Parallels

by Inuma Asahi De

The Tournament of Power: Universe 6 and Universe 7 are nearly identical. There is only one difference between them. A difference that makes everyone uncomfortable...except Master Roshi. A Saiyan female who claims to be the mother of Kakarot and Bardock. Who is she? What is her story? And how does it parallel Son Goku's own? Canon Pairings-ish

13. Revenge

Chapter 13:

Revenge

Kakarot growled low under his breath as he landed easily on his feet. Vegeta wasn't a particularly difficult opponent. Hell, he didn't even touch the beginnings of what Cell had been able to do, and he had defeated that creature in a mere fifteen minutes after ascending. Straightening, Kakarot rolled his shoulders back and glared down the bridge of his nose at the shorter man.

Vegeta was panting and had fallen to one knee. Both of his eyes were squinted, glaring up at the younger Saiyan, and blood was slowly collecting at the point of his chin as it dribbled from his nose. Kakarot had broken it with one punch to the face.

Eyes narrowing, Kakarot clutched one hand into a fist at his side. It seemed odd that Vegeta, the once mighty Saiyan King, had been taken down so quickly. There had even been a time when Kakarot had thought Vegeta formidable and had looked up at him in terror. Those times had long since passed. He hadn't felt fear when he looked at this man in years; he only felt contempt. Watching as Vegeta raised up a hand to wipe the blood dribbling down his chin, smearing the red substance on the dirty, white spandex, Kakarot smirked.

Ignoring the look, it seemed, Vegeta took a deep breath and pushed himself to his feet.

"Finally able to stand?" Kakarot's head lobbed to one side as he laughed openly. "Took you long enough. Getting old or just pathetic as always?"

Vegeta, very much unlike the one from universe 7, didn't rise to the bait. Instead, he deliberately wiped the back of his glove on his pants leg, transferring some of the blood to the spandex underneath his long-waisted armor.

"Listen Kakarot," He kept his voice even. "When we get back to Earth, we'll settle this but now is not the time."

Kakarot's face contorted for a fraction of a second, and in one motion, he shot forward. His fist connected with Vegeta's temple, sending the man back up into the air, "Screw you!" Kakarot shouted without following up the hit.

Vegeta slammed into the ground, skidding flat on his back. The ring cracked, crumbling into a trail of debris that tracked his body. For a long moment, the man laid there as Kakarot huffed not with exhaustion, but with anger.

"If now's not the time for it, then when the fuc-k is?"

Kakarot's voice cracked as he cursed, catching the attention of the only contestant in the tournament watching the fight.

Standing off to the side, alone now that Gohan had left, Goku felt his eyes widen a fraction from Kakarot's stutter. He had heard that same sound in his own son's voice on a few occasions. The first had been when Raditz abducted him and a year later when Vegeta had grabbed his tiny defenseless body. Then again when Goku had first transformed into a Super Saiyan and yelled at his son to take Piccolo and run. It had been there in the Time Chamber as well when Gohan had imagined his mother being killed by Cell and, finally, when Gohan had stared at him, tears streaking down his young face as he realized Goku was about to die to save them all from Cell.

That break in his voice killed Goku in a way he couldn't even begin to express. The sound of your child struggling with something, in pain, was horrific no matter how old he was or what universe he was from.

Unaware of the peanut gallery, Vegeta pushed himself into a sitting position. Debris scattered around him, but he didn't seem bothered. His two tired, black eyes looked up at Kakarot appearing lost as they searched the other man's face, trying to find something. What he was looking for was impossible to tell, but he was searching for something nonetheless. Blinking after some time, Vegeta looked away and up towards the tournament arena's odd shimmering sky.

"Do you remember," His voice was un-Vegeta like: deep, distant, and introspective. "The sky on Vegeta-sei?"

Kakarot's whole body tensed, the anger dissipating, replaced by confusion, "What?"

Vegeta's eyes flickered towards him, looking at Kakarot with scrutiny, "You were pretty small when it was destroyed," He continued on; eyes still searching, "I always wondered how much you remembered about it. The red sky—the fields—the palace." He smiled to himself, mind returning to a place Kakarot couldn't reach. "Do you remember training—," The words stopped and his eyes flickered towards Kakarot, opened and questioning, "In the Palace yard?"

"I remember training with my mother," He said it deliberately, hostilely, "And the low-ranking soldiers that lived in the barracks underneath our apartment." Kakarot answered, keeping his voice harsh and guarded.

"Apartment?" Vegeta said the word slowly as if it had confused him. His shoulders tensed; then, they went lax. "That's what you remember?" He laughed; the sound was hard and painful.

"Why the fuck are you laughing?" Kakarot was two seconds away from launching himself forward to beat the crap out of Vegeta. Vegeta's eyes raising up to look at him once more, stopped him, however.

Those black eyes were haunted. Kakarot could see the ghost in them: memories that only existed in Vegeta's mind about a time and a place that Kakarot knew nothing of.

"Have you ever considered that a five year old's memory can't be trusted?" Pushing himself up from the rubble, Vegeta looked down absently at his armor as he spoke. It was cracked beyond belief. The short skirt of leather that was supposed to protect his lower body had nearly disintegrated for lack of a better term. The blue body suit underneath was burned and charred black in places, "I was much older. I remember very clea—."

"Shut up!" Kakarot cut him off, charging forward.

Vegeta wasn't prepared for the sudden lunge. The first hit made contact with his cheek, sending him reeling to the left. The next hit struck him straight in the stomach. Spit flew from his mouth mixed with a little blood right as he doubled over in pain. Then, Kakarot's clasped fists struck him in the back of his neck, making him crumble in a heap at the younger man's feet. He didn't lay there for long. Kakarot's foot connected with his side seconds later. Like a football, he flew through the air, not stopping until his body hit an outcropping of nearby rock.

"What do you know!?" Kakarot screamed in the distance. "You know nothing about my childhood! You weren't there."

Laying on his side, Vegeta didn't respond. He had no right to, and he knew it. Carefully, he pushed himself back up for what felt like the hundredth time in so many seconds. The rubble fell away from his body. The tinkling sound of pebbles skipping across rock teased his ears. Kakarot was headed in his direction. The anger of decades obvious to see in the tensing of his shoulders and the hardening of his green eyes. When he had gone Super Saiyan was hard to tell.

Standing amongst the rubble, Vegeta looked at his hands, staring at his gloves. They were charred as well, a few of the finger sections missing, revealing the pink of his natural color. Tightening the hands into fist, he lifted his head and looked towards Kakarot's stomping form.

"I shouldn't have come here." He spoke plainly, not the least bit hindered by Kakarot's abrupt stop and shocked expression. "The way we are—the way everything is—," Vegeta didn't bother to elaborate on that. Kakarot knew what he meant. "Another fighter would have been a better choice for this team."

Kakarot's brow creased in confusion, and he took a step back.

"But you have to realize, Kakarot," The voice was harsh, but there was a softness to it that spoke of deep pain, "That I have people I need to protect just like you." Vegeta continued on, not missing the way Kakarot's jaw tightened, "That's why I'm here."

Kakarot scoffed, "You mean Bulma and Trunks."

"And Bra." Vegeta added, "You missed her birth."

Kakarot looked away. The expression on his face was near unreadable, but in the creasing of his brows, it was obvious that this information wasn't welcome, "You've got a whole family to protect, huh?"

"So do you." Vegeta nodded his head once sharply, "That's why we have to stop fighting. We can't let old pain get in the way of protecting the people we love now."

"Love," Kakarot repeated the word. It was one with which he was very familiar. He had people he loved. He loved Chichi. He loved his mother although it was a turbulent emotion at times. He loved his wife more than anything, and their newborn daughter possibly more than her. "We do have people we love, don't we? People that need protecting."

"Yes."

Kakarot gulped down some bile that chose that moment to lodge itself in his throat. The very thought of agreeing with Vegeta left a sickening feeling in his stomach that he just couldn't ignore. This man had done so much damage to their lives. From the time of his infancy, he couldn't remember one positive memory of Vegeta. The thought of agreeing with, of siding with him, was nauseating.

"I hope you can start to understand, Kakarot," Vegeta continued on, "That you and me, we're more alike than you think."

Kakarot didn't even realize he had moved, until his fist connected with Vegeta's nose, sending blood into the air.

-break-

Watching from the sidelines, eyes narrowed as well, Goku felt his fingers twitch as Vegeta charged. But, unlike all the twitches he had felt when observing a fight that promised to be good, this one felt unnerving. He couldn't explain the sensation at all, but that didn't mean it was unfamiliar. In fact, the familiarity of it was almost irritating.

Crossing his arms over his chest, Goku watched as Kakarot blocked Vegeta's first hit with ease, catching the man's descending foot with a twin x above his head. Then, the young boy dropped down, kicking Vegeta's feet out from underneath him. Vegeta caught his fall on his hand, using the brief connection with the ground to shove himself up above Kakarot's head. Kakarot's eyes narrowed dangerously as Vegeta aimed his body downwards, readying a punch for contact with Kakarot's face. It was caught by the other man so easily it was almost laughable. Within seconds, Vegeta flew across the ring once more, hitting a rock wall with the flat of his back. It crumbled down on top of him, burying him in stone.

Unnerved for reasons he couldn't explain, Goku turned his attention to Kakarot. The Saiyan was growling, eyes never leaving Vegeta, but Goku could still see them. They were teal like any other Super Saiyan, but for the first time, Goku realized that the shape of them was all wrong. His Gohan had inherited his mother's eyes and skin tone for that matter, but this boy didn't have either. His skin was unnaturally tan, and his eyes were narrower. His Gohan had his mother's eyes, soft and wide opened, happy but with the compacity to turn into flames. Kakarot, on the other hand, had Saiyan eyes, dangerous and foreboding, teeming with hatred, unable to see the gentle world around him clearly.

Goku took a step forward. His boots scrapped the ground, and he froze. He didn't know why he had suddenly stepped forward, but he knew why he had stopped.

Abruptly, Kakarot swung around, sending a punch right for Goku, but the older man blocked it by catching it in his hand, transforming into a Super Saiyan 2 upon impact. Kakarot's eyes went wide with shock as he stared into Goku's face, finding something in the older Saiyan's expression that he had never seen on a Saiyan face before: pity.

Infuriated by that expression, Kakarot roared and continued his assault, wanting nothing more than to punch and kick that look off Son Goku's face.

Goku's body moved on auto-pilot in a frantic attempt to not get hit by Kakarot's wild punches. The boy was out of control completely. Ducking underneath a kick that was aimed not at his head but at his throat, Goku brought two fingers to his forehead, using instant transmission to get as much distance as he could from the younger fighter. Reappearing a mere thirty yards away, Goku tried to figure out what the hell he was doing.

He had jumped into the fight without really thinking, guided as it were by a feeling in his gut that he probably should have ignored. He was still far too lacking in energy to take on Kakarot, who for all purpose and pretense was an excellent fighter. Of course, he knew he could beat the boy. He had more than enough time as he watched the fight to replenish his energy. Besides, he had beaten Kardock who was way more powerful. Still, he couldn't help but feel some sense of hesitation.

Watching Kakarot turn towards him, as if in slow motion, Goku couldn't help but feel that he shouldn't raise a hand to the boy. He could sense the pain and the suffering coming off the other version of his son and it was killing him. It was to the point that he wasn't sure if he wanted to fight the boy. Truthfully, every nerve in his body was telling him to do the exact opposite.

This is my son, he thought as Kakarot rushed towards him, and he's hurting.

Side stepping Kakarot's next hit, Goku used his hands, his knees, his thighs, and even his shoulders to block the flurry of techniques the boy threw. All the while his mind raced. It raced as he ducked. It raced as he back flipped. It raced as he was hit it the face strong enough for his body to twist around. It raced as he cartwheeled out of the way. It raced as he was thrown to the ground, back splintering with pain.

What should I do? Goku's thought as he did a kip up, landing on his feet for mere milliseconds before shoving his body weight backwards. Kakarot's fist slammed into the ground where he had been only seconds later.

The tournament floor crumbled further, but Goku didn't bother watching it fall apart. He simply watched as Kakarot raised up his head, fire in his narrowed eyes. Still flying backwards and away from his son in another universe, a thought finally tickled the back of Goku's mind. The other Vegeta had said that this Gohan had a family he was protecting. It couldn't be Sagie or even Chichi, the one who raised him. It couldn't be Bardock to which Vegeta was referring. No, it sounded more like he was referring to a wife. That is the only person in the world Goku called daughter.

Throwing his weight down, Goku dug his heels into the ground to stop his body's momentum. It took a second for him to come to a complete stop, during which time Kakarot had rerouted himself once more.

Holding up his hands, Goku waited for Kakarot to throw the first punch. He didn't have to wait long. With a furious battle cry, Kakarot's fist flew towards Goku's face, but the more seasoned fighter easily caught it in his grip. Throwing energy into his own body, Goku hair went blond and his eyes turned a matching teal just as Kakarot through his other fist at Goku's face. Just like the first one, Goku caught it easily, now holding onto both of them, so that he could maintain control over the younger fighter.

Kakarot immediately bared his teeth at Goku who was holding him temporarily captive, "Nice trick," He snarled, "But it won't stop-."

"Videl!" Goku yelled the name, watching as Kakarot's eyes went wide and his face fell.

Then, surprise falling off his face, Kakarot kicked both feet upwards slammed both of them into Goku's stomach. Goku released Kakarot's hands instantly and waited for the next hit to come as he crumbled forward, holding his gut, but it never came. In pain and exhausted, he lifted his head in time to see Kakarot land on the ground a mere ten yards or so away.

The boy looked positively shell shocked, "How," He started as he actually inched backwards. "Do you know about her?"

Standing up a bit straighter, Goku rolled his shoulders back, "Videl's my Gohan's wife too. She just had a baby, Pan." He explained, and by the look on Kakarot's face, the boy had truly already known that. He probably just hadn't put the pieces of the puzzle together until now. "The you from my universe is here for them, fighting for them. But you, you're not."

Kakarot's head snapped up, "What the hell do you mean by that?"

"You fought with a member of your own universe," Goku looked towards the Vegeta of universe 6. He was still laying on the ground, most likely unconscious. "If you were here to save them, Videl and Pan," He turned his eyes back towards Kakarot, "You wouldn't dare take the time."

"Shut up! I'm not your son," Kakarot tightened his hands into fists. "You don't know me." He slammed an open palm against his chest before pointing an accusing finger suddenly at Vegeta. "And you sure as hell don't know what that motherfucker did to me and my family. He deserves every hit I give him and so much fucking more!"

Not bothered in the least by the screaming, Goku stared at the boy across from him, "You're right," He admitted, voice surprisingly even, "I don't know you, but I do know the stakes of this tournament for both our universes. If you keep going on like this, fighting with your own universe member, you're just gonna make it easier for other universes to win." On some level Goku realized he was helping the enemy again, but he just couldn't stop himself, not when the enemy looked so much like his own son. "You'll lose everything: your world, Videl. And the only person you'll have to blame will be yourself."

Goku almost didn't have time to catch Kakarot's next punch. It had come so quickly that he could honestly say he had barely seen it. Luckily, his reflexes had always been remarkably good. Blocking the hit with his forearm, he pulled his own fist back to the side of his head, and in a moment of tough love, Goku delivered his own hit to Kakarot's shocked face.

Kakarot spun around 180 degrees from the hit. His feet came up off the ground, and he went backwards a good ten feet before managing to dig his heels into the ground.

Hand still extended, Goku felt a twinge of anger well up within him at this version of his son, "Don't you care?" Goku screamed towards the boy, knowing this had to be what got through, "Don't you want to protect your wife?"

Kakarot froze. His eyes went big, and for all purpose and pretense, he looked as if water had been poured over his head.

"I don't care what Vegeta did or didn't do. It doesn't matter!" Goku lowered the punch, but kept the fist clutched at his side, "What matters is your family, and if you're not fighting for them, then why even bother being here?"

"Stop talking like you know everything about me!" Kakarot fired back, his anger driven not by Goku's words, but by himself.

Sailing forward, he sent a punch flying for Goku's head. Just like before the Saiyan caught it and then the one that followed. The two locked together in a struggle for dominance.

"You can't possibly understand," Kakarot spit into Goku's face, "What that bastard did to me!"

"You act like," Goku bared his teeth in return, "You're the only one in the universe who's suffered!" He punctuated the last word by slamming his head into Kakarot's own.

Kakarot started to fly backwards for him the hit, but Goku didn't let go of his hands. Instead, Goku yanked him forward and swiftly kneed him in the gut. Only then did Goku let go of the younger man, watching as he crumbled face fist into the ground.

"I fought my whole childhood." Goku spoke down to him, voice kind but also hard, "I've sought revenge for the deaths of people I loved, but I've never let it stop me from protecting them! I would never let it blind me!"

Kakarot's eyes snapped opened at the words, and he managed to lift up his head. Goku towered above him, eyes sharp, and focused, but somehow so understanding that it made Kakarot feel a bit sick to his stomach.

Goku shot into the air, hair flying as wind rushed around him. "Because I know why I fight," Goku put his hands to his side, "I know what makes me strong!"

Something in Kakarot snapped, he launched himself upwards, the pain of a lifetime clouding every single part of his brain.

"Kame," Goku's voice filled the ears of everyone in the arena and beyond, "Hame—," The energy around his hip twirled and trembled as he gathered it all together, "Hame!"

Kakarot roared in response, forming a ball of energy around his entire body.

"Ha!" Goku unleashed the energy he had built, sending it towards Kakarot in a rush of heat.

Kakarot's roar continued on as he rushed forward, twin punches of energy fully prepared to take on the impossibly large collection of energy. It hit him dead on, the force of it like nothing he had ever known in his life. His eyes widened as the realization of that rocked his very core.

Above him, Goku continued to shove as much energy as he could into the wave, pushing all of it into Kakarot that he could. Kakarot's arms buckled; his eyes widened in shock. The face of Goku on the other side of the energy wave made his stomach knot. The confidence in that man's face was overwhelming, but that wasn't the part of Son Goku's expression that made Kakarot's arms finally fail him.

It was the unnerving understanding that flooded his face. Somehow, against all odds, this man was looking at him as if he knew exactly what Kakarot was feeling. The man's mouth opened, but it wasn't to scream or shove more power into the blast. It was to say words:

"Do you know why I'm stronger than you?" He asked the boy, affection brimming on his face, "It's because I don't fight over the past." His eyes flickered this way and that to the people in the stands, to Piccolo and Gohan fighting a man who looked like a rabbit, to Vegeta fighting a strange animatronic thing, to the people only in his head. "I fight to protect the future of the people I love. I can't fail them. I won't." He smiled down at his son from another universe; the expression was undeniably sad, "And that makes me stronger than you."

And that—that made Kakarot's arms give out.

The power of Son Goku's blast overwhelmed him. He could feel the energy sinking into his flesh, burning and ripping and tearing. His body was sailing backwards, nothing but empty air separating him from elimination. It would only be a matter of time, seconds maybe, and he would fly over the edge. Closing his eyes, accepting it, Kakarot felt tears fill up his lashes.

He had failed Videl.

He had failed his daughter.

He had failed his Okaa-san.

He had failed his Ma.

He had failed his brother.

He had failed everyone and everything.

The entirety of the universe, including himself, because of his attachment to the past. He couldn't let go of things that just needed to go. Things that were nonconsequential now. Vegeta had been evil. Vegeta had been under some dark wizard's control. Vegeta had hurt him, hurt Chichi, hurt his brother, hurt his mother, both physically and mentally. He had destroyed everything so completely that it was impossible to fix the pieces. But that was the past; it had no bearing on the future.

Suddenly, hands touched his back, breaking up his thoughts. They were warm and familiar, but he couldn't remember quite where he had felt them before. And they were shoving him, throwing him forward. The energy of Son Goku's Kamehameha wave disappeared and the cool air of the void took its place, followed by rocks trying to embed themselves in his shoulder and cheek. His body came to a halt moments later, and he blinked hazy eyed only to realize—

—he was still in the ring.

-break-

Bardock dropped down in his seat once more, his body giving out, voice hoarse from screaming at his brother, trying to get some sense in the boy's head. There was no doubt that Kakarot would have been eliminated in Son Goku's Kamehameha wave. It had no doubt been impossible to stand up against.

"Da—," Before the curse could fully leave his mouth, Vegeta suddenly appeared at Bardock's side.

Jumping nearly out of his skin, Bardock fell backwards on top of Krillin. The much shorter man shouted and tried to dislodge himself from Bardock, but the younger man was in too much shock to respond.

"Oi!" Krillin yelled, pushing at Bardock's insanely heavy body. For someone so skinny, it seemed impossible for him to weigh what felt like 5 tons. "Get off!"

Bardock still didn't hear him. He was staring at Vegeta who was looking down at his torn clothes without saying a word. Around him, the members of universe 7 were staring in amazement at the appearance of universe 6's Vegeta. A certain amount of fascination was present on Tien and Master Roshi's face. After all, this Vegeta and Universe 7's Vegeta seemed wholly opposite. Their Vegeta was vicious and downright unstoppable when he put his mind to something. This one though was—for lack of a better term—milder. He was almost meek in a way and his whole body seemed to hunch with a deep, unnerving melancholy. It pervaded every part of him.

Finally, Bardock pulled himself up off the struggling Krillin, blinking at Vegeta's decimated form. His armor was ripped to shreds, only enough left to cover his modesty. His hair was messy, sticking up in all directions, and his skin was bright pink, burned in spots from the energy wave.

"You," Bardock spoke, not realizing that the angels were taking a great interest in his words, "You saved him from elimination."

Vegeta tightened his hand into a fist and turned his head just enough to the side that he could look at Bardock, "You're surprised?"

Bardock opened his mouth as if to say something, but stopped himself short. Eyes narrowing, his resemblance to Goku faltered. Squinting as he was, he looked oddly familiar in a way, but at the same time, like a completely foreign man. It was almost as if the z-fighter's present could imagine Goku looking that contemplative but couldn't recall that particular expression ever crossing his face. It was too tense, too focused, and too tainted with anger to belong to Goku.

"Why?" Bardock finally managed to speak.

"He's stronger than me," The Vegeta of universe 6 explained, voice even yet suspiciously soft. "Our chances of winning are better if he is in the tournament. It was only logical to save him."

Once more, Bardock opened his mouth only to shut it before the words came to fruition.

Smiling, almost sadly in response, Vegeta looked out across the tournament floor, towards the woman who was fighting Golden Frieza. His eyes locked onto her, watching as she moved in ways he had never been capable. She could duck and dodge and parry with such precision and beauty that it was almost hypnotic to watch. Long ago, when they were young, he had noticed this grace in her; it had nearly ruined him as a young man.

It ruined him even now.

Blocking her face from a hit, Sagie slammed a foot into Frieza's stomach, thrusting it forward. The creature's eyes bugged out and spit hit Sagie in the face. The woman jumped away from him a fraction of an inch before sending a front kick to his chin. Frieza's chin shot backwards, sending his feet over his head. Breathing hard, Sagie back flipped away, landing a least fifteen feet or so out of Frieza's punching and kicking range. She wiped the spit from her face, grimacing from the feel of it, and without thought, her eyes flickered towards the stands.

Vegeta gulped as she looked directly at him, eyes widening in surprise for a brief second before narrowing. His heart sank, memories making way for realities as she looked at him with eyes that screamed—finally.

-break-

Sagie pulled her eyes away from Vegeta just in time to take a direct hit to her nose. She felt the bones in her face groan as they strained to stay whole from the hit. Frieza's next hit sent her hurtling to the ground. Her back snapped upon impact, pain exploding behind her eyes, blinding her momentarily. Laying on the ground, she felt her blue energy disappear, base forming returning, unwelcomed. Immediately, pain flooded her lower stomach, something no doubt had taken considerable damage in that hit.

The rocks underneath her back dug into her skin, and she coughed, chocking on her own blood as it bubbled up her throat. Trying frantically to breathe, she shoved herself to her side, vomiting up a combination of spit and blood.

The sound of Frieza's footsteps made her eyes snap back opened. Frantically, she pushed herself up in an attempt to scramble away, but Frieza's three-clawed toes landing on her head prevented her from moving even an inch. Gasping, Sagie threw her hands upwards, grabbing helplessly at Frieza's foot as he dragged her up and off the ground.

"You thought you could beat me, girl," Frieza shook her, some of her hair ripping out of her skull as he did. "But it's just not possible." The alien threw her then and Sagie gasped as she hit a mountain of debris dead on.

Her skull felt as if it cracked from the impact, but as a Saiyan with abnormal pain tolerance, she ignored the sensation. Sliding down to the ground, she felt blood coat her face, body crumbling.

Shit, she thought as a wave of dizziness made her see double. I shouldn't have gotten distracted. Damn it, Vegeta!

Already hovering above her, Golden Frieza laughed at the heap that was her bleeding body, "Are you really the strongest in your universe?" He asked, voice teeming with absolute exhilaration and mirth. "How pathetic!"

Unable to stop the motion, Sagie let her heavy lids close as Frieza's words swarmed her head. She was feeling strange, off, in a way she couldn't explain. It was almost the same feeling one gets when they hold their breath too long or go too long without eating. Lightheaded and dizzy and off-tilt all at once.

And, even stranger still, her stomach was knotting, lurching, and swirling. Something she couldn't explain or understand was happening to her, and as terrifying as it was, she couldn't help but feel peace washing over her. She should have been petrified, worried for her universe and her life, but she wasn't; she couldn't be.

Because as the sensation of knotting intensified, the dizziness lessened. As the lurching grew more and more sickening, the off-tilt sensation in her body dissipated. And as the swirling progressed from her stomach upwards, the lightheadedness made way for clarity.

Something was happening to her; something she was starting to recognize.

-break-

"Whis," Vados said the name quietly so as to not draw attention to herself and motioned with her chin towards Sagie's already altering aura.

Red was coating her body as it had before. It was streaking her hair, flowing all around her, covering her in a crimson wave of energy. Her head snapped backwards, mouth opened in a silent scream, as the energy swirled all around her, encasing her.

"Again?" The slightly younger angel bit his lower lip and glanced not at his sister or Sagie but at his oldest siblings.

The oldest of the angels were sitting with the universes exempt from fighting. Unlike Vados and himself, they had existed long enough to help guide their gods to create calm, peaceful universes that understood how to exist in true harmony. It was a long process that took millennia to achieve. That knowledge made the looks on their wisened faces even more concerning.

Each and everyone of them looked afraid and worried.

"Chichiue told us," He spoke to his sister, softly, "That if we were wrong, we would pay the price." Licking his lips, he pulled his eyes away from his elder brothers and sisters. "Calling a tournament of this magnitude for this purpose shouldn't have been done lightly."

Vados gulped, eyes narrowing, "We didn't do it lightly, Whis." Her eyes flickered towards Goku as she spoke. He was standing, holding his side. Kakarot was nowhere to be seen. Who knew where he was on the tournament floor by now. But Goku was still standing and his eyes were already on Sagie. "We did it because of Son Goku."

-break-

Goku watched with wide eyes as Sagie's powered exploded forth. It was just as terrible as it had been the first time. The pressure of it on his skin felt like the fires of hell itself. Goosebumps formed on his flesh and he shuttered. The feeling of her energy was odd and made him feel distinctly uncomfortable, just as it had the first time. It created—an urge in him, a need. He could almost feel it pulling at him, like it wanted something from him. It was the same feeling he had when they were trapped under the heart. The need to give her energy and accept her own into his body.

Why? He asked himself as he breathed in deeply through his nose and out his mouth. Why does it make me feel this way? What's going on?

The thought barely had time to form in his head before Sagie rocketed forward right towards Frieza's stunned Golden Form. The scream that left her mouth had enough force to through Frieza off his feet before her fist actually connected with his face.

"Goku!" Beerus suddenly screamed from up in the spectator stands.

Turning towards the God of Destruction, Goku winced from the slight pain in his side.

"Why aren't you moving?" Beerus pointed fiercely in Frieza's direction, "Help Frieza! There's no way he can touch her when she's all fired up like that!"

A strange awkward twist in his stomach made Goku's normally gung-ho nature waiver, "I'm not," The excuse left his mouth before he realized he had one, "Exactly in the best shape here, Beerus-sama."

"What the hell?" Beerus' eyes bugged out of his head, and he darted forward, throwing Krillin and Tien out of his way. "If she eliminates him, that will be four members down! Four! We can't have four members eliminated." The God was practically hanging off the side of the spectator stand, his already purple face growing darker and darker as he screamed.

"Especially if I only have three." Champa stuck his tongue out at his brother and pulled down the corner of one eyelid mockingly.

"Shut your fat face!"

"What did you—!"

Goku laughed awkwardly and allowed the brother's conversation to fade into the background of his mind. Deep down he knew that Beerus was right. He had an obligation to help his team. Hadn't that been what he was trying to say to Kakarot? That they were here to protect their universes, to protect the people they loved. Sagie was the enemy. He had to beat her to ensure their universe's survival, but deep down, he didn't want to.

Gritting his teeth, Goku silently began to berate himself, I may not fight my own team, but not helping them, isn't that, the same? Wouldn't that make me… He glanced in Sagie's direction, watching as she beat Frieza to a bloody pulp. …no better than him?

"Do something, damn it!" Beerus sounded two seconds away from mulling Goku. If he had been allowed in the ring, he probably would have.

Knowing that to protect the people he loved, Goku had to step him, he started to move. One foot landed on the ground, then the other, and then the original one again, but that was as far as he got. Halted mid step, he clutched a hand against his side. It was strange. He couldn't explain it.

But as he watched Sagie's body move, twisting, dancing in the air, red aura consuming her, he found he couldn't move.

I can't—. He didn't finish the thought. It would have been far to terrifying too. So, instead, for the first time in his life, Goku deliberately didn't enter a fight.

-break-

Feeling lighter than air, Sagie spun above Frieza's head, swinging her foot up high above her own head before slamming it down on Frieza's shoulder. The monster screamed in pain as his shoulder buckled and dislocated. The arm went useless, dangling from the muscles alone, the joint now out of socket. Teeth bared, Sagie continued, spinning in a quick circle, leg cocked again and ready. This time she sent a hook kick, full force, into Frieza's head. Her heel connected with the side of his ear, sending him hurtling sideways.

His body flew above the ground, passed other fighters who didn't even pause to watch as his body slammed into the tournament floor. He bounced several times, body flipping and a different part of it hitting the ground, until he finally came to a halt.

Straightening, Sagie's deep, red eyes focused in on Frieza's body. Unlike before, she was aware of her own movement. Perhaps not in control of them, but very much aware that she was fighting. It was exhilarating in a way, not having to think, but your body attacking at absolute will.

Smirking dangerously, she held in a rumbling laugh and started towards Frieza's prone form. The beast was just starting to move, body twitching as he forced himself up off the ground, when she reached him. Lifting a foot, she swiftly kicked Frieza right in the stomach. Immediately, he vomited blood. The urge to attack followed once more, and without her consent (not that she would have cared), she lifted the foot again and sent it straight down onto his back like an axe.

Frieza screamed; the sound similar to a wounded animal crying out.

"Does it hurt?" Sagie whispered, voice working and her only somewhat aware of what it was saying. "I bet it does."

"You," Frieza began to push himself to his knees. Blood was pooling on the ground, seeping from various wounds on his body, "Bitch."

Kicking one last time, she sent as much power into her foot as possible, energy actually gathering in her toes as she aimed for Frieza's face. He shot into the air without a sound of pain, no longer able to actually voice it. Immediately, she materialized above him an energy blast already forming in her hands, but she didn't release it. Instead, she touched her hands to Frieza's exposed back, making sure to make contact before sending the energy into his body. It acted like a defibrillator. Frieza's eyes bugged out of his head and his scream shattered the ring.

Fighters from every universe stopped all motion as they watched Sagie send another shock through him. His body lit up, small cracks of what looked like mini-lightning bolts, dancing across his flesh.

A maniacal laugh left her mouth as she instinctively, without thought, reshaped the energy of one hand. It turned into a blade of energy that seemed to illuminate her hand. Falling towards the ground in time with Frieza's limp body, she slashed, cutting into his skin before taking the other hand, the electrified one, and slamming electricity into his body.

The dictator's voice screamed ragged as he became the victim, as Sagie tortured him as he had tortured her.

-break-

Goku felt his mouth slip open as he watched Sagie continue to slowly rip Frieza's body apart. The man's Golden Form had long since disappeared, leaving his normally white and purple skin red and black from the blood, burns, and bruises she had inflicted. Goku had never in his life seen anyone inflict this much pain on another person so skillfully. Even Frieza hadn't been this good. Blood was dripping from the once powerful tyrant's body from cuts she was intentionally administering. There was a precision to each hit or wave of energy that it seemed sadistic.

Yet, despite that, Goku didn't move. In the background, he heard Beerus still screaming at him, but he didn't bother to take in the words. He could only stare at her, watching as her hair turned more and more red, and her eyes grew darker and darker crimson. Something was taking over her, something dangerous, he could tell. He could feel it, but not because it was coming off of her. Truthfully, he couldn't sense her energy anymore. But he could still feel something.

He could feel something within himself. A desire was building, energy he had felt before, during this tournament, was awakening. He could feel it swirling within him, reacting to her own power.

Abruptly, and without thought, Goku shot forward. He ignored Beerus' loud call of finally and moved with a purpose he didn't actually understand. Within seconds, he was in front of Sagie, hands outstretched to catch her next attack before it hit Frieza.

"Stop!" He yelled as he caught her wrist, trying to hold her in place.

He didn't stand a chance.

Moving with speed Goku couldn't even see, she moved to punch him with her hands still filled with visible energy. Knowing he only had time to wince, Goku prepared himself for the hit, tightening his muscles and bringing ki to the surface to protect his body. But, much to his amazement, the hit never came.

Opening his eyes, Goku's mouth dropped opened as he found himself eye to eye with Sagie. She was looking straight at him with shaking red eyes that mirrored the confusion he felt. There couldn't have been more than four or five inches between them. He could even feel her breath on his face. And in another moment of knowing without knowing how, Goku allowed some of his energy to slip from his hand into her wrist.

She blinked in response; the motion slow. And when she opened her eyes again, they were lighter, the red seeming to dilute. Her lips parted and she blinked again, coming back to herself as Goku's energy entered her body. Feeling more and more like herself with each passing second, Sagie inhaled deeply and pulled her arm away.

Goku allowed her to knowing that it was the right thing to do, "Sagie."

"Don't," She spoke in a near whisper, "You dare stop me."

"I won't stop you," Goku spoke without really knowing what he was saying, which wasn't anything too out of the ordinary, but this time it was more out of his control than just because he was dense. "You can eliminate Frieza. I don't care."

Behind them, Frieza was chocking on his own blood, coughing it up as his body bled both on the inside and out.

"But don't do it like this," He continued, voice surprisingly calm. "This power—there's something wrong with it."

The warmth of Goku's power still circulating in her veins made Sagie's mind clear a little. Her eyes darkened but not dangerously. They simply started to turn back to black, their natural color, "What do you mean?"

"Can't you feel it? Its like it takes over you and you can't think straight anymore." He gutted his chin towards Frieza's still barely functioning body. "You were torturing him to death."

"What if I meant to?" She immediately responded, but her eyes had pretty much returned to normal and her hair was growing more and more black. "You have no idea what he did to me."

Goku narrowed his eyebrows. The words were a little too familiar, "You're right," He felt as if he was just repeating himself, "I don't know, but I do know this—if you kill him, you'll be eliminated and then where will your universe be?"

Sagie looked away from him instantly, knowing he was right, but hating that fact, "Why the hell do you care?"

"Does it matter?" Goku sent her a loop-sided smile.

"Not in the long run." She clicked her tongue and crossed her arms underneath her chest, "So are you gonna stop me?"

"From eliminating Frieza?" Goku scratched the back of his head, "I probably should."

"But are you gonna?"

Goku felt a lump form in his throat. On the one hand, they needed Frieza. On the other, Sagie had pretty much destroyed any possibility of the reptilian providing them any more help. Frieza's body was in horrendous shape. His energy was nearly depleted. And he was coughing up far too much blood. He would die soon without intervention anyway.

"No."

That seemed to be all Sagie needed to hear. Stepping around Goku, she walked slowly across the ring towards Frieza's nearly lifeless form. Blood was surrounding his body, slowly leaking out of various cuts and orifices. Bending down once she reached him, Sagie breathed heavily; her body was starting to give out. In the heat of the moment, she hadn't noticed it. Now that she was nearly done, now that everything was nearly over, it felt so heavy, she wanted to sleep for months.

Using the last of her energy, she grabbed Frieza by his head, yanked him up off the ground, and looked him straight in the face.

"You have no idea," She spoke to his one, squinting, painfilled eye, "How good this feels."

"You bitch—."

She dropped him as she pulled her foot back, up and off the ground before kicking him as hard as she possibly could. Frieza's body flew the short three feet over the ring, but for good measure, she raised her hand, formed one last energy blast and hit him dead in the back. His furious roar filled her ears, and with a smirk, she fell flat on her back.

-break-

"No," Beerus felt panic and anger well up in his chest as Frieza appeared in the stands. The man was in horrific shape, but that didn't matter. He was member number 4 to be eliminated for universe 7, and Goku had let it happen. Furious, the God of Destruction whirled his eyes on Goku, "What the hell is wrong with you?!"

"Get a senzu bean, quick!" The Supreme Kai hastily turned towards Krillin who was already digging in the small leather pouch.

"Here!" The small man handed over the senzu even as he glanced towards Goku, trying to process exactly what had just happened.

"What was Goku thinking?" Tien whispered beside him as Shin preceeded to help Frieza swallow the bean.

Beside them, Master Roshi tightened his crisscrossed arms over his chest a bit more, "That's a good question." The elderly man glanced towards the silent Bardock and Vegeta out of the corner of his eye. Both men were looking at Frieza, barely contained rage on their faces that intrigued Master Roshi to no end. "I think the better one is what did Frieza do to universe 6?"

"But master," Krillin blinked wide eyed at the old hermit. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Krillin," The old man continued in one of his rare moments of true wisdom, "I think it has to do with everything."

"I can't believe you, Goku," Beerus' voice broke through their quiet discussion. "When I get my hands on you, you're going to wish you had never been born!"

It was at that moment that Frieza's eyes snapped opened, body completely recovered by the magic of the senzu bean. Sitting up, shoving Shin away from himself, Frieza's maniacal expression made everyone in the stands scramble backwards including the Vegeta of universe 6 and Bardock.

"You fucking monkey!" Frieza threw himself to his feet, a point of red light forming on the tip of his finger. "I'll kill you."

"No!"

The Zeno's voices were soft and dangerously loud all at once. In a flash, Frieza's body disappeared, wiped from existence so quickly that it was almost as if he had never been there to begin with.

The tournament ring went near silent for a full ten seconds. Other universes, the z-fighters, tournament participants that were still fighting, everyone stared at the spot Frieza had once stood, no one quite knowing what to say.

And then as if aware of the pause, the giant pillar in the middle of the ring moved downwards with a loud thud that permeated the air. The threat of time was greater than the threat of immediate eraser. Warriors began fighting once more. Explosions filled the air. Chaos filled up hearts.

Ignoring that chaos and the reawakening of Beerus' tyraid, Whis smiled faintly down at Goku who was walking slowly towards Sagie, "Did you see it? What he did?"

"He calmed her energy," Vados answered even though the question was rhetorical. "He actually contained it."

"That means..."

The two looked at each other. Twin smiles on their faces as they spoke in unison.

"They're becoming aware."

-break-

Laying flat on her back, Sagie felt as if history had repeated itself in an odd way, but she didn't have time to absorb the feeling. Son Goku was approaching her frail form. High in the stands, she could hear Beerus screaming for him to eliminate her, to redeem himself. She thought she could also hear Bardock wailing, begging her to get up, but she couldn't move. Her body was done. Her mind not too far behind.

Coming to stand a few short feet away from her, Goku looked down at her frail form, finding it odd that she looked so small in the sand made from crumbled tournament floor, "Sagie."

"Gonna eliminate me? Your teammate died because of me, after all." She asked without bothering to move even a fraction of an inch, "I wouldn't judge you for taking your shot—get your revenge."

Goku's eyes widened just a fraction from her choice of words. Then he smiled faintly, but the expression was somehow pained, "That's what you would do, isn't it?"

"Get revenge?" She waited for him to nod before smirking, "Probably. My whole life is revenge. Hell," She laughed and her whole body ached in response, "In my universe, that bastard destroyed our home planet, pur people." She looked up at him without moving anything other than her eyes. They were the only thing that didn't hurt to move, "He deserved everything he got and more."

"He destroyed Vegeta-sei in my universe too." Goku informed, not quite understanding why he felt the need. "I was a baby, so I don't remember it. I got revenge for us though."

Her eyes widened ever so slightly, "You defeated Frieza?"

"Ish," Goku shrugged, but didn't elaborate. "You?"

"I hunted him down and didn't stop until he was dead." Her voice was blunt, strong. "Obviously, you let yours live."

"Actually, he was dead. I didn't actually kill him though," Goku shrugged matter of factly, "I had him brought to life for the tournament."

Those words stunned her into silence.

In that silence, Goku could hear Beerus screeching about Frieza's death and being down four members now. Not as much as some universes but enough to be worrisome. Part of him knew that he should have been upset by Frieza's death in a way, but somehow he knew better than to dwell on it. Frieza would go back to where he belonged, hanging from a tree in a cocoon that would take a million years to hatch a butterfly.

"Why?" Sagie finally whispered, face expressionless. "Why did you bring him back after everything he did?"

"Because," Goku smiled sadly as he spoke, "If it means protecting the people I care about, I'd do anything even bring an evil tyrant back from the grave."

"If that's true, then why haven't you eliminated me?"

The male Saiyan felt all semblance of speech leave his throat at her question. It was the million dollar one, after all.

"You said you'd do anything. So you better take the chance to eliminate me right now while you can," Sagie wiggled a finger, but she couldn't have been sure if it moved or not. "Wait too long and you won't be able to win. Then where would the people you care about be?"

Looking down at her with eyes that were an odd combination of knowledgeable and childish, Goku chuckled, "Beerus would like that." He chuckled. "Can't you hear him screaming, telling me to?"

"Is that what that is?" She glanced towards the stands. "Here I thought it was a cat in heat."

"I know. It's kind'a hard to tell the difference, ain't it?" Goku turned slightly, looking at the stands out of the corner of his eye. Beerus had been restrained by Krillin, Master Roshi, Tien, and even the Vegeta and Bardock of universe 6. It was an add sight, but the strangeness of it was blocked out by the bitter wrath in Beerus' eyes and the outline of the veins in his face and neck.

"So," Sagie felt an odd prickling of her skin, "You gonna do it already?"

Turning away from his universe, from Tien, Krillin, Master Roshi, the Kais, and most importantly Beerus, Goku blocked out their irate calls, "What would you say if I told you I couldn't?"

Not even an ounce of surprise crossed Sagie's face, "Me neither."

Goku's head snapped up in surprise. The two Saiyan's made eye contact, something deep and old, as old as the universes, passing between their unmistakably similar eyes.

"I couldn't eliminate you if I tried." Sagie went on to say just as Piccolo landed at her side. He immediately pulled her up, slinging one of her arms around the back of his neck.

"Sagie-san, we have to get—."

Sagie managed to hold up a hand, stopping Piccolo's worried voice. He gave in but didn't look wholly convinced. Smiling at the Namekian, Sagie turned back to Goku with exhausted eyes, "This is," She closed her eyes, shook her head, and laughed bitterly, "Going to be a problem, isn't it?"

Gulping, Goku nodded and shot backwards, away from Sagie and the other Piccolo. Deep down, the second she said those words, he had felt a strange jerking of his very soul. This was going to be a major problem because the thought of fighting her, beating her, and watching her be erased was damn near horrifying.

-break-

A few groups away from universe 6 and 7, Belmod growled low under his breath. He had seen Goku up close at the pre-view held for the Zeno's, so he had known what to expect. But he hadn't been prepared for the other one, the woman. Gritting his teeth so hard they should have shattered, he whipped his head around to look at the laughing Beerus and chanting Champa. The two cat brothers were way too damn cocky and it pissed him off to no end.

Snapping his head back around, he searched the ring until his eyes lighted on the person he needed. The leader of the pride troopers was in the middle of blocking a series of attacks from a robot creature from universe 3. He didn't appear to be struggling even though Belmod knew he was suppressing his power, continuing to hide his true nature.

Toppo, He spoke using nothing more than telepathy.

Instantly, Toppo sent the robot to the other side of the ring by using a simple swing of his overly large hands. Then, straightening, he stood silently, indicating without words that he had heard the voice.

It's time to take this tournament to a new level, Belmod ordered cryptically. Understand?

"Yes, sir!" Toppo acknowledged on the tournament floor.

Sixteen years ago, Universe 6, Planet Namek

This is a nightmare. There's no other explanation. This isn't real; it can't be real. Sagie's dark eyes blurred as she laid helplessly on the ground.

High above her, the dragon continued to flicker. Only one wish remained. Everything had happened so fast that she couldn't even begin to comprehend it all. Moving her head slowly, she tried to focus her eyes on the destruction around her.

Chichi's body was slung over a nearby rock. A cut on her head oozing with blood. The sight of the body made her whole body tense, but she couldn't help but be proud as she gazed at the nearly broken form. Chichi had fought valently, keeping the boys alive, making the wishes they had agreed upon without any fear. She had brought back everyone who had been killed by Frieza and the Earth before Frieza had arrived. She had done her best.

Twisting slightly, Sagie turned her gaze from Chichi to Bardock wasn't too far away from her. His tiny form crumbled in a heap. She couldn't tell if he was breathing but instinct told her that he was alive. Shifting, pain rushing up and down every nerve ending in her body. Her eyes slammed shut. A sharp inhale of air into her lungs told her of the extent of damage to her internal organs, but that hadn't been what made her eyes close.

She could feel something building in her back. It was a sensation she had noticed many times before. Energy was collecting at the spot between her shoulder blades. It was making her hot, inflaming her skin. She knew that all she had to do was push it a little further and it would come to the surface. Something would be released. Something dangerous and powerful, but she couldn't do it yet. No—she knew the second she did, she wouldn't be able to control her actions, anything.

Ragged breathing filled the air around her, accompanied by the distant sounds of screaming, desperate and broken. She twisted her head to the other side, trying to follow the sound, and her eyes fluttered opened once again.

A flash of light from a ki blast made her eyes flicker towards the distant motions. Far from her position on the ground, covered in blood, her eldest son was fighting. At barely eight, he should have died a long time ago; Frieza must have been toying with him, enjoying the ongoing humiliation of the Saiyan race by playing with the last of its young.

"Kaka—," The name caught in her throat and tears welled in her eyes. The tingling in her back grew.

Frieza's fist slammed into Kakarot's cheek. The boy's body flew, crashing into the mountains below. She watched as they crumbled, but his energy didn't waver. Pushing the debris away from himself, he shot into the air, fighting with the last bits of strength he had left in his tiny body.

"Get up," She spoke as she watched Kakarot's tiny fist miss Frieza. He flew forward and Frieza's balled hands made contact with the back of his neck, sending him back into the ground again. "Get up," She repeated, knowing she wasn't talking to Kakarot.

The dirt, dampened by blood as it was, clung to her skin as she pushed herself up on her elbows. The tingling in here back increased. Muscles burned in her shoulders that she couldn't recall ever feeling. Pain, deeper and more vicious than any she had ever felt, made her stomach turn.

"Not yet," Using the last of her strength, she flipped herself over, landing on her hands and knees with a gasp as her vision went blank. "Control it." She coached herself. With one eye opened, crawling, she dug her fingers into the dirt and grass, leaving a trail of blood as she made her way towards the dragon.

The small Namekian boy was curled in a ball beside the gathered Dragon Balls. She could hear him whimpering with fear. Unlike her, he had witnessed the horrors that had happened here. Nearly collapsing before she reached him, Sagie yelped. Her side was on fire. She could feel the hot, slick wetness of blood dripping from the spot where a rib had punctured her skin.

"You," She coughed, blood splattered the child's back. "Dende—right?" She repeated the name her youngest son had used.

The tiny boy looked up at her, watery eyes telling of the horrors he had seen, "Yes."

Looking at Sagie from between violently shaking fingers, Dende barely managed a nod.

"You can speak the language, right?" She held herself up off the ground by sheer will power alone, "You can make a wish, right?" The energy in her back made her head snap backwards, making her look absolutely possessed.

The boy screamed in fear. The antennae on his head actually quivered, and he slammed his head back down on the ground, burying it in his own words.

"Fuck," Sagie cursed as she came back to herself. It was so close to the surface now that she could taste it. Energy she had never known leaping up her spine. Knowing that she was almost out of time, she grabbed the child by the back of his shirt, ripping his arms from his face as he wailed. "Wish for everyone on this planet," She coughed. This time the blood splattered against the boy's face, "Except me and Frieza to be transported to the planet Earth, understand?"

Not moving to wipe the blood off his face, Dende's small mouth opened and closed, flapping like a fish. On some level, he probably knew that she was the parent of Bardock and Kakarot, and that made him hesitate, "Wha-t-t about y-o—?"

"Don't worry about me," She cut him off, screaming in his face, "Just make the damn wish!" She knew it was unfair to scream at the child, but she couldn't help herself. She couldn't stop the anger that was flooding through her suddenly. It was like a crimson wave of fury that started in the base of her spine and traveled throughout every pore of her body.

The boy didn't have to be told twice. Scrambling to his feet, he held up his hands towards the gigantic dragon of Namek and spoke in a language Sagie couldn't understand. A glow overtook the world around them as one by one the half dead bodies disappeared with a woosh of wind and static. Forcing herself to stand, Sagie felt her heart clench violently as Bardock disappeared.

Coming to her full height, her head lobbed to one side as Chichi's small frame disappeared from the planets surface. Gulping, Sagie felt a weight lift from her shoulders, knowing the woman was safe. Her son was safe.

Then the tiny Namekian disappeared, zapping away, and Frieza screamed as Kakarot followed.

Turning to look over her shoulder, neck twisting, Sagie smirked. Frieza was close to her, maybe a distance of a soccer field, and his eyes were enraged.

The sky began to lighten, the Dragon roared returning to the Dragon Balls once more. Then, they rose into the air, circling as the magic left them, stones forming in place of mystical orange gold only seconds before they shot out and disappeared in every direct.

"No!" Frieza bellowed and shot after one of them. He caught it easily. The expression of his face as he did absolutely priceless.

"I'm not gonna run away again," She spoke to herself as her hands clutched at her sides. Her back was on fire. "I ran away from you on Vegeta-sei. I ran away from you on Earth. No more! Never again," She clenched her teeth so hard they should have cracked. "I refuse to run again!"

The dam of power broke.

Every inch of her skin felt like it was on fire. The scream that ripped from her throat made Frieza turn to look at her. Whatever he had seen that Sagie couldn't horrified him. Voice echoing through the very stratosphere of the planet, Sagie allowed the tingling energy in her back to flood her body with a power she had never thought possible. Every muscle fiber rippled with energy. Her hair lifted off her neck. Her aura scolded her skin.

Frieza hovered above the ground shellshocked. Even though he couldn't sense energy, he could feel her. Sensing his hesitation, Sagie took a deep breath, steeling her body against what she had to do next. She shot into the air, ignoring every ounce of pain that was intensifying through her, and slammed a punch into the side of Frieza's face. Caught off guard, the lizard flew backwards, feet going up and over his head. He corrected his position almost instantly, insane eyes flashing with rage.

"You!" He snarled, putting two and two together, "What are you?"

"What am I?" Sagie hovered in the air. Blood dripped down her body.

Throwing herself through the air, hand extending out, she moved with speed she didn't understand, slamming into the man who had killed her people, maimed Vegeta in everyway possible, destroyed Chichi's homeworld, masacured the Namekians, and tried to kill her and her children more than she could count.

Frieza came up off his feet from the force of a Super Saiyan's fist breaking his cheek, "I'm the voice," She screamed into his face as she followed his soaring body. "Of every Saiyan," She kicked him in the back, sending him hurtling upwards, "Who died," She materialized above him, leg flying downwards, hitting him square in the diaphram, "At your hands!"

The reptilian didn't even scream as he hit the ground. Roaring, teal eyes swimming with the rage of every Saiyan ever born, Sagie placed her hands on her hip, borrowing a technique from Chichi, "Ka!"

Frieza's eyes opened.

"Me!"

They widened.

"Hame!"

He scrambled to his feet.

"Ha!"

She threw her hands foreward. The energy coming from them exploded forth, so intense and strong that she actually went backwards a few feet from the initial blast of it. Frieza shrieked in fear, but the speed of her energy was overwhelming despite his final form's presence. The kamehameha hit him dead on. Sagie watched as he was flung downwards by it, sending as much of her energy into it as she could. But it still wasn't enough; she knew it wasn't. To destroy Frieza, she would have to give him absolutely everything and that meant, no holding back.

Gritting her teeth to the point where they cracked from the pressure, she shoved every last ounce of power she had into her attack, knowing it would destroy the planet and her as well.

Sure enough, the planet's surface crumbled, the crust bursting, cracking, actually revealing magma underneath. Frieza's energy disappeared, but Sagie didn't stop. She pushed even further, not caring that it was destroying the planet itself. Not caring that should would die. She had to be sure. She had to know without question that Frieza would not survive.

Tears clouded her eyes as she watched the planet's core come into view through the haze of the energy blast. She knew exactly what that meant; she knew exactly what she had just done. The kamehameha wave shot past the now cut in half planet, explosions echoed around her. The planet's furious reaction to being practically decapitated, obvious.

It hadn't even taken five minutes.

But she had destroyed Frieza and planet Namek.

Hysterical laughter built up in her chest as she finally allowed the Kamehameha wave to dissipate. Chichi had told her it was a powerful weapon. She hadn't been lying. Hovering in the air, Sagie looked for any signs of Frieza but saw nothing. He was gone, destroyed. It was rather anti-climatic in a way. Lowering her arms, exhaustion mounting, she watched as the planet's core began to glow, furious at being exposed. It wouldn't be long now.

"I didn't," She leaned her head back, watching the red hit the sky. It looked like Vegeta-sei. "Run away."

The tears that had been forming on her lashes consumed her vision, blinding her. Memories surfaced in her mind. The red sky of her homeworld. The smile on his face as he reached out to brush her cheek.

"Thank you, Sagie."

Sagie's heart stopped in her chest just as her body lightened and the planet disappeared around her. Suddenly, she found herself standing in a field under a darkened sky. High above her head, a Dragon's twisting body obsured the stars themselves with its shimmer. It was such a surreal feeling that she couldn't even comprehend it.

"Your wish has been granted," The Dragon spoke slowly but politiely. "I will now take my leave."

Instantly, the Dragon's form was sucked downwards into small, miniture Dragon Balls. Sagie followed the motion with her eyes, both teal orbs going wide as she saw Chichi looking down at the now deactivated Dragon Balls. The woman watched as they rose into the air, circling endlessly, before being flung in every direction.

"Thank you," Chichi spoke as the people around her, the Namekians began to cheer. Then, Chichi turned, her eyes bright in the now brightening sky. She didn't look shocked as she took in Sagie's battered Saiyan armor and her golden hair and teal eyes. She just looked overjoyed. The smile that graced her face was brighter than anything Sagie had ever seen in her life.

"Ma!"

Tiny hands encircled her legs, and she looked down to see Bardock and Kakarot holding onto her for dear life.

"Maman!" Kakarot's tear stained face looked up at her, "Du bist okay?"

Sagie could feel her own face crumbling as she realized, she finally, truly was...

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