Chapter 035 - Hurried Relocation
The sound of rushing water blocked out all other possible sounds. The water was freezing and the current strong, almost dragging her from where she desperately clung. It was a miracle she even had the strength left to keep hold of the tiny spit of land still remaining.
With all of her effort Corset tried to pull herself from the water. She had no idea where anyone else was or even if they were alive. She couldn't sense anyone but then again if they were as drained of ki as she was then it would be difficult to trace them anyway.
She pulled herself further onto the small island, coughing up seawater... or at least that's what she assumed it was. Corset could barely catch her breath back, her limbs shook as she tried to sit up, failing miserably and staying face down. Opening one eye proved to be a challenge; she felt so tired and worn down. All she saw was the rocks directly in front of her and the water rushing past towards what looked like a massive swell.
That Genki Dama had certainly left an impact on the planet.
Corset felt her energy slipping away slightly and closed her eyes for a moment. She wondered if the energy from the blast had reached her mother... The thought seemed to cause a reaction in her as suddenly she felt more alert. Her mother; was she alright? Had she been hurt in any way? Corset had to know her mother was ok!
"There! Down there, Krillin!"
That was Gohan's voice. Corset opened one eye and gathered what little strength she had left, somehow managing to roll herself onto her back. She could see Gohan and Krillin descending from up above.
"Hey, glad to see you're alive, kiddo!" Krillin smiled seemingly pleased. "How're you feeling?"
"Krillin this looks bad; she's bleeding," Gohan seemed a little more worried.
She was bleeding? Corset couldn't feel anywhere where she may have blood; she couldn't even tell where any pain was! All of her felt painful or sore in some way or another.
"Yeah but it won't cause too much damage," Krillin replied. "Can you stand?"
"... I don't think... I dunno..." Corset mumbled, not noticing her sentences weren't fully making sense.
"Right, hang on tight then," Krillin kneeled down and picked the tired girl up, supporting her from under her arm.
"... Where's my dad?" Gohan asked. "He and Piccolo were right near the explosion... Do you think they got sucked into it? I don't feel their ki."
"Maybe that's because we're too weak to sense ki anymore," Krillin replied, "Piccolo and your dad were together, they're too tough to die."
Corset could barely lift her head to look straight ahead. Her thoughts were wild and made little sense to her anymore. She just wanted to curl up and go to sleep, maybe spend a couple of days in bed recovering.
"Hey look, over there, Krillin!" Gohan cried pointing over to another island nearby.
"It's Piccolo..." Krillin gasped, "... and Goku too!"
"They're alive!" Gohan cheered.
Corset felt herself leave the ground as Krillin began to fly, albeit he was very slow at moving. Neither he nor Gohan seemed to be able to control their ki properly anymore judging by how much they rose and fell. Now she had a better view of where the Genki Dama had struck. There was a gigantic hole in the middle of the ocean, water pouring into it. She didn't know how deep it was but could see why the currents had been so strong.
"I can hardly fly with this wimpy ki!" Krillin complained.
"... At least... you can fly..." Corset mumbled. "My body won't move..."
"Don't worry," Krillin smiled, "We'll meet up with Goku and Piccolo and get you all sorted out."
"Hey Dad, Piccolo!" Gohan waved loudly.
The two boys landed, Corset being walked over to the other adult members of their team. Gohan had run ahead and was hugging his worn out father. "That was awesome, Dad! I can't believe you made the Genki Dama so big!"
"That was a pretty awesome shot too Piccolo," Krillin added. "Who knew our ki would actually be of use!"
Corset looked up at her mentor, suddenly feeling embarrassed she was being supported. She tried to move but failed, although it did get Krillin's attention. "You ok?" He asked.
"Corset got injured," Gohan frowned. "Hey Dad, do you have any more senzu beans?"
"No, I gave the last one to you guys and Vegeta when you were fighting those Ginyu Force guys," Goku shook his head, "Sorry... But hey it's ok. We can get back to Earth in my spaceship in six days time. We should be able to treat our wounds until we get back."
"OH! " Krillin's sudden and loud yell made Corset jump, sending another surge of adrenaline through her!
"What? What is it?" Goku asked sounding worried.
"I totally forgot we left Bulma!" Krillin shivered nervously.
"Don't scare me like that Krillin, I thought you'd seen Freeza!" Goku sighed in relief.
"Hey in some ways, Bulma's scarier than Freeza," Krillin mumbled.
Corset smiled, trying not to laugh. She had a feeling she knew where Krillin was coming from there. Her mother could be pretty scary when she wanted to be!
"Planet Namek has suffered greatly..." Piccolo's voice drifted off from Corset's ears. She felt herself suddenly feeling overpowered by sleep, her head becoming heavy and blank. Her stomach tied itself in knots making her feel sick, this seemed to keep her conscious and Piccolo's voice returned. "...the Great Elder and all other Namekians should be able to rest in peace."
"Hey, how'd you know about the Great Elder?" Krillin asked.
Corset began to shake – or rather Krillin began to shake. It made her feel awful; she opened her eyes and mouth about to ask him to stop.
Something had caught her eye.
She too began to tremble, words failing to reach her open mouth.
"Oh... my..." Krillin quivered.
"What?" Goku seemed concerned. "What is it?"
"... It's... Freeza!"
Freeza stood right in front of them upon an elevated rock, soaking wet and apparently sporting some damage, one eye sealed shut.
His finger extended out towards them.
A flash went off along with a shockwave and loud bang. Piccolo suddenly fell.
Corset's eyes widened as she heard the thud. She heard Gohan scream out his name... and then hers...
Something cold was radiating from her somewhere, she felt herself falling from Krillin's gasp, hitting the ground.
"Corset!" Krillin's voice was loud.
Corset could see them barely, her vision blurring now. With a little turn of her head she saw blood coming from somewhere, her chest maybe? It was on her right... or so she thought. Her body was too numb and enslaved with pain she couldn't tell anymore. People were gathered around her closely.
Her vision went, her hearing went, and her feeling went. Now was the time for her to rest...
The remaining fighters stood horrified and motionless as they looked over their fallen comrades. Two were down. Corset's ki had vanished completely as she lay lifeless on her back. Nearby Piccolo lay on his side, his own ki not yet diminished but not too far off of fading as Corset's had.
Goku took a slow but painful glance back over towards Freeza, who was muttering about how he'd almost been convinced he was going to die. One of the tyrant's fingers pointed out towards them.
"R-Run you two!" Goku stammered. "My spaceship's close to where I first found you! Take Bulma and get away from this planet!"
"What? B-But Dad...!" Gohan gasped.
"What are you saying?" Krillin protested, "Goku, we can't-!"
"Just leave, you're in the way!" Goku interrupted sounding more desperate than before. "Do you want to die?"
"Do you really think I'll let you all go?" Freeza's voice cut through their conversation. "Fools! None of you will be leaving here alive!"
A flash came from his extended finger.
Krillin suddenly found himself being dragged off the ground, floating in mid-air. The small shriek from his throat caught Goku and Gohan's attention as he started to flail about, baffled at how it was he was floating.
Then suddenly he shot up into the air, screaming as he was forced further and further away from them, higher and higher into the sky.
Goku spun back around, "Freeza, stop this!"
But the tyrant did not listen; the sadistic grin on his face widened a little as he clenched his fist.
"GOKU!" Krillin's scream was drowned out, his body suddenly exploding sending a loud shockwave through the air as the area was engulfed in a dark cloud. His ki had completely vanished.
For a brief moment Son Goku felt numb. His brain struggled to accept the fact he'd just witnessed his best friend die before his own eyes. Beside him his son stood horrified and speechless as Freeza's laugh echoed in their minds...
Goku's ki began to shift. He felt as if something was trying to push its way out from within himself, something hidden deep inside of him was trying to break free. His body began to shudder as his heart rate accelerated, his muscles clenching as emotion quickly began to sweep through him. Krillin was dead; his best friend had died before his eyes, helpless against Freeza and undeserving of such a horrible fate.
"I won't... let you get away... with this...!" Goku snarled.
Gohan watched with a mixture of awe and horror as his father's ki continued to bubble and boil away. The planet's atmosphere was starting to change; bolts of lightning were starting to fall around them as the magnetic field started to react to something. He knew something big was happening. The look on his father's face scared him further; Gohan had never seen his father look so furious, almost looking as if he were struggling with something.
The changes in the atmosphere as well as the strange behaviour coming from the Saiyan warrior had also caught Freeza's attention. He stood slightly confused and bewildered, unaware that Goku's ki was rising rapidly.
With a loud scream Goku's body was engulfed by a golden glow, his hair suddenly changing from dark to golden as his muscles swelled. The energy had broken free and was now coursing through his entire body fuelled by fury and aggression.
Gohan looked at his father terrified, unable to mutter a single word. What had happened to him?
Goku took a quick glance over to his son, "Gohan, take Piccolo and get back to Earth; he's barely still alive."
Gohan did not move, still overcome by awe and fear. "B-But D-Dad-"
Goku's face clenched, face scrunching up at his son's lack of urgency, "Hurry, there's not much time! Get out of here while I still have some control over myself!"
Without another word Gohan obeyed and rushed over to his mentor's side, grabbing his arm and slinging him over his shoulder. He took one quick glance down at his other friend's body. Bulma was going to be heartbroken when she found out the terrible news...
The sky surrounding her was a rosy pink. She was on a narrow path which extended far towards the horizon and beyond, each side surrounded by fluffy yellow clouds.
Where was she?
Corset felt strange. Something about her wasn't right and she couldn't quite put her finger on it... She couldn't move her head at all, only turn and see her surroundings; she couldn't look up or down much. Not being able to move much began to make her panic; she didn't like this feeling! She didn't know where she was or where anyone else was! Where were Gohan and the others? Was Piccolo alright?
Freeza had appeared! He'd appeared despite Goku's amazing Genki Dama! Part of her thought it was expected; this was Freeza they were talking about. Most of her felt incredibly anxious and scared for the others safety. Why was it she was no longer there with them? She had no idea how she'd gotten here in the first place! She had no idea where she was!
Overcome by her fears and questions, Corset began to cry loudly, the experience feeling all-the-more strange. She couldn't feel her mouth or facial muscles - or any muscles for that matter! Her body felt so strange, she was almost sure she didn't have any arms or legs...
She hadn't stayed in that strange place for very long.
Before she knew it she felt normal. She could feel the normal sensations of her body albeit she felt unusually cold and stiff. It was a strange feeling, as if she was stirring from a long, deep sleep.
Her eyes began to open, immediately darting to the spot on her chest she'd seen blood. Nothing but a small hole in her armour suggested such a thing had happened. She'd never known of sleeping for so long her wounds would heal. Usually that took a couple of days at the very least, yet her body felt fine.
Her confusion didn't last long as her surroundings quickly grabbed her attention. She could have sworn she was still on Namek, yet this didn't look like the safe planet she'd been staying on. Something was wrong. There were terrific explosions and rumbles all over the place. What she saw scared her and she stumbled to her feet. The sky was red, the water wild and fierce. Several columns of lava spewed thousands of meters into the skies, flashes of lightning danced across them above her. The ground was rising, falling apart at her feet.
"W-What's going on?" Corset cried, asking no one. She was alone on the island she'd been on before that strange dream.
Where were the others?
Corset tried to keep her head and began to scan the area for power levels. Something was wrong; there felt like there was a small mist of ki all over the planet and she had no idea why. Two gigantic energies immediately caught her attention, both made her jaw drop.
One was definitely Freeza. The tyrant had grown even stronger since her dream, it was inconceivable! Was there really no limit to his power?
The other she didn't recognise. Their ki was greater than Freeza's!
Where was everyone else? Corset began to grow anxious; she couldn't sense anyone else on the planet that felt like Krillin, Piccolo or Gohan. To her relief a small voice in her told her that her mother was still alive.
Unsure of what to do, Corset looked over towards where she could sense the two large power levels, gasping when she noticed a familiar sight a little way away from her. Was that really what she thought it was – was it Porunga?
Something strange came over her. Baffled by the weird sensation Corset looked at herself as her body began to shift-
All of a sudden everything around her had changed again! The loud explosions were gone; all she heard was the sound of birds singing and the wind gently rustling leaves. She was in what looked like a wooded area.
What was even more startling was that the grass was green. Through the leaves she could see blue skies.
"CORSET!"
Hearing a familiar voice calmed her down and she turned on her heels; Gohan was running over to her! "Gohan!" She cried running back to him and giving him a big hug. "Man I'm glad to see you; I couldn't find anyone!"
"I'm so glad to see you're back!" Gohan beamed. "I thought we'd lost you for sure!"
"I thought I'd lost all of you guys too," Corset smiled. "Hey, I had the weirdest dreams. First I was in this weird place and I felt really weird, then I think I was back on Namek only the sky was dark and there was lightning and lava all over the place."
The story had apparently brought a frown to Gohan's face.
"... What?" Corset asked. "Why do you look sad?"
"... Corset..." Gohan mumbled now not making eye contact with her, "... you do know that you died, don't you?"
Corset's face was blank.
It took a long time for his words to register in her mind and even once they had she struggled to understand it.
"... I... what?"
Gohan now seemed even more uncomfortable; he wasn't even looking in her direction! "... Freeza shot one of those beams through your chest..."
The reality was shocking and terrifying to hear yet it made perfect sense. She knew it was true.
"... H-Hey, let's go find Bulma and the other Namekians." Gohan suggested.
Corset absently nodded and followed her friend as they walked into a clearing. So she really had died?
"... Um... Gohan?"
"What is it?" Gohan asked.
"Can... Can we not tell my mama I died," Corset asked sheepishly. "She'll be sad if she finds out..."
"Sure, I don't think she knows you died, or at least I didn't tell her," Gohan nodded.
"CORSET! GOHAN!"
Corset gasped and instinctively shot towards her mother's voice, jumping into her arms with a leap. "MAMA!" She cried. Now the emotion hit her. She couldn't control it, her eyes were just too wet!
"Bulma, do you have any idea where we are?" Gohan asked.
"You know I was gonna ask you the same thing!" Bulma replied, "I mean, how did we suddenly end up here!"
Corset looked around studying the area a little more. "... It looks really nice here... is it another planet? Why would we be on another planet with all these...? Hey!" She realised what she was seeing. "Why are there Namekians here? There's lots of them!" She exclaimed.
It was true! There were loads of Namekians dotted around the surrounding area.
"P-Piccolo!" Gohan gasped. "Dende too!"
Corset spotted them; Dende was healing up Piccolo! How was Dende here? Corset was sure he'd been killed by Freeza! How had she even been brought back to life if she too had apparently died?
"Great Elder!" A couple of Namekian voices cried.
Corset spotted the gigantic Namekian, now even more confused! "... Gohan, the Great Elder is here too!" She mumbled.
We're all here," Dende had walked over to them along with Piccolo.
"What's going on?" Piccolo'd asked Gohan.
"Everyone, gather round and I shall explain to you what has happened," The Great Elder's voice was quite clear. Corset was put down on the ground and walked alongside her mother towards the ancient Namekian.
"... This is a Planet called Earth..."
"Earth?" Bulma exclaimed.
Corset gawked in awe and disbelief. The scenery should have been a dead giveaway but she hadn't wanted to have been wrong. Of course this was Earth!
"My life will soon come to an end once again..." The Great Elder continued, "... but in my final moments I will answer your questions... As you know, a terrible monster by the name of Freeza had purged many of our villages, killed the innocent in order to obtain the Dragonballs... The suffering and slaughter of my children brought my life to an early end... However, some brave fighters from Earth chose to stand up to Freeza and tried to rescue us all. One still remains there and is still fighting Freeza at this very moment... There are Dragonballs on this planet as well as the ones we have on our home planet. It is with those Dragonballs that we were all brought back to life... and with the last remaining wish of our Dragonballs that we were transported to Earth..."
Corset now felt like she understood. She'd died and been wished back to life with the Earth's Dragonballs. That other monstrous power she felt fighting Freeza must have been Goku... That left someone uncounted for...
"... We don't see any of the villagers from Elder Caracol's village," one Namekian mumbled.
"That must be the village I attacked."
The familiar voice made a lot of surprised heads turn.