The Saiyan of Namek
Chapter 36: Trapped Within the Mind
"Vegeta? What happened to you?" Raijin hesitated to speak; over seven years he and Vegeta had built something resembling a comradery, the two always trained together; seeing Vegeta like this was shattering the respect Raijin held for The Prince.
Vegeta's cold eyes glared at Raijin; grimacing at the mere sight of his friend, "Do not speak my name you mere low-class warrior; think yourself lucky that you even stand in my presence" Vegeta spoke as if he was disgusted with Raijin's mere existence.
"Raijin; do not try to approach Vegeta; his mind has been bent to Babidi's will" Supreme Kai spoke in a nervous tone; raising his right hand as a sign to stop Raijin.
"Who or what is Babidi?" Raijin almost demanded an answer; never taking his eyes off Majin Vegeta.
Goku and Gohan both looked weary from battle; Goku had a huge tear across his orange gi and blue undershirt, while Gohan was missing his green robe; belt and his right glove.
"Babadi is the wizard who has taken control of Vegeta; forcing him to fight against his friends in order to steal our energy for the purpose of freeing Majin Buu" Supreme Kai gave the quick explanation of why they fled the Tournament over an hour ago.
"Would you shut up!" Majin Vegeta shouted at Supreme Kai; his right palm raised to blast the Deity; with a sick grin upon his face as he seemed to relish to opportunity to kill a God.
Goku sidestepped around Supreme Kai; a stern look upon his face as he glared at Vegeta, without a single word exchanged the two knew what the other wanted; Goku's golden hair lit up with a harsher radiance; lighting crackling around his body as he too transformed into the higher level of Super Saiyan.
Vegeta grinned manically; turning his right hand from Goku and Supreme Kai towards the stands, rows upon rows of innocent people; all watching with morbid curiosity.
"No; don't do it" Goku spoke; hesitated as he realised what Vegeta was going to do.
Goku's words sadly fell of deaf ears; Majin Vegeta bore his evil grin as a golden flash erupted from his fingers, the sounds of screams was quickly diminished by a resounding explosion; an entire section of the spectator seats and their occupants were gone.
Raijin hung his head; the act had happened to quick for his eyes to follow, "Vegeta… how could you? You're too strong to have your mind controlled!".
Majin Vegeta turned and faced Raijin; his evil grin fading into a look of stern determination, "Yes; you are right, I allowed myself to be turned to evil".
Goku's eyes widened to this truth, Supreme Kai let out a gasp od surprise while Gohan just shook his head in disbelief.
"Only by embracing this dark power would give me the strength I need to finally defeat Kakarot, and also to crush you Raijin" Majin Vegeta spoke slowly; his gloved hands curling into fists, "Future-Trunks taught me that the family that you have; a wife and a son; an heir to your name, I was destined to have a family life like yours; but you stole that from me Raijin, and I have watched as you and Kakarot have grown stronger through your connections and ties to your friends and families… and I hate it!"
Raijin realised what 18 had meant by him being stronger than he thought he was; Raijin thought he was one step behind Vegeta's power, but seeing him now; Vegeta was right… he did draw strength from his friends and family; just as Goku and Gohan do.
Raijin bit down on his bottom lip so hard he drew blood; Raijin's golden hair flaring up with a blue electrical current crackling around his body too, "I'm done listening to your crap, either fight me or get out of here!"
Majin Vegeta grinned again; he was waiting for this moment, moving with inhuman speeds; Raijin gasped as Vegeta's right fist slammed into his stomach, Vegeta kept grinning as he made a slow 180 degree twist upon impact causing Raijin to cough up a mixture of saliva and blood as his stomach twisted with Vegeta's fist rotation.
Raijin gritting his teeth; brought his hands up above Vegeta's head and brought them both down crashing into Vegeta's back, the impact of the strike caused even more cracks to spread through the marble floored ring floor; kicking off the ground and performing a spinning kick to Vegeta's head in mid-air, ending his combo with a straight jab to Vegeta's chest; the jab punch burning a hole in Vegeta's blue bodysuit.
Majin Vegeta barely flinched under Raijin's heavy blows; his left hand struck forwards almost like that of a snake striking, Vegeta's gloved hand gripped Raijin by the throat; beginning to squeeze and suffocate Raijin where he stood all the while wearing an evil grin.
"VEGETA! stop this and I will give you the fight you want; just promise me that we will fight somewhere where no more innocents can be harmed" Goku spoke loudly so all could hear him speak; though the remaining spectators had grown into a panicked state and were trying to flee the arena.
Raijin could barely speak as Majin Vegeta gleefully choked the life out of him; his vision quickly beginning to fade to black.
Majin Vegeta glared at Goku; sneering as he turned right back to Raijin, delivering multiple swift punches to Raijin's face until Raijin's beaten body fell to the tiled floors of The Ring.
Bulma stood up in the stands; a look of horror on her face as she witnessed her husband seemingly dying at the hands of Vegeta, the same man they'd both thought to be their friend.
Raijin's vision began to fade in and out of blurred images; witnessing Goku and Majin Vegeta vanish on the spot, Gohan and Supreme Kai vanishing only a second afterwards; all Raijin could hear was his name being screamed by Bulma's hysteric voice as he finally lapsed into unconsciousness.
When Raijin could open his eyes again; he was standing inside the pitch-black void of his mindscape, only now he stood on a golden path of light leading towards an enormous stain-glass window depicting an image of Super Saiyan Raijin.
Not knowing how much time was passing outside of his mindscape, Raijin watched as some kind of mental projection forced him to watch as a small green skinned creature by the name of Babidi; and an overweight pink monster terrorise the Cities of Earth, Raijin let out a pained scream as he could do nothing but watch as an entire city of innocent people were floated into the air and transformed into tiny balls of coloured candy.
A burst of fury rose in Raijin's chest; a desperate urge to fight against this evil creature which consumed human life in the form of sweets, but in a near-comatose state he could do nothing but watch these mental projections until he awoke; Raijin fell to his knees as he'd never felt so useless as he did at this moment.
Reflecting on the encounter with Majin Vegeta that had caused him to enter his Mindscape, Vegeta had been corrupted by the wizard Babidi; Majin Vegeta had beaten Raijin half-to-death, not knowing how much time must have been passing outside of his own mind caused him to worry about how Bulma and Trunks; time could be passing in hours or even days… Raijin wouldn't know.
Turning his gaze upon the glass window that hovered in the dark void; wondering what the meaning of it was, the last time he was here Raijin had been pushed through a glittering wall of light by everyone he loved and cared about; all for a transformation to a higher level of Super Saiyan, "Is this window a barrier to another level?" Raijin thought to himself; bowing his head in thought.
Continuing to watch as a second city's worth of innocent people was transformed into various bars of chocolate, Babidi turned around as Buu devoured the chocolate by the mouthful; Raijin felt like Babidi was staring directly at him as well as everyone else on Earth when he began to speak.
"Now that Majin Buu's vast stomach is finally full; there are three individuals that I wish to find as they had dealt me a great injustice" Only now that Babidi had finished speaking; the images of Piccolo, Goten and Trunks flashed in his mind.
"Anyone who can tell me where these three are hiding will be spared from my pet; Majin Buu" Babidi spoke into Raijin's mind as well as every other mind of any still-living human on Earth.
Raijin felt a jolt of fury as he saw the image of Trunks; the feeling of his only son being at risk forced Raijin to resent the unconscious state his physical body was in, trapped within his own mind until the moment his body awoke to the terror Majin Buu was inflicting upon his home.
Moments later a new mental projection began to broadcast into his mind; Raijin let out a gasp as he saw Babidi and Majin Buu stare down Goku, smiling a smile of relief as his friend was still in the Living World although his halo still floated above his head.
"Good afternoon; you must be Majin Buu" Goku spoke slowly; a grin spreading across his face as Goku always did when presented with a powerful foe to do battle with.
"Ah; I remember you, you're the one Vegeta wanted to fight, but your other friend… the one in white is not with you" Babidi asked; a look of slight interest crossed through his bulbous eyes while Majin Buu merely innocently smiled at the Saiyan.
"I'm afraid Raijin is not with us right now, but I'm sure wherever he is; he is watching this right now" Goku remained smiling as he spoke for Raijin; an air of confidence surrounded Goku.
"Yes; I see, and exactly what business you have with us?" Babidi asked; his green lips curling into an evil grin; wondering what reasons Goku had come here for.
"I got the idea that you don't seem to understand us Saiyans very much, and I thought a little demonstration of our power would enlighten you" Goku never stopped smirking as he spoke; hinting that he had something up his sleeve.
"Really now? but from what I have seen from your pitiful friend Vegeta; its not really worth our time, Majin Buu! Have a snack!" Babidi pointed to Goku as he scoffed and insulted the fallen Saiyan.
Majin Buu's grin widened to expose a set of clean white teeth; his eyes slightly opening as the pink tentacle on his head flipped forwards to attack Goku, pondering on which sweet treat to turn Goku into.
Goku clenched his fists as he spoke; "I would think that you would be interested Buu, as an example; This is a Super Saiyan" Goku calmly explained, transforming into a Super Saiyan; his black hair and aura changing and blazing with a golden radiance.
"And this… is a Super Saiyan whose gone beyond a Super Saiyan, or as I like to call it; Super Saiyan 2" Goku explained; his golden hair become more defined and the spikes becoming sharper; a blue electrical current sparking around his body.
"So, you can change your hair colour; I fail to see how this would interest Majin Buu" Babidi scoffed, batting his hand at Goku; dismissing the demonstration.
Goku smiled so widely his own teeth became exposed; "Don't you want to see the next level?"
Babidi and Majin Buu floated silently in the air; both too stunned to speak by Goku's mysterious words, even Raijin stood stunned while within his own mind.
Goku brought his fists up to his chest; his energy beginning to rise higher and higher while his golden hair and aura flared brighter and brighter, "And this… is how to go even further beyond the powers of a Super Saiyan!".
Raijin could feel Goku's incredible and near-limitless energy; and hear Goku's seemingly nonstop screaming even from inside his Mindscape.
Goku's transformation caused his golden aura to blaze with a harsher and darker shade of gold; the clouds themselves began to disperse and be pulled towards Goku's body, while his golden spiky hair seemingly began stretching out from his head; the shouts and screams from Goku's vocal cords never ended for several minutes as he completed his transformation.
Goku stood in the air; his golden hair had grown down his back; his eyebrows vanished but his body basked within a golden glow that emitted from his entire physical form, "And this… is what I like to call a Super Saiyan 3".
Goku lunged forward with such speed that not even Majin Buu could follow; grabbing a hold of Buu's tentacle with his left hand and striking Buu with a hard right punch sending the pink monster downwards before springing back towards Goku, Goku began repeatedly striking Buu with right-handed punches causing Buu to spring back and forth like a yoyo.
Basking in his Super Saiyan 3 power; Goku gripped Buu's tentacle with both hands and swung the monster around in a circle before hurtling Buu into the side of an office building, the building crashing and crumbling down to nothing with Buu inside.
Buu flew out of the dust cloud like a hot pink bullet; headbutting Goku in mid-flight; bearing a large grin as Buu dropped lower in the sky, using both hands to fire a scattered barrage of ki blasts towards Goku.
"That's one of Vegeta's moves" Goku muttered to himself; gritting his teeth as he batted away any blasts that came near him; roundhouse kicking Buu as the monster flew ever closer, Buu's large body impossibly twisting around in the air like a screw threw and landed a punch in Goku's face while Goku equally landed a punch in Buu's bulbous cheeks.
Goku and Buu exchanged punches and strikes at such speeds that Raijin couldn't even keep up with; watching in awe of this amazing new power; a deep hunger for new strength igniting the flames of competition within Raijin's soul.
The furious exchange came to a close as both Goku and Buu thrust their right hands forward to blast the other with their energy; the smoke swept away by the continuing exchange of punches between Goku and Buu.
The vicious clash again coming to an end as Goku drove his left foot into Buu's rotund pink belly; grinning as he felt he'd hit a decisive blow on his foe, Buu grinning as his belly began to grow and expand; sucking Goku into the ever-expanding belly.
"YES! That's the way Majin Buu; now suffocate him" Babidi shouted with a gleeful voice.
Buu's smile faded from his face as a golden light poured out from the folds of Buu's belly; hearing the roaring sound of Goku's voice as blue lightning crackled across Buu's pink flesh until Buu's belly exploded and released Goku back out into the open sky.
Smiling with happiness as Buu more than met the challenge; Goku hurled a ki blast at Buu only for Buu to grasp the energy in his hands and crush it between his palms, Buu wore a big grin as his eyes opened once more; only to witness Goku planting both feet into his bright pink face in a relentless direct kick.
Majin Buu's face popped back out from his kicked-in head like the damage had never been suffered; stream erupting from his arms and head as Buu expressed his anger towards Goku, suddenly imitating Goku's first attack by vanishing on the spot and reappearing to successfully headbutt Goku and knock him backwards by the sudden copycat manoeuvre.
Goku came rushing back at blindingly fast speeds and with both hands struck Buu's own two hands with a double palm thrust; the impact sending shuddering waves throughout Buu's large pink body.
"Shoot away" Buu muttered; his palms bursting outwards with a hot-pink energy blast that connected with Goku and sent him hurtling away, following up on the blast; Buu expanded his left fist and stretching out his arm as Buu swiped at the staggered Goku.
Goku dropped downwards the avoid the massive fist; dodging to the left as Buu performed that same attack with his right fist, Goku flew in close and striking a defenceless Buu in the face with another dropkick; but Buu quickly recoverered his bearings, his large hands suddenly grabbing hold of Goku's own arms; lunging forwards and striking back at Goku with a vicious headbutt.
Goku flinching after such a vicious attack; regaining his bearing as he brought his hands back; a huge Kamehameha Wave forming between his hands, firing the beam attack with all his strength behind it; allowing himself a victorious smile as the beam struck Majin Buu directly and blasting a gaping hole right through Buu's body.
Babidi floated in the air; shocked at the back-and-forth battle.
Majin Buu floated in the air for only a moment before recovering; taking in a deep breath as the gaping hole in his belly instantly recovered like the wound was never there, bringing his own hands in a perfect imitation as Buu fired his own version of the Kamehameha Wave only as a hot-pink blast wave.
Goku felt a shudder of fear as Buu perfectly mimicked his own technique; clasping his hands together and batting the hot-pink blast back at Buu, Buu gave a wicked smile as he batted the blast away but in the direction of Babidi.
Babidi panicked by the sudden act of Buu indirectly blasting at him threw up his magic barrier; the blast splintering into fragments which cascaded and rained destruction on the city beneath their floating feet.
Goku's golden hair faded away; returning to its normal black once fully powered down; though clearly out of breath.
Buu tilted his head to the left; lowering his fists, "Why have you stopped? Buu is having fun"
Though clearly out of breath; Goku spoke clearly for Buu and Babidi to hear, "I need to leave now; but soon there will be a new opponent for you to face, one of which will be able to defeat you"
Buu tilted his head to the right; a big smile spreading across his face, "a new friend! when? how soon?" Buu chanting in an extremely happy tone of voice.
"In three days; a warrior will appear to defeat you Majin Buu, try to not kill any more people until that day comes; and for the record… its strange that someone as strong as you would bow down to someone as weak as Babidi" Goku spoke; giving a wave of his hand as he vanished as quickly as he arrived.
And after witnessing Goku's immense strength as a Super Saiyan 3; Raijin become convinced that that same power lay just beyond this stain-glass window just as the power of Super Saiyan 2 lay beyond the glittering wall he'd broken through only seven years ago.
Raijin waited in the dark void; staring up at the hovering stain-glass window and trying to figure out how to overcome the new barrier, Raijin had already broken one barrier and it seemed he was being presented with another.
Dropping down and seating himself in the lotus position; Raijin meditated on what he's seen in the mental projections, Majin Buu's frightfully vast range of powers and abilities, Goku's ascension to Super Saiyan 3 and the challenge of attempting to gain those same powers for himself, the fight had reignited the competitive flames of wanting to attain higher powers and surpass Goku and Vegeta.
When Raijin opened his eyes again following his meditation; Raijin was laying in crisp white bedsheets, dressed in a fresh white robe in the Namekian style; very slowly rising up to his feet in the white room, taking his first step ever so slowly around the room; keeping one hand on the walls as he took small barefooted steps, glancing out a window towards a tiled terrace with multiple lines of trees and flowerbeds; realising that he was at The Lookout.
Feeling weak after being in a near-comatose state for some time; Raijin slowly put one foot in front of the other as he walked across The Temple's hallways, upon crossing out into the courtyard Raijin was met by Mr Popo and Dende; though Mr Popo seemed quite panicked.
"Ah Raijin; you're finally awake, I'm sorry but there is no time to explain; you must take Dende and leave here as soon as possible!" Mr Popo spoke quickly; he usually spoke so slowly and softly, seeing this fear in Mr Popo just didn't seem right.
A pair of screaming male voices came from the inside of The Temple; the screaming voices were unmistakably that of Krillin and Yamcha.
"Mr Popo, tell me what is happening… please" Raijin fell down to his knees; still feeling weak from the unknown length of time he'd been near-comatose for.
"There is no time to explain right now! please take Dende and leave so that The Earth might still be saved!" Mr Popo repeated; his wide eyes reflecting the pink flashes of light as Bulma's and Videl's voices were next to scream.
With a bitter resentment in his heart; Raijin and Dende took each other's hands and fled, dropping down to Earth from the edge of The Lookout; Raijin and Dende both shedding a tear as they looked back only to witness another pink flash accompanied by the screaming voice of Mr Popo.