Alliance - Part 6
CRRRRAAAACK!!
The titans met mid-air, Saiyan gladiators, clashing hand-to-hand, energy crackling in waves that flattened trees and boiled rivers.
The ground crew looked on grimly, the sons of Kakarot gritting their teeth, as the air was lit with pyrotechnics, blasts ricocheting, disintegrating boulders, digging craters, changing the landscape forever. Saiyan blood boiled as they met in hand-to-hand combat, trading blows, kicks, strikes, filling the air with the sounds of their screams.
The king fought with all the skill of a battle-hardened warrior, but he was still no match for the general.
"Is dad holding back?" Goten asked, brows drawn down.
"Yes," Vejita said, watching the unfolding drama with clenched fists. "What are you doing, Kakarot? Finish him!" The three remaining men stared at Vejita like he had just grown his tail back, then gazed into the sky.
Kakarot was beating the king down, driving his fists, elbows and heels into Vejita's body. There was too much at stake.
"AAAAHHHH!" he screamed, punching the king in the gut and then ki blasting him into the side of a hill. The monarch's body slammed into it, disappearing through the maw the impact created. Kakarot hung and waited as triangles of energy exploded the mountain and the king emerged. He floated up, breathing hard, glaring at the general.
They slowly circled each other, staring each other down. Vejita grinned darkly. "It's time, Kakarot."
The Saiyan general cocked an eyebrow and waited silently. The ground crew watched expectantly. Nappa was grinning ear to ear.
Vejita was heaving with exertion and his general waited patiently as he caught his breath.
The king quirked another dark smile, drawing his gloved hand across his mouth, smearing the dripping blood. "Do you know what I did, Kakarot? I purposely had them set the sleep chamber to wake me a month earlier. For two weeks I watched you sleep."
Kakarot's lips parted in a small gasp, imagining the king watching as he slept. A chill went up his spine.
"Two weeks just watching. Remember you told me it was love that pushed you into turning super Saiyan. I didn't understand."
The king's face twisted into some expression Kakarot couldn't interpret. "You looked so peaceful! I imagined the anguish you felt at losing your father, your caretaker, your home — your freedom — for so many years. I thought about...my father." He pressed his lips together hard.
"I realized how much time had been wasted. And how my life had suddenly lost meaning. I was angry. At you! I felt like you had...had... ruined everything I had aspired to be by doing it first." The king was visibly controlling his rage. "You came into my life like tornado, destroying my hopes. But you never stopped serving me, did you."
He clenched his fists and growled. "I loved you, Kakarot! And I HATED you!"
Power began to crackle around him, lightning leapt from his fingertips, his eyes blazed with fire. Ripples of energy ascended his hair, the stiff triangles standing straighter still. Ebony eyes shifted to aqua, black hair burst into gold and with a scream that shook the heavens, King Vejita exploded into super Saiyan, his golden aura causing shock waves that nearly blew the ground crew away. They stood in stunned silence staring open-mouthed at the king and his pulsing ki.
Nappa was roaring with glee. Kakarot braced himself against the impact and pulled one clenched fist back, crying, "ALL RIGHT!! Sire, you did it! You did it!" He threw his head back and laughed and laughed.
Vejita hung in the air, smirking, the power of his golden aura lighting the darkening skies.
"This isn't over yet, Kakarot!"
The general burst into super Saiyan and grinned wickedly. "It's just begun, sire!" and they crashed together, twin novas lighting the heavens.
Vejita screamed and threw a volley of energy blasts which Kakarot deflected and transmitted behind the king, elbowing him in the neck. Vejita crashed into the ground, Kakarot dropping onto him with his heel; but Vejita was gone, transmitting out and coming in behind his adversary. Kakarot turned, but caught Vejita's knee in his stomach, doubling over. The king drove a double fist to his neck and Kakarot went down to his knees.
ËFeeling the next blow about to descend, he transmitted out and hung mid-air, waiting, panting. With a burst of speed, the king flew up to face Kakarot. They circled each other, snarling, then grinning.
Vejita launched himself with a punch that Kakarot grabbed. Then they grabbed each others hands and strained toward each other, teeth gritting, grunting with the effort, skin slick with sweat.
"Kakarot!" the king hissed. They pushed harder until they were nearly nose to nose. Lightning crackled around them, their fingers laced together. He whispered, "I would have made you regent!"
The general snarled, "You ignored me for nearly three years!"
"I missed you—" The king's breath caught in his throat. He continued to strain forward. "Don't you think I wanted you by my side? Who but you could give me what I craved, Kakarot? Who but you could reign with me?"
Kakarot could feel the king's breath on his face. "Then why? Why?!"
Ebony eyes bored into onyx. "I was afraid," the king whispered.
Kakarot faltered and Vejita shoved him, blasting the general's midsection with double-palmed energy. But it was only half-hearted and Kakarot merely tumbled away.
The general righted himself and they floated, glaring at each other, chests heaving with exertion. The king's face registered anguish.
"There was so much work to be done — repairing broken lives, a ruined planet. So much was expected of me—"
They circled in the air, energy coruscating around them.
"I would have helped," Kakarot said. "I wanted to help. But you banished me to the barracks."
"Not me," the king said quietly. "My advisors. Every day I'd think today is the day the throne is mine. And every day there was one more thing I didn't know how to do." His lips parted in a soft sigh. "I wanted...so much... Kakarot."
The general nearly broke when a tear rolled down the king's face.
"Even now it's not too late. You can still reign with me."
"My king...it's too high a price..." he choked.
"It's just another planet! You've conquered so many..."
"It's my home! My family!"
"Vejita is your home! Vejita is your king!" he screamed and launched himself at the general.
On the ground, the crew was beginning to get antsy. Trunks turned to Gohan and said, "It's getting dark. Why doesn't he just end this?"
Gohan shook his head, then turned to Vejita with a silent question. Vejita was frowning.
"He doesn't want to kill him." The prince slid a glance at Nappa, who was standing with folded arms and grinning up at the warriors. Feeling the Saiyan prince's eyes on him, he turned his head, pupils shrinking to pinpoints. Vejita smiled.
"How about it, Nappa? Shall we commence? it's getting late." The giant's mouth rounded into an "O."
"Or will it give you a headache to fight me?"
"Why are the Vejita's having all the fun?" Goten muttered and Gohan smiled.
"We're just the backup plan, brother. Might as well enjoy the show." Levitating, Gohan flew to a nearby cliff followed by Trunks and Goten, and the three stood by, watching as the prince squared off against a very confused Nappa.
Gohan chuckled. "I think Vejita is relishing this. The big guy looks like he doesn't know what to do."
The prince wasted no time in attacking the giant, who managed to block Vejita's opening moves and dance away into the sky.
"V-vejita..."
"Come on, Nappa. We're not the same person, your king and I. Give it your best shot!"
The next blow Vejita landed mashed Nappa's face and, with a howl of pain and rage, the giant attacked.
Goten sank to the ground and wrapped his arms around his knees. "This is some show!" he said, laughing, as he watched the warriors light up the sky. The prince wasted no time changing to super Saiyan mode and Nappa was soon against the ropes.
In the meantime, Kakarot was fighting tooth and nail for Earth and his loved ones, Vejita for his pride. The general had more at stake and was battling with the ferocity of a tiger and beating down the king.
"Sire, can you go higher?" he cried, backfisting a ball of energy into oblivion.
King Vejita floated for a moment. He was breathing hard. "I can level the playing field, Kakarot. One way or another." From his waistband, he pulled a small device and held it out for Kakarot to see.
"I noticed that Earth had no moon." He pressed the button and suddenly, from nearby outer space, a projection beam sprang into the sky and a "moon" appeared.
Goten leapt to his feet. Gohan and Trunks stared dumbstruck at the moon projection. Three heads swiveled to gaze in horror as Nappa, King Vejita and Kakarot began to transform before their eyes — Nappa and the king into gigantic black apes, roaring and disintegrating hills and trees with energy from their mouths.
"Yikes!" Goten cried and the three warriors took to the air, dodging the blasts.
The prince retreated, fists clenched, his body language screaming rage. Shaking with anger, he joined the ground crew on the cliff edge.
"Can father...?" Goten began, then his eyes widened as Kakarot's transformation was complete. The great ape stomped in fury. His voice was as deep as the ocean, his fury as powerful as a tornado. The three great apes roared in rage as they faced each other.
"Sire! You don't know what you've done!" he roared as the king advanced on the general.
"G-gohan..." Goten said. The brothers looked at each other. "Dad is...is...golden!"
"Shimatta!" the prince swore. "Of course he is. Don't you remember? He's the only one who can transform to level three. The fools! They still think they can defeat him!"
"But father," Trunks said, "can he defeat both of them?"
Vejita clenched his fists and growled. "Of course he can, baka! The problem is he doesn't want to! He's always been too soft!"
The four men stared in horror as the three behemoths clashed, shaking the Earth with their power. The mountains trembled, whole parts of the Earth disappeared with their energy. Kakarot dodged their attacks, shooting continuous balls of energy as he advanced.
"SIRE!" he roared. "You CAN'T win! Please!"
"What makes you think that, general?!" Vejita glared and beams of red energy flew from his eyes. Kakarot leapt into the air, reared back and sent a huge ball of energy that engulfed both the king and Nappa. But they weren't out yet. Vejita flew through it to meet Kakarot in the air, and one-two-three punched the golden ape. Kakarot flipped away and met Vejita's next punch with one of his own. They stood fist-to-fist glaring at each other, two magnificent creatures.
On the cliffside, Trunks had a flash of insight. "Can we cut off their tails?"
Gohan blinked once and grinned slowly. "If we can catch them! Krillen's destructo disk attack should do it!"
The four men burst into super Saiyan and
exploded into the air. "I have the king!" Vejita shouted.
"I'm with you!" Gohan cried.
"Right. We have Nappa!" Trunks called, and he and Goten headed for the giant ape, now staring into the sky from the ground. He stomped in fury and, as Trunks and Goten descended, he whipped his tail in agitation, swiping the demi-Saiyans away.
Trunks dodged another attack of Nappa's tail and skittered backwards and up when the great ape sent a blast his way.
"Yeesh! This is going to be harder than I thought! Goten, distract him!"
Goten flew into the ape's face and double-palm blasted his eyes, but had to flip away when Nappa sent red-hot beams straight at him. Trunks threw a disk, missing when the ape lashed with his tail and turned on him.
"Ohhhh Kami!" Goten transmitted out to miss another mouth-blast and dodged the ape's paws as Nappa tried to grab him. Trunks was at his tail again with another disk, but had to keep dodging the flailing appendage.
When the ape turned to attack Trunks, Goten finally managed to land on Nappa's nose and send a finger of ki into his right eye. Nappa howled in pain and tried to grab Goten, but this was all the opportunity Trunks needed. A well-placed disk veered through the air and sliced Nappa's tail off neatly.
Trunks and Goten watched as Nappa shrank and turned into a mere giant of a man.
"You punks! I'll get you for this!" he shrieked, holding his eye.
Trunks wiped the sweat off his face. "Phew!" he said quietly, then yelled, "Okay, big guy, come and get us!"
Goten glared at Trunks as Nappa clenched one fist and streaked up to meet them.
The king was under attack from three directions, the prince and Gohan flying around and dodging the lashing tail.
"No! 'Jita! Gohan! Let me handle this!" Kakarot roared and rushed forward to wrap his arms around the king.
"GRRRRARRRRGH!" the ape king roared, struggling to free himself.
"Sire! You can't win!"
"You're a fool, Kakarot!" With a shriek, he burst free from the general's grip and moved away, panting and glaring.
"Gohan, 'Jita. Please let me handle this."
Gohan flew up next to his ear. "Dad..."
But Kakarot pushed him away as the king attacked. Gohan joined Vejita who was floating and watching the great apes clash with deafening roars.
"Vejita, we have to help —"
The prince held up his hand. "Kakarot's right. This is his battle. Let him end it his way." They looked down where Goten and Trunks were doing battle with Nappa, and tiring the giant out more from the repeated attacks than the attacks themselves.
Vejita smirked. "Let's wrap up the Nappa match."
Vejita and Gohan jumped into the fray and within minutes they had wrapped up Nappa — literally. A few strategically placed ki rings anchored him firmly to the side of the mountain where the remaining four warriors hunkered down and watched the war of the apes.