DRAGONBALL Z
Path of a Warrior
Rescue and Reward
Gohan and Krillin looked about, while Piccolo remained transfixed on the horizon, his ears twitching and arms crossed. He had no inclination of really getting involved with the two. Group work just wasn't his thing. The other two fighters however were checking the dragon radar, clicking on the range meter and seeing where they should start looking first.
Gohan, taking the dragon radar from Krillin for a moment, walked towards the centre of the clearing. Looking about while holding the radar in two hands, the young Saiyan studied the clearing and then the horizon. After a brief look out, Gohan closed his eyes and extended his senses far beyond the reach of his eyes. He began pin pointing the exact locations of the dragon balls. When his senses passed Vegeta's ki, he knew that the Saiyan prince was heading for one of the villages. He was looking for the dragon balls too. Then, a few seconds later, he struck a group of other ki's. Most of them were weaker then Krillin, while three of them exceeded passed his expectations. The middle power level was the strongest of them all, stronger then even Piccolo. Gohan assumed that they didn't know how to hide their ki levels.
After a few more seconds of searching, Gohan returned his sights to the dragon radar. There, he was able to mark the position of each dragon ball. His brow furrowed as he had spotted a problem. Krillin approached him, puzzled and worried.
"What's wrong Gohan?" he asked. Gohan looked up and glared ahead of him. He pointed in the direction he had sensed Vegeta.
"Vegeta's just landed and is on route for one of the dragon balls," Gohan said. He then pointed in another direction, just a few degrees west of Vegeta's position. "A platoon of about 20 mercenaries has picked up three of them already. That means that means we have four dragon balls taken since Vegeta is heading towards one of them. So…there should be three left for the picking. One is being guarded by the creator, another is in the village to the South of us and another, which is closest to the mercenaries, is free. We are open for options now. So…where should we go first?" Gohan asked, looking up at Piccolo.
The Namek, having been listening, glanced down at the pair. "I think we should go meet up with Vegeta. If what you say is true Gohan, then he can be of some help. Then we'll head over to that mercenary group to find out exactly who they are. I think that Vegeta was somehow involved with them," Piccolo explained. Gohan smiled and nodded. He was all for that plan, but Krillin was dumbfounded.
"Are you guy's nuts!" he yelled in shock. "Do you sense the power radiating off of those guys?! We don't stand a chance!" Gohan looked at him, so did Piccolo. The Namek was a little bothered by the monk's nervousness, since he was always like that.
"Who said we were going to fight them Krillin. All we want to do is find out who they are. Then afterwards we can fly North to meet the creator of the dragon balls. I'm sure he can help us," Gohan said. Krillin, coming to the realization of this plan, smiled soon after and nodded in understanding. Yes…meeting people was a lot better then fighting them!
"Oh…that's good…" he said, relaxing.
Piccolo glared over at the monk, Gohan tucking the dragon radar into his sash. "We've wasted enough time! We've got to get moving. Maybe we can catch Vegeta before he can get to that dragon ball," the Namek stated.
Receiving two nods in return, the troop shot skywards and began flying with all haste towards Vegeta's ki who was flying away from them. Picking up the speed, they were soon crossing over the vast landscapes of Namek. The green oceans glittered beneath them and the various islands whizzed past like it was back on earth. Flying at these speeds they were sure to make up for lost time. Gohan and Piccolo had their sights set on their objectives, but Krillin was a bit skeptical. He was contemplating the odds he would have if he was pulled into a fight with Vegeta. Gohan sensed his concern but didn't voice the matter. The monk was under enough pressure as it was.
Suddenly, upon extending their senses ahead of Vegeta's ki, they sensed a second, weaker ki meet up with him. Unsure of who or what it was and while they were still a great distance away from Vegeta, the three of them picked up the pace. Strangely enough, the two ki's beyond them were trying to outdo the other, although Vegeta outclassed the new ki level by far. Gohan found this fight to be an interesting one. It was like a test. He was even impressed when he saw that Vegeta was hiding most of his ki.
Moments later, the group finally reached Vegeta. They made it just in time to see a purple, alien creature get blasted by the prince. There was a flash of light, followed by a megaton explosion with body pieces reduced to ash and sent hurling in all directions. A second later, Vegeta was in sight. The Saiyan prince had his back turned to them and his hand held towards the area in the sky where the alien once stood. It was a short time later did he detect someone approaching him from behind, so he lowered his arm and turned.
Gohan, Piccolo and Krillin stopped just short of him, powering down. While Krillin took a cautious stance, Piccolo and Gohan floated there with their fists and arms at their sides. The two of them were glaring at the prince, wary of an attack. However, when it was thought Vegeta would be demanding a fight, the Saiyan prince smirked and turned towards them, fists on his hips.
"Well, well, well…look who we have here! So…" Vegeta grinned cockily. "We meet again Earthlings. I see you're here looking for the dragon balls like me…eh?"
Gohan, Piccolo and Krillin looked at each other for a brief moment before glaring back at the prince. "Yeah…we're here looking for them too. What about you?" Piccolo asked.
"Still killing innocent people?" Krillin asked as well, adding his concerns in.
"Still wanting to gain immortality?" Gohan queried curiously more then out of concern.
Vegeta chuckled and shook his head, holding a hand up towards them. "No, no, no, I'm done with that. I now see that there is no point in gaining immortality when one of soul purposes of life is to die. I'd like to live long and see how everything turns out. Besides," Vegeta exclaimed, looking over at the young Saiyan. "My true intention is to become the strongest in the universe. I'm looking forward to our next fight, Kakabrat…"
Gohan raised an eyebrow. "What? Not in the mood to battle it now, Vegeta?" he asked. The Saiyan price crossed his arms.
"Not right now. I've just recently gained the ability to sense ki like you, and I can tell you're still stronger. I haven't had the time to train like you, so it wouldn't be sporting in your sense to fight now. Besides, I'm more concerned about the here and now. Another fiend is looking for the dragon balls," the prince explained. Krillin nodded.
"So we've heard…" Piccolo raised his head a little towards Vegeta.
"Do you know who it is that's looking for the dragon balls?" the Namek fro earth asked. Vegeta nodded, turning in the direction of the group of ki's some distance away.
"Yeah. Follow me. I'll show you," the prince stated, taking flight. Gohan followed without another word, intent on finding out who these newcomers were. Krillin however remained posted, staring after them before looking up at Piccolo.
"Can we trust him?" the monk asked. Piccolo shrugged.
"Gohan trusts him. No reason to doubt him now," Piccolo replied, taking flight as well. Krillin, though still reluctant, eventually followed suit. The three of them eventually rejoined Vegeta. Now teamed up with their former enemy, they were on route for their next destination.
While they were flying towards the other group of ki's, Gohan turned to Vegeta, pulling up by him so to converse with him. "So…" Gohan began. "Why the change of heart?" he asked. Vegeta smirked, his eyes still staring ahead of him as he flew along.
"Let's just say I've…changed myself," he blankly replied. "Frankly, I have no intention of serving that slime ball Frieza any more. He's put me through enough shit for one life time. It makes me wonder why I ever wanted to serve that creep in the first place." Gohan raised an eyebrow at him.
"Frieza? Is that the enormous ki we're sensing now?" Gohan asked. Vegeta nodded affirmatively.
"Yeah. That scum ball is loaded. That's why I never rebelled against him before. Now that I've teamed up with you baka's, maybe we'll have a chance of beating him," Vegeta stated. He glared over at the Saiyan child. "There's so much I can tell you brat, but that can wait for another time."
Silence dawned on the group for the next minute or so. Soon enough, they reached the village where the mass of power levels was held up. It was amazing that they were still here. Even so, it gave the Z-gang some time to find out who they really were. Landing on a nearby mountain and cliff, the four of them lowered their ki's as much as possible and crouched low. From here, they were able to gaze down from their vantage point and into the Namekian village. The houses were made of the same hard mesh used to make Piccolo's space ship, only they looked more like turtle shells set up all around a clearing. But there was the familiar smell of death in the air.
Gohan and Piccolo were shocked when they saw Namekians lying about the area, burnt, charred and dead. There was also the group of mercenaries Gohan had detected earlier, all of them scattered and surrounding three more Namekians, two of them kids while there was one elder. The three of the strongest were also there, standing by three, enormous dragon balls. They looked to be the size of basket balls. Gohan didn't expect them to be that big. But that wasn't his concern now. It was what was happening that had caught his attention.
Ignoring the weakest of the henchmen, Gohan focused his attention on the three in his sights. The two of the weaker were standing on either side of the strongest. The one to the left was a fat, pink creature that bore a resemblance to a humanoid-cross-mutated armadillo. He wore black spandexes, white boots and black body armor with brown shoulder and torso plates. The one on the right side of the middle guy was a light green, humanoid like alien with a white cape, with white and brown body armor, blue spandexes and dark green hair tied back in a pony-tail. He also wore white gloves and a light blue scouter. The other guy had a blue scouter as well. And last but not least was a small, pink creature that resembled a lizard sitting in a black pod chair that floated several feet off the ground. He wore body armor too and had horns sticking out of his head. The scouter he wore was green and his ki level was enormous, especially hidden segments of it. This made Gohan worry a bit.
Upon seeing Gohan's attention drawn towards the three, Vegeta began supplying the group with information. "That fat pink slob is Dadoria. The green freak who cares more about his looks then anything else is Zarbon. And the one too lazy to use his own energy is Frieza. He's the tyrant I was talking about," Vegeta explained. Gohan nodded.
"I see…" Krillin looked over at the Saiyan prince, a little bit surprised.
"And you're telling us this because…" the monk began to speak. Vegeta scowled at him, finding his butting in an annoyance.
"…Because I hate them and, like I said before, if I have any chance of beating them, it's best if I team up with you lot. The Saiyan brat here is stronger then me, and I have no inclination of getting in his way," Vegeta explained. He then looked back down at the clearing. "I can deal with Zarbon and Dadoria, but Frieza still posses a problem. Your bald friend can easily beat those other minion rats. The Namek…well…" Vegeta glared over at Piccolo who glared back. "He's the same as me so he can take on Zarbon and Dadoria…"
Gohan was a little pent up from all this bickering and glared over at Vegeta. Though he wasn't one to argue, this talking is beginning to worry him. He didn't want the group down there to pick them up. "Listen Vegeta, we don't want to get into a fight with them now," Gohan stated, catching the prince's attention. "I may be far stronger then before, but I'm still not strong enough to beat Frieza. He's a Lizardia Memthromorph right?"
Vegeta furrowed his brow at the child. He wondered how he knew what kind of race Frieza was apart of. "Yeah! Why? What has that got to do with everything else" Vegeta growled lowly.
Gohan glared back down at the village. "Listen, his species, though weak they are, have developed the ability to transform. Frieza, however, is way different from his own kind, though a rarity in his case. His species is hard to come across. With his power reaching this level now, it would surely reach an awfully high magnitude if he was to transform to his maximum. It would out class all of us. I'm not ready to take him on now…"
Krillin, blinking in shock, glanced overt at Piccolo. "And uhh…who did you say he fused with again?" the monk asked. Piccolo scowled.
Vegeta, growling in frustration and sweating a bit, glared back down at the clearing below.
"Gah! So that's why we're cowering up here now!" he grumbled.
Without another word, the group of four went on to watching what was happening down on the village. Things were taking a turn for the worst, developing into something aside from before.
Frieza began demanding the remaining Namekians for the dragon ball. The peaceful souls of this planet denied his request and stood in front of the elder, defending him and the children. Frieza was annoyed at their resistance and he held a hand up to them. He blasted two of them without a second thought, watching their corpses fall lifeless and smoking to the ground. Gohan and Krillin were shocked, their ki spiking in anger. Piccolo was also outraged at the slaughter of his people, making him raise his ki level as well. Vegeta knew it wouldn't be too long till the group did something drastic.
"For the last time! Hand over the dragon ball!" Frieza demanded, pointing at the two Namekian fighters defending the Elder and children. They remained firm, standing dropping in their fighting stances. Though nervous they were and unable to do anything to stop them, they just held there ground.
Frieza, his right eye twitching growled. "Alright then…" he turned to his left hand man. "Deal with these insects Dadoria. Leave none of them standing!" The pink fighter chuckled and cracked his knuckles, walking over to the two Namekian fighters.
"With pleasure, my Lord," the fat fighter exclaimed. The Namekian fighters backed down a bit at the approach of this new foe. Dadoria towered over them, a malicious smirk in play. He cracked his neck from side to side, balling his fists and preparing for battle. "This I'm going to enjoy!"
The Namekian fighters, taking their chances now then later, charged at him, letting out simultaneous yells. Dadoria was ready for them. Just as one of the Nameks threw a side kick at him, he side stepped it before driving his right fist into the Namek's stomach, more or less knocking him unconscious. The second one he grabbed with his two massive hands. Twisting his ankle and spinning him round, Dadoria threw him back the way he came. The two Nameks fell wounded to the ground, one of them out of it. Dadoria grinned and pulled back his right palm, throwing it forward and unleashing a bellowing, blue ki blast at the two bodies. The explosion that sounded disintegrated the two Nameks in a ball of fire. When the smoke cleared, all that was left was a large, smoking crater. The elder and the two children stood back, frightened.
Dadoria chuckled, approaching his next target. "Well now rats. I guess this is good-bye for you! Say hello to your maker for me!!!" Dadoria roared, pulling his right palm back, ready to strike. But just as he was about too, there was a flash of light and a gust of wind. In a split second, a golden, narrow beam passed straight through his stomach. The beam struck the ground at the Namekian children's feet, making them all jump.
Dadoria's armor plates cracked, a massive hole punched straight through it and him. With a whimper and last breath of air, the pink fight fell to his knees before falling back, arms and legs sprayed out. The pink fighter was downed.
The sudden attack shocked everyone, even Frieza. Just as they were about to start searching for the mysterious attacker, it was revealed who they were seconds later. Gohan, Piccolo, Krillin and Vegeta appeared on the scene, Gohan landing right beside Dadoria whom he had attacked and killed. Piccolo charged down one of Frieza's men closest to Dadoria and downed him with two punches, killing him. Krillin did the same with another one, sending a swift, deadly kick across the face of a purple alien. Vegeta on the other hand faced down Frieza and Zarbon, covering Gohan's back.
Zarbon immediately became enraged at the sight of the Saiyan prince. Frieza however wasn't. With a loud growl, Zarbon powered up, crossing his arms over his face then throwing his chest out. With a cracking boom, his muscle span increased and his face morphed into that of a lizard like beast. His ki shot skywards, and with a roar, the monster flew straight at the Saiyan prince.
"YOU'RE MINE VEGETA!!!" he yelled. Vegeta chuckled, taking a stance.
Zarbon's speed was incredible, but Vegeta was the faster. The Saiyan prince grinned. "The Saiyan race is the strongest in the universe, Zarbon! Don't underestimate US!!!"
The green monster launched a killing punch aimed at Vegeta's face. The Saiyan prince side stepped it and then, with a quick palm strike, struck Zarbon's sternum. His fist punched straight into the fighter's chest, blood leaking out onto his glove. Zarbon coughed and chocked, blood seeping out of his mouth. He tried to get Vegeta to let go and grabbed the Saiyan's head, attempting to crush it. Without another word, Vegeta fired a blast straight into Zarbon. It went straight through him, sending him skywards. The Saiyan prince watched Zarbon fly up high then plummet back down. The lifeless corpse crashed to the earth right in front of Frieza.
As soon as the area was cleared, the four Z-fighters took up defensive positions, with Krillin taking one of the children and Gohan taking the other. Frieza furrowed his brow at the new group, two more of his minions coming to stand by his sides. The tyrant looked over at Vegeta and smirked.
"Well…if it isn't Vegeta. I knew one day you would betray me, from the very moment I met you," Frieza stated, his tail waving behind him, even though he was incredibly annoyed. Vegeta grinned.
"When I never even respected you in the first place? I think that your answer is quite reasonable," Vegeta replied. Frieza snorted.
"You've got guts," the tyrant said, looking at the others. "All of you. No one has dared oppose me before. I'm surprised you were able to beat Zarbon and Dadoria so quickly." Gohan held the Namekian child to him, while Piccolo stood before the Namekian elder.
"It's because we were stronger then them. And I've got news for you Frieza, that was only a segment of what we can do," Frieza stated. Piccolo nodded in agreement, his stance still firm and solid as ever.
"You'll pay for all the Namekian lives you have taken today!" the Namek stated. Frieza chuckled at the courage they showed. He looked between all four of them, left to right. His scouter wasn't in active use at the moment, but he could tell that this group was strong. However, he didn't give them too much credit.
"Hm…this should certainly be interesting. Maybe we can make this work," Frieza said, glaring at Vegeta. "I think I'll kill you all now!" Vegeta chuckled.
"Well, good luck trying because we Saiyans don't give up so easily. These earthlings are really powerful, and one of them is a Saiyan as well, and he's far stronger then you!" Vegeta stated. Frieza chuckled in amusement, murmuring erupting from his surrounding minions.
"Alright…alright we'll see where this goes. Die!" Frieza yelled, throwing his finger out and unleashing a pink, narrow beam that shot straight for Vegeta. The Saiyan prince side stepped it and watch it fly straight into the Namekian elder, barely grazing Piccolo's arm. The Namek from Earth was shocked, so were the rest of them. Frieza grinned and retracted his hand, opening up his palm and sending energy into it.
"You'll all be dead before you even hit the ground!" Frieza roared. Pushing Vegeta out of the way, Gohan rushed forward, the child Namekian still pinned against him in his right arm.
"Not if I can help it!!!" Gohan shouted. Just as Frieza unleashed a mighty blast of energy straight at the group, Gohan lowered his left hand towards the earth before bringing it upwards in a scooping motion.
Just as his hand was already moving upwards, there was a loud, vibrating pulse coming from underneath the ground. Their feet shook and several of the windows from the surrounding houses cracked. Then, as split seconds passed, the earth at their feet split, followed by a violent, rumbling. Everyone but Gohan was shaking out of control. Frieza's blast continued to fly towards them. But, just as it was about to strike, aqua colored crystals shot out of a ground, forming a wave over Gohan like a protective shield. The shield, coupled with an outstanding amount of density and energy, blocked the blast completely, its surface unharmed. Frieza was astounded.
"NOW! RUN!!!" Gohan shouted.
Not needing to be told twice, the four Z-fighters, along with the two Namekian children, shot off into the sky, flying at full speeds away from the scene. Frieza growled and glared after them. Just as he was charging up another blast, Gohan turned round and held his hand out towards the Namekian village below. With a growl, Gohan's eyes flashed gold and he unleashed a pulse of energy, yelling out "FLARE!" Suddenly, a bright luminosity consumed the entire area, blinding almost everyone who was looking up at the time, even Frieza.
With that cover, Gohan and his troop retreated over the horizon. When the light died out, it left Frieza and his remaining mercenary platoon standing in the middle of a quiet, decimated village. They found that the six were gone and were shocked at having lost Zarbon and Dadoria. Frieza didn't care though; he was just angered at being back-handed by a lousy decoy attack thrown by a crafty Saiyan child. The rest of his concerns were focused around the kid's abilities and strengths. It frustrated him that he was out done.
Enraged, Frieza pointed at one of the closest minions. "YOU! Get the dragon ball! There shouldn't be any Namekians guarding it now!" the tyrant ordered. With a salute and a 'Yes my Lord', the soldier was off, scampering into the village. Frieza then turned to his communication's op who was wearing a white, armor blending backpack with a radar plate. "And you! Call in the Ginyu Force! I've had enough of this! I want those rats exterminated so that they will not meddle in my affairs anymore! As soon as I get all the dragon balls, I will finally have my wish for immortality!"
About a mile away…
Krillin and the others glanced behind them to see if they were being followed. When they sensed that Frieza was moving in a different direction, they breathed in relief. Gohan's diversions have surely been a big help. So now that they were out of trouble, they could finally get back to the task at hand: finding the dragon balls. However, the Z-gang now had a more complicated task at hand. As soon as Krillin informed the group that they weren't being followed, Vegeta turned to him and furrowed his brow.
"So," he began. "What do you plan on doing with the Namekians, baldie?" the Saiyan prince asked. Krillin, blinking at the arrogant fighter looked down at the child he was carrying.
"Can you fly?" he asked. The Namekian nodded. When he saw this, Krillin released him and watched the kid drift upwards and fall into their formation. Gohan saw this and asked whether the Namekian he held could fly. He received the same response as Krillin had and in kind, released him. As soon as both Namekian children were flying by them, Vegeta rephrased his question.
"Well?" he growled. Krillin gulped and turned to the kids flying by them. Gohan eased up along side them as well.
"Do you kids have anywhere to go?" Krillin asked.
"Perhaps somewhere safe like: a hideout or something. You wouldn't want to have a run in with Frieza and his henchmen again," Gohan continued in place of Krillin. The two children looked at each other momentarily then looked back at Gohan. The smaller of the two, who wore white robes and a red vest of some foreign material, smiled and nodded.
"Yes, I think it would be safest if we went over to Guru's place. We have to inform him of what has happened as well," the child answered. Gohan nodded, relieved that this planet had its sanctuary's. But there was also another concern.
"That's great," Gohan exclaimed. The Namekian child who was speaking to him turned to his friend again. They whispered something brief before looking back at Gohan.
"Maybe you should see the Guru," the child suddenly suggested. "He might be able to help you, in turn for helping us."
Piccolo and Vegeta, having heard this, glanced back at Gohan and his conversation buddies. Krillin was also listening intently. It didn't take long for Gohan to register to these offerings of help and smiled in response to the two children. He nodded affirmatively.
"We'd appreciate it. You go on ahead and lead us too him," Gohan exclaimed. The child nodded.
"Of course," the Namekian replied. "Your intentions are far more pure then Frieza's. We can trust you on our and your part…" With that, the two children flew on ahead, gathering up speed so to get there as fast as possible. Piccolo, Vegeta, Gohan and Krillin had no trouble keeping up.
It was only a few minutes of flying to get to the Guru's place. Along the way the group, who were very new to this planet, took the time to admire the scenery, as well as take notes of the landscape. Though Piccolo and Krillin's interests were more focused on the planet, as well as what was going to happen later onwards, Vegeta and Gohan had their attention set on the energy levels miles away from them. There was the firm statement from Krillin saying that they weren't being followed. Gohan was only hoping that they couldn't trace them.
Pulling up alongside Vegeta, Gohan turned to him and smiled. "So Vegeta, care to fill me in on what you're hiding away in that brain of yours?" Gohan asked. Vegeta, surprised at having the child sneak up on him like that with that question, turned to him with an agitated look.
"What are you talking about?!" he growled in return. Gohan shrugged.
"You were saying before that you had something you wanted to tell me, only that time wasn't the time," Gohan continued. Vegeta furrowed his brow in annoyance and looked ahead of him. Watching the landscape rush past them, as well as stare ahead at the two Namekian children leading the way, Vegeta contemplated his deep, dark thoughts and memories.
"Though it isn't really my place to tell you anything, what I have to share concerns us, your origins and Frieza," Vegeta stated, clearing his mind of every unrelated topic there was and focusing more overly on this subject. "Long before you were even born, or your baka father was even sent to live on Earth for that matter, I was sent by my father to work with Frieza, the same one you saw not too long ago. I hated the fact that I had to work for someone lower class then me and is a pain in the neck, but I had no choice. We Saiyans were mercenaries, an army for hire, who would serve any nation, planet or person who paid us. We however weren't paid, but threatened with total destruction. Frieza was an oppressor and still is, and I've been serving him ever since I was a child around your age. He treated us like scum practically. But then, when he learned of the legend of the Super Saiyan, it seemed to complicate matters for him. Ever since he heard about the legend, he became weary of us. When he noticed our ever growing strength, especially amongst the elite of us as well as rookie leagues, he sought out a plan to destroy us. He simply blew up our entire planet, the same hour your father was sent to earth."
Gohan blinked, his brow furrowing at the seriousness of what he was hearing. "And…you…what became of you, Vegeta?" Gohan asked. Vegeta looked up, his expression remaining stuck on serious like the young Saiyan child flying beside him.
"My father attempted to stop Frieza, but he and his small task force was easily wiped out. Then your grandfather, Bardock, who had just came back from a mission, wounded and scarred, tried to tackle Frieza head on, to save our planet. But he was wiped out by the same attack Frieza used to destroy Planet Vegeta. Only Radditz, Nappa, Kakarot and I survived. Although, I'm certain that there are still some Saiyans, who may have been off planet at the time, still alive," Vegeta said, with a tint of hope edged out in his voice. He shook his head. "I, as well as Nappa and Radditz, was told that Planet Vegeta was destroyed by a giant meteor. However, the cover up couldn't stop rumors from flooding in that Frieza had destroyed our planet. I knew better, but Nappa and Radditz didn't know until many years later. By this time, we had already been through hell."
The young Saiyan looked ahead of him, a little saddened by Vegeta's story. He couldn't help but feel sorry for the former prince, and was amazed at the story. This was just a huge chunk of history that he had missed. Now he knew how this guy Frieza fit into all this. He was sure Piccolo and Krillin had heard them as well.
With a sigh, Gohan mumbled some words that Vegeta was clearly able to hear. "You weep for the blood of a bird, but not for the blood of a fish…"
The prince furrowed his brow at him, but just let it be and looked ahead of him. Somehow, the child's words held meaning and really dug in deep. He just went on. "So you see brat, that's why I can't stand working for Frieza. For everything we have suffered, I want you to destroy him!" Gohan nodded.
"It's easier said then done. I'm sure the Namekian Guru will be able to help us on that matter," Gohan replied. Vegeta snorted.
"I doubt it. Nothing works better then an old clobbering. If you won't kill Frieza, I'll personally see to his destruction myself instead," the prince exclaimed with a smirk. Gohan chuckled.
"Looking forward to the challenge Vegeta…"
A minute later, they arrived at the Guru's place. It was a small, dome shaped building atop a mountain pillar high above the ground and sea. It was a marvelous spectacle. The craftsmanship on the house, as well as the pieces of natural, rock made structures, was well into the design area. It sort of reminded Gohan and Krillin of Kami's post on Earth, how he would always look down upon the people from his lookout, contemplating the almost endless depth of questions.
Within seconds, the group had landed on the tower. It was at that moment they were greeted by Guru's personal bodyguard. A Namek, wearing white gi trousers and a blue vest, came out from the shadows of the entrance and stood in their way. He bore an almost similar resemblance and height to Piccolo, and looked quite tough. Balling his fists, the Namekian Fighter glared at them.
"Who goes there?" he said. The two Namekian children rushed over to him, letting out happy shouts and hugging him at his legs. The Namek warrior, who at first bore that appearance of a tough fighter, was suddenly acting like a very respectful brother. At the sight of the two youngsters, he chuckled and knelt down in front of them.
"Nail! It's good to see you!" exclaimed the smaller of the two children. The Namek warrior, designated Nail, smiled and nodded to them.
"Dende...Kuban, it's good to see you two as well," Nail replied. Standing up, the three of them then turned to the four Z-fighters standing in front of them. The two children were still cheerful, whereas Nail became serious and cautious again. "Who are they?"
"They're Earthlings, Nail," Dende said. "They're here to help us. We brought them to see the Guru." Nail furrowed his brow, looking from one fighter to the next. Gohan and Krillin had smiled on their faces, whereas Piccolo and Vegeta remained with their arms crossed and serious scowls on their faces. They had quite intimidating appearances.
"I don't know…" Nail said. He then focused his attention on Piccolo. He raised an eyebrow. "I don't believe I've ever seen you around here before, brother. Did you come from Earth as well?" he asked. Piccolo shrugged.
"It's a multi-cultural planet. Of course I came from there," he replied dully. Nail smiled.
"Well, that's interesting to hear," Nail replied. He sighed and nodded. "Okay, you can see the Guru. But rest at ease, as he's feeling a little ill."
Nail then led the way into the small hut, followed closely by Dende and Kuban, then by Piccolo, Gohan, Vegeta and Krillin. As soon as they entered the hut, they saw a large Namek sitting in an enormous, marble white chair at the back of the room, sunlight falling onto him from the large window in front of him. He must be the creator and the elder, given evidence of his old looking age. He must be the Guru. When they reached the Guru, Nail, Dende and Kuban stood before him and bowed in respect. Gohan and Piccolo did the same, whereas Krillin stood dumbfounded and Vegeta stood disinterested.
"Ah…welcome my children…" the Elder Namek spoke in a deep, almost distant voice. He was really old. "It's so good to see you. Hm…and I see you have brought company…friends?" Nail allowed Dende and Kuban to do the talking.
"Yes Great Elder, they're from Earth!" Dende exclaimed. Kuban nodded in agreement enthusiastically.
"They saved us from Frieza and his men!" the other child exclaimed. The Guru nodded his head slowly.
"Ah yes, the others. Hm…" he mumbled, his senses extending towards the visitors. "I see that you have intentions of looking for the dragon balls as well," he continued, detecting those traces of knowledge. Gohan, in response to the Elder's words, approached. He came to stand by Dende and Nail who had their attention now torn to him.
"If we may, Great Elder," Gohan started. "With your permission, we would like to use the dragon balls to bring our friends back to life who were killed a year ago back on our planet," the child explained. The Guru nodded in understanding. Surely their intentions were far more pure then Frieza's were, and their reasons seemed fair enough. He could also judge a person from their ki, as well as delve into their minds.
"Certainly. You may use the dragon balls as you wish," the Guru said. "I have one of the seven. The journey for the other dragon balls will be treacherous. Frieza will have most of them by now. You'll have to steal them back from him. It won't be easy. But I will help you as best I can," the Elder said, taking a breath of air to help him along. "I sense great, hidden powers resting in each of you, even you Dende. Come here child…"
Dende approached the Elder passively, coming to stand beside Guru's chair just in front of the left arm rest. With little effort, the Guru raised his large hand and placed in on Dende's head gently. Then, with a low groan and silent chant, the Guru untied the bonds that held down the young Namekian's powers and brought it out. A light colored aura of blue and white surrounded Dende's whole body. At first it appeared to be of psychic tone, but then it transformed into pure energy. An aura exploded around Dende, and the young Namek felt all his hidden powers released. As soon as this process was complete, the Guru placed his hand back on the arm rest, and Dende stopped glowing.
Krillin was astounded at the amount of energy he felt radiating off of Dende now. It had tripled at least. "Whoa! Now that is what I call a big power boost! Hey, if he can draw that much out of Dende, imagine how much it will do for us!" Krillin exclaimed. Dende, still in state of bewilderment, walked back over to the group, looking at his hands. He felt that a lot of him had changed.
"T-This is…my power! Wow!" Dende exclaimed. Guru nodded and breathed in deeply. His actions drew the attention of the others to him again. They saw the large Namek nod to them before speaking.
"With this Dende, I have given you the gift of life and health. This gift will allow you to heal people. It will help," the Guru said with his breathing coming out raspy. He then turned from Dende to the others waiting, Nail and Kuban stood back. "For the rest of you, I shall unlock your powers one at a time, so you will stand a better chance at facing Frieza…a defeating him. Whose power shall I unlock first…?"
Krillin, who was at the front of the group walked forward. He stood in the same place Dende had been standing in and waited eagerly. The same process that had happened in the previous endowment happened again as Krillin's powers and true potential was unlocked. His power multiplied, and he was at least three times stronger then he was before. He was nearly as strong as Piccolo now. The next person to have his power unlocked was Vegeta. Though the Guru was quite hesitant at unlocking his, he did so, as Vegeta was an ally of Gohan's group. Next up was Piccolo, and then after him, Gohan. When Gohan had his powers unlocked, the Guru discovered the amazing depth and magnitude of his power. It was simply endless, and by the time he was halfway through the process, the aura explosion was ten times bigger then when Vegeta had his power unlocked. It lit up the entire room and shook the ground. Seconds later, about the same time limit as Krillin and Dende before, the Guru stopped. Gohan felt regenerated and stronger then ever, but looked up at the Great Elder apprehensively because he felt that only a small fracture of his power had been unlocked. The Guru was panting this time, exhausted from the outstanding effort. He looked down at the child, amazed.
"Your power…I…I sense an enormous amount of…of energy in…you. You child, have unfathomable depths of pure energy inside of yourself…it's incredible. The potential you possess young one…it's unimaginable. Unfortunately, I was only able to awaken a small amount of your power from you, but it should be enough to beat Frieza, even at his strongest," the Guru stated, finally beginning to relax. Gohan blinked, looking over at his friends to see them gawking at him. Piccolo was sweating more then usual and Vegeta was in a state of mute shock. Gohan looked at himself. He knew he had gotten stronger, but was he that strong now?
The Guru mumbled to himself, his eyes set on Gohan. "I never realized…that such a pure, untainted soul could posses so much power. It is as if he was meant to be…a fighter. A Saiyan from Earth…yet his ki signature is different from others. It is mysterious…hidden…as if it were a blend of two powerful individual's formed into one. Such a thing is…was thought to be impossible. But there is something…different about this one…" the Great Elder thought to himself, watching Gohan interact with his friends who were still awing over his power increase. The Guru cleared his throat, catching the attention of the others.
"I have done all I can. But there are still tasks needing to be completed. All of you have a part to play," the Great Elder stated. Reaching up, the Guru brought down the dragon ball that had been carved into his chair and handed it to Krillin. The monk took the dragon ball, and held it to him tightly. It was certainly big. Thanking him, Krillin backed away. "This dragon ball will be needed in order for you to awaken Parunga. I am coming to the end of my time here in this world…so you must act fast. And Nail," the Elder said, looking over at his servant. The Namekian warrior stepped forward, listening intently. "You may go with the rest of these earthlings. Help guide them through troubled times…do whatever you can…"
Nail nodded and bowed. "Yes Great Elder," he replied, looking up and turning to the others. He smiled over at Piccolo. "The Guru has already unlocked my powers. The down side is that I'm still not strong enough to battle Frieza. But I may be able to help you out…" Piccolo raised an eyebrow.
"What do you mean?" the Namek asked. Nail smirked.
"Unless you're not aware, we Namekians have the ability to fuse. If we were to fuse together brother, then we should have enough power to be able to take on Frieza without much trouble. If we fuse, we'll be stronger then ever, with more gained knowledge combined in the final being," Nail exclaimed. Piccolo had his arms crossed, and wasn't really liking this idea. The Guru and Dende were listening in curiously. Although, Dende sort of knew what was to come of this.
Piccolo furrowed his brow in thought. "Will I still be myself?" Nail nodded.
"Of course, if that is per agreement…" Nail replied. Piccolo scowled.
"I don't know…" Piccolo began, glancing over at Gohan. He saw the young Saiyan looking up at him with a very intense stare. The look he was sent made him think. "For one, Gohan here is a result of two fused individual's except they both share the same body. The change is that their spirits are intertwined and that they are far more powerful and intellectually gifted then before; a new entity. The problem is: Gohan isn't Gohan anymore." Piccolo said to him.
Gohan nodded. Nail was looking skeptically at Gohan. When he saw the child nod, he nodded as well and turned back to Piccolo. "We Namekians fuse differently. In these types of fusions, influenced and based on decisions as well as free will, we can choose to keep a soul intact or not. It's our ability to manipulate these bonds that make us more unique then others," Nail explained. Piccolo just stared with that ever serious look in play.
"So basically all that changes is the resultant's power level and intellectual strengths?" the Earth raised Namek queried. Nail shrugged and tilted his head to the side.
"That and the sharing of one being, although…when it involves these terms, we can use either body of the chosen soul. If you will permit me, then you can retain your body and soul, but I'll be apart of you too," Nail continued.
Piccolo took a moment to contemplate the Namekian Warrior's words. He glanced over at Gohan, seeing the young Saiyan staring up at him with a serious expression yet with a smile on his face. He nodded in reassurance to his friend, putting the Namek's thoughts at ease. Gohan's understanding made Piccolo feel more at ease. He then turned to the others. Dende was just staring with a sort of blank expression, Krillin was looking a bit concerned and Vegeta…well…the Saiyan Prince could care little about Piccolo's decision. That was just an understatement.
After careful thinking, Piccolo looked back at Nail and nodded. "Alright, but be warned, I'm not one to say please, thank you, or am very social for that matter," the Namek stated. Nail chuckled.
"Unless you want me to fix that for you…"
"No thanks, just the power, speed and intelligence increase will be enough," Piccolo said. Although, he felt that a bit of a tune up for his personality was quite tempting. Nail just nodded and walked closer.
"Alright then, so be it. Just place your hand on my chest…I'll do the rest," Nail instructed. Piccolo took a step forward and pushed his right palm into the other Namek's peg where the heart should be. From there, he watched and waited. Nail smiled and nodded.
"You won't regret this…" With those last words spoken, he closed his eyes and concentrated. Pushing everything else out of his mind, and making sure their guarantees were all in order, the fusion process began. Piccolo got a blinding shock when a bright, blue aura shot around Nail, enveloping both of them and causing a gust of wind to form around them. It kicked at everyone, blowing hair and clothes around as if in a hurricane storm. The Guru watched closely while Krillin, Dende and Kuban were in states of utter shock. They had never really watched this happen before, which was why it was so amazing. Vegeta was indifferent about the situation, but was still a little surprised. Gohan however wasn't as interested either. He just stood and watched, arms crossed and a serious expression in play.
A few seconds later, the light dimmed and vanished, revealing only Piccolo standing in place. Krillin, Vegeta and the others looked with astonishment, seeing the Namek staring at his hands in amazement. Blinking Piccolo grinned and fisted both his hands, throwing them to his sides. His ki took a massive jump, just as it had before when Guru awakened his hidden powers. He was now stronger then Vegeta. However, Gohan still exceeded him by far.
"This power…" Piccolo whispered to himself. "It feels…incredible!" Dende smiled nodding to him.
"Nail was very powerful himself," the young Namek stated.
Finally losing his patients with all this waiting, Vegeta glared over at the group and growled. "Hey, if you're all done standing around and jabbering on about this, we should get a move on and get those dragon balls before Frieza manages to get his slimy hands on all of them!"
Krillin nodded in agreement. "Yeah! The best thing to do is to go after the dragon balls in the other villages that Frieza hasn't gotten too yet! That way we will be able to keep one step ahead of him." Piccolo and Gohan were in unanimous agreement to this. Showing more disinterest to this then before, Vegeta nodded as well but couldn't care less what was decided. He just wanted to get out and fight.
Taking out the dragon ball, Krillin took the lead and dashed out of the hut. Vegeta and Piccolo followed. Gohan actually had the sense of mind to thank Guru for his help before heading off. By the time he rejoined the group outside they were already soaring off after the next dragon ball, which happened to be in a village nearby. Dende and Kuban watched them disappear, blinking in surprise.
Dende turned to the Great Elder and tilted his head up at them. "Elder why didn't you tell them that they would need the password to summon the dragon?" Dende asked. "That way they don't have to worry about Frieza getting all the dragon balls first because he wouldn't know how to awaken the dragon. If Gohan and the others manage to get all of them, they wouldn't know how to summon them either…"
The Great Elder smiled. "That is something for their and your later concern child," he replied. "You may follow them if you wish, and give them the password they need once they've gotten all seven dragon balls. From here I will alert the village elders that the group is on their way to collect them, so they don't have to protect them from them. It's all in their hands now…"
Kuban and Dende stared up at him, listening intently. They knew he had more to say for this matter. The Great Elder sighed. "It's best that you don't join them until they've collected all the balls. It will be a dangerous trip. And I sense that Frieza has called in some reinforcements…"
TO BE CONTINUED…