Chapter Seven
7 years later
Bobbidi's spaceship
Vegeta crossed his arms and watched Kakarrot, Gohan and the Lord of Lords gape at the door. A few seconds ago, Gohan had been trying to fight Dabra in the desert. Then they had all been teleported back here. The constantly changing locations were really starting to annoy him.
The Demon King had just left them, claiming that he needn't bother to stay because he had found the "perfect fighter". Vegeta didn't care who it was, he just wanted to get this idiotic quest over with so he could fight Kakarrot before he went back to the underworld. He had been given one last chance to settle the score between them, he wasn't going to let it slip past him.
As the others discussed something -he wasn't really paying attention as to what it actually was- Vegeta gave a small growl of frustration. How had he let Kakarrot talk him into this?
Bam.
Vegeta jolted as he felt the strangest feeling. It was as if some unknown presence was forcing its way into his mind.
Join me.
Immediately, it started to try and take his will from him. With a cry of surprise, Vegeta doubled over, clutching his head. While it wasn't exactly painful, he instantly hated the feeling. It was like there was something inside his skull, trying to rearrange everything. Instinctively, Vegeta fought against the invader.
Give in, Vegeta, the presence commanded. Vegeta, fingers clenched into claws, jerked up as he became a Super Saiyan against his will. But he still hadn't given over to the mighty force, even though the urge was almost overpowering. He felt his resolve weakening but he steeled himself and didn't lose any more ground. No! He was the Prince of All Saiyans, he would not be used by some... some...
The perfect fighter. Bobbidi was in his mind, using his magic to force Vegeta over to his side.
Hardly aware of what he was doing, so focused was he on fighting the battle inside him, Vegeta heard the Lord of the Lords' voice as if it were miles away.
"Vegeta! Bobbidi's trying to use the evil in you! Empty your mind, don't think about anything."
Barely able to concentrate enough to say the words, Vegeta told him to shut up. He would not be ordered around, not even by a god.
The world blurred around him as he kept resisting and Vegeta suddenly recalled two of the Budôkai contestants remarking on how much stronger Spopovich had gotten.
Yes, I will bring out your latent powers, the voice said silkily as if hearing his thoughts. All you have to do is give in.
The pressure eased up slightly and Vegeta could think again. He remembered Kakarrot, destroying Yakon with his chi alone. That had disturbed him. Though he was loathe to admit it, Vegeta suspected that Kakarrot had greatly improved in the afterlife. Probably more than he had.
He really didn't want to stoop to getting help from another being, but if it was the only chance he had, then...
As he was hunched over, shaking from head to toe from the strain of resisting, Vegeta sighed inwardly in resignation.
... I surrender, he thought, cringing at the words. He could feel Bobbidi's glee as he gave his body over to the warlock. Vegeta's last thought, before he was forced to his feet, screaming, as his hidden potential was painfully ripped out from deep inside him, was of Bulma. Even as he welcomed the old malice and bloodlust that seeped into his veins, he knew she wouldn't want him to have chosen this path. But that didn't matter, he was sick of playing nice and he was almost aching to fight Kakarrot now that all this new energy was flowing through him.
It was time.
OoO
The soul was surrounded by the never-ending void.
It wasn't blackness, because blackness had to be something. It was utterly impossible to describe. The soul didn't question it, however, for it knew nothing else; things had just always been this way.
In a disorientatingly fast rush, the soul was jerked away from the void, shoved into a body and its memories returned.
Vegeta reeled, feeling dizzy. He was in a small building, being stared at by horned men in ties. Before him was a huge desk with a huge man sitting behind it. He had a bushy beard, was wearing a pinstriped suit and was also looking at him.
With his memories back, Vegeta knew that he was in the underworld, where the recently deceased were judged by the giant, King Enma.
"What happened?" Vegeta demanded harshly, stepping up to the desk. "Why am I here?" He noticed that he was wearing the dark blue gi that he had died in.
"I called you back," Enma rumbled in his deep voice. "The fight isn't going so well and I figured they might need backup." Vegeta snorted, crossing his arms. Yeah, right. Enma must be really desperate if he was willing to break the law just to bring him back.
"They're still fighting?" he asked. "Not that I really care, but I thought I killed Boo."
"Maybe it'll be easier if I showed you a recap," Enma said, pulling out a remote control from his desk. "I got the whole mess recorded." He pointed to a large, blocky television that Vegeta hadn't noticed before.
"Let's see," Enma examined his remote. "I'll find the part right after you died... oh, sorry, should I not mention that? I've found that it's a touchy subject for a lot of people."
Vegeta shrugged. "Whatever." He was dead, and denying that simple fact wasn't going to change anything.
"Got it!" Enma declared, pointing the remote at the TV and pressing a button. The screen flickered to life and Vegeta sat down to watch.
OoO
Afterwards, Vegeta put his head in his hands in exasperation. Enma wasn't kidding when he called it a mess.
"So let me get this straight," he said. "A thinner, far more evil and powerful Boo came out of the fat one, killed him, and now the kids, Piccolo and Gohan (who wasn't dead after all) are fighting him as I speak?" It was almost enough to make him want to go back to exterminating planets. Things were so more... saner... back then.
Enma nodded. "Pretty much. I've called the All-Seeing Crone over to get you back to Earth, since you haven't used your day yet. She should be here any minute now."
Vegeta said nothing, glaring at the floor. What could he do against a monster like that? He couldn't faze Boo when the djinn's power had been a fraction of what it was now.
But he would try. It wasn't like there was much else for him to do, and he would get to hold on to his memories for a little while longer.
Vegeta glanced up just in time to see an old woman dressed in black robes and a pointy hat, perching on a crystal ball, zoom in through the open doorway.
"Ah, there you are!" Enma exclaimed, catching sight of her. "Good, good. We don't have that much time left, so I'm glad you were so fast." Vegeta got up off the floor and walked over to the fortune-teller.
"Hello," he said mildly. She gave him a tight nod of acknowledgement. He didn't know why she was so stressed out. The All-Seeing Crone wasn't the one going to her death.
Well, Vegeta supposed she was. Just not so directly.
"I'm glad I had kept your spirit intact, just in case," Enma said. "And gave you a body, besides." Then he addressed the old hag. "I really don't like this, but please take him to Earth... and hurry."
"If I must," the All-Seeing Crone muttered.
"Resorting to a thug like me, eh?" Vegeta smiled bitterly as her. "I wish I could promise that I'll live up to even your faintest hopes."
"Yes, well, you're the strongest person here who I could bring back," Enma said briskly. "Now go! Before it's too late."
The old woman turned and floated out the door, Vegeta following.
"Stay close to me and we'll travel from this world to Earth," she said.
It was like they were flying through the sky, clouds everywhere, but he couldn't see the ground.
"I'm going to speed up now, so get ready," she said, looking ahead of them.
"Okay."
They shot forwards and flew in silence for a while, occasionally changing direction. After a few minutes, the Crone suddenly dipped down into the clouds, Vegeta close behind.
And they were soaring over the familiar landmasses of planet Earth. Now that he was back, Vegeta could feel the stunning power of Boo's chi. Still, it was nice to be back. But there was someone else with Boo, in fact, it felt a lot like...
"Sorry, but this is as close as I'll go. I'm too scared," the All-Seeing Crone said, breaking his train of thought. "Good luck."
"Don't worry about it," Vegeta said tensely, staring off in the direction of the chi. "It only postpones me getting killed yet again."
The old woman had turned to leave and Vegeta was just getting ready to set off when a familiar face materialized right in front of him, startling them both.
"Vegeta!" Kakarrot yelled in relief. "Yeah, it is you!"
"Ka...karrot?" Vegeta said slowly. His time on Earth was supposed to be gone, what was he doing here? There wasn't a halo above his head anymore, had he gotten brought back to life somehow? No matter. How could he show his face after he had deceived Vegeta? Curse him.
"G-Goku!" the All-Seeing Crone stuttered, "Am I seeing things? H- how can you be... but I don't understand... you've come back to life and-"
"Talk later!" Kakarrot interrupted urgently. "You get out of here, Boo's coming fast!" That did the trick. With a small shriek, the old woman zipped away.
Kakarrot turned to Vegeta. "So King Enma kept your body around? Smart move on his part." Vegeta ignored him. If Boo was coming to kill both of them, then why the hell was he making small talk? Sometimes it was blindingly obvious that he had been raised on Earth.
"Vegeta. Put this Potara earring on your right ear." Kakarrot held out a small red ball on a chain. "Please!"
Vegeta examined the object sullenly. "Why?" he asked.
"So we can combine!" Kakarrot enthused. "We'll be unbeatable!"
Vegeta smirked. He must be joking. "Combine? You actually think I'd combine with you? Don't make me laugh!"
Kakarrot swallowed. "I knew you'd say that! But it's the only way to beat Boo."
Vegeta turned away from him. "In that case, I'd rather die." He watched the horizon, feeling Boo's chi getting closer and closer and sending silent curses upon Kakarrot.
The other Saiyan spoke, getting more and more panicked, no doubt trying to convince Vegeta to go along with his silly little plan. He wasn't paying him any attention.
"I hate you for it..." Vegeta muttered through gritted teeth. Kakarrot stopped talking, waiting for him to continue.
"When you fought me, you hid your true strength!" Vegeta exploded. "Were you manipulating me- or mocking me? I saw it all in the afterlife. 'Super Saiyan three'? You turn my stomach!" He lowered his voice, but couldn't conceal the hatred dripping from it. "You think I want to be one with you?"
Kakarrot's shoulders slumped and he hung his head in shame. "I-I'm sorry," he said, his voice small. "There was a limit to how long I could transform, I had to save it for later, just in case..."
"Don't make excuses," Vegeta snarled. "The facts don't change. You mocked me."
"How about this fact!" Kakarrot shouted. "Boo ate everybody else! Even Bulma! Piccolo, Gohan, Goten, and Trunks, he absorbed them all! That's how he suddenly got stronger!"
Vegeta inhaled sharply. No. Kakarrot was lying! But deep down, he knew the other Saiyan spoke the truth. Bulma's chi was normally hard to make out, but there was no sign of Trunks'.
That monster had murdered his wife and son. This was unacceptable.
All of a sudden, he hated Boo more than Kakarrot. How dare he? He would make the djinn suffer for this, nobody touched his family.
They both caught sight of Boo at the same time.
"V-Vegeta!" Kakarrot cried desperately. Vegeta went rigid in midair, wracking his brain to think of another way, and finding none.
"Give me that!" he yelled, thrusting out his hand. Kakarrot smiled in relief and quickly passed the earring over. Grumbling, Vegeta started to clip it onto his ear. Boo was within 200 feet of them, cackling with laughter and chi ball in hand.
"I should warn you, once we mix we can never split apart," Kakarrot said. Vegeta gasped.
"What?! Oh sure, tell me now..." He didn't have a choice at this point, but to be fused with Kakarrot forever... best not to think about it.
"There! Happy?" he snapped, drawing his hands away. The earring held fast to his earlobe.
"Thanks, Vegeta!" Kakarrot said, and Vegeta felt a sort of magnetic pull towards him. Without moving a muscle, the two Saiyans, one flinching and one grinning in relief, crashed together until you couldn't tell one apart from the other.
**END OF PART TWO**
