crushed the nuisance beneath his might, his Saiyan enemy reappeared next to his face, landing a left elbow right into the Prince's temple. Vegeta growled in pain, very late realizing the attack he received. The Monkey tried to swat Goku aside but Goku only flew back for miles. While Vegeta was recovering his senses, the palm-haired warrior had already flew ten miles back and five up. With enough height reached, Goku flew straight down at his enemy with his feet first. The falling made him gain momentum and strength with it. His two feet were straight forward, pointing at Vegeta's back.

The Saiyan Prince had lost awareness of his surroundings, when Goku dived into the Ape's back with a country-breaking two-feet kick. The monster would have screamed in agony, had he not been sent forward for miles end, crushing through nearly every rock cliff possible, plowing a path of debris.

Ozaru Vegeta stood up from the rubble. His armor broken even more along with a few bones. But his murderous intentions had only increased.

"Prepare to die Kakarot!" Vegeta growled, the earth beneath his paws rumbling "I will blast you and this planet into oblivion!" A dark purple aura engulfed him, the Saiyan opening his maw and charging a mighty purple blast. Goku felt the power inside it. Earth would be doomed.

Not ready to lose his home, however, Goku's red aura flared up again, as he cup his hands together to his right side.

"Kame...Hame..." Blue energy appeared on his hands, as Goku charged more of his trademark attack. But now he knew he could win. The power gap between the two of them was far too much for Vegeta to overcome. Even if somehow Vegeta managed to close it, then Goku was ready to risk his life again without hesitating.

"HAAAA!" Goku unleashed his attack, clashing Vegeta's own. Multicolored sparks flew everywhere while Goku's blast pushed Vegeta's own attack backwards. The giant ape poured every ounce of power he had from his royal Saiyan body, trying to counter the low-class attack.

Goku felt the power Vegeta was using, but he could win. He only had to use more power.

"Kaioken times five!" Goku growled, his power exploding outwards. His energy attack doubled in size and power, completely annihilating Vegeta's. The same giant ape couldn't do anything to stop the attack, every ounce of strength he had were gone. Maybe also the fact he was completely paralyzed in fear.

The blue energy consumed Vegeta on his entire gigantic self. The Ozaru roared with all his might as the energy scorched and burned his entire body, sending him back and back. The blast lost itself in space, after pushing Vegeta for nearly twenty miles away from the original point. The attack had caved a trench of five yards wide and deep.

Goku's aura disappeared his hands releasing smoke. He was panting slightly. After all, the Kaioken times five was new to him, but not so draining apparently.

"Dad!" A voice said from behind him. The Saiyan had not even fully turned around, when a sudden death grip crushed him. His son was hugging him. The Saiyan felt happy. It had been a year since he held his son. Happy like never before the full-blooded Saiyan hugged his son back.

After a few seconds, both father and son splitted apart.

"Goku, you always found the way" Krillin said on his joking tone. Goku rubbed his head with his innocent smile.

"Thanks Krillin. I did my best" The Saiyan said like if it was nothing. In less than a second, however, Gohan and Krillin's faces went from happy to angry and sad. Even on victory, they had lost too much.

"But now that Mister Piccolo is gone, then Kami died too, along with the Dragon Balls" Gohan said sad. Piccolo had been a good friend and teacher to him. Loosing him because he had not been strong enough had been a hard blow to the five-year old Saiyan boy.

Goku rubbed his son's hair with a smile on his face.

"Don't worry Gohan. We will revive him, along with the others" Both monk and half Saiyan smiled. Goku was always confident. The full-blooded Saiyan face, however, morphed into pure seriousness. He spun around, staring apparently at the horizon "Now leave. Both of you. I have to handle Vegeta"

"He's not dead?" Krillin asked, awe-struck. How could someone survive so much beating? The monk shook his head. If Goku was a Saiyan and always could, then Vegeta could too.

"What do we do, dad?" Gohan asked.

"Go to Capsule Corp and wait for me. I'll go with you in a few minutes" Both monk and half Saiyan flew off, while Goku went straight to his opponent.

The giant Ozaru was lying on the ground, smoke coming out of his blasted-out skin. Some parts of his body were fur-less and bleeding without stop. His entire body armor was gone, and the blue suit was a wind blow of disappearing. Yet Vegeta was alive. For how long, nobody knew.

Goku flew down, standing right onto Vegeta's giant nose bridge.

"Kakarot" the Prince tried to growl, but it was so faint that it couldn't be heard easily. The Earth Saiyan was looking down at his defeated opponent, his face a stoic wall of seriousness. A blue energy ball appeared on his hand. For a moment, Vegeta felt his end was near.

Goku fired his attack. Up to the sky.

The Ozaru simply stared helplessly, as his low-class enemy destroyed his Moon Ball. The sphere disappeared with a magnificent explosion, leaving a shrinking monkey behind and a full-power standing Saiyan next to him.

After a few minutes, the original Vegeta was back more bruises than skin all over his five feet body. He couldn't stand up, no matter how many will force he summoned. He just couldn't.

A hand took hold of Vegeta's bruised neck, nearly breaking it in two. A pair of black eyes were looking at another pair, neither Saiyan wanting to give ground to the other in the staring contest, even when it was obvious who would win.

"Come on, Kakarot. End my life" The Prince taunted. After such a beating by a low-class he deserved to die. The Earth Saiyan clutched his free hand in anger. He had Vegeta's life on his hands. It was so tempting to kill the bastard that took his friends away.

But he couldn't. He wasn't that way. Vegeta would not die. Not by his hand.

"No" Goku said defeated surprising the Prince "I'm nothing like you Vegeta. That's why you will live. Killing you would not satisfy me enough" Without Vegeta realizing, Goku had been flying with him all along, until they found Vegeta's ship. "But I know what you are capable off. You just don't know how much good you can do. How many lives you can save. I hope in time you realize that" Without any consideration, the Earth Saiyan just threw Vegeta inside the little ship. A painful yell came out of the Prince, who was now more injured than before.

As his ship was getting ready, Vegeta could only smirk before adding his last words to Kakarot for the time been.

"We are not finished yet, Kakarot. We'll see each other again in no time. And then, no miracle will save you" The ship took off, ascending the atmosphere at tremendous speed.

"I'm counting on that Vegeta. I'm counting on that" Goku said smiling. He wanted to test his powers against him again.

The Earth-Raised Saiyan turned his face, looking at the ship, which Nappa used. Maybe Bulma and her father could study it a bit.

Surrounding it with yellow ki energy, Goku took off, flying to Capsule Corp. There were things to do if they wanted to bring back their battle-fallen friends.

Vegeta typed the ship's commands, his teeth clutched in pain and anger.

"Blasted Kakarot. How dare him? How dare him to spare my life? How dare him to destroy my pride? I will never forgive him!" Vegeta mentally cursed. The ship's countdown begun. A few seconds more and the cabin would enter in stasis. Using it would not heal the Saiyan, but just put him into suspended animation until he could get the proper medical attention.

Even on his dire situation, The Prince of all Saiyans just smiled victoriously, while placing the breathing mask on his face.

"You should have finished me when you could Kakarot. Now, thanks to you I will become legend. And only after you beg for me to kill you, only then, I will give you the eternal rest of Hell!" The prince closed his eyes, as the ship directed itself to the nearest Planet Trade planet.

Notes from Chapter 1:

Unlike the original canon story, the others were at Capsule Corp and not Kame House while the Saiyans arrived.

Goku will be smarter and more serious when it comes to battle than the canon one (Always forgiving people does not suit him very well). He'll still be a little goofy (when the universe is not at risk) and he will also be a better father/husband with his family (See later chapters)

I should already warn (and it can be understand much better if you read my Saiyan blogs in the profile) that MY Zenkais don't follow the same pattern Manga/Anime did.

Power Levels:

Goku:

After King Kai's training: 8,000

Tired after flying the Snake Way: 7,000

Energy restored (Little Zenkai): 9,000

Injured by Ozaru Vegeta: 5

Healed (Bigger Zenkai): 48,000

Kaioken x4: 192,000

Kaioken x5 Kamehameha: 250,000

Tired after the Kamehameha: 41,000

Vegeta:

Base form full power: 18,000

Ozaru: 180,000

Beaten Ozaru: 10

Beaten back to normal: 1

Gohan: 2,500

Krillin: 2,000

Vegeta has been defeated, but restoring their life back to normal will take some time. See next chapter to see the plan of action!