Dragon Ball R

by TF2 Crossover Man

A strange incident occurs on Planet Namek, sending Goku, Gohan, Krillin, Bulma, Dende, Piccolo, Vegeta, and Frieza to the world of Remnant. There, heroes will have to team up to save Remnant from evil forces that threaten to wipe out the world from existence. Will they succeed? Or will they fall under the rule of Frieza? A concept similar to J-Dude2470's story "Transposition F".

11. Chapter 11

Authors Note: Hello everyone! Welcome back to another chapter of Dragon Ball R! I would like to apologize for taking so long to post the next chapter, especially after promising it would be back to a weekly schedule. I will not make that promise again since I don't want to raise false hope. But I do hope it will not be this bad of a wait.

Before we do begin, I just want to address a few reviews concerning power levels. In the cannon, Goku and Vegeta should already be able to capably handle 1st form Frieza. The former could even take him on in his final form at 50 percent power. But, for this story, the power levels have been shifted slightly and while from now on it shouldn't be too much of a problem, I did just want to point it out to everyone. Thank you for voicing your concerns on the matter. Anyway, with that being said, lets jump right in!

Last time on Dragon Ball R, a battle was waged on the grounds of Haven Academy and the city of Mistral. Our heroes fought hard against the servants of Salem in attempts to get the Relic from their clutches. However, their fight was crashed by the likes of Lord Frieza himself! Taking control, he proceeded to kill Ilia, Adam and Vernal, causing the heroes to fight back in a rage. However, even the likes of a super powered Gohan did not seem to affect him. But enough time was bought for both the Huntsmen and the servants of Salem to escape further harm, leaving Frieza to take out his rage on the continent of Anima. With the horror of his power now witnessed in person, can the heroes recover from their shock? Or will they succumb to the hopelessness? Today: The Watchers from Above, The Relic Speaks.

---

Adam Taurus sat bolt upright. He heaved loudly, the terror still coursing through his blood stream. Even as he sat, he could still feel the tinge in his stomach where he had felt the sensation before the darkness had overcome him.

He closed his eyes tightly, picturing the last face he had seen. The cruel smile and blood red eyes were burned into his memory, boring into his soul. At one point, that face had been something Adam could trust, even follow devoutly. But now, it was the sign of his greatest nightmare.

He opened his eyes once more, wanting to avoid seeing Frieza's leer. Instead, he looked around curiously, wondering where he was. In fact, he began to wonder why he was anywhere in the first place. He was pretty sure he had died, slaughtered by his own master.

But he was sitting on a small hill, looking down at the strangest sight he had ever seen. He was staring at what looked like a city of houses that stretched beyond the horizon. What was more, the entire place was shimmering white. The buildings, sky, ground, even the air was a misty white fog. The only things that weren't white were the thousands of people milling about, chatting laughing and going about their business. They looked normal, colored in their natural colors which contrasted greatly with the white surroundings. However, as Adam peered at them closer, they too seemed to shimmer slightly.

He looked down at himself to see that he was still wearing his dark robes. His Grimm mask was gone, though at the moment he did not much care about it. The only difference was that when he moved, his body seemed to leave a glowing trail. And the fact that his trusty katana was missing.

Adam scrambled around for a second, looking desperately for his weapon. The last thing he wanted to be in an unknown place was defenseless. But the white ground around him was completely deserted of anything, let alone a katana.

He slumped back to the ground and hung his head, staring fixedly on the ground. His mind raced, trying to process everything that was happening. He was in a mysterious land after being killed by Frieza. He was sure of that last part. He had felt the immense pain for a second, boiling up from within him and exploding outward. He knew that he could not have survived it. But if he had died, where was he?

"Well look who we have here."

Adam started in surprise, looking up at the voice. His eyes widened in absolute shock as he stared up at a massive faunus. His grizzly mane of hair and beard were unmistakable. Ghira Belladonna glared right back at him, his eyes flashing darkly at him.

"H-how…?" was all Adam could muster through his shock, his mouth fumbling over his words.

Next to Ghira, another figure showed up and Adam's brain felt like it would combust just like his body had. There stood Kali Belladonna, Ghira's wife and the mother of Blake. Her cheery smile faded as she looked down at Adam, glancing nervously at her husband.

For a few moments, no one spoke. They just stared at each other, digesting the situation. Then Ghira finally spoke, his voice gruff with the slightest hint of a growl.

"You know, I did expect you to die soon after you chose to follow that psychopathic tyrant, but I am surprised to see you here."

That snapped Adam out of his trance. He stumbled to his feet, surprised to find himself lighter than usual. Once he gained his balance, he straightened and glared at Ghira, trying to put on his bravest face.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" he asked, hoping that he sounded strong and demanding instead of weak and very scared.

Ghira sniggered, seeing right through Adam's façade. But he said nothing of it and instead gestured to the place behind him.

"You're looking at the Afterlife you brat. Where souls go to when they die."

Adam suddenly felt his legs feel weak and he almost collapsed back to the ground. The only reason he did not was because he realized that the answer he had been given, though insane in its own right, was also probably the most logical one. It made sense. He had been killed by Frieza and his soul was now in this place. The Afterlife.

He looked up at Ghira, who was still sneering at him, enjoying his squirming. This made Adams insides boil. He regained himself and asked, "Then why are you surprised to see me here, Ghira?"

"Because," Ghira responded simply, "Usually souls that have committed unspeakable crimes have a different fate. They are sent straight to the prison of the Afterlife. A building in the middle of this place that is inescapable and that none may enter. You should be rotting in a cell there, but for some reason you aren't."

Adam wanted to say something scathing in response, but his words caught in his throat as his mind began to process what had been said. He had been unnerved by what Ghira had described about the prison of the Afterlife. It did sound like the perfect place for him, as much as he hated to admit it. So why was he here?

It was then that Kali acted. She stepped up and peered closely into Adam. As her eyes scanned him, Adam suddenly had a memory of storming the Belladonna residence. He had killed Ghira and his troops had murdered Kali. At first, Adam had been positively jubilant about doing what he had done. But now… his chest began to tighten at the thought and his mind replayed a different scene. It starred the sadistic face of Frieza as he closed his fist and suddenly feeling his own insides expand. And his last thought had been of…

"Redemption," Kali said suddenly.

Ghira looked at his wife, wondering if he had heard her correctly.

"Excuse me?"

Kali turned to him; her face deadly serious.

"He is seeking redemption. For everything he has done."

Both Ghira and Adam stared at her, silently gaping at her. Then Ghira asked, "How can you tell?"

Kali glanced back at Adam and smiled slightly.

"It's written all over his face. He can try to act all tough and heartless, but I can see it. His eyes also betray him. They are not the same eyes we saw that night. Something changed in him. Maybe it was right before he died that he realized something and wished to redeem himself in another life. I don't know exactly, but I am sure that he is seeking redemption and that is why he isn't in the prison."

There was a short silence. Ghira looked between Kali and Adam, disbelief still on his face. He tried to say something a few times, opening his mouth before closing it again.

As for Adam, he suddenly felt himself lose control of his body. He slumped back down to the ground, Kali's words reverberating in his ears. He wanted to deny it, say that he was here because he had no place in a prison. But he knew that it was true. In that last split-second of life, as he stared desperately into the eyes of Frieza, he had regretted everything he had done. He had felt the pain that he had inflicted on others and he suddenly did not wish such pain on anyone else.

He felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see Kali smiling kindly at him. He could not understand how she looked at with such sympathy, especially since he was the reason for her being in this place.

"If you do seek redemption," she said gently, "Then there is hope for you after all, Adam. I will help you find your peace. First," she tapped her finger on his head and Adam felt a sudden warmth flow through him.

"I forgive you," she said quietly.

Ghira watched, speechless as his wife stepped away from the man that had killed them, smiling as if he was an old friend. Adam was just as stunned, looking up at her in pure disbelief.

"But… why?" he asked.

"Yeah, why!?" Ghira asked, his voice raised.

Kali frowned at Ghira, making the big faunus recoil slightly.

"Because if someone truly feels guilty for his actions then they should have a second chance. Besides, I believe Adam here always had these feelings, even when he attacked us. That Frieza forced him to do those atrocious acts, threatening him at every opportunity. Even the bravest of faunus would have done what Adam had."

Ghira crossed his arms, seeming unconvinced with her argument. Kali did not wait for his response and instead turned back to Adam; her brows still furrowed.

"However," she warned, "Many of the people that you must ask for forgiveness will not be so willing to give it to you. You will have to work hard for this redemption. Otherwise, you will not deserve this chance and will be sent to the prison."

Adam stood up, suddenly very alert. He bowed low, directing it at the two faunus.

"Thank you so much, Kali," he said, his voice genuine, "I will redeem myself in any way I can. I have done my people wrong and I will not rest until I can do something to help those faunus rest in peace."

Kali smiled nodding at him. Ghira, however, just grunted and turned away.

"Well, your certainty not getting forgiveness from me anytime soon. Not after what you did to me, my wife and my daughter. But I guess we will just see how well you do here. In fact," he suddenly turned back around and gave Adam a wicked grin, "I actually know a person you can start with."

Kali began to say something, her eyes narrowing. But Adam, now determined to complete his goal nodded. He wasn't all smiles or anything now, but the darkness and cruelty that he had exhibited for so long had melted away.

Ghira began leading him away from the hill, Kali following behind with a troubled expression on her face. However, she said nothing, seeing Adams newfound determination.

The trio walked through white streets, congested with happy souls. Some of them waved at Ghira in a friendly manner. As Adam looked all around, taking it all in, he saw something that made his heart skip a beat.

A human and a faunus chatting cheerily. A human and a faunus laughing together while having a drink of coffee. A human and faunus holding hands, leading a child to a toy store. It was all so alien to the bull faunus. Seeing this prosperity between human and faunus… was something he never imagined would happen.

"This place," he said quietly, "Is equal."

Ghira snorted a little.

"I was wondering if you would notice that. Yes, in this world, bias does not exist. There is no point to it when everyone is dead. All races can live together here in harmony, especially without radical terrorist groups."

Adam flinched slightly. Ghira lead them along, Adam taking every opportunity to stare at happy faunus hanging out with humans.

They passed a group of faunus chatting and as Adam glanced at them, their gazes met his. They suddenly shrunk back, their eyes turning cold and faces glowering in his direction. A wave of anger flowed out of them, hitting Adam hard.

He gulped, looking away quickly and following Ghira through the crowd, trying not to look back. He should have known this was going to happen. Those faunus must have been just a few of the thousands he helped to kill. They knew his face all too well. And now, if Adam wanted to redeem himself, he would have to earn their forgiveness. A task that did not guarantee success.

"Here we are," Ghira said, snapping Adam out of his thoughts.

He looked up to see Ghira gesturing to a two-story white house, shimmering slightly. The door was already open a crack and Adam could see a glimmer of blue light from inside.

Behind him, Kali sighed in annoyance.

"Really, Ghira? You want him to see her?"

Ghira chuckled a little, trying to hide the devious look he had been carrying for the past few minutes.

"Well, it's someone he needs forgiveness from."

Kali put her hands on her hips, glaring at her husband who cowered away slightly.

"You know exactly what you're doing! Honestly, this is childish."

Ghira was about to retort, his annoyance beginning to flare up, but Adam stepped forward and opened the door. Before either Belladonna could say anything more, he stepped inside the house.

It was quite a cozy place. Despite everything being a misty white, all the objects were recognizable and seemed to be operational, even though Adam did not know how electricity worked in this type of place. White stairs led upstairs to another floor, looking slightly precarious as the cloud like material almost seemed like it would dissipate under foot even though it was perfectly solid as the ground Adam was standing on.

However, all of that was secondary to what was in the center of the room. Three girls stood around a large blue orb that was emitting the glow that Adam had seen from outside. At first, he thought that it was some sort of large jewel that the girls were obsessing over. However, on closer inspection, Adam realized that it was no jewel at all. In fact, when he saw what it was, he let out an audible gasp, causing the girls to turn around and look at him.

Two of them he did not recognize. One was a tan girl wearing a brown jacket, shorts and boots. It was an outfit that many bandits wore. Her face was smug looking, even as she stared in shock at Adam.

The other girl was dressed in a strange sort of armor that reminded Adam of spartans from old tales. The armor was gold and red, complete with chest plate, kneepads and steel tipped boots. Her long red hair flowed down one side, nearly reaching her waist. Her face was kindly and almost regal looking, though right now it was frowning slightly at him.

The final girl however, Adam recognized all too well. Suddenly, he realized why Kali was so hesitant to bring him here. The chameleon faunus, clad in her usual black suit and ponytail, glowered at him in a fit of rage.

"You… you…," spluttered Ilia, advancing slowly.

She had no weapon on her, but the look she gave Adam was enough to make him back away quickly. Beside Ilia, the bandit smirked slightly and though Adam didn't recognize her, she glared at him with familiarity.

"Wow, Ilia," Vernal said, "Just your luck isn't it? The faunus that you hate the most is standing in this very room in the Afterlife. And you were so sure he would be going to the prison."

Ilia snarled in Vernals direction.

"As anyone should! This monster massacred his people!"

Behind Adam, Ghira and Kali walked in, the former looking quite pleased with himself while the latter just sighed in annoyance.

"You see, Adam," Ghira said, "Your wish for redemption is going to be far harder than you ever dreamed."

Ilia perked up at the mention of redemption. She glanced at Ghira, narrowing her eyes.

"Redemption? You're telling me that this scumbag actually wished for redemption and that's why he is frolicking outside the prison?"

"I know," Ghira said, his grin turning into a scowl, "I'm just a surprised as you. And angry."
Adam, who had lost his voice for a few moments, finally found himself. He straightened up and faced Ilia directly before bowing deeply.

"I know you will not forgive me instantly. Maybe not even for a very long time. But I promise I will do everything I can to make up for the crimes I did back on Remnant. What I did," he paused, and Ilia's scowl softened slightly as she noticed the tone he used.

"Was beyond horrible. I have no excuse. I was a cowered and I should have stood up against Frieza for the sake of my people."

There was a slight silence as his words sank in. Even Vernal and the girl were respectively quiet, watching Ilia as she processed what he said. After a few moments, Ilia just turned away with an indignant grunt.

"You will have to do more than use pretty words to earn my forgiveness, Adam Taurus."

Adam nodded, smiling slightly. A pure, kind smile. Than he eyes once more fell upon the blue orb behind the girls and he blurted out, "Is that… Remnant?"

Reflecting off the surface of the orb, a large expanse of water could be seen, shining in the rising sun. The dark blue ocean and light sky was such a contrast to the place around him, Adam had just assumed that he was looking at an image of a place in Remnant. He knew it sounded crazy, and half expected the girls to call him a moron.

However, to his absolute surprise, the spartan girl nodded, turning back to the orb.

"Yes, this is Remnant."

Her voice was calm and gentle, but far from weak. Adam could hear the strength in her tone and the way she presented herself, straight backed and firm. As a warrior, he could see that she too had seen her share of a battles before dying.

The girl continued, "Many families in the Afterlife own this orb. It allows them to watch their living relatives and loved ones and see their triumphs and failures."

Adam nodded dumbly, staring blankly at the orb. Then, as he looked, something strange struck him and he asked, "Then why is it showing the ocean?"

There was a cold silence. Vernal and Ilia looked at the girl nervously, waiting to see if she would say anything. However, the spartan only stiffened, staring fixedly at the orb. Eventually, Vernal sighed and said, "She was watching her cousins in Mistral. They were getting ready to go to Haven Academy when the school season started up once more. But…," Vernal paused and once again shot a sad glance in the girl's direction.

However, she did not need to finish. Adam took in a sharp intake of breath as he began connecting the dots. An Ocean. Mistral. Frieza…

Behind him, Ghira and Kali seemed to have come to the same conclusion. The large faunus pushed passed Adam and stared at the orb. Then he turned to the spartan girl, his hard eyes suddenly watery.

"How… long ago?"

"A few hours ago," she replied, "Just after I found Ilia and Vernal and invited them to stay. I had seen them in the orb. Adam as well. I'm guessing he took longer to appear as his soul was being judged for redemption. Anyway, once I returned here with Ilia and Vernal, we saw him rise into the air and…"

The girl shut her eyes and looked about to vomit. Ilia supported her; her face slightly blue as her sadness was expressed by her chameleon trait.

Kali gasped, tears streaking down her cheeks. Vernal looked down, the proud bandit trying to hide her own tears. Ghira sank to his knees, croaking inaudibly through his despair. Even Adam Taurus hung his head. He may still have a long time to go till he redeemed himself, but he felt the grief and misery falling upon the group.

"My baby girl," Ghira whispered, looking up at the spartan, "Was she caught in the explosion?"

The girl shook her head.

"I can't say for sure. By the time I came back with Ilia and Vernal, Frieza was on his own and readying his attack. There was no sign of Blake or any of the others."

Kali choked out a sob and rushed toward Ghira. He embraced her and they huddled together, shaking from their sorrow. It was a truly saddening sight, and no one dared to say anything, leaving the parents to mourn. Even Ilia, who looked about to scream, held herself together as she thought about Blake, Sun and Piccolo and everything they had been through.

Then, out of the blue, a voice spoke.

"I don't think they are dead."

Everyone turned to look at Adam. His scarred face was confident as he returned their gazes, displaying an emotion that he had never thought he would exhibit. Hope. Hope for the lives of the people he had despised for so long.

Unfortunately, his attempt to raise the mood was not very successful. Ilia snarled at him angrily and Ghira got to his feet, pawing the ground as if about to charge at him.

"SHUT YOUR MOUTH YOU MURDERING BASTARD!"

The words stung hard and Adam recoiled slightly. However, he recovered quickly, knowing that if he did not get used to hearing that, he would never be able to survive out in this world. Besides, he knew it to be true.

He gestured around him, keeping his face calm as he explained, "If they had died, they would have probably been here by now, especially if this had happened hours ago. Remember, those two, "he gestured to Ilia and Vernal, "Were transported here only a few minutes after their deaths. The only reason I took so long was because I'm a special case. But unlike me, Blake and her friends were far from evil and would have not had that delay."

Ghira was red in the face as Adam talked, using all his self-control not to launch himself at the bull faunus. Seeing this, Adam quickly continued.

"Also, I don't think they aren't dead simply because I don't believe it. I may have hated those kids with a fiery passion, and even now I'm not too sure about my feelings on them. But what I do know for a fact is that they are strong. Stronger than I could have ever become. Not to mention who they were with," he added, recalling the likes of Goku, Vegeta, Piccolo, Krillin, and Gohan, "They would never have let them die."

Another heavy silence settled upon the group as they processed his words. No one looked too hopeful. It just seemed hard to believe they could get away from an attack such as this. Even Adam, who had delivered his speech with confidence, had plenty of misgivings. He knew all too well Frieza's power and the unlikelihood of anyone escaping his tyrannical grasp.

Suddenly, Vernal jolted up from her sulking. She stared at the girl and it was obvious something was racing through her mind.

"Wait a second. You said this orb is used to watch living relatives and loved ones, right?"

The girl blinked before nodding dumbly.

"Then how were you watching us?" Vernal asked, "You told us you were watching your cousins before you went to find us. Your tale is full of holes."

Ilia now stared at the girl as well, nodding along with Vernals statements. The spartan just sighed deeply before actually smiling slightly.

"Sorry, I wanted to make sure you guys were trust worthy before I revealed who I was. I know you guys have been at my place for a few hours and I haven't even had the common courtesy to introduce myself. I was going to once we arrived but then Frieza distracted me completely."

She sighed once more and stoop up straight, facing Vernal, Ilia and even Adam.

"My name is Pyrrha Nikos," she said, her voice strong and defiant, "I was a student at Beacon Academy until I lost my life during an attack," she glanced at Adam for a second and added, "You do not need to seek my forgiveness. I do not blame you for that attack. That burden I rest with the likes of Cinder Fall and her mistress Salem."

Adam nodded appreciatively, though his mind was racing. If this was a student at Beacon who had died during the attack, she has been here far longer than anyone else in this room. Even Ghira and Kali have only been in the Afterlife for about a week. Before he could think any more on that, however, Pyrrha continued.

"I was part of a team of Huntsmen that went on an adventure after my death. During this adventure, they met with strangers from another world who helped them get stronger and informed them about Frieza. Eventually, my team met up with all our school friends and together trained under these powerful mentors before proceeding to make their way to Haven Academy in an attempt to stop Cinder Fall."

She paused, looking at the three newly dead people, all of whom were staring at her. In the corner, Ghira and Kali were quiet, their faces still stricken from the prospect that their daughter may be dead. However, they did not look surprised about anything Pyrrha was saying.

"You may be wondering how I know all of his," Pyrrha said, "And the answer is simple."

She gestured to the orb.

"I said this orb is used to follow living relatives and loved ones. While I have family that I watch on occasion, the main person I watch is…," here she suddenly reddened.

Vernal rolled her eyes impatiently.

"Come on!" she yelled, "Just tell us! We won't care about who your little crush is on!"

Pyrrha nodded.

"Yes, you're right. I was following the man known as Jaune Arc, my former team leader, friend, and my first love. Unfortunately, I was only ever able to confess right before my death, a regret I will hold for eternity."

"I see," Ilia nodded, "So you followed this boy with this orb and that is how you know about everything and how you saw us at Haven?"

"Yes," Pyrrha said, "Once again, I apologize for not saying so sooner. I wanted to make sure I could trust you since I have never met either of you in the real world and only saw you once during the battle. Don't blame Ghira or Kali either," she added gesturing to them, "I told them to stay quiet about it all for now."

Ilia and Vernal nodded in understanding. Ghira got up from his crouched position and headed towards Pyrrha and suddenly looked at her with pleading eyes.

"Please, if you can find Jaune… maybe you can find Blake."

Pyrrha nodded.

"Of course. I should have done it far sooner. But… my emotions were in too much disarray."

Pyrrha turned back to the orb and placed her hands over it. She closed her eyes and concentrated, searching for the one she loved.

The vision in the orb flickered. All of a sudden, the group were staring at an entirely different scene. The inside of a wooden house crowded with people.

Sighs of relief were let out as they saw familiar faces. Pyrrha smiled warmly at the sight of Jaune, Ren, and Nora resting on a couch, blushing a little. Vernal actually wept when she saw Chief Raven sitting in a chair, though she was worried about how gaunt and shallow she looked. Then there was Ilia, Ghira, and Kali searching for Blake. They didn't have to look long before spotting her beside Sun.

"Oh…," was all Kali said before she collapsed to the floor and sobbed once more, the relief too much for her to handle. Ghira kneeled next to her, hugging her tightly and lifting her up easily in his arms. He turned to look at Pyrrha, smiling through his own tears.

"Thanks, Pyrrha," he said, "You did give us quite the scare you know. Anyway, we will be on our way. Are you sure you can house those two rascals?"

He nodded towards Vernal and Ilia, who frowned at him. Pyrrha smiled brightly and nodded, though she had to tear her eyes away from Jaune to do so. Then, Ghira turned to Adam, scowling slightly.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but you can stay at our place for a while until your own appears. It probably will once you are on your way to redemption."

Adam, however, raised his hand, declining the offer.

"I do thank you for the offer," he said, "But I feel I must do this on my own. Besides, I would not want to disturb you with my presence."

Ghira stared at him, his scowl momentarily melting off.

"What happened to you, Adam?"

Adam actually smiled slightly, the brand on his face for once not making his face look disfigured.

"Mr. Belladonna, I am just a faunus that wishes to pay for his crimes and see the tyrannical bastard brought down. No other person, human or faunus, should go through him. He is a scourge upon Remnant."

Ghira stared at him for a moment longer. Than he just turned and walked out the door, carrying his now sleeping wife. Adam followed shortly, after thanking Pyrrha for her hospitality. Once he left, Vernal and Ilia yawned loudly, looking startled when they did so.

"Wait a second," Vernal said, "You can get tired in the Afterlife?"

Pyrrha giggled a little.

"Oh, yes. It isn't too bad though. Beds here are quite comfy. There should be two extra rooms upstairs so please choose calmly and respectively."

They nodded, heading upstairs, wondering about what they had seen.

Pyrrha stayed below for a few more minutes, staring intently at the image in the orb. She watched as Jaune Arc sat stiffly in his couch. It was now she saw the expression on his face, as well as on everyone's faces. A mixture of fear and hopelessness.

She could not blame them. After everything they had been through, their spirits must be shattered. Even successfully retrieving the Relic, which was resting on a coffee table, seemed completely pointless now.

But Pyrrha also knew that hope wasn't lost. As she looked at her friends, she felt a flicker of warmth in her heart. Through all that sadness and despair, there was a determination that could not be broken by anyone. Not even Frieza.

---

The airship slowly docked next to a black cliff. The passengers jumped off and began walking up a dark path towards the towering palace, made from the same dark material as the cliff. As the group ascended, they said nothing and walked with a stiffness that tripped them up at points.

There were many things to discuss. Such as the fact that they had failed in their mission. Or the fact that they were stopped mainly by the Huntsmen they had so underestimated. Or, of course, the fact that they could do nothing but flee from the fury of Frieza once he arrived. And that excludes the fact that a continent had just been wiped off the face of Remnant.

However, none of these topics came up as the group trudged miserably towards the large black doors. Standing before the doors, a tall figure stood, watching them approach. His mustache was visibly bristling, and his usual well-kept suit was creased with wrinkles where he had obviously been clutching tightly.

"So, you have finally returned," Arthur Watts said. He tried to put on a patronizing tone, but it came out far to squeaky and cracked.

Neither Cinder, Mercury, Emerald, or Tyrion responded. They simply walked passed him, not looking at him. Watts followed them through the doors frantically, trying to get their attention.

"Listen here," he began, "What is the meaning of all of this? We felt a shaking beyond the likes of anything and suddenly our mistress is panicking!"

Cinder finally glanced at him, her red eyes smoldering, lacking the energy to even look angry.

"As she should be, Watts. As should all of us. Now, where is Salem?"

Watts gulped, processing what Cinder said. For a man that was usually so composed, his hands were now fidgety, and his pupils dilated. He tried to say something, but it only came out as incoherent babbling. He stopped, swallowing before trying again.

"She is up in the conference room, awaiting your arrival. And..," he hesitated for a second, unsure if he should go on.

"And what?" hissed Tyrion.

"She is a little unstable at the moment," Watts ventured, "Ever since the shaking ended, she has been muttering to herself, occasionally expelling a blast of dark magic. That's why I stepped outside to wait for you."

As if on cue, the palace shook slightly around them and they could hear a scream of outrage above them. Usually, this display of rage from the immortal sorceress Salem would have all of her servants shaking in fear. However, they just sighed and continued to the conference room. After what they just experienced, Salem's anger almost seemed pitiful.

They reached the conference room, not saying anything else. Watts stepped forward and knocked on the double doors tentatively.

"My lady? They have returned."

There was a pause as they waited with bated breath. Then a voice from inside said, "Come in."

The group entered the room slowly. Salem sat in her chair at the far end of the table, her head hung low and buried in her hands. She said nothing as they filed in and the state that she was in was so uncharacteristic and jarring that the group actually took the chance to gape in astonishment. It was just so unreal to see the immortal sorceress of darkness in such a pathetic state.

"My lady?" Cinder finally said, her voice trying to be gentle.

Salem glanced up at them, looking as if she had just acknowledged their very existence. She said nothing in response. Instead, she waved her hand at the seats around the table, gesturing for them to sit down. Everyone did so without any hesitation.

"It seems," Salem spoke, her voice firmer than she looked, "That you have come back empty handed."

Cinder, Tyrion, Mercury, and Emerald all cringed in their seats, the guilt of their failure rushing back into them. They began to scramble with words, looking for something to explain themselves. But Salem held up her hand for silence.

"Save your apologies. There are different things to discuss. I will only say that I expect you to do better next time when I send you on an important mission. Is that understood?"

They nodded vigorously. Salem sighed and stood up, heading to a nearby window overlooking the dark landscape around them. Her solemn face reflected in the glass, showing her the weakness she was exhibiting. However, for once, she did not care.

"I would like to hear your report," she said, "I want to know everything that happened."

Her servants exchanged nervous looks. Even though they had just been forgiven, it seemed like a bad idea to tell her all their mistakes. But it was not like they had much choice in the matter. Cinder recalled the battle at Haven Academy, leaving nothing out. She discussed how the Huntsmen had been trained under the powerful fighters from another world. She explained how Raven had been the Spring Maiden, tricking them into thinking it was someone else. A few of her comrades flinched when she described the invasion of Ginyu and Adam, their army in toe. And then… the arrival of Lord Frieza.

Salem tensed up visibly as Cinder recalled the events after Frieza's arrival. As she talked, Salem felt hollow inside, her thoughts in turmoil as she listened to the ferocity of the emperor.

"And then," Cinder croaked, coming to the end of her story, "As we were escaping on the airship, we saw Frieza rise into the air. The next thing we knew, Mistral was engulfed in this energy. It spread across the continent within seconds, almost catching us as we flew higher. And then-,"

"That's enough."

Salem turned to look at her servants, her face stricken. She scanned them one by one, seeing the same thing in each. The absolute fear of death. They all knew the gravity of the situation. And they couldn't see a way out besides death.

Salem could not blame any of them. Not this time. Not when she had been having similar thoughts. Even though she was immortal, the fear was coursing through her veins just as much.

However, she could not be swallowed up by the fear again. She had been fighting against it while waiting for Cinder and her group to return, using all types of methods to vent her stress and fear. But no more.

She looked at her reflection in the window, her pale face and dark black dress staring back at her. She was the immortal sorceress Salem. She had revolted against the gods and walked upon Remnant for ages, biding her time for the perfect opportunity to drown the world in despair. She would not let it all collapse so easily.

"Foolish, quite foolish."

She gripped her head, starting back. All the powerful thoughts she had been thinking a few seconds before suddenly felt meaningless as the cold mocking voice spoke in her head. As it did so, Salem suddenly began visualizing images in her head. She saw the continent of Anima crumbling into pieces. She saw the barren wasteland left behind, filling up with water as the ocean began to flow into the new crater. And finally, the face that had haunted her nightmares. A sneering leer dotted with two cold red eyes and crowned with two horns.

"My Queen!"

Tyrion was beside her, peering at her with great concern. Salem realized she was on her hands and knees, sweating profusely. Her servants stood around her, looking down with a mixture of concern and sympathy.

"I'm fine," Salem said between gasps, "I'm fine. Move aside."

They stepped back, letting her stand back up. She tried to reach her full height, but her spine and legs did not seem to want to let her go much higher than a hunch. She made her way back to her seat at the table, waving off her concerned servants.

"My apologies," she said once she sat down, "Something came over me. But it is no matter now."

"Salem," Cinder suddenly spoke up, not bothering to say, "my lady".

Usually, Salem would have scorned such behavior and lack of respect. Right now, though, she was in too much of turmoil to care. She just nodded for Cinder to continue. The Fall Maiden looked hesitant for a second, before saying, "Is there a point in going any further?"

A deafening silence fell over the table. The other servants did not say anything, but as they looked at Salem for her response, their expressions said it all. They were wondering the exact same thing.

Salem began to rise out of her chair menacingly, glowering down at Cinder and ready to reprimand her for even asking such a thing. However, the moment she opened her mouth, the words simply died in her throat. She tried again with the same result. It didn't take long for Salem to realized why she was having so much trouble. It was because she had been thinking about this question herself for quite a while. And now, when it was finally asked to her by someone else, she found it hard to answer.

She lowered herself back into her seat slowly, her glower reverting to a solemn face that did fit her.

"I… don't know, Cinder," she replied quietly, "I don't know. Now leave me. All of you. Train yourselves."

Mercury opened his mouth, about to ask, "Train ourselves for what?" But Emerald elbowed him in the ribs and gestured to the door. The rest of the servants followed suit, except for Tyrion who seemed hard set to stay by his mistresses' side. It took both Cinder and Watts to drag the scorpion faunus out, a herculean task once he began thrashing about. But they managed, closing the double doors behind them and leaving their master to process her thoughts. And her motivations.

"This is seriously messed up," Mercury spat once the doors closed.

"Mercury!" Emerald hissed angrily at him.

"What?" Mercury sneered back at her, "Are you seriously telling me to stop after everything? You can't tell me that your calm after hearing our master basically say she has given up entirely and is ready to be eaten by the wolves!"

A flash of white sped towards Mercury and the teen suddenly found himself pinned against the wall. Tyrion snarled, holding his arm against Mercury's neck and aiming his scorpion tail pointing directly at his head.

"You dare question our Queen?!"

Mercury tried to respond but could only gurgle as Tyrion's arm dug into his windpipe.

"Let him go, Tyrion."

Cinder stepped forward, her arm blazing with fiery light. Her own eye was fixed on Tyrion, unflinching as he turned his crazed look upon her.

"You agree with him?!" Tyrion spat, "Have you also lost your place?"

"I still have faith in our master," Cinder said slowly, gritting her teeth, "However, after what we just witnessed, I don't know what a possible course of action could be. Even you must understand that fact, Tyrion."

There was a short pause, during which Cinder and Tyrion stared each other down. Then Tyrion sighed and relinquished his hold off of Mercury, letting the teen fall to the ground, coughing and spluttering.

"I just don't understand why," Tyrion said, his voice suddenly low and pleading, "Why would something come and ruin our Queens plans?"

"We may never know," Cinder said, turning away and heading down the hall, "But for now, all we can do is hope that Salem has something up her sleeve and assist her in any way possible. Otherwise, there isn't much for us."

The others nodded. Then, Emerald, who was helping Mercury up, looked around in confusion.

"Wait a second. Where is Watts?"

The doctor, who had left the room alongside them, had completely disappeared. Cinder scanned the hall, seeing nothing.

"He must have walked away when we weren't paying attention," she guessed, "Probably heading to his labs so he could continue his insane experiments."

Meanwhile, Arthur Watts was in his quarters, pacing up and down. He had indeed left during Mercury's and Tyrion's scuffle, too wrapped up in his own thoughts to care about them.

"No, no, no," he repeated to himself as he paced, his mustache bristling, "This just cannot be. Salem is beginning to lose herself in misery, leaving us to flounder helplessly. If this continues… I will be killed for sure."

The very thought made him tear at his hair and suit. Despite being a man of science and a doctor by trade, the thought of his own death made him sick. It was a fear that he had kept secret from everyone including his comrades and even Salem herself.

It had been harder to keep it secret in recent times. Ever since Frieza burst onto the scene and began displaying his might, Watts had started to truly fear for his life. He had joined with Salem in the part because he would be safe under her wing, feared by everyone in Remnant. Now though… they were the ones cowering in fear with no clear objective. The plan for the Relics seems beyond hopeless and trying to fight against this new force is laughable.

Watt's footsteps became more rapid as he struggled to keep himself calm. He delved into his memory, trying to find something from his many experiences that could help him. But it was useless. None of his past troubles had even been close to this magnitude. He could not run away from this or fight his way through this.

"There must be a way," he said to himself, "There must be a way to survive. There just must!"

It was then, just as Watts had given up hope himself, that an idea surfaced. An idea he had never considered. An idea beyond insane but at the same time was reasonable and almost obvious.

He toyed with it for a second, wondering if it was even worth it. However, it did not take him long to make a decision. There was too much at stake.

He chuckled slightly.

"There is an old saying. 'If you can't beat them, join them.'"

---

It was quite on the isle of Patch. Very little stirred. Only the wind caused small disturbances in the trees, creating a low murmur throughout the island. To any newcomer, this place would have looked like a creepy and abandoned island.

However, there was one house that bustled with activity.

The Xiao-Long household was currently dealing with a large group of unexpected guests. For Tai, it had been quite the shock to suddenly find his ex-wife, brother-in-law, two daughters, Vegeta and all their friends jump through a portal, some of them half-dead and everyone exhibiting a level of fear that would attract a stampede of Grimm.

He was quickly filled in on the recent events and things began to calm down as people settled down, finally taking a breath and processing everything that had just happened. The young Huntsmen and Dende sat in the living room together, not speaking much. Meanwhile, Bulma and Neo retired to bed, the former on the verge of collapse after trying to fight an army. Qrow sat in the kitchen, guzzling down any liquor that Tai kept in the kitchen, which wasn't much. Raven, who did not say a word to her former husband, left the house to burry Vernal on a cliff edge and made sure the girl got a proper send off. Currently, Raven was killing any nearby Grimm that approached, using the activity to keep her mind away from the horrible thoughts tormenting her. Finally, the two Saiyan's, Krillin, and Piccolo stood on the porch, conversing quietly together. They had been doing so for quite some time and even Goku had kept a very serious attitude during the entire conversation.

Everyone was so busy either sulking, drinking, talking, hunting, or sleeping that when the ground suddenly shook violently and nearly brought the house down, the reaction was quite underwhelming. Even the bright orange glow of Ki energy visible over the horizon, nearly blocking out the rising sun, did not garner much attention from anyone. They were just too numb to care much. Or it was because they already knew what it was and could not waste energy crying over how Frieza had once more taken a chunk of Remnant and wiped it from existence.

Now, about eight hours since Anima had been demolished, the house had once more fallen under a state of quite thought. Nobody had moved from where they had been, and nothing had changed.

Gohan woke to the sound of a female voice talking. He stirred, blinking blearily and stared around for the noise. He finally locked onto the television in the living room which was right now showing the news station. Everyone else in the room were watching intently as the reporter spoke, her voice professional but betraying a tinge of panic.

"Millions around Remnant are still in shock after what seemed to be an incredible earthquake that shook the world and a massive light that lit up the sky. However, the truth behind this incident is far more terrifying then anything we could have expected. Unbelievably, the continent of Anima has been destroyed, leveled by an almighty explosion that left a crater, experts believe, could be about three thousand meters deep and, near the center, almost five thousand! We are now turning to our onsite reporter, Mr. Hansen, who is flying in an airship over the crater. Chris, can you tell us more about the situation?"

The TV switched to a visual of another reporter in the airship, looking down over a large expanse of water.

"I will certainly try, Ellen," Chris said, his face and voice both utterly confused and terrified, "But I must say I am at a loss for words. Right now, it looks like we are flying over a large expanse of ocean. But, if you check our current coordinates on any map, we should be hovering just above Mistral City. We have concluded that the crater was deep enough for water from the oceans that once surrounded Anima to suddenly start pouring in, filling up the crater and virtually making a new ocean! In fact, this theory has been confirmed as scientists are reporting sudden changes in ocean levels around Remnant, especially in this region."

"Is there anything we can see of Anima right now?" asked Ellen, her voice cracking slightly.

"Not really," Chris responded, "Even the massive mountains that used to be here, which should have been tall enough to breach the surface, are not visible at all. It almost seems like the continent was carved out of the ground and just dumped away."

"Do we have any survivors from the devastating event?"

Chris gulped hard. "Search teams have been deployed all over in search of any. However, there hasn't been a single survivor yet. Not even a single body has been found. It's as if Anima was never there. However, the one shred of good news I can give is that the port town Argus, protected under Atlas rule, was not touched by this phenomenon. The town is now on a small island, only about twice the size as the island of Patch, which is just off Vale's coast and is one of the smallest land masses in Remnant. The people have been shaken deeply, but very few have been harmed. The rest of Anima, however… well, the casualty count is in the hundreds of thousands to millions."

"Do we have any idea of how this massive tragedy occurred?" Ellen asked.

Chris shook his head as the airship circled around, heading away from the newly created ocean.

"Scientists are baffled by these turns of events. There is no bomb in Remnant that has this type of power at the moment and even then, this just doesn't seem like destruction from a bomb."

"Well," Ellen said with difficulty, "Thank you, Chris, for your report. Please return safely," she turns to the camera, "This has been breaking news at Remnant World News. My name is Ellen Ripley and we here wish you a safe day."

The television was shut off. Yang tossed the remote onto the coffee table before laying back in the armchair she was sitting in. On her lap, a small black and white dog snoozed quietly, not reacting to any of the despair around him.

Beside Gohan, Ruby sat hunched over, eyes fixated on the ground. When the television was shut off, she sighed deeply and looked around at everyone else.

"What are we going to do?" she simply asked.

No one responded immediately. There was no clear answer to that question.

"We will find a way," Gohan said, surprising everyone. No one had noticed that he had woken up from his slumber. The small boy looked around; his expression determined.

"I know it looks bad, especially with what has happened to the continent. But I am sure we can find a way to beat him."

"That's easy for you to say," Yang said sourly, "You are powerful four-year-old who stood his ground against him and even pushed him back."

"Yes," Ren agreed, "That was quite the stunning display. Were you always hiding this incredible power, Gohan?"

Gohan sighed sadly, avoiding everyone's gaze.

"Not really. It only comes out when I get really angry. But I can't normally use that type of power. And even if I could, it really wouldn't matter. It didn't faze him in the slightest except for making him angry."

The Huntsmen fell silent, remembering how Frieza had shrugged off the attacks. Gohan felt bad for breaking their hopes, especially after trying to cheer them up. But it was better than lying to them.

"I don't think that is necessarily true," a voice said.

Blake sat in another chair across the room from Gohan. Beside her sat Sun, twirling his tail slowly, his usual cheery face absent. Gohan realized that he had not been introduced to these two yet, though he had seen them arrive with Piccolo during the battle. Blake noticed Gohan's questioning look and smiled weakly.

"Oh, sorry. We haven't met yet. My name is Blake Belladonna and my companion here is Sun Wukong."

She gestured to Sun who waved slightly at Gohan.

"We have heard a lot about you from Piccolo, who took us under his wing and trained us to become far more powerful. Anyway, Piccolo believes that you have great potential, which only really appears when you get angry. But, he also believes, and I agree with him, that you can tap into this potential and become far more powerful without needing to be pushed to the brink."

Gohan was silent, considering these words. They weren't foreign to him. His father had said the same thing to him many times, though he had only advised Gohan to train harder. Unfortunately, that was the only solution Goku really had for getting stronger. Determination and lots off harsh training.

As he mulled these thoughts over, Yang suddenly spoke up. The yellow haired bombshell was glaring at Blake.

"I would expect you to tell him to run away. Why not? It worked for you, didn't it?"

Blake looked like she had been slapped in the face. She shuddered, tears pooling to her eyes. She quickly looked down, unable to look at Yang or anyone else. Beside her, Sun shot up, his solemn expression turning into rage.

"What the hell! Are you seriously blaming her for this now!"

Yang looked ready to retort, but Ruby cut in.

"GUYS! CAN WE NOT FIGHT AMONGST OURSELVES WHILE FRIEZA IS OUT THERE KILLING INNOCENT PEOPLE!"

Her words echoed around the room. The dog in Yang's lap twitched but did not move from his position. Yang looked down at him, shame crossing over her face.

"I'm… sorry. You are right, Ruby."

She looked over at Blake and her face softened.

"And I'm sorry, Blake. I truly am. That was unfair of me. Especially after all you probably have been through and after you came to help us. I'm just…"

Yang trailed off, unable to finish her sentence. Blake, however, nodded in understanding smiling sadly at Yang.

"Don't apologize, Yang. After what just happened, I don't blame you for being angry. Besides," Blake's smile faded, and she clenched her fists tightly, "You do have a point. I did run away from Beacon."

They were silent for a few seconds. Yang's expression was unreadable, and the other Huntsmen were worried that she would say something spiteful. Then she just sat back and chuckled quietly.

"Damn. This is one messed up team reunion."

Blake cracked a smile as Ruby and Weiss chuckled along with Yang. Even Jaune, Nora, and Ren, who had been sitting together quietly, let themselves chortle a little. Gohan smiled as laughter sparked within the room. It was a first step to hope.

After a few moments, Jaune finally said, "Anyway, why don't we exchange stories. I mean, I still don't know how Yang and Weiss met up with Vegeta and Goku. And I certainly don't know what Blake has been up to this past week."

The next hour blew by as stories were exchanged between the Huntsmen. Ruby recalled how she and Team JNR bumped into Gohan, Krillin, and Dende and how they fought against servant of Salem, Tyrion, and clashed with a massive and dangerous Grimm.

Weiss described how Goku had been recovered from a mysterious space ship and healed up. Anger flared from many of the Huntsmen as she talked about how her father stumbled across them having dinner and his attitude towards her. She calmed them down by saying how Goku got her out of there, even out flying an Atlas attack force, and landed in Anima where they would eventually meet Yang and Vegeta at Raven's tribe.

Blake was next and she and Sun took turns telling the story of how Piccolo appeared out of nowhere and joined them on their mission to stop the White Fang. Sun then took over the story when it came to them meeting Blake's parents and how the Frieza Force suddenly attacked them, killing Blake's parents and massacring Menagerie. Everyone flinched, giving Blake words of comfort. Surprisingly, the cat faunus didn't break down. She just nodded resolutely, taking a few deep breaths before continuing the story and recalling how they left Menagerie via boat and then traveled across Anima towards Mistral, training the whole time under Piccolo.

Attention turned to Yang as she regaled them about her meeting with the Prince of Saiyan and how he had almost killed her and Tai. She described how Vegeta agreed to train her and once again nearly killed her during the process. Despite this, she smiled as she told them the harsh treatment, understanding finally why it had been so harsh. She recalls the day she and Vegeta left Patch in search of her mother, crossing over to Anima and coming across Raven's tribe where they ran into Weiss and Goku.

Finally, even Oscar gets in on the story telling. He had been very quiet throughout the conversation, not saying much and sort of fading into the background. Ozpin had not said anything either, keeping quiet in Oscar's subconscious. But once Yang was done, Ruby turned to him and asked him kindly how he met up with Bulma and Neo. He sighed, but obliged, deciding to get his mind off of other, more unpleasant things. He describes how he met Bulma and how the woman joined him on his journey to Mistral. The Huntsmen were wide eyed as he recalled some of the inventions Bulma had talked about. They were all very aware of her expertise, but some of things Oscar described seemed completely impossible. Gohan smiled, knowing that despite this world's decent technological advances, they had still not advanced as far as Bulma. Oscar continued, telling the group about how he and Bulma arrived in Mistral and went to a bar that they knew Qrow would visit according to Ozpin. He recalled, somewhat fondly, how they had met Neo, threatening to kill them before they convinced her to join and help them.

Once Oscar had finished his tale, the room went silent for a few minutes, everyone reminiscing about better times. It gave them a slight bit of hope. It reminded them that there was something worth fighting for. Even if the fight seemed hopeless.

Eventually, Yang stood up, stretching. The dog on her lap (Gohan had asked Ruby during their conversation who that dog was to which she had answered his name was Zwei) jumped off and barked a few times before waddling out the door.

"Man," she said, straightening up, "I can't believe that everything that we had just discussed had only happened within a week. And more."

Blake nodded.

"So many people have died as well. People that we know and love and so many we have never met. It's just…," she paused, tensing up.

"Hard," Weiss finished for her, "So many families. Our families. Destroyed."

Nora, who was leaning against Ren, sighed sadly. Her usual spunk was gone, and she looked just as gloomy as everyone else.

"I kind of wish there was a way to revert everything back to normal. Like a bad dream."

There was silent agreement as thoughts shifted to fallen friends and family. Weiss tried to hide her tears as she thought about her parents and her brother. They had never treated her that well, but they had still been family and did not deserve the fate that they had been given. And of course, poor old Klein, always so kind to her. She will never see his smile or hear his funny jokes that always cheered her up ever again. They were now lost to time.

As Blake thought about her parents and Ilia, she did not cry. She had cried out all her tears earlier and she felt like she would never be able to cry again. But it wasn't just that. She knew that they would want her to move on, holding her head high in front of the challenges to come.

As they all mourned the many deaths that had occurred, Jaune suddenly stood up straight. He looked like he had just seen a ghost, pale and shaking.

"Jaune?" Ruby asked, staring at him with concern, "Are you okay?"

He did not answer. His eyes moved across the room, passing over everyone before locking onto a certain person. Gohan.

He stared at the boy for a few moments, not saying anything. Gohan looked back, wondering what was wrong. He was about to ask when Jaune finally spoke, his voice hoarse.

"The Dragon Balls," he said faintly, "They can bring people back from the dead, can't they?"

Gohan gulped slightly as all eyes turned to him. He remembered telling Ruby and Team JNR about the Dragon Balls and their powers, but by the looks he was receiving from the likes of Weiss, Blake and Yang, they had not been told about them.

Before Gohan could think of a response, however, a quiet voice spoke.

"They can. But we don't have them. They didn't come to this world with us."

Everyone turned to look at the small figure of Dende. The young Namekian had not spoken since he had woken up and healed the injured heroes. He had simply sat in a corner and done nothing, letting his mind wonder as everyone else recovered and talked. Now he looked up at Jaune, his eyes glassy.

"I'm sorry, Jaune. There is nothing we can do to bring our friends back."

Jaune's fists tightened, his nails digging into the palm of his hand. His face tensed up, straining against his jumbled emotions.

"No… no, there must be a way to bring them back," he murmured, "Can't we create these balls?"

Dende hesitated. His hesitation did not go unnoticed. All around the room, eyes narrowed in his direction. Jaune took a step forward, looming over the small Namekian.

"Dende," he said, his voice suddenly cold and hard, "What are you not telling us?"

Dende shrank away, trying to cover himself. Clearly, he was hiding something that he did not want the others to know. Even Gohan was staring at him, wondering what was going on with his friend. Why was he so afraid of Jaune's question? Unless…

"Dende," Gohan said slowly, his mind beginning to put pieces together, "Were the Dragon Balls made by Namekians?"

The way Dende looked at him with startled eyes told Gohan he had hit the jackpot. Unfortunately, this did not go down well with the others. Before anything else was said, Jaune suddenly lunged forward and lifted Dende off his feet. Gohan cried out in shock, but before he could move forward, a hand blocked his path. He turned to see Yang, resolutely keeping her arm in front of him as she glared at Dende.

"YOU COULD MAKE THESE DRAGON BALLS THE WHOLE TIME?!" Jaune roared, "AND YOU DIDN'T EVEN AFTER EVERYTHING? AFTER SO MANY PEOPLE DIED?!"

Dende tried to speak, but his voice caught in his throat. Meanwhile, some of the other Huntsmen had snapped out of their stupor. Ruby, Nora, and Ren sprang to Jaune and tried to calm him down, wrestling the young Namekian out of his grip. Blake, Weiss, and Oscar were staring dumbly at Dende, beginning to come to terms with what Jaune was implying. Yang still kept her arm across Gohan, even as the young boy began to protest. The once quiet, mournful room had burst into chaos, spiraling out of control. That is until a new voice rang through the air.

"What is going on here?"

Tai stood at the doorway, his face looking concerned as he saw the angry faces looking at him. At his feet, Zwei the dog barked at them, his tongue lolling out slightly.

"Dad!" Ruby cried, still trying to get Jaune to let go of Dende, "Don't worry about us. We are just-"

"THIS BASTARD CAN BRING BACK OUR FRIENDS!" Jaune bellowed, his self-control now completely gone, "BUT HE HASN'T-"

"Because it would be unwise to do so."

Piccolo joined Tai in the doorway, looking hard at Jaune. Behind him, Goku, Vegeta, Krillin, Raven, Qrow, Bulma, and Neo all stood in the hallway. They had all been curious about the sudden outburst of noise coming from the living room and had come to investigate. Now they began to enter, filling up the living room until it felt slightly cramped.

Piccolo stepped up to Jaune and Dende and deftly took the young Namekian from the Huntsmen's grip. Jaune stepped back slightly, though his anger was still very much burning.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked Piccolo, "How would it be unwise to create something that could literally solve all our problems?"

There was a short silence as some of the newcomers sighed sadly. Goku and Krillin exchanged pained looks, realizing immediately what they were discussing. Vegeta grunted in annoyance, turning away to stare at a wall. Piccolo simply glared at Jaune for a few seconds before responding calmly.

"The Dragon Balls, though very useful in most cases, would only be another liability to us. If Dende created them, we would be giving our greatest and most powerful enemy another motive."

Jaune looked taken aback by this answer. His uncontrollable rage seemed to drain out of him as he tried to understand what Piccolo meant. As he did so, Blake spoke up.

"You mean Frieza? What would he want with the Dragon Balls?"

Piccolo looked a little surprised at the question before remembering that Blake, and most of the other Huntsmen do not know the power of the Dragon Balls. He sighed, but proceeded to explain the Dragon Balls to them, touching upon the fact that there are seven of them and once brought together, they summon a mystical dragon that will grant any wish to the summoner and have a one-year recharge time.

"Knowing all of this," he finished off, "We know that Frieza desires to use them for his wish of immortality."

"Which means," Krillin said, "If Dende did create the Dragon Balls for us, which we did consider doing by the way, we would have to once again race against Frieza for the Dragon Balls just like we did on Namek. But even then, creating the opportunity for Frieza to gain immortality is just simply out of the question."

Understanding seemed to flow through many of the Huntsmen. All except for Jaune, who still seemed unconvinced by the argument. He jabbed a finger at Piccolo's direction, his anger giving him confidence.

"Hold on a second. Why would we need to race Frieza at all? If we created the Dragon Balls here, we would have all of them in one spot and just summon the dragon before Frieza even realized."

Piccolo shook his head, annoyance beginning to show on his face.

"Unfortunately, that's not how it works exactly. Once the Dragon Balls are made, they will instantly separate and launch themselves across the world into random places, waiting for us to collect them."

"Then," Jaune stammered, clearly grasping for straws, "Then, we can just find them! Frieza won't know right away, giving us a head start and we also have that tracker that Bulma made for them, right?"

He turned to Bulma, hopping for confirmation. But she only shook her head.

"Sorry, buddy. I don't have the Dragon Radar anymore. I used it to build the Relic Radar. And I don't have the necessary parts to build another Dragon Radar," she looked up at Juane, seeing his face fall, all his emotion flowing out of him, "I'm sorry Jaune but they are right. We cannot use the Dragon Balls when we know we are giving Frieza another chance at gaining his wish."

Jaune stumbled back, falling into a chair and slumping against the back of it. He hung his head low, shuddering as tears began to cascade from his eyes. His friends look at him sadly, wanting to comfort him but knowing there was nothing they could say to help. Even Piccolo and Dende looked sympathetic. They too wished that they could use the Dragon Balls to solve their problems. Yet, the risks far outweighed the benefits.

After a few moments, Vegeta grunted loudly, gaining everyone's attention.

"If you lot are done with this useless talk, let us actually discuss how we are going to defeat that bastard. But before that," he nudged that coffee table with his leg, "I would first like to know why the hell we risked our lives trying to retrieve this stupid lamp."

Everyone turned to look at the Relic of Knowledge. Ever since they had escaped, the Relic had sort of been sidelined after the events that occurred at Haven. Now, they stared at the only real victory that got gotten that day.

"I can answer that question, Vegeta."

Oscar stood up, channeling the spirit of Ozpin. He stepped towards the Relic, inspecting it from all sides. Then he turned back to the room at large, looking over all the occupants.

"The Relic of Knowledge is one of four ancient artifacts created by the gods themselves. If all four are brought together, the gods will appear on this world once more."

Goku chuckled slightly.

"That kinda sounds like the Dragon Balls."

Ozpin smiled.

"Exactly. Though they do not have the power to grant any wish, they maybe our key to beating Frieza. This is why I asked Bulma to build the Relic Radar in the first place."

Bulma nodded, holding up the device in her hand. Beside her, Qrow shook his head in disbelief.

"Hold on a second," he said, "Where are you going with this? How are you sure that the Relics will give us a chance to defeat Frieza of all people? As far as we know, we can't even use them to beat Salem, a much smaller threat."

"You are correct, Qrow," Ozpin said, "However, Salem is different in one major way. She is immortal. However, Frieza is just as mortal as us and I believe that all we need is a power that far surpasses him."

Raven's eyes widened, realizing what Ozpin was implying.

"You don't mean… gather the Relics and ask the gods to help us defeat Frieza?"

There was a deafening silence as the idea went through everyone's minds. It seemed crazy at first. But as the thought lingered, many of them began to seriously wonder. Could that be possible?

Ozpin nodded.

"I understand this seems quite far-fetched, but right now, it may be our best bet. Frieza does not know about the Relics. And while Salem and her minions do, beating them to the others may not be so hard."

"Unacceptable!"

Vegeta glowered at Ozpin, his fists clenched. The spirit looked slightly surprised at the anger he was receiving and was about to ask what Vegeta meant, but the Prince rolled over him.

"I DID NOT TRAIN ALL THIS TIME TO ASK SOME DAMN GODS TO BEAT FRIEZA FOR ME! I WILL GET MY REVENGE FOR THE SAIYAN RACE, NO MATTER WHAT IT TAKES!"

Ozpin didn't know how to respond. He had not expected this type of backlash. Fortunately for him, Goku was on his side. The Saiyan stood, facing Vegeta.

"I understand where you're coming from, Vegeta, but you know as well as anyone that at the stage we are right now, none of us stand a chance in beating Frieza. Even if we train hard now, we will still be far too weak to stand up to his other forms."

To everyone's surprise, Vegeta actually smirked at this.

"You really are a fool, Kakarot. You don't even realize that you and I are now far more powerful after that battle."

Confusion spread through the room as the others tried to wrap their minds around what Vegeta was saying.

"Umm… Getes?" Yang asked carefully, not wanting to offend the prideful warrior, "What are you talking about? Are you somehow suggesting that since you guys got beaten up, you are now stronger?"

"That is exactly what I'm saying!" Vegeta snapped.

The Huntsmen stared at him, completely at a loss. Even the likes of Krillin, Piccolo, and Gohan were looking at Vegeta with puzzled looks.

"You see," Vegeta explained, "Our Saiyan biology is built off of combat. That includes when we are beaten to near death, we grow exponentially stronger afterward. The more we are beaten, the larger the boost of power is! We call this a Zenkai boost."

Piccolo scrutinized Vegeta and Goku closely. After a few seconds, he gasped.

"He's right! Their energy is much larger now!"

Krillin and Gohan concentrated themselves and found that Piccolo was right. The two Saiyan's power levels had risen to more than double their previous level. In fact…

"Wait a second!" Krillin exclaimed excitedly, "You guys may be stronger than Frieza!"

Vegeta nodded smugly. However, Goku shook his head.

"No, we are not," he said sternly, "Vegeta, don't let this get to your head. You should know that even with this power up, you and I are not powerful enough. Maybe we could beat his first form, but you said yourself that he can transform into a from that we could not even compare to."

Vegeta snarled angrily. He opened his mouth to retort, but he then closed it. Instead, he turned away, clearly trying to keep his anger under control. Meanwhile, Goku turned back to Ozpin.

"I think that your plan is indeed our best bet. Of course, we must train much more ourselves and become stronger. But at the end of the day, if we can get the gods to help, then Frieza will have far bigger problems than us."

Ozpin nodded and looked around.

"If there are no more objections to this, then we shall begin formulating a plan to retrieve the other Relics."

No one said anything. Vegeta muttered somethings but said nothing more. The Huntsmen nodded determinedly, relieved that they had a plan.

"Then it's settled," Goku said, "Our new mission is to find the Relics and summon the gods," he paused for a moment and then added, his voice solemn, "I understand you guys are right now very scared and probably on the verge of just giving up. But I need you guys to help me or we won't be able to do this and avenge our fallen friends and family. And-"

"Goku," a voice interrupted. The Saiyan turned to see Jaune stand up straight, looking right at him. His anger had now completely receded, replaced by the determination flowing through all the others.

"We said this before, and we will say it again. We will not give up anymore. We will fight to the very end."

Around him, the other Huntsmen stood, signifying their agreement. Gohan smiled in relief as he saw his friends rejuvenated from their depression. Vegeta grunted, scowling, though he his eyes were not dark. Goku grinned broadly, feeling a wave of immense pride for the Huntsmen and the will they displayed.

"Man," Qrow chuckled quietly, "Those kids are far past where we were their age."

Tai and Raven nodded, the former saying, "Well, in our defense, we didn't have to train so hard because our world wasn't under threat."

After a few moments, Ozpin clapped his hands.

"I am glad that we are all in agreement. Now, we should all get some rest. As Goku said, we need to train hard before we leave to find the Relics and we do not have much time. We cannot predict what Frieza does next and Salem will still have her eyes on the Relics herself. We do not have a moment to lose."

The room began to move once more as people began to file out. Nobody said anything, but the atmosphere was marginally better than before.

Yang and Gohan were at the end of the line. As they exited, however, they looked back to see Ruby still standing next to the coffee table, her eyes fixed on the Relic.

"Ruby?" Yang called, "Everything okay?"

The red-haired Huntress did not reply. At this point, some of the others had come back to see what was going on.

"Come on you delinquent," Weiss said, trying to sound commanding, "Let's get some sleep. We don't want Vegeta to accidently kill us during training."

Ruby finally looked over at the doorway, seeing everyone now crammed in the hallway staring at her. She said nothing for a second, wondering if she dared to ask. But she had to know.

"Ozpin," she said quietly, "You said before that this specific Relic can answer any question, right?"

Ozpin shifted uncomfortably.

"Yes, I did. But what does that have to do with anything?"

Ruby looked back at the blue lamp, her silver eyes glistening slightly.

"I have something I want to ask."

There was a stunned silence. Ruby did not elaborate and continued staring at the Relic, pondering once more if she should go along with this. Before she could do anything though, Piccolo cut in.

"I presume you want to ask the Relic if there is any other way of beating Frieza? Well, save your breath. We have a plan in mind, and we should not allow ourselves to be sidetracked."

"He is right," Ozpin said quickly, "Besides, the Relic can only answer three questions every century. I have already used up one and we should save the other two for things that are absolutely necessary."

Ruby shook her head.

"That is not what I want to ask it. I have another question in mind. Something that has been me bothering this whole time."

"What do you mean?" Gohan asked, confused to what she could be referring to, "Is there something we are missing?"

Ruby looked back at the group and her eyes seemed to fixate on two specific people. Goku and Vegeta.

"I want to know what happened in the past between Frieza and the Saiyan's. The whole truth, Vegeta. Even you do not know much of what had happened."

Vegeta was about to retort angrily, but Goku spoke over him.

"But why would that be important?"

"Because," Ruby said, "I want to know why Frieza wants to kill you so badly. At Haven, he talked about your kind with such hatred and distaste. I know this may sound strange, but I just need to understand."

The others exchanged puzzled looks. Was this really worth asking a mystical object about? The version they had heard from Vegeta, though not very detailed, was good enough for many of them.

Eventually, a surprising advocate stepped forward. Vegeta pushed himself back into the living room and, scowling at Ruby, sat on a couch.

"Fine then. I will indulge you on this if only to find out the whole truth for myself. But I believe I know it all already."

"Count me in as well," Goku said, also coming in and smiling at Ruby, "To be honest, I am curious to know more about the other Saiyan's."

Ruby felt a great wave of gratitude to the two Saiyan's. As the they entered, the others all sighed and followed suit. There was no point arguing anymore, especially with their two most powerful members on board. Ozpin looked very reluctant but joined them all the same, saying as he did so, "If you are sure about this, Ruby, then just say the name, 'Jinn'. It will awaken the Relic."

Ruby was too excited to even ask what he meant. She just turned to the lamp before her and spoke loudly and clearly.

"Jinn."

Instantly, the Relic of Knowledge glowed brightly. A trail of blue mist wafted from it, seeping into the air. Everyone stared transfixed as the mist began to manifest itself into the figure of a woman, wearing short chains from her wrists and ankles but no visible clothing. Her hair flowed behind her as she formed fully, and she gave a great yawn as she stretched in midair.

"My, my," she said, "It has been far too long!"

She put her hand under her chin and looked down upon her audience, smirking at the expressions of shock on their faces.

"Well, this certainly is quite the party," she said in an amused tone, "Do you all seek some sort of knowledge?"

Ruby, forcing herself to get over her initial shock, cleared her throat.

"Umm…, actually I have a question, Ms. Jinn."

Jinn glanced down at Ruby, still smiling.

"Ah, I see. It was you who summoned me. Well then, before you ask your question, allow me to presume that this question may have something to do with the likes of that foreign creature destroying this world."

Ruby was taken aback by this. So much so that she couldn't find the right words to respond with. Luckily, Ozpin rescued her from an embarrassing moment."

"Yes, Jinn. Though it is not exactly the question you may have been expecting."

Jinn turned her attention to him, and her smile grew.

"Well, look who we have here. If it isn't Ozpin. Already in a new body I see."

Ozpin turned away, clearly uncomfortable.

"Uh, yes."

"Such an unfortunate curse you have," Jinn said, her voice sympathetic, "Especially when you must live through times like this."

Ozpin didn't know exactly how to respond to that. But before he could, Vegeta decided to end this line of conversation.

"Enough of this! We came here to ask a question, not talk about useless drivel."

Jinn scowled in his direction.

"I would have hoped people from other worlds would be more polite, but you seem to be proving me wrong, Prince Vegeta."

She sighed, ignoring Vegeta's snarl of contempt. Instead, she turned back to Ruby, smiling down at her with a mischievous grin.

"Anyway, let's get down to business. What is your question, Ruby Rose?"

Ruby was silent for a few moments. She looked back at Goku and Vegeta, wondering once more if it was worth it. Was it truly something she needed to know?

A laughing voice echoed in her head. The demonic face of Frieza flashed before her eyes and as it did, she heard the cold voice speak.

"You Saiyan's have begun to repopulate? No, this won't do."

Ruby turned back to Jinn, her face set.

"What is the history between Frieza and the Saiyans?"

Jinn considered her for a second, her smile wavering slightly.

"My, a question that even I may have trouble answering. A story from another universe…," she fell silent for a moment, clearly deep in thought.

"But can you do it?" Goku asked, his voice surprisingly serious. He had sat up, eager to listen to the answer Jinn would give.

"Of course, I can," Jinn said irritably, waving him aside, "But I will have to use more energy than normal. So, here's my proposition."

She leaned forward; her smile replaced by a business-like face. The group watched her closely, wondering what she meant by "proposition".

"You still have two questions for this century. However, if you would like me to answer this, it will consume both of them. Are you prepared to make that commitment?"

"Absolutely not!" Ozpin immediately yelled, shooting up to his feet, "We don't know what will happen in these coming days, but if something goes south, we will need to use the Relic's wisdom!"

Ruby opened her mouth to say something, but Qrow overrode her. He was leaning against the wall, taking large drafts from his flask.

"Sorry, Oz, but I'm going to disagree with you on this for many reasons. One, if this plan of ours does goes south, we will be dead. There is no two ways about it. Second, at this point, all of us are quite curious about this. Besides, as Ruby said, maybe there could be a clue in defeating Frieza, as crazy as that sounds."

The room nodded in unison; their eyes now fixed back onto Jinn. The only person not staring at Jinn was Vegeta, who gave Ozpin a deep scowl, silencing the wise spirit of any other objections he might have.

"So, I take it that you will be going through with this?" Jinn asked presently.

Ruby nodded and the blue spirit closed her eyes. She began to glow and as she did so, the house around the group began to dissolve. There were cries of shock as the entire group suddenly found themselves in a white landscape that stretched around them as far as the eye can see. What was even worse, everyone suddenly became separated. No two people were in the same place. Everyone was alone.

"What the-," Ruby stammered, "Guys! Weiss!? Yang!? Gohan!? Anyone there!?"

"This is insane!" Goku exclaimed, staring around him at the vast expanse around him, "Where did everyone go!"

"Damn that woman!" Vegeta roared in rage, summoning Ki energy into his palm, "I will destroy you and this damn dimension you have sucked me into!"

As everyone in their separate white world stumbled around, trying to get their bearings, a sudden voice spoke to all of them. It was Jinn.

"Relax, your all safe. Just sit back and watch as I show you tale behind Frieza and the Saiyan race."

All around the landscape changed once more. Everyone suddenly found themselves floating through space, staring at a planet in the distance.

"No…," Vegeta croaked, the anger leaving him, "It can't be…"

---

"Our story begins here, many years ago," Jinn continued, "On Planet Vegeta. This is home to the Saiyan race, ruled by their king, King Vegeta. They were a ruthless warrior race, conquering many other worlds for the thrill of fighting. However, their reign at the top would soon come to an end."

As she spoke, a massive round spacecraft began approaching the planet at a quick pace. Around it, thousands of small spacecrafts flew alongside.

"That ship…" Weiss muttered, staring in awe, "It's exactly like the ship that Goku was found on."

The fleet entered the planet's atmosphere and the scene changed. Now, everyone was overlooking a massive palace on the planet. From above, the ships descended from the sky. On the ground, citizens of the planet stared up in shock, pointing and yelling.

The largest ship landed near the palace along with a few other smaller ships. A group of Saiyans, fully armored in space armor and sporting monkey like tails, stood waiting for them.

In the front was a tall Saiyan with red armor and matching red cape. His face was arrogant and royal, accompanied by a black goatee. Topping it off, his hair stood up in black spikes. The watchers from Remnant gasped. The Saiyan was the spitting image of the Vegeta they know so well.

Hatches on the spacecrafts slid open. Gang planks were lowered onto the ground and a troop of soldiers disembarked. They formed ranks around the main spacecraft, leaving a pathway in the center. A troop of five in particular flamboyantly jumped off and landed before the Saiyans, striking poses. Then from the main ship, three figures began descending down.

The first was a hulking figure, nearly twice the size of Piccolo. He wore battle armor over his body just like everyone else, but he also had a long cape flowing from the shoulder pads. Atop his head were two long horns sticking upward, crowning his regal but smug face. His resemblance to a certain tyrant was quite uncanny.

The other figure was a short plump blue colored alien. She floated slightly off the ground, maybe trying to compensate for her lack of height. Her face was round, and she wore a very creepy smile on her face that spread from one side to another.

But it was the final figure that many of the stunned watchers looked at. He stood between the other two, overshadowed slightly by the horned alien but still reasonably sized. He wore no battle armor, but he was still quite recognizable to anyone who had seen him before.

The three began walking towards the waiting Saiyans, striding down the pathway formed by their troops. As they approached, the Saiyans all suddenly knelt, including the leader.

"King Cold," the leader said, "It is an honor to host you on our planet."

The massive alien stopped before the Saiyan. He chuckled slightly, though nothing funny had been said.

"Why thank you, King Vegeta," he said, his voice smooth and cordial, "I see that Planet Vegeta is faring as well as always."

Watching the exchange, Vegeta clenched his fists as his father knelt before the other king. His rage boiled at the humiliation and he wished he could somehow step in and blow the bastard away.

"Yes," King Vegeta continued, "Our missions to other planets have been quite successful. There is not many that can stand up to the might of Saiyans."
He said this last part with unmistakable pride and many of the watchers recognized it as the same pride that constantly surrounded Vegeta.

"Like father, like son I guess," Yang murmured quietly.

King Cold laughed in delight.

"Excellent! Now, let us get down to business, shall we?"

He gestured behind him to the center figure and all eyes, including the watchers, turned to see Frieza step up. He barely looked any different than his current self, except for the fact he was not wearing armor and he was slightly shorter. But his face was still the same evil and malicious one that the watchers knew all too well.

"I would like to announce," King Cold said loudly and clearly, "That I'm stepping down from my position as tyrant of the universe!"

The Saiyans exchanged surprised looks, murmuring to each other. King Vegeta said nothing, but his fists tightened over his knee.

"In my stead," King Cold continued, "My son, Frieza, will be inheriting the throne. This will mean that everything belonged to me is also being passed down. The Cold Force," he gestured around at all the troops, "Will now be known as the Frieza Force. All planets that were under my rule will now answer to him."

There was a short silence as the Saiyans digested this information. Despite being powerful warriors, they wore expressions of worry and even fright. Clearly, they were not too sure about being led by another, much younger ruler. Especially when they didn't know much about him.

King Cold stepped back slightly, allowing his son to take center stage. Frieza took a moment to clear his throat, before looking up at the Saiyans. His blood red eyes pierced through all of them and he smirked mockingly.

"Greetings, monkeys," he said, "I am so very pleased that you will be working for me. I know that you are quite the powerful warrior race and are some of my father's favorite minions."

Despite the compliment, his voice had a tinge of malice to it that unnerved the Saiyans. They shifted uncomfortably, trying to avoid his evil gaze. Even the mighty King Vegeta was beginning to sweat. He had a feeling that this new emperor would not be the same as his father.

Frieza's grin grew wider as the silence stretched. He snapped his fingers in the direction of the short blue woman. She signaled to a nearby trooper who stepped forward, producing a large case that he opened in front of Frieza.

"To celebrate this joyous occasion," Frieza said, "I have a gift for you that will make your missions even easier."

He reached into the case and produced a device that many of the watchers recognized instantly. Neo touched her communication device reflexively as Frieza held up the scouter out to the Saiyans.

"I have been informed that you still use the outdated trackers that are both quite bulky and inaccurate," Frieza continued, "So our scientists have created a new tracking device that is both portable and accurate. As an added feature, it can detect enemy power levels so you can gauge how you match up against them. They also serve as useful communication devices."

He put the scouter around his left eye, clicking the red button on the side once it was secured. It beeped a few times as it started up and the Saiyans gasped in awe.

"As you can see," Frieza explained, "They are quite simple. All you need to do is press the button and the device will immediately start scanning for nearby energy levels and measuring them."

The Saiyan's nodded, some of them smiling and a few even clapping in appreciation. King Vegeta grinned and bowed his head towards Frieza.

"We are very grateful for this gift, Lord Frieza."

Frieza gestured to his side where a number of Frieza Soldiers were carrying large crates off of one of the spacecrafts.

"We are supplying you with a large amount that should cover most of your men. There will be regular shipments every month to avoid any shortages and-"

Suddenly, Frieza stopped. As everyone watched, the scouter over his eye began beeping. He looked at the data for a second and his lips began curling into an evil sneer.

"My, what do we have here," he whispered maliciously, "Several power levels in nearby towers. And all of them have their guns trained on this very spot."

King Vegeta staggered back slightly, his face going slack as he looked between Frieza and Cold, terrified of what their reaction would be. To his great surprise, Cold did not say anything, opting to just grin a little. But the wicked grin on Frieza's face frightened him greatly.

"It seems we have some trust issues," Frieza said, "Unfortunately, that simply won't do."

Faster than anyone could react, his shot his finger up towards a nearby watchtower and fired a beam of energy. A split-second later, the tower exploded, crumbling down on top of itself. Frieza pointed to another tower and fired once more and then one more time, pointing behind him and firing over his shoulder. The Saiyans sat frozen in horror as the towers collapsed, the screams echoing from them piercing their hearts. King Vegeta tried to say something, but he could only manage a few croaking sounds.

Lord Frieza smiled in satisfaction, leering down upon the king of the Saiyans, displaying no remorse for his actions. Behind him, his father too just smirked, as if he had predicted this would happen.

"I hope we can get along, monkey," Frieza said silkily to King Vegeta, "It would be shame if I had to exterminate you all."

With that he spun around, cackling as he boarded his ship along with his father and the plump alien, leaving King Vegeta to stammer incoherently. Then, the scene shifted and began showing short visions of other planets and enslaved races. The voice of Jinn once more began to narrate.

"From this moment onward, Lord Frieza ruled over the Saiyans and all other races with an iron fist, using them as he saw fit. He conquered thousands more during the next few years, sacrificing many Saiyan warriors in the process. He was soon feared throughout the universe as the most ruthless and powerful being. None dared challenge him."

Goku stared at the scenes silently, his face stoic. However, every time a scene showed another race being captured or slaughtered, his body tensed, and his knuckles cracked.

He was not the only one. Piccolo watched as alien race after alien race was conquered, reminding him of the conquering and slaughtering of his own people.

"Five years passed like this with little change in routine," Jinn continued, "That is until Lord Frieza got wind of a certain legend."

The landscape shifted again. The watchers found themselves in a spacecraft, slowly moving through space. They were near the control helm, where various alien races sat at the controls. Overlooking them all was Frieza, sitting in a floating throne. Beside him was the blue plump woman, still smiling creepily. Before him stood a yellow alien wearing white robes and talking to him with a nervous pitch in his voice.

"You see, my lord, our sources say that the Saiyan race believe in a legend known as the Super Saiyan. This legend apparently is very powerful and, to some Saiyan's, will be able to revolt against you!"

Frieza sat in his chair, considering this. Next to him, the plump woman spoke, her voice croaky.

"A Super Saiyan? We have no records of such a thing."

"It is only a legend," the yellow convoy urged, his eyes still fixed on Frieza, "Even the Saiyan's themselves, though they wish for it to come, know that it is only a legend. I believe there is no threat to your rule, Lord Frieza."

"No threat," Frieza repeated quietly. He glanced over at the woman.

"What are the statistics of some of our monkeys, Berryblue?"

Berryblue produced a small tablet and tapped it a few times.

"The Saiyan warriors have steadily risen up the ranks, becoming some of our most powerful units. They seem to improve each time they are sent out."
Frieza narrowed his eyes. The convoy before him stepped back a few paces, feeling the malice emanating from the emperor.

"Berryblue," Frieza said quietly, "Give orders to set a course for Planet Vegeta. And send a message to all dispatched Saiyans that they are to report back to Planet Vegeta immediately."

Berryblue smile widened even more.

"Understood, my lord."

She floated away to give the orders, leaving Frieza to look out one of the ships windows, his face breaking into a sadistic grin.

"This legend… the Super Saiyan," he mused, "It is a perfect opportunity to get rid of the Saiyans… planet and all."

The scene dissolved as he broke into murderous laughter. Jinn's voice spoke once more.

"None of the Saiyans were aware that they were heading right to their graves. To them, though Frieza was a ruthless tyrant, there was no danger of them being exterminated. Not when they were some of his best troops."

Gohan watched sadly as the new scenes showed thousands of pods heading towards Planet Vegeta, all carrying Saiyans destined to die

"Not a single one knew?" he asked no one, "No one suspected?"

There was a quiet pause. Then Jinn spoke again.

"Well…, there was one."

The scene shifted and all the watchers gasped. The vision showed the inside of a pod and two Saiyan's sitting inside. They were both wearing battle armor, sporting Saiyan tails and wearing the updated scouters around their eyes. However, one of them had a hairstyle identical to Goku's, down to the last spiky bang. Even the face was eerily similar, though it was a bit gruffer and more had less smile wrinkles. This was clearly a battle worn veteran. Yet, the resemblance between him and Goku was uncanny.

Goku was lost for words as he watched his father and the Saiyan talk. He was so stunned and emotional that he almost missed what the two were saying.

"So Bardock," said the other Saiyan, smiling cheekily, "Why do you think Frieza want's us back at Planet Vegeta? Maybe he wants to personally thank all of us."

The Saiyan chuckled a little to himself, imaging his fantasy. Bardock, however, did not smile. Instead, he reached up and took off his scouter and placed it away. His partner took notice of this and looked at him curiously.

"Whatcha doin, Bardock?"

"Turning off my scouter so no one hears us," Bardock replied sternly, "I suggest you do the same."

The Saiyan stared at him for a second. He looked tempted to ask what was going on, but instead he just took off his own scouter. Once it was off, Bardock sighed and looked out the pods only window.

"I think there is something very fishy about all of this," he began, "This just isn't normal. Frieza would never order us all back to Planet Vegeta, let alone meet us there. It just isn't like him."

The Saiyan raised an eyebrow.

"Are you suggesting that there is a plot?"

Bardock nodded.

"Ever since a few years ago, we Saiyans have become some Frieza's best men, rising up the ranks faster than any other race. We grow more powerful after every encounter. I think this is beginning to worry Frieza. Especially if he has done some research."

"What do you mean by research?"

Bardock looked at his partner, his face deadly serious.

"If he knows about the legendary Super Saiyan, then he will have reason to worry that we are getting strong enough to overthrow him."

There was short pause. His partner did not want to ask the question on his mind, but he really had to know if Bardock was implying what he thought he was implying.

"Are you... saying that Frieza is… going to… kill us all?"

Bardock's silence was an answer in of itself. His grim face was the last thing the watchers saw of him before scene changed, Jinn's voice accompanying it.

"Unfortunately, Bardock, father of Kakarot, was correct in his suspicions. However, he would fail to warn the rest of his people about their impending doom."

The scene shifted one final time. It showed Frieza, floating in his throne above his spaceship, looking down upon Planet Vegeta. He silently raised his index finger up and a small ball of orange energy appeared, slowly growing larger until it dwarfed the emperor controlling it. Frieza paused for one final second before letting out a great roar of laughter as he sent the ball of death down towards the planet. It soared down and crashed into the surface, causing massive cracks to appear throughout the planet as the energy ball dug into it, slowly destroying it completely along with the millions of Saiyans that inhabited it.

The watchers all watched, speechless as Planet Vegeta ceased to exist, Frieza continuing to laugh all the while, his cold laughter piercing their brains. Thankfully, the sound soon cut out as the scene began to dissolve and Jinn started talking one final time.

"On that day, the Saiyan race was exterminated in one swift blow by Lord Frieza. That is, except for a select handful that were able to escape or somehow did not hear about the order to return to Planet Vegeta. Two of these survivors… are currently here, listening to me. One is Kakarot, also known as Goku, son of the low-class warrior Bardock. The other is Prince Vegeta, son of the proud King Vegeta. You two now face an enemy that dates back to when you were born. The only question is, can you defeat him? Unfortunately, I cannot tell the future, but I can say this much. It will not be an easy task."

With that, Jinn's voice faded away and the entire group found themselves back in Tai's living room, slightly shell shocked after the experience they went through. For a while, nobody spoke. Nobody even moved. On the coffee table, the Relic of Knowledge sat still, no longer glowing and no longer emitting the spirit of Jinn. It took nearly ten minutes before Tai shakily got to his feet.

"Well then…," he said hoarsely, "I think I need some sleep."

Beside him, Raven stood as well.

"Yes. I will go upstairs and wash up and meet you in our bedroom."

She left the room without another word, leaving Tai to gape after her. Qrow actually let out a weak chuckle.

"Well, if there is any good news, Tai is getting some action tonight."

Tai reddened brightly, rounding on Qrow.

"First of all, she's your sister and my ex-wife. Second of all, her tribe member just died before. Third of all, her entire tribe has been annihilated. Fourth of all, we just watched a psychopathic emperor exterminate an entire planet. Fifth of all-"

"So what?" Qrow said, waving him off, "That's exactly why she needs you. There was a reason she married you at one point. Maybe it's because she needed you. So why don't you make yourself useful again?"

Tai opened his mouth to retort but closed it just as quickly. He simply turned and walked out after Raven. Qrow sniggered, taking another swig from his flask before noticing no one else had moved. Not even the likes of Goku, Vegeta and Piccolo.

Qrow got up and headed out himself. He decided not to try and say anything to the others. Even his nieces. He knew that sometimes, people just needed to comprehend the situation before them. And a situation as dire as this would take some time.

"I just hope they get some sleep soon," he said to himself quietly, seating himself at the dining table in the kitchen, "They need to train tomorrow. Especially if they stand even the slimmest chance of saving our world from certain destruction."

---

Captain Ginyu awoke with a start. He jolted upward, nearly banging his against the doctor who was inspecting him.

"What! Where am I?! What is going!?"

"Calm down, Captain," the doctor urged quickly, "You are in the med bay at headquarters. You flew in a few hours ago barely conscious and blacked out once you landed. We took straight here to tend to your wounds and the missing arm."

Ginyu started to control his breathing, taking note of his surroundings. He indeed was in medical room. Medicine cabinets lined the walls and, on the counters, lay numerous tools for surgery. He also found himself sitting on an operation table.

"My arm," he started quickly, "Is there anything you can do?"

The doctor's glasses flashed, and he gave Ginyu a smug smile.

"Captain, if you look to your right, you will see your arm."

Ginyu, thoroughly confused, glanced over to his right. He gaped as his eyes fell on a large, synthetic arm laying on the table beside him. He also then noticed that his stump has been tended to and was covered by round steel attachment. As he stared in astonishment, the doctor moved to his right, lifting the synthetic arm up and holding it out to the Captain.

"Please behold your new and improved arm. We made sure to make proper measurements so to make it resemble to original perfectly. However, unlike the original, you will find this to be far more durable, powerful, and all around more useful. Now if I may-,"

The doctor leaned forward and carefully screwed the arm into the steel attachment on Ginyu's stump. It fit perfectly and the doctor stepped back, grinning broadly.

"Well, go on. Try it out."

Ginyu tried to move his arm and found, to his fascination, that the synthetic arm followed perfectly. It felt exactly like a real arm would. He smiled himself, twisting it around and waving his arm around. Then he tried something else. Concentrating hard, he channeled Ki energy to the synthetic arm. For a second, nothing happened. Then, he felt a ball of warmth tickle his palm. He looked to see that just above his synthetic arm, a small ball of energy had been summoned.

"This is incredible, doc!" he cried out, jumping off the operation table in his excitement. He didn't even acknowledge the fact that he was fully healed and could walk completely fine. The doctor pushed up his glasses, watching as Ginyu did a few punching motions with his new arm, marveling at how fast and accurately it responded.

"That is some of the best Atlas technology we have. Since Lord Frieza has control over Atlas, we were able to get many of their high-tech equipment, including this synthetic arm."

Captain Ginyu stopped mid-punch. In all his confusion about where he was and the excitement about his new arm, he hadn't even thought about Lord Frieza. He suddenly felt great anger at himself for not prioritizing and had half a mind to punch himself with his new arm.

"Lord Frieza," he said, his voice urgent, "Is he around?"

The doctor shifted nervously.

"Yes, he is up in the throne room. However, I would like to warn you that he is not in the best spirits. I don't know if you knew about this before you came back but blew up most Anima."

Ginyu vaguely remembered a massive explosion occurring behind him as he had flown back to the base. But he must have been too injured and tried to register it much at the time.

"I understand. Thank you for the info, doc. And thank you for the new arm. You will always be seen as a friend in the eyes of the Ginyu Force!"

With that, he did a flashy pose before heading out the door, leaving a very confused doctor.

Captain Ginyu proceeded to head up towards the throne room, taking an assortment of hallways and stairways. As he walked, his mind began traveling to other things, letting his legs guide him instinctively. He thought about what had happened at Haven, the humiliation at the hands of Prince Vegeta and how the Frieza Force had been beaten down. And then there was Adam Taurus.

Ginyu felt a small pang of regret as he thought about the bull faunus. He had truly seen some potential in him and had even thought that he had broken through and reached it. But it hadn't been enough. He had been beaten down easily and as a result, punished accordingly by Lord Frieza himself.

He stopped for a second and sighed. For the first time in a while, he felt like he had lost a teammate, a partner… a friend.

"Godspeed you bastard," he said quietly, "Godspeed."

He stood for a few more seconds. Then he shook himself. He could not get sappy right now. His main priority was serving Lord Frieza. Adam was dead because he had failed and that was that. He continued forward, pushing the sentimental thoughts away, though they lingered in the back of his head.

It took about another five minutes for Ginyu to reach the massive double doors leading to the throne room. As usual, there were two Frieza Soldiers guarding the doors. When they saw Ginyu, however, they stepped aside instantly.

"Good to see you back to full health, Captain Ginyu," one of them said in a professional tone, "Lord Frieza is inside. He said to let you in if you came around."

Ginyu nodded silently and pushed open the doors. At the end of the long room, Lord Frieza stood beside his throne, apparently deep in thought. Ginyu walked over, not saying anything until he reached him and bowed down.

"Lord Frieza!" he said, his usual flamboyance returning, "I am happy to see you in good health!"

Frieza did not respond. He just stared off into space, still thinking about something. Ginyu did not move, maintaining his bow until spoken to. After a few minutes, Frieza finally turned to him, as if only noticing him then.

"Ah, Captain Ginyu," he said, his tone as eloquent as ever, "I see you have made a full recovery and have acquired a new arm as well."

Ginyu smiled widely, showing off his synthetic arm.

"It is quite the improvement, my lord," he said gleefully, "But I am not important. What is our next move?"

Frieza scowled, turning away once more.

"Killing those filthy brats is my number one priority. Unfortunately, that little half-breed destroyed my only scouter, leaving me completely blind."

His fists tightened and for a few seconds, his power rose, shaking the surrounding area slightly. But he pushed it down quickly, though his face was still contorted into an ugly grimace.

"I have sent troops all around the world to search for them and report back immediately if they do find them. I am not planning to let them escape my grasp a second time."

Ginyu nodded vigorously.

"Yes, my lord! How do you wish for me to help?"

Frieza considered this for a second. Then he turned away from Ginyu and headed towards th throne, talking over his shoulder as he went.

"For now, I want you to get acquainted with that new arm of yours and strengthen yourself up. Your defeat at the hands of Vegeta should not be repeated."

Ginyu posed flamboyantly, crying out, "Yes, my lord!"

He proceeded to jog out of the throne room, leaving the emperor alone once more. Frieza sat in his throne, turning his thoughts back to what he was thinking before Ginyu came in. As he thought about it, his fists tightened around the arms of the throne and his scowl became deeper.

"The Legendary Super Saiyan," he muttered under his breath before slamming his tail against the back of the throne, "You vile pathetic monkeys! I will not allow you to reach such heights! You may have escaped last time, but next time…," his scowl morphed into a look of absolute blood lust.

"I will show you just how terrifying I can be."

---

As our heroes recover from their fight at Haven Academy, Lord Frieza prepares his next move. His soul goal is now eliminating our heroes from the picture, no matter the cost. Will our heroes be able to find a way to defeat him? Or will they join the many victims of his wrath? Find out next time on Dragon Ball R!

Authors Note: Hello lads. Once again, I would like to apologize for the extreme lateness of this chapter. There really isn't much of an excuse except that I had a hard time coming up off ways to transition into basically the next part of the story. But even than it took too long. I also did some experimenting with the Afterlife thing; which I hope you do enjoy. Another thing I would like to say quickly is that there may be some questions concerning the Frieza/Saiyan story, mainly why Broly isn't mentioned. Quite simply, he isn't relevant to this story or even the question posed to Jinn in the first place. Other than though, if you have any other questions, please leave a review or PM me and I will be more than happy to answer them. With that being said, I hope you all enjoyed and I will see you in the next chapter!