A/N: This is going to be a little side project in place of Lost Hope. It will start towards the end of the Frieza saga and afterwards. This was an idea that popped in my mind multiple times over the past few years, but I never once decided to push forward with it. I know I shouldn't be doing this, but I just can't pass it up.
Summary: One crucial alteration in the Frieza Saga makes a change that could potentially have harsh effects for future battles fought. The darker ambitions of our saiyan characters will be seen. Lies and deception will be made, testing the loyalties of all those involved. Some will not be as trusted as they once were, causing tensions to rise as they battle those who wish to threaten the safety of the planet Earth.
Chapter One
One Change
Goku, Krillin, and Gohan all stared at the battered and bruised sight of Frieza standing on the ledge above them as he grinned evilly in triumph. Despite the fact he was assaulted by the massive ball of energy known as the Spirit Bomb, he managed to survive, crushing their hopes of thinking he had been defeated once and for all. In return, the cruel tyrant delivered a deadly beam at the Namekian warrior who currently laid unconscious on the soft grass in his attempts to begin picking them off one by one. Even through their best efforts, he continued to live through it all, and it gave way to the reality of how powerful he truly was. Due to the fact the Earth warriors spent the rest of the energy powering the ball, they would not be able to battle any further, something Frieza knew quite well.
The scarlet eyes of Frieza glanced over the vulnerable forms of his prey, ultimately landing on the young half-breed child. He knew the relationship between him and the full grown saiyan from Earth. He knew his opponent cared rather deeply, so to see him perish would surely destroy his will to continue in his futile efforts to defeat him. The cruel idea brought him a form of delight because he enjoyed seeing those inferior to him suffer.
Gohan flinched when he noticed the devious gaze of Frieza land upon him, sending a chill down his spine. A sinking feeling swelled in the pit of his stomach, growing as the seconds passed, as he knew something terrible was to occur very soon. He refused to be a part of it and since his father had been watching their enemy rather carefully, he'd make sure any harm to him would be avoided.
Goku turned his attention towards his son and comrade, his dark orbs full of worry, "Gohan, Krillin, I want you to take Piccolo, find Bulma and the ship, and leave. I don't want you to get hurt any more than you already have. I'll try to hold him off."
"But Goku, we can't leave you," Krillin objected, refusing to abandon his best friend.
Frieza's grin grew larger, "Oh yes, you can't leave quite yet. The fun has only just begun."
Before the duo could begin their preparation for departure, Gohan felt his body lift into the air. The boy fought against the mysterious force in an attempt to regain control, but to no avail as his body continued in its actions much to his displeasure. His sense of fear heightened to great levels as he was unable to return to the safety of the ground. He knew it was none other than Frieza's doing, but right now he was concerned about what was in store for him. "Wh-What's h-happening?!"
"Gohan!" his father cried out. He shot a nasty glare towards his cruel foe that could kill if it were possible, "Frieza! Stop this! Your fight is with me!"
A maniacal cackle escaped the Arcosian's lips as he raised his left arm into the air, guiding the young boy's body, "Hahahaha! I know, but I want you to suffer! You will watch as your loved ones perish one by one before I kill you!"
"Daddy! Help!" Gohan yelled in terror, flailing his body around as much as he could.
As the half saiyan screamed his final words, Frieza closed his hand and at that very moment, Gohan's body exploded into nothing, leaving behind only a cloud of smoke before clearing. Goku and Krillin grew deadly silent at the scene. The youngest fighter had his life taken from him in cold blood, leaving them heartbroken and angered. They remained in grief stricken as he cackled gleefully at the sight of his prey.
After a few moments, Krillin clenched is fists as a lone tear rolled down the side of his face. Slowly, he landed his gaze on the ruthless alien, barely able to contain his anger. "H-He's dead…You monster! How could you?! He was just a kid!"
"Yes, I know," Frieza stated as his laughter began to die down, yet his smirk remained. "No matter the age, all those who oppose me share the exact same fate: death. However, you two will be joining him soon enough so you have nothing to worry about."
Meanwhile, Goku's body grew rigid as he tuned out the world around him. The scene replayed in his mind multiple times as he was unable to fully comprehend the situation. He had watched on helplessly as his first and only child was brutally murdered at the hands of Frieza. It left him unable to speak or think rationally. True he could be wished back to life with the power of the Dragon Balls, but the fact that he was even killed in the first place at such a young age was not a fate he deserved. He rushed to his son's rescue on each occasion to avoid the heartbreaking casualty and in each situation, he barely arrived at the nick of time to remove him from death's door. Although he fought valiantly against his enemy, he was left with very little energy causing him to watch the event unfold the way it did.
The saiyan's body slowly trembled as he dropped his dark orbs to the ground. While his mind was on the fact, he thought back to the encounters he experience during his life, that all resulted in a numerous amount of casualties. In every occasion, he had been traveling from various other locations with great speed; only to arrive too late to save the ones he called friends. They died fighting, hoping that he would come to save them from destruction, only to fall long before he arrived at the scene in the cases such as King Piccolo and the saiyans. However, he cut it extremely close saving Krillin and Gohan against the saiyans, Ginyu Force, and finally Frieza just as he transformed into his current state.
Now when the chance to make a difference because he was present had risen, he ultimately blew it in the end. If he had arrived a bit earlier when he was in a previous form, then maybe his trump card would have worked. The fight could have ended by now and they could all be preparing to restore the planet's inhabitants to life before wishing back their own and return to Earth. Unfortunately, that was not the case. Since he drained most of his energy, there was absolutely nothing he could do to prevent it.
The Earth-raised saiyan raised his burning eyes towards Frieza, sparking a dark rage within him. For the first time in his life, he felt something different, pure unadulterated anger. He wanted to make Frieza pay dearly for his unreasonable actions. He wanted the tyrant to hurt in the same fashions as he done to countless thousands or perhaps millions of other life forms. He would make sure he did not have the chance to ruin the lives of others again by killing him in the most painful way imaginable.
Once foreign emotions clouded his mind as he felt his grip on reality carefully slipping away from him, but he welcomed it all. He furrowed his eyebrows, his body trembling in undeniable fury. The spiky haired individual growled, clenching his hands into tightly balled fists. His muscles rippled with anger as he continued to let the power swell inside of him.
"Did I anger the monkey?" the ruthless tyrant questioned mockingly.
THUM! A roar of thunder hit the ground as a storm of furious lightening and forceful winds surrounded the body of Goku as well as the surface of the planet. The green skies of Namek darkened greatly, the ground began to shake, and the tides raged as the emotions of the Earth-raised saiyan heightened to new levels. His eyes vanished, the pupils deathly white. As the energy rushed from his body, the air around him grew warm and thick. At his feet, the increased intensity crushed the rock into beads of nothingness. His head constantly jerked upwards, then back down, but his eyes remained glued to his enemy the entire time.
Frieza was unfazed by the scene as his triumphant grin remained plastered on his lips. "Oh, it seems you still have some fight in you Goku. Don't worry, it won't last long before I send you to hell."
As the emotions swirled in his mind, his head jerked up again. This time, a flash of orange struck through his dark hair, only to vanish as he dropped his head once more. Near his side, Krillin watched on in a transfixed state of fear and awe.
"What's going on with you Goku?" he questioned to himself. The dark and uncontrolled energy he sensed building in his best friend frightened him immensely. The former monk never expected a soul as pure as Goku's could become so tainted in a matter of moments, but he figured having witnessed the death of his son sparked darkness deep in him.
Goku's head jerked up, longer as the orange burst of light furiously attempted to escape his body. He felt his heart and mind slip, but he did nothing to stop it. He knew the power he needed to defeat such evil could only be obtained through such lengths. "Frriiieeezzzaaa! You will PAY for this!"
"Fool! Nothing will save you! !" the alien laughed cruelly. "Once I finish with you, your little friend will be next then your entire planet."
The saiyan's anger intensified at the sound of his enemy's plan as the power bubbling in him was ready to be unleashed. He yelled with all his might as the wrath in him exploded outward in a great force of rage. A dark energy consumed his body as it forced everyone in the surrounding area into the distance away. Frieza, now stunned, caught his balance in mid-air as he shielded his gaze from the release of power.
A dust cloud in which formed around the saiyan warrior cleared, revealing a newly transformed Goku standing tall in his spot. Krillin and Frieza sared in we at his sight they examined his new state. The saiyans hair stood erect in the fashion similar to a flame, no longer black, but a blazing orange, his eyes burned with a hazel fire. His muscles seemed to bulge as well, but it remained in proportion to his body size.
Frieza was fully baffled by the saiyan's new features, "What is this? Saiyans are supposed to transform into mindless apes! This is different from everything that I have ever seen!"
When Goku grew aware of himself, he slowly raised his arms and stared at them intensely as he felt the power course through his veins. He had never known his body to contain this type of power. His newfound hatred towards the Arcosian allowed him to pull it all out so he could defeat him. He had transformed into the saiyan of legend, capable of great feats.
"How is this possible?" Frieza questioned hesitantly in fear. "Don't tell me that the legends are true."
Goku did not respond; he only answered with a dark stare that promised revenge for the lives his son as well as the other innocent life forms who fell under his mighty power. Despite the calm expression on the outside, his mind struggled to maintain its small grasp on what little sanity remained with him. A feral bloodlust had awakened inside him along with the rage and hatred that bubbled already, causing him to nearly lose control.
He looked towards Krillin who remained a short distance away beside the fallen body of the Namekian warrior. When Krillin saw this, he jumped slightly at his friend's overwhelmingly haunting eyes. For the first time, he was actually frightened by someone close to him.
"Krillin, leave…now," Goku ordered in a dark and strict tone.
The former monk stared at him in disbelief, still unsure about leaving him, "Goku? Are you sure? Maybe I can still help…"
The saiyan's eyes grew ominous and dark, terrifying the bald man even further. The saiyan inside of him was dangerously close to sending him flying once more, but he stopped himself before he could really bring harm to his comrade. "Leave now, before I do something I may regret. I'll be fine."
Krillin grew silent for a few moments, but he gave a hesitant nod of approval. As much as he wanted to stay and assist Goku, he could not deny his request, especially when it seemed he could barely control himself. When he looked into his eyes, he saw the battle raging on the inside, fighting for dominance. He knew Goku was telling the truth and was using every ounce of willpower to hold it all back. It was truly best that he depart because he would only be a hindrance in his friend's continued efforts. So without another word of objection, he carefully lifted Piccolo off the ground and propped him on his back so he could have a decent grip on him.
"Knock him dead buddy," Krillin said, loud enough for the saiyan to hear, who smirked uncharacteristically viciously in response.
Frieza growled in frustration as he watched the human warrior ascended into the air and began to fly off into the distance. He formed a ball of energy in the palm of his hands as his eyes locked onto his target. Once he fully charged, he threw the ball towards the former monk. However, as it flew three seconds into the air, Goku appeared in front of the attack and swiftly deflected it off in another direction.
"What…are you?" Frieza questioned, amazed by the speed the saiyan now held.
The same uncharacteristic smirk remained on the saiyan's face, one that would make Vegeta proud. The fear of his enemy pleased him for some reason, another indication his saiyan-self beginning to make itself known, overwhelming his usual pure demeanor. "I am the dark beast you unleashed to the world. I am the shadow that lies in the hearts of others. I am the result of all the hopes and dreams you have crushed over the years. I am your worst nightmare!"
Frieza's body grew stiff. Beads of sweat rolled down the side of his face as he glared at the man floating ahead of him. His worst fear, his worst nightmare, had truly came to life right before his very eyes. Standing in front of him was the saiyan of legend. He caused the saiyan race to become extinct due to his paranoia that one day his life would come to an end at the hands of one with outstanding power. He did not think the one he allowed to slip away under his nose for an extended period of time would be the one to cause him to worry. He had to get rid of him once and for all; that way all of his saiyan problems were resolved.
"Are you scared Frieza?" Goku questioned tauntingly, relishing in his opponent's fearful state. "You should be. I'm the one who will be your executioner."
The Arcosian's body trembled with rage at the saiyan's mocking tone. How could he, the strongest being in the universe, be frightened of a single saiyan? No, that would not be tolerated! He would kill the monkey even if it was the last thing he did! "Don't get so cocky you wretched monkey. I still haven't unleashed my full power yet. I never thought I would ever have to use it, but you have really pushed me to my limits."
The thought of fighting his opponent at his best stirred something else in him. He wanted a better challenge; one to quench his thirst until the next battle that came along. He could even humiliate the Arcosian who thought very highly of himself before sending him to receive his true and final judgment from King Yemma at the Check-In Station. "Alright Frieza. I accept your challenge. Give me everything you have and no holding back. I want to see just what else you have up your sleeve."
Frieza grinned cunningly at the male's request, "Foolish saiyan; he's just the same as Vegeta, always wanting a challenge. He will learn his mistake so very soon."
A/N: And that concludes the first installment of this story. I love making sort of stories based off of one single change. It can lead to thousands of new pathways for later events. Anyway, I hoped you enjoyed it and will be back soon with another installment of Ascent.
Until Next Time!
Mystic Milli