Before I start off the chapter, I would like to make a quick point about some of the reviews that we're given on the last chapter. I received several reviews that expressed some concern over the fact that Tien may be slightly overpowered in this story and that he handled the Ginyu Force too easily. Well, let me first start off by saying that I can see where you could potentially see that but I have to disagree. First off, in the case of Tien being able to defeat the Ginyu Force with relative ease, this is not as much of a stretch as some of you may think. We can see from the actual show, that Goku was able to defeat all three of the Ginyu Force with even greater ease than Tien did, and his power level while doing that was around 60,000 when he accomplished this. We know this because that was Captain Ginyu's estimate of his power level for being able to defeat his men with such ease and then they fought around the 60,000 level mark for a while completely even. So actually, if anything, Tien had a harder time defeating the Ginyu Force than he should have since they were able to damage and hit him several time even before Guldo's Mind Bind
Another question several people had was about the example I listed for the 5% difference between FPSSJ Goku vs. Perfect Cell. First off, Korin said that quote when Goku powered up for him and then Goku said that he was only using half of his power in that power-up. So that explains that question. Also yes, Perfect Cell's max is higher than Goku's but at the time they fought Cell's Power Level was 5% higher than Goku's max. He later powers up even more to fight Gohan but the example is simply for people that want to see an example of the kind of fight I'm talking about to see firsthand from the show.
Also, Tien will not always be the strongest fighter amongst the Z fighters. A goal of mine for this story is to have a constant carousel of who the strongest Z Warrior is. I, like several of you, didn't like how only Goku, and every now and then Gohan, was always the strongest and always defeated the villains. It's just for now, since he's the only one that's received King Kai's training and mastered the Kaio-Ken to where he can use it continuously Tien is the strongest. He won't be able to breeze through the competition for much longer and I hope this chapter will help erase any doubts about that. So now, without further ado, here's the new chapter. Sorry for the long A/N, but I felt I needed to explain myself since I had several people with concerns about the same issue. I hope you enjoy the new chapter!
Edited by: Ness Frost
Chapter 29
A loud hissing sound echoed over the grassy plains of Planet Namek as the hatch to the Capsule Corp spaceship slowly slid open, revealing the interior of the round, metal sphere. The inside of the ship was completely trashed. The red tiles on the floor were cracked and uprooted from their natural places and scorch marks littered the walls of spacecraft around the large gravity console that was centered in the middle of the vessel.
A blue boot stepped onto the steel platform that had clamped down onto the ground below, and from the interior emerged the figure of Goku as he peered out of the entry way and took his first look upon the planet of Piccolo and Kami's origins. This planet seemed to be very similar to Earth, only the color of the grass and sky was flipped, and the landscape before him reminded Goku of the area that he and Piccolo and trained in before the Saiyans' arrival. The former Demon King must have naturally gravitated towards that region because of its similarity to his ancestral home world.
"So serene," commented Goku as he surveyed the land before him. After taking in the scenery for a few more seconds, he turned his mind to more important tasks. When he had been entering through the atmosphere, the Saiyan had felt several familiar energy signatures: Tien's, Gohan's, and Vegeta's. If the fact that his son and friend were with the evil Saiyan Prince wasn't bad enough, Goku had also sensed another incredibly powerful energy that was also with them, and that wasn't even getting into the enormous dark ki that he only assumed could be this Frieza Bulma's father had told him about.
Sighing, the former Turtle School student reached down and tightened the knot of the small, brown bag that was looped around his waist before saying, "Better be prepared for the worst." After testing the knot, Goku looked up and stared off into the horizon where he sensed his son and Tien.
"Don't worry guys," he said confidently as he kicked off of the ground and blasted off towards the congregation of powerful ki's. "I'm coming."
The terrain beneath him became a mere blur as he rushed to the battlefield at supersonic speeds. As he flew, Goku's mind never wandered. It remained fixated on that gigantic ki that he didn't recognize which was alongside Tien's, Gohan's, and Vegeta's energy signatures. The energy was enormous, far more powerful than any output the others had released yet, and Goku wasn't sure if even the power he had gained during his training would be enough to defeat this unknown threat.
Having landed nearby, it did not take long for Goku to arrive on the battlefield and a gust of wind washed over the combatants as they looked on in awe at his landing. Lifting his eyes from the ground, the Saiyan from Earth saw that his son and Vegeta were both in pretty bad shape. They both were bloodied and bruised and the other full-blooded Saiyan was clutching his left arm as he tried to stop the bleeding, staining his pure white glove red.
Pulling his eyes away from the battered forms of his son and the prince, Goku glanced over to where Tien was standing. The three eyed human's arms hung limply at his sides and his chest heaved as his lungs gasped for air, completing the portrait of pure exhaustion. Even though the man was extremely debilitated from the wear and tear of fighting, he had an exuberantexpression on his usually stoic face as he saw Goku arrive.
"Goku," Tien hailed, "glad you could make it."
The Saiyan laughed before making his patented Son grin as he said, "Well you know me Tien; I'd never miss out on a good fight! You guys look like you've been through the works though."
The Former Crane student simply nodded his head before gesturing over to his right. "Yeah, this Frieza has some pretty strong lackeys he's sent after us. I managed to take out most of them, but this one's been much more of a challenge.
For the first time, Goku turned his head to face the powerful ki that he had been able to sense all the way from space. Standing there, with arched eyebrows as he surveyed the newcomer, was a purple-skinned man that had two black horns protruding out of his head. Veins popped out of his cranium as it seemed his brain was so large that it pushed against the skin that covered his skull.
"So this is the guy that's been causing you so much trouble huh Tien?" asked Goku as he continued to stare down the alien warrior.
Tien opened his mouth to reply, but he was caught off when the flamboyant captain spoke up first. "Captain Ginyu, leader of the illustrious Ginyu Force, is my name and you must be the cavalry I presume. Well, I don't know what good he's going to do you, he's completely unprofessional! I mean just look at you! It looks like you just rolled out of bed, for goodness's sake you're even wearing pajamas!"
"Daddy!" Ignoring the pretentious soldier in favor of his son, Goku quickly made his way to his ecstatic son, who was absolutely beaming from seeing his father for the first time in months. Smiling, the father bent down and gingerly embraced his son despite the snarl overhead that came from the Saiyan Prince because of the affectionate display.
"Get up you fools!" he hissed. "Our enemies are still on the battlefield and you are making our race like weak. Even though it disgusts me to no end, you two are Saiyans, so act like one."
After giving his son one last pat in the back, Goku broke their hug and then looked up at the older Saiyan.
"I'm not a Saiyan Vegeta," he claimed. "I wasn't raised by Saiyans, I was raised by humans, and they gave me a better home than the Saiyans ever could have." Goku saw Vegeta growl in response but he said nothing in response to his denouncement of his race in favor of the people of Earth.
"So you're a Saiyan," commented Ginyu after watching the exchange with interest. "And here I was thinking that we had exterminated all of the monkeys except for Vegeta. I guess there were bound to be a few holed up somewhere. You should have stayed there though, you would have lived longer."
Not acknowledging the captain's remarks, Goku reached for the brown bag that was hanging from his waist.
"Here," he said as his hand fished out three beans from the pouch, "it looks like you guys could use these." Tossing a bean to each of his three allies, Goku watched as his son and Tien's faces brightened slightly from receiving the Senzu Beans.
"This is that healing bean you used on Earth correct Kakarot?" questioned Vegeta as he examined the restorative kernel.
"Yeah, just eat and you'll be good as new again Vegeta," stated Goku with a smile. While the Saiyan Prince still thought over eating the bean, Tien and Gohan gladly popped them into their mouths. After simultaneous gulps, the Saiyan from Earth watched as the injuries quickly faded away from his son and his friend's bodies and he could feel their ki replenished thanks to the magical beans.
Seeing the results that the Senzu Beans had provided for his reluctant allies, Vegeta begrudgingly ate the green bean. The effects were almost immediate, for as soon as the Saiyan had swallowed the mystical plant, his wounds healed and his muscles bulged with newly acquired strength. From Goku's perspective, it looked like the armor his fellow saiyan wore was going to burst from the newly acquired bulk Vegeta had gained but the elastic armor quickly readjusted to fit its wearer's size.
"Well that's a handy little trick," said Captain Ginyu as he watched in awe as the bruises and cuts vanished from his enemies' bodies. "Mind telling me where I can get me some magic healing beans of my own?"
"I think they're ignoring you sir," commented Guldo as Goku and the others once again failed to acknowledge the leader of the Ginyu's Forces' remarks.
"I'm well aware of that Guldo thank you," snapped the purple alien at his subordinate. Looking over because of the commotion, Goku saw that the confident grin that the Captain had been wearing had turned into a frown as he looked on at the scene of Tien, Gohan, and Vegeta all stretching out their newly repaired muscles.
"So," said Goku as he turned to face Tien who was rolling his shoulders, "were you able to find all of the Dragon Balls? I think Bulma's dad told me that you guys had managed to get a few of them."
The three eyed warrior nodded. "Yeah, and we actually managed to get ahold of all seven, but then Ginyu and his men managed to catch up with us. The short green one over there has the ability to stop time, and he managed to take all of the Dragon Balls from us before we could even put up a fight, so now Frieza has all seven."
"What!?" shouted the Saiyan from Earth. "Frieza has all of them! Has he made his wish?"
Tien shook his head in response and opened his mouth to answer, but he was cut off when a certain horned alien proclaimed, "Yes, fortunately for you, Frieza wasn't able to make his wish yet. That won't save you though, for as soon as he returns from interrogating those Namekians he'll have the password and be able to make his wish for immortality."
"So wait a moment," interjected Vegeta, his ears pricking up from Ginyu's claims. "So you're saying that Frieza isn't at the ship?"
"That is correct."
"And since you're here, that means only cannon fodder is guarding the Dragon Balls right now," muttered Vegeta. "Interesting…"
"Oh no!" said Gohan. "That means Frieza must know where Guru's is Tien!"
Gnashing his teeth together, Tien snarled as he realized that the survivors from Frieza's massacre were more than likely about to be slaughtered. "If only I had made the wishes faster!" he growled before looking over at Goku.
"Alright Goku, we need to work together so we can take these guys out as fast as possible. Then, we can head for Frieza's ship and get the Dragon Balls back."
His face becoming dead serious, Goku nodded before taking the bag containing his last senzu bean and tossing it to his son. "Hold on to that Gohan, we might need it later." The boy nodded at his father, before the kind Saiyan and Tien turned to face Captain Ginyu.
"I wouldn't plan on stealing back the Dragon Balls if I were you," said the alien as he sunk into his fighting stance, "because you won't be leaving here alive."
"We'll see about that," said Goku before turning his head to glance at his friend. Tien gave him a slight nod and then the two protectors of Earth let out simultaneous battle cries as their auras exploded around them. The red aura of the Kaio-ken seemed to match perfectly with the pure hearted warrior's virginal white aura as they two powered up.
"Hum," said Ginyu as the power level on his scouter rose rapidly as it attempted to scan both of his opponents' skyrocketing power levels. "I may actually get a decent work-out after all."
0o0o0o0o0o0
A gentle breeze rushed past the motionless form of Nail as he looked down upon his people's encampment beneath the Eldest Namek's home. His vest fluttered aimlessly in the wind and the solemn warrior could sense a large increase in power from the human warrior, as well as another power. He had been monitoring the Earthlings' battle against the forces of the slaughterer of his people, and he had been impressed by Tien's capabilities. Things had looked bleak when a large, dark energy had arrived on the battlefield but now that another pure force had arrived things looked to be in the favor of the fighters for good.
Tearing his mind away from the distant war, Nail focused on the object of his gaze. It saddened his heart greatly to see what his people had been reduced to. Refugees. People torn from their homes, their friends and family slaughtered, all because of a madman's greed. Many had been slain for the mystical spheres, which were meant to represent wisdom, in the tyrant's foolish quest for immortality. The Nameks had just begun to fully recover from the Great Drought that had occurred several centuries ago and now they were being driven to extinction.
The man's green fists clenched in anger. He hadn't been able to protect his people from the maniacal emperor's rampage. Being Guru's personal bodyguard and the strongest member of the warrior caste gave him the title of Protector of Namek and he had failed in that duty. Every time he had raced towards a village where he sensed the monster and his men go, he was always too late and he arrived to a scene of unadulterated horror of the sight of his mutilated kin.
Eventually, Nail had just resigned himself to remaining at the Grand Elder's. He would at least make his last stand protecting the father of his race before he joined the rest of his brethren in the next dimension. It was not until Tien's arrival that Nail had even begun to hope that he might actually survive the genocide of his race, or that the dead of his people would be resurrected from their untimely demises.
Another pang of guilt and shame shot through the Namek warrior. It was up to the Earthlings, foreigners to Nail's home world, to save the dying race from its greatest threat. He was simply too weak to make a difference. His complacency after becoming the strongest Namekian by a large margin had left him inadequate to face this threat, and the innocent people of Namek had paid the price.
"Lamentable isn't it." Nail turned his head to see that another green warrior had joined him along the cliff's edge. The newcomer, whose name was Tsumuri, wore an orange shirt with matching pants with a white belt around his waist. The younger Namek was tall, one of the tallest members of their species, and very stout. His body was toned with powerful, broad shoulders and large muscles that showed his status as one of the most powerful members of the Warrior Caste. In fact, if Nail remembered correctly, only the Grand Elder's guardian was stronger than Tsumuri.
"Hello brother," greeted Nail, "what brings you here? Do you have business with the Grand Elder?"
"No," replied the other warrior. "I came here to speak with you." Nail simply arched his eyebrows and Tsumuri took his silence as a sign to continue. "I wanted to discuss the Earthlings with you. I know the Elders have faith in them, but do you think they will be able to succeed in their mission to regain the Dragon Balls? Many of the people have their doubts."
Turning his gaze back towards the rows of tents below, Nail said, "Yes, if there is anyone that will be able to succeed in this task it will be them. I have complete faith in them."
"You've grown quite fond of them," stated Tsumuri. "Especially the three eyed one."
"He is a noble and honorable warrior," quickly responded Guru's protector. "He is worthy of respect and admiration. If not for him you would be more than likely dead, brother, along with the rest of your village. I am grateful for his assistance to our people."
"As am I, but that is just it." Nail turned to look at his fellow clan member and he could see a downtrodden expression had formed on his face. "If it wasn't for the human, I would have been killed. Not only would I have perished, but the entire village I had sworn to protect would have perished along with me."
'It seems I'm not the only one suffering from the guilt of not being able to protect our people,' thought the older warrior as he watched Tsumuri gnash his teeth together in frustration. Though, now that he thought about it, every member of the Warrior caste more than likely had the same feelings of failure that he had. They had failed in their birthright, the duty to protect the people of Namek.
"I heard you fought valiantly when the villagers were attacked on the trip here," said Nail in a slightly softer tone. "You managed to keep them safe and defeat the invaders."
"Yes, but if not for the youngling, Dende, several of the villagers would have died from the wounds they had suffered," retorted the younger man. "It is maddening that we are unable to protect ourselves from these invaders and to be forced to rely on the help of strangers!"
"There is nothing we can do now about that," said Nail. "We must concede that we are simply not strong enough to beat Frieza on our own and that we need the Earthlings' help."
Another surge of air passed between the two Namekian warriors as they stood in silence on the edge of the bluff overlooking the encampment. Each was buried deep in their own thoughts as feelings of uselessness and failure washed through them both.
"There is one way that could allow us to place our people's destiny back into our own hands…" finally said Tsumuri breaking the silence that hung over them.
"That technique is forbidden," quickly snapped Nail, "and with good reason. You do remember what happened the last time that technique was attempted?"
"Yes, yes I remember the Legend of Slug," said the younger Namek with a dismissive wave of his hand. "It's just an old myth Nail."
"So you're saying that Guru is a liar?" snarled the Grand Elder's attendant.
"No, but he was young when it occurred and he may not remember exactly what happened," retorted the taller man before turning to face the stoic form of Nail. "But that's beside the point, are you really willing to deny that kind of power when our people are facing extinction!?"
Turning his body so that he was for the first time face to face with his kin, Nail titled his head so that he was looking directly into the taller warrior's eyes. There was a glimmer of desperation in Tsumuri's eyes, and the other fighter could see that here was no ill intent or selfish motivation in his request. They stood there staring at each other for what seemed like hours, their faces mere inches away from each other.
Finally, Nail broke their staring contest by turning away from his warrior brother and resuming his position down looking upon the villagers. He watched over the remnants of his people like a stone guardian, unmoving as his mind thought over Tsumuri's proposal.
"I know you mean well, but it's that kind of thinking that leads to corruption. We would gain power yes, and we might even be strong enough to defeat our enemy, but what then? We would want more and more power, until the desire for it consumed our being and molded us into a monster equal to the butcher of our people."
"Why are you so sure that performing the ritual will corrupt us?" asked the pleading warrior. "Don't you see that we need to try, so that we can save our people from certain doom!?"
"No, we must hope that the humans succeed in their mission," responded Nail curtly. "That's what the Grand Elder has decided."
"Shouldn't we be allowed to save ourselves!" shouted the broad shouldered Namek, finally losing his cool. He had kept his temper in check for as long as he could, but finally it had just exploded. Tsumuri couldn't understand why the strongest Namek alive was so adamant about allowing the humans to save their people.
"The answer is n…" Nail was cut off as he felt a sudden black and ungodly powerful energy signature suddenly invade his mind. An image of the sadistic overlord flashed before the green man's eyes and his head throbbed from the sheer power that seemed to be overloading his senses.
Despair suddenly coursed through every vein in his body as he sensed that the evil tyrant was rapidly approaching their location. It seemed that Frieza had finally found out the Nameks' hiding place and now he was on his way to finish what he had started, the extermination of the entire population.
Glancing over at the other member of the Warrior caste, Nail could see that his brother had also felt the approaching danger. Tsumuri shot the older man another pleading look before again presenting the plight of their people to their greatest defender.
"Nail, you must see now that there is no other choice but for us to perform the ritual if the remainder of our people are to survive!" he exclaimed.
"But…"
"But nothing!" interjected Tsumuri before Nail could even begin his argument. "There is no one else that can protect us now! Everyone will die if we do not set aside tradition and merge as one to battle this sadistic rampage of Frieza's. The younglings, the elders, even Guru will all be slaughtered by him, and if Guru dies then your hope in the Earthlings will be for naught as they will be unable to make their wishes to Porunga."
Nail remained silent as he absorbed the younger warrior's argument for their merger together. His eyes wandered through the camp below, and he saw panic began to spread as the villagers old enough to sense energy could sense the all-powerful ki heading straight for them. His hand clenched and he gnashed his teeth together as the protector of his planet realized that this decision would most likely determine the fate of his people.
"You do realize that your body will cease to exist if we perform the ritual," said the stoic Namek, never taking his eyes away from the rag tag village beneath his feet. "It will only work if the more powerful Namek is the base for the fusion, and your body will perish while your consciousness is forced into the recesses of my sub-consciousness. As I warned you before, this technique does not come without consequences."
It was true that the merging of two Namekians gave the users great power, but with great power came a steep price. Only the Grand Elders, Guru, and Nail knew the full extent of the forbidden ritual, and he could see the hesitation in the other warrior's face as he learned of the price that had to be paid for the fusion.
Tsumuri steeled himself though, and after letting out a sigh he nodded to the other and said, "Yes, I understand. I also understand that this is the only chance our people have of defeating this fiend. Even if it means sacrificing myself so that you will have to the strength to defeat him, then it is a small price to pay."
Giving the man a solemn nod before turning to face him, Nail placed his hand on the taller warrior's chest. "You are a noble warrior Tsumuri; you will not be forgotten for this final act of bravery. I swear it."
Opening his mind, Nail quickly established a telepathic link with his kin and the two men began to mix their consciousnesses together. It was a strange experience for the protector as the memories of both individuals swirled together until it seemed like Tsumuri's experiences were his own.
"Simply let your mind flow into the stream of my conscious," instructed Nail as he coached his partner through the alien process of melding minds together. The one being absorbed had to be a willing participant in the fusion, but since Tsumuri did not know the exact process like Nail he had to be coaxed through it. If Nail was the one being brought into the other person's body and mind, he could simply thrust himself inside of his partner's mind.
A pure white light began to emit from Nail's hand as their fusion began to reach its climax. The younger Namekian's mind was pouring into his at an increasingly rapid pace and as more and more of Tsumuri's mind merged with Nail's, more and more light discharged around the pair.
Finally, a pure white flash obscured the pair from sight as the beams of light seemed to form a pillar of white that encompassed the entire top of the mountain where Guru resided. The light from the merging of Namek's two strongest warriors seemed to shine out to the people below as a beacon of hope that pierced through the darkness that threatened to overwhelm them and the last of their home.
0o0o0o0o0o
Ginyu braced himself as ripples of energy from the two warriors from Earth caused tremors in the ground beneath his feet and a furious wind threatened to blow the weaker spectators, like Guldo, away. Loose rocks raced past his face, expelled from the ground from the powerful energy being released from the duo, as the green display over his eye continued to rise.
"Wow, the energy they're releasing is incredible," muttered the Captain. "It's been awhile since I've had to fight with all my might, but it looks like I have no choice now."
Striking one of his infamous poses, Ginyu released a mighty yell of his own as he began to raise his own power level. Purple energy swirled around him violently and the terrain shook even more furiously as the three powerful energies devastated the surrounding landscape. Nearby rock formations crumbled and crevices began to form in the earth as the three warriors reached the climax of their power-ups.
The tornado of wind abruptly ceased as all three men finished their increase in power at the same time, but the serenity was quickly broken as Tien and Goku charged the purple skinned alien. Ginyu smiled at their onrush and he easily followed the three eyed one's leg as he dropped low and attempted to sweep his opponent's legs out from underneath him. Pushing off of the ground, Captain Ginyu leapt over the outstretched limb and outstretched his hand, prepared to make the human pay for his careless assault as he charged a small ki blast intended for his exposed face.
What the alien didn't anticipate was Goku's fist suddenly smashing into his chin and sending him tumbling upward into the sky. Quickly performing a back-flip, Ginyu set his feet down atop a small hill, but he wasn't allowed much of a reprieve as his opponents were in hot pursuit. Tien and Goku both touched down on the grassy knoll as well, one to the leader of the Ginyu Force's right and the other on his left.
Rushing the horned alien, both of the attackers unleashed a flurry of blows upon their target. Ginyu was hard pressed to dodge the attacks as the two warriors seemed to be in perfect sync. There was just enough time between each of their strikes that if the Captain completely focused on one of his assailants, the other's fist smashed into his body.
After receiving a particularly devastating punch from the orange-clad one, Captain Ginyu was sent sprawling to the ground. The Saiyan definitely hit a lot harder than the human, but if they were in a one on one fight without his attention divided, Ginyu was sure the triclops wouldn't even stand a chance against him.
Growling, the purple warrior quickly pushed himself off of the ground and into the air above the small hill. He was just in time as well, for two different boots struck the spot he had just been in causing the hill to disintegrate to pebbles from the force of the dual strike.
Leaping from the crumbling knoll, Tien and Goku again chased after the Captain, taking only a split second to catch up to his unbalanced form. With simultaneous strikes, the two both launched powerful attacks at Ginyu. Goku aimed a powerful knee strike to man's vulnerable gut and Tien attempted to deliver a vicious elbow to Ginyu's exposed neck. Both of the thrusts missed, however, as they went straight through the afterimage of the Captain.
Ginyu reappeared quickly, though, as he phased behind Tien and hammered a two-handed blow down on the bald warrior's skull. The man was sent plummeting through the sky and a plume of debris was thrown into the air upon his crash-landing.
Turning to face the wild-haired Saiyan, the Captain gave him a devious smirk before firing several purple ki blasts at the man from point blank range. His grin turned to a frown however when his blasts traveled straight through the man's body, revealing it to be a mirage. A blur flew through his peripheral vision, and Ginyu quickly turned and raised his forearm to block the oncoming kick.
"It looks like I've finally found an opponent worthy of fighting me at full power," he said in his smooth voice. "It looks like this mission just keeps getting more and more interesting."
0o0o0o0o0o0o
Vegeta snarled as he watched Kakarot begin a furious exchange with the purple skinned alien. Each combatant's body was being contorted awkwardly as each warrior pummeled the other with powerful blows. The speed at which they fought was impressive, but nothing that the Saiyan Prince couldn't follow. It seemed that bean really had made him more powerful than ever.
No, it wasn't the strength that the two fighters were displaying above him that concerned the Saiyan. It was the fact that the low class clown even was that strong! Only a month ago he couldn't even defeat Nappa, and now he was going toe-to-toe with Frieza's most powerful henchman.
Another growl escaped from his throat as he watched the buffoon block a knee strike from Ginyu with his knee before counterattacking with a right hook. The purple skinned alien moved his head and the clown's fist missed by mere inches, and the two disengaged before charging each other again, beginning another exchange of blows at supersonic speeds.
Tearing his gaze away from the shockwaves being created from the battle in the sky above, Vegeta looked over at where the human was beginning to pick himself up. The crimson aura that had surrounded his body was nowhere in sight now and he seemed to already be worn out from the use of his signature technique.
"So it looks like your little trick has finally failed you human," jeered Vegeta. A smile formed on the prince's face as the human gave him a glare before standing up and looking up at the fight above.
"Looks like I'm going to have to step it up a notch if I want to keep up with those two," the triclops muttered before shouting "Kaio-Kenx9!"
The blood red aura of that technique exploded around the man's body and he quickly took to the sky to rejoin the fray. Vegeta could sense that the human's power had taken another leap upwards, nearly matching the low-class idiot's now. It seemed he still had a few tricks left up his sleeve.
Not that it mattered though; the Saiyan Elite was sure that thanks to his latest power increase he easily outclassed all three of those "warriors". For now though, he didn't have the time to deal with them. No, now was the opportunity he had been waiting for to steal the Dragon Balls for himself so he could gain his wish. Both Frieza and Captain Ginyu were absent from the ship, and only flunkies remained to guard the mystical spheres.
His devious smile grew even wider as he could practically taste immortality. Everything seemed to be set up perfectly for him to gain his wish. The human and Kakarot were too distracted from fighting Ginyu to stop him, and since Frieza was away from the ship he wouldn't be there to halt Vegeta's plan either. In fact, there was only one person that could potentially disrupt his plan at the moment.
The Saiyan Prince's gaze drifted to the brat standing next to him, with his back turned to him. Foolish boy, didn't he know that you never turn your back to an enemy? Though, if he was anything like his idiot of a father, the half-breed probably thought they were "friends" now since they had been fighting against a common enemy. Well, Vegeta thought it was time to teach the boy a valuable life lesson.
Like a snake, Vegeta's arm suddenly whipped towards the young half-Saiyan and delivered a lethal and precise chop to the boy's neck. Before the brat even knew what had hit him, the strike had knocked him unconscious and his limp body hit the ground with a loud thump. The Saiyan warrior crossed his arms as he roughly kicked the boy so that his face was no longer in the dirt before bending down and taking the small, brown satchel that Kakarot had given the brat.
"I'll be taking this," he said as he examined the small purse that contained the last regenerative bean. Though he hated the thought of having to rely on a simple vegetable to restore his strength, there was no way that he was going to allow the low-class scum a chance to become stronger after the battle with Ginyu ended.
Clutching the parcel inside of his fist, Vegeta blasted off into the sky with an evil smirk plastered on his face. He quickly raced past the battle against the Captain of the Ginyu Force and in no time at all he was completely out of sight of the clash. With every second that passed the Saiyan became closer and closer to the immortality he so desperately craved.
"First immortality, and then your demise Frieza!" shouted Vegeta, his voice echoing over the grassy plains of Namek as he flew towards the space tyrant's ship.
0o0o0o0o0o0o
"Kaio-Kenx9!" shouted Tien as he summoned forth the power of King Kai's technique and pushed it even further than before. His body reinvigorated with this new energy, he skyrocketed towards the skirmish between Goku and Captain Ginyu.
Things had taken a turn for the worse for the Saiyan from Earth, as Captain Ginyu's superior speed allowed him to break through Goku's defenses. The purple skinned alien brushed aside the Saiyan's forearm block and then rammed his fist into his opponent's cheek. Goku was sent falling backwards through the sky, but Ginyu continued his assault by quickly intercepting the Saiyan and jamming his knee into his unprotected stomach.
Tien heard his friend cry of pain, and saw that their opponent was preparing to deliver a devastating two-handed attack. With a fierce shout, the human fighter closed the distance between himself and the alien warrior and slammed his fist into Ginyu's temple right underneath the black spike that protruded from his head. The force of the blow caused Ginyu to stumble backwards and away from the doubled over form of Goku.
Taking advantage of his enemy's temporary disorientated state, Tien pressed the attack and managed to hammer home several punches to the purple skinned man's solar plexus. As armor cracked underneath his fist, the three eyed warrior could hear Ginyu sputtering blood because of the power behind his attacks.
Tien's advantage did not last long however, for after his initial surprise from the human's re-entrance into the battle, Ginyu regained his composure. A quick knee strike to his chin sent Tien sprawling backwards and vulnerable to attack.
"So you're back huh?" said an angry Captain Ginyu. "Well I guess I'll just have to put you on the sidelines permanently!" A purple orb of energy formed in the man's hand as he gathered energy to blast Tien into oblivion. The violet ki seemed to cackle with electricity as it charged, and Tien knew that he couldn't maintain the Kaio-Ken long enough to have a chance to deflect the attack.
"Hiyah!" Tien and the horned alien both looked up at the sound of the battle cry. The human warrior was relieved when he saw that it was his ally Goku flying through the air, and Ginyu received two boots to his face as the Saiyan's flying kick connected with a thunderous boom. The Captain was sent spiraling downwards until his body collided with a large crag, which erupted in an explosion of rock upon contact.
Taking the brief reprieve as an opportunity to conserve his energy, Tien allowed the red aura encasing his body to dissipate into the wind. He was pushing it using the Kaio-Ken at a magnitude this high, but it was the only way he could help Goku in the fight against Captain Ginyu. He wasn't going to let his friend down, not again.
His ally seemed to notice his haggard breath, prompting Goku to ask, "Hey Tien, are you okay? You seem to be struggling a lot."
"I'm… fine Goku," sputtered out Tien in-between pants for oxygen. "Just needed… to catch my breath."
Goku still had a concerned look on his face, but he knew that his friend wasn't going to stop fighting unless he was physically unable to move. So he simply nodded at Tien before returning his attention to mound of debris beneath them that their enemy was buried underneath.
Beams of lavender light began to shine through the cracks of the rock, but the beams were only the precursor to a violent explosion of energy that completely evaporated the pile of rock into a cloud of dust. Even through the screen of soot, Tien could see the figure of the purple skinned fighter rapidly approaching. With a mere thought, the familiar crimson aura exploded around his body as Tien prepared to engage in combat once more.
The smoke screen was dispelled as their opponent let out a ferocious yell that caused a powerful Kiai that pushed both of the warriors from Earth back. Caught off balance because of it, Tien and Goku were both susceptible to Ginyu's quick and powerful strikes. The three eyed fighter reached a flurry of blows to his chest before being kicked away and the wild-haired Saiyan received an elbow to the face. Blood flowed freely from his nose as he fell backwards but Goku managed to regain control of his flight after a few meters of free fall.
Tien also managed to regain his balance quickly and the duo charged their purple skinned opponent. The three eyed fighter unleashed a volley of quick jabs that his opponent struggled to block while Goku sent a flurry of lightning fast kicks aimed for the Captain's head. The alien struggled to avoid this simultaneous onslaught and his barriers finally fell when one of the Saiyan's kicks landed firmly on his face sending him cascading backwards.
The man spit out a clot of blood as Tien and Goku moved in for the kill. Ginyu's guard was completely down, providing the perfect opportunity for the pair from Earth to deliver a devastating attack that at the very least severely weakened their enemy. With harmonious battle cries, both Tien and Goku cocked back their fists and prepared to hammer their target with them. Another shout erupted from the warriors' mouths as they threw their punches as Ginyu looked on wide-eyed from fear as their blows approached him.
At the last second, however, both of the fighters' punches only connected with thin air. Tien's eyebrows arched in surprise as he hadn't sensed any change in the alien's ki and there hadn't been any afterimage left from the rapid movement required to escape from their combined assault. Not to mention the fact that he hadn't seen any movement at all occur. Had Ginyu been holding back the entire fight, only now displaying his true speed?
Tien didn't have much more time to think as he suddenly felt a powerful force pound into his spine. The surprise attack sent him spiraling downwards and he was forced to release the added strength of the Kaio-Ken as the mental alarm went off in his head warning him that he could not maintain the technique without injuring himself. His muscles ached after the infused energy of the technique left his body and Tien knew that his collision with the ground would hurt that much more now.
And hurt it did. The human's body burrowed through the ground, the speed at which his body had been traveling propelling him through the rocky surface like it was water. The entire surrounding terrain was flattened by Tien's impact and a large crater had formed around his prone form.
Every inch of his body seemed to howl in agony as Tien attempted to pick himself up, but his muscles failed to obey his command. He only managed to lift himself an inch before he collapsed back down onto the ground. Feeling unconsciousness beginning to overtake him, Tien struggled to keep his eyes open. His efforts were in vain, however, as his eyelids fluttered for a few seconds before the blackness finally overtook him. Before slipping into unconsciousness, the Earthling managed to mutter a single, simple sentence.
"I'm sorry."
0o0o0o0o0o0o
"Tien!" shouted Goku as he saw his friend's figure collapse to the ground again after struggling to get back up.
"Well, that's one down," stated Captain Ginyu coolly, "looks like it's just going to be you and me from here on-out Saiyan."
"Why do you fight for evil?" asked the Saiyan from Earth. "Why do you enjoy hurting other people?"
"Evil?" Ginyu simply chuckled before answering, "What's so evil about doing my job? I get paid to wipe out self-righteous pests like you for Lord Frieza, and it happens to be a profession I'm good at. It's nothing personal, it's the just the job. Man's got to make a living."
"It's more than that with you though!" accused Goku. "You enjoy making people suffer and showing them that you're stronger than them."
"Heh-heh, I guess I do," admitted the leader of the Ginyu Force. "Doesn't really matter though, in the end I always get the job done, and right now, you're the only thing standing between me and a Mission Accomplished."
Dropping back into his fighting stance, Goku prepared to reengage the PTO officer. "I'll give you one last chance, leave this planet and give up your evil ways!"
Captain Ginyu simply laughed at the kind-hearted man's plea. "Why? Because if I don't you'll be forced to kill me? Please, you don't stand a chance now that old three-eyes is passed out in the dirt."
"We'll see about that," said the wild-haired fighter. "Just know that I won't be holding back."
"Bring it on monkey, let's see what you got!" shouted the purple alien before charging at Goku.
The Saiyan managed to evade the first punch, which missed his face by a hair's length, before deflecting a kick with his forearm. Going on the offensive, Goku lifted his knee in an attempt to strike his opponent's abdomen, but his attack was thwarted when Ginyu used his own knee to counteract Goku's.
Not letting the ineffectiveness of his first attack deter him, Goku quickly pressed his assault with two quick jabs that managed to break through his opponent's guard and connect. The armor that the alien wore absorbed the majority of brunt from the hit, however, so he switched his attacks to target Ginyu's more unprotected regions. Aiming for his adversary's face, Goku threw a powerful right hook that appeared as a mere blur thanks to the speed of the attack.
His attack missed the mark, however, when Ginyu bent backwards and allowed the attack to sail over his body. Taking advantage of Goku's vulnerable state thanks to overextending himself during his attack, the purple alien began to wail his fist into the Saiyan's exposed gut. Crying out in pain, Goku was helpless as Ginyu gave him one last punch before connecting with a roundhouse kick that sent him flying through the sky. His flight was interrupted though as the Captain phased above him and delivered a mighty kick that sent Goku spiraling into the green lake below.
A loud cracking sound echoed throughout the landscape as Goku's body plunged through the sage-colored water. The sting of his fall and the cold temperature of the water caused a strange sensation to wash over his body, causing his stomach to turn over from the bizarre feeling. Blinking to lessen the burning in his eyes, it took the Saiyan a few seconds to adjust to his new underwater setting.
The lake was not much different than the ones he went fishing in that were scattered around Mt. Paozu. Even though the water seemed to be green in color on the surface, it now seemed to be the normal blue color as he floated underwater.
Goku wasn't given much time to admire the scenery as he felt a sudden disturbance in the flow of water and a muffled splashing sound. Looking up, he saw that Captain Ginyu had entered the water in pursuit of him and had pulled back his arm as he prepared to strike the orange-clad warrior.
Using his ki to propel himself through the water, Goku evaded the incoming assault and the Captain rushed past him. It did not take long for him to regain control of his motion though, and Ginyu charged again at the Saiyan. Goku blocked the incoming punch before throwing one of his own that Ginyu dodged with a slight turn of his body. The two began to exchange blows at a rapid pace, small bubbles of air caused from their movement and their small exhales of oxygen rising all around them as they fought in the liquid battlefield.
Finally, Ginyu broke the stalemate by landing a punch to Goku's chest. The Saiyan gargled as the force of the attack caused water to be sucked into his agape mouth and he could hear a muffled cry of victory from his foe as he grasped his chest in pain. Pressing his advantage, the Captain threw another punch but to his surprise, Goku managed to catch his wrist mid-flight and stop the attack.
The wild-haired Saiyan smiled as he heard the horned alien growl in displeasure before unleashing another powerful punch with his free hand. Goku raised his free hand and intercepted this blow as well, grabbing hold of Ginyu's purple wrist. Tangling together, the two warriors began to grapple with each other with both fighters struggling for dominance over the other. Their bodies spun wildly through the water as they wrestled with eachother since both had their hands tightly locked with the other's.
Goku managed to ultimately break the stalemate between the two by lifting up his legs and using the alien's body as a springboard that sent both of them torpedoing through the cool water. Of course, the Saiyan was in much more control of his own trajectory through the lake than Ginyu, who was spiraling through the water out of control.
Stopping his flight through the water, Goku cupped his hands at his side and began to summon the energy necessary to perform his favorite technique. An orb of blue ki began to form in-between the palms of his hands and he quickly found the form of Captain Ginyu before beginning the chant of the Turtle School's signature attack.
"Kame…" Goku began, his voice distorted because of the water that impeded the passage of sound waves around him. In the other side of the lagoon, Ginyu could make out the rays of light that were being emitted from the ball of ki that Goku held in his hand. Quickly raising his hand to his scouter, the Captain was alarmed when he saw that his opponent's power level was actually rising! Realizing that he would need to offset this energy attack somehow, Ginyu began to power-up an energy attack of his own.
"Hame…" Even with his mind slightly distracted because of his focus on gathering energy, Goku could see that Ginyu had gathered an orb of energy into his hand and it looked to be primed to fire at any second. Realizing that the battle would be decided based on this last energy attack, the Saiyan from Earth redoubled his efforts and put even more energy into the sphere of ki he had already gathered for this final energy attack.
"HA!" Uttering the last syllable of his famous attack, Goku finally unleashed the Kamehameha wave on his opponent, and as he thrust both of his arms forward a gigantic, blue energy beam erupted from the palms of his cupped hands. At the same moment, Captain Ginyu fired his own energy beam, purple in color, and the two attacks raced towards each other on a collision course.
The two beams clashed with each other in the dead center of the lake, and upon impact created a colossal-sized globe of ki that nearly touched the bottom of the lagoon and extended to the surface of the water. One half of the globe was made up of Goku's Kamehameha beam and the other half was consumed by Ginyu's purple energy wave. To an outside observer above the surface, one could see a large dome of water that was being pushed up and extending dozens of meters over the usual height of the water. An outlandish mixture of bluish-purplish light was shining through the water's surface as well causing the surrounding landscape to be filtered by its light.
Back underneath the surface, the two energy waves struggled for dominance over each other. For one moment, it looked like Ginyu's beam would prevail as it slowly began to push the blue ki wave back. Then, Goku would pour more of his energy into the attack and the Kamehameha beam would begin to overtake the purple energy beam before both attacks would become dead even again. This struggle continued for several minutes as Goku gave it everything he had to combat Captain Ginyu in the energy beam clash, and finally his constant output of energy began to steadily overpower Frieza's henchmen.
Realizing that his energy beam was no match for the Kamehameha, Ginyu quickly fired another energy blast from his free hand. The small purple sphere quickly raced towards the giant globe of ki that was slowly but steadily making its way towards Ginyu. Upon impact with the larger ball of energy, the small blast detonated the entire mass of energy that was piled together in the globe, igniting a huge explosion.
A giant plume of water erupted from the dome that had been created because of the energy clash underneath it and the green liquid was sent spraying over the surrounding area, causing a rain-like torrent for miles around. The rest of the water inside of the lake was almost instantaneously evaporated thanks to the heat of the explosion from the two beams of ki, causing the once picturesque lagoon to be nothing more than a giant crater of dirt after the explosion.
Quickly realizing the volatile situation, Goku cut off his flow of energy to the Kamehameha wave after seeing Ginyu throw his ball of energy and moved as quickly as possible away from the epicenter of the explosion. He managed to escape the actual blast unharmed, but he was completely blinded by the heavy cloud of steam that now surrounded him from the evaporated water of the lake.
The heat of the steam made him feel like he was in a sauna but Goku closed his eyes and attempted to focus on finding his enemy. Before he could pinpoint the alien's energy signature, however, a loud beeping sound penetrated his ears. The next thing he knew, Goku felt a powerful knee strike connect with the small of his back, causing his back to forcibly arch as cried out in pain. An armored boot to his neck sent the Saiyan from Earth flying out of the cloud of steam above the now barren basin and crashing into the surrounding shore. His body skidded to a stop after ricocheting several times before finally coming to a halt several hundred yards away from the empty lagoon.
"This is the end for you Saiyan! Say hello to the rest of your filthy race in Hell for me!" shouted Captain Ginyu triumphantly as he began to charge another energy attack to finish off Goku for good. Feebly turning himself over to look up at his enemy, Goku could see that the purple skinned man wore a devious smirk on his face as he prepared to blast him into oblivion.
"KAIO-KENX10!" The sudden yell surprised Goku and he looked over to see that it originated from Tien, who had managed to pick himself up and use King Kai's technique one last time. At the moment, Goku could see a crimson blur streaking through the sky and it was on Ginyu before he could even react to the human's sudden interference.
A flurry of lighting fast punches tossed the horned warrior around the air like a rag doll and Tien finished off the thrashing with a powerful two-handed blow that sent Ginyu crashing down to the surface of Namek. Goku watched as Tien's energy suddenly spiked even higher and his hands formed into the shape required for his most powerful attack.
"TRI-BEAM HA!" he screamed as an almost instantaneous blast of energy enveloped the purple skinned warrior and blinded the rest of the battlefield as it was filled with a golden light from the destructive Tri-Beam attack.
0o0o0o0o0o
A groan emerged from the supine form of the young half-saiyan as a bright, golden light that managed to penetrate through Gohan's closed eye-lids. The bright light managed to wake the boy though and he slowly cracked open his eyes only to shut them quickly because of the blinding light that seemed to surround the landscape around him.
After it seemed like the light had subsided, Gohan wearily opened his eyes to see that a heavy layer of debris was beginning to fall back to the ground. Sitting up, he looked around and saw that the surrounding terrain had been completely decimated by the battle between the three titans. The newest addition to this scene of destruction seemed to be a giant hole that had been formed by a recent energy attack.
Looking up into the sky, Gohan saw that Mr. Tien was still floating in the sky and his father was lying on the ground beneath him. His dad's figure was moving though, which meant that he had also survived the battle against the purple bully. Frantically scanning the skies, Gohan finally came to the conclusion that his Dad and Tien had managed to defeat Captain Ginyu. They had claimed victory at last.
"I better tell them about Vegeta though," murmured the boy before picking himself up and slowly flying towards the pair.
0o0o0o0o0o
Tien panted as he quickly dispelled the Kaio-ken from his body to prevent any further damage from occurring. The light from his most devastating attack slowly began to fade and he looked down to see that a mammoth sized hole had been created in the ground in the shape of a perfect square.
Letting his arms hang limply at his sides, Tien slowly began to descend back down towards the ground to where Goku lay with a beaming smile on his face. The normally stoic warrior allowed himself to crack a smile of his own as he saw that his friend began to open his mouth in praise. He was interrupted, however, by the sound of a chilling voice behind him.
"Wow, that attack might have actually hurt me if your aim wasn't so terrible." Slowly turning, Tien was horrified to see that Captain Ginyu was still alive and floating right behind him with a cocky smirk on his face. To make matters worse, it seemed like he had been completely unfazed by Tien's Tri-Beam, evidenced by his armor not even being damaged by the attack.
Growling, Tien shouted, "This ends now! You're not going to be able to toy with us any longer. I'm going to defeat you right here, right now!" Knowing that if he wasn't able to land another powerful attack on Ginyu that he and Goku were finished, Tien quickly re-summoned the ultimate form of the Kaio-Ken he had performed so far. The blood red aura blazed around him and he quickly rushed his calm and collected opponent, unleashing a fierce battle cry as he charged in for his last stand.
His valiant final effort was all for naught though, for as Tien reached within feet of his target, an unbearable pain suddenly washed over his body as it seemed every muscle in his body seemed to tear all at once. His biceps, triceps, calves, thighs, ACL, and MCL all seemed to be ripped to shreds at that exact moment and he fell through the sky to the ground like a crimson comet.
He crashed with a resounding thud, and the red aura encasing his body was dispelled as Tien simply ran out of energy to maintain the technique that had just immobilized him. Every square inch of his body screamed out in torment from the contact with the ground, Tien's heartbeat increased to an alarming rate, and his lungs began to hyperventilate as his body went into overdrive from the extended use of the Kaio-Ken technique.
"Daddy! Mr. Tien!" Forcing his head to look up, Tien could see that the young half-saiyan had suddenly entered into the battle in a vain effort to save both his father and the three eyed warrior from the cruel hand of Captain Ginyu.
Frieza's favorite mercenary was simply amused by the child's antics, however, and he easily evaded his strike before jamming his knee into the boy's gut, causing Gohan's form to be bent over his knee. Removing his knee, Ginyu viciously backhanded the young half-saiyan and sent him flying before gathering energy in the palm of his right hand.
"I almost forgot about you brat!" the Captain shouted as he charged the energy necessary for his Galaxy Dynamite attack. "You should have stayed on the sidelines; maybe you would have lived longer that way."
After giving his "advice" to the boy, Captain Ginyu fired his attack. A volley of energy blasts flew at the defenseless boy and Tien closed his eyes, unable to watch another person die because of his failure to protect them.
"Gohan!" The sudden shout caused the three eyed man to snap all of his eyes open and he saw Goku streaking through the air in a valiant effort to save his son. Managing to intercept his son before the energy blasts arrived, the Saiyan from Earth managed to shield his son with his body before he was hit by the massive barrage of purple ki that struck his back. Tien's eyes widened in horror as the initial explosion only grew larger and larger as more and more ki spheres entered into the clouds of flame. He didn't hear the roar of the explosions though, no, all Tien heard were the screams of unadulterated pain from his friend within.
After what seemed like an eternity, the explosions finally stopped and Tien watched helplessly as Goku's smoking body free fell through the air and disappeared from his sight before landing nearly a mile away from him. Tien tried to move, to avenge his friend but his body refused him and all he got for his effort was another round of torment from his shredded muscles.
His heart was still racing, his lungs were working double time, and he could feel death slowly coming over him as his heart began to give out from the strain it was under. A howl of agony escaped from his lips as it felt like every organ in his body had just ruptured, his blood seemed to be on fire, and his bones felt brittle. So this was what King Kai had warned him would happen if you overused the Kaio-Ken. Your body would literally rip itself apart from the strain the demanding technique put on it.
It was at that moment that Tien's lungs collapsed and his intake of oxygen suddenly stopped completely. He struggled to breathe but found that no matter what he did, no air would come to him. Now it seemed like the only parts of his body that still functioned were his brain and his heart, and his heart was giving out fast.
"Seems like that technique of yours has some pretty nasty side effects huh?" mocked Captain Ginyu, his form only a purple blur in Tien's eyes because of the lack of oxygen. Suddenly, another blur came into his vision. This one, however, was small and green.
"You said it boss," agreed Guldo as he stared jubilantly down at the dying human beneath him.
"Thanks for the help by the way Guldo," acknowledged the purple blur. "If it hadn't been for your Time Stop, this guy might have actually managed to finish me off. What a disgrace that would have been!"
"No sweat Captain," assured the green blob. "He had to pay for embarrassing me and managing to escape my Mind Bind earlier. No one mocks my psychic powers and gets away with it! So Captain, are we going to go after Vegeta now?"
Tien attempted to growl his displeasure but found that he could not. Of course that Saiyan had fled the battle, no doubt pursuing the Dragon Balls for his own wish for immortaitly while he and Goku had been distracted fighting.
"Yes," quickly replied Ginyu. "Our work here is done. That other Saiyan and his kid are crispier than the toast they serve back at Planet Frieza 47 and this poor fool is only moments away from death's door himself. Why end his suffering when he can enjoy it for a few more minutes? Besides, keeping Vegeta from getting his hands on the Dragon Balls is our top priority now."
"Alright, lead the way then Captain Ginyu." Tien barely made out the two performing one of their ridiculous poses before he heard the purple blur mutter.
"This is all wrong! I really hope you suffer in these last moments triclops, you've completely ruined our poses and now we look like fools! After we kill Vegeta, we really need to recruit some new members."
With that last word, the two surviving members of the Ginyu Force took to the sky and Tien closed his eyes and allowed the blackness to consume his world. He had failed once again in his mission to protect his friends and he wasn't able to atone for his mistake and revive his fallen allies. The only solace that he could take in this moment was the fact that he would at least be able to spend the rest of time with his friends and Chiaotzu in Otherworld. At least that realm would be a paradise, unlike the universe that he had allowed to be created by failing in his quest to prevent Frieza from becoming immortal. Billions, no trillions would die because of his failure. That knowledge would haunt him for the rest of eternity and Tien knew that his defeat would cause even heaven to be tainted for him. He would never be able to escape the fact that he had let down everyone in the universe and that would be his curse to bear. For the rest of time until every dimension ceased to exist, he would be subjected to the accusing stares of his friends. Wondering: why hadn't he been there? Why hadn't he been able to bring them back? Why had he allowed the single most evil being in the universe to obtain the power of Dragon Balls? It would be his personal hell; even inside of heaven with the people he cared about most deeply. A fitting punishment for his crimes in Tien's opinion.
Tien felt his heart's pace go from overdrive to barely sustainable in an instant. It seemed that there was nothing left for him except to listen to the countdown to his demise. What was this countdown? His own heartbeat, and Tien listened to it as he anxiously awaited the inferno of anguish that awaited him in Otherworld.
Thump Thump Thump.
Thump Thump
Thump
…
