Chapter 32: Revindication
Author:Rocket (a.k.a. Roketto/RyunoOhi); Continuity Wizard: Saucemonkey; Editors: Elbadj, Renalto
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"...And there it is, no enhancements, that is the rogue planet TL-448 that you can see in the sky." The camera showed a red orb, about the size of the moon, hanging in the sky just visible through the light blue of the atmosphere. "Scientists are saying that it is going to get even closer, with it expected to pass within one hundred and fifty thousand kilometers of Earth, meaning it will pass closer than the moon," the news presenter excitedly carried on. "while there will be disruptions to tides, no lasting damage is expected to take place. People in low-lying areas are being temporarily evacuated. It should hit its closest point sometime in the afternoon." The camera cut back to the studio, where the presenter sat across from a science correspondent. "So, what can you tell us about this planet? Is there any knowledge of where it comes from?"
"Not as such," the science correspondent replied, "We know that roughly every five thousand years it orbits close to the Earth, but that's about it. No life is known to exist on the planet and we're not quite sure why its orbit comes in this direction. It's theorized that it hails from a distant galaxy, and sometime during said galaxy's formation, it was knocked out of the plane of its sun by a larger planetoid — like billiard balls, if you like," the presenter steepled his hands, "Now, it's in a highly erratic orbit that takes it on a galactic journey we can hardly imagine — traveling through deep space in a five thousand-year marathon orbit. There are talks of putting a small lander on the surface with a powerful instrument array, so that we can observe its journey through the distant stars, but so far—"
Gohan glanced away from the TV while he stuffed the rest of the equipment into his bag. Chi-chi hovered anxiously, while Videl waited impatiently by the door, her own backpack slung over her shoulder.
"You will watch out for the wolves and bears?" Chi-chi said, her tone dire.
"Of course Mom," Gohan sighed, "It's not like they're that much of a threat compared to androids, or aliens..."
"I was more thinking of Videl, and that careless attitude could land you both in trouble," his mother countered.
"I'll be alright," Videl chimed in, "I can handle a wolf, or even a pack of them, on my own. If we ever actually get up there..." She shot a pointed look that said 'hurry up' in Gohan's direction.
"Alright, alright, I'm packed!" Gohan huffed, slinging the bag over his shoulder. He walked out the door and Videl followed him outside.
"You two have a nice time!" Chi-chi called, "I'm going to join your father by the lake, so if I'm not in when you get back that's where I'll be."
"Okay Mom! See you later!" Gohan called over his shoulder. Videl waved at her as they headed into the trees, towards the mountain.
"So are we going to fly up there?" Videl asked.
"Nah, let's walk. We've got a bit of time before it gets close. Then we can fly up," Gohan replied.
"It'd be a lot faster to fly there..." Videl grumbled.
"Sure, but that takes the fun out of it. Besides, I'm not sure if you'd have the stamina for it yet, and I don't want to carry you back down," Gohan teased.
"I'll fly rings around you mister!" Videl retorted, giving Gohan a kick in the shin. Gohan laughed and pretended to be hurt as they carried on through the trees.
Dende shielded his eyes from the sun and spotted the rogue planet. It was getting closer, and he was nearly sure that he could make out some of the crags and mountains that were on it. He smiled and turned to Mr. Popo. "It's an amazing sight!" he said, "I never knew things like this could happen in the universe."
"It is a big place," Mr. Popo replied, "There are many mysteries out there that we don't really understand." Mr. Popo looked up at the planet and then down at the ground, seemingly preoccupied.
Dende cocked his head. "Mr. Popo? Are you okay? You seem a little...subdued."
Mr. Popo held up his hands. "Oh, it is nothing, nothing at all."
"Kooler and Sauza haven't been giving you trouble have they?" Dende asked. He quite liked the Arcosian and his right-hand, who had been unfailingly polite, but they could occasionally be brusque when attending to other matters. Not that Dende was sure there was anything he'd be able to do about it if Popo were to complain.
"Not at all. It is only Kooler up here, in the tower. Sauza, I believe, is with his colleagues on the planet." Mr. Popo smiled. "Really, Dende, it is nothing at all. Just some idle thoughts."
"All right, if you say so." Dende turned his gaze back to the sky as Mr. Popo walked off. He stood there for a long while, gazing upwards. "Ha! I definitely saw it get closer, it must be moving really fast. Hey, Mr. Popo, come check this out!" Dende turned around. Popo was nowhere. Stranger still, there was no sign of him having heard Dende. "Mr. Popo?" Dende frowned and walked towards the palace. 'Strange, he normally always hears me calling. Maybe he's gone downstairs to do some work?'
Dende stepped into the palace, calling after Popo, and then took the stairs downwards. 'He's probably not in the tower, if Kooler is there. So maybe down here? But what purpose would there be?' Dende made his way down and entered the base of the tower. In the center was an urn, that filtered out to the sky below. No Popo though. "Odd…maybe he's—"
Suddenly there was a sharp crack to the back of Dende's head. The Namekian's eyes widened and he toppled forward to the ground, falling unconscious. A diminutive pale green creature, dressed in black robes, floated behind where Dende had stood. He smirked.
"Hmm...it seems that the new Kami is not quite as prescient as the old one. This will make my task so much easier." The creature hefted the jug that was in his hand and, dropping down to the ground, made his way over to the urn in the center of the room. "And now...time to unleash chaos—aaagh!"
The creature's eyes bulged and blood spewed from his mouth. He looked down. A hole sizzled through his chest, right where his heart was. He glanced around his shoulder and saw Kooler, standing at the doorway, his finger pointing as smoke trailed from the tip. The creature toppled over onto the ground.
Kooler stepped into the room, looking at the small being. "Strange...how did he get in here?" Kooler pondered, "And without Dende knowing either..." He turned around to look at the Namekian. "Well, whatever is happening, that's put a stop to it."
"Oh, do you think so?" a sing-song voice called out.
Kooler froze, and then whirled around. The creature, apparently completely fine, was hovering in front of him, a grin plastered across his face. "But how?! I shot you through the heart!" Kooler exclaimed.
The creature dipped his hand into the jug and then flicked something onto Kooler's face. The Arcosian shook his head and stepped backwards, slapping at the droplets. 'Acid?! No, water? But what could that possibly do?' It was his last sane thought. A moment later a pain came searing through his head and a madness took hold. Roaring with fevered rage his power ignited, ascending to his Fifth Form. His eyes were blank and red as he turned immediately to Dende, readying to pounce—
"No!" the creature shouted. Kooler halted and looked over at him, a soft growl rumbling in his throat. "I need him to stay alive, lest I lose the Dragonballs. Go defend the Lookout. I imagine someone will be along soon." Kooler snarled, and then ran up the stairs, tail lashing. The creature turned back to the urn and smiled. Theatrically, he held the jug aloft in both hands. "Now, let the reign of Garlic Junior begin!" he declared, and then poured the Black Water Mist into the urn, starting its dispersal across the world.
"We're coming up on Earth," Frieza announced, tapping at the console, "We should be there within an hour."
Standing at the center of the ship, Tenshinhan nodded. The feeling of going back to Earth was...strange. After everything that he had gone through, the new— or rather the old— memories and perspectives that he had now made the experience one that he both looked forward to and dreaded. 'The first thing I have to do is go see Chiaotzu, reassure him that I'm all right again. Mostly. Then I need to see Goku...'
Frieza glanced over his shoulder at Tenshinhan. Seeing that he was preoccupied with his thoughts he elected not to disturb him. He could guess what he was thinking about. He turned back to the console and tapped at it, pulling up Bulma's number and hitting the button to make the vidcall. They were close enough now.
There were a few moments of the connection being made and then Bulma's voice came over, followed shortly by the slightly delayed image. Frieza blinked in surprise at how frazzled she looked. "Hello?" she said. In the background was the sound of squealing. "Trunks, just hold on a sec, Mommy's on the phone," Bulma called.
"Uh...hello?" Frieza said tentatively, unused to being ignored.
"Oh, Frieza! I wasn't expecting you. Where are you?" Bulma said, slightly muffled and off-camera.
"We're heading back to Earth, shouldn't be too long until we arrive," the Arcosian stated.
"And were you...successful?" the human asked.
Frieza allowed himself a small smile. "Yes. For the most part."
"That's great news! I can't wait to— " More squealing cut her off. "Okay, okay, I'm coming! Geez! Sorry, but I've got to go. Trunks is really impatient for his wash."
The thought of how his father would have reacted to such a thing briefly flitted across Frieza's mind. "Ah, right," he replied awkwardly. 'How is it that such a wealthy human does not have caretakers for this sort of thing?' he dimly wondered. He figured that Bulma was at least on par with royalty, and in his experience, such status afforded an endless supply of caretakers, tutors, minders, and all manner of staff.
"I'll see you when you land. Try not to make too much of an impact," the woman said in a distracted tone, as the baby again screeched in the background, making Frieza wince at the sharp sound.
"Yes, I will be careful," he said. The call cut off. He sighed, and leaned back in the captain's chair.
"So we're almost there?" Tenshinhan asked, settling into the seat beside Frieza.
Frieza nodded. "Yes, it shouldn't be too long." He paused. "Are you nervous?"
Ten thought for a moment. "A little, I suppose," he admitted, "I know that nobody is going to be angry with me, and that my actions were not really my own, but I still feel responsibility. I feel like they should feel the same way as well."
"I wouldn't worry," Frieza dismissed, "If Son Goku is willing to be forgiving of someone like me, I doubt it will even cross his mind to be angry with you."
Tenshinhan laughed. Then he paused and squinted out of the front screen. He stood slightly and leaned forward for a better look. "What is that?" he asked.
Frieza looked to where he directed: there was something. The Earth was coming into view, a small dot, but close to it as well there was something else. Frieza squinted and then realized what it must be. "Another planet," he said matter-of-factly. As far as he could see it was red and barren, with some mountains.
"Another planet? How can that be?" Tenshinhan asked, incredulous.
Frieza had to suppress the urge to laugh at his wonderment. "It's not so unusual. There are rogue planets with odd orbits that frequently pass close to others. The Earth shouldn't be in any danger from it. Bulma didn't see fit to mention it after all, so there can't be anything to worry about."
Tenshinhan calmed visibly, but remained fixated on the red dot of a planet. "I suppose so...but I've never seen or heard anything about this one before."
"I'd hazard that your human scientists didn't even know about it until it approached Earth," Frieza shrugged and returned to checking the readings on the console, "With as short a lifespan as humans have, it doesn't surprise me at all; these things can take hundreds or even thousands of years to come back around." Tenshinhan sat back and studied it, a vague memory stirring in his head, but he couldn't quite cling on to it.
Bulma set the phone down and then stood with her hands on her hips and stared at Trunks. "Right, mister, you're wanting a wash, huh?" she tried to look harsh, if only playfully, but found that the little innocent staring at her, with his first wisps of purple hair, was impossible to not smile at. She swept him up, and he giggled as she carried him into the bathroom.
She ran the water into the bath, checking it constantly to ensure that it wasn't too hot or too cold. "I really need to get Vegeta to do this sometime," she muttered, "I don't know how Saiyans do the whole division of labour, but he's really going to need a talking to about how these things work on Earth."
The bath ready, she plucked Trunks up from the floor and set him down into the water. Trunks splashed about and burbled happily, as Bulma splashed water over his body. Then she picked him up and held him up in the air. "Do we want to be a submarine?" she asked. Trunks giggled. "Yes we do! Okay! Hold your breath!" Bulma comically puffed her cheeks out and held her breath, crossing her eyes. Trunks waved his chubby hands and laughed, then did the same, his rosy cheeks bulging. 'He's so advanced for his age,' Bulma thought proudly, 'Wonder if that's the Saiyan genes, or just Yours Truly?' She gently dunked Trunks under the water for a couple of seconds and then raised him up. "Ooops! And again!" She dunked him down again and then pulled him out. Trunks laughed and wiggled his feet. "And again!" Bulma said and dunked him under the water. Trunks giggled beneath the water, feeling the nice temperature, anticipating the moment when he'd be swept out into the air. He could see his mother, her face wavy, through the water—
But then Bulma's grip tightened and pushed him further down. Suddenly scared, Trunks began to kick and wriggle and cry, even though that only brought water into his body. Through the water, Bulma's expression became feral.
Krillin stripped down to his swimming trunks and stuck a toe in the water. It was mild, but not exactly hot. He pulled a face and looked back over. Yamcha laughed. "Hey, you were the one who invited me over!" the former bandit said, "That means you're in charge of getting the food."
"I know, I know!" Krillin said, "I just wish I'd known that Roshi hadn't stocked the fridge before I issued the invitation. You sure we can't just order a pizza?"
"Nah man, you know the delivery guy on the mainland charges extra for a hovercar flight out here! Now quit bein' such a baby and get us some fish! I looked in the pantry, and the old man has enough spices for me to do my famous Secret Fish Rub!" Yamcha grinned.
"How can it be famous if it's secret?" the monk narrowed his eyes critically. With a sigh, Krillin dove into the water. Using his ki as assistance he swam through the water with ease and was soon some distance away from the island and into the deeper water. He looked around for a moment and then spotted it: a nice big fish, minding its own business. 'Perfect!' Krillin positioned himself, aimed and then shot forward, holding his fist out. Before the fish knew what was happening he had struck it hard on the head and killed it. Krillin grabbed the floating body and shot up and out of the water. "I got him!" he cheered in delight. He flew back towards Kame House and dropped onto the beach, holding his prize above his head. 'Now I know how Goku feels when he pulls this off.'
"Master Roshi! Yamcha! Get out here, I've got us a real beaut—" A threatening movement caught Krillin's eye and he leaped backwards, dropping the fish. A fist smashed through the fish, spewing its innards all over the beach. Krillin was shocked to see Yamcha, face contorted in fury, staring at him. "Yamcha, what's wrong?" Krillin said, raising his hands slightly in a defensive position. "Is this some sort of joke, or a training session Roshi set up?" A burst of ki rising made him swing his head just in time to see a bulked up Master Roshi, similarly feral to Yamcha, hurl a Kamehameha at him. Krillin leapt up, the wave carrying on past him and rocking the water apart, and then threw his arms into a block as Yamcha thudded into him."What's going on?!" he shouted, blocking more and more of Yamcha's attacks, "Cut it out!" Another Kamehameha wave sped up to them, Krillin seeing it too late, and the attack crashed into both of them, sending both Krillin and Yamcha crashing to the ground. Krillin was back on his feet first, as Master Roshi approached. 'Something is really wrong. Roshi didn't distinguish between me and Yamcha, so they're not being controlled by someone. It's like they've both gone mad! In both senses of the word!'
Yamcha got back to his feet, snarling, his anger only directed at Krillin. "I don't want to fight you guys..." he started, but they both charged forward before he could finish. 'Nuts! I've got to get out of here!' As they got closer he put his fingers to his temples. 'At least they're not very smart right now.' he thought with mild relief. "Taiyoken!" he yelled, and blinding light flashed from his forehead. Both Roshi and Yamcha halted immediately, howling and gripping their eyes. Krillin took his opportunity and blasted off into the sky. "What is going on?!" he wondered aloud, "I've never seen anything like that. It was like they were possessed! But not by someone directing them, they were far too wild for that." He paused and stretched his mind out, trying to sense energy signatures, something that might clue him in. He spotted something: an unusual signature coming from the Lookout. Unusual...but familiar in some vague way. "That looks like the place to start." Krillin redirected his flight and headed for the Lookout.
The ship rattled and rumbled as the shields held fast, Earth's whitehot atmosphere sliding around the Capsule ship. A soft thump, and they were down. Tenshinhan let out a held breath, while Frieza calmly gave him a sideways glance. "Alright, before you get cold feet, let's rejoin the others," Frieza ordered, though his voice held a caring undertone scarcely heard in the former tyrant.
"Good idea," Tenshinhan replied evenly. His heart was beating a little fast, but he felt in control. 'I only hope that this feeling sticks when I see Goku's face,' he thought with trepidation.
They exited the ship, a slight mist from the hot landing gear parting as they made their way down the gangplank. "Huh. It's rather foggy out," Tenshinhan said absently, scanning the Capsule Corp. launchpad. Beyond the pad, tendrils of mist crisscrossed the lawn of Capsule Corp. lazily. He spotted movement across the grass, and waved in what he hoped was a friendly enough manner to the Capsule Corporation employee.
"Something's wrong," Frieza said softly, squinting at the human, "There's something off. Bulma isn't here, and neither are any of the others. Goku I can understand being absent-minded enough to refrain from meeting us, but the others..." He trailed off, leaving Tenshinhan on the launchpad as he marched across the dew-laden lawn. "You there," he ordered, "Where's Bulma Briefs? We have business with her." The employee slowly turned, regarding the alien with an utterly blank stare. Frieza flinched subconsciously— just avoiding the man's snapping jaws, an inch from his nose. In the moment it took to process this, he heard Tenshinhan cry out, and whirled to see his friend standing over a female employee on the ground in a heap.
Tenshinhan looked at Frieza, eyes the size of saucers. "S-she just jumped at me! I don't think she's dea—"
"Watch out! Behind you!" Frieza cried, bursting towards Tenshinhan. He batted away another worker, as gently as he could, before he could sink his elongated teeth into Tenshinhan's shoulder. "What is going on here?!" he growled, as the frail human rose from where the Arcosian had drove him into the dirt. The man bared his teeth in a snarl, and leapt at Frieza. Both warriors jumped into the air, hoping to avoid the assault..but the maddened humans followed them, airborne and growling.
"What could be doing this?" Tenshinhan hissed, "It isn't Gero's M.O., that's for sure."
"I don't know," Frieza tersely replied, swatting an encroaching human away with his tail, "but we need to find Bulma and the others, and quickly."
"Aww, come on Chi-chi! The water's great!"
Goku popped out of the center of the lake, waving to his wife, who stayed resolutely on the shore, making sure Goten was comfortable. "Goku, you know I don't really like getting in the water," she said, not looking up. "That lake is crawling with fish, of all sorts, and I really don't want—"
SHHFFT!
Goku suddenly appeared right next to Chi-chi and swept her up. "That's no reason to be a spoilsport!" he said, with a grin.
"Son Goku don't you dare—!" Chi-chi shrieked. Too late. The Saiyan had leapt into the air and, holding his wife tight, dive-bombed into the center of the lake, sending an enormous splash of water up into the air. Baby Goten giggled in his basket on the sand.
Under the water Chi-chi wriggled and pushed, and eventually escaped her husband's grasp. She swam up to the surface and burst through the water, taking a deep breath. Goku joined her a moment later, grinning. She glowered and splashed water at him. He laughed.
"You idiot!" she said, though she was fighting to keep a smile from her face. "Now what? I don't have any other clothes."
Goku put his hand behind his head and looked guilty. "Oh yeah, I didn't think of that."
Chi-chi laughed. Goku's naivete and lack of forward thinking could be infuriating at times. But at other times, like this one… Goku laughed as well, and Chi-chi looked back to the lakeside. Her breath caught in her throat and her heart seemed to stop. Goten had disappeared. "Where's Goten?!" she shrieked.
Goku's head snapped back to the shore, instantly alert. As Chi-chi began to swim back he stretched out with his senses. 'He's small, he can't have got far...' Sure enough: there was the tiny and familiar presence of Goten nearby. Goku jumped out of the lake and flew across it, landing on the shore and running to where he felt his son, near the trees.
'There!' He skidded to a halt near Goten, who was crawling along the ground, making grumpy noises and stopping every so often to pound his fist on the ground. "Hey, buddy," Goku said, "What are you doing all the way over here?" He smiled and put his fists on his hips. "You really scared your mother. And if I'm being honest, me too."
Goten offered no response. He just carried on with what he was doing. Goku frowned. "What are you doing here anyway?" He leaned over to see and his eyes widened. Goten was systematically crawling on the ground and crushing insects with his fist. 'Why is he doing that?' the Saiyan thought. It was strange. Even at this early age it was clear Goten had a love for animals, constantly laughing and clapping at butterflies or reptiles or anything really whenever he caught sight of them. "Hey, cut that out, it's not very good," Goku said, reaching down to take Goten. At the merest touch the child went wild and suddenly launched himself at Goku, snarling like a feral monkey. Goku held him at arm's length as he flailed and snapped his teeth, wriggling and struggling.
"Goku! There you are, is Goten, is he—?!" Chi-chi called, running up to him. She saw the bug pulp on his fists and gasped. "He's not hurt," Goku quickly reassured her. He looked puzzled. "That's just from crushing insects."
"Crushing insects? But he...why would he..?" Chi-chi looked, with some fear, at the baby, who was making the most ungodly growls she'd ever heard come from a child.
"I don't know... But he doesn't seem to be in his right mind..." Goku said soberly. They exchanged a look and then turned back to their still struggling and raging son. Suddenly Goku's head snapped to the side, his eyes widening. "But that's…Gohan!" he shouted, sensing the sudden upsurge in his other son's power level that could indicate only one thing. He had gone Super Saiyan.
"Well, here we are, at the highest point," Gohan proclaimed, dropping his bag onto the ground. They had cleared the last of the trees and were now able to see clearly up towards the approaching rogue planet, which now was much bigger in the sky. "By now that should be affecting the tides, coastal cities may be getting flooded."
Videl slumped down beside him. "You almost sound pleased," she said.
"Huh? Oh no, just fascinated." Gohan scratched his cheek. "It's a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence, after all."
"Sure you're not secretly relishing the idea of destruction? Are your old Saiyan, primal genes not just a little bit excited by the idea of it?" Videl teased, poking his cheek with her finger.
Gohan gave her a withering look. "Not funny, Videl."
She grinned. "I think it is, and that's what matters." She hopped onto her feet and flexed her arms and legs. "I'm going to get a closer look," she announced.
"You're going to fly up?" Gohan asked.
"Of course! What's the point in being able to fly if I don't use it to see cool stuff?" She grinned.
"Want me to come up with you?" the half-Saiyan offered.
Videl rolled her eyes. "I don't need a chaperone, Gohan; you sound like my Dad."
"All right, well if you fall don't forget to scream really loudly so I know to catch you," Gohan replied.
"Ha, ha. Very funny." Videl stuck her tongue out at him.
"I think it is, and that's what matters," Gohan smirked.
Videl's jaw went slack, then she turned with a hmph. She shot up into the air, reached within for more ki, and quickly cleared the lines of cloud, going higher and higher, until the cold and lack of air started getting to her. She halted and took in deep wheezing breaths. She looked down and...wow! She was really high. She could almost see the end of the continent and the curve of the Earth was just faintly visible. She grinned and looked upwards. The planet was a lot closer to her vision now, so much so she could make out some of the mountains and pockmarks along its red surface.
'This is awesome!' She let out a whoop of joy...then shivered violently. "Ugh, I really need to g-get G-Gohan to t-teach me how to k-k-keep warm…" She allowed herself to drop back and then started flying back towards the ground, a big silly grin on her face—
Suddenly, a blue bolt of energy split through the clouds heading right for her!
Videl yelled and dove out of the way, the bolt streaking past her. She lost control over her flight and began to fall, streaking through the air and tumbling towards the ground. Panicking, she fought to regain control as the ground shot up towards her—and just managed to halt her fall before she smacked into the treetops. Panting, she flew over to the misty clearing where Gohan was and dropped down. "What the hell was that?!" she shouted, "Someone just shot an energy bolt at me!" She glared at Gohan, who was looking up into the sky. "Was that you? Was that your idea of a joke? Because if it was that was way too—"
Gohan looked over at her, his face contorted in rage. Videl took a step back, suddenly afraid as a wave of power washed over her. "Gohan...what's wrong...why are you..?" Before she could react Gohan had closed the distance between them and sunk his fist into her stomach. Videl gasped as she shot backwards and slammed into a tree, dropping to the ground. She let out a wheeze of pain and looked up as Gohan bore down on her, fist raised. She just managed to throw up her left hand into a block, anchoring herself with her right. The pressure, as his arm connected with hers was thunderous; she could feel the bone in her arm bending and her other hand dug into the ground. 'This is insane!' she thought. "Gohan! Stop! What are you—?!"
The half-Saiyan snarled viciously, and the girl could see that his canine teeth were longer, sharper. 'Maybe I shouldn't have joked about his Saiyan instincts,' she thought, 'Maybe that rogue planet is affecting him?!' She had no time to think further on his state, as Gohan's other fist shot out towards her, and she crossed both arms over to block. She took the full force of the blow and shot backwards, her guard breaking apart as she crashed and skidded along the ground. Adrenaline pumping she hopped back to her feet as her friend shot towards her again— 'One chance here—Sorry Gohan!' Timing it perfectly, she swung her leg forward and smashed her foot into Gohan's groin. Rage induced or not, the boy howled and crumpled to the ground.
Videl hesitated for a split second before taking off into the forest, ducking, diving, and weaving her way through the trees, hoping to throw off pursuit. Enraged, Gohan pulled himself to his feet and let out a roar, his golden aura igniting, the heat of it following Videl through the trees.
Cold winds swirled and howled, almost drowning out the cries of a lone warrior powering up among them, as Piccolo fought the elements, training in earnest. The Namek shot through an ancient iceberg, shattering it with his fist. He stopped, panting, shaking the numbness from his hand. He reignited his aura, and continued his assault on the frozen behemoths that littered the far north. Occasionally he would see seals, whales, or other more exotic wildlife, but they had quickly learned to avoid his training ground when he wasn't quietly meditating. He drove himself through a monster of an iceberg, using only his pure, physical power. It wasn't enough. Piccolo lost momentum, grinding to a halt in the unearthly blue heart of the ice.
He stopped for a moment, breathing heavily, and marvelled at the hues of blue and aqua, silver and cyan, that decorated this small haven. 'This is what I'm fighting to protect,' he reminded himself, 'It's not the Namek of my constituent parts' memories, but it has its own beauty, its own worth.' The others might laugh, had they been privy to such thoughts. Truthfully though, Piccolo had always felt an inherent connection to the Earth as a place— perhaps a leftover scrap of the original Kami's sentiment, or maybe it was Nail's sense to duty. Whatever the case, Earth was his home, and he had admitted as such, if only to Gohan. 'Gohan...' He frowned in thought. Lately the boy had turned down training with him in favor of some human his age...he wasn't quite jealous, but he couldn't help but worry about how that would turn out, for better or for worse. If it affected his fighting spirit and resolve, that could be a problem. Unconsciously, he reached out for the boy's ki, surprised when he found it to be unusually high. 'He doesn't normally go that hard, even in training, unless I push him,' Piccolo mused. Something about his energy felt...off. Too jittery, even for Gohan, and too loud. It almost felt angry. The Namekian frowned. He caught his breath, and prepared to punch the rest of the way through the iceberg. He hesitated, looked ruefully at the almost artistic swirls of blue ice, and turned on his heel, heading back out through the tunnel he had already carved. 'It'll make a nice chamber for relaxing meditation,' he told himself, mentally mapping the glacier's shape and location.
As he exited, back out into the freezing winds, his eye caught a commotion at the water's surface. Among the swirling mist and chunks of sea ice, the water roiled as a tusking of narwhals fought. Piccolo watched with some interest as the strange creatures parried and rolled about in the sea. A large, spiral horn broke the surface, and he had just enough time to catch the feral look in the beast's small, rolling eye before it launched out of the water, directly at him. He launched himself back with a small curse, as the beast flopped back into the waves. "That was strange..." he muttered, narrowing his eyes. Suddenly, as one, the entire tusking surged out of the water, far beyond what he estimated their jumping ability to be. They were headed straight towards him, sharp spiral teeth aimed at him threateningly. "Shit!" Piccolo exclaimed, as he leapt out of their way. He heard a ripping sound, and turned to see one large bull narwhal thrashing, its horn tangled in his cape. He wriggled out of the cumbersome equipment, and struggled to untangle the whale. To his surprise, it snapped at him, before clumsily pointing its primary weapon at him again. He let go, half out of instinct, and half to see what it would do. The narwhal dropped a few feet, but stabilized, hovering midair until it had thrashed the tattered remains of the cape off. "Okay, that definitely isn't normal," Piccolo concluded quietly, as the rest of the tusking rose behind their leader in the air. They had murder in their beady eyes...and what's more, their eyes appeared to be glowing pink.
"Get...off!" Vegeta growled, unkindly backhanding another rabid employee through a wall. "These cretins are everywhere...and they don't seem to know the meaning of fear!" he fumed, slapping away a trio of secretaries in pencil skirts who tried to bite him as he stomped down the hall. 'Just when I thought this day was going well, this shit has to happen,' he thought, glowering at a throng of blank-eyed Capsule Corp. humans in his path. "Goddamn humans... Rrrr, where the hell is Bulma in all this?" he thought out loud. Before he'd entered the Gravity Chamber to train, she had rattled off her plans for the day, which he had only half-listened to. Cursing, he searched for her tiny ki signature. 'There!' he thought, 'If anyone has an explanation for this madness...' He took off flying down the hallway, scattering employees like bowling pins as he shot up the stairs to the private quarters. Through the foyer, into the bedroom...there! Now he heard, as well as felt, a commotion coming from the master bathroom. "Bulma, what is the meaning of this?! It's bedlam downstairs!" he angrily demanded, barging into the bathroom.
In seconds, he took the entire scene in: Bulma, a crazed, twisted grin on her face, kneeling over the bathtub. Trunks, his already small ki dwindling, splashing and struggling beneath the surface. Instinct screamed at him. He shoved Bulma away from the tub, and scooped out the infant. As soon as he was clear of the water, Trunks coughed viciously, and began to wail. 'Good, at least he isn't drowned,' Vegeta thought, 'But this madwoman almost killed him! Killed my son!' Somehow, a strange, possessive urge overtook him, even as he wrapped his squalling progeny in a towel and held him close to his chest. Bulma jerkily got up from where he had bodily pushed her over, and he was struck with a sudden cold sense of...wrongness. 'That's not Bulma,' his mind insisted. Indeed, there was no fierce intellect behind her blue eyes, instead replaced by a pinkish haze that sang of rage and animalistic fury. "Bulma...what is going on here?" he asked, his voice rough, but lower than his previous shouted demand. She didn't answer him, instead rushing at the Saiyan with jaws wide, her smeared red lipstick framing terrifyingly long teeth. Vegeta jumped out of her way, then backed out of the bathroom. "What's wrong with you woman, are you mad?! You could have killed the boy! Explain yourself!" Again, she charged with nothing more than a snarl. 'She's lost her mind,' Vegeta thought, 'like a Saiyan who can't control their Oozaru form...but she's no Saiyan, this has to be something else! But what?' He hardly had time to think, as Bulma now had him cornered against the veranda. In the crook of his arm, Trunks shivered and whimpered, seemingly aware of the danger. "Damn it..." he hissed, "Be brave, brat."
Bulma swayed on her feet like a sleepwalker, then pitched forward, nails bared and mouth wide open in a growl. Vegeta kicked off the balcony into the air to escape her grasp. To his surprise, she neither slowed down nor stopped, lunging off the balcony after them. "Shit! Are you trying to kill yourself?!" Vegeta exclaimed, reflexively moving to catch her. She twisted like a wild animal in his grasp, finding purchase on his bicep, where she bit down hard. Vegeta cried out at the unexpectedly painful attack, and released his grip. He struggled to keep Trunks pinned to his side with one arm, while assessing the damage. The bite was deep, and it burned. He winced, baring his teeth more in annoyance than pain. "Damn woman! If she broke her neck I'll never hear the end of it from anyone on this miserable planet..." He scanned the ground immediately below, but saw no sign of her. If she wasn't lying dead, then... He dropped down to the grass and scanned for her distinctive blue hair. A sudden sense of danger made him wheel in place, deflecting a ki blast. When he lowered his smoking palm, he saw the lackeys that Haabu's rampage had left behind. Normally pissants of such a caliber wouldn't dare challenge him, but this time, they clearly had no intention of backing down. All of them had the same glowing, pink eyes Bulma had sported, and as they charged at him, screaming, he saw that all of them save the bird had much longer fangs than he'd remembered. Vegeta leapt backwards, landing a kick on Mirtiro's beak, knocking him back. He shot up into the air, the others pursuing, and fired off some ki blasts to knock them backwards and cover his retreat. In his arms Trunks giggled, and Vegeta glanced at him in surprise and annoyance. 'Damn this boy's making this more complicated!' he thought, jiggling his son in his arms, trying to hold him tight, 'At least his laughing at the fighting suggests something of a true Saiyan...'
His head snapped to the side as Mirtiro came at him again, hands outstretched, claws reaching for Trunks. Vegeta snatched Trunks away, shifting him to his other hand, and then quickly backhanded Mirtiro, sending the bird creature slamming into the ground. Vegeta went higher, holding Trunks tight. 'So it seems they have some primitive fighting knowledge...enough to know weaker sides...' He glanced around. Across the way he could hear sirens and chaos coming from West City, smoke drifting upwards indicating burning and fires. Whatever this was, it was general, not local. 'What is happening? It's more than just here, it seems to be everywhere...' He glanced down with a sudden nagging panic. To his relief though, Trunks was fine and so was he. 'So why were Bulma and the others affected?' he pondered. What was different about his situation and Trunks'? Being inside? 'No, then why was Bulma affected?' And how were they affected? It came to him. "Of course!" he said, "It must have been some agent released in the air. Trunks was underwater so it didn't hit him, and the Gravity Chamber uses recycled air; it would have never gotten in." Now the problem that remained was: who had caused this? Biological attacks of this kind weren't the PTO's M.O., so that, regretfully, ruled out Frieza or Kooler snapping back to their old ways. So who?
Vegeta reached out with his senses; he could feel Kooler on the Lookout but there was something...off about him. Maybe that's where it was emanating from? He was just about to head off in search of it when a foot smashed into his head, sending him hurtling to the ground. Just before he crashed, he managed to turn his body and hold his hands up, keeping Trunks off of the ground. His back bore the full force of it and he gasped in pain. Trunks bounced and laughed. 'This is getting tiresome...' Vegeta growled, picking himself up off of the ground. He frowned. Hanging in the sky, the same feral expressions, was Kooler's Armored Squadron. Sauza ignited his ki blade and grinned at him. Vegeta glanced at Trunks and then back up. "This will be harder..."
Videl ran, stumbling, falling against the ground and then scrambling back up. She just had to pray, pray constantly to any deity that might be listening, that Gohan's ki sensing powers were as out of whack as the rest of him. No way was she going to be able to survive the force of a Super Saiyan attack.
Regrettably, at that moment, God was unconscious. In a blinding streak of light Gohan landed right in front of her. Videl screamed and fell onto her back. She scrambled backwards as the young demi-Saiyan bared his teeth, that had now grown longer and sharper. He stepped forward—
'Oh God this is it!' A terror like she'd never known seized her as one of the most powerful forces in the world leapt for her— And then another flash of golden light suddenly appeared in front of her, blocking the attack. Son Goku, Super Saiyan, stood in front of her and held the arm of the surprised Gohan. Goku knocked him backwards, sending him crashing through some of the trees. "Mr. Goku!" Videl shouted in relief, "I'm so glad you're here! I don't know what's up with Gohan he just suddenly went—"
"Mad?" Goku asked, keeping his eyes fixed on Gohan, who was slowly getting back to his feet, "Yeah, it's the same with Goten." He risked a reassuring glance back at her. "Get out of here Videl, head to the house; Chi-chi is there. Best fly, as it seems like some animals have been affected by whatever this is as well."
"What are you going to do?" she blurted, darting her eyes between Goku and Gohan— he was advancing with a maddened growl.
Goku curled his fists tightly. "I'll have to send Gohan to sleep until I work out what's going on. I just hope I can. Now, Videl— go!"
As if on cue, Gohan leapt forward and Goku took a defensive stance. Videl immediately leapt into the air, clearing the trees, just managing to escape the force of the shockwave as father and son clashed. 'Gohan...' she risked a glance behind at the frenzied boy, locked in battle. He looked so unlike the gentle boy she knew, and the thought came, unbidden: what if this couldn't be undone? Would she lose him forever to madness? 'No, I can't think like that!' she berated herself, 'Already, I've seen Gohan and his friends do things I'd thought impossible...I just have to trust them on this. It'll be okay!' With renewed determination, she blasted forward, away from the fray towards the Son house.
Gohan's blows were furious, powerful, but not sloppy, Goku noted. He deflected them as well as he could, searching for an opening to hit his counter. He was hoping to be able to finish this quickly, but that didn't seem to be in the offering. "Gohan!" he shouted, "Snap out of it. Whatever this is, you can beat it." A contemptuous fist to Goku's cheek seemed to be his only answer. Goku rolled with the punch and turned his spin into a kick that crashed into Gohan's back, sending him pinwheeling to the ground. Goku charged forward and hooked his arm around Gohan's neck, hauling him back and cutting off his air supply. He gripped tight as his son thrashed and flailed, trying to fight him off, his movements getting more erratic and frantic as his oxygen faded. 'Come on, come on…' Goku thought, straining, 'Go down easily…I don't wanna hurt you more than I have to!'
Just when it seemed like it was almost over, Gohan just managed to wriggle his head into a good position and bite deeply into Goku's arm. Goku yelled and pulled his arm back, a significant chunk of flesh ripping off as he did so. Gohan coughed and struggled to his feet, fighting to bring in more air as Goku winced and held his arm. 'He's definitely gone completely...' Goku thought, 'I just hope there's a way to bring him back.' Gohan turned towards him, recovered, his grin now made even more horrifying with Goku's blood dribbling from his teeth. Goku winced in pain as he ignited a ki ball on his hand, using the heat to cauterize his wound. 'Worry about it later!' Gohan leapt forward, reaching for Goku, who raised his better arm for a block. Suddenly, a foot slammed into the side of Gohan's head and sent him flying away, shattering through several trees. Goku looked over and found himself faced with Piccolo. "Piccolo!" he said. "When did you—?"
"Sensed Gohan's power raised, and then you shortly after," the Namekian explained, "It didn't seem like a friendly confrontation."
Goku glanced at the blackened portion of his arm. "Yeah, you got that right."
"So, Gohan's been affected? Some animals near the arctic went wild as well," Piccolo grimaced.
"Do you have any idea what's going on?" the Saiyan asked.
Piccolo was quiet a moment. "Some idea..." he said, "But it'd take too long to go over. You get to the Lookout Goku, I'll take care of Gohan."
Goku quirked an eyebrow. "What do I do there?"
Piccolo was silent a moment, frowning. "If I'm right, that's where the problem is coming from. Find Mr. Popo, he'll know what to do."
"Right." Goku touched his fingers to his forehead. "Krillin?! What's he doing there?! I think you're right Piccolo, somethin' is definitely goin' on at the Lookout!"
SHHFFT!
Goku disappeared, just as Gohan burst through the trees and flailed at the empty air. He scrabbled on the ground like a wild animal, confused as to where his prey had gone. Then something heavy hit him in the back of the head and he whirled around. Piccolo smiled at him, as he dropped his cloak to the ground. "Well, Gohan, I remember telling you that you had to be more ruthless, but I think you've taken this a bit far," he said. Gohan snarled and charged, and Piccolo flew forward to meet him.
Goku appeared at the Lookout and his face creased in anger. Krillin was gasping, struggling, held in the hand of Kooler in his Fifth Form, who was strangling the life out of him.
"Let him go!" Goku bellowed.
Kooler looked over, startled. But his eyes were the same pink colour that Gohan's had been.
'Darn it! Not him too!' Goku realized.
Kooler threw Krillin at him and Goku caught his friend, setting him gently on the ground. "Krillin, what happened? Why did you come here?" he said. Then he snapped his head back up, remembering. But Kooler hadn't moved. Goku frowned. 'Strange, he seems more in control than the others...'
"G-Goku..." Krillin wheezed, "It's...Ga…"
"Huh? Who?" Goku pressed him.
"Why, why if it isn't Son Goku," The voice, almost sing-song, struck Goku. He'd heard that voice before. Long, long ago. But...it couldn't be..?
He looked up and, sure enough, walking towards him was Garlic Jr., a smile playing across the imp's face. "Hey, I know you...Garlic Jr., right?" Goku said in surprise.
Garlic Jr. was irritated to note that there's wasn't a hint of fear in his tone. "Yes Goku. Now how long has it been? I'm afraid it's so very hard to keep track, when you've been locked in a dimension of eternal nothingness and torment."
"Well, in fairness you sort of did that to yourself." Goku stood up, assured that Krillin was safe.
Garlic Jr. squinted at his old adversary. If anything he was looking even more relaxed than before, which was profoundly irritating.
"How did you get out?" Goku asked, "I thought the Dead Zone was inescapable."
Garlic Jr. crossed his arms and smirked. "So did I. Luckily for me, my father had been exaggerating slightly, or at least he never imagined that someone as powerful as I could come into being." He laughed, then frowned. 'Is that a smile on Goku's face? How dare he make light of me!' the demon thought. Now thoroughly put out, he stabbed a sulky finger skywards. "The Makyo Star!" he snarled, "My home planet. In its presence my power increases enormously. Its effects reached into the space where I was trapped in the Dead Zone, and I used my increased strength to break free."
Goku looked up and then back down at Garlic Jr. He put his hands on his hips and laughed. "Oh! So you're an alien too! Neat. Since we last met I learned that both me and Piccolo were as well!"
Garlic Jr. stamped his foot on the ground, all self-control lost as he gave in to a full-blown temper tantrum. "What the hell?! I have just told you about how my power has increased tremendously, and all you can blather on about is my being an alien?!"
Goku put his hand behind his head. "Oh, sorry! I mean, that's neat and all and I'm happy for you that you got out, but uh...even with your increased strength you're way, way below my level. I mean, I could knock Kooler for six without any trouble. So why don't you put a stop to whatever it is you're doing, and we can have a talk, and come to some arrangement?"
'This oaf...his demeanor is even more tortuous than the monotony of the Dead Zone, if such a thing is possible!' the pale green imp thought incredulously. Garlic Jr. touched his hand to his temple, a migraine forming. "You want me...to talk with you?" he said, slowly, as if unsure he'd heard correctly.
Goku shrugged. "Sure. I know you're annoyed about what you suffered in the Dead Zone, but seeing as you can't beat me and I have no idea how to resolve whatever it is you've done to the people of Earth, coming to some arrangement seems like a good idea." Goku narrowed his eyes. "I know I can't really kill you Garlic, but I would rather avoid any suffering for both of us. I think you understand what I can do to you, immortal or not. So fix what you've done, and I'll let it pass. I'll even help you get back to your planet if that's what you want."
"What I want?! What I want?!" Garlic Jr exploded, "I don't need your help to get back to my planet, I can do that myself." He grinned, an idea suddenly forming. "...Actually, I think that's exactly what I'll do."
"Oh? So you'll fix what you've done. Good," Goku replied in a relieved tone.
Garlic practically had steam coming from his large, pointed ears. He gnashed his teeth in an ugly expression. "Of course not you stupid bastard!" he screamed, "I want you all to suffer!" With that he shot up into the sky, heading towards Makyo Star. "Kooler! Kill them!"
Goku swore and looked down, as Kooler readied himself to attack. 'Damn it! I can't follow Garlic Jr., otherwise Krillin will be killed!' He powered up to Super Saiyan as Kooler bore down on them—
A white leg slammed into the side of Kooler's head and sent the Arcosian spinning across the ground. Frieza dropped down in front of Goku. "Well, well brother dear, under the control of some wizard are we?" Frieza said, a note of sibling rivalry triumph entering his voice, "How unfortunate, something superior specimens would of course never fall for."
"Frieza! When did you get back? Where's Ten—"
"Just this morning, and he's fine. I left him at Capsule Corp. to try to find Bulma, and came straight here for answers. Looks like my instinct was correct," Frieza said quickly, staring down Kooler as he began to rise and shake his head, recovering from the attack. "So, from what I hear, this Garlic Jr. is an old enemy of yours, back for revenge. How quaint."
"Yeah, but this time, he's done somethin' to control everybody on Earth...or at least most of 'em. I still don't get why some of us were affected and some of us weren't," Goku replied, his brow creased in thought.
"Never mind that now. I assume you have a plan?" Frieza asked.
"Not really...oh yeah! Piccolo said somethin' about findin' Popo; he'll know what to do," Goku offered helpfully. He turned to Krillin. "Frieza can hold off Kooler while you go find him. Meanwhile, I'll go after Garlic, and see if I can get some answers outta him!"
"Right. Go get him, Goku," Krillin nodded, rubbing his throat, then rising.
Goku watched him dash out of sight into the palace, then turned back to Frieza. "You sure you've got this?"
"Pah, don't concern yourself on my behalf," Frieza dismissed, "Even in his right mind, Kooler can't beat me."
The possessed Arcosian snarled at this remark, and charged. "Well, good luck then. Bye!" Goku said.
SHHFFT!
"Oh brother dear, did that insult wound you?" Frieza smirked, "Maybe you're still in there after all. Good. I'd hate to have to put you down a second time because you were out of control." Kooler snorted, drawing his fist back. Frieza readied a block and a counter, grinning in anticipation.
SHHFFT!
"Alright Garlic, let's— whoa!" Goku stumbled, and let out a ragged cough. "Phew, what is this?" he gasped, waving his hand and scrunching up his nose. "The air's so thick here...and it stinks!"
"Glad you could join me, Son Goku— isn't the atmosphere refreshing?" Garlic chortled, clearly at home in the toxic environment.
"Last chance Garlic, give up and get somethin' of what you want or persist an' get— " Goku broke off into a hacking wheeze. It almost felt like his lungs were filling with water and then only sort of emptying.
Garlic clapped his hands in delight. "Oh you great fool! I can't believe you just followed me without making any preparations! Did you ever stop to think that a different planet might have a different constitution?" He grinned. "Then again that was always your problem; too ready to rush in and take action rather than stopping and—"
Goku transformed into a Super Saiyan and fired a little wave at Garlic Jr. The wave tore him apart instantaneously. Goku wheezed and tried to work out whether shallow or deep breaths were better for him. A few seconds later Garlic reformed, seemingly out of nothing, and furious.
"That was petty and uncalled for!" the imp shouted, "And why is your hair doing that?!"
"Long... story…" Goku grinned, "but I can keep blasting you all day like this."
"I think not," Garlic growled irritably, "This atmosphere is poisoning you, eventually you will die so all I need to do is keep you here. And with my increased power that will be no problem."
"I already...told...you," Goku struggled, "increased power...or not...I'm—"
"And I already told you!" Garlic interrupted, "Proximity to my planet makes me much stronger! And now that I'm standing on its surface…" Garlic grinned and then let out a roar. His power leapt up as his body grew and bulked out.
Goku grimaced. 'Normally he'd be no trouble even with this power, but with this air and his immortality…' Garlic Jr charged forward and Goku just managed to block his punch. 'I think I've made a bad mistake coming out here…'
Krillin ran around the Lookout shouting for Mr. Popo, opening every door he could find. "Mr. Popo?! Mr. Popo?! Ah jeez, where could he be?" It had not been a good day for the former monk so far. Following on from being attacked by his friends, he'd then been kicked about six ways to Sunday by Kooler, all for the pleasure of a sadistic demon he'd thought he'd never have to see again. "It's hard to think how this day can get any…" He slapped his own hand over his mouth, desperately hoping he hadn't already jinxed it. He'd just thought exactly how it could get worse: Mr. Popo could be dead. If that had happened... Well, he didn't know what they'd do. Their only hope would be that Piccolo, with Kami's memories, might be able to come up with a solution. Growing increasingly panicked, he came to a door that he'd never seen before, in the bowels of the Lookout. He frowned and cautiously opened the door. Peeking inside he let out a simultaneous gasp of shock and relief. It was a small room, with an air vent to the world below. But in the room, miniaturized and imprisoned in jars, were Mr. Popo and Dende. "Thank goodness, you're alive!" Krillin yelled as he rushed forward. He carefully picked up the jars. They both seemed fine, and Dende indicated for Krillin to smash the jars. He did so as gently as he could. Immediately Dende and Mr. Popo sprang back to their usual size, knocking Krillin over.
"Krillin!" Dende exclaimed, wrapping his friend in a hug, "I'm so glad to see you! Do you have any idea what's going on?"
"Uh... Well, in summation an old enemy of ours is back and he's done something awful to the world. It's chaos out there, like everyone has gone mad." He turned to Popo. "Goku said I should find you, that you would know what to do."
Mr. Popo bowed his head, as if ashamed. "I'm sorry, it's all my fault," he said, "I recognized the Makyo Star right away, but I didn't think Garlic Jr would be able to escape. I went to check and that's when he caught me and imprisoned me."
"It's all right Mr. Popo," Dende said, reassuring the genie, "What matters is whether we can fix it. Do you know what he's done, and how to undo it?"
Mr. Popo looked over at the air vent. An urn had been discarded beside it. Mr. Popo hit his fist into his palm in realization. "Of course! Garlic must have unleashed the Black Water Mist!"
"The Black what?" Krillin said.
"It was an ancient tool of the Guardians of Earth. If they believed the world had gone too far, too much into evil, they could unleash it. It turns anyone and anything taking it in feral, and they won't stop attacking until everything is dead. A rather blunt, broad way of...of purging the planet." Mr. Popo shivered. "An evil thing, fortunately never used before now."
Dende looked appalled. "That's horrible! I had no idea such a thing existed in the Lookout... But Mr. Popo, there must be a cure? Please tell me there is a cure!"
Mr. Popo nodded. "Of course. But we must hurry - follow me!" The genie took off, and Dende and Krillin raced after him.
Frieza roared with effort, his muscles bulging, veins straining under the skin. Kooler answered with a bellowing roar of his own, before breaking the hold and slashing at Frieza's face with the sharp blade of his forearm. The smaller Arcosian winced and jumped back, clapping a hand to his cheek. It came away red, and he curled it into a fist. "Grrr...you're not making this easy, brother," Frieza muttered to himself — Kooler had long since made it apparent that he either didn't hear, or did not acknowledge his brother's words. 'I don't want to risk mortally wounding him,' Frieza thought with increasing anxiety, 'but at the level he's fighting at, I may have to resort to my Fifth Form if I'm to survive.' Physically, he didn't doubt his Fifth Form, but mentally, there was a nagging fear that he could go out of control...and then he'd be just as dangerous as Kooler was now. His tail swayed and lashed with frustration. He was getting tired of keeping Kooler at bay, but the hulking behemoth of his brother's Fifth Form showed no such signs of stamina loss. Frieza braced himself as Kooler came at him again, the two crashing through an ornately-carved pillar and a wall before Frieza dug into the tiles, halting them before the termination of the Lookout edge.
A rumble shook them on the winding staircase, Mr. Popo bracing Dende under the arm as Krillin clung to the banister. "Man, sounds like Frieza might be having trouble up there," Krillin remarked, "We'd better hurry up. Hope this works..."
"It will," Popo said placidly.
"How are we going to get Kooler to take the antidote, though?" Dende asked, "He's above where we can disperse it from, so unless—"
"You leave that to me," Krillin said resolutely, "I want you two to stay low and out of sight until everything is clear, alright? We can't risk you especially, Dende." The young Namekian nodded, although he looked unsure.
The stairs opened up to a landing, with a doorway through which Krillin could feel the two Arcosian brothers clashing. Another explosion rattled the palace, particles of plaster and dust floating down from the rafters. "Okay you two, wish me luck. So, uh, he's just gotta be exposed to it, right? Not drink it or anything?"
"No, even if it touches his skin, that should be sufficient," Mr. Popo responded, "Good luck, Krillin."
"Yeah, I'm really gonna need it," Krillin laughed self-consciously, staring at the slight rippling in the cup of water he held. The concentric ripples deepened, as he started to shake. 'Pull it together,' he told himself, 'You can do this!' He took a deep, calming breath, and pushed open the double doors with one hand, letting a crack of light onto the landing. The short human focused his senses absolutely on Kooler's massive energy. Then, he pushed the doors open, and made a beeline for the deadly, roiling ki.
Frieza came down hard with a gasp, rolling to avoid the tile-shattering punch where his head had been. 'I can't keep this up much longer..! I have to transform!' He distanced himself from Kooler, tossing a bright ki blast in his armored face to distract him. His power swelled, and he pushed it inwards, his previously bloated muscles softening as his skin crawled with the quiescent power he now summoned forth. Kooler shook his head, and charged straight for him. 'Shit!' Frieza thought, hastening the process, feeling his body begin the painful shift. Just as his head began to ache with the eruption of the bony crown, he saw a flash of orange dive in front of Kooler.
"I hope this wooooorks—!" Krillin yelled, splashing what looked like a cup of water in the monstrous Arcosian's face.
Kooler stopped dead, coughing. Krillin stood tensely in front of him, while behind him, Frieza crouched, mid-transformation and abjectly puzzled by this turn of events. Another hacking cough, and the tall Arcosian stood up straight, looking down at Krillin, then glancing at his hands and body. He retracted his facemask. "...What's going on?" he asked in a confused tone. Krillin collapsed in a heap, sprawling on the floor in relief.
"I agree, what is going on?" Frieza demanded, already powering down with some painful effort from the aborted Fifth Form, "What the hell was that you threw on him?"
"Hehe...heh... Man, I'm glad that worked, or else I'd have been toast. Good thing you stopped short, otherwise you might've run me over," he addressed Kooler.
"What was I doing? And why am I...wet?" Kooler wrinkled his nose, "...Why are you worse for wear, Frieza?"
Before Frieza could open his mouth to say something derisive, Krillin cut in. "It's nothing bad, I swear. It's Sacred Water. You were under some kind of possession, and that snapped you out of it."
"Oh," Kooler accepted the statement without reaction, "Well then...my thanks, I suppose."
"And nobody's thanking me for the task of holding you off on your rampage..." Frieza grumbled.
Vegeta panted with exertion, a trickle of sweat and blood stinging his right eye. Trunks burbled happily in the crook of his arm, despite being spattered with blood himself. Sauza and his crew, along with Haabu's former squad, had pursued him relentlessly. He could have effortlessly blown them all away with little trouble, but for the brat. Super Saiyan power could have pitched the fight, but he dared not use it, for fear of hurting Trunks, fragile as he was. "Grrr...glad to see you enjoying yourself," he grumbled at the infant, who was busy sticking and unsticking his chubby, bloodstained fingers. Vegeta sighed as Sauza again tried to flank him, while the weaker fighters lobbed distracting balls of ki at him from all sides. He twisted and spun around the searing orbs, then dropped like a rock to avoid Sauza's ki blade. It slashed through the tips of his hair, earning an annoyed grunt from the Saiyan prince. Suddenly though, it all stopped. A fine mist had descended, blanketing all.
"What the..? Vegeta? You look like a fine face; what happened?" Sauza asked conversationally, seemingly unaware of the fact that seconds ago he'd tried to gut Vegeta. "Are you alright, what's going—"
Vegeta punched him square in the face, then kneed him in the gut for good measure.
Oww—! Merde, what was that for?!" Sauza yelled, his voice quavering.
"So you've come to your senses," Vegeta sneered, "Damn. I was hoping I'd at least get to knock you out, but that pretty face of yours is too hard to bash in."
"Uh oh, Vegeta's on a rampage again," Mirtiro stage-whispered to his compatriots, "Let's...make ourselves scarce, shall we?" Behind Vegeta's back, they quickly scooted away.
Vegeta was about to turn to hassle the cowards, when a high-pitched shriek got his attention instead. Bulma sprinted towards them, with Tenshinhan sheepishly following at a slower pace, his face and chest covered in scratches. 'So that's where she went,' Vegeta surmised, 'He must have caught her, then restrained her inside the building until she came to her senses. Much to his detriment, from the look of it.'
Bulma's blue eyes were wide with fright. "Trunks! Oh my baby, is he hurt?! I'll kill you if he's—"
"He's fine, woman," Vegeta cut Bulma off brusquely, "No thanks to your efforts earlier, of course."
"My efforts?! What the hell are you talking about?!" Bulma snapped.
"Something or someone attacked us, something in the air. It made you go mad. When I found you two, you were trying to drown the brat." Vegeta assessed her reaction. Her face cycled between rage, shock, and guilt, before she gently caressed Trunks' cheek with a shaking hand.
"A-and you...you saved him...you protected Trunks..." Bulma whispered in shock. "Oh Vegeta...I'm so sorry."
"Hmph. Apologize all you want; I know it wasn't really you. Even at your most wild, you wouldn't dream of doing this," he said, angling his bitten arm towards her. "I was almost impressed by your strength."
"Ew, gross, I did that? Geez, that looks like it hurts a lot... We'd better get you to the medical wing," Bulma said. Hearing a snort-groan from Sauza, she balked at his haggard appearance. "...You guys should come too." Hooking her arm around Vegeta's, she motioned for him to pass the baby to her as they walked. "Really, Vegeta? You broke his nose...and how did all this blood get all over Trunks, anyway? That's not all yours, is it?"
Gohan's eyes cleared, and he gasped at the sight that met him. "Mr. Piccolo!" he cried.
"Hmph...took you long enough...to snap out of it...Gohan..." his mentor wheezed. He was bruised and battered, his purple gi in tatters and covered in burn marks. "I shouldn't have...held back...so much," he coughed.
"Don't move, I'll go get help!" Gohan ordered, before stopping. "Wait... I...remember I was with..." His eyes went wide. "Videl! Where is she?! Tell me she's okay!"
"The girl?" Piccolo said, "I assume she's fine. By the time I got here, you were fighting Goku, so he probably distracted you from killing her."
"K-kill? I almost killed Videl? But why?!" Gohan stammered, "What happened?"
"It wasn't your fault, Gohan," Piccolo said, sitting up, "You had no control over yourself. An old enemy took over not just your mind, but most of the planet's population. There was nothing you could do. And don't feel sorry for me," he added sharply, standing up and dusting himself off, "If I can't hold you off, I'm unworthy of being your master. You've made me proud, Gohan, in more ways than one. Your strength is my greatest achievement, and this incident doesn't change the pride I feel, got it?"
"I-if...if you say so, Mr. Piccolo," Gohan said quietly, with a tiny smile, "And...thank you, for keeping me busy, and away from innocent people I could've hurt. I'm proud someone selfless like you is my master." His smile deepened at Piccolo's flustered reaction, the Namek just barely blushing at the compliment.
"This is taking him a while," Frieza muttered, "Don't tell me that ape is trying to be merciful again."
"Now, now brother," Kooler chimed in, "Think where you'd be without that mercy. Or are you back to claiming that you should have special exceptions from every rule?"
Frieza snorted. "A contemptuous attempt Kooler. You'll really need to up your game to make me forget you being controlled like a puppet on a string, and so easily at that."
"Well, why don't I get some of that Black Water Mist and splash it on your face, and we'll see how you do?"
"Wow guys, chill," Krillin said, interrupting their bickering. He then laughed at his pun, but cut it out when he found both brothers were less than amused. "It's maybe taking a while because...Garlic's immortal."
"Is he?" Frieza said, tail whipping up in excitement, "That is interesting."
Kooler nodded in realization. "Ah! That would explain why the little twerp came back after I annihilated him."
"Yeah, he's a tricky one. And not being obliging by opening the Dead Zone," Krillin added.
"The what?" Frieza cocked his head to the side.
"Oh, it's like some alternate pocket dimension. Last time we fought him he got angry and opened it, but we knocked him into it instead. Well, I say we, but I mean Gohan. He was a little kid at the time; probably doesn't even remember back then."
Frieza and Kooler looked at each other, dumbfounded. Frieza had to blink, hard, to try and process this information. "But he's immortal!" he blurted with exasperation, "Why wouldn't he just try and outlast you instead of opening a dimension he could get trapped in?"
"A question I imagine Garlic has been asking himself during the many years he was been stuck there. Hence why he is being less obliging this time." Krillin glanced up. "Man, what is taking Goku so long?" He studied the Makyo Star a moment, feeling for Goku's energy signature. Then he suddenly jumped to his feet. "What the hell is happening?" he exclaimed, "Goku's power...it's dropping!"
Frieza and Kooler both looked at Krillin and then looked up. "That shouldn't be right…" Frieza murmured, "Goku should be much too strong for him."
"Unless there's something about the planet…" Kooler pondered.
"Mr. Popo did say that the planet's proximity increases Garlic's strength…" Krillin said, "But I can sense his energy, and it's nowhere close to what Goku can do."
"Ah…" Realization dawned on Frieza, "The atmosphere. It must be inhospitable for him. That's why his power is falling. Hmm." With that quiet moment of clarity, Frieza steadied himself, and then shot towards the red rogue planet. It looked like Goku was needing him to bail him out. Again.
The kick sent Goku flying backwards and smashing into the side of a mountain. He fell forward and coughed up blood, though he wasn't sure if that was the result of battle damage or just the effect of the air on his lungs.
Garlic laughed maniacally. "Do you see Son Goku?! Do you see now how foolish you were to think you could challenge me?!"
Goku fired a ki blast, but it was weak, and Garlic easily swatted it aside. He laughed again and charged forward and delivered furious combo of punches to Goku's body, only some of which the Super Saiyan managed to feebly turn aside. Garlic then grabbed him by his hair and flung him to the ground.
Goku just about managed to stand. "Guha..!" he coughed, more blood spilling out onto the reddish ground.
"Once you're dead there will be nothing and no one to stop me!" Garlic boasted.
Goku looked up at that moment, at the Earth dominating the skyline. He could just faintly see something streaking towards them - and more strongly feel the energy signature attached to it. He smiled weakly. And a moment later Frieza landed between him and Garlic.
Garlic's eyes popped. "And who are you supposed to be?" he demanded. The person in front of him was familiar somehow. He squinted. "You look like…"
"My brother, Kooler? Yes," Frieza said dismissively. He looked at Goku and sneered. "So I was right, it was the atmosphere. You Saiyans are so pathetically unadaptable."
"Always with...th' kind words...huh?" Goku laughed, before being seized by coughing.
"How did you escape the effect of the Black Water Mist?" Garlic demanded.
"Oh, that's already been stopped and reversed," Frieza dismissed.
"What?!" Garlic Jr boggled, "How?!"
"It doesn't matter," Frieza said, his tail slapping the ground in irritation, "This whole thing has gone on long enough to annoy me."
"Oh? And how do you propose to stop me," Garlic sneered, "You fools don't get it! I am immortal! And while the Makyo Star is here, my power is exponential!"
"Well there's a simple solution to that," Frieza said. He raised his finger in the air, and a black orb of energy, red volts crackling around it, appeared. "With this."
"Frieza, you've gotta be kidding me!" Goku rasped. Garlic stared, stupefied, as Goku's fingers snapped to his forehead. 'Oh crap!' the Saiyan thought, frantically searching for a ki signature. He found Krillin's and locked on with Shunkan Idou, disappearing just as Frieza threw the Death Ball into the ground.
SHHFFT!
Krillin jumped as Goku appeared next to him. Goku fell over and heaved in the air. Nothing had ever tasted so sweet and wonderful!
"Goku! You're back. What's Frieza up to?" Krillin asked, puzzled.
"...That." Goku pointed at the Makyo Star. Krillin looked up, and barely a second later, the rogue planet exploded, disappearing into dust, the shockwave slapping into the Earth and buffeting the Lookout.
Kooler sighed with a hand over his face and, despite himself, Krillin smiled, a drop of sweat running down his temple. "Oh yeah. That makes sense."
Goku, holding his breath and wrapped in a bubble of ki, appeared in space. He looked around and then spotted what he'd come for. Garlic Jr., floating unconscious in space, his body a mass of bloating tissue in the vacuum, bleeding and clotted veins under the skin that kept healing, rupturing, and healing again. Goku flew over to him, grabbed his body and then disappeared—
—And reappeared at the Lookout. "Woo," Goku said, letting his breath out, "Found him."
"I still don't understand why you didn't just leave the wretch out there," Frieza grumbled, "It would be the perfect way of dealing with an immortal."
"Aw come on, there's no need to be cruel." He frowned at Garlic. "Although, I'm not sure what to do with him."
Kooler stepped forward. "Give him to me," he said, "There are facilities in the PTO where we can make sure he is...appropriately contained and dealt with."
"Really? That's great! Thank you!" Goku passed Garlic's limp body over to Kooler.
Frieza, catching his brother's drift, just managed to suppress his snigger.
Back at Capsule Corporation, acquaintances were reestablished, and everyone previously lost in the turmoil reunited to say their hellos to Tenshinhan. Bulma apologized profusely, jiggling Trunks on her hip.
"It's alright. I knew it wasn't really you, and I was more concerned with keeping you inside, away from Vegeta's battle," the cyborg human explained evenly.
"But your face! You're lucky I didn't take an eye out!"
Tenshinhan shrugged. "I have two others, don't I? You're much less replaceable in the scheme of things."
"Did...did Ten just make a joke?" Krillin said, incredulous, "Hey Frieza, what did you do to him out in space?"
"Be grateful I brought him back, never mind his personality," Frieza growled irritably.
"Hey, I didn't say I disagreed, just wondering how you pulled it off," Krillin shot back.
Frieza's tail twitched, as though he was annoyed, before the tip curled up. "I did what Goku does," he said airily, "I never gave up." He summarily ignored Krillin's slack jaw, moving to speak to Tenshinhan.
"It wasn't quite the quiet welcome you had in mind, but I daresay this cuts most of the tension," the Arcosian said, "Despite your fears, they trust you fully. How are you holding up?"
"I'm fine," Tenshinhan replied, a little too quickly, then winced. "Goku. He isn't here. I haven't seen him at all since I got back."
"Well then, I think it's high time we went to reconcile, don't you?" Frieza pushed, "Come on. The others are busy enough with their own stories, they won't miss you." Seeing his friend hesitate, he grabbed his arm with his tail, and marched outside with the protesting human in tow.
A half hour of tediously slow flight later, they were outside Goku's home. Tenshinhan felt Goku's ki stirring inside, as the man he'd dreaded seeing again came out to meet them. "I don't think I'm ready for this," he said.
"You are, and that attitude only serves to hold you back," Frieza stated firmly, "Now get this over with."
"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" Tenshinhan accused sourly, "I highly doubt you were so quick to 'get this over with' when you and Goku finally made a truce."
"Who says we have any such truce?" Frieza said, eyes narrowing as his tail coiled gently.
Before Tenshinhan could retort, the door opened, and Goku came striding out, a grin on his face. "Hey Tenshinhan! I was wonderin' when you'd get around to comin' over! Hey Frieza, thanks for bringin' him." He smiled at the Arcosian, who returned the gesture with a glare and a roll of his eyes.
"I trust you can take it from here, Tenshinhan," Frieza nodded, lifting off the ground. Tenshinhan briefly looked fearful as the Arcosian blasted off over the treeline, but then, he looked back at Goku. "...Hello, Goku."
"Hey. I heard Bulma got ahold of you while she was all crazy, huh? That was some good thinkin' though, keeping her safe like you did. You didn't even hesitate!" Goku exclaimed.
"Yeah, I guess..." Tenshinhan murmured. "Look, Goku...this is all very...strange for me. And...I know that you personally want to help, and you're my friend. But...I want to thank you for staying away, despite how hard that had to be for you. I don't think I'll ever be the way I used to be, but..." he trailed off.
"Ten," Goku said calmly, "It's alright. People change. I don't care if you're exactly how you used to be, as long as you're happy with who you are. And, uh, as long as you don't try to kill me, hehe." He rubbed the back of his head, prompting a wry smirk from Tenshinhan.
"You say people change, but you're just the same as always, Goku," the three-eyed human sighed. "I'm glad, in a way. I don't know why I ever thought you'd hold a grudge. Must have been a vestige of Gero's dark programming, still messing with my head."
"Yeah," Goku said, his happy tone fading back to seriousness, "We're gonna get him, Ten. For you, and for everyone else he's hurt. I was too blind to see the danger he posed, and I'm not gonna make that mistake again. I'm just glad that after all he did, he couldn't take you from us. An' I'm glad to have you back."
Tenshinhan smiled, the anxiety fading away in his mind. "I'm glad to be back, and be myself."
Sauza loaded the last of the supplies onto the ship. "Okay that's everything," he announced. "We're good to go. And before you ask, yes, the prisoner is secure."
Kooler closed his mouth. "Well done. Thank you Sauza, as efficient as always."
"Thank you, Lord Kooler." Sauza flourished into a bow and then stepped into the ship.
Kooler turned to his brother. "It seems that's everything," he said, "And so, brother, we part again. Under better circumstances this time."
"Better? After you renamed all of my planets?" Frieza needled him. Kooler laughed, his tail flicking up. The shorter Arcosian smiled stiffly, and then frowned.
Kooler cocked his head. "Is there something that bothers you, other than that?" he asked.
"Yes… well while I was out there, I overheard some of the people at the facility talking. About some disturbances in the universe." He looked at Kooler. "Care to say more?"
Kooler sighed. "Yes, there have been some problems with terrorists. We're not entirely sure what their aims are but they seem to be persuasive. Certainly they end up with a lot of converts whenever there are clashes, and all of the infiltrators we've sent out either end up dead or converted."
"Cowards changing sides is hardly new," Frieza snorted.
"Yes, but they seem to be sincere in their devotion. Sauza had a run-in with some of them; ask Vegeta, he was there as well, it seems."
"And what do they want? I know you said you're not sure but there must be some intel," Frieza pressed.
Kooler scratched behind his head, debating. Then he shrugged. "Well, according to the rumors we've obtained…" He looked seriously at Frieza. "They're looking for Majin Buu."
There was a deathly silence.
And then Frieza sniggered. Seconds later both brothers collapsed into a fit of howling laughter. "Oh ho ho!" Frieza wheezed, wiping a tear from his eye. "That old fairy tale? You can't be serious!"
"It's true!" Kooler breathed, clutching his sides, "The best intel we have all points towards it!" He took some deep breaths, and then managed to bring himself under control. "It seems they're just crazies in search of a cause. Worrying, but nothing unexpected when order collapses. It should soon be back under control."
"Well, I wish you good luck in dealing with your fanatics on a boogieman hunt," Frieza said, back in control, though struggling to keep a smile off his face. "Sounds like something in need of serious attention."
"Why don't you come back with me?" Kooler asked, "We could do this together. I'll even rename some of your planets, if you can manage to ferret out and execute any Majin Buu revivalists that will drive down property values..."
Frieza looked at his brother and weighed up the offer. He shook his head. "No, I think not," he said, "Working together would run the risk of reigniting our rivalry and who knows where that might lead. Besides…" He looked around him, a small smile on his lips. "I've found a place for myself here."
Kooler nodded and smiled. He clapped Frieza on the shoulder, wrapping his tail around Frieza's back. "I'm glad to hear it and happy for you," he said. "Whatever you do, don't lose it."
"I won't," Frieza replied, squeezing his tail gently around his brother's, "Not this time." They shared a final smile and then Kooler boarded his ship. Frieza stepped back as the ship rose and watched it until it left the atmosphere. Then, with the sun shining on a beautiful day, he turned and walked back towards Capsule Corp. feeling content.
Garlic Jr. yelped as he was flung into his cell, his head smacking against the hard floor. He rubbed his head as the guards laughed and slammed the door closed. He glared at the door and then pulled himself into a corner. It had been another day of relentless toil, of hammering away at rocks that felt harder than diamond. He had no idea what the point was, but the guards seemed insistent that it was very important as their occasional kind blasts reminded him. The cell was dark, and cold, and uncomfortable, as he drew his knees up to his chest. He looked up to one of the only sources of light in the room.
Hanging above the door was a digital timer, the numbers blazing bright. Currently they read 370 - the number of hours he'd been imprisoned in this hateful place. And there was room on the timer for at least another fifty zeroes. He ducked his head and let out a scream of frustration and rage, that may have even broken through the soundproofing.
Hello my loyal SoD readers! Well, this chapter almost didn't happen because of a combination of writer's block, & a whole host of personal roadblocks. As some of you who follow me know, I lost my Weimaraner, Hazel to cancer recently. Two days later, a new rescue Weimaraner, Phoenix, suddenly & serendipitously came into our lives to fill the hole Hazel left. She's a fireball of a puppy, but I'm working with her on training & all the behaviors I taught Hazel. Hazel was my constant companion as I worked on SoD, & I have no doubt Phoenix will fill that role admirably as well. With her support, the support of my team of editors, & your support as readers & reviewers, I can guarantee that I'll continue to produce great fanfiction content! So hug your critters tonight for me, & please write a review in Hazel's honor. On to the Q&A!
Q: WOEMAHN! Yes, your new name will be Woemahn. It's great to see you back again with another new chapter of SoD. Unfortunately, I don't have much to go on an essay-length commentary for this chapter, but I offer my sympathies for your doggo and wish you a happy Independence Day. But I digress, on to the chapter. I will admit that the early scenes of Freeza throwing a fit, and lashing out on both Goku, and Bulma gave me mixed feelings to say the least. I get that Freeza was frustrated with himself, but one would think that after all the development he had been through. Confronting both his past in Arcosia and his father's influence, along with his hostility towards Goku. That while understandably frustrated, he would've been able to handle his encounter with Gero better. I don't know, Woemahn. Last chapter's scene with Gero and Freeza just left me feeling... Dissatisfied, to put it in the best of terms. And I think an issue with Freeza and Ten's journey to Make Ten Whole Again is pacing. Everything that's been happening in this chapter felt rushed and turbulent. One moment, we're having a relatively quiet dialogue between two characters, and the next, we're segwayed to a dramatic breakdown with limited buildup. That's just my general feelings even if it's only two major criticisms of the chapter. Aside from that, I still enjoyed the chapter, such as the nightmare scenes with Tenshinhan that are rather intriguing. I just felt this chapter was a "meh" episode in which is no fault of your own. Any series ever made is bound to have a few of them. And the Thesis you said you were having issues with and might need to retool it? Might I suggest shifting the topic of the thesis from what effect writing and reading general fanfiction has on people to how SoD personally impacts your readers and in what ways does your work change their perspective of DBZ? You could even call the thesis "The Study of SoD-omy". Anyway, You have a great summer and an Independence Day.
A: I'll admit that the chapter was rushed; I was writing the final scenes late today in order to make the deadline. Unfortunately, I am having commitment issues with my editors, & I myself have been struggling to write, so this is the unspectacular result. I'm kind of glad that you say plainly that it sucks though, because it shows you aren't just a blind acolyte or myrmidon. I can only hope the next update will be better, & I apologize for the drop in quality this time.
Q: Oh, joy, the next chapter has come out! I'm really loving the reversal of roles here between Freeza and Tenshinhan. There's something so heartwarming about it, and we can see how deep their bond stretches. Ten was there when Freeza needed him and now our favorite Arcosian boy is returning the favor~! And oh my god, Freeza is such a little tsundere; threatening to rip Ten's tongue out if he ever told the others of his deep dark secret of considering Tenshinhan as a friend. I was so confused when I started reading the chapter because other things have been on my mind and I completely lost track of the story. I was like "wait, what, weren't we on the Broly arc and Gohan just died like wtf" before everything caught up to me again and I was like "ooohhh, damn, okay". Cooler is such a big brother and I absolutely love the Arcosian siblings' dynamic. And Freeza is such an angry brat about Cooler annexing his territory. It's like when your brother takes your toys without asking and you can't do shit about it. Anyway, looking forward to the next chapter! Also, I'm sorry you dog is ill. I recently had a pet death as well, though it was my grandmother's pet and not mine. He was 7 years old and my grandmother lives in a place where electricity and hot water are luxuries, let alone qualified vets. See you next time~!
A: Frieza actually reciprocating? Madness! He totally meant to do that for, uh, & a completely personal & not-at-all-altruistic reason. In all seriousness though, Frieza is selfish. As a character, he will not even think to do nice things for others, unless it also heavily benefits him. Such is his nature. The only reason he's trying to get Tenshinhan back to his old self is because he liked the old Tenshinhan. Thank you for the sympathy regarding Hazel; so far she's doing fine, her behavior hasn't changed much, but I'm a mess thinking of what it'll be like when her condition deteriorates...
Q: Aww... Frieza is such a Tsundere :3 I really REALLY wish if someone would continue the Abridged version of this fanfic. I can already imagine: Goku: Hey, Frieza since you helped us a few times now that means we are best friends right? Frieza: There is no word to describe how much I loathe you. Goku: Love you too buddy!
A: Hey, the position is open to anyone who wants it! I'd also love for someone to update SoD Abridged, as well as the TVTropes page.
Q: Smart idea to do the muscle memory part lol. I must say though, Tao and Gero are the worst people lol. Also, glad to see you are not doing Garlic Junior arc. Ever. Bit of you must, make it an April fools joke. Lol.
A: ᶸ(¬ω¬) ..sweats nervously.. S-so, you don't like Garlic Jr., huh?
Q: This was worth the wait, sorry about your tragedies, I've had a couple of puppers with cancer, it ain't fun. Man this was a fun chapter, really liked the lore and the obvious signs of frieza's changes, Tien is Frieza's heterosexual life partner.
A: Thank you for the sympathy. I've already lost one dog to cancer, but it never gets easier. I love lore & world-building, so whenever I can present it without info-dumping, you can bet I will! Lol, Frieza & Tenshinhan are maybe not that close, but he's definitely closer to him than any of the other humans.
Q: Space trip! Woo! Frieza calling Tenshinhan a friend? Oh that cheeky humanoid space lizard named after a cooling device! Those flashback-esque scenes Tenshinhan has really interests me, though I can't seem to explain why. Probably just all the psychological elements about them TBH. :P Overall, I honestly can't wait to see what those two get into, good or bad!
A: SPACE ROAD TRIP. ＼(〇ᗨ〇)／ Just hope nobody calls shotgun. That could get contentious.
Q: Frieza has now gone fully berserk. This isn't good. Goku's used to blood, but he doesn't like it any more than anyone else, and he generally doesn't like seeing those he cares about in this kind of shape. Glad to see Frieza is able to at least somewhat see through the blinding veil of rage. I don't doubt that Frieza probably WOULD rip his hand off. At least then he'd kinda match his Future son, ehehe... yeah, that was about as funny in my head. Don't knock healing magic, the stuff works wonders. I mean, it saved the Namek crew a good few times when fighting Frieza. You'd need hair dye AND contacts. Which look rather annoying to put on from what I've seen. I like Goku's self awareness here, he knows his flaws, and while he can be gracious about it, as much as he can be, anyway, but he is willing to reflect upon them and try to improve if he can. I'm glad Mr Satan cares about Videl, he could easily have been very dismissive and that's why she wants to be so strong, to prove to him that she can be just as strong as he is, but he does care, and she's so strong because she wants to reach his level, she admires him. Mostly. Seeing the very being who once nearly killed Goku standing there, looking beyond pissed, crimson eyes staring right into you is just about one of the last things you want to see at 3 AM. Bulma's temper flares up against. Not unjustifiably though. Arm puns. I don't think Future Gohan would like them. Frieza seems to have an appreciation for wordplay though. If Bulma wanted, she could probably start a game of "Stop Hitting Yourself" with Frieza, but even sleep deprived as she is, even she can tell that that would be an awful idea. Well, Bulma's expertise seems to be technology more than biology, but I don't think it'd be hard to create nanites to serve as a mute button for Vegeta or Frieza. Well, we saw the effects of Zalama granting Zamasu's immortality wish, or indestructibility as it was put in the dub, but he's a much more powerful dragon than Shenron, so him being able to grant total immortality makes sense, but Shenron himself, who knows? But yeah, he's a wish granting being, he's willing to do his job, but you have to be careful how to phrase it, Shenron can only do so much. That said, we know eternal youth is not beyond his abilities, King Piccolo is a prime example, but that doesn't mean being completely immortal, just immunity to age. Phrasing things like this is NOT an easy task. I'm glad Chiaotzu (I hate spelling his name) cares for Tien and can do something. It's nice. Rutilant, now that's a fun word. Smaragadine, I'm learning all kinds of new words today. Of course fixing the psychological damage is outside the range of his powers. Can't have things be too easy. Frieza does kinda have a whole Organization, even if it has somewhat fallen apart. Frieza is not Good by any stretch of the imagination, I'd say he's somewhere on the Neutral spectrum at best. The vital organs are incredibly delicate and none more so than the brain. Muscle memory might help. I don't know how much though. Don't underestimate the power of hate, that stuff can do a LOT of work. I now imagine Frieza as this pure white poodle who can turn vicious at a moment's notice. For once, Frieza's inability to sense ki isn't a disadvantage. Most beings would be put off by not being able to sense their opponent when they're used to being able to, but in Frieza's case, that's no different than usual. Infinite energy seems like such a weird term, it's accurate in that he doesn't run out of power, but he's not infinitely powerful. I have a feeling that was a memory. So Frieza CAN blush, I guess it makes sense. My condolences about your dog, I only hope his passing is/was without pain. That said, welcome Renalto, you've done well from what I've seen, I only hope that you come to enjoy this as much as we have.
A: Yeah, Frieza's shown that he has NO compunction in biting Goku, so he'd certainly have no qualms about disarming, er, de-handing him. Man, I wish I could get colored contacts in my prescription. ಥ╭╮ಥ That's one of my biggest obstacles in cosplay accuracy. I like to think that Goku shows the same sort of awareness that Forrest Gump does at the end of the film - he knows that he ain't the sharpest pencil in the box, but he's not completely oblivious. I headcanon that Videl was massively, lovingly spoiled by Mr. Satan, because as a rich single parent with ego issues...that seems the path of least resistance. I think after dealing with Vegeta, nothing appearing in her kitchen in the middle of the night phases Bulma, hehe. Don't give her ideas on the nanite mute button, lol. If Frieza were a dog, I'm not sure he'd be a poodle. Maybe a whippet, or some other aristocratic-looking dog (inbreeding highly possible). Frieza actually blushes at least once in canon, so this isn't an unprecedented SoD thing. My dog Hazel is still hanging on, not bothered at all by her condition yet. She eats, she runs around, she makes me laugh with her beautiful personality. I'm just dreading the day she starts declining. We've got high hopes for Renalto as a member of the team; he's very sharp & has been following SoD for a long time.
Q: Will their be a sex scene with frieza and Android 21 and her him suck on her b***
A: First, learn how to use proper spelling & grammar, dude. Second, SoD is not a lemon fic. IT WAS JUST THE ONE SCENE & YOU PEOPLE WILL NEVER LET ME FORGET IT, HUH?! ლ(ಠ益ಠლ) But yeah..Frieza will NOT be starring in a tasteless harem fic. ὺ_ύ╬
Q: Well, seems Frieza and Tenshinhan are on a space road trip. Or maybe a space vacation? Either way, it's interesting that they're isolated from the others now. Opens up the possibility that something may attack them now that they're away, but... they are pretty dang strong, so that seems unlikely. Well, we'll see. Taking him to the alien MRI was smart, but I doubt anyone expected the issue to clear up that easily. Seems the slow and emotional way will have to be it. And I don't know if you intended it, but I am mirroring his doubt about these flashbacks- it doesn't seem in his character to murder a poor little girl or anything like that, but... did he? He could have. I don't recall if there was any confirmation of him not doing so. The fact that it showed him hesitating does make it seem more likely though... I don't share the same doubt about the first flashback, or at least not as much. It being a grown man probably would make Tenshinhan feel less guilty, if only because you can come up with all sorts of rationales for why their death is a good thing- and it could have been for all he knows now. A little girl, less so. But that's enough rambling from me. I loved the chapter, and can't wait for more. I hope things improve for you, on a more personal note; as a writer myself it always is terrible to have life keep you from your passion. In any case, hopefully the coming months will bring better fortune. See you next review!
A: Lol, you're the second person to call it a space road trip. Good to see that Tenshinhan's flashbacks are having the intended ambiguous, uncertain effect on you!
Q: Took me a few days to getting around to read this one but I like it. Thanks for answering my review btw (it was the one addressing a lot of recent events and asking questions about Bojack, Tuffles, and other random ideas).
A: No problem! I always answer reviews, unless they're like, one word, or something inane like "update soon plz."
Q: Oh how I missed this story, I just found the time to review the chapter but I actually read it a couple days ago from work, and even with the inability to read it all in one go I'm pretty sure I binged it in less than two hours. As far as the plot developments are concerned this did go the way probably all of us saw coming: Frieza having to become the mentor of an amnesiac and possibly villainous Ten, thus performing a role reversal of their previous relationship. So far it has been properly executed and the interactions ring true, so all I can say is that I'm enjoying the journey. The one thing I'm a bit surprised Frieza (nor anybody else) even mentioned was the possibility of capturing Gero alive and making him "re-re-write" Ten's memories once it was established that he has literal brain implants so advanced that no other scientist can safely modify. Oh well, it may not be needed at all anyway I guess. Also I found really interesting the part with Frieza commanding his old underlings and being... subtly changed. You know what they say about a man's true nature being revealed by how he treats those he holds power over. That and his increasingly more natural and brotherly interactions with Kooler speak volumes, and by the way, there is something about Kooler in this story, I don't know what it is, but any scene with him in it becomes automatically super enjoyable for me. Oh and last minute random thought: When they worded the wish to undo the physical damage inflicted by the androids I expected Frieza's arm to magically pop, since they didn't specify WHICH androids.
A: I diagnose you with SoD addiction, lol. Good to hear my chapters are still compelling enough to have my readers binging them as soon as they drop! Gero, even if captured alive, might not be able to undo his cybernetic modifications - remember what the PTO doctors said about Ten's memories being, in essence, ablated entirely, not just overwritten. Everyone loves Kooler, what can I say? He "shines brightly" in any scene he's in, (Arcosian linguistic pun ahoy!) & often serves as the "straight man" or "voice of reason," so he's easy to empathize with. Frieza's arm was not restored for the same reason that Tenshinhan was revived in canon with all his scars - his body has "accepted" the cyborg arm as part of him. I try to stick to the rules of canon wishes, if/when they're demonstrated.
Q: I don't even know how long I've been reading this story, but at this point, your writing is the unmistakable standard of excellence for me. If I ever feel the need to remind myself of what spectacular top-notch writing looks like, I come here. So thanks for 1 million words, and keep on telling the story you want to tell.
A: (๑ᴗ๑) Thank you, thank you! I try to embody a certain standard of skill in anything that I write, & people considering SoD as the gold standard of writing just affirms that I've made the right decision, no matter how difficult it can be sometimes. I'll write another million words, if readers like you continue to comment! ~(•̀ᴗ•́)و
Q: So I'm loving the character development and the mirror of Frieza helping Ten now, buuuuutttt... Dragonball has an already existing device that can show true past events in a compressed timeframe (the timeframe compression is more implied than stated). The pendulum room could easily have been used to show Ten his whole past which would have rapidly increased his rehabilitation. Granted it wouldn't give him the _emotional_ memory back, but it would definitely be a huge step. I'm sure you can invent a legitimate reason not to try it, but I'm just surprised it wasn't brought up with both Piccolo and Goku there.
A: Let's just say that, like me, Goku & co. forgot about the Pendulum Room. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Besides, as you said, it won't do much in the way of restoring his emotional state. Sure, he could watch those events, but he'd still feel detached, & they'd be alien to him.
Q: This was a pretty heartwarming chapter all around and I can't wait for the next one!
A: Oh don't worry, we'll get back to the heartbreak soon enough. Ò◡Ó